Seattle-Tacoma Radio Ratings: January 2023

[davideduardo]

My view on the current 18-49 ranking is that those are weighted numbers. If you were to see actual numbers, and not rankings, there would be more actual people in the upper age groups. But in Seattle, there are fewer young people listening to the radio. So formats that might typically skew older are showing higher in the younger demos. For example KSWD is #6 in 18-34. But whatever the demo, Hubbard apparently thinks the size & economics of the audience will make it easier to sell.

If 18-4 listens less to radio, with individuals either not listening or listening much less, that does not affect the PPM numbers as the non- or light-listeners still have meters in proportion to the population and are not "weighted" in any way.

What may be happening is that "all" the listening to certain formats and kinds of music are lessened, making CHR and Urban and similar stations do less well and the remaining stations all jump higher in rank.

The way to look at this is with rating, not share. Share only shows "who is left" in this scenario while ration is a percentage of the universe and is not a comparison of station to station but of station to the population in a specific demo.

A quick look at the downtrends of stations like KPWR and KIIS in LA shows that, other than format shifts like the loss of what is now KNX's FM, those stations have a lower rating while ones like KBIG and KOST and even KLVE have increased over the last 18 months in 18-34 share, but not in rating.

So my conclusion is that younger leaning stations that can't play all the songs due to lyric content have lost some cume and, more importantly, TSL. That drops them behind the other horses in the 18-34 race.

 

[bobdavcav]

I probably would have left Power 93.3 alone if I were iheartmedia, but I’m sure that sports would have found a home on 106.1 if they didn’t already have a failing format on 93.3 before the flip.

I think it would depend on what would have happened with Jubel. If he ends up at 106.1 anyway, I think sports still finds its way to 93.3, 106.1 continuing with Hot AC. If Jubel ends up on 93.3, I don't think sports winds up on 106.1. Given the format troubles at CHR though, we're probably talking about a flip at 93.3 anyway this month rather than at 106.1. I think the problem for iHeart is that they need to put Jubel on somewhere in Seattle, but 106.1 isn't doing well outside of that. Does Jubel relocate to Portland and they blow up 106.1 anyway? I can't see him being happy with that, but what other options do they have?

 

[TexasTom]

Top 5+ demo rankings analysis for ages 25-54, 18-34 + 18-49:
25-54: 15. KSWD (down from #3)
18-34: 6T. KSWD
18-49: 10. KSWD (down from #3)

So "The Sound" (KSWD) actually performs best with 18-34 year olds and worst with 25-54 year olds per these numbers? That seems...odd. Is that really the case or does it reflect that there just aren't many stations that have a significant number of young listeners so it doesn't take many listeners in the 18-34 demographic to rank at number 6?

 

[davideduardo]

So "The Sound" (KSWD) actually performs best with 18-34 year olds and worst with 25-54 year olds per these numbers? That seems...odd. Is that really the case or does it reflect that there just aren't many stations that have a significant number of young listeners so it doesn't take many listeners in the 18-34 demographic to rank at number 6?

The lessened total 18-34 listening time is part of it, but there are more stations targeting 25-54 than 18-34 due to "that's where the money is".

 

[Kelly A]

The lessened total 18-34 listening time is part of it, but there are more stations targeting 25-54 than 18-34 due to "that's where the money is".

And to your and BigA's points earlier in this thread; if you dissected just 18-24 inside of the 18-34 numbers, that demo is spending less, or no time in an average week with radio, more with their phone. That's especially true for 18-24F, whereas 18-24M may spend more time with radio while at work or driving. From a tabulation perspective, that means 18-34MF ends up being more of a weighted average than upper demos.

 

[davideduardo]

And to your and BigA's points earlier in this thread; if you dissected just 18-24 inside of the 18-34 numbers, that demo is spending less, or no time in an average week with radio, more with their phone. That's especially true for 18-24F, whereas 18-24M may spend more time with radio while at work or driving. From a tabulation perspective, that means 18-34MF ends up being more of a weighted average than upper demos.

But remember, the non users from metered households are counted as non-users. Again, the proof is in rating, not share.

If there are few 18-24's listening, those that are listening represent a bigger share of 18-24 but stations will sstill, all, have lower ratings as fewer people in total are listening. If only 5% of 18-24's are listening, a station might get a 10 share, but a rating of less than 0.1.

 

[guruofradio]

Just look at the cume decline over the last five years. Top station in Seattle had a million cume, now they have 600K or so. Share of a smaller pie as David points out. 5 share was worth 60% more listeners than a decade ago. What many theorize is happening is that those who are 18-34 that still listen to traditional radio and are willing to carry a meter, tend to act/listen like older demos. They consume traditional formats, tune to radio for personalities they remember from their youth and music they remember. This may be why Seattle AAA, Classic Hits, AC stations all do well in what would seem like CHR demos. Probably why KHTP is number 1 18-34 with music centered from 90's/Early 2K. Just a guess.

 

[TheBigA]

From a tabulation perspective, that means 18-34MF ends up being more of a weighted average than upper demos.

That's why I said it appears that Hubbard doesn't fear launching a station that might attract older demos in Seattle. Because Seattle has some unique characteristics that we've already seen in KSWD and now in KEXP.

 

[TheBigA]

This may be why Seattle AAA, Classic Hits, AC stations all do well in what would seem like CHR demos.

And it may be why some CHRs are broadening their music beyond what it was before the pandemic.

 

[bobdavcav]

Just look at the cume decline over the last five years. Top station in Seattle had a million cume, now they have 600K or so. Share of a smaller pie as David points out. 5 share was worth 60% more listeners than a decade ago. What many theorize is happening is that those who are 18-34 that still listen to traditional radio and are willing to carry a meter, tend to act/listen like older demos. They consume traditional formats, tune to radio for personalities they remember from their youth and music they remember. This may be why Seattle AAA, Classic Hits, AC stations all do well in what would seem like CHR demos. Probably why KHTP is number 1 18-34 with music centered from 90's/Early 2K. Just a guess.

Is this also why KEXP is suddenly doing so well? Before Fall 2020, they never cracked a 2.5 share, now they're pretty routinely near the top. Has cume returned to pre-pandemic levels? If so, I still don't understand the reason for KEXPP's sudden runaway success. A smaller pie would surely get KEXP a bigger slice, but I still don't get it. I haven't watched the cume numbers that closely, but it's my understanding in general that cume for a classical station remains relatively steady compared to other formats. In March 2020, KING was way up near the top as listening plummeted. They've returned to normal, but KEXP hasn't.

 

[seatownmedia]

Teens are a disappearing audience in the Seattle market. They want no part of radio. Generally. But generally everywhere.

 

[Kelly A]

Teens are a disappearing audience in the Seattle market. They want no part of radio. Generally. But generally everywhere.

Not just Seattle. As has been discussed, teens are completely dependent on smartphones for communication, entertainment, news, and social interaction. They know of radio, but there's simply no need to actively seek it out. Everything they need or want, is right in the palm of their hand.

 

[boombox4]

Not just Seattle. As has been discussed, teens are completely dependent on smartphones for communication, entertainment, news, and social interaction. They know of radio, but there's simply no need to actively seek it out. Everything they need or want, is right in the palm of their hand.

And just ten years from now, those teens will be in the 23-29 year age range. Entering the lower reaches of 'prime demo' territory.

Stations better plan on marketing their streaming, and paying for more of those royalties as greater chunks of their audiences migrate to online only -- that is, if the audience chooses the radio stations' streams over other streaming sites.

 

[boombox4]

KEXP 90.3 .............. 4,700 watts ... 211 meters (611 feet)
KPNW-FM 98.9 ... 68,000 watts ... 698 meters (2,290 feet) .

[snip]
But if you don't live within 10-15 miles of downtown Seattle or you don't want to hear an appeal for donations or you don't want to hear an hour of reggae or you would rather hear DJs with more than just passing radio experience, then maybe you'll switch to 98.9 KPNW-FM.

I'm just wondering why it took so long for a commercial station to try it?

I would wager that the majority of the KEXP radio listeners are in Seattle proper. But the station does get out to the suburbs reasonably well, despite the power and tower height.