PPM Rankings

[Bongwater]

Wake me at the end of July, when there's 3 months of PPM data, which will actually be meaningful.

Yes, It's gonna take a while yet, but I think the writing is already on the wall.....

 

[RadioRon]

I think pretty much what you've seen with the April numbers is what you're likely to see in May and June. We're talking about the same panel here folks....with the same listening habits that have been demonstrated in April. Big question....how quickly will Smooth Jazz in Seattle go by the wayside?

 

[Bongwater]

I think pretty much what you've seen with the April numbers is what you're likely to see in May and June. We're talking about the same panel here folks....with the same listening habits that have been demonstrated in April. Big question....how quickly will Smooth Jazz in Seattle go by the wayside?

They seem to be dropping like flies. And that can't be good. But it always seemed like a pretentious format to me. For one thing, KWJZ had/has the bad habit of playing Celine Dion songs. How she got in their playlist completely baffled me from the start. I see no connection between her and say, Kenny G.

The other thing is Smooth Jazz is a format without much of a history, Or one that goes back further other than a few selected songs from over 20 years ago. You very rarely heard Weather Report, Rodney Franklin, The Crusaders, Chick Corea or much else from the '70s that established the very genre on KWJZ regularly. Many songs got overplayed to death and then suddenly disappeared from year to year. Not good either.

And musically (like alternative), it's lost it's way. You can only recycle so much. That's what I worry about PPM. Yes, people love classics, but will PPM lead us to a wasteland of AC, Oldies and Country 24/7 on every frequency? I think in time, there will be a radio rebellion that even PPM can't save if it gets to that point.

A lot of radio and new music's future also depends on new music on the major record labels too, what are THEY doing to foster innovative music. And if they can't deliver (and usually don't.) Then go indie/local and see what they have to offer. They get lucky sometimes, though not often enough. So please quit depending on the majors ENTIRELY. You just never know what's brewing in your own backyard (as KNDD found out in 1991.) And that's always the hallmark of the greatest radio stations in radio's post-network music age in the '50s and '60s like KJR-AM was, THEY (and innovative people like Pat O'Day) made stars out of their own local talent, not the major labels that cashed in on them later.

PPM says a lot of things to me - many of them good, others very troubling. And for years, I've always been very suspicious of the paper diaries and what they said. My suspicions have been confirmed in many areas, others completely hit me by surprise. But I really think to get a more balanced (and maybe more accurate) picture is Arbitron to INCREASE its PPM panel to MANY more people.

There's something very funny about KGY-AM showing up in the Seattle ratings if (as one poster pointed out) only one or two meter carrying people in the South end have them. There's also KXXO which I know has quite a few regular listeners as far north as Lynnwood, yet they did not even show up.

I think it would be disingenuous to say KXXO is too small to even be recognized when their signal has 72x the strength of KGY-AM (and on FM as well) to matter if KGY-AM should somehow magically show up near the bottom of the pile. Not to discredit KGY-AM in any way and I congratulate them far more than I would That HD Fortified Hannah Montana Mania 10 kilocycles up the dial in Seattle. Small town LOCALLY PROGRAMMED radio (not just a local signal for something else) STILL RULES nevertheless.

But I also think PPM probably still has some kinks to work out (like EVERY new technology that's just thrown out there - like over the air DTV.) But upon deeper reflection, I don't think right now we have the very BEST picture for everything (like over the air DTV) and although I'm not saying adding more PPM carriers is going to shoot Smooth Jazz or Alternative (or KIRO-FM) back on top (although I think they all either need to start kicking ass or get out of the way.) My hunch is while PPM is a GOOD thing (their cranky old grandpas can't pressure them to mention KVI or KTTH, nor can their hippie moms guilt trip them with KPTK with the written books.) The fact is in the end, it's WAAAY too small a sample to really illustrate what people like around here.......

 

[AQH]

The fact is in the end, it's WAAAY too small a sample to really illustrate what people like around here.......

What sample numbers are you concerned over? What are those numbers now, and what do you think they should be?

 

[scoobidont]

There's something very funny about KGY-AM showing up in the Seattle ratings if (as one poster pointed out) only one or two meter carrying people in the South end have them. There's also KXXO which I know has quite a few regular listeners as far north as Lynnwood, yet they did not even show up.

I think it has something to do with the services KGY gives people driving down to the South Sound that Seattle stations don't highlight: traffic, news, weather. While it's certainly old school, KGY owns the news image in the South Sound.

While 'XXO has it's fans (like all stations), I think you can get what it offers from signals in the Puget Sound metro.

Another thing to consider about smooth jazz stations: hardcore jazz fans are often collectors and audiophiles. The jazz fans I know prefer their own collections and the fidelity of their systems.

 

[TVradioguru]

And that's always the hallmark of the greatest radio stations in radio's post-network music age in the '50s and '60s like KJR-AM was, THEY (and innovative people like Pat O'Day) made stars out of their own local talent, not the major labels that cashed in on them later.

Once again interesting revisionist history Bong. Would you care to name five titles and local artists that debuted on KJR in the 50's and 60's era that were not already signed with a major recording label? Be careful though, NOT already signed with a label that became a nationwide hit.

 

[te519]

We're talking about the same panel here folks....with the same listening habits that have been demonstrated in April.

Using Arbitron's own data, there is a 10% T/O rate in panelists each month - or roughly 160 newbies each month in a market the size of Seattle-Tacoma. Accordingly, by the end of June, I suspect you'll see some variation in the numbers put up in April.

 

[scoobidont]

Accordingly, by the end of June, I suspect you'll see some variation in the numbers put up in April.

Like?

What stations do you expect to fluctuate?

My money is on very little change in the rankings, but a great deal of change at certain bottom-dwelling stations.

 

[The Street]

I appreciate seeing the 25-54 numbers but does anyone have the ability to show the overall 6+ list?
Thanks.

 

[gr229]

Ok I'm confused!! ??? All the stations people on here talking about failing are actually doing pretty good in the ratings. AQH (no not you) ([AQH Persons / Population] x 100 = AQH Rating (%) ) if this measurement is accurate...15mins of radio listening per hour from 6am-12mid...are consistently holding their own.Neither up or down. Now I was looking at the w/08 to w/09 ratings.
It's hard to believe that 3months will either make or break either of these stations that have been mentioned on this board.

Is there something I'm missing?

 

[te519]

Did anyone on this board attend the PPM seminar on the Crista campus a couple months ago?

 

[dominic]

i was.