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Two months ago, Audacy abruptly dumped all of their Smooth Jazz formatted stations on HD2, including Detroit’s Home for Smooth Jazz, V98.7.
When WVMV dropped their smooth jazz format and calls on the FM side, the new station moved it over to WDZH HD2 in 2009. After fourteen years on the air, the plug was pulled on late Friday evening, February 24.
While Audacy still incorporates the V98.7 format on their website, they replaced the extensive WDZH Smooth Jazz V98.7 playlist — immediately — with a much less selective, more shortened-playlist titled, ‘Soundscapes’. Noticeably, it is a much different smooth jazz format (and with ads!) you will hear on the channel today.
On March 4, I called the Audacy listed number in Southfield (MI.). I had called to inquire whether possibly there was some techical error, maybe or, whether they dropped the station. They had confirmed (and stated also inasmuch, to the many dismayed inquiries from callers they received as well) that V98.7 is now the former, officially having been dropped just before 11:00 a.m., on February 28.
I’ve been a huge fan of the smooth jazz format since the WJZZ-106 era in the Motor City. When WVMV V98.7 first signed on in December 1995, I took notice. And I became a dedicated listener to that station throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s during its smooth jazz heyday on the FM dial, and, up until its recent demise on HD2.
Not left to mire in despair, I was able to acquire the entire V98.7 HD2 playlist which the station had used in their play-rotation, essentially the same, most notably, which the station used during the past five years. The list comprises well over 800 smooth jazz tracks and the best of smooth R&B hits, combined. I have become very familiar with all these song titled numbers. I’ve listened to the station on HD2 and Audacy for many, many years already. It was, for the most part, my favorite station I listened daily to on their streaming app.
During March (and April) I created fourteen WVMV Detroit Smooth Jazz playlists on Spotify. Each volume (numbered 1-14) lists 55-plus titles per, having uploaded every song from the acquired playlist to the Spotify platform. The only thing you will not hear will be those wonderful WVMV jingles (masterfully created by Groove Addicts in Los Angeles) interspersed between song sets played throughout hours of the day, 24/7, on V98.7 HD2.
Here is a preview sampler below for WVMV Volume #3 (click on the play button):
Not on Spotify?
To listen on your mobile device, you can download the Spotify app on the Google play store. On your PC, you can also download Spotify here. Then register and set up your Spotify account, create a password, and, just sign in. And it’s free.
Once there, click over [my name] Jim Feliciano (or you can click my name in the preview provided above or on Spotify) and then scroll down to Public Playlist. To the right of the page, click on Show all and all 14 playlists will be featured there in one place. Or, you can go here.
There are several accounts under the WVMV ‘Smooth Jazz’ banner already on Spotify. I cannot speak for those. But what I can assure you is this. What I have presented there on the Spotify platform are all those same Detroit ‘Smooth Jazz’ favorites you heard played from the WDZH HD2 rotation during the past 5 years. Guaranteed.
So If you loved (and miss today) listening to Smooth Jazz V98.7 on Audacy, pass the word! The entire Smooth Jazz Detroit playlist is now all up on Spotify.
Jim Feliciano
Motor City Radio Flashbacks
