We
have occasionally written about how broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB)
games can boost radio listening when the local team is winning. While looking
at Nielsen Audio’s September PPM ratings, we saw the impact of a winning season
(and a loosing season) had for two stations: WCCO in Minneapolis and KOA in
Denver.
The
Minnesota Twins had one of their best seasons in recent years.
They finished first in
the American League Central division with 101 wins and 61 losses, a .623
record. Based on recent loosing seasons, the Twins surprised everyone.
Unfortunately,
as we write this post, the Twins are in the process of loosing to the Yankees
in the playoffs.
The
ratings for the Twins on WCCO grew throughout the season. They crested in
September when the station had a 6.0% AQH share.
WCCO added almost 150,000
estimated weekly listeners when the Twins opened the season in April. This
trend continued the rest of winning season.
The
opposite happened at KOA. The Colorado Rockies were picked to compete for first
place in the National League West division.
The Rockies started strong but
wound up with a disappointing 71 – 91 win/loss season.
When the season ended they were in fourth place in the division.
When the season ended they were in fourth place in the division.
KOA’s
ratings followed the same pattern. In April, KOA added over 100,000 estimated
weekly listeners. Call this
anticipation.
Starting in August, the trend changed. The Rockies were loosing
on the field and KOA went down in AQH share and estimated weekly listeners.
There
are several lessons to be learned from this case study. We already new that
winning sports teams attract more listeners. People care less about a loosing
sports team.
Play-by-play
of MLB games are live events where the outcome is unknown. Like any live event,
if people care about something, they will show up. If they don’t care, the live
event is irrelevant.
In the noncommercial September PPM ratings for the Denver-Boulder market, all three Colorado Public Radio (CPR) stations had positive results.
Classical music on KVOD was up from previous months.
Adult Alternative KVOQ – Indie 102.3 – made solid gains.
It
appears that The Drop isn’t reaching
many people.
Also in the September book, commercial Adult Alternative KBCO had a 4.9% AQH share and 520,700 estimated weekly listeners.
Alt Rock KTCL had a 5.0% AQH share and 539,000 weekly listeners.
Also in the September book, commercial Adult Alternative KBCO had a 4.9% AQH share and 520,700 estimated weekly listeners.
Alt Rock KTCL had a 5.0% AQH share and 539,000 weekly listeners.
In Minneapolis-St. Paul WCCO wasn’t the only station to have an upbeat ratings trend.
NPR News/Talk KNOW continued to be the top radio news source in the market in AQH share.
KNOW beat all other News and/or Talk stations.
KCMP
– The Current – had a solid September
book.
Spicy Alt Rock Radio K (KUOM) had the largest number of week listeners in recent memory.
Spicy Alt Rock Radio K (KUOM) had the largest number of week listeners in recent memory.
Jazz
KBEM apparently didn’t subscribe to the September Nielsen Audio PPM ratings.
One of the most impressive noncom station performances was by NPR News/Talk KUHF. In September they added almost 100,000 estimated weekly listeners compared to the past several books. KUHF also added half a point in AQH share.
KUHF
is now the top radio news source in the Houston-Galveston market, beating longtime
leader KTRH in estimated weekly listeners for the first time.
Meanwhile
Pacifica’s KPFT seems to be testing how low a station can go before not meeting
Nielsen’s minimum listening requirements.
Also of note KOA has made changes in their programming and is now focused on live and local program from 5AM until 11PM. KOA recently adapted the slogan "The Voice of Colorado." Rush Limbaugh which aired on KOA for many years either on tape delay or live in its later years on KOA is now heard on KDFD AM760/Freedom 93.7 FM (K229BS). KOA is also heard on FM translators K231BQ out of Golden and K231AA out of Boulder both broadcast at 94.1 FM.
ReplyDelete5AM-9AM Colorado's Morning News with April Zesbaugh & Marty Lenz
9AM-12PM Dave Logan & Rick Lewis (moving from 4PM-7PM)
12PM-3PM Mandy Connell (moving from 1PM-4PM)
3PM-7PM Alfred "Big Al" Williams (former CU Buffs and Denver Bronco player and recently coming from crosstown Sports Talker KKFN 104.3 The Fan owned by Bonneville who also owns KIRO-FM) and JoJo Turnbeaugh (also Regional SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia Denver)
7PM-11PM Broncos Country Tonight with Ryan Edwards & Benjamin Allbright
Overnights are filled with two syndicated programs
11PM-3AM Coast-to-Coast AM with George Noory
3AM-5AM This Morning with Gordon Deal
Along with Rockies Baseball, KOA is the longtime station of the Denver Broncos but also airs in Denver on Classic Rocker sister KRFX 103.5 The Fox, and is also home CU Buffs Football.
Certain weekend programs of note; KOA Q&A with Ed Greene (longtime Denver radio and TV broadcaster who was a radio jock but also was a weather forecaster with stints at KCNC CBS4 and that includes the days when KCNC was owned by GE/NBC and CBS and KUSA 9News), and Mike Rosen At The Movies. Rosen was a longtime radio talker on KOA and is Mandy's fill in these days. Rosen did a movie feature on his radio talk program on Fridays, but now semi-retired that respected feature is its own stand alone program.
KOA is doing what sister station KFI in Los Angeles has done. Build on a live and local lineup from Morning till Evening.