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KZPS-FM drops ads, changes format
09:48 AM CDT on Monday, April 23, 2007
The New York Times
Facing competition from satellite radio and iPods, Clear Channel Communications is trying something radically different at one of its commercial radio stations here: getting rid of the commercials.
Starting today, Dallas' KZPS ? 92.5 FM and lonestar925.com ? will no longer run traditional 30- or 60-second ads. Instead, an advertiser will sponsor an hour of programming during which a DJ will chat about the product.
For example, a DJ will identify Southwest Airlines as the sponsor at the beginning of a program. The DJ later will discuss the South by Southwest music festival, conclude with, "You know, the best way to get down to Austin for South by Southwest is Southwest Airlines. They have tons of flights. It's the way I travel."
The product-themed chitchat will account for about two minutes peppered throughout the hour, in contrast to the 12 minutes to 16 minutes of commercials most stations broadcast every hour.
Advertisers will own not just the hour but also their categories. The station has four initial sponsors ? Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Coors Brewing and Guitar Center ? and won't sell ad space to other airlines, phone companies, breweries or musical instrument stores.
While commercial radio stations once had automobile drivers' ears all to themselves, competition today is intense. The satellite companies Sirius and XM offer scores of noncommercial stations, and new cars are increasingly factory-equipped to play iPods.
KZPS is also overhauling its format, switching from classic rock to a Texas-inflected rock-country hybrid. An average hour will include the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Drive-By Truckers.
09:48 AM CDT on Monday, April 23, 2007
The New York Times
Facing competition from satellite radio and iPods, Clear Channel Communications is trying something radically different at one of its commercial radio stations here: getting rid of the commercials.
Starting today, Dallas' KZPS ? 92.5 FM and lonestar925.com ? will no longer run traditional 30- or 60-second ads. Instead, an advertiser will sponsor an hour of programming during which a DJ will chat about the product.
For example, a DJ will identify Southwest Airlines as the sponsor at the beginning of a program. The DJ later will discuss the South by Southwest music festival, conclude with, "You know, the best way to get down to Austin for South by Southwest is Southwest Airlines. They have tons of flights. It's the way I travel."
The product-themed chitchat will account for about two minutes peppered throughout the hour, in contrast to the 12 minutes to 16 minutes of commercials most stations broadcast every hour.
Advertisers will own not just the hour but also their categories. The station has four initial sponsors ? Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Coors Brewing and Guitar Center ? and won't sell ad space to other airlines, phone companies, breweries or musical instrument stores.
While commercial radio stations once had automobile drivers' ears all to themselves, competition today is intense. The satellite companies Sirius and XM offer scores of noncommercial stations, and new cars are increasingly factory-equipped to play iPods.
KZPS is also overhauling its format, switching from classic rock to a Texas-inflected rock-country hybrid. An average hour will include the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Drive-By Truckers.
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