FreeFM - a disaster: and watch KGB slide

[Bob_Hudson]

San Diego's FreeFM, formerly the Planet, now has a "1.0" in the ratings! And KGB continues to lose, now in the two's in 12+ numbers. KGB is a one-trick pony with DSC: they rest of the day they have no excitement (although Ditch does seem to be quite impressed with the sound of his own voice). KGB has also developed this annoying habit of throwing in gratuitous foul language during the mid-day, so that those of us who have children and grand-children riding with us can't listen because we don't want them to hear things like the KGB promo that ends with "You sick bastard." I suppose they think such trash makes them edgy and hip. And meanwhile 91X continues to scrape bottom. San Diego programmers seem to be doing their best to kill rock on the radio.

Maybe this is why country radio in San Diego now has a combined 7.6 as KUSS moves into the top 10 with a 3.2 and KSON is at number 3 with a 4.4. It used to be said that San Diego did not have enough country audience to support two stations, but now, if you divided the audience in half, they'd tie for fifth place in 12+.

Meanwhile, you wonder how much CBS has paid the genius who came up with FreeFM? That company just can't figure out how to be broadcasters. I read today that a guy who fired as Viacom's president after a year will get something like $84 million in walking away money: so how much will the FreeFM founder get? He'll probably retire early with it

 

[SuperRadioFan]

How's Tom Leykis' ratings doing on Free FM? Is his act getting as stale as the rest of the line-up?

 

[Bob_Hudson]

How's Tom Leykis' ratings doing on Free FM? Is his act getting as stale as the rest of the line-up?

If the station is getting a 1.0 in 12+ audience, that kind of tells you no day part is doing too well. I could see some folks tuning in just for his show, but when the rest of the lineup is so bad and there's no outside promotion, you can't expect much. The day part ratings aren't released to the public like the 12+ are, but if Leykis has made any gains in San Diego, I'm sure he'll crow about them.

But otherwise, with Carolla, FH&F and Penn Gillette you have some of the most self-indulgent radio to ever come down the pike: none of them talk to their audience. Neither does Howard Stern, but he's the lucky one who could get away with it.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Makes sense Bob, I'm sure David can shed some light on the inside demo #s.

LOL at Penn Gillette, they'd do better with Teller at the mic ;D

 

[SDRadio]

Flea FM has been a diaster since day one. Outside of Adam, it's non stop ... nothing. CBS should invest in a quality 1000 hertz tone -- it would get better ratings.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

Flea FM has been a diaster since day one. Outside of Adam, it's non stop ... nothing. CBS should invest in a quality 1000 hertz tone -- it would get better ratings.

I had high hopes initially for Corolla because is quite glib and inciteful, but after almost a year I've realized that neither he nor anyone associated with him has a clue about radio. It sounds like he's trying to do Howard Stern with a cast of misfits who spend all of their time talking about each other and not trying to entertain the audience (to which they seem oblivious). For some reason, Stern gets away with that, but it can't be imitated, no matter how hard, or - in Free FM's case - how little you try. I think they'd have a decent show if they just kicked everyone else out of the studio and told Corolla to talk to his audience. I don't care for Leykis' act, but he's the only Free FM'er who knows how to talk to his audience. Frosty, Heidi and Frank can only do it on phone calls.

Free FM San Diego is having it's one year anniversary soon and they are having another one of their drunken parties to "celebrate." Judging by the latest ratings they will in fact be able to hold their entire audience in one nightclub.

 

[bossforever]

poor free fm probably a tax write off for KYXY got to go to the next party at the beach with them just to see it is for real what you hear on the radio regarding the ladies that show up

 

[livingfruitvirus]

If the station is getting a 1.0 in 12+ audience, that kind of tells you no day part is doing too well.

Not really. There are many stations with good numbers in one daypart, and horrific numbers in others. They should just shut off the station in these cases, or replay that one show all day.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

If the station is getting a 1.0 in 12+ audience, that kind of tells you no day part is doing too well.

Not really. There are many stations with good numbers in one daypart, and horrific numbers in others. They should just shut off the station in these cases, or replay that one show all day.

It would be interesting to see Leykis' numbers, but really with a 1.0, that means if you have some dayparts with "good numbers" then they are really not all that good or else the bad dayparts are something like a .5.