UPDATE: TWIN CITIES TRIPLE A RADIO BATTLE

89.3 The Current seems to be doing well despite a head-to-head challenge from commercial station Go 96.3.  Check out my March 19 post Triple A Radio Battle Is On in the Twin Cities [LINK].  According to the March topline Nielsen Audio PPM report, The Current gained in AQH share – Go 96.3, despite spending big bucks to promote themselves, declined during the same time period: (The Current is KCMP; Go 96.3 is KTWN.)

© Nielsen Audio – Chart courtesy of Media Confidential

Of course, one book doesn’t make a trend. But, this early report card should cause concern for the folks at Go 96.3.

RADIO GRUDGE MATCH

Go 96.3 is an unusual commercial station – local owners with a grand plan to combine Minnesota Twins MLB coverage (they also own the Twins) with modern rock/Triple A music.  Most of all it is grudge match between two stations that, really, really don’t like each other.

Go 96.3 is programmed by former Cities 97 folks. They are still grieving over the loss of the Coolest Rock Station Crown. Now they seek to re-take the hipster Crown but the fundamentals aren’t in their favor.

PROBLEMS WITH THE Go 96.3 PLAN

1. People like The Current. Twin Cities’ listeners have no reason to tune away and go (pun intended) to Go 96.3.  Go 96.3 and The Current play many of the same artists and both reflect the same music scene. But, there is no advantage for Go 96.3.

2. The Minnesota Twins suck again this year. Part of Go 96.3’s plan is to use the popularity of the Twins to increase station awareness.  Because the Twins are loosing, the baseball tie becomes a skink hole for listening.  Unless the Twins make a miraculous turn around, the play-by-play and other coverage will repel music listeners.

3. Go 96.3’s new gadget – GoTV [LINK] – exposes the flaws in the plan. GoTV is essentially a studio camera mixed with music videos. I tuned to GoTV before writing this post.  What I saw and heard was pre-game sport’s talk – boring, pointless and totally uncool.

WILL Go 96.3 BECOME Gone 96.3?

The Twins come first for the owner of the team and the station. Go 96.3 is the latest in a string of formats they have tried. If things continue the way they are now, a year from now Go 96.3 may be Gone 96.3