KFWB Earthquake Coverage. NONE!

[davideduardo]

So says the programmer. Try telling that to a sales manager who was just informed that a buyer is only going three stations deep instead of six the way she did a year ago when placing a buy, because her budget has been chopped in half. And try telling that to the sales manager of a standalone who just got closeted on a buy because a six-station cluster dropped its pants on the lower-rated stations in the cluster to scoop up the entire share. Your theory does not always work in practice...in the real world.

So says the former GM and GSM and NSM.

While rank may be a start point on a buy, cost per point is the deciding factor for any buy made by ratings. A higher ranked station that does not deliver the target CPP is nocked out, and the lower ranked station that delivers the right cost gets added, known as "buying around" the hogh price station. Also important is reach, part of any r&f buy where a high ranked staiton my be blown out because it does not add to the reach of the buy, even if efficient on a CPP basis.

It's not rank, it's cost per listener. And minor ups and downs in rank are averaged out by using multi-survey analysis where such things are more compressed.

 

[Shoot From Hip]

So says the programmer. Try telling that to a sales manager who was just informed that a buyer is only going three stations deep instead of six the way she did a year ago when placing a buy, because her budget has been chopped in half. And try telling that to the sales manager of a standalone who just got closeted on a buy because a six-station cluster dropped its pants on the lower-rated stations in the cluster to scoop up the entire share. Your theory does not always work in practice...in the real world.

So says the former GM and GSM and NSM.

While rank may be a start point on a buy, cost per point is the deciding factor for any buy made by ratings. A higher ranked station that does not deliver the target CPP is nocked out, and the lower ranked station that delivers the right cost gets added, known as "buying around" the hogh price station. Also important is reach, part of any r&f buy where a high ranked staiton my be blown out because it does not add to the reach of the buy, even if efficient on a CPP basis.

It's not rank, it's cost per listener. And minor ups and downs in rank are averaged out by using multi-survey analysis where such things are more compressed.

Never been a Sales Manager. Just someone who's paid attention. KLAC outbills KABC with much lower ratings. It more than doubled KSPN's revenue without double the ratings and even when KSPN had the Angels. Yes...you have explained how traditional buys are made. But consolidation has changed the game and other factors beyond ratings do come in to play. That's all I'm saying.

 

[davideduardo]

Never been a Sales Manager. Just someone who's paid attention. KLAC outbills KABC with much lower ratings. It more than doubled KSPN's revenue without double the ratings and even when KSPN had the Angels. Yes...you have explained how traditional buys are made. But consolidation has changed the game and other factors beyond ratings do come in to play. That's all I'm saying.

Well, having been a sales manager, I can say that there is a lot beyond the rankers we see online.

KLAC likely has most of its revenue linked to or directly from the basketball broadcasts.... sports marketing more than ad dollars. Quite obvious is the fact that KLAC had a team that was of interest, while the Angles have had so little interest that the owners have had to buy or own stations to get the games carried.

And in many cases a low rated sports station, which efficiently delivers the "beer demo" will outbill a second tier station that does not deliver anything efficiently or better than other, bigger stations. For years, WFAN in NY was the market's top biller and for more years it was in the top couple of stations, yet the 12+ was arond 15th... but the delivery sans spillage of 21-54 and 21-44 men was excellent and drove revenue.

Of course you are correct that there are other factors. Sations may be attractive due to merchandising or promotions, bonus spots, etc. And others may have to overcome "no controversy" dictates and income level concerns. But, overall, it's audience delivery effciency, measured in CPP, that is the factor at the head of the list.