Days after parent company iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy protection, urban adult-contemporary powerhouse WVAZ FM 102.7 remained firmly entrenched as the top-rated radio station in the Chicago area.

But far bigger news in the Nielsen Audio survey released Monday was the growth of Weigel Broadcasting’s WRME FM 87.7, the soft-rock oldies station known as Me-TV FM. Jumping from 21st place to sixth in one month, it delivered its highest total audience share ever. In middays the station ranked No. 2 overall — behind only V103.

The achievement was even more amazing considering that Me-TV FM operates with a programming staff of two — program director Rick O’Dell and production director Bill Cochran — and broadcasts on a low-power analog television frequency that functions as a radio station. Its leased signal at the farthest end of the dial isn’t even accessible by some automobile radios.

Before Weigel Broadcasting launched the radio spinoff its Me-TV digital classic television network in February 2015, the station had been a bust for other companies. Earlier, Tribune Broadcasting bowed out in 38th place with a 0.5 share for its ill-fated sports/talk format known as The Game 87.7 FM.

“Our success is all the more remarkable because of our challenged dial position and somewhat weaker signal than many of the boomer stations in the market,” said Neal Sabin, vice chairman of Weigel and the creator of Me-TV and other networks for the company. “The uniqueness of the Me-TV FM music format and its presentation seem to have overcome these obstacles in a manner no other broadcaster has been able to accomplish in this or any other market utilizing the 87.7 frequency.”

Of the station’s format, Sabin said: “We continue to break many of the old ‘radio rules’ by playing thousands of different songs in a strategically balanced manner that span many decades, genres and tempos.”

tHe GaMe CoUlDn'T oVeRcOmE tHeIr SiGnAl PrObLeMs

EDIT: s'pose I should post some Feder instead of just shitposting
http://www.robertfeder.com/2018/03/19/c ... gger-ever/

I tried to gove game a chance..i work all over..their signal IS shit.

Same reason why 104.3 has been doing so well.

I've explained how to do this station like three times and it hasn't happened.

Yeah, they play too many of the "top" songs. There's only so many times you can hear Gin and Juice. But hey, since deCastro seems to get ideas from this board, maybe he'll read your suggestion, too.

There's only so many times you can hear Gin and Juice.

Turn in your Lodge card.