Is it any better performing during Lazlo's show, given he's FROM Detroit and Julia (who's on the show) is broadcasting from there?
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Entercom Launches Alt 98.7
- Thread starter atthestars
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I don't have full Detroit data, so I looked at a nearby market, Chicago.
This year's January and February cume on persons 18+ is just 8% below that of the same months in 2000. Considering the unemployment rate, the lower rate of automobile usage and other issues related to work, commuting, driving kids to school, etc., I'd consider the current use of radio to be a strong indication of radio's place in people's lives.
In Chicago, 18-34 radio usage is 10.5% below last year's January-February average ; considering that younger people are not going to school and college, and are in the group with the highest unemployment, that seems rather logical.
I looked at a variety of other markets and the data is about the same in every one. If Detroit is truly different in 18+ I'd be surprised. That's because I found that 6-18 in every market is off by between 18% and 22% as children and teens are not going to school; that is not radio's target audience so I avoid taking children into account. Your 12+ analysis dilutes the outstanding adult performance of radio at this stage of the pandemic.
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I'm very familiar with the Detroit market. Top cume stations used to be in a bandwidth of between 800,000 and 1.1 million listeners. This was in 2018/2019. WYCD used to be in the upper 700,000 range. WKQI and WDVD were usually north of 900,000. WNIC and WOMC were usually at or just north of 1 million. WRIF was usually around 650,000. WJLB and WMXD were usually in that same ballpark.
You are correct that I lack breakouts for A25-54 or 35-54.
Did you mean to say "2000" or "2020" ?
If we look back at the past few years, the numbers seem considerably down to me. Again, I'm referring to 6+ cume. It's certainly possible declines in adult demos aren't as severe.
In Chicago, I definitely have far less familiarity with what typical cume levels (6+) looked like in 2018/2019. I seem to recall WDRV being near 1 million to maybe 1.1 million. They're at 885,000 at the moment. The CHR stations used to be near 1.4 million or 1.5 million; they are instead near 1 million (Kiss 103.5) and 900,000 (B96). Granted, CHR has more issues right now than just COVID. The current music product stinks, although that may be partially by design due to inability to tour.
670 The Score is definitely underperforming traditional cume levels, too. Heck, 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit - a market half the size of Chicago - is narrowly outperforming them in cume! And 97.1 The Ticket's cume is definitely down, too, even when adjusting for seasonality, compared to normal.
You are correct that I lack breakouts for A25-54 or 35-54.
Did you mean to say "2000" or "2020" ?
If we look back at the past few years, the numbers seem considerably down to me. Again, I'm referring to 6+ cume. It's certainly possible declines in adult demos aren't as severe.
In Chicago, I definitely have far less familiarity with what typical cume levels (6+) looked like in 2018/2019. I seem to recall WDRV being near 1 million to maybe 1.1 million. They're at 885,000 at the moment. The CHR stations used to be near 1.4 million or 1.5 million; they are instead near 1 million (Kiss 103.5) and 900,000 (B96). Granted, CHR has more issues right now than just COVID. The current music product stinks, although that may be partially by design due to inability to tour.
670 The Score is definitely underperforming traditional cume levels, too. Heck, 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit - a market half the size of Chicago - is narrowly outperforming them in cume! And 97.1 The Ticket's cume is definitely down, too, even when adjusting for seasonality, compared to normal.
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I would recommend dropping WYCD from any comparisons. The country format is down in many markets, and it seems to have nothing to do with covid. WNIC had a cume over over a million during the holidays, but of course this was due to holiday programming.
The programming changes at Audacy's stations in Detroit coupled with compensation structure have been so unpopular with the sales department, that ten salespeople - including a sales manager - have voluntarily resigned since last December, according to one well known subscription-based blogger.
98.7 is programmed like a complete dumpster fire. Sloppy automation, horrible processing in certain dayparts, a talk show that sticks out like a sore thumb in afternoon drive, and a half dozen or so advertisers mixed with a slew of PSAs during commercial breaks.
Horrible move getting rid of 98.7 The Breeze.
98.7 is programmed like a complete dumpster fire. Sloppy automation, horrible processing in certain dayparts, a talk show that sticks out like a sore thumb in afternoon drive, and a half dozen or so advertisers mixed with a slew of PSAs during commercial breaks.
Horrible move getting rid of 98.7 The Breeze.
Those March rumors of its demise turned out to be greatly exaggerated. It is benefiting greatly from summer, attractive new product to play, and the return of touring.
Hahaha Jerry Del Colliano. The hater of big radio companies. I wouldn't take anything he says as true.
Considering how often he HAS been right, way to expose yourself as an empty shill.
I'd put the percentage of right vs wrong as mostly on the wrong side. But if you have proof of what he says in Detroit, feel free to post it. What I see is that the current sales manager has been in place for two years. The sales staff is not in charge of programming. If they're unhappy with the programming, they're free to leave, but it's not what they do. Compensation structure is a different issue, and people leave companies over compensation all the time.
Hmmm....Coliano? Cumulus under Dickey buying CBS?
I don't agree the "talk show" sticks out like a sore thumb at all. The show was created on, and has always been on an alternative station - Kansas City's KRBZ and for a time, on KNDD in Seattle. It's been around longer than the "alt" format as currently programmed by Audacy. I get that it may not be working in Detroit, and some people prefer music, but radio has to try things outside of just music - and there's no reason a personality show can't exist that also plays alternative music. Plus, the anchor host of the show is a Detroit native. It's not the wildest idea.
Ah yes, KRBZ. The station that has shed nearly half its AQH share over the past few years. Probably not a good station to emulate.
I suspect the show didn't fare too well on KNDD or did it?
The show in & of itself isn't bad, but it sounds like something that belongs on WGN or Real Radio 104.1.
I suspect the show didn't fare too well on KNDD or did it?
The show in & of itself isn't bad, but it sounds like something that belongs on WGN or Real Radio 104.1.
KRBZ when it had a higher share would be a great station to emulate for some markets, and it was programmed by the guy who anchors the "talk show."
That being said, the approach KRBZ took would probably not be the best music mix for Detroit, either. That market seems to prefer a heavier variant of modern rock.
That being said, the approach KRBZ took would probably not be the best music mix for Detroit, either. That market seems to prefer a heavier variant of modern rock.
Real Radio gets great ratings in Orlando. I think it would do well in Detroit. Get Kid Rock to host a show. Or Uncle Kracker.
Orlando seems to be the only place "Hot Talk" has ever worked. The Stern-anchored ones (including Detroit if I remember right) all fell by the wayside when Howard went satellite
That was a long time ago. Perhaps its time to try to combine young talk with alt rock since alt rock alone is such a mess.
The key would be trying to find hosts who can tap in to the interests of the younger demo.
Indeed, Real Radio 104.1 is a great radio brand with an impressive ratings track record over multiple decades in Orlando and Daytona Beach. Hot Talk works well in Tampa, too. The former WKRK-FM (97-1 FM Talk / Live 97.1) in Detroit earned respectable in-demo ratings in certain dayparts, particularly middays and afternoons.
Arguably, Greater Media made a big mistake by not taking 105.1 in a similar direction when it moved Drew Lane from mornings at WRIF to afternoons at the horrifically ill-fated and miserably programmed "Detroit Sports 105.1." A general interest talk station anchored by Lane likely would've had a significantly greater chance of long-term sustainability.
Arguably, Greater Media made a big mistake by not taking 105.1 in a similar direction when it moved Drew Lane from mornings at WRIF to afternoons at the horrifically ill-fated and miserably programmed "Detroit Sports 105.1." A general interest talk station anchored by Lane likely would've had a significantly greater chance of long-term sustainability.
98.7's automation issues and high use of PSAs to fill open commercial space makes the station sound like amateur hour, but I will say this - the music played during the evening show has improved noticeably in the past two weeks. I'm hearing more in the way of proven gold hits and less reliance on low quality new music.
If you like it, good for you. But as somebody who listens to both old and new music in the genre, I don't think new music in the "alternative" genre is necessarily low quality. (I can't comment on the 98.7's playlist, as I don't listen to the station.)
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