Good Karma Owner Craig Karmazin Discusses The New 95X

(Beaver Dam) Good Karma Brands CEO Craig Karmazin shared his thoughts with us over the weekend on the new format at WXRO. After 43 years playing exclusively country music, the station — at 95.3 on the FM dial – expanded its music to include not only today’s most popular country songs but also pop, rock and more in a format called Hot Adult Contemporary.

“I’m proud of what our team here has done,” Karmazin says “because it’s difficult when you have something that’s so successful, like WXRO has been for over four decades, to be willing to question what’s established and want to be even better.”

He discussed the change at Beaver Dam Lake Days while handing out prizes with the stations new branding and logo as ‘95X’.

“I think it hit me during the Radiothon,” Karmazin says, “I heard certain songs on WXRO, in addition to the country songs, and I got to thinking ‘wow those really sound good’.”

The change comes with a behind-the-scenes investment in audio processing equipment that makes the station sound bigger and better.

“We’re going to continue to upgrades facilities, content and talent, we’re always going to want the best,” he says, “what Good Karma Brands stands for is being ‘best-in-class’ and that is regardless of what market your consuming any of our assets.”

Friday morning’s change to 95X came following a radio stunt that saw 24-hours of nothing but music by Taylor Swift.

“We wanted to alert people that change was coming and what better way to do it,” Karmazin says, “ We were switching from country to hit music and Taylor Swift, better than anyone, has made that exact transition we’re making from country artist to someone who has a broad appeal to the entire community.”

Karmazin says he cannot take credit for the idea; it came from a teammate, though initially it did not gain much steam.

“Then I was talking to my dad and my dad said, ‘why don’t you play Taylor Swift?’ and I was like ‘oh that’s a good idea’.” Karmazin’s dad has some experience in media, having founded Infinity Broadcasting and previously serving as CEO of Sirius Radio and CBS television.

With the move, Bill McCollum is coming home to the station where he started, with his legendary Barn Show in the same 5pm slot, now on AM1430 WBEV.

“There is such a heritage that we have here that we have such a deep respect for,” he says, “the Barn Show probably fit WBEV better for the last 22 years even than it did WXRO as a ‘hot country station,’ so I think while we were making these changes it allowed us to question everything and have the Barn Show on the station it always could have been on.”

And Karmazin says he will continue to invest in making the Beaver Dam market “best-in-class.” He notes the big markets where Good Karma Brands has a presence – Milwaukee, Cleveland, Atlanta – in saying the focus is on Beaver Dam as much as it’s ever been.

“I think what [WBEV-95X General Manager] Ryan Gabel is doing as manager is showing that he is willing to question everything and when we have a leader like that, we’re going to be willing to invest.”

The new 95X can be streamed online alongside WBEV at DailyDodge.com, both of which can also be heard on smart devices like Google Play and the Amazon Echo.