What percentage of your audience listens on AM vs your FM translators.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Buffalo & Rochester September '22 trends
- Thread starter ckg279
- Start date
What percentage of your audience listens on AM vs your FM translators.
We are seeing horrible bounces, inadequate samples in some demos and more everywhere. It's become harder for Nielsen to get participants, and, rumor has it, that keeping a full processing and recruiting staff is difficult so a lot of those employees are newer and less experienced. When asked, they don't give precise answers...
But so long as advertisers and agencies can't find a better alternative, they have no choice but to swallow whatever numbers Nielsen feeds them unquestioningly. Right?
Correct.
Of course, we have the advertising and radio industry supported ratings council organization which does accreditation, but there is very little they can effectively do if there is only one ratings provider in radio and no reason to expect any competition in the future.
Subscribing to Nielsen is voluntary. Radio groups are free to take a stand and cancel anytime. If ad agencies feel that Nielsen is inaccurate, then the whole system is futile. Sales is about overcoming objections anyway...
Last edited:
That closing-in-on-60 out of town soccer mom is pretty entertaining in that realm.
They do two very different things, and people listen for different reasons. That's why they co-exist on the radio.
Buddy, your remarks regarding 97 Rock are interesting. As someone who spends a fair amount of time listening to the BIG WECK, here are my thoughts on what's needed if your station is to grow and I'll use this metaphor of "Cake and Frosting" to explain.
Let's say at 97 Rock, the "cake" represents the format and all of the examples of features and promotions mentioned in your quote above are the "frosting" - the ingredients that make the cake taste good, make the station complete. 97 Rock, under John Hagar, has always had plenty of frosting over the life of the format to keep the station fresh and interesting beyond their classic rock playlist.
The BIG WECK, under Tom Langmyer's direction, opened with a nice, locally-focused oldies presentation that's served you well until now. In my opinion, what's missing is the "frosting". WECK has not evolved from what it was when it was put on the air months ago. You've got the format, the"cake", but there's very little "frosting", very few programming features, special weekends and special promotions - thing's that continue to hold the listener' interest beyond the great music you play.
In addition, I find the station production is be lacking and tired. It has to be more dynamic and exciting. There has to be more "show business". The production pieces on the air run day after day for weeks. Those elements need to be freshened and replaced on a regular basis.
Just my opinion, but I think you need to add some "frosting" to the BIG WECK "cake" and when you do, I feel you'll see the numbers improve as a result.
Whether she is entertaining is up to each individual to judge. Based on the ratings, It's no contest between WBLK and KISS. The station with Harvey is winning in a blowout...
Your reasoning is quite perceptive. I enjoyed reading it.
In the diary survey world, the biggest issue is getting actual listeners to remember that listening when they fill in the diary, often less than once a day.
In the PPM world, it is all about getting return visits. In the diary, one has to program for both future attractions and recollection of past listening. Specialty programs and features within programming help both as they are future listening magnets as well as easy to remember features for diary entries.
All of your "frosting" mentions are very good examples of these techniques for return visit encouragement and recall of what was actually listened to.
Don't tell me, tell the guy I was responding to. He drew the comparison.
I’m talking about 80s and 90s. Mid 80s country changed from “country western” to “country” then it went to “new country” . There is clearly a sound divide between George Strait, and many of who think what they are playing now is country. In the case, they like Damn Strait, they like hearing the names of the kings and queens of the country format for the illusion they like older country, but in reality they would rather hear terrible Sam Hunt or Zak Brown.
Next to Elvis, George Strait, and Randy Travis are my country hero’s. It simply cannot listen to todays country. I listen to prime country on Sirius
It’s about 60/40 AM
I totally agree. Tom gave us a great playbook, now as I am the PD, I 100% see what you saying. We are working on that. Better imaging, and fresh….more entertainment from jocks, more boots on ground
I think we will pop right back up next book. This was bad, but still beating other 50kw stations. As you know, I want a 4 share. We have 7 shares 50plus. But I want 4 share 12p
I am working and aware of everything you said, and your opinions matter to me.
Keep in mind that Prime Country is a non-commercial product. There's a reason why it's non-commercial. The only reason it can exist is because listeners pay subscription for it. If you try to do 80s/90s, and be true to that era, you have to play more than Strait and Travis. You will end up with a smaller and more narrow audience than WECK. I'm saying this statistically. There are stations that are trying what you want in places like Houston and they're losing audience and money. This is a different era than when you worked at WNUC, What may have worked then is non-commercial now. Before you jump into that arena, I suggest you look at stations where it's currently being done.
And Prime Country plays more than Strait and Travis. It plays Shania Twain, Brooks and Dunn, Kentucky Headhunters, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lonestar ... none of whom conform to Buddy's idea of what classic country should sound like. I happen to like a lot of Zac Brown's music, and think Sam Hunt is a talented songwriter but his music is not intended for grumpy guys in their late 60s like me -- it's what they call "boyfriend country," for 25-44 women (and even teenage girls). The thing is, since country has become a mass-appeal radio format, it's never been even close to 100 percent traditional. Memories are selective in that regard. You remember George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," you'd rather forget Cledus Maggard's "White Knight."
I agree. It started with WHN in New York City in the 70s, that had success playing a lot of pop country by Kenny Rogers and Olivia Newton John. It continued in the 80s with Eddie Rabbitt and even more Kenny Rogers. Sylvia had a big #1 with the pop song Nobody. Crystal Gayle was nowhere near as country as her older sister.
Plus remember that Strait & Travis were marketed as pretty boys, not only as traditionalists. Had either of them been overweight or bald, I doubt they'd have been as popular.
To follow up on Tall Thin One's observations on WECK:
Look at what Stingray has done for Toronto's boom 97.3 . There's ALWAYS something going on-whether it's Turntable Tuesday(tracks played on vinyl), One Hit Wonder Wednesdays, Totally 80s Friday Night(which, for whatever reason, starts at 2pm), going Totally 80s when a Canadian holiday arrives, the Canadian Top 100 for Canada Day, etc. Add to that mostly live and local talent, great imaging and you get a station that, for the last 6 Numeris ratings books, has not seen it drop out of the top 3. The summer book put it at #2 in the market with a 10.5 share 12+. The ONLY station to do better: CBLA(CBC Radio 1).
Look at what Stingray has done for Toronto's boom 97.3 . There's ALWAYS something going on-whether it's Turntable Tuesday(tracks played on vinyl), One Hit Wonder Wednesdays, Totally 80s Friday Night(which, for whatever reason, starts at 2pm), going Totally 80s when a Canadian holiday arrives, the Canadian Top 100 for Canada Day, etc. Add to that mostly live and local talent, great imaging and you get a station that, for the last 6 Numeris ratings books, has not seen it drop out of the top 3. The summer book put it at #2 in the market with a 10.5 share 12+. The ONLY station to do better: CBLA(CBC Radio 1).
What Boom 97.3 does is exactely how that format should be executed. And Toronto is a big, multi-cultural city, for those reading this outside the market.
How powerful is the station in watts and who owns it.
Seems like a pretty endeavor for a small company
- Status