If someone who was a regular listener to a station like WTOP or WBBM were to casually come across the programming of iHeartMedia’s new “Black Information Network” they might not notice that there’s a niche focus unlike the heritage stations in the format.

All the bells and whistles heard on KYW and KNX are there: two anchors rotating stories, actualities from reporters, segments dedicated to the presidential campaign and local traffic and weather reports whether its a big market like Atlanta, a small market like Augusta, or on an HD subchannel like New York. Overall it is a smooth, well-polished product that could be good for a quick news rundown for any listener regardless of race.

It would take a longer listen to realize the emphasis on stories of Black personalties, such as the entertainment report just about white actors quitting their cartoon voiceover jobs playing non-white characters, Jennifer Hudson playing Aretha Franklin in a movie and Dr. Dre’s wife filing for divorce. There was a block of multiple stories in a row were about defunding the Minneapolis police department in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. It’s not until you get to the biographical segments of historical Black personalities, or interview of Fulton Country, GA District Attorney by “105.3 The Beat” WRDG Atlanta afternoon host DJ Scream that the Black emphasis comes focused.

iHeartMedia seems to understand that the success of the brand will not be measured by traditional radio analytics. None of the traditional All-News stations that launched earlier last decade from WYAY Atlanta, KROI Houston, WNEW Washington DC, and Merlin Media’s female focused “FM News” in Chicago and New York survived more than a few years. Outside of 105.3 Norfolk, none of the BIN affiliates are on full-powered FM signals instead the company is focusing on translators and AMs to build brand awareness for the network overall and getting listeners to stream or listen to podcasts on the iHeartRadio app.

The product also takes a page from public radio and podcasts as commercials, both local and national, are replaced with sponsorship tags from BIN’s national partners (Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, Lowe’s, McDonald’s USA, Sony, 23andMe and Verizon at launch). In doing so, the product’s performance will not be gauged at all by ratings and local billing. Its success will be on how much revenue it brings in from these partners and how they drive digital analytics.

Despite that, could BIN succeed in any of its launch markets under traditional metrics? Two of the fifteen markets have a better chance than the rest. 105.3 WNOH Norfolk is the only one on a full-powered FM signal in a market that is nearly 1/3 Black. 1130 WDFN Detroit could take listeners from Entercom’s 950 WWJ as both have similar signals on AM.

Even if BIN were to quietly fade away in a year, this is a worthy attempt by iHeartMedia. None of the fifteen launch stations were doing massive numbers. Only “Alt 105.3” WNOH Norfolk at an underperforming 1.4 share and “Alt 99.1” W256BT Cleveland at a 1.1 were even over a 1 share. Most of the rest were around a 0.1. This format initiative brings something never tried using stations that were doing nothing. If it succeeds bringing in more sponsorship partners, listeners to the iHeartMedia app, and good PR buzz among the current Black Lives Matter movement whether the timing of the launch was coincidental or not, then this project will be a success and perhaps lead to other new niche formats.