A KOOL Change

[landtuna]

Right now, about a half million people a week listen to KOOL.

Repeat listeners or unique individuals?

 

[TheBigA]

Repeat listeners or unique individuals?

Unique individuals during a week.

 

[davideduardo]

Repeat listeners or unique individuals?

"Cume" is unique listeners, and in PPM can be seen by the day or week or group of days like "weekend". There is no count of listening occasions per listener to each station.

 

[landtuna]

Unique individuals during a week.

That is difficult to understand. According to several web resources the Phoenix metro now has a total of just over 4.6 million people. I don't know how many of those are potential listeners of KOOL. Not counting primary or total Spanish-only speakers, children/teens, millennials or very old seniors. Half a million listeners out of something less than 3 million potential listeners sounds way too high to me.

 

[TheBigA]

Half a million listeners out of something less than 3 million potential listeners sounds way too high to me.

They are unique to that station, but those same people could be unique to other stations as well.

Most people cycle among a number of stations, not just one station. So those same people will be counted for every station they listen to.

 

[davideduardo]

That is difficult to understand. According to several web resources the Phoenix metro now has a total of just over 4.6 million people. I don't know how many of those are potential listeners of KOOL. Not counting primary or total Spanish-only speakers, children/teens, millennials or very old seniors. Half a million listeners out of something less than 3 million potential listeners sounds way too high to me.

The August 12+ cume was 527,000. That ranked it as 4th in the market. KESZ, by comparison, had 845,000 12+ cumers in the month. KYOT was second and KSLX was third.

Expressed in a different way, KOOL has a cume rating that has averaged 14 over the last 12 months, and does not vary by more than +/- 1%. They reach about one in every 7 people, whether the person selected the station themselves or heard it in the car with others, or at work or when in a business or workplace.

The average metered person hears 5 to 6 stations in every 7-day period; each person counts for the average cume of over 5 stations!

KOOL's issue is a loss of time spent listening, not so much cume. In fact, the current cume is about the same as it was in Q4 of 2021. So that cume number is consistent and stable.

By the way, lots of Spanish dominants listen to English language classic hits stations (among others, such as AC) as they were fans of that same music and the same artists in their country of origin. Kids hear KOOL in the car with parents, and, further, KOOL's problem has been too many seniors!

In any case, every single person in the market age 6 or over is potential cume for every station. Not all cumers are in the target demo or even in the target ethnic or gender group.

 

[michael hagerty]

The August 12+ cume was 527,000. That ranked it as 4th in the market. KESZ, by comparison, had 845,000 12+ cumers in the month. KYOT was second and KSLX was third.

Expressed in a different way, KOOL has a cume rating that has averaged 14 over the last 12 months, and does not vary by more than +/- 1%. They reach about one in every 7 people, whether the person selected the station themselves or heard it in the car with others, or at work or when in a business or workplace.

The average metered person hears 5 to 6 stations in every 7-day period; each person counts for the average cume of over 5 stations!

KOOL's issue is a loss of time spent listening, not so much cume. In fact, the current cume is about the same as it was in Q4 of 2021. So that cume number is consistent and stable.

By the way, lots of Spanish dominants listen to English language classic hits stations (among others, such as AC) as they were fans of that same music and the same artists in their country of origin. Kids hear KOOL in the car with parents, and, further, KOOL's problem has been too many seniors!

In any case, every single person in the market age 6 or over is potential cume for every station. Not all cumers are in the target demo or even in the target ethnic or gender group.

And if the cume is that solid and the TSL that poor, there will have to be elements of the on-air presentation that change, too. Obviously the audience was rejecting more than the name "KOOL".

 

[landtuna]

Expressed in a different way, KOOL has a cume rating that has averaged 14 over the last 12 months, and does not vary by more than +/- 1%. They reach about one in every 7 people, whether the person selected the station themselves or heard it in the car with others, or at work or when in a business or workplace.

After being one of those 'workplace' and 'business' listeners I can attest to the fact that, unless you work virtually alone in a closet, the radio playing in the background is just that, background noise. Constant interruptions at work and a primary interest in business environments makes it background noise as well. KOOL used to be played in every Home Depot store in the Valley but if you were to ask customers upon leaving the store I'll bet they couldn't name the station or the songs played.

The average metered person hears 5 to 6 stations in every 7-day period; each person counts for the average cume of over 5 stations!

So what's the point of cume? Seems rather pointless. How does a sales staff explain the value of cume to an agency who is only interested in the number of listeners who are the right age, right gender, have the right profile and most importantly listen long enough to actually hear their messages?

KOOL's issue is a loss of time spent listening, not so much cume. In fact, the current cume is about the same as it was in Q4 of 2021. So that cume number is consistent and stable.

I understand that. 15 minutes of listening means you might hear one six minutes commercial but much more likely the listener hits the pre-set to find another station not broadcasting a commercial at that same time.

By the way, lots of Spanish dominants listen to English language classic hits stations (among others, such as AC) as they were fans of that same music and the same artists in their country of origin. Kids hear KOOL in the car with parents, and, further, KOOL's problem has been too many seniors!

Of course they do, however, my personal anecdotal experience tells me every time (in my long stay in the Southwest) I've witnessed a group of Hispanics (yard service, construction etc.) they have a radio tuned to a Spanish language/music station. I have never heard one of these crews listening to an English language station. These are adults I'm speaking of. I have lots less experience with younger people. 3 of my 5 kids grew up on KOOL but once they left the house they all went to other formats, briefly. None listen to the radio any longer and all are in the 'money' demo.

In any case, every single person in the market age 6 or over is potential cume for every station. Not all cumers are in the target demo or even in the target ethnic or gender group.

Even less reason why this particular statistic is measured.

 

[TheBigA]

How does a sales staff explain the value of cume to an agency

They don't. My reason for mentioning the number is that they're people. To say "radio is irrelevant" when a half million people use it isn't fair or factually correct. There are a lot of different numbers and ways of measuring audience. But the point is that people still listen. They may not be people you know, but they're still people.

 

[davideduardo]

After being one of those 'workplace' and 'business' listeners I can attest to the fact that, unless you work virtually alone in a closet, the radio playing in the background is just that, background noise. Constant interruptions at work and a primary interest in business environments makes it background noise as well. KOOL used to be played in every Home Depot store in the Valley but if you were to ask customers upon leaving the store I'll bet they couldn't name the station or the songs played.

And advertisers don't care. As long as the station is loud enough to register on the PPM, it was loud enough for the person hearing it to hear their ad.

So what's the point of cume? Seems rather pointless. How does a sales staff explain the value of cume to an agency who is only interested in the number of listeners who are the right age, right gender, have the right profile and most importantly listen long enough to actually hear their messages?

Cume is seldom used for sales. Average listening levels are.

Cume is simply an easily derived statistic from ratings that measure which station and for how long. Inside a station, we look at the ratio of average listening to cume to determine how well we retain listeners.

I understand that. 15 minutes of listening means you might hear one six minutes commercial but much more likely the listener hits the pre-set to find another station not broadcasting a commercial at that same time.

I don't get your point. Ratings show on average how many people are listening when you run an ad.

Of course they do, however, my personal anecdotal experience tells me every time (in my long stay in the Southwest) I've witnessed a group of Hispanics (yard service, construction etc.) they have a radio tuned to a Spanish language/music station.

That is because the people most likely to do yard work and construction tend to be more likely among lower educated groups. Hispanics who may work in an insurance office or a doctor's office or some other white collar job are very likely listeners to a local CHR or AC station. You are thinking that all Hispanics are gardeners.

I have never heard one of these crews listening to an English language station. These are adults I'm speaking of. I have lots less experience with younger people. 3 of my 5 kids grew up on KOOL but once they left the house they all went to other formats, briefly. None listen to the radio any longer and all are in the 'money' demo.

That is not research data, it is anecdotal and personal.

 

[landtuna]

They don't. My reason for mentioning the number is that they're people. To say "radio is irrelevant" when a half million people use it isn't fair or factually correct. There are a lot of different numbers and ways of measuring audience. But the point is that people still listen. They may not be people you know, but they're still people.

I understand what you are saying but it has been drilled into me, mostly by radio people on this site, that advertisers are only interested in the specific demo the station can attract. If they can't sell to their demo they won't buy ad time. If a measurement can't be specific enough to prove listenership in much the same way as newspapers and magazines then the numbers are not meaningful. Just as a newspaper audit cannot count hand-me-down readers it seems the cume measurement is likewise pretty useless for selling commercials. What is needed is some way of knowing who actually hears what commercials and can understand if that person is in the money demo or not. I don't see that happening.

 

[davideduardo]

I understand what you are saying but it has been drilled into me, mostly by radio people on this site, that advertisers are only interested in the specific demo the station can attract. If they can't sell to their demo they won't buy ad time. If a measurement can't be specific enough to prove listenership in much the same way as newspapers and magazines then the numbers are not meaningful. Just as a newspaper audit cannot count hand-me-down readers it seems the cume measurement is likewise pretty useless for selling commercials. What is needed is some way of knowing who actually hears what commercials and can understand if that person is in the money demo or not. I don't see that happening.

Again, cume is seldom used for sales. A few agencies use a comparison of cume and AQH listening to determine how many ads get the best reach and frequency, but otherwise cume is pretty much ignored

A typical agency buy might be against 6 AM to 7 PM AQH ratings in Women 25-44 with a Cost Per Point of $400 (hypothetical market and cost). Stations that meet the cost per point goal are in consideration. At that point, a very technical agency might compare cume duplication so they are not buying the same listeners twice with stations with great duplication.

 

[TheBigA]

What is needed is some way of knowing who actually hears what commercials and can understand if that person is in the money demo or not.

The way you measure that is in response. That takes work on the part of the advertisers, and a lot of them do it. Radio stations get those stories or testimonials, and it helps them sell to other potential sponsors. As I often say, the advertisers know what they're buying.

Case in point: I was driving around and heard a commercial for the grilled cheese steak burrito at Taco Bell. It was lunch time, I was a block away, pulled into the drive through, and they hadn't posted it on their menu yet. I asked if they had it, and they knew where I'd heard about it.

 

[landtuna]

And advertisers don't care. As long as the station is loud enough to register on the PPM, it was loud enough for the person hearing it to hear their ad.

If some is actively working or searching the store for a certain product they are not actively hearing most everything else, let alone another repetitive commercial.

Cume is seldom used for sales. Average listening levels are.

That was my point. Then way measure it? It doesn't seem to have much use.

Cume is simply an easily derived statistic from ratings that measure which station and for how long. Inside a station, we look at the ratio of average listening to cume to determine how well we retain listeners.

Does PPM measure 'Banging the pre-set' when commercials air?

That is because the people most likely to do yard work and construction tend to be more likely among lower educated groups. Hispanics who may work in an insurance office or a doctor's office or some other white collar job are very likely listeners to a local CHR or AC station. You are thinking that all Hispanics are gardeners.

No, I don't. But white collar Hispanics like business owners, doctors, lawyers don't have time to listen to radio as they rush around.

That is not research data, it is anecdotal and personal.

Which I admitted earlier.

 

[landtuna]

Case in point: I was driving around and heard a commercial for the grilled cheese steak burrito at Taco Bell. It was lunch time, I was a block away, pulled into the drive through, and they hadn't posted it on their menu yet. I asked if they had it, and they knew where I'd heard about it.

Maybe it is generational. Most of the people of my generation who were once radio listeners would hit the pre-set as soon as they realized another commercial set was beginning.

 

[TheBigA]

Maybe it is generational. Most of the people of my generation who were once radio listeners would hit the pre-set as soon as they realized another commercial set was beginning.

If all you want is music, there's a way to get it. Advertisers know that too.

 

[davideduardo]

If some is actively working or searching the store for a certain product they are not actively hearing most everything else, let alone another repetitive commercial.

Advertisers know that. They know that only a percentage of ads "register". They have no other expectation.

That was my point. Then way measure it? It doesn't seem to have much use.

It is a core piece of data for ratings. Ratings measure cume and length of listening. Everything else is derived from that data. Even if cume is not used for sales much, it is critical to programmers

Does PPM measure 'Banging the pre-set' when commercials air?

It measure listening for at least 5 discreet minutes in each quarter hour. Since listening incidents average over a quarter hour, it means most people are listening through the ads. A bad song, however, causes much greater loss of listeners.

No, I don't. But white collar Hispanics like business owners, doctors, lawyers don't have time to listen to radio as they rush around.

Then why is KLVE in LA pretty much tied for #1 in 25-54 in today's ratings release? That is a definite "white collar" station. I know, I worked with it for 25 years and did dozens of research projects with the listeners.

A secretary, receptionist, medical lab tech, nurse, car sales person, accounting worker, etc., etc. are also white collar. In LA, half of any job category where persons from 18 to 54 are employed in LA will be held by Hispanics. Heck, my daughter is a lawyer in Houston and she has degrees in 5 different countries and she listens to radio frequently and is always asking me questions about things stations do.

Which I admitted earlier.

So it has the same value as all anecdotal "research": zero.

 

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

Hey! Anyone know how to change my screen name from “KOOL” to “WOW Factor?” The current name has been irrelevant for years now.

Is a trip to Buckeye required??

 

[DrAkbar]

Hey! Anyone know how to change my screen name from “KOOL” to “WOW Factor?” The current name has been irrelevant for years now.

Is a trip to Buckeye required??

OMG...KLL surfaces!!

Are you sure you want WOW Factor? KOOL Lumberyard Listener might be available Nurse Jeff and I can easily change your status at the Buckeye Media Hut, but changing your screen name is beyond our pay grade. Might ask The Old Gringo for an easy to follow 20 page tutorial on making such change.

...just sayin.

 

[davideduardo]

OMG...KLL surfaces!!

Are you sure you want WOW Factor? KOOL Lumberyard Listener might be available Nurse Jeff and I can easily change your status at the Buckeye Media Hut, but changing your screen name is beyond our pay grade. Might ask The Old Gringo for an easy to follow 20 page tutorial on making such change.

...just sayin.

The full manual is only available to minimum three-year prepaid contracts. And the free “I was a diary keeper in Buckeye” T-shirt is no longer available.