Savannah Market Definition -- A question

[Numbers]

How much more revenue would be available to Savannah Radio if the market's Metro was more properly defined? Isn't the Savannah Market a whole lot more than just the three core counties? If the Radio Metro was defined more like TV's DMA, the market's estimated population would more than double, putting Savannah firmly in the Top 100.An interesting side benefit would be an increase in sample from arb, forcing them to place extra diaries in currently non-Metro DMA counties. Radio stations in other markets have cracked the Top 100 by agreeing to expand their Metro definition to be more like the DMA, and continue to enjoy tremendous increases in market revenue because of it. Would parochial sniping between stations quash that possibility for Savannah?What do you think?

 

[RadioMahn]

I don't know about Savannah specifically, but I know sometimes the companies that own a cluster of weaker signals, don't want the metro to expand. They fear the guys with the big sticks would have an unfair advantage, since the more powerful stations would better cover the new, bigger metro.

 

[1234]

I don't know about Savannah specifically, but I know sometimes the companies that own a cluster of weaker signals, don't want the metro to expand. They fear the guys with the big sticks would have an unfair advantage, since the more powerful stations would better cover the new, bigger metro.

That would be a problem for Adventure/Triad! Triad's strongest stick Gator 106.9 will only reach Statesboro. Wrhq 105.3 would also not benefit since they have a small stick. The Cumulus cluster would benefit the most since they have four of the strongest sticks in the sav with Z-102 being the strongest closely followed by Kix 96,I-95 and E93. Clear Channel had a couple of strong sticks(still strong, but not to the extent they were) until they split the signal of 97.3 & 94.1 into one antenna due to 94.1's constant audio problems. On the plus side there would be and increase in Country & CHR, more than likely Urban would fall a few shares.

 

[wkrp]

Expanding the survey area would be HUGE for country. When 94 was country, the metro and TSA books were completely different. Metro numbers blew TSA's out of the water.If they expanded the survey area, Gator would have to flip to polka.

 

[GenOglethorpe]

How much more revenue would be available to Savannah Radio if the market's Metro was more properly defined? Isn't the Savannah Market a whole lot more than just the three core counties? If the Radio Metro was defined more like TV's DMA, the market's estimated population would more than double, putting Savannah firmly in the Top 100.

Through the 90's, it was assumed by radio owners and operators in Savannah that ultimately, Beaufort County would be added catupulting the market to a larger size. As it turned out, Beaufort never met the criteria for being added. One of them is the amount of commuting between the counties and Beaufort came close but never met it. Owners had little enthusiasm for the project because rep firms told them, probably correctly, that radio market revenues more closely correlate with TV market size than with radio market size. Savannah is already in the top 100 TV markets. Arbitron costs go up substantially when the market size increases. The creation of the Hilton Head Island Radio market, which consists of the county most likely to be absorbed by Savannah's metro (Beaufort County) pretty much killed the prospects. That could change at some point but I see no groundswell of support for undoing that market and adding Beaufort to the Savannah Metro. The US government defines MSA's and so by their criteria, the Savannah Metro Area is properly represented by Chatham, Bryan and Effingham counties.

 

[KWYJIBO]

.[/quote]The US government defines MSA's and so by their criteria, the Savannah Metro Area is properly represented by Chatham, Bryan and Effingham counties.[/quote]Yeah the US government is always right!!!!!! (Sarcasm alert Code Orange)

 

[GenOglethorpe]

The US government defines MSA's and so by their criteria, the Savannah Metro Area is properly represented by Chatham, Bryan and Effingham counties.

Yeah the US government is always right!!!!!! (Sarcasm alert Code Orange)

Actually, in this case they can't be wrong! Since the government invented the government MSA, the definition is whatever they say it is! You can easily argue that it's economically an unsound definition, but it IS the definition.