from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
August 2, 2002
It's not No. 1 in mornings, middays or afternoons, but WTAM AM/1100 posted such big numbers for evening Indians games that it took the No. 1. spot in the latest Arbitron ratings.
The news-talk station benefited from the Tribe's strong start in the recently released spring book (for the period March 28 through June 19), before the team started fading and began its dismantling process. WTAM was No. 1 among listeners 12 and older (12-plus in ratings lingo), an estimated gauge of everyone turning on a radio.
But the numbers did not shake up Cleveland's radio standings. The top five stations in the 12-plus category were the same top five from the winter book, in a slightly different order:
1. WTAM 2. WDOK FM/102.1 (soft rock) 3. WMJI FM/105.7 (oldies) 4. WGAR FM/99.5 (country) 5. WZAK FM/93.1 (R&B)
With the exception of WTAM, the other four stations all dropped slightly in their ratings' shares.
Morning drive time (6 a.m.-10 a.m.), radio's prime-time, was dominated once again by Howard Stern on WNCX FM/98.5. Stern's sex-obsessed New York-based syndicated show took the top morning slot in 12-plus (with a 10.2 share), as well as winning the other two major demographic categories: 25- to 54-year-olds and 18- to 34-year-olds.
The top five morning shows (12-plus):
1. Howard Stern 2. John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone on WMJI 3. Trapper Jack Elliot and Co. on WDOK 4. Jim Mantell and Co. on WGAR 5. Bill Wills and Casey Coleman on WTAM
Middays (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) in 12-plus were once again won by WDOK's Nancy Alden. The soft rock station beat out WTAM, WMJI, WGAR and smooth jazz station WNWV FM/107.3, which came in fifth.
WDOK also continued to score strong numbers among female listeners in all of the major categories.
As for afternoon drive time (3 - 7 p.m.), most folks in the 12-plus category preferred to head home with Opie and Anthony on the hard-rocking Xtreme Radio (WXTM FM/92.3). The station shot from fourth to first place, just beating perennial top-finisher Mike Trivisonno on WTAM. WDOK was third, while WENZ and WMJI tied for fourth.
Opie and Anthony, the two Howard Stern wannabes, are syndicated, like Stern, out of New York. That means Cleveland's two most important time periods, mornings and afternoons, are ruled by New Yorkers.
Christian station "The Fish" (WFHM FM/95.5), continues to attract new listeners, especially women, but its new morning team of Robin Swoboda and Dan Deely was just introduced at the beginning of the ratings period. The duo got a boost from TV ads, but their impact has yet to be gauged.
WENZ FM/107.9 barely edged out WXTM as the most popular station among younger listeners (18-34). The hip-hop and R&B station took first place with an 11.3 ratings share, while WXTM had an 11.2. WMMS took third place (up from seventh), KISS (WAKS FM/96.5), the modern hits station, was fourth, and Mix 106 (WMVX FM/106.5), which plays a mix of old and new rock, was fifth.
--snips--
July 26, 2002
Howard announced today that for the first time The Howard Stern Show is #1 for two ratings periods in a row!
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
May 1, 2002
Soft rock rules.
WDOK FM/102.1 is No. 1 overall in the latest Arbitron radio ratings. The station was No. 1 with listeners 12 and older (an estimated gauge of everyone who flips on a radio); No. 1 with the age 25-54 demographic (usually the most lucrative for advertising sales), and No. 1 with women ages 25-54 (another desirable demographic for advertisers).
Listeners apparently like the mellow offerings at WDOK, which features personalities Trapper Jack Elliot, Robin Benzle and Jim McIntyre in the morning, Nancy Alden in middays and Christopher J. Fox during afternoon drive-time.
"It's two things: the stability of our format and the air personalities," said General Manager Chris Maduri.
"Plus our program director, Scott Miller, has been here for almost two years and he has executed the plan very well. We have listened to the consultants. We have listened to our listeners, and the jocks are doing their thing."
Maduri is also general manager of Q-104 (WQAL FM/104.1). Both stations are owned by the New York-based Infinity Broadcasting, which also owns WNCX FM/98.5 and WXTM FM/92.3 in Cleveland.
Arbitron's winter book covers the period from Jan. 3 to March 27. The spring book, currently under way, runs through June 19, with the results available in late July.
WDOK has always done well with women, and is usually near the top in other major categories, but No. 1 overall is a special spot.
Maduri would like to see it last. "Why can't a soft rock AC [adult contemporary] in Cleveland stay at the top?' he asked.
The top five in the 12-plus category:
1. WDOK (soft rock) 2. WGAR FM/99.5 (country) 3. WMJI FM/105.7 (oldies) 4. WTAM AM/1100 (news/talk/sports) 5. WZAK FM/93.1 (R&B)
The top five among listeners ages 25-54:
1. WDOK 2. WNCX (classic rock) 3. WMJI 4. WZAK 5. WGAR
The top five among listeners ages 18-34:
1. WXTM (hard rock)
2. WENZ (hip-hop and R&B)
3. WNCX
4. WAKS ("Kiss"/current hits)
5. WMVX ("Mix 106"/old and newer rock)
In morning drive, radio's prime time, Howard Stern took the crown. His nationally syndicated show on WNCX was No. 1 with listeners 12-plus, 25-54 and 18-34.
Top in the morning in the 12+ category:
1. WNCX 2. WMJI 3. WDOK 4. WGAR 5. WZAK
Also in the 12-plus category, middays were won by Nancy Alden on WDOK, while afternoon drive time was dominated by Mike Trivisonno on WTAM AM/1100.
One station enjoying a resurgence is country programmer WGAR. It leapt from sixth place to second overall (12-plus), and moved from sixth to fourth place in both mornings and middays, while bouncing from fourth to second in afternoon drive.
The ratings continue to look grim for WMMS FM/100.7. The station fell from 12th to 14th place in the 12-plus category. Its owner, Clear Channel, recently announced that it is shifting the Cleveland Browns flagship station from WMJI (which Clear Channel also owns) to WMMS. So the Buzzard may get an injection of life, but not until the fall.
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
January 18, 2002
Clear Channel clearly shines in the latest Arbitron ratings.
The radio giant, which owns eight stations in Greater Cleveland, claims the No. 1 station overall, WTAM AM/1100. It also has the No. 1 morning show ("Lanigan and Malone" on WMJI FM/105.7) and the No. 1 midday block (syndicated talk shows by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh on WTAM). Clear Channel is also tops in the afternoon thanks to WTAM's Mike Trivisonno, who is much in the news lately pushing his anti-smoking campaign.
Those distinctions come in the 12-plus demographic, an estimate of everyone age 12 and over listening to the radio during the week. The Fall 2001 ratings book covers the period from Sept. 20 through Dec. 12, and was released this week to stations.
The top five:
WTAM (news, sports and talk) WMJI (oldies and the Browns) WDOK FM/102.1 (soft rock) WENZ FM/107.9 (hip-hop and R&B) WNWV FM/107.3 (smooth jazz)
WTAM is also strong from 7 p.m. to midnight, where it finished second to WENZ. Rounding out the top five at night were WZAK FM/93.1, WAKS FM/95.5 and WNWV. WMJI ("Majic") fades at night, dropping to ninth place. But Clear Channel still has five of the top 10 stations in that time period.
WTAM was the No. 1 station in the market for the third straight book. It also benefited from more listeners seeking news following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.
On the downside for Clear Channel, the once mighty WMMS FM/100.7 continues its ratings free fall, dropping from 6th to 10th to 12th place overall in the last three books. WMMS was 12th in the morning, 13th in middays (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), 13th in afternoons, and 11th at night. But it was third overall in its target demographic of men age 18-34.
In the 25-54 demographic, usually the most sought after by advertisers, WMJI took first place with an 8.4 ratings share, followed by WTAM (7.9), WNCX FM/98.5 (7.7), WMVX FM/106.5 (7.0) and WDOK (6.7).
Mornings, in the 25-54 category, were won by the New York-based Howard Stern on WNCX (12.5), followed by "Lanigan and Malone" on WMJI (10.4), the Dallas-based Tom Joyner on WZAK (7.5), "Brian and Joe" on WMVX (7.1), and Trapper Jack Elliot and Co. on WDOK (6.8).
Elliot was also No. 1 with women 25-54.
Why the big female appeal?
"It's because I'm a perfect size 6 and I'm proud to be able to maintain that," said Elliot. "Actually, I give all credit to my cohort Robin Benzle, who is someone women relate to mightily. She does a fabulous job."
In the third major ratings category, people 18-34, WENZ was the biggest hit, grabbing an 11.7 share. It was followed by WXTM FM/92.3 (9.1), WAKS FM/96.5 (8.9), WNCX (7.9) and WMVX (7.6).
Younger women were most loyal to WENZ, giving the station a 14.9 share. Young men made WXTM No. 1 with a 14.1 share. First in the mornings again went to Stern's show with a 19.4; WXTM took middays with a 10.7 and WENZ's Sam Sylk was strongest in the afternoon with a 13.3.
In other developments:
Contemporary Christian station "The Fish" (WFHM FM/95.5) continues to rise in ratings, even though it has only existed since July. The Fish came in 10th in its target demographic, women age 25-54, and 8th among women 18-34.
Sports station WKNR AM/850, which posted significant gains over the summer, dipped in the fall. In its key demographic, men 18-34, it fell from 5th to 12th place in the morning, and from 4th to 8th place in the afternoon.
Apparently, people like complaining about the Indians more than complaining about the Browns.
WKNR did hold its own during middays, however. The station was third, down from second. The last two hours of the Kendall Lewis and Greg Brinda show, and three hours of Jim Rome's syndicated show from Los Angeles, drew an 11.1 share among men 18-34.
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
October 20, 2001
The Fish is swimming. WMJI reclaimed some of its former "Majic." Howard Stern continues to post monster morning numbers, and "Xtreme" Radio is doing extremely well.
Cleveland radio was subjected to the great dance of the digits this week as Arbitron released its latest ratings book.
It allows stations to spin, stretch and manipulate their "cumes" and "quarter hours" to impress advertisers. In the most lucrative sweepstakes, the age 25-54 demographic, the overall winner was WMJI FM/105.7, which took first place with a 9.5 percent share of the audience.
Majic was followed in the top five by WTAM AM/1100, WZAK FM/93.1, WDOK FM/102.1 and WNCX FM/98.5.
Morning supremacy went once again to Howard Stern's New York-based show on WNCX. Stern (with a 13.7 share) beat out Majic's John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone, now broadcasting from their new studios in Independence; Tom Joyner, out of Dallas, on WZAK; Trapper Jack and friends on WDOK and Jim Mantel on WGAR FM/99.5.
The summer book covers the 12 weeks between June 28 and Sept. 19. It was a volatile period, with an unprecedented six stations swapping frequencies on July 3.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 also skewed the last week of the book with people glued to their TV sets, or flipping around the dial looking for news updates.
--snips--
Guys like Stern
In the morning, when it comes to 18- to 34-year-old male listeners, Howard Stern posts an outrageous 32 share. His closest competitor was WXTM, with a 9.9, followed by WMMS FM/100.7, WENZ and WKNR AM/850, which zoomed from 12th to fifth place.
--snips--
from cleveland.com
BY Clint O'Connor
Howard Stern continues to expand his popularity in Cleveland with the area's top-rated morning show. Stern, syndicated from New York, outranked the competition with hefty numbers in the latest Arbitron ratings.
His show, 6-10 a.m. on WNCX FM/98.5, was No. 1 with a 14.8 share among listeners age 25-54, considered the most lucrative demographic in terms of advertising dollars. He was also No 1 with 18-34 year-olds with a whopping 19.8 share.
Although WNCX's numbers drop off dramatically during afternoon drive time (3-7 p.m.) Stern's morning drive-time strength was enough to propel the classic rock station to No. 1 overall among listener's 25-54. The top five: WNCX, WDOK FM/102.1, WMJI FM/105.7, WTAM AM/1100 and (tie) WZAK FM/93.1 and WMVX FM/106.5.
WENZ FM 107.9, the home of "blazin' hip-hop and R&B," was tops overall with listeners 18-34, followed by WMMS FM/100.7, WMVX, WNCX and (tie) WZAK and WAKS FM/96.5. The spring Arbitron book measured listening habits from March 29 to June 20.
Stern's victory in the 25-54 category comes at the expense of John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone on "Majic 105.7." The two shows have battled back and forth between No. 1 and No. 2 for the past few years, but Stern has now won three ratings books in a row, and seven of the last nine. Rounding out the morning top five were WDOK's Trapper Jack, Robin Benzle and Jim McIntyre; WZAK's Tom Joyner, syndicated out of Dallas; and WMVX's Brian and Joe.
Afternoon drive was won by WDOK, which shot up from 8th place in the previous ratings. WMMS also improved to tie for second with WMVX, followed by WTAM and WMJI.
WENZ once again easily pocketed the 18-34 crowd during afternoons, with a 14.9 first-place share.
The ratings book concluded two weeks before six area stations swapped frequencies, and does not reflect the potential confusion over those changes. The summer book, due out in October, will better gauge how stations keep or lose listeners. Outlets such as classical music station WCLV FM/104.9, which moved to a much weaker signal, stand to lose listeners, while the current hits of WAKS ("KISS"), which relocated to the much more powerful FM/96.5, stand to gain.
But the results may not be immediately evident to the people who own and run "KISS."
It is one of eight Cleveland-Akron stations owned by Clear Channel Communications. Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio company with nearly 1,200 stations, is currently embroiled in a contract dispute with Arbitron, the radio-ratings bible for the past 36 years.
Clear Channel, which accounts for 22 percent of Arbitron's income, is seeking better rates and more expansive ratings data, according to Tom Taylor, editor of the industry publication M Street Daily. Clear Channel wants the data "to show advertisers a broader regional picture," said Taylor. "They want to know not only how well a station performs in Cleveland, for example, but in other Northern Ohio markets and counties."
Clear Channel has not renewed its Arbitron contracts at more than 700 of its stations nationwide, according to the Los Angeles Times. None of its Cleveland stations will receive the latest ratings, usually vast numerical launching pads for its sales staffs. Both Radio One Inc., and Infinity Broadcasting, which each own four Cleveland stations, are Arbitron subscribers.
Another missing link from this ratings book is the remade FM/92.3. The former "Jammin' Oldies" station that became "Xtreme Radio" WXTM and switched to alternative rock on May 25, had a scant three weeks to register on the Arbitron horizon.
WXTM's biggest move thus far has been adding the "Opie and Anthony Show" from WNEW in New York in the 3-7 afternoon-drive slot. Opie and Anthony are promoted as raunchy radio talkers dedicated to outdoing even the sex-obsessed Stern.
I have yet to have a full dose of Opie and Anthony, having only caught their banter twice. The first time featured an extensive discussion of a sex act. Ah, the splendor and glory of radio.
Contact Clint O'Connor at:
coconnor@plaind.com, 216-999-4456
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
April 26, 2001
The oldies format at WMJI FM/105.7 continues to make "Majic" Cleveland's most popular radio station, while urban contemporary WZAK FM/93.1 has made major upward strides.
According to the latest Arbitrends ratings from Arbitron, released to stations yesterday, WMJI was ranked No. 1 among people ages 25-54, considered the most lucrative demographic in terms of advertising dollars. "Majic" received an 8.9 share in the Winter 2001 ratings, which cover January, February and March.
It was followed by classic rock WNCX FM/98.5 (7.8), and WZAK (7.7), with WDOK FM/102.1, and WMVX FM/106.5 both receiving a 6.2. Rounding out the top 10 were WGAR FM/99.5 (6.1), WMMS FM/100.7 (5.9), WTAM AM/1100 (5.7), WNWV FM/107.3 (5.3), and WQAL FM/104.1 (5.2).
The biggest jump in the rankings came from WZAK, which leapt from No. 11 in the fall ratings book to No. 3 (up from a 4.8 share to 7.7).
"We're elated," said Owen Weber, general manager of Radio One Inc.'s four Cleveland stations: WZAK, WENZ FM/107.9, WJMO AM/1490 and WERE AM/1300.
"We adjusted WZAK to reclaim its position as a heritage R&B station," said Weber, whose company took over WZAK last August. "The listening audience has responded to that based on this report." Weber also credited the jump to an increase in ratings books in the hands of blacks, particularly males, a group he said was undersurveyed in the past.
With an 8.9, WMJI maintained its No. 1 status with 25-54 year olds, even though it was down from a 9.7 share in the Fall 2000 ratings. It had the same 8.9 share last winter. Dropping in the 25-54 category was WQAL (aka Q-104) which fell from fifth place last fall to 10th.
With younger listeners (18-34), WMMS was tops, with a 10.8 share, followed by WENZ with 10.1, WNCX and WQAL tied at 8.2, and WAKS FM/104.9 with a 6.9.
In the overall ratings (listeners 12 and older) WMJI was the winner again. The top 10: WMJI, WTAM, WGAR, WDOK, WZAK, WENZ, WNCX, WMMS, WNWV, WQAL.
WTAM traditionally posts its strongest ratings in the summer when it carries Indians baseball.
In the heated morning-drive battles - radio's prime time - Howard Stern on WNCX beat out John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone on WMJI. Stern, who is syndicated out of New York, racked up a 13 share from 6 to 10 a.m., down slightly from the fall, while Lanigan and Malone had a 12.6, up from 11.9 in the fall.
Stern's biggest splash came with 18- to 34-year-olds, where he grabbed the No. 1 slot with a whopping 17.4 share, followed by WENZ (8.4) and WMVX (8.2). Stern's No. 1 ranking in Cleveland comes on the heels of his losing the top spot in New York for the first time in seven years. WINS, one of New York's news-talk AM stations, beat Stern and his flagship, WXRK.
In morning drive with 25- to 54-year-olds, WZAK once again made the biggest jump, moving from seventh place to third. Tom Joyner's show, syndicated out of Dallas, moved up to an 8 share from a 5.4.
Overall morning supremacy with listeners 12 and up went to WMJI, with a 10.8 share, followed by WNCX (9.5) and country station WGAR (6.7). Since the fall, WGAR has seen its ratings share drop in each major category.
The afternoon-drive time ratings were not yet available.
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
January 30, 2001
--snips--
Radio ratings
Relentlessly hyping his "farewell" - before he signed a new contract and took a scheduled vacation in December - paid off for Howard Stern in Arbitron's fall radio ratings for Cleveland.
Coming off a precipitous slide in the ratings last summer on classic-rock WNCX FM/98.5, Stern scored gains and remained No. 1 in the morning among his target audience of listeners age 18 to 34, and also spiked 28 percent to take first place in radio's "money demographic" of listeners 25 to 54.
In that category, Stern displaced "Lanigan & Malone" of oldies WMJI FM/105.7, but he did not gain at their expense. Their share of the 25-to-54 crowd grew 6 percent, good for second place, and they remained No. 1 among all listeners age 12 and up, where Stern ranked second.
The biggest victim of Stern's act appeared to be WMMS FM/100.7. Ranked fourth among local stations last summer, the rock station slipped to 10th overall in the fall ratings, and to a tie for 12th place in morning drive-time.
News-talk WTAM AM/1100 slipped from its Indians-driven high of summer, but - helped by 30 days of hanging chads in Florida - remained No. 1 overall in the fall book, which covers October, November and December.
Fall's biggest gainers were WNCX and adult-contemporary WQAL FM/104.1, both owned by CBS/Infinity, which also saw gains for its other local properties, soft-rock WDOK FM/102.1 and urban oldies WZJM FM/92.3. The big dipper was WZAK FM/93.1, which was starting the transition to an adult-urban format and away from direct competition with its Radio One Inc. companion, hip-hop-R&B WENZ FM/107.9.
In morning drivetime, among listeners 12 and up, the ranking in descending order was: WMJI, WNCX, WGAR FM/99.5, WTAM, WDOK, WQAL, WRMR AM/850, WENZ, WNWV FM/107.3, WMVX FM/106.5, WZAK, WZJM, WMMS.
WTAM led in afternoon drive, followed by WGAR, WENZ, WMJI, WDOK, WMMS, WQAL, WNWV, WRMR, WAKS FM/104.9.
Morning split
A real-life marriage has split up an on-air partnership and kept the morning-show door revolving at WMMS. Bob Wolf, morning co-host since last August with John Mulrooney, has returned to Albany, N.Y., and WPYX-FM - the station where they previously worked and where they were simulcast from WMMS.
In a scenario that echoed last year's drawn-out departure and return to Florida of predecessor Dick Dale, family reasons were cited: On New Year's Eve in Albany, Wolf remarried the wife with whom he split two years ago.
WMMS is looking for a new partner for Mulrooney, who continues the show here with Ellen Z.
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
December 15, 2000
Today could be Howard Stern's last day on the air. If, as he has been hinting, the radio raconteur does not re-up with his employer, Infinity Broadcasting, the mikes will go silent on Stern's syndicated morning gabfest, heard in Cleveland on WNCX FM/98.5.
Don't bet on it.
Everything in radio is a stunt. Never believe anything you hear, especially if it involves money, and particularly if that money is the large, long-term salary of the person talking about it. Stern has a sweet gig. He is involved in developing several TV and movie projects, but does not transfer well to TV himself. And despite the runaway success of his book and movie, "Private Parts," his future is not in films or literature. Radio is his heart, his lungs, his oxygen, or, to be more Stern-like, his raging orgasm.
As I write this, Stern might have already inked a fat new deal, and that's good. I'd miss him.
Howard Stern is brilliant for two reasons: He turned the microphone around, to hear what people were actually talking about behind the scenes, and he unshackled celebrities from the canned interview format that had ruled broadcasting for much of its existence. He was not the first to do these things, but he does them well, and consistently.
As anyone who has ever worked in radio (or a newsroom) can tell you, the best stories - office politics, boss-griping, who got lucky last night - don't make it on the air. You sit around laughing and gossiping with your co-workers, then turn on the microphone and say, "Thirty-two degrees under cloudy skies in Cleveland, let's pump it up now with this classic from Foreigner..."
Stern, 46, revels in the sniping, grouses about his crummy studio and inept bosses, dissects everyone's personal life, and puts it all on the air. He has regularly argued with his parents and wife - on the air. (The latter has had sad repercussions, as Stern, a father of three, is currently separated and apparently seeking a divorce.) He constantly interrupts sidekick Robin Quivers during her newscasts, to say what many of us want to say about some ridiculous story. In the early days, he constantly interrupted songs to dump on them or the artists or to belch or to complain about his breakfast. Then, seeing them as largely superfluous, he got rid of the records altogether.
For years a cavalcade of movie and music stars would deliver standard, boxed-in interviews, i.e., "Here's my new movie/record. Here's the funny self-deprecating story I prepared with your producer about me dropping my hair dryer in the bathtub and accidentally killing my cat. Be sure and see my new movie/buy my new record."
Stern's line of questioning never allows for such blather. "Who are you sleeping with? How are you sleeping with them? How often? Don't you really hate your director/producer/bandmates? To women: "How could I get you to sleep with me?" To men: "How do you get women to sleep with you?"
His inquisitions can grow tiresome, but it's always amusing to see a celebrity - a Sting, an Arnold Schwarzenegger - appear on Johnny Carson, or Larry King, and then do Stern. It is like the official state-sanctioned interview followed by the behind-the-curtain, underground version. (Jay Leno and David Letterman have become more Stern-like, and the ripple effects have careered wildly across the cable horizon of wisecrackers.)
Of course, it's fairly fashionable to despise Stern. He has been targeted for years as an evil incarnate, a grotesque pornographer, the reason teenagers are all messed up, why we stink at math compared to the Japanese, and other end-time pronouncements of blame for the fate of a vulgar society.
It is clearly an R-rated show, not for the kiddies. But when you're cruising in your car and you're looking for a quick laugh, it sure beats the Cleveland radio alternatives, on a dial deluged with dull, duller and dullest.
Stern has had a distinct influence on those airwaves, however. When I first moved to Cleveland about 10 years ago, I was amazed at the lack of female voices on the radio. This was bad. Once Stern was picked up by WNCX in 1992, and started pulling in strong ratings, there was a rash of transparent imitators. Competing program directors didn't shout "Get me a Howard!" they shouted "Get me a Robin!"
Quivers has always served a triple purpose on Stern's show. She delivers the news and serves as a sounding board, but her blackness and femaleness have always helped soften some (but not all) of the edges of the racially tinged topics and sexist refrains.
In Stern's wake, several Cleveland stations suddenly had women as part of the mix. Progress, I suppose, but their roles were and are limited. The women can be indignant, yet laughing, opinionated, yet laughing, feisty, but ultimately subservient to the male host. And they better not forget to laugh.
Stern has weathered most of the imitators since he launched his career more than 20 years ago, but the glut of smut has worn thin. Ratings for his New York-based show have diminished in some major markets. The latest Arbitron ratings in Cleveland had Stern losing audience overall, although he is ranked third in the market, and number one with his target demographic, 18- to 34-year-olds.
I don't listen to him every day. I turn away during the fart recitals, bathroom stories, the pop quizzes that humiliate homeless people, the ambush interviews that humiliate aging celebrities, the breast-implant sweepstakes, the Ku Klux Klan movie reviews, and the circus sideshow appearances of people with varying levels of curious body shapes and parts.
But Stern still can't be beat for upending a Warren Beatty or an Alec Baldwin.
He will tell listeners a million times what a big, dumb loser he is, how he doesn't get it, how he's just trying to understand this mixed-up world. But that's another put-on. It is his street-smarts and wit that keep the show moving, and the celebrities and listeners coming back. It's what sets him apart from the clones. The reason it works for him and not so well for others, owes a great deal to Stern's dirty little secret: He's a very bright guy.
If you are a devout Howard-hater, you're not alone. There are millions of you. If he bolts, you can prepare to despise him in other media. If he stays, don't worry. Just flip to another station. It's quick and easy, and there's more Foreigner coming up right after this check of traffic and weather.
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
October 26, 2000
The long-hibernating Buzzard stirred back to life and flight, and the Indians finished first in the standings in the latest Arbitron radio ratings for Cleveland.
The newly released ratings, covering July, August and September, continued a downward trend for Howard Stern in the target demographic group where he ranks first and is normally strongest in summer.
The big winner, because of the station groups that now dominate the industry through ownership consolidation, was Clear Channel Communications, the out-of-home advertising giant that owns about 1,000 stations nationwide.
It owns the four stations that stood atop the summer Arbitrons - WTAM AM/1100, WMJI FM/105.7, WGAR FM/99.5 and WMMS FM/100.7 - and those plus the two others it owns (including WMVX FM/106.5 and Lorain-based WAKS FM/104.9) combined to average a 38.4 percent share of the local listening audience during the average quarter-hour from 6 a.m. to midnight.
That was more than twice the combined 17.4 share of the four stations owned by second-place CBS/Infinity - WNCX FM/98.5, WDOK FM/102.1, WQAL FM/104.1 and WZJM FM/92.3. But change could be ahead. The latter three stations were only acquired by Infinity over the summer, in a deal with Clear Channel, and suffered from frozen budgets and lack of promotion.
Among highlights:
WTAM scored the biggest jump from spring and rolled to first place on the strength of Tribe games, which brought the station more than 30 percent of all men listening to radio in the evening.
WTAM’s rising tide lifted Mike Trivisonno to first place in afternoon drive-time. Second place was a three-way tie between WMJI, WMMS and WENZ FM/107.9.
The Buzzard of WMMS, barely in the top 10 earlier this year, scored the second-biggest jump from spring to rank fourth overall and first in its key demographic of listeners age 18-34. Probably helping most was the stability and increased local focus brought by new wake-up team of Bob Wolf and John Mulrooney, who lifted the station’s morning numbers more than 35 percent from last winter.
WMJI’s "Lanigan & Malone" remained No. 1 in radio’s prime time, the morning drive hours, in overall listeners, in radio’s "money demo" of listeners age 25-54, and in the emerging "blue chip" baby-boom demo of ages 35-64. WMJI maintained its strength through the day, ranking first from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., generally the hours without baseball competition.
Country WGAR showed its broad-based appeal by ranking in the top five in virtually every age group.
Stern, on WNCX, ranked third overall, second among listeners 25-54, and first in his target 18-34-year-old demo, with an average 13.7 share. But that number was a substantial drop from his 27.5 share of the previous summer, and his cumulative weekly audience - normally largest in the summer, when his listeners are most available - slipped to 61,700 from more than 102,000 a year ago.
WMVX, lacking much identity beyond its "Mix" label, had the biggest dip from spring.
Urban WZAK FM/93.1 began to rebound from the erosion it suffered as listeners migrated to WENZ. Both stations are now owned by Radio One Inc., which targets minority listeners and - with WJMO AM/1490 - had the city’s third-place group with an average 12.8 share.
Among noncommercial outlets, public station WCPN FM/90.3 averaged a 2.2 share of listeners - about 2,600 people - during an average quarter-hour. More significant and revealing, because of the station’s varied range of programs, was its cumulative weekly audience of about 121,700.
Kent-based public station WKSU FM/89.7 averaged a 0.7 share in Cleveland, where it had a weekly cumulative audience of 57,400. (Akron is a separate radio market.)
Cleveland State University’s WCSB FM/89.3 had a weekly cumulative audience of 21,900 listeners; John Carroll’s WJCU FM/88.7 had 17,400, and Case Western Reserve University’s WRUW FM/91.1 had 12,200. Big-band WKHR FM/91.5 had 17,000.
"Radio Disney," WWMK AM/1260, averaged a 0.3 share of the local audience and a weekly cumulative of 21,600 listeners.
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
August 10, 2000
No, both sides say, it isn’t yet another radio promotional stunt that finds longtime local sports-talker Bruce Drennan gone from WTAM AM/1100.
Despite suspicions raised by the on-air calls about his departure and by his threats to quit a year ago, the Clear Channel Communications station told him it was time to part company when they were unable to agree on terms for a contract renewal.
"I’m enjoying what’s left of the summer and playing a lot of golf," Drennan said. "Hopefully I’ll land on my feet and resurface and it was a blessing in disguise. I was disappointed and surprised that they decided to take me off the air, but I hold no animosity to those guys at all. In fairness to them, I appreciate that they are honoring my contract and I have nothing but praise for them in giving me the opportunity to do my thing the last few years."
"There was a complicated basket of various issues, and it was abundantly clear we were not going to make everybody happy," said Kevin Metheny, Clear Channel Cleveland director of programming operations. "This was a painful management decision in which we weighed numerous expense/risk/return scenarios and simply found no way to make it work.
"We were sick about it," he said. "I am enormously fond of Bruce and Jackie Drennan. He’s a bigger-than-life character. This was his third or fourth tour at 1100, and it probably will not be his last. It doesn’t have to be."
But Metheny hastened to add that he does not expect Drennan back this year or in the foreseeable future. For now, he said, "Bruce will not appear again on WTAM."
Drennan worked his final "10th Inning" Indians post-game show on July 26. Kevin Keane and sports director Mike Snyder have filled in since then.
A sort of local institution for his gravelly voice, emotional delivery and blustery "I love ya Cleveland," Drennan sat out several nights a year ago piqued over the on-air brickbats he was subjected to in a contrived rivalry with a Clear Channel station in Cincinnati.
Drennan started on radio here in 1978 and also called Indians games with Joe Tait on WUAB Channel 43. Under contract with WTAM through September and bound by a noncompete clause, he said he is looking at other possibilities on radio, local TV and even the Internet.
Metheny said callers have been able to make on-air comments because, "We didn’t want to sanitize the station of Bruce and appear to be heavy-handed. Fielding complaint or high-five calls about Bruce is not contributory to the talk-show process," he said, "but most of the hosts are quite fond of Bruce."
Even Indians players have been among his well-wishing callers, Drennan said. "I’m very, very humbled by the response or interest, if you will, since this happened. I’m flabbergasted."
Ratings
The Indians again helped news/talk WTAM shoulder its way back to No. 1 in the latest Arbitron ratings for Cleveland radio, covering the spring period of April, May and June.
Country WGAR FM/99.5, No. 1 last winter, dipped to second. Oldies WMJI FM/105.7 slipped from second to third but gained in audience and ranked No. 1 in the "money demographic" of listeners age 25-54.
The numbers were good news for Clear Channel, which owns all three stations and also adult-contemporary WMVX FM/106.5. Long an also-ran, "Mix" jumped almost two share points and rose to third place in the 25-54 demo.
Its gains appeared to come primarily at the expense of WQAL FM/104.1. Soon to move from ownership of AMFM Inc. to CBS/Infinity, the station took hits in overall share of listeners and 25-54.
Radio One’s hip-hop WENZ FM/107.9 continued to rise on a young audience, pushing soon-to-be sister station WZAK FM/93.1 out of the local top 10. Locally owned smooth-jazz WNWV FM/107.3 also continued to grow in overall audience and key demos.
In radio’s prime morning drive-time hours, WMJI’s "Lanigan & Malone" ranked first with an average 10.7 share of listeners 12 and over, topping the 8.1 of Howard Stern on classic-rock WNCX FM/98.5.
Special to The News-Herald (Lake County)
Monday, May, 15, 2000
When examining the Arbitron ratings, it's important to look beyond the generic numbers associated with persons ages 12-plus.
That is, this all-encompassing demographic does offer insight into the radio market, but programmers and advertisers have no interest in attracting listeners with a 60-year age difference.
Instead, it's the money audience - persons ages 25-54 - where their sights are set.
Unless noted otherwise, the following results of the latest Arbitron ratings period from this past winter will be from the money demographic.
After a stellar showing last winter, country music station WGAR experienced a moderate setback, moving from first to second place in persons 25-54 with a 7.7.
Each rating point represents a percentage of the Cleveland audience.
Oldies station WMJI was No. I with an 8.9. Third and fourth place went to soft-rock WDOK (7.2) and adult contemporary WQAL (6.6).
Losing tremendous ground were classic rock station WNCX (6.3) and rock station WMMS (6.2), who both lost over a point.
The rest of the top 10 are as follows: WZAK (urban/6.0), WNWV (jazz/5.7), WMVX (rock hits/5.7) and WTAM (news/sports/5.2).
WTAM's numbers have become a cyclic broken record. Their summer and fall books will be inflated, due to their broadcasting of Cleveland Indians' baseball while their winter and spring books show lackluster numbers, which may partly be blamed on the non-competitive Cleveland Cavaliers, whom WTAM also broadcasts.
WNCX's Howard Stem won the morning drive-time slot (6 a.m.-10 a.m.) in persons 25-54 with an 11.6. However, he barely beat WMJI's John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone, who topped out at 11.5.
Lanigan & Co. actually had more listeners on the average week (127,200 compared to Stem's 114,200), but Stem's fans listened a half-hour longer.
Other ratings of note include a disappointing showing for WMVX's Brian and Joe (from a 6.4 to a 5.6) and WMMS' Dick Dale (from a 6.5 to a 4.9).
The top 10 morning programs in persons 25-54 were as follows: WNCX (11.6), WMJI (11.5), WZAK (9.5), WDOK (7.8), WGAR (7.7), WMVX (5.6), WQAL (5.4), WMMS (4.9), WTAM (4.5) and WNWV (3.7).
The afternoon battle for the drive home finds WGAR's Danny Wright once again in the victory seat with an 8.0 to WQA12s Dan Deely with a 7.6. WMJI's Scott Howitt rises to third with a 7.4.
Most noticeably missing from the top three spots is the boisterous Mike Trivisonno on WTAM. Since last summer, "Mr. Know-It-All" has lost almost a third of his average weekly audience (currently 87,800 down from his benchmark of 125,800 two ratings books ago). Again, WTAM's broadcasts of Indians' baseball should help inflate those numbers in the summer and fall books.
In the evening, the hip-hop WENZ is No. 1 with an 8.6. This is quite impressive since it's been less than a year since the station changed formats from limp alternative rock to its current urban driven style.
Longtime urban leaders WZAK are second with a 7.8, but is definitely feeling the heat from the new competitor.
Obviously skewered toward a younger demographic and without a true top 40 station in the Cleveland market, the ratings for persons 12-plus were phenomenal for WENZ, which scored a 13.7, almost double to their nearest competitor, WZAK's 7.4.
The winners of this increased competition for urban listeners means a better selection of radio programming. There's no resting on your heels when you're fighting for respect within the market.
It's too bad this doesn't play out for other genres. Specifically in rock, where dinosaurs WNCX and WMMS battle each other for what amounts to minimal rewards. That is, who can play the same song by a retired, dead or commercially impotent artist the most. They should be asking themselves if anyone really cares.
--snips--
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
May 6, 2000
Years of claiming to be the "new" Mix didn't help WMVX FM/106.5 in the latest Arbitron ratings for Cleveland radio. The 6-month-old "Beat" at WZJM FM/92.3 also took a beating in the winter 2000 Arbitrons, along with the Buzzards roosting at the new WMMS FM/100.7.
But popularity in nearly every age group made a big winner of country station WGAR FM/99.5. The station's Jim Mantel even overtook Howard Stern and WNCX FM/98.5 to claim second place in morning drive-time, the important slot in which "Lanigan & Malone" of WMJI FM/105.7 remained No. 1.
Going up-tempo in soft rock pushed WDOK FM/102.1 up to its best ratings in nearly seven years, including first place in its target demographic of women ages 25-54. WMJI recaptured its long-held position as No. 1 overall in the "money demographic" of adults 25-54.
The winter ratings, covering January, February and March, also registered solid gains for the market's two remaining stations not owned by corporate giants, WNWV FM/107.3 and, in particular, WCLV FM/95.5.
And check this out. Half a year after flipping from modern rock to hip-hop/R&B, WENZ FM/107.9 overtook longtime urban leader WZAK FM/93, building on young demographics to vault to sixth-place in average share of listeners age 12 and up.
The area's noncommercial public stations, not normally included in the Arbitron list, also scored respectable numbers. WCPN FM/90.3 averaged an impressive 2.5 percent share of listeners 12 and over for the average quarter-hour from 6 a.m. to midnight. Kent-based WKSU FM/89.7 averaged a 1.7 share that made it the top-ranked station from outside Cleveland. (Akron is a separate radio market.)
How much the ratings might portend change at stations remains to be seen, and will have a lot to do with some pending ownership changes. WZAK, for example, soon will join WENZ as a property of Radio One Inc. WZJM, WDOK and WQAL FM/104.1 will become properties of CBS/Infinity, like WNCX FM/98.5.
It also will be a factor on how well stations performed within a multiplicity of target demographics. Pop standards WRMR AM/850, for example, barely exists among young demos, but it begins to show up in the 35-plus category and dominates in 65-plus.
--snips--
from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Arbitron released its fall ratings for Cleveland radio this week, and - with a few notable exceptions following format changes - they looked much like results of a year ago.
WMJI FM/105.7 regained its perch as the market’s No. 1 station in the fall book covering October, November and December. The oldies station averaged a 7.6 share of listeners age 12 and over during the average weekday quarter-hour from 6 a.m. to midnight, up slightly from last summer (see chart) and also from fall 1998.
WMJI’s "Lanigan & Malone" morning show, which had dropped behind Howard Stern on classic-rock WNCX FM/98.5 in average quarter-hour share but not in total audience, returned to the top position in radio’s prime listening period.
Country-music WGAR FM/99.5 ranked second, while news-talk WTAM AM/1100 held third place, despite a huge drop from its Indians baseball audience of summer.
Urban leader WZAK FM/93.1 ranked fourth and regained some of the ground it lost last summer after WENZ FM/107.9 became a direct competitor, flipping from a modern-rock format to hip-hop/R&B. But WZAK has fallen far from its No. 1 ranking of a year ago, while onrushing WENZ has more than doubled its audience share.
A format change was more problematic for WZJM FM/92.3, which dropped dance/contemporary hits last spring to play soul-based "Jammin Oldies" as "The Beat" - part of a nationwide campaign by owner AMFM Inc. - while sister station WJMO AM/1490 dropped "classic soul" for gospel. WZJM succeeded in getting an older audience, but has stalled from its spike last summer and never equaled its former numbers.
WNWV FM/107.3, blending urban-contemporary into its "smooth jazz" format, recovered audience it lost to WZJM. Lorain-based WAKS FM/104.9, aka "KISS," filled the contemporary-hits void and, despite its limited signal, jumped far above its level of a year ago, when it was Christian-contemporary WZLE.
In radio’s advertiser-favorite demographic, listeners 25-54, the ranking in descending order was: WGAR, WMJI, WNCX, WMMS, WZAK, WMVX, WDOK, WTAM, WQAL, WZJM. Among the 35-plus baby-boomers, the order was: WMJI, WGAR, WDOK, WTAM, WNWV, WZJM, WZAK, WNCX, WMMS, WMVX.
These days, overall ratings mainly interest listeners. Stations are primarily concerned with target demographics for sales, and the companies that own them care less about ratings than the revenue performance of their station groups.
--snips--
from Radio Digest
October 29, 1999
--snips--
WNCX's ratings rose as listeners took a summer opportunity to listen to Howard Stern, who took over the morning-drive-time crown from WMJI's John Lanigan for this ratings period. WNCX may be able to holdonto its gains as well in light of the blockbuster announcement that Stern and his wife are heading for splitsville. Listeners are certain to tune in to see what impact that train wreck has on his show's content.
from the: Cleveland Free Times
October 13-19, 1999 issue
By Eric Broder, John Hyduk and Laura DeMarco
Here are the results of our 1999 Best of Northeastern Ohio Readers' Poll.
--snip--
Best radio talk show: Howard Stern
Again, we need to specify "local," because Stern wins this hands-down. Another national personality, Terry Gross, got some votes, but local talent John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone, Bruce Drennan and Mike Trivisonno were noted.
Most obnoxious radio personality: Howard Stern
A few locals did get some support for this dubious distinction, particularly John Lanigan, Lynn Tolliver, Mike Trivisonno and Howie Greene. Don't you know that if you ignore obnoxious people, they'll eventually go away? Oh, right - they don't.
The show's ratings have climbed still farther up the ladder to a 10.1, which places the show in 3rd place overall.
The show's ratings have climbed to a 9.9, which is still good for only a 2nd place in the 12+ demographic.
While Howard's ratings went up 1/10th to a 9.2, he's still in second place in Cleveland.
Howard is currently #2 in Cleveland with a 9.1 share.
1. Howard Stern - 10.1 - WNCX
2. Lanigan (the one-eyed cyclops) - 9.5
Having won in Cleveland back in 1994, the Stern show is still top rated. In the 12+ demo, the show finished 2nd with a 9.9 share. In men 18+, the show finished first with a 15.2 share and with persons 25-34, the show had a 21 share. The Stern show swaps pole positions with WMJI's, John Lannigan often, due to Lannigan's larger female audience.
WNCX-FM first carried the show on August 31, 1992.
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