Fl Ratings & More

[John FL]

I’ve long found Florida to be an interesting state as far as radio goes. Well, at least I felt that way in the past when my job had me visit every corner of the state and even the country. Much has changed from the 90s. I got to stay in a number of interesting places. I dreaded going to some areas of Florida too.

I’ve followed radio ratings for a very long time. It started when I was 10 years old, an incredible 55 or so years ago. The New York Daily News published the ratings and also had a dedicated radio reporter. To say I got the radio bug is an understatement. The subject of ratings is not a particularly interesting subject on these boards. Some prove more thought-provoking than others, especially when there is detail about the business of radio thrown in. So, I’m hoping this subject of ratings will go beyond just numbers and positions.

A great deal has happened over the past couple of months that delayed my wanting to post this topic. Obviously, iHeartMedia’s downsizing initiatives sucked the oxygen out of the room. As a result of that action, it was like all bets were off on so many levels. I read most of the posts on that subject. It struck a very sensitive nerve to many people. There's also lots of challenges to radio revenue. More on that later.

Most conventional thinking said that if you wear many hats and increase your value to the company, your odds at staying employed increases. I think the true answer is ‘it depends.’ There were folks who were dismissed who had air shifts, voicetracked other stations, were programmers, engaged in social media, and were part of a management team. It didn’t matter for them.

On another level, I’m disappointed to see what radio overall has become. For years when I was ‘JohnJax’ and posted often on the North Florida board, I saw diminished participation of talent, less personality, automation, no music specialty programming, less local flavor, and heavy concentration of some formats and genres of music over others, as missed opportunities for radio. We'll circle back to this thought process more when we get into ratings and what has actually proven successful.

And while I constantly would declare that I didn’t want radio to be as it once was, I probably made an assumption that all generations respond to ‘quality’ the same as I do. My belief was that there are many roads to success. I still believe that. Among my biggest concerns regarding radio is on the subject of creativity. My biggest radio heroes over the years were the ones who didn't do what everyone else was doing. They became the innovators, the leaders, the ones others followed. Radio needs more of them in my view, especially at the local level. Perhaps another Boomer concept but something worth talking about here.

There are monumental differences between Boomers and Gen X to Millennials etc. as far as their preferences, likes and dislikes go. Generational differences and age-specific favorites are as old as time. Yet, that reality didn’t always apply to radio programming for some of us. IMO, radio conveyed an ‘extended family’ feeling. Why wouldn’t everybody want that?

As far as Florida ratings go, there are significant differences in listener preferences, even in adjacent markets. It’s something I will try to point out along the way.

There’s a few other things I’d like to get to before getting to the ratings. I’ve learned much from the radio pros who comment on these boards. I don’t always agree but they can make you think. I look forward to a good discussion. We’re off the ground.

 

[TheBigA]

Among my biggest concerns regarding radio is on the subject of creativity. My biggest radio heroes over the years were the ones who didn't do what everyone else was doing. They became the innovators, the leaders, the ones others followed. Radio needs more of them in my view, especially at the local level. Perhaps another Boomer concept but something worth talking about here.

The C word gets thrown around a lot. People say they want creativity, but then you ask what music they like, and they say "oldies." The #1 station in the treasure coast is a classic hits station. You're not going to get creativity there. You'll get old music. If you really want creativity on the radio, you have to venture out of the comfort zone. Maybe drift down to the non-commercial stations. That's where you'll hear a lot of creativity, especially on weekends. All of those specialty shows you want. Venture into genres you've never listened to. Folk music. Bluegrass. Americana. These are performed by musicians your age, singing about your lifestyle now, not what it was when you were in your 20s. Buy a radio that picks up HD, and sample those extra stations. Creativity means the listener takes chances. The top rated stations aren't going to change. They do what gets ratings. So look around for other things, and you may be surprised what you find.

 

[John FL]

The C word gets thrown around a lot. People say they want creativity, but then you ask what music they like, and they say "oldies."

Creativity is an overused word and it tends to broad-brush situations. It's not my intent to do that. Plus, it's not easy to explain it but rather it's known when seen or heard. A good deal is at play that defines what is considered a creative playlist, programming, the whole ball of wax. But again, to my earlier points, these perceptions are probably based along generational lines. The fact that you tie oldies as a format of choice for those who seek creativity on the radio, is perhaps an assumption on your part unless you are aware of research pointing to this. I still believe it's more generational. Perhaps we are saying the same thing.

As far as classic hits formats go, they were once my "go to" format, but it is no longer. The format has changed. While I would expect the format to advance its music chronologically, it has lost the true essence of "Retro Top 40" which did exist in the formats' younger years. But then again, we need to remember Boomers were a part of the targeted audience 10-15 years ago. Boomers grew up listening to music on AM. There, a typical playlist had lots of genres of music in the mix. If it was a hit and it satisfied X# of demos, it probably got played. There were always exceptions of course.

Most define Gen X as those born between 1965 to 1980. For a simple illustration, let's go half way to a birth year around 1972. It wasn't until the mid 80s and teenage years that these individuals got into music that would be called their own. AM music was gone. FM was fragmented. But rock proved a successful format then and now. CHR of the day certainly played its fair share of artists like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and on and on. Staple artists found on most classic hits stations today.

Oldies formats sprang up a good deal in the 1980s and even early 90s often getting great 25-54 numbers. It's easy to see why as 60s music was only 25 years old or so. Boomers in large part flocked to the format because lots of their favorites played and the "DJ" presentation was somewhat reminiscent of radio from the past, including all those 'shout-out' jingles near the top of the hour.

But while all this was going on, it's easy to see why radio took the direction it did (decreased DJ participation) long before technology advances and all the platforms competing with radio. Today, automation, voicetracking, and syndicating programming are derived from economic necessity.

I wanted to touch on this anyway so we're not going off on a tangent.

One more point on creativity. Probably the best way I can explain it is there are those who post on the boards who have an extensive radio career. They have talked of their past successes and accomplishments. As I've read their accounts, it often involved a stand-alone station or perhaps a cluster of just a few stations in a very small company. Many of what they accounted is harder to achieve in the kind of centralized decision-making environment today.

The Treasure Coast classic hits station that you cited is a perfect example. What can they do? It's all syndicated and voicetracked. The programming conforms to the format branding. Spontaneity doesn't exist. But then again, it's not what their average listener wants in a radio station. Older listeners probably would get a kick out of it. Listeners tend to behave and respond differently based on their age. Nothing is absolute but it's there to some degree.

 

[TheBigA]

It's all syndicated and voicetracked. The programming conforms to the format branding. Spontaneity doesn't exist. But then again, it's not what their average listener wants in a radio station.

And yet, it's #1. So obviously SOMEBODY wants to listen to it. For that reason, there is no motivation to change.

So if it's not for you, then you have to find what you want. It's out there. Just look for it.

 

[John FL]

For the benefit of those who are not familiar with Florida’s Treasure Coast, this is a three county area just north of Palm Beach County. The radio station referred to by the previous poster is Classic Hits WQOL, an iHeartMedia radio station. When we get into ratings in specific markets, WQOL will be discussed further.

Credibility and its contribution to ratings. There is probably little disagreement that a radio station’s credibility with listeners is critical. These are extraordinary times in which we live. The dissemination of correct and meaningful information to the public has never been more important.

From a ratings perspective, news talk formats will have a banner year. It’s also an election year. That alone generates listener interest. Regardless of all the info at our fingertips, it’s the sound of that familiar human voice that can reassure and guide people.

When ratings are discussed, especially for music formats, I often wonder how much can be attributed to the talent who have various shifts on the station. The average listener will probably say they listen to the station for the music they play, first and foremost. Still, talent decisions happen quite regularly.

Whether we’re talking the recent iHeart downsizing or radio stations of big or small companies, someone exits and someone comes on board. There are some cases here in Florida where talent moves to another daypart with their former daypart featuring someone brand new to the market.

I’ll be sure to point out some of these changes in at least a few of the Florida markets I’m most familiar. I’m seeing a pattern. A great deal goes into the stations brand. Even though talent outside of morning drive has limited on-air participation, I suspect replacements are the ones who are considered a better fit with that stations brand. That’s one explanation. There's probably a number of sound reasons why changes occur in the lineup.

A stations ratings can be very good. You’d think no changes in talent would be required. But it does happen. Image, I suspect, carries a lot of weight too. It's not easy figuring out why certain decisions are made. In time, some of these things begin to make sense.
Anyway a lot to think about. More to come.

 

[John FL]

Way back in 1965, R&B singer Billy Stewart, charted with a song he wrote called “I Do Love You.” It was not a huge Top 40 hit, reaching #26 nationally, although it made the Top 10 on the R&B charts.

When visiting family in the Miami area in the early-mid 70s, I heard the song pretty regularly on the radio there. What a great song I thought. I never heard the song before. Eventually I found the record in a garage sale. The 45 label had a cool design to it.
https://youtu.be/kr40p6ev4Yw

Many years later when I researched that song, I found out that a resurgence in popularity had taken place after Mr. Stewart’s untimely passing from a car accident in 1970. Hispanics were drawn to that song too. I recall hearing that song on various Miami stations until well into the 90s. It's easy to understand why. There’s nothing new about regional hits. Ratings tell a lot of stories over time. There are those who embrace market changes. Others do not.

Radio Market #11, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, is Florida’s largest. It’s a good place to start. Perhaps we’ll go in size order discussing the various markets. Here’s the latest ratings. ~ https://bit.ly/33Esq9g

It’s certainly a crowded field. The market ordinarily doesn’t show wild fluctuations. With all the choices, the listeners respond to their favorite stations apparently enjoying them and not needing to seek something else out.

Holiday books in other markets are highly noticeable seeing an AC, for example, more than double their typical share. AC WLYF went wall-to-wall holiday music. There was slight bounce and that was all.

The diversity of the market brings for a great deal of format variety and ones you don’t see elsewhere. Rhythmic-oriented formats are far more prevalent than rock or country. In other areas of Florida, rhythmic anything is hard to find.

It’s an interesting radio market. The community is electric and has been for a long time. I’ll confess to no longer being as on top of things in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale as I once was. There are many calls I don't know at all. I’ll talk about what I know or even what I think I know. Others perhaps can fill in the blanks. More to come…

 

[John FL]

Readers and posters, the subject of ratings can be interesting. I don’t believe anyone ever tackled a string discussing ratings for an entire state, market-by-market, ever before. Ambitious projects can be rewarding to the many readers and posters of Radio Discussions.

However, I sense this may not be the right time for this subject. It’s the first time I’ve ever had to put the kibosh on a topic I have initiated.

We’re in uncharted territory. Covid-19 has changed everything. Our world has been turned upside down. We’re distracted and concerned. I can’t stay focused on this. Yesterday’s post took me hours to put together because I kept changing thoughts and became indecisive. That's not like me at all.

There’s probably discussions about the coronavirus and effects on radio. I would suspect some businesses have already cancelled advertising because they are closed and can’t afford the expense. Ratings in these cases won’t matter. TSL may undergo changes. It's becoming a whole other ballgame.

Hopefully, I don’t sound like I’m looking for a cop-out. I don’t operate that way and I don’t do anything halfheartedly. Something told me to hold off. I should have listened to my inner voice.

Thanks for your understanding. Let’s just say this subject is on hold until we return to some kind of normalcy.

Stay well.

John

 

[John FL]

Let’s just say this subject is on hold until we return to some kind of normalcy.

I've decided to continue with this subject for a variety of reasons. Returning to normalcy is almost laughable. Who knows what normal really is l anymore. I detect views on R.D. are up and posters have been active on the board. Now may actually be a good time for a subject like this.

This string endeavors to discuss every ratings market in Florida. I don't believe it's ever been done before. Then again, it's harder and harder to find subjects that haven't been beaten to death. There was a time I was extremely active on this board posting more than 5 times a day at a minimum. On occasion, I drew inspiration from Sean Ross whom many of you would probably know. He's written many interesting subjects revolving around radio. He's well known as "Ross on Radio."

Sean and I must be made out of the same mold. Over the years there has been a lot of synergy over a number of radio topics between the two of us, sometimes I was first! The other day I read with a lot of interest his discussion of lost hits from 1982. He had factual data such as number of airplays to justify his conclusions etc. I wish I had the many tools he has at his disposal.

One of course is actual ratings data. Many of my postings are a result of what my "gut" is telling me. While I do like to bring in facts and I usually refer to them by providing hyperlinks etc., it still makes for a lot of challenge because of the nature of Radio Discussions. It invites those who will tell that you are not correct and they'll list their reason(s). A poster can lose credibility quickly and that's not a good place to be.

BTW, I had planned a "Lost Hits" topic for later in the year. Even that has its difficulties because everyone has a different idea of what a lost hit is. I'm sure that was probably done in one of the format boards. Again, it's not easy finding unique topics.


Before the little hiatus, we were discussing the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market. We'll get back to that upcoming.

 

[John FL]

Rock formats are proliferating in many markets. We'll no doubt see a lot of that as we look at ratings throughout Florida. There was a time, South Florida had its share of rock formats. While radio ratings for Miami/Ft. Lauderdale paint a different picture, there was a time there were at least four rockers on at the same time there. Today, a legendary station from the past has found a home online via streaming.

WSHE FM was once a highly popular station. Rock fans tend to be highly devoted to their music. By the 1990s it became clear that rock was deteriorating as a format, at least for S. Florida. For those who grew up in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, the rapid growth of new residents from not only around the country but from Latin America, the Caribbean, and just about everywhere else created a situation where one station after the next fell by the wayside due to declining audience. There were weaker stations that succumbed in the 1980s. 'She' lasted until the 90s.

Today, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale has a classic rocker WBGG-FM (Big 105.9) that has been doing the format since 1996. That in itself is pretty impressive. Over the years whenever ratings have been discussed for Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, those in the know talk of Big getting decent numbers with men. All things considered, the station has survived in a tough environment.

There's also an Alternative format - WSFS (104.3 The Shark) I've frequently asked what is meant by an Alternative format. The Urban Dictionary defines it as:

"A less intense version of rock and a more intense version of pop. Typically strays from the generic lyrics of pop. Lots of sub-categories, but the main two are alternative rock and alternative pop. Pretty much anything that doesn't fall into the distinct categories like rock, pop, jazz, classical, etc."

While it looks like The Shark's ratings suck if you just look at 6+, I read the format is almost always in the top 4 or 5 in 18-34. So, it's likely Entercom will continue with the format.

South Florida rock stations, that I recall that came and went besides 'She' was K102 (WCKO-FM) that was AOR. Eventually oldies Magic 102.7 was born around the mid 80s. From the late 70s to early 80s, there was Zeta 4.(WZTU-FM) (Love that brand name) offering progressive rock. In the late 80s classic rock was heard on WZTA-FM (Zeta) eventually moving to Active Rock. As was the case for many other rockers, the format was under-performing but had an impressive 19 year run ending in 2005.

With Zeta's demise, active rock found a new home at 93.1 with the calls WHDR (93 Rock) signifying hard rock. The station lasted 5 years. Again, there was performance issues. The successor format became Easy 93.1 and a softer AC format with the calls WFEZ-FM. That turned out to be a brilliant move. What an incredible ride that frequency has seen.

As a side note, there were a number of rock-oriented clubs that I enjoyed when I moved to S. Florida in the late 70s. I was never big into rock music but these places were a lot of fun. I had lots of bank meetings in Miami and afterwards we'd all go out and decompress. One by one they closed. Just like rock radio formats, there was a dwindling clientele.

There have been many posts on R.D. by true rock lovers who are dissatisfied with radio in Miami. Loyalty is wonderful. But unless the numbers are there, it's hard to make a go of a format that doesn't reflect the market. I'm sure I may have missed another rock station along the way but I think you get the point.

More to come on ratings & Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.

 

[TheBigA]

Rock formats are proliferating in many markets. We'll no doubt see a lot of that as we look at ratings throughout Florida. There was a time, South Florida had its share of rock formats.

Sure...so did NYC, LA, and Boston. Not any more. Boston once had four rock stations, now it has none. Part of the problem is demographics, as the cities have diversified. That's obviously one of the issues in Miami.

But in my view, when you talk about music on the radio, it all begins with the music itself. No question that rock music simply doesn't attract the audiences it once did. However, classic rock somehow is able to attract not only the older fans, but millennials. What does that say about the music?

 

[davideduardo]

Rock formats are proliferating in many markets. We'll no doubt see a lot of that as we look at ratings throughout Florida. There was a time, South Florida had its share of rock formats. While radio ratings for Miami/Ft. Lauderdale paint a different picture, there was a time there were at least four rockers on at the same time there.

The Miami-Ft.Lauderdale Nielsen MSA is over 50% Hispanic and about 20% African American.

Most Hispanics in South Florida are from, or descents of, the Caribbean Basin. Rock stations, whether in San Juan, Santo Domingo or Barranquilla, have done poorly or no longer exist. So that group under-indexes in usage of rock stations.

African Americans also severely under-index on that format.

So you are left with 30% of the population that is non-Hispanic white and who might like that format. But since Miami and the area has been Caribbean and Latin influenced for many decades, younger listeners just didn't have the exposure to the genre that might have occurred in other markets.

 

[John FL]

But in my view, when you talk about music on the radio, it all begins with the music itself. No question that rock music simply doesn't attract the audiences it once did. However, classic rock somehow is able to attract not only the older fans, but millennials. What does that say about the music?

I've come to realize your statement is true. In many of my "reflections" postings I often talked about "coolness." One of my favorite topics was the evolution of music from AM to FM. FM was considered cool and not your parents station. Besides the better sound of the music, stereo, no static, less commercials, etc., the jocks were a new breed and they were part of the new trend. People don't want to be perceived as nerdy.

Classic Rock has aged extraordinarily well. I've long observed people's behavior. I'm sure many of you can relate to going out somewhere in a casual setting like a local restaurant/bar or even a backyard BBQ or get together. People's mode of dress can be very revealing. How often have you see mainly men, but the ladies too, who wear a cool Tee featuring their favorite rock band. Led Zeppelin is one I've seen quite often. There's a definite attachment to the music.

As popular as The Bee Gees and K.C. & The Sunshine Band were, I've yet to see anybody wear Tee shirts featuring them. Some major pop/rock leaning stars of the past have strong appeal still. The Eagles, Pat Benatar, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, Elton John etc. - lots of sounds that were big on classic hits from some years ago now.

As far as Millennials go, they are an interesting demo. We know many of them, burdened with high college loan debt, wound up living at home to try to get themselves on their feet. No doubt they were exposed to the music. But unlike other genres, it was cool to pull it in and make it their own. It may also say something about today's popular music.

As we move to other markets, I can site stations & formats that I never thought would make it. Boy was I wrong.

To your point about "it all begins with the music itself," it recalls the importance about knowing what you are doing. I was going to bring this station up so might as well do it now.

On the subject of South Florida ratings, Classic Hits 102.7 The Beach (WMXJ) is doing incredibly well. The Beach replaced the "Magic" brand of classic hits. Magic had a 30+ year run. In its time it saw its share of PDs. The music director/Assist PD who was also a personality since Day One was Mindy Lang. A while back the station decided to call itself "Classic Tracks" or something like that where they took a rock lean. It was a huge mistake. They simply did it all wrong.

Today's Beach plays classic rock hits but it's not the only genre. They feature plenty of songs with a rhythmic lean. That was a fatal mistake the old Magic made by not doing that kind of mix. In between rock tunes were the tried and true artists I sited above. The station could have been placed in the Midwest and it would have done well. It lacked the South Florida vibe among other things. Hispanics were not drawn to the station in sufficient numbers.

Toward the end of their run, there was a guy named Ken Payne who took over the PD duties. I liked what he was doing. Around 2013, Magic 102.7 went all 80s on the weekends. There were some good titles in the mix. Many were of "Freestyle" fame that proved very popular in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. I wish they would have carried that kind of sound they generated on the weekend to during the week. Perhaps over time that was the plan.

In late 2015, virtually the entire staff was let go by the new owner Entercom. I was devastated and so were many others. One survivor from the old Magic, D.J Holiday, found a place as M.D. and on-air personality. He's done a great job. The station sounds like a place to have a good time. great imaging etc. Their midday personality, Jade Alexander, was dismissed when Entercom did some downsizing. The AM and PM jock probably voicetrack that midday shift. It didn't see a dent in the numbers so that tells you a lot about what listeners truly care about - the music.

 

[John FL]

The Miami-Ft.Lauderdale Nielsen MSA is over 50% Hispanic and about 20% African American.

Most Hispanics in South Florida are from, or descents of, the Caribbean Basin. Rock stations, whether in San Juan, Santo Domingo or Barranquilla, have done poorly or no longer exist. So that group under-indexes in usage of rock stations.

African Americans also severely under-index on that format.

According to published Nielsen reports, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale has 3 urban formats. There's always the possibility of a station doing an urban format that doesn't subscribe to Nielsen. But for purpose of this discussion, we'll limit this to the three main stations.

Cox Media Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105) has been a ratings powerhouse for as long as I can remember. They have been #1 overall many times and a Top 5 in the overall ratings for decades. When I looked at the history of the station (frequency), I found something interesting. I did not know that before Hot's fame as an Urban AC that it was once an easy listening station. It was a soft AC known as E-Z 105 with the calls WEZI. Those calls are now used in Jacksonville, Fl for their AC brand "Easy 102.9)

Hot 105 as we know it today didn't start out that way. In the mid 80s, the format was actually a hybrid CHR/Urban Contemporary (or "CHUrban") format. The mix of music was incredible. I was there, I listened to the station regularly. I do know Bill Tanner programmed Hot 105 and there were a bunch of jocks from Y-100 (WHYI) who came on board. While I don't know when Bill actually was at the helm, you can be sure I was listening when he was doing his magic. It promised for exciting radio. I do remember Bill and team didn't last long. (Radio never changes) Eventually he went over to Power 96 (WPOW) with a rhythmic CHR sound.

But radio is in constant change. By the late 80s, Hot 105 was totally an Urban AC. There was still competition even back then for CHR formats so that was probably the main reason for the change.

iHeart Media's Urban WEDR FM (99 JAMZ) is another ratings champ and has been that way for quite some time. Long performing well in 18-34, the station has been #1 in that demo for the last 4 PPM reports according to Research Direct, Inc. The WEDR calls have been around South Florida since 1963. History of the calls says it was first had rock and country. Per our prior discussion, I did mention that Miami was quite a rocker town back in the 60s.

In 1970, WEDR adopted a black format. The signal was not good at all. There were lean times but the station endured. In 1990, WEDR became 99 Jamz as an Urban contemporary. Eventually they became a powerful force in radio. I recall hearing they had signal enhancements. That's something that became necessary when Miami/Ft. Lauderdale became one and not two sperate markets. I never remember exactly when that was. I'm sure. D.E. can fill us in.

WMIB 103.5 signifying Miami's beat (Miami's new #1 for Hip Hop & R&B) is another iHeart Media station. Shares are usually in the high 2s to low/mid 3s. As with all 6+ numbers we never get a true picture. But given the population, the station is no doubt sellable. Their tag sites being #1 so there's usually bragging rights that can be found somewhere in the ratings.

The signal once belonged to a beautiful music station. Seems there were many of them on the FM dial at one time before people figured out what to do. As we discussed earlier, long-time rocker WSHE-FM was home at 103.5. There have been many formats over the years at 103.5. They have been doing the urban format since 2013.

More Miami/Ft. Lauderdale formats & ratings upcoming...

 

[John FL]

An observation that was reported in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale's March 20 book was that cume was down for leading music formats. The April book will probably be even more revealing not only for market #11 but for PPM markets across the country.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had ripple effects everywhere and radio is no exception. Listening is different because typical work and even school days are significantly different. I suspect news/talk formats will see significant upswings in many markets. iHeart's News/Talk WIOD-AM saw only a tenth of a point increase. With a number of syndicated conservative talk show hosts in a very blue area, it's reasonable to say the masses find news and information elsewhere.

Public Radio WLRN-FM has seen a bit of a bump. In fact they perform a lot better in the ratings consistently. I've noticed NPR stations across a lot of the country doing pretty well. They appear to be well situated for the immediate future. In my last 6 months in Jax I found myself drawn to public radio because I found the content informative without all the hype and distractions of a commercial station.

When I was researching this topic, I saw many incidents of flips. Some I spoke of earlier. For a time, it seemed the golden ticket was a flip to AC or to CHR. I'm sure this has happened elsewhere too but there's many a good number of flips over time to those formats.

Today there are three CHR formats, two mainstream and one rhythmic. WHYI-FM (Y-100) a station I've often discussed in numerous "Reflections" strings is up in front, at least as far as shares goes but far from the kind of numbers they got in their glory years.

Cox Media's WFLC-FM was a long-time AC station. At first I was rather surprised there was a flip to CHR, but as sister WEZI-FM (Easy 93.1) gained momentum, they probably wanted to give the station a little more leeway. The strategy was obviously a good one.

Back in the 90s, WFLC was known as "South Florida's Coast." It was a very different radio station from a presentation perspective. It was the first time I saw talent's role minimized. One of their taglines was something like "we never talk over the music...ever." It was a tight music format. There were 12 songs an hour with 6 songs in each music sweep. There was a lot of mellow rock. It was a good sound. In many ways, that presentation, aside from the style of music, was a glimpse into the future of music programing.

Rounding out the English-speaking CHR stations is WPOW-FM (Power 96.5) which is rhythmic contemporary. Every once in a while I can pick up the station where I live which is near the St. Lucie/Indian River County lines. As a long time fan of rhythmic music, I realize it's nothing like what that genre once sounded like. Times change. We change. Other times news/talk from Orlando's WDBO comes in instead. I live in amazing area being able to hear radio stations from all over the state at times.

More to come.

 

[davideduardo]

An observation that was reported in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale's March 20 book was that cume was down for leading music formats. The April book will probably be even more revealing not only for market #11 but for PPM markets across the country.

Keep in mind that Persons Using Radio is data that is not publicly released. What we see in the 6+ or 12+ data is share, which always adds up to 100. Ratings are not public data.

 

[TheBigA]

I found myself drawn to public radio because I found the content informative without all the hype and distractions of a commercial station.

Have you visited the station? Public stations are often looking for volunteers, and you might enjoy it.

 

[John FL]

Keep in mind that Persons Using Radio is data that is not publicly released. What we see in the 6+ or 12+ data is share, which always adds up to 100. Ratings are not public data.

I'm not quite sure what is being said here. But, one thing I never want to do is violate the rules. My comment was quite generic in that I did not provide specific cume info for any station. There are many places to obtain Nielsen ratings data and mine was "All Access." Not only do they provide station rankings by share, but cume by station is provided as well as market share by each subscribing company.

In fact, I've gone out of my way to present a discussion of ratings mixing market and station history with overall current performance.

The bottom line is I don't want to violate rules intentionally or unintentionally so I will refrain from mentioning cume even though I don't understand why if the comment is done in a general, non-specific way.

 

[John FL]

A common practice is to refer to Florida's #11 radio market as "Miami-Ft. Laduerdale." But it's really "Miami-Ft.Lauderdale-Hollywood." Old habits are hard to break I suppose.

The market is certainly unique and is highly fragmented. While published ratings don't show every station if they don't subscribe, I decided to count the number of Spanish and Tropical formats in the market to demonstrate that uniqueness.

In my quick count, I came up with 4 Spanish Contemporary, 2 Spanish Talkers, 2 Spanish News, 2 Tropical, 1 Spanish Sports, 1 Spanish Adult Hits.

The top rated Spanish station is WMAR-FM (107.5 Amor). It's been that way for a long time. It's proven to be an enormously popular station. Even those who know very little Spanish will realize Amor means Love.

The frequency has had a Spanish format for quite some time. It was once "Super Q." I do remember that brand name. The calls then (1979 and through the 80s was WQBA-FM. Obviously signifying Cuba. WMAR-FM started out as their brand name implied, they played mainly love ballads. There was another station in the market doing pretty much the same thing with the brand name "Romantica."

Univision is the current owner of Amor. They purchased the station in 2003. The company made programing enhancements moving away from just romantic ballads to include tropical songs and featuring adult, uptempo hits. In all that time, the station has remained one of Miami's top rated stations. It's reasonable to see the change in musical direction payed off as it did reflect the multicultural nature of the market and listener preferences and tastes.

For a long time, I advocated for a format that was based on love and romantic sounds. There's an unbelievable amount of love songs from the early days of rock 'n roll to contemporary songs one would find on an AC. I often wondered why commercial radio didn't offer something similar to what you'll find, say on SiriusXM and their "SiriusXM Love." It appears the answer is obvious. Listeners want upbeat in the mix. While there are plenty of upbeat love songs, it could be about listener perceptions. If a format is considered wimpy or not cool, younger demos especially are the first to bail. So, there's a lot we can learn from "Amor."

AC in South Florida is upcoming.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm not quite sure what is being said here. But, one thing I never want to do is violate the rules. My comment was quite generic in that I did not provide specific cume info for any station. There are many places to obtain Nielsen ratings data and mine was "All Access." Not only do they provide station rankings by share, but cume by station is provided as well as market share by each subscribing company.

In fact, I've gone out of my way to present a discussion of ratings mixing market and station history with overall current performance.

The bottom line is I don't want to violate rules intentionally or unintentionally so I will refrain from mentioning cume even though I don't understand why if the comment is done in a general, non-specific way.

You did not violate any rule.

I was just explaining that what Nielsen releases are shares. There are always 100 shares. What Nielsen does not release is ratings, which vary according to the amount of actual listening in each market.

The thing that we call "ratings" in general speaking about audience measurement is actually "share". And today, rating numbers are about 8% of what share numbers are.

 

[davideduardo]

Univision is the current owner of Amor. They purchased the station in 2003. The company made programing enhancements moving away from just romantic ballads to include tropical songs and featuring adult, uptempo hits. In all that time, the station has remained one of Miami's top rated stations. It's reasonable to see the change in musical direction payed off as it did reflect the multicultural nature of the market and listener preferences and tastes.

When Univision bought HBC, they kept the entire staff intact.

The format, created in 1995 that Bill Tanner and I worked to develop, has never changed in the last 25 years.

What has changed is contemporary Spanish AC music... it was pretty ballad oriented in '95, but now has far more rhythmic content. It's still an AC station.

But it is, as I said, the same format two and a half decades later. In fact, even the morning personality, Javier Romero, is the same as the guy who was on the air on day one, along with the late and legendary Miami personality, Betty Pino.