Rochester Numbers Winter '12

[Bob1370]

Rochester numbers for this winter are now out, at least the 12+ AQH numbers...A few observations;

At the top, WBEE finishes with the same double digit share it had 12 months ago, showing remarkable consistency. WDKX solidifies its hold on second place 12+ by owning the 12-34 demos in both city and suburbs--you have to wonder if they'd top the market overall, if they only had a full-market coverage Class B signal, so don't be surprised if the Langston family makes moves to find a way either to boost their current signal (which they may be able to do at least in some directions with their current frequency and TL) or get a class B signal if one comes on the market in the future.

WHAM has fallen from second to third place 12+ and lost two full share points in the last 12 months. WRMM (Warm 101.3) is now just a few tenths behind them and gaining. Could this be a sign that some of the changes WHAM has made in response to corporate-mandated cutbacks have not served them well?

WPXY-FM rounds out the top five. Buzz 98.9 and WCMF are the only other stations posting better than a 4 share among the commercials. I suspect Legends 102.7 would be in there as well with numbers in the high 3s ior 4s, but it's showing up as a dash in the published list, probably because they're not buying the Arbitron survey this time around and Arbitron won't publish the numbers of any station that doesn't subrscribe. Several other previously listed stations aren't showing up with numbers this time either, which puts a bit of a question mark on the validity of the whole survey. I gather the ad agencies gat to see the full numbers, but if some ad buys from  national accounts that don't work through regional agencies are dependent on these reports, this can throw off some buying decisions.

From the numbers we CAN see, the big questions first surround what WHAM can or will do to stop the bleeding. Then, down near the bottom of the published numbers, you have to wonder if WROC-AM and WHTK AM/FM are going to keep trying to chase a combined share for all sports stations in the market that can't break a 2. A market without major league pro teams or Division 1-A college teams in the big two men's sports (men's basketball and men's football) can't support two sports radio outlets--I wonder if it can even profitably sustain one. Something's got to give.

[TheBigA]

Could this be a sign that some of the changes WHAM has made in response to corporate-mandated cutbacks have not served them well?

Or that Rochester is not immune from the fate of AM news/talkers nationally.

[Jeff Michaels]

How WRMM is getting any listeners at all is astonishing. They claim to play Soft Rock but play anything but.... Disco, Hard Rock, Heavy Classic Rock, current heavier tunes...

[SirRoxalot]

Yeah, too bad about those AM news/talkers nationally. KFI-AM in LA, WBBM-AM in Chicago, KCBS-AM in SF, WSB-AM in Atlanta, and a host of others are just falling apart, right?

Maybe it has more to do with programming than it does with band. Clear Channel has FMs that they could take talk in Rochester if they chose.

[TheBigA]

Yeah, too bad about those AM news/talkers nationally. KFI-AM in LA, WBBM-AM in Chicago, KCBS-AM in SF, WSB-AM in Atlanta, and a host of others are just falling apart, right?

WBBM and KCBS are all news, no talk.  The news/talk station in Chicago, WGN, dropped from first to third. 

New York City for the first time in a while has no AM stations in the Top 10.  Same with Dallas, Houston, DC, Miami, and many more.

KYW, traditionally #1 in Philly, has seen a 2 point drop in the last two books.  There's talk of the format moving to FM.

WSB is the only AM that gets better than a 2 share in Atlanta, and it's not a traditional conservative news talker. That distinction goes to WGST.

[SirRoxalot]

So, you're saying that WHAM should go all news - or at least boost its news commitment to, say, where it was a few of years ago - if they want to get the numbers that they got few years ago. 

[TheBigA]

So, you're saying that WHAM should go all news - or at least boost its news commitment to, say, where it was a few of years ago - if they want to get the numbers that they got few years ago. 

No. 

[SirRoxalot]

Thanks for clarifying that.

[SirRoxalot]

WBBM and KCBS are all news, no talk. The news/talk station in Chicago, WGN, dropped from first to third. 

So, WGN rides the Randy Michaels merry-go-round and WBBM benefits. There's a shock. KCBS benefits from the Cumulus upheaval at KGO. I still don't see where AM is the problem here. Sounds more like good programming benefitted from bad moves by the competition, and that AM is still viable. The drops have nothing to do with what band they're on.
 

KYW, traditionally #1 in Philly, has seen a 2 point drop in the last two books.  There's talk of the format moving to FM.

Let's clarify that. It's more like a 1.5 shares, over 3 winter months. That's not a drop, that's barely a wobble in the real world. I'm sure that CBS would love to have another FM in Philly, and everybody on AM talks about moving the format to FM so they can "get younger listeners." Well, the format is what gets younger listeners more than the band.  WGR and WBEN in Buffalo prove that every book.

WSB is the only AM that gets better than a 2 share in Atlanta, and it's not a traditional conservative news talker. That distinction goes to WGST.

So, an AM looks very healthy in Atlanta. Maybe Cox simply puts out a better product than Clear Channel. Obviously, AM is viable if the programming is good enough. We can certainly see what Clear Channel has done to the programming at WHAM, and others. It certainly hasn't gotten better.

[TheBigA]

You obviously weren't happy with my one word answer, so you want to stir the ashes a little more.

Obviously, AM is viable if the programming is good enough.

You responded to every sentence in my post but this one:

 

New York City for the first time in a while has no AM stations in the Top 10.  Same with Dallas, Houston, DC, Miami, and many more.

CBS is putting out award-winning content on WCBS and WINS. WCBS and WFAN are the homes to New York's very popular sports teams, and NONE of them are in the Top 10.  That led ESPN to make a deal with Emmis to put a sports station on FM, and chase after the contracts of the Yankees and Mets.  Clearly, these people see AM as the problem.