BY JOHN KIESEWETTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WUBE-FM can boast it's the best big country music station in the nation.
WUBE-FM (105.1) learned Wednesday it was named large-market "station of the year" by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tenn.
The award will be presented to "B105" General Manager John Rohm and Program Director Tim Closson during the 32nd Annual Country Music Awards program, to be televised Sept. 23 (8-11 p.m., Channels 12, 7).
The CMA also will honor medium-market and small-market stations. "This is the big one for a radio station to win. This is the Oscar," said Mr. Closson, who also is the vice president for country programming of B105's owner, Chancellor Media.
The competition was open to 2,415 country music broadcasters. Six finalists were announced in July from the 35 major-market country stations: Cleveland's WGAR-FM; Tampa's WQYK-FM; Denver's KYGO-FM; Minneapolis' KEEY-FM; Phoenix's KMLE-FM; and WUBE-FM. (B105 was also a finalist for the award in 1996.)
County music executives, programmers and performers selected a winner based on the station's sound, community service, promotion of country music and ratings.
B105 ranked No. 2 (to WLW-AM) for listeners age 12 and older in the spring quarter, after three straight quarters at No. 1. B105, however, was No. 1 with listeners 25-54, the demographic sought most by advertisers.
B105's entry included:
Programming samples.
Details about fund-raising for 1997 flood victims and the Ruth Lyon's Children's Fund.
Information about the free country music concerts at Taste of Cincinnati and ChiliFest.
