WPOR - What the H*ll happened?

[adbuyer1]

Number 11, in the metro, reaching 25-54 Adults???

Erie - can you give any insight here as you tend to have some inside insight?

According to early emails, WPOR got obliterated by The Wolf across the board with the apparent exception of Adults 55+.

Did the recently revamped and "slimmed" down morning show get destroyed as bad as the early email attachments indicate?

What the heck?

 

[Oldbones]

Didn't they just get a new PD earlier this year?

 

[adbuyer1]

I believe so, but how could one PD turn WPOR into the Kansas City Royals of the Portland market so quickly.

I mean, when the only station below you reaching Adults 25-54 is WBQW - WBACH, which doesn't even cover the entire market, that's a fricken ratings meltdown.

 

[Erie_Lackawanna]

it seems every year the Portland book produces some statistical anomalies.. this book seems to show an unusual demo bump (25-54 women) for WBLM and an equally weird drop for WPOR.

like it or not, the stations have to learn to live with it, do some homework and try to make sure it doesn't (or in WBLM's case - DOES) happen again.

the gang at WJBQ took a similar hit.

WTHT appeared to have remained steady from last book - so unless a significant portion of the listening audience has just turned off country completely, which is really unlikely, the books fall where they may.

 

[DudeWheresMyRadio]

I absolutely LOVE my twice yearly visit to New England exactly for things like this!

The WBLM gains are impossible to swallow. There's no f'ing way they could make the gains they did 25-54 W. I hope the folks at Citadel are chasing their beers with shots of reality - if I were a competitor in the market I'd already be in Maryland, checkin' the diaries.

As to the stuff that *looks* legit...

*Nice book for 'MGX.
*Frank has rebounded nicely, but may have landed where they should be.
*Nice kiss for The Wolf, but shots of reality should be served at their party, too.
*"Big Jab" is legit as heck! Can you say Red Sox?
*WGAN...well, it's the election, stupid!

The mauling of WPOR in 25-54 has the same credence as WBLM's meteoric rise. There are bad diaries in the wood. Hopefully someone will flush them out.

Celebrate softly, and know that there are ad dollars that will be withheld until this thing is sorted out. Arbitron has already had to re-issue Providence...

 

[adbuyer1]

While I totally agree that WBLM's women numbers create some credibilty issues, fortunately or unfortunately, with their overall Adult numbers, keep in mind that they did well in the TSA also. Heck they are number 2 in Augusta which has nothing to do with any ratings in the one county Portland metro.
In essence these enormous ratings are a double edged sword for them. There are very few, if any, local agencies that are going to place them on a W25-54 buy. Nationally they may get something especially if the media buyer is not familiar with the market and that does happen.

I think WPOR's problems are deeper. It doesn't look like it's just one demo or one age cell that killed them. They're getting beat in both men and women in various unrelated demos and it's also consistent in every daypart - heck every hour - so I don't think it's necessarily a "kiss" for the Wolf. The Wolf's listeners are simply listening much longer to that station than WPOR's listeners are.

 

[cooper]

Since I have been in the area, I have noticed a few anomalies in the market. Granted, I have never seen the complete breakdown of ratings... Just the overalls. For example, the period where JJ's WRED came out of nowhere the rock the 12+ overalls. I'm a big fan of the station even in its ever-changing form), but I found it a little odd that they got that sudden bump.

How many diaries does the Portland market get?

 

[on-air-in-NH]

Just a side note, the new PD they hired within the last year is Matty Jeff, the old PD of the Wolf in NH ... I love it