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Latest Arbitrends: WBNS-AM joins WTDA in being beaten by WLW

Sean Gilbow said:
OK, OMW, I've got to call you out on this one.

In an earlier post here you said:

"There's basically no room for a competitive operation in talk or sports in the (Columbus) market. Period."

Now, you say,

"There will be more spoken word stations, not less, on FM in the future."

Conservatives would call this a flip-flop. But I'll wait until I hear your explanation.
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Good catch, so I've got to explain the thinking behind it.

The second statement doesn't necessarily invalidate the first. For one, I was not necessarily speaking directly about the Columbus market, though I think it will still happen.

If you've checked in with the Mighty Blog, you know that we have what I call the "FM Talk (and Sports) Watch". We'll put up news from markets all over that have converted spoken word formats to the FM dial.

There are a lot of reasons for that. AM demographics are aging, and fast. Talk/news/sports stations on FM are getting younger audiences, and fast...and the PPMs show it. Ratings for CBS' FM sports talker in Detroit are through the roof...the station is at or near #1 ratings in a host of saleable demos.

I am not necessarily saying that "The Fan" is headed for #1, though they will do very, very well during Buckeyes football season. It's a no brainer.

Anyway, as talk stations migrate to FM over the coming months/years, there will be more spoken word formats on FM. I'm not sure how much more room there'll be in Columbus, and there are other issues (WTDA is there, but their signal stinks).

So, with this statement: "There will be more spoken word stations, not less, on FM in the future," I don't mean there'll be success with them in Columbus. :D

I do expect 'TVN to end up either simulcasting on FM, or moving to it, even despite the big 610 signal...for the demographic reasons I mentioned earlier. No, I'm not willing to guess which FM they'll flip. :D And that's a part of what I mean...even the Big Signal AM News/Talkers will continue to add FM components, due to the demo/PPM issues.
 
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that. Their night signal every direction but north is horrid, and their best shot at fixing that (new towers south of Circleville about 10 years ago) was shot down by the NIMBY folks.
 
Arbitrends released today show no ratings for WBNS-AM and WTDA during March-April-May.

I hate to beat a dead horse here, and I won't do it elsewhere, but the day before WVKO flipped to Catholic radio, it scored a 1.0 in the Fall Arbitrons. That's with the informercials, signal issues, etc., amongst the likes of Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz.

And again, I don't see progressive talk returning as a format. But a counterprogramming approach featuring the aforementioned talkers by either 1460 or 103.9 will gain an audience of disgruntled progressives currently with nowhere to go but noncommercial radio or Ohio Majority Radio's web stream. The www.ohiomajorityradio.com website also has listed WVKO's advertisers in its previous format.

http://www.ohiomajorityradio.com/advertising/

If it is any comfort for the conservative Wolfe family...Ed Schultz is an former college and pro football player and play-by-play announcer who can talk sports at the drop of a hat. And Stephanie Miller is a USC grad who just loves a guy in uniform. Add ONN news and Matt and Ramona to the equation, and you have the makings of a new talk audience from the disgruntled listeners from the format changes of the past winter.

As for Hal Fish...Let's just say progressives can put up with another crappy signal.

And as far as the music stations' trends, I'll leave the discussion to the Roo.
 
Sean: I think the pigeon holing of the Wolfe family as a bunch of cigar smoking conservatives is long over. Let's remember, this family now owns the artsy and liberal leaning Columbus Alive as well as Fronteras, their Spanish speaking publication. So they have entered the liberal media as well as the multilingual media.
 
del_griffith said:
Sean: I think the pigeon holing of the Wolfe family as a bunch of cigar smoking conservatives is long over. Let's remember, this family now owns the artsy and liberal leaning Columbus Alive as well as Fronteras, their Spanish speaking publication. So they have entered the liberal media as well as the multilingual media.
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You make a good point. But whether this means the return of fart jokes to Columbus radio remains to be seen.
 
Sean Gilbow said:
del_griffith said:
Sean: I think the pigeon holing of the Wolfe family as a bunch of cigar smoking conservatives is long over. Let's remember, this family now owns the artsy and liberal leaning Columbus Alive as well as Fronteras, their Spanish speaking publication. So they have entered the liberal media as well as the multilingual media.
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You make a good point. But whether this means the return of fart jokes to Columbus radio remains to be seen.
Click to expand...

Well, yes and no re the Wolfes. On social rights issues (e.g., abortion, gay rights) the Dispatch has indeed broken from the past. But make no mistake, they absolutely detest President Obama. I haven't seen the Dispatch so full of conservative fire in years. Their 2004 presidential endorsement was of course for Bush, yet contained plenty of praise for Kerry. But their bizarre 2008 McCain endorsement quickly dispatched (pun intended) Obama in a couple sentences, as a good public speaker with no qualifications to be President.

Since then, it's like you can almost visualize steam coming out of John Wolfe's ears when you read about Obama's plans in the Dispatch. One editorial basically said he is killing the country. It all comes off like a kid who is pouting and screaming because he can't have his way, even when they have valid criticisms.

As for the music stations there's really not much to say. Things are largely status quo. One thing I do find interesting is that Newark's WNKO, which covers a lot less population than "Columbus" signal weaklings like WTDA, has a 1.3 with its Classic Hits format (not really sure what approach they use, BTW).

Speaking of WTDA, unless ratings aren't important to them, I can't see why they are doing anything other than music (a return to Ted), or, as Sean suggests, trying to make a go with Progressive Talk (but can those guys sell something they just don't believe in at all)? The good news for Nabco is of course that 99.7's upswing now looks like a bona fide trend. Wonder how much of it is due to B&T?

Finally, getting back to the Wolfes, they've got to be happy that Dispatch is one of only a handful of TV groups (though a pretty small one) that actually saw revenue increase from 2007 to 2008 (as reported in the 7-2 Taylor on Radio-Info).
 
Also noticed that 'BNS-FM's ratings went down .3 of a point to a 3.0. Soon it will be in the 2s like the AM had when the FM was playing music. They wanted Sports to do a 5...They're lucky they're getting a 3.
 
Congratulations WKKJ, 94 Country out of Chillicothe! You guys rule!! Well, you rule over WBNS-AM, WTDA, the two 'VKOs, WYTS, and WRFD anyways.
 
jakej said:
Congratulations WKKJ, 94 Country out of Chillicothe! You guys rule!! Well, you rule over WBNS-AM, WTDA, the two 'VKOs, WYTS, and WRFD anyways.
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..and just imagine what it would have been like if KKJ were still on the Class B signal CC moved to Columbus (as WLZT).
 
jakej said:
Congratulations WKKJ, 94 Country out of Chillicothe! You guys rule!! Well, you rule over WBNS-AM, WTDA, the two 'VKOs, WYTS, and WRFD anyways.
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I've never seen 94.3 WKKJ show up in the columbus ratings. To me this means the books ended up in the hands of folks on the south side more than else where in Columbus. I am also still suprised at where WWCD 101.1. Also looks like the Mix isn't doing well.. nor is the new home of Big Hits but again this could be diary placement.
 
xmusicmatt said:
Also looks like the Mix isn't doing well.. nor is the new home of Big Hits but again this could be diary placement.
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Actually, Big Hits did better than I expected given how REALLY marginal 104.3's signal is (coupled with its move to a mostly non-local Classic Hits service, and a second-rate one at that). Even 103.9 has a significantly better signal, and it was a no-show vs. WODB's near-1.
 
Jason Roberts said:
What Nu-Roo is talking about is the new "Classic Hits" format which is replacing the original 50's/60's/70's based oldies format.  Done with Top 40/Hot A-C style jocks.

It is 60's and 70's based with a shred of 80's music.  Some stations even opt in a small amount of 50's-early 60's music in "timeless" type features and feature programming.  It's not enough early years stuff to overrule the target demo (35-54), but it somewhat satisfies the elders who miss their Elvis and Chubby Checker.

In NYC, WCBS-FM is #2 or #3 overall 25-54 with it.  WGRR in Cincinnati is successful, so too is WMJI in Cleveland.

So, No-Roo's suggestion is right...why not on a big stick? (It would be a bad day at Saga, who's doing it on B-whatever it is today, but it could be a money format for someone.)
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Just remembered...there have been Classic-Hits-like specialty programs on a couple big sticks here.  A notable one right now comes from Saga itself -- WSNY's Saturday night show.  And it's good, with perhaps a tad more 80's than a typical Classic Hits.  But obviously short-form specialty programming is no substitute for a full-time big-stick version.
 
I can pick up WTDA just using a 12 inch coaxial cable (my HD 100 radio have an RF port and AM antenna terminal port) since I lived on the forth floor so reception isn't a issue. The only two programs I tuned into is Science Fantastic and Phil Hendrie. The two Token Libs on the Talk Radio Network sat feed.

WTDA sill have its stereo pilot turn on? When I tuned into WTDA the stereo light is not on nor the Hybrid Digital is on. Yes I do have an Hybrid Digital Radio so I don't have to listen to WOSU AM static nor WTVN AM static. Plus WTVN broadcast on WLZT-2 HD FM.
 
xmusicmatt said:
jakej said:
Congratulations WKKJ, 94 Country out of Chillicothe! You guys rule!! Well, you rule over WBNS-AM, WTDA, the two 'VKOs, WYTS, and WRFD anyways.
Click to expand...

I've never seen 94.3 WKKJ show up in the columbus ratings. To me this means the books ended up in the hands of folks on the south side more than else where in Columbus. I am also still suprised at where WWCD 101.1. Also looks like the Mix isn't doing well.. nor is the new home of Big Hits but again this could be diary placement.
Click to expand...

94.3 is a crowded channel. If you get to the north side, you are hearing Marion on that frequency instead of Chillicothe.
Re. WNKO, when I worked at The Advocate in Newark a few years back I had a chance to meet some of their air personalities. They do a great job of live and local out there.
 
WTDA officially got no ratings in the Spring book.

Interestingly, WBNS-AM got a 0.8 in the book, beating WLW at 0.7. I say that because WBNS had no ratings in the last Arbitrends.
 
Look at CD101's ratings... That one suprises me. Could be book placement but still kinda suprising they are beating more powerful 106.7.

I say bring on the PPM... It will be interesting to see how the stations in Columbus do with the PPM over the traditional book.
 
gabigley1 said:
Sean Gilbow said:
WTDA officially got no ratings in the Spring book.

Interestingly, WBNS-AM got a 0.8 in the book, beating WLW at 0.7. I say that because WBNS had no ratings in the last Arbitrends.
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Did the ratings for WBNS-AM and WBNS-FM get transposed somehow by mistake? Anyway, here are the numbers for the spring book:

http://www.radio-info.com/site/markets/grid/columbus
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Here is the link to Tim's article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...RING.ART_ART_08-03-09_D6_E2EL1SV.html?sid=101

And the Spring 09 Arbitron 12+ chart from this article:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2009/08/03/abritron.html
 
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