WINNSBORO — A new cat has come to Winnsboro — 93.9 WSCZ Cat Country — and with a tower in Ridgeway, this station has found a way to combine its FCC airspace with the local economy, thanks to a partnership with the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.
Theresa Miller with Miller Communications was on hand last Thursday to explain to chamber members about special paired advertising packages. The station is looking for businesses willing to partner to fill commercial slots. Emphasis will be on pairing businesses with similar needs and audiences together in a spot. Competing businesses will not be paired in the same commercial.
She said it takes about a week to get scripts written and then emailed out for client approval. Tone, background music and delivery as well as the gender of a speaking voice are all items considered as they customize ads to a particular target audience.
Although Cat Country is hoping for a large number of businesses to help it launch the advertising part of the venture, Miller said they could proceed with as few as one pair of advertisers.
“Columbia is a big market. We would prefer to start out with Winnsboro, Lugoff, Blythewood and Camden,” she said.
The listening radius extends to Rock Hill and Gilbert as well as parts of Newberry County.
Right now businesses can get first come, first serve access to various time slots. That access is a good deal for the station at this time and for emerging businesses in the county that need more marketing exposure in the radio media.
Eventually, as bandwidth and space becomes more crowded, advertising rates likely will increase, but at this time Miller said they will be locked into the current rate structure at least through the first three months, if not longer as they work to establish the station.
One of the statewide offerings from CAT Country is The Grady Brown Show. Tony and Kris in the morning, the Craig Russ Show and CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan are other programs offered. Thirty second messages are one option. Ten second messages next to news and weather broadcasts are another choice. Slots during the morning drive or during the afternoon drive also are popular. Businesses or organizations will provide the details and then the company will produce short commercials tailored to specific audiences.
“This is a results-oriented business and we want to do things right to strengthen businesses here (in Fairfield),” Miller said.
Fairfield County has been named on the station daily. A news talk show, live remotes, local interviews and other activities are things being considered as ways to give the station a local flavor.
“The industry has consolidated and has taken away the dedication to local communities (in many cases),” she said.
But the owners of CAT Country vow to buck that trend and remain true to the local communities they serve.
She said people often accuse her of being a Charlotte radio station because the signal can be heard as far away as Rock Hill.
“The station is big enough to put Fairfield on the map. You can listen to us while you are on rides at Carowinds,” she said.
The Lake Wateree area of the county has a strong signal and there is a strong signal in the Jenkinsville area as well.
Columbia, Charlotte, Gilbert, Orangeburg and Rock Hill are some of the areas served by their radio ventures, which include more stations than just CAT Country.
Miller, whose husband has been in radio since his teens, said their company was drawn to the area because of the high ridges of Ridgeway, the highest point in the state not associated with a mountain. That is one reason they moved CAT Country from St. Matthews.
Terry Vickers, president of the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce, said she would tell other chamber members about the offer. The special packages are for chamber members only.
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