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Chicago Radio Ratings Released12-01-2021
- Thread starter Dr Wayne
- Start date
Well, it looks like WTMX can survive without Eric Ferguson.
Here is Robert Feder's take on the ratings
Wow WLS AM is at a 0.8 share, when are they going to blow it up.
Get rid of Bongio and Shapiro, booth are just cry-babies that never should have gotten a shot at radio.
Get rid of Bongio and Shapiro, booth are just cry-babies that never should have gotten a shot at radio.
I don't think WLS-AM has been that low since the end of the Prairie Farmer days.
Detroit Neilsens come out at 5:00 PM EST today. It will be interesting to compare what happens to WJR. I agree that Bongino and Shapiro are best taken in small doses, not daily shows. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton are better.
I get the spiel about Dan Bongino, since he practically made up that whole "quitting Cumulus" nonsense to get ratings, and he was never planning to actually leave, I suspect, but Ben Shapiro, does not come off as a whiner. What did he do?
Agreed. They need like a podcast format where they run-down their opinions on everything in 15 minutes, instead of boringly dragging it on forever. But, I guess I have too much of an "instant-gratification" mind.
How did Dave from Star 105.5 tie for 9th place from 7-midnight?Here is Robert Feder's take on the ratings
The Crystal Lake station only got a very respectable 1.1 overall in all age groups.
If this is correct, it is a spectacular performance. How does the math work to have a station with this overall rating get Dave a tie for 9th place?
I think they should put Michael DelGiorno from Cumulus’ WWTN on a small network of Cumulus stations, one in particular WLS. He lived in Arlington Heights for quite a few years, and his father Bob was well known from WIND, WKQX, and others. Because of his nonsecular program segments, it would help draw listeners from WIND. And he’s more moderate and has humor that’s not over be top like a shock jock.
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Has WLS ever been below a 1? In the Prairie Farmer days, I’m sure they had much better ratings as there were fewer viable signals.
The AM news/talk stations still out there will probably go to their graves with the format.
Looking at the Detroit Neilsens, WJR went up from 3.1 to 3.4. So I'd have to say it's the WLS signal being weak where it needs to be strong, and the particular programming hosts, not the format in particular.
They've been in the lower teens or around 20 for several years, perhaps Chicago isn't that conservative of a city.
I still say they should still blow up the format and do something else.
An 0.8 share isn't a simple fix.
I should have stated that I don't think their ratings have been this low since before they started playing music in 1960.
Can anyone verify this?
A quick Internet search finds a trove of Arbitron reports for the 1950s into the 1960s, for cities across the country, at the U. of Georgia. Just the holding is listed, not the numbers. But that would be where to look unless David has posted something on his wonderous site.
WLS lost Mancow then it lost Limbaugh. Remember, WLS for a number of months was hanging in the low 1's in ages 6+ several years ago before Mancow was brought on board and some other lineup changes were made.
Until the next Presidential election rolls around, I expect WLS to continue to experience terrible ratings, albeit perhaps not quite as poor as the 0.8 share just experienced.
Until the next Presidential election rolls around, I expect WLS to continue to experience terrible ratings, albeit perhaps not quite as poor as the 0.8 share just experienced.
If he was doing it for ratings, it obviously didn't work. Cumulus is fighting (and losing) this same battle with KGO in San Francisco. The ratings are abysmal, and they're doing it with mostly live & local talk staff. Cumulus has a second AM talk station that runs all their syndicated talk, and it's only two-tenths of a point below the live & local staff. No big endorsement for local talk.
We're not talking about just a format with WLS, we're talking the whole station being in danger of going off the air, or being sold. What's next? The all new EMF Talk Format to compete with Salem on WIND? WCPT moving to 890? Another try at a modernized (and trashier) Z-Rock? Now that Vertical Bridge owns the tower and land, they could pull the rug out from under the site completely. That's happened at Cumulus' WLAV-FM, losing their site, having a de facto downgrade with a deep null with a directional antenna, and which the pattern even in the major lobe leaves a lot to be desired.
Who in their right mind would consider replacing a format that got 0.8 with one that pulled 0.2? Come on.
Three quick things here:
1) WLS has done a terrible job of programming this station. Not because of the format (which many here seem to object to), but because of how the format is being done. A marry go round of local hosts that don't match the tone of the (majority) syndicated fare. Pre-emptions for U of I sports programming into a format that depends on creatures of habit. Check out how IHM programs WISN in Milwaukee and their ratings there. Great mix of compelling local hosts and syndicated fare. Night and day.
2) This was likely an outlier bad book. But, when you've sunk into the sub 1.5 range - one bad book can kill you.
3) AM radio, as it is today, is a feast or famine (mostly famine) affair. You get one or two top rated AMs per market and it's tough if you are not one of them. So, either they need to rethink how they implement this format or they should go true oldies and leverage the WLS brand.
That's a funny comment. Which "tone" would you prefer? I often read people say they'd like talk radio to be more diverse, and cover more than one opinion. That's a hard road to walk.
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