WMIT in Ratings

[wncmacs]

I was looking at the current Charlotte book and discovered WMIT is not listed in the ratings. The same with Asheville. I'm probably too dense to realize this, but what is the reason? I'm sure they have plenty of listeners in both markets.

[eacalhoun1]

I think it has something to do with WMIT classified as non-commercial. Because one would also think that stations like WNCW would show up in Asheville and/or Charlotte; WDAV and WFAE in Charlotte; WLFJ(His Radio) in Greenville, etc. Arbitron numbers help advertisers determine on which stations to advertise and also for stations to determine ad rates--since non-comms cannot advertise, they don't show in Arbitron. (I believe I'm accurate in everything I just stated). However, surely there is something that guages listenership for non-comms. Maybe listenership is solely based upon donations from its audience and is only available from each station. It would be nice to see how they rank among the commercial stations, though.

Eric

[w00t]

Noncoms are rated.  I don't know if we can post a link to the site here or not, but I will.  If it gets removed PM me for the link.  Radio Research Consortium provides Arbitron data - www.rrconline.org

Oddly enough WMIT does not show up at all in Asheville, only WCQS, WLFJ, WLFA, and WNCW.

[NewsNow]

WMIT is a non-profit, not a non-comm.  It used to show up fairly low in the Charlotte arbs, but with the proliferation of other religious stations in the QC, WMIT has fallen off the map.

[Mike Sheridan]

The great thing is as long as they have the support they need WMIT doesn't have to worry about ratings.  That must be a nice position to be in!

[Matt Smith]

One thing that has affected WMIT's signal strength in the Charlotte Metro is the changes they made to their antenna system about a decade ago.  When they did that, they abandoned the "grandfathering" of their signal and dropped TPO to 34 kw.

That change allowed WIOZ-FM (now WFVL) in Southern Pines, NC to move to the 106.9 frequency with 50 kw...not enough to gain listenership in Charlotte, but enough to cause receivers in the Charlotte Metro area to "wink out" as the capture effect occasionally changes the station.

Most people will tolerate a station going to static better than they will a dial position that continually flips between two formats.  Sort of like when WXRC-95.7 was airing Howard Stern, and people in Salisbury, Statesville and Hickory who regularly listened to BBN on WHPE-95.5 occasionally got a few "choice words" drifting over their inspirational music.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV

[Mike Sheridan]

I don't notice any signal problems around Charlotte for WMIT but then I don't listen all the time.  However the station does seem to have a good following here.

There is a country station on 106.1 which causes problems for WNMX once you get north of Harris Blvd on I-77, it's very annoying!

Mike

[MediaTech]

The TPO of WMIT is actually 20kw and the ERP is 36kw on the main antenna and 35kw on the AUX.

We have listeners in Columbia, SC who regularly phone in.

It's amazing what 6,800 feet in the air will do for your coverage.

[wncmacs]

I'm a regular listener to WMIT, and I have followed the ratings books for 25 years (more closely when I worked in radio 14 years ago). I just know that the station used to have decent numbers in the Charlotte book, and they have a nice ad campaign that has been running in the market (MediaTech, I'd love to know who your graphic designer is...he did a great job with those boards). I just don't understand how they fell off the chart so to speak, and that's why I posted my original comment here.

wncmacs

[eacalhoun1]

There seemed to be "things" happening at WMIT right around 2000 -- give or take a year. Many longtime announcers seemed to "drop like flies" over a relatively short period. I think John Belensky and Louis Grant are the only two heritage announcers remaining. I also know the chief engineer left during this time period. It was also during this time that the programming was modified...the music "moderned-up" and became more contemporary. I, too, am also a fairly regular listener to WMIT and have differing opinions on these changes but still listen about as much as I did prior to these changes. Though I am still troubled (from a Christian perspective) that so many good people left in a short time frame. I just wonder though if these changes may have alienated a good chunk of listeners, resulting in the ratings discusssion which started this thread.
As far as the former announcers, whatever happened to Colin O'Brian, Charles Twitty, and Lisa Johnson? John Baker was pastoring a church on Sugar Hill Rd in Marion; Jay Michael Sumner is at 1380 WKJV.
Maybe MediaTech can elaborate on my thoughts...

Per the antenna changes that Matt Smith referenced, I do remember that the old (may or may NOT be THE original W41MM tower which is pre-WMIT in the 1940s) tower was replaced around 2000 but I don't any changes in ERP resulted. For great reading on the history of WMIT and W41MM, check out the articles here:
http://www.ggninfo.com/article.htm

Eric