Changing Demographics - Attention David Eduardo!

[semoochie]

Awhile back, we were talking about how certain formats had changed their target age. It was mentioned that CHR had gone from 18-34 to 18-44 and Hot AC, from 25-44 to 18-49. Did this move the center of the target or is it the same, with just an expansion of the listener base? If it moved the center for CHR from 26 to 31, it seems to me that another station leaving the center at 26 would have a decided advantage in pulling 18-34 and also teens and younger, as future adult listeners. With Hot AC, changing the range would actually lower the center age, since more is added to the bottom that the top.

 

[TheBigA]

It depends on the other stations in the market, what they're doing, and how it's working. Some CHRs are tightening up their age range. The music is also moving faster in some formats.

 

[Gregg.]

Have the stations changed their targets or have the listeners changed in their tastes, or both? In San Francisco, you have two Top 40 stations: KMVQ which usually does better 25-54 and KYLD which usually does better 18-34. If you look at the largest markets, the leading Top 40 station usually does great 25-54, sometimes #1: Z100 NYC, KIIS LA, KHKS Dallas. In many markets, its an Urban or Rhythmic station that wins the 18-34 prize, while the long-time Top 40 with a popular morning show does better 18-49 or 25-54.

Hot AC stations aim SLIGHTLY older than Top 40, but not by much. It seems these days adult women don't want to listen to music that's all that much different than their daughter's tastes. So a Hot AC station will play most of what's on the Top 40, minus a few rap-oriented or teen-oriented titles. The main difference is Hot AC will go back to 2000 for their gold material, while a Top 40 rarely plays anything more than 2-3 years old. And the younger-aiming Top 40s rarely play anything more than a year old.

So depending on the other formatics of a station, morning show, other DJs, promotions, more rhythmic music, etc. you can aim your Top 40 station younger or older, and more Hispanic or whiter, for lack of a better description. Clearly in NYC, WBMP, the CBS Top 40, aims more Hispanic than iHeart's Z100.