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The Milwaukee Radio Alliance was born of a partnership between Shamrock Broadcasting’s Bill Lynett and NFL Hall of Famer Willie Davis’s All-Pro Broadcasting; the group operates AC, Alternative, and Oldies stations and now a new Country station in Milwaukee.
Gordan Mays is the Program Director of the new Froggy 100.3 and 107.3. He arrived in Milwaukee after seven years with the Mid-West Family in Rockford, IL., where he was Director of Programming & Content for the cluster and PD for Country “The Bull 95.3.”
Mays recently shared some time to discuss his new station.
With iHeartMedia’s Country “FM 106.1” and Magnum Media’s 92.5 Buzz Country (West Bend, WI. and 92.1 VTY Racine), the station plans to separate itself from the competition by offering a platform to up-and-coming artists as well as established stars.
“Our goal is to give a voice and a platform to Country listeners who are not necessarily being represented in Country radio,” Mays said.
“I think Country music fans are not given the credit that they deserve in terms of their taste in music. You see it, you go to any of these big festivals during the daytime, and there are artists on the stage pulling substantial crowds. It’s not because they heard them on the radio.”
“They found them, and they have passion for these artists that was built elsewhere. So, our end goal here is to provide an avenue to some of that music.”
“On-demand streams are a pretty substantial piece of data that we will rely on, especially locally. I think there’s a spot for everybody here in this market. Especially if we’re going to follow the path of giving a chance to some new artists and treating some of those artists as not so much equals but to give everybody a solid voice and not bury them overnight.”
“We have the opportunity to put some new artists on who have a current song. Tyler Childers is a great example. But we’re not just going to play a current single. There are other songs that put him on the map that make him play two nights at Alpine Valley down the road, where he booked two nights straight out the gate.”
Regarding all the new music coming out of Nashville, Mays thinks Froggy may have an opportunity where other stations may be what he called “over-researched.”
“If you want to look at Nashville as a whole, I have no issues with how it works. They’re churning out so many incredible songwriters, the best of the best of the best, all in one spot, working towards one end goal.”
“We’re only giving a fraction, a little tiny tip of the iceberg, an opportunity, and I think collectively the industry and the format have done that. I think we’ve over-researched ourselves, and the research is only as good as what you give people the opportunity to give feedback on.”
The station has launched a commercial-free and music-intensive. Talent will be introduced after the initial launch.
“It’s going to roll out in the coming weeks. The idea is to get going and get in front of people. We’ve been mindful of the presentation, too.”
“Our building is full of creative folks, and we have a big Alternative station here. So, we’re taking known voices but having them presented a little bit differently than they would on maybe some of the other stations.”
The presentation differs from the other Country stations in the market, including how Mays uses the station voices Amanda Madi and Josh Goodman.
“It was a conscious decision to have them match the tone we’re going for. And I’m happy with it so far. There’s an evolution that’s coming. We’re speaking so early on something right now. A year from now, you and I are both probably going to reference this conversation about what it sounded like then and what it sounds like now. I’m hoping that we’re solidifying something that is long-lasting. But of course, evolution will continue.”
A commercial-free launch has allowed May to play a lot of music and make a statement about the station.
“We’re commercial-free right now, host-free, and playing a lot of songs. We’re playing a ton of music, and we’re encouraging sampling right now. It gives the most opportunity to show what we’re up to. Some of the things we’re talking about here are going to expand the flavor, and the avenue that will define the station is growing every day.”
Connect with Mays here.
Listen to Froggy here.
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
