NASCAR off WSOC-FM?

[radioheel]

Nobody cares, it's a bunch of cars going around in a circle. Nobody half-way intelligent would waste their time with that mess. It's a sport (even though it doesn't take much athletic ability to push the pedal), that's why it goes on a sports station. Whoever thought interrupting music for this mess on a 100,000 watt blowtorch was a dumba__ in the first place. Crappy feature, crappy signal.

I'm fairly certain the ad reps at WSOC would disagree with you on that one. I'm hearing some of them are already missing the revenue they used to generate selling spots for those races. Personally, I think it stinks that the NASCAR capital of the world has to resort to a low powered AM to carry the races. NASCAR is on better signals in markets much further away from the NASCAR hotbed than Charlotte is.

 

[urbanradio704]

Radio is a business. They were making more money off the music format, that's why NASCAR was dumped, and that's reality. If the money was right, they wouldn't have dropped it. Point. Blank. Period.

 

[shackleford]

Nobody cares, it's a bunch of cars going around in a circle. Nobody half-way intelligent would waste their time with that mess. It's a sport (even though it doesn't take much athletic ability to push the pedal), that's why it goes on a sports station. Whoever thought interrupting music for this mess on a 100,000 watt blowtorch was a dumba__ in the first place. Crappy feature, crappy signal.

Auto Racing is competition of the truest fashion.
It is way more physically demanding than football, baseball, or any other mainstream sport in the United States.
A race car is absolutely nothing like a street car. Race cars are 3500 pounds with over 800 horsepower. Driving one essentially feels like trying to drive a school bus at 200 MPH. So, yes, there is more than just mashing the accelerator.
Tell me, smart one, if you think you could keep control of your race car in this situation? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re6E98UqIls

Or do you think you could simlpy walk away from this like it was nothing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE1-C-QCnlg

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I am not a NASCAR fan but only a fool would discount it's importance in our economy. I doubt music is going to make as much revenue for WSOC-FM. If you've ever seen an ARB radio listening to music stations on the weekend isn't very high anyway. The fools in management probably think the crappy signal on 610 is going to cover it, no way. You can't even hear WFNZ in Huntersville at night. Huntersville and Mooresville are the Hotbeds for NASCAR activity, lots of the drivers live up there, the fans with money do too.

NASCAR was on WSOC when I got here in 1981. I used to look at the bored jocks across the glass running the race. So lets see after running the race on WSOC-FM for 25+ years all of a sudden it's wrong? Wow that sure is some logic!

I predict a backlash against WSOC-FM. The folks at WKKT must be smiling.

 

[CrazeeCarroll1]

Although I don't live in the Carolinas anymore WSOC was NASCAR... Each weekend you knew that when there was a race on the air it was gonna be on WSOC. When they had the two races in Charlotte WSOC and PRN was all over it. Like I said earlier it is 1987 all over again. I am curious as to what the braintrust at CBS charlotte must be thinking. Let's see you take off something that has been apart of your station for as long as I can remember only to move it to a signal that just don't cut it even more so at night... Something is just not adding up... CC1

 

[test123]

all the little rednecks can go to FNZ, and that's what they're going to have to do. CBS agrees with me, so put that in your pipe and smoke it. CBS programs the #1, 2, and 3 stations so I'll trust their judgement.

UR704...

First, it is very small of you to call people derogatory names. I am sure if someone referred to you by a derogatory term you would be pretty upset.

Second, CBS stations maybe #1,2 and 3 12+ but two of those stations are among the lowest as far as revenue is concerned. WFNZ sometimes bills more than WPEG. Using your 'Radio is a business' argument CBS should change the format of WPEG. Being #1 12+ might be nice but that does not mean you will be a top biller. WLNK is proof of that. Always fairly low 12+ The Link is almost always in the top 3 in billing.

This has all to do with PPM. Once rolled out I would not be surprised to see another Sports Talker in Charlotte. That station will pick up NASCAR and make a ton of money. If I were Dave Lingafelt I would be making a change right away.

Testing123

 

[urbanradio704]

I don't know where you get your info from, but WPEG and WBAV are both top billers in CBS cluster. The Urban audience is the largest consumers in the country. I've been behind the walls of CBS, so I know what I'm talking about. "It was a business decision, racing is one of those features that doesn't do well under the new measuring devices (PPM), while music seems to do better," says WSOC/WFNZ/WBCN PD DJ Stout. "It's a sports station, It'll allow a further connection between sports shows and broadcasts, we just added Bobcats and Tarheel broadcasts, NASCAR belongs there too," says Bill Shoening, CBS Radio Charlotte GM. In radio land, "business decision" means the money wasn't right. NASCAR is down. Last year, the Daytona 500 was down 15%. CBS Radio just dumped the simulcast of their sports talk station. It is the worst rated in the cluster. Common sense should tell you, CBS has no intention of adding sports to the FM dial anytime in the near future. You can listen to WFNZ on WPEG-FM HD-3 now anyway. Like I said before, all the little hillbillys will have to go to WFNZ.

 

[test123]

Last time I saw the numbers was about this time last year. WNKS is CBS's highest grossing station in town, followed by WSOC-FM then WKQC, WBAV, WPEG and WFNZ.

I never said CBS would move sports to one of their FM's although they have flipped music stations to Sports in Boston and Philly recently.

I think the PPM is going to show the real ratings for some stations in the market. Some will be higher and some will be much lower. Urbans and Spanish stations have fallen in most markets. If I were Clear Channel 96.1 would be running Fox Sports and NASCAR some time next week.

Next time you are behind the walls at CBS ask WSOC's best sales person how much money they are leaving on the table by not running NASCAR. Bet ya it is in the high six figures if not more.

Test123

 

[urbanradio704]

I don't have the numbers infront of me, so I'm not going argue on what I don't know, but I do know that the order you gave is wayyyy off. WBAV is the highest, that much I do know. I'm doing some CIAA events with them this week, so I'll be sure and ask about stations billing. I'll ask about the NASCAR thing too, although I really already know the answer. But I actually agree with you I'd rather hear sports on WIBT than that 6 song rotation and 7 hour shifts they got now. I really don't listen to them though, WBAV, WQNC and WPZS most of the time for me and WPEG and WGIV during certain dayparts. You're right about Urbans being down, but that's because Arbitron doesn't fully count the minority population. Look at Atlanta, for example. According to 2008 Census data, 59% of the population was black. Arbitron has 30.4%. Washington, DC census data 61% black. 21.8% black on Arbitron. In Charlotte 2008 Census Data 38% black, Arbitron has 21%. Even without being fully counted UAC and URB still the top 2 formats in the country, but they are down, and alot of the dumba__ moves made by these stations recently are the reason. Nobody's original anymore, they all play off eachother. That's really what their "research" is they look around and see what's working on other stations, and copy it, then when what everybody's doing isn't working "the format is down" when in reality everybody's doing the same thing and it ain't working. How about going back to what just makes sense? That, coupled with the fact that I've never met anyone who has received a diary or PPM or any of that. But I digress... Point is, SOC dropped NASCAR bc money wasn't right, it's on AM now, and it ain't coming back to FM anytime in near future, and CBS ain't changing any formats anytime soon either...yeah that's it in a nutshell.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

all the little rednecks can go to FNZ, and that's what they're going to have to do. CBS agrees with me, so put that in your pipe and smoke it. CBS programs the #1, 2, and 3 stations so I'll trust their judgement.

UR704...

First, it is very small of you to call people derogatory names. I am sure if someone referred to you by a derogatory term you would be pretty upset.

Second, CBS stations maybe #1,2 and 3 12+ but two of those stations are among the lowest as far as revenue is concerned. WFNZ sometimes bills more than WPEG. Using your 'Radio is a business' argument CBS should change the format of WPEG. Being #1 12+ might be nice but that does not mean you will be a top biller. WLNK is proof of that. Always fairly low 12+ The Link is almost always in the top 3 in billing.

This has all to do with PPM. Once rolled out I would not be surprised to see another Sports Talker in Charlotte. That station will pick up NASCAR and make a ton of money. If I were Dave Lingafelt I would be making a change right away.

Testing123

I always wondered about that. How can stations like WFNZ and WLNK have such low 12+ numbers yet be top billers? I know certain demographics are desirable but shouldn't some of that be reflected in 12+? Personally I don't know many people who listen to WLNK and even fewer people even know WFNZ exists.

I'm not a big sports fan but if WFNZ does well with the format, good for them.

Thanks Testing, I found your comments interesting.

 

[BrighterDays]

I read the board all the time, but this is my first post.

Different radio stations bill more or less based upon target demo, ratings success or by having more or less inventory to sell.

While not exactly correct (doing it from memory) the top overall billers in Charlotte for 2009 were:

1. WBT
2. WNKS
3. WLNK
4. WSOC
5. WKKT
6. WRFX
7. WKQC
8. WLYT
9. WBAV
10. WPEG

I am pretty sure those are the top 10 in billing...altough WFNZ, WEND, WIBT & WXRC are all very close in billing and have been in and out of the top 10 in any given month.

WBT & WLNK do not have the best ratings...but perform very well in revenue because they have an excellent sales team and they have more inventory than all other radio stations in Charlotte.

CBS's top billers are (in this order): WNKS, WSOC, WKQC, WBAV, WPEG, WFNZ & WBCN.

CC's top billers are : WKKT, WRFX, WLYT, WEND, WIBT.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Look at Atlanta, for example. According to 2008 Census data, 59% of the population was black. Arbitron has 30.4%. Washington, DC census data 61% black. 21.8% black on Arbitron. In Charlotte 2008 Census Data 38% black, Arbitron has 21%.

I doubt seriously that in the counties covered by Arbitron in the Atlanta market 59 percent of the population is black. Same for Charlotte with 38 percent. Maybe both figures refer to inside the city limits but that's meaningless for Arbitron.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Wow. This is a huge surprise. Can they get a decent footprint on 610? There are too many people who live around here that are associated in a personal way with one team or another. How are they going to react to this? My guess is that they won't find out until they tune in on Sunday. Wouldn't want to be answering the phones at 'SOC.

I remember when I went to WFMX years ago as PD, my first move was to drop the live coverage of qualifying. Boy, that was stupid. It didn't take me long to put it back.

On that subject, qualifying used to get on my nerves. At one time, the morning DJ would warn us after Paul Harvey's morning broadcast that we should tune in at a different time for "The Rest of the Story". Back then, though, I was listening to that show on a different station at 3, then that station moved it to 7:30 AM, when the signal was not dependable--and, in fact, sometimes the person who was supposed to have recorded the show wasn't dependable. Later I discovered the show was still running at 3 also. But I set a clock-radio to WFMX to come on at 6:30, but I was never warned about qualifying. Furthermore, on two occasions I was in the car and the music was there at 6:25 so no problem. Until 6:30 when qualifying began. Did anyone think about the possibility of putting Paul on at 6:25???

And the web site had was week's worth of the other broadcasts, but just one "Rest of the Story", and that had been replaced by Saturday morning--and that's when they still had them. So if I was unable to hear the Friday broadcast on Monday morning, too bad. Incidentally, I never heard another Saturday morning "Rest of the Story" after WFMX went off the air. The owner of the other station didn't believe me when I said they had such a show.

 

[urbanradio704]

Not a matter of opinion, a matter of fact. Census data is very accurate. There have been many lawsuits filed against Arbitron, further proving my point by organizations National Action Network, NAACP, ACLU, NAB and others. Minorities are becoming the majority, especially Latinos. Even with audience not being fully counted, Urban still dominates in nearly every major market in the country. Don't be mad you can't compete.

 

[quadraphonic]

Stay classy, urbanradio. Stay classy.

 

[turkeydance]

well, Arbitron does it's thing, and the USCB does it's thing.
where i work, evaluations revolve around the SMSA.
Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area.
it's not signal based, so that's an outlier.
since statistics are manipulated (it's just numbers)
the reference points are only that. reference.

 

[TGNT]

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on FOX earned an overnight rating of 5.0 rating /10 share opposite the Olympics yesterday for racing from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. That's down -6% compared to last year's 5.3/8 in a later time period. Yesterday's 5.0/10 is the lowest overnight for FOX's Fontana race since it moved to February, and the lowest for the race since 2003 when it drew a 4.9/11 in April.

 

[Mister N.]

And now, TGNT, the "rest of the story" or the part where you stopped in your cut and paste:


Greensboro, NC topped all markets yesterday with a 13.0/23. Charlotte was next with an 11.9/23, up +1% over last year's 11.8/17.

So it seems in THIS market, (which is the whole point of this thread) racing is quite popular. More popular, even, than something like Nordic Skiing, for example...

 

[Board Editor]

MOVED: TIO: NASCAR off WSOC-FM?

Some posts in this thread have been moved to Take It Outside.

[iurl=http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=163021.0]http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=163021.0[/iurl]

 

[johnqdoe]

Not a matter of opinion, a matter of fact. Census data is very accurate. There have been many lawsuits filed against Arbitron, further proving my point by organizations National Action Network, NAACP, ACLU, NAB and others. Minorities are becoming the majority, especially Latinos. Even with audience not being fully counted, Urban still dominates in nearly every major market in the country. Don't be mad you can't compete.

You got any numbers on diary returns sent to "Urban" households???? They're low. Very, VERY low. That's why Arbitron has to weight the ones that DO get returned. White teens buy more Urban product than blacks do. I wouldn't be shocked to see big numbers from the suburbs for Urban stations.