First Listen: KKRD-IR Wichita
Written Jun. 11, 2009 by Sean Ross in Internet Radio with 1 Comment
The heavily publicized revival of a terrestrial brand on the Internet yesterday was CBS' on-line relaunch of alternative WHFS Washington, D.C. But smaller market brands continue to return on the Web as well. As they should: some heritage smaler market stations kept their purchase on the market's affections for much longer than their big city counterparts.
The latest to return is KKRD-IR Wichita, Kan., a '90s and now Hot AC using the heritage calls eventually swapped out by Clear Channel in favor of KZCH. Kansas.com reports that the station is the brainchild of Matt Johnson, described there as the owner of a local karaoke service. So not only does the new KKRD-IR have pro-sounding jingles, drops and weather (but no jocks in the stretch I heard), it also has sponsors -- four bars and restaurants in the stopset I heard.
While the test of a station like this is often maintaining it, it's a well-realized effort so far. Here's an hour of the station starting at 10:45 a.m. today:
David Cook, "Come Back To Me"
Expose, "I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me"
Theory of a Deadman, "Not Meant To Be"
Wallflowers, "One Headline"
Gavin Rossdale, "Love Remains the Same"
Kevin Rudolph, "Let It Rock"
Rob Thomas, "Her Diamonds"
Selena, "I Could Fall In Love"
All-American Rejects, "The WInd Blows"
Pink, "Who Knew"
Billy Joel, "The River of Dreams"
Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You"
Coldplay, "Life In Technicolor II"
Daughtry, "Feels Like The First Time"
Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"
Dave Matthews Band, "Funny The Way It Is"
Aerosmith, "Crying"
The Fray, "You Found Me"
Sister Hazel, "All For You"
Reader Comments
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You touched on two important points, maintaining it, and selling it. With SO many choices for Internet radio, does an IR station really stand a chance at gaining a strong enough audience to sell, that will allow for an operator to have the cash to maintain it? In all business models one of the check points for success is barrier to entry, or how hard is it to get into that business. Radio has a fairly high barrier to entry with the license process, and the buckets of money needed to launch an over the air station, plus the money burn factor at launch.
But IR radio is easy. Anyone with a little time can put a station on the net. Just look at all the Live 365 stations that came and went. While some IR stations may make some noise, I am waiting for the day when one is truly successful. Maybe mobile WI-FI will make that happen, but until it is easy enough for the “average” person to get it, then it is all just a lot of fun. I still have not been able to pay the rent with fun.