from Syracuse.com
By William LaRue
Staff writer
Syracuse radio station 95X, which was No. 2 in the mornings last fall with Howard Stern, fell to No. 14 in the mornings without the shock jock.
Overall ratings for album-rock WAQX-FM minus Stern also suffered this winter, according to the latest survey results from The Arbitron Co.
In the ratings period of Jan. 6 to March 30, 95X fell to ninth place in the Syracuse radio market, with a 3 percent share of listeners 12 and older. That compares with the station's seventh-place finish and a 5.2 share in the fall among commercial radio stations.
Finishing first again was country station WBBS-FM (B104.7), which had a 12.6 share, the same as in the fall. News-talk WSYR-AM (570) finished No. 2 with a 9.4 share, up from 7.2 in the previous period.
A "share" is the percentage of listeners tuned to a station from among those listening during the ratings period.
95X predicted last winter that its ratings would decline in the short term because of Stern's departure. The station drew the anger of some Stern fans in late December by cutting back on his nationally syndicated show, then dropping it completely, after complaining he was spending too much time on the air promoting his move to Sirius Satellite Radio next January.
95X mostly played music in the mornings until Feb. 24, when it launched a local show from 5:30 to 10 a.m. weekdays with co-hosts Guy "Beaner" Patton and Ken Heron.
Tom Mitchell,operations manager at 95X, says Stern's former listeners "scattered" to other radio programming during the two months that the station replaced him with music. He says "The Beaner & Ken Show" is pulling them back.
"I think, when the dust settles, you're going to see 95X clearly back on top in the rock race, and that would include mornings," Mitchell says.
Arbitron data show that 95X lost about 80 percent of its morning listeners this winter - far higher than the 40 percent to 50 percent loss that most stations suffer when Stern departs, says Ed Levine, whose competing Syracuse radio stations include classic rock TK99/TK105.
"This is off the radar," Levine says of 95X's losses. "They lost 80 percent of the audience because they . . . abused their audience."
According to Levine, it appears that several stations became new homes for former Syracuse listeners of Stern, who had a 9.9 share last fall. 95X's replacement programming averaged a 2.2.
Finishing first in mornings was B104.7's Ron Bee and Becky Palmer with a 13.6 share, up from a 12.4 in the fall. In second place was Joe Galuski on WSYR with a 12.5 share, up from an 8.6. Ted Long and Amy Robbins on WNTQ-FM (93Q) were third with a 9.5 share, up from an 8.4.
Other stationsgaining morning listeners included classic rock WTKW/WTKV-FM (TK99/TK105), urban contemporary WPHR-FM (Power 106.9), country music WSCP (1070 AM/101.7 FM) and sports-talk stations WHEN-AM (620) and WNSS-AM (1260).
Among noncommercial stations, WRVO-FM (89.9) finished first overall with a 4.3 share.
Classical music WCNY-FM (91.3) and jazz WAER-FM (88.3) each had a 2.1, followed by Christian station WMHR-FM (102.9) with a 1.9 and Syracuse University contemporary hits WJPZ-FM (Z89) with a 0.7.
from Syracuse.com
February 24, 2005
Howard Stern's replacement on WAQX-FM (95X) is a former radio duo from Birmingham, Ala., that promises shtick without so much shock.
Guy "Beaner" Patton, 35, and Ken Heron, 38, both former Philadelphia residents, take over local hosting on the Syracuse rock station 5:30 to 10 a.m. weekdays, beginning today.
They said they hoped "The Beaner & Ken Show," a blend of parody songs, games, stunts, interviews and music, would lure some of shock jock Stern's fans while attracting new listeners to 95X. They compared their humor to that of edgy TV talk-show hosts Conan O'Brien and Jon Stewart.
"Our show, I would say, is less blue (than Stern's)," Patton said Wednesday during a news conference at 95X. "We go at things from a more clever perspective without being so in-your-face about sexuality and things of that nature."
95X, which is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, has been without a full-time morning show since late December, when it stopped airing Stern. Citadel complained that he was using the program to promote his move to Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006.
Unlike Stern's New York City-based show, "The Beaner & Ken Show" will be produced in Syracuse. Even so, Patton and Heron acknowledged they face a big challenge in replacing Stern, who often was ranked No. 1 in the Syracuse Arbitron ratings over the past decade.
"I feel like the most important thing is to not be Howard Jr. . . . Stations across the country that are putting on shows like that are failing," Patton said. "You go out there. You do your own thing. You get involved in the community. And you try to reach out to people."
That prompted Heron to joke, "But don't get us wrong. We like naked lesbians and midgets," referring to comedy bits on Stern's show.
At the news conference, Patton and Heron revealed a few details about themselves.
Family status:
Patton is married. Heron is divorced. Neither has children.
Past employment: They first worked together for three years on the morning show at rock station WRAX-FM in Birmingham. They left in 2000, when Heron went to Pittsburgh and Patton went to Washington, D.C. They reunited in 2003 when they were hired to host the morning show on Birmingham's WANZ-FM, where they worked until December, when their contract expired.
The origin of Patton's nickname:
As a young child, he used to pronounce the name of his sister's friend, Christine, as "Bean." Soon, people were calling him "Beaner."
Why they think they're lucky to work at 95X:
"You got to understand this is a . . . long-term, successful radio station. When an opportunity like this opens up, every morning show (team) in the country is throwing its hat into the ring," Patton said.
"We consider this winning the job lottery, essentially," Heron said, "but we're not going to buy a million more lottery tickets."
from the The Post-Standard
February 3, 2005
Syracuse radio has a new Top-40 leader.
For the first time, Top-40 WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) finished ahead of Syracuse's other contemporary-hits station, WNTQ-FM (93Q), in the overall Arbitron ratings.
Both were behind country music WBBS-FM (B104.7), which had a 12.6 percent share of listeners 12 and older during the fall ratings period of Sept. 23 to Dec. 15.
Hot came in second with a 7.7 share. 93Q, which was No. 2 in the summer, fell to fifth place with a 6.2 share.
The ratings surge for Hot supports its strategy to play a lot of hip-hop and other rhythmic hits that are popular with young adults, according to Joel Delmonico, market manager at Hot, B104.7 and five other Syracuse radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications.
"I know there were a number of people questioning: Were we taking the radio station too rhythmic? But we believed that's where the target audience wanted us to be, and it feels good to see the strategy kind of take hold," he says.
In fall 2003, Hot was in fifth place overall with a 5.7 share. 93Q finished in third place then with a 7.2 share.
A "share" is the percentage of listeners tuned to a station from among those listening during the ratings period.
Tom Mitchell, operations manager at 93Q, says the station is still doing well with its target audience of listeners 25 to 54 years old. In this age group, 93Q finished in a tie for third place with sister rock station WAQX-FM (95X), owned by Citadel Communications.
Mitchell says 93Q is happy with its decision to focus on the pop-rock side of contemporary hits.
"Their audience (at Hot) is two-thirds people 12 to 24 years of age. The high school and college-age folks are really attracted to the rhythmic, the hip-hop music. We concentrate on the people over 25," he says.
Perhaps buoyed by listener interest in the fall elections, news-talk WSYR-AM (570) jumped to third place in the ratings with a 7.2 share, up from a 6.1 in the summer. That was followed by adult contemporary WYYY-FM (Y94) with a 6.8 share.
Oldies WSEN-FM (Oldies 92) finished No. 6 with a 5.7 share, followed by 95X in seventh place with a 5.2 share.
95X is down from a 6 share in the summer and a 7.2 share a year ago, when it was tied for third place overall.
The station's ratings have also fallen from 6 to 10 a.m. for shock jock Howard Stern. He had a 9.9 share on 95X in the fall, compared with a 12 share in the summer. Stern announced Oct. 6 that he would move to Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006.
95X subsequently drew the ire of some Stern fans by editing out his on-air references to Sirius and cutting off his show at 10 a.m., even though he typically stays on the air past that time. In late December, 95X replaced Stern with another comedy show, "Opie & Anthony," then replaced that with music in January.
Mitchell didn't rule out another ratings drop this winter for 95X until it gets through this "transitional period" into a new morning show.
Syracuse radio rankings
Station Fall 2004 Summer 2004 1. WBBS (country) 12.6 11.8 2. WWHT (Top 40) 7.7 6.9 3. WSYR (news-talk) 7.2 6.1 4. WYYY (AC) 6.8 6.7 5. WNTQ (Top 40) 6.2 7.8 6. WSEN (oldies) 6.1 5.9 7. WAQX (rock) 5.2 6.0 8. WTKW/V (classic rock)4.8 4.4 9. WTLA/WSGO (standards)3.1 2.7 10. WKRL/H (rock) 3.0 4.2 11. WSCP (country) 2.7 1.4 12. WZUN (AC) 2.6 2.4 13. WPHR (urban) 2.2 2.9 13. WLTI (AC) 2.2 2.7 15. WFBL (news-talk) 2.1 1.5 15. WHEN (sports) 2.1 1.6 17. WWDG (rock) 2.0 3.0 18. WNSS (sports) 1.4 0.5 19. WVOA (religion) 0.4 NR 19. WMCR (AC) 0.4 NR
January 4, 2005
CITADEL has not restored HOWARD STERN's show to its stations in SYRACUSE, PROVIDENCE, NEW BEDFORD, GRAND RAPIDS, and HARRISBURG upon his return from vacation. OPIE AND ANTHONY tapes continue on WAQX (95X)/SYRACUSE, while afternoon host NIPSEY has moved to mornings at WQXA (105.7 THE X)/HARRISBURG.
STERN said on his MONDAY (1/3) show that CITADEL boss FARID SULEMAN ("a weird dude," according to STERN) is asking for payment of $200,000. from STERN for the host's mentioning SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO on his syndicated show. STERN said that he and his agent DON BUCHWALD were baffled by the move and said he would have understood if SULEMAN had asked to get out of the company's contract early. "Is this to teach me a lesson? Because it's clearly not working," STERN said about the CITADEL move, noting that "I was nothing but nice to (SULEMAN)" but professing not to care.
[Ed. - the show is also getting cut off at 10:00am on the other Citadel stations in the network: Providence, York and Grand Rapids.]
from Syracuse.com
December 2, 2004
It's after 10 a.m.: Do you know where Howard Stern is?
Not on WAQX-FM (95X) in Syracuse.
The album-rock radio station, local home of shock jock Stern's nationally syndicated show since 1996, this week began cutting away from the program by 10 a.m. Although his show is on officially from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays, Stern typically stays on the air for a half-hour or more past that time.
Stern announced Oct. 6 that he's moving to Sirius Satellite Radio beginning in January 2006. His show will then disappear on radio stations in more than 40 cities, including 95X and three others owned by Citadel Communications.
Stern spent much of his show Wednesday complaining about being cut back on 95X, saying Citadel has "hurt feelings" that he's leaving for Sirius.
"This is directed to hurt me, but it doesn't. It hurts my audience. It doesn't hurt me," Stern told listeners, adding later that he was thinking of putting pressure on Citadel by staging a $20,000 giveaway in which listeners have to tune in at 10:05 a.m. to be eligible.
A fan from Syracuse called Stern's show Wednesday to say 95X just cut off the show at 9:48 a.m., replacing it with music. Prominent references to Stern's show were also dropped from 95X's Web site, www.waqx.com.
Other listeners called Stern's show to say he was cut off at 10 a.m. at Citadel radio stations in Harrisburg, Pa., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Providence, R.I.
95X referred questions about Stern to Citadel's New York City headquarters, which didn't return calls. A spokesman for Stern also couldn't be reached for comment.
Stern fan Rich Hatherill, 38, of Liverpool, said he's planning to hold a protest picket at 10 a.m. today outside the radio station on James Street. He called 95X's decision "a slap in the face to listeners, to tell you the truth."
"Basically they're saying, 'Don't listen to us. We don't care what time the show ends, we're going to cut it off at 10 o'clock,' so why bother listening at all?" said Hatherill, a computer consultant.
On Wednesday's show, Stern read a note posted on 95X's Web site by the station's music director and midday disc jockey, "Ryno," who said Stern's show "became basically a four- to five-hour-long infomercial about satellite radio."
"It became too much. After years of support and paying a ridiculous sum of money, we decided to push back. Starting Monday, Nov. 29th, we, as a company, made the decision to be into our regular scheduled music programming by 10 a.m.," Ryno wrote, adding that his comments reflected his views and not those of Citadel.
By midmorning Wednesday, Ryno's note could no longer be found on 95X's Web site.
Ed Levine, who owns two competing Syracuse rock stations, K-Rock and TK99, said he understands 95X's frustration with Stern for using his radio show to promote his move to Sirius, a pay radio service that broadcasts from orbiting satellites.
But cutting back on Stern at this point only sends the message that 95X doesn't care about its listeners, Levine said.
"All you're doing is punishing his fans, poking your finger in the eyes of the people who, when he leaves, you hope will continue listening to your radio station," Levine said. "To go out of your way to antagonize them is the craziest thing I have ever seen in 30 years in radio."
In the recent Syracuse radio ratings, Stern's show was No. 1 overall from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays, drawing about 12 percent of listeners tuned into radio in that time period.
from The Post Standard
November 3, 2004
A summer of presidential politics and other hot news didn't light a fire under ratings for Syracuse's two news-talk radio stations.
The big winner again in the Syracuse Arbitron Co. ratings was WBBS-FM (B104.7), which finished No. 1 overall for the 32nd time since switching to country music in 1993. The station had an 11.8 percent share of listeners during the summer ratings period of July 1 to Sept. 22.
News-talk WSYR-AM (570) finished in fifth place with a 6.1 percent share. That's down from a 6.6 share in the spring and a 6.8 share in summer 2003.
Syracuse's other news-talk station, WFBL-AM (1390), was No. 16 overall with a 1.5 share, down from a 1.7 in the spring. It had a 1.2 share in summer 2003 before beefing up the format with a local morning talk show and other content.
"We were a little surprised. We thought the numbers would be a little higher," says WFBL general manager Doug Fleniken. "However, we're patient, because we know we're only 10 months into our format."
Fleniken said he still expects his station's ratings will grow this fall because of interest in the elections, adding that he doesn't think listeners are growing tired of the news-talk format.
Rochester and Buffalo news-talk radio stations saw big increases in their ratings in the summer.
WSYR can probably blame its falling ratings on carrying "too much right-wing talk and not enough news without a particular take," according to Ed Levine, owner of five competing Syracuse radio stations, including TK99 and K-Rock. He says a 6.1 share for WSYR is the lowest he has ever seen for the news-talk station.
Joel Delmonico, who heads WSYR, says the station is looking for fresher opinions to go with the predominantly conservative talk.
"We're constantly working on the product and trying to make sure we're delivering what we need to deliver," says Delmonico, market manager for WSYR and six other Syracuse radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications.
A share is the percentage of listeners tuned to a radio station from among those listening during the ratings period.
Finishing No. 2 in the summer ratings period was Top-40 station 93Q (7.8 share), followed by Top-40 Hot 107.9 (6.9 share) and adult contemporary Y94 (6.7 share).
Among morning radio shows, shock jock Howard Stern's syndicated program on album rock WAQX-FM (95X) finished first with a 12 share. Next was B104.7's Ron Bee and Becky Palmer with a 10.9 share and 93Q's Ted Long and Amy Robbins with a 10 share.
Syracuse radio ratings
Station Sum. '04 Spr. '04 1. WBBS (country) 11.8 10.8 2. WNTQ (Top 40) 7.8 7.8 3. WWHT (Top 40) 6.9 7.1 4. WYYY (adult cont) 6.7 5.6 5. WSYR (news-talk) 6.1 6.6 6. WAQX (rock) 6.0 7.7 7. WSEN (oldies) 5.9 4.8 8. WTKW/V (rock) 4.4 5.0 9. WKRH/L (rock) 4.2 3.6 10. WWDG (rock) 3.0 1.9 11. WPHR (urban) 2.9 1.9 12. WLTI (adult cont.) 2.7 3.2 12. WTLA/SGO (standards)2.7 1.9 14. WZUN (adult cont.) 2.4 2.9 15. WHEN (sports) 1.6 2.1 16. WFBL (news-talk) 1.5 1.7 17. WSCP (country) 1.4 1.7 18. WNSS (sports) 0.5 1.1 19. WOLF (children) 0.4 0.0
Note: The Arbitron Co. provided the survey results. Numbers listed are shares, which are the percentage of listeners 12 and older tuned to each radio station from among those listening in spring and summer 2004 in the Syracuse radio market. The latest survey period was July 1 to Sept. 22.
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
August 7, 2004
New ratings numbers help to explain why so many radio stations put up with threats of indecency fines to keep shock jock Howard Stern on the air.
Stern's nationally syndicated radio show on WAQX-FM (95X) crushed its Syracuse radio competition during the spring Arbitron ratings period, helping to propel the rock station to its best showing in years.
Stern's morning show was No. 1 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays with a 15.1 percent share of listeners 12 and older, up from a 10.9 share in the winter. Former morning leaders Ron Bee and Becky Palmer on country WBBS-FM (B104.7) fell to second with a 10.4 share.
Overall, B104.7 was still Syracuse's No. 1 radio station with a 10.8 share. Top-40 WNTQ-FM (93Q) came in second with a 7.8.
95X was third with a 7.7, which is up dramatically from a 5.5 share and a seventh-place showing in the winter ratings period.
A "share" is the percentage of listeners 12 and older tuned to a radio station from among those listening during the ratings period of April 1 to June 23.
Tom Mitchell, operations manager at 95X, says listeners are responding positively after Stern added more angry commentary in response to recent fines proposed by the Federal Communications Commission against some stations carrying his show.
"He's modified his act. It's become more political and it's attracted more people," Mitchell says. "It's brought the whole radio station up. Howard draws the people into the tent, and the music programming (on 95X) is holding them throughout the day."
Top-40 WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) was in fourth place in the ratings with a 7.1 share, the same as the winter ratings period.
News-talk WSYR-AM (570) fell to fifth place with a 6.6 share - down from a 7.2 share in the winter when it finished in second place. Still, the station remained well ahead of news-talk WFBL-AM (1390), which had a 1.7 share in 16th place, compared with a 1.2 share and 18th place in the previous ratings book.
Here are other results:
Listeners 18 to 34: 95X was first with a 16 share, followed by Hot 107.9 with an 11.7, B104.7 with a 10.7, 93Q with an 8.7 and modern rock WKRL/WKRH (K-Rock) with an 8.3.
Listeners 25 to 54: B104.7 was first with a 12.5 share, followed by 95X with a 10.3, 93Q with a 9.8, adult contemporary WYYY-FM (Y94) with a 7.6 and classic rock WTKW/WTKV-FM (TK99.5/TK105.9) with a 6.6.
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
May 06, 2004
Record an assist to Juli Boeheim.
WZUN-FM (Sunny 102) is crediting the station's recent TV commercials, which star the wife of Syracuse University men's head basketball coach Jim Boeheim, for helping Sunny get its best Arbitron radio ratings since it switched to adult contemporary music in the fall of 2000.
The station moved up to ninth place this winter with a 3.4 percent share of listeners 12 and older. Just a year ago, the station was in 15th place with a 1.7 share.
The endorsement by Juli Boeheim gives further momentum to a station that had been making gains, according to Ed Levine, owner and general manager at Sunny 102.
"Obviously our television campaign was very effective. We look to do more of that in the future," Levine says. "But we're also celebrating our sixth- consecutive up ratings book in a row. I haven't had that experience with any radio station here or anywhere."
The biggest winner in the Syracuse radio ratings period from Jan. 8 to March 31 was country music WBBS-FM (B104.7), which finished in first place with a 12.7 share.
That's the highest share of listeners earned by any station in this radio market since spring 1990, when adult contemporary WYYY-FM (Y94) had a 12.8. A "share" is the percentage of listeners 12 and older tuning to a station at a given time.
In the latest Arbitron ratings, B104.7's lead was so dominant that the No. 2 station, news-talk WSYR-AM (570), was more than five share points behind. B104.7 has placed first in the Syracuse radio market in every ratings period since fall 1999.
"For this market, I think the . . . lifestyle values that the music (and) that format reflect are particularly important to people right now," says Joel Delmonico, market manager for B104.7 and six other Syracuse radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications.
WSYR had a 7.2 share in the winter ratings. Two Top-40 stations, WNTQ-FM (93Q) and WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9), tied for third place with a 7.1 share each.
Rebounding well in this ratings period was oldies WSEN (92.1 FM/1050 AM) in fifth place. It had a 6.8 share, up from a 3.9 in the fall ratings.
Some other news from the Syracuse winter ratings:
Among morning shows, the team of Ron Bee and Becky Palmer on B104.7 was No. 1 overall with a 13.3 share. Next was Howard Stern on 95X with a 10.9, Joe Galuski on WSYR with a 9, Ted Long and Amy Robbins on 93Q with an 8.2 and Gary Dunes on WSEN with a 6.2.
Listeners 18 to 34 favored Hot 107.9, which was first with a 13.9 share. Next was B104.7 with an 11.3, active rock WAQX-FM (95X) with a 10.8, 93Q with a 9.8 and alternative rock WRKL/WKRH-FM (K-Rock) with a 6.2.
Tops among listeners 25 to 54 was B104.7 with a 13.6 share. Next was 93Q with a 9, Y94 with an 8.5, 95X with a 7.5 and classic rock WTKW/WTKV-FM (TK99) with a 6.8.
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
January 28, 2004
The big finish in the summer Arbitron ratings for WBBS-FM (B104.7) was no fluke.
The country-music station did it again in the fall.
Just-released numbers for the Syracuse radio market for the ratings period of Sept. 18 to Dec. 10 put B104.7 again at the top of the pack, this time with a 12.1 percent share of listeners. That's down only slightly from the 12.4 share in the summer while up considerably from a 10.7 a year ago.
That 12.4 share was the highest by any Syracuse radio station since spring 1990 and the highest for B104.7 since the station switched to country music in 1993.
A "share" is the percentage of people 12 and older tuned to a radio station from among those listening at a given time.
News-talk WSYR-AM (570) reversed a ratings slide by jumping to second place in the fall with a 7.3 share. That's up from a 6.8 in the summer, although down from a 9.1 a year ago.
Tied for third place were rock-music WAQX-FM (95X) and sister station top-40 WNTQ-FM (93Q), each with a 7.2 share.
Falling to fifth place was top-40 WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) with a 5.7 share, down from a 7.1 in the summer but up slightly from a 5.3 a year ago. Hot 107.9, which has a playlist dominated by hip-hop and rap, hoped it would pick up listeners after sister station WPHR-FM (Power 106.9) dropped rap from its urban-contemporary format in late September.
Ninth-ranked Power saw its ratings decrease slightly in the fall to a 3.5 share, compared with a 3.7 in the summer and a 3.8 a year ago.
Officials at B104.7 and Power 106.9, which are owned by Clear Channel Communications, didn't return telephone calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Tom Mitchell, operations manager at 93Q, attributed some of Hot's ratings decline to counter-programming by his station to emphasize that it plays a lot more than hip-hop and rap.
"Right after Hot made their changes, we also made some musical adjustments on 93Q to incorporate more variety," Mitchell said. "We did a lot of promotion on the air letting people know that."
Adult contemporary WYYY-FM (Y94) finished No. 6 with a 5.5 share, down from a 6.4 a year ago. Classic rock WTKW/V-FM (TK99/TK105) came in seventh with a 4.6 share, up from a 4.1 in fall 2002.
The station making the biggest drop was No. 8 WSEN-FM (Oldies 92.1). It had a 3.9 share, down from a 6.9 a year ago.
The decline was so great that WSEN general manager Doug Fleniken pointed to a possible survey glitch. WSEN didn't make any on-air changes that would account for the decline, he said.
"We came off of a summer (ratings) book that was very good," Fleniken said. "Right now, I'm looking to it as (a problem with) methodology, but you can bet we're looking at it very carefully . . . with our music here."
No. 12 WWDG-FM (New Rock 105, The Dog) for the first time beat competing rock station WKRL/H-FM (K-Rock) in the overall ratings. K-Rock in 13th place tied with adult contemporary WZUN-FM (Sunny 102), which improved on its share for the fourth ratings period in a row.
Among morning shows, the team of Ron Bee and Becky Palmer on B104.7 was No. 1 with a 13 share overall. Next was Howard Stern on 95X with an 11 share, Ted Long and Amy Robbins on 93Q with a 9.8 share and Joe Galuski on WSYR with a 9.2 share.
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
October 23, 2003
Country hits WBBS-FM (B104.7) this summer drew the largest share of listeners of any Syracuse radio station since 1990, according to the newest Arbitron ratings for the period of June 26 to Sept. 17.
Summer was a great ratings period overall for country radio in Central New York.
Pulaski-based WSCP (101.7 FM/101.3 FM/1070 AM), which mostly plays older country tunes, jumped to No. 10 with a 3.2 percent share of listeners ages 12 and older, up from a 1.6 in the spring.
But it was B104.7, which finished No. 1 with a 12.4 share this summer, that did much more than ride to its best performance since becoming a country station in 1993. It also scored the highest overall share by any Syracuse radio station since spring 1990, when adult contemporary WYYY-FM (Y94) had a 12.8.
A "share" is the percentage of people tuned to a radio station from among those listening at a given time.
Officials at B104.7, which is owned by Clear Channel Communications, didn't return telephone calls Wednesday seeking comment on the ratings.
Ed Levine, owner of WSCP, credited much of his station's higher ratings to the addition in May of a supplemental transmitter at 101.3 FM in Syracuse. That new signal allows WSCP to reach about 70 percent of Onondaga County, compared with 10 percent previously.
WSCP is attracting some listeners who previously weren't tuning in to any country radio station, Levine said.
"There's a station now playing (traditional) country music in Syracuse proper for an audience that was not exposed to it before. There was no second choice before," he said.
However, the fact B104.7 made a big ratings jump without any major changes in programming or signal is a sign that Arbitron may have distributed survey diaries to a disproportionate number of country fans, said Tom Mitchell, operations manager for 93Q, 95X, Lite 105.9 and WNSS-AM.
"Nationally, country isn't exactly at a high point in its appeal cycle at the moment. Country record sales are down. Country concert ticket sales are down. Country radio around the country is kind of struggling. So this strikes me as an anomaly," he said.
Also during the summer ratings period:
The race tightened between Syracuse's two contemporary-hits radio stations. WNTQ-FM (93Q) finished No. 2 with a 7.2 share, down from a 7.7 in the spring. Finishing in third place was WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) with a 7.1 share, up from a 7.
Among morning hosts, Howard Stern on WAQX-FM (95X) was No. 1 with an 11.1 percent share. Becky Palmer and Ron Bee on B104.7 were a close second with an 11, while Ted Long and Amy Robbins from 93Q finished third with a 9.1 share.
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
August 12, 2003
Being the top-ranked radio station in Syracuse isn't the lofty spot it used to be - and finishing No. 10 is getting better all the time.
In the newly released spring Arbitron radio ratings for Syracuse, country music WBBS-FM (B104.7) again finished No. 1 with listeners 12 and older. But it did so with an 8.6 percent share, down from a 9.9 in the winter and a 10 a year ago.
Meanwhile, tied at No. 10 with a 4.4 share each were adult contemporary WLTI-FM (Lite 105.9) and modern rock WKRL-WKRH-FM (K-Rock). A year ago, the 10th-ranked station, WLTI, had a 3.6 share.
A "share" is the percentage of listeners tuned to a radio station from among those tuned in at a given time.
Ten years ago, there was nearly a 10-point difference in shares between the top Syracuse station and the one finishing No. 10. The latest ratings for the radio market shows only a 4.2 share difference between these two spots.
This squeezing of results has occurred as big and small radio stations move away from mass audiences in favor of programming for niche groups, according to Tom Mitchell, operations manager at four Syracuse radio stations, including second-ranked WNTQ-FM (93Q).
"We're catching up with what's happened in larger markets where there's a lot more competitive radio stations in town," Mitchell says. "The pie's the same size, but the shares have gotten smaller."
Contemporary-hits 93Q finished second with a 7.7 share, down from an 8 in the spring. News-talk WSYR-AM (570) was third with a 7.2, down from an 8.8.
Benefiting from the current popularity of rap and hip-hop music are contemporary-hits WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) and sister station urban-contemporary WPHR-FM (Power 106.9). Hot finished in fourth place with a 7 share, up from a 6.5 in the winter. Power was No. 9 with a 4.6 share, up from a 3.6 in the last book.
The battle of modern-rock stations K-Rock and WWDG-FM (New Rock 105, The Dog) cooled slightly in the spring. K-Rock's 4.4 share was up from a 3.2 in the winter. In its second ratings period since switching its format, WWDG posted a 2, up from a 1.8.
Among morning personalities, 93Q's Ted Long and Amy Robbins remained in first place with a 9.8 share overall. They were followed by WSYR's Joe Galuski (9), 95X's Howard Stern (8.5) and B104.7's Ron Bee and Becky Palmer (8.1).
The Syracuse radio market is composed of Onondaga, Oswego and Madison counties.
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
May 12, 2003
The Dog says it's nipping at the heels of radio's K-Rock, but K-Rock says this puppy's bark is worse than its bite.
In the newly released winter radio ratings for Syracuse, the big winner again was country music WBBS-FM (B104.7), which was No. 1 with a 9.9 percent share of listeners. The station hasn't dropped out of first place since summer 1999.
Far behind at No. 11 with a 3.2 share was WKRL/H-FM (K-Rock). But it was good enough to hold off its new modern-rock competition, WWDG-FM (New Rock 105, The Dog), which trailed at No. 14 with a 1.8 share.
K-Rock's numbers were down significantly from last fall, when it finished No. 8 with a 5.2 share among listeners 12 and older. Even more troubling for the station, among men 18 to 34 - its target listeners - K-Rock plummeted to an 8.6 share, down from a 19.1 in the fall.
Meanwhile, with the same demographic group, The Dog had a 7.6 share in the winter. Joel Delmonico, general manager at The Dog, says that's a great number for a format that was on the air for barely three months.
"I mean, it surprises me," Delmonico says. "They (K-Rock) lost half of their share (18 to 34) while The Dog goes from a zero (share in this demographic group) to a 7.6 and ranked No. 3, just behind K-Rock. It's pretty cool."
Ed Levine, general manager at K-Rock, predicts his station's ratings will rebound now that listeners have gotten over the novelty of The Dog.
He says The Dog's performance was poor considering that the station wasn't running commercials, it got lots of publicity over hiring former K-Rock disc jockey Scorch, and its owner is Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest radio company.
"It got a 1.8 (share overall) That was pathetic. If he (Delmonico) is trying to portray it as anything other than that, it's spin," Levine says.
Another big story during the ratings period of Jan. 2 to March 26 was great numbers for Oswego public station WRVO-FM (89.9), which had a 4.7 share overall. That's up from a 4.3 in the fall and a 2.2 in the summer.
If ranked with commercial stations, WRVO would finish No. 8.
Undoubtedly, WRVO's gain is due largely to the station's wall-to-wall coverage of the war with Iraq and the events leading up to it.
On the other hand, news-talk WSYR-AM (570) saw a slight decrease in its overall ratings. It finished No. 2 with an 8.8 share, compared with a 9.1 in the fall.
Delmonico, who is also manager at WSYR, says the station might have lost some listeners with its decision to stick mostly with regular programming at various times during the war, airing a lot of self-help shows on weekends.
"It's always a judgment call in covering something like that. Maybe we should have done more weekend coverage. Who knows?" he says.
Meanwhile, the race tightened between Syracuse's two top-40 radio stations. WNTQ-FM (93Q) was No. 3 in the ratings with an 8 share, down from an 8.8 in the fall. WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) finished fourth with a 6.5 share, up from a 5.3.
Tied for fifth with a 6.3 share each were WSEN-FM (Oldies 92.1) and album rock WAQX-FM (95X).
Among morning personalities, 93Q's Ted Long and Amy Robbins made a rare first place by drawing a 10.4 percent share of listeners. They were followed by WSYR's Joe Galuski (10.2), B104.7's Ron Bee and Becky Palmer (9.8) and 95X's Howard Stern (9.6).
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 the Syracuse Post-Standard
August 12, 2002
In the battle for ratings in Syracuse radio, there's more than one way to declare victory - and just about every station finds a way to do just that.
Country music WBBS-FM (B104.7) clearly has dibs on claiming the No. 1 crown. It finished first overall during the spring Arbitron ratings period with a 10.2 percent share of listeners 12 and older.
It also was No. 1 in the key demographic group of listeners ages 25 to 54. And its morning show, hosted by Ron Bee and Becky Palmer, finished first in its time period.
But the owner of classic rock WTKV/W-FM (TK99/TK105) is also crowing. Although the station finished No. 7 overall, it was first with men 25 to 54 for the first time since the station switched to classic rock in late 1993.
Because that demographic group is precisely what the station targets, owner Ed Levine says he couldn't be happier. TK99's best-ever No. 3 finish with men 18 to 34 was just icing on the cake, he adds.
"TK99 is the overnight sensation that was eight years in the making," Levine says. "You don't see a lot of stations that are eight years into the growth cycle hitting all-time highs in their target demographic."
Top-40 WNTQ-FM (93Q), which finished No. 2 overall behind B104.7, was first among women 25 to 54, the station's targeted audience.
Operations manager Tom Mitchell says the big story for 93Q is how dominant it became with this age group. It had a 15 percent share of women 25 to 54, far ahead of the 12.5 share for B104.7 and the 11.5 share for adult contemporary WYYY-FM (Y94).
Top-40 WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) was No. 4 overall in the ratings, but it finished first with listeners 18 to 34, an age group it targets.
Hot was also No. 1 with women 18 to 34, while album rock WAQX-FM (95X) was tops with men 18 to 34.
There's still yet another way to look at who won the ratings battle.
According to Joel Delmonico, the most important thing is the combined success of Syracuse radio stations owned by the same company.
He's general manager of seven Syracuse radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications.
Of the top five radio stations overall in Syracuse ratings, three (B104.7, WSYR and Hot 107.9) are owned by Clear Channel.
The company's stations also place in the top three in every major demographic group.
"Obviously, not every station can be No. 1. But like all of our competitors, you strive to be close to the top in the key demographics," Delmonico says.
"It's not just gross numbers. It's being able to deliver different life groups to advertisers. That's a big, huge issue for us."
--snips--
from the Syracuse Post-Standard
May 13, 2002
Hiring away disc jockey "Big Mike" Fiss from Y94 FM was supposed to heat up ratings for WZUN-FM (Sunny 102).
But eight months later, the station is having to dig past dismal numbers to put any kind of happy face on station performance.
With listeners 12 and older, Sunny finished in 16th place out of 22 stations, according to the winter Arbitron ratings for the Syracuse radio market. Country station WBBS-FM (B104.7) once again finished first.
Sunny, owned by Galaxy Communications, is riding a ratings trend that's going in the wrong direction.
An adult-contemporary station mostly playing hits from the 1980s and 1990s, Sunny had a 1.5 percent share of Syracuse-area listeners in the winter.
That compares with a 1.7 share in the fall, a 2.1 in the summer and a 2.4 last spring.
"I think they were hoping that 'Big Mike' would draw a listening audience to Sunny's music format, and the problem is probably more the music format. ... A lot of people have sampled what Sunny 102 does, and it isn't offering anything to their liking," says Tom Mitchell, operations manager for Syracuse stations owned by Citadel Communications, including top-40 WNTQ-FM (93Q) and adult contemporary WLTI-FM (Lite 105.9).
In the mornings, Sunny's ratings have declined since Fiss came aboard in early September. He replaced Bill Baker from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays.
Fiss' show in the winter ratings period of Jan. 3 to March 27 attracted 1.2 percent of listeners 12 and older.
That compares with a 1.7 share for the Sunny's morning show in the fall and a 2.4 share that Baker got in the summer.
Sunny dropped to 12th place with listeners ages 18 to 34 and 13th place with those ages 25 to 54.
Its numbers rose slightly with women 18 to 24 and 25 to 34, finishing no better than ninth place in each of those age groups.
However, Sunny 102 general manager Ed Levine says the station did well where it counts most - selling commercials.
In the first three months of this year, the station finished No. 9 among Syracuse radio stations in advertising revenues, earning $288,000. Even with its smaller ratings, Sunny's format appeals to advertisers because the station targets women 25 to 54.
While conceding he wants higher ratings, Levine says the station's strength with advertisers justifies his decision in late summer 2000 to drop the station's urban-contemporary format, which targeted African-Americans and finished then at No. 9 in the ratings.
In the first three months of this year, Levine notes, Sunny drew more than twice the advertising revenue of No. 10 WPHR-FM (Power 106.9), now Syracuse's only urban station.
"Sunny also last year doubled the (advertising) billing of Power 106," Levine says. "We made the right decision for the right reason."
Levine says Sunny remains happy with the quality of Fiss' morning show, which mixes music with comedy bits and news.
Levine notes that all of Syracuse's adult-contemporary stations - No. 7 WYYY-FM (Y94), No. 12 Lite 105.9 and Sunny - dropped in the winter ratings.
"Mike coming over from Y94 tremendously impacted Y94. The ratings apparently did not come over to the Sunny side right away," Levine says. "I'm sure, within the next 90 to 180 days, you'll begin to see those numbers materialize on Sunny." In other ratings news WSEN-FM (Oldies 92) had its best ratings in more than a year, finishing No. 6 with a 5.6 percent share of listeners 12 and older.
It was No. 4 with listeners 25 to 54, one of its target demographic groups.
General manager Doug Fleniken credits tweaking of the WSEN's format to emphasize more hit songs from the 1960s that baby boomers want to hear.
93Q was No. 1 with women 25 to 54. Album rock WAQX-FM (95X) finished first with men 18 to 34 and 25 to 54.
Top-40 WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) was the favorite of women 18 to 34.
Among morning shows, national talk host Howard Stern on 95X was No. 1 among listeners 12 and older.
In second place was Joe Galuski on news/talk WSYR-AM (570), followed by Ron Bee and Becky Palmer on B104.7, Ted Long and Amy Robbins on 93Q, and Bill "Dakota" Curry on Hot 107.9.
from Syracuse Online
August 10, 2001
93Q was hot, but fellow top-40 radio station Hot 107.9 generated heat of its own in the latest Arbitron Co. ratings report.
Country station WBBS-FM (B104.7) once again was No. 1 overall in the spring ratings period, drawing a 10 percent share of listeners 12 and older. The station has placed first in the Syracuse radio market in every ratings book since fall 1999.
Making the biggest gain during the ratings period was second-place WNTQ-FM (93Q), which had a 9 share, up from a 6.9 in the winter.
In third place was 93Q's format competitor, WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9), which finished in third place with a 7.8 share, the station's best overall numbers since switching to contemporary hits in 1996.
The reason both stations did well is that neither targets exactly the same audience, according to Tom Mitchell, operations manager at 93Q.
Hot 107.9, which was No. 1 with listeners ages 18 to 34, focuses on more recent hits, including a fair amount of hip-hop and rap. 93Q's playlist includes more hits going back five or six years, which is one reason it's No. 1 with listeners ages 25 to 54, Mitchell says.
"What an industry person (in radio programming) would say is that we're a little less current intensive," he says.
Tied for fourth place were album rock station WAQX-FM (95X) and news/talk station WSYR-AM (570). Each had a 6.8 percent share of listeners 12 and older. But while 95X went up slightly from a 6.6 share in the winter book, WSYR was down from an 8.7.
Classic rock WTKW-FM (TK99) finished No. 6 with a 5.6 share, followed by WSEN-FM (Oldies 92) and WKRL-FM (K-Rock) in seventh place with a 5.4 share each.
Plummeting numbers continued for adult contemporary station WYYY-FM (Y94), which finished in third place only last fall. Y94 in the latest ratings period was No. 9 with a 5.3 share, down from No. 7 with a 5.6 share in the winter.
Y94 general manager Joel Delmonico says Y94 lost some of its audience to two other adult contemporary stations, No. 10 WLTI-FM (Lite 104.9) and No. 13 WZUN-FM (Sunny 102). Sunny switched to the format last fall.
But Y94 continues to be extremely profitable, which is why owner Clear Channel Communications is reluctant to monkey around with major programming changes that might not necessarily boost ratings, Delmonico says.
"It's not broken," he says of Y94.
Among morning hosts, Howard Stern on 95X was No. 1 with a 11.1 percent share of the radio audience in the Syracuse market during the spring ratings period of March 29 to June 20. Becky Palmer and Ron Bee on B104.7 were second with a 10.1, while Ted Long and Amy Robbins finished third with a 9.7 share.
from All Access
NET NEWS as of July 6, 2001
--snips--
WAQX (95X)/SYRACUSE PD BOB O'DELL reports to ALL ACCESS that the station has re-upped HOWARD STERN for a new five year deal through JUNE 2006.
--snips--
[...and as reported to me in email:]
July 4, 2001
WAQX recently announced that they re-upped the Howard Stern Radio Show for another 3 years. They have him now through 2004.
June 12, 2001
There's a rumor going around Howard will be dropped by WAQX when his contract runs out at the end of this month! If you know, or have heard of anything, please pass it along. Thanks...
from the The Syracuse Broadcasting Discussion Board
02-21-2000
Comments: Biff, actually you are wrong about the ratings. B104 is #1 in mornings....WSYR is #2. Q is #3..and Stern dipped to #4. Z89 didn't do much...not sure exactly what but not much at all. Hot didn't go up much at all (actually down tremendously with women 18+) The only thing Hot went up in was teenagers. Q is #1 18-34 Females. Power 102 did a hell of a job at night, and most stations did drop.
The Syracuse Post-Standard Newspaper reports that Howard Stern is indeed, still the "King of All Media."
Stern remains the King of the mornings in Syracuse, NY, with his morning show on WAQX-FM (95X) pulling in a 13.9 share of the market at that hour.
His closest competitor is WSYR-AM (570) and their morning news show, which pulled a 10.7 share.
95X as a whole dropped from 3rd in the market to 5th, dropping from a 7.9 share in the winter Arbitrons, to a 7.3 for the spring. But, WAQX easily was the No 1 station in Syracuse with Men 18 to 34 and 25 to 54.
Also, 95X is No 1 with a 14.7 share with all listeners 18-34, and 4th with all listeners 25-54 with a 7.8 share.
Here are the Top 5 Syracuse Radio Stations For Spring of 1998
(All Day Ratings For Stations)
1) WBBS (B-104.7) 9.3 share (Country) 2) WSYR (AM570) 7.9 share (News/Talk) 3) WYYY (Y94FM) 7.6 share (Adult Cont) 4) WNTQ (93Q) 7.4 share (Hot Hits) 5) WAQX (95X) 7.3 share (Howard)
Thanks to Roger for sending this in:
The Howard Stern Show is number one in all of the following:
12+ - Howard: a 13.3 share, 2nd place: 9 share
18-34 - Howard: a 29 share, 2nd place: 12 share
25-54 - Howard: a 16 share, 2nd place: 9 share
Males 18-34 - Howard: a 45 share!!!, 2nd place: 8 share
Thanks to KCChiefJoe for sending these in:
The Syracuse Newspapers just updated us on what I believe to be the Spring 97 Arbitron Ratings (in the paper, it just says the latest.) First are the morning drive time ratings, then the overall ratings of the stations....
Morning Drive Overall
#1) WSYR-AM, News/Talk (12.9) 8.4 {2}
#2) WBBS-FM, Country (10.7) 11.6 {1}
#3) WNTQ-FM, Top 40 (9.5) 8.0 {3}
#4) WAQX-FM, HOWARD STERN! (8.8) 5.8 {6}
#5) WYYY-FM, Adult Cont. (7.7) 6.6 {4}
#6) WSEN-FM, Oldies (5.7) 6.2 {5}
#7) WTKW-FM, Classic Rock (5.6) 5.0 {8}
#8) WRDS-FM, Urban Cont. (3.8) 4.3 {9}
#9) WFBL-AM, Adult Standrds (3.3) 3.3 {12}
10) WWHT-FM, Top 40 (3.2) 5.2 {7}
11) WLTI-FM, Adult Cont. (2.5) 3.9 {11}
12) WTLA-AM, Adult Standrds (2.4) 1.9 {13}
13) WNSS-AM, News (2.0) 1.6 {14}
14) WKRL-FM, Modern Rock (1.9) 3.9 {10}
15) WHEN-AM, Sports Talk (1.2) 1.2 {15}
16) WSCP-FM, Trad. Country (0.8) 1.0 {16}
A note of interest, WHEN-AM has just added the horrible Don Imus show to it's line-up in an effort to boost ratings. In today's (July 28th) Syracuse Newspapers, the was an interview with the Imus, and he says that his war of words with Howard Stern is "mostly show business." ha, ha, ha!"I don't dislike him. I mean, the stuff that each of us say about each other -- it makes good radio." Imus said he wasn't angry over "PRIVATE PARTS" which painted IMUS as a spoiled brat in the early 80's (not much has changed.) Imus says he hasn't seen the flick, his friends say that Howard's movie is often "quite funny"--ALTHOUGH NOT FUNNY ENOUGH TO INSPIRE HOLLYWOOD TO ORDER MOVIES ABOUT OTHER RADIO DJ'S.
Get this quote..."I wish it had been more successful, then we would have done one."
I can't believe that even IMUS would stoop that low. Compared to the other movies released at that time, PRIVATE PARTS was a great flick, opened at #1! It grossed over $40,000,000, something EYEMUS has never done in his whole life! The man makes me ill.
Anyways, WHEN-AM figures it can't do much worse, sitting at #15 in the latest Arbitron's, so now we'll get to see what impact this old man will have on him. I flicked just for a second as Howard went to a break, to hear what he was saying...he said that 15,000,000 Americans wake up to Imus in the Morning!!! Is he out of what's left of his mind??? Then he crowed about his MSNBC ratings, saying he's the highest rated program on that network. Ugh, please. His household ratings on MSNBC equal something like 120,000 homes (wow!) while the TODAY show gets somewhere around 5,000,000 homes. Big difference if you ask me.
Howard is 3rd, with a 9.9 share of the 12+ market.
Overall, Howard was a #1 in the 25-54 demographic with a 12 rating. The second place station in this demographic had a 2 rating. Howard was #2 in the 12+ demographic with a 7.5 rating.
Back to ratings.
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