Albuquerque free-form station launches with hour sponsorships
The Albuquerque Journal reports a new radio station has added a unique sound to the dial, causing a stir not so much for what it is but for what it isn't. Excerpts: "KWRP-FM 101.5 does not feature a talk show, disc jockeys, advertisements or special 10-song-in-a-row segments. The station doesn't even have a format - - it cannot be pegged as a country, alternative, smooth jazz or classic rock station. What KWRP does have is an eclectic, free-format music program nearly every minute of every day. How rare this is becomes apparent after listening for several minutes. Where are the call-letter jingles, the DJ with prizes to offer, the "zero down and no payments until 2006" commercials? Ears that were braced for the onslaught and a finger ready to hit the scan button gradually relax. Instead, anticipation builds as the listener begins to wonder what the station will play next.
Steve Bumpous, 56, and his wife, Kathleen Brandon, 53, are banking on their belief that listeners won't change the station when they come across KWRP for the first time.
Their philosophy for running the station often flies in the face of conventional radio wisdom. Brandon, a nurse for 28 years, has "zero experience" in the medium, and Bumpous, a radio engineer, has never wanted to be on the air.
The couple splits the duties of running the station and tries to keep things simple. Brandon is the station's music director, and Bumpous is the station's general manager and engineer. The two keep themselves off the air as much as possible.
Though listeners appreciate the constant flow of music from the station, the couple recognizes the need for advertising revenue. Bumpous plans to keep the music coming by signing on advertisers who will sponsor an hour of music at a time. Bumpous hopes that will be attractive to advertisers who want to stand out from the crowd, rather than having a 30-second spot "smashed" in with several other advertisers in a five-minute commercial break.
The station has a low-key website that listeners can visit to see a brief playlist (www.KWRP-101.5), another way Bumpous avoids going on the air. A recent playlist featured such artists as Joss Stone, John Lennon, REM, Townes Van Zandt and Patty Griffin. Blues, folk, modern rock and country are all mixed together at KWRP..."
RBR observation:
Should be interesting to see how the hour sponsorships work and if they get any national advertisers that way. Indeed, the format idea and clutter reduction of this station should be followed closely. The real test would be to see how something like this would fly in a major city, with a full-power station.
Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
