And here it is....Buffalo/Niagara Falls
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Buffalo June '26 book
- Thread starter ckg279
- Start date
Is it just me, or are the numbers pretty much meaningless when about 46% of the market is missing?
You’re seeing about 54%. I see them all.
Nielsen is not a fair representation of the market. You cannot see WGRF, WECK, WHTT, WEDG. I can tell you, you would see an entirely different picture if those stations were included.
I do have to say congratulations to WGR on their continued success in ratings. The Sabres helped. But that is not the only reason. The station is a great sports station.
WBEN is falling like a rock. That will get worse when The Source launches on 94.9. WBEN was once the trusted news, talk, information station. It is no longer any of those. It’s not trusted anymore.
This is not showing June which is the book that just came on. You cannot out June on radio online.com
It got worse than what you are seeing here
With WBUF being in such a bad place ratings-wise, breaking format for 86 Sabres playXplay broadcasts would probably be a net plus for the cluster.
You would have to weigh the cost of getting those rights. They're not free. There's also the cost of production. I would bet the team would want ad placement on the company's higher rated stations. From what I can see, Townsquare isn't a player in the live sports business.
People here focus on the 6+ ratings of broadcast stations, but that's not really Townsquare's main interest. They're using broadcast to promote their digital business, and they own a rock music website that's connected to the station.
Ultimate Classic Rock
Classic rock music news, interviews, pictures, songs and lists from classic rock artists.
ultimateclassicrock.com
Here's how Townsquare's CEO views his business:
Townsquare Media Digital Revenue Hit New Heights in Q1 - Radio Ink
Townsquare Media CEO Bill Wilson hailed the company's broadcast-to-digital transformation complete in Q1 2026, as digital hit all-time highs of 59% of net revenue and 63% of segment profit.
radioink.com
Running Active Rock like it's 1999.
How is an FM Rock station with terrible ratings in market #59 aiding in that pursuit? WBUF could completely leave the airwaves entirely tomorrow, and I doubt their digital business would feel any material $$$ impact from that.
WBUF does not air Ultimate Classic Rock, by the way. They air Loudwire Nights. That's not the biggest problem with the station, though. The biggest problem is the lame morning show from WGRD in Michigan that it carries.
If I may make a general observation, Townsquare airs nighttime programming across various music formats that is co-branded with websites it owns. Hot AC & CHR run a show called "PopCrush Nights" (what a stupid name, by the way). Classic Rock airs Ultimate Classic Rock. Country airs Taste of Country nights. Hip-hop airs XXL Higher Level Radio. Classic Hits doesn't have a website themed show, but "The Night Shift" with voice tracker Jen Austin airs on most if not all of the company's Classic Hits stations.
You're right, and that's partially because nearly all of their stations are located in dinky markets. WMMQ in Lansing, MI does carry Michigan State University football & basketball but Townsquare is uninvolved with the production or syndication of those broadcasts.
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Townsquare has very openly said “we are not a radio company, we are a digital company”. Not sure how much more needs to be said that they could care less about WBUF, or for that matter, WTSS.
They have the only country station in town, so they don’t have to worry about that niche, they have the urban in town.
They need to hold on to these stations right now because who is going to pay for them, unless TS was set to take a huge bath.
Any local owner or regional broadcast could make this station very relevant by being local, being an event machine, and finding a niche format.
I would like to know what you think the WBUF and WTSS signal would go for separately if put on the sales market.
It probably won’t happen, but I’d be all for WBUF as a nice landing spot for WECK, Would bring 92.9 back to some relevance and tie in with BUF’s heritage in the 80’s and 90 ‘s when they skewed heavy with 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music. Would also clean up the multiple FM’s they use today. WBUF has a great signal everywhere in WNY.
Once again, you're reaching these conclusions from 6+ published ratings. You don't know the revenue situation, and how the Buffalo clearance affects the national shows. iHeart owns hundreds of low rated stations around the country that exist to clear national shows. This is Townsquare's version of that. They have the top two stations in town, and they make enough to cover for this station.
There's no point having a local morning show to compete against Shredd & Ragan. There is no audience in the morning. Cumulus owns the local rock format in Buffalo. What other format could they do that would tie in with one of their existing national brands? That's the key. This is the best situation for them. They just have to hold the line on expense and create original web content.
Trust me, WBUF's 25-54 numbers are garbage, too.
I respectfully disagree regarding that "this is the best situation for them."
CHR or Classic Rock are the two obvious ones. I would not recommend flipping to CHR, though.
A clearance of a show in market #59 is not going to make or break anyone's P&L.
I respectfully disagree regarding that "this is the best situation for them."
CHR or Classic Rock are the two obvious ones. I would not recommend flipping to CHR, though.
A clearance of a show in market #59 is not going to make or break anyone's P&L.
Here's what I said:
Nothing you say changes that.
Have you looked at the 97 Rock playlist lately? How many stations do you need playing Led Zepplin and Lynyrd Skynyrd?
Do you think there's a format hole there? Against Shredd & Ragan?
National shows, by definition, need EVERY market they can get. Especially when they're competing against Premier and Westwood One. No iHeart or Cumulus stations will carry their syndication. That excludes a lot of markets. So this is a big win for them.
I agree with you. From a radio standpoint, WYRK holds together all the other stations combined. I see the Miller Kaplans each month. The revenue on the other three stations has to pale in comparison to WYRK.
From my vantage point, they are all very efficient buys for Media One. As long as the rates are efficient and the creative is great, advertisers will get results from any one of these stations.
WYRK obviously commands more, and it should. Their programming, community involvement, jocks, and breaking new artists have kept them on top. WBLK has a very specific audience, incredible longevity, and TSL 2nd to none. WBUF has very decent numbers with men, most likely has low expenses, and helps bring dollars to the other three stations. To me, WTSS is an anomaly. I have zero idea what they stand for. They own zero positioning. I still can’t figure out what it is called, because it truly has no meaning. If anything, I guess you could call it the Christmas station. It has zero buzz. It needs to create an identity.
Radio is a business first. There are many variables in running a radio company. Ratings are mattering less and less. National business is almost nill. This is about making sure you are profitable and keeping stockholders happy. Digital is an enormous piece of this puzzle, and it should be.
At TS, feed the beast, and that is WYRK.
A format change does not matter anymore. No one cares. Higher margins is what everything is about.
As I have said before, radio stations no longer appreciate in value. However, they are great at cash flow (EBITA). Digital is appreciating in value and cash flow. So between Radio and Digital, it’s easy to see what the focus should be
One last thing that was mentioned. The numbers you are seeing in the trades are 12+. While it is the largest sample size, it’s not what sales or programming care about. You might be asking “How are you doing in your target demographic?”. That matters far more than these numbers of 12+
Remember, for ratings, a person must meet criteria to get a diary. When they get a diary they are bribed with a dollar bill to fill out info they couldn’t care less about, they have to do this daily, and take it wherever they go. After that, they have to take the time to go to a post office, buy a stamp, and mail it within a matter of days. By the way, out of more than a million person market, the amount of these diaries that go out is pathetic.
Ratings are based on RECALL . That’s it. I could advertise a fictitious Buffalo station. Let’s say I spent 100k in one month to advertise JOE 93.8. Of course it does not exist, however, it would probably finish the month in the top 5. It’s all about recall
Personal music preference has nothing to do with format viability.
The correct answer to your question is - whichever number of like-formatted stations the market is willing to support.
Yes, I do think a competing classic rock station with a music intensive morning daypart could outperform the current version of WBUF. Defeating or coming to close to defeating 97Rock isn't necessary.
They already tried that:
92.9 Jack-FM Buffalo Gives Way To Everything That Rocks
Townsquare Media flipped Variety Hits "92.9 Jack-FM" WBUF Buffalo to Rock "92.9 WBUF" at 2pm today. Positioning as "Everything That
radioinsight.com
My take is they're aiming at young men. It's a tough group to reach. They don't listen to much broadcast radio.
When you own the top two stations in town, you've already outperformed the competition. Done.