by jon » Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:42 pm
Yes, I know this is a Summer Book. Yes, I know it is still a paper diary system used by BBM.
But, that still doesn't mean that the folks at CKUA shouldn't be celebrating their 4.3 SHARE. Very likely, this is their best showing since the late '60s and early '70s when they made their name among Hippie adherents being first in the market to play what was originally known as Underground. In fact, the late John Runge and Bill Coull perfected the back-announced "music set" and Underground music mix -- though perhaps a little more Jazz-oriented and a little less Rock-oriented -- around 1964 at CKUA.
What makes this stellar set of CKUA numbers especially interesting is that it was just over a year ago that CKUA management was voicing their genuine concerns in CRTC hearings that, with the proposed new Edmonton FM stations, and changes planned at CBC Radio Two, CKUA might just run out of musical genres. And listeners. After all, it is tough to compete with Block Programming of a given genre when you have another station in town playing the same music 24/7. It was especially galling to have the CBC (potentially) put you out of business with your own tax dollars.
Instead, CKUA now has almost three times the audience of CBC Radio Two, and is closing in on CBC Radio One.
This 4.3 SHARE in Edmonton, of course, is in addition to CKUA's listenership in other Alberta markets: there are 16 FM transmitters across Alberta, plus a 10KW AM transmitter on 580 in Edmonton (Edmonton also has an FM transmitter).