from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The spring 2005 Arbitron book painted a kind of business-as-usual picture of the local radio market.
Things settled back into a familiar pattern, following the winter 2005 book's upset, in which longtime top dog news/talk KDKA-AM was tied for total listeners with first place with longtime runner-up rock station WDVE-FM. This time, they returned to their respective ranks.
Most of the competition held on to their places, although many showed small declines in listeners. The exceptions: country station WDSY-FM, which has been a steady No. 3 for more than a year but gained some listeners compared to spring 2004; WKST-FM, which moved to sixth place from eighth a year ago, gaining a full rating share point; and WAMO-FM, which rebounded into ninth place, up from 13th place a year ago.
WJAS-AM dropped to 10th place, down from a fourth-place tie a year ago.
In morning drive, the status quo also ruled, with KDKA followed by WDVE and talk station WPGB-FM. It's been a year since rock station WRKZ-FM picked up Howard Stern, and see how well that paid off: The station was in fourth place, up from 10th last year. WSHH-FM picked up steam in morning drive, moving to sixth place from eighth a year ago, as did WAMO, moving back into the top 10 at 10th place: it was tied for 14th a year ago.
Among 25- to 54-year-olds, the top 10 stations were: WDVE, WDSY, WZPT-FM, WPGB, WWSW-FM , WSHH, WLTJ-FM, WRKZ, KDKA and WKST. The top five morning shows were: WDVE, WRKZ, WPGB, WDSY and WZPT.
Morning Drive
AQH share Cume
1 KDKA 12.7 236,300
2 WDVE 7.6 184,100
3 WPGB 7.1 110,400
4 WRKZ 6.3 120,900
5 WDSY 6.0 169,100
6 WSHH 5.1 126,400
7 WWSW 4.9 142,900
8 WZPT 4.1 122,800
9 WKST 3.9 146,800
10 WAMO 3.8 96,500
from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
April 29, 2005
Pittsburgh has two No. 1 radio stations.
In an upset during the latest winter Arbitron ratings book, longtime market leader news/talk KDKA-AM is now sharing top dog role with rock station WDVE-FM in a photo-finish tie at 8.7 share points.
While WDVE has dominated as No. 1 among different demographic groups, this marks only the second time that a station other than KDKA has been in first place among total listeners: WDVE edged it out in January 1992 for one ratings period.
WDVE took first place in the cumulative ratings, which are an estimate of the total number of listeners a station has for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period.
Several factors were at play. The survey period include the tail end of a highly suspenseful football season, which drew listeners to Steelers station WDVE for games and commentaries. Listenership spiked in December and January.
But at Clear Channel headquarters, the thinking is that the growth of talk station WPGB-FM is making a dent in KDKA's audience, says Clear Channel senior vice president of programming Gene Romano. WPGB has been growing since it launched, and the station moved to No. 5 among total listeners, up from a 10th-place tie a year ago. The top-rated Rush Limbaugh program moved from KDKA to WPGB in November.
"What we're seeing across the country is news-talk stations have been softening coming off the election, but WPGB had its best book ever, despite the hangover from the election," Romano says.
He notes that the total listener numbers aren't that significant to radio stations, because advertisers look at the ratings for segments of the audience, such as 18- to 34-year-olds and 25- to 54-year olds, when making buying decisions. More significant, he says, is that WPGB has surpassed KDKA among 25- to 54-year-old listeners. "But it's symbolic," he said of the KDKA-WDVE tie for first.
Keith Clark, vice president of programming for Infinity Pittsburgh, said that KDKA's replacing Limbaugh with syndicated Bill O'Reilly is having a short-term impact on the station. "Anytime a personality of that magnitude changes, there's going to be some shifting short term as the audience discovers what we have to offer." And, he adds, "KDKA is still a giant radio station -- and still No. 1, even if tied."
KDKA held on to the top spot in morning drive. Howard Stern brought rock station WRKZ into the No. 3 spot, edging out WPGB's Jim Quinn, who was in third place in the previous ratings period.
Among 25- to 54-year-olds, the top 10 stations were: WDVE, WDSY, WZPT, WWSW, WPGB, WRKZ, WSHH, WXDX, KDKA and WKST tied for ninth, and WAMO. The top five morning shows for this age group were WDVE, WRKZ, WPGB, WDSY and WZPT.
from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
January 21, 2005
Format changes and a football winning streak were the major factors at play in the fall 2004 Arbitron ratings.
Among total listeners, format changes in the past year accounted for most of the movements in the ratings. WPGB-FM, which switched to conservative talk a year ago, moved up from 10th place last fall as the former WJJJ to a sixth-place tie with sister station WKST-FM. Contemporary hits WKST also moved up from 12th place last fall, possibly helped by the demise of its direct competitor, the former WBZZ-FM.
Rock station WRKZ-FM (formerly WBZZ) moved into 10th place, up from No. 14 a year ago. WRKZ, which picked up Howard Stern last summer, made inroads in morning drive, moving into fourth place, compared to ninth a year ago.
The Pittsburgh Steelers helped flagship station WDVE-FM score a big one this time around -- the station was No. 1 among total listeners in the cumulative, or so-called cume ratings. It was also in first place in fall 2003. KDKA-AM continues to be No. 1 in the market among total listeners in average quarter hour ratings. While stations are typically ranked on their average quarter hour share, the cume measures the total number of individuals who tune in for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period.
Increased audience during Steelers game broadcasts played a part in the cume victory, but they weren't the only factor at work, said WDVE/WXDX operations manager John Moschitta. "It's not just that we broadcast the games. We make it part of the fabric of the station," he said, referring to the numerous daily features, player interviews and promotion tie-ins WDVE runs throughout the season.
Among 25- to 54-year-old listeners, the top 10 stations were: WDVE, WDSY-FM, WWSW-FM, WSHH-FM, WPGB, WRKZ, WZPT-FM, KDKA, WKST and WXDX-FM. For this age group, the top five morning drive shows were: WDVE, WRKZ, WPGB, KDKA and WDSY. Howard Stern moved WRKZ into the No. 2 spot, up from ninth place a year ago.
Note: The WJJJ-FM listed in last year's ratings is the former R&B hits format at 104.7. A new station -- the former WSSZ-FM (107.1) -- has since adopted the WJJJ call letters.
RADIO RATINGS.....
Among listeners 12 and over, Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to midnight:
--snips--
Morning drive, from 6 to 10 a.m.: Fall 2004 Fall 2003 1. KDKA........13.7............241,900.....KDKA.....15.5............262,700 2. WDVE.........7.6............191,000.....WDVE......9.0............204,200 3. WPGB.........7.0............104,600.....WXDX......6.4............124,700 4. WRKZ.........6.2............138,600.....WDSY......6.0............145,600 5. WDSY.........6.0............165,500.....WWSW......5.5............144,000 6. WWSW.........5.0 (t)........132,100.....WRRK......5.4............105,700 6. WSHH.........5.0 (t)........131,200.....WSHH......4.3............118,000 7. WKST.........4.6............176,500.....WJAS......4.2.............98,100 8. WJAS.........4.2.............82,700.....WBZZ......3.6............128,200 9. WZPT.........3.5............112,600.....WZPT......3.4............112,700 10. WXDX.........3.0.............93,900...................................
(t) denotes tie
The average quarter hour (AQH) rating is the average number of persons listening to a particular station for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period, expressed as a percentage of the population being measured. The cume, or cumulative figure, is the estimated number of different persons who listened to a station for a minimum of five minutes in a quarter-hour within a reported daypart. Source: Arbitron Inc.
from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
October 22, 2004
WRKZ-FM (formerly WBZZ), which changed to a rock format and picked up syndicated Howard Stern this summer, went from ninth place in summer 2003 to third place this time around in morning drive.
WPGB-FM, which switched to all talk earlier this year, was in sixth place among total listeners (compared to 14th place a year ago), and fourth place in morning drive.
Among 25 to 54-year-olds, the top 10 stations were: WDVE, WDSY, WZPT, WWSW, WPGB, WRKZ, WLTJ, WSHH, WKST and WAMO. For this age group, the top five morning drive choices were: WDVE, WRKZ, WPGB, WDSY and WWSW.
Listeners 12 and over.
Monday-Sunday, 6 a.m. to midnight SUMMER 2004.....AQH share.....Cume 1.......KDKA......9.6......386,500 2.......WDVE......7.5......353,500 3.......WDSY......6.7......315,100 4.......WWSW......5.9......292,100 5.......WSHH......5.5......259,300 6.......WPGB......4.8......167,500 7.......WKST......4.7......312,100 8.......WRKZ......4.3......273,700 9.......WAMO......4.2......192,000 10......WJAS......4.0......147,900 SUMMER 2003.....AQH share.....Cume 1.......KDKA.....11.7......466,900 2.......WDVE......8.7......433,600 3.......WDSY......6.8......303,400 4.......WWSW......5.7......313,400 5.......WJAS......5.3......168,500 6.......WXDX......4.9......279,600 7.......WSHH......4.8......258,800 8.......WRRK......3.7 (t)..255,600 8.......WKST......3.7 (t)..272,200 9.......WZPT......3.4......225,100 Morning drive, 6 to 10 a.m. SUMMER 2004....AQH share.......Cume 1.......KDKA.....13.1.......217,200 2.......WDVE......7.6.......166,700 3.......WRKZ......7.1.......137,900 (Howard) 4.......WPGB......6.5........96,900 5.......WSHH......5.6.......119,800 6.......WWSW......5.5.......129,800 7.......WDSY......5.4.......145,500 8.......WKST......4.0.......138,100 9.......WJAS......3.7........68,200 10......WZPT......3.5.......112,600 SUMMER 2003....AQH share.......Cume 1.......KDKA.....15.8.......273,300 2.......WDVE......8.9.......210,600 3.......WXDX......6.3(t)....136,100 (Howard then) 3.......WDSY......6.3(t)....167,400 5.......WRRK......6.1.......125,700 6.......WWSW......5.4.......137,900 7.......WJAS......4.9........95,800 8.......WSHH......4.6.......115,100 9.......WBZZ......3.2.......127,400 10......WZPT......2.9.......104,800
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