Summer part one ratings are out.

[feeball]

Here's where things stand.

WDVE
KDKA-A
WDSY
WWSW
WPGB
WJAS-A
WRRK
WAMO-F
WSHH
WKST
WXDX
WOGG/WFGI-A
WZPT
WLTJ
WOGI
WORD
WEAE-A
WPTT-A
WOGF
WTZN

Not too many surprises. WPGB really has not had too much of an increase with Pirates Baseball and KDKA has not really had any decrease as a result of losing the Buccos. WZPT does not look like a station on death's doorstep contrary to previous threads, but the number could be a lot better. WKST is slightly losing their grip on the pop market. Nothing to panic over. WLTJ has slipped a bit as has WXDX. WTZN has the same exact rating as the final Spring book, which shows consistency. However, other stations (like WPTT and WOGF) have gained listeners on them.

Any thoughts?

 

[toddjammin]

My question is has there ever been a Pittsburgh FM radio station before dead last in the ratings behind the AM stations? I don't know how much longer CBS could give the Zone.

 

[Pratte4Life]

The most interesting thing I saw was how Morgantown, WV's WCLG (I think those are the calls) emerged with a 0.4 rating.

I started wondering what this rock station had that would make people tune in ahead of WDVE and The X in Washington County. To show up in the book, there have to be a whole lot of people in Greene County, for instance, who would prefer the Morgantown product ahead of the Pittsburgh product.

Not to mention a lot of people in Fayette, Washington and Southern Allegheny County that would rather listen to a Morgantown product with static than a Pittsburgh product without it.

What I saw was a format that was much like K-Rock in that in combined old and new rock.

But here's another thought. I've felt for a long time now that WDVE and The X are just mailing it in.

WDVE may be number one, but they remind me of a football team late in a game simply plunging the ball into the line. There's nothing new coming out of there. We listen because there is no alternative.

Same with The X. If they aren't firing DJs due to Penguins post-game incidents they are spreading their morning man thin.

Three Metallica songs at six? Detroit Rock City at 9 p.m. on Saturday Night? This is the best these two can come up with?

What's the difference?

At times both can be rather insulting to their listeners, too.

I used to think WDVE was the best radio station in the world. Now, I'm just indifferent to it. When I go out of town and I hear classic rock stations I keep thinking "why can't WDVE do this?"

I don't know CLG from STP, but I tend to believe the fact they showed up in the Pittsburgh book was an indication of just how bored people are around here with WDVE and WXDX.

 

[Boss Radio]

So far, KDKA is actually up more than a point over last summer.

Looks like The Zone didn't even get curiosity tune-ins after the format switch.

The big success story continues to be 3WS, which is increasing all the time. What stations are losing listeners to 3WS?

 

[Parttimer]

The most interesting thing I saw was how Morgantown, WV's WCLG (I think those are the calls) emerged with a 0.4 rating.

I started wondering what this rock station had that would make people tune in ahead of WDVE and The X in Washington County. To show up in the book, there have to be a whole lot of people in Greene County, for instance, who would prefer the Morgantown product ahead of the Pittsburgh product.

Not to mention a lot of people in Fayette, Washington and Southern Allegheny County that would rather listen to a Morgantown product with static than a Pittsburgh product without it.

All it really takes is one or two people in Uniontown. The sample is that small.

Yet apparently WBGG can't find those two people.

I'm surprised to see Bob's slide end with a big month.

The combined Frogs are within a point of Y108. And how exactly does country have a 12-share in this market anyway? I know this was the northern capital of southern rock in the 80's; did all those people follow Jimmy Roach when he ran that commercial years ago that said "You're probably surprised to learn that I like country music"?

 

[Pratte4Life]

Many people think country is the new pop with pop's emphasis on hip hop.

You can say it is only one or two people in Uniontown. However, what is getting that guy in Uniontown to choose the Morgantown Product instead of the Pittsburgh Product?

Could it be a more diverse format? A morning show that while syndicated, features Carlos Mencia as a regular guest while WDVE continues along with 20-year-old characters or Mullet Man, evidently a character aimed at insulting DVE's own audience?

On to the WBGG in the next post.

 

[Pratte4Life]

My comment on WBGG is we keep hearing how Clear Channel COULD do something with the station, but they don't want to even think about taking away any male listeners from WDVE so they let WBGG go to waste.

I'm not sure WBGG would take listeners away. I want to listen to sports talk I listen to a sports talk radio station. I want to listen to rock and roll I turn on a music station.

The Zone is a good example of this. As "The Man Station" they were going after an audience that was previously served by WEAE and WBGG.

That wasn't exactly an incredibly huge share to begin with.

The predictable has happened. They've taken a large percentage of those listeners and all three have split up that 2.5 or so the other two stations shared.

What I am interested to see is "The Zone's" billing.

For ESPN 1250 does not get the ratings they once did as a talk station with Hoerth/Cullen/Musick/O'Brien and Garry/Cope/Savran etc. 1250 WTAE's overall ratings fell approximately 2/3 when they first went to sports.

Yet presumably they did better billing as the format is still going on now, and nobody is calling for Phil Musick to return to the airwaves (whatever happened to him anyway? I always liked him. Thought he was the ultimate Everyman Host).

Can't you see where you could sell something targeted to a male audience more than "Cullen-Target Demo- borderline socialists. Hoerth. Target Demo- People from New York who look down their nose at everything locally and talk about doo-wop records."

Same thing here. The Zone is never going to have the ratings of either B-94 or even K-Rock.

But considering B-94's format had been dying for a long time and K-Rock could not escape the loser's image it had after David Lee Roth bombed, it may ultimately be more successful.

Question- if The Zone ever got a play-by-play contract, would that officially spell the doom of WBGG into the AM graveyard with WEEP, WURP, KQV as a rock station, WIXZ, etc.?

If they aren't there already WITH the sports contracts?

 

[Jay F]

The most interesting thing I saw was how Morgantown, WV's WCLG (I think those are the calls) emerged with a 0.4 rating.

I started wondering what this rock station had that would make people tune in ahead of WDVE and The X in Washington County. To show up in the book, there have to be a whole lot of people in Greene County, for instance, who would prefer the Morgantown product ahead of the Pittsburgh product.

Not to mention a lot of people in Fayette, Washington and Southern Allegheny County that would rather listen to a Morgantown product with static than a Pittsburgh product without it.

All it really takes is one or two people in Uniontown. The sample is that small.

Yet apparently WBGG can't find those two people.

I'm surprised to see Bob's slide end with a big month.

The combined Frogs are within a point of Y108. And how exactly does country have a 12-share in this market anyway? I know this was the northern capital of southern rock in the 80's; did all those people follow Jimmy Roach when he ran that commercial years ago that said "You're probably surprised to learn that I like country music"?

Markets like Pittsburgh and Buffalo are now the epicenter of high ratings for Country radio. I think the fact that the region is attracting fewer immigrants than the rest of the country is one reason to explain this. Markets like Dallas and Houston used to be huge country markets in the Urban Cowboy era but this is no longer the case.

 

[SteelRocker]

Just looked at the P1 Summer 07 ratings. Since I live in Butler Co. I was happy to see WLER-FM make the list. I found this station last summer when our neighbors were looking for BOB-FM one night and we accidentally had it on 97.7. The AC format is not my cup of tea, but I must say that it really is a good station for an AC and my wife listens to it all the time now.

 

[Parttimer]

You can say it is only one or two people in Uniontown. However, what is getting that guy in Uniontown to choose the Morgantown Product instead of the Pittsburgh Product?


For ESPN 1250 does not get the ratings they once did as a talk station with Hoerth/Cullen/Musick/O'Brien and Garry/Cope/Savran etc. 1250 WTAE's overall ratings fell approximately 2/3 when they first went to sports.

Yet presumably they did better billing as the format is still going on now, and nobody is calling for Phil Musick to return to the airwaves (whatever happened to him anyway? I always liked him. Thought he was the ultimate Everyman Host).

The Uniontown listener might just be choosing a Morgantown signal because it comes in better. CLG is also a different mix of rock than anything in Pittsburgh , and they run Lex & Terry in the morning (and I've always felt that they would do well in Pittsburgh... certainly better than O&A... one of them is from Pittsburgh).

EAE probably bills less than they did as a talk station, but the overhead is lower too... lots of programming from the ESPN mothership.

 

[feeball]

What stations are losing listeners to 3WS?

I would have said Bob FM, WLTJ and Star.

Off the question a bit, with Bob on somewhat of an upswing and Star going a different route, it will be interesting to see what those two stations do in future books. I think Star could turn the ship around and provide Kiss some competition. Kiss's (if that's even the correct way to spell it) numbers are going on the decrease nationwide. Don't know if it has to do with schools starting back up or a lack of interest in that particular presentation of Top 40.

 

[Sahisko]

Off the question a bit, with Bob on somewhat of an upswing and Star going a different route, it will be interesting to see what those two stations do in future books. I think Star could turn the ship around and provide Kiss some competition. Kiss's (if that's even the correct way to spell it) numbers are going on the decrease nationwide. Don't know if it has to do with schools starting back up or a lack of interest in that particular presentation of Top 40.

If a station has the Kiss Moniker, does that mean it has to be a Top 40 station? The Kiss station out of Wheeling, WV and Youngstown tend to have an altered play list than the one in Pittsburgh. One of the stations plays more lite rock and doesn't resemble a top 40 station though it is designated as one. I don't know if the Kiss moniker was owned by anyone or what not.

 

[djkst35]

Off the question a bit, with Bob on somewhat of an upswing and Star going a different route, it will be interesting to see what those two stations do in future books. I think Star could turn the ship around and provide Kiss some competition. Kiss's (if that's even the correct way to spell it) numbers are going on the decrease nationwide. Don't know if it has to do with schools starting back up or a lack of interest in that particular presentation of Top 40.

If a station has the Kiss Moniker, does that mean it has to be a Top 40 station? The Kiss station out of Wheeling, WV and Youngstown tend to have an altered play list than the one in Pittsburgh. One of the stations plays more lite rock and doesn't resemble a top 40 station though it is designated as one. I don't know if the Kiss moniker was owned by anyone or what not.

I love the 95.7 Kiss in Wheeling, WV because it's not as urban-leaning as 96.1 Kiss. I'm able to tune it in from Washington, PA. I think it would be great to have a station like this in Pittsburgh to complement 96.1 Kiss. Are you listening CBS or LTJ?

 

[FCR]

If a station has the Kiss Moniker, does that mean it has to be a Top 40 station? The Kiss station out of Wheeling, WV and Youngstown tend to have an altered play list than the one in Pittsburgh. One of the stations plays more lite rock and doesn't resemble a top 40 station though it is designated as one. I don't know if the Kiss moniker was owned by anyone or what not.

Clear Channel owns the Kiss-FM brand, but not all are Top 40s. A few stations that weren't owned by CC and have used Kiss-FM have been served legal papers, but many stations still call themselves Kiss. WOXX/WXXO in Franklin-Meadville are Kiss stations that have a hybrid Hot AC-CHR format.

 

[Parttimer]

The Franklin-Meadville Kiss station is owned by either Keymarket or Forever, companies that have a "freindly" relationship with CC.

 

[youngabe89]

So regarding 93.7...all the way back when it was B94, BZZ, B93.7 whatever you want to refer to it as...what were the ratings back then? Were they as low as they are now, or not? Honestly I can't remember...just curious. It seems as if 93.7 has been cursed or something. At first I was beginning to think K-ROCK would make it. I actually knew a few people that listened to K-ROCK. The Zone on the other hand...it's like it doesn't even exist!

3WS seems to have broadened it's horizons so that it can cater to more people which has worked highly in their favor. My Office hits either 3WS or LTJ. What's WISH 99.7's story? Is it on the rise, fall?

 

[Pratte4Life]

I seem to remember B-94 getting 3.5s at the end or somewhere around there.

K-Rock seemed to keep those numbers but when Stern left they were dead.

 

[Parttimer]

The thing was that the shift from B94 to K-Rock meant a shift from and 18-34 female target to a 25-54 male demo. So even if K-Rock's 12+ numbers with Stern looked similar to the final days of the B, it was all different people, who went back to DVE or the X, or they followed Howard to Sirius.

Gaping drive-a-truck-though-it sized hole in the market for a pop-CHR, I just don't get why Kiss is so urban when they're the only CHR, and there is a straight-up urban in the market.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Just looked at the P1 Summer 07 ratings. Since I live in Butler Co. I was happy to see WLER-FM make the list. I found this station last summer when our neighbors were looking for BOB-FM one night and we accidentally had it on 97.7. The AC format is not my cup of tea, but I must say that it really is a good station for an AC and my wife listens to it all the time now.

Thanks for the kudos, Steelrocker! We're very happy about it. Our AM sister station, WBUT-AM, managed to score a .5 blip earlier this year, and because of the reception we've had with WLER since we hipped up our format more than a year ago, we can only expect things to get better. We're not out to get ratings, because we're not going to try and aggressively compete with Pittsburgh, but it's an added bonus to show our advertisers and maybe pick up a few agency dollars along the way.

 

[feeball]

Clear Channel owns the Kiss-FM brand, but not all are Top 40s. A few stations that weren't owned by CC and have used Kiss-FM have been served legal papers, but many stations still call themselves Kiss. WOXX/WXXO in Franklin-Meadville are Kiss stations that have a hybrid Hot AC-CHR format.

WDAI for example is an urban station outside of Myrtle Beach that called itself KISS FM long before the "Giant Blue Ball" was even created. From my understanding of it, Clear Channel can only go after stations who became KISS FM after they got the rights to the name. If that's the case, then a station like WDAI would be unaffected.