The Winter 2005 Arbitron isn’t one Howard Stern is likely to boast about – at least as far as his top three markets go. The syndicated morning man’s 12+ ratings are down in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to Arbitron ratings released April 25.
On his Infinity-owned WXRK (K-Rock) New York flagship, Stern fell from a first place 7.0 to a second place 6.4 in the Winter, unseated by "El Vacilón de la Mañana" on Spanish Broadcasting System’s WSKQ (La Mega).
In Los Angeles, Stern slid from a fourth place tie in the Fall (4.6) to finish sixth in the Winter (3.9) on Infinity FM Talk KLSX. And Stern managed only a 2.2 on Infinity FM Talk WCKG Chicago, ranked 16th. That’s down from a 3.0 in the Fall, when he tied for 12th place.
Stern is also down in Detroit (3.2-2.7 on Infinity’s WKRK) and in San Diego (4.9-3.2 on Infinity’s KPLN).
However, in Stern’s Philadelphia stronghold, he gained share (8.7-9.0) on Infinity’s WYSP, remaining in second place. And Stern improved his Boston market position on Infinity’s WBCN, from third in the Fall (5.4) to second in the Winter (6.6).
from the Boston Globe
The numbers from the Arbitron summer radio ratings book don't lie when they say WEEI continues on an unprecedented run for a sports talk station.
Overall, among all listeners, WEEI moved up a spot to No. 2 in the market behind WBZ, which has occupied the top spot for more than a decade. WBZ delivered a 6.6 market share, with WEEI at 5.9, up a 10th of a point from its No. 3 spot in the spring book.
It used to be that WEEI targeted the male 25-54 demographic; however, the station's male audience now is so strong that the few women who listen are enough to have made the station No. 1 among all adults 25-54. No other sports talk station has rated No. 1 in that demographic. WEEI has done it for three straight books. It's the first time in more than a decade that any station other than WMJX-FM has won three straight books in the demo.
In morning drive, No. 1 Howard Stern on WBCN dropped in share both overall (9.4) and among the male 25-54 demo (12.1). Overall, WBZ was No. 2, with WEEI's "Dennis and Callahan" third. But among the male demo, WEEI was second (9.1), with WBZ third (6.4).
At midday, WEEI's "Dale and Neumy" was third overall (5.2) behind WMJX's Nancy Quill (6.9) and WZLX's Carter Alan (6.0). Among men, WEEI ranked second (8.2) behind WZLX (8.8).
WEEI's afternoon "Big Show" with Glenn Ordway won the top spot overall for the third straight book, with WMJX second and talker Jay Severin of WTKK third. Among men, WEEI is a runaway winner over No. 2 WZLX.
The Red Sox dominate nights, making WEEI a big summer winner overall as well as among men 25-54 and all adults 25-54. Ted Sarandis, in the 10 p.m.-midnight period, is No. 1 among men and No. 2 (behind WMJX) among all listeners.
Weekend numbers reflect more of the same. Sox games and Sox talk keep WEEI first overall.
According to Don Kelley, vice president of WMJX, which has been chasing WEEI, "Among men 25-54, WEEI is second to Howard in the morning and wins every other day part. Among women 25-54, Magic [WMJX] tied Howard for third in the morning and wins every other day part."
But, as Kelley notes, there's always another way of looking at numbers: "Among women 25-54, WEEI is 13th. Among men 25-54, Magic is fifth."
from The Boston Globe
July 29, 2004
The spring ratings are in, but this quarter the celebrations are somewhat muted as the number of stations using radio's top ratings service, Arbitron, starts to slip.
But first, the winners: WXKS-FM (107.9) did well in Arbitron's ratings for the period April through June, which were released last week. The Top 40 station was riding the success of the annual "Kiss" concert (this year's 25th-anniversary edition held May 22). Despite a downturn for similar stations elsewhere in the nation, 'XKS held onto women listeners in a range of age groups, including 18-49, 18-34, and 25-34.
In fact, the station fell to second place - behind "Magic" WMJX-FM (106.7) - in only one subdemographic, the all-day 25- to 54-year-old female audience. Morning star Matt Siegel almost made up the loss, winning top place among that demographic during his drive-time show, and ranking No. 2 among all adults (18-34 and 25-54) behind the powerhouse that is Howard Stern (who airs on WBCN-FM, 104.1).
Clear Channel sister station WJMN-FM (94.5) also posted strong numbers. Although Infinity's WBZ-AM (1030) isn't likely to relinquish first place among adults (defined as 12 and up), these listeners also tuned in to 'JMN, which managed to tie the news station among adults throughout the day (defined as 6 a.m.-midnight). The hip-hop-accented pop station also solidified its hold on 18- to 34-year-old listeners, with its 10th consecutive quarter in the top slot.
But many of this spring's success stories aren't being trumpeted. WEEI-AM (850), for example, can brag about its recent nomination for a Marconi Award (given by the National Association of Broadcasters) - but not about what should have been a great ratings period. The sports talker came in a close third behind WBZ and WJMN among all adult listeners. Its sister Entercom stations, "Star" WQSX-FM (93.7) and WAAF-FM (107.3), aren't chatting up their improved quarters, either. Nor is WBZ trumpeting its steady No. 1 rank among adults. And although Stern's syndicated morning show continues to hold onto most adult listeners, WBCN won't be advertising the fact.
That's because Entercom (which owns 'EEI, 'QSX, 'AAF, and WRKO-AM, 680) did not have a license to use the latest ratings, because it is still negotiating a new contract with the Arbitron service. And in June, Infinity Broadcasting (which owns 'BZ, 'BCN, WODS-FM, 103.3, and WBMX-FM, 98.5) decided not to renew its contract with the ratings service.
While Entercom is staying mum on the ongoing talks, Infinity president Joel Hollander cited an inability "to reach a mutually satisfactory financial agreement" - which suggests that the conflict probably centered on the fees the international ratings service charges its subscribers. (Infinity has since contracted with a smaller ratings service, the Houston-based Media Audit. The New York-based Arbitron rates all stations in the markets it studies, which is why Entercom and Infinity stations are still ranked. But subscribers must buy the right to publicize the numbers, and also to receive the specific breakdowns (such as rankings by gender or by age) that help marketing staffs sell the stations to advertisers. Ratings for individual shows are also commonly used to determine employee bonuses.
So is this the beginning of a change in how radio measures its appeal, or is it just a squabble over the cost? Stay tuned.
from the Boston Herald
May 1, 2004
Sports talk station WEEI-AM (850) began simulcasting its signal in Rhode Island (WEEI-FM, 103.7) early last month, and the station couldn't ask for a better introduction to the state than Boston's winter ratings.
WEEI was the top choice among Hub listeners in the 25-54 age bracket - the one that makes advertisers drool.
It also was the top choice for men in that age group, and WEEI Program Director Jason Wolfe said the double win in the 25-54 bracket is a first in the country for a sports talk signal.
Always strong among male listeners, WEEI racked up strong total numbers that also bled into individual parts of the daytime schedule. The Dennis and Callahan morning show, for example, was second only to Howard Stern in the 25-54 race and third behind WBZ-AM (1030) and Stern in the overall (12-and-older) popularity contest.
Glenn Ordway's afternoon show was again the top choice with the 25-54 set; the station's midday show was second only to soft rock station WMJX-FM (106.7) in that age group.
Though its final numbers weren't as high as WEEI's, the station that showed even more overall growth in listenership from fall to winter was rock station WBCN-FM (104.1).
Syndicated shock jock Stern led the charge. His winter 25-54 numbers were nearly double his fall totals. Obviously, his troubles with the Federal Communications Commission boosted his popularity, at least in the short term.
Nearly all of WBCN's programs also spiked, though, and most cracked the age 25-54 top 10. The midday shift, for example, nearly doubled its share and moved from 16th to eighth.
The Hub's top 25-54 morning shows this winter: WBCN, WEEI, WXKS-FM (107.9), WBZ, WROR-FM (105.7).
The top morning shows with listeners 12 and older: WBZ, WBCN, WEEI, WXKS, WJMN-FM (94.5).
--snips--
from FMQB
April 27, 2004
In Boston, where WBCN was the first affiliate to "Stand Up For Stern," Howard vaulted from a sixth place 4.6 12+ in the Fall to a second-place 8.2 in the Winter.
In L.A., Stern advanced from sixth to fourth 12+ (3.7-4.2) on KLSX during the Winter survey, which covers January 8-March 31. Stern's rants began in earnest on February 26 -- the day Clear Channel suspended him in six markets -- so March is where you'd expect to see the biggest spikes. That's the case in L.A., where Stern had the number-one morning show in the extrapolated March monthly -- 5.4 12+ and 7.0 adults 25-54. He also tied KROQ's Kevin and Bean for first in 18-34 (in March) with a 9.6.
In Chicago, Stern leapt from 15th place in the Fall to ninth in the Winter. In the 25-54 demo, he went from sixth to third.
In the Stern stronghold of Philadelphia, WYSP maintained its second place morning drive finish, inching 8.9-9.0.
Stern gained 1.9-2.5 on WKRK/Detroit, but only moved up from 16th to 15th. (The bigger story in Detroit was WRIF's Drew & Mike crushing 7.6-8.7, unseating WWJ from No. 1.)
Even in San Diego, where Howard wasn't heard for almost five weeks of the 12-week survey, KIOZ maintained its morning drive ratings (4.6-4.7).
from the Boston Herald
January 16, 2004
Howard Stern was down, Glenn Ordway scored and Matt Siegel ruled.
Those are just a few of the highlights of the recently released fall (October-December) Arbitron ratings.
The good: Both Top 40 station WXKS-FM (107.9) and hip-hip signal WJMN-FM (94.5) had strong showings and big gains over their summer numbers. Siegel, WXKS' morning man, was the most dominant personality in the Hub.
Other stations that found some good news and gains in the ratings include adult rock station WBOS-FM (92.9), talk station WRKO-AM (680), rock station WAAF-FM (107.3) and adult rock station WXRV-FM (92.5).
Ordway's sports talk on WEEI-AM (850) was tops in the afternoon with the 25-54 age group. Afternoon talk hosts Jay Severin at WTKK-FM (96.9) and Howie Carr at WRKO-AM also posted good ratings in that age group.
The bad: Rock station WBCN-FM (104.1), dance station WQSX-FM (93.7) and classic rock station WZLX-FM (100.7) dipped significantly from their summer totals, and in most cases, even compared to what they'd earned the previous fall.
WQSX's numbers indicate the station's monthlong late-November move to an all-Christmas format didn't pan out, in part because WODS-FM (103.3) did the same thing.
The ugly: Syndicated shock jock Howard Stern's morning show on WBCN-FM suffered a big hit and had its lowest numbers, almost across the board, in more than a year.
Stern was beaten by WEEI-AM's morning duo of Dennis and Callahan for male listeners. He was third to WXKS-FM morning vet Siegel and WBZ-AM in the prized age 25-54 demographic. Stern hasn't finished third in that local race in a long, long time.
The same-old, same-old: Status quo is not necessarily a bad thing, especially for stations at the top of the ratings pile. Both soft-rock station WMJX-FM (106.7) in the 25-54 contest and WBZ-AM in the total audience race did what they've always done in the past year: lead the rest of the pack by a strong margin. Both also improved their morning audiences in the 25-54 age range.
from the Boston Globe
January 13, 2004
--snips--
Sky high at 'EEI
There was serious celebrating by the WEEI radio staffers Friday night after getting the news that they had an exceptional fall ratings book, ranking No. 1 among the station's target male 25-54 audience overall and in all parts of the day.
"It was the most successful ratings book in the station's history," said program director Jason Wolfe. "The Red Sox bring an incredible audience to the station, but their season ended just two weeks into the book. We held on to a majority of that audience and carried it through the day."
In Wolfe's view, the numbers that reflect the season's strength among its target audience were in comparing overall numbers from last fall and this.
A year ago, the station ranked No. 1 in its target male demo with a 7.5 share and a cumulative audience of 187,000 listeners. This fall, those numbers rose to 9.7 and 230,000.
"It's been a consistently upward trend," he said.
This marked the first time that the morning "Dennis & Callahan" show has ranked No. 1 among males. It posted an 8.9 share, outpacing Howard Stern on WBCN-FM (8.7) for the first time and also topping news-oriented WBZ (7.7) in that demographic.
"We're particularly excited as this is the culmination of years of hard work," said Wolfe, who made the decision to replace "Imus in the Morning" with John Dennis and Gerry Callahan in 1999. "When they took over morning drive, they ranked No. 8, and they trailed by a 3-1 margin."
The midday "Dale and Neumy" show had a 10.6 share, 3 points better than No. 2 WZLX (100.7 FM). In afternoon drive, "The Big Show" with Glenn Ordway was No. 1 with a 12.2, 5 share points ahead of talk on sister station WRKO (680 AM), and also was No. 1 among men and women in the 25-54 demographic. At night, Ted Sarandis retained the No. 1 position with a 9.9 share.
"Yes, we own the sports brand, but our talent proves day-in and day-out that we can compete across the board for the attention of all male radio listeners in the market," said Wolfe.
--snips--
from the Boston Globe
July 24, 2003
Hostilities may continue, but as far as radio is concerned, the war in Iraq is over. That's the news in the spring Arbitron ratings, which arrived last week with good news for music and sports fans -- and a less happy report for the Boston market's news outlets.
The spring ratings "book," as it's called, follows listeners from April through June, and can dog stations for almost a year. Because the summer book -- which will be released in September -- fluctuates wildly around seasonal issues (concert specials, vacation trends, and such), and the fall book doesn't arrive until January, the spring book is what radio's money folks and their advertisers look to in order to set advertising rates for the rest of the year.
Here in Boston, the country's eighth largest market, the perennially strong "Kiss" WXKS-FM (107.9) was a big winner. Among Boston's estimated 1,097,700 listeners, ages 18 to 34, the Clear Channel station even edged closer to Infinity-owned WBCN-FM (104.1) during the 6-10 a.m. morning-drive time, a shift long dominated by WBCN's broadcast of the nationally syndicated Howard Stern show. (WXKS earned a 10.5 share of this demographic during morning drive; WBCN got 12.2.).
Among the valuable 25-to-54-year-old demographic, WXKS had an even stronger showing. For this slice of the market (estimated at 2,064,700 listeners by Arbitron), the contemporary-hits station rebounded from some lows, moving from seventh into third place with a 6.3 share of the morning-drive shift; WBCN and Stern grabbed first place among these listeners, too, with a hefty 8 share. During the same shift, Infinity's news and talk WBZ-AM (1030) slipped into the middle slot, with a respectable 7.5 share, high for an average ratings period but down from a wartime peak of a 9 share, a pattern that held pretty much across the board. For example, in the all-day ratings of all adults (a potential 3,839,000 listeners age 12 and up), the news source held onto its standard first-place position, but with an 8 share, down from last quarter's 8.5.
At least two of the spring's big winners weren't even on the top of the charts: "Star 93," the dance music WQSX-FM (93.7), made it only to No. 5 in its highest showing (listeners age 25 to 54, Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.) and to a respectable sixth place for the morning drive time with the same listeners. But these were big steps up: The Entercom-owned station had come in at No. 14 for the afternoon shift last quarter, and had settled in between 10th and 12th for the quarters before that. And the station had only tied for 13th place last quarter for the morning shift.
Sports radio made some similar hits. As expected during Red Sox season, Entercom's sports-focused WEEI-AM (850) scored, recovering from a winter slump by moving back up (from 13th place) to tie for eighth with Infinity-owned rocker WZLX-FM (100.7) among the 18-to-34-year-olds, and to tie Greater Media talker WTKK-FM (96.9) for seventh among all adults, as defined by Arbitron as 12 and up.
That's not bad news for the FM talk station, either. The spring book found WTKK's drive-time ratings slipping to second place with the 25-to-54-year-olds (behind Greater Media's WMJX-FM 106.7), though it held onto fifth place among all adults for the same shift (which features Jay Severin). And its morning lineup hasn't fared as well across the board -- but considering that this station wasn't breaking into the Top 10 during any shift a year ago, these ratings are still something to talk about.
--snips--
from the Boston Herald
July 25, 2003
Local radio listening habits are returning to normal after the Iraq war, according to the spring Arbitron ratings released last week.
Totals for the talk/news stations leveled off, and several music stations gained shares for the first time since last summer.
A few highlights: Soft rocker WMJX-FM (106.7) won the race for the coveted age 25-54 audience, the group most desired by advertisers. It was one of the music stations that won back listeners since winter.
Though WBZ-AM's (1030) totals dropped a bit, they're still high and better than last spring's numbers. The Hub's leading talk stations were all solid, and sports talker WEEI-AM's (850) good fortunes seemed to rise with those of the Red Sox. WXKS-FM (107.9) had a very strong spring.
But no station improved since winter as much as dance signal WQSX-FM (93.7). In the age 25-54 contest, for example, it climbed from a wintertime 13th place to a springtime seventh.
Public radio news/talker WBUR-FM (90.9) remains a power player in Boston, tying for third in that age group.
The top five in the 25-54 age group: WMJX-FM, WBZ-AM, WZLX-FM (100.7)/WBUR-FM (tie), WXKS-FM and WEEI-AM.
The total audience (12 and older) race belonged to WBZ-AM by a long shot, though stations such as WEEI-AM, which moved from 13th to seventh, also had impressive totals. The top five in total audience: WBZ-AM, WMJX-FM, WJMN-FM (94.5), WXKS-FM and WRKO-AM (680).
Hip-hop ruled the age 18-34 group. WJMN-FM was on top with a big jump over its winter showing. Sister station WXKS-FM held onto second place with a similar leap. They were followed by WBCN-FM (104.1), WMJX-FM and WAAF-FM (107.3).
In the weekday morning race, veteran WXKS-FM personality Matt Siegel showed the most gains over winter. In the 25-54 age race, he moved from a wintertime seventh to third. Though Howard Stern won back the age 25-54 crown swiped by WBZ-AM last winter, the news station kept a firm hold on second place, followed by Siegel. The top five in the age group was completed by WMJX-FM and WROR-FM (105.7).
And Stern and WBZ swapped places among total listeners, followed by WXKS-FM, WJMN-FM and WMJX-FM. Stern was tops with the age 18-34 crowd, too, followed by WXKS-FM, WJMN-FM, WAAF-FM and WMJX-FM.
from the Boston Herald
April 25, 2003
The winter (January-March) ratings for Boston radio, released earlier this week by Arbitron, produced more losers than winners. A few highlights:
News/talk: WBZ-AM (1030) bucked a national trend that had talk stations doing well but all-news signals lagging behind. WBZ went from a fall 3.9 share of the 25- to 54-year-old audience (the money demographic) to a 6.0, second only to soft rocker WMJX-FM (94.5), which lost a full share point but still earned a 6.4. WBZ beat Howard Stern in the morning 25-54 race for the first time in a year and was tied for No. 2 in afternoons.
WBZ also won the general audience (12-plus) race as well as nearly every major daypart for that group. It more than doubled, for example, Stern's second place finish.
Talk: WTKK-FM (96.9) moved from a fall 12th place showing to 5th in the age 25-54 contest. Afternoon talk show host Jay Severin's show was the top choice in metro Boston for that listener group.
WRKO-AM (680) can't be all that pleased with its showing. The station dipped a bit in its age 25-54 numbers, though its 12-plus totals went up. WRKO afternoon vet (and Herald columnist) Howie Carr had the most popular show in the city last winter, and WRKO's morning show showed 12-plus growth and placed third.
The bad news: The lack of any increase in the age 25-54 demo means almost all of WRKO's audience gain was in the 55-plus age group, not what advertisers or programmers usually seek.
With plenty of bad weather and a war in the news, it's likely there is little sports talker WEEI-AM (850) could have done to shore up its numbers. But the station's strategy of dumping sports talk for war talk once the bombs hit Baghdad clearly wasn't the answer. The station's audience fell almost across the board.
Music: The winter book was an unmitigated disaster for music-driven stations. Only two stations, WBMX-FM (98.5) and WCRB-FM (102.5), showed gains with most audience groups. In fact, music stations that stayed flat could claim a quiet victory since most of their peers lost big audience chunks.
from the Boston Herald
January 24, 2003
--snips--
Talk radio wasn't an automatic winner with the 25-54 set in the mornings, however. WEEI's John Dennis and Gerry Callahan mix news and sports, and their show surged. Howard Stern was first at WBCN but took a big tumble. WRKO-AM stayed flat, and Imus at WTKK was up a bit.
Boston's adult radio audience opted for lighter morning fare last fall. WMJX wa second to Stern and racked up its best numbers in more than a year. Matt Siegel at WXKS, Loren and Wally at WROR-FM (105.7), Ramiro at WJMN-FM and David O'Leary at WBOS-FM earned strong totals for their mix of music and humor.
In the 18-34 contest, WJMN soared. But WAAF-FM (107.3) morning man Greg Hill also fared well, along with his peers at WXKS-FM, WQSX-FM, WMJX-FM and WBOS-FM. Those stations had the biggest afternoon gains with the 18-34 audience, along with WBOT-FM (97.7) and WBZ-AM.
from Boston Radio Watch
January 16, 2003
Howard Stern on WBCN was the adult 25-54 choice in the morning while sister station WBZ was once again the top-rated station among 12+ listeners during morning drive(6 am to 10 am), the most lucrative time slot because it draws the most listeners.
from the NY Daily News
November 13, 2002
Ever wondered how many other people in America are actually listening to, say, Howard Stern at the same time you are?
Tony Sanders, who crunches national numbers for the trade publication Inside Radio, says it's around 1,490,000.
Standard radio ratings, designed for advertisers, use a figure called "cume," which is the cumulative number of persons who tune to a given show or station at some time during an average week.
That's obviously a much higher figure. The national weekly "cume" for Stern has been estimated by the trade mag Talkers at "8 million-plus."
By comparison, Rush Limbaugh is rated at 14.5 million-plus per week, Sean Hannity at 10 million-plus and Dr. Joy Browne and Imus at 5 million-plus.
The numbers of people listening to those hosts at any one time presumably are proportionate to Stern's numbers.
Stern's numbers also mean more than 10 times as many people are listening to him at any given time than are, say, watching cable news channels on television.
Sanders has also tracked Stern's ranking in all of his markets for summer 2002 - though this is just based on his share of the total audience. Like most hosts, Stern scores higher among his specific target audiences, which for him includes younger men.
Overall, Stern is No. 1 in New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Syracuse and York, Pa.
In other cities, it goes like this: Philadelphia, second; Washington, D.C., fourth; Los Angeles, seventh; Baltimore, 16th; Cleveland, second; Buffalo, fourth; Chicago, 10th; Dallas, 11th; Detroit, ninth; Hartford, sixth; Las Vegas, second; Boston, second; San Diego, third; Pittsburgh, third; Seattle, fourth; Rochester, seventh; Miami, fourth; San Francisco, fifth.
--snips--
from the Boston Herald
October 18, 2002
Radio's summer ratings book (July-September) is the medium's version of a joker card: Always expect the unexpected.
General listening habits get really wacky due to summer vacations, school closings, etc. Music stations often have great summer numbers for that very reason. It's also why the summer book carries the least clout of any of the four seasonal ratings. The results don't reflect what really goes on in radio the rest of the year.
And it's a good thing, because the just-out summer numbers for Boston radio are all over the place.
Some stations you'd expect to do well in warm weather - such as hip-hop signal WJMN-FM (94.5) and top 40 station WXKS-FM (107.9) - had crummy books. Some stations that had a lousy spring, such as country signal WKLB-FM (99.5), enjoyed a glorious summer.
Even the individual daytime numbers got a little goofy. After earning the best spring numbers he'd ever had, WXKS-FM's Matt Siegel fell back to earth. For example, his numbers went from a springtime 10.3 share of the age 18-34 audience to a summertime 6.9.
Syndicated talker Howard Stern experienced the opposite effect at WBCN-FM (104.1). His so-so (for him) 6.7 share of spring's age 25-54 crowd jumped to a 9.4.
So here's what to do with the following thumbnail sketch of the summer book: Be happy if your station did well, but don't fret much if it didn't.
Stations that enjoyed the summer include: WKLB, classic rocker WZLX-FM (100.7), soft rocker WMJX-FM (106.7), oldies station WODS-FM (103.3), all-sports WEEI-AM (850), alt rocker WFNX-FM (101.7), adult top 40 signal WBMX-FM (98.5), active rocker WBCN and classic rocker WROR-FM (105.7).
They all showed a tidy increase in one or more of their prime audience groups from their spring totals.
Stations that didn't have as much fun include: WJMN, WXKS, adult rocker WBOS-FM (92.9), classical station WCRB-FM (102.5), active rocker WAAF-FM (107.3) and talker WTKK-FM (96.9).
Those stations all slipped from their spring totals in one or more of their target audience groups.
But it was only summer . . . and things should get back to near-normal this fall.
from the Boston Herald
July 26, 2002
The spring (April-June) ratings are radio's most hotly contested numbers, and they will be dissected for much of the year. The Herald ran a list of the top stations earlier this week, but several other signals also had strong spring numbers, even if they didn't make it to the top of the charts.
WBOS-FM (92.9) tweaked its adult rock format prior to the spring ratings, and the station cracked the Top 10 in both the age 25-54 and 18-34 contests. Rocker WAAF-FM (107.3) also showed nice gains in all three major demographic groups. Ironically, program director Dave Douglas was fired before he could enjoy them.
Here is a brief rundown of ratings for the morning and afternoon shifts.
Mornings: Is it just a bump in the road or a significant change? Matt Siegel at WXKS-FM (107.9) won the age 25-54 contest, thumping Howard Stern on WBCN-FM (104.1) for the first time in a long time. Stern wasn't even second. He placed third behind WBZ-AM (1030).
Other stations that showed strong gains with their 25-54 morning numbers include: WBMX-FM (98.5), WZLX-FM (100.7), WEEI-AM (850), WJMN-FM (94.5) and WRKO-AM (680).
Stern was tops with the 18-34 group, though, followed by Siegel, Ramiro and Pebbles at WJMN-FM and Greg Hill at WAAF-FM. Other morning shows with strong 18-34 totals last spring include WMJX-FM (106.7), WBOS-FM (92.9) and WEEI-AM.
News/talk was the clear morning favorite for the general (12-plus) audience. WBZ's totals were nearly double WXKS-FM's second-place finish. Stern was next, followed by WJMN-FM, WMJX-FM, WBMX-FM and a tie between WRKO-AM (680) and WODS-FM (103.3).
Afternoons: The 25-54 afternoon drive shift (3-7 p.m.) was a dogfight. Three stations were tied at the top: WXKS-AM (1430), WMJX-FM and WEEI-AM. The next three stations - WBMX-FM, WBZ-AM and WRKO-AM - were close behind.
The 18-34 contest was topped by WJMN-FM's hip-hop sound, followed closely by Opie and Anthony's raucous talk on WBCN-FM. WXKS-FM was third, then came WBMX-FM, WMJX-FM and WAAF-FM.
Total afternoon listenership (12-plus) belonged to WJMN-FM. WBZ-AM was next, then WRKO-AM, WXKS-FM, WMJX-FM, WBCN-FM and WEEI-AM.
from the Boston Globe
July 25, 2002
Radio tracks
Sometimes, it's all in the songs. That's the faith "Cadillac" Jack McCartney held to as program director of "Kiss" WXKS-FM (107.9), and that's the lesson competitors learned this week as the Top 40 station soared to the top of the Arbitron ratings with some of its best numbers in a decade.
"Other stations are defined by a certain sound," says McCartney, who, as vice president for programming of Clear Channel, Boston, does double duty helming "Jam'n" WJMN-FM (94.5) as well. "We're Top 40. We play the biggest songs of all the different sounds."
This sounds like a simple philosophy, but in practice it has been elusive. The station - which grabbed a 6.1 share, edging out "Magic" WMJX-FM (106.7) for the largest percentage of the coveted 25-to-54-year-old listeners market - has long been a top contender. However, it has not held the No. 1 slot in the spring ratings book (considered one of the year's most important in terms of setting ad rates) since 1992.
There was other good news: The Kiss morning show, hosted by Matt Siegel, beat out WBZ-AM (1030) with a 7.6 share, compared with the all-news station's 7.3. Siegel also beat longtime top dog Howard Stern in this same demographic; Stern, who airs on WBCN-FM (104.1), scored a 6.7, a point behind Siegel. (Stern, and WBCN, retained dominance in the younger, 18-to-34-year-old demographic.)
The difference, says McCartney, can be heard in the songs. Kiss, he says, had been leaning toward rock music before he assumed control last August. So much so, he felt, that it was missing its mission of representing listeners' top choices. He realigned it, making adjustments that included adding such R&B stars as Alicia Keys and hip-hop's Nelly. The result programmed "the top three songs of many different genres" and led to the ratings triumph, he says. "Before last fall, Kiss wasn't quite as broad musically."
The change - a move into more urban and more African-American-dominated styles - might have been considered daring for a station that was already consistently among the top five. Adding Keys's "Fallin'," says McCartney, "got a lot of eyebrows raised." However, it doesn't signal a huge shift. "We're adding the very, very biggest of the rhythmic sounds," he says, referring to R&B and hip-hop. "It means not going quite as deep into rock.
"It wasn't a fear, it was a philosophy," he says about his predecessors' programming decisions.
Being No. 1 "was certainly a goal of the radio station, but it hasn't been anything wrong with the progamming," he says. "It's really hard to achieve."
Nor, he adds, can his programming changes take all the credit. The station always gets a bump from its annual Kiss Concert; the June 1 show and its extensive advance marketing fell within the three-month period covered by the ratings. Then a new marketing campaign, which includes television ads, helped promote the station's talent, particularly Siegel, a Boston radio veteran who may have been less well known to a younger audience.
"With someone who has been in the market for a while, to have him on television really helped," McCartney says. "He's familiar, though not predictable. He's done a consistently fine show. He got a new audience, and they liked what they heard, and they stuck around."
--snips--
from the Boston Globe
May 30, 2002
--snips--
Spinning the dial --snips--
No great shake-ups in the early spring Arbitrends ratings, which were just released. WBMX-FM (98.5) did return to the top position among 25- to 54-year-olds in the afternoons, bumping WMJX-FM (106.7), and WXKS inched past WBCN-FM (104.1) among 18- to 34-year-olds to grab the No. 2 position in the mornings, behind WJMN.
--snips--
from the Boston Herald
April 24, 2002
TV & RADIO column
Big news stories dominated the lives of most Bostonians January through March: war in Afghanistan, suicide bombings in the Middle East and a sex scandal that rocked the foundations of the Catholic church.
News also dominated the Hub's radio ratings during that period. The winter ratings were released yesterday by Arbitron, and all-news signal WBZ-AM (1030) racked up dominant totals.
The station placed first in every major shift during the day among the general (12-plus) audience. WBZ moved from last fall's fifth-place showing to second in the 25-54 race, behind WMJX-FM (106.7).
It also toppled Howard Stern at WBCN-FM (104.1) for top slot in the morning among listeners in the 24-54 age group. And there weren't even any major snowstorms to report on, usually one of WBZ's winter trump cards.
Where did all the listeners come from? With the exception of WMJX, oldies station WODS-FM (103.3) and country station WKLB-FM (99.5), nearly every music station targeting the 25-54 group took a hit.
But the classic rock crowd really suffered. WZLX-FM (100.7) endured a traumatic winter and dropped from second to seventh in the 25-54 contest. Classic hits station WROR-FM (105.7) also dropped but not nearly as much.
On the talk radio front, WTKK-FM (96.9) beat WRKO-AM (680) in the 25-54 race by a good margin, but WRKO still has the greater overall audience. The rivalry between those two stations could turn into a dogfight.
It was a good winter for WMJX and dance signal WJMN-FM (94.5). Both showed increases in most groups, and WJMN won the 18-34 ratings by a heady margin over sister station WXKS-FM (107.9), which hit a mini-slump. Most of the Hub's other youth-driven music stations also lost listeners in the winter months, though urban signal WBOT-FM (97.7) made a big jump with 18-34 listeners.
from the Boston Herald
January 18, 2002
Who's hot in Boston radio, according to the newly released fall (October-December) ratings, and who's not? The overall station winners - WXKS-FM (107.9), WBZ-AM (1030) and WMJX-FM (106.7) - were cited in Saturday's Boston Herald. Here are a few more highlights:
Now or never: Talk station WTKK-FM (96.9) enjoyed good increases in overall audience (i.e., ages 12 and older) and 25-54 totals. But any talk station that BEGITAL couldn't ENDITAL up the ante last fall based on news events should probably consider other programming options.
The invisible man: Sean McDonough's afternoon show on sports talk station WWZN-AM (1510) received good reviews, but the station was a no-show in the ratings.
Stern warning: Howard Stern's WBCN-FM (104.1) morning numbers stayed at or near the top, but his 12-plus and 25-54 totals took a deep dive.
Noncontact sports: WEEI-AM (850) fell back to earth after a terrific summer. The station took a hit in the 12-plus and 25-54 races but had a small gain in the 18-34 group. Since rival sports station WWZN was a no-show, it's likely the station lost listeners to news and news/talk formats.
The old ways are best: Classic rocker WZLX-FM (100.7) stayed near the top of the 25-54 ratings, and oldies station WODS-FM (103.3) just might have had the best results of any station, climbing from last summer's 10th place showing to sixth among listeners 25-54.
The mouth that roared: Syndicated talk host Don Imus' morning show on WTKK made the top 10 in the 12-plus and 25-54 camps. Those are milestone numbers for the I-man on 'TKK.
Morning mayhem: Greg Hill at WAAF-FM (107.3) and John Lander at WBMX-FM (98.5) had good mornings and strong numbers. Hill jumped to third with the 18-34 crowd, Lander was fifth but placed even higher (fourth) with his prime 25-54 audience.
Hip-hop does a hip-drop: WJMN-FM (94.5) dipped in all groups. The station's morning show has sunk from second to fourth among 18-34 listeners since Baltazar's departure, and even its afternoon show slid from first to third.
Comeback kings: Opie and Anthony won the 18-34 afternoon contest in their first full ratings test since the duo's syndicated show began airing on WBCN, but only a white-hot December kept the team ahead of WXKS, WJMN and arch-rival WAAF.
from the Boston Globe
Jan 12, 2002
Everyone likes to put their best face forward. That is especially true on the day radio ratings come out. Arbitron, the outfit that compiles the ratings, only releases the overall market rankings (ages 12 and up) to the media in each market. Individual stations receive mind-numbing pages of digits they crunch to use in promotions and advertising sales.
This week, the big questions at this desk were:
1. Last spring, WEEI (850 AM) was No. 1 among all adults from 25-54 during the afternoon drive, unprecedented for a sports talk station, driven in part by a hot Red Sox team that also appealed to the female audience that the station doesn't go out of its way to court. No one expected that ranking to stand up once fall arrived, but would the show continue its popularity following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the Sox' early-September swoon?
2. Would newcomer WWZN (1510 AM, "The Zone") be so much as a blip on the ratings radar screen?
The answers: no and no.
Still, the news isn't bad because we're dealing with numbers, and each station looks at them in different ways and puts them in perspective of the overall corporate game plan.
Let's take No. 2 first. WWZN didn't crack the ratings book. It really didn't expect to this time around, but the thought here was that even a tiny sail on the ratings horizon would have been cause for celebration for the folks in Burlington. "Talk to me about the fall book ... the fall 2002 book," said program director Sean Grande. "This is a long-term project [to get 1510 up and established as a player in the Boston market]."
On to No. 1, WEEI. Last spring, the afternoon "Big Show" with Glenn Ordway did a 10.2 market share and was No. 1 in the overall (men's and women's) 25-54 demographic. Maybe it was Red Sox-driven. Whatever, it was a historic achievement for a sports talk station. The folks at WEEI rightfully engaged in some long-term chest-thumping.
This fall, the show was down to No. 9 overall in the 25-54 set (a 3.9 rating) but still No. 2 among the 25-54 males (6.8). In that same demographic, the morning "Dennis and Callahan" show was No. 3 with a 6.6 rating, trailing only WBCN (10.5) and WBZ (7.7). The midday "A Team," of Dale Arnold [now minus Eddie Andelman], kept its No. 2 spot in the ratings, albeit down from 8.3 to 6.5 this year. At night, Ted Sarandis was No. 3 in the market with a 5.5 rating.
The official numbers show negligible female listenership for WEEI.
"I know that's not true," said program director Jason Wolfe. "When we speak with advertising target groups, the young women know what's going on at the station because they hear it when they're with their boyfriends. Maybe [the women] just don't 'fess up to listening."
That helps explain why there is no shortage of candidates for the title of "Miss Dennis and Callahan" when the show reportedly does a 0.3 rating (31st in the market) among women 25-54.
Overall, Arbitron numbers showed WBZ No. 1 in the Boston market (all persons over 12 years old) with an 8.7 rating.
In the 25-54 (all-day, weeklong) demographic, WBZ rose to No. 3 from No. 4, going from a 5.2 to a 6.3 rating. WEEI dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 (7.2 to 6.1). Simple math (a 1.1 drop for WEEI, a 1.1 increase for WBZ) and observing the situation says WBZ benefited from the added attention to national news after Sept. 11.
Peter Casey, the program director at WBZ radio, which also reclaimed the overall No. 1 spot in afternoon drive 25-54 listenership, said a big goal for all stations is to be in the top five in target demographics.
"Advertisers generally go five or six stations deep in any demographic or day segment," he said.
--snips--
from the Boston Globe
October 25, 2001
On Sept. 11, those who were in reach of a television set turned it on. The horrifying footage of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon burning put CNN front and center for many, and turned almost every other television outlet into a news station, at least for a few weeks. The repercussions on radio are perhaps subtler, but still being felt as station managers look over the recently released summer ratings.
The summer "book," as it is called, measures radio station ratings from July through Sept. 19. That means only eight days were affected by the tragedy - but those eight days had an impact.
Some of the effects were immediate. On "Mix" WBMX-FM (98.5) for example, the John Lander morning show had been doing well; station program director Greg Strassell says that on the morning of Sept. 11, from 6 to 9 a.m., the show was pulling a 7.1 share of the audience. Then the news of the attack came, and the percentage of the listening audience dropped to a 1.1 share.
Soon after, WBMX - like many other area stations - switched to all news; in 'BMX's case, that meant simulcasting sister Infinity station WBZ-AM (1030). WBZ, which almost always nabs first place among morning listeners for the adult (12 years and up) crowd, skyrocketed that day to a 17.1 share from its usual 7-to-8 share. Even among its weaker demographics, such as the 18- to 34-year-olds, the news and talk station made its mark, claiming a 4 share, for eighth place in mornings, up from 2.3 and 13th place the previous quarter. Among 25 to 54-year-olds, the station came in second only to Howard Stern, on WBCN-FM (104.1), with an 8.3 share. (WBCN won the morning race among this age group, with a 9.3.)
This quarter began long before the attacks, however, and the effect of earlier changes can be seen on the ratings as well. The decision by WBCN to add afternoon stars Opie and Anthony in August, for example, solidified the station's strong standing, pushing it from fourth to second place with a phenomenal 9.1 share in the afternoon among 18- to 34-year-olds. The 'BCN move may have hurt competitor WAAF-FM (107.3), which had a great summer, but declined slightly (from 6.9 to 6.6, still fourth place) among the same age group from 3 to 7 p.m..
Talk stations didn't gain or lose much in those first days after the attacks. WRKO-AM (680) held steady in ninth place with a 3.8 share, and WTKK-FM (96.9) slid a bit from 16th to a 17th-place tie with WBOS-FM (92.9), with a 1.7 share among daytime adult (12-plus) listeners. But new talk listeners may shake things up, making the next ratings book - mid-September through December - look very different.
David Brudnoy, whose weeknight show on WBZ pulled great numbers (a first-place 10 share for 12 and up), says with surprise: "In no six-week period of my radio career, since the early years of developing an audience, have I heard from so many first-time callers as in the weeks since Sept. 11. People who've not called before, maybe not called any talk program, are reaching out to express themselves."
The full effect these events will have on future ratings remains uncertain. Music stations, and others that skew toward younger listeners, may already have reverted to pre-Sept. 11 normal, say some programmers. "Starting last week, we were back," says Strassell. "You could feel it from the phone calls."
For talk stations, however, the crisis remains very much front and center. "Audiences immediately focused on the tragedies of Sept. 11 and called in varying states of rage, fear, and sadness," says Brudnoy. "Nobody wanted to talk about anything else, and no one really has."
--snips--
from the Boston Herald
October 19, 2001
The summer ratings period (July-September) is the odd duck in radio's calendar year. School's out, people are on vacation, audience listening habits change radically, and younger listeners tune in more than at any other time.
And because the Hub's just-released summer ratings include a week of after Sept. 11, it isn't just a little different this year, it's Dennis Rodman weird.
For example, a rival programmer who broke down the numbers estimated that WBZ-AM (1030) and its all-news format earned a 24 share of the general listening audience the week after the Sept. 11 attacks. That's an astounding total, one that roughly breaks down to one out of every four people listening to WBZ.
It's no surprise, then, that WBZ was the top choice for the general (12-plus) audience and tied for second with the 25-54 audience. Other stations that enjoyed a hot summer include WJMN-FM (94.5), which won the race for listeners in the 18-34 group and classic rocker WZLX-FM (100.7), which tied WBZ for 25-54 listeners and showed impressive gains with other groups, especially the 18-34 crew.
But WBCN-FM (104.1) just might have had the best summer of all. Syndicated bad boys Opie and Anthony debuted their afternoon talk show on WBCN in early August, and their arrival coupled with Howard Stern's rebounding morning show gave WBCN sweet, sweet totals across the board.
The station moved from a springtime 11th place showing to fifth with the 12-plus crowd. It advanced from fourth to second in the 18-34 race and jumped from 10th to fifth with the 25-54 audience.
How much of that was sampling of the duo and how many listeners will stay with them? We won't be certain of that until some time next year. But for now, WBCN owes Opie and Anthony big time.
Other stations that heated up during the summer include classic hits signal WROR-FM (105.7), urban station WBOT-FM (97.7), and rocker WAAF-FM (107.3). But more signals cooled off during the warm weathermonths, including: all-sports WEEI-AM (850), adult top-40 signal WBMX-FM (98.5), oldies station WODS-FM (103.3) and classical signal WCRB-FM (102.5).
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