Save WRKO: Ratings: WRKO Crushed, WTKK Surges

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April 30, 2008

Ratings: WRKO Crushed, WTKK Surges

As the race toward mediocrity in Boston talk radio continues, new ratings have seen WRKO crushed to bits while the competition eats its lunch.

For the first time in memory, WTKK has beaten WRKO in the overall 12+ ratings, with the former rising from 2.8 in the fall to 4.1 for the winter. The latter fell from 4.2 to 3.8 during the same time period.

As the Herald reports today, The Felon's wildly unpopular program has dragged down the station's all-important morning drive ratings:

WRKO radio host Tom Finneran has been hit with his worst ratings yet - and has failed to attract the throngs of listeners station suits were banking on during his 14 months on the air.

With Finneran manning the morning drive, WRKO-AM (680) lost more than 23,000 key listeners this winter compared to the fall among the revenue-generating 25- to 54-year-old demographic, according to Arbitron ratings released yesterday.

Finneran had a 1.1. share and 35,800 average weekly listeners in that important group of listeners this winter, from Jan. 10 to April 2. The resurrected Don Imus at WTKK-FM (96.9) beat Finneran more than 3-to-1, ranking 10th with a 3.5 share in the key demo.

Finneran debuted on WRKO in February 2007 with much hype but has languished in 15th and 16th place in morning-drive among 25- to 54-year-olds. During winter 2007, he had a 1.6 share in that demo; followed by a 1.9 last spring; a 1.6 last summer and a 2.0 last fall.

While it's no surprise that Imus is regaining some of his previous base, it's amazing to see Finneran actually losing many of his few remaining listeners. Might Air America be interested in hiring him?

From Coffee Boy, here's the quote of the year:

“Tom is working extremely hard and he’ll do what he needs to do to bounce back,” said WRKO program director Jason Wolfe.

Bounce back? To what? There's no past record of success!

Meanwhile, Jay Severin is winning the afternoon drive war by default, as a demoralized Howie Carr turns in the weakest possible performance allowed by law.

And with Reese "ask me about my bogus bio" Hopkins now in midmornings, the 10am - 3pm daypart has never looked weaker.

Watch here for more analysis. In particular, I'm waiting for more detailed data that breaks out hosts individually, which will provide an even clearer picture of the current situation.

Posted by Brian Maloney at 11:29 AM | Comments (22) | Track

Comments

I was tempted to go on a multi paragraph diatribe about this, but suffice it to say:
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Posted by: BigBish at April 30, 2008 12:56 PM

WRKO deserves everything they get by hiring this idiot in the first place. He is dreadful in every way! Even the 30 second spots for his hideous show are unlistenable!

Posted by: Jay at April 30, 2008 01:05 PM

Boston Radio Watch reports that the Herald
has dropped the blog done by former WRKO/WZLX/
WFNX talk host/DJ Tom "Tai" Irwin. Tai had
complained about Howie's show and column and offered to do both for free.

Posted by: raccoonradio at April 30, 2008 01:31 PM

In the latest Boston Radio Watch http://www.bostonradiowatch.com Mark says it's a matter of when, not if, Finneran gets his walking papers at 'RKO (though could they actually hold on to him despite the low ratings?). He also wonders if 'RKO might simulcast the 'EEI or 'AAF morning
shows on 680 or perhaps, since people are moving to FM talk, put 'RKO on 97.7 as well.

A friend of mine in Ohio (in radio sales) says FM talk overall is not doing well in ratings or billings but I note in his own
area WNIR/Kent (Akron area) is consistently #1 (an FM talker) while here WTKK is doing pretty well.

BRW: "The 15-month old morning drive experiement with Tom Finneran is clearly over. It's just matter of when and how WRKO is going to pull the plug ...another option is to simulcast some and/or all of WRKO AM's line-up on 97.7FM which currently simulcasts rocker WAAF 107.3FM."

Posted by: raccoonradio at April 30, 2008 01:49 PM

By the the time of the Fall books,WRKO will look back at these current ratings as the "good old days"...the hole gets deeper every day.

Posted by: Really Right at April 30, 2008 02:02 PM

It's amazing how you give your 'heros' a free pass. Both Howie & Rushhh numbers are in the toilet. Let see between them they have had 5 wives, drug problems and ZERO time in the military. Both have cheated on their first wife and married women many years younger then themselves. I think both of them have met their most recent wives at work while still married.

Posted by: bigblue at April 30, 2008 02:07 PM

While listening to Howie Carr yesterday, Max Robbins inquired if Howie was going to get a bonu$$$ in conjunction with the ratings being released. Howie replied that he wanted another kind of bonus and that is all he said. His tone implied that he wished that the "powers that be" would let him exit stage left. Max then just laughed, the way he always laughs. Very interesting.

Posted by: eriemike at April 30, 2008 02:07 PM

Is Finneran the proverbial 'tree that falls in the forest?'

Posted by: Chris at April 30, 2008 02:52 PM

Howie's back must be killing him. Imagine what WRKO's ratings would be if Howie wasn't there???

Posted by: John at April 30, 2008 03:01 PM

Ok
Pause everyone. Breathe.

Our tryst with vengeance has produced such succulent fruit, it is only fair that we recline for a moment and drink it all in. And Howie dutifully playing the clever concubine feined pleasure on our behalf and provided 'cover' as we moved the battle line. He held brave vigil knowing all along the good byes had been said.

Now gripping our new lover with a sturdy hand we remind her that we are New England, we remind her We Have a Soul, Do not toy with it, do not trample or insult our collective righteousness, do not betray the ones we care about, and never no never forget our resolve to seek justice.

And as a warning fair lover: do not gloat over that which we have played a significant part in earning for you. We are a gracious bunch and we wish our lover to be as well.

Well done troops :)

Posted by: Sorenson at April 30, 2008 03:22 PM

Hey bigblue...please continue your post and include the virtues of those you did not mention:) a felon, a fraud...

It's not what they do on their time, its what they do on the air that matters.

As for the Felon he sucks at both.

Posted by: BostonVernon at April 30, 2008 04:52 PM

I am shocked, SHOCKED, at the Felon's poor performance in the most recent ratings period. Really, who could have seen this coming? Haven't ALL of Coffee Boy's managerial moves worked out?

Let's review:
Didn't the decision to can the entire news staff in favor of the current "news hub" work out well?
Don't you just love the way Scott Pike can't manage to get through a single newscast without screwing up the name of a local town or otherwise stumbling over himself vocally?
(Today's gem: Pike was relating the sad tale of the 2 young boys who were overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning when their vehicle became stuck in the mud. Mr. Pike obviously thinks that carbon DIOXIDE was the culprit. WARNING TO PARENTS: Don't let your children exhale ever again - it could kill them!)

Hasn't the decision to split the Red Sox between WRKO and WEEI worked wonders for the ratings numbers? That is pure programming genius right there, folks! Take the most beloved sports franchise in America and deliver it in such a way as to absolutely MINIMIZE the impact it has. Advertisers just love it when listeners get pissed off on a regular basis.

And the coup de grace, let's hire a lying, scumbag political hack who is freshly convicted for his role in a conspiracy to disenfranchise minority voters and make him our morning show man! The listeners will eat it up with a spoon! And for good measure, let's import a moderately talented hip hop producer from NYC to lecture the locals about what they should and should not be concerned about in the midday.

As I have asked before, I once again ask the eternal question of SaveWRKO.com:

How do these idiots running WRKO still have their jobs?

Posted by: NHradiofan at April 30, 2008 06:16 PM

I don't understand Finneran's poor ratings. He can express a sentence in two paragraphs anytime.

Posted by: Dan in NH at April 30, 2008 07:11 PM

.... As long as they have WEEI (We Entertain Eternal Idiots.) to hold them up nothing will change. www.wrko.org

Posted by: cjfply at April 30, 2008 08:12 PM

Boston Radio Watch reports that this guy:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nsAyszlpt_g
...is getting a weekend show on WTKK.

Swell.

Posted by: Cap'n Spackle at April 30, 2008 11:23 PM

I think "cjfply" nailed it...as long as the idiots continue to tune in WEEI en masse,Entercom can keep the illusion/delusion alive. The Pavlovian Boston sports fans continue to prop up the disgustingly mediocre WEEI.

Posted by: Really Right at April 30, 2008 11:55 PM

I am not surprised to hear that WRKO's ratings are in the toilet. Every other time I turn that station on there is a sporting event pre-emption.
Nothing makes me change the station faster. As far as I can tell WTKK is a real talk station, and not a sports/talk station. Why don't those idiots at WRKO realize that people tune in to hear talk, and not the sound of a roaring crowd and some dopey announcer?
I miss the good ol' days when Moe L., Pat W., Spencer H., and VB were on the air.
Is ther anything we can do to turn it around?
I tried writing the station and they never replied.

Posted by: WorkingClass at May 1, 2008 12:05 AM

VB is busy with Fox25 Morning news; Spencer
Hughes is on Fox NewsTalkRadio (satellite,
syndicated). Whitley still has restaurant show.
And Moe's show was axed in favor of informercials, a sad state of affairs...
I did hear the blooper about Carbon "DIOXIDE"
killing the kid...another Metro News blooper
came when former Celtic Dennis Johnson passed
away and someone (Pike, I think) said it was
Dennis Rodman dying.

Posted by: raccoonradio at May 1, 2008 03:13 AM

Hey Jason, get the lights on your way out, oh and take your mutt with you.

Posted by: Anti-Braude at May 1, 2008 06:23 AM

Working Class, I agree, nothing is more frustrating than to turn on the radio thinking you're going to hear your favorite TALK SHOW and what's on instead.....a freakin' sporting event, basketball, baseball, and worse yet soccer, way to go rko, way to please the listeners who want to hear TALK radio, NOT sports radio, talk radio, all day, everyday, yeah right.

Posted by: the real Barbara at May 1, 2008 12:39 PM

I used to listen to WRKO, but I find Opie and Anthony on 'BCN more "entertaining and informative" than Mistah Speakah.

Posted by: Bob at May 3, 2008 10:21 AM

For the first time in my life i've been watching morning tv, because there is nothing worth listening to on either am or fm, til micheal graham comes on at 9 ... Like Jay says MISTAH SPEAKAH is "unlistenable" and even when his promos come on during the day when rko is using hime to peddle something or other , I immediately switch rko off in favor of the all news station or dead air even... so again i'd like to thank rko for helping me to discover all the beautiful morning news babes... But I'll be back as soon as Finneran is GONE !!!!

Posted by: 50yrtlkfan at May 3, 2008 06:07 PM