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WADO 1280 AM-Tiny Audience

B

Barry

As an AM station on the upper end of the dial, I wouldn't expect it to be a ratings giant. But the latest ratings show that its cume is a mere 36,000, which is less than that of some HD2 signals.
In addition to broadcasting to the large local Mexican community, they offer coverage, in Spanish, of the Yankees games, and some other major local teams.
Are Hispanic people even less interested in AM radio than the general population?
 
Barry said:
Are Hispanic people even less interested in AM radio than the general population?
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Yes.

That is a generalized statement, but because the community is much younger on average, and most young people only listen to AM if they use radio at all, there is little listening to Spanish language AM unless, as in some small markets, there is no FM en español.

With the exception of Argentina (where AM is very strong) the band is dead or dying in nearly every nation in Latin America. In San Salvador, for example, all the AMs except two are religious, and less than half the stations that existed in the 80's and 90's exist today. Quito, Ecuador, where at one time there were 40 AM stations, now there are 12 or 13. And so on across the countries.
 
Barry said:
As an AM station on the upper end of the dial, I wouldn't expect it to be a ratings giant. But the latest ratings show that its cume is a mere 36,000, which is less than that of some HD2 signals.
Click to expand...
WADO hasn't done decently for an AM since its days as majority brokered “Radio Wado” prior to going Sports.
Barry said:
In addition to broadcasting to the large local Mexican community, they offer coverage, in Spanish, of the Yankees games, and some other major local teams.
Click to expand...
The majority of the Mexican community here in the tri-state area don't enjoy Major League Baseball. The coverage would be better off being on WXNY or one of its HD signals.
Barry said:
With such a puny audience, it appears that older Hispanic people are also ignoring WADO.
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WADO's main attractions towards the end of its lifespan as a full service station were Ino Gomez, Dr. Mejia-Torres and Coco Cabrera. Now Ino is retired, Mejia-Torres is no longer on Buenos Días América (which is no longer on the station in general) and Coco is on WXNY. With the flip to Regional Mexican, there's not really much reason for many to listen to WADO.
 
Is Univision still planning to sell WADO to Latino Media Network, like many of their other AM stations? Or do they now intend to keep it?
 
101.9 La Kalle said:
The majority of the Mexican community here in the tri-state area don't enjoy Major League Baseball. The coverage would be better off being on WXNY or one of its HD signals.
Click to expand...
That hardly matters because nobody in any US market listens to Spanish play-by-play, even Hispanics who do enjoy major league sports. But it makes money and generates publicity so the radio company and the sports league find it worth it, especially during the typically fallow weekend.

101.9 La Kalle said:
WADO's main attractions towards the end of its lifespan as a full service station were Ino Gomez, Dr. Mejia-Torres and Coco Cabrera. Now Ino is retired, Mejia-Torres is no longer on Buenos Días América (which is no longer on the station in general) and Coco is on WXNY. With the flip to Regional Mexican, there's not really much reason for many to listen to WADO.
Click to expand...

But they clear national shows on an otherwise useless signal that they can't sell at the moment. This is the best they can do.
 
Identnut said:
That hardly matters because nobody in any US market listens to Spanish play-by-play, even Hispanics who do enjoy major league sports.
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I've heard differently about Charlotte NC. The NFL Carolina Panthers coverage is popular.


Charlotte also has a popular soccer team. I haven't heard whether it does well with radio listeners.

 
Identnut said:
That hardly matters because nobody in any US market listens to Spanish play-by-play, even Hispanics who do enjoy major league sports.
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In the Southwest and other markets with mostly Mexican migrants, there is lots of listening to play by play, but to Mexican league soccer teams... not US sports and teams.
Mediafrog+ said:
Huh?!? Assume that is a typo.😝
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Yep. Should be "FM".
Mediafrog+ said:
LMN is not long for this world, so they won’t be buying anything before being absorbed by another group owner.
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LMN refused purchase of WADO due to technical / environmental issues at transmitter site.

I agree. Will soon be folded into Audacy.
 
SCMcKinney said:
What is different in Argentina that AM can have a place at the table? Lack of FM? Topograhy? Unique programming?
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Argentina is among the best educated nations in the world, overall, so there is a base for talk programming. In addition, it is a multi-party nation, with the current president having pretty much created his own party; many say that the most popular sport there is politics, not soccer. And Argentina has some of the most rabid soccer fans in the world!

The AM band has a dozen fulltime, lower on the dial, non-directional 50 kw AMs and there is even one that is 100 kw and intentionally directional towards downtown Buenos Aires (And there are another 10 or so lesser signals with religious or ethnic formats). Bs. As. has about 21 million people, but the smaller markets also have some very good AM facilities.

There is always a hot subject to talk about, something in the U.S. we have only seen with Trump.

Buenos Aires has over 200 stations, including full signal FMs (200 kw at 350 meters at the one I programmed), and there are dozens of neighborhood or zone stations there... better than our translators, but lots of them.

But the top 3 or 4 AMs have about 70% of all the AM listening, and the top 10 FMs have more than two thirds of the listening.

There are no daytimers, no highly directional stations, and not much interference on with most of the country facing the open Atlantic Ocean.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I've heard differently about Charlotte NC. The NFL Carolina Panthers coverage is popular.
Click to expand...
Immigrants from Latin America follow the teams they grew up with. I still follow Deportivo Quito even now, 50 years after I moved to another country.
vchimpanzee said:
Charlotte also has a popular soccer team. I haven't heard whether it does well with radio listeners.
Click to expand...
As I have heard say about the few sports stations in Mexico, they cover three major sports only: soccer, soccer and soccer. Spanish dominant Hispanics generally don't follow American sports.

I use the term "generally" as there are exceptions. But for the most part, if we are talking about first generation immigrants from Mexico and northern Central America as well as Colombia, Ecuador and others, the only big sport is soccer and the teams we follow are "home teams" from where we grew up.
 
davideduardo said:
Immigrants from Latin America follow the teams they grew up with. I still follow Deportivo Quito even now, 50 years after I moved to another country.

As I have heard say about the few sports stations in Mexico, they cover three major sports only: soccer, soccer and soccer. Spanish dominant Hispanics generally don't follow American sports.
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Even in Mexico, sports stations are few because allegiances are much more fragmented than in the American franchise system. I think only Monterrey and Mexico City have sports radio, and they both have massive teams (one of which is part of the Televisa machine).
 
Identnut said:
Even in Mexico, sports stations are few because allegiances are much more fragmented than in the American franchise system. I think only Monterrey and Mexico City have sports radio, and they both have massive teams (one of which is part of the Televisa machine).
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And, throughout Latin America, the biggest cities may have several major league soccer teams. Mexico City has three!
 
If WADO’s owners are eager to reach Mexican listeners, perhaps they would have been better off keeping the previous format. That was broadcasting mostly TUDN sports, which revolved around soccer. Clearly Mexicans, like most people, are uninterested in listening to music on AM.
 
davideduardo said:
Argentina is among the best educated nations in the world, overall, so there is a base for talk programming. In addition, it is a multi-party nation, with the current president having pretty much created his own party; many say that the most popular sport there is politics, not soccer. And Argentina has some of the most rabid soccer fans in the world!

The AM band has a dozen fulltime, lower on the dial, non-directional 50 kw AMs and there is even one that is 100 kw and intentionally directional towards downtown Buenos Aires (And there are another 10 or so lesser signals with religious or ethnic formats). Bs. As. has about 21 million people, but the smaller markets also have some very good AM facilities.

There is always a hot subject to talk about, something in the U.S. we have only seen with Trump.

Buenos Aires has over 200 stations, including full signal FMs (200 kw at 350 meters at the one I programmed), and there are dozens of neighborhood or zone stations there... better than our translators, but lots of them.

But the top 3 or 4 AMs have about 70% of all the AM listening, and the top 10 FMs have more than two thirds of the listening.

There are no daytimers, no highly directional stations, and not much interference on with most of the country facing the open Atlantic Ocean.
Click to expand...
I thought the number "200 stations" had to be a typo until I looked, and one source said 272 stations in the Buenos Aires proper. A lot of them have to be really small, as several FM frequencies have several different stations on them, and virtually every AM is occupied. Are they making money I guess is the larger question.

Buenos Aires Stations Emisoras de radio en Buenos Aires, Argentina / Radio stations in Buenos Aires, Argentina — World Radio Map

But if impassioned politics is floating the boat for talk stations down there, why wouldn't WADO with its decent signal give English language, left leaning politics a try? A radio business, even a Spanish language focused one, is in business to make money, and a cume of 36000 with the current format I bet is not. They might have to start small, but with all that is going on in Washington and New York, there ought to be competent radio talent that could host programming, realizing that a 6 figure income is not going to be available at the beginning. For them, a counter to what is going out over WOR and WABC might be a worthy mission. I fully realize that Air America did not work. But maybe experienced radio people could avoid what programming elements hurt them and succeed - at least better than what non-ratings WADO has now.
 
SCMcKinney said:
But if impassioned politics is floating the boat for talk stations down there, why wouldn't WADO with its decent signal give English language, left leaning politics a try? A radio business, even a Spanish language focused one, is in business to make money, and a cume of 36000 with the current format I bet is not. They might have to start small, but with all that is going on in Washington and New York, there ought to be competent radio talent that could host programming, realizing that a 6 figure income is not going to be available at the beginning. For them, a counter to what is going out over WOR and WABC might be a worthy mission. I fully realize that Air America did not work. But maybe experienced radio people could avoid what programming elements hurt them and succeed - at least better than what non-ratings WADO has now.
Click to expand...
The Dominican and Mexican immigrants in NY are a different demo than the people who stay in their own countries, let alone, Argentina. A lot of them only have a sixth grade education. They didn't listen to news-talk radio in their home countries and they're not going to listen to it in New York either.
 
Identnut said:
The Dominican and Mexican immigrants in NY are a different demo than the people who stay in their own countries, let alone, Argentina. A lot of them only have a sixth grade education. They didn't listen to news-talk radio in their home countries and they're not going to listen to it in New York either.
Click to expand...
Note that I am suggesting that WADO ditch the Spanish and go after a much larger English speaking audience. There is no requirement that LMN has to broadcast in any one language. There is ultimately a requirement that a business use their resources to the maximum potential. If Mexican sports can't do it in New York, and Carribean Sports and Music are already covered, it may be time to look at other potentials that are not covered. An English language counter to conservative talk might be one of them, especially now.

And if they would like to sell the station, it seems to me it is a lot more marketable with a program that has some listenership,
 
SCMcKinney said:
Note that I am suggesting that WADO ditch the Spanish and go after a much larger English speaking audience. There is no requirement that LMN has to broadcast in any one language. There is ultimately a requirement that a business use their resources to the maximum potential. If Mexican sports can't do it in New York, and Carribean Sports and Music are already covered, it may be time to look at other potentials that are not covered. An English language counter to conservative talk might be one of them, especially now.
Click to expand...
Univision's only English stations are in San Antonio, and Liberal Talk only seems to do well with FM signals.
 


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