from the Charleston Post and Courier
April 18, 2004
If the government says radio shock jock Howard Stern is indecent in Florida, why isn't his show indecent in Charleston, too? The Federal Communication Commission recently slapped a $495,000 fine for indecency violations on six Clear Channel Radio stations that carried the April 9, 2003, Stern show in Florida, Kentucky, California, New York and Pennsylvania. The Stern show aired that day in Charleston, too, on WYBB-FM.
Mike Allen, operations manager at WYBB, said the same show in different areas of the country may be edited differently by local radio stations. The Stern show is broadcast here after two delays for review of objectionable content. One of the delays happens at the corporate level in New York when the company that offers the Stern program reviews it for objectionable content before sending it to local broadcasters. The second delay of one-minute is locally enforced by WYBB to give the station time to censor material judged offensive. So the version of the Stern show broadcast in Florida or other parts of the country can be different from what local listeners hear when they tune in to Stern at 6 a.m., Allen said.
"Different stations run the show different ways, and so you can't really fine them all as a whole. Some of the local license holders are more aggressive about using the delay than others. You don't know who might have run what without seeing a transcript first," Allen said.
In the case of the recent fines totaling $495,000, a listener in Fort Lauderdale who complained about a Stern show broadcast on WBGG-FM prompted the FCC to review the show. A station doesn't know if the FCC is investigating a complaint until the commission comes calling, Allen said.
Under its new policy since Janet Jackson's Super Bowl performance fiasco, the FCC treats each utterance on a show as a potential cause for a fine instead of just issuing one fine for an entire show. "It used to be if you did something inside the show they fined you for the show," Allen said.
The old policy could mean a fine of up to $27,500 for a show. Now, each objectionable utterance within a show can mean a fine of up to $27,500.
Asked if he's worried about the situation, Allen responded with a laugh, "I worry about everything the Federal Communications Commission does. That's my job. It's kind of worrisome as to where the commission is going, and do we really want the government involved in language?"
WYBB airs the Stern show 6 to 10:45 a.m. on weekdays. It does well in the ratings, where it has been No. 1 among men ages 25-54. WYBB began offering the Stern show on May 1, 2002, after WAVF-FM dropped the Stern show on Feb. 22, 2002. Stern did well in the ratings at WAVF during its four-year run there.
WAVF paid $15,000 a month for the Stern show, said Operations Manager John Anthony.
Anthony said the Stern show cost WAVF $100,000 in lost annual advertising revenue because of a so-called black list of national advertisers who will not advertise on a station that carries the Stern show.
For example, McDonald's and Hardees boycott stations that carry the Stern show, he said.
"It's racy content that makes the phone ring, and we're losing money doing it at the same time," Anthony said of WAVF's decision to drop Stern.
WYBB General Manager Charles Cohn said there is a list of controversial radio shows thatadvertisers won't buy, which includes "Rush Limbaugh" and "The Bob and Tom Show." Some clients won't advertise on Stern's show, but normally they'll purchase ads on a station at times other than the show.
"Howard's been a huge ratings generator, and the revenue on Howard's show has been not an issue. There's a number of advertisers who buy Howard specifically. There are a number of advertisers who have a dictate that prohibits them from buying the show," Cohn said.
Stern has been on the air for 20 years. He has come under the gun at the FCC since the fallout from the Janet Jackson bare-breast incident during the Super Bowl halftime show. Critics say he's being made the scapegoat for what Jackson did. So far, no local CBS affiliates have been fined in the Jackson incident. Typically, the FCC fines an affiliate rather than the network.
Cohn said the Stern controversy is about First Amendment issues. Because of the problems Stern faces, he may be off the air by the end of the year, he said. "It just doesn't seem right," Cohn said.
Crusty commentator Jack Cafferty of CNN's "American Morning" agreed. Cafferty said he doesn't support the content of Stern's show, but he thinks Stern as a broadcaster is being mistreated.
"It's certainly not for lack of listeners or lack of listener support that Howard would go off the air. It would be for a situation totally outside our control. There's a certain First Amendment issue that very easily could start blurring the lines everywhere in theater, in the newspaper, on TV, on cable, in movies. There's a cultural war, as Howard puts it, that's got some pretty serious repercussions for the First Amendment," Cohn said.
from the Charleston Post and Courier
February 27, 2004
NEW YORK—Suspended by the nation's No. 1 radio conglomerate, Howard Stern grabbed a microphone Thursday morning and ranted. He asked his boss to fire him and complained about censorship.
Then he fielded a call from his girlfriend to discuss their sexual encounter the night before.
The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" saw his kingdom shrink as Clear Channel Communications yanked Stern off a half-dozen stations Wednesday over the content of his oft-salacious show.
"They are so afraid of me and what this show represents," Stern told his legion of devoted listeners — those who could still hear him, anyway.
Charleston-area radio listeners can still hear Stern on weekday mornings on 98.1 WYBB-FM, which is owned by Citadel Communications. Program Director Mike Allen said the Stern show performs solidly in the ratings and advertisers support it.
"He's continuing to do well over here. I think the show is funny. I think it's edgy, but I don't think Howard wanders over the line very often," Allen said.
In the most recent Arbitron ratings, Stern was No. 1 in Charleston among men ages 25-54, Allen said. The Stern show runs with multiple delays to catch material that could cause problems. Allen said WYBB has never been fined for the show.
Clear Channel's decision to suspend Stern comes at a time of heightened public and political pressure on broadcasters to clean up their act. The uproar started after singer Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson's breast to 90 million viewers during the Super Bowl halftime show, prompting Congress to convene hearings into indecent programming.
Dedicated Stern fans called his show to vent about tuning in for their morning fix, only to find the shock jock abruptly off the airwaves. The fans were much angrier than Stern, who managed to control his temper while discussing Clear Channel's decision.
Stern was more direct in recent shows, blasting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., of the House telecommunications subcommittee.
Clear Channel's decision on Stern came one day before the head of its radio division, John Hogan, testified before the congressional hearings. Coincidence or not, it seems things are now different around the radio dial.
"The climate has changed at a lot of these stations," said Tom Taylor, editor of the trade publication Inside Radio. "The weather has gotten considerably colder."
from the Charleston Post and Courier
August 10, 2002
Among radio listeners ages 25-54, Citadel stations took the top-three spots. For the first time ever, WMGL-FM Magic 101.7 was first in its demographic, with an 8.3 share. That number is up from the winter's No. 2 spot and a big improvement from Magic's No. 4 showing in spring 2001.
WSSX-FM 95.1 posted a 6.8 share to take the No. 2 slot. That was way up from a winter number of 4.2. WSUY-FM 96.9 took a 6.6 share to come in at No. 3, which was fairly consistent with the winter book number of 6.5 but up nicely from spring 2001's 5.5 share and a No. 7 showing.
Citadel Communications General Manager Steve Jason says he is proud of what the stations have accomplished. "We stayed the course even when things were tight financially last year, and it's exciting to see us reaping the rewards of consistency, solid programming and an ongoing commitment to our community," he says.
The top 10 list among listeners 25-54 looks like this:
1. WMGL-FM 101.7 2. WSSX-FM 95.1 3. WSUY-FM 96.9 4. WXLY-FM 102.5 5. WWWZ-FM 93.3 and WRFQ-FM 104.5 7. WJNI-FM 106.3 8. WEZL-FM 103.5 9. WYBB-FM 98.1 and WCOO-FM 105.5.
The usually dominant WEZL-FM 103.5 took a dive this time around. Last spring, WEZL was in first place and a year later is sitting in the eighth spot. One reason for this could be that country music is in a downswing overall. There's no Faith Hill or Garth Brooks bringing in listeners.
But WEZL's parent company, Clear Channel Communications, steadily has been losing market share among this demographic. Last spring, the company's six stations earned a 29.6 share, but this book they posted only a 23.5. Conversely, Citadel, LM Communications (WYBB-FM 98.1 and WCOO-FM 105.5) and Jabar Communications (WJNI-FM 106.3 and WWBZ-FM 98.9) all have shown increases in market share over the past year.
MORNING SHOWS
The top 10 stations from 6-10 a.m. in the same demographic are:
1. WMGL-FM 2. WSSX-FM 3. WRFQ-FM 4. WWWZ-FM 5. WSUY-FM and WEZL-FM 7. WJNI-FM 8. WXLY-FM 9. WYBB-FM 10. WAVF-FM
In the morning, 6 to 10 a.m., Magic's "Tom Joyner Show" had the most listeners, with a 9.7 share, up from a fourth-place finish in spring 2001. "Two Girls and A Guy" on 95SX came in second, and "Bob and Tom" on Q104 rounded out the top three.
"The Howard Stern Show" brought 98 Rock a ninth-place showing, down from the numbers "John Boy and Billy" posted, but Stern began airing May 1, which was midway through the spring book. LM Communications General Manager Charlie Cone feels that Stern's impact on the station has not yet been shown. "I think Howard will have tremendous impact on the market. We expect to be the leading adult rock station in the area within the next six months," he says. "Having Howard changes the radio station's overall perception in the marketplace. He's been the leading morning show, and we have him on. The station that dropped Howard hasn't benefited from that decision."
That station would be WAVF-FM 96.1 (96 Wave), which replaced Stern with "The Dick Dale Show." Dale's show came in right behind Stern in 10th place this book, but Apex Broadcasting General Manager Dean Pearce also feels Dale's potential has yet to be tapped. "There are a lot of people who haven't heard Dick's show yet," he says. "As more people tune in and see how good it really is, they'll see we are building an A-plus morning show for young adults."
Dale's show was still a work in progress until the beginning of June, when a co-host was added and the format began to be cemented. Thus, the fall Arbitron book will be a better mark of how both Dale and Stern are being accepted in the marketplace.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Among listeners 18-34, there are not too many surprises. The top three stations in this demo are:
1. WWWZ-FM 2. WAVF-FM 3. WSSX-FM
In the morning, this age group is listening to:
1. "Da Breakfuss Club" with Tessa and Baby J on WWWZ-FM 2. "Bob and Tom" on WRFQ-FM 3. "Two Girls and a Guy" on WSSX
And 96 Wave comes in fourth, followed by 98 Rock. Wave takes the top spot the rest of the afternoon, coming in first among 18- to 34-year-olds during both the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. slots. Then at 7 p.m., Z93 takes over first place through midnight, with Wave falling to second place.
GENDER
The most popular stations among men 25-54 are:
1. WRFQ-FM 2. WMGL-FM 3. WYBB-FM 4. WSSX-FM 5. WWWZ-FM Women in that demographic are listening to: 1. WSUY-FM 2. WXLY-FM 3. WMGL-FM 4. WSSX-FM 5. WJNI-FM
TALK RADIO
On the talk-radio battlefield, WTMA-AM 1250 shows a 2.7 share among people 25-54, compared with WSCC-AM 730 with a 1.9. Among listeners 35-64 years old, which is the talk-radio demographic, WTMA is leading WSC from 6 to 10 a.m. with a 3.6 to WSC's 1.7. In the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. slot, WSC picks up listeners who prefer Rush Limbaugh over Bill O'Reilly for a 4.4 share to WTMA's 4.0. The listeners flip back again at 3 p.m., when they tune in to "Radio Free Rocky D" on WTMA, giving that station a wide margin of a 4.3 share over a 2.3 share for WSC.
--snips--
from the Charleston Post and Courier
May 19, 2002
In second place was WMGL-FM 101.7 (Magic 101.7) up from fourth place in the last book while WSUY-FM 96.9 (Sunny) takes the No. 3 spot up from a seventh place finish in the last book.
The winter book places the top three spots in the hands of Citadel Broadcasting. Vice President and General Manager Steve Jason says, "The book tells me that our consistency of programming is paying dividends." While Jason acknowledges that the winter book doesn't carry as much weight as the spring or fall books, he says he views all the ratings books like report cards. "If you have an interim report card that's not good, it doesn't matter that it's an interim report card," he says. "It's still not good."
WEZL-FM 103.5 landed in the fourth spot, down a hair from the previous book but enough to keep it the number one country music station in this market. WNKT-FM 107.5 (Cat Country) moved up a notch from the eighth position to the seventh spot, closing the gap a little.
WXLY-FM 102.5 (Oldies 102.5) dropped from the No. 2 slot in the fall book to No. 2, tying with WEZL.
WJNI-FM 106.1 took the sixth spot and WYBB-FM 98.1 (98 Rock) had a big leap from 10th place in the last book to tie Cat Country for seventh place this time around. Rounding out the top 10 is WCOO-FM 105.5 (Cool 105.5) and WRFQ-FM 104.5 (Q104.5.)
WAVF-FM 96.1 (96 Wave) dropped out of the top 10 and landed in a tie with WSSX-FM 95.1 (95SX) for No. 11. Wave dropped from sixth while 95SX fell from fifth place. Both stations, however, primarily target the 18-34 market. In that demo, 96 Wave is still a strong second place and 95SX No. 3, both behind consistently No. 1 Z-93.
On the morning show front in the 25-54 demographic, Z-93's Tessa and Baby J remain in the No. 1 spot with Tom Joyner on Magic jumping from a sixth place to a second place tie with Q 104.5's "Bob and Tom Show." The fourth position is also a tie. Janet Walsh and Bill Shannon of the Oldies 102.5 morning team moved up to a No. 4 position, and 98 Rock's last ratings period with "John Boy and Billy" in the morning gave them a big boost going from a No. 9 position to tie for No. 4. The Howard Stern show started airing on 98 Rock after this ratings period ended.
The Wave took a dive in its morning show numbers going from a No. 3 position in the fall to a No. 10 slot in the winter book. The Wave had Howard Stern on the air for the first part of the book, and then Dick Dale took over the morning slot. It's not unusual for a station to see a drop in numbers when they switch personalities, especially a personality like Stern, so it's too soon to tell how Dale will fare. Walt Rosen, advertising sales manager for WAVF-FM says that it takes more than one book to see how a new morning show is working. "In my opinion, it takes a morning show a year to find its audience. It's difficult to change people's habits in the morning," he says. "That's just the nature of the beast."
In the battle of the talk stations, WTMA-AM 1250 edged out WSCC-AM 730 by a slim margin. WTMA earned a 3.2 share in the 25-54 demographic and WSC earned a 2.7. WTMA led the pack more definitively in the morning with a 3.4 share to 1.5 for WSC.
--snips--
from the Charleston Post and Courier
May 5, 2002
Letters
Stern warning
I was sorry to read that radio station 98 Rock has signed a multi-year contract with "The Howard Stern Show." I was pleased when 96 Wave dropped Howard Stern last February because "its raunchy content alienated advertisers."
Ken French, the station manager for 98 Rock, said he expects some negative fallout from putting Stern back on the air but that he's giving the market what it wants. He went on to say, "We feel like we're making a good, solid business decision. ... We feel good about the decision."
I do not believe the majority of the Charleston market feels good about Howard Stern returning to our airways. "The Howard Stern Show" is basically verbal porno-graphy. The show feeds on the rebellious, sophomoric nature of adolescents. An example of Stern's philosophy is his view of sexual relationships as recreation and entertainment.
98 Rock is broadcasting the show every weekday morning. I encourage all tri-county residents to listen to the show and contact Ken French with your feedback. 98 Rock's phone number is 769-4799, fax number is 769-4797 and mailing address is 59 Windermere Blvd., Charleston, S.C. 29407.
I encourage all businesses that advertise on the radio to listen to "The Howard Stern Show" and make sure it is a message with which they want to identify and financially support.
If the feedback on the show is positive, then we get what we deserve. As the father of three young girls, I hope the Charleston market will convince 98 Rock that "The Howard Stern Show" is not a "good, solid business decision" for our community.
PRESTON HIPP
--snips--
from the Charleston Post and Courier
April 28, 2002
HE'S BAAACK!
Reaction to the pending return of Howard Stern (this time on 98 Rock) has been mixed. Program Director Mike Allen says he has received a number of positive phone calls, but also some calls from listeners who are upset that Stern will replace the popular "John Boy & Billy" show.
Allen says that when the show became available after WAVF-FM 96.1 (96 Wave) didn't renew its contract, the station decided to pick up Stern. "This is a big step up for us. It raises the profile of the radio station dramatically."
Dean Pearce, 96 Wave's general manager, said in February that one of the reasons for dropping Stern was that the show was a hard sell, and "the advertising wouldn't support the show."
Allen says he's not worried about that. He says, "With the numbers Howard brings, it's a good place for us to be."
"Howard has been consistently No. 1 and brings a lot of folks to the table. We can keep them around the rest of the day with some good rock 'n' roll. We set the table, and it's my job to keep them there."
Time will tell whether 98 Rock will have more success with "The Howard Stern Show" than 96 Wave.
--snips--
Thanks to RobK for sending this story in...
from Charleston.net
April 24, 2002
Shock jock Howard Stern will return to the Charleston airwaves May 1 on radio station 98 Rock, which is dropping "John Boy & Billy" as its morning show, station manager Ken French said Tuesday.
"We had the opportunity to pick up the No. 1 morning show in the market and couldn't pass that opportunity up," French said.
"The Howard Stern Show" airs from 6 a.m. to about 10:30 a.m. on weekdays. Radio station 96 Wave aired the Stern show for four years until Feb. 22. The station said it dropped the Stern show because its raunchy content alienated advertisers.
French said he expects some negative fallout from putting Stern back on the air, but he said he's giving the market what it wants.
"We do anticipate that there's going to be some controversy associated with it. That's what Howard Stern's show is all about. We feel like we're making a good, solid business decision. Our intent is as long as Howard wants to be on the air, he'll be on the air with 98 Rock in Charleston," French said.
French said 98 Rock signed a multi-year contract with Stern.
He did not say for how many years.
"The premise is to build the audience in the morning and keep them there all day. We feel good about the decision. We're excited about making a change, stirring things up," he said.
"John Boy & Billy," a Southern-flavored show, aired for nearly eight years on 98 Rock. Stern broadcasts from New York.
Mike Allen, program director for 98 Rock, said Tuesday he wasn't aware of any local station planning to pick up "John Boy & Billy."
"I haven't received any indication that anybody is interested in it," he said.
French said Tuesday was the last day for "John Boy & Billy," and Allen will fill in until Stern's broadcasts begin May 1.
Thanks to Roger for sending this in...
Gary mentioned Howard's last ratings in Charleston, SC (that would've been the Fall ratings on 96 Wave):
Howard was #3 12+, #1 18-34, #1 Men 18+, #1 Men 18-44.
from the Charleston Post and Courier
March 31, 2002
Mornings are unusually busy around the 96Wave station these days.
For four years, the push of a button guaranteed ratings success for WAVF-FM.
A satellite connection and a load of cash allowed the station to broadcast "The Howard Stern Show" every morning. And by all accounts, it was the most listened-to morning show in the Low country.
But with Stern came Stern's controversy. Officials say the shock jock's penchant for the profane turned off advertisers, making it nearly impossible to sell spots on air before noon.
So in February, facing a new contract with Stern worth $200,000 a year for the next four years, 96 Wave decided to pull the plug on the King of All Media.
The only question was, "What now?"
Officials wanted something local, something topical and, perhaps most of all, something they could sell.
They wanted the antithesis of "The Howard Stern Show."
They wanted "The Dick Dale Show."
GROWING PAINS
It's 9:30 a.m. and Dick Dale is fired up.
A woman has called the show to defend the use of tip jars at coffee shops.
All morning Dale has railed against the practice. He shakes his head as he listens and then chimes in.
"I will stop going to a place if they put those tip jars out," Dale says. "I don't have a problem with tipping for service like at a restaurant, but people have a right to get what they order at a counter without feeling like they have to tip."
The exchange is an example of what 96 Wave missed during Stern's run on their station. Local issues. Local voices.
It's the reason they hired Dale.
Though only 33, Dale came to the station with an impressive resume, one that included successful stints on morning shows in Jacksonville, Fla., and Cleveland - the latter actually pitting him against Howard Stern.
Station officials say they were lucky to get him.
"He is a major talent," says Greg Patrick, 96 Wave's program director. "He just happened to be available. We jumped at the opportunity to get him."
Dale, whose real name is Bert Morris, was out of radio when the station called to offer him the job. A disagreement with Clear Channel Radio, the nation's largest radio corporation, led Dale to quit his syndicated morning show in 2000.
Disgruntled with radio, he pursued a voice-over career in Orlando before 96 Wave lured him back on air.
"When I came up to interview for the job, I had no intention of taking it," Dale says. "I was perfectly happy out of radio.
But there was something here, something that just appealed to me."
Dale interviewed for the job on Feb. 9. Less than three weeks later he was on air.
Such a whirlwind turnaround led to a few problems.
"We are having some growing pains, some small annoyances," Dale says.
"They haven't had a morning show here for four years so the studio really isn't set up for it."
For one thing, the studio is cramped. While most of 96 Wave's on-air personalities, such as The Critic and Uncle Miles, work alone, "The Dick Dale Show" employs at least three people: Dale, producer Kevin Braitsch and, for the time being, Patrick playing newsman and on-air sidekick.
The setup has all three placed awkwardly around the console.
"Usually you like to be able to see the people you're working with," Dale says. "You like to be able to look them in the eye."
But probably the biggest problem has been with technology.
Dale's show depends on caller interaction, which means he needs the ability to interview more than one caller on air at any given time. It also means a delay system is needed to censor profanity.
Early on, the station had neither capability. And though 96 Wave fixed the delay problem quickly, on the day of the interview it was still struggling to handle multiple calls. In fact, Dale dropped an interview that day because of the phone system.
"I'm sure everything will be just fine," Dale says. "We've just had to work around some things for a while."
The following day the phone system was fixed.
THE BOB FRISBEE EXPERIENCE
One thing that's still up in the air is whether listeners will return to 96 Wave following Stern's departure.
The station's strongest demographic is 18- to 34-year-olds, a demographic Stern dominates.
So the decision to drop him was a tough one.
"We knew there would be some angry people out there," Patrick says. "We were expecting it."
To mitigate the blow, Dale took the air Feb. 25 as Bob Frisbee of The Bob Frisbee Experience, a corny, over-the-top caricature of an old-style radio DJ.
The response by listeners was immediate. Callers flooded the lines, calling for Stern's return and wanting Frisbee fired.
"I knew that anyone coming on right after Stern would get bombed out of the gate," Dale says. "So we just had a little fun with it. We let the listeners call up and criticize Bob to get it out of their system. I had a lot of fun with it."
The idea was to run The Bob Frisbee Experience for a week, Dale says, but after two days the station opted to introduce Dale to listeners.
Patrick says the station continued to receive calls throughout the week, how many he doesn't know. But he says he received about 200 e-mails.
Some people accused the station of caving in to the "right-wing establishment." Others were just plain nasty. One e-mailer even threatened to lodge a grenade in a rather unpleasant spot if Stern wasn't returned to the air.
"It was crazy," Patrick says. "Some people thought we just wanted to get rid of a show with great ratings, which just doesn't make sense. But I challenge you to listen to Howard and find one beer commercial, one McDonald's commercial, one local commercial of any sort. Advertisers just did not want to be associated with 'The Howard Stern Show.' It just wasn't worth it for us to bring him back."
The station is not the first one in the area to make such a decision. In the last year, stations in Charlotte and Myrtle Beach opted to drop Stern for the very same reason.
"I don't know, maybe it's because we're in the Bible Belt, but people just don't want to be associated with Howard Stern," says Brian Rickman, program director for Myrtle Beach's WYAV 104.1 FM. "He had great ratings here. He just killed the competition, but no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't sell ads on the show."
NEW BEGINNINGS
Patrick says 96 Wave first asked Jim Voigt, the station's popular evening DJ known as The Critic, to host the morning show. Voigt refused.
"He has it made where he is," Patrick says. "I don't think he liked the idea of getting up that early."
So 96 Wave turned its attention to Dale, who actually worked with Voigt for a while in Jacksonville.
Now one month into the new show, Patrick says the station believes it made the right decision.
"The show Dick is doing is smart, it doesn't sink to the lowest common denominator," he says. "It's local and interesting and funny. And I think that can work here."
Dale describes his show as an "off-the-wall NPR (National Public Radio)." It covers a lot of ground, from discussions on "Survivor" and the World Wrestling Federation to local issues such as the controversy over the C&C Video and News store.
And a central part of it is caller feedback, something that wasn't possible under Stern.
"Anyone expecting me to be Howard Stern is going to be disappointed," Dale says. "That's just not my show. But given a chance, I think people will like this format a lot more."
That's exactly what 96 Wave is hoping.
And if the calls are any indication, the tide is turning. Patrick says the complaints have tapered off and now he's hearing from more people who like the show.
"I'm confident that if people just give it a chance, they will love the show," he says. "They just need to let Howard go and then I think they'll find they like Dick's show better."
from Charleston.net
February 24, 2002
Lowcountry listeners will no longer wake up to Howard Stern's raunchy repartee and moronic musings. Friday was the self-proclaimed "King of All Media's" last day on the air at WAVF-FM 96.1 (96 Wave).
"It's business," says Dean Pearce, the station's general manager. "The advertising wouldn't support the show."
Pearce says the Stern people were very nice about the station not renewing 'The Howard Stern Show.'
"We stuck the whole contract out," Pearce says. "We didn't drop him in the middle like some other stations have."
Since Stern signed on in February 1998, the show has been a hard sell for the station. "Many advertisers don't want to be associated with "The Howard Stern Show" so they either buy at the station but not the Stern show, or they don't buy at the station at all," says Walt Rosen, advertising sales manager for WAVF. Between the cost of the syndication rights and the loss of ad revenue, keeping Stern on the air just became cost-prohibitive for Wave.
Pearce and Program Director Greg Patrick feel it will serve the community better to have a local morning show on the air. That is why Monday morning Patrick will begin "auditioning" various personalities for the Wave's morning slot. The personalities being interviewed, however, all will be characters from the repertoire of Dick Dale, host of "The Dick Dale Show," which will premiere March 4 on 96 Wave.
"This is an intelligent show," Pearce says. "It's a fast-paced show," Patrick agrees. "We will also play music, which will be nice to hear in the morning."
"The Dick Dale Show" originated when Dale was working at Clear Channel station WMMS-FM 100.7 in Cleveland. Ironically, the show came about when "The Howard Stern Show" began airing in Cleveland. WMMS wanted something different to go head-to-head with Stern, and "The Dick Dale Show" was born. The show was syndicated on a number of Clear Channel stations.
Dale promises something new and different for Lowcountry radio listeners. "It's a unique format," he says. "But if I have to pigeonhole it, the closest way to describe it is a radio version of 'The Daily Show.'"
Family tragedy forced Dale to leave Cleveland. He worked in Florida doing voiceovers and an Internet talk show before getting a call from Patrick asking him to come and check out Charleston. He had worked with The Critic in Jacksonville at one time, so he knew of 96 Wave. Dale says he liked the idea of building a heritage morning show, so he packed up his belongings and moved to Charleston. WAVF knows where its bread is buttered and still is reaching out to its traditionally mostly male audience, but this time with a show that won't have moms careening off the highway frantically stabbing at the radio buttons. "It's highbrow humor," Dale says. "Smart and highbrow. It doesn't appeal to the lowest common denominator."
With Wave dropping Stern, that leaves only one station in the Southeast that still carries the original shock jock, WXNR-FM 99.5 in the Greenville/New Bern area, and that station tapes "The Howard Stern Show" in the morning and airs it at 7 in the evening.
Pearce and Patrick know that a lot of listeners will be upset at the demise of "The Howard Stern Show" in this area, but they are excited and optimistic about "The Dick Dale Show."
"It's not like we went to the Winn-Dixie and grabbed a stock boy to do the show," Patrick says. "This is a major national talent."
Pearce is not worried. "There are three kinds of people that listen to us," Pearce says, "those that like Stern but hate Wave; those that like Stern and like Wave, and those that hate Stern but like Wave. The latter two will still listen, and the ones that like Stern will like Dick's show, too, if they give it a shot."
Thanks to RobK for sending these in...
from Radio Ink
December 11, 2001
from Radio & Records Online
October 26, 2001
from the Charleston Post and Courier
March 2, 2000
TV & Radio Column - Lisa Lipman
When the last book came out, I noted in this column that the Weasel's (WEZL-FM 103.5) morning show, which features Tyler, Janet Walsh and Gary Griffin, had steadily dropped in the ratings since Tyler's arrival last January. The station had become the No. 5 morning show after a long reign at No. 1.
But in the fall 1999 ratings, Tyler and Co. have regained the No. 1 spot. Which proves that listeners have decided to embrace Tyler - and that I was wrong.
Weasel's morning show switched places with "The Howard Stern Show," which can be heard on 96 Wave (WAVF-FM) and held the No. 1 spot in the last ratings period. The show is now the fifth most listened to morning program.
Z 93, (WWWZ-FM), which almost always finishes in the top three spots, held on to No. 2. The eight-month-old "All-New Breakfuss Club" managed to keep most of its listeners, but didn't attract enough to regain the top spot it had last spring.
But in the Monday-Sunday 6 a.m. to midnight ratings, Z 93 topped all other stations among listeners ages 25-54.
The Weasel placed second overall, with Oldies 102.5 - the former No. 1 station - right behind it. Sunny 96.9 (WSUY-FM), which placed No. 7 in the last book, and Magic 101.7 (WMGL-FM), which placed sixth in the last book, rounded out the top five.
--more local Arbitrons snipped--
from the Charleston Post and Courier
November 11, 1999
Lisa Lipman TV/Radio
"We're excited about it," says Miles Crosby, interim program director for 96 Wave. "When we brought Howard on, he always said that (when he enters a new market), it takes time for the ratings to come up. And he was right."
The station also moved from eighth to seventh place overall in listeners 25-54 (the key demographic advertisers look for). Crosby says though Stern helped the station make that move, changes at the station should keep the ratings on an upward trend. The station recently brought back deejay The Critic to work the afternoon shift, and 96 Wave's management will bring in a new program director soon.
"We've got a lot of plans down the road," Crosby says. "We're going to continue to move forward and keep the momentum going." 96 Wave's terrific morning ratings bumped Z 93 (WWWZ-FM) from the top spot it held for the past six months. Z 93 revamped its morning show, "The All-New Breakfuss Club," five months ago and got new hosts for the program. Oldies 102.5 (WXLY-FM) dropped from second to third, and Magic 101.3 jumped from ninth to fourth.
The Weasel (WEZL-FM 103.5) took big losses. The station, which had been the No. 1 morning show for many ratings books in a row when T.J. Phillips appeared on it, dropped to fifth place. Mike Tyler took Phillips' place in January. The ratings have steadily declined since then.
Oldies 102.5 might not be tops in the morning, but overall, it's the No. 1 station for listeners 25-54 for the second book in a row. Z 93 came in second - it was tied for first last ratings period.
The big overall ratings jump happened at 95 SX (WSSX-FM), which moved from seventh place to third.
The station recently switched program directors and has been fiddling with its morning show, but both changes occurred after this ratings book had closed.
As far as the war between the two local talk stations, WSC-AM 730 and WTMA-AM 1250, it looks like WTMA has won this particular ratings battle. The station jumped from 13th to seventh in the mornings, and from 16th to 12th overall with listeners ages 25-54 (the key demographic advertisers look at).
Program Director Jason Wilmot rejiggered the morning show when he came to the station several months ago.
"The morning show has made a lot of strides - it's a very fast-paced, informative first hour, and with the next few hours with Dan Moon, it's just a well-rounded program now," Wilmot says.
Wilmot credits the overall ratings boost to WTMA's new lineup, which started at the end of May when the station lost Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura to WSC.
Wilmot says WTMA isn't worried about WSC's new advertising push or about what will happen in the future.
"WTMA is still the No. 1 news station in Charleston," Wilmot says. "They have their ultimate goal, and we have ours."
WSC's Program Director Stew Williams says he expects that WSC, which moved from 18th place to 16th place solely through word-of-mouth, will "enjoy the same upward trend it has already begun to experience for years to come."
He points out this ratings book did not include the addition of a news director LaDona Harvey, the station's upcoming power increase and the television ad campaign that is currently running.
He's not worried about the current numbers.
"With regular listeners, I don't know if they care (about ratings)," Williams says. "I think they like what they like, I think the ratings in the stories have a lot more interest to the stations and the advertisers."
from the: Charleston Post and Courier
August 19, 1999
Lisa Lipman/Television
Ed Turner, the station's general manager, says he knows one of the reasons the station has managed to stay on top.
"We are currently not heavily promoting ourselves, but our people tend to do more street activity, tend to be out of the station and to get into the community more than any other station, I think," Turner says. "We're everywhere."
Though Z93 has been on top for a while, Turner says he constantly reminds his staff that they have to remain vigilant about staying number one.
"I tell them all the time, we have got to be on the cutting edge of change," Turner says. "We have to be the ones who sense first winds of change. We plan to stay out front and as much ahead of the competition as we can."
Z93 isn't alone at the top. Oldies 102.5 (WXLY-FM) also scored a 9.7 share, up 1.2 from last year's second-place finish.
Rounding out the top three was Sunny 96.9 (WSUY-FM) with a 7.3. Though Sunny was number one in spring 1998, this book marks a remarkable upswing for a station that had a precipitous drop in the ratings last summer, fall and winter. Mike Weston, the station's program director, is referring to the new ratings as a "Sunny spring" for the station.
"We're pretty much back to where we were last year, so we think it's an excellent showing for us," Weston says.
Weston says a lot of factors contributed to the ratings gain, including a pumped-up marketing plan. But the way the station sounds on the air, he says, is the most important component of the ratings.
"I think the other thing that Sunny does really well is to focus on the workday audience," Weston says. "A lot of our approach is geared toward people at work. We do a lot of that, do a lot of events and promotions, try to provide information for that audience, try to be local."
Some of the big jumpers this ratings book: Cool 105.3 (WCOO-FM), which moved to a 5.7 from last year's 1.6 (at which time the station had a different format). That vaults Cool into fifth place - tied with Q 104 (WRFQ-FM) - from last year's 15th place finish.
That doesn't mean Steve Jason, the station's general manager, doesn't want to do better. In the 25-54 women's demographic, the station increased its numbers only marginally. The station had expected to pull a little more of that audience away from Oldies 102.5 and Sunny 96.9.
"Everywhere, we showed growth, which is great," says Jason. "But I'm not sure it's really truly representative of who's listening." Gospel station WJNI-FM also made a big gain. The station wasn't on the air in spring '98, but it bounced up from 16th place in the winter book to 12th this time around.
"Our target audience is 25 to 44, and what we're doing is something different. It's something not done anywhere else in the country," says WJNI's Cliff Fletcher.
Fletcher says he's especially proud of the station's strong performance because the station's competitors, WXTC-AM 1390 and Magic 101.7 (WMGL-FM), are both owned by large corporations. WJNI is independently owned, but still managed to pull away a chunk of both those stations' audience. WXTC dropped from fifth to eighth, making it tied with Magic 101.7 (which dropped from third place).
Fletcher says he plans to keep the station moving forward by increasing its community involvement and keeping the station's message of empowerment.
WXTC and Magic 101.7 weren't the only stations that dropped. WTMA-AM 1250, went from 13th place to 16th (and that's before the station lost Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura).
WTMA Program Director Jason Wilmot could not be reached in time for publication.
Radio ratings are a funny thing: There are so many categories in an Arbitron book (Persons 25-54, Women 25-54, Persons 12 +, etc.) that almost any station can find one in which they've improved their standing. Plus there's the fact that the ratings are recorded by giving households "diaries" - forms on which they're supposed to write down their listening habits - instead of a more accurate system that would monitor how many stations a person listened to, and for how long. But for the moment, this system is all we've got.
For some stations, however, the 25-54 demographic just doesn't apply. Take The Beat (94.3 WSSP-FM) for example. The urban-flavored pop station prefers to look at the 18-34 demographic, the group that makes up the station's audience. In that category, the station finished second only to Z93 and doubled its numbers. The Beat has been on the air only since Jan. 15.
"We've built a great foundation here," says Ryan Walker, the station's program director. "Z93, they have the heritage, they've been in the area for 18 years. We feel we're as close to number one as we're going to get."
from the: Charleston Post and Courier
May 20, 1999
Lots of people were against getting "The Howard Stern Show" in Charleston - but apparently even more listeners want to hear it. In the latest ratings period, "The Howard Stern Show," a program for which 96 Wave (WAVF-FM) has received a good deal of flak ever since the show began airing a year ago, skyrocketed from a 5.7 share to an 8.
("The show's staff) said I should hang in for a year and the dust would settle from complainers, and that people would get used to the format of the show," says Woody Bartlett, owner of 96 Wave.
Aside from a few lingering problems with anti-Stern groups, the public has warmed to the show.
"I'm very bullish on Howard and I expect him to continue to gain ground," Bartlett says. "I expect the guy to be at the top in the next couple of books."
For now, the battle for top morning show is between Z93 (WWWZ-FM) and The Weasel 103.5 (WEZL-FM). After dominating the morning show race for the last several ratings periods, The Weasel fell to second place. It dropped from a 10 share to a 9.5. This was the first ratings period for the revamped morning show with new deejay Mike Tyler. Tyler replaced veteran WEZL personality T.J. Phillips in January.
"We feel great about it," says Kris Van Dyke, WEZL's program director. "You lose a morning guy who was a staple, that's been in the morning market for years, and bring in a new guy and the ratings don't even falter, really. You've got to be pretty happy about the decisions you made when you see that."
Z93 topped The Weasel by two-tenths of a point. But the station went from a 6.1 to a 9.7 share - another big jump. Program Director Terry Base could not be reached for comment.
Not everybody saw big gains in morning shows, however. 98 Rock's (WYBB-FM) "John Boy and Billy Show" took a big hit this ratings period: It dropped from a 7.9 to a 3.9.
"I think that's part of Arbitron and why it's so inefficient, that it can go very high to very low in a short period of time," says John Bloodwell, promotions director of 98 Rock.
Bloodwell says the station has no plans to drop the show, and that advertiser support is still strong.
"It's just one (ratings) diary that went one place," Bloodwell says. "I wouldn't make a judgment on it that fast."
But Bloodwell, who also does promotions for Cool 105.3 (WCOO-FM), does have a reason to smile. Though the station changed its format from adult contemporary to rhythmic oldies in December, Cool 105.3 posted impressive gains this ratings period. The station went from a 2.3 to a 3.9 share in the Monday to Sunday 6 a.m.-midnight ratings.
"I knew there was a groundswell of support. Every place we went, people were saying they loved Cool," Bloodwell says. "But I never expected it to be that much of a jump that fast."
The rise in ratings in especially noteworthy because the station had only a small TV campaign as a kick-off.
"We wanted to take some time to polish the product," Bloodwell says, "but now it's time to put the pedal to the metal."
Cool 105.3 indirectly helped other stations like 96 Wave in the newest ratings book.
"It's really encouraging that some of the other radio stations in town that have not had competition in the past now have competition," Bartlett says. "The Beat (WSSP-FM 94.3) took a hunk out of 95 (SX, WSSX-FM), and Cool (105.3, WCOO-FM) took a hunk out of WXLY (Oldies, 102.5). Both those stations would have traditionally been way in front of us."
96 Wave boosted its ratings to a 5.3 share from a 4.1.
The Beat made a strong showing in its first ratings period with a new format. Back in January, WSSP listeners turned on their radios and were greeted with urban-flavored pop instead of the usual '40s, '50s and '60s music. And they were furious.
But hundreds of angry phone calls - and months later - the new WSSP, now called "The Beat" - is recovering from the drama. In the newest Arbitron Monday to Sunday 6 a.m.-midnight ratings, WSSP went from a 1.3 share to a 1.7. That's especially unbelievable when you consider that the format change didn't happen until a few weeks into this ratings period, and that it usually takes a few weeks for listeners to find a station that has changed formats.
"We're excited about this ratings period, and even more about what's to come," says Ryan Walker, The Beat's program director. Walker says that the station just hired its first ad sales person last week, and though it does not air advertisements yet, it will eventually. At the moment, Walker, who does the morning show, is the only on-air personality.
"We want to keep it that way, to keep the focus on the music. We want it to stay creative and fresh," he says.
That doesn't bode well for 95 SX, which aims for the same audience as WSSP. The station is already feeling The Beat's bite: Ratings for 95 SX dropped from a 5.7 to a 4.4.
from: The Charleston Post and Courier
February 4, 1999
Z93 dropped from its lofty 10.3 share of the market to an 8, putting it only a half-point away from third place Oldies 102.5 (WXLY-FM).
The big surprise this ratings period? Cat Country 107.5, which jumped from 12th to fourth place with a 6.2 rating. Other big movers: 98 Rock (WYBB-FM) which jumped from 11th to sixth place, Magic 101.7 (WMGL-FM), which dropped from fourth to ninth place, and 104.5 WRFQ-FM, which dropped from sixth to 10th place.
98 Rock's "John Boy and Billy" morning show, ninth in the previous ratings period, amazingly finished second with a whopping 7.9. WRFQ's "The Bob and Tom Show" trailed that show by less than one share point, followed by Z93 and 96 Wave (whose "Howard Stern Show" actually lost listeners).
Alice 100.5, which burned up the spring ratings book, dropped from a 5.2 share to a 4.6.
Though program director Todd Haller acknowledged the drop, he's says the 14-month-old station is still progressing nicely. "Given what our goal was in the first year, we're taking the ratings as a positive," Haller says. "I think we achieved our goals (which were) definitely recognition and getting into the market.
Now we want to to take it to the next level."
--snips--
Things really are shining these days over at Sunny 96.9 (WSUY). The station ranked first among listeners aged 25-54 with an 8 share of the market in the spring Arbitron ratings period. "We're normally in the top two or three anyway with the different demographics, but this time we really hit a grand slam," says WSUY's Mike Weston. "It was just a good combination of marketing plans and good programming and promotional ideas. Springtime is a good time for adult radio." That's a bump up from their second-place, 7.7 share in the winter ratings book. Oldies 102.5 (WXLY) placed second with a 7.5 share. Winter ratings champ WWWZ (93.3) and WMGL (101.7) were tied for third with 7.2.
Morning glory
WEZL (103.5) took top honors in the morning drive time period with a 9.3 share. The station's morning show, which features T.J. Phillips, Gary Griffin and Janet Walsh, boosted a winter 7.5 rating to a 9.3. That performance ousted WWWZ from the top winter morning show slot. the station dropped from a 10.9 to a spring rating of 7.3. WRFQ 104.5's syndicated "Bob and Tom Show" finished second with an 8.8 share. "This market is so kooky, but consistently 'Bob and Tom' are in the top five," says Greg Hunter, programming director at WRFQ. "It's quality humor. You can choose from all those different options, but even if 'Bob and Tom' aren't on the edge, they're still funny. And that's the bottom line."
Stern results
Despite 96 Wave's (WAVF) switch over to the syndicated "The Howard Stern Show," which has been a ratings booster in many markets across the country, the station finished lower in the morning drive time period. The station got a 5.1 share this time around, while in the winter ratings, the station's former local morning show, "Atom Taler and the Critic" got a 7.3. Rob Cressman, programming director at 96 Wave, said the ratings are improved from 1997's spring Arbitron ratings - a comparison which represents the station more accurately. "This wasn't a drop that had anything to do with the previous morning show," Cressman said. "The ratings from that show were so poor we had to do something." Cressman added that Stern's staff says the show usually doesn't make an impact on a market until two or three Arbitron books after its debut. Stern's staff in New York told Cressman that a large number of calls to the show had been traced to the Charleston area. Cressman also says the station's new, less alternative format should boost ratings.
Alice in wonderland
The real success story in the spring ratings book is Alice 100.5 (WLLC), which began its Lillith Fair-type programming in January. The station skyrocketed into ninth position with a 5.6 rating after only a few months on the air. Among women aged 25-54, the station finished eighth. The station earned a 4.5 in that same category in the winter Arbitron book. "I really think that in the last seven or eight months, we've made a major impact in this market and made ourselves a player," says Alice's program director Todd Haller. Haller said the national popularity of the kind of music the station plays also contributed to its success, along with a strong morning show. Haller is optimistic about the future, too.
"We're still coming across people that haven't found us on the dial yet," Haller said. "They don't even know the station exists." WSUY finished first in the women aged 25-54 category, with gospel station WXTC 1390 close behind. WEZL, WWWZ and Oldies 102.5 were tied for third. But does anyone really believe that one ratings book really has any long-term meaning? "When they're good they mean a lot, and when they're bad, they're not that big of a deal," WRFQ's Hunter jokes. "It's a gauge, but I don't think any radio station or TV station can take it too seriously - because you can't live or die by the ratings."
"The Howard Stern Show", starring the self-proclaimed "King of All Media," will be heard weekday mornings on Charleston's WAVF-FM 96.1 (96 Wave) starting Monday.
Stern's raunchy, New York City-based show, which airs from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., replaces "Atom Taler and The Critic," a local show that developed a loyal following, particularly among young listeners.
WAVF owner and general manager Woody Bartlett fired Taler, who worked at the station for 9 years, and The Critic (Jim Voigt), who has been on the morning show for more than three years after starting as a part-timer at the station.
"Sadly, I had to end that relationship," Bartlett said Friday. "I had the opportunity to do the deal with Howard and just couldn't pass it up. Howard's just the king."
Taler said Friday that the move wasn't a total surprise.
"We had some idea a couple of weeks ago. You hear things, you think things, you feel things," he said.
Taler said he hoped to stay in the broadcasting business.
"I'm up for really just about anything," he said. "I hope my phone rings a lot. I've done television in the past. I'm going to wait and see." He added: "I hope it all works out for Woody."
WAVF's ratings have been in a general slide over the past year. In the vital weekday morning-drive category, the station rallied for a third-place finish in Arbitron's summer "book," but dropped to ninth in the fall survey.
The change follows the ongoing radio trend, in this market and nationally, of replacing local programming with syndicated programming.
But Bartlett, who unlike most station owners owns only one station, emphasized that WAVF is "absolutely" not changing its alternative-rock music format. He plans to continue staging Wave Fest, the station's popular, annual listener-appreciation concert, he said.
Atom Taler and The Critic were known for their irreverent humor. They loudly took up the cause of Sunday alcohol sales. And The Critic, a rock musician, performed his parody song about Shannon Faulkner on "Oprah."
Stern's show, the nation's No. 1 morning radio program (No. 2 overall behind "Rush Limbaugh"), has never aired in this market before. But at times, it can be heard faintly in Mount Pleasant on Myrtle Beach's WYAV-FM 104.1.
Stern has taken his bawdy brand of comedy into other forms of entertainment, including best-selling books and a feature film - "Private Parts" - based on his life (he played himself in the movie). Highlights of his radio show air weeknights from 11 to midnight on television's E! cable channel.
Stern's show frequently features celebrities who willingly tolerate his persistent questioning about details of their sex lives. Two other favorite topics on Stern's program are spanking (with in-studio demonstrations) and lesbians.
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