WNRN is filling a couple of voids in the Charlottesville radio market; there is no other station attempting either an "Adult Alternative" or "Modern Rock" format. Very successful stations in nearby cities are or were doing these formats (WHFS, modern rock in DC; "The Coast", Adult Alternative in Tidewater). Non-commercial stations frequently fill such voids (e.g., WXPN, Adult Alternative in Philadelphia), and can offer distinct advantages to advertisers, despite the fact that they are "non-commercial".
Several years ago the FCC changed the rules to permit non-commercial radio and TV stations to broadcast meaningful promotional announcements and thereby move towards self-sufficiency and away from state support. Locations, store hours, web addresses, phone numbers, "features", and product information are all permissible. Only calls to action, cost information, qualitative and comparative language are impermissible. Virtually anything an advertiser might want to say to potential customers can be said within the non-commercial restrictions. A WNRN underwriting representative can show you how.
THE ADVANTAGES OF USING NON-COMMERCIAL RADIO
VISIBILITY: Commercial messages are presented in a dignified fashion, and are not "buried" in so-called "stopsets" (commercial radio's hideous 5 minute commercial marathons) with four or five other messages.
COST: Because of lower overhead, well run* non-commercial stations offer audience shares equal to commercial stations in similar formats for substantially less. Because of the relatively "non-hyped" demeanor of non-commercial radio, audience quality tends to be higher as well.
Be aware that all non-commercial underwriting is not the same. Stations like WNRN & WVTF ("public radio") offer variety not found with commercial radio, but enough consistency so that real, defined audiences develop for their programming. Some so-called "college" stations have underwriting programs so that businesses or individuals can express their support for a particular kind of eccentric programming for a couple of hours a week. This is fine, but such "underwriting" reaches only an inconsequential audience and should not be confused with the real thing offered by formatted non-commercial public radio.
