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Genesis cluster ratings

N

Nostalgia

Can anyone match the data collections period for WI09 with the time period Genesis played call sign/format roulette with their three stations????

What I am asking is which WWBA got the .9, the 50kw 820 signal or the 1040 version. Or does it matter? But Aribitron shows a sports format attached to that one, not the talker which would seem to make it the newer WHBO 1040 version.

Next is a big 0 for WMGG shown as the talker not the oldies station on 1470 or Megas Spanish language format while 820 was theirs. If it were the talker I would expect more comments from the large number of posters who seem to follow talk radio like religion!

WHBO also with a 0 is listed as a sports format. That would square with the calls sports format before and after the move to 1040 but still could have reflected the Christmas music played on 1470 as WHBO in the interim during December.

And of course, any insiders know if they hit their target demographics for any of these stations in spite of the sad 12+ overalls?

I know a lot was going on during that period: one new station, format and call sign swaps on all three signals, so any meaningful numbers will be the next book. But still, if the ratings period covered all or most of that time frame there should be a couple of asterisks beside their numbers. Since these are not PPM numbers it is only what the diary keepers hear in terms of a call sign on any particular frequency they are listening too at any particular time. Can anyone add a little clarity to this?
 
Their decline began a couple years ago when Clear Channel took Hannity away from them. I'm sure Hannity has lost a lot of listeners with not being cleared live. It appears that CC did that because they could. The new signal isnt going to help much without some good programming to go with it. Larsen is still good, but doesnt have that fire he had years ago. Miller is not too bad. But putting Savage on mid day? That does not compute. I wonder if they will go after Smirconish or any of the newer talkers on. They need to do something.
 
Their decline began a couple years ago when Clear Channel took Hannity away from them. I'm sure Hannity has lost a lot of listeners with not being cleared live. It appears that CC did that because they could.
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ABC Radio Networks and even Sean Hannity himself had been begging for a spot on WFLA. They hated being on WWBA (at the time a low-powered signal on AM 1040). They were happy to get on 970, even if delayed by three hours.

Now that Premiere has their hooks into little Seanie... don't expect the lineup to change. In fact, it's funny to see Premiere taking a stake in Mr. Hannity's radio extravaganza... for a while he was black-balled in the Mighty Radio Empire Emanating From San Antonio... as he signed with competitor ABC instead of being a standby filling-in for El-Rushbo.
 
"Decline" is relative. WWBA never had more than a share and a half with the H-man. WWBA made several mistakes when it lost Hannity.

One was to let Clear Channel rat them out on the GM contest and lose control of when the change took place.

Another was to have "management" at WWBA (such as it was) get on the air and whine (rather than sound combative) about the loss of Hannity, and promise to "open the station to liberals again" (?). WWBA has always been the station for people who think 970 is too liberal. They want red meat, not boo-hoos.

Still another mistake was Hannity's replacement. Going live and local: good idea. Going with Brian Fasulo: horrible idea. His whole background was as an infomercial pitchman. He knew nothing about talk radio, much less modern conservative talk radio. He almost seemed to be trying to turn it into "chick radio" (an interesting concept on its own, but a lost cause on an AM station trying to keep some of a Hannity audience).

As for the 1040-820 move, long term I think a much bigger day signal and a slightly bigger night signal will pay off. The question is whether they can hang on long enough for there to be a long term. Almost no publicity for six months, save a few snipe signs disguised to look like campaign signs. Just recently, some Dave Ramsey billboards mentioning 820 (co-op?).

It's arguable that they should have stuck with Boortz. though I think going live and local was the way to go over second-tier syndication. But I'm sure losing Dro Silva was not in the plan. Dan York has potential but needs direction -- which he won't get from anybody at Genesis. He's stuck between 1990's Mark Larsen-inspiured Uhuru- and homeless-baiting (is he bringing back Hump Day, too?) and 1980's "read the paper and see what there is to talk about" radio. York should be developing his own sources and his own topics. One gets the sense that he doesn't do anything show-related after he steps out the door at noon until he goes in again the next morning.

Finally, the modern politics of radio syndication seems to be beating down WWBA's ratings. Running Michael Savage tape-delayed in middays has to be a TRN cramdown. ("Air him at noon or lose him at six.") Dennis Miller is pathetic PM drive programming. An alternative would have to extend York to 1 p.m. and take three hours of Ramsey after that. WWBA seems battered by forces beyond its control -- including the economy -- with no one at the wheel.
 
smedge2006 said:
Finally, the modern politics of radio syndication seems to be beating down WWBA's ratings. Running Michael Savage tape-delayed in middays has to be a TRN cramdown. ("Air him at noon or lose him at six.") Dennis Miller is pathetic PM drive programming. An alternative would have to extend York to 1 p.m. and take three hours of Ramsey after that. WWBA seems battered by forces beyond its control -- including the economy -- with no one at the wheel.
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I think you are right on the money with this Savage thing. I have heard from many stations that Savage is constantly held over their heads as a bargaining chip. I wonder if this Noon-3p is a sign of a future move by TRN and Savage. Will he be moving his live feed to that slot to go head to head with Rush?
 
That would be the dumbest thing Savage could do. Right now he's the night show on a lot of Rush's affiliates.

But that doesn't mean it won't happen.
 
Parttimer said:
That would be the dumbest thing Savage could do. Right now he's the night show on a lot of Rush's affiliates.

But that doesn't mean it won't happen.
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It would be a bold move for sure...you are right though. It would mean moving from #1 talkers at night to #2 or #3 talkers from noon to 3.
 
Yesterday, I heard that Smirconish was going to "substitute" for Savage for a few days 12-2. Looks like they are trying him out. Since he was a regular substitute hose for O'Reilly, this will not be a new talent in this time slot. If they are considering putting him on in this slot, I cant see it gaining them much. He is about as exciting as watching grass grow.
 
Then again, you can't grow grass unless you "hose" it with some water...
 
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