Feb Book

[radioguy123]

Things appear back to normal after the Holiday book and associated January bump. Looks almost like last year at this time. In prime adult demo in prime time 6a-7p KISW back on top with KZOK and KPLZ close behind. Men are on KISW pretty much across the board with KZOK in the game. Women are owned by KPLZ with KRWM fading fast. KUBE and KQMV moving up, KBKS slipping and KUOW the run away winner in spoken word. KUOW tops in mornings in prime demo, KPLZ second.

KIRO-AM tanked after the Seahawks season ended and KIRO-FM remains back of the pack, along with KMTT, KLCK and the usual suspects. 6+plus winners are KRWM and KQMV.

Big losers: KRWM slipping fast along with KCMS (post holiday music) KIRO-AM (post Hawks) and KBKS
Big winners: KZOK (up a bunch), KQMV (up big time nights and weekends) KPLZ (in women especially)

No real surprises.

 

[Blatherwatch]

Unless I missed it, KFNQ fell completely off the charts this time. Can they make up for it later on with baseball and other seasonal sports or are they one of several sports talkers, too many?

 

[bobdavcav]

I am not surprised, KBKS has gotten really boring since around July while KQMV has always been the better CHR, I have been waiting for them to pull way ahead of KBKS. Honestly, the only reason I still listen to KBKS is because they have the count downs on weekends.

 

[CorporateSuit]

Do you have any more specific numbers? Even 12+ in order would be helpful but can someone share some morning numbers?

I am just amazed that that several talk stations continue to employ FT people in the mornings that don't attract ANYONE...and it's the same advertisers over and over and over...

 

[Bongwater]

Unless I missed it, KFNQ fell completely off the charts this time. Can they make up for it later on with baseball and other seasonal sports or are they one of several sports talkers, too many?

I don't think local ratings matters so much to CBS Sports Network since sales are done on the national level through Cumulus. None of these CBS Sports stations are going to be big ratings winners, being also-rans against longer established ESPN and Fox Sports. So they tally up what they have in affiliates on a national level and sell it that way. I give it another year or two before they (inevitably) pull the plug on the whole idea.....

 

[Blatherwatch]

You're probably right Bong, 1090 was cheaper to go this way for the time being. Any way of knowing how individual shows did on say KIRO FM?

 

[Bongwater]

You're probably right Bong, 1090 was cheaper to go this way for the time being. Any way of knowing how individual shows did on say KIRO FM?

I think you need the more detailed, insider results for that.

I'm still dazed looking at KUOW's number vs. KIRO-FMs over the last year. What are they doing so right that KIRO-FM cannot emulate or outperform?

 

[FMSteve]

Are you freaking kidding? Seattle has a huge number of folks with College and University advanced degrees. KUOW scores awesomely in King County where most of them reside. And finally NPR has gotten a clue and is programming younger and smarter with choices such as Marketplace and RadioLab. Finally, with Bill Radke's departure from KIRO FM last year jumping ship to his old home at KUOW, KUOW is on top of the world.

What's left at KIRO is Borey Monson with his libertarian populist rants and the f'ing Ron and Don Show.....they can speak to the lunch-bucket crowd up on South Hill Puyallup or the ladies of
Snohomish.

Yuk. I hate them. Even that snarky, self-serving Luke Burbank drives me nuts.

KUOW is nice, honest and smart, and they have a huge following in this town.


I will say this one, last time. if KUOW wants to dominate even greater, MOVE TO COUGAR MOUNTAIN.

 

[Blatherwatch]

KUOW warm and fuzzy over KIRO personalities? I dunno. PPM's have a flawed accuracy that could be debated for hours. NPR is many things to many people, most like Car Talk, even in reruns and Prairie Home, Fresh Aire. KUOW and NPR do better analysis than other formats, along with their news blocks which seem more personality driven. When was the last time someone on KIRO ended the interview the same way NPR ends theirs?

 

[CorporateSuit]

pfft

 

[KMan]

Are you freaking kidding? Seattle has a huge number of folks with College and University advanced degrees. KUOW scores awesomely in King County where most of them reside. And finally NPR has gotten a clue and is programming younger and smarter with choices such as Marketplace and RadioLab. Finally, with Bill Radke's departure from KIRO FM last year jumping ship to his old home at KUOW, KUOW is on top of the world.

While Marketplace is one of the best programs on radio (commercial or non-comm), period, the rest of KUOW pretty much blows. The midday shows are a bore, the announcers stink, and they have a huge news staff with the worst local news coverage of any public station I've ever heard. When I lived in Juneau Alaska they had a tiny staff but yet, when they were in a local news block, you knew what you needed to know. When I lived in Phoenix, KJZZ had an outstanding local news team that sounded good and put together compelling, timely reports.

But KUOW? They have these huge newsblocks (especially during Morning Edition) but are more likely to be covering so off the wall social justice issue than the latest on the city council. Go on the website, click to the bios section, and look at all the name listed as "reporter." How many reports, a week, do each one of these reporters get on the air? Or do they all work part time?

I chose KPLU if I listen to NPR. KUOW could do so much better.

 

[SeattleObserver]

I will say this one, last time. if KUOW wants to dominate even greater, MOVE TO COUGAR MOUNTAIN.

Why isn't KPLU rating stronger then? In the past, I kind of preferred their presentation of Morning Edition and All Things Considered. But, that was before B.R. was hired to KUOW. I haven't listened for the change in air presentation.

 

[notalent]

Speaking of public stations, what's up with KEXP?

By listening to them you'd think they were Seattle's gift to the world of all things uber cool about music.

Apparently Seattle doesn't agree giving them a 0.7 share.

I remember a restaurant once where when you ask anyone they'd say: "oh yeah those guys have the best fish and chips... haven't been there in 15 years though." Is that kind of like KEXP now? everyone remembers them fondly but nobody listens anymore?

Or am I missing something and they actually are so good that they are way above the heads of they typical Seattle listener?

 

[AQH]

Speaking of public stations, what's up with KEXP?

By listening to them you'd think they were Seattle's gift to the world of all things uber cool about music.

Apparently Seattle doesn't agree giving them a 0.7 share.

I remember a restaurant once where when you ask anyone they'd say: "oh yeah those guys have the best fish and chips... haven't been there in 15 years though." Is that kind of like KEXP now? everyone remembers them fondly but nobody listens anymore?

Or am I missing something and they actually are so good that they are way above the heads of they typical Seattle listener?

KEXP is not about the ratings, it's about the donations. Saying they're "uber cool" to their own audience isn't a bad thing, it's merely to a limited number of people. Their audience is not just limited to Seattle, but around the world via online.

 

[radioguy123]

Agree 100% with AQH. KEXP, KING-FM are primarily known for their streams, which rank among the best in Seattle along with the Sports stations (especially during games) with listeners across the world. These kind of stations KEXP, KING-FM are donation based. Doesn't make them bad, just not mainstream. Think of it like Mad Men. The show has a niche following of 2-3 million each week on a premium service you pay for. Dancing with the Stars or NCIS have 20-30 million viewers a week. Just because they have a bigger audience doesn't make these shows better, just more wide appeal. Just because stations like KISW or STAR have five or six times the share, doesn't mean they are "better." Just means they are targeting a mainstream audience to deliver dollars for advertisers. Number one billing station in Seattle last month was KISW, number two was KPLZ. Both are "for profit" and therefore need ratings. KEXP and KING-FM are non-profit, therefore need to provide programming listeners will pay for. Just like HBO or Showtime. Two entirely different things. Only in the case of KUOW do you get both. SHould be noted that only the mornings on KUOW do well, (number one in prime demos this book) rest of the day on KUOW is well back in the ratings.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

This brings up a point that may only be interesting to me. Anyone have an overall "take" on how donation-based stations (e.g. KEXP, KUOW, KPLU, KING) tend to do? I'm told it is more difficult to operate in that world because you don't know from year to year what your actual budget will be. But I see some common threads here in KEXP and KING audience loyalty being SOMEWHAT tied to their offering of multiple programming channels via online streams.

I am VERY grateful for TIVO whenever PBS-TV affiliates air something with several 20-minute pledge breaks...to me the model is much more obnoxious than the concept of a couple 5-minute stopsets. I even experimented one year with internet-based system of funding PBS that would potentially eliminate pledge breaks (using loyalty model to keep subscription current and off the air).

Ultimately, this seems to follow the golden rule of any broadcaster....if the audience is in love with the content you offer, they will find a way to try to support you. If the content doesn't matter, your audience (and their potential loyalty) is long gone.

 

[Bongwater]

Pledge drives are the worst. One whole week of groveling for donations is enough to make anyone give up. But on radio, this is when you hear the BEST stuff.

On KCTS however, it's usually another rerun of Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night. (How many years have they been using this program as a pledge drive incentive?)

NWPR does something called Super Thursday. One day in spring and fall, they grovel. But for those days only. (They usually try to get you to sign up for automatic payments with your credit/debit cards, donating your old cars, making NWPR the main beneficiary in your will, etc.)

 

[Sarkus]

Unless I missed it, KFNQ fell completely off the charts this time. Can they make up for it later on with baseball and other seasonal sports or are they one of several sports talkers, too many?

The sports talkers are all very dependent on how the local teams are doing. Look at how high KIRO AM was a few months ago during the Seahawk playoff run compared to how far they've fallen now that we are in between local sports seasons. With no NBA team, this time of year is pretty dead if UW basketball isn't good, as was the case this year. Things will pick up with the Mariners starting in April, at least for KIRO and KJR.

In general, though, there probably are too many sports talk stations in the area now. Five is a lot to split the market on, especially since three are mostly running national network stuff with minimal local content.