The Official Historical Archive

The Journey

The Road to Skyline Jazz (1979–1984)

The Skyline Jazz story began years before the station ever went on the air. What started as a search for an available New York FM frequency evolved into the discovery of cable radio and the vision of creating a unique contemporary jazz service.

·         1979 - Drew Butkocy and Tom Koyen conducted a search for a new class A (3K watts) FM frequency in the New York Metropolitan market.  No new frequencies were found to be available.

·         1979 - While tuning around the local FM band one day, Drew and Tom discovered contemporary jazz radio station WRVR 106.7 FM.  The discovery of WRVR sparked a lifelong passion for contemporary jazz and planted the seed for what would eventually become Skyline Jazz.

·         1979 - A local cable tv sales representative presented his sales pitch to Drew’s family.  Drew learned about cable FM.

·         1979 - Drew identified an opportunity to use a satellite transponder’s subcarrier to distribute audio programming to cable systems nationwide.

·         1979 - Drew talked to the founders of the newly launched ESPN cable service who agreed to lease a subcarrier on their transponder on RCA’s Satcom 3 satellite.

·         1979 - Drew, Tom and friend Bruce Hoffman each invested $10K to establish WKCN and to create a nationwide progressive rock, jazz and blues audio service.

·         1979 - WKCN was unsuccessful and Drew, Tom and Bruce went their separate ways.

·         1981 - Tom continued to pursue the national audio service concept as North American Cable Communications, which ended after a presentation to the president of HBO.  Although the national cable audio service concept was impractical for HBO, the experience reinforced Tom's belief that there was an audience for thoughtfully programmed contemporary jazz radio.

·         1983 - Drew launched a local cable radio station—Jazz 108—on Raritan Valley Cable in NJ. It programmed the first version of the contemporary jazz format they had envisioned.

·         1984 - Drew and Tom reunited and developed ideas to expand Jazz 108.

Launching Skyline Jazz (1985)

In 1985, Drew Butkocy and Tom Koyen partnered with Manhattan Cable to launch Skyline Jazz on Cable Stereo 106.3. After months of planning, building the studio, and moving equipment into Manhattan, Skyline Jazz officially signed on the air on November 25, 1985.

·         1985 - Drew contacted Manhattan Cable and proposed an exchange, free contemporary jazz audio programming in exchange for a free channel on Manhattan’s Cable FM band.  Manhattan Cable says yes and the Manhattan adventure began.

·         1985 - They found a small two-room space at 13 East 15th Street, between Union Square West and 5th Avenue, conveniently located near Manhattan Cable’s headend facility on East 23rd Street. That became the home of Skyline Jazz.

·         1985 - Since 106.7 was not available on Manhattan Cable’s FM band, they chose the closest frequency they could—106.3—hoping to attract former WRVR listeners.

·         1985 - In early October they moved equipment from New Jersey to Manhattan using a small caravan of cars and a pickup truck.

·         1985 - They set-up the office and studio, connected the equipment and phone lines to Manhattan Cable’s head end and prepared for launch.

·         1985 - On the evening of November 25 there was a small launch party, then Drew turned on the phone lines, sat down behind the audio console, turned on the mic and introduced Manhattan to Skyline Jazz.   He cued up George Benson’s “No One Emotion”, hit start—and Skyline Jazz was live.

Growth and Recognition (1986)

Skyline Jazz quickly became an important part of New York's contemporary jazz community. Artist interviews, benefit concerts, record company relationships, and the station's early adoption of compact disc technology helped define its unique identity.

·         1986 - One day in January there was a knock on the station door and when Tom answered there stood NYC policeman Robert Silva.  Robert loved jazz and often worked security at concert venues through which he had access to jazz artists. Robert was extremely interested in Skyline Jazz and Drew and Tom offered him the opportunity to get involved.  Robert introduced Drew and Tom to Latin Jazz, which became a vibrant addition to the program format.

·         1986 - Skyline Jazz never considered conducting artist interviews, they just happened. In February, Robert coordinated the first artist interview with Dave Valentine.  Tom interviewed Dave and subsequently became the ongoing interview host.

·         1986 - In May, Robert helped coordinate a benefit concert to raise money for Jorge Dalto’s cancer treatments at the Sounds of Brazil (SOBs) club on 7th Avenue South. SOBs donated the club space and Skyline Jazz helped sponsor and promote the event.  NYC’s jazz artists and listeners showed up and the event was very successful.

·         1986 - Compact Discs had recently become commercial, so Drew reached out to Nakamichi and made a deal for two of their OMS-5 CD players in exchange for promotional mentions of their name on air.  Nakamichi agreed and Skyline Jazz went digital!

·         1986 - In September, they took on the task of promoting Special EFX’s first NYC concert appearance at the Roundabout Theatre, with comedian Jim Morris as the opening act.  Both shows were fantastic! 

·         1986 - On November 25th Skyline Jazz held an informal 1st anniversary open house at the station.  They invited jazz artists, record company personnel, PR reps and listeners to stop by the studio and celebrate the first full year of Skyline Jazz.  

·         1986 - Tom concluded 1986 by doing an “off the top of his head” 6 hour year in review show on New Year’s Eve. 

Change and Transition (1987–1988)

Financial challenges and changing circumstances led to significant modifications to the station's operations. When Tom departed in 1987, Drew and Robert continued the mission, eventually transitioning from predominantly live programming to prerecorded broadcasts.

·         1987 - Skyline Jazz continued to struggle generating revenue and financial pressures were increasing. Tom faced a personal crossroads and chose to focus on his career in wireless communications.  His departure in February marked the end of his involvement with Skyline Jazz.

·         1987 - Drew and Robert continued and maintained the Skyline Jazz sound with live DJs, artist interviews and their focus on the Manhattan jazz scene.  They’d even expanded to cable systems in Brooklyn and Queens. 

·         1987 - In November, Skyline Jazz marked its second anniversary with a two-night benefit concert at Mikell’s Jazz Club. The event featured the band Top Shelf along with pianist Henry Butler and percussionist Candido Camero, with proceeds helping to fund Skyline Jazz’s operations.

·         1987 - In December, financial challenges forced Drew and Robert to relocate Skyline Jazz's facilities to a friend's apartment one block away. Drew kept the station connected by stringing a 200-foot cable behind the two buildings from the phone line demarcation point on 15th Street to the fourth-floor apartment on 16th Street.

·         1988 - Skyline Jazz’s facilities were subsequently relocated to a small space on top of a restaurant at 3rd Ave and 22nd St.

·         1988 - As a result of the new location dynamics, Skyline Jazz changed its 24 hour a day on-air operation from live radio to airing preproduced shows.

·         1988 - In April, Drew’s father passed away and he moved back to NJ to help support his mother.  He continued to make preproduced shows for air on Skyline Jazz while Robert maintained the station’s operation.

·         1988 - The Skyline Jazz studio equipment is relocated to Robert’s apartment.  Robert maintains the on-air presence by changing tapes and keeping the sounds of jazz alive!

The Final Years (1989–1991)

Operating from a smaller studio and later from Robert's apartment, Skyline Jazz continued serving listeners with carefully produced programming until its final broadcast on April 1, 1991.

·         1989 – 1991 - Drew and Robert continue operating Skyline Jazz using automation and preproduced programs.

·         1991 - On April 1st Skyline Jazz disconnected the phone lines to Manhattan cable’s head end and ceased operations.  Skyline Jazz had run its course.

·         1991 – Present - Drew and Robert stay in touch and visit each other a few times each year.

·         2026 - Tom reconnects with Drew and Robert after 39 years, and together they begin preserving Skyline Jazz's history through the Skyline Jazz Archive website.

The Legacy (2026)

Although Skyline Jazz left the air in 1991, its influence and memories endured. In 2026, Tom reconnected with Drew and Robert, beginning the Skyline Jazz Archive to preserve the station's recordings, photographs, documents, and history for future generations.

In many ways, Skyline Jazz was ahead of its time. Long before algorithms and curated playlists, Skyline Jazz delivered something far more human, a listening experience built on instinct, trust, and a deep love of the music.

For those who heard it, Skyline Jazz was not just a radio station, it was a moment in time that never quite happened the same way again.  And nearly forty years later, the music—and the memories—still resonate. Because in the end, as it was from the beginning, it was always about the music!