The DIS-Loyalty Winner - By a Mile!

[Nu_Roo_2]

Who else?  WLZT 93.3.  But even as a repeated critic of that station, I never imagined they would show up THAT low in terms of loyalty.

If you have access to Inside Radio, take a look at the Media Audit overview of Columbus on page 5 of the 9-20-07 issue.
If you take a look at the measures that get at loyalty, especially "Conversion Ratio,"  you'll see that 93.3 is so low that it almost looks like the numbers must be wrong.  But they're not.  LZT is a super-solid last-place in conversion ratio.  Even below WTDA.  And absolutely dwarfed by the other big-signal stations -- even those that have sunk into the 3's in 12+ AQH.

Given that CC continues to shamelessly waste that prized new signal in this under-radioed market, I doubt attaining high loyalty for 93.3 is a management goal (even though it should be).  But something's clearly wrong when a signal like that can manage to show up THAT low.  It's almost embarrassing to look at, and adds more support than I ever would have expected to my contention that CC needs to actually do something sensible with that station.  They don't deserve that signal.  Too bad they have such good lawyers. 

 

[xiradiodotcom]

93.3

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Thanks, Chris.  Glad you noticed quickly enough that I could edit.  Maybe I was subconsciously trying to banish the station to Indianapolis 

 

[SonoSational18]

"Conversion Ratio" means nothing in the media world. Yes, time spent listening and cume are important but if you asked 100 media buyers what "Conversion Radio" was, 99 would give you a blank look, and if you asked if it was ever a factor on a buy, all 100 would say "no". While I would agree that 93.3 could be much improved, they still do OK "in demo" (Persons 25-54 and Women 25-54). The numbers aren't spectacular, but enough to get them to the dance.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

"Conversion Ratio" means nothing in the media world.  Yes, time spent listening and cume are important but if you asked 100 media buyers what "Conversion Radio" was, 99 would give you a blank look, and if you asked if it was ever a factor on a buy, all 100 would say "no".  While I would agree that 93.3 could be much improved, they still do OK "in demo" (Persons 25-54 and Women 25-54).  The numbers aren't spectacular, but enough to get them to the dance.

Very good points.  But,

1.  CC shouldn't be wasting the first new city-grade signal to hit under-radioed Columbus in 40 years just to "get to the dance."

2.  Loyalty measures like conversion ratio will start meaning a lot more to radio in the near future.  Not to buyers, but to broadcasters trying to build share.  The key driver will be the PPM-supplied longitudinal (i.e., tracking the same people over time) listener data that's just now starting to hit radio.   For years, consumer packaged goods manufacturers like P&G and Kraft have been using longitudinal consumer panels to track factors such as loyalty and brand switching, and to evaulate the effectiveness of various promotion and advertising strategies and tactics.  Smart reserachers and marketers have been able to turn these insights into increased market share and optimal new product strategies, and the PPM will offer similar opportunities to radio ("new product" = "new format," "brand switching" = "station switching," etc.)

3.  I never miss an opportunity to blast the ridiculous, indefensible format choice for WLZT.

 

[Radioma18]

The only reason why people would listen to 933 wlzt is Chuck Gillespie. He is a well know person in this market and I think should be doing mornings not afternoons.

 

[kirkiefan]

Once again CC shows its stupidity and arrogance. Move it back to Chillicothe where it belongs.

Under-radioed????

How about understaffed and underutilized!!!! Stop the voicetracking,clustering and network cloning. That's what destroyed Real Oldies 1230 WCOL,then WTPG,now WYTS..later another boorish clone of something else.a slap in the face to the people who made the original WCOL-AM great during its Top 40 era...but don't tell their managers and PD's that...they'll just have your correspondence snubbed by the "postmaster" from CC hell.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

After today's shareholder approval for CC to go private, the general consensus is that the company's only gonna get "leaner & meaner."

BTW, when I say Columbus is under-radioed, I mean in terms of commercial FM's that fully blanket the metro with a city-grade signal (not that the AM situation's great, either...).  This was discussed in another thread a few months ago.  There's no other market this size that has only seven stations fitting that description.  This is probably why Columbus radio revenues are high relative to market size:  fewer viable competitors.

Things were even leaner before the addition of 93.3, although CC might as well give it back to Chillicothe if they're hellbent on continuing to waste what should be a huge asset to their local cluster.  (But wait...how could we possibly get by with one fewer all-Christmas station??)

Sure, there are scads of stations if you count the few semi-decent class A's plus the multitude of weak Columbus wannabees like 103.9 and 107.9 that you can't even pick up outside their own studios.

 

[SonoSational18]

IMHO, CC should consider flipping 93.3 to Oldies... er I mean Classic Hits. They're mostly oldies anyway.

 

[CBusDave]

Things were even leaner before the addition of 93.3, although CC might as well give it back to Chillicothe if they're hellbent on continuing to waste what should be a huge asset to their local cluster. (But wait...how could we possibly get by with one fewer all-Christmas station??)

Then what are we going to listen to during Cinco de Christmas?!??!

 

[Inventor989]

Maybe you could listen to something that isn't playing Xmas music!

WLZT is the poster child for corporadio arrogance. The only reason it exists is to stick it up Saga's hindquarters. Typical of the egocentric world in their front office. There is no need, no reason for WLZT to exist, except to drain TSL from Sunny 95. There is nothing about the station to be loyal to...including its ownership. Instead of developing a format that could add to the diversity of choice in the market, instead of "serving the public interest as a public trustee" (remember, Tom, that's what it says on the license...and that's your job, to PROTECT THE LICENSE), they use this station as a throwaway just to play out their three dimensional chess game. This is a cynical, arrogant, greed-driven, disgusting use of radio, and another nail in the industry's coffin. While you p*ss away this and many other resources, your potential audience under 30 has written radio off entirely as a result. You are irrelevant hacks. You are empty suits. You will go to H-E-double hockey sticks when you die for helping to destroy this industry and the lives of so many.

 

[SonoSational18]

"WLZT is the poster child for corporadio arrogance. The only reason it exists is to stick it up Saga's hindquarters. Typical of the egocentric world in their front office. There is no need, no reason for WLZT to exist, except to drain TSL from Sunny 95. There is nothing about the station to be loyal to...including its ownership. Instead of developing a format that could add to the diversity of choice in the market, instead of "serving the public interest as a public trustee" (remember, Tom, that's what it says on the license...and that's your job, to PROTECT THE LICENSE), they use this station as a throwaway just to play out their three dimensional chess game. This is a cynical, arrogant, greed-driven, disgusting use of radio, and another nail in the industry's coffin. While you p*ss away this and many other resources, your potential audience under 30 has written radio off entirely as a result. You are irrelevant hacks. You are empty suits. You will go to H-E-double hockey sticks when you die for helping to destroy this industry and the lives of so many."

Lighten up, Francis!!

 

[Inventor989]

I'll lighten up when they are run out of the industry on their empty keisters. I know these people, and whereof I speak.