KWRD Henderson - The plot thickens

[136kgb]

No word yet on KWRD getting the license transfer. Larry on this board would know better than anyone else. There is basically a black oldies station, its 107.3. I tried to get Dudley Waller to do that on 102.3 and 95.3, 4 year ago. But he wanted to do soft rock to compete with Sunny. But there are only a few music formats that will work on AM, and the black oldies really need to be on FM. 50's and 60's rock and roll oldies, classic country, and standards are the only music formats that do decently on AM. Anything else needs to be on FM.

Jerry Russell was supposedly making 10K a month on KOFY when he was leasing it to the Mexican preacher. And when I was associated with Russell for 5 minutes KWRD was making $1200 a month, and that was just off of the church in Henderson. KZEY had NO commercials except for Brookshires, they didn't even have LEGAL ID'S! The thing that killed me was that even when KZEY was COMPLETELY OFF THE AIR, it had a 1.2 share 12 plus. The Loyal Black listeners were still writing it in their diaries. Arbitron didn't bother to see if the station was on the air.

Jerry Russell is taking a job at Kilgore College he will be the new dean of the new school of broadcasting. He consulted them on the best course of action for KTPB. Please note that I am being sarchastic.

 

[Kent]

The thing that killed me was that even when KZEY was COMPLETELY OFF THE AIR, it had a 1.2 share 12 plus. The Loyal Black listeners were still writing it in their diaries. Arbitron didn't bother to see if the station was on the air.

That kind of reminds me of KMOX in St. Louis during the Flood of '93. It got something like a 7 share during a three day period when it was off-air. Of course, I'm sure KZEY was off-air more than three days!

 

[Chuck]

Arbitron fanatics will disagree with me, but I believe in a smallish market like Tyler-Longview that has lots of stations and not all that many people, their diary method isn’t exceedingly accurate. The sample is fairly small and a lot of the way things turn out seems to be a function of who got the diaries for the particular survey period. It is not simply what stations are the most popular, like you'd think it would be. It is much more complicated, and the “Top Line” ratings are basically useless information.

In my opinion, the Arbitron data is probably relatively accurate for the top 5-10 stations in a market such as ours, but past that, things get fragmented very rapidly. Better yet, the way things are reported, there is always a glimmer of hope and an “atta boy” for every subscribing station, no matter how great or dismal the ratings. Basically, it is a sales tool that is designed to support the folks who pay for it. It is bad form to piss off your customers, so they have figured out ways to allow a positive spin on just about everything. That tendency explains why stations that haven’t been on the air in some time can still show up in the ratings.

 

[Kent]

Arbitron fanatics will disagree with me, but I believe in a smallish market like Tyler-Longview that has lots of stations and not all that many people, their diary method isn’t exceedingly accurate.

Actually, I don't think many of us will disagree with you, though I don't you'll consider us, especially me, to be an "Arbitron fanatic." The diary method has always has its share of issues. In the larger markets, the PPM proves the diary works reasonably well, though such methods, I don't believe, have been tested in smaller markets on smaller samples.

The sample is fairly small and a lot of the way things turn out seems to be a function of who got the diaries for the particular survey period. It is not simply what stations are the most popular, like you'd think it would be. It is much more complicated, and the “Top Line” ratings are basically useless information.

A few years ago, I worked for a small market station that went from a 10.8 to a 7.6 to a 5.3 to an 11.6 over a two-year period. In all likelihood, the true numbers would have been around the 7.6 for the whole two years. Of course, we have no real way of knowing. Everyone I've known in small markets has had their share of complaints about Arbitron and its methodology. However, it's what we have, and we have to make it work.

In my opinion, the Arbitron data is probably relatively accurate for the top 5-10 stations in a market such as ours, but past that, things get fragmented very rapidly. Better yet, the way things are reported, there is always a glimmer of hope and an “atta boy” for every subscribing station, no matter how great or dismal the ratings. Basically, it is a sales tool that is designed to support the folks who pay for it. It is bad form to piss off your customers, so they have figured out ways to allow a positive spin on just about everything. That tendency explains why stations that haven’t been on the air in some time can still show up in the ratings.

I think the important thing to remember is that one or two books does not a success make. You have to look at your ratings over the course of a year or two at the very least. Usually, when you see a fluke book, you can spot it; it's pretty obvious where your ratings came from. However, every sample will have wobble, and small markets will have more simply because of a smaller sample size and fewer surveys to balance it out.

By the way, the reason I buy for the stations off-air showing up in the ratings is that people tend to fill out their diaries in retrospect and often have preconceived notions about what they're hearing. I remember working for KOQL in Columbia, MO shortly after it flipped from oldies to CHR. I had someone make a request, which played within 15 minutes. She called back a little over an hour later complaining she never heard her song. I heard our competitor, KTXY "Y-107," playing in the background. A friend and co-worker also had the perfect caller when giving away concert tickets, but, when asked who played the most music, her response was, "Y-107!" So, his response was, "Because you're a stupid b***ch, you don't get the tickets!", which he gave to another caller. People get things stuck in their heads and can't let them go. It's always been a problem.

Also, I worked at Y-107 after KOQL had decimated it. One of the rules we had was that the station positioner had to be mentioned at least 60 times per hour. They preferred 80! The reason goes back to preconceived notions. We had to get our brand loyalty back and pound "Y-107" down everyone's throat.

 

[Chuck]

By the way, the reason I buy for the stations off-air showing up in the ratings is that people tend to fill out their diaries in retrospect and often have preconceived notions about what they're hearing. I remember working for KOQL in Columbia, MO shortly after it flipped from oldies to CHR. I had someone make a request, which played within 15 minutes. She called back a little over an hour later complaining she never heard her song. I heard our competitor, KTXY "Y-107," playing in the background. A friend and co-worker also had the perfect caller when giving away concert tickets, but, when asked who played the most music, her response was, "Y-107!" So, his response was, "Because you're a stupid b***ch, you don't get the tickets!", which he gave to another caller. People get things stuck in their heads and can't let them go. It's always been a problem.

I believe you are correct. I get several phone calls every week that are meant for some other station. I guess that means whatever these people were listening to didn't make enough of an impression on them to be remembered when they got to a phone book. Good luck getting them to write it down in a diary.

 

[musicsweep]

Arbitron survey results are compiled subjectively. I once received a diary, listened to the Bull (99.3) KWRW (97.7) and KYYK (98.3). KWRW and KYYK didn't even register in the 12+ and The Bull tanked in the ratings.

Yep! I've got the Midas touch! ;D

 

[C414B]

Sure has been quiet about the KWRD ownership transfer saga. Any late word?

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

All I can say is that I feel bad for Hanszen, he is just trying to buy a heritage station and turn it around for the community. But to do so he has to make a deal with the Devil and sell his soul. I do have to give Jerry Haszen credit he does local radio he does a decent job with it and he is making money where the big companies said its impossible to do so. I take my hat off to him!

But in the same breath I feel bad for Larry Fuss and for Phillip Burr, that got tangled up in the Russell web of non-sense.

I'm just going to sit back and wait for the next AM filling window and bid on AM 690 in Tyler.
Phillip Burr can go after 1060's defunct license, Larry Fuss can go get the FMs in Mississippi back, Jerry Hanszen can have KWRD, and Jerry Russell can get thrown in Federal Prison. EVERYBODY'S HAPPY!

I know they were silent and supposedly got their license yanked, but apparently their lawyer petitoned for reconsideration and got the license regranted for KZEY 690.. it shows as licensed now as far as I know.

And their towers are gone too? HMMM..