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Philly October ratings

R

radiophiler

WOGL has dropped in its 6+ numbers from 5.9 in August to 4.8 in October.

WWIQ jumps up to a 2.7

WPHT falls to a 2.1.

KYW steady at #1, WBEB steady at #2.

Re: WOGL: Is WWIQ hurting WOGL as well as WPHT? In August, the combined 12+ figures for WPHT and WWIQ added up to 3.6. Now the combined numbers for the two stations is 4.8. So, not only has IQ gone up, PHT gone down, but there is more talk listening in general. WOGL's classic hits and conservative talk both appeal to a 55+ demographic. I wonder if Rush et al now being on FM has stolen numbers from OGL.

One other thought from the numbers: Radio One's FMs gain a little, lose a little, stay steady. Their biggest signal, WRNB, really hasn't made any inroads against WDAS. I wonder if Radio One ever looks at leaving Philly. But part of the problem would be: who would want to buy the two weakest FM signals in the market (103.9 and 107.9)? Someone would be interested in 100.3, however.
 
More talk listening makes sense in an election year. So yeah, WWIQ probably is taking listeners from WOGL, but that doesn't mean they'll stay gone.

Music stations look down almost across the board. WMMR, Q-102, WOGL, WRFF, WISX, and Power 99 were all down. Yes, some were up.

Remember these are shares. Numerator / Denominator. The Denominator is different in every ratings period based on total listenership to radio in general. If there are just that many more people listening to the radio this month than prior months because of the election, and the talk stations get the lion's share, that doesn't mean there are actually fewer people listening to music stations. Just a lower share.
 
WOGL surged because B101 became too "hot" and many people switched to 98.1 by default for the lack of other options. Since then, B101 reacted by taming its playlist and has added some softer and older tunes from the 80's and 90's to replace the rap tunes they added over the summer. The natural result is the folks who made the switch to WOGL have come home to B101.
 
There is normally a bump in the ratings for talk stations in the months leading up to a federal election. Usually it builds over an election year but this year people didn't really start paying attention until August. The fact that WPHT has stayed essentially flat does not bode well for them long term. It's obvious that WOGL is the one who's the most affected, but WMMR is off a bit as well. But, I think this spike for WWIQ will be short-lived, just a couple of months or so. Once the election (and the subsequent breakdown of the results) is over, most casual talk listeners will drift back to their usual music stations. I think WWIQ will settle back into the high 1 share range...at least until Merlin unloads it, and then who knows....
 
Not necessarily so....
WWIQ has grown incremently each month since debuting in May (I think), and without any marketing. Once they decide to market the station their number will increase further. I think they will grow slowly and sustain their share pretty consistently.
There is no real evidence Merlin is selling property. Just speculation from the usual suspects.
 
I think IQ is peaking. Talk stations around the country have seen their best ratings in a long time in the run-up to the elections, particularly over the last couple of months. It's what usually happens during presidential years. In the case of WWIQ, they signed on with an FM signal this summer with the three major conservative talk personalities. That's why the ratings spiked so quickly. New station + upcoming election = ratings. Once the election is decided and people switch into holiday mode, the casual talk fans will drift back to sports or music radio. They will have a core group of talk fans that defected from 1210, but it will be relatively small and the ratings will probably drift back to the mid to upper ones, with the occasional two share. Just watch.
 
I think it depends on the direction that the local programming takes after the election. They need to stand apart from the three major conservative talk hosts syndicated on IQ. If they take a local spin, talk about other things than angry conservative issue they could keep the listeners that have tuned in, and build a larger audience tha PHT had previous to IQ coming into the market.
 
The real issue is how IQ compares to PHT. In that regard, IQ has done very well. Both will drop in the ratings post-election but IQ looks to have a chance to stay ahead.

For the record, I am not a Rush fan but I have been reading about his imminent demise since 1996. Let's face it, he isn't going anywhere unless he decides to retire. Conservative radio works on the medium. Going to an unknown station and increasing the ratings so quickly proves that. I won't listen myself but clearly others are listening.

As for PHT, I can't figure out what the objective is with their strategy. Can they be in the middle and survive? I don't know. I find the talkers there to be boring these days.
 
I listened to 1210 almost continuously since 2002 due mainly to its lineup of Beck, Rush and Hannity. I had listened to WIP for over 10 years but it was getting stale. Plus, it was post 9-11 and I couldn’t take the Wing Bowl focus anymore. At the time, I liked Giordano at night and could take Smerconish in the morning (and I also think he was on in the afternoon or early evening at some point in those years) when he was more right to center. I was also curious in his fascination of the rock band Yes.

Then 1210 had to get cute almost two years and removed Beck and Hannity from the air. I continued to listen to 1210 at my office for the next year as I had no other alternative. I still liked Giordano and found the new morning guy tolerable; although, he was very lacking in any ‘Philly sense’. Meantime, during that 10 year span, Internet radio became a bigger attraction and I had subscribed to satellite. As such, I was able to listen to Beck as well as other talk radio hosts not in the area. (WNTP has been on my radar too during the morning and afternoon times, as I listen to Medved during times when Hannity becomes tiresome and I do like the morning Bennett program. However, Beck and Rush are always full time for me).

I was excited for IQ as it was bringing back essentially the classic 1210 lineup. Plus, I had enough of Smerconish years back. (You may sense where I am at politically, so I may or may not be typical of the listening patterns). I am not happy that IQ took off the first hour of Beck and I am not sure what to make of its hours between 5 to 10 am, but otherwise I am mostly pleased with the station. I also like the weekend programming especially compared to 1210, which sounds like one big infomercial on Saturdays and Sundays.
 
5 to 8:30 am is an interesting combination of thoughts, views and conversation. Entertaining and thought provoking conversations from the extreme to the mainstream. I find it amusing. I like the fact that it isn't cookie cutter. Lionel is strange , but I like him and e makes me laugh. Al Gardner is warm, intelligent and loves the city. I like mornings. 8:30 to 10 not so much.
 
@ jnkiii :

Your migration from WIP to WPHT to WWIQ is interesting. Moreover, it parallels the past 20 years of my changing listener habits as well. (I moved here to NEPA in 1992). I always preferred WIP to WFAN , especially middays, but I haven't listened to them for over ten years.

Re your political lean, though : When the November book comes out, do you see changes on the downside for WWIQ? Upon reading some of the next-day quotes from the big conservative voices, I saw only Gingrich making much sense. And he doesn't do a radio show. The other four commentators seemed to be pointing fingers every which way, linked solely by their dismay. I'm guessing that this lack of cohesion doesn't bode well for WWIQ.

I don't listen to talk radio very much, but you're a fan of it. Perhaps in the next couple of weeks you can detect any unified 'next step' for the overall radio message at this station. I think they're going to need it fewer mantras than those I've heard and read.

I will, though, take a stab at a prediction and guess that even if WWIQ's numbers fall noticeably, WPHT's will not rise much.
 
I listened to 1 hour of Beck once and wanted to jump out a window. Not sure how people can be regulars. Way too depressing.

I am surprised at how quickly the ratings increased at IQ. It cannot bode well for PHT. November's ratings should prove interesting. If IQ is still ahead of PHT, then changes may be coming very soon for PHT.

Funny, I am more interested in the ratings for the talkers than I am their shows.
 
It seems since the election that the voices on IQ are trying to find their way. Beck is hinting a little more at entertainment. Rush is sounding less like a GOP establishment in some ways. Hannity is all over the place. I imagine things may change after this 'fiscal cliff' gets resolved one way or the other.

I would also imagine that IQ drops a little after the election.
 
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