KTRU the second-most listened-to college radio station a second time
Soundtap.com's competition called "Madness" brought together top college radio stations across the country April 1-12 in a terse competition of grit and music to determine the most listened-to station.
KTRU, in only its second year of participating in the competition, beat top stations such as the University of Texas, Austin's KVRX and Claremont College's KSPC to win the Western division and achieve second place overall for the second year in a row.
KTRU racked up a total of 2,433 hours, 31 minutes and 30 seconds of listening time, losing only to Carnegie Mellon University's WRCT, which accumulated over 3,386 hours.
According to KTRU Station Manager and Duncan College junior Nick Ryder, part of KTRU's success was due to its unique programming style.
"When comparing the programming between competitors, KTRU stands out" Ryder said. "Our broadcast philosophy of playing underexposed, eclectic and local music provides us with a unique variety of programming that other stations don't have."
Another strength KTRU has above other college stations is the extreme loyalty of KTRU fans, especially in the Houston community.
By focusing on its advertising strategy, playing good music and continuing to please its fans, KTRU proved with this competition that a college station does not need a radio wave to make waves. It just needs, according to Ryder, a loyal audience.
"KTRU has a dedicated audience that spans the Houston area, the Rice campus and internationally," Ryder said. "Both times this competition has been held, we have been reminded of all the wonderful listeners [who] continue to support KTRU."
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