Radio ratings, anyone?
Why do I get the same feeling writing about terrestrial radio that I get when I go to a Post Office or when I write a check or read the print edition of the Kansas City Star?
Because these sort of activities are fading fast.
The old ways die hard but doing any of the above is akin to buying a house with an outdoor bathroom.
Yet despite what seems like the obvious, the folks at Entercom and other radio companies come well-armed with creatively compiled statistics aimed at convincing us that paying exorbitant ad rates for the Johnny Dare show still makes sense.
Aided by the master manipulators at Neilsen Audio who are still hard at it compiling theoretical listenership data based on ultra small audience samples that purport to estimate the number of listeners each station has.
And for Neilsen’s efforts the company is paid handsomely by the stations, because sans those cooked up ratings, how could they con advertisers into shelling out big bucks.?
The bottom line: it’s a game – more weird than actual science.
And you only have to glimpse at the “ratings” to see they’re skewed to oldsters.
For example, six of the top 10 stations play classic rock, country or news/talk.
Still life goes on, so I’ll get back to tracking these dinosaurs as they slug it out til death do they part…
Some homeless dude? Noop, it’s Johnny Dare
May 2018
- KCMO FM (“Oldies”), Classic Hits, 7.2 share with a cume of 495,000 listeners
2. KCFX FM, Classic Rock, 7.0 share with a cume of 471,500 listeners
3. KFKF FM, Country, 6.0 share with a cume of 359,900 listeners
4. KPRS FM, Urban, 5.9 share with a cume 325,700 listeners
5. KQRC FM (The Rock), Rock, 5.8 share with a cume of 325,700 listeners
6. KBEQ FM (Q104), Country, 5.8 share with a cume of 364,300 listeners
7. KMXV FM (Mix 93.3), Hits, 5.7 share with a cume of 437,300 listeners
8. KMBZ FM, News Talk, 4.8 share with a cume of 235,600 listeners
9. WDAF FM, Country, 4.8 share with a cume of 356,100 listeners
10. KZPT FM (The Point), Hot AC, 4.4 share with a cume of 443,000 listeners
11. KMJK FM. Urban, 3.9 share with a cume of 189,600 listeners
12. KCSP AM (610 Sports), 3.7 share with a cume of 263,500 listener
Ah, but there’s more…
Such as the fact that alt rocker The Buzz and Lazlo have tumbled to 15th place, KMBZ News Talk 980 AM to 19th and sports talker WHB AM to 20th.
Yep, a number of these once mighty have fallen.
Not to worry though, because Neilsen will find a way for those stations to slice and dice the ratings numbers into age and male-female demos, so they can continue to blow smoke at advertisers.
And for those of you keeping score at home, Paul Wilson‘s fave The Bridge is hanging on for dear life in 24th place – right behind a rejuvenated and well run KCMO 710 AM with a kickass new morning show hosted by a dude who goes by Pete Mundo.
Seriously, check him out. Because at long last, there’s finally a worthy alternative to KMBZ’s smarmy morning news magazine with E.J. and Ellen.
Absolutely disagree that Mundo’s show is kick-ass. Pretty garden-variety right-winger talking head stuff. Not awful, but nowhere close to kick-ass. But agree there’s something amiss at a lot of these old-school radio stations. I never much liked Danny “I Wouldn’t Necessarily Disagree with That, Kevin” Stinkscale, but why does he get canned after so many years, while the 3 tired Oldsters on the “border patrol” (mr northeast jock sniffer, soccer guy jock stroker, and the annoying big fat old guy behind the glass) are all still around?
And even those 3 ancient jerks are about 10 times more talented than another of their geriatric competitors who miraculously holds an on-air job year after year despite having less talent a Nick Wright political commentary genetically spliced into a Kim Kardashian fake breast — The “Bullfrog” Bob Fesco. So guess I largely come out the same place you do, Hearne — What the Freak Gives with these stations?!?
Mundo is fairly conservative, but thoughtful and not over the top. Plus he picks up on regular news quite well.
Keep listening.
You gotta agree that KMBZ’s am show is awful, right?
Yes, KMBZ’s “Ellen & AJ,” or whatever they’re called, stink in the mornings. Talk about some really ancient people in need of merciful, benevolent assistance in finding a golden pasture. They make oldsters like border patrol & Bullfrog sound like cutting edge cradle bait.
Now that’s what I call telling it – super ouch – like it is…
Comment of the week award goes to…The Independent Rage.
But hey look, I’m sure they’re totally nice people…EJ, by the way
I don’t have any person grudge against any of the mentioned people, except maybe Bullfrog — I REALLY don’t like him.
Hearne, every time you write about radio you expose just how ignorant you are. You should really give it up. Stop. You know nothing about radio. On this subject you are an absolute dumbass. I know, you will ” I covered radio for the Star for 25 years” as you have proclaimed in the past. You were a freak’in GOSSIP columnist! No where near an industry expert on the business of radio.
BTW the EJ and Ellen show is number one in their time slot with a 9.3 share beating Johnny Dare 7.9 share. Don’t forget to add the AM and FM together since the morning news is a simulcast. But what do you know? Nothing.
Light me up, former media buyer!
However, you either don’t know or don’t understand that throughout my covering radio I worked extremely closely with some of the top people in radio – waaaaay above your pay grade as a lowly media buyer. People like Herndon Hasty, Bob Zuroweste, Bill Newman and Jon Zellner.
And yes, they brandished their well honed skills at spinning the numbers but I had full inside access to the numbers and breakdowns that you MAYBE had, man with no name.
Also I was held in my reporting to the same standards that regular Star reporters were with few corrections and zero lawsuits.
In addition to that I regularly acted as a straight news reporter inn the Z Section, including numerous front page news stories, Business, Metro and FYI.
You your cluelessness in that regard is a tad telling.
What’s more, radio execs understand that the sampling is extremely low – more so now than in the diary years – and it is a very loose “science.”
One that media buyers such as you supposedly once were HAVE to buy into because otherwise, no paycheck!
And don’t think I don’t know that morning news magazines like EJ and Ellen are generally successful in most markets…but I also have ears and a (very small) brain. And listening to those guys jerk each other off with featherweight senes of humor can kinda be like drip torture.
That you perhaps find it to your liking says quite a bit about you, in my humble opinion.
WOW! You knew HH? Was he sober? He spent every afternoon at JJ’s. And the self celebrated Bob Z? He was fired from his last three jobs before “retiring”. Wasn’t he your “insider”? bahaha…. A real industry expert. And three Beer Billy? He was GM of KCFX before losing his job in 1998 and then going on to get fired from the Chiefs sales and marketing department. Speaking of dinosaurs! I know George Brett and that makes me an expert in everything baseball.
Seriously, Hearne, stop writing about radio. You are waaay over your head. Every time you write about media you expose your ignorance. Just stop. Remember , you are a gossip columnist turned blogger because you were fired from the local newspaper. Just my “humble opinion”.
FMR Media Buyer, I’, going to run your inane comment just to let radio insiders in the know, know how clueless you are.
If you don’t think that I spoke at length with each and everyone of those highly successful radio executives at length and in great detail as to any number of highly specific demographic break downs, you’re more clueless than you come off…
And that’s going a way.
The fact is, media buyers such as yourself – if you even are who you purport to be, which seems doubtful – are nothing more than pawns in the Arbitron / Niesen game. Your entire paycheck and career was built upon the house of cards of buying in to those highly suspect numbers.
Have fun talking to yourself in the mirror…oh yeah, try to look convincing as you do!
Huh? Your a gossip writer by trade and you can’t write. I just read your post three times and you make absolutely no sense. Do you really think” radio insiders in the know” read your blog? I think not.
Yes, I was in radio for many years and then started my own agency. Retired now. So I know your so-called “successful execs” and most them were clueless.
BTW If the numbers are highly suspect, then why do you continue to publish them as something your 15 readers will find of interest?
Why don’t you take it out of your pants and man up and put your name on it if you want to have ANY credibility.
My column was not merely gossip as the editors of the Star knew and still know. I was held to the same standards of reporting – which I did a ton of – along with the lighter items to which you refer.
I also did any number of straight news, front page reporting in every section of the newspaper. Which were edited by the most serious news editors in this region.
And do I think that the top radio executives in the industry know what they’re talking about, damn straight.
None of them are sniveling around nameless taking cheap shots like you. Did they attempt to use numbers that helped their stations? of course. That’s why I pitted them against one another and had other neutral sources that could take a more measured look and approach.
As for your question about the numbers being highly suspect – which radio execs also have alluded to – the reason I report them is, that’s all there is and since they form the basis for a lot of discussion and the stations live and die by them, they’re of interest to the general public.
Now off with you if you’re too gutless to take a stand by name. Feel free to go back to your other musings on bathroom walls.
Too bad that KCMO AM has cut it’s power so much that very few can hear the new morning show.
I assume they are going out of business. Sad because KMBZ sucks.
I’m with you non KMBZ – at least the station’s obsequious morning show – however, I hear it well in Midtown and all the way to Lawrence and Topeka with little to no problems
kcmo radio doesn’t exist in the SE part of KC.
Interesting…and kinda sad
I actually listen to the radio everyday and haven’t picked up a newspaper in years so I do feel like there is still actual money to be made from advertisers on the radio…although I’m sure it’s not nearly as much as it used to be and I have no doubt there is a dishonest shell game going on with Nielson to prop stuff up. As long as people drive there will be the use of radio to help pass the time. Unlike the first commenter, I do like whb and think them letting go of danny was a huge mistake. Anyway, that’s all I got.
Good comment, nah…
However, younger people who drive will probably listen more to things like Spotify or the music on their phones. I think.
Talk radio is still viable but for what demographic?
If I hold my sphincter in the right position I can pick up KCMO. Does anyone under 80 listen to AM radio?
That’s cold, Harry…
But also a bit shallow, because stereotypes aside, there are some excellent topics and discussions going down. I can’t say for certain, but how about new KCMO AM talk show host Pete Munro for an example:
Mundo won’t turn 30 until August 24 of this year…which is more than 50 years younger than 80 if I’m not mistaken!
Very surprised about WHB. Their BP show in the morning sucks, but BTL with Keitzman is good. The Bridge is the place for music. You won’t hear the same thing twice. Rush Limbaugh rules the 11-2 slot on 980.
Hey, you like what you like…
Funny thing is the host of WHB mornings was never a broadcaster per se. He was hired as a underpaid sidekick by another non radio guy, Greg Hall.
When Hall took a bullet after a handful of weeks on the job, St, John got a gig keeping yet another another non radio talent Jason Whitlock “in bounds.”
When Whitlock bailed St. John inherited the earth, given WHB’s paltry resources.
Frankly I don’t know if he’s good or bad, but if he was very good, I’d probably have listened in more or written about him.
he’s a lover of sports – a sports talk radio call in groupie – who’s living the dream.
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