May 15, 2017, Issue 550
Wicked Pissah Beantown Hoobanger
Or, in English, “really great Country party in Boston.” Ask Kenny, Luke, Jason, Zac or anyone who has played Gillette, Fenway or any of the smaller venues – New England is a great Country market. And you don’t have to tell that to the folks at Beasley’s WKLB, who four years ago (then as Greater Media) posted back-to-back No. 1 books. A year later, iHeartMedia crashed in with WBWL on June 13, 2014. Here’s a deeper look at where the battle stands today, in many respects a classic “heritage vs. new” competition. Right at the top are March PPM numbers, where WKLB is ninth 6+ with a 4.1 and 634,600 cume. WBWL is 17th with a 2.3 and 438,900 cume. When WBWL launched, WKLB was No. 2 with a 7.0 share and 909,000 cume. So the Country audience is approaching 1.1 million, but share is down roughly half a point. Be Kind Rewind: Dialing back to WBWL’s summer 2014 launch, the station operated commercial-free through Labor Day with The Bobby Bones Show in mornings. Sister Top 40 WXKS/Boston’s street team was employed at country concerts and events, and PD/midLance Houston dayer Lance Houston transferred in from WPOC/Baltimore (Breaking News 8/25/14). The original 1,700 watt signal was upgraded to 13.5kW in August of 2015. Today, the lineup still begins with Bones, followed in middays by Jessica Callahan, a September 2014 addition from Top 40 WXXX/ Burlington, VT. Sister WKSJ/Mobile’s Colton Bradford joined in May 2015 and handles afternoons. Houston has shifted to nights. Mike Brophey Across the street, the WKLB staff is settled in after moving through several iterations over the past three years. “We have given the station a fresh coat of paint,” says 21-year PD Mike Brophey, a 2014 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee. “Our personalities are more upbeat.” In mornings, latest addition Jackson Blue from Rhythmic clustermate WBQT joins Hannah Byrom. “Their chemistry is (continued on page 8)
Solid Backbeat: New Sony/Nashville signing The Sisterhood play in Key West over the weekend. Pictured (l-r) are Ruby Stewart (Rod’s daughter), Sony drum intern Randy Goodman and Alyssa Bonagura, daughter of Baillie & The Boys’ Michael Bonagura and Kathie Baillie.
Zac Brown: Homecoming King
Where else would Zac Brown Band open their Welcome Home Tour but Atlanta’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park? WKHX PD Scott Lindy was there Friday (5/12) and WUBL nighttime personality Paul Aaron on Saturday (5/13) to witness the local-band-madegood’s homecoming. “I’m a huge fan and it was my first time seeing them,” says Aaron, adding, “They played lots of songs from the new album Scott Lindy Paul Aaron [Welcome Home].”
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