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Why Does WBZ-FM Have Such High Ratings in Boston vs. WEEI-FM?

G

Gregg.

WEEI-FM isn't in any of these demos. I'm sure if you just take the male demos, it's doing OK. But in these rankings, it is totally missing.

>>>
25-54: 1. WBZ-FM 2. WXKS 3T. WZLX 3T. WBQT 5. WWBX 6T. WMJX 6T. WBUR (up from #15)
18-34: 1. WXKS 2. WBZ-FM 3. WBQT 4T. WKLB 4T. WBGB (up from #10) 6. WWBX
18-49: 1. WBZ-FM 2. WXKS 3. WBQT 4. WWBX 5. WMJX 6. WZLX (up from #10T) 7. WBGB (up from #10T)<<<


In the 6+ ratings, The Sports Hub 98.5 WBZ-FM is #3 this month (often it's #1). Meanwhile, long time sports station and Red Sox flagship WEEI-FM is down to #13. And this is baseball season, The Red Sox flagship should be flying high. These are ratings mostly taken in May so no team is out of the running yet.

Why the giant gap? Why are sports fans passing up the Red Sox flagship? It's not even in the top 6 in the 25-54 demo. Meanwhile WBZ-FM is in the top two in every demo, even the youngest.

I've listened to both stations while in the Boston area. I don't hear so much of a difference that WBZ-FM should be #3 and WEEI-FM should be #13.
 
It's about the hosts. People in Boston love Toucher & Rich. They have one of the most listened-to morning shows. WEEI isn't even in the Top 10. Here are some articles:

www.insideradio.com

Boston’s ‘98.5 The Sports Hub’ Places First Across The Board.

The domination in the Boston market of “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM continues with the Beasley Media Group sports-talker posting a 19.4 Men 25-54 share, and placing first during the
www.insideradio.com www.insideradio.com

www.insideradio.com

Spilling The Beans: Boston's Top Morning Shows, By The Numbers.

In Boston, known for its marathon, the morning radio ratings race has proven to be nearly as exciting. This week's Inside Radio “By The Numbers” reviews Nielsen's December 2021 PPM-based
www.insideradio.com www.insideradio.com
 
I would also mention the fact that WBZ-FM was first with sports on FM in 2009, two years before WEEI did the same in 2011.

It also helps when WBZ-FM has almost all New England sports teams as the radio rights holder (Boston Red Sox is the only one they don't carry which is on WEEI).
 
6+ numbers mean nothing, as we have all heard at one point "they are the Beauty Queen numbers" they might give a station some bragging rights, but where it counts, which is in delivering a specific audience to an advertiser or trying to sway a potential client that has any knowledge of buying spots, they mean dog crap

Why the gap?

Morning drive has a huge impact, WEEI canned hosts under pressure from one butt hurt dad who went to the advertisers who then pulled their buys.... and replaced them with Greg Hill and whoever is in the cast this week.....

PM Drive ... WEEI with Jones and Mego from all accounts just sucks, Felger and Jim Murray on The Sports Hub are doing something right

Plus as previously mentioned, WBZ FM/aka The Sports Hub has the rights to most major team broadcasts and with that some access to the players for interviews, that counts for something.
 
And yet WEEI-FM is heard all over New England -- three stations/translators audible here in the Upper Valley (NH/VT) alone -- yet WBZ-FM, AFAIK, has never built a network. Why?
 
CTListener said:
And yet WEEI-FM is heard all over New England -- three stations/translators audible here in the Upper Valley (NH/VT) alone -- yet WBZ-FM, AFAIK, has never built a network. Why?
Click to expand...
Did the Red Sox have something to do with creating the "Boston Red Sox Radio Network", including the flagship WEEI-FM's repeater stations and their translators?

Some of the stations on the "Network", including all of them in NH and VT, are not owned by Audacy, owner of WEEI-FM. They are affiliates of the "Boston Red Sox Radio Network". WEII on Cape Cod is an affiliate owned by iHeart.
 
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Eli Polonsky said:
Did the Red Sox have something to do with creating the "Boston Red Sox Radio Network", including the flagship WEEI-FM's repeater stations and their translators?

Some of the stations on the "Network", including all of them in NH and VT, are not owned by Audacy, owner of WEEI-FM. They are affiliates of the "Boston Red Sox Radio Network".
Click to expand...
Red Sox radio rights up this way belong to Great Eastern Radio, which puts the games on AAA WWOD and oldies W294AB, and Sugar River Broadcasting, which carries them on classic country WCNL. The WEEI relays are also owned by Great Eastern, via WTSV(AM) and two translators, but they don't carry the Sox. Another curiosity: If you try listening to W294AB on the Great Eastern app (or elsewhere, I assume), you'll hear the Red Sox. If you try listening to WWOD, you'll hear jockless AAA music. And if you try listening to WCNL online during games, you'll hear classic country music. Ah, the weird, wonderful world of radio.
 
EEI was slow in moving to FM. They had a top morning show and then blew it up. Earlier, they had a very popular PM drive and blew it up as well. Very poor judgment by management. I wonder how EEI's AM audience compares with the download numbers for the previous AM hosts' podcasts?
 
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