R&R,COUNTRY competitors to Bob "really helps. If we pull a share or two from each one of those, it guaran- tees Bob's place in the market." From a revenue standpoint, Connoisseur con- templated other formats as well. "We could be successful at active rock and bill $700,000 or $800,000, or we could be less successful doing country and bill $1.5 million." Six, count 'em, six country stations Breakdown AccordingtoJournal/Wichita OM Wichita: America's New Beverlee Brannigan, whilethereare indeed six country stations in the market now, it's important to separate the two Country Music Capital? horse races."The audience in play for the mainstream stations-KFDI, KZSN and the Wolf-is the larger of the two audi- ences." Next, there are the three classic 'We could be country stations-KFTI-AM, KFTI-FM successful and KWLS. Even though there's already a massive R.J. Curtis at active country share for the market, Brannigan is opti- [email protected] rock and bill mistic that the Wolf could possibly increase the $700,000 or existing country universe, as so often happens. She t the dawn of 2008, there were already four stations cranking$800,000, says,"Any new radio station that comes in and tries out country music inWichita,Arbitron's 98th -largest market,or we could to carve out a portion of the market by differen- awith a 12+ population of 473,000. That works out to onebe less tiating themselves has the potential to attract a country station for every 118,000Wichitonians. This Mid- group of listeners who weren't listening before." successful That's consistent with KVWF's decision to west country-fest has been going on for years, but as an exam- doing brand itself as "the Wolf," Allen adds. "If you lis- ple, just in the past four ratings books, the combined share forcountry ten to country radio in this market, the natural Journal's KFDI and KFTI-AM & FM and Clear Channel's KZSN has averagedand bill assumption is that you're listening to KFDI or around 25.0, with KFDI and KZSN-both targeted mainstream-combining$1.5 million.' KZSN. We needed something that would stand for nearly 17 of those 25 shares. -Ron Allen out and make people say, `That's not KFDI or Kissin', and it's also fun.' " Musically, there's not Ring Of Fire KBBB (Bob) and KVWF (the Wolf), there is a much difference between the Wolf and its two Incredibly, two more stations have thrown their method behind the madness: It was designed to And Then mainstream competitors, except for the amount hats in the country ring since the first of the help the entire cluster. Allen points out the obvi- There Were Six of songs played. The Wolf launched by howling year. On Jan. 18, Larry Steckline, who recently ous: humongous shares generated by the market's Calls, Slogan, Owner through 10,000 commercial -free songs and has purchased urban KSJM (107.9 Jamz), flipped it two mainstream outlets, KFDI and KZSN. KFDI, Wichita's Country since settled into playing one stopset per hour. toclassiccountry as KWLS (U.S.107.9), As he puts it, "That's pretty ripe pickings, and Favorites, Journal Colby Ericson, a former KFDI morning co -host, "Playing America's golden country hits." At the if you look at revenue, it's the same thing." KFTI-AM, AM 1070 the is doing wake -ups on the Wolf, then tracking 10 time, Steckline acknowledged the four existingWhen Connoisseur prepared to launch anoth- Ranch, Journal a.m.-noon. The rest of the station is jockless for players in the market, but said, "You don't have er station, Allen saysitnoticed an already KFTI-FM, Classic now, but Allen says middays and afternoons will the hits that really made country music No. 1 crowded marketplace. "We had Bob, [so] we Country 92.3, Journal be filled within the next 30 days. in the United States," adding that "everything started thinking, 'How can we not hurt it, still KZSN, Kissin' Country Brannigan calls KFDI "a successful, mature we play will be a hit"-a good 70% of thembe financially competitive and have alittle 102.1, Clear Channel radio station" that has a massive footprint in the No. 1 songs, he says.That outlet is targeting 35 - fun?' " According to Allen, KBBB has been a KVWF, 105 the Wolf, market-"and not just because we play the lat- to 55 -year -olds. regular top five performer 25-54 ever since it Connoisseur est Kenny Chesney record." Brannigan credits the Segue to Feb. 14, when Connoisseur pulled a signed on, along with country powerhouses KWLS, U.S. 107.9, "KFDI news brand and a serious commitment to Wichita switcheroo, moving adult hits KBBB KFDI and KZSN."There's not much we can do Steckline the Wichita community" for creating that foot- from the 100.5 frequency to 97.1 and launching about Clear Channel's AC KRBB [consistent- print, adding, "I have to give props to our com- country on 100.5 as KVWF (100.5 the Wolf). ly ranked No. 312+, behind KFDI and Wichita Country Shares pany [Journal]; they see the value in continuing On the surface, it might seem a bit crazy to add KZSN], so if we attack them, we attack our- Su 07 Fa 07 to staff a 24 -hour news department, and you have a sixth station to this already crowded country selves."Therefore, Allen says challenging a cou- KFDI 12.0 12.7 to look pretty hard to find those anymore" field, but according to Ron Allen, who programs ple of top five country stations that are also big KZSN 5.6 8.0 What about Allen's expectations for the Wolf? KFTI-AM4.2 3.2 "If we had a 5 share [in the winter 2009 Arbi- KFTI-FM 3.1 2.7 tron], I'd consider that a win. If we pulled 2 or 3 Room For Everyone? Probably Not Total: 24.9 26.6 shares each from [KFDI and KZSN], had decent billing and Bob was ranked two or three in this KZSN/Wichita PD Lyman James believes the game. As for upstart the Wolf challenging Four -Book Averages market, that's a big win for this building." there may be some headroom for country KZSN and KFDI for mainstream superiority, KFDI: 11.6 Meanwhile Brannigan-who's seen this movie growth with the addition of two new players. James says he's happy to occupy the KZSN: 6.7 before in her career-is well aware of what's hap- But not much. James, who has been taking incumbent position. "I'm not sure this will KFTI-AM: 3.7 pening in her market. "We have to pay attention on what he describes as "the country work for all the stations, but it's good for KFTI-FM: 3.1 to things we have control over. The most impor- behemoth that is KFDI" for several years, listeners. We'll all work harder to create Total: 25.1 tant thing is, how do we continue to serve our questions how many players can remain in better radio."-RJC listeners-because they will always tell us what Source: Arbitron matters most to them." R+yt MAY 2, 2008 24/7 NEWS ONLINE @ www.RadioandRecords.com 49.