As you know, 89.3 The Current, is one the most-listened-to
Triple A music stations in the country.
But with success comes imitators and new competition. Recently a Minneapolis commercial station
decided to challenge The Current.
KTWN – owned by the local Pohlad family – became GO 96.3. It
is sort of a Reader’s Digest of The Current.
There was big news recently when The Current dropped host Barb Abney.
GO hired her immediately.
The Twin Cities have had influential progressive rock
stations since the late 1960s when blues-great Tony Glover hosted a freeform show
overnight on KDWB AM.
For your enjoyment, here are the five Triple A station players:
THE NONCOM FAVORITE
THE CURRENT
KCMP 89.3 •
NONCOMMERCIAL
Owner: American
Public Media
Metro AQH Share: 3.0
• Weekly Cume: 317,400*
Capsule Description:
THE CURRENT is one of the most successful Triple A stations in the nation. It is involved in almost every aspect of the
Twin Cities rock music scene. Their heritage hosts are bankable
personalities with large individual followings. THE CURRENT is the tallest leprichaun on the block -- thank you David Carr.
Music Ratio: 50% current; 50% gold
Biggest Advantage: Beloved
and established music source and cultural curator. PD Jim McGuinn & company present a tasty
choice of current and gold tunes including awesome oh wow oldies.
Biggest Challenge: THE
CURRENT is the king of hill and
everyone is gunning for them. Some heritage hosts think they are bigger than
the station. Success sometimes leads to
atrophy and overconfidence.
THE NEW CHALLENGER
GO 96.3
KTWN 96.3 •
COMMERCIAL
Owner: Northern Lights Broadcasting, LLC
Guesstimated Weekly Cume: 260,000
Capsule Description: GO
96.3 is owned by the Pohland family - who also own the Minnesota Twins. KTWN is
the flagship for the Twins radio network. In the past three years KTWN has
tried several music formats – none worked.
Music Ratio: 70% current; 30% gold
Biggest Advantage: They
are new and the sound is very clean. I call them The Current Light. The hosts
are familiar Minneapolis voices. They
don’t play many commercials – now.
Biggest Challenge: As
the flagship for Twins baseball coverage, April will bring many hours of play-by-by
and boring as dry toast pre-game and post-game shows. Then again, if the
Twins are challenging for the pennant they will strike gold.
THE HERITAGE MARKET
LEADER
CITIES 97
97.3 • COMMERCIAL
Owner: iHeartMedia
Guesstimated Weekly
Cume: 750,000
Capsule Description: Cities
97 is a love letter to women ages 35 to 49. This is a heavily researched music
station.
They used to carry
the rock n roll flame – The Current carries the flame now.
Music Ratio: 10% current; 90% gold
Biggest Advantage: Well
established. Lots of at-work and car listening.
They just had one of their best books in recent history.
Biggest Challenge: They
are ACTUALLY a Hot AC station, perhaps in danger of loosing the hip aura.
COLLEGE ROCK FOR TRUE BELIEVERS
RADIO K
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770 AM & 104.5 FM • NONCOMMERCIAL
Owner: University of Minnesota
Guesstimated Weekly
Cume: 10,000
Capsule Description: RADIO K is considered one of the best college rock stations in America. They are like a big club that loves to party. They are the focal point of a dynamic local music scene.
Music Ratio: 90% current; 10% gold
Biggest Advantage: They know their listeners.
Biggest Challenge: RADIO K is mainly funded by student activity fees paid with tuition. They serve only a small fraction of the student body.
THE BOTTOM FEEDER
ALT 93.3
KFXM-HD2 via xlator
W227BF • COMMERCIAL
Owner: iHeartMedia
Metro AQH Share: NA •
Weekly Cume: NA
Capsule Description: This
is your iPod on shuffle. You only
have 200 tunes in rotation. BUMMER. But, I love 90s
stuff like Oasis Live Forever.
Music Ratio: 10% current; 90% gold
Biggest Advantage: I’ve
heard it costs about ten dollars a day to run it. It soaks up enough younger men to help combo
buys with Cities 97.
Biggest Challenge: It’s
a who cares operation. These folks
aren’t even trying. Maybe next month
they will be playing country.
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