Listener Dedication Is Critical
by Brian Maloney, April 29th, 2009 at 11:32am
A few days ago, we looked at the first Boston ratings release under the new Portable People Meter (PPM). One benefit of the system is a much more precise estimate of a station’s actual number of listeners. Even better, it is now disclosed for all to see via industry trade publications.
Here’s how the largest local news/talk and sports stations fared:
WBZ-AM —- February 2009: 824,900 listeners —- March 2009: 806,100 (Rank: 8th)
WEEI-AM — February: 497,700 — March: 554,800 (Rank: 12)
WRKO-AM — February: 339,600 — March: 426,100 (Rank: 14)
WTKK-FM — February: 395,100 — March: 416,900 (Rank: 17)
In overall listener share, the magic numbers we use to determine success and failure in radio, WBZ ranks third, WRKO is sixth and WTKK thirteenth.
So what accounts for the difference? These stations are all boosted by time spent listening (TSL). Ratings are not just a body count but a measure of how long a particular person sticks with it during the day.
When programmed properly, news / talk stations benefit from fierce loyalty, especially when listeners feel they are a part of something important. WTKK and WRKO have virtually the same body count, but TSL boosted the latter all the way to sixth place, while the former languishes in thirteenth.
While WRKO features a powerful block of successful conservative programming between noon and 7pm, WTKK’s schedule is all over the place, with conservatives, liberals, libertarians featuring varying degrees of enthusiasm and dedication to their respective programs.
Look at it this way: what is a Michael Graham listener expected to do at noon? For him or her, WTKK’s programming hits a brick wall at that point. By the same token, an Eagan & Braude fan has nowhere to go at 3pm, except to another station.
WTKK does this to its listeners all day long, giving them no reason to remain with the station beyond the current program. This is the primary reason why it hasn’t been able to achieve more than mediocre ratings results.
Yes, long commercial breaks and a dead-and-gone morning drive debacle also hurt WTKK, but WRKO shares with it the latter problem, yet still manages to do fairly well overall.
As with newspapers hoping to survive via Internet traffic, radio stations must focus on this key element of ratings success.
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20 Comments Add your own
1. WRKO Staffer | April 29th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
There is nothing wrong with diverse radio and any local radio that avoids syndobores is ok by me (local talk is where it is at). That said, I think people drop off due to quality.
2. Cricket | April 29th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I agree with the diversity thing but do understand where Brian is coming from. I can’t listen to Rush but love Howie. I can’t listen to Jay but love E&B. I go back and forth with Ingraham and Graham, it depends on the topic.
I prefer Colonel Hunt filling in for Howie than what’s his name from last week.
3. Wile E. Coyote | April 30th, 2009 at 2:17 am
WTKKK & WRKOOK … Are two Excellent reasons to get Sirius/XM Satellite Radio or Stream Web Radio. … after ya finally get tired of being lied to.
AM WWZN 1510 goes Left 5-4-2009
10:AM - Noon ~ Stephanie Miller
Noon - 3:PM ~ Thom Hartmann
3:PM - 6:PM ~ Big Ed Schultz
IMHO~ This is Some of THE Best Radio on the Radio !
4. Nailer | April 30th, 2009 at 7:15 am
I drive about an hour each way 4 days a week. In the AM, I flip between lizard face in the morning on TKK depending on which lying liberal is his guest, the two bloviating idiots on EEI, and warm and fuzzy Ed Lambert on XTK. Basically morning drive in SE Mass sucks.
In the afternoon it comes down to EEI’s Patriots booster club, and Howie on XTK (simulcast).
I know it has been tried before but I really liked The Bob and Tom show out of Indianapolis in the AM. Funny without being sophomoric and generally non-political. About right for AM drive.
5. Pat Lucci | April 30th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Imus is a shadow of hinself but still way better thab Fineran, and Graham is barely tolerable, but after him nothing on TKK is worth a warm bucket of spit.
Conversly, until Howie comes on at 3:00 nothing is worth a listen at RKO.
6. Circlet Soft | April 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Whatever happened to the blogger known as “free the McPhees”?
7. Pat Lucci | April 30th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
When Jim and Margery were talking about torture today6, yhe thought that occured to me was forget water boarding, just lock the terrorists in a room with their show playing. They will crack in under three hours, Guaranteed!!!
8. Cap'n Spackle | April 30th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Drugs are bad, m’kay?
9. raccoonradio | April 30th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Yeah, and Olbermann’s a brilliant journalist,
Al Franken will make a great Senator, and John
Kerry will bail out The Boston Globe
Today’s Herald has an article (actually a long
press release) about a “car show” hosted by someone from the Prime Motor Group to be added
to the 96.9 lineup on Sunday nights. Howie only wishes that WTKK could add a “Carr show”
though
Herald moves up to $1 starting 4/11. Will it be Boston’s only daily paper by then?
10. raccoonradio | April 30th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
>>until Howie comes on at 3:00 nothing is worth a listen at RKO
I like Ingraham though.
I did say when Entercom launched its “green”
program that one way they could help save
the planet would be to shut off their transmitter
between 5:30 and 9 am, if you know what I mean!
11. Cap'n Spackle | April 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
RR, a ’show’ hosted by a car salesman. Great.
That makes 96.9 completely useless and avoidable on Sunday unless you just want to hear the MTP audio at noon.
Maybe Ernie and the Automatics can get their own ’show’.
12. Pat Lucci | April 30th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Racoon,
I agree. Laura is never terrible. She goes from OK to teriffic depending on the news and topics. But Graham is local and more interesting from that perspective. Nobody asked, just my opinion.
13. raccoonradio | April 30th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
BREAKING NEWS: Jay Severin has been suspended by WTKK for comments made about
Mexicans and swine flu. Details by the (yes
they’re still publishing, for now) Globe
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/04/_jay_severin.html
14. Anti Brian | May 1st, 2009 at 5:59 am
“What is a Grahm listener to do at Noon.”? You ask. Maybe listen to a different point of view? I realize you live in an echo chamber and constantly need to be told how to think by ring wing conservative wind bags but you may be surprised to know that some people like to hear a different perspective.
15. Ed, Watertown | May 1st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
It sure would be interesting if a lineup like:
10:AM - Noon ~ Stephanie Miller
Noon - 3:PM ~ Thom Hartmann
3:PM - 6:PM ~ Big Ed Schultz
was ever carried on a Boston station with an actual signal that could be picked up more than 5 miles from the tower. Who knows? It may just make money.
16. raccoonradio | May 1st, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Anti Brian: Yes, the media is definitely, totally conservative. All right wing. The Globe, The
Phoenix, Keith Olbermann, Prog talk (now on sat. radio and soon to be on WWZN), NPR, the Net,
movies (Michael Moore, Al Gore), et al. They’re
all right wing wackos.
And Massachusetts has about 98 per cent conservatives in office. Folks like that rabid
right winger Barney Frank. Deval Patrick.
DiLeo, Murray, Cahill, Ed Markey, Nikki Tsongas…Kerry, Kennedy…
we are definitely in GOP heaven here and
the far right wing media must go
You know, in all seriousness, maybe we should stop listening to conservatives tell us what to think.
And listen to liberals tell us what to think.
17. raccoonradio | May 2nd, 2009 at 1:59 am
Herald: Jay and his agent are meeting with Greater’s bigwigs on Monday to discuss his future
with the station
http://bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/2009_05_02_Jay_Severin__agent_to_discuss_future_with_WTKK/srvc=home&position=6
“One source said Severin had been warned in the past.”
And his ratings have gone down
18. Anti Brian | May 3rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Racoonradio,
Is that overnight shift running the letter sorter getting to you?
I never said the media was all conservative. Beleive me, I am fully aware of the make up of our delagation in Congress as well as how to spell the Massachusetts Speaker of the Houses’s last name. DeLeo
I was commenting on Brian’s post that someone who listen’s to Michael Graham has no place to go after his show but to RKO. I listen to a lot of radio and like to hear different points of view rather tha a drum beat of all liberals are kool aid drinkers or all conservatives are the devil.
19. raccoonradio | May 3rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm
I was exaggerating a bit…and playing more to outsiders who may be visiting this blog and didn’t know.
20. nhdude | May 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I think Brian should update this post because WRKO has strong programming from 9AM-10PM I would say, including Laura and Dr. Savage.
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