-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
WKCC-FM To Shut Down By Year's End
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
Or the voracious K-Love monster?
It has been reported that Illinois Public Media in Urbana looked into simulcasting its WILL-AM signal on WKCC, but they couldn't work it out: http://current.org/2015/06/illinois...tain-future-after-college-announces-shutdown/.
I have known of this station for years. I remember when they did a 15 minute repeating loop of tourist information as their format and to tell you the truth, it was the best structured of any of the Visitor Information Stations I heard. Then the college took over several years later I suspect. I would question if the station was the very first to do the tourist information format many termed 'Visitors Information" format, but certainly one of the first and likely the first FM. I'll clarify, the 'Tourist' format they did was to be supported by sponsors who underwrite segments. Other such stations that were commercial, sold commercials that blended with the various segments. This is not the format of those little 10 watt TIS station on the AM dial and a totally different animal in ownership, rules and purpose.
I do not want sound really mean here, but pulling up the WKCC website, I this the issue might not be the listeners and business community not responding but the station itself. Nowhere on the website is there anything about donating, becoming a member or underwriting. The home page is not visually descriptive of the station. I suspect such glaring errors extend beyond the website. With many stations if you have trouble in one sector, it extends to all sectors.
I would suspect poor programming choices, poor promotion, marketing and likely other issues are involved here. If I were programming the station and could not clear Morning Edition or All Things Considered, I would be touting I was playing classical music to put a smile on you face (to start or to end your workday). And I'd do classical music well. It looks more like they want to be as NPR as they can but with NPR breaking their legs. As my Dad said, if you can't beat your competitor because they can walk circles around you, then find another way to carve out your niche. In other words, if you can't beat them, don't try to, but look for another way to win. The worst is to pretend to be what you are not. As one boss said, if it is trash, at least be proud of it, because it is all you've got and at least you can pull yourself up from there.
I'd push finding grants, selling Underwriting and building attractive incentives for listeners to give to the station. There's nothing mentioned on the website, so I'm thinking the reasons to give, underwrite, etc are slim to none.
I suspect in this case, it's not the audience but the radio station operation at fault for the failure of the station. Maybe with wiser programming decisions and an organized plan the station could do well. Just looking at the website, it's is a jumbled mess full of 'legalese' statements and promotion of programs that are specialty shows, not their fulltime format that they cleverly ignore. The PSA page is especially arrogant. It comes off as 'this is our policy and we have this policy because we want it and if you don't like it, tough.' You should say, we gladly announce PSAs but because we have some many wonderful events in our area, we may not be able to announce your event as frequently as you would want. Please ask us about options that can increase your impact. I do commend them on telling the organization what to submit to the station. It is a perfect description.
Sadly, just a few changes, relatively minor, and likely some better organization, the station would likely do very well. I hate to see such stations bite the dust where they could easily be turned around. More than likely a national Christian broadcaster will grab it or some other station that asks for a local studio waiver.
I do not want sound really mean here, but pulling up the WKCC website, I this the issue might not be the listeners and business community not responding but the station itself. Nowhere on the website is there anything about donating, becoming a member or underwriting. The home page is not visually descriptive of the station. I suspect such glaring errors extend beyond the website. With many stations if you have trouble in one sector, it extends to all sectors.
I would suspect poor programming choices, poor promotion, marketing and likely other issues are involved here. If I were programming the station and could not clear Morning Edition or All Things Considered, I would be touting I was playing classical music to put a smile on you face (to start or to end your workday). And I'd do classical music well. It looks more like they want to be as NPR as they can but with NPR breaking their legs. As my Dad said, if you can't beat your competitor because they can walk circles around you, then find another way to carve out your niche. In other words, if you can't beat them, don't try to, but look for another way to win. The worst is to pretend to be what you are not. As one boss said, if it is trash, at least be proud of it, because it is all you've got and at least you can pull yourself up from there.
I'd push finding grants, selling Underwriting and building attractive incentives for listeners to give to the station. There's nothing mentioned on the website, so I'm thinking the reasons to give, underwrite, etc are slim to none.
I suspect in this case, it's not the audience but the radio station operation at fault for the failure of the station. Maybe with wiser programming decisions and an organized plan the station could do well. Just looking at the website, it's is a jumbled mess full of 'legalese' statements and promotion of programs that are specialty shows, not their fulltime format that they cleverly ignore. The PSA page is especially arrogant. It comes off as 'this is our policy and we have this policy because we want it and if you don't like it, tough.' You should say, we gladly announce PSAs but because we have some many wonderful events in our area, we may not be able to announce your event as frequently as you would want. Please ask us about options that can increase your impact. I do commend them on telling the organization what to submit to the station. It is a perfect description.
Sadly, just a few changes, relatively minor, and likely some better organization, the station would likely do very well. I hate to see such stations bite the dust where they could easily be turned around. More than likely a national Christian broadcaster will grab it or some other station that asks for a local studio waiver.
Hi b-turner,
Before the announcement about ending broadcast operations, the links for contributions and information about sponsorship did exist. You were a little late to find them; They've since been removed. As listeners of the station know, there was growing community support for the station through on-air pledge drives and corporate sponsorships over the past seven years. Unfortunately, financial challenges came quicker than a mature public radio support base could be developed.
Jonathan Coke
WKCC General Manager
815-802-8233
Before the announcement about ending broadcast operations, the links for contributions and information about sponsorship did exist. You were a little late to find them; They've since been removed. As listeners of the station know, there was growing community support for the station through on-air pledge drives and corporate sponsorships over the past seven years. Unfortunately, financial challenges came quicker than a mature public radio support base could be developed.
Jonathan Coke
WKCC General Manager
815-802-8233
Hi Jonathan.
What a sad situation. I know the market size and location made this an uphill battle for you and the staff. In fact, as I understand things, when the station was running its Visitors Information Format on a 15 minute loop years ago, revenue was only about $1,000 a year. We are seeing the public classical station in Houston going up for sale following a budget cut where live and local was replaced with satellite. Even more troublesome, the Houston economy is in good shape, so we cannot blame the economy. I wish I had the answer.
Jumping into Underwriting from selling commercials, I have to make a general comment on presentation to the client. In commercial sales I quickly learned that if you have to explain a bunch of things to the potential client, the potential sale starts going south. When you tell the client what they cannot do, that's usually what they want and beg for an exception. So many Public stations tout the 'Angel' effect but it does not seem clear that the biggest results oriented factor is top of mind awareness. My comments are not about WKCC but rather what I see from Public Radio media kits.
From my research, there is much to be gained by the business running 'business card' style announcements free from 'window dressing' and claims. The mind works in strange ways. Repetition creates a mental image of a leader. No bragging or claims implies the business is simply the best among competitors. The leader never has to compare themselves. I witnessed am office event when a copy machine broke down. The receptionist was asking who to call. She had heard of one company, mentioned it and a couple of other folks at the office said they had heard of them. The implication was that at least three people had heard of the business, it must be the best one to call. That business got the customer simply by top of mind awareness. The best deal or the greatest claim was not a factor. In most buys it is not. Shall we not call Underwriting 'top of mind' marketing with audio business card announcements that simply say who you are, what you do and how to get in touch. Another factor is online presence in the buying decision. Radio works so well as the worm on the hook that causes the listener to make a virtual visit via the business website or station website
(https://www.kcme.org/business-directory/?stylesheet=&activated= is a nice example)
I sure do wish you the very best and hope if your road leads to another station you find your knowledge builds your continued success. Such as the case with WKCC, sometimes the best is not always reciprocated by the audience in quantity enough to make it work.
What a sad situation. I know the market size and location made this an uphill battle for you and the staff. In fact, as I understand things, when the station was running its Visitors Information Format on a 15 minute loop years ago, revenue was only about $1,000 a year. We are seeing the public classical station in Houston going up for sale following a budget cut where live and local was replaced with satellite. Even more troublesome, the Houston economy is in good shape, so we cannot blame the economy. I wish I had the answer.
Jumping into Underwriting from selling commercials, I have to make a general comment on presentation to the client. In commercial sales I quickly learned that if you have to explain a bunch of things to the potential client, the potential sale starts going south. When you tell the client what they cannot do, that's usually what they want and beg for an exception. So many Public stations tout the 'Angel' effect but it does not seem clear that the biggest results oriented factor is top of mind awareness. My comments are not about WKCC but rather what I see from Public Radio media kits.
From my research, there is much to be gained by the business running 'business card' style announcements free from 'window dressing' and claims. The mind works in strange ways. Repetition creates a mental image of a leader. No bragging or claims implies the business is simply the best among competitors. The leader never has to compare themselves. I witnessed am office event when a copy machine broke down. The receptionist was asking who to call. She had heard of one company, mentioned it and a couple of other folks at the office said they had heard of them. The implication was that at least three people had heard of the business, it must be the best one to call. That business got the customer simply by top of mind awareness. The best deal or the greatest claim was not a factor. In most buys it is not. Shall we not call Underwriting 'top of mind' marketing with audio business card announcements that simply say who you are, what you do and how to get in touch. Another factor is online presence in the buying decision. Radio works so well as the worm on the hook that causes the listener to make a virtual visit via the business website or station website
(https://www.kcme.org/business-directory/?stylesheet=&activated= is a nice example)
I sure do wish you the very best and hope if your road leads to another station you find your knowledge builds your continued success. Such as the case with WKCC, sometimes the best is not always reciprocated by the audience in quantity enough to make it work.
- Status