What gets ratings?

[Cabbage_Patch]

In a music-based radio station, very basically break down where YOU think ratings come from. VERY basically... I'd say:

80% music
12% promotions
8% jock

Just wondering what everyone thinks the importance of each factor is (not limited to these three... but speaking basics).

 

[Oldbones]

I'd also add signal to the list. You can have the coolest station in the world, but if you've got a weak signal you're toast.


> In a music-based radio station, very basically break down
> where YOU think ratings come from. VERY basically... I'd
> say:
>
> 80% music
> 12% promotions
> 8% jock
>
> Just wondering what everyone thinks the importance of each
> factor is (not limited to these three... but speaking
> basics).
>

 

[Runrigger]

> > In a music-based radio station, very basically break down
> > where YOU think ratings come from. VERY basically... I'd
> > say:
> >
> > 80% music
> > 12% promotions
> > 8% jock

Since very few are music-intensive during morning drive & some morning shows go off on their own musically (like Lander's Rascal Flatts fixation), I'd go at least 50% jock/team mornings. Naturally I don't think a female AC listener is going to listen to WAAF or JAMN mornings because of the personalities because she'll never really discover the particular show in the first place, but I still think music starts to rule after morning drive is over. As far as the original weights, I'd put jocks ahead of promotions.

 

[Cabbage_Patch]

Absolutely. I think mornings are a TOTALLY different beast. Good call.



> > > In a music-based radio station, very basically break
> down
> > > where YOU think ratings come from. VERY basically...
> I'd
> > > say:
> > >
> > > 80% music
> > > 12% promotions
> > > 8% jock
>
> Since very few are music-intensive during morning drive &
> some morning shows go off on their own musically (like
> Lander's Rascal Flatts fixation), I'd go at least 50%
> jock/team mornings. Naturally I don't think a female AC
> listener is going to listen to WAAF or JAMN mornings because
> of the personalities because she'll never really discover
> the particular show in the first place, but I still think
> music starts to rule after morning drive is over. As far as
> the original weights, I'd put jocks ahead of promotions.
>

 

[neanderpol]

It's What Happens...

...between the songs.

Always has been. Always will be.

The songs are the same on every station. It's the station that has the best personalities that "connect" with the audience . Always has been that way too. The consultants will argue it, but the fact is..."jukebox radio" sucks, and the ratings bear this out. Listeners want to feel like their favorite stations are "their" favorite station. The way this is done is by presentation. And the personalities are that presentation. Along with great imaging.

Management has always been wrong about "shut up and play the music." They would love that to be the case, but which daypart is considered the "most financially lucrative/important to a station?" Exactly. And how much music content on the music-intensive stations plays during that alleged "most important" daypart? Exactly.

So, even on music stations, it's what happens between songs that brings in the ratings, and the money.

Never let any manager feed you the line of "they come here for music." It's a lie.

It's presentation. And personality and imaging make all the difference.

...and buying the book in the third phase through hidden marketing doesn't hurt either!



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