It's simple.
> To beat star1007 in the ratings? If they haven't already?
These are most of the factors that influences a station's ratings. There are probably even more.
* The station’s format (established, fad)
* Changes in a station’s programming or formatics
* Changes in any other station’s programming or formatics
* Management changes (GM, PD, etc.)
* On-air talent changes
* Playlist changes
* Time of year when the ratings are conducted (seasonality of radio listening)
* Why a listener completes a diary (To vote for a favorite? To vote against a station?)
* A listener’s desire to be accurate in keeping a diary
* A listener’s understanding of how to complete a diary
* The accuracy of a listener’s memory in recording listening
* Listeners’ errors in recording listening behavior (misspelling, etc.)
* Advice from friends or relatives about how to complete a diary
* A station’s external advertising (TV, billboards, direct mail, telemarketing, etc.)
* Other stations’ advertising (TV, billboards, direct mail, telemarketing, etc.)
* Station publicity, such as a story about the morning show DJs in the local newspaper
* On-air promotions and advertising by any station in the market
* Contests on any station in the market during the ratings period
* Signal strength
* Weather emergencies in the area when the ratings were conducted
* News events or emergencies during the ratings period
* Significant events during the ratings period (sporting events, holidays, disasters)
* TV specials that might attract huge audiences
* Changes in listeners’ radio listening habits affected by changes in personal schedules
* Affect of listeners’ purchase of CDs or other audio sources that reduces radio listening
* Effect of listeners’ viewing of music channels on TV that reduces radio listening
* An undeterminable number of unknown sources of error
To beat 100.7, 96.9 has to do a better job of controlling the above factors that are in their power to control.
Considering that neither one of those stations is even in the top 10, what freakin' difference does it make?