The last few monthlies have produced the most unusual ratings that San Diego has ever seen. It's got me baffled. Is it because People Meters have been introduced to San Diego and that's blown up previous beliefs about Market 17? Or have population trends changed radio listening habits?
1) San Diego ratings are now led by a format that has been abandoned in most other markets... Rhythmic Oldies. Was it about a decade ago that "Jammin' Oldies" was the hot new format around the U.S.? But it quickly came and went in many cities because playing only oldies that are also rhythmic was too small a catagory of hit music. The playlist was too repetitive. Most traditional Oldies stations play a third or more rhythmic hits of the 60s and 70s anyway. And most Soft AC stations also saw the benefit in playing a couple of rhythmic oldies per hour. WLTW New York spins most of the hits of Earth Wind & Fire, Barry White and Donna Summer once every day. I assume XHRM is big with Hispanics over 40. But there are plenty of other markets that have larger Latino populations than San Diego. Why is Rhythmic Oldies #1 in San Diego and hard to find anywhere else? And why is Rhythmic Oldies #1 with People Meters but was ranked only around #10 when diaries were still used?
2) How odd it is that San Diego's #3 radio station is Oldies XHPRS. 105.7, with its transmitter in Mexico, has to deal with a full-power signal at 105.3 licensed to San Diego, limiting its reach into San Diego County. It was never a ratings contender in years past, till an Oldies format was put on the frequency. Meanwhile several other stations in the market abandoned Oldies over the years... XHOCL (which still keeps its "Cool" call letters), KBZT (which still keeps its "Best" call letters) and the former KCBQ-FM. They all moved onto other formats.
3) PPM hasn't been kind to San Diego News-Talk stations. KOGO was sometimes #1 under the diary system and KFMB usually ranked in or near the top five as well. They're both down as are KFI and KNX, two LA 50kw signals that had been strong in San Diego County. Meanwhile, the market's highest power AM station, 690 XEWW, 72kw by day, 50kw by night, finished near the bottom with a Spanish News-Talk format beamed in from XEW Mexico City.
4) Notice the widening gap between Top 40 KHTS and Rhythmic Top 40 XHITZ? Only a fraction of a point used to separate the two, although XHITZ has more competition lately from another Mexican-licensed station in the Rhythmic CHR field, XEMORE.
5) While Rhythmic Oldies and Mainstream Oldies are doing great in the PPM ratings, two other formats aimed at the 40+ audience have not fared as well. Soft AC KYXY and Smooth Jazz KIFM, both #1 not long ago during diary days, are still strong but not like they once were. Usually PPM helps these formats, broadcast in a store or office where meter wearers may not even realize they're hearing these stations. And among adult skewing stations, KSON, once consistantly around #5, is now tied for #13, hurt by competition from country rival KUSS. Are there enough country fans in San Diego to support TWO country stations? Or were not enough meters distributed in Northern San Diego County, where the older listeners likely live?
6) In many markets, rock stations have been helped by PPM. But that's especially true in San Diego. KGB, KIOZ, KBZT, XETRA-FM and KPRI all got a boost, as did CBS's KSCF, a former Howard Stern affiliate that's been struggling since he left terrestrial radio. CBS has been turning over formats on 105.3 more frequently than McDonald's turns over fry cooks. But thanks to People Meters, KSCF is now in the profitable threes. With its recently-adopted Modern AC format, it's right behind KSON.
7) Which Spanish language station is tops? That's hard to say since Univision hasn't encoded Regional Mexican KLNV or Spanish Adult Hits KLQV for People Meters. They're both missing from the ratings. So by default, the top Spanish language station is XHLTN, which had been the leader back in the 70s and 80s as a Spanish Easy Listening/Soft AC outlet. It's now Spanish Pop Hits, which I guess is the closest format to AC these days for Latin stations.
8) By the way, how does a major national station owner like Univision NEGLECT to encode the signals on its two big San Diego FMs? Is this evidence that ratings don't really matter on Latin radio? As long as you're putting out a signal, you'll get ad buys? Advertisers (who likely don't speak Spanish) will still buy time whether you're getting a three share or a point three share? Don't programmers and DJs have incentives in their contracts that can't be met if there are no ratings? How can AM stations in Tijuana such as 860 XEMO and 1470 XERCN, which probably DON'T get much U.S. advertising, remember to encode their signals but Univision can't?
9) Since XHRM became San Diego's top radio station, this is the first time that a foreign-licensed radio station is #1 in a U.S. market. Until now, stations starting with either a "W" or a "K" were always at the top of all ratings. XETRA-FM and XHITZ were often in the Top 5 in years past in San Diego but never #1. Mexican stations score well in El Paso, McAllen-Brownsville-Harligen and other border markets. Canadian stations show up in Detroit, Buffalo, Toledo, Rochester, Watertown and Burlington-Plattsburgh ratings but never at #1. CKLW apparently never finished first in Detroit, even in its fabled Top 40 days.
Gregg
[email protected]
1) San Diego ratings are now led by a format that has been abandoned in most other markets... Rhythmic Oldies. Was it about a decade ago that "Jammin' Oldies" was the hot new format around the U.S.? But it quickly came and went in many cities because playing only oldies that are also rhythmic was too small a catagory of hit music. The playlist was too repetitive. Most traditional Oldies stations play a third or more rhythmic hits of the 60s and 70s anyway. And most Soft AC stations also saw the benefit in playing a couple of rhythmic oldies per hour. WLTW New York spins most of the hits of Earth Wind & Fire, Barry White and Donna Summer once every day. I assume XHRM is big with Hispanics over 40. But there are plenty of other markets that have larger Latino populations than San Diego. Why is Rhythmic Oldies #1 in San Diego and hard to find anywhere else? And why is Rhythmic Oldies #1 with People Meters but was ranked only around #10 when diaries were still used?
2) How odd it is that San Diego's #3 radio station is Oldies XHPRS. 105.7, with its transmitter in Mexico, has to deal with a full-power signal at 105.3 licensed to San Diego, limiting its reach into San Diego County. It was never a ratings contender in years past, till an Oldies format was put on the frequency. Meanwhile several other stations in the market abandoned Oldies over the years... XHOCL (which still keeps its "Cool" call letters), KBZT (which still keeps its "Best" call letters) and the former KCBQ-FM. They all moved onto other formats.
3) PPM hasn't been kind to San Diego News-Talk stations. KOGO was sometimes #1 under the diary system and KFMB usually ranked in or near the top five as well. They're both down as are KFI and KNX, two LA 50kw signals that had been strong in San Diego County. Meanwhile, the market's highest power AM station, 690 XEWW, 72kw by day, 50kw by night, finished near the bottom with a Spanish News-Talk format beamed in from XEW Mexico City.
4) Notice the widening gap between Top 40 KHTS and Rhythmic Top 40 XHITZ? Only a fraction of a point used to separate the two, although XHITZ has more competition lately from another Mexican-licensed station in the Rhythmic CHR field, XEMORE.
5) While Rhythmic Oldies and Mainstream Oldies are doing great in the PPM ratings, two other formats aimed at the 40+ audience have not fared as well. Soft AC KYXY and Smooth Jazz KIFM, both #1 not long ago during diary days, are still strong but not like they once were. Usually PPM helps these formats, broadcast in a store or office where meter wearers may not even realize they're hearing these stations. And among adult skewing stations, KSON, once consistantly around #5, is now tied for #13, hurt by competition from country rival KUSS. Are there enough country fans in San Diego to support TWO country stations? Or were not enough meters distributed in Northern San Diego County, where the older listeners likely live?
6) In many markets, rock stations have been helped by PPM. But that's especially true in San Diego. KGB, KIOZ, KBZT, XETRA-FM and KPRI all got a boost, as did CBS's KSCF, a former Howard Stern affiliate that's been struggling since he left terrestrial radio. CBS has been turning over formats on 105.3 more frequently than McDonald's turns over fry cooks. But thanks to People Meters, KSCF is now in the profitable threes. With its recently-adopted Modern AC format, it's right behind KSON.
7) Which Spanish language station is tops? That's hard to say since Univision hasn't encoded Regional Mexican KLNV or Spanish Adult Hits KLQV for People Meters. They're both missing from the ratings. So by default, the top Spanish language station is XHLTN, which had been the leader back in the 70s and 80s as a Spanish Easy Listening/Soft AC outlet. It's now Spanish Pop Hits, which I guess is the closest format to AC these days for Latin stations.
8) By the way, how does a major national station owner like Univision NEGLECT to encode the signals on its two big San Diego FMs? Is this evidence that ratings don't really matter on Latin radio? As long as you're putting out a signal, you'll get ad buys? Advertisers (who likely don't speak Spanish) will still buy time whether you're getting a three share or a point three share? Don't programmers and DJs have incentives in their contracts that can't be met if there are no ratings? How can AM stations in Tijuana such as 860 XEMO and 1470 XERCN, which probably DON'T get much U.S. advertising, remember to encode their signals but Univision can't?
9) Since XHRM became San Diego's top radio station, this is the first time that a foreign-licensed radio station is #1 in a U.S. market. Until now, stations starting with either a "W" or a "K" were always at the top of all ratings. XETRA-FM and XHITZ were often in the Top 5 in years past in San Diego but never #1. Mexican stations score well in El Paso, McAllen-Brownsville-Harligen and other border markets. Canadian stations show up in Detroit, Buffalo, Toledo, Rochester, Watertown and Burlington-Plattsburgh ratings but never at #1. CKLW apparently never finished first in Detroit, even in its fabled Top 40 days.
Gregg
[email protected]
