Gay radio. Clear Channel and its local affiliate KPTT 95.7-FM (“The Party”) have launched “Pride,” a weekly show aimed at gay and lesbian listeners.
Hosted from New York City by Ryan & Caroline – he’s gay, she’s straight, a real-life “Will & Grace” – the two-hour show debuted last week and airs 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays.
For now, it’s on Clear Channel stations in Denver, Hartford, Conn.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Tucson; and West Palm Beach, Fla. But Clear Channel officials expect it to catch on elsewhere.
Perhaps even more important, it streams online 24/7 and will be available on HD outlets too.
Joe Bevilacqua, director of FM programming for Clear Channel-Denver, sees the multiplatform technology as radio’s wave of the future. The show launched in April as part of Clear Channel’s Format Lab, a petri dish for new, niche programming.
“This is very experimental,” Bevilacqua said. “It’s what radio is supposed to be about, serving the public interest. Like any group, (gays) respond to programming that interests them. They have a lot of disposable income.”
The program is issue-driven, but it’s not about political rants. There is some music but also discussions about fashion, humor, health, relationships, “fun, enjoyable lifestyle radio for people in that community.”
Bevilacqua plans to add local gay and lesbian programming on the station’s website. “I am definitely looking to put on some local people and turn it over to the gay and lesbian community.”
KXPK tops ratings
The fall Arbitron ratings marked the first time a Spanish-language station, KXPK 96.5-FM (“La Tricolor”), placed a top of the heap among 18-49 and 25-54 year olds, the most important categories.
The top-10 Denver stations in the fall 2006 Arbitron (ages 25-54): KXPK, 6.2 share; KBCO 97.3-FM, 6.1; KOSI 101.1-FM, 5.9; KYGO 98.5-FM, 5.6; KQKS 107.5-FM, 4.6; KOA 850-AM, 4.5; KJCD 104.3-FM, 3.7; KRFX 103.5-FM, 3.7; KALC 105.9-FM, 3.7, and KXKL 105.1-FM, 3.3.
Around the dial
Two hot topics, Barack Obama’s run for presidency and whether smoking should be allowed in Colorado’s casinos, are topics on “Colorado State of Mind” (7:30 tonight, KRMA-Channel 6). The Post’s Diane Carman is among the panelists … Lawless: Miller Brewing Co. dropping its “Man Law” commercials. Despite the ads’ popularity with the public, sales of the company’s beers declined … State attorney general John Suthers guests on “The Aaron Harber Show” (9 tonight, KBDI-Channel 12) … Quotable: “If people want to hear prehistoric Hungarian folk music, that’s great they have a place for that.” Paul Cannell, Citadel Communications
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
