Big Dog finds a home
by Jeff DeDekker
Regina Leader-Post
Thursday, February 21, 2008

Selling an FM country music station to Regina listeners should be about as difficult as selling cold beer at a Saskatchewan Roughriders game in August but Big Dog 92.7 isn't taking anything for granted.

The station, which launched at 3:10 p.m. Wednesday after three weeks of testing its signal, is prepared to put in the work to become Regina's premiere radio station. Mike Shannon, Big Dog's general manager, admitted the genre will help the station coming out of the gate but the listeners' love of country music will only take the station so far.

"There's no question. I've lived in Western Canada going on four years now and Western Canada is a heartland for country music," said Shannon. "There's an affinity for it. There's a love for it. It's part of the fibre of what we do. To an extent we might have a leg up (on success) but we're only going to be as good as the effort we put in. That's the bottom line.

"They'll come and check us out because we're new but they'll stay because they enjoy it and they feel we're doing some good things."

The application for the new station was initially presented by Standard Radio with the CRTC approving the application on May 28. On Oct. 29, Astral Media Inc. purchased Standard Radio's assets, including the new Regina station. Considered the largest radio broadcasting chain in Canada, Astral operates 85 stations in eight provinces, reaching nine million Canadians each week.

Getting the station up and running in a short period of time was the biggest challenge for Shannon and his staff. Located at 4303 Albert St., the office space was converted from a coffee shop to a radio station in 31/2 months.

"(The conversion) was done in record time," said Shannon. "We got it done in just a little over 14 weeks. The first wall got knocked down from the previous leaseholder in early November. It was a lightning fast schedule."

Listeners tuning in to 92.7 on Wednesday were greeted with the sound of a ticking clock, counting down toward the 3:10 p.m. launch. After a final countdown, the station hit the airwaves with Alan Jackson's hit single "Gone Country."

Shannon was quite frank when asked what was going through his mind at that moment.

"Thank God it worked," he said with a laugh. "I was glad that we could now operate in the public and be a part of the community and be proud of who we are."

As part of its launch Big Dog will play 5,000 consecutive songs over the next 20 days leading up to the unveiling of its on-air personalities on March 10. As an enticement for listeners to tune in regularly during that time, the station is running a "Gone Country" contest. Every time the song is played, listeners can call the Big Dog at 359-0927 with the 10th caller each time receiving $500.

Astral radio stations are heavily involved in their communities and Shannon stressed that this strategy is vital to a station's success.

"We have to be cognizant of the fact that we're here as a new business and like any new business we want to make sure that what we are doing is good," said Shannon. "We need to be moving forward with the community and doing the things we need to do to be good corporate citizens. But most importantly we have to be involved in the community in a way that matters.

"We're here to operate a business, a successful business and we look forward to doing that, but we also understand that the only way we do that is by being good corporate citizens who are involved in the community."

The Big Dog took its first step in that direction with its launch party at the Pump Roadhouse on Wednesday night. Featuring Aaron Pritchett, the event also served as a fundraiser for Telemiracle with $5 from every ticket sold being donated to the event.

I'm pumped for various members of their staff that I've worked with over the years. It's not often you get the chance to be part of a new station and it's sign on. I hope they do well. Compition is good for everybody.

Yep... it'll be nice to see CKRM actually get a real rating for once, and for Harvard to see the error of its ways in nuking Country on 92.1.  Last time I was there, it struck me that Regina is still very much a honky-tonk town...

This new Country FM is going to do very very well.  Regina is, indeed, a country town.  I'm curious as to what CKRM will do.  Will they up the music content, or will they shift the other way and become even more heavy on "Home Of The Home Teams"....?  

Quoted from Poppa

This new Country FM is going to do very very well.  Regina is, indeed, a country town.  I'm curious as to what CKRM will do.  Will they up the music content, or will they shift the other way and become even more heavy on "Home Of The Home Teams"....?  

To be a "Big Dog" they better show up with at least 16-20 share points 12+ S4 2008 and show at least 7 million profit on the books.  My guess is CKRM will do nothing and why would they?  

Well, I suppose after a couple of ratings periods we'll have a better idea...

FM Country in Moose Jaw, Heritage AM Country in Regina.

Will it be the Big Dog, or more of a Big Earl?

... have to get those Big Earl jokes in before they flip!!  

Quoted from VU meter

My guess is CKRM will do nothing and why would they?  

Well, myopic vision would be a good starting point as to why they wouldn't.

The pie is getting smaller for CKRM... and everyone knows the only reason they get a decent book in the fall is for one thing and one thing only... Riders Football.  It's an old and tired sounding station with old and tired personalities.  

Astral's challenge is being bright and fresh without being so bright and fresh that they scare off the crowd that is realizing for the first time their radio has an FM band...

Quoted from hank scorpio

FM Country in Moose Jaw, Heritage AM Country in Regina.

Will it be the Big Dog, or more of a Big Earl?

... have to get those Big Earl jokes in before they flip!!  

The Big Dog doesn't have to worry about Country 100 out of the Jaw. Anything run by Golden West isn't a threat to anybody. In fact, I'd say they have more to worry about.

Quoted from Caller_9

The Big Dog doesn't have to worry about Country 100 out of the Jaw. Anything run by Golden West isn't a threat to anybody. In fact, I'd say they have more to worry about.

I concur.  As long as their sales don't drop (and I don't see it really happening) then EH's Crew will be status quo in MJ.  They are much more concerned with the "local, local, local" aspect of their programming.

Quoted from canuckkid

Well, myopic vision would be a good starting point as to why they wouldn't.

The pie is getting smaller for CKRM... and everyone knows the only reason they get a decent book in the fall is for one thing and one thing only... Riders Football.  It's an old and tired sounding station with old and tired personalities.  

Astral's challenge is being bright and fresh without being so bright and fresh that they scare off the crowd that is realizing for the first time their radio has an FM band...

Dude,

Big Dog isn't that bright and fresh sounding.  It might be on FM but to me I don't hear that much of a difference (imaging/music)  Also, can you name one song that's bigger than Riders Football in Regina and Saskatchewan??  Big Dog will be like all the rest, standing outside Mosaic Stadium wanting in.  It didn't work for Rawlco and won't work for the minds behind Crave FM.

This is all that matters "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" not 10 in a row.

Sorry I don't make the rules....oh wait I do.

VU Meter - work for Harvard by chance??!  

Clearly he must, Karaoke... Clearly he must.

They must be a little nerved up over at Harvard.  I don't know why they're worrying!  They'll still have the Male 65-Death demo completely wrapped up over there

Quoted from 99

VU Meter - work for Harvard by chance??!  

Nope