New CHR in Kankakee, IL

[Skim]

Add another to the list. 103.7 WFAV Gilman/Kankakee has flipped from a simulcast of 95.1 WVLI (Oldies) to CHR. I haven't heard it yet, and haven't found a stream.

WFAV Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/WFAV-1037FM/213091822049539?sk=info

 

[the golden boy]

Good. I don't think Kankakee has had a local CHR since the Bus went kaput in the 90s. I miss the Bus. I'll try and check out 103.7 whenever my next roady to Chicago happens.

 

[Skim]

I listened a few days ago. WFAV does the same quirk WBUS did: programming blocks of similar formatics together. You have a rock block, then dance, then urban, then AC, or something similar.

 

[jsu5381m]

Is Kankakee even big enough for a CHR?

 

[the golden boy]

Kankakee County is getting some spillover growth from the south suburbs of Chicago. Kankakee is probably about the same size as downstate Carbondale, though you could make the argument that Carbondale is a college town and could better support a CHR (CIL-FM has been around for years). To tell you the truth, CHR could work in any market size if those involved put in the effort to make it work.

 

[Skim]

The county population is 103,000, larger than Quincy, which has two CHRs. Most of the Kankakee-Bradley-Bourbonais stations also target Watseka for whatever that is worth. As for Carbondale, it's part of the larger Egyptian market that includes Marion, West Frankfort, Benton, and the rest of the sprawling region. Egypt had two CHRs until Clear Channel pulled out some years ago.