Wisconsin State Journal from Madison, Wisconsin • 64

i i The Capital Times Wisconsin State Journal Friday, May 8, 1992 21 There's arnew Edd on ilhie radio dial WYZM gives country fans another choice 1 WWQM-FM (Q-106) may have been country before country was cool, but the Nashville boom that's swept America has given other people ideas about entering Madison's radio marketplace. I I I i i tion's three yes, three on-air personalities. "We just want a little piece of the action. But if we do kick Q's butt, that's OK, too." So why ask Obviously, the folks at Q-106 are preparing for what may be the Madison area's most interesting radio battle since WZEE-FM (104) and WTFX-FM (94) locked horns a few years ago. "I've been monitoring the station," said Q-106's Tom Oakes.

"It's not my place to make a judgment on how they sound. It's up to them to go out and search for their audience." The new station may have its work cut out for it. In the winter '92 Arbitron ratings, Q106 became the top-rated station in the city among several important demographic groups. Both stations play Top-40 country music: Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire wanna-bes are staples. But Y-105 differs in that it'll also play a few rock songs like Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally," or reach back to the early '80s for some Steve Warmer or Earl Thomas Conley.

As most interested parties will probably attest, there'll be little butt-kicking in the near future. Most of Y-105's listeners have been picked up by word of mouth, and how much money the station has to sink into long-term promotion is uncertain. But for the most part, the playing field is level: The stations' power is evenly matched as far as their power goes: Y-105 broadcasts with 6,500 watts, compared to Q-106's 6,000. Working against Y-105, the station has live disc jockeys on-air from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

After 8, it'll hook into Dallas' Satellite Music Network's country service. "We'd like that to be a temporary thing, but right now, it's a On April 20, Wauna-kee's WYZM-FM (Y-105) became the area's second FM station. And for the first time in its history, Q-106 JOHN KOVALIC has some country competition on the FM dial. "The way we look at it, we're not trying to kick Q's butt or anything," said Y-105 Program Coordinator Dave Murphy, who also doubles as one of the sta- PhotoJOSEPH W. JACKSON III want a little piece of the workers and some management.

This enables it to control some costs. But Q-106 has had a dozen years to prepare for any FM competition. And since it switched to simulcasting on the AM band (at 1550), it's also gained experience going head-to-head with another country station, WTSO-AM (1070). And as the upcoming ratings battles shape up, Oakes is fairly certain that no other competitors will appear on the horizon. "Do I think there will be a third or a fourth country station starting up in Madison?" he asked.

"No. I don't think the city would be able to support that." MM4D-MC0MES REED Mai MolnFook in Mark Twain Tonight! Wednesday May 13 8 p.m. $15- $25 Underwritten by Oscar i i Matter WYZM'S DAVE MURPHY: 'We just money saver for us, until we start to get some ratings," Murphy said. But a factor in the new station's favor is its close proximity to Q-106 on the dial, as well as the fact that it has, for the moment, nothing to lose. "We play a lot more music than Q-106 does.

They plaster themselves with ads," Murphy said. "Of course, at the moment, we don't have that many advertisers anyway." Y-105, owned by Dale Ganske, also has a Local Marketing Agreement (LMA) a joint-operations accord with WMMM-FM (105.5). With it, the station shares office space, office CELLAR DOOR PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS LOU THE The A Gala Mozart Concert with members 7 of the Madtsan Symphony Orchestra conducts and performs three Mozart masterpieces in the Oscar Mayer Theatre. Saturday, May 9 8 p.m., $12 Funded in port by tm Wisconsin Arts Boord Flying Karamazov AG I ANDLOS5 TOUR Featuring: llichacl Blair Hike RalhKe Rob Washerman Drums Ouilar Bass SUNDAY, MAY 10 730 PM AT THE MADISON CMC CENTER ALL SEATS RESERVED $19.75 $17.75 TKXETS ON SALE ATCMCONUR B0X0FT1CE, la(wsn, ROSE RECORDS BOSTON STORE OR CHARGE BY PHONE 269055 JlSromers These master jugglers are hilarious. Drop everything and go see ffiem.

Gene Shalit Thursday, May 28 7:30 p.m. Welcomed by CWMflDTf95) I i.