Buffalo & Rochester February '23 trends

[ckg279]

Disclaimers: Per AllAccess.com and **************** . 12+ only. Only the top 5 stations are listed....and movement is from the last trend.

Off we go...

BUFFALO

1. WBLK/93.7 9.4(up .3)
2. WYRK/106.5 8.1(down .4)
3. WGRF/96.9 7.1(down .1)
4. WBEN/930 6.8(up .1)
5. WTSS/102.5 6.7(up .5)

Then...

ROCHESTER

1. WDKX/103.9 9.0(up .4)
2. WHAM/1180 6.1(down .2)
3. WBEE/92.5 5.5(down .4)
4. WCMF/96.5 5.2(up .1)
5. WPXY/97.9 3.5(no change)

Some brief notes(and everyone's free to add their observations):

-SOMETHING's in the water at Star 102.5(and I DON'T mean that its license was transferred to Audacy Atlas). In the November trend, it pulled a 4.1 , and then a 5.5 in December(when it was all Christmas music). Since then, it's been in the 6's.
-CFLZ(101.1 More FM)and CJED(105.1 the River)are still landing in the Buffalo books(with a .8 and a .2, respectively).
-For all the kvetching we've done on WBFO of late(and not without justification), it's still doing decently...pulling a 4.0(up .4)
-Over in Rochester, quite a few stations didn't release their ratings: WXXI-AM & FM, WEOS-FM and WRUR-FM.

 

[tbolt909]

When Audacy launched The Wolf, some people here said Country was a great idea. Instead, it was stillborn. It appears that Radio users in Buffalo aren't interested in another Country Clone. The station now has a 1.4. Big A will tell us that advertisers can buy commercials at rock bottom prices, but nobody will hear them...

 

[Gregg.]

Isn't it unusual that two stations aimed at the African-American audience are #1 in both Buffalo and Rochester? The Black population is 12% in the Buffalo metro, 11% in the Rochester metro. Are those big enough numbers for WBLK and WDKX to be so strong?

In Houston, the Black population is 17% but the first Urban station in the Houston ratings is #7. In Dallas, the Black population is also 17% but the first Urban station is tied for #6. In the Albany market, the Black population is 9%, but the first Urban station doesn't show up until #13. It's only a handful of markets (Philadelphia, Memphis, New Orleans) where Urban stations are #1.

Either WBLK and WDKX are doing something other Urban stations should sit up and take notice. Or are Black families being over-sampled by Nielsen in Buffalo and Rochester?

 

[tbolt909]

Isn't it unusual that two stations aimed at the African-American audience are #1 in both Buffalo and Rochester? The Black population is 12% in the Buffalo metro, 11% in the Rochester metro. Are those big enough numbers for WBLK and WDKX to be so strong?

In Houston, the Black population is 17% but the first Urban station in the Houston ratings is #7. In Dallas, the Black population is also 17% but the first Urban station is tied for #6. In the Albany market, the Black population is 9%, but the first Urban station doesn't show up until #13. It's only a handful of markets (Philadelphia, Memphis, New Orleans) where Urban stations are #1.

Either WBLK and WDKX are doing something other Urban stations should sit up and take notice. Or are Black families being over-sampled by Nielsen in Buffalo and Rochester?

The population in Houston and Dallas dwarfs Buffalo. WBLK probably has many White listeners. That format can appeal to all ethnicities and Steve Harvey is popular...

 

[TheBigA]

Big A will tell us that advertisers can buy commercials at rock bottom prices, but nobody will hear them...

You keep focusing on one station in a cluster instead of looking at the entire cluster. Audacy has 26% of the market, making it the biggest radio group in Buffalo. They're now bigger than Townsquare. The Wolf is part of that. Repeat after me: Not every station can be #1.

 

[davideduardo]

When Audacy launched The Wolf, some people here said Country was a great idea. Instead, it was stillborn. It appears that Radio users in Buffalo aren't interested in another Country Clone. The station now has a 1.4. Big A will tell us that advertisers can buy commercials at rock bottom prices, but nobody will hear them...

The station is getting around a 2 share in 25-54 and is in the same range as WBUF... that lets them bill around $50,000 to $60,000 a month with limited expenses. I'd guess that it adds a nice little chunk to the bottom line of the cluster, and helps spread the general expenses across one more station.

 

[davideduardo]

The population in Houston and Dallas dwarfs Buffalo. WBLK probably has many White listeners. That format can appeal to all ethnicities and Steve Harvey is popular...

WBLK likely has very few non-Hispanic white listeners,, particularly given the content and subject matter of the morning show. However, the market is now over 6% Hispanic, and in 18-34 second generation Hispanics listen to Urban stations in a significant percentage. Between Black and Hispanic,t he market is 19% concentrated in those two ethnic groups.

 

[davideduardo]

Isn't it unusual that two stations aimed at the African-American audience are #1 in both Buffalo and Rochester? The Black population is 12% in the Buffalo metro, 11% in the Rochester metro. Are those big enough numbers for WBLK and WDKX to be so strong?

As mentioned in my prior post, the market is now about 19% Hispanic and Black. Hispanic 18-34's use Urban formats extensively if there is no reggaetón based station in the market.

In Houston, the Black population is 17% but the first Urban station in the Houston ratings is #7. In Dallas, the Black population is also 17% but the first Urban station is tied for #6. In the Albany market, the Black population is 9%, but the first Urban station doesn't show up until #13. It's only a handful of markets (Philadelphia, Memphis, New Orleans) where Urban stations are #1.

Both markets have Hispanic stations... several of them... programming for 18-34 Hispanics and based on rhythmic / reggaetón music. That reduces the potential for the Urban stations. And both markets have additional rhythmic alternatives that fragment the market.

And Buffalo has only one full Urban station, as the WBBF AM and translator are not adequate signals, as the numbers indicate.

Either WBLK and WDKX are doing something other Urban stations should sit up and take notice. Or are Black families being over-sampled by Nielsen in Buffalo and Rochester?

There is no such thing as Black over-sampling. Black diaries are weighted together to match the market composition.

 

[tbolt909]

You keep focusing on one station in a cluster instead of looking at the entire cluster. Audacy has 26% of the market, making it the biggest radio group in Buffalo. They're now bigger than Townsquare. The Wolf is part of that. Repeat after me: Not every station can be #1.

Rubbish. The Wolf is a disaster. You don't launch a format and expect it to do worse than its predecessor. Nobody said it had to be #1, but your defense of a failed format is absurd...

 

[TheBigA]

Rubbish. The Wolf is a disaster. You don't launch a format and expect it to do worse than its predecessor. Nobody said it had to be #1, but your defense of a failed format is absurd...

How do you base "do worse?" On the 12+ public numbers. You don't know how it's actually doing.

I'm not defending them, I'm pointing mistakes in your criticism. There's a difference.

 

[davideduardo]

Rubbish. The Wolf is a disaster. You don't launch a format and expect it to do worse than its predecessor. Nobody said it had to be #1, but your defense of a failed format is absurd...

It is a vastly easier sales proposition. Direct accounts like country; they, for the most part, disliked or could not feel comfortable with alternative.

And the format is being run economically. It appears to contribute small but useful billing to the cluster, and gives that cluster a low-cost alternative for direct accounts as well as a 1.5 to 2 share add-on for transactional buyers.

 

[SirRoxalot]

If you want more than the top 5, here's Buffalo:

https://ratings.****************/content/arb037

And here's Rochester:

https://ratings.****************/content/arb079

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Persons 12+ ... but that's never stopped us from speculatin'. There doesn't seem to be anything "shocking" here. In fact, there's a trend of consistency with WBLK, WYRK, 97 Rick, WBEN, WHTT and WECK. There's some irony that Star (WTSS) is inching up just as it's been tossed into Audacy Atlas. If and when WTSS gets sold, would Audacy retain the intellectual property and puts it on the 98.5 frequency? Just a query. Regarding the previous posts concerning WBLK, these are shares, not AQH Persons or Cume.

 

[tbolt909]

WBLK likely has very few non-Hispanic white listeners,, particularly given the content and subject matter of the morning show. However, the market is now over 6% Hispanic, and in 18-34 second generation Hispanics listen to Urban stations in a significant percentage. Between Black and Hispanic,t he market is 19% concentrated in those two ethnic groups.

How do you know that? The station is #1. If the market is only 12 percent Black, how is that possible? It's likely that WBEN has very few non White listeners. Others have pointed out that Rock is largely dead. Younger demos of all ethnicities are listening to Hip Hop/Rap (or whatever the genre name is). In spite of the WBLK call letters, they must have a broader base to be #1...

 

[Rusty Bridges]

How do you know that? The station is #1. If the market is only 12 percent Black, how is that possible? It's likely that WBEN has very few non White listeners.

Remember, it's share. Not Cume or AQHs Persons. To say that WBLK "likely has very few non-Hispanic white listeners" is projection. Plenty of white folks in the 'burbs know the station and what it offers. This properly noted, the P1 core of WBLK's listeners is African American and non-whites.

 

[tbolt909]

Remember, it's share. Not Cume or AQHs Persons. To say that WBLK "likely has very few non-Hispanic white listeners" is projection. Plenty of white folks in the 'burbs know the station and what it offers. This properly noted, the P1 core of WBLK's listeners is African American and non-whites.

David said that. I simply pointed out that WBLK certainly has more than just Black listeners based on their ratings...

 

[davideduardo]

David said that. I simply pointed out that WBLK certainly has more than just Black listeners based on their ratings...

Yes, the non-Black "spillage" is mostly Hispanic, but not exclusively.

Interestingly, and with just a pair of exceptions, Urban AC station have 90% to 95% Black cume. While current Urban stations include a lot of hip-hop crossover material, the AC variant tends to be much deeper rooted in the Black experience. And that, in itself, is a subject for deeper discussion by people who can analyze the music and its cultural appeal.

 

[SirRoxalot]

It seems to me that it's been discussed that people on the lower end of the economic spectrum tend to make up a disproportionately larger share of listeners to OTA radio. People with more money and better internet are more likely to spend a few dollars on satellite or streaming services. S/XM gains a lot of listeners by offering free service for several months in new cars, and they heavily discount service for people who decide to sign on or renew.

 

[RadioGuy1864]

If and when WTSS gets sold, would Audacy retain the intellectual property and puts it on the 98.5 frequency?

Or, Townsquare flips WMSX from AC to Hot AC.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Rubbish. The Wolf is a disaster. You don't launch a format and expect it to do worse than its predecessor. Nobody said it had to be #1, but your defense of a failed format is absurd...

If an agency is looking for a Country station to place buys and you look at Townsquare and Audicy selling against each other then it might make sense for Audicy to say Country? We have a Country station too! It could also be said clients care more about results than your ratings.