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WKST (Kiss 96.1) has declining ratings

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pghfmradiosucks

Looking at the Arbitron ratings, I notice the ratings for Kiss 96.1 FM have steadily declined from a 4.9 in the Summer of 2006 to a 4.4 in the Spring of 2007. Great job listeners!!!! We must prove to the radio executives that we will not tolerate lazy programming. Playing the same 10 to 15 songs over and over and over again will not be successful. This station has a history of changing formats frequently. Who remembers 96 Kicks and Variety 96? Let us bury this format and then set our sights on Bob FM who started out with so much potential, only to end up selling out.
My ultimate goal would be for listeners to tune out WDVE (except for Steeler games). The most over rated radio station in the country. Old "comedy" bits, tired DJs who have have been at the station too long and a lazy playlist. Pittsburgh deserves better than this dinosaur.
 
Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back over a 0.5 decline. It's almost within statistical error of being flat.

As far as your crusade goes, I would expect that listeners will make up their OWN minds. Certainly there's SOME reason for WDVE closing in on a 10 share.
 
I've been saying for some time that WDVE seems stale. I'd like to see some more bands from the 80s on their playlist- instead of making fun of the era with "Mulletman" or whatever that bit is- and maybe a little less patting themselves on the back and a little more enthusiasm from the DJs.


WDVE is the top radio station in Pittsburgh because KDKA has fallen mightily and there are no other classic rock outlets in Pittsburgh. This is a classic rock town- so WDVE doesn't have to do much to get ratings.

People used to pay money to buy WDVE license plates (circa early '90s) to put on the front of their cars. You saw them all over town and they were sold at Beacon Auto Parts.

You don't see that now. We listen out of habit, not enthusiasm.
 
They were generally No. 2, not number No. 1, when there was a WRRK.

Now, I don't know. I always thought all WRRK was was WDVE's playlist, perhaps mellowed a bit (they seemed to play "Piano Man" by Billy Joel a lot- ick!), with Jim Quinn.

Maybe because they were essentially two stations doing the same thing WRRK took some of the audience away simply because they were dividing the same audience- I don't know.

But really- if I'm listening to WDVE it's because of habit.

I wrote how last year, when there was a K-Rock, I came out of the Motley Crue-Aerosmith concert and K-Rock was promoting it- taking calls from people who were going to or coming from the show, playing lots of the band's music, etc.

WDVE was playing their regular rotation of records.

A poster came on here and CHAMPIONED WDVE's decision. Said it was irrelevant. Said that Saturday nights didn't drive revenue. Made every excuse for WDVE except . . . .

The fact K-Rock outhustled WDVE that day.

And you get the feeling if K-Rock did more of that sort of thing and less of Loveline and Kidd Kris (or was it Chris Kidd?) there would be a real battle going.

WDVE's laziness is nothing new. I used to travel to see AC/DC. Rock stations in Philadelphia and Detroit made true events out of these shows. They interviewed the band. They discussed the band's history. They played rare cuts and were enthusiastic about it.

I think in 1996 when AC/DC was at the Civic Arena WDVE played three songs by them after the show.

In WDVE's defense, I seem to recall when Def Leppard came to Pittsburgh a couple of years ago a DJ who was a big fan interviewing Joe Elliott before the show.

But one time in 18 years isn't a great track record.

With the audience, the history, the Steelers, and the talent WDVE has they can be the greatest rock station in America.

Instead, they are so underwhelming- so running on memories- that Morgantown's Classic Rock station is showing up in the book.
 
Pratte4Life said:
And you get the feeling if K-Rock did more of that sort of thing and less of Loveline and Kidd Kris (or was it Chris Kidd?) there would be a real battle going.
Click to expand...


The numbers sure indicated otherwise...
 
Pratt-

I'll agree with you on everything except that first line of yours. DVE was never #2 to WRRK. I'm talking overall numbers. Unless you're talking a specific daypart? DVE was #2 to KDKA at times.

You are absolutely right about being stale. And, it's been years since they even do anything regarding concerts.

The only person who shows any passion on that station is Sean. You can tell he's into the music and does his background work on topics. Although, I am tired of hearing him saying about his polls, "thanks to each and everyone of you who call in, etc. etc." It's the same line over and over again. That line must've been voicetracked. ;D

Val may also be passionate about the music. have seen her at local shows more than any other dve jock. Can't stand the morning show, though. Very tired and old.
 
No, I was referencing that WDVE was No. 2 to KDKA, not WRRK.

PBF- How would the numbers prove otherwise?

K-Rock's problem was that they never could figure out their format. Were they a rock station or were they a bad talk station with Chris Kidd (or was it Kidd Chris?) and Loveline?

Finally they decided they'd be a bad talk station. And those talk shows are not getting the numbers their music did.

Now, I just checked WDVE's playlist and I have to say- maybe they are changing. One of the songs they played was by Quiet Riot. That goes into my idea that they should start playing more of the 80s Headbangers Ball bands.

It's a change that can't come too soon.
 
whats gonna happen in 5 years when the 'dve audience is pushing 60...and most people under 32 will have been brought up with ipod's and xm...hello wjas...
 
DVE blows. They get numbers because people think they're supposed to listen. It's too bad PPM won't be here for a couple years because I bet those ratings would show where DVE really stands.

K-Rock had the numbers when they had Stern. After he left, the station went downhill and management didn't know what to do.
 
Wow.Kiss just sounded too much like it was meant for 12-year-old girls... oh wait.
I never thought of the fact that DVE's audience is growing older and will be moving over to another station soon. Honestly, we in radio can't plan too far into the future. That's the problem. With all the mergers and for-sale stuff always happening, you could have the greatest strategic plan in the history of the business, all to be taken away within 2 seconds.
 
If DVE keeps playing the same stuff they are now, why would their audience move when they get older?

People still like to think of DVE as an active rock station when it's not. It hasn't been for a long time. Nickelback, the new Scott Blasey song and the new Bruce song does not an active rock station make.
 
Reply to corporateradiosucks:

You know that the powers that be at DVE think that playing Nickelback and Scott Blasey make them current and cutting edge. What it really makes them is lame. By the way, 96.1 WKST plays the Nickelback song 3 times an hour. They alternate with "Big Girls Do'nt Cry" and that makes up the playlist of 75% of each hour.
 
If you take a look at the Mediabase Top 40 chart, you'll see that Hip-Hop/Rap is not dominating right now. 96.1 Kiss is known for being an urban-leaning Top 40 station, so obviously their ratings are going to go down as they start to play more Pop.

It's been a long time since I've heard so many pop rock and ballads on Kiss! It's great hearing such artists as Nickelback, Pink, Fergie, Avril Lavigne, Daughtry, Justin Timberlake, and Elliott Yamin in HEAVY rotation on 96.1 Kiss. I say they are doing a GREAT job with the change and I hope the pop trend continues despite the slight decline in ratings.
 
You can say it's out of habit, and maybe it is, but WDVE has ratings that other rock/classic rock stations across the country can only dream of. They are still extremely dominant 25-54.

WDVE get's a lot of criticism on this board, yet rock stations that are doing horrible in other markets do not get mentioned on their markets radio boards.

Let's compare two rock stations that have long histories, are/were institutions in their markets and are both owned by the same company... WDVE and WMMS/Cleveland.My guess is that most people on this board would strongly approve of the music on WMMS. Yet WDVE is #1 with double digit 25-54 numbers and WMMS is basically in last place. Every sales person in the world would choose to sell WDVEs ratings.
 
the fact that 'dve's audience is getting older is not the point i was making, the fact that most people under 30 don't have the same history with the station is important...older audiences die off, and unless you replenish them, once they're gone...they're gone
 
garnet said:
the fact that 'dve's audience is getting older is not the point i was making, the fact that most people under 30 don't have the same history with the station is important...older audiences die off, and unless you replenish them, once they're gone...they're gone
Click to expand...


Most people under 30 don't have the same history with radio period that older people have. I would say live in the here and now, don't make changes to try to adapt to an unknown future. The WDVE 25-54 share is massive, higher than it was in the glory days. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Slowly adjust at the first sign of trouble, but that time isn't here now.

Besides sister station WXDX does play some active rock and is aimed at the younger demos.
 
I'm not sure WDVE and WMMS are good comparitive stations.

I know what you're thinking- Pittsburgh and Cleveland- can't be that much different- right?

First off, Cleveland has more than twice the African-American audience.

Second, after doing some research I found WMMS peaked as a rock station in the 80s. It started to decline in the 90s when much of the airstaff left.

In comparision, let's say the Glory Days of WDVE were around 1990 when they drew ratings of more than 12, if memory serves, and in a couple of books beat out KDKA.

A lot of WDVE's airstaff is still there 17 years later.

Third, it should be stated that WMMS has JUST made a radical change this month. They are no longer referred to as "The Buzzard" (which is akin to Pitt asking to be called "Pittsburgh" during the Steve Pederson years), merely 100.7.

I am ASSUMING- correct me if I'm wrong- but I am ASSUMING with this change has been a tweak in the playlist. They now call themselves active rock- and a look at their playlist on the 'net showed everything from Nickelback to Kid Rock to Dio's "Rainbow in the Dark" to Skid Row.

Therefore, if my assumption that the playlist has been tweaked with the new marketing is true, you simply cannot say this is the playlist that has sunk WMMS. The previous playlist did.

There is also more competition for classic rock listenership in Cleveland, with WNCX (featuring mid-day drive DJ Michael Stanley!) and WONE.

WDVE has the classic rock crowd all to themselves.

One latter note. WMMS isn't in last place. They aren't doing Great Guns, but their last book was 2.7.

Continued in next post-
 
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