The past few years have been a whirlwind for fans of Modern Rock radio in Chicago. Longtime Emmis Modern Rocker WKQX (Q101)/Chicago was famously sold to Randy Michaels’ Merlin Media and flipped to “FM News” in the summer of 2011. After the market lacked a Modern Rock station for almost a year, Merlin brought the format back on low-power TV signal 87.7. The company even brought the WKQX call letters back to this new station, dubbed “Q87.7.” FMQB checks in with PD PJ and APD/MD Walt Flakus about the listener response to the station, the challenges of broadcasting on a low-power TV signal and their use of social media to engage the audience.
PJ & Walt Flakus
By Joey Odorisio
The past few years have been a whirlwind for Modern Rock radio fans in the Windy City. Longtime Emmis Modern Rocker WKQX (Q101)/Chicago was famously sold toRandy Michaels’ Merlin Media and flipped to “FM News” in the summer of 2011 (the frequency now holds Hot AC “i101”). However, after lacking a Modern Rock station for ten months, Merlin brought the format back, after signing an LMA for low-power TV signal 87.7, which had been airing Smooth Jazz. The company even brought the WKQX call letters back to this new station, dubbed “Q87.7.” As we approach the one-year anniversary of Q87.7’s launch, FMQB checks in with PD PJ and APD/MD Walt Flakus about the listener response to the station, the challenges of broadcasting on a low-power TV signal and their use of social media to engage the audience.
PJ, let’s start with your radio background. How did you get to Chicago and Q87.7?
PJ: I started out in Kansas City, and then spent a number of years in Wichita. From there, I moved to Clear Channel Corporatebased in Atlanta, and then spent a year in West Palm Beach before moving to Chicago. I actually moved to Chicago to work forTribune Interactive and was effectively “out of radio” at that point. When Merlin formed, I came in to help with the transition fromEmmis, and never left. When we had an opportunity to bring Alternative back to Chicago, I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.
Walt, your music industry back story is pretty well known, but could you recap it in a nutshell for us?
WALT: Alright, back in the day, I quit a radio career to take a shot at stardom in a rock band. I guess it paid off. As a founding member of Stabbing Westward, I released four albums and toured the world. It became apparent in 2002 that the band had run its course. We called it a day and I went back to radio, first as MD/nights at WHRL/Albany then at XM Satellite where I was MD of Fred and Ethel. In 2005, I jumped at a golden opportunity to work with Cliff [Burnstein] and Peter [Mensch] at Q Prime, doing A&R for a label we started (Grunion). In 2010, it was back to radio, this time in my home town of Chicago. I spent two years onWLUP (The Loop) before jumping into the APD/MD position on Q87.7. Home Sweet Home!
PJ: Artist, Management, A&R, Radio. Put simply, Walt is the best kept secret in Alternative Radio.
Obviously Chicago has had quite the past two years when it comes to the Modern Rock format. How has the reaction been from the listeners?
PJ: Amazing. There are a few die-hards that miss the hard rock that Emmis played when they were in the Alternative game here, but the number of people that like the straight-ahead version of the format we chose has been overwhelming.
Q87.7 debuted almost a year ago, what have been the highlights of the first year on-air?
PJ: Well, we signed on May 6, and hit our November ratings projections by July, so that was definitely a high-five moment. The biggest highlight for me, though, was our first Christmas show last December. We had no idea what to expect with our first show, and managed to sell it out in eight days. Then, come show day, the place was packed almost from moment one, and to hear 5,000 people even sing along to the music we played in-between bands…the vibe was amazing, and it really showed evidence of a community we had hoped we had been building.
After all the dust has settled, Q87.7 currently has essentially the same ratings share that Q101 did in the first place (2.1 AQH Persons 6+ in March), but with a weaker signal. What have been the challenges with the 87.7 LP frequency?
PJ: Well, to be fair, we’re a low-power TV station, not a low-power FM. So, while many LPFMs have signal issues, ours is more of a “radio issue.” Not every radio tunes past 87.9, but if yours does, you can hear us pretty clearly to about 80 miles outside the city. But that radio issue has certainly manifested itself in the form of smaller cume than what Q101 had, which we expected when we launched. We’ve been fortunate, though, to have made up for it (and then some) in TSL.
Tell me about the station’s airstaff.
PJ: Short version is myself, Walt, Lou (also oversees social media for the company) and Lauren (originally from WXTB/Tampa, all-around ass-kicker). When we put this group together, we all bought into the idea that the brand was always going to be bigger than we would be as individuals, and to do our best to aim it back at the listeners so they feel more a part of what we’re doing. Along the way, we’ve had some great opportunities to show our individual personalities while still using that as our guide.
How is the station using social media to build/rebuild the Modern Rock listenership community in Chicago?
PJ: Aggressively and Exhaustively. I talk often about “attacking” our social stuff, so questions or comments from the audience don’t go unanswered for long. Even if we don’t agree with an opinion, our audience is still free to share it. We will engage with both positive and negative reactions to things we do. We do our best to ignore the obvious trolls, but for those with legitimate questions or criticisms, we’re (usually me) happy to engage in the debate, and that’s why we all sign our names after we post something. No anonymous digital walls to hide behind. We hold ourselves accountable for the things we share with our audience, as well as any comments we make.
Not everyone wants to see behind the Wizard’s curtain when it comes to what we do or why we do it, but for those that do, we’re happy to show them. I suppose we run the risk of taking any “magic” out of what we do, but audiences are incredibly savvy, and their b.s. buzzer has a hair trigger. Trying to be as honest and as transparent as possible keeps me grounded when I have to make a decision about how to approach something on the air or online. Knowing that I/we have to own it, not from my office, but in the trenches with the listeners, makes me pay closer attention. I want us to be proud of everything we do when we meet someone who listens to us, whether in-person or digitally.
How has the reaction been to your new EDM show “Electric Playground?”
PJ: It’s still in the infant stages, but you can feel it bubbling up even in these first few weeks. Particularly on the Sales side, this is a hugely untapped market, so our phones have been ringing off the hook.
We walked into the creation of this show knowing that it would probably get measured differently than normal dayparts. It’s tough to know how many EDM fans will ever be willing to carry meters. But, we knew it was something that just made sense to do, and to see full formats in places like Boston and Miami pop up while we were putting this together only solidified that belief. The best part is that our partners and DJs are major names in the Chicago scene, not to mention nationally and internationally, too. I trust their input because they live the life this show is intended to represent. And as an added bonus, the station gets to tap into their built-in audiences.
Walt, feel free to talk up your specialty show, “Queued Up!”
WALT: “Queued Up” is our music discovery show. Much like “Submission Transmission,” the specialty show I did on XM’s Alt Nation for four years. I’ve kept it to an hour in length to keep the quality as high as possible. I think it’s tough to expect the audience to listen to more than an hour of unfamiliar music. I play a whole bunch new music, things that are on the horizon and we feel could be potential full time records, along with some older songs that may have been missed and even local bands in the mix. I started the show at the beginning of the year and the response has been amazing.
Tell us about Q87.7’s partnership with JBTV in Chicago.
WALT: Jerry Bryant has been exposing Chicago to bands on JBTV for the past 27 years! I actually made several visits to the show during my Stabbing Westward years. They used to film shows at The Metro but now, they have a kick ass performance space where we help bring in an audience to experience an intimate five to eight-song set. Just because I use the word intimate doesn’t mean they’re quiet and unplugged. We’ve had amazing full electric sets from Silversun Pickups, The Joy Formidable,Twenty One Pilots, New Politics (complete with breakdancing!). We’re able to give our listeners an incredible experience and we’ve brought greater exposure to JBTV. You can check out some of these performances at www.jbtvonline.com.
Who are some of your favorite new bands, Chicago-based or otherwise?
WALT: Music is so good right now. Probably the best it’s been in a decade. I’m a big fan of The 1975! They work hard and sound great! I also really like Diamond Youth. Their song “Cannonball” has been strong on “Queued Up.” I should also mention The Dear Hunter and the L.A. band Trapdoor Social. I’ve been playing their song “Away” and the response has been through the roof. Lastly, a local band has just been picked up by Atlantic. They’re called Makeshift Prodigy and they have a very active fan base.
[eQB Content By Joey Odorisio]
