JULY RATINGS : What's wrong at B98 & Q100 ?

[gregg75]

Overall ratings are out for July.

WSB FM has moved from May 6.1 to July 4.6
Q100 has moved down from May 4.7 to July 3.9

Some might think B98 is suffering from Steve McCoy withdrawl,
but I think they have gone too ROCKY and too LITE ROCK. Seems
like they revved up the rock grooves sometime in May.

As for Q100......I never listen to them, so maybe the coffee machine is out.
Who knows?

 

[pjc1961]

Atlanta Ratings Grid here.

The July 2010 survey period is from Thu. 6/24/10-Wed. 7/21/10. The next survey period is for August 2010 running from Thu. 7/22/10-Wed. 8/18/10 with the publicly released age 6+ overall data available on Friday 9/10/10.

 

[thefirstgenesis]

Overall ratings are out for July.

WSB FM has moved from May 6.1 to July 4.6
Q100 has moved down from May 4.7 to July 3.9

Some might think B98 is suffering from Steve McCoy withdrawl,
but I think they have gone too ROCKY and too LITE ROCK. Seems
like they revved up the rock grooves sometime in May.

Let's see...a redundant uncreative playlist that never introduces a more variety of songs, no CURRENT AC hits being played, Daughtry song every hour with the latest songs from him not being played such as "No Surprise" and "Life After You", you name it. I'm sure Steve McCoy has some bearing to it, and I've seen lite rock stations performing extremely well such as KESZ in Phoenix and WLTW in New York, so being a lite rock format isn't a factor. BUT, at least they are still voted #1 while you work for the gazillionth time.

 

[DToTheJ]

And they still play 50 minutes of music every hour*!

* Outside of Delilah's show

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Over the past month, Star 94 seems to have picked off some Q100 listeners. That was likely due to the "iPads All Day + 5K" promotion, which sounded great. A little could have been due to replacing Seacrest with live and local.

 

[Mr_Place]

Looky here! People are making diagnoses bases on a couple of months of 6+ ratings?

Overall ratings are out for July.

WSB FM has moved from May 6.1 to July 4.6
Q100 has moved down from May 4.7 to July 3.9

Some might think B98 is suffering from Steve McCoy withdrawl,
but I think they have gone too ROCKY and too LITE ROCK. Seems
like they revved up the rock grooves sometime in May.

Let's see...a redundant uncreative playlist that never introduces a more variety of songs, no CURRENT AC hits being played, Daughtry song every hour with the latest songs from him not being played such as "No Surprise" and "Life After You", you name it. I'm sure Steve McCoy has some bearing to it, and I've seen lite rock stations performing extremely well such as KESZ in Phoenix and WLTW in New York, so being a lite rock format isn't a factor. BUT, at least they are still voted #1 while you work for the gazillionth time.

 

[electroboy73]

"....WHAT'S WRONG AT Q100", at least?

[[SELECTION AND REDUNDANCY OF RECURRENTS]]
Still playing the crap out of these songs (and AT NIGHT too)! Literally, Friday and Saturday evenings and after every song that remotely has a dance beat, Q100 just HAS to play keep playing these songs And will probably for SOME ODD REASON...(STILL) play these songs in 20 years:

AS A SUPPOSED CHR:

Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying (AC Song)
O.A.R. - Shattered (Turn The Car Around) (AC Song)
Pink - Who Knew (AC Song)
Pink - Sober (OLD Hot-AC/AC Song)
Colbie Calait - Falling For You (VERY AC SONG)
No Doubt "Underneath It All" (AC)
Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" (AC)
Jordin Sparks "Tattoo" (AC)
Jordin Sparks - Battlefield......(this song wasn't that huge of a hit)! (Now, it's kind of an AC Song)
Pink "Please Don't Leave Me" (AC)
Nickelback "Far Away" (AC)
Daughtry "Home" (AC)
Green Day "Boulevard....." (Hot-AC)
David Cook "Time Of My Life" (AC)
Jordin Sparks - Battlefield......(this song wasn't that huge of a hit)! (Now, it's kind of an AC Song)
Shinedown - Second Chance (OLD HOT-AC Song)
Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry (OLD AC Song)
Rob Thomas - Her Diamonds (OLD AC Song)
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You (AC Song)
All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight (VERY OLD HOT-AC Song)
All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell (VERY OLD HOT-AC Song)

[[RECURRENTS ON A "NORMAL" CHR]]

GOOD CHARLOTTLE "Lifestyles...Rich & Famous"
KID CUDI "Day & Night"
LIT "My Own Worst Enemy"
CASCADA "Evacuate The Dancefloor"
Pussycat Dolls - "I Hate This Part"
JAY-Z/Alicia Keys "Empire State Of Mind"
PITBULL "Hotel Room Service"
LINKIN PARK "In The End"
DJ SAMMY - "Heaven"
PITBULL "I Know You Want Me (calle ocho)"
Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"
DRAKE "Best I Ever Had"
Ciara Featuring Missy Elliott - 1, 2 Step
Wake Up - Hilary Duff
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain Low
Cascada What Hurts The Most
Mary J Blige - Family Affair
Metro Station - Shake It
Danity - Kane Damaged
Blink 182 - All The Small Things
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Daft Punk - One More Time
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West - Run This Town

.....on top of that.....

AS A SUPPOSED CHR:

[[CURRENTS STILL NOT HEARD OR BARELY HEARD ON Q]]

FLO RIDA FEAT. DAVID GUETTA - Club Can't Handle Me
AUBURN - La La La
Eminem - Not Afraid
DAVID GUETTA & CHRIS WILLIS FEAT. FERGIE & LMFAO - Gettin' Over You
USHER FEAT. PITBULL - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (Heard it once at like 3am)
EMINEM - Love The Way You Lie (#1 song in the country and it's on Q about 2 times/day)


.....and that ladies n gents is, (IMO) what's wrong with Q100.

 

[RTibbs]

Rock station seem to have made big gains this month except the predictable but steady River.

Dave is way up. So is Rock 100.5.

Hopefully Rodney will break these down soon. Curious as too how much TRG has picked up in the mornings with the Braves on at night.

99x also re-aooears this month.


Yes we know it is 6+ but where there is smoke there is fire on the stations with the bigger rating swings.

 

[Nyte Ryder]

Make sure you check the 18-34 and 25-54 numbers before wondering what's wrong with Q100. Star did this same thing last summer. Let's see them do it a few months in a row. (But agree Roddy, the I-Pad promotion did sound good)

Project crashed after their Metalshop promotion, Rock is being driven by Braves baseball (#1 at night but all dayparts are up) and Dave have a great month overall.

Fish lost 50% of it's audience but it was too high to start with. Also the River lost their female numbers. But that was also kind of goofy.

The above post about recurrents for a CHR? That was for imaginary stations I guess?

Here's the real top 10 CHR recurrents according to Mediabase. Break Your Heart, Hey Soul Sister, Breakeven, Nothing On You, In My Head, Tik Tok, Bad Romance, Telephone, Sexy Chick, Replay.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Fish lost 50% of it's audience but it was too high to start with. Also the River lost their female numbers. But that was also kind of goofy.

That's not surprising. Even people who like Christian lyric content in music won't listen to Christian songs that don't sound good. The Fish has rotated in too many songs that sound like parodies of modern pop songs with Christian lyrics.

 

[electroboy73]

The above post about recurrents for a CHR? That was for imaginary stations I guess?
Here's the real top 10 CHR recurrents according to Mediabase. Break Your Heart, Hey Soul Sister, Breakeven, Nothing On You, In My Head, Tik Tok, Bad Romance, Telephone, Sexy Chick, Replay.

[[WHOO-HOO....BLOG ALERT]] ;D

And I def get what your saying, Nyte Ryder. But, radio stations NEVER stick to ONLY those 10 songs for their recurrents. And neither does Q100 because the last time I perused the "Recurrent" charts, I most certainly didn't see all The Fray, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, and Jordin Sparks on there. I'm just sayin!

Look, I know that am indeed a radio outsider (not in the business). Although, I was very briefly on air in the mid 90's (in small town PA). However, out of my own geeky-ness, I do listen and monitor a LOT of CHR radio from the many U.S. cities that I've lived in. And most of them have remained heritage CHR stations to this day for 20 to 40 years! And they have always had that "no holds barred" CHR playlist and shot-gun fire energy that they've never let get sleepy since they were playing George Michael, 2-Live-Crew, and.....DEPECHE MODE! (lol)

My point is, I guess I really do have a sick obsession with trying to figure out how CHR stations like that are still successful after all these years and have gone literally from playing (1973)'s "Diamond Girl" by Seals & Crofts to playing (2010)'s "Club Can't Handle Me" by David Guetta/Flo-Rida ......(psst.....WHYI/Miami, WNOK/Columbia, WAPE/Jacksonvile, WKRZ/Wilkes-Barre....and more)! In other words, 40 years without being anything less than a pure CHR.........

.......and we're stuck with 2 half-assed, so called, CHRs in Market #7 that are going on nearly 5, 10, 20 years and they're still scared to play so many hit records because it might be "outside" this Rock/AC genre. I just don't get it.

Now, TRUST....I understand that that Star and Q100 mostly skew the 25-54/Female audience cuz it's "WHERE THE $$$'s at". But.....so, then these "MINI-bible-belt-capitols" like Columbia, Mobile, Jacksonville, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Williamsport, Charleston, Charlotte (I could go on)...........These markets don't have that similar "money-making, 25-54/Female audience"?

Of course they do and the 25-54/Females continue to make crazy money in those markets as well.
But, yet those markets ALSO have successful, high-energy, pure CHR station and most have remained unscathed for nearly half a century!

last point......(hehe).....C'mon! I swear!

I was watching the Teen-Choice Awards on Fox last Monday and as I watched the performances on there, I noticed that nearly 70% of the current songs I heard, I kept saying to myself...."I've NEVER heard that before on our "Atlanta-CHR" Then, I went to the R&R local playlists online...(so nice that we can still access SOME of R&R's updated info). Anyway, I wanted to see if I could find this "hot new music" I saw on Teen-Choice. So, as I checked Q's playlist (as of 8/1/10), ....I see Coldplay's "Viva La Vida"(??) The Fray's "You Found Me"(??), etc. And thought, "Okay....definitely the WRONG place to look" So then.... low and behold! I cruise the playlists of WHHD/Augusta "Oh look! There's that Diddy/Young Money song that I saw"! Then, from WABB/Moble's playlist -- "Oh look! There's that brand new David Guetta/Flo-Rida song I saw from Teen-Choice..." Atlanta-Market #7 has that pop teen audience and we shouldn't be so far behind with music.

Y'know....it wasn't until 3 months ago that I heard the song "Starstrukk" by 3OH3! ft. Katy Perry on WFBC/Greenville. Come to find out.....that song was released in EARLY SUMMER 2009! So, living in #7-Atlanta, I guess it just NEVER got played.....why?

You know, I just got a lot off my chest about this subject that I always get bashed for ranting about on here. So, "THANKFULLY" most of you know that I'll shut-up about this on-going "Bermuda Tri-Angle" of Atlanta radio....(thanks, KDM...I owe ya one) At least for a little while.

But, thanks to sites like this and as with all of you in yer own ways, I can simply share my passion for trying to understand the science of radio. And, since I'm NOT currently in the business like most of you, I'll be waiting for your rants because, I'm sure, I, mentioned some info somewhere that's not EXACTLY on the money to a trade magazine or whatever. But, to miss endless...ENDLESS amounts of hit singles that are ((FACTUALLY)) played on CHR's everywhere else, it seems but ATLANTA, GA........then, yes....it makes perfect sense why STAR-94 and now, Q100 (claiming to be Top-40) are losing their audiences and getting lower numbers. Probably just a temporary dip....(who knows) But, for pop-radio in a market this size to remain this bad?? ......When is it going to give?

 

[gregg75]

So......in summary
I guess both B98 & Q100 are guilty of "playing it safe" in their music choices. B98 music is
usually at least 3 months behind, rarely breaks anything new and is guilty of wearing out the
few artists/songs they overplay (as they compensate for lack of.........whatever/leadership/guts).

Q100 picks it's music as if ordering at McDonald's. Much rap and rap/dance are off the menu,
while rock/dance and Pop Top-40 are consumed in large quantities to the point of over indulgence.

ELECTROBOY: It's shameful that stations in the #7 market act as if they are in the #75 market.
Which I tend to agree with. Don't just sit in the bleachers and watch the ballgame......get your ass
down on the field and participate!!!

CONFUCIUS SAYS: B98 is in Boise, Idaho and Q100 is in Wheeling, West Virginia.

 

[rodneyho]

More 18-34, 25-54 breakdowns here on my blog:

http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/...-up-for-dave-kicks-cools-down-for-b98-5-fish/

 

[Wildstyle K]

"....WHAT'S WRONG AT Q100", at least?

[[SELECTION AND REDUNDANCY OF RECURRENTS]]
Still playing the crap out of these songs (and AT NIGHT too)! Literally, Friday and Saturday evenings and after every song that remotely has a dance beat, Q100 just HAS to play keep playing these songs And will probably for SOME ODD REASON...(STILL) play these songs in 20 years:

AS A SUPPOSED CHR:

Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying (AC Song)
O.A.R. - Shattered (Turn The Car Around) (AC Song)
Pink - Who Knew (AC Song)
Pink - Sober (OLD Hot-AC/AC Song)
Colbie Calait - Falling For You (VERY AC SONG)
No Doubt "Underneath It All" (AC)
Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" (AC)
Jordin Sparks "Tattoo" (AC)
Jordin Sparks - Battlefield......(this song wasn't that huge of a hit)! (Now, it's kind of an AC Song)
Pink "Please Don't Leave Me" (AC)
Nickelback "Far Away" (AC)
Daughtry "Home" (AC)
Green Day "Boulevard....." (Hot-AC)
David Cook "Time Of My Life" (AC)
Jordin Sparks - Battlefield......(this song wasn't that huge of a hit)! (Now, it's kind of an AC Song)
Shinedown - Second Chance (OLD HOT-AC Song)
Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry (OLD AC Song)
Rob Thomas - Her Diamonds (OLD AC Song)
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You (AC Song)
All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight (VERY OLD HOT-AC Song)
All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell (VERY OLD HOT-AC Song)

[[RECURRENTS ON A "NORMAL" CHR]]

GOOD CHARLOTTLE "Lifestyles...Rich & Famous"
KID CUDI "Day & Night"
LIT "My Own Worst Enemy"
CASCADA "Evacuate The Dancefloor"
Pussycat Dolls - "I Hate This Part"
JAY-Z/Alicia Keys "Empire State Of Mind"
PITBULL "Hotel Room Service"
LINKIN PARK "In The End"
DJ SAMMY - "Heaven"
PITBULL "I Know You Want Me (calle ocho)"
Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"
DRAKE "Best I Ever Had"
Ciara Featuring Missy Elliott - 1, 2 Step
Wake Up - Hilary Duff
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain Low
Cascada What Hurts The Most
Mary J Blige - Family Affair
Metro Station - Shake It
Danity - Kane Damaged
Blink 182 - All The Small Things
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Daft Punk - One More Time
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West - Run This Town

.....on top of that.....

AS A SUPPOSED CHR:

[[CURRENTS STILL NOT HEARD OR BARELY HEARD ON Q]]

FLO RIDA FEAT. DAVID GUETTA - Club Can't Handle Me
AUBURN - La La La
Eminem - Not Afraid
DAVID GUETTA & CHRIS WILLIS FEAT. FERGIE & LMFAO - Gettin' Over You
USHER FEAT. PITBULL - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (Heard it once at like 3am)
EMINEM - Love The Way You Lie (#1 song in the country and it's on Q about 2 times/day)


.....and that ladies n gents is, (IMO) what's wrong with Q100.

That song by Eminem and Rihanna is ALWAYS on! It put the "bedrock" amount of plays during it's time to shame! I went to L.A. and "love the way you lie" seemed to be the soundtrack of L.A. I drove back to Phoenix, same thing here! I drive through the desert in the middle of no where and the desert station is playing it! Geezus! Luckily it grew on me quickly. The same thing with "DJ got us falling in love".

With exception to Blink 182, Hilary Duff, Jimmy Eat World, LIT and Good Charlotte, I hear all those recurrents all the time as well.

I will admit though that Q100's Saturday Night Q is pretty on point though. I even heard Honorebel ft Pitbull "now you see it" on Q100 one Saturday night in the mix. I immediately had to call an electrician when it happened because I WAS SHOCKED!

 

[Nyte Ryder]

I don't disagree with your personal taste in music or what you would like to hear on the radio. I think it's great and I even personally like some of the songs listed.

But you pushing one or two specific songs then extrapolating that into a bunch of dance or hip-hop songs that stretchs the point a bit too far.

Most of the songs you mention aren't played on Z, Y, or KIIS. Some are. Again, my issue is taking one or two and turn it into 25 songs (most of which were never hits and by that I mean not in the Top 15).

Yes, Q should play more currents. Let's agree on that and let the in-between fall where it may.

 

[Wildstyle K]

on-going "Bermuda Tri-Angle" of Atlanta radio....(thanks, KDM...I owe ya one)

After all this time, it's the only explanation I could think of to describe why this is happening. I mean... I'm grown up now, so I can understand certain things I couldn't when I was a kid, but there's still no real explanation to why for over 20 years, no traditional sounding top 40 or rhythmic has been able to stand the test of time in Atlanta - THEN out of no where you get hit with a rhythmic AC! I've expressed my thoughts on this many times before, but I'll say once more

HOW in the world do you go from no traditional rhythmic to a rhythmic AC - then expect people to be familiar with half of those older rhythmic hits that never even played in Atlanta? I knew ever since the beginning when I said this that they were going to struggle with their format, especially with their back in the day hits section. I noticed how they did manage to get around it by playing odd pop rock and other type of older material to replace some of the rhythmic old school that was never played in Atlanta. It was funny to see how long that lasted before they started tweaking more towards today's hits...

I was extremely excited for Atlanta shortly after I left when I first discovered they had the new 95.5 The Beat and Q100, but those stations only stayed "proper" or traditional for a limited amount of time. It was only a matter of time before once again there were multiple hits that just wouldn't play in Atlanta. As a matter of fact, I think I have to owe it to Atlanta for getting me into radio because it was during my younger years of living there for school then traveling back to AZ, Cali,..etc. and discovering all these hits I never even heard of the entire year in Atl and wondering why this was happening that officially got me in to radio. I just never thought 20 years later I'd still be this bewildered to what's happening here.

Atlanta - The Bermuda Triangle of Traditional Top 40 Radio - it's the only possible explanation I could come up with in my mind! From the days of Mighty Dub Kats and Max-A-Million and K7 to the days of Metrostation, Danity Kane, PITBULL, and ...well, you name it, its been happening. I do give thanks to Rick Dees, who I used to "religiously" listen to every chance I got, for shining the light on hit music that I would've otherwise never known about. I'll say at least there is still some hope with The Groove being around. Other than that, well..... At least you all have Q100's Saturday Night Q mixshow which reflects what we hear in regular rotation here all over most of the west coast all the time. I admit that our KZON has been slow at adding some songs, like the many months it took for them to add "day 'n' nite" by Kid Cudi while everyone else was on it and their little recent delay on Auburn ft Iyaz "la la la". I could bet without even checking that if I guessed one of those two songs aren't being played in Atl right now, 50% chance I would be right...

Anyway, good luck folks on your quest for a traditional top 40. I'm sure with all the posts going on around multiple sections of this board about the Atl CHR situation, eventually someone will think to swoop in with a traditional top 40 sound and improve the CHR market in Atl. L.A. has an over abundance of some that ATL could "borrow"! Last weekend I went there and... well, I'll just say the "C" in CHR should stand for California.

 

[Wildstyle K]

[[CURRENTS STILL NOT HEARD OR BARELY HEARD ON Q]]

FLO RIDA FEAT. DAVID GUETTA - Club Can't Handle Me
AUBURN - La La La
Eminem - Not Afraid
DAVID GUETTA & CHRIS WILLIS FEAT. FERGIE & LMFAO - Gettin' Over You
USHER FEAT. PITBULL - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (Heard it once at like 3am)
EMINEM - Love The Way You Lie (#1 song in the country and it's on Q about 2 times/day)


.....and that ladies n gents is, (IMO) what's wrong with Q100.

Wow! Ok so Auburn "La La La" has been mentioned so never mind about that. I turned out to be 100% correct with my prediction. Anyway, those five songs alone are in rotation like it's a competition to see who could play them the most out here in the west! "Love the way you lie" AT THE LEAST should be huge on CHR, but then again, Atl was also never really too big on Eminem based on what I've heard and seen over the years.. or am I missing something?

By the way, I think I can somewhat explain why Pitbull songs may not be big in Atl. It's probably partially has something to do with the fact that none of the hits Pitbull rhythmically samples in much of his recent material have been played in Atl either, so it's not like the average Atl listener could even relate to it based on past experience.

 

[musicman3355]

How could Q100 NOT be playing Usher? Isn't that where he's from? Q100 is a joke... how's that Groove groovin'?

 

[Talk_Dude]

HOW in the world do you go from no traditional rhythmic to a rhythmic AC - then expect people to be familiar with half of those older rhythmic hits that never even played in Atlanta?

1. A great many people in Atlanta aren't from Atlanta. Many people might recognize those songs from hearing them in the cities they lived in before they moved here.

2. A great many people who like a particular kind of music find out about songs from media other than the radio. In fact, radio has gone from the first place people turn to for new music to the last place they turn.

3. New or old, so what? People who like good music will like good songs even those good songs are new to them. Only radio industry suits care very much about when a song was recorded or released. People who like music who hear a great song for the first time will like the great song, even if they are surprised to find out that it's really an old song.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

How could Q100 NOT be playing Usher? Isn't that where he's from? Q100 is a joke... how's that Groove groovin'?

Not true at all.