For the first time in years, ratings results for Providence have been released to the public. Until now, they'd been embargoed at the request of one or more Arbitron subscribers, a technique sometimes used by a station owner to cover up crappy numbers.
The timing couldn't be better for news-talker WPRO, now riding a wave of success tied to its addition of an FM signal. The combined WPRO-AM/ WEAN-FM drew a huge 7.2 share of the overall audience, taking it to its first number one showing in ages.
As music formats fade and AM band listening deteriorates even more, talk radio is rapidly migrating to FM. It's the one format that can survive while the industry collapses around it.
In addition, I've recently felt that WPRO's laser-focus on local issues and personalities has been the deciding factor in beating the competition.
Losing Rush Limbaugh to the competition, however, may yet prove a mistake. So far, WHJJ has done nothing to build a strong lineup around El Rushbo, which has kept ratings to a weak 2.0 overall share. That's up substantially over last year, before he joined their lineup.
It's still not clear, however, whether the company is at all serious about returning WHJJ to its past glory. Right now, the station has just one local show in a region where syndicated programming generally struggles.
First to go should be 'HJJ's morning show, which is piped-in from Pittsburgh. How ridiculous is that?
Second, Glenn Beck is just not a big ratings draw and never will be, especially in New England. There may be an exception or two out there, but Providence isn't one of them. Many stations are forced to carry Beck by their corporate owners.
Beyond those two, stations from New Bedford (WBSM), Fall River (WSAR) and Boston (WBZ, WTKK, WEEI) also show up in the Rhody figures, generally with a share or so.
While it's nice to see the full picture in Providence once again, I think chances are good the ratings embargo could be reinstated sooner, rather than later.
