A FLEDGLING radio station is proving a monster hit with listeners just one year after its launch.

Jazz station KJAZ98.1 took to the airwaves last September, hoping to appeal to a niche market of jazz enthusiasts and listeners whose hip-hop days were behind them.

But a survey conducted in April suggests that 30 per cent of those questioned had tuned in to the station during the course of that month ? more than double the number who claimed to tune in in a similar survey six months earlier.

Chief executive Terrance Trott said the station had recently reformatted its programming ? with contemporary jazz now making up 90 per cent of musical output.

"Volumes have gone through the roof," Mr. Trott said. "Our format is more music and less talk and it's starting to pay dividends. The latest results are very encouraging."

Mr. Trott said that the station's "positive outlook" on life also appealed to listeners, as did its coverage of local events.

And because the company has done little in the way of promotional work, Mr. Trott is confident its market share can grow.

"Everybody has access to a radio, but there are still some people out there who are not aware that we exist," he said.

The station broadcasts live 18 hours a day and can also be accessed on line through www.bdaradio.com.