What we're gambling on is, out of the listeners that we have right now, maybe we're going to lose 25 to 30 percent, what we're hoping to do is triple the number of new people that will be coming in and adding to our audience. Those are the types of gambles you take. Underwriting director and UA graduate student Tierny Bates believes that the younger crowd that the station was previously geared toward will complain a bit, but they will continue tuning in. I think that most of the people that are advertising with us now will continue advertising with us. Besides, if you want to broadcast anything in Akron or Canton, the best radio station to go to is us.
Advertisers know that.
It will be a couple of months before the total results will be known, but things might not be so bad for the station. The staff has a positive attitude, and that a key ingredient to running any type of business. There was a lot of research involved, and the station is finally ready to move on. Two things that will not be changing at WZIP will be the Polka and Gospel music programs that are played on Saturdays and Sundays, respectively. That just goes to show that the change was made to accommodate the listeners.