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The Sports Talk Wars
- Thread starter Gopher
- Start date
we will know for sure once the Cowboys season ends in January or February (depending on if the Cowboys make the playoffs or if they do, how far they go into it). right now, The Fan is in Cowboys season and thus gets good ratings. but if The Ticket's ratings keep dipping post Cowboys season, then it means either their lineup is too played out or the signal isn't as good as once was (but streaming could help out on that).
I'm pretty sure it is combined reporting and "KTCK" also includes the audience listening on 96.7. 6+ is not going to give an accurate picture of the how well The Ticket is doing though.
The Ticket is signal-challenged compared to The Fan. 96.7 is not great in parts of the metro including downtown/uptown Dallas, which isn't surprising considering the transmitter is 60 miles aways.
I wonder if Cumulus has given any consideration to swapping KSCS and KTCK-FM. KTCK-FM has full-market competition while KSCS's competition is mostly just themselves with The Wolf and a bunch of marginal rimshots. I'm sure they have the full data, but I would guess at least 75-80% of KSCS's audience is within 96.7's signal and the move would probably lift The Wolf a little and provide for The Ticket's future, while not hurting New Country much.
I came across this article the other day and was wondering how a sports talk station in DFW would be #1 and beat the ratings of powerhouses that are Kiss FM, KLTY, KLUV, and both country stations. When in reality, looking at the PPM ratings from Radio Online states that the Fan (or what I like to call "Jerry FM" or "Cowboys FM") is #21 with a 2.2. Unless Kiss FM is at a 2.1, they are not the #1 station in DFW. Heck, even Alt 103.7 and that Air 1 101.7 is higher in ratings. However, KTCK and ESPN are 1.2 and 1.1. #1 Sports station yes, but not the #1 station in DFW. Nice try though.
It also makes me think the people at "Cowboys FM" are such suck ups that they like to celebrate and throw a party every time they beat The Ticket in the ratings. Big deal. You have 20 other stations who are getting more listeners.
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The article is filled with untruths. The Ticket has fallen badly since June, averaging below a 3 share vs. the 5.5 share average of the first months of the year in that 25-54 male demographic. They are outside the top 15 in men 25-54 in the last months.
KRLD was also in the 5's through February, and then fell into the 3's for several months, averaging in the 4's in the last few months. They are between 2nd and 4th in the last three books in 25-54 men. It does not have a 5.4 in November.
I suspect the writer was looking at a single daypart, or, worse, does not know how to read the numbers. The truth is that The Fan was tied for 5th in that demo with KLUV, not #1.
Remember, though, that on a share to revenue comparison, sports stations tend to double, triple and even quadruple music stations. There are lots of dollars out there destined only for sports, and there are also sports marketing dollars that don't go to music stations. In 2018, KRLD was the top billing station in the market even though it was not the ratings leader.
KSCS and KPLX bill almost identically (the difference is less than 5%), and have much lower costs of operation than The Ticket. Either of them is more profitable than KTCK.
Follow the money, particularly the bottom line. The two country stations are not going to change.
That is a terrible idea! Even worse than the stupid "reverse crossover" gimmick that John Dickey imposed on KSCS years ago. Thankfully, Dickey was fired and KSCS recovered nicely. If Cumulus were to demote one of its very successful country brands to a rimshot signal, another company would swoop in and launch a Country station on a full market signal almost immediately.
How do you figure moving The Wolf from the terrific 99.5 signal to the marginal 96.7 signal would "lift it a little?" It wouldn't "lift it a little," it would SINK IT! David Eduardo is 100% correct.
One idea that might be worthy of consideration, strictly as a defensive maneuver, would be to toss Hot 93.3 to the curb and add 93.3 as a Ticket simulcaster. I'd be surprised if 93.3 generates more than few hundred thousand dollars in cash flow annually. Hot 93.3 also scored its worst AQH share in the history of the brand in the most recent ratings survey. It has been on a steady downward trend the past few surveys.
looks like change is coming to the afternoons slot at The Ticket as Mike Rhyner is retiring from The Ticket.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183019/mike-rhyner-retires-from-afternoons-at-ktck/
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183019/mike-rhyner-retires-from-afternoons-at-ktck/
To be fair, I was saying moving "New Country" from 96.3 to 96.7 would then lift The Wolf on 99.5. I was thinking out loud, but either way, it is a bad idea for a bunch of reasons, including some that you outlined.
With that said, as a regular listener of The Ticket, I'm concerned about the station long-term. The AM band is in a death spiral and 1310 is a pretty mediocre AM signal to start with and only getting worse. 96.7 is not sufficient by itself. I regularly have reception issues in various locations in the market.
As a North DFW resident, I don't know what you're talking about.
As far as the remainder of the Hardline, I wonder if Corby and Danny don't reinvent themselves as a Gordo-less Rant / Orphanage. Heck, Dave Lane might come back.
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