Dallas to get new public Triple A station

We say we’re a blog about “classical music in broadcasting,” but I sometimes like to stretch that mission statement to include other musical genres. Some passions and challenges transcend genre and encompass all music broadcasters who aim to serve the public interest, not just sell ads.

So here’s welcome news of a coup for fans of music and noncommercial radio who live in Dallas, Texas. At a time when few stations have the budgets to expand, KERA, that city’s primary public broadcaster, has struck a deal to buy an FM frequency that it will program with the Triple A format. Triple A, or Adult Album Alternative, assumes various guises at individual stations depending on the programmers in charge. But generally the format showcases rock, folk, alternative, country and other genres — the music’s roots as well as its contemporaries.

KERA paid $18 million to a religious broadcaster for the signal at 91.7 FM. The city has just three noncommercial FM licenses — relatively few for a market of its size. And in cities where there are several public radio stations, the stations are often able attract a larger cumulative share of listening that stations that have to go it alone in major markets. Multiple stations seem to help each other build audience, perhaps by building awareness and raising public radio’s profile overall in the media landscape.

Whatever the case, more choices for the radio-listening public is always a good thing, especially since commercial radio so often fails to serve the interests of music fans.

Dallas is also a high-profile market for a noncommercial Triple A station, which may draw more attention to the format within public radio. In recent years more public stations have been experimenting with Triple A to reach new audiences and claim niches in their markets. (Here’s a 2007 article from Current about the phenomenon.) KERA’s Triple A cohorts can keep an eye on the station’s progress for guidance and inspiration.

Check out KERA’s press release for more details, as well as this blog post from the website of the Dallas Observer. Wikipedia has more about Triple A, as does Current.

Do you listen to any Triple A–format stations, either online or on the air? Which are your favorites and why?