KWNR Response

[billboardmister]

I was a regular caller who called into the Top 11 at 11 with the stunt runt for 5 years.

The people criticizing the stunt runt don't know what their talking about. The stunt runt is one of the best country DJ's on KWNR. He brings life to KWNR that would not be # 1 if it weren't for him. KWNR is also the # 1 station in Las Vegas. As a former Las Vegas resident now living in Chicago, there are lots of country stations out there but none are other stations or DJ's model the style of the stunt runt or KWNR.

For those who criticize KWNR for having the stunt runt, Obviously, they have not listened to the stunt runt. He's probably the only one who has a true connection with his audience. He's probaly one of the very few that you could call up and ask a question about a particular song or whether you were truling having a bad day. The stunt runt would sometimes put it out over the air and allow his audience to participate.

That's certainly something missing in corporate radio.

It all comes down to the ability to interact with your audience and communicate in a way that draws your listener base closer.

KWNR's stunt runt is a asset to their evening drive time and it's lots of fun. I was part of the audience that introduced songs on the top 11 at 11 and sometimes gave details about the particular song on the top 11 at 11.

I may call the stunt runt sometime and maybe if KWNR starts streaming online someday, I'll probably call in and introduce a song as I did when I lived in Las Vegas.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by billboardmister on 06/23/05 03:56 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[jh]

> I was a regular caller who called into the Top 11 at 11 with
> the stunt runt for 5 years.
>
> The people criticizing the stunt runt don't know what their
> talking about. The stunt runt is one of the best country
> DJ's on KWNR. He brings life to KWNR that would not be # 1
> if it weren't for him. KWNR is also the # 1 station in Las
> Vegas. As a former Las Vegas resident now living in Chicago,
> there are lots of country stations out there but none are
> other stations or DJ's model the style of the stunt runt or
> KWNR.

I'm not from LV but I've been there quite a few times, and have attended many county shows in LV. Many of them were hosted by KWNR personalities. When it was Stunt Runt, the crowd went wild. He's obviously very popular. Much bigger reaction than to one of their more "polished" announcers.

In the midwest market where I grew up, perhaps the most popular broadcast personality was the sports director at the leading AM/FM/TV operation. He didn't have a pleasing voice, mangled the English language, and on TV looked like an unmade bed. Any consultant would have tossed him off the air immediately. But the public LOVED the guy. Would he have worked in any other market? No. But in his home market, he was king.

 

[Weavewords]

>> I'm not from LV but I've been there quite a few times, and
> have attended many county shows in LV. Many of them were
> hosted by KWNR personalities. When it was Stunt Runt, the
> crowd went wild. He's obviously very popular. Much bigger
> reaction than to one of their more "polished" announcers.

One thing Stunt Runt has going for him is his connection to the audience. Instead of putting on typical calls, he finds people who aren't normally heard on radio (an approach, by the way, which catapulted Howard Stern to success). When you listen to him, you know you're listening to someone from Las Vegas, someone who knows the town, knows country music inside and out. It's hard to put into words, but there's a genuine warmth about his show and the way he relates to his callers.

 

[lfuss]

> One thing Stunt Runt has going for him is his connection to
> the audience.

At one of my former stations, we had a guy in a gorilla suit that showed up at remotes. The crowds went wild. Women and children loved him. He was so popular, he could have run for mayor and won. But that didn't mean he made a great air talent. Far from it.

LF

 

[Jay_F]

> > One thing Stunt Runt has going for him is his connection
> to
> > the audience.
>
> At one of my former stations, we had a guy in a gorilla suit
> that showed up at remotes. The crowds went wild. Women and
> children loved him. He was so popular, he could have run
> for mayor and won. But that didn't mean he made a great air
> talent. Far from it.
>
> LF
>


Larry, I already know your response will be "it's the only country station". But even in markets with one country station it is very common for nights to be the lowest rated daypart for country radio. The normal pattern is for formats like urban, CHR/Rhythmic etc. to skyrocket at night as well as national AC shows like Delilah and Tesh. Some formats like country are known to tank at night.

In the Winter 05 book, KWNR was consistent 25-54 in all dayparts. Mornings,middays,afternoons, and nights were all within a half a share of each other. On occasion (such as Fall 04), KWNR will follow the national pattern and nights will drop (in the scheme of things not the most important daypart anyway). But, there have also been books such as Winter 04 and Summer 04 when nights were #1 with the highest share on the station, very unusual for country radio (M-F, Country Chuck on Sunday usually has the highest ratings on KWNR).

Like I said, I know your response to this data is "It's the only country station". Maybe one day another country station will come on with a night jock you approve of (in this day and age they would probably go with a voicetracked jock or the syndicated "Lia at night"). You'll put your bet's on the slick jock that sounds like every other "good" jock in the U.S. I'll go with the hometown guy that has been on Las Vegas country radio for years, that has a distinctive sound and style, that get's the huge response at events, that knows many of the LV country music fans on a first name basis, and who is kind to everyone who calls his show and everyone he comes in contact with.

 

[lfuss]

> Like I said, I know your response to this data is "It's the
> only country station".

Yep. You don't have to try hard when you're the only game in town. Imagine if there was only one casino on the strip.

LF