December PPMs

[Theater of My Mind]

Record numbers for NPR stations in New York, and nationwide, are emerging as the big story in the latest Nielsen PPM release.

The trades are reporting:
WNYC-FM New York tied its all-time record from April 2020 with a 5.1 putting it fifth in the market overall.
KPCC Los Angeles moved up from 2.5 to 3.1, its largest share ever.
KQED with 10.1 in San Francisco and 12.5 in San Jose, achieved its all-time largest shares in each market.
KCFR Denver climbed to 8.3, its largest share ever.
KNOW Minneapolis-St. Paul rose to 9.0, its largest share ever.
WAMU Washington, DC scored 9.5, its largest share since December 2018.

The same publications note that similar growth was not found at conservative talk stations. In New York, WOR was down 3.6-2.8 and WABC was flat at 1.7.

The all-Christmas stations saw their usual, though so far not record-breaking holiday rating spikes. In New York, WLTW rose 5.7 to 8.7. In 2019 the station topped out with a 9.6 share.

 

[Lee LinwoodNYC]

Given Trump’s defeat, I think demoralized Republicans/Conservatives will be tuning out Conservative talk shows, such as those on WOR and WABC.

 

[TheBigA]

The same publications note that similar growth was not found at conservative talk stations. In New York, WOR was down 3.6-2.8 and WABC was flat at 1.7.

What is most interesting is that with all of the changes that the new owner has made, that WABC has remained flat during this time.

 

[Lee LinwoodNYC]

What is most interesting is that with all of the changes that the new owner has made, that WABC has remained flat during this time.

WABC is like the Titanic, and its rather uninspired programming changes, apparently at the whim of its new owner, is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

[CTListener]

WABC is like the Titanic, and its rather uninspired programming changes, apparently at the whim of its new owner, is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

More like a private yacht, moored in a well-sheltered harbor. It won't sink, but neither will it sail. It's an expensive toy of a wealthy man.

 

[TheBigA]

WNYC-FM New York tied its all-time record from April 2020 with a 5.1 putting it fifth in the market overall.

For WNYC, it's been a steady climb over four months, rather than a sudden surge. They've jumped over traditional news sources such as WINS and WCBS. People are looking for answers and more information, and public radio gives them that detail. Their shows cover more issues than national politics, and they do so in a more informative way. Now the big question is will the increased listenership lead to more memberships.

Nielsen Audio Ratings (****************)

 

[Lee LinwoodNYC]

More like a private yacht, moored in a well-sheltered harbor. It won't sink, but neither will it sail. It's an expensive toy of a wealthy man.

Mort Zuckerman, another wealthy man, purchasing the NY Daily News newspaper, did not work out well for the News or for Zuckerman. WABC languishing may get tiresome for its new owner,

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Now the big question is will the increased listenership lead to more memberships.

Probably, but it's not just about listener donations. Underwriting, which is public radio's word for advertising, is the source of revenue they don't like to talk about as much. But presumably those climbing numbers are good for business.

 

[TheBigA]

Probably, but it's not just about listener donations. Underwriting, which is public radio's word for advertising, is the source of revenue they don't like to talk about as much. But presumably those climbing numbers are good for business.

It could be, but due to the pandemic, that underwriting is way down this year. A lot of the companies and foundations that normally do that kind of thing have cut back quite a bit.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Given Trump’s defeat, I think demoralized Republicans/Conservatives will be tuning out Conservative talk shows, such as those on WOR and WABC.

No. That's not how it works.

 

[davideduardo]

No. That's not how it works.

Exactly. Generally, conservative talk prospers when it becomes "the voice of the opposition" where those who want to bitch and whine about the "liberals" have a platform. Since the White House is not their voice, talk radio adopts that position.

 

[Lee LinwoodNYC]

Exactly. Generally, conservative talk prospers when it becomes "the voice of the opposition" where those who want to bitch and whine about the "liberals" have a platform. Since the White House is not their voice, talk radio adopts that position.

Republicans and Conservatives are among Trump’s ”opposition,” since you haven’t noticed in 4+ years. Disillusionment with the entire political system, exemplified by Republicans/Conservatives threatening to not vote in the Georgia run-off election in order to punish the establishment, will eventually result in diminished listenership of Conservative talk shows, in my opinion.

 

[CTListener]

Exactly. Generally, conservative talk prospers when it becomes "the voice of the opposition" where those who want to bitch and whine about the "liberals" have a platform. Since the White House is not their voice, talk radio adopts that position.

Exactly, indeed. Conservative talk radio really took off during the years Bill Clinton was in office.

 

[CTListener]

Republicans and Conservatives are among Trump’s ”opposition,” since you haven’t noticed in 4+ years. Disillusionment with the entire political system, exemplified by Republicans/Conservatives threatening to not vote in the Georgia run-off election in order to punish the establishment, will eventually result in diminished listenership of Conservative talk shows, in my opinion.

I detect more than a little wishful thinking in your prediction.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

I detect more than a little wishful thinking in your prediction.

Quite the gymnastics to arrive at the position, indeed. Trump was quite good for talk radio. His tenure managed to give it an air of “opposition” (to whomever the enemy du jour was). Now that can, to David’s point, go to another level as he fashions himself as something of a president in exile, in his own reality that is. Talk radio was generally a pro Trump cheerleading session these past four years. The idea of there being dejected, dispirited followers giving up on their reinforcement mechanism is far fetched.

 

[TheBigA]

The idea of there being dejected, dispirited followers giving up on their reinforcement mechanism is far fetched.

I agree. People love to complain and attack. That's driving a lot of action on social media. It's a drug that's hard to kick. So any radio format that aims to that feeding frenzy is likely to do well.

 

[Lee LinwoodNYC]

Quite the gymnastics to arrive at the position, indeed. Trump was quite good for talk radio. His tenure managed to give it an air of “opposition” (to whomever the enemy du jour was). Now that can, to David’s point, go to another level as he fashions himself as something of a president in exile, in his own reality that is. Talk radio was generally a pro Trump cheerleading session these past four years. The idea of there being dejected, dispirited followers giving up on their reinforcement mechanism is far fetched.

Quite the gymnastics to arrive at the position, indeed. Trump was quite good for talk radio. His tenure managed to give it an air of “opposition” (to whomever the enemy du jour was). Now that can, to David’s point, go to another level as he fashions himself as something of a president in exile, in his own reality that is. Talk radio was generally a pro Trump cheerleading session these past four years. The idea of there being dejected, dispirited followers giving up on their reinforcement mechanism is far fetched.

I think that most *normal* Trump supporters don’t want to wallow in self-pity on Conservative talk radio and endless speculation about how the election allegedly was stolen. Life is too short to have to endure that. Members of the hardcore “base” might cling to fringe venues like Newsmax, however, I think audiences of Conservative shows on WOR, WABC, AM970, etc., will decline.

 

[davideduardo]

I think that most *normal* Trump supporters don’t want to wallow in self-pity on Conservative talk radio and endless speculation about how the election allegedly was stolen.

The election fraud proposition will fade over a few months, even if it is a background theme for much of the new president's term.

Listeners will swarm to the stations to comment on every liberal thing the government does and to criticize every commentator on what they believe is the "liberal media".

This will be a field day for the conservative talkers, but much depends on some of the more boring or pedantic hosts going away and getting some more exciting shows that don't sound so "old".

 

[TheBigA]

This will be a field day for the conservative talkers, but much depends on some of the more boring or pedantic hosts going away and getting some more exciting shows that don't sound so "old".

They have to diversify their playbook a lot. The president made it easy for them. He gave them the agenda, and they just pounded it. Now they'll have to do their own thinking, and for some that will be a challenge. They need to learn how to be entertaining again, and for some, that means to do something other than lecture for 4 hours.

The reason why NPR is doing so well is (1) It's on FM, (2) no commercials, and (3) a wide rang of subjects discussed. That third point is something AM talk radio can copy.

 

[Lee LinwoodNYC]

The election fraud proposition will fade over a few months, even if it is a background theme for much of the new president's term.

Listeners will swarm to the stations to comment on every liberal thing the government does and to criticize every commentator on what they believe is the "liberal media".

This will be a field day for the conservative talkers, but much depends on some of the more boring or pedantic hosts going away and getting some more exciting shows that don't sound so "old".