CRS: ‘MusicRow’ Panel Station KZPK Discusses Small Market Promotions

CRS hosted a session called Objects Are Larger Than They Appear: Small Markets That Do Big Things on Friday (Feb.24). The panel included Sony Music Nashville’s RG Jones along with Jesse Garcia and Erica Ogle from WBYT FM – Federated Media, South Bend, Indiana, and JJ Holiday and Stephanie Theisen from MusicRow CountryBreakout panel station KZPK – Leighton Broadcasting in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It was moderated by Tom Baldrica.

Garcia and Ogle from WBYT talked about their annual B100 Birthday bash and how they grew the event from a small crowd of around 5,000 to an annual event that welcomes close to 40,000 people each year.

KZPK hosts an annual CMA Awards party at a local venue that has become a big part of their yearly non-traditional revenue events. Listeners win tickets to watch the CMA awards live with food, drinks, and sponsor prizes available.

The common theme from this panel was that even small market radio stations with small budgets can put on big events that benefit the station, the listeners, and the client.

“It has taken many years of building this event to make it where it is today,” said Garcia about their B100 concert. “But we continue to learn and continue to make it bigger every year.”

KZPK’s Holiday recalled having to work hard to “sell” the event to sponsors when they first launched the event. “Now we have businesses calling us wanting to be a ticket stop and sponsor.”