The latest ratings; discuss

[raccoonradio]

http://www.radioandrecords.com
go to Ratings and then Boston (and yes these are 12 plus numbers)

WBZ and Jam'n both stable. WEEI up a bit, good for fifth place, with sis station WRKO just behind with
also slightly better ratings but not by much. Country, oldies, and classical about the same.

WTKK is down a bit...loss of Imus a factor?
WEZE religion and the North Shore's WBOQ do show up (latter has the Sox)
WEEI-FM also shows up (and no, we're not talking SoftRock103! )

WBCN up slightly. No sign of: WKOX/WXKS (La Nueva Rumba), WWZN, or ESPN Boston...but a New Bedford
country station and a Lawrence tropical station show up.

 

[Varulven]

what, no WMWM? Ho hum, it's time for a shake up in this city. Progressive Talk with real promotion behind it.

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

Varulven, I'll assume that you've read through the list of the 19 stations which are projected to make a 1.0 rating or higher (a tragically low number). Rather than repeat the details on all stations, I'll just list the projected year-to-year winners and losers.

First the winners:

WBZ, Kiss, WEEI (for maintaining ratings w/ just hate talk and no Sox), WRKO, WKLB (@ 102.5), WTKK (ratings maintenance w/o Imus), WZLX, Mike, WBCN, Easy (WPLM-FM) and River ;D

Next the losers:

Jam'n (even w/ chance to swallow 97-7's #s), Magic, Oldies, WCRB (classical's in trouble), WROR, WAAFs, Mix and WBOS (latter two NEED to flip formats IMHO, we clearly have too many rock stations already; to 'BOS - there's no way I'd buy ads from you over River) :-[

 

[Signpost]

>> Next the losers:
>> Mix and WBOS (latter two NEED to flip formats IMHO, we clearly have too many rock stations already..)

Mix.. a rock station? I don't think so - their playlist is closer to Kiss 108's than anything else. Yeah, they play some rock, but they're not a "rock" station like BOS or ZLX..

They don't need a format flip, just a new morning show. Matty is killing them.

 

[raccoonradio]

I will say WMWM is the best FM station in Salem and also the best radio station in Salem.
That's because we are the ONLY FM station in Salem, and also the ONLY radio station. WESX,
don't forget, while allegedly licensed to the Witch City, has studios in Chelsea and a stick in M'head.
Who did the Salem-Beverly HS game last year when 'ESX bailed out? WE did! (We found out later
'NSH somehow tapped into the website of the guy doing it and also ran it...) Who does things like
live coverage of the Salem Cancer Walk (Doug Mascott calling in, talking to people, with yours
truly running the board)? WMWM!

WEEI--hate talk? Maybe I don't listen to the morning show, but if "hate talk" means "we hate the Yankees"...

 

[Varulven]

The tragedy about WCRB is that the fan base knew where it was and the new signal they got from Country radio is not very good in the Boston area, where a majority of the Symphony Hall types probably live.

What a shame. Corporations ... This is not a big country market. Is that country nightclub up on Route 1 putting rock & roll in now. It's a far cry from the Hillbilly Ranch...

I like Northshore 104...they have a great mix of oldies music.

 

[GovtMule1979]

The problem with rock stations now, is that newer rock music....well sucks, for lack of a better word. Everyone has Sweet Home Alabama, and Stairway to Heaven on their iPods now, so stations like WZLX are becoming less and less relevant. Young teenagers with no taste in music will always flock to whatever they're told to, so stations like Jamn' and Kiss will keep on pulling in ratings. As far as WEEI being Hate radio, that is just not true. WEEI is 99% fat ex jocks talking sports. When you talk sports, you get some trash talking. Then every now and then you get a person who can pick apart and breakdown and NFL defense trying to talk about who should run for president and you get a stupid comment thrown in. It's no different than a conversation you would have at the bar on a Friday after work. That is just my uneducated opinion on the mattah.... thank you.

The Mighty Horse Rocks

 

[raccoonradio]

>>This is not a big country market.

but WKLB is getting great ratings (12 plus at least)...and one performer (Kenny Chesney I think) set an
money-grossing record at Gillette Stadium (top tickets were only $85, too):

July '06: "Chesney’s show at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium on Sunday made history: It was the top grossing single-day country music concert ever. The singer/songwriter from Luttrell, Tenn., became one of only 16 acts to gross more than $4 million at a single concert, joining a list that includes the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Madonna and the Jackson 5. (Herald)

Boston may not be big enough for two country stations (remember the days of 96.9 and 105.7?) but one
does pretty well.

 

[webcastboy]

Hey y'all before the comments get nasty about stations "needing" a format flip, let's not forget that ratings are only part of the equation. If a station bills well then I'd say there's no need for a format flip, no matter how "bad" the ratings are. I understand WBOS is a prime example of this...their 12+ numbers have been weak for years, but obviously they're getting the numbers where it counts, because they rake in the bucks.

Also, and we all should know better by now, the 12+ numbers are useless for actually making an intelligent guess about what direction a station should take. The only thing they're good for is loosely monitoring a rough trend of up or down. Advertisers certainly don't care about 12+....they care about listeners in much more specific demos and those numbers often are wildly different from the uber-averaged 12+ numbers.

 

[NHRonin]

what, no WMWM? Ho hum, it's time for a shake up in this city. Progressive Talk with real promotion behind it.

Didn't Air America have George Soros and his millions behind it?

Someone should do an unbiased study on why conservative radio generally succeeds and liberal radio seemingly fails. Are liberals not big radio listeners? Are they too busy doing other things? Are there other outlets for them to share their opinions? Are they outnumbered by conservatives (doubtful)?

All seemingly valid questions. I know the standard answer is the libs control television but I'm not buying it.

 

[Erie_Lackawanna]

Hey y'all before the comments get nasty about stations "needing" a format flip, let's not forget that ratings are only part of the equation. If a station bills well then I'd say there's no need for a format flip, no matter how "bad" the ratings are. I understand WBOS is a prime example of this...their 12+ numbers have been weak for years, but obviously they're getting the numbers where it counts, because they rake in the bucks.

Also, and we all should know better by now, the 12+ numbers are useless for actually making an intelligent guess about what direction a station should take. The only thing they're good for is loosely monitoring a rough trend of up or down. Advertisers certainly don't care about 12+....they care about listeners in much more specific demos and those numbers often are wildly different from the uber-averaged 12+ numbers.

ratings numbers notwithstanding - WBOS has what many radio stations today lack: a REAL sales staff that knows its product and knows how to sell. not a staff that thinks they have a clue as what is done in the little room with the light over the door that comes on once in a while - for many newer sales types, this is the FORBIDDEN ROOM - as in "stay the hell out until you figure out what is done in there."

and please - this is not a rant against all sales professionals. there are quite a number of them in radio who still get the concept that TAPSCAN is not the be all and end all of selling. there's a bit of an art to selling a non-tangible element such as sixty seconds worth of air. it ain't easy by any stretch of the imagination. the crew on Morrissey Blvd seems to understand that it takes some persistence, some talent, some b.s. and a creative way to spin numbers when needed.

there are far too many sales types who blame the product when it comes to a lack of sales. i'll cite a specific example of an oldies station outside of Boston that does pretty damn well in the ratings and yet the sales staff claims they've lost ad revenue because the format is oldies. this is a station that is #2 12+ and consistently top 5 (if not top 3) 25-54 as well as #1 35-54 and 35+. clients are reportedly scared off by the word "oldies." yet these same ad buyers place business with stations that play just as many 35 year old songs as the oldies station. and these sales staffs are usually equipped with more than a fair share of newbie sales types who watch a few weeks worth of training videos on how to run Tapscan and then are given a few pages from the local phone book in lieu of an established list.

also - kudos to Greater Boston Radio for sticking with whatever it is they're doing at 92.9 ... although always seemingly in a state of flux, they have not pulled the plug on the niche they've been trying to fill for some time.

 

[theAguy]

1. George Soros was not a major investor in Air America. AA failed for a variety of reasons However, I contend that there is a market for progressive radio, I find that my more progressive friends tend to get thier information from a variety of sources. Where my mostly older friends who tend to be conservative quote Bill O'Rielly and Michelle Malkin as if they were all knowing. My conservative friends read the sports pages and rarely a news magazine or books.

2. These 12+ numbers are fun to look at but mean nothing. When I worked at a major Boston station that actually had a heavy teen audience we spent zero time looking at 12 plus and never told an advertiser about them.

3. A station may not have huge numbers but if they have a good demo they can be very profitable. WCRB used to make a nice profit on thier high income listeners. WBOS grossed 9 million last year how much of that was profit.

4. I was wondering why Mix 95 had such poor numbers then I listened for a few minutes and now know why.
John Lander must be what 75 years old?

 

[chitchatjf]

Anyone has the latest 25-54s? Is Jamn STILL ahead of Oldies among 25-54?

 

[argytunes]

I AGREE WITH ERIE LACKWANNA'S COMMENTS ABOVE!

But what I find really interesting is that so many of the other posters are concerned about flip-flopping formats on different dial positions...instead of actually listening to and improving the ones that listeners are currently exposed to!

All radio stations aren't the same...but crap is basically CRAP! The principle applies to syndicated and satellite programming as well as live and/or local shows!

argytunes

 

[NHRonin]

1. George Soros was not a major investor in Air America. AA failed for a variety of reasons However, I contend that there is a market for progressive radio, I find that my more progressive friends tend to get thier information from a variety of sources. Where my mostly older friends who tend to be conservative quote Bill O'Rielly and Michelle Malkin as if they were all knowing. My conservative friends read the sports pages and rarely a news magazine or books.

My bad on Soros. It's been a few years and I confused him talking about bailing AA out as having done so.

If in fact, there was a market for "progressive" radio (why are they afraid to call it liberal radio?) then some shrewd rich lib would have stepped forward and made a killing. No one has and that alone tells me there isn't a market for it. If there was money to be made, someone would be doing it.

Your conservative friends don't represent the majority of conservative I know, who are very well read, spoken and can give you the facts on most issues. Most liberals I know however just spout the party line without looking at all sides of the issue....but this isn't the place to debate that.

 

[theAguy]

1. Overall Greater Media is a great group to work for. Believe it or not the Sales manager has a lot to do with the success of the station. there was a SM at Majic back about 10 years ago who used to kick everyoenn out of the office at 9am. Many sales people just went home to make calls to thier agencies etc.. There aren't many retail accounts out there you can walk into and sell a 13 week MJX package to.


2. After almost 20 years working as a reptile I don't miss it one bit. The last station I sold had a 1.4 a 55+ audience and no local announcers and I still made a nice paycheck.

 

[faderraider]

It's good to see "the spirit of new england" still on top.

 

[Varulven]

How badly did Finneran do in the final assessment and where is 96.9 without Imus?

 

[robbbc]

1. George Soros was not a major investor in Air America. AA failed for a variety of reasons However, I contend that there is a market for progressive radio, I find that my more progressive friends tend to get thier information from a variety of sources. Where my mostly older friends who tend to be conservative quote Bill O'Rielly and Michelle Malkin as if they were all knowing. My conservative friends read the sports pages and rarely a news magazine or books.

My bad on Soros. It's been a few years and I confused him talking about bailing AA out as having done so.

If in fact, there was a market for "progressive" radio (why are they afraid to call it liberal radio?) then some shrewd rich lib would have stepped forward and made a killing. No one has and that alone tells me there isn't a market for it. If there was money to be made, someone would be doing it.

Your conservative friends don't represent the majority of conservative I know, who are very well read, spoken and can give you the facts on most issues. Most liberals I know however just spout the party line without looking at all sides of the issue....but this isn't the place to debate that.

Air America is not dead nor is liberal talk. In fact is is alive and well on Americas left coast. From Seattle to Los Angelos one would be hard pressed to be out of range of a libtalk radio station and some of the stations have great numbers, the rest don't seem to be rushing to dump the format. There are investers getting into the game (Nova M and Jones radio being the biggest names besides AAR). Jones doesn't seem to me to be a mickey mouse operation and they produce 3 libtalk shows. The puzzling piece of the pie is why libtalk can't seem to succeed in the northeast, supposedly a bastion of liberals. There are a few stations dribbled throughout the rest of the US but the east coast in general is out of the loop.

As for all liberals are X and all Conservatives are y- come on. Plenty of people on both sides can do little more than spout the party line. William F Buckley and Gore Vidal are not the gold standards for political talkers.

 

[ArtSpooner]

I agree with GovtMule. Since Callahan, has been out WEEI in no longer "Hate Radio". I'm hoping that because the ratings haven't slipped much that maybe they'll pass on renewing his contract which comes up in a few months. I consider myself conservative...........he's just a knucklehead.