Well, I guess I can spill da' beans... I thought we'd get going by August, but Mark Elliott and Tim Helsing want it, asap.. So, with some good music based research, music chart looks and finding what sells in the music market, I get to return to the pop side of CCM this week.. If not, then next week..
"Joyful Noise" will be our program's title and it will start with a 6:am to 10:am (CDST) time slot on top rated (12+) 104.1/WIKY-Evansville..
Target will be a general Contemporary Christian audience and the format looks to be more of a "Hot AC/Adult CHR" direction.. I have been following the CCM-AC & CHR charts for three months and doing 'mock' playlists to get into the groove... With between 10 and 15 of the currents charting on both CCM-AC & CHR charts, it will be pretty easy to follow the artists and the playlist.. With a four hour window of listeners going to and from worship, or Saturday worshipers rising for Sunday activity, we should hit a very strong base in our underserved market. I have a strong indication that both Protestant and Catholic Church communites in our four county metro and within the 33 counties served by WIKY will be accepting of this effort.. 8)
We lost our Salem Light/AC formated South Central station a couple of years back.. I was not involved in WIKY or South Central at that time. Mr. Helsing hoped they could save the effort, as he came on board as Market Manager, but the decision was made to go "Jack-Fm", by that time... Jack does well as a add-on buy to our cluster, even though 107.1 had a good share in the three books. In my opinion, the lack of a couple of key things sank the Light/CCM-AC on 107.1.... No local programming and no street presence....A lack of experience in selling CCM in the market.... As bonus spots ran from the other stations, some commerical matter became 'uncomfortable' to the base audience (I experienced that while working in an IT corporation..Many of my fellow peers were concerned with some ads for "R" rated titles in a rental video ad and happy hour in a restaurant ad or two, in general)...
I also, feel the format off the bird was too 35 to 64 for the market, and did not mirror a Church going audience that shared time with WIKY.... These are my observations and now we will see how we do playing our version of "The Brian Mason Show".. Brian wrote the book on that Sunday AM programming at WLAC-FM and our sister station WJXA in Nashville... I guess I am old enough to now do this! (as many hear my name and think Hot-CHR nights at WAY-FM and Radio-U in its early CHR/ALT days of CCM.. )... Mark Elliott knew I could do AC or Hot/AC and had me doing weekends and weekday fill on WIKY for the last year... Thanks to all at SCC Radio for giving me this opportunity! I think we will fill the void between my little LPFM that does "Theocratic" Alternative-Rock (WYIR.com) and our fantastic Inspo/Light AC-CCM station that carries quality teaching programs (WBGW and the "Thy Word Network).. We do have a quality Indpendent Gospel AM outlet here and a teaching AM with a great signal, as well.. CCM in the mainstream has been lacking here.. Christian Fellowship Church planted an LPFM with "Way-FM's" CHR-Net on it, only to have a full powered FM up river move from the adjacent channel to their co-channel and move 15 miles closer to Evansville! Now you get less than three miles out (within the 60dbu) and the full powered FM cuts into and negates the great sound of Y-102.7.. :'( So, with alot of people approaching me and others on our SCC staff, we're giving it a 'shot' on Sunday's... Thank you WORD groups for getting us on your list for music and interviews.. This should be a fun thing... Catch you Sundays at www.wiky.com ..... ;D
"Joyful Noise" will be our program's title and it will start with a 6:am to 10:am (CDST) time slot on top rated (12+) 104.1/WIKY-Evansville..
Target will be a general Contemporary Christian audience and the format looks to be more of a "Hot AC/Adult CHR" direction.. I have been following the CCM-AC & CHR charts for three months and doing 'mock' playlists to get into the groove... With between 10 and 15 of the currents charting on both CCM-AC & CHR charts, it will be pretty easy to follow the artists and the playlist.. With a four hour window of listeners going to and from worship, or Saturday worshipers rising for Sunday activity, we should hit a very strong base in our underserved market. I have a strong indication that both Protestant and Catholic Church communites in our four county metro and within the 33 counties served by WIKY will be accepting of this effort.. 8)
We lost our Salem Light/AC formated South Central station a couple of years back.. I was not involved in WIKY or South Central at that time. Mr. Helsing hoped they could save the effort, as he came on board as Market Manager, but the decision was made to go "Jack-Fm", by that time... Jack does well as a add-on buy to our cluster, even though 107.1 had a good share in the three books. In my opinion, the lack of a couple of key things sank the Light/CCM-AC on 107.1.... No local programming and no street presence....A lack of experience in selling CCM in the market.... As bonus spots ran from the other stations, some commerical matter became 'uncomfortable' to the base audience (I experienced that while working in an IT corporation..Many of my fellow peers were concerned with some ads for "R" rated titles in a rental video ad and happy hour in a restaurant ad or two, in general)...
I also, feel the format off the bird was too 35 to 64 for the market, and did not mirror a Church going audience that shared time with WIKY.... These are my observations and now we will see how we do playing our version of "The Brian Mason Show".. Brian wrote the book on that Sunday AM programming at WLAC-FM and our sister station WJXA in Nashville... I guess I am old enough to now do this! (as many hear my name and think Hot-CHR nights at WAY-FM and Radio-U in its early CHR/ALT days of CCM.. )... Mark Elliott knew I could do AC or Hot/AC and had me doing weekends and weekday fill on WIKY for the last year... Thanks to all at SCC Radio for giving me this opportunity! I think we will fill the void between my little LPFM that does "Theocratic" Alternative-Rock (WYIR.com) and our fantastic Inspo/Light AC-CCM station that carries quality teaching programs (WBGW and the "Thy Word Network).. We do have a quality Indpendent Gospel AM outlet here and a teaching AM with a great signal, as well.. CCM in the mainstream has been lacking here.. Christian Fellowship Church planted an LPFM with "Way-FM's" CHR-Net on it, only to have a full powered FM up river move from the adjacent channel to their co-channel and move 15 miles closer to Evansville! Now you get less than three miles out (within the 60dbu) and the full powered FM cuts into and negates the great sound of Y-102.7.. :'( So, with alot of people approaching me and others on our SCC staff, we're giving it a 'shot' on Sunday's... Thank you WORD groups for getting us on your list for music and interviews.. This should be a fun thing... Catch you Sundays at www.wiky.com ..... ;D