Easy come, easy go…
Just like that 610 Sports Cinderella ratings run last fall is in the dumper.
After riding the Kansas City Royals Cinderella-like coattails in October and November’s ratings – with a 4.8 and 5.6 share respectively – the party’s o-v-e-r.
610 sank like a rock from its fourth place finish with a cume of 482,200 listeners to 17th place and a cume of 168,500, among listeners 12 and older.
And while certainly some fall off was to be expected, the question was how many of those new listeners might stick with the station? The unfortunate answer: damn few.
For example, going into the Royals season last March, 610 was languishing in 12th place with a 2.7 share and a cume of 187,200 listeners.
In other words, not only did 610 not pick up new listeners, it’s ending the year with fewer than it even had prior it’s miraculous ratings rise.
That’s obviously good news for rival sports station WHB.
It also supports the perception by many observers that if 610 truly wants to play in the big leagues, it’s going to need to bolster its talent lineup with heavy hitters like the one that got away, Nick Wright.
Or as one radio insider summed it up, “The big story here is how KCSP dropped 50% of their 12 plus. Looks like they were not able to hold on to any of those sampling from the World Series. That speaks volumes about the overall content and appeal their air talent has to the Sports/Talk fan.”
Nuff said?
How about the other ratings?
Their on-air talent is just not likable or listenable. It’s as simple as that. I’ve tried. I also think that they are chasing a demo (younger listeners) that have basically moved on from radio, and aren’t really into sports talk to begin with. Despite the flaws of 810 personalities (and there are many), they have a consistent product that the demo that listens to AM sports talk radio can live with.
I basically agree, rkcal…
Add to all of that, that younger listeners are few and far between on the AM band. Hence their eventual move to FM, which I know they’d like to do but just don’t have that option at present.
Even if they had an FM signal…they would waste it unless they can produce better content and talent.
Agreed
To call their on-air talent “bad” is an insult to bad broadcasters.
Look at it this way: Bob Fescoe is among the very worst radio personalities who have had at least a semi-regular presence in KC during the 21st century. He is probably their BEST guy.
Yikes!
Agreed, 610 is just horrible to listen too. Their takes are not really good, and their voices are annoying.
810 scoops 610 once again…
610 has always sucked. Nick Wright sucked out loud as well, and he was the “best” they’ve had. The guys they have now are just unlistenable.
If and when they come up with an FM signal for that station, they probably will go out and try to get some blue chip talent.
Although, it’s easier said than done.
Just likemthe TV news anchors.
If it was easy, everybody would have kicks broadcasters.
Meanwhile, somebody’s listening to them – enough to keep their jobs – although it sure ain’t much.
I’m sure they have some demo breakdown numbers that are “sellable.”
And my guess is that if things don’t pick up, whoever is the program director will be out and somebody new will come in. I doubt Entercom is wildly happy with the state of things, but they’ve got other fish to fry.
“Nick Wright, heavy hitter. ” Now that’s funny. He was awful as is the rest of the 610 staff. I don’t know what happened to Fescoe. I liked him when he was on 810 years ago. Now he’s awful like the rest of them. Him repeatedly saying the full names of everything drives me crazy. “The Kansas City Chiefs, the University of Kansas” etc. I know what Chiefs you’re talking about. I don’t think it’s the Charlestown Chiefs. Just say “KU” or “MU,” we all know what you mean. If they didn’t have Entercoms big bucks behind them they would have gassed a long time ago. Entercom doesn’t let their other stations just suck forever but for some reason they let 610 do it.
I dunno, Turk…
I liked him and his numbers were rising. And he landed a better gig, so accounting for taste, I’d say he was on a higher plane than what they’ve got now
And Nick Wright just did 3 shows filling in on the Jim Rome Show over the past week or so – maybe the biggest sports talk show on the planet. So there’s that.
Nick has lots of haters here…
Mostly oldsters,I suspect…oops, there I go again!
Or they don’t want to listen to liberal White Guilt Radio disguised as sports talk.
810 scoops 610 once again…
Wow, Old Man Kissel nailed that one……that is exactly right on…. you can add 96.5 to that too. I LOVE the music they play, I just do not like having to hear them talk.
Nick Wright is doing some print work for some site called the Vibe….had a
pretty good article there last week.
Did anyone not expect 610 to slide aftr the royals were done?
Come on hearne…this isn’t news….
and WHB is on fire with revenues!
hap[py new year.
610 is really bad. Their on air staff make glaze look like a genius in sports.
And glaze is at the bottom of the heap when it comes to anything about
sports…chiefs…royals….sporting kc….etc…..
What a mess of poor writers you’ve accumulated. With your track record
you should have 5 star writers who know what they’re talking about.
Your news is old news!
You are such a poor reader, Harley…
I wrote that a fall off was expected after the World Series.but this was monster!
Go back and re- read the column and I’ll administer a short test to see what if anything you retained.
I read it…and it continues that you know nothing about
radio or its numbers.
Fact: yes the 610 nothings did get a boost and yes it was
only because of the royals. But look at the tv numbers
hernia and see the real numbers were watching the games
on tv. Those radio numbers were skewed and remember
that they use those stupid people meters…
you said this boost in numbersshould help 610 after baseball…
another wrong statement by you. It lasted as long as the
last out because 610 sucks and their talent is horrid. And the
announcers onradio on those games was a tired old man
who almost fell asleep during the games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They sunk right back to where they belong…at the bottom
of the pack with all the other lower rated stations.
How can you compare those minor leaguers at 610 to
kk/soren/monty/harry/boal/plus all the former royals/owners
they had onto analyze the games. And to make thecomment
that no one young listens to whb isanother stupid statement.
Listen to who calls into theshows…and that’s a small portion
of the audience. Guarantee they get more 25-40 year olds
than 610 all day does. Why?
You know nothing about radio anndnothing about who
made the big money. Get real hearne…you don’t understand
thehugesignal whb has that stretches to 5 states.
Get real. Stop trying to be greg hall because you have no
sports background.
And no experience in radio. You are wrong again.
Get out the articles you’ve written about radio and I’ll
rip every one based on facts.
Again…you play out of your league when you write about
these types of topics.
stick to Indians/war chants/jewelry thieves/gossip that
never materializes and you keep letting people know
that Harley knows all.
Question: answer this….what station had the most increase
in revenues due to the royals?
Then there’s glaze who again fell flat on his face again and
again. A blind dog could pick more winners.
I plead to youto bring on someone who knows sports.
Interviewing some punch drunk fighters doesn’t mean you
know anything about anything.
who cares…it was 40 years ago for god sakes.
And I’m sure clint eastwood is running to make
king of sting right after American sniper!!!!!!!!
please….please….make some changes this new year!!!!!!!
what a mess
Gee H Man…
I don’t have the time or inclination to wade thru the above diatribe. Your morning coffee must be a whole lot stronger than mine.
But saying the TV numbers were larger has nothing to do with this argument. Becausee’re talking radio here.
Boy how many haters we got? 610 is the younger brand, no question. I have gotten to know all there guys in the three days parts. Good guys. There is talent there as well. I think Carrington Harrison/C.Dot has come along ways. He’s got that hip 20’s thing going and has tons of fans. Danny Parkins his senior partner is well schooled in his field and is kinda their new Nick Wright. Nick by the way is doing great in Houston a huge market so somebody thinks he’s very good.
Jay Binkley is my man for many reasons, including him losing 100 pounds, damn. He’s funny a hard worker and his partner Henry Lake is smooth as well.
Bob Fescoe is the middle aged voice and solid as is Josh Klingler. Our hometown sound.
Look the numbers fell in sports talk cause the Royals series ended and the Chiefs were an uphill conversation due to the fall in second half of season. KU didn’t help matters getting jacked off the planet by Kentucky to start things off and our other local teams in basketball are just ok.
So sports talk is getting thin and will continue to do so as football ends. NBA is not big in KC. 810 is the senior group and does a nice job. I have seen Soren Petro our at Rosana Square and he’s a good guy as is Frank and the crew…
We have too stations the younger one 610 the older one 810. Simple as that…I suppose they are close in numbers overall. Both have their ups and downs but hey they both have thousands of loyal listeners. Give 610 some credit.
Uh thats two not too..
Their not there. We’ll get this to a 100 comments easy if we start correcting your grammatical mistakes.
Craig, these numbers were Nov. 15 to Dec 15.
I think there was still a lot of interest in the Chiefs as they battled for a playoff berth.
Of course they were going to fall off after the World Series, but it was a reasonable exception (and certainly Entercom’s hope) that a portion of the nearly half million people who tuned in for the Series would like what they heard and stick with 610 once it was over.
However, based on the raw numbers, not only did 610 fail to pick up new listeners, they lost some of the ones that were with them before the baseball season even started last winter.
cg…please stop! you are wrong again.
what about that 8 win chiefs season…lets hear about that!
or your dogging the royals.
As for Kerowacky…..he’s another weak writer.
Here’s my predictions for 2015….royals won’t win world series…chiefs
won’t win super bowl…..well duh!!!!!
that’s what k and glaze say…I mean that’s obvious and pretty simple
statements…….
please hearne….get some real writers with some real facts …….
Remember the Maas Exodus? Remember that? Remember when Whitlock, Maas and Grunhard left 810 in the dead of night like the Colts left Baltimore in 1984?
I remember when the news broke and Whitlock spent the day on KCForum.net talking like a freed slave. Using every black stereotype imaginable to show his joy or braking away from his, “Masters” at WHB.
I remember when he went on 980 and Petro’s show talking about the new all sports radio show. Rubbing this new station in Petro’s (Who was out of a job soon at Entercom) face. Vowing to destroy 810, KK and anyone who got in his way.
I remember when local message boards and blogs were talking about the downfall of 810 and the likely death of the station. Some even compared it to the fall of Saddam Husain. And KK will be put to pasture by this new station with all of their national contacts.
But something happened on the way to statues being torn down, fireworks in the air and people rejoicing on the street.
610 and their Big Dog lineup imploded from within. And boy did they implode hard.
Whitlock and Maas couldn’t get along, both thinking they were the reason people listened to the show. Maas, still having his Fox broadcasting gig, quit leaving Whitlock to do the show on his own. Whitlock, proving he can’t get along with others self-destructed and quit on air. Burning his 1,000th bridge in the process.
Without a radio show Whitlock quickly became irrelevant. No one talked about his columns. Most importantly, no one cared. He became lazy and self-righteous. That’s until he burned his last bridge in the city with the Star and all but exiled from town. He spent years trying to get back to prominence finally begging Tony Kornheiser and Wilbon to pull some strings and get ESPN to hire him back.
Maas let drugs get the best of him, losing his broadcasting job with Fox were he was the second team. Now he’s a NFL guest contributor on 610 starting from square one. Not even the Arena Football League would want Maas broadcasting their games.
As for Grunhard. Without Maas and Frank Boal to carry him he stayed on the station as much as he could until 610 finally told him his services were no longer needed. Not to mention that we found out all about Tim’s “Drinkers Secret.” Yet, this guy was a high school football coach. Some role model.
610 had so much hype that year. They had so much press, sports fans were talking about it all round the water coolers in the city. But that’s all it was hype.
Lets face it, 610 is the Washington Generals to 810 Globetrotters. But at least the Generals put up a better effort every now and then.
810 scoops 610 once again
At least no one dropped their pants embarrassed and shamed their families losing the respect of their children and became the laughing stock of KC. At least that didn’t happen to anyone at 610.
Are you sure about that Gassedup? Are you sure when Channel 5 news when up to Tim and asked him, “Why do you have a Missouri DL?” and he said, “No I don’t, I live in KS.” That he didn’t embarrassed his family and lost respect?
Or how about Maas? That mug shot of him with some nine fingered women with enough drugs to kill two elephants. You don’t think he lost respect?
Or Whitlock making a fool out of homself every turn, buring bridges left and right? Having to beg TK and MW to pull strings to have ESPN hire him back? You don’t think he lost respect?
810 scoops 610 once again…
kissel is 1000 per cent correct!!!!
even hearne tries to blow 610’s horn when he can.
They’re second rate and will always besecond rate…but they
get cheap cheap talent at $10 per hour and they can make
some good money.
but they aren’t even in the same ballpark as 810 and never
will.
610 is so far down my list of options for drive to work/home radio that I am thinking about removing it as a pre-set.
I cannot stand Bob Fescoe. His voice makes me want to punch children. His cadence is so annoying that I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the reason people tuned out. Is he Bill “F***in Shatner or something? I THINK the Kansas City CHIEFS…will….be….GOOD AGAIN…next year.
His takes are usually incredibly over the top as well and ridiculous, which leaves me thinking that he is attempting to mimic what made Keitzman successful, but is doing it badly.
God 610 sucks!
On 620, they are always “What I did” and talking about their women-or lack of. I can’t understand what in the world this has to do with sports! They need to focus!
It’s part of the younger guys way of distinguishing themselves Suzanne…
They aren’t doing that by accident.
Doubt you’ll hear Kietzman boasting of his romantic exploits!
OOPS. Meant 610, but I think you all know that.
If 810 is so great….why can’t they pay their bills?
WHB is carrying a HUGE debt service from its misadventure on FM a few years back -plus the Royals.
They’re kicking butt and taking names in the ratings and ad sales but their debt service is dragging them down
wrong again hearne. where did you get this info from?
another “jewel thief” run around?
idiot…who hasn’t gotten paid…?
wrong again.
And I thought you were clued in, H
Big leagues? 610 has the a Royals, KU, a younger more relevant air staff, and a better signal. What’s 810 have? Kevin Keitzman, Jack harry, and Frank Boal. bahahahaha.
They are becoming the new Fred Fortune of KC radio.
I know what you’re saying, Fre…
And it totally makes sense for there to be a changing of the guard.
Unfortunately, they may have some better younger demo numbers, but in the big picture they’re going nowhere fast.
On top of which, the younger listeners they might find favor with do not for the most part reside on the AM band
Younger does not equal better…..
I am getting to the point that I listen to pandora or just mp3’s when I drive. KC radio as a whole is just getting freaking old and stale.
Hey Jess,
I’m not trying to weigh younger versus older in terms of value. If an andertiser is pushing hearing aids, romantic stimulants or motorized wheelchairs, obviously targeting an older demo is the way to go.
If they’re running ads for Bazooka’s, hip-hop shows or video games, a younger demo’s best.
The point about 610 versus 810 is that 610 is fielding a younger air staff and older listeners are going to be drawn more to WHB. And if 610 moved to FM (or if WHB moved to FM), chances are they’d have a better chance of attracting a younger listening audience.
That would definitely be an advantage for either station and that’s one reason KMBZ went FM…to attract a younger demo. And the reason Entercom is spinning off 980 with Rush and all those ultra conservative syndicated shows – in part – is to direct older listeners to the AM band.
glaze should have a show on 610. He’d fit right in with
all the know nothings over there. They spent 20 minutes talking about old royals players who they probably never saw actually play.
at least glaze can tell some good stories about the
old old old days when he ran the city!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also get kerowacky…he was off the mark with the
royals and chiefs this year…he’d fit right in.
Add hearne talking about sports on 610 and you
have one big cluster **** of nothing.
But they’d get the 60 plus listeners who buy
hearing aids/and scooters on tv!
The Asian airlines are fielding a younger air staff as well. Do I need to go on
Hate to say it, but yes…
Please do
They are both crashing with the younger air staff they are fielding
Ah
mr. fortune….please elaborate then listen to whb and see the age of the
callers. another wrong commentator.
And remember DA at 610, he went on to some National radio as well….
Agree. Ken…
He’s syndicated now and I think 610 has him on late
The on-air “personalities” at 610 are so immature to begin with and generally lack the institutional knowledge (i.e., sense of history) necessary to be good sports talk hosts. They spend more time talking about drinking, going to Vegas to gamble and “hotties” than they do anything else. Providing their listeners with relevant sports-related information is largely an afterthought. From sunup to sundown, it’s basically just the radio version of “Animal House”.
Yeah, 610 at least had DA and Nick Wright, and if they could afford to pay them they would be kicking 810’s old ass. Meanwhile old 810 plays the same freaking bump music on the same shows by the same old guys running the same old commercials…hell they could rebroadcast a show from 2007 and hardly anyone would notice, if they didn’t have to mention Trent Green or Jack Harry or…wait they mention those guys all the time even now…I hope 610 pulls its head out and gives crappy old 810 some competition. Everytime I listen over there I expect to see Quin Snyder on the MU sidelines or wonder how soon the young prospects of Billy Butler and Alex Gordon will make it to the majors.
Funny
Yep Harry…810 could broadcast a show from 2007. Infact, 810 could for a week broadcast all shows from 2007 and it would still beat whatever live broadcast 610 is playing in the ratings.
Speaks more about how bad 610 is, then 810.
810 scoops 610 once again…
balls is an idiot…
Quinn is now an nba coach….nba you dumb fool.
butler is getting 10 mil a year….and alex Gordon is mlb star.
so wake up old man.
the old demo is glaze…wislun….hearne….chuckles….k…..etc… you guys
are the old ones writing about shoe repair….strippers….hating getting old…
Nazi propaganda….old old old old…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….boring………….
where’s whinery and southy (hey tahnks for selling at 107th for the new
top golf…I;m sure you guys made millions selling that land!)…at least
we get some recent commentary (although its factually incorrect) from those
guys and we roll on the floor laughing at all the old thinking dudes on kcc.
Besdies that happy new year.
HARLEY you miss something here. I may be older but I live in a young world, dress that way date 20-30 year olds..my current one year romance lady is 28. So who knows more about his generation me or you guys…I live in it and work in it you don’t.
Not everybody reading here is your and Harley’s age, Big guy