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To understand how and why JAM got started, you have to get
to know the people behind it.
Jonathan Wolfert first
became interested in the jingle business in the 60s when he was
growing up in the New York City area. Being an avid radio listener,
he began to wonder who made those "little songs" that
announced the name of the radio station and sang its praises.
As he learned more about broadcasting, Jon discovered that the
"jingles" he had been hearing and collecting from across
the country were made by a small number of very specialized firms,
most of which were headquartered in Dallas. It seemed to him that
working for a jingle company would be an excellent way to combine
his interest and experience in music, audio production, and radio.
Jon moved to Dallas in 1971 to work for PAMS,
one of the top jingle production houses of the day. About 3 years
later he and his wife decided to create their own company. JAM
officially began in November of 1974. The name came from the initials
for "Jon
And Mary Lyn".
The company began modestly to say the least. A spare bedroom
was used as the office for the first year, and studio time was
rented as needed. Even so, word of JAM's quality and creativity
spread quickly. By early 1976 the company boasted accounts like
WABC (at that time the #1 rated station in America), and England's
prestigious B.B.C. In mid 1977 JAM outgrew its small suite of
offices, so it bought and renovated the studio it had been renting.
During the 80s, JAM expanded its services by doing
commercials,
production libraries,
music for television,
and other audio projects. But the primary emphasis has always been
station IDs.
By 1987 the demand for JAM productions was so great that
a second studio was needed. This time JAM designed and constructed
its own building. Everything about
the 14,000 square foot structure was created with the company's
unique needs in mind.
Today JAM creates IDs and custom music for top clients all
around the world. Mark Holland, Brian Hamilton, Judy Parma, Tom Parma,
Randy Bell and Cary Bass are all part of our a dedicated staff, many of
whom have been here since almost the beginning. We also employ
the talents of dozens of freelance singers, writers, and musicians.
And, unlike most entities in broadcasting these days, we have
never been bought, sold, merged or re-named. More than 33 years later, JAM
is still JAM. And we continue to do what we set out to do in the
beginning: create new, interesting and effective ways to market
stations and products with music and production of the highest
quality.
"It's a lot of work, but it's better than having
a real job." - J. Wolfert
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