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Ben FM vs WOGL…I mean Big 97.1

A

AM/FMRAINMAN

I have been observing both of the stations playlist and they are very very similar now that Big 98 plays more 90s and early 2000s.
What I was wondering is how Ben’s 18-34 and 25-54 numbers are so much better. Any thoughts??? Is it that today’s generation does not like air personalities???
 
I have two thoughts. BEN-FM is much louder than WOGL with pristine audio quality. WOGL’s audio is soft and flat. Also, it’s 2023 and there are people who still think WOGL is Oldies 98. As far the younger folks within your demographic, they may not remember “Oldies 98” but many of them certainly remember their parents and grandparents tuning into 98.1 and that alone is reason enough for many of them to skip over it.
 
Pure speculation…Ben has a big head start and has pretty much been in the same lane for a good time. Big is still working to shed the oldies image. They’re doing that, for sure, but it isn’t an instantaneous process.

And while they share plenty of music, the stationality is plenty distinct. What they don’t share matters, but that aside, you’ve got one that’s mostly the same low-key and somewhat irreverent style it’s been since the start and the other still sounding like it’s Oldies 98 in some key ways.
 
AbrahamJSimpson said:
Pure speculation…Ben has a big head start and has pretty much been in the same lane for a good time. Big is still working to shed the oldies image. They’re doing that, for sure, but it isn’t an instantaneous process.
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Yet in recent years, WOGL has out-billed Ben by well more than two to one.
AbrahamJSimpson said:
And while they share plenty of music, the stationality is plenty distinct. What they don’t share matters, but that aside, you’ve got one that’s mostly the same low-key and somewhat irreverent style it’s been since the start and the other still sounding like it’s Oldies 98 in some key ways.
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Ben tends to average younger and does better in 25-54, but it lags in sales compared with WOGL. In this case, follow the money.
 
CassChopper96 said:
Can both stations continue to co-exist?
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Yes. It's a big enough market that the top 15 stations are going to be nicely profitable, and a number of the un-rated or specialized stations will make money at a different level.
 
DavidEduardo said:
Yet in recent years, WOGL has out-billed Ben by well more than two to one.

Ben tends to average younger and does better in 25-54, but it lags in sales compared with WOGL. In this case, follow the money.
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But Ben only has one on-air personality, so even if their revenue is lower, their expenses are lower too. Revenue - Expenses =Profit
 
DavidEduardo said:
Ben tends to average younger and does better in 25-54, but it lags in sales compared with WOGL. In this case, follow the money.
Click to expand...
If BEN’s audience is younger (and overall audience size is close to WOGL) why is WOGL billing more? Better ad sales people? Easier sell because of overall audacy cluster?
 
Could be Adult Hits and Classic Hits aren’t much different from each other anymore. Like the difference between Adult Top 40 and Hot AC? With Classic Hits going all the way into the 2010’s….in some markets.
 
My two cents: As Classic and/or Adult Hits presentations go, Big 98.1 sounds like it's trying to sound young, while BEN-FM just does sound young. When I hear a song from my middle school years on Big 98.1, I text my brother and say "Welp, we're old." When I hear that same song on BEN-FM, I just jam out. Also, when I have to listen to terrestrial radio, I am definitely not satisfied with the well-researched, but very limited library on a station like Big 98.1. (How many times can I hear Phil Collins and that damn Twisted Sister song?) BEN-FM has that deeper, larger library and I hear fewer songs that turn me off. OK, maybe that was more like my eight cents.
 
Miguelito said:
My two cents: As Classic and/or Adult Hits presentations go, Big 98.1 sounds like it's trying to sound young, while BEN-FM just does sound young. When I hear a song from my middle school years on Big 98.1, I text my brother and say "Welp, we're old." When I hear that same song on BEN-FM, I just jam out. Also, when I have to listen to terrestrial radio, I am definitely not satisfied with the well-researched, but very limited library on a station like Big 98.1. (How many times can I hear Phil Collins and that damn Twisted Sister song?) BEN-FM has that deeper, larger library and I hear fewer songs that turn me off. OK, maybe that was more like my eight cents.
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Does anyone have an idea approximately how many songs these two stations play in regular rotation? I remember years ago people talking about oldies or classic hits stations and the “safe 300” but I’m not sure if that’s a thing anymore. With 98.1 I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t even play 300 songs.
 
Radio Wreck said:
Does anyone have an idea approximately how many songs these two stations play in regular rotation? I remember years ago people talking about oldies or classic hits stations and the “safe 300” but I’m not sure if that’s a thing anymore. With 98.1 I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t even play 300 songs.
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WOGL: Last 12 weeks songs that got 3 plays or more, 463. Last 7 days, 334.

There is no such thing as the "safe 300". What there is is a tendency to find, in straight traditional AC, about 280 to 340 songs that work in the format.

Ben: last week 358 songs. 12 weeks 3 plays or more, 469.
 
DavidEduardo said:
WOGL: Last 12 weeks songs that got 3 plays or more, 463. Last 7 days, 334.

There is no such thing as the "safe 300". What there is is a tendency to find, in straight traditional AC, about 280 to 340 songs that work in the format.

Ben: last week 358 songs. 12 weeks 3 plays or more, 469.
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Wow that was a quick response. So the two stations are playing almost the exact same number of titles. Perhaps with their tag line of “playing anything we feel like” BEN is giving the illusion that they have a deep playlist comparatively but that’s all it is, an illusion.
 
Radio Wreck said:
Wow that was a quick response. So the two stations are playing almost the exact same number of titles. Perhaps with their tag line of “playing anything we feel like” BEN is giving the illusion that they have a deep playlist comparatively but that’s all it is, an illusion.
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Could be wrong, but I feel like ogl plays about 50 songs of their playlist ad nauseam, whereas Ben does it for only a handful of songs. They both love playing Prince & Bon Jovi alot though (I get it, research says Philly likes that) same with Jessie’s Girl.

Also, and again I could be wrong as I dont have the data, but I feel like Ben updates their playlist more often.
 
Irishfl said:
Could be wrong, but I feel like ogl plays about 50 songs of their playlist ad nauseam, whereas Ben does it for only a handful of songs. They both love playing Prince & Bon Jovi alot though (I get it, research says Philly likes that) same with Jessie’s Girl.
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I already posted that in a week about 350 to 360 songs are played on each and over 500 over a longer period... of course the songs that listeners collectively like the most get played more than the ones that just barely pass station music research.
Irishfl said:
Also, and again I could be wrong as I dont have the data, but I feel like Ben updates their playlist more often.
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Stations update playlists each time they do a music test. Because they cost upwards of $30,000 to $40,000 each, most gold based stations test one time a year while a few "big" ones may test in Spring and Fall, twice a year.

In smaller markets a group owned station will share tests with other stations in the company in the same format. Little stations "borrow" researched playlists from bigger stations that they can get online. Bad stations use the Whitburn books and end up playing burnt out songs along with ones that are still well liked.
 
Radio Wreck said:
Wow that was a quick response. So the two stations are playing almost the exact same number of titles. Perhaps with their tag line of “playing anything we feel like” BEN is giving the illusion that they have a deep playlist comparatively but that’s all it is, an illusion.
Click to expand...
They play over a wider age range, but nowhere nearly as deep in any given year.
 
DavidEduardo said:
Little stations "borrow" researched playlists from bigger stations that they can get online. Bad stations use the Whitburn books and end up playing burnt out songs along with ones that are still well liked.
Click to expand...

I mean Mediabase is a barter service. What excuse is there for being a bad station?
 
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