Atlanta Arbitron Radio Ratings: May 2013

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

Urban AC has +20% of the market. (Cox's WALR might still beat the V but that is another thread). CC's WBZY is headed down, is there that much money in the Demo? 105.3 would be a powerful Urban signal. Why doesn't CC join the Urban wars or "swap" WAMJ for WBZY with Radio One?

Well with Streetz 94.5 around, I think that locks the market on Urban stations but I don't think Hegwood is done with ATL. Clear Channel has had plenty of opportunities to launch an Urban here. Frank Ski is definitely coming back to radio, but where is the question. The Urban war is interesting I must say.

 

[atlantaboy]

Something has to improve with POWER 96-1! It's no wonder it's ratings are dropping when, (for MONTHS)...the same 3 songs are still in power-rotation, playing (130 - 134 times a week)! IMO, it's ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! Plus, omitting several songs that are in the Top 20. ???

I think they need to follow their own sweepers, and take a more balanced approach to CHR - Q100 has the highest share it's had in a long time (and that's with Power in existence), so clearly IMO people want to hear Fall Out Boy, Ed Sheeran, and Imagine Dragons, Lumineers, Fun, etc. on a regular basis, and apparently that's more important to them then hearing dance-leaning tracks early

Power could continue to play the dance-leaning tracks earlier, but I think they need to add in the Alt/Pop/Rock stuff early as well

Like someone posted a while back, Rhythmic-leaning CHR is hard in ATL because it's too difficult to get ethnic listeners to switch to CHR from the Urban stations their families have been loyal to for years

 

[jabba17]

Is there any possibility 105.7 or 96.7 could get an upgrade? That 3.3 share is without any of Buckhead, part of Sandy Springs, and most of the Midtown area - seems like they could be rating a 4.3 with those money areas

Not very easily, 105.3 and 106.1 make any improvement at 105.7 almost impossible, 97.1 (full class C) effectively stops any movement north for 96.7. CC is committed to CHR and Country and that ties up 94.9 and 96.1. CC owns 105.3 which IMHO is under performing but I can only guess there are a lot of Hispanic Agency buys in Atlanta which 105.3 should get the most of.

My daughter thinks that swapping 105.3 and 105.7 would be a win-win for both signals--although, something would have to be done about 105.3's weak coverage in the NE quadrant of the ATL. Maybe CC needs to get on the phone with Art Sutton and pick up his Suwanee translator or buy 105.1 back after its upgrade.

With that, 105.7 would get the richest Latino territory in the metro (Gwinnett and rimshotting Gainesville and Dalton) and 105.3 would get most of the metro, period.

 

[Wildstyle K]

Goodbye Power 96.1





They might as well go urban or rock.

Actually it doesn't matter to me much anymore.

 

[Wildstyle K]

Wow! Just decided to take a sneak peak at the numbers and even WiLD (with their shoddy signals) did better than Power is now, twice. I think WiLD was the one chance they had to succeed and they blew it, twice, within two and a half years.

 

[atlantaboy]

Power is still running sweepers saying they play "Lego House", when they haven't even touched it - that's just absolutely insane - if they're going to lie to their listeners, IMO they deserve the ratings they have

 

[MarkW]

As long as Leslie Fram comes nowhere near 105.7, that station will likely remain successful.

Cumulus dropped the ball on Rock 100.5. The station sounds too blue collar for Atlanta. Music wise, it still sounds too much like the "old" Rock 100.5. Braves baseball does not seem to be helping the ratings cause very much, either.

Does Cumulus not perform market research prior to selecting formats?

Power 96.1's ratings were fueled by their intensive marketing campaign and controversy surrounding the format change, not so much the quality of the programming. It's been sub par from day one.

 

[chrocket87]

Adults 18-34

WWPR 13

art

The demo ratings for Power are pathetic, especially considering the huge signal it's on. I figured the extra dance-heavy presentation was just for the first few months while it builds it's base, much like how "Radio" is starting off with a very safe presentation, then it would become more of a mainstream balanced CHR, like most of their others. Does CC really think a top 10 market wants a syndicated morning show out of NY? That's another reason Power continues to erode, even with the demise of Wild. If they can make these two changes, I think Power can make a comeback.

 

[Wildstyle K]

Adults 18-34

WWPR 13

art

The demo ratings for Power are pathetic, especially considering the huge signal it's on. I figured the extra dance-heavy presentation was just for the first few months while it builds it's base, much like how "Radio" is starting off with a very safe presentation, then it would become more of a mainstream balanced CHR, like most of their others. Does CC really think a top 10 market wants a syndicated morning show out of NY? That's another reason Power continues to erode, even with the demise of Wild. If they can make these two changes, I think Power can make a comeback.

Thought I was the only crazy fool who had these thoughts. Didn't the morning show also underperform at WiLD too?

 

[chrocket87]

Well, I have no daypart numbers to prove it, but I've read on these boards that Bert is a big contributor to the success of Q. If that's true, why isn't CC putting forth a better effort to take them on with a morning show that is more relevant to Atlantans than Elvis Duran? Especially since the most $$$ is in morning drive.

Another thing, lower the spin counts. Does anybody want to hear even their favorite song as often as Power burns their powers? Over 100 spins/week for five of their songs and that kind of overplay results in heavy burnout.

 

[atlantaboy]

They need a new PD - the programming just makes absolutely no sense

Or, if the current trend continues, swap Radio 96.1 with a Rhythmic-leaning CHR on 105.7 - it would still make money, just not waste the huge signal that it's on

 

[MarkW]

Well, I have no daypart numbers to prove it, but I've read on these boards that Bert is a big contributor to the success of Q. If that's true, why isn't CC putting forth a better effort to take them on with a morning show that is more relevant to Atlantans than Elvis Duran? Especially since the most $$$ is in morning drive.

Agreed.

Would be curious to know when Bert's contract expires.

Does CC have a plan to lay low in the meanwhile, and then when the time is right, try to lure Bert across the street?

 

[atlantaboy]

Does CC have a plan to lay low in the meanwhile, and then when the time is right, try to lure Bert across the street?

Why would the Bert Show want to switch from a station with a 5.1 share, on an upward trend, to a station with a 3.5 share, on a downward trend? Also, I feel like it's geared towards the older end of the CHR demo, so I'm not sure it would be a match for Power anyway - and doesn't Cumulus syndicate the Bert Show exclusively?

When Channel 96.1 in Charlotte got Ace & TJ to switch, I'm pretty sure they were already in the lead, or at least neck-in-neck - and I don't think Ace & TJ were specifically tied to CBS

 

[XCountry285]

Radio 105.3/105.7/96.7 anytime soon?

 

[wprt949]

Power moves to 105.3 and Radio 105.7 moves to 96.1

96.7/1057 become a classic hits station Later this summer just my prediction

 

[TheMusicMan]

Realize that we are talking about a whopping ONE monthly here. Power is staying on 96.1 and Radio is staying on 105.7 for the foreseeable future. Well,I guess there was always radio on 105.7, but not Radio.

Power 96.1 is a major investment for Clear Channel, evidenced partly by the monstrous initial marketing campaign and the importation of a top CC CHR guru for programming duties. They wisely launched with a differentiation strategy relative to Q100 but once the advertising blast subsided, listeners reverted to Q100. I imagine Power is currently grappling with the reasons underlying this pattern and yes, they will have to tweak shortly if the current ratings trends sustain and Q100 continues to wallop them. Make no mistake, however - they are here for the long term.

Radio 105.7's early success is very encouraging, particularly for this alternative fan, but given the format's recent struggles in this market and CHR's rousing success nationwide, WRDA will need to demonstrate over a prolonged period (a year or two at the absolute least) that its billing potential exceeds Power's before seriously contemplating the displacement of CHR of 96.1. I'm not privy to any related information, but I have a hard time imagining alternative outbilling a (hopefully for CC) decently-performing CHR in this market. Again, we're discussing all of one month - any operator making wholesale changes based on that limited of a duration has zero business in a decision-making capacity.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

Realize that we are talking about a whopping ONE monthly here. Power is staying on 96.1 and Radio is staying on 105.7 for the foreseeable future. Well,I guess there was always radio on 105.7, but not Radio.

Power 96.1 is a major investment for Clear Channel, evidenced partly by the monstrous initial marketing campaign and the importation of a top CC CHR guru for programming duties. They wisely launched with a differentiation strategy relative to Q100 but once the advertising blast subsided, listeners reverted to Q100. I imagine Power is currently grappling with the reasons underlying this pattern and yes, they will have to tweak shortly if the current ratings trends sustain and Q100 continues to wallop them. Make no mistake, however - they are here for the long term.

Radio 105.7's early success is very encouraging, particularly for this alternative fan, but given the format's recent struggles in this market and CHR's rousing success nationwide, WRDA will need to demonstrate over a prolonged period (a year or two at the absolute least) that its billing potential exceeds Power's before seriously contemplating the displacement of CHR of 96.1. I'm not privy to any related information, but I have a hard time imagining alternative outbilling a (hopefully for CC) decently-performing CHR in this market. Again, we're discussing all of one month - any operator making wholesale changes based on that limited of a duration has zero business in a decision-making capacity.

POWER 96.1 has no street presence. Atlanta has way too many nightclubs and events for a CHR station not to take advantage of. I sample POWER 96 out of Miami a lot and the energy they have would do great here in ATL.

 

[AJ JAM]

I still don't get why cc didn't put Wild on 96.1 from the jump......wait that would've been a SMART move......forgot that cc Atlanta is full of morons....&ha ha ha at l
Power bring such a wack station

 

[atlantaboy]

Power 96.1 is a major investment for Clear Channel, evidenced partly by the monstrous initial marketing campaign and the importation of a top CC CHR guru for programming duties.

Rick Vaughn is probably a great guy, but his experience consists of 3 CHRs, none of which had any direct CHR/Pop competition during his time there - and WKSC had extremely mediocre ratings during his tenure, and now has higher ratings since he's left

In any case, I don't think he's ever programmed a CHR that's had to go up against direct competition - IMO his methodology of picking songs Q100 isn't playing and putting them into power (even if they're not big hits yet), and then skipping big hits Q100 is playing, or pulling them randomly in and out of rotation, isn't working - and trying to fool listeners into thinking they're going to hear Ed Sheeran on Power, but then not actually playing him (so as not to isolate the more ethnic rhythmic-leaning audience?) is just plain crazy

 

[bringbackradio]

Urban AC has +20% of the market. (Cox's WALR might still beat the V but that is another thread). CC's WBZY is headed down, is there that much money in the Demo? 105.3 would be a powerful Urban signal. Why doesn't CC join the Urban wars or "swap" WAMJ for WBZY with Radio One?

IMO Atlanta doesn't really need anymore urban outlets since it is oversaturated as is. Only four of V-103's direct competitors have had staying power for ten years or more since WALR launched in the mid 90s. And CC is better off not trying urban here due to the state of most of their stations outside the Top 5 markets; besides, V-103 is CBS's equivalent of CC's KMEL, WWPR, WGCI, WUSL, WVAZ and WDAS all rolled in one.