Hearne: Cumulus Rules Ratings Radio Roost in Post Diary Arbitron World

Dear Diary,

I promise I’ll never lie to you again.

The days of Arbitron ratings diary carriers subverting the truth are history. With the year-old advent of "people meters" that actually track what listeners are listening to, the practice of over-reporting favorites has ended.

No more claiming WHB all day long when you only listen to Kevin Kietzman in the afternoon drive.

Left behind are the shell shocked stations and DJs that benefited from the previous practice, while advertisers and listeners alike have reawakened to far more honest, accurate, consistant ratings and rankings. Ratings that in many instances turned local radio worlds upside down.

One such beneficiary of the new metered ratings system is the classic rock radio format in general.

And in the recently released Arbitron ratings it’s little surprise that KCFX FM, The Fox, again topped the local rankings with a 6.9 share of what radio insiders refer to as total listeners.

Make no mistake, specific categories of listener demos, such as adults 25 to 54 and women 18 to 35 are still very important measures. More often than not, the most critical measures. That other media sites may downplay those numbers is based either on a lack or understanding of these important distinctions. Or lack of access to those numbers. Or, most likely, both.

Specific demographics are what radio stations live and die by.

Going forward, KC Confidential will begin reporting those numbers, beginning with the December ratings.

A few points of note about the current toal listener rankings…

For KCFX, the station’s No. 1 ranking marked the third month in a row it topped local lsitening.

For sister Cumulus station The Vibe, it was a signifcant move upwards. The Vibe moved from No. 5 to No. 2 in listeners in a single month. Maybe that (too) early Christmas music on competing stations helped, no?

Third place in the market came 98.9 The Rock (5.8) lead by heavy hitter Johnny Dare in the mornings.

In fourth was venerable urban signal KPRS FM.

Tied with KPRS was KCMO FM at 5.7. While the station has long-since dropped the "Oldies" moniker, what amounts still to an oldies format has also been a strong beneficiary of the new metered readings.

Country station Q104 FM came in fifth at 5.2 with fellow you-know-what kicker KFKF FM right behind with a 5.1

Worth noting is that what once was a ratings also-ran, Entercom’s Buzz, has blossomed into a formidable figure in seventh place at 4.9.

How formidable?

Enough to soar past news/talk stations, KMBZ 980 AM  in 11th place with a 4.4 share and KCMO 710 AM in 19th with a 2.5. And well past even hit radio mainstay Mix 93.3 FM in 20th place.

We’ll find out more about the ratings trench warefare over key audience demographics in January.

Stay tuned…

http://www.mb-kc.com/
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17 Responses to Hearne: Cumulus Rules Ratings Radio Roost in Post Diary Arbitron World

  1. chuck says:

    Very interesting. to me anyway.
    I am so uninformed and slow, I still don’t understand how it works.

  2. harley says:

    Hearne…you just proved your head writer glazer
    WRONG!
    I quote him as saying his man johnny dare is #1 in the world…
    #1 in the city…#1 in the universe….so he’s wrong again….
    what is it……dare is not #1 maybe in young males….but he’s
    not number one in adults….
    so what…who care…
    and will we see more applause for cumulus now that your
    buddy is back runing on the their stations sales…
    let the b.s. begin.

  3. kylerohde says:

    Why publish some?
    Why don’t you publish all the numbers Hearne, why post only some? Would love to see the 610/810 numbers.

  4. craig glazer says:

    Those Numbers Are Bullshit
    As an expert in this field, and I am, those numbers make no sense. First off they are taken from only a hundred or so listeners. I do most of these shows in the mornings and have done well all of them. Its easy to meansure listeners based on a couple things, THE PHONE RINGING FOR THEIR GIVEAWAYS…NOBODY IS NEAR DARE, NOBODY…Mix 93.3 would be second and maybe Q and a morning sports show like 610 or 810 followed by Q,l03 and then maybe The Vibe which has no onair DJ or oldies with KUDL and Star 102 or just the Oldies station with Dick Wilson….KMBZ rules the latter day parts with Sports and oldies, cause young listeners have downloaded music or are urban and listen to l03 or VIBE or Mix….rockers and 35 and up like 98.9 or country….

    When I do a show I watch the boards light up or not….not just for my comic but other giveagways like LARRY THE CABLE GUY TIX or Mix big concerrt at Sprint….It goes wild, not the case at most other stations, so yeah far less people listening…It does vary during the latter day parts. Yes 98.9 drops off after Dare who is by far and there is no argument from anyone but morons, #one…..The guy at times has well over l00,000 people listening, nobody else has that on a regular bases thats why his paycheck is TEN TIMES THEIR SIZE. The guy also sells out l5 concerts a year they put on, nobody else does that, nobody, that takes loyal listeners and he often does those shows on weekdays…like the last one was a Midland sellout on Wed. Mix is strong as well. Q morning show is solid but for some odd reason the country audience which should be high in this area, but has slowed down with all three channels a bit…still Q is rock solid. Nobody at Cumulos is that strong, l0l the Fox picks up with the Chiefs, Oldies does well Jack FM is in the pack with the Mix and Vibe…these numbers are toatl crap.

    I am right, I do know I do this four mornings a week live on five channels, I on on 98.9,the Mix,Q,Jack FM and another solid hitter The Buzz for a reason. Though I rarely an live on the Buzz …Church of Lozzlo is also strong…I used to do 103 and The Vibe, but have few Urban acts so that is not often. 103 was always strong but has fallen off somewhat, still big with the Urban crowd.

    Bob will be a big help at Cumulos, they need it….when I am there its me and 40 empty offices and cubes, they have almost no sales force, Entercom has a ton of salespeople cause they sell ads…Wilkes is next with Mix and Q….Hopefully Bob will out Donna and be the program director soon. What can she brag about?

    So when people like the moron of the planet Harley comment with NO experience thats what you get, moron comments….Lets put it this way Dare is a national name….he makes the largest pay of ANY local media person, bar none. There is no close second, not Larry Moore, not Dawson, not KK or Petro, not in the same league…they don’t do that if you aren’t a super killer…simple as that….having said that me and Dare often don’t see eye to eye, but he is great at what he does….p.s.so am I your humble scribe.

  5. joel says:

    glazer is right
    those numbers are wrong! I agree with Glazer, again he is correct. Craig I did say the Chiefs would be 10-6, early in the year. Looks like I was right! Yeah this Harley guy is really a fool. It is well known that Dare is the man in KC.

  6. harley says:

    GLAZER SORRY…WRONG AGAIN!
    dare makes $500K…other morning djs are making 150-200K…so
    youre WRONG AGAIN….ITS NOT 10 TIMES….WRONG…WRONG!
    You forgot and are wrong again with kprs…which shows very
    poorly in people meters….they are #1 station…and underreported.
    you said "kmbz rules the later day parts with sports and oldies"
    HUH? KMBZ RULES WITH RUSH…WRONG AGAIN. WRONG AGAIN.
    AND KMBZ DOES NT DO SPORTS AND OLDIES…HAVE YOU LISTENED
    TO THEM IN LAST 10 YEARS….ITS NEWS TALK…HELLOOOOOOO!
    "ROCKERS 35 AND UP LIKE THE ROCK" wrong again. won’t hound
    this point…ever heard of the fox.
    "98.9 phone line lights up for giveaways" obviously…have you ever
    been around their listeners..smelled them…sorry…their incomes are
    probably the lowest or close to lowest in terms of listenrship. Ever
    see a rock 98 sticker on a mercedes or bmw…nooooo…..their audieence
    has almost no buying power….totally below average…so they mooch all
    the free things they can get. WRONG AGAIN.
    "KPRS HAS FALLEN OFF". iF YOU KNEW YOUR INFO YOUD BE
    AWARE that urban stations have had serious problems with people
    meters….actual numbers show that they have huge audiences…
    even at nite….they havent fallen off…the method of research changed
    and they just have had problems in all markets with pms.
    what can donna brag about…don’t know her…but theire billlings are
    huge with what she has to work with.
    Dare is great…but many businesses don’t want that kind of customer
    in their pllace of business. Sorry…its low income.
    Vibe/95.7…check the numbers bud…not as badas you think.
    Most importantly you arevwrong again. Most advertisers want females..
    yes…females. So the top stations in those markets is not 98.9…
    maybe males 18-34….males 25-48….but for women…stay off the
    rock..unless you wanted tramp stamp females with no money…
    sorry…look at rockfest and see what they attract.
    Females…not even close…mix morning team kills your boy dare..
    and most advertisers are now looking for feamales who control the
    spending…yes…spending…they want people who spend..not mooches
    for free tickets or who go see metallica.
    So while dare i huge…and a great guy ….he is not superman. You;re
    wrong again…again…again..again….sorry….i can get numbers to prove
    you wrong but waste of time.
    If you want low incomes…low credit scores….bikers….beer drinkers…
    people who don’t pay their bills….people without disposable incomes
    you’re right…johnny dare is perfect. And some advertisers love those
    groups. But if you want upscale/big income/disposble dollars/
    classy people with money to spend…he ain’t your vehicle.
    You’re wrong…again..again…again….you’re out of your league on this
    one. Stick to hookers/strip clubs/maria (you were right…she is hot!)
    …HEARNE…comed y clubs and comedians (you are an expert there)
    and don’t step outside those subjects.
    I know the qualitative…the quantitative numbers….and i have research
    to prve every point.
    Also…your boy dare is very important to entercom. without him
    they are out of b usiness.. His station and bz are the reason entercoms
    door are still open.
    Good luck….stick to your subjects..you’re out of yur league.

  7. harley says:

    another wrong stat
    If im not mistaken cumulus is close to or outbiills entercom…
    I’ll have to check…..get back with that…
    so that staff they have at cumulus may not be big but its
    pretty damn strong…………
    WRONG!

  8. harley says:

    OTHER SALARIES
    bryan busby 250k
    larry more: well over 300-350k
    lenny dawson: got to be 200k
    I know…i see contracts.

  9. harley says:

    98.9 is great station
    for selling bongs and other tobacco smoking accssories……lol

  10. craig glazer says:

    oh brother
    Harley just for grins…its true the 98.9 listener is middle class….but thats most of this city….thats why RockFest has more than 50,000 people there each year. Yes they don’t have the buying power of a KMBZ listener for the most part. Those folks are usually over 50, KMBZ. By the way, I never said BZ was sports, though it used to be back in the day with Petro and Don….I am well aware of it being talk radio Harley since I am often on the shows, mid day and afternoons with Shanon and Parks…Harley you can go on and on…you have no credibility since A) we don’t know who you are or what you do or what you’ve done! B) you state opinion as fact. C) while Larry and Bryan do make in that neighborhood of income…how is it you would see their contracts…I do not see Dares. C) as far as you want me to write only about comedy and strippers/you are kinda alone in that area…

  11. harley says:

    glazer….here’s the deal I’ll make
    You don’t talk about things you know little about…
    1.sports!
    2. financial things!
    3. politics.
    4. radio and marketing.
    5. business related items.
    And I wont discuss things you know much more about than I do….
    1. chasing pussy.
    2. strippers and strip clubs.
    3. comedy shops and comdians.
    4. one night stands.
    5. bars/nighclubs.
    6. movies/books/porn stars.
    7. Porn star parties.
    8. Hot maria.
    9. Westport.
    10. hearne/tony/curtis/. Thats a good deal!
    5

  12. chuck says:

    Harley’s Apotheosis
    is scheduled for the night of the KCC Christmas Party, like it or not.——–Me personally, I am waiting for the report on this blog the day after.———–Should be a fuckin hoot.

  13. randyraley says:

    Dare dough
    While it’s true that Johnny is making some serious scratch, I seriously doubt whether many (or any) other morning people are getting six figures. Dick Wilson, maybe. While I am not completely sure, I’d be VERY surprised if many are. Been there, done that.

  14. randyraley says:

    addendum
    It’s been found through research that most people put on their PPM meter "as they are heading out the door". Very little at home listening time is monitored.

  15. harley says:

    randy/glazer
    there are many morning jocks in kc making 6 figures….because they
    generate a big chunk of money for the stations.
    I’d be surprised in kk isnt making 300-400 k with profit sharing at
    hte station…maybe not this last year…but when sales are good the
    guys making some great money.
    Mix 93 team is making 150K each or close…but there is 3 of them…
    Dick wilson/the local news talk guys….and probably 5 or 6 other
    people on the stations.
    even johnny rolands flying a copter is making 230 k a year…..

  16. randyraley says:

    Ok, then
    Is KK doing mornings? Isn’t he a part owner of the station? Different story. I guess you would know better than I. I doubt there are "many" jocks in KC making that kind of bread, but, what do I know?

  17. Rainbow Man says:

    do you want to destroy the site?
    Why are you allowing these posts on the Kona Grill story. I can’t knowingly log on to a site that has those images. Plesae let us know if you intend to fix it.

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