Do Star 94 & Q100 Hurt Themselves?

[RoddyFreeman]

After an Arbitron PPM breakfast last month, I stayed for a presentation to PD's.

Gary Marince, VP Programming at Arbitron, showed minute-by-minute PPM ratings. The ratings showed listeners leaving as a stopset was about to start and returning shortly before the stopset was over.

Mr. Marince's main advice to PD's was to lull your listeners into stopsets. Do not give them any hint that a stopset is about to start.

Yet Star 94 and Q100 practically announce that a stopset is starting by giving listeners the names (and on Star, snippets) of the artists coming up after it. For whatever reason, Star and Q are not following Arbitron's advice.

Maybe they know more than Mr. Marince. Do they? PPM overall has been kind to CHR's.

 

[whit979]

The bigger question here is: how do you effectively "lull" your listeners into a stopset? I mean, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck...in other words, a stopset is a stopset is a stopset. It sounds like a brilliant idea in theory, but what stations or programming tricks can Arbitron (or other programmers) point to as examples of it?

I think for Star and Q, the song pre-selling is kind of pointless. Their playlists are both are so closely tied to Hot AC that promoting music on the other side of a break isn't going to make waves like it would on, say, Z100/NYC. It's not hurting them but it IS filler content.

Maybe the better trick would be improved commercial writing that keeps listeners interested. But that's another story altogether.

 

[KarsonWithaK]

Mr. Marince's main advice to PD's was to lull your listeners into stopsets.  Do not give them any hint that a stopset is about to start.

Yet Star 94 and Q100 practically announce that a stopset is starting by giving listeners the names (and on Star, snippets) of the artists coming up after it.  For whatever reason, Star and Q are not following Arbitron's advice.

It could be said that they are doing exactly what Programmers should do to enhance time spent listening. Aren't they giving listeners that may leave during commercials a reason to return by playing the teaser promos into the commercials?

K~

 

[RoddyFreeman]

It could be said that they are doing exactly what Programmers should do to enhance time spent listening. Aren't they giving listeners that may leave during commercials a reason to return by playing the teaser promos into the commercials?

That's certainly always been the rationale for doing it.

 

[mshawnarnold]

Wouldn't this be akin to "lulling" me into not hitting fast forward on my Tivo when it gets to a commercial? It's seems like channel surfing during a stop set is a fairly standard practice.

You can lull all you want, but the minute I hear Tom Shane's voice, I'm flippin'. Be back in 4 minutes.

 

[jal41]

Unless you end a song right into a commercial (which sounds weird)...I can't see any way to avoid it.

Star 94 has started announcing songs they will play before the :50 stopset. Not only a dead giveaway to a commerical...but a cue to get those recorders fired up to record music off of the air (I don't know how may teens have a setup to record music digitally off of the air...I am also not aware of anyone still recording onto cassette tapes in the iPod age).

DJ chatter not over music or over an instrumental bed is a giveaway to an upcoming commercial.

They will have to take a page from reality TV...product placement. In this case, the DJ would do his/her product endorsement in between songs and not in the stopset. Basically, embed the product placement in such a way the listener has no idea they are listening to an ad.

Personally...I would have a lot of problems with this. It can be misleading, and can cause major problems if the product being hawked has problems.

 

[tcsnrayp]

Unless you end a song right into a commercial (which sounds weird)...I can't see any way to avoid it.

...and that is something that was (still is) never done. Getting the station id and some promo or biz at the end of a song or sweep has always been key.

However, with PPM the idea of cutting directly to spots might actually make sense. That is the ultimate anti-telegraphing of commercials coming up!

 

[FloydB]

They will have to take a page from reality TV...product placement. In this case, the DJ would do his/her product endorsement in between songs and not in the stopset. Basically, embed the product placement in such a way the listener has no idea they are listening to an ad.

Personally...I would have a lot of problems with this. It can be misleading, and can cause major problems if the product being hawked has problems.

One thing I've heard with Dave is Mara and Sully will segue into an AT&T spot with them describing why they love the new AT&T... It somewhat seemlessly transitions from the chatter to the stop set without the average listener aware they're in a stop set. If I change, it's usually not until half way through the ad or on the second one. Most of the time I stay where I'm at because the other stations I listen to are usually in a stop set, or about to go into one at the same time.

Another thing I've thought about is almost something CC started to toy with. Those short ads, like "The music on such and such is brought to you by so and so." CC was sampling with one-second ads at one time, and I've heard a few spots on Dave like this. However, on Dave it's usually in the middle of a stop set. Why not take out a sweeper somewhere and insert said ad? I mean, it seems like it would fit, to me, in maybe between the second and third song after the top of the hour. It's still near the top of the hour, and it tells you this hour's music is paid for said sponsor. Plus, nobody switched the dial since it was just a fifteen second (or less) ad between songs. Why not get rid of the stop set altogether and pepper the ads throughout? Who's gonna switch stations if it's just an ad or two before the music continues?

 

[Mr_Winston-Salem]

I listen to 104.7 The Commercials (my nickname for the Fish) in the car and have commented, as I tuned to 91.5, 104.7 stays in commercials for two songs. ;D I will listen to a station for two commercials before I turn it. For 104.7 The Commercials, I turn it instantly, because the commercials go on and on. I can leave it on 93.3 and not notice how long the breaks are and usually listen to all the underwriters at WWEV. The Fish's unusually long breaks are a literal turn-off. Since 104.7 has competition from 91.5 and 93.3 it is possible for a listener to turn to the competition and not turn back for a while. Shorten the stops and become creative. What happened to "The Budweiser Traffic Jam," "Toyota Mall of Georgia Weather Report" and "Coca-Cola Traffic Report?" In less than five seconds the advertiser's name is used to brand what you are listening to and it is repeated over and over between songs, while the listener is listening. Budweiser is instantly tied into fun music on the drive home. A music club sponsoring a weekend music special (an all 70's weekend as an example) is great. This creativity leads to more music and the listener hears the ads. It's also affordable for the advertiser, since no ad agency is required. If I was buying, I would ask about this, over a minute few people listen to.

I was commenting to someone the other day about Cox in Atlanta. I remember I could almost listen to another song while B-98.5 tells me they are voted number 1, have this morning show, a clip from the show, repeat the name of the morning show, tell me they have less talk (what are they doing now? - Talking) and have the best variety. Don't forget to repeat the station two or three more times, repeat the name of the morning show, repeat the name of the station and finally a song. I don't think they are as bad now, but that was a turn-off. It also adds to the amount time you can listen to another station before tuning back.

 

[jabba17]

I listen to 104.7 The Commercials (my nickname for the Fish) in the car and have commented, as I tuned to 91.5, 104.7 stays in commercials for two songs. ;D I will listen to a station for two commercials before I turn it. For 104.7 The Commercials, I turn it instantly, because the commercials go on and on. I can leave it on 93.3 and not notice how long the breaks are and usually listen to all the underwriters at WWEV. The Fish's unusually long breaks are a literal turn-off. Since 104.7 has competition from 91.5 and 93.3 it is possible for a listener to turn to the competition and not turn back for a while. Shorten the stops and become creative. What happened to "The Budweiser Traffic Jam," "Toyota Mall of Georgia Weather Report" and "Coca-Cola Traffic Report?" In less than five seconds the advertiser's name is used to brand what you are listening to and it is repeated over and over between songs, while the listener is listening. Budweiser is instantly tied into fun music on the drive home. A music club sponsoring a weekend music special (an all 70's weekend as an example) is great. This creativity leads to more music and the listener hears the ads. It's also affordable for the advertiser, since no ad agency is required. If I was buying, I would ask about this, over a minute few people listen to.

I was commenting to someone the other day about Cox in Atlanta. I remember I could almost listen to another song while B-98.5 tells me they are voted number 1, have this morning show, a clip from the show, repeat the name of the morning show, tell me they have less talk (what are they doing now? - Talking) and have the best variety. Don't forget to repeat the station two or three more times, repeat the name of the morning show, repeat the name of the station and finally a song. I don't think they are as bad now, but that was a turn-off. It also adds to the amount time you can listen to another station before tuning back.

How else is B98.5 going to hold their position as the Number One Station To Listen To At Work? ;D ;D ;D

I remember back in the early 80s when Album 88 seemed to pepper every show with the following plug: "This show was made possible through a non-commercial grant from (pregnant pause) Turtle's Records and Tapes." Turtle's was the only "sponsor" I heard during these plugs....and obviously I still remember this after a quarter century.

I wonder how many stations have people getting lulled into the commercial breaks, only to change stations when the next song (that they don't like) comes on? Sometimes I catch myself doing this. While I like the idea of getting rid of long commercial breaks, would shorter, more frequent ones create more station-changing opportunities--either at the beginning or end of the break? We'll soon know with PPM.