Neilsen Schmeilsen

[TheBigA]

The point of my post was a correction regarding your ill-informed "revival" comment.

For someone who's critical of the "echo chamber," you really exhibit many of the same characteristics. You hone in on one word, and hijack an entire thread. Get over it.

The POINT is that over the past 2 years, their highs and lows have all been LOWER than they have been in quite some time. They are down 20% from just 2 years ago. That is substantial---and we're talking SHARE, not cume, so these losses are to other radio stations, not ipods.

None of those other radio stations are in the talk format, so you're comparing apples to oranges in terms of format and band.

 

[flybynight]

For someone who's critical of the "echo chamber," you really exhibit many of the same characteristics. You hone in on one word, and hijack an entire thread. Get over it.

You made a post, the gist of which was to express your amazement at the "revival" of WBEN. Meanwhile, it's the worst Winter book they've had in quite some time and they didn't get the usual bump they see Fall to Winter, in spite of the weather being a lot worse than usual. And yes, bad weather still helps them, especially due to traffic reports, and as-it-happens bad weather news & info, talk show chatter, etc. It's a big deal in this metro.

I was merely expressing my amazement at your lack of understanding of the SOP in the market, cyclically speaking.

Threads only get hijacked when you characteristically refuse to acknowledge you made a mistake in your assessment of a situation.

 

[TheBigA]

Threads only get hijacked when you characteristically refuse to acknowledge you made a mistake in your assessment of a situation.

Because what I said wasn't a mistake. You just reinterpreted it to suit your agenda. We get your point. We know you hate the station. So move on. I'm sure if they'd just listen to you, they'd get a 20 share. And gas would be selling at 50 cents a gallon.

 

[flybynight]

Because what I said wasn't a mistake. You just reinterpreted it to suit your agenda. We get your point. We know you hate the station. So move on. I'm sure if they'd just listen to you, they'd get a 20 share. And gas would be selling at 50 cents a gallon.

It's always interesting to watch the lengths you'll go to, to avoid admitting you made an inaccurate assessment.

My "interpretation" is based on FACT, using actual data that identifies the typical quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year cycles in the market. Your inaccurate assessment is based on a superficial supposition, which you of course defend to the death.

Instead of addressing the FACTS, you dismiss them because you claim I don't like the station. Nice deflection, but it doesn't change reality.

You should work in PR on Wall St., where you can insist that a smaller increase than is normal is a "revival", and substantially lower year-over-year numbers are....well...great news!

You must really be excited about KB: They went from a ZERO to a .6 Now THAT is a revival! Even more impressive than WBEN's, if you consider percentage increase!

 

[TheBigA]

It's always interesting to watch the lengths you'll go to, to avoid admitting you made an inaccurate assessment.

First you say it's a "mistake." Now you say it's an "inaccurate assessment." You changed the words, so you can continue with your agenda.

The FACT is that the station had a huge ratings increase. Your post is an interpretation. It's interesting, but irrelevant. Contrary to what you say, I've addressed your interpretation several times. But that's not enough for you. You want to keep banging away and banging away, like Rush does in his show. As I accurately said, for someone who hates the echo chamber, you sure love their methods. Like Rush, you can't let it go.

 

[davideduardo]

One of the several reasons AM stations are suffering has to do with echo-chamber fatigue. And that's their own fault, not Apple's.

What is "echo-chamber fatigue"?

 

[flybynight]

First you say it's a "mistake." Now you say it's an "inaccurate assessment." You changed the words, so you can continue with your agenda.

In this case, the words are interchangeable. I was being kind by saying "inaccurate assessment", when in fact it was a MISTAKE. You were wrong. You interpreted a historically predictable increase into the Winter book as a "revival", when in reality, it was a typical-for-the-season increase, although lower than normal.

You keep referring to a .8 as a FULL share. You also now call it a "huge" increase. If that isn't agenda-driven spin, then I don't know what is. In market #56, a .8 increase is hardly "huge". I'm just explaining how the station is doing compared to just 2 years ago. You're using hyperbole to describe a lackluster performance.

Additionally, I didn't even mention the little scandal during the book that actually should've helped bring more listeners, even short term, to the station just to see what the fuss was about: Early in the book, their #1 rated host landed on the front page of the paper for some very odd behavior off-air. This was all over local blogs and social media, and was even picked up by the NY Daily News. Lots of people locally were talking about it. The host even joked on-air about how all the publicity was only gonna help him and the station.

A 9.1 share for WBEN in a winter book is almost a 3-alarm fire as a harbinger of what's perhaps to come. Your lack of insight here prevents you from acknowledging any of this.

 

[davideduardo]

You keep referring to a .8 as a FULL share. You also now call it a "huge" increase. If that isn't agenda-driven spin, then I don't know what is. In market #56, a .8 increase is hardly "huge".

A 0.8 is a 1.2 is a 1.0 is a 0.6. And in any diary market between 50th and 100th, a share or near-share is very important. At certain levels, it determines whether a station is on a buy or not.

I'm just explaining how the station is doing compared to just 2 years ago. You're using hyperbole to describe a lackluster performance.

Winter 2012: 9.2
Winter 2013: 9.1
Winter 2014: 9.1

2009 Spring 9.6
2010 Spring: 8.8
2010 Fall: 8.7
2011 Spring: 7.8
2012 Spring: 8.7
2013 Spring: 10.2

WBEN is well within its range; we know that talk stations are topic driven but WBEN is quite stable. I don't see this as a lackluster station except in the fact that all AMs are aging with few Gen X listeners ever coming into the cume base. Still, WBEN is one of the very few comparable stations (diary market, AM, decent but not superior signal) that remains in the top 10 in 25-54. To name a bigger market comparison, WGN is now out of the top 20 in that demo.

The host even joked on-air about how all the publicity was only gonna help him and the station.

He should be thankful that it did not hurt him.

A 9.1 share for WBEN in a winter book is almost a 3-alarm fire as a harbinger of what's perhaps to come.

Huh? It is doing as well as or better than it has done in the last 5 years in Winter.

 

[TheBigA]

A 9.1 share for WBEN in a winter book is almost a 3-alarm fire as a harbinger of what's perhaps to come. Your lack of insight here prevents you from acknowledging any of this.

What your thick head has prevented you from recognizing is that I haven't disagreed with you at all about this. I'm sure at one time this station was getting 12 shares in the winter. That won't be happening any more. So they need to revel in their 9 share. They need to make hay while the sun is shining, and they're still #2.

 

[flybynight]

A 0.8 is a 1.2 is a 1.0 is a 0.6. And in any diary market between 50th and 100th, a share or near-share is very important. At certain levels, it determines whether a station is on a buy or not.

Whether it is a "buy" was not what the conversation was about, but thanks anyway.

He should be thankful that it did not hurt him.

Now THAT is against conventional wisdom and you know it. It's about getting attention and being sampled.

Huh? It is doing as well as or better than it has done in the last 5 years in Winter.

No it isn't. #math #statistics

And you didn't even show the last 5 years.

 

[TheBigA]

Whether it is a "buy" was not what the conversation was about, but thanks anyway.

Sure it was. That's what ratings are all about.

 

[flybynight]

Sure it was. That's what ratings are all about.

In the context of my disagreement with you, it was irrelevant. They were #2 before and after the "revival".

 

[TheBigA]

In the context of my disagreement with you, it was irrelevant. They were #2 before and after the "revival".

Then you missed the point.

 

[flybynight]

Then you missed the point.

Your point was that WBEN's increase of a .8, which didn't even change their ranking, was some sort of "revival". It was a ridiculous statement.

At best, it was a typical seasonal bump. Realistically, it was one of their lowest Winter books in years.

C'mon, WYRK, WBLK & KB all had much more impressive "revivals". Why didn't those stand out to you? KB's zero to a .6 is far more dramatic than an 8.3-9.1. They probably increased their listenership in one book by 500-600%. Hell, if WBEN could do that, they'd have a 40.0 share. Now THAT would be a revival.

 

[davideduardo]

And you didn't even show the last 5 years.

It's the same range. In fact, statistically the numbers are identical (which you could have seen was the point). I also showed the actually important Spring books going back 6 years, and there is no variation from the range.

 

[TheBigA]

Your point was that WBEN's increase of a .8, which didn't even change their ranking, was some sort of "revival".

Yes you've said that a few times already. I know what I said and why I said it. After a series of down books, they came back. That's a revival. What's so hard to understand?

 

[davideduardo]

At best, it was a typical seasonal bump. Realistically, it was one of their lowest Winter books in years.

No, it was statistically the same as the last several years, with no change whatsoever. In fact, the last 3 years have not varied more than 0.1.

Except for an extremely high 11.2 in Winter of 2008, the rest of the Winter books have been well within the margin of error ever since.

 

[flybynight]

No, it was statistically the same as the last several years, with no change whatsoever. In fact, the last 3 years have not varied more than 0.1.

Except for an extremely high 11.2 in Winter of 2008, the rest of the Winter books have been well within the margin of error ever since.

Like I said, NO "revival".

Somebody's gonna be really disappointed to hear that.

 

[davideduardo]

Whether it is a "buy" was not what the conversation was about, but thanks anyway

Getting buys is the reason radio stations pay for ratings.

Now THAT is against conventional wisdom and you know it. It's about getting attention and being sampled.

No, in this case it was spin control. Make it sound like "any publicity is good publicity" so your existing listeners, who you assume are predisposed to like you, will not go away.

I don't recall any case of negative publicity increasing cume. In most cases, it chases off the casual cume and brings no new sampling.

 

[davideduardo]

Like I said, NO "revival".

Somebody's gonna be really disappointed to hear that.

I did not say it was a "revival" although it does look much better than the Summer and Fall books, which were definitely both on the low side of the average for this station.

I would have said "reversal" but this is basically nitpicking on your part.