PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release Calgary’s New Country WILD 95.3 Launched! Calgary, AB –
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At 10:15 AM today, WILD 95.3 entered the radio airwaves! A new country radio station based in Calgary, Alberta, WILD 95.3 is youthful and fun and driven by energy!
From former Peak drive host Ashley Hinton’s Facebook:
Hey pals!
This morning at 10:15 am we flipped The PEAK to Wild 953- Calgary’s New Country.
I loved The PEAK. I wanted to work for that station since the first time I heard it living in Vancouver while going to broadcasting school. It was an awesome station where I made some really good friends. We had a lot of fun. Although I am sad to say goodbye to a format that I loved .. I’m excited to be part of the new adventure that is: WILD 953 – Calgary’s New Country. Country radio holds some of the best radio memories for me. I do own cowboy boots and I did get attacked by a rooster yesterday so I think I’ll fit in just fine.
We’ved launched with 10,000 commercial free songs. Check us out! I’ll be doing Mid-Days starting March 24th.
Also word on the street is Christy Farrell is going from Sun Kelowna to Wild as well.
WILD 95.3 is Calgary’s New Country!
The station will engage the audience on the air, on social platforms, on site and be plugged in to today’s young woman and man. Fun will be evident in the station’s on air presentation, promotions and on-air talent.
“We’re thrilled that with the launch of Wild 95.3 Calgarians now have a choice for New Country. We plan to kick it up a notch and deliver true excitement and energy,” said Eric Stafford, General Manager. “We’ll show what WILD means through our music, our presentation and our complete involvement in the community.”
Launching with 10,000 uninterrupted songs in a row, listeners will find hot country artists such as Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band and Keith Urban playing on WILD 95.3. Ross Winters, Director of Programming for the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group added, “Calgary listeners told us that they love New Country music and that they love choice, so we’re delighted to give them both!”
Nothing says “Fun” like Calgary’s New Country, WILD 95.3! WILD 95.3 is a division of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and sister station of 101.5 KooL FM.
With 43 radio stations and 3 independent television stations, the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group is proud to be one of Canada’s premier radio and television companies serving the needs of listeners, viewers, advertisers and communities throughout the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
For more information visit www.wild953.com or contact Eric Stafford, General Manager, Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, 403-536-3867.
95.3 The Peak launched on April 25, 2014 today is Feb 29th, 2016, meaning Jim Pattison gave The Peak less than 2 years to try to survive. Considering both JP stations in Cowtown are tanking, many thought KOOL would be the first to flip. So what about KOOL FM now?
Do we know what happened to the on air staff? Did they go or move to kool? Or are they going country?
I have received confirmation that Taylor Daniels is now midday’s at kool coming from the Peak. Danny kid (mornings) and Lindsay Rae (evenings) both haven’t posted since Thursday to any social media. Ashley Hinton was the drive host at The Peak. Wonder if any of the 3 will stay with JP. Barbara Beam at kool is also JR FM host in Vancouver so I think she will slide over from kool to Wild. Let’s see what happens in the next couple weeks
Finally someone has the smarts to go after the only unchallenged market leading radio station in town. Wow what a miracle. The intelligence to see a 10 share radio station with no competition and think to maybe offer an alternative for the Calgary audience!
Paul Larsen and Clear Sky Radio must be a little PO’d. They proposed Country for this very frequency back in 2012 and lost to Pattison and their Peak format. I watched their CRTC presentation and it was very compelling to see CKRY standing alone in that sea of radio stations.
Glad to see the city finally get a second country station but sad that the CRTC didn’t see the light back in 2012 and give the license to the company that originally had the idea. So it goes. Someone was going to try this eventually. It’s such a no-brainer.
Fasted radio preset removal in the West. Peht-shew!
They need all new DJ’s for a country station. Hopefully some of the talented people out of work will end up there
What a sad day for music in Calgary. Guess it’s back to streaming The Peak out of Vancouver.
Hearing Kool is going to become a version of sister station Now Radio in Edmonton. Makes sense to me because it gives JP a chance to potentially have 2 successful stations all of a sudden
Considering they bought Now and Up over a year, I’m shocked it still hasn’t happened yet. What are they waiting for? Bring on Now Calgary.
They are not gonna catch lighting in a bottle twice. Why place a NOW on KOOL? KOOL is basically the same format, except with KOOL they play more throwbacks like Ace Of Base, when something like NOW may throw in a ACDC track. NOW is not going to work in Calgary anymore than KOOL. The Peak was a bloody disaster right out of the gate. It’s about time they pulled the plug on what has been a huge embarrassment. Country is gonna get more ratings than PEAK, just because it’s country. It could be a country jukebox and get larger ratings than PEAK. Anyone with half a brain can see that.
No ones arguing Country. I doubt anyone expects Now Calgary to be an equal to Now Ed but it’s worth a shot. The format is more than the music. The jocks are super engaged and socially on top on things online. Peak was the last place station in Calgary, Kool is 2nd. What have they got to lose?
I’m all for competitive country. Get 25% of what Country 105 has and you are in a competitive game. 10,000 songs in a row before anyone on the station says a word? I am absolutely against.
3 weeks to a month of nothing but music has to be death in a PPM market. I’m amazed anyone even considers it. New stations need to hit the ground full on running. Someone mentioned “Now” Edmonton…that’s what they did. No BS jukebox to stall for weeks. If you are going to run up a giant hill…ride a horse not a donkey.
Would anyone even think of opening a steakhouse serving only the appetizer menu for the first month? “Here’s your salad…but don’t worry…the steak will be really good when we start serving it in a month. Please come back”.
This Justin – Where is Pattison going to find engaging and socially on top of things announcers? That cost money, strategy and careful smart planning.. We all know Pattison is not the biggest spender with his radio group. It’s just a hobby, which is alright I guess. Sparknet along with Pat Bohn built NOW-Edmonton along with Rawlco. None of those players are even in the game now with that format. UP in Calgary was days away from launching as NOW Radio. Why did they pull the plug the last minute? They knew it was not going to work. While KOOL has not much to lose, why re-brand something and spend money when you won’t see much results in return?
Just can’t see anyone competing with Country 105, when it’s an identical Top 40 Country station. You’ve already got Country options from High River, Strathmore and Olds that come into the Calgary market pretty easily. Wish nothing but success to the JP team trying this out, but as with all those who tried to compete with Ranchman’s in Calgary, Country 105 will stomp all competitors, being a beloved heritage station.
The lack of faith in talent available is troubling. There’s a lot of great talent out there. Especially lately with all the layoffs in case you haven’t noticed. Had anyone ever heard of the majority of the Now staff in Edmonton before they started there? You don’t have to break the bank to find good talent.
As for the “Now Team”, they still have everyone in Edmonton that’s maintained its success for years including the PD so I’m going to assume they know what they’re doing with or without Sparknet.
And who knows why they pulled the plug? Cold feet? Maybe. I’ve also heard it was because the CRTC had just issued a call for a new licence in Calgary and Rawlco figured they had a better shot at getting a licence for a unique station like Now than it would pitching Up as a 3rd Classic Hit station to the commission.
I wonder how many have already looked at taking away “all the talent” at NOW-Edmonton, including the PD, and then realized if they did, even if they took every single one of them…there’s no way the same numbers or success would be made anywhere else. It’s lighting in a bottle up there and unique to Edmonton only. I just don’t see KOOL switching to NOW for the sake of switching, it’s just not smart money sense. KOOL does ok. Not awesome, but ok. Could it be better? Yes, but I doubt the dollars invested into making a NOW is worth it.
By the way, NOW – Calgary back in the day, was yanked days before it launched eventually as UP. According to reports, staff were hired for a NOW Radio brand, but they decided last minute to change to UP. I wonder why that was the case? Probably because they all knew it was not going to work.
Time will tell I guess, something has to change. Not sure which planet you live on, but most consider 2nd last place not “ok”
By the way, you should read my post again about Now flipping to Up at the last moment since you keep asking the same question.
Also, if Rawlco was sure it wouldn’t work, why did they apply for it at the 2011-12 hearings?
Every company is going to pitch something they “think” will work in order to get a new station. Whatever gets the license is what they will tell the CRTC. That’s part of a bigger problem though I guess.
I didn’t realize KOOL was so far back in the pack. 2nd last in the Calgary market. Wow. I thought Peak was bad when they were head to head with FUNNY AM. Nasty!
I think kool flipping to now can’t hurt. Seriously can’t hurt when you are second last. And if country on 95.3 does well then kool will end up last instead, so I say go for it and flip to now. Danny Kid, Taylor Daniels, Michelle, Brad, Barbara and Carlos would be able to run a Now style format.
RadioGuy_ca: 10,000 songs in a row means you get to show off your product to advertisers, and run the station on a skeleton crew until you have revenue.