JAM Creative Productions
Encyclopedia
JAM Creative Productions, Inc., is an American
company that produces radio jingles, promo music for television, and commercial jingles for advertisers. It has made more radio jingles than any other jingle company and has become part of American pop culture.
and was a fan of their work. Jon also worked briefly at TM Productions (now TM Studios) and did freelance work for several other studios.
JAM is the only production house of its type which has been continuously owned and operated by its founders for over 35 years. It produces jingles for clients ranging from local DJs to the most influential radio stations in the world.
WPEN and WMGK Philadelphia were among the company's earliest major-market clients. Within a few years, JAM jingles were used by many of the most listened-to radio stations of all time including WABC
New York, WLS
Chicago and BBC
Radio 1
and 2
in the UK. JAM also created themes and jingles for many syndicated radio programs, including those hosted by Casey Kasem
, Dick Clark, Rick Dees
, Dick Bartley
, Bob Costas
, Scott Shannon
, Dan Ingram
and others. In addition, JAM has worked for various TV clients including ABC-TV
, NBC-TV (David Letterman
), VH-1 and more.
In 1985, JAM Creative Productions wrote and recorded a full-length song all about its radio jingles. "The JAM Song" was distributed on vinyl to radio stations as a promotional item, but was aired by several and has become a favorite among radio historians and jingle enthusiasts. You can listen to the song, and look at the lyrics and credits on the back of the record jacket here.
In the United States, JAM has produced more custom jingles for KOST
in Los Angeles than any other station, although WLS
in Chicago is very close. JAM's top-selling package has been "Warp Factor", created for Z100
in 1985. Since 2001, both XM Satellite Radio
and Sirius Satellite Radio
(now Sirius-XM) make extensive use of JAM jingles on their music channels.
JAM jingles have also been used in movies and TV shows to add authenticity to the era or location of a scene.
The JAM building, which houses two recording studios, offices, and a large media archive, is located in Dallas
, just east of the downtown
area.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company that produces radio jingles, promo music for television, and commercial jingles for advertisers. It has made more radio jingles than any other jingle company and has become part of American pop culture.
History
The company was founded in 1974 by husband and wife Jonathan M. and Mary Lyn Wolfert. Prior to the formation of JAM, Jon worked for PAMSPAMS
PAMS , based in Dallas, Texas, was the most famous jingle production company in American broadcasting. It produced identification packages for radio stations around the world, as well as some commercial music.-History:The company was founded by William B. Meeks, Jr. PAMS (an acronym for Production,...
and was a fan of their work. Jon also worked briefly at TM Productions (now TM Studios) and did freelance work for several other studios.
JAM is the only production house of its type which has been continuously owned and operated by its founders for over 35 years. It produces jingles for clients ranging from local DJs to the most influential radio stations in the world.
WPEN and WMGK Philadelphia were among the company's earliest major-market clients. Within a few years, JAM jingles were used by many of the most listened-to radio stations of all time including WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
New York, WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
Chicago and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
in the UK. JAM also created themes and jingles for many syndicated radio programs, including those hosted by Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
, Dick Clark, Rick Dees
Rick Dees
Rigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
, Dick Bartley
Dick Bartley
Dick Bartley, a popular American radio disc jockey since 21 June 1969, hosts several popular syndicated radio shows of the oldies/classic hits genre, including the current Classic Countdown since 1991 and the Saturday night call-in request show Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits since 1982...
, Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
, Scott Shannon
Scott Shannon
Michael Scott Shannon is a radio disc jockey, current co-host of the "Scott and Todd in the Morning" show on WPLJ, host of The True Oldies Channel, and the official voice of The Sean Hannity Show.-Early Radio Career:...
, Dan Ingram
Dan Ingram
Daniel Trombley "Dan" Ingram is an American Top 40 radio disc jockey with a forty-year career on radio stations such as WABC and WCBS-FM in New York...
and others. In addition, JAM has worked for various TV clients including ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, NBC-TV (David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
), VH-1 and more.
In 1985, JAM Creative Productions wrote and recorded a full-length song all about its radio jingles. "The JAM Song" was distributed on vinyl to radio stations as a promotional item, but was aired by several and has become a favorite among radio historians and jingle enthusiasts. You can listen to the song, and look at the lyrics and credits on the back of the record jacket here.
Popularity
In the UK, almost all jingles heard on BBC Radio 1 & 2 between the mid 70s and late 90s were made by JAM.In the United States, JAM has produced more custom jingles for KOST
KOST
KOST is a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, with an adult contemporary musical format. It is one of three adult contemporary formatted radio station in the Los Angeles/Orange County area, the others being sister station KBIG and CBS-owned KTWV...
in Los Angeles than any other station, although WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
in Chicago is very close. JAM's top-selling package has been "Warp Factor", created for Z100
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
in 1985. Since 2001, both XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
and Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
(now Sirius-XM) make extensive use of JAM jingles on their music channels.
JAM jingles have also been used in movies and TV shows to add authenticity to the era or location of a scene.
The JAM building, which houses two recording studios, offices, and a large media archive, is located in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, just east of the downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
area.
External links
- youtube.com - BBC Radio 1 plays JAM jingles.
- youtube.com - WCBS-FM Cousin Brucie plays JAM jingles.
- jingles.com - JAM official website
- steveengland.com - UK and Éire agent.
- topformat.nl - European agent.