Don, you took what I said totally out of context and what was said was nothing like you post. As one in the national syndication game, I assure you, I know from where I speak ... and what was said is thus:
Advertisers, nationally, are buying markets, not stations. Any local sales on 1200 will be seen as a bonus, not a place to dump PSA's as is the case in many markets carrying these same shows.
Of course, syndicators look at ratings. It's their life blood, especially for national sales. Advertisers, however, are interested in markets, metros, and metrics -- how much will it cost them to reach Cost-Per-Point (CPP) based on a given audience and total market. The key word: advertisers. National advertisers. Radio stations are more interested in "ratings" -- and how those ratings can affect "their" markets, not what is on one radio station -- but the markets said programming does well in. Honest.
I'm sorry you misread and misunderstood what I said. I agree that syndicators / program suppliers do look to rating books (as I do), however, not all markets are rated and all stations are not 50kw powerhouses of heritage. The Boston 1200 move-in is one of them. But to an advertiser and, in large part, to radio stations, "Boston" as a market is what makes it happen for them. It's Premier's deal to make that happen with success on a station owned by its parent.
Finally, as for local revenue, of course 1200 would benefit from the revenue ... as it should (and needs to.) But Premier / CC gets the benefit of adding "Boston", still, as a market and as long as it works for national advertisers, it works whether it's in Newton, Boston or Midland.