The marketing idea didn’t make sense, but after thinking deeply about it, Steve Jonsson knew he had to try it.
Jonsson, president and CEO of Signal Media of Arkansas Inc., decided to tell listeners to one of his radio stations, KHLR-FM, The Ride, about what’s playing on a rival station, KSSN-FM of Little Rock.
A popular local TV news anchor was tuned in to country music last week and found herself listening to the pitch on KHLR, 106.7. The message was that KSSN plays far more commercials per song than The Ride, but it left her scratching her head. “Hey,” she thought, “I was already listening to The Ride!”
So isn’t KHLR preaching to the converted, making its case to an audience it already has?
Maybe. Ostensibly it “doesn’t make sense to mention a competitor in our marketing,” Jonsson admitted.
But still he made a case that KSSN’s status as “the only significant newer-country station” in the Little Rock market had to be challenged. KHLR, licensed to Benton, operates out of a complex in the Riverdale section of Little Rock.
Signal Media, an Arkansas company, owns The Ride and sister stations KKPT-FM, The Point, and KABZ-FM, The Buzz. KSSN is owned by iHeartmedia Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, one of America’s largest radio chains with more than 850 FM and AM stations.
“Large corporate groups have a lot of advantages over local independent stations that make it hard for companies like ours to compete,” Jonsson said. That leaves a void for radio listeners, a “lack of choice for the consumer which is, in our opinion, bad for the market.”
It became essential, Jonsson said, to tell listeners — including many who presumably switch back and forth between KHLR and KSSN — that The Ride is offering more music per hour, Jonsson said.
“We felt that there was an opportunity for a local New Country station to come into the market and not be hindered by the corporate guidelines and heavy commercial loads required by iHeart,” Jonsson wrote in an email. “We feel that we can serve the community better, be more entertaining and provide a better product.”
Signal has hit pay dirt with The Buzz, where David Bazzel, Justin Acri and crew have proved the value of their Razorbacks expertise in drawing a sports audience. The Point has been strong with the classic rock crowd, but Jonsson was eager to break into modern country music with an exclamation mark in August 2015.
After the station played “Last Dance” by Donna Summer, its last song as a “rhythmic oldies” station, it switched its motto to “Little Rock’s New Country” with a “10,000-song free ride,” no commercials. The first of the 10,000 was “Kick the Dust Up” by Luke Bryan.
Several calls for comment to KSSN and to iHeart’s Arkansas headquarters in Fayetteville had drawn no response by press time Thursday.
Jonsson said KHLR’s ads are just part of the station’s efforts to “show the radio listeners of Little Rock how and why we are better.” He says that if the station doesn’t point out that it plays more music, listeners may not notice for a long time. “We need to make sure everyone understands that difference right away.”
That’s why Jonsson chose to communicate with existing listeners, pushing for greater loyalty. A music fan will often have two or more stations preset on her radio, bouncing from one to the others.
“Usually it is a song they are tired of or a commercial they don’t like that makes them switch,” said Jonsson, whose father, Philip, is owner of Signal Media. “We try really hard to have the best, most appealing playlist and to make our commercials fun and entertaining so listeners will stay with us. We have a very dedicated and truly great group of passionate radio people trying to make our stations the best, and we all love talking about our stations and converting fans.”