from the Detroit Free Press
December 13, 2000
In Arbitrend ratings for the months of September, October and November released Tuesday, WJR tightened its grip on second place among all listeners ages 12 and over, moving from a 5.6 to a 6.0. That trails pacesetter WNIC-FM (100.3), which carded a 7.7.
WJR's Paul W. Smith's morning effort made a positive leap from 6.7 to 7.2, good for fourth place. WRIF's Barons of Bogue, Drew Lane and Mike W. Clark, were the a.m. leaders again but dropped from a 9.0 to 8.7 percent of the listenership. WNIC's Jim Harper & The Breakfast Club was second with an 8.5 mark; WWJ-AM (950), with Jasina & Donovan, was third with a 7.6.
Young country WYCD-FM (99.5) continued to bounce back from its dip this summer, with a 4.2 mark overall and a move from 3.5 to 3.9 in the morning with its new "First Shift" combine.
Detroit's urban race remained tight. WJLB-FM (97.9) was third overall with a 5.4, topping WDTJ-FM (105.9), in eighth, overall with a 4.3. WGPR-FM (107.5) and WDMK-FM (102.7) didn't make the top 20 overall.
Other curiosities: WPLT-FM (96.3), which showed some evidence of breaking out in the summer, slumped again. It scored a 1.8 overall, down from a 2.1 and from a 1.8 to 1.6 in the morning with Johnny Edwards and crew. WKQI-FM's (95.5) Mojo in the Morning edged WDRQ-FM's oft-billboarded Morning Revolution 3.7-3.4. Afternoons 3-7 p.m., belonged, as usual, to WNIC's Chris Edmonds.
Howard Stern, whose contract with Infinity Broadcasting expires later this month, finished 13th overall at WKRK-FM (97.1) with a 2.9, up from 2.3. Industry sources reported Tuesday that Stern said his chances for contract renewal are now 60 percent.
from the Detroit Free Press
October 17, 2000
Top of the heap: Soft rock WNIC-FM (100.3) maintained its lead among all listeners age 12 and older with a 7.9. But the big story was news/talk WJR-AM's (760) surge into second, with a 5.8, way up from its spring 5.0 figure. The rest of the best: Rock WRIF-FM (101.1) with a 5.6; urban WJLB-FM (97.9) with a 5.1, and oldies WOMC-FM (104.3) and newser WWJ-AM (950), 4.9s.
Kings of the hill: In the morning, 'RIF's barons of blue humor, Drew Lane and Mike Clark, led among all listeners with a 10.2, way up from spring's 8.9. (They also led the key 25-54 age bracket with an even bigger 13.6 slice of the audience). 'NIC's Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club were second with an 8.9 among all listeners and 9.9 in the advertiser favored age 25-54 age bracket. But tying WWJ-AM's Donovan & Jasina for third overall was WJR's Paul W. Smith, who carded a 7.0 overall, spurting from spring's 5.8.
Classic rocker WCSX-FM (94.7) cruised along as a 25-54 demo power, in third place overall and fourth in the morning with Jim Johnson and Lynne Woodison. And in the urban derby, WDTJ-FM (105.9) broke into the overall top 10 with a 4.1
The big hurt: Country WYCD-FM (99.5), which slid from a 5.5 to a 3.6 among all listeners and from a 5.3 to 3.2 rating in the morning with its new First Shift team. Hot talk WKRK-FM (97.1) also stumbled, with a 1.5, to 21st place.
from the Detroit News
WJR-AM (760), once the powerhouse of Detroit radio, but which has been sliding in the ratings for years, jumped from sixth place to second place during the summer among the Metro Detroit audience, the Arbitron Co. reported Monday.
But what that means is open to interpretation.
"The ratings gain ... demonstrates the overall strength of WJR, and the confidence that the public places in our various personalities and information elements," Steve Stewart, WJR's operations chief, said Monday.
"I think we benefitted from some fine-tuning here."
But rival radio executive Rich Homberg, WXYT-AM's (1270) general manager, had a different view: "Why did WJR get hot? The Tigers got hot."
WJR has been airing Tigers and Red Wings games for years.
Last month, the station lost the two teams to WXYT -- the Wings effective immediately, but the Tigers not until next season.
Arbitron reported a 16 percent gain in all-day audience for WJR during the July-September period -- with the station rising from an average 5.0 share of the Detroit market to a 5.8.
"I think this proves it's a very viable station," said local radio analyst Dick Kernen.
In the critical 6-10 a.m. drive-time period -- which includes the Paul W. Smith Show and David Newman -- WJR showed a 21 percent increase in audience, good for third place.
WRIF-FM's (101.1) Drew & Mike morning program finished first for the second ratings period in a row.
Drew & Mike averaged a 10.2 share of the audience, up from an 8.9 in the spring.
It increased its lead over WNIC-FM's (100.3) Jim Harper & The Breakfast Club.
But WNIC remained the top-rated station for all day.
from the Detroit News
There's a new No. 1 morning radio champ in Metro Detroit: WRIF-FM's (101.1) Drew & Mike.
The duo, who serve up edgy talk each morning with newswoman Trudi Daniels, edged out WNIC's (100.3) Jim Harper & The Breakfast Club for the top slot during the April-June period, Arbitron reported Tuesday. Harper's program had been No. 1 for the previous six months.
Drew Lane and Mike Clark averaged an 8.9 percent share of the morning radio audience, while Harper came in close behind with an average 8.8.
"I think our work ethic did it," said Clark. "Most people don't believe we work hard because we fool around so much, but in fact we're serious about this."
Still, WNIC remained the most popular radio station in town, averaging a 7.7 percent share of the audience for the entire day.
Other stations making moves in the ratings:
WKQI-FM (95.5), which has had a battle on its hands during the last years as WDRQ-FM (93.1) gobbled up the youth market, seems to be on the way to a comeback. Overall, the station jumped from 14th place to 11th place, while its morning show, Mojo in the Morning, saw its audience share jump from a 2.3 to a 3.1 -- good for 12th place. Last summer, the station's morning show had sunk to 17th place.
Meanwhile, soft-jazz WVMV-FM (98.7) jumped from an eighth-place tie overall last winter to third place in the latest ratings, reporting its highest numbersof the year.
"This is a entirely new level for them. The stone tablet in radio is familiar, familiar, familiar, but this is not a particularly familiar form of music," said Dick Kernenof the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield. "But it's comfortable to listen to for long periods of time."
WJR-AM (760) did not get the expected rise in ratings from broadcasting baseball games from the new Comerica Park. The station dropped from fourth during the January-March period to a sixth-place tie with WOMC-FM (104.3).
WYCD-FM (99.5), now the only full-time country station in town, moved from an eighth-place tie last winter to fourth place overall.
from The Detroit News
April 27, 2000
The fight for Metro Detroit radio dominance got tighter over the winter, with WJLB-FM (97.9) making a surprising comeback to second place, the Arbitron Co. reported Wednesday.
WNIC-FM (100.3) continues to be Detroit's hottest radio station all day long, with a 7.9 percent share of the Detroit audience in the January-March ratings -- more than two points ahead of WJLB.
But WJLB, the urban-contemporary powerhouse, had dropped from second to fifth place in the ratings last fall, so its showing was crucial.
"I think the rating that had us in fifth place was a less-than-fair measurement of African-American listening habits in Detroit," said WJLB-FM general manager Peter Connolly, who protested to Arbitron after the fall ratings were released. "I think this was a better measure. WJLB is consistently a top station."
Meanwhile the five most popular morning shows on the radio this winter remained Jim Harper & the Breakfast Club on WNIC-FM; WJLB-FM's Mason & Company; all-news WWJ-AM's (950) morning show with Roberta Jasina and Joe Donovan; The Paul W. Smith Show on WJR-AM (760), and Dick Purtan's Purtan's People on WOMC-FM (104.3).
Detroit is the seventh largest radio market in the country, so trends here get noticed quickly in other cities. One apparent trend involves WGRV-FM (105.1), which went on the air a year ago with a heavy dose of Motown favorites.
The station lost about a third of its audience over the winter, dropping from 3.1 percent share last fall to a 2.0.
The drop moved it to 19th in the ratings, down from 12th place and about where it was when it played alternative rock -- before switching to Motown. The switch had been hailed because much of the music was made in Detroit in the 1960s and 1970s. When the station debuted, stations across the country also began switching to the format in hopes of grabbing the Baby Boomer audience.
"When you put on a new product, you have your ups and downs," says Bill Fries, WGRV's operations manager. "We're seeing some things that are encouraging to us -- such as the fact that the numbers show that people are at least checking us out. We'll be back up there."
Not returning for the next ratings will be WYUR-AM (1310), which went on the air with a classical music format two years ago. It was founded by former WJR personality Bob Hynes after longtime classical station WQRS changed to rock.
But classical obviously didn't work for WYUR either. It will go off the air Saturday night, making Detroit again a city without a classical station. WYUR currently plays seven hours of classical music every day, from 9 a.m.- noon, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. and midnight-2 a.m.
"Going classical was the biggest mistake I ever made," says Hynes, who plunged his savings into the experience. "I gave it my best shot, worked at this for 2 1/2 years, but what can I say? It makes me wonder if Detroit isn't sophisticated enough for a classical station."
from the Detroit Free Press
The planning is complete. New troops are in place. The money is being spent.
The air wars have begun.
Detroit's two contemporary hits radio stations -- WDRQ-FM (93.1) and WKQI-FM (95.5, known as Q95-Five) are now fully engaged in a battle for the ears and tuning fingers of young listeners, roughly aged 18 through their early 40s. These are the people who crave current sounds from the likes of Britney Spears, Carlos Santana and Backstreet Boys, clean but current chatter from program hosts who are about their age and chances to win tickets or money. And don't forget the occasional wacky remote broadcast, like the recent WDRQ event at a doughnut shop.
When contemporary hits stations clash, it's always a high-profile battle. Veteran radio observer Dick Kernen of Southfield's Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts says it's "the mass appeal nature of the stations.... Typically, the audience is made up of people who aren't afraid to change their affiliation and like to talk about it. For lack of a better word, the audience is somewhat fickle."
Fickle -- but large and lucrative. In the last Arbitron ratings, WDRQ had 4.4 percent of the overall audience, good for No. 8 rank in the market; WKQI had a 2.6, sagging to No. 14. But both still had considerable clusters ages 18-34. For 1998, the last year for which figures are available, WDRQ reported revenues of $6.2 million; WKQI $13.6 million.
But now WKQI is trying to find what it has lost. During much of the '80s and '90s, due in no small part to Dick Purtan's morning show, WKQI was the hitmaker of import in metro Detroit. Even when Purtan left in 1996 for WOMC-FM (104.3), his replacement, former "Partridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce, managed to score decent ratings and keep WKQI dominant.
But morning ratings tumbled after Bonaduce's 1998 departure. And WDRQ, long struggling for an audience despite its blue-chip Disney-ABC ownership, blossomed. Programmer Alex Tear artfully picked tunes and selected an air staff -- Jay Towers and the Morning Revolution in the morning, veteran hit-radio voice Lisa Orlando in afternoon drive time, nighttime phenomenon Tic Tak -- that clicked big time. WDRQ's ratings passed WKQI last year and caused a major shakeup at the AMFM-owned powerhouse.
In the last four months, WKQI has parted company with Steve Cochran and his morning show sidekicks, veteran midmorning voice Kevin O'Neill and afternoon drive-timer Jo-Jo Kincaid. All were older than the target audience and had lost listeners -- mostly to 'DRQ.
WNIC-FM (100.3) GM Steve Schram doubled up to take command of corporate sister station WKQI and brought in programmer Tim Richards from Tucson for the rebuilding. Recruited to helm the morning show was Tom (Mojo) Carbello, 29, also from Tucson. Joining "Mojo in the Morning" were one-named Spike, 28, a casualty of the WXDG (105.1) format shift last Easter, and Sara Fouracre, 25, who toiled at WXDG and WCSX (94.7).
Impressionist Eric Harthen, 26, and producer Barb Adragna finished the morning re-do. Nicole (Nikki) Elizabeth Chuminatto replaced O'Neill as midday voice and J Love took Kincaid's afternoon drive spot. And WKQI's music selection and rotation was tuned up to mimic much of what WDRQ has done.
The 'KQI gang dodges a query about its competition with WDRQ. "That's a loaded question," says Mojo. Intervenes Spike: "We're shorter." Shorter than whom? "Clark," referring to WDRQ morning teamer Clark Kent.
For his part, Tear positions his station above any fray. "I really think WDRQ focuses on the city and its listeners and has blinders on the competitive situation," he says. "We'll be more focused on the people rather than worrying about the competition."
Though he's going after young listeners, WKQI's Mojo says he doesn't feel very young. "I live the lifestyle of someone in their 30s or 40s," he says, mostly because of his wife of six years and sons ages 4 and 2. But accomplice Spike says within the cast, "we all live a different life and so everybody who listens can relate."
And though a casual listener might sometimes think it ought to be Spike in the Morning or Sara in the Morning or even Eric in the Morning, Mojo cites a sitcom model like "Seinfeld" where Jerry wasn't necessarily the prime laugh-getter every episode.
"There has to be somebody to call the shots, especially with me running the (control) board," he says. "But I think it's a nicely balanced show. I hate to refer to sitcoms, but it's a nicely balanced sitcom."
Perhaps the most interesting new touch from the Mojo crew is what they call scam calls. These are variations on the pull-a-listener's-leg put-on phone calls that Purtan rode to glory in the '70s and '80s -- until abuses by other personalities caused the Federal Communications Commission to restrict them.
Says Mojo: "That's a touchy little subject. We get permission from the people afterwards. Technically, as the rules go, as long as you never lie and get permission you can use them." In their prime 15 years ago, the calls were often made live. Sometimes embarrassing and hurtful scenarios resulted in lawsuits from targets.
Mojo says he and accomplice Spike kill five for every good one that runs. And the scenarios are usually harmless: The first that aired had Mojo's wife being told that their move from Arizona to Michigan was hopelessly fouled.
But there was a razor blade hidden in that one. The phony moving exec played by Spike was dubbed George Kenyon -- the same name as the general manager of rival WDRQ.
from the Detroit Free Press
Much delayed by tabulation problems at Arbitron, the Detroit market radio ratings for November, December and January were released Monday with soft-rock WNIC-FM (100.3) solidly on top of the heap.
The station led among all listeners age 12 and over with a 7.9-percent chunk of the audience and in the morning, with Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club (Harper, Linda Lanci, Cindy Canty and Dave Lockhart), with a 9.6. It also led the 3-7 p.m. afternoon drive with a 7.1 mark fashioned by Chris Edmonds.
Other totes of note: News-talk WJR-AM (760) was up in the 6-10 a.m. race with Paul W. Smith (and one hour of David Newman) carding a 6.5, up from a 5.9 in the previous round of ratings. It's especially noteworthy since the station was down slightly, 5.5 to 5.4, overall.
Overall and in the morning, all-news WWJ was second to WNIC, with a 5.9 score overall and an 8.0 count in the morning.
The biggest dive occurred at jammin' oldies WGRV-FM (105.1), which sustained a drop in the time-spent-listening category and dropped from a 3.1 to a 2.3. Country monopolist WYCD-FM (99.5) rose to 5.0, good for sixth place overall. The little engine that could, FM talker WKRK (97.1), moved into the Top 20 with a 1.8.
from ezboard.com
The other amazing story is WKRK Detroit's FM Talk Station...which saw mid-days with Ed Tyll jump from a 1.3 to a 2.1 to a 2.3...and afternoons with Deminski & Doyle went from a 0.7 to a 1.1 to a 2.4...while nights with Tom Leykis jumped 0.6 to 1.1 to 2.9!
The only dip was with Howard Stern 2.7 to 3.8 to 3.2...but still very good.
Talk radio, especially on FM, is a very slow build and takes time to root itself. But, with all of the sameness on the dial (especially from FM music stations) WKRK is refreshingly different and obviously is starting to get noticed.
BTW-these numbers are from the last 3 ratings books and are for the 25-54 demo.
from the Detroit Free Press
Compiled by John Smyntek
And delayed gratification came to soft-rock WNIC-FM (100.3), which remained the overall listening leader in both the catchall age 12-and-over category and the key commercial demographic of ages 25-54.
In the crucial morning listener race, WNIC's "Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club" was the leader among all listeners ages 12 and over.
But morning bad boys Drew Lane and Mike (The Minister of Fantasy) Clark at album rocker WRIF-FM (101.1) claimed the age 25-54 morning race with a robust 10.5 percent of that listening segment.
There were probably champagne corks amid the cowboy boots at WYCD-FM (99.5). In its first quarter as the market's lone country station, it rose to No. 6 with a 4.8 among all listeners and fourth place with a 5.3 share in the age 25-54 race.
Morning man Dr. Don Carpenter surged to No. 7 with a 4.5 in age 12-plus and fifth place with a 5.0 in age 25-54.
Detroit's urban leader, WJLB-FM (97.9), was fifth overall with a 5.2 mark, down from last quarter's 6.8. Morning voice John Mason went from a 6.4 to a 5.5.
Its primary competitor, WDTJ-FM (105.9), went from a 3.9 to a 3.1 overall; its syndicated Russ Parr morning show went from a 3.0 to a 2.4. WMXD-FM (92.3) recorded a 0.4 gain to 3.5 overall, with its syndicated morning man Tom Joyner flat at 3.7.
In the news station battle, WWJ-AM (950) won with a 5.7 mark, edging WJR-AM (760), which had a 5.5. WJR was up 0.2 for the quarter. In the morning news race, WWJ's Joe Donovan and Roberta Jasina dropped a full point to 7.9, but still beat WJR from 6-10 a.m. 'JR carded a 5.9.
Talk WXYT-AM (1270) and FM talker WKRK (97.1) were up slightly.
from the Detroit Free Press
October 19, 1999
Oldies WOMC-FM (104.3) was third with a 5.7, up from spring's 5.4. News/talk WJR-AM (760) dropped a full point from 6.3 to 5.3 and was tied for fourth by arch-rival all-news WWJ-AM (950). Rocker WRIF-FM (101.1) was sixth with a 4.9.
WJR operations director Steve Stewart said that "summer is traditionally not one of our more consistent or stronger ratings periods." He declined to place blame for the drop on the dismal Tigers baseball season and held out hope that the new 6-7 p.m. news block and its new freeway-oriented traffic reports would perk up the numbers in the fall.
WJR was down 6-10 a.m. (Paul W. Smith/David Newman) by a full point in the age 12-plus race; in afternoon drive (3-7 p.m., Mitch Albom/ news block), WJR lost 1.1 points in the key age 25-54 demographic.
Among the summer comets: contemporary hits WDRQ-FM (93.1) continued its yearlong climb, carding a 4.8 overall (up from spring's 4.1), good for seventh place. Greater Media's classic soul WGRV-FM (105.1) surged from 2.1 to a 3.0 overall.
Singing the summertime blues were current hits WKQI-FM (95.5), which dropped below the 3.0 line to a 2.9, and contemporary classic WPLT-FM (96.3), which dropped contemporary hits on Labor Day, down to a 2.1.
In the mornings among all listeners, WWJ's Donovan & Jasina led with 8.9. WNIC's Jim Harper was second with 7.8, followed by WRIF's Drew & Mike with 7.7 and WOMC's Dick Purtan, 6.8.
In the 25-54 demographic, the overall pace-setters were WNIC with an 8.2, WOMC with a 6.6, WRIF with a 6.3 and classic rocker WCSX-FM (94.7) with a 6.0. WGRV carded an impressive 4.0 mark, good for seventh.
from the Detroit Free Press
Names & Faces Column
September 22, 1999
Compiled by John Smyntek
Rock hits WWWW-FM (106.7), in its final poll as a country station, carded 3.5 overall, good for 11th. Its deposed morning team of Welch & Woody ended its Detroit run in 10th place with a 3.3.
Starting to become a listening factor is classic soul WXDG-FM (105.1), which hit the 3.0 overall mark for the first time with the format, good for 14th place. That's the frequency's highest mark since classical music ended in November 1997.
The morning trifecta: Jim Harper and the WNIC Breakfast Club won. Donovan & Jasina at WWJ placed, while WRIF-FM's (101.1) Drew & Mike showed.
--snips--
from the: Detroit Free Press
July 20, 1999
Ratings surges by news/talk WJR-AM (760) and rocker WRIF-FM (101.1) were among the most eye-catching numbers from Arbitron's spring radio ratings report, which was released Monday.
While soft-rocker WNIC-FM (100.3) remained the overall listening leader with a 7.1 rating for all listeners 12 and older, its lead over No. 2 urban WJLB-FM (97.9) was whittled to 0.1 ratings point. WNIC was nicked in other demographics by other stations that took slivers of its listenership.
And in the pivotal morning race, WNIC's "Jim Harper & The Breakfast Club" was tied with WRIF's rude boys of the AM, Drew Lane and Mike Clark, among all listeners with an 8.1 tally. Moreover, Lane and Clark were titans in the influential age 25-54 demographic with an 11.3 share. It marks a full and powerful comeback from lower ratings last summer when Lane was off the air because of back surgery.
Said Clark: "I felt like we've been on a roll. We always exert the same amount of effort and the ratings continue to shift -- but there's never a time that we don't try, and the momentum has been totally restored."
Happiness reigned throughout WRIF, with a fifth-place finish overall and a second place score among listeners in all time periods aged 25-54 with a 7.2 rating, trailing only WNIC at 8.3 in that advertiser-attractive group.
WJR rebounded from the fall '98 and winter '99 doldrums, when major news breaks appeared to lure some members of its audience to news WWJ-AM (950).
Without major continuing stories -- bad winter weather, the Kosovo and Clinton crises, for example -- WJR's core listeners appeared to come back home in virtually all time periods.
Morning man Paul W. Smith carded a solid 7.4 score among listeners aged 12 and older, good for third place behind the tied-for-first WNIC and WRIF entries. WWJ's morning combine of Roberta Jasina and Joe Donovan slipped to 7.1 from 8.6; many of WWJ's other numbers were also pointing south after its big fall and winter performance.
WDRQ-FM (93.1) continued to claw its way up the fiercely competitive radio ladder with a 4.1 overall score, in a tie for ninth place. Its main competitor WKQI-FM (95.5) dropped to 13th overall but could take much solace from its 3.7 score to DRQ's 3.1 in the age 25-54 race. WKQI general manager Dave Kerr contended that a bad April ratings performance based on a quirky sample of females aged 25-54 weighed down his station and that May and June numbers were rebounding well. Translation: He'll stay the course.
Urban WJLB trended upward overall, and those high-profile John Mason billboards appeared to reap results -- with his 6.6 morning score. His major competitor for predominantly black morning listeners, WMXD-FM's (92.3) Tom Joyner, was down (5.2 to 4.5). WDTJ-FM's (105.9) Russ Parr and Olivia Fox were up (2.7 to 3.2), as was the station overall with a 4.1 mark.
Oldies WOMC-FM (104.3) slipped from a 6.2 to 5.4, appearing to lose some listeners to WXDG-FM (105.1), which finished its first quarter as a classic soul station with a 2.1 score. Likewise, urban contemporary WMXD-FM appeared to be wounded a bit by the new 105.1.
Classic rock WCSX-FM (94.7) had slippage among all listeners in all time periods (4.9 to 4.2), in the mornings among all listeners (Jim Johnson and the Morning Crew went from a 4.7 to a 3.6), in the age 25-54 demo in all time periods (7.4 to 6.2) and in mornings among those aged 25-54, 6.7 to 5.2).
Talk WXYT-AM (1270) went from a 3.2 to a 2.5 among all listeners in all time frames, and syndicated morning show "Imus in the Morning" slid from a 2.4 to a 2.1.
from the: Detroit News
April 24, 1999
The Metro Detroit radio news/talk race heated up last winter, with WWJ-AM beating WJR-AM for the first time in decades, Arbitron figures released Friday show.
WJR-AM (760) lost ground in two key time periods -- morning drive, anchored by Paul W. Smith, and afternoon drive, anchored by Mitch Albom.
"It's great to move beyond a competitor," WWJ-AM (950) head Rich Homberg said.
Dick Kernen of the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting said WWJ benefited from bad news: "When something happens -- like Colorado, like Kosovo, like 2 feet of snow -- that's where people go."
However WNIC-FM (100.3), WJLB-FM (97.9) and WOMC-FM (104.3) held the top three spots, respectively, among local stations.
WWJ-AM's success was spurred by its morning team of Joe Donovan and Roberta Jasina. They leaped from third to first during the January-March period, edging out Jim Harper & the Breakfast Club on WNIC-FM (100.3).
That helped to propel WWJ-AM into fourth place overall for the entire day, while WJR-AM dropped from third to fifth.
Who's hot and who's not:
Hot: WCSX-FM (94.7), whose audience share rose from a 3.7 to a 4.9. And WDTJ-FM (105.9), which continues to battle WJLB-FM in the urban-contemporary market, jumped from 13th to 10th.
Not: Howard Stern (WKRK-FM, 97.1), lost a third of his audience since last fall, dropping below Don Imus on WXYT-AM (1270). And WWBR-FM (102.7), which dumped Ted Nugent and hard rock for soft rock, fell from 21st to 24th.
Radio ratings
Here are the 10 top stations in Metro Detroit from the January-March winter ratings period, based on Arbitron Co.'s survey. Also listed are the top-10 stations from the October-December fall ratings period, with their ratings at that time. Each rating point represents 1 percent of the total radio audience:
Winter '99 / Fall '98
1. WNIC-FM, 8.8 / WNIC-FM, 8.0
2. WJLB-FM, 6.6 / WJLB-FM, 6.8
3. WOMC-FM, 6.2 / WJR-AM, 6.8
4. WWJ-AM, 6.0 / WOMC-FM, 5.6
5. WJR-AM, 5.4 / WWJ-AM, 4.7
6. WVMV-FM 5.3 / WVMV 4.5
7. WCSX-FM, 4.9 / WMXD-FM, 4.5
8. WMXD-FM, 4.3 / WRIF-FM, 4.1
9. WRIF-FM, 4.1 / WCSX-FM, 3.7
10. WKQI-FM, 3.7 / WWWW 3.6
10. WDTJ-FM, 3.7 / WKQI-FM, 3.5
Soft-rock WNIC-FM (100.3) held the top spot in Detroit radio last fall, the Arbitron ratings service reported Wednesday.
At the same time, WJR-AM (760) made a leap from fourth place to a second-place tie with WJLB-FM (97.9) for the full day. And in the battle of the New York syndicated hosts, Howard Stern stayed ahead of Don Imus.
WNIC held 8 percent of the Metro Detroit radio audience age 12 and over for the period covering September-December, the same share as the June-August period.
In addition, for the third straight rating period, WNIC's Jim Harper & the Breakfast Club took first place in morning drive time, 6-10 a.m.
WJR-AM, which had fallen on hard times after the death of longtime host J.P. McCarthy, jumped from a 6 share during the summer to a 6.8 share in the fall, with morning host Paul W. Smith taking second place for the time period.
WJLB, Detroit's urban-contemporary station, which has been among the top five for several years, tied with WJR for second place. WJLB dropped slightly in the ratings, however, from a 7.1 share last summer to a 6.8 share in the fall.
Another winner in the fall ratings was WMXD-FM (92.3), which went from 10th place during the summer to a sixth-place tie with WVMV-FM and WRIF-FM (101.1). All three stations reported a 4.5 percent share of the Metro Detroit radio audience.
Also in morning drive time, Don Imus -- who is on the cover of Newsweek this week -- reported a 2.6 share of the Detroit radio audience on WXYT-AM (1270), up from a 2.1 share during the summer and good for 13th place. But Howard Stern, who is heard on WKRK-FM (97.1), held a 3.5 share, good for eighth place.
In the country music competition, WWWW-FM (106.7) increased its lead over WYCD-FM (99.5).
Ratings
These are the top 10 stations in Metro Detroit from the October-December fall 1998 ratings period, based on Arbitron Co.'s survey. Each share point represents 1 percent of the total radio audience.
1. WNIC-FM, 8.0
2. WJLB-FM, 6.8
(tie) WJR-AM, 6.8
4. WOMC-FM, 5.6
5. WWJ-AM, 4.7
6. WMXD-FM, 4.5
(tie) WVMV-FM, 4.5
7. WKQI-FM, 4.4
8. WRIF-FM, 4.1
9. WCSX-FM, 3.7
10. WWWW-FM, 3.6
11. WKQI-FM, 3.5
12. WXYT-AM, 3.4
13. WDTJ-FM, 3.3
14. WYCD-FM, 2.6
(tie) CKWW-AM, 2.6
15. WCHB-FM, 2.6
16. WDRQ-FM, 2.5
17. CKWW-AM, 2.3 WPLT-FM, 2.4
17. WHYT-FM, 2.1
18. WKRK-FM, 2.3
19. WWBR-FM, 1.8 WDFN-AM, 1.6
20. CIMX-FM, 1.8 WXDG-FM, 1.5.
20. WGPR-FM, 1.4
20. WQBH-AM 1.4
Copyright 1999, The Detroit News
from the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
November 17, 1998
WNIC-FM (100.3) remained on top of the Detroit radio heap in Arbitrend's monthly radio report card released Monday.
The soft-rock station had a 7.4 percentage rating among all listeners 12 and older, eking out a 0.1 win over urban WJLB-FM (97.8). Oldies WOMC-FM (104.3) and news/talk WJR-AM (760) tied for third at 6.5. All-news WWJ-AM (950) rounded out the top five with a 5.1 score.
In the pivotal morning race, WNIC's Jim Harper & The Breakfast Club maintained the No. 1 spot with an 8.4 mark, besting WWJ's Jasina & Donovan with an 8.0 and WJR's Paul W. Smith with a 7.8. Dick Purtan on WOMC with a 7.4 and John Mason at WJLB with a 6.9 rounded out the top five. Of note: Of the top five, only Mason was up over the previous rating report.
In other developments, David Newman appeared to raise the numbers as the new mid-morning voice on WJR. While the 6-10 a.m. time period he shares with Smith dropped 0.2, the 10 a.m.-3 p.m. segment, which includes the bulk of Newman's 9-11:40 a.m. slot and syndicated Dr. Laura Schlessinger, surged from a 5.9 to a 6.9 and was the leader in time-spent-listening. In the age 35-64, WJR's strength, the time period had a 7.5 rating.
On the downside, country WYCD-FM (99.5) dropped to 15th place overall with a 2.6 rating, trailing ninth place arch rival WWWW-FM (106.7) with a 4.0. And the WKQI-FM (95.5) morning show with Kevin O'Neill and John Heffron plunged to a 3.5 from a 4.0. The station was on the brink of falling out of the morning top 10 for the first time in a decade. The 3.5 mark was tied for 10th with WKRK-FM's (97.1) Howard Stern.
Detroit News
10/15/98
DETROIT -- Soft-rock WNIC-FM (100.3) is Metro Detroit's most listened-to radio station for the first time, passing longtime leader WJLB-FM (97.9), the area's major urban contemporary station.
Dearborn-based WNIC was No. 1 for the entire listening day in the July-September ratings period, the Arbitron Co. said Wednesday. The station had placed second the previous two quarters, behind WJLB. "It took 20 years," said Jim Harper, WNIC's program director and main morning personality. "But it's worth it."
On morning radio, WJR-AM (760) host Paul W. Smith rebounded from a low 6.5 share of the Detroit audience last winter to an 8.0 share this summer. (Share is percentage of the audience at any given time.)
On the downside, WWBR-FM's (102.7) Ted Nugent, who briefly broke into the top 10 last year, dropped from 14th place to 18th over the summer, while touring for two months with his band. "We're not panicking," said WWBR program director Joe Wade Formicola. "This happens when your guy is out."
Syndicated New York host Dom Imus showed an upswing at WXYT-AM (1270), moving from 19th place to a 15th-place tie with WPLT-FM's (96.3) Johnny in the Morning program. The other New York shock jock, Howard Stern, fell from seventh to 10th place on WKRK-FM (97.1).
The top morning shows were: Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club, WNIC-FM; all-news WWJ-AM; The Paul W. Smith Show, WJR; Purtan's People, WOMC-FM (104.3), and a tie between Drew & Mike, WRIF-FM (101.1), and Mason & Co., WJLB, for fifth.
Top of the dial
Here are Detroit's top-rated radio stations and their formats:
1. WNIC-FM (Soft rock)
2. WJLB-FM (Urban contemporary)
3. WOMC-FM (Oldies)
4. WJR-AM (News-talk)
5. WWJ-AM (News)
Syndicated shock jock Howard Stern, who airs locally on WKRK-FM (97.1), has cracked the top 10 in Detroit morning radio.
Arbitron Co. reported Thursday that Stern, carried in Detroit since January 1997, earned a 4.1-percent share of the local audience -- good for seventh place for the April-June period. That was up from 2.8 for January-March.
At the same time, WKRK's biggest competitor, WRIF-FM (101.1), saw its share of the morning audience drop from 7.4 to 6.4.
WRIF General Manager Tom Bender said Stern's rise and WRIF's downturn were partly due to a back operation that has sidelined key morning host Drew Lane since May 7.
"I think there is a lot of sampling going on," Bender said. "There is no question that Howard is going to be a contender. But I feel we're giving this a very good shot. And having one of our guys on injured reserved doesn't help."
The top 10 stations in Metro Detroit for April-June:
1. WJLB-FM (97.9)
2. WNIC-FM (100.3)
3. WJR-AM (760)
4. WOMC-FM (104.3)
5. WWJ-AM (950)
6. WKQI-FM (95.5)
7. WVMV-FM (98.7)
8. WCSX-FM (94.7)
9. WMXD-FM (92.3)
10. WCHB-FM (105.9)
from the Detroit Free Press and robk...
Drew Lane's absence from WRIF-FM's morning airwaves for back surgery turned into a big leap in listenership for syndicated shock jock Howard Stern, in the biggest news emanating from the spring Arbitron radio ratings released Thursday.
Among listeners 12 and older, WRIF lost a full point (7.4 to 6.4 percent) while Stern's WKRK-FM ratings zoomed from 2.8 to 4.1. That put Stern in the seventh spot and within striking distance of the morning top five: Jim Harper on WNIC-FM, Donovan/Jasina on WWJ-AM, Paul W. Smith on WJR-AM, John Mason on WJLB-FM and WRIF's Mike Clark-without-Drew broadcast.) Lane is expected back by early September.
Other highlights in the Arbitron comparisons from winter to spring:
* Urban music-formatted WJLB continued its run as overall leader.
* In the 10 a.m.-3 p.m. time period, WNIC's Gene Maxwell led the pack, followed by WJR's Ken Calvert/Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Tom Force and Tom Ryan of oldies WOMC-FM.
* In the 3-7 p.m. slot, WJLB led, followed by WNIC and WOMC.
* In the advertiser-coveted ratings for morning listeners ages 25-54, Harper ruled, followed by WRIF, WOMC (Dick Purtan), WJLB and the rejuvenated WCSX-FM with Jim Johnson and the Morning Crew.
Station Jan.-March '98 April-June '98 1. WJLB-FM (97.9) urban 8.1 7.7 2. WNIC-FM (100.3) soft rock 7.6 7.5 3. WJR-AM (760) news/talk 5.8 6.8 4. WOMC-FM (104.3) oldies 5.9 5.6 5. WWJ-AM (950) news 4.9 5.1 6. WKQI-FM (95.5) contemporary 4.1 4.3 7. WVMV-FM (98.7) smooth jazz 4.7 4.1 8. WCSX-FM (94.7) classic rock 3.0 3.9 9. WMXD-FM (92.3) urban/oldies 4.0 3.9 10. WCHB-FM (105.9) urban 3.4 3.5 11. WDRQ-FM (93.1) dance 2.6 3.5 12. WRIF-FM (101.1) rock 4.1 3.4 13. WWWW-FM (106.7) country 3.7 3.2 14. CKWW-AM (580) nostalgia 2.3 3.1 15. WYCD-FM (99.5) country 3.0 3.0 16. WXYT-AM (1270) talk 3.4 2.8 17. WPLT-FM (96.3) modern rock 2.7 2.6 18. WWBR-FM (102.7) classic rock 1.8 2.0 19. WKRK-FM (97.1) rock 1.7 2.0 <- Howard 20. WXDG-FM (105.1) alt. rock 1.9 1.6
Thanks to RobK (and the Detroit Free Press) for this...
On the radio dial, urban WJLB-FM (97.9) led the pack again in the age-12-plus catchall listener race with an 8.1, just 0.2 in front of soft rocker WNIC-FM (100.3).
In the morning race, WNIC's Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club had an 8.5, besting WWJ-AM's (950) Donovan/Jasina duo by 0.7.
But the big morning leap came from WKRK-FM's (97.1) syndicated Howard Stern, with a best-ever 3.5 mark.
Thanks to Roger for this...
GOING DEEP: As always, the real story in the winter Arbitron radio ratings released Friday is in the demographic breakouts. WNIC-FM's (100.3) Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club extending their morning listenership to J.P. McCarthy-esque dimensions with more than 10 percent of the audience in the advertiser-loved 25- to 54-year-old demographic. Following the Breakfast Club is WRIF-FM's (101.1) rudesome dudesome of Drew Lane & Michael W. Clark (see additional item below) with a little more than 9-percent cut; WOMC-FM's (104.3) living legend Dick Purtan with a slice just short of 8 percent; and John Mason at WJLB-FM (97.9), a touch less than 7 percent. Other 25-54 highlights: WKQI-FM's (95.5) post-Danny Bonaduce offering led by Kevin O'Neill had a very respectable eighth-place logging. WWWW-FM (106.7) seems to be emerging as the leader in the country war with WYCD-FM (99.5). Smooth jazz WVMV-FM (98.7) had a great winter. Vintage rocker WWBR-FM (102.7) and Ted Nugent plummeted from their good fall numbers. And as a group, Disney/ABC's three Detroit stations -- WJR-AM (760), WPLT-FM (96.3) and WDRQ-FM (93.1) -- all lost chunks of listeners 12 and older overall, age 12-plus morning, age 25-54 morning and age 25-54 overall. WJR did well with male listeners, however.
WNIC-FM's (100.3) Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club was the No. 1 show on Detroit morning radio over the winter, the Arbitron ratings service reported Friday.
But the top station in local radio based on all-day performance remained WJLB-FM (97.9), which has led the pack for many months.
Harper picked up an 8.3 percent share of the important morning radio audience during the January-March period -- up from a 7.8 share last fall, when the program tied for first. (Share is the percentage of radios tuned in at a certain time.)
WJLB-FM's (97.9) Mason & Company was the No. 2 show, and three stations tied for third: WRIF-FM's (101.1) Drew & Mike Show, WWJ-AM's (950) all-news program and WOMC-FM's (104.3) Purtan's People.
Thanks to the Detroit News...
First place in Detroit morning radio got crowded this fall, with WJLB-FM (97.9), WWJ-AM (950) and WNIC-FM (100.3) in a virtual dead heat for first place, the Arbitron Co. reported Monday.
John Mason's Mason & Co. program on WJLB-FM surged from a sixth-place finish last summer to a first-place tie, while all-news WWJ-AM claimed first place in the 6 a.m.-10 a.m. slot for the third time this year.
"Our news staff keeps working on one thing, and one thing only: to produce a broadcast to help keep our listeners' busy lives on track," said WWJ-AM general manager Rich Homberg.
At the same time, WNIC-FM's Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club program rose to a first-place tie -- a first for the program.
WWBR-FM (102.7) morning host Ted Nugent jumped from 17th place during the July-September period to ninth during October-December. This marks the first top-10 finish for Nugent since the show debuted in October 1996.
Said Nugent, "I'm not surprised. I appeal to work-hard, play-hard America. And I reflect some genuine concerns a lot of people have. Common sense is extremely common and extremely sensible, and that's what I've reflected."
Overall, WJR-AM ranked third. However, Paul W. Smith's morning program dropped to fourth place. In addition, the station's 3-7 p.m. slot, occupied mostly by host Mitch Albom's three-hour program, dropped from a 6.2 share to a 5.7 share.
Also down was WRIF-FM (101.1), which lost ground in the morning and throughout the day.
October 9, 1997
Detroit radio's summer ratings were released Wednesday and five stations in particular made hay while the sun shined. Your summer sizzlers: News/talk WJR-AM (760), urban upstart WCHB-FM (105.9), smooth jazz WVMV-FM (98.7), modern rocker WPLT-FM (96.3) and rocker WRIF-FM (101.1).
WJR finished with a 6.7 score in the overall listener derby, way up from the spring quarter's 5.9. Paul W. Smith was second overall in the morning and the Dr. Laura/Mitch Albom/news/Sports Rap combine from 3-7 p.m. was third overall. WCHB hit the 4.0 mark -- its highest reading in years -- as it continued to attract urban fans. WPLT was up a full point from spring. WVMV reappeared in the top 10 after a late '96 slump and 'RIF was led by overall morning leaders -- joy boys Drew Lane and the inimitable Michael W. Clark. WKRK-FM's (97.1) syndicated Howard Stern offering continued to grow, especially age 18-34 listeners.
WJLB-FM (97.9) clung to the overall listener lead. WNIC-FM (100.3), which had three great books in a row, cooled off but retained the age 25-54 leadership. Still, Detroit radio boils down to the Big 7 -- WJLB, WJR, WWJ, WNIC, WOMC, WRIF and WKQI -- and the also-rans. The top 10: 'JLB 7.9; 'JR 6.7; 'NIC 6.6; 'OMC, 5.9; WWJ 4.9; 'RIF 4.5; 'KQI 4.5; 'CHB 4.0; 'MXD 3.9, with 'PLT and 'VMV tied at 3.5.
Compiled by John Smyntek.
© 1997 Detroit Free Press.
Thanks to Roger for sending these in...
Radio: WJLB is tops; WJR's Smith slips to No. 5 in a.m.
By Tim Kiska / Detroit News Radio Writer
WJR-AM's Paul W. Smith, who took over for the late J.P. McCarthy a year ago this month, is finding out how hard the job can be.
Smith's morning show dropped to fifth place among Detroit morning radio listeners this spring, the Arbitron Co. reported Friday. It was the station's worst showing in at least 30 years.
The top five morning shows in Detroit radio were all-news WWJ-AM (950), Mason & Company on WJLB-FM (97.9), Jim Harper's Breakfast Club on WNIC-FM (100.3), The Drew & Mike Morning Show on WRIF-FM (101.1) and Smith's show on WJR-AM. Dick Purtan's show on WOMC-FM (104.3) came within two-tenths of a share point of Smith.
Despite the fact that WJR is the flagship station of the world champion Detroit Red Wings, the station landed in overall third place during the April-June period, more than two share points behind market-leading WJLB. WNIC placed second.
Officials at WJLB did not return phone calls Friday. "(The numbers) indicate that WJLB remains what it has been -- a formidable radio station," says Dick Kernen of the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting in Southfield and a longtime industry observer. "The station has great resources, a terrific morning show."
Says WJR programing chief Al Mayers: "We're not sure what happened. We're hitting our target audience -- the 35-54 age group, although we love everybody and want everybody to listen. ... We're seeing many of the news and talk stations across the country who are in the same boat. I'm not sure why that is."
The big winner in the morning was all-news WWJ, which captured the top morning slot for the second consecutive ratings period. "CBS has invested heavily in this news department for a long time," says WWJ general manager Rich Homberg. "It's paying off."
In 20th place is Howard Stern, whose syndicated talk show is broadcast weekday mornings on WKRK-FM (97.1). Despite his paltry 1.7 percent share of the morning Detroit radio audience, his show appears to be picking up momentum among men in the 18-34 age group.
But Stern does not seem to be hurting WRIF-FM's Drew & Mike program, which competes for the same audience. Drew & Mike saw slight audience gains since last winter.
"They are sitting right there as steady as a rock," says WRIF general manager Tom Bender. "Whether there is something building or not -- I'll leave it to the people of Detroit to figure that one out."
Thanks to Roger for sending these in...
This article is from the Detroit Free Press:
WCHB, WNIC show growth in latest ratings
by John Smyntek
Free Press Staff Writer
Detroit's always ferocious radio wars got a tad tighter and far more interesting in the first three months of 1997.
Quarterly Arbitron ratings released Wednesday showed urban WJLB-FM holding on as the market's most listened-to station -- despite continuing loss of listenership to urban upstart WCHB-FM in several key categories. And WNIC-FM, the soft rocker built on Jim Harper's genial Breakfast Club and pitched to the mainstream audience, recorded its highest ratings ever, besting WJR-AM for second place overall.
"For us, it's a matter of focus," said Harper, who doubles as the station's programmer. "We focus on our audience. We know who our audience is. We try to give them what they want."
Detroit, the country's sixth-largest radio market, generates about $160 million per year in advertising revenue. Ratings are critical in determining how those dollars are divided.
Other highlights from the quarterly report:
WRIF-FM's morning duo of Drew & Mike sustained some major ratings hits from their previous lofty numbers, dropping from an 8.6 to 7.5 in the overall category, from 10.8 to 9.5 in the age 25- to 54-year-old race and from a 21.7 to 15.7 in the age 18- to 34-year-old derby. But their audience did not seem to venture to WYST-FM (97.1) syndicated import Howard Stern, as some expected. WYST's morning numbers went from a 1.6 in the previous book (when the station broadcast Don Imus) to a 1.4 with one month of Imus and two months of Stern. Stern did some business in the age 18-34 segment, upping the station's 1.2 mark to a 2.4.
No -- the 'RIF drift appears to have benefitted WWBR-FM turned-morning man Ted Nugent. He scored an impressive 4.5 mark with the 18-34 crowd and jumped from a 1.8 to a 2.7 in the 25-54 report.
Paul W. Smith's morning show went from a 9.4 to an 8.2 in the overall race and from a 5.7 to a 5.1 in the 25-54 competition. Afternoons from 3-7 p.m., which is split among Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Mitch Albom and a news/sports hour (and some dreary Tiger exhibition games in February and March), dived from a 6.2 to a 5.4 overall and from a 5.4 to 4.7 in the 25-54 bracket. To remedy the situation, the station is starting a cash giveaway promotion in the next few weeks, something the ABC-owned property seldom resorted to in the past.
"We had a terrible January," said WJR general manger Mike Fezzey. "But we held our rank in the core demos we were aiming for. This is a marathon, not a sprint."
Feisty WCHB, which has been promoting itself via a major billboard campaign as the urban station owned and operated by pioneer hometown minority broadcaster Bell Broadcasting and "the real urban leader," continues to grab listeners from Chancellor Broadcasting's WJLB. In mornings, WJLB's John Mason dropped from a 9.3 to an 8.1 in the overall accounting and slid from an 8.9 to a 7.5 in the 25-54 race. Afternoons 3-7 p.m., WJLB slid from a 7.6 to a 6.1 in the 25-54 ratings and from a 9.4 to a 7.9 overall. To be sure, WJLB's urban listenership base remains significant. But the large margins it maintained during the past two years have wilted since WCHB entered the urban market last year.
The country war between WWWW-FM and WYCD-FM remained largely deadlocked. While Holly Dunn's addition to W4's morning show accounted for a 3.6 to 3.8 surge in the station's 25-54 morning tote, WYCD competitor Joe Wade Formicola cranked a 4.4 in the same category.
And here are the details from the Detroit News:
WJR drops to 3rd and loses morning race to rival WWJ
By Tim Kiska/Detroit News Radio Writer
WJR-AM is down. WWJ-AM, the all-news station that just keeps on chugging along, is the new king of morning radio. And Howard Stern -- well, young guys are listening but the jury is still out.
Those are some of the conclusions based on the important Arbitron Co. winter ratings for local radio released Wednesday. The ratings cover January through March.
Overall, WJLB-FM (97.9) remains the 6 a.m.-midnight leader in Metro Detroit by far. But the station is feeling the breath of WCHB-FM (105.9) behind it.
The biggest story in the highly competitive and fast-changing Detroit radio market, however, is WWJ-AM (950) moving ahead of WJR-AM (760) in the critical 6-10 a.m. drive time -- the first such victory for WWJ.
And that wasn't the only bad news for WJR, which has tried to re-invent itself since the death of popular morning host J.P. McCarthy in 1995. The station dropped to third place overall among listeners during the January-March period, behind WJLB and WNIC-FM (100.3), the first third-place finish for WJR in memory.
The most significant movement was in the morning, where the audience for Paul W. Smith's WJR show dropped from a 9.4 share during the fall to an 8.2 during the winter. WWJ went up slightly -- from an 8.5 to an 8.8. Each point represents 1 percent of the Detroit radio audience.
"Typically, you've seen an upward spike for WWJ in the winter," says WJR general manager Mike Fezzey. "Weather conditions had a lot to do with it."
WWJ-AM general manager Rich Homberg, however, sees the movement as significant: "I think this is a very important accomplishment for our news department."
Howard Stern, whose syndicated morning program began airing on WYST-FM (97.1) on Feb. 3, hasn't seen much change in his audience. The latest figures include two months of Stern and one month of Don Imus -- who jumped from WYST to WXYT-FM (1270). WYST's morning share dropped from a 1.3 last fall to a 1.2 in January-March. However, Stern is picking up more males in the 18-34 age group. "This does tend to support the notion that local radio is where it's at," says Dick Kernen, vice-president of the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting. "The ability to talk about the Red Wings and who's appearing in town -- instead of listening to somebody who is totally self-absorbed -- is still the essence of radio."
Homberg, also WYST's general manager, sees Stern's showing as a victory: "We said goodbye to an entire Star-97 audience, traded in one audience for another audience."
Winter 1997 Arbitrends:
Stern almost tripled the audience share for WYST-FM (97.1), his Detroit radio home since Feb. 3, according to an analysis of local radio ratings released Wednesday by the Arbitron Co. Stern's show, broadcast from New York, airs from 6-10 a.m.
According to Arbitron, Stern tripled the station's share from 0.6 percent of the Detroit audience in January to a 1.7 share in February. (Share is the percentage of the available listening audience tuned into a show.)
"It's only a beginning. We have a lot of work to do, but we are thrilled," says WYST general manager Rich Homberg. He adds that the December through February ratings period ended Feb. 23, before the release of Stern's new movie, Private Parts, which might have boosted his radio audience even further.
Arbitron also reported that WJR-AM (760) regained the No. 1 spot in the morning ratings, with a 9.2 share of the audience -- narrowly beating WWJ-AM (950). WWJ placed first in the November-January ratings period. For the entire listening day, WJLB-FM (97.9) remained in first place with an 8.1 share, compared to WJR's 6.8.
Thanks to Roger for the information.
Howard Stern is coming. Bill Bonds is going. Stern, radio's baddest of the bad, returns to Detroit's airwaves at 6 a.m. Monday on WYST-FM (97.1). And Bonds, the former TV bad-boy anchor who tried to make it as a morning man on WXYT-AM (1270), lost his job Friday. The moves were part of perhaps the biggest one-day shuffle in Detroit broadcast history:
Stern replaces fellow New York syndicated broadcaster Don Imus, who moves to WXYT to replace Bonds 6-10 a.m. weekdays.
Jimmy Barrett and right-wing icon Mark Scott roughly flip-flop shifts on WXYT, with Barrett on 10-noon and Scott 3-7 p.m.
Syndicated talker Tom Leykis moves to the 7-10 p.m. shift on WXYT; Ike (the MegaMan) Griffin moves to 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The bottom line is, as always, money. Stern's incursion into the Detroit market may do significant economic and ratings damage to WRIF-FM's (101.1) Drew Lane and Mike Clark, WCSX-FM's (94.7) Jim Johnson and the Morning Crew, and WWBR-FM's (102.7) Ted Nugent. They all do edgy morning radio and have the type of listener Stern aims at. Detroit was the only Top 10 market in the United States where Stern wasn't heard. [Ed. note: At the time of the writing of this article, Detroit was not the only market in the Top 10 not airing Howard. Houston, for one, does not air the show.] And the listeners are legion. Of the metro Detroit population of approximately 3.6 million, 83 percent of those 12 and older listen to one or more radio stations every weekday morning, according to Arbitron figures.
Detroit is the sixth-largest radio market in the nation, generating more than $160 million in ad revenue.
Stern left Detroit's WWWW-FM in the early 1980s. Since heading east, he's lured millions of listeners and dollars to his show with his assaults on good taste. Examples? He talks about his privates, stages stunts such as on-air lesbian spankings, and has assembled a troupe of sidekicks like Stuttering John Melendez, famed for his intrusive interviews of celebrities. Stern has had two best-selling books, and a movie based on his life is scheduled for release in March. He will do his Feb. 25 show from Detroit at a site yet to be chosen. Meanwhile, WXYT general manager Scott Meier said little about Bonds' departure. "Our future relationship has not been determined, so we can't comment on it," Meier said. Bonds did not respond to a Free Press request for comment.
Hired last May, longtime WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) anchor Bonds gave up his anchor spot on WJBK-TV (Channel 2) for the WXYT morning post. A recovering alcoholic, Bonds had his tour of radio duty marred by frequent absences, a controversy about accepting $20,000 from Detroit pro-gambling forces to do commercials that were never broadcast, and poor ratings.
WRIF officials declined comment on Stern's arrival. But WYST general manager Rich Homberg said: "Check the track record. Howard's track record is that's he ended up the leader in age 18-49 males in the markets he's in." That's a demographic segment radio stations advertisers pine for. WYST, which has a '70s music format, had slumped to the bottom of Detroit's radio ratings derby. "The opportunity to hire the biggest personality in the history of radio" merited the moves, including a switch to a rock format, Homberg said.
Asked whether he was worried about a possible conservative listener backlash against Stern, Homberg said: "Understand something -- Howard has changed as the world has changed. . . . Lots of people watch his E! cable show. You're not talking about 15 years ago. Howard talks to people in a way that no one talks to people on the radio. You have to listen to him to understand him. Don't assume you won't really enjoy him."
Temporarily, Stern will be followed by modern rock acts like Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins mixed with rockers like Van Halen and Aerosmith. Homberg said he anticipates a call-letter change and more hires.
The syndicated shockjock, who broadcasts his show 6-10a.m. nationally from New York five days a week, signed on WYST-FM (97.1) Monday boasting of a "triumphant return" to the town where he worked as a DJ in the late 1970s. "I've been working to get on in this town for the last five years and have been stopped every step of the way," he said.
But then Stern cut loose on Detroit:
* "They somehow keep their blacks in line up there. That's why the blacks, every once in a while, burn everything down."WYST-FM general manager Rich Homberg said later on Monday that Stern was happy to be on the air in Detroit, despite the negative comments. He added that "Howard personally went to the chairman of CBS Radio (which owns WYST) and told him that he's enthused about being here."
* He referred to his old station, WWWW-FM (106.7), as a "depressing hunk of junk." "I think they've moved," he said. His co-host asked: "You mean to a safer area?" He responded: "Safer -- you know what that means. A white area. Because downtown Detroit is all black, and everybody has, like, bars on the window."
* "Whenever I was in the Renaissance Center, it seemed very white. I mean, wow, how could it be in the middle of Detroit and be very white? ... You know how the Washington Monument is in the middle of 100 ghettoes? That's what Detroit is like."
As for Stern calling Detroit a "hell hole," Homberg said: "Keep in mind that Howard is a comedian. This is a satiric, comedic show. He tweaks people in New York and L.A. all the time. Is he going to tweak people in Detroit? Of course."
Mayor Dennis Archer's office declined to comment on Stern's remarks. Stern's reputation as being obsessed with sex also didn't suffer Monday. He described a recent lovemaking session with his wife, which concluded with her asking: "Are you finished yet?" And then there were the personal insults: A lawyer who called and said he had known Stern in Detroit was dismissed as a "lying, filthy sack of crap." And Stern said that fellow New York DJ Don Imus, who moved Monday from WYST to WXYT-AM (1270), "couldn't buy a ratings point if his life depended on it."
Stern also made fun of himself, recalling how he once passed out drunk on the air in Detroit and allowed his show to be taken over by cocaine-snorting bikers. Outrageous as Stern was, Homberg said WYST received few complaints. "It's not as though people don't know what Howard is about," Homberg said. "His television show is on E!, his book (a biography entitled Private Parts) sold well here and people have seen the movie trailers" for the film based on the book).
Will Stern find an audience in Detroit, which had been the last of the top-10 radio markets to be "Sternless." [Ed. note: At the time of the writing of this article, Detroit was not the only market in the Top 10 not airing Howard. Houston, for one, does not air the show.] "If you hype it heavy enough, everybody will go for it," said Art Vuolo, president of the Southfield-based Radio Guide. "He'll make an impact."
Thanks to Roger for this article.
Return to Detroit Ratings.
Back to ratings.
This page © 1997-2001 by The Complete Howard Stern Links!