PHOENIX ARBITRON RATINGS RELEASED: HOLIDAY 2010

[landtuna]

Granted Urban AC in Phoenix would have to be tweaked, but I think it could work with the right promotion.

My understanding is Urban AC's primary demographic are adult Blacks. The metro area census of 2000 lists the total Black population at 5% so the adult portion of that number would be less than 5%.

Is it realistic to program to that population?

 

[justthenumbers]

(who wears leather in Phoenix?)

I'm sure many people are today (it's 41 degrees at 2:30pm) -- but your point is well-taken.

 

[johndavis]

Granted Urban AC in Phoenix would have to be tweaked, but I think it could work with the right promotion.

My understanding is Urban AC's primary demographic are adult Blacks. The metro area census of 2000 lists the total Black population at 5% so the adult portion of that number would be less than 5%.

Is it realistic to program to that population?

Not on a 100,000 watt station on South Mountain.

If Phoenix could support an Urban format, Radio One would be doing it already. There's a good reason why they're not playing in the market: not enough audience and not enough revenue.

I still believe in the idea of Rhythmic AC, but today's adults are more apt to keep listening to CHR.

 

[airpab]

San Diego is 5.2% Black population.....Almost exactly the same as PHX.

Their Urban AC/Rythmic station is number 5 in the market and doing very well.

It's a full signal station in the Metro!

 

[Wildstyle K]

San Diego is 5.2% Black population.....Almost exactly the same as PHX.

Their Urban AC/Rythmic station is number 5 in the market and doing very well.

It's a full signal station in the Metro!

But their overall demographics (within San Diego and nearby areas) are different from Phoenix, which I'm sure makes a difference to some degree.

 

[davideduardo]

San Diego is 5.2% Black population.....Almost exactly the same as PHX.

Their Urban AC/Rythmic station is number 5 in the market and doing very well.

It's a full signal station in the Metro!

Go north to LA, where the only real urban station has less than a 1 share.

 

[azenergyfan]

Now I know I will get flack for this but I do like the urban ac personality driven stations. You know the ones with Steve Harvey, Doug Banks, Michael Baisden. I def would listen if we had good personalities on a station ;-) Oh and I do miss Wendy Williams on the radio even though I dvr her everyday "how u doing?"

 

[johndavis]

San Diego is 5.2% Black population.....Almost exactly the same as PHX.

Their Urban AC/Rythmic station is number 5 in the market and doing very well.

It's a full signal station in the Metro!

It's not an Urban AC. It's a Rhythmic oldies station, targeted at Hispanics. Urban AC is an adult black format and sounds nothing like XHRM.

 

[airpab]

Granted, XHRM is an Oldies heavy station....There are currents in the music mix!

The Hispanic Demo for both Metro's is almost exactly the same too! 26.6%/PHX......27.1%/SAN

 

[EricStein]

Granted, XHRM is an Oldies heavy station....There are currents in the music mix!

The Hispanic Demo for both Metro's is almost exactly the same too! 26.6%/PHX......27.1%/SAN

Mega has the capability of achieving a 3 share, instead of the mid-1's they pull now. Hey, they've even have had steady ownership - something that Magic 92.5 in SD hasn't had, but there are other factors besides signal that keep Mega from moving up.

 

[airpab]

A South Mountain stick would certainly help Mega achieve better numbers!

Mega and the old Movin 97.5 together, were achieving 3-4 shares!.....Both have hard to get, non-building penetrating signals in many parts of the Metro!

 

[Gusto]

Mega has the capability of achieving a 3 share.....they've even have had steady ownership

Maybe its the steady ownership / management that keeps them from suceeding. What could those Old timers know about a Rhythmic format? Put some younger blood in there and switch up some of the tired staples....

 

[Wildstyle K]

One thing I will say is that Mega tweaks their formatting a lot. I guess that's better than constantly doing straight up format flips, though.

 

[Hamp]

Granted Urban AC in Phoenix would have to be tweaked, but I think it could work with the right promotion.

My understanding is Urban AC's primary demographic are adult Blacks. The metro area census of 2000 lists the total Black population at 5% so the adult portion of that number would be less than 5%.

Is it realistic to program to that population?

Not on a 100,000 watt station on South Mountain.

If Phoenix could support an Urban format, Radio One would be doing it already. There's a good reason why they're not playing in the market: not enough audience and not enough revenue.

I still believe in the idea of Rhythmic AC, but today's adults are more apt to keep listening to CHR.

My whole point is Urban AC would have to be tweaked to serve a more mainstream audience in the Phoenix metro. It CAN be done. Not all of the audience that enjoys Urban AC is African-American.

 

[azenergyfan]

I totally agree with that. I am a white 36yr old man who loves me some urban ac and have loved this format since at least I was 16-18 ;-)

 

[landtuna]

My whole point is Urban AC would have to be tweaked to serve a more mainstream audience in the Phoenix metro. It CAN be done. Not all of the audience that enjoys Urban AC is African-American.

I'm sure there are a few people of every ethnicity who enjoy Urban AC but my point was does it make sense to program to such a limited audience? If I were putting my money on a format doesn't it make much more sense to select one with a much larger potential audience?

Even if every single Black listener tuned into Urban AC in Phoenix and you added a sprinkling of non-Blacks you'd still have a maximum audience of around 5% of the metro population. And you know not every adult Black is going to be a fan of Urban AC nor are most of their children so the actual number is lower.

It seems there would be much more than a mere 'tweak' to the format to expand the potential audience - possibly so much so that it would be considered something beside Urban AC.

 

[johndavis]

It seems there would be much more than a mere 'tweak' to the format to expand the potential audience - possibly so much so that it would be considered something beside Urban AC.

Precisely. Closest "tweak" I can think of is KYOT. But you have to play familiar music to win, and outside of the south and East coasts, very few people know the format's core songs. By the time you "tweak" it for Phoenix it's ceased being Urban.

If you want Urban AC in Phoenix, stream WDAS, WVEE, or KMJQ on your phone and hear the format done right as opposed to a few token songs thrown in that might not confuse the masses on a station in Phoenix.

 

[johndavis]

Mega has the capability of achieving a 3 share, instead of the mid-1's they pull now. Hey, they've even have had steady ownership - something that Magic 92.5 in SD hasn't had, but there are other factors besides signal that keep Mega from moving up.

You should be a diplomat.

 

[Hamp]

My whole point is Urban AC would have to be tweaked to serve a more mainstream audience in the Phoenix metro. It CAN be done. Not all of the audience that enjoys Urban AC is African-American.

I'm sure there are a few people of every ethnicity who enjoy Urban AC but my point was does it make sense to program to such a limited audience? If I were putting my money on a format doesn't it make much more sense to select one with a much larger potential audience?

Even if every single Black listener tuned into Urban AC in Phoenix and you added a sprinkling of non-Blacks you'd still have a maximum audience of around 5% of the metro population. And you know not every adult Black is going to be a fan of Urban AC nor are most of their children so the actual number is lower.

It seems there would be much more than a mere 'tweak' to the format to expand the potential audience - possibly so much so that it would be considered something beside Urban AC.

You could daypart the station. For example during the workday, the station could play more mainstream old school R&B, your Marvin Gaye's, Commodores and Earth, Wind and Fire. But after about 7 in the evening you could go a little bit deeper with maybe Jill Scott, Kem, Eric Benet, etc.

The formula could work. Also, I am not saying EVERY single African-American in Phoenix (or around the country for that matter) likes the Urban AC format, but you are missing the point, what about the ones that do? I think the closest thing now that people have in the valley to turn to is KYOT.

Besides, Urban AC, is isn't just for African-Americans anymore. I feel maybe CBS radio should look into that. I don't think the valley needs two country stations. It especially doesn't need another spanish-language format. That is already oversaturated.

 

[airpab]

Hamp & Azenergyfan-

I'm with you!

Again......The old Movin 975 (when it was Old School) & Mega (which mixes in some newer stuff), were collectively pulling 4's and above!

PHX has become a lot more sophisticated as a radio market....I think it could support a Full-Powered Urban Hybrid, if you will !

But then again, the argument has been made that KYOT is doing exactly that now?