Providence Fall'07 review on All Access

[aqualung]

Numbers apparently still embargoed but if you've registered at allaccess.com you can see a general review of the Providence fall book.
Looks like Lite and PRO-FM dominated in key demos. Lite on top 25-54. PRO-FM at number two. Then come HJY and B101.
Same two on top but reversed for 18-49. Then HJY, EEI, and Cat Country
18-34 it's PRO-FM then Hot and HJY tied, then Lite, then BRU and WEEI tied
25-54 Coast is a ghost slipping to 7th. KKB beat WPRO-AM
So what's all the WPRO-AM hoopla? They're 9th 25-54 and I didn't even see them mentioned elsewhere. Cripes, talk about much ado about nothing. A Spanish station beat them 25-54.
And I gotta wonder how much longer Coast can even survive even though SOME women listen which apparently helps CCU
And what about The Score? Is this a station or a hobby?

 

[Skynet74]

I was thinking about WPRO this morning. That is a station that over pays talent when they clearly don't need to. They could pretty much get the same ratings no matter who they hire. Certain stations have the advantage of a good dial position and a lengthy history. WPRO is one of those stations. People just listen because it's the automatic place to go for talk in Providence. I firmly believe that WPRO could hire all new talent from market 302 for $40,000 a year and get equivalent ratings.

Hypothetically you could get rid of Depetro, Buddy and Yorke and save half a million a year right there. I'm not saying that they do a bad job. But I am saying that WPRO doesn't need to shell out big bucks to acheive the ratings that they currently get. They could do it for a lot less cash than they are now. From a business standpoint I think they are wasting a lot of money.

 

[and.u.r?]

I don't think the WPRO hosts could simply be replaced and expect the numbers to remain the same.Over a period of time it could be done but not in one fell swoop.If nothing else they have a handle on what's happening in RI.I do however agree that maybe the money is out of control in some cases but the weight of success of failure falls more on the shoulders of a talk show host than most djs and they're more apt to be blown out for performance than just for cost cutting.I think it's Seekonk Sally who has been saying WPRO is simply spending too much money and it will bite them in the posterior eventually.Maybe this is why Matt Allen doesn't leave.He knows sooner or later he'll replace someone there.

No sense even talking about The Score.Someone there will just come on here bellowing.The fact is they're not needed on the FM band.They're like some freeloader living off the other stations in the cluster.

And I believe this will be the last year we'll have Coast to kick around.

 

[wknd92]

WPRO AM's numbers would tend to show more 35-69 and the higher demo's (historically since the late 80's that would be true) as most 25-35 year olds (and before this turns into a big argument, I said MOST) simply do not listen to talk radio unless it is the males who are listening to WEEI-FM obviously. Seeing as the above mentioned demos are not the sexy demos, they wouldn't get much mention.... just my $.02.

 

[bernzee]

Yeah, unloading all the expensive talent at PRO would save a ton of money. Then they could also help in the self fulfilling prohesy that "AM is dead" , like so many stations before them. Arbitrons aside, few other AM stations get as much attention or press as PRO. Or even as much space in this board. I would not want to be the person to be responsible for altering the station's status in the market...it's more than just money; it's priceless.

 

[RadioHead06]

I was thinking about WPRO this morning. That is a station that over pays talent when they clearly don't need to. They could pretty much get the same ratings no matter who they hire. Certain stations have the advantage of a good dial position and a lengthy history. WPRO is one of those stations. People just listen because it's the automatic place to go for talk in Providence. I firmly believe that WPRO could hire all new talent from market 302 for $40,000 a year and get equivalent ratings.

Hypothetically you could get rid of Depetro, Buddy and Yorke and save half a million a year right there. I'm not saying that they do a bad job. But I am saying that WPRO doesn't need to shell out big bucks to acheive the ratings that they currently get. They could do it for a lot less cash than they are now. From a business standpoint I think they are wasting a lot of money.

What complete nonsense!! Try not to be so bitter Sky. It really is embarrassing.

 

[Skynet74]

I was thinking about WPRO this morning. That is a station that over pays talent when they clearly don't need to. They could pretty much get the same ratings no matter who they hire. Certain stations have the advantage of a good dial position and a lengthy history. WPRO is one of those stations. People just listen because it's the automatic place to go for talk in Providence. I firmly believe that WPRO could hire all new talent from market 302 for $40,000 a year and get equivalent ratings.

Hypothetically you could get rid of Depetro, Buddy and Yorke and save half a million a year right there. I'm not saying that they do a bad job. But I am saying that WPRO doesn't need to shell out big bucks to acheive the ratings that they currently get. They could do it for a lot less cash than they are now. From a business standpoint I think they are wasting a lot of money.

What complete nonsense!! Try not to be so bitter Sky. It really is embarrassing.

Bitter about what? I like the station. Easily the best talk station in the market. But I feel that it has to do more with their history as the "GO TO" place for talk. Maybe someone with some past ratings books can help me out. I want you to take the ratings from afternoon drive from the past 10 years. Start with Bruce Newberry, then look at Carolyn Fox, then take a look at Dan Yorke. No matter who has been in that slot, have the ratings been much different? Are the ratings much different now with Buddy than they were 10 years ago with Steve Cass? Were Dave Barber's ratings all that much different than the person who took over for him? I doubt it.

You may want to dismiss my comment as complete nonsense. But it won't be confirmed as nonsense until you show me some proof that my theory is wrong. WPRO is a well respected station that will do well no matter what. I'm not trying to take away from the good job that past and present talent has done. I'm basically saying that the loyal listeners of WPRO will pretty much stick by the station no matter who you hire. Show me someone who has pulled in a 10 share and I will be impressed. But if you are going to show me Yorke's 3.5 in 2007 compared to Newberry's 3.4 in 1997, all you are going to end up doing is proving my point.

 

[Seekonk Sally]

Interesting points. PRO was getting burried in PM drive forever by HJJ. First Buddy dominated, then Arlene owned it for 14 years until HJJ did away with any kind of lead in audience with the horrible Air America. At that point she lost more than half of her audience and Yorke looked strong. It would be very interesting to compare the previous audience numbers with Yorke's current numbers. Even against a syndicated show, Yorke slid in the last book. The place where PRO was totally dominant for almost 50 years was morning drive. DePetro could be the one to destroy that dynasty. He took a major hit also in the Fall book.

 

[aqualung]

I don't know much about the history of their numbers but I think I agree when it comes to the money. I don't think you can bring anybody in there and expect the same results (whatever those results are) but I still gotta wonder if there's just too much money being spent at that station. De Petro could go easily without much effect. Cianci hasn't even been back that long and the jury is still out on his long term results. Yorke's another matter but if you listen to talk radio in the afternoon and he goes and is replaced by someone local are people gonna switch to music? I doubt it.