from the Albany Times Union
December 13, 2000
It's a risky business believing anything a radio personality says on the air. Everything can be a "bit," and nothing in the jock's professional or personal life is out of bounds.
Thank Howard Stern. In fact, there are morning and afternoon shock jocks from 100-watt college stations to big city behemoths who can thank Stern for most of their shtick.
For the last few weeks, Stern (heard locally on WQBJ and WQBK/103.5-FM and 103.9-FM) has been threatening that Friday would be his last day on the air; his contract with CBS/Infinity Broadcasting was set expire at the end of the month.
Armageddon is coming! He is walking away! "This is not a disk-jockey stunt," he warned listeners.
Maybe it's not a stunt, but don't write the show's obituary yet. Odds are Stern is not leaving the air.
Reports surfaced this week that Stern was going to re-up, although his New York City base could be shifting from K-Rock (92.3-FM) to WNEW (102.7-FM). Friday is not an ultimate drop-dead date anyway: After this week, the host is on vacation through the end of the year.
Gut here says that he is staying, although he has outside projects -- his production company makes the "Baywatch" spoof "Son of the Beach" for FX -- that could keep him busy.
Ratings and industry buzz suggest Stern is slipping. While still dominant in New York City -- and bouncing back and forth among the top three slots in this market -- Stern has seen his audience erode, especially in Los Angeles. There's a reason.
Stern is simply not as fresh, as singular, as outrageous as he once was. You don't howl when he asks the latest female guest how big her breasts are. Hot lesbians? A dime a dozen on talk radio. We've heard this gig for almost two decades.
You can't even call him a shock-jock anymore, because in radio today it's not all that shocking. In part, he is a victim of his own success, and the copycats that it bred.
The FCC fines don't come, because if the Federal Communications Commission nailed Howard, it would have to go after more than half the morning shows on the air.
And while Stern is still locked in the world of the ninth-grader aching to see his first unclasped bra, many of his original fans have moved on, passing on the King of All Media as they drive their kids to school. The next generation of young fans are increasingly looking for their own parent-scaring icons.
Say what you want about Stern and his show, but acknowledge he is a hall-of-famer, one of the few people who can honestly say they changed a medium.
Don Imus might have paved the way for a show like Stern's, but Stern blazed a trail through woods that radio hadn't dared to explore. Too bad those woods today are just another overcrowded development.
--snips--
from the Albany Times Union
October 25, 2000
"Wakin' Up with Wolf & Mulrooney," the WPYX (106.5-FM) morning show that moved to Cleveland in August but is still heard here, slipped from third to fifth overall among adult listeners, and fell from first to third in the key demographic of listeners ages 25 to 54.
WGNA (1460-AM/107.7-FM) held a considerably lead among adult listeners over WYJB (99.5-FM), Sean and Richie also have a sizable lead in that category over "Stern on The Edge" (WQBJ/WQBK (103.5/103.9-FM), although the two shows are tied among listeners ages 25to 54.
Like television, the summer ratings book for radio tends to be discounted somewhat by those in the industry, who argue that listener and viewer habits are skewed by summer vacations.
--snips--
from the Albany Times Union
August 4, 2000
--snips--
Cleveland to rock: The top-rated "Wakin' Up With Wolf & Mulrooney" morning show on WPYX (106.5-FM) begins a new era Monday as the show moves to Cleveland and WMMS (100.7-FM).
The show (5:30 to 10 a.m.) will still be heard on Pyx-106 via simulcast, with some local references for both Albany and Cleveland.
Bob Wohlfeld said he plans on being back in Albany frequently. He also said expect some screw-ups in the first weeks and the kinks are ironed out.
Meanwhile in the most recent ratings book, "The Howard Stern Show" heard locally on WQBJ/WQBK (103.5-FM/103.9-FM), dropped from tied for first to tied for third in the morning among adults, behind WYJB (95.5-FM) and tied with WGNA (1460-AM/107.7-FM).
--snips--
from the Albany, NY Times Union
May 05, 2000
In the winter Arbitron ratings book released Thursday, Fly-92 saw its audience share rise significantly among listeners 12 and older and ages 25-54, as well as in the mornings.
In the morning, both "Waking Up with Wolf and Mulrooney" on WPYX (106.5-FM) and Howard Stern's show on the Edge (WQBKJ/WQBK 103.5/ 103.9-FM) lost listeners from the critical 25-54 age group, but are in a dead heat for first place. WPYX also lost listeners overall.
Paul Vandenburgh's morning show on WROW (590-AM) made a significant jump, rising from 19th to 12th place among listeners ages 25-54. Overall, WROW moved from 14th to 11th place.
"Good, solid talk-radio programming produces good, solid talk- radio results," said Vandenburgh, also the station's program director.
For Albany Broadcasting, which owns Fly-92, the ratings were a significant relief, although not a cure-all. In 1999, the station plummeted from second to fifth in the ratings between summer and fall, but moved back up to third in the winter ratings book.
"In the summer we were kissed; in the fall we were dissed," vice president and operations manager Michael Morgan said. "Although we have areas to grow, this obviously represents heading in the right direction."
There is still a question whether the station's morning team of Reno and Whitney, which struggled mightily in the fall ratings book before rebounding, will remain in place. When asked about the pair, Morgan said the book and the station as a whole must be evaluated closely.
Among listeners older than age 12, WGNA (1400-AM/107.7-FM) remains No. 1 overall, followed by WGY (810-AM). FLY-92 and WYJB (95.5-FM) tied for fourth, followed by PYX-106.
from the Albany Times Union
The newest player in the Capital Region radio market is coming to town with a ticket to this area's big country and western stations, as well as the local broadcast outlets for popular shock jock Howard Stern. But Regent Communications Inc. isn't inclined to change the lineup.
"Those stations are in very good formats, the country station is the premier station in Albany," said William Stakelin, president of Kentucky-based Regent, which this week acquired six local radio stations from Texas-based Clear Channel Communications as part of a $110 million deal.
"Only a crazy man would want to play with the success they have established," Stakelin added.
Regent is a newcomer on the national radio scene that went public in January for $8.50 a share. Founded by industry veteran Stakelin and Chairman Terry Jacobs, the new company has a firm plan. It wants to go into small and medium-sized radio markets such as Albany -- adding to properties in Utica/Rome and Watertown, Stakelin said. It is now in 10 such markets, with the goal of extending the radio "cluster" strategy beyond the nation's largest metro markets, he said.
A "cluster" is a group of commercial radio stations that play different musical and talk formats but has one owner. This allows the cluster radio broadcaster to sell a package deal for commercial time to regional advertisers.
Clustering is the same strategy used by bigger players such as Clear Channel Communications, the very group selling off the six stations to Regent.
Clear Channel is clearly creating a new competitor with the sale, but it didn't have a choice. After a string of its own acquisitions, Clear Channel had to sell off close to 125 stations nationwide so that it wouldn't violate government rules limiting media monopolies in given markets. Without selling the stations, Clear Channel would have owned 13 radio stations in the Capital Region, along with the Fox TV affiliate.
Radio industry broadcasters have been anxious for months to see who would win the bidding war for the Clear Channel stations. Some were especially interested to see whether another local company, such as Albany Broadcasting Co., owner of WROW-AM and several FM stations, or Saratoga Springs-based Anastos Media Group, would enlarge its holdings.
Albany Broadcasting executives could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
Scott Collins, general manager of Anastos-owned soft rock station WQAR (101.3-FM) and Big Band station WUAM (900-AM) did try to bid on some of the Clear Channel properties. But the Clear Channel prices were too high, Collins said, adding he thought Clear Channel didn't want to sell the local stations to another company that already knew the Albany market.
The deal included $67 million in cash and a swap of some Midwestern stations in exchange for the six stations stations in Albany. Regent gets another cluster of nine Clear Channel stations in the Grand Rapids, Mich. market.
Stakelin said he got a better price than buyers of Clear Channel stations in other markets.
Even though he lost out on the bidding, Collins said the addition of a new player in the Capital Region radio market will heighten the existing competition between his own stations, Clear Channel, Albany Broadcasting and another operator, Tele-Media Broadcasting, he said.
"A five-man soccer game is more fun than a three-man soccer game, it keeps everybody on their toes," Collins said.
It also creates more professional opportunities for broadcasters, he said.
Stakelin said Regent isn't planning any personnel changes. But Dennis Lamme, Clear Channel vice president in Albany, said some negotiations are already under way, regarding the dissemination of staff among the stations.
No more than 15 people are affected, Lamme said, and most are in sales-oriented positions. The deal is expected to close by the end of July or August.
Regent Communications stock, which trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol RGCI, closed Tuesday at $10.44, unchanged. Clear Channel stock closed at $62.44, up 44 cents.
Terry Jacobs, Chairman and CEO of Regent Communications, commented, "Today's agreement represents a significant strengthening of our station portfolio. We are swapping three smaller non-rated markets for two mid-sized markets - with Grand Rapids representing our largest to date. These well clustered markets will provide strong revenue and cash flow as we proceed with our sales and marketing initiatives, while providing numerous sales and cost synergies which clustering affords. As a result, we believe the potential of our entire portfolio will be improved, especially in terms of margin enhancement. We remain focused on strengthening our station group through strategic acquisitions and maximizing shareholder value over the long-term."
Grand Rapids and Albany are the 55th and 58th ranked radio revenue markets, respectively. The stations being acquired include WABT-FM, WGNA-FM, WQBK-FM, WQBJ-FM, WGNA-AM and WTMM-AM serving the Albany market and WGRD-FM, WLHT-FM and WTRV-FM serving the Grand Rapids market.
Regent Communications is a radio broadcasting company focused on acquiring, developing and operating radio stations in small and mid-sized markets. Pending the close of all announced transactions, Regent Communications will own, operate or provide sales, marketing and programming services for 40 stations (28 FM and 12 AM) clustered in 10 markets. Regent Communications, Inc. shares are traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "RGCI".
from the Capital District Business Review
week of February 28, 2000
Barbara Pinckney - Business Review Reporter
The Top 40 station, better known as FLY 92, had been No. 2, with a 10 percent share of all listeners 12 and older in the Albany-Troy-Schenectady market, when New York City-based Arbitron conducted its summer 1999 survey. But in the fall book, the station was listed as drawing 6.4 percent of listeners, which put it in fifth place.
With the 18- to 34-year-old age group, the station slipped from its usual first place, and a 14 percent share, to third place and a 10 percent share.
But can the fall report be believed? WFLY officials say no, and hope to convince Arbitron to take another look at the numbers.
"Something is seriously wrong here," said Michael Morgan, vice president of programming for WFLY owner Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc. in Latham. "A station like FLY does not lose 40 percent of its listeners from one book to the next."
He said the survey results were about a month late, and Arbitron has been having problems in other markets. The company changed software programs and had some difficulty with ZIP codes and "getting the [surveys] into the right hands," he said.
Morgan believes the diaries in this area may have gotten into more male than female hands. He noted that "male-leaning" stations did well in the fall survey, while those like FLY that appeal more to females lost ground.
But Robert Ausfeld, general manager of six local stations owned by Dallas-based AMFM Inc., said every station occasionally must accept a bad book. AMFM's local stations include the top-rated country simulcast of WGNA, 107.7 FM/1460 AM, and rock station WPYX, 106.5 FM, which unseated WFLY as No. 1 with 18-34 year-olds.
This time, WGNA, whose audience Ausfeld said is "about 50-50 male-female," was No. 1 with an 11.7 percent share of the 12-plus audience rating. It also was tops once again with the coveted "money demo" of adults aged 25 to 54. Ausfeld said the station was heavily promoted and ran a $1,000 daily contest, but beyond that, "Country music is doing well now. There is a bunch of good talent out there."
WPYX, which is dominated by male listeners, saw its share of 18- to 34-year-olds rise from 9 percent to 13.4 percent. It also had a healthy "money demo" increase, and its morning show, featuring "The Wolf," was tops with that group, beating Howard Stern on "The Edge" simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM/WQBJ, 103.5 FM for the first time.
Another rock station, WRVE, 99.5 FM in Albany, also did well. It took second place with the money demo, with a 10 percent share, up from 7 percent in the summer.
WFLY was not the only female-leaning station to see its numbers slide. Its sister, adult contemporary WYJB, 95.5 FM, also took a tumble, especially in the money demo, where its share fell from 9.7 percent to 7.9 percent.
But there may be more to WYJB's slip than diary placement. The station may have lost listeners to WKLI, 94.5 FM, a soft favorites station known as "The New K-lite."
The old K-lite, which had been at 100.9 FM, signed off in 1996, when former owner Paul Bendat put it in a simulcast with WKBE, 100.3 FM in Queensbury. The adult contemporary duo was renamed "K-100."
Last spring, Tele-Media Co. purchased Bendat's stations. It separated the former middle-of-the-road simulcast of WABY, 94.5 FM/1400 AM, and turned the AM side into an all-news station. In August, the FM station became WKLI and adopted the soft favorites format.
"The New K-lite" had a 4.4 percent, 12-plus share, up from 3.9 percent in the summer book. Its share of the 25-to-54 audience doubled, to 2.1 percent.
When WABY FM became WKLI, the station that had been known as WKLI became WCPT, or "The Point," and adopted a livelier "Hot AC" format. That station, which still simulcasts with WKBE, appears to be off to a good start. While its 12-plus share was flat at 2.9 percent, its "money demo" share rose from 2.7 percent to 4 percent.
Paige Lamers, general manager for Tele-Media, was not available for comment.
Of the three stations that did a format round-robin dance in the fall, WZMR, 104.9 FM appears to be the early winner.
Clear Channel Communications Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, took the modern rock format that had belonged to its "Edge" simulcast and gave it to sister WHRL, 103.1 FM. "The Edge" took on a more adult-oriented "active rock" format.
This prompted Albany Broadcasting to change the format of its WZMR from modern rock to jazz--the format WHRL had left behind.
In the fall book, "The Edge" was flat, WHRL was down a bit, and WZMR was up a bit.
from the Times Union, Albany, NY
February 19, 2000
Howard Stern's raucous morning show -- carried locally on WQBJ/WQBK (103.5 and 103.9-FM) -- has suffered a definite dent in the crown, according to the new Arbitron ratings. In the coveted 25- to 54-year-old demographic, the morning prize goes to Bob Wolf and his "Waking Up with the Wolf and Mulrooney" morning show on WPYX (106.5- FM).
Wolf's locally produced show has spent two and a half years gaining on Stern's ratings juggernaut.
The last round of Arbitron ratings found the two programs almost neck and neck, with Stern earning 11.9 against Wolf's 11.5. The new listings, released Thursday, showed Stern with 13.5 -- a healthy step up, but not enough to counter Wolf's leap to 14.1.
John Cooper, program director of WQBK, said the latest ratings reflect the audience's embrace of a homegrown show and the successful pairing of Wolf and John Mulrooney, who stepped in as sidekick last year.
"They're not Stern replicas," said Cooper. "They're doing their own thing."
Don't count Stern out quite yet: In the 18- to 34-year-old demographic, the newly single shock-jock continues to trounce Wolf by four points.
from the Albany Times Union
October 28, 1999
Meanwhile, country music leader WGNA (1460-AM/107.7-FM) retained its top slot overall among listeners 12 and older (and listeners ages 25-54), according to advance statistics for the summer Arbitron ratings book.
Overall, WFLY (92.3-FM) jumped from fourth to second, sparked in part by the improved showing of the Reno & Whitney morning show.
"The Waking Up with the Wolf" show on WPYX (106.5-FM) is less than half a ratings point away among listeners 25-54 from Stern, the syndicated show heard locally on WQBJ/WQBJ (103.5-FM/103.9-FM).
While WGNA remains No. 1 overall, and Wolf continued his assault on the No. 1 ranking in the morning, trends may have to be set aside after the recent upheaval in local and national radio, including the marriage separation of Stern, who uses his private life as on-air fodder, and the numerous format changes in the market. -- Mark McGuire
from the: Albany Times Union
May 5, 1999
The King of All Media has retained his throne, but the crown may be slipping. In the latest ratings book, syndicated Howard Stern, heard locally on The Edge, remains No. 1 in the morning among adults, but Bob Wolf of WPYX (106.5-FM) is quickly closing the gap.
In other developments from the winter Arbitron book released Tuesday, WGNA (1460-AM, 107.7-FM) topped all stations among adults 25-54 (a key demographic for advertisers), while WGY (810-AM) was the most listened to station among all listeners 12 and over.
Meanwhile, WFLY (92.3-FM), in the process of breaking in a new morning team and hurting from an increased number of competitive formats in the market, tumbled from first to third overall.
Wolf's "Waking Up with the Wolf" morning show on PYX has made dramatic strides in the past year, going from a 7.9 share in the winter 1998 book to a 12.6 share in the most recent ratings. Stern -- heard on WQBJ/WQBK (103.5 and 103.9-FM) -- is down from a 14.1 in the winter of 1998 to a 13.4.
Wolf's consistent ascension has come despite a turnover in co-hosts (he is now teamed with John Mulrooney). Wolf said he is not "gunning" for Stern -- although he would gladly take the top spot.
"I don't try to preoccupy myself with that," Wolf said. "I just try to go in there and do the best job I can every day. I left the schoolyard 25 years ago."
Overall, WGNA came out on top of among adults. Program Director Ronald E. "Buzz" Brindle in part credited the New Breakfast Flakes morning team of Sean McMaster and Richie Phillips for the strong showing.
"The morning show is a little bit less predictable now," Brindle said. "It appeals to people who like country music, but it also appeals to people who are not necessarily country music fans."
With new urban contemporary (WAJZ-FM), 24-hour urban contemporary (WVCR-FM) and jamming oldies (WXLE-FM) formats to compete with, and the addition of a new morning team, Fly-92 was expecting trouble this ratings book.
Fly's former morning team of Woody and Jim left for Nashville late in the period, replaced by Reno and Whitney. When Fly won the ratings book a few months back for the first time since the winter of 1991, Program Director Rob Dawes said he was happy, but acknowledged the fluctuating market and the addition of other stations' new formats created uncertainty.
"We knew it was coming," Operations Manager Mike Morgan said. "There was a lot of change in the market. We lost our morning show of the last eight years. In the case of Fly, it's not happy but it still has a very solid foundation."
While changes hurt some mainstays, it may have helped news/talk station WGY, its operations manager, Tom Parker, said.
WGY is "consistent in a world of inconsistency," Parker said. "In this market in the last six months there were what -- five or six changes (at other stations)? People know what to expect from WGY."
The winter Arbitron ratings measured listenership between January and March. Arbitron sends diaries to a random sampling of listeners during the ratings period.
Here are the top 10 stations overall with listeners 12 and older. Rankings in parentheses indicate standing in previous ratings period:
1. WGY-AM (3) 2. WGNA-AM/FM (2) 3. WFLY-FM (1) 4. WYJB-FM (5) 5. WQBJ/WQBK-FM (4) <----- Howard's station 6. WPYX-FM (4) 7. WABY-AM/FM (7) 8. WRVE-FM (8) 9. WTRY-FM (9) 10. WKBE/WKLI-FM (-)
from: Capitol District Business Review
February 8, 1999
For the first time in more than four years, a ratings period passed without WGNA,107.7 FM/1460 AM ranking as the No. 1 radio station in the Capital Region.
This past fall that honor went to Top 40 station WFLY, 92.3 FM, according to the audience survey by Arbitron Ratings Co. of New York City. WGNA, which has a country format, fell to second place.
While the two stations have tied in the past, it is the first time in a long time that WGNA was beaten.
Now, "we're hoping to start a run of our own," said Michael Morgan, operations manager for WFLY.
WGNA's audience share, at 9 percent of listeners aged 12 and older in the Albany-Troy-Schenectady market, was down nearly three points from the summer Arbitron book. WFLY, meanwhile, rose from a 9.2 percent share in the summer to a 9.9 percent share in the fall.
"We had a simply outstanding book," said Morgan. "There is not a lot different that we did, but we're proud of the effort we put in. With all the changes in the market, WFLY is a fixture. We've done the same format for 25 years and people know they can tune in and get the current hits of the day."
WGNA also tumbled from the top of the "money demo" rankings, which measure the 25- to 54-year-old audience. Its share of this group slid from 13 percent in the summer to 8.8 percent in the fall, putting it in a tie for third place with WFLY.
Robert Ausfeld, general manager of WGNA, attributed the station's decline to external factors, including the lack of strong country music product and the fact that some popular artists, such as Shania Twain, have crossover appeal to pop music fans and also can be heard on stations like WFLY. Country stations nationwide have been taking a hit, he said.
Ausfeld added that monthly trend reports provided by Arbitron show that the station's audience was down significantly in October, while its September and November numbers remained relatively strong. This could indicate a problem with the placement of Arbitron's diaries--the books in which survey respondents record their listening habits--in October, he said.
Either way, "its a bump," Ausfeld said. "I'm not concerned, not with the history the station has."
In fact, the fall Arbitron book contained much for Ausfeld to cheer about. It was WGNA's sister, rock station WPYX, 106.5 FM, that moved ahead to take the top spot in the money demo, with a share of 11.6 percent. This is up from a 7 percent share in the summer book.
The station also climbed in the overall 12-plus rankings, to take a fourth-place finish with an 8.1 percent audience share. It had been eighth, with a 5 percent share, in the summer.
"We're very happy," Ausfeld said. "Everything was in the plus factor for 'PYX to do this. The momentum was in place and we opened the flood gates. 'PYX is showing what it was made of this last year and a half."
WPYX has been rebuilding its audience since the summer of 1997, when long-time morning hosts Bob Mason and Bill Sheehan left to join rival rock station WXCR, 102.3 FM. A station's morning show often pulls in listeners that stay with the station for the rest of the day.
WPYX responded to Mason & Sheehan's departure by hiring Bob Wohfeld. "The Wolf," as Wohfeld is known, got off to a good start but then began to slip, prompting some observers to question if his earlier success was simply a matter of listener curiosity.
The fall book would indicate that was not the case, and that The Wolf has found his audience. His show shot up six points in the money demo, to land second behind New York City-based shock jock Howard Stern on "The Edge" simulcast of WQBK, 103.0 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM.
"The Wolf is howling," Ausfeld said. "Our mornings are very strong and we're still cooking throughout the rest of the day."
When The Wolf's ratings slipped in the summer, at least some of his listeners seemed to go to another rock station, WRVE, 99.5, or "The River." But those listeners apparently moved on, because the money demo share of The River's morning program, featuring Tom Kief and Lisa Reichwein, fell from 8.8 percent--or third place--in the summer to 6 percent--or sixth place--in the fall.
This affected The River's overall performance. Its full-day money demo share tumbled from 9.1 percent to 6.7 percent, and its 12-plus share fell from 5.9 percent to 4.5 percent.
Randy McCarten, operations manager for WRVE, said he is happy with the station's standing in the market.
"I still believe we have a pretty unique position in the market, and a loyal core audience," McCarten said. "Our 30- to 45- [year-old] audience is still solid, and our morning show is doing well. It is a clear alternative to what others are offering. I see this is a little blip on the screen."
All of the region's rock stations could benefit from the departure of "The Zone," progressive rock station WXLE, 104.5 FM.
In October, WXLE was purchased by Atlantic Star Communications, the owner of WGNA, WPYX and WTRY--980 AM and 98.3 FM--and a month later became "The Beat," with a rhythmic oldies format.
"We won't really see the effects of The Beat until the winter book," Ausfeld said.
The winter book also will be the first look at the performance of the new WAJZ, "Jamz" 96.3 FM. The station, formerly known as WPTR, changed from a country format to an urban format in December.
Thanks to robk...
The winter months may have been rough on WGNA, 1460 AM/107.7 FM, but spring brought the sun back to the country simulcast.
According to the audience survey released late last month by Arbitron Ratings Co. of New York City, Latham-based WGNA once again took the top spot with listeners aged 25 to 54, the so-called "money demo." In the winter Arbitron book, it had fallen second to adult contemporary WYJB, 95.5 FM, also of Latham.
"We're back to where we should be," said Robert Ausfeld, general manager of WGNA. "WGNA did great." WGNA had an 11.7 percent share of the money demo, up from 10.9 percent in the winter.
"Spring and fall seem to be OK for us," Ausfeld said. "It's summer and winter that can be a little odd." In fact, winter 1997 was the only other time in recent years that WGNA was knocked out of first place in the money demo--again by WYJB.
But in the most recent book, WYJB took third place in the money demo, with a share of 8.9--down 2.8 points from the winter survey. Second place went to its sister station, Top 40 WFLY, 92.3 FM, which had been third in the winter.
It appears that WYJB simply settled back after an especially strong winter book. The station's share of the overall audience--that is, all listeners aged 12 and older in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan statistical area, slipped from 9 percent in the winter to 7.5 percent in the spring. But 7.5 percent is more in line with where WYJB had been in the fall and summer.
John Kelly, president of Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc., which owns WYJB and WFLY, was not available for comment.
The 12-plus survey brought another victory to WGNA. The simulcast has held the top spot with this group for the past four years, but in the winter book had to share the honor with WFLY. Both had shares of 10 percent.
In the spring, WGNA had a share of 11.1 percent; WFLY was second with a 9.7.
With 18 to 34-year-olds, "The Edge" modern rock simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM, captured the lead long held by WFLY. The Edge had a share of 16.4 percent, compared to WFLY's 15.1 percent.
"The Edge was a home run," said David Arcara, general manager of the Albany simulcast. "We're No. 1 in our target demo. It's just great."
The Edge was tops among the area's six rock stations, and added 0.6 share points in the 12-plus category from the winter book. Figures for rival WPYX, 106.5 FM were flat, but kept the station in second place. WRVE, 99.5 FM, the adult rock station known as "The River," gained a bit to take third place.
But there was no change at all in the audience share of WXLE, 104.5 FM, the progressive rock station that soon will become WPYX's sister. Atlantic Star Communications, which owns WPYX, WGNA and oldies WTRY, 98.3 FM/980 AM, has agreed to pay Foley Broadcasting $2.6 million for the Schenectady station.
WXLE's 1.9 share in the 12-plus arena put it in a virtual dead heat with Albany classic-rock station WXCR, 102.3 FM. That station--which is a sister to The Edge--saw its audience share dip 0.4 points.
"WXCR didn't perform as well as we had hoped," Arcara said.
The decline may be related, at least in part, to WXCR's morning show. A year ago, the station announced that it had lured Bob Mason and Bill Sheehan away from their longtime home of WPYX. WPYX reacted by hiring Bob "The Wolf" Wohfeld from Poughkeepsie.
While The Wolf has had strong ratings--a 7.9 percent share of the money demo in the spring book--Mason & Sheehan's audience has declined. In the spring book, the pair had a money demo share of 2.7 percent, down from 4.2 percent in the winter.
As a result, WXCR said last month that it was buying out their contract, effective Sept. 1.
"Clearly, we want to have as many people listen to our station as possible," Arcara said. "Any programming changes we make are designed to improve our audience share." He could not say who would take over Mason & Sheehan's spot.
Ironically, the top-rated morning personality was on WXCR's sister, The Edge. New York City-based shock jock Howard Stern had a 12-plus share of 12.2 and a money demo share of 14.6.
from the Albany Times Union
Friday, July 31, 1998
It's too bad they don't give frequent-flier miles for radio-station hopping. If they did, Bob Mason and Bill Sheehan would be on their way to Tahiti come Aug. 31. They might as well go anyway, since they could be on vacation for a long time.
After a year of pitiful ratings, Mason and Sheehan are out at WXCR (102.3 FM). They were not fired, the hosts insist; they were bought out by the station.
Whatever.
Mason and Sheehan have hopscotched up and down the dial one too many times, and now it appears there is no open seat left in the local game of morning radio musical chairs. Good luck finding another morning slot here.
Guys, can you say Good morning, Utica?
The most logical candidate, The River (WRVE-FM 99.5), is not interested, said operations manager Tom Parker, who is happy with the morning team he already has in place. That leaves the two . . . where?
Rumors are rampant: They could go somewhere in the afternoon. They could split and go solo. They could leave the market, or even the business. One of Mason and Sheehan's lawyers said they will find other jobs in the market. Possibly. Just tell me where, and for how much.
This could be just another interesting chapter in their careers; entertainment is full of resurrections. Then again, this could just as easily be their obits.
The two, longtime fixtures at WPYX-FM (106.5) dating back to the mid-1980s, started their nomadic ways in 1991, when they jumped ship for WQBK-FM (103.9). Less than 20 months later they were back in their morning slots at PYX 106, continuing to draw large crowds to their breakfast clubs and ratings for their station.
They were shock jocks willing to hold an Ugly Bride contest, bust on callers and local leaders and bathe in double entendres. Coarse, crude but often funny, they were local radio Hall of Famers.
Then they cashed in. In September 1997 they traded in the brand-name and 50,000 watts of PYX for 5,000-watt WXCR and a five-year contract worth a combined total of $300,000 a year.
The money never translated into ratings. In the key 25-54 demographic, they garned 2.7 percent of the audience in the recent ratings, compared with 10 percent at the end of their PYX days. Overall, the two pulled in a 2.3 share, while their replacement, Bob "The Wolf'' Wohlfeld, came in at 5.8.
Mason and Sheehan are now 13th in the morning market, unheard of territory for this team. Well, they were the ones who chose to move to a station that is tough to hear in many parts of the Capital Region.
But don't blame the station entirely. The act is stale. Once innovators, Mason and Sheehan are just another tandem in a crowded field of Howard Stern Lites.
WXCR general manager David Arcara would not comment if dismal ratings, and Mason and Sheehan's price tag, were responsible for their ouster. "Business reasons" was all that he would offer. Then again, he doesn't have to give specifics.
The numbers tell the story.
Remember, this is all speculation. Mason and Sheehan aren't talking, and neither is their agent, David Mitchell, or Arcara. The hosts aren't stupid: they are bound by an agreement not to discuss their buyout negotiations for risk of losing the exit cash.
In an unusual move for radio, Mason and Sheehan will stay on the air until they sign off from WXCR for the last time on Aug. 31. You may recall that when the two announced they were leaving PYX for the second time, they were contractually bound to physically show up at work every day, only to be told to go home before they entered the studio. Radio people don't usually get goodbye shows because of the potential for retribution against their soon-to-be-former employers.
"Every agreement has to have a level of trust," Arcara said in defense of keeping them on the air.
Mason and Sheehan may have another reason to play it straight. From now through next month, they are auditioning, possibly for a job that doesn't exist.
Mark McGuire is the Times Union TV/Radio writer.
The Latham-based country simulcast, which broadcasts at 107.7 FM and 1460 AM, has held the No. 1 spot with listeners aged 12 and older for more than four years. But this time, it is sharing the spotlight with Top 40 station WFLY, 92.3 FM.
The winter survey, released May 4 by New York City-based Arbitron, gave both WGNA and WFLY a 10 percent share of 12-plus listeners in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy market. For WGNA, that is a 1.6 point drop from the fall book. For WFLY, it is a 1.3 point climb.
Furthermore, while WGNA-FM typically has had strong enough listenership to stand on top on its own, it needed the 0.2 percentage points of its AM partner to tie WFLY.
It was almost a three-way tie: News/talk WGY, 810 AM had a 9.9 percent share.
"Statistically, we're all No. 1," said Tom Parker, operations manager for WGY. "We're pretty darn close."
As for WGNA, Parker said the country simulcast may have "topped out a bit."
"They're still very strong--I wouldn't call this the beginning of the end," he said. "But with some of the things the other stations are doing, especially with younger listeners, there's a real battle there. [WGNA] may need to reinvent itself a little bit."
But Robert Ausfeld, general manager of WGNA, said he is not concerned.
"Sure, it slipped a little," he said "But it's taken bumps before, and it has always rebounded."
He pointed to a sampling problem in January, and to the fact that "there was no good music" this winter.
"The only good music was `Titanic' and it was on WFLY and WYJB," he said, referring to WFLY's adult contemporary sister.
WYJB, 95.5 FM took the top spot in the "money demo" of adults aged 25 to 54, with an 11.7 percent share. This knocked WGNA into second with an 11.2 percent share. And WFLY, which often is dismissed as a young person's station--it consistently is tops with 18- to 34-year-olds--had a strong third-place showing.
Michael Morgan, operations manager for WFLY and WYJB, agreed that "the hype from 'Titanic'" helped the stations, but said there was more to their success.
"All around the country, Top 40 is roaring back," he said. "But I think this book really has a lot to do with the staff we have here. They're just a bunch of hard-working professionals. It's nice to see that locally owned and operated stations can play with the big out-of-town boys."
WFLY and WYJB are owned by Latham-based Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc., while WGNA is owned by SFX Broadcasting Inc. of New York City.
If the winter book brought disappointment for WGNA, it did have some good news for the simulcast's sister, rocker WPYX, 106.5 FM. The station rebounded from the fall, with its 12-plus share improving from 4.3 percent to 5.6 percent and its money demo share rising from 5.3 percent to 7.8 percent.
In the fall, WPYX had been feeling the aftereffects of the loss of Bob Mason and Bill Sheehan, its longtime morning team. The duo left the station in July, to join rival rocker WXCR, 102.3 FM in Albany. At the time the fall book was released, Ausfeld, the WGNA/WPYX general manager, said he had expected some bleeding during the day.
Now, "to establish that kind of rebound after losing two guys who have been in the market for 15 years is just tremendous," he said. "The station just rebounded all the way through."
The bright spot in the fall book had been the fact that Mason & Sheehan's replacement, Bob Wohfeld, or "The Wolf," had a larger audience than Mason & Sheehan did in their new home. And in the winter book, the gap was even wider. The Wolf had a 5.7 percent share of all listeners 12 and older--up from 3.9 percent in the fall--while Mason & Sheehan's 12-plus share dipped from 3 percent to 2.7 percent.
And in the money demo, The Wolf's share rose from 5.2 percent to 7.8 percent, while Mason & Sheehan's dipped from 3.5 percent to 3.3 percent.
WXCR owner Radio Enterprises Inc. had hoped the addition of Mason & Sheehan would boost the station's overall position in the market, but so far it has not. WXCR was flat in both the 12-plus and money demo categories.
David Arcara, president of Radio Enterprises, was not available for comment.
The good news for Arcara was that the morning show on Radio Enterprises' other property--"The Edge" simulcast of modern rock stations WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM--handily beat both The Wolf and Mason & Sheehan. New York City-based shock jock Howard Stern was first in the money demo, with a share of 14.1 percent, and a close second--to WGY's Don Weeks--with the 12-plus audience.
Weeks, who has been on the air for 18 years, routinely is No. 1, something Parker, the WGY operations manager, chalked up to the morning host's consistency in a time of upheaval.
WGY may have had a strong book, but its sisters were not so fortunate. Jazz station WHRL, 103.1 FM, which had been riding high in the fall, was unable to hold on to the ground it had gained. Its money demo share fell 1.5 points to 2.8 percent--about where it had been in the summer book--and its 12-plus share also dipped. And adult rock WRVE, 99.5 FM lost audience in every major demographic. Its 12-plus share fell from 5.5 percent to 4.3 percent; its 18-to-34 share slipped from 7.1 percent to 4.2 percent; and its 25-to-54 share tumbled from 9 percent to 7 percent.
Parker said neither situation was unexpected. As he sees it, both WRVE and WHRL may have "gotten more than their share" in the fall, when the market was going through changes. They now are "back down to earth."
"When a lot of changes happen, it shakes things up and changes listening patterns," Parker said. "When the market settles down, you start to see the consistency return."
Mason & Sheehan fought Bob Wolf, and the Wolf won.
In the fall 1997 Arbitron radio ratings released Friday, Wolf's morning show on WPYX-FM (106.5) ranked No. 8, while Mason & Sheehan on WXCR-FM (102.3) landed in 10th (tied for 9th if you include their simulcast on WTMM-AM) among listeners age 12 and up.
For all time periods, WGNA remained the most-listened-to station in the Capital Region among listeners 12 and up. WGY came in second. WFLY was third. WPYX was down significantly in the ratings and dropped from seventh to eighth in rank.
Other notable changes in rank among listeners age 12 and up:
WRVE-FM (99.5) was up from eighth place in the summer to sixth in the fall.
WHRL-FM (103.1) went from a tie for 11th to a tie for ninth.
Ratings for WTRY AM/FM were up.
K100 (WKBE/WKLI, 100.3, 100.9) saw its ratings rise.
WXLE-FM (104.5) was down from its summer performance.
WPTR-FM (96.3), which changed from a country oldies format to "hot country," saw little change in its ratings.
WEQX-FM (102.7) toppled from 14th place to 18th.
Even with the addition of Mason & Sheehan in the morning, classic rock station WXCR was down in ratings and rank from a tie for 11th to 12th place among listeners 12 and up.
And although Bob Wolf beat Mason & Sheehan in the morning ratings battle, it was a hollow victory. Ratings for WPYX in the morning were more than 50 percent lower than they were a year earlier, falling from an 8.2 rating in Fall 1996 to a 3.9 rating in Fall 1997.
Bob Ausfeld, vice president and general manager of SFX Broadcasting in Albany, said SFX-owned WPYX's drop-off in listenership wasn't as bad as he feared it might be.
"People who were avid listeners before have gone to other venues right now," Ausfeled said. "There's no doubt that we're growing a whole new listener base because of what the Wolf brings in. I think by the spring book we'll be in the Top 4 again."
Modern rock WQBJ/WQBK-FM (103.5, 103.9) saw its morning numbers for Howard Stern, who had led in the morning for several consecutive ratings books, drop. Stern's show came in at No. 3 among listeners 12 and up.
Country station WGNA (1460 AM, 107.7 FM) tied for first place in the morning with news/talk WGY-AM (810).
The morning show on Top 40 WFLY-FM (92.3) jumped from sixth place in the summer to 4th place in the fall, with soft contemporary WYJB-FM (95.5) down from fourth place to fifth.
Adult standards WABY (1400 AM, 94.5 FM) landed in sixth, with adult rock WRVE-FM (99.5) seventh, oldies WTRY-FM (98.3) ninth and Top 40 WKBE/WKLI-FM (100.3, 100.9) 12th.
In the battle of the morning political talk shows, Paul Vandenburgh on WROW-AM (590) saw his ratings rise, giving him a tie for 10th place with Mason & Sheehan on WXCR.
The ratings for Don Imus, on WTRY-AM (980) were also up slightly -- he visited the Capital Region during this ratings period -- but he remained in 13th place.
In the afternoon and evening, ratings for WGY's Mark Williams and Tom Leykis were consistent with past performances.
Among listeners ages 18-34, WQBJ/WQBK remained No. 1, and Howard Stern was still at the top in the morning.
WGNA was tops with listeners ages 25 to 34 and 35 to 64.
Thanks to Michael for sending this in...
From some Albany, NY, newspaper
ROB OWEN TV/Radio writer
Howard Stern fans rejoice, naysayers take heed: The self-proclaimed "king of all media" has been re-signed by The Edge, WQBJ-FM/WQBK-FM (103.5 and 103.9).
Stern, whose frequently raunchy radio show has equally effusive fans and detractors, first appeared on the station in October 1992. In the past year his ratings have been rising.
"He's the No. 1 morning show in the Capital Region in every demographic," said David Arcara, president of Radio Enterprises, Inc., owners of WQBJ/WQBK.
In the winter Arbitron ratings, Stern's program was No. 1 overall, although his show ranked fifth among listeners ages 35 to 64. Stern's show did well in large part because he was unavoidable as he promoted his movie, "Private Parts."
Because of the show's racy content, some local broadcasters have wondered if the station has trouble attracting area advertisers, but Arcara said that isn't the case.
"My revenues are through the roof with this guy," Arcara said. "From February through April I was sold out of spots. I doubled the ad rates on his show after the winter ratings book."
Arcara wouldn't release any details about Stern's new contract -- not even its duration -- saying, "I'd be in violation of our contract to speak to any of the terms of it."
In the unauthorized biography "Howard Stern: King of All Media," author Paul D. Colford wrote that Stern's original contract cost WQBJ/WQBK $300,000 for the first year, rising to $350,000, plus a premium of more than $15,000 in 1992-1993 for an insurance policy.
Congratulations again, Albany! The Howard Stern Show is still #1 in the 12+ demographic, moving to a 12.0 share.
Congratulations, Albany! Howard has risen to #1, with a 9.9 for the 12+ demographic. Way to go!
The Howard Stern Show is currently the #6 rated morning show in Albany, with a 7.5 share.
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