Changing Around the southern and central New Hampshire radio markets

[newhampshiredude]

I live in southern New Hampshire, and I have never felt as though the New Hampshire arbitron markets have accurately reflected what stations New Hampshire is listening to. Manchester, the largest city in New Hampshire, really serves as the main city in southern New Hampshire, and its radio market does not cover many of the other cities and towns that view Manchester really as the central city. First of all, people in Concord, which I know many, listen mainly to Manchester stations, with the exception of WJYY and THE HAWK. If they want new and talk, they listen to WGIR-AM, not WLOB-AM/WLOB-FM. If they want AC, they listen to 95.7 WZID, not WLNH-FM. If they want rock, they listen to WGIR-FM. Although WGIR-FM is the #1 station in the Concord (Lakes Region) market, I think the people that mostly listen to WGIR-FM are in and around the city of Concord, not in Laconia or Wolfeboro (the so-called "Lakes Region"). And many also listent to WMLL-FM for classic rock.

Since people in southern New Hampshire mainly view Manchester as the central city, then I think Arbitron should really split up the sourthern New Hampshire markets better. I would propose a Manchester-Nashua(NH's 2nd largest city, and about equal distance from Manchester as Concord is, just in the other direction)-Concord. Then create a Lakes Region (maybe Laconia-Plymouth-Wolfeboro) market. I think that would really show what people in southern and central New Hampshire are really listening to, and may also give way to some of the Concord stations moving to Manchester, which is a more central location of a great deal of population. The Manchester-Nashua-Concord market would also probably come close to a double-digit arbitron market, or in the early hundreds. Wouldn't that be better for the radio business? What do you think?

[OlderRadioGuy]

Nassau thought better when they requested the Concord/Lakes region market figuring in their home market that they would clean up.  But then ...

[Oldbones]

Since people in southern New Hampshire mainly view Manchester as the central city, then I think Arbitron should really split up the sourthern New Hampshire markets better. I would propose a Manchester-Nashua(NH's 2nd largest city, and about equal distance from Manchester as Concord is, just in the other direction)-Concord. Then create a Lakes Region (maybe Laconia-Plymouth-Wolfeboro) market. I think that would really show what people in southern and central New Hampshire are really listening to, and may also give way to some of the Concord stations moving to Manchester, which is a more central location of a great deal of population. The Manchester-Nashua-Concord market would also probably come close to a double-digit arbitron market, or in the early hundreds. Wouldn't that be better for the radio business? What do you think?

Wasn't this proposed back in the 90s, making Concord & Nashua part of the Manchester metro?  IIRC both Clear Channel & Saga shot it down, largely because a larger metro would water down WGIR & WZID's numbers.  Moot point now anyway since 'most everything south of Manchester is now part of the Boston metro (and you can't be part of 2 metros in Arbitron's rulebook).
Agreed that a Concord-Lakes Region market doesn't really make much sense.

[NO DAG]

Makes as much sense as "Rutland / Lebanon / White River Junction".

[probuttonpusher]

when nassua sells thier stations there will be no one left to buy the concord lakes book anyway......give it a few years and lakes wil become a non market again.....

[newhampshiredude]

]
Wasn't this proposed back in the 90s, making Concord & Nashua part of the Manchester metro?  IIRC both Clear Channel & Saga shot it down, largely because a larger metro would water down WGIR & WZID's numbers.  Moot point now anyway since 'most everything south of Manchester is now part of the Boston metro (and you can't be part of 2 metros in Arbitron's rulebook).
Agreed that a Concord-Lakes Region market doesn't really make much sense.

I think nowadays WZID and WGIR-FM's ratings may be just as good if Concord and Nashua were added. I mean, WGIR-FM is #1 in Concord (Lakes Region), and its signal does not cover that whole market very good, meaning the station is probably #1 just around Concord. I have known many people from Nashua, and they listen to WZID all the time. The city buses in Nashua have WZID ads on the sides, and I am sure there are many listeners there. WZID I'm sure also does very well in Concord. They may not get more than a 15 share every book, but WZID would still probably place above a 10. WGIR-FM would probably come close. And I think WGIR-AM would even do better with the addition of Concord, and that is also owned by CC. And WMLL-FM would porbably still do excellent, as they have people winning their contests from Nashua all the time, and same with Concord. Plus, WGIR-FM and WZID would probably bill a lot better if there were a larger (more populated) Arbitron market. It just makes a lot more sense.

[Anthony Schinella]

According to someone I know at Arbitron, Clear Channel buys the Concord/Lakes Region book, too. But, the larger point of the post is a good one. Combining the markets doesn't do anything for anyone. They should be split.