May 3, 2021, Issue 754
Market Analysis: Providence
In the March PPMs, Hall WCTK/Providence had and 8.1 share – the second largest of any Country station in the nation (RATS 4/22). WCTK also finished second in both Persons 6+ and Persons 25-54 in the Providence book and has placed in the top two in nine of the past 13 monthlies. Such lofty perches have become routine for “Cat Country 98.1,” so Country Aircheck spoke to PD Kevin Palana and dug into the numbers to understand why. In a challenging year for the Country format, WCTK’s success starts with what Palana calls a “lean and mean” staff. Last May, midday host Courtney Kelley moved to the Cat Country Morning Show joining 10-year station vet Brian Kevin Palana Mulhern. Then in July, longtime PD Bob Walker transferred to the company’s Florida stations; Palana found himself adding programming to his Dir./Production and afternoon drive responsibilities. Rounding out the moves was the addition of part-timer Brendan Sharp to track the last three hours of the midday shift, with Kelley tracking the first two. While the pandemic forced many stations to broadcast using alternate setups, Cat Country’s small staff meant they could continue business as usual in their studios while maintaining social distance. Palana says the lockdown played a part in WCTK’s ratings gains over the past year. “The station that’s taken the hit here is the AC [WWLI], the at-work station,” he says. “When people have a choice, they gravitate toward the Rock station [WHJY] or Cat Country.” Though WKLB/Boston does put a listenable signal into most of the market (and pulled a 1.9 share in the March book), Palana focuses on WWLI and current market leader WHJY as his primary competitors. (continued on page 6)
The Zodiac Chiller: KRWQ/Medford, OR’s Bryce Burtner (r) and Top 40 sister KIFS’ Gemineye present the $165,195 raised during their 18th Annual St. Jude Radiothon, pushing the cluster’s total to more than $3 million since 2004.
Music For Mom
With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, Country Aircheck compiled a list of some of the biggest “mom songs” to help with programming, whether for imaging or spiking-in over the weekend. Let us know if we missed any using #CAMusicForMom.
Lauren Alaina
LAUREN ALAINA/Like My Mother Does (2011) TUCKER BEATHERD/Momma And Jesus (2017) GARTH BROOKS/Mom (2014) GLEN CAMPBELL & STEVE WARINER/ The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1987) DIAMOND RIO/Mama Don’t Forget To Pray For Me (1991)
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