Howard's first and last ratings book on WQAM was a 5.6, as discussed on the Neil Rogers radio show. That was outside of the top 5.
from the Miami Herald
By CHRISTINA HOAG
As of Monday, South Florida will once again have no Howard Stern on its airwaves.
WQAM 560 Sports Radio is yanking the raunchy shock jock from his morning slot -- the second time in a year that he's been pulled from a South Florida station.
QAM won't say why it's scratching Stern, but speculation among South Florida radio listeners runs rampant: Was it ire at Stern's touting of satellite radio, fear of more FCC fines, an attempt to stop the defection of the Miami Dolphins to another station or to please a top station personality?
The motive for Stern's previous disappearance was clear. Clear Channel Communications axed him from six stations, including Miramar-based WBGG-FM, in February after paying a record $1.7 million fine for Stern's on-air lewdness. WQAM picked him up in August.
"It's outrageous. Now he's gone again," said Miami Beach's Chris Gordon, who runs www.freestern.com with a fellow fanatic. "It's very frustrating."
Radio industry analyst Tom Taylor said the move leaves Stern without a key audience. South Florida "has always been a good market for him," he said.
WQAM's owner, Beasley Broadcasting of Naples, remains mum about the Stern axing, but the company will continue to air the show on a Fort Myers station, a spokeswoman said.
The move comes on the heels of a similar one this week by Citadel Broadcasting, which dropped the radio bad boy from four stations. Citadel decided it had had enough of Stern's incessant on-air plugs for satellite radio.
Stern is switching to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006 in a move widely expected to make pay radio a serious competitor with terrestrial radio.
Beasley's decision also comes as QAM could lose the broadcast rights for the Miami Dolphins to 790 ESPN Radio. The Dolphins have said they prefer to be part of a straight sports-talk format.
Team spokesman Harvey Greene said the Stern show did not influence the decision to talk to other stations. "We still feel sports talk better serves our audience, but it's their prerogative," he said.
QAM's popular midday host Neil Rogers has also complained about Stern's penchant for running overtime, which cuts into Rogers' scheduled 10 a.m. start.
In addition, a longtime Stern adversary, Coral Gables lawyer Jack Thompson, has filed about 10 fresh complaints against QAM for Stern's prurient antics this past fall.
To Stern fans, controversy is nothing new.
"It just seems ridiculous," said Jonny Lieberbaum, a partner in freestern.com. "I can't believe they're pulling him off the air."
from fmqb.com
January 4, 2005
According to Miami-based attorney and "decency crusader" Jack Thompson, Beasley had been notified in the past month that the FCC was proceeding with a formal investigation of ten new complaints he had filed for the airing of Stern on WQAM.
Thompson also told FMQB that the FCC informed Beasley on December 15 that it was formally investigating his assertions that Beasley had engaged in a pattern of intimidation to dissuade Thompson from staying the course at the FCC. These threats involved promises on the air to have Thompson beaten up. Thompson is about to file a civil action against Beasley arising out of these threats.
In response to Thompson, Beasley representative Norm Kent told FMQB that the investigation launched by the FCC is "one where the agency [FCC] mandated and gave him 21 days to show cause, produce documents, or establish with any level of trust whether any of his allegations are true, can be sustained, or are instead frivolous and fraudulent as we know they are. The fact is that the FCC is demanding he -- Jack Thompson -- produce material to sustain his specious allegations. Beasley is required to produce nothing. [The FCC] attorneys in D.C. are simply dutibound to respond to his mythical hallucinations."
This marks the second time Stern has been dropped in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market. Clear Channel Classic Rock WBGG discontinued airing Stern's program in February 2004.
from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
January 4, 2005
WQAM is dropping The Hammer on Howard Stern.
As of Monday, Stern's show will disappear from the sports station (560-AM), replaced by a new program hosted by Hank Goldberg, who moves from afternoon drive. Unlike most morning drive programs, Goldberg will sign on at 7 a.m. Goldberg, a notorious night owl and club hopper, said there is no way he could be up early enough to be on the air at the normal 6 a.m. starting time. Goldberg, who said he expects a hefty raise to become a slave of the alarm clock, added, "There isn't enough money to get me to do [a 6 a.m. program]."
Goldberg's move will necessitate changes throughout the schedule. Jim Mandich is the logical choice to take over for Goldberg from 4 to 7 p.m., but this would necessitate coming up with a replacement for the former Dolphin's current 2-4 p.m. slot. However, this shift is far less important than afternoon drive. WQAM in all likelihood will run the Sporting News Network overnight show as a lead-in to Goldberg.
WQAM general manager Greg Reed declined to comment on the potential changes. Conversations are taking place, he said, but nothing has been finalized.
Replacing Stern with a program that ends at 10 a.m. also would appease Neil Rogers. The station's biggest generator of ratings and revenue has been vocal in expressing displeasure about having to start his program whenever Stern feels like ending his. Some days, this is 11 a.m. or later.
This is the second time in less than a year Stern has been without an outlet in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market. He was dropped by WBGG (105.9-FM) in February in anticipation of the Federal Communications Commission crackdown on indecency after the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction contretemps. WPBZ (FM 103.1) restored Stern to the Palm Beach market in July. The following month, WQAM announced it was picking up the syndicated program.
Stern shocked the industry in October, announcing he is abandoning the broadcast band for Sirius satellite radio when his contract expires at the end of 2005. The fact that he will be leaving in less than a year undoubtedly was a factor in WQAM making its move now.
from NeilRogers.com
From: Ross, David
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 5:38 PM
To: Miami All Solutions Group
Subject: Beasley to air Stern
Importance: High
(Confidential for CC Miami internal use only- not for air not for broadcast)
Ronna and I thought we should share a bit of news we heard this afternoon. It appears that the Beasley folks (WQAM, are telling advertisers that they will be airing the Howard Stern Show on WQAM starting August 16th. We all know that Stern wanted to be back in South Florida, so this move is no great surprise. First, it is not confirmed, and this could be a "stunt". We just felt it was a significant enough rumor that we should tell you about the move.
What is interesting is that the complaint that got the most recent attention from the FCC, and drew the last fine for Stern came from Miami! So you can imagine how much venom will be spewing from the special interest groups, and in particular one gentleman, Jack Thompson, an attorney who has filed complaints against both Neil Rogers and Howard Stern in the past. Mr. Thompson was openly very proud of his recent complaint and allegedly claimed to be victorious in removing Stern from the market. We imagine that he will not take this news with great joy. I'm sure the FCC will be hearing from him!
As for us, we take it in stride. We have to focus on our products, and look at how far we have come back without Howard. Great news is that we made a super move with Paul and Ron. This show and Big 105.9 will actually gain from the return of Stern, as many mainstream advertisers just feel that Stern is just not their cup of tea. Paul and Ron are! They are superb sellers of goods and services, and certainly will accommodate advertisers with their "no controversy" dictates. Now QAM will have controversial programming on from 6am till 3pm. Guess sports isn't the way to go! Our recent research study indicated that we have strong listener acceptance of Pand R on Big.
It will be very interesting to see how Wayne Huizenga and the Miami Dolphins feel about being on the same station as Howard Stern. When we pitched the Dolphins a few years ago...we offered BIG for a simulcast of the games. They were not interested in being on the same station as Howard Stern! Were openly concerned about the image during our negotiations.
Many of you have asked why Infinity has not been fined, and how new companies like Beasley can flaunt the FCC's Indecency rules. I have no answer at this time. Its out of my hands and control. I can just hope like the rest of you that we are all held to the same standards. After last nights "F" bomb on CNN...one has to continue to wonder if fair play exists....but...
Our job here in the market is to program , promote and move goods and services for our clients. John Hogan took indecency issues seriously, protected our shareholders, and our company took the high road. We now have a Less is More initiative ...where we are going to cut down on clutter, and make these stations even more appealing to listener needs. We are going to offer clients multiple time frame units, 30's 60's 15's ....along with premium positions.
While the competition will be adding units....we will be cutting them. The Stern Show runs 18 units per hour...we will be running 10. The market's "sports station" will be out of sports from 6am-3PM! Guess WIOD is looking pretty good right now....we got Shaq! Dolphins and QAM lost Ricky.... WIOD and the Heat will be a radio winner!
Keep your heads up and focus on our game. Our rock brands ZETA and BIG will continue to be the markets "wall of men". They are hertiage stations with great morning shows... Nobody in this market knows more about Howard Stern than we do. We worked with him... our BIG 105.9 staff was the best in the country at selling him... We also know the weaknesses. We may lose some live spot business, but think of how much business QAM will lose nationally and from clients with no Stern edicts...so go after them...take their business...
The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings!
from fmqb.com
Beasley Broadcast Group today announced that starting on Monday, August 16, Howard Stern will return to the Miami airwaves on Sports Rado WQAM-AM.
Stern was last heard on Clear Channel Classic Rocker WBGG before he was yanked off the air by the company in six markets across the country.
Commenting on the addition to WQAM's morning line up, Greg Reed, Vice President and General Manager of WQAM, noted, "With an enormous, long-term following in the Miami market, we are delighted to welcome Howard Stern to WQAM. Howard's morning show, which is enjoyed by millions of listeners nationwide, is a perfect complement to our daily programming line-up. We are confident he will once again receive a warm reception from listeners and advertisers alike."
"Together with the irreverent Neil Rogers [in middays], WQAM will offer Miami's best weekday morning programming line-up, featuring hallmark sports programming with humorous, thought-provoking talk," Reed continued. "We believe this combination positions WQAM as the team to beat during the morning drive in South Florida."
from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
From Homestead to West Palm Beach, Howard Stern fans will get their morning radio hero back on the airwaves across South Florida. The Beasely Broadcast Group Inc. announced Friday that Stern will begin airing during morning drive time on WQAM, AM 560, starting Aug. 16.
The company did not say where it would move the station's current morning show host Howard David. Reached Friday, David declined to comment.
WQAM veteran Neil Rogers will follow Stern at about 10 a.m. The radio icon sometimes goes past his allotted time.
Until adding Stern, WQAM billed itself as an all-sports station with the exception of local host Neil Rogers' show. But with Stern, followed by Rogers, sports programming wouldn't start on WQAM until midafternoon.
"With an enormous, long-term following in the Miami market, we are delighted to welcome Howard Stern to WQAM," Greg Reed, WQAM vice president and general manager, said in a statement. "We are confident he will once again receive a warm reception from listeners and advertisers alike."
Earlier this month, Stern partially returned to South Florida airwaves when Infinity Broadcasting, which syndicates Stern, put him back on the air in six markets, including WPBZ, FM 103.1, in West Palm Beach. But that station's signal was not strong enough to reach south of central Broward County.
Clear Channel Communications pulled Stern's show off the air in February after Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flashing scandal and fears that Stern's raunchy humor would lead to Federal Communications Commission indecency fines.
Ratings plummeted in all six markets, including WBGG, FM 105.9, in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, after Stern was pulled off the air, according to Infinity president Joel Hollander.
After Clear Channel dropped Stern from South Florida, San Diego and Pittsburgh, Infinity sued Clear Channel for $10 million. But Clear Channel fought back last week, filing a $3 million lawsuit against Stern and Infinity for refusing to follow the FCC's indecency rules.
Earlier this year, the FCC proposed fining Infinity $27,500 for a 2001 Stern broadcast that aired discussions about sexual practices. In 1995, Infinity paid $1.7 million to settle various FCC indecency violations by Stern.
Since being taken off the air, Stern has waged a campaign against the Bush administration, which he has said is conducting a "witch hunt" against him.
He's told his audience that he's dedicated to electing John Kerry, even though the Democratic presidential candidate recently voted to increase potential fines for broadcast indecency.
from the Miami Herald
He's baaaack!
Howard Stern has agreed to return to the South Florida airwaves Aug. 16 on WQAM-AM Sports Radio 560.
"It's great news," said Chris Gordon, a diehard Miami Beach Stern fan who operates www.freestern.com. "It's definitely exciting."
The radio bad boy's raunchy -- and hugely popular -- show disappeared in February from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, where it aired on WBGG-FM Big 105.9. WBGG's parent, Clear Channel Communications, axed the program from six stations after the Federal Communications Commission announced that it was investigating complaints of indecency on the show.
Last month, Clear Channel agreed to pay a record $1.75 million in fines for Stern's lewd on-air antics. In 1995, Infinity Broadcasting paid $1.7 million for similar violations.
But that history has failed to faze WQAM's parent, the Beasley Broadcasting Group of Naples, which also airs Stern on its Fort Myers station, WRXK-FM 96.1 K-Rock.
"We are delighted," said Greg Reed, the Miami station's vice president and general manager, in a statement released late Friday. "Howard's morning show, which is enjoyed by millions of listeners nationwide, is a perfect complement to our daily programming lineup."
Some are not so delighted.
"It's our belief that the sports-talk format better serves the fans in this market," Eddy Jones, president of the Miami Dolphins, whose games air on WQAM, said in a statement. "However, it's WQAM's prerogative to program the station as they see fit."
The flagship radio stations of several other sports teams also air The Howard Stern Show. Industry analyst Tom Taylor called WQAM's signing of Stern a smart move.
Beasley is familiar with the tough terms of a typical Stern contract, which mandates that the station bear the cost of any FCC inquiry, and WQAM had been searching for a morning-drive hit for some time.
With Stern, Beasley said, the station has guaranteed listenership in a major market that has sorely missed the controversial shock jock.
And because of the ratings Stern pulls in, he's a draw for advertisers.
"It's a perfect fit for the station," said Taylor, editor of the Inside Radio/M Street newsletter. "Stern fans are very loyal. They'll seek him out."
Stern replaces WQAM morning hosts Howard David and Steve Goldstein, who work the early-morning drive, and Joe Rose, an WTVJ-NBC 6 sportscaster, who takes the later morning slot. Stern will be followed at 10 a.m. by irreverent talk host Neil Rogers.
"Am I shocked?" Goldstein said. "No, because Stern is a revenue-generating personality and WQAM would be silly, as a station, to not at least explore him coming in."
Goldstein's new main assignment will be as WQAM's play-by-play announcer for the Florida Panthers, something he's likely to supplement with weekend talk shows. David's main duties will continue as play-by-play announcer for the Dolphins, while Rose may leave WQAM. Station sources said he may move to a proposed all-sports station, WAXY-AM 790.
David declined to comment Friday.
Rose couldn't be reached.
Herald sports writer Barry Jackson contributed to this report
from the Miami Herald
April 30, 2004
Big 106's sudden replacement of the controversial but popular shock jock Howard Stern apparently had little impact on the radio station's most recent ratings.
In the three-month period ended March 31, the ranking of WBGG-FM (105.9), aka Big 106, fell from 21 to 22 in overall ratings in the demographic of 12 and above, the latest Arbitron figures released Thursday show.
In morning drive-time hours, however, when Stern's show aired, the station maintained its No. 17 position. Most of the tracking period included Stern's show, except for March.
The full effect of Stern's departure in late February will likely be felt in the next quarter's tracking period.
Super Bowl fallout in the wake of Janet Jackson's bared breast swept Stern off the air at Clear Channel Communications-owned stations across the country -- including Big 106. On Feb. 25, the station swapped Stern's talk show for the airing of oft-played classic rock cuts from the likes of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Pink Floyd.
Meanwhile, commercial Spanish-language WCMQ-FM (92.3) cemented its overall lead as South Florida's top radio station, holding No. 1. Urban stations, in general, posted gains or held their ground, with WPOW-FM (96.5) ranking No. 2 overall, pushing easy listening WLYF-FM (101.5) down a notch to No. 3.
Leaping into the top 10 this period were smooth jazz's WLVE-FM (93.9), Spanish-language's WRTO-FM (98.3) surging from 22 to 10, and country's WKIS-FM (99.9). Bumped out of the Top 10 was oldies station WMXJ-FM (102.7). Majic apparently was not helped by its programming pegged to the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' landing in Miami.
Spanish-language talk station WAQI-AM (710) remains the only AM station in the top 10.
from fmqb.com
April 29, 2004
Like San Diego, the loss of Howard Stern in Pittsburgh and Miami wasn't pretty. In morning drive 12+, WXDX slid from a third place 6.4 in the fall to a 9th place 3.6 in the Winter. Total week, The X is down 4.8-3.5. In Miami, WBGG's 12+ morning share sank 4.3-2.7 while total week went 2.4-2.0.
The Winter survey covers January 8 - March 31. Clear Channel fired Bubba The Love Sponge on February 24 and turfed Howard Stern on February 25.
from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
TV did the crime and radio is doing the time. More precisely, radio listeners are doing the time. Justin Timberlake didn't bare Janet Jackson's breast on radio. However, radio is where the ramifications of the FCC's grandstanding crackdown are most being felt. The clearest and most outrageous manifestation is Clear Channel's decision to pull Howard Stern from six of its radio stations, including WBGG (FM 105.9). Jackson flashes a breast on TV and Stern, who has been on radio for more than a quarter-century, suddenly becomes persona non grata. A university class in logic could spend a semester trying to analyze that.
Every Clear Channel executive and member of the Federal Communications Commission ought to be chained to a chair for a screening of Lenny, so they will at least have a clue how narrow-minded and stupid they are going to look in retrospect. They certainly don't have a clue now.
Clear Channel's kowtowing can be traced to a much more significant issue, media consolidation. The San Antonio-based conglomerate owns more than 1,200 stations nationwide, a death rattle for localism, which is supposed to be the heart of broadcasting. One executive in Texas has the power to dictate what will be heard in Florida, California, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. This is what happened with Stern.
David Ross, regional vice president of Clear Channel stations, said in a phone conversation Wednesday afternoon that Stern would continue to be heard on WBGG, with several safeguards against indecent material going over the air. A few hours later, the edict came down from Texas that Stern had to go in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Rochester, San Diego, Pittsburgh and Louisville. Ross knows the sensibilities of this market from more than two decades running successful local stations. However, the only authority he had was to carry out the Texans' command.
Who allowed this unacceptable domination of the public airwaves? None other than the FCC.
More than a few legislators and activists are demanding a breakup of Clear Channel (a broadcast partner of the Sun-Sentinel). However, its friends at the commission have turned a deaf ear. This explains why Clear Channel is so ready to defer to the FCC's morality posturing. This also might explain why the lineup of issue-oriented talk hosts syndicated by Clear Channel is top-heavy with champions of the Bush administration. Commission Chairman Michael Powell owes his job to the president.
Not that Powell needs much encouragement to give away the farm. His commission also voted to raise the penetration cap -- the percentage of the national audience reached by network-owned TV stations -- from 35 percent to 45 percent, clearly en route to 100 percent. If that is ever allowed, localism will be dead in TV, too. One executive in New York or Los Angeles will be able to decide what will be seen in more than 200 markets nationwide.
Fortunately, so many members of Congress balked at the elevated limits that the FCC had to back down. Eventually, a compromise was reached and the bar was set at 39 percent, which still is being challenged in the courts.
The spanking the FCC took on this issue is not unrelated to the indecency crackdown. Stung at being perceived as sitting in the broadcast industry's pocket, Powell's FCC chose the Super Bowl controversy as an opportunity to flex its muscles without doing anything truly meaningful. To borrow a corollary to one of Murphy's Laws, when all is said and done, more will be said than done. The FCC has summoned broadcast chieftains to the Washington woodshed for a public flogging. Some fines will be issued. Even at the inflated rates being discussed, they are merely a cost of doing business -- a very lucrative business. Once the public moves on to the next cause celebre, radio will gradually return to the pre-Super Bowl norm. But Powell's FCC will have played to the Republican base in the run-up to a national election.
It would be a misnomer to describe the Super Bowl flash as the catalyst for the crackdown. In reality, it is the excuse. Self-appointed moral guardians are forever waiting for any opportunity to attempt to enforce their personal rigid codes on everyone else. The actions of Jackson and Timberlake, which were inexcusable, were like manna from heaven for the moral mafia.
No one has ever been involuntarily subjected to more than a few seconds at most of Stern, Neil Rogers or any other personality now in the crosshairs of the FCC. Given the notoriety these "shock jocks" have achieved, anyone who claims to have been offended by tuning in unaware of the nature of their programs should look beyond the commandments dealing with sex and focus on those dealing with false witness.
Moreover, the FCC's actions here constitute a single-issue abandonment of the bedrock Republican principle of letting the marketplace decide.
The people who would like to deny others the opportunity to listen to Howard Stern or watch NYPD Blue have ample alternatives that fall within the parameters of their sensibilities. There are scores of religious radio stations as well as a national Disney radio network throughout the United States. The combined audience for all of them doesn't add up to what Stern attracts every morning. Is Powell suggesting that the millions of Americans who enjoy Stern's adult humor are all perverts?
Bud Paxson created a TV network to cater to those turned off by the content excesses of the rest of TV. The ratings are so low, a sky-writing plane would be seen by more people.
The decision of the marketplace in this instance clearly does not matter to Powell's FCC and the lawmakers enabling its witch hunt. But they should be wary of another marketplace decision in November, which they will be unable to ignore.
from the Miami Herald
February 27, 2004
Listeners reacted with rage and advertisers with trepidation Thursday to the news that Howard Stern's immensely raunchy but monstrously popular radio show had vanished from the South Florida airwaves.
The Wednesday evening decision by broadcast conglomerate Clear Channel Radio to yank the Stern show from its stations meant South Florida listeners couldn't hear it during its normal morning drive-time slot on Fort Lauderdale's Big-106 WBBM-FM.
Angry listeners tied up Big-106's phones most of the morning. Meanwhile, local advertisers who pay several hundred dollars a pop for spots on Stern's show found their commercials airing on a program with half the listeners.
"It means I'm not getting what I paid for," said a testy executive at one local advertising agency. "It means I'm having the day from hell."
RAPIDLY GATHERING STORM
The controversy over Stern was the newest cloud in a gathering storm over off-color material on the airwaves, a storm that has gathered hurricane force since Janet Jackson exposed her breast on national television during the Super Bowl.
As public complaints about indecent programming grow, broadcast executives are worried about retaliatory action from the Federal Communications Commission or Congress or both. Several media analysts noted Thursday that Clear Channel Radio pulled the plug on Stern just hours before its president, John Hogan, was scheduled to testify as the House Energy and Commerce telecommunications subcommittee queried broadcasters.
"Clear Channel is trying to really look tough to the FCC and Congress," said Adam Jacobson, radio news editor at the industry publication Radio & Records. "This would probably not have happened if Hogan had not been called to testify Thursday. He's complaining about the same material that Stern, in my opinion, has been using 10 years or more."
SEX PARTNER INTERVIEWED
The Stern show that triggered Clear Channel Radio's decision was broadcast Tuesday and included an interview with Rick Solomon, hotel heiress Paris Hilton's sex partner in a video that has been the toast of Internet porn sites the past few months.
Stern and Solomon chattered about Hilton's genitalia, discussed how Solomon had sex with actress Drew Barrymore when she was only 15 and took a phone call from a listener who asked racist questions about sex with black women.
Although Clear Channel Radio owns about 1,200 stations, only six of them -- in Orlando, Louisville, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Rochester, N.Y., along with Big 106 -- air Stern's show.
The show, owned by Infinity Broadcasting, continued airing on 75 other stations around the country Thursday.
In place of Stern, Big 106 simulcast the morning show of Paul and Young Ron from 94.9 Zeta WZTA-FM, a Miami station owned by Clear Channel.
"At first, I thought I hit the wrong button on my car radio," said Lauderhill bookkeeper Georgette Tarantino, one of the outraged fans who called Big 106 to complain.
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING
"Suddenly I realize Paul and Ron are on both stations, and I think, 'Oh, noooo.' . . . I don't understand this. With Howard, you know what you're going to get. If you don't like it, you don't listen."
During his Thursday show, Stern repeatedly warned listeners that his days as a broadcaster may be numbered.
"They are so afraid of me and what this show represents," he said.
He won support from some surprising quarters, including conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh.
"I've never heard Howard Stern," Limbaugh said on his own show. "But when the federal government gets involved in this, I get a little frightened. . . . What happens if a whole bunch of John Kerrys or Terry McAuliffes start running this country and decide conservative views are leading to violence?"
'THEY'VE BEEN ON FOR YEARS'
Added WQAM-AM's Neil Rogers, a frequent Stern critic: "Howard Stern and Bubba the Love Sponge [a Tampa-based disc jockey fired last week by Clear Channel for using raunchy material] didn't just go on the air last week. They've been on for years. . . . The FCC is using these people as an excuse for prohibiting other people from hearing what they want to hear."
When and if Stern will return to the air here remains something of a mystery.
David Ross, head of Clear Channel Radio operations in South Florida, refused to comment Thursday. Advertisers said they were told a final decision might come Monday.
from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
February 27, 2004
Tom Jicha
The decision to stop broadcasting Stern in South Florida, at least temporarily, caught many fans off guard. Stern's often raunchy show is one of the highest-rated morning drive programs in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, and one of the highest-rated nationally syndicated programs.
Those expecting to hear Stern Thursday morning found a simulcast of the Ron and Paul Show from WZTA ("Zeta," FM 94.9). "Zeta" and "Big" are both owned by Clear Channel Communications (a broadcast partner of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel).
The duration of the Stern blackout is uncertain. Calls to Clear Channel headquarters in Miramar were referred to a corporate spokesman in Washington, who declined to speak on the record.
Clear Channel's statement in taking off the program implies that Stern may never be reinstated. The San Antonio-based company said it would not return Stern to its lineup until there are assurances the program will conform to acceptable broadcast standards.
Moreover, Clear Channel president John Hogan, testifying before Congress on Thursday, said: "I don't think he has changed his tune. We have changed ours. We're going in a different direction."
Stern attempted to point out the irony in his situation on his Thursday broadcast: "Janet Jackson is now forgotten and I'm on the front page of every newspaper." It was Jackson's televised breast-baring at the Super Bowl that triggered the Federal Communications Commission drive to clean up broadcasting.
Stern also fielded a call from someone who identified himself as a South Floridian, upset that he could no longer hear the show.
Several dozen phone calls and e-mails to the Sun-Sentinel overwhelmingly came down in support of Stern and against Clear Channel.
The edict to suspend Stern's program in the midst of the FCC's crackdown on indecent broadcasting came from Clear Channel's corporate headquarters. The company is smarting from a $755,000 fine proposed by the FCC for indecency on a program hosted by Bubba the Love Sponge, who has been fired.
Clear Channel stations in Orlando, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Rochester, N.Y., and Louisville also were ordered to drop Stern, who is syndicated by Infinity Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Viacom. About three dozen non-Clear Channel stations are sticking with Stern.
Hogan said he dumped Stern in the wake of Tuesday's program, which featured a risqué interview with Rick Salomon, the party of the second part in the notorious Paris Hilton sex video.
In addition to the sexual talk, a caller uttered the racially insensitive "n-word." Stern countered on his Thursday program that as soon as the caller used the inflammatory word, he hung up on him.
Clear Channel's action came a day after it announced a zero tolerance policy toward indecency on its stations, and a day before Hogan was summoned to Washington to testify at congressional hearings into broadcast indecency.
It's too soon to gauge whether another station in the market might try to obtain the show. Greg Reed, general manager of the Beasley Broadcasting Group, said his company carries Stern on its station in Fort Myers and he expects it will continue to do so.
In the past, he has had discussions with Stern's agent about acquiring the program for WQAM (AM 560), but this was before the station picked up Neil Rogers.
There are no openings for Stern now, Reed said. A dream team pairing of Stern leading into Rogers would be unfeasible for economic and scheduling reasons. It also would further dilute the station's sports format.
In addition, Stern would not be a comfortable fit into the formats of Beasley's other stations, country music WKIS (FM 99.9) and hip-hop WPOW ("Power 96," FM 96.5).
Reed added that it is premature to speculate on where Stern might go, because it is not clear whether the program will become available.
This article was supplemented with material from wire services.
These six markets (Fort Lauderdale, Rochester, Orlando, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Louisville) lost Howard on February 25, 2004, when Clear Channel dropped Howard for indecency. Go here for more info.
Thanks for the update, Lu!
Men 18+: Stern went from a 8.5 to 10.5
OVERALL: 6.4 to a 7.0!
Bottom line: STILL NUMBER FUCKING ONE!
September 18, 2003
a little birdie told me...
Howard Stern is #1, in the June, July AND August 2003 Trends, with a 6.2 SHARE!
Now, that is NOT the 12+ number, it's the men 18+ number.
from the NY Daily News
November 13, 2002
Ever wondered how many other people in America are actually listening to, say, Howard Stern at the same time you are?
Tony Sanders, who crunches national numbers for the trade publication Inside Radio, says it's around 1,490,000.
Standard radio ratings, designed for advertisers, use a figure called "cume," which is the cumulative number of persons who tune to a given show or station at some time during an average week.
That's obviously a much higher figure. The national weekly "cume" for Stern has been estimated by the trade mag Talkers at "8 million-plus."
By comparison, Rush Limbaugh is rated at 14.5 million-plus per week, Sean Hannity at 10 million-plus and Dr. Joy Browne and Imus at 5 million-plus.
The numbers of people listening to those hosts at any one time presumably are proportionate to Stern's numbers.
Stern's numbers also mean more than 10 times as many people are listening to him at any given time than are, say, watching cable news channels on television.
Sanders has also tracked Stern's ranking in all of his markets for summer 2002 - though this is just based on his share of the total audience. Like most hosts, Stern scores higher among his specific target audiences, which for him includes younger men.
Overall, Stern is No. 1 in New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Syracuse and York, Pa.
In other cities, it goes like this: Philadelphia, second; Washington, D.C., fourth; Los Angeles, seventh; Baltimore, 16th; Cleveland, second; Buffalo, fourth; Chicago, 10th; Dallas, 11th; Detroit, ninth; Hartford, sixth; Las Vegas, second; Boston, second; San Diego, third; Pittsburgh, third; Seattle, fourth; Rochester, seventh; Miami, fourth; San Francisco, fifth.
--snips--
From a reliable source, I hear Howard was 3rd in his target demo (18-34 or 25-54) behind Jamz and Romance.
from the Sun-Sentinel of South Florida
May 2, 2002
Radio listeners in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market can't be accused of being fickle. Results from Arbitron's winter audience measurement, compiled between Jan. 3 and March 27, mirror those taken during the fall 2001 quarter.
The five most popular stations among listeners 12 and older are the same, with minimal change of position, and there is only one newcomer to the Top 10.
The big movement came in the 25-to-54-year-old breakout, dubbed the "money demo" because it is the basis for almost all ad sales. WPYM (FM 93.1), whose techno dance sounds replaced classical music on the station formerly known as WTMI, zoomed from 20th in the demographic to a three-way tie for sixth. An interesting quirk in the statistics is that WPYM made this leap even though its 12-plus ranking remained the same, a tie for ninth. This indicates WPYM management achieved its goal of replacing WTMI's tough-to-sell older audience with the younger listeners avidly pursued by sponsors.
Urban pop WEDR ("99 Jamz," FM 99.1) continues as the market's most popular station among the entire audience, a status it has held for most of the past four years. WEDR also is No. 1 in the 25-to-54 category.
WAMR ("Amor," FM 107.5) and WHQT ("Hot 105," FM 105.1) flip-flop second and third in the two breakouts. WAMR, which plays soft Latin hits, improved from fourth to second overall and remained No. 3 among 25-to-54s. WHQT, whose playlist is heavy with rhythm and blues and soul music, is No. 3 among 12-plus listeners and No. 2 in 25-to-54.
Pop dance sounds WPOW ("Power 96," FM 96.5) is No. 4 overall followed by soft hits WLYF ("Lite," FM 101.5). The 12-plus Top 10 is filled out by Spanish talk WAQI (AM 710), the market's highest rated AM; jazz-intensive WLVE ("Love 94," FM 93.9), the newcomer up from 11th in the fall; Latin pop WCMQ (FM 92.3); WPYM, and WHYI ("Y-100," 100.7).
In the 25-to-54 breakout, WEDR, WHQT and WAMR are followed by WLVE, WLYF, and then the tri-sixth place finishers -- WPYM, WRMA ("Romance," FM 106.7) and WBGG ("Big," FM 105.9) -- then WHYI. Tied for 10th were WXDJ ("El Zol," FM 95.7) and WFLC ("The Coast," FM 97.3).
News/talk WIOD (AM 610), which ranks 14th, edged sports-dominated WQAM (AM 560), which tied for 16th, for bragging rights among English-language AM stations in the overall 12-plus category.
However, WQAM improved significantly in its target demo, men 25-54, despite staff turmoil and lineup shuffles. It ranked No. 1 from 6 a.m. to midnight, with more than six times the audience of its main competitor, WINZ (AM 940).
WQAM also led in the midday 10 a.m.-to-3 p.m. breakout, most of which is filled by the top-rated Neil Rogers Show. The shift of Rogers' show to a 9 a.m. start also benefited the 6-to-10 a.m. morning drive ratings, with the show hosted by the new voice of the Dolphins, Howard David, advancing from sixth to third. Howard Stern on WBGG is a runaway leader in this category, followed by the morning show on WHQT.
The winter Arbitron "book" reflects only a couple of weeks of Rogers doing his show from Toronto and changing the format from taking calls to reading newspaper and magazine articles. The spring book, due in late June, will provide a better indicator of whether Rogers has managed another successful reinvention of his program.
April 29, 2002
...as posted in alt.fan.howard-stern...
Neil Rogers announced the Miami ratings today. He mentioned that Howard went up a point and a half to a 10.6 in 25-54, which makes him #1 in the market.
Thanks to LuCifer and Robk for sending these in...
October 21, 2001
Howard Stern went from #2 to #1 in Persons 25-54 with a 6.8 share! WEDR's "The James T. Goodmorning Show" was #2.
Howard's station, BIG 106 was #1 Overall Men 25-54 (all day parts), Howard is #1 in the Morning with a 10.7 share men 25-54.
May 1, 2001
The Winter 2001 ratings are out today for Miami...an insider say's Howard was #1 in the morning with a 10.4 share.
Ratings Update...April 11, 2001
Got an email today from someone in the know about the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami ratings. Here it is:
I haven't seen a morning breakout for some time but last time I did, Howard was far and away the leader. Probably still is when you consider the three main Spanish music stations divide that audience and NO ONE listens to WQAM's morning talk show. Pretty much leave Howard with no competition.
In the Men 25 to 54 demo: 8.6 to 7.9 good for second place. (From The Neil Rogers Show, and judging from the rest of the ratings Neil read, I will NEVER believe a DAMN thing Arbitron pukes forth again! This most recent book, I believe last quarter of 2000, was ALL ETHNIC, as in the Spanish AM stations and the Urban stations going WAY up, while EVERYthing else took a big dump...so who knows...)...Lu Cifer
sources say.....
Howard's Miami numbers : ......... Persons 25 to 54.......... 8.6-7.9 good for second place........ in the newly released fall arbitrons...RobK
Thanks to Lu Cifer for this info...
October 23, 2000
I can't remember the exactly #'s, but from the Neil Rogers Show, Howard went down from a 5.9 to a 3.7, if memory serves...darkness engulfs the earth the day any local papers ever write squat about radio down here...and why is it that this area is like the 10th largest metropolitan area in the country and we're ALWAYS last for getting ratings published?!!?!?
from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
The Arbitron Co.'s spring 2000 survey of radio audiences in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood metropolitan area produced some changes among the top-ranked stations.
WAQI (AM 710), popularly known as Radio Mambí, moved into first place among all listeners over age 12. It was ranked second during the winter 2000 poll.
A Spanish-language news and talk station, WAQI received a 6.7 audience share, up nearly 20 percent from the winter 2000 survey, and an increase of 52 percent over spring of 1999.
At the same time, urban contemporary/rap station WEDR "Jamz" (FM 99.1) saw its share diminish by 8.8 percent in the overall market in the spring survey, and slipped into second. It remains first among English-language stations.
The spring survey, one of four done each year, was carried out from March 30 through June 21. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale radio market is the 12th largest in the nation, with a 12-plus population of more than 3.1 million.
Shares mentioned in this article reflect the percentage of people older than 12 years listening to a particular station during a particular time period, and are one important measure of the attractiveness of stations to advertisers.
Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., which owns WAQI and three other stations in the market, was pleased with the spring results. Its Spanish-language WAMR (FM 107.5), an adult contemporary music station called "Amor," moved from seventh place in the winter survey to a tie for fifth place with WHQT (FM 105.1). WHQT advanced from a tie for eighth in the earlier survey.
Nelson Albareda, director of marketing and public relations for HBC, attributed WAQI's success to "consistency, credibility and experience." Although the station often "tweaks" its programming to improve it, "People count on us. They know what they can expect when they tune in," he said. Among the other Top 10 stations in the market, WPOW (FM 96.5) moved up from No. 4 to No. 3, WLYF (FM 101.5) slid from third to fourth, and WKIS (FM 99.9), a country music station, moved into seventh from a tie for 13th last winter with a 22 percent share gain.
WLVE (FM 93.9) which tied for 10th in the winter poll with WTMI (FM 93.1), held the No. 10 slot by itself in the spring survey.
WTMI, a classical music station recently purchased by Cox Radio Inc., saw its share fall slightly from 3.6 last winter to 3.5 in the spring survey. It is now in 11th place.
WMXJ (FM 102.7), a station owned by Jefferson-Pilot Corp. that plays rock oldies, made a dramatic 31 percent jump in share during the spring survey, moving up from 2.6 to 3.4.
from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 10, 2000
By Tom Jicha
News/talk WAQI (AM 710) saw its average audience share jump more than 36 percent and it soared from seventh to second overall in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market in Arbitron's winter ratings book.
The survey was taken during January through March, when Elián's fate was practically the only topic of conversation on talk radio.
However, the dominance of urban contemporary WEDR ("99 Jamz," FM 99.1) is impervious to outside forces. Not only was WEDR again No. 1 among all listeners 12-plus (the industry standard for the entire audience), as it has been for three years, it also was tops among listeners 25-to-54. This segment is nicknamed the money demographic because it is the one most sought by advertisers.
There was little other significant movement among the market's most-listened-to stations.
Easy listening WLYF ("Lite," FM 101.5) was third in 12-plus, followed by dance hits WPOW ("Power 96," FM 96.5), Spanish hits WXDJ (FM 95.7), contemporary hits WHYI ("Y-100," FM 100.7) and Spanish hits WAMR ("Amor," FM 107.5). Tied for eighth were Spanish hits WRMA ("Romance," FM 106.7) and urban contemporary WHQT ("Hot 105," FM 105.1). The Top 10 was completed by smooth-jazz WLVE ("Love," FM 93.9) and classical WTMI (FM 93.1), which tied for 10th. All were Top 10 stations in the fall book; only their rankings changed slightly.
The continuing Top 10 presence for WTMI could prove crucial. An ownership change is expected to be approved by the Federal Communications Commision any day now.
There is rampant speculation that new owner Cox does not plan to keep WTMI the market's only classical outlet. However, any format shift would be measured against the potential to improve on WTMI's current performance.
Among listeners 25-to-54, the top five after WEDR was filled out by WXDJ, WLYF, WHQT and WHYI. WZTA ("Zeta," FM 94.9), WFLC ("The Coast," FM 97.3) and WBGG ("Big," FM 105.9) tied for sixth and WRMA, WLVE and WMGE ("Mega," FM 103.5) tied for ninth.
The Elián controversy also seemed to be a factor on English language radio, where Neil Rogers abandoned his free-ranging irreverence to comment and field calls on otherwise all-sports WQAM (AM 560).
Rogers always rules between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in his target audience of men 25-to-54, but he also enjoyed significant spikes in other categories. His audience share was up more than 20 percent in 12-plus, as he jumped from a tie for eighth to fourth. Among all listeners 25-to-54, he soared from 10th to second, as his share increased by more than 30 percent.
News/talk WIOD (AM 610) also saw its ratings rise 20 percent and its competitive position improve from a tie for 19th to No. 15 among listeners 12-plus. It also claimed the distinction of being the market's highest-ranked English language AM station.
WQAM, which generally makes this claim, wound up tied for 19th despite the boost from Rogers. It did hold its No. 4 ranking in its target demo of adult males.
Howard Stern's nationally syndicated morning drive show on WBGG had one of its best showings since entering the market. The New York-based Stern was third in 12-plus (first among English stations but behind WAQI and WAMR). However, among both genders 25-to-54, he was tops in addition to his runaway dominance among his target, men 25-to-54.
WQAM's new competitor in sports talk, WAFN ("The Fan," AM 1700), failed to register a measurable audience for the third consecutive quarterly rating since it signed on last summer.
from The Miami Herald
May 4, 2000
WXDJ-FM's (95.7) comic team of Gilberto Reyes, Miguel Gonzales and Carlos Lanza are South Florida's most popular radio personalities, according to the most recent three-month Arbitron survey of listener preferences.
Known collectively as Los Fonomemecos, WXDJ's drive-time team unseated Javier Romero's long-running music show on WAMR-FM (107.5) as the most-listened-to Spanish-language morning show in the market and finished second among all listeners to Howard Stern's nationally syndicated talk program on WBGG-FM (105.9) in the highly sought 25-54 demographic.
Overall, WEDR-FM (99.1) remains South Florida's top-rated radio station with a 6.8 average share of the market followed by Spanish-language talk station WAQI-AM (710) - Radio Mambi - which rode its wall-to-wall coverage of the Elian Gonzalez saga into second place, increasing its audience by more than a third to a 5.6 share.
Easy-listening station WLYF-FM (100.7), WPOW-FM (96.5) and WXDJ rounded out the top five.
"We didn't do much promoting or marketing in the last [ratings sweep]," said Jesus Salas, WXDJ's vice president of programming. "It was pure heart and lung kind of ratings. People listened to us because of the product. Just pure product."
And the best part of the product is the wacky morning show led by Reyes and Gonzalez, a pair of Cuban comedians who defected nine years ago during a tour of the Dominican Republic. In Miami, they played a number of small clubs before they came to Salas' attention a couple of year ago.
Although much of their club act was visual, Salas offered them a shot at radio and after a six-month trial in the afternoons, he moved them into the hyper-competitive morning drive-time slot 15 months ago.
"I got criticized for what I did, but they're very hard-working guys," Salas says. "I knew that would make it work."
RADIO RATINGS
Station Share
1. WEDR-FM 6.8%
2. WAQI-FM 5.6%
3. WLYF-FM 5.3%
4. WPOW-FM 5.2%
5. WXDJ-FM 4.1%
6. WHYI-FM 4.0%
7. WAMR-FM 3.9%
8. WHQT-FM 3.7%
9. WRMA-FM 3.7%
10. WLVE-FM 3.6%
SOURCE: Arbitron Co.
from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
October 28, 1999
Tom Jicha/Radio
"The All New Mega 103.5," a dial position that burned out with hard rock as WSHE and never gained traction as soft adult contemporary "The Planet," is the hottest new musical format to hit South Florida since disco. Indeed, "The Beat of Miami," which WMGE also uses as a calling card, harks back to the days of disco in its playlist, which is salted with artists especially popular among Hispanic young adults -- Gloria Estefan, KC and the Sunshine Band, etc.
As The Planet, the station languished in 22nd place in the quarterly spring ratings book. After the switch to Mega in July, it soared to a tie for 11th among listeners 12-plus, which the radio industry recognizes as the overall audience.
Mega's debut performance in Arbitron's summer book is even more impressive among listeners 25-54, which is known in the business as "the money demographic," because it is the one most often bought by advertisers. Mega almost tripled its share of this audience and skyrocketed from 18th in the spring to tied for fourth in the summer book.
South Florida radio remains an FM world. In the 12-plus breakout, 14 of the 15 highest ranked stations are on the FM band, the exception being Spanish language talker WAQI (AM 710).
Hip-hop WEDR (FM 99.1) held its position as the market's most popular station. Easy-listening WLYF (FM 101.5) is next, followed by Latin pop WAMR (FM 107.5) and youth dance music Power 96 (WPOW, FM 96.5), which tied for third. Hot 105 (WHQT, FM 105.1), whose sounds are similar to WEDR's, fills out the Top 5.
The rest of the Top 10 consists of contemporary hits Y-100 (WHYI, FM 100.7), WAQI, jazzy Love 94 (WLVE, FM 93.9), country music WKIS (FM 99.9) and classical WTMI (FM 93.1).
The highest-rated English-language AM is sports-intensive WQAM (AM 560), in 16th place.
While Mega took off, WAFN (AM 1700), which launched a challenge to WQAM in the sports field in August, failed to register in the Arbitron book, which measures as far down as .01 of a share point.
This is not surprising. The all-sports format attracts a loyal but limited niche audience. Even WFAN in New York, the model for all-sports radio and reportedly the top-billing station (in terms of ad rates) in America, finishes in the middle of the pack in the overall audience numbers. However, successful sports stations are cash cows because their audience is dominated by young males, the most difficult group to reach on a regular basis.
With almost all the major sports franchises in South Florida locked up, WQAM has a stranglehold on the format.It is serendipity that WQAM also has the market's dominant personality, Neil Rogers. Without Rogers' overwhelming audience shares, which are triple and quadruple what the station does the rest of the day in its target demographics, WQAM would slide a few notches further down the list.
Rogers is second in his time period among all listeners but is No. 1 among men 25-54. Thanks in large part to him, WQAM ties for third (with WEDR) for the entire day in this demographic breakout. The top slot also is essentially a one-man show. Thanks to Howard Stern in the morning, WBGG (FM 105.9), which is No. 17 overall, is No. 1 with adult males.
Summer 1999 Arbitrend
Thanks to Lu Cifer for this...
Got the Miami scoop (with no surprises!) 7.7 overall, good for #2 (beaten by a spanish station, ooooh) and the other thingys like men 24-54 was #1, as always.
from the: Miami Herald
July 27, 1999
Outside it's dark, relatively peaceful. But inside a cramped studio deep in Davie, at WKIS 99.9-FM (KISS Country), South Florida's longest-running morning music radio partnership, Sonny Fox and Ron Hersey, are already headlong into an act that needs no rehearsal.
--SNIP--
As for ratings, well, you don't beat Howard Stern talking fellatio with guest Tori Spelling. Stern's self-titled syndicated talk show, broadcast on WBGG-FM (105.9), is the undisputed leader among morning programs aiming at KISS' core demographic (listeners ages 25 to 54.) Sonny in the Morning ranks third, trailing slightly behind similar 6-10 a.m. music programs at Y-100 and Zeta. That's good enough to please the GM.
--SNIP--
from the: Sun-Sentinel
May 13, 1999
The pounding beat of WEDR is still No. 1 in South Florida radio, but when it comes to personality-driven programming, Neil Rogers and Howard Stern remain unbeatable.
The urban contemporary sounds of WEDR (FM 99.1) continued to top the charts in Arbitron's winter survey, compiled Jan. 7-March 31. WEDR averaged 6.7 percent of the listening audience between 6 a.m. and midnight among listeners 12 and over. This is down from the 8 percent share WEDR had in the fall ratings book.
WAQI (AM 710) has taken over leadership in the Spanish market. The news/talk outlet is No. 2 among all stations, up from sixth last fall. This moves WAQI past WAMR (FM 107.5), a music station that was the highest-ranked Spanish outlet in the fall. WAMR slipped to No. 5 in the winter measurement. Youth dance music WPOW (FM 96.5), which was second in the fall, is tied for third in the latest survey with light pops WLYF (FM 101.5).
The rest of the Top 10 consists of country WKIS (FM 99.9); WHQT (FM 105.1), another urban music station; pop hits WHYI (FM 100.7); jazzy WLVE (FM 93.9); and Spanish music WXDJ (FM 95.7) and classical WTMI (FM 93.1), which tied for 10th.
Among stations with specialty formats, sports-dominated WQAM (AM 560) finished in a tie for 13th, and all-news WIOD (AM 610) tied for 20th.
Most radio sales, however, are not conducted on the basis of the 12-and-over demographic. The 25-to-54 audience is the one most avidly sought by sponsors, and it is here that Rogers and Stern rule.
Among the entire audience, Rogers' 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. program runs third in his time period. In the 25-to-54 demographic, he almost doubles WQAM's daylong percentage of audience and elevates the sports station to second in the market, behind only WLYF, which has a captive audience in many office buildings. Rogers also provides a strong lead-in to afternoon-drive sports talk host Hank Goldberg, whose program has the station's second-highest ratings.
Actually, Rogers' audience is even more finely targeted -- men 25-54. In this demographic, he is a runaway No. 1.
Stern, whose New York-based syndicated show is imported by WBGG (FM 105.9), enjoys similar success in morning drive. He is No. 3 among all listeners (Spanish stations WAMR and WAQI run one-two), but No. 1 with the English-speaking audience.
Stern also is No. 1 among English-speakers (Spanish-language WAMR is first among all listeners) in people 25-54 and No. 1 without qualification among men in this age group.
Stern is said to cost WBGG about a half-million dollars a year, a previously unheard-of figure for a syndicated program, many of which are available virtually for free. Rogers is even more pricey. His contract with WQAM makes it possible, with ratings bonuses, for him to become the only million-dollar man in South Florida radio.
The drawing power of both superstars shows that in radio, as in life, you get what you pay for.
Howard still doing very well here, latest ratings show a 4.7 share for 12+, good for 4th place overall.
I have another report that Howard's up to a 9.6 share, which would put him into #1. If you can clarify the situation, please do!
Howard remains the #1 morning radio show in south Florida. The show is #1 in the latest Arbitron ratings book with a 12.0 share.
A caller from Miami said today the show is up to #1 with a 7.8 share. Second place was at 5.9, so it looks like Howard's doing pretty well. However, this caller also confessed to escaping from a mental institution after he got caught for killing his girlfriend with an ax. He also stated he was presently killing gay people in the Miami area, so take it for what it's worth.
The show's down to a 4.7 share in the 12+ demographic, good for second place in the market.
Thanks to: MsTypeA for sending this in.
From the: Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel - April 24, 1997
"Among talk personalities, syndicated morning drive superstar Howard Stern had a huge book for Big 106 in his 25-54 male target audience. Stern went from a 7.7 to a 10.2 share in that demo to beat Amor's morning show, second with 7.5. Ron & Ron and Rick & Suds each lost audience share."
Congrats to Howard and thanks to South Florida for making him #1. It took a couple of years but it finally happened!
Howard is ranked #6 overall, with a 2.4 rating in the 12+ demographic.
Howard is ranked #3 overall, with a 4.4 rating.
The Howard Stern Show is the #1 rated morning show among men 25-54 and #4 among adults 25-54 in South Florida. Overall, Howard pulled a 3rd place, with a 4.4 share.
Back to ratings.
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