Would an AAA format work in Champaign?

[radiohost40]

Would an AAA format work in Champaign? It seems like there's a hole in the market for it. Other cities with similar demographics, like Ann Arbor, Columbia, MO and Madison, WI have an AAA station. My thought is an AAA format would take listeners away from Mix. It seems like 95.3 would be the best frequency for the station. Close to Mix...to catch listeners moving up the dial. I can't imagine the current country format is doing that well, considering that WIXY has a lock on that format and 95.3, last I checked, is mostly automated.

 

[amfmxm]

Would an AAA format work in Champaign? It seems like there's a hole in the market for it. Other cities with similar demographics, like Ann Arbor, Columbia, MO and Madison, WI have an AAA station. My thought is an AAA format would take listeners away from Mix. It seems like 95.3 would be the best frequency for the station. Close to Mix...to catch listeners moving up the dial. I can't imagine the current country format is doing that well, considering that WIXY has a lock on that format and 95.3, last I checked, is mostly automated.

Of course it would "work," depending on what your expectations are. Triple A stations are rarely ratings monsters, but instead attract the best-educated and best-compensated listeners this side of public radio. And public radio is huge in Champaign-Urbana. Click the "all stations" button on your friendly Maximizer rankings and you'll usually see both WILL-FM and WILL-AM up there in the top 5. Community radio WEFT(FM) also has a well-established loyal audience of very bright/very upscale listeners.

The bad news is your AAA station would have to share those listeners with those stations. The good news is that you can sell 60-second commercials--legally--and they can't, so you can position your station to advertisers as the commercial alternative to public radio... a way to reach that same audience with a full commercial instead of a limited underwriting message.

Oh, yeah, another downside is that AAA formats usually require a programming staff of people who can read, write & think. Those people usually cost a little more.

As far as 95.3 goes... well, JG is looking for an owner/manager. Give him a call.

 

[RDO]

Wasn't The Whip in Farmer City a AAA?

 

[jp1520]

WWHP (The Whip) is technically Americana. WEBX (93.5 FM) was AAA back in the mid-90s. It made a
small dent in the short time it was around...and I still run into people who remember it fondly. But the
signal and the financial backer were handicaps (OK sour grapes from a former employee). Having been
there and still being in town (managing the public radio stations, in fact) I think this is even a better time
to do AAA here. With a better signal. 95.3's signal isn't good enough. This is a tough town for a Class A
rimshot to penetrate. 105.9 and 96.1 do OK, though.

 

[skippertthomas]

Jay... How about "Mumble 93.5"... We'll run a "BBB" format...."Take your index finger and run it across your lips!....You're on Mumble 93.5!" Or is that Mambo number 93-five???????

 

[jp1520]

When we bought the frequency, it was WKTW...K-Talk. It was running Rush. We took it off the air
for a month before putting our format on. Pretty cool that I can say I took Rush off in the market.
You're welcome WDWS. Before WKTW it was a country station...WUBB...actually called "Bubba."
Before that it was a local station in Tuscola.

 

[skippertthomas]

That's why JP and I are good friends.. Politcal opposites, but that's what we're about.. Steel sharpens steel... What is one man's garbage is another's gold.... "AAA".. Maybe the local "AAA" auto association would spend bucks to promote it....????? 8)

 

[jp1520]

If I had it to do all over again...I would try for the call letters WCUD..."The Cud"..."Just Chew It."
You could also say "Udderly Good Radio."

 

[thesecondshooter]

If I had it to do all over again...I would try for the call letters WCUD..."The Cud"..."Just Chew It."
You could also say "Udderly Good Radio."

That's a fantastic idea! Best I've heard in a long time!