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March Chicago Radio Ratings

WRME-LP is tied for #12. Does this say something about the unresponsiveness of big group owners to what people really want to hear? Or is it just difficult to sell advertising given the older demographics of the audience? Or both?
 
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Schroedingers Cat said:
WRME-LP is tied for #12. Does this say something about the unresponsiveness of big group owners to what people want to hear? Or is it difficult to sell their demographics?
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It's tied for 26th in 25-54. While I'm sure they can do some business with local direct accounts that want to reach an audience that is way over 55, they will likely not be able to bill anything significant.

They are 4th in 55+, where about 75% of their listeners are.
 
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DavidEduardo said:


It's tied for 26th in 25-54. While I'm sure they can do some business with local direct accounts that want to reach an audience that is way over 55, they will likely not be able to bill anything significant.

They are 4th in 55+, where about 75% of their listeners are.
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There seems to be no shortage of business on the station. But not surprisingly, just about all of it is local and it's pretty easy to surmise that it's aimed at an older demographic target.

It reminds me somewhat of CFZM in Toronto. IIRC, the CRTC licensed the channel and blowtorch signal for the express purpose of of serving what had been deemed an underserved segment of the population.....people over 50 years old. So thus, the onus was on CFZM management to operate and "make a living" in that space. To at least some extent, they seem to have done that.

If the business I'm hearing on ME-TV FM is real and paid for, then my guess is they've found a way to "make a living" at the over-50 space as well. After all, it's effectively an iPod connected to a transmitter. (Musically the difference between CFZM and ME-TV FM is essentially CFZM mixes soft rock oldies with some pre-1955 pop songs, while ME-TV mixes in some vintage album cuts from popular pop/rock acts.)
 
cyberdad said:
There seems to be no shortage of business on the station. But not surprisingly, just about all of it is local and it's pretty easy to surmise that it's aimed at an older demographic target.

It reminds me somewhat of CFZM in Toronto. IIRC, the CRTC licensed the channel and blowtorch signal for the express purpose of of serving what had been deemed an underserved segment of the population.....people over 50 years old. So thus, the onus was on CFZM management to operate and "make a living" in that space. To at least some extent, they seem to have done that.

If the business I'm hearing on ME-TV FM is real and paid for, then my guess is they've found a way to "make a living" at the over-50 space as well. After all, it's effectively an iPod connected to a transmitter. (Musically the difference between CFZM and ME-TV FM is essentially CFZM mixes soft rock oldies with some pre-1955 pop songs, while ME-TV mixes in some vintage album cuts from popular pop/rock acts.)
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The problem with selling older demos in a Top 10 market are complex.

First, most businesses with multiple locations will be big enough... and competitive enough... to have an advertising agency. While an agency will certainly contemplate the potential for attracting a "senior audience" they are keenly aware of the fact that it takes added selling via advertising to make a sale. But if rates are low enough, they may see a useful market to go after.

Smaller local accounts can't buy a station that "wastes" 80% or more of its coverage on areas that are outside the business' trading zone. There are cheaper local media options, including online, community newspapers, local outdoor, direct mail and even things like community groups like the "Neighborhood" email and message communities.

And, of course, there is a shrinking community of smaller local businesses that are big enough to advertise. The big box stores and online options are increasingly taking business away from the small businesses that are not truly unique. So the client base is smaller than ever and the media options are more numerous.

Local business will not pay "full market" rates. So local direct tends to get lower spot rates. Attractive pricing has to be part of the station's strategy.

But I think that a station that has limited debt, which acquired its frequency for a moderate sum (ME-TV is a FrankenFM), and which controls its expenses but has skilled management should be able to make a nice and significant income.
 
DavidEduardo said:


But I think that a station that has limited debt, which acquired its frequency for a moderate sum (ME-TV is a FrankenFM), and which controls its expenses but has skilled management should be able to make a nice and significant income.
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Exactly what I was trying to say earlier. The obvious "mainstreaam" agency buys I hear on other stations are mostly if not entirely absent from "ME TV-FM". Most of the business that I hear is the goofy debt relief/colon blow/weight loss, and similar stuff, etc. Also some stuff specifically targeted to seniors. Insurance and concerts by aging rock stars being a couple of examples. Not many local consumer busineses. In fact, I can't think of any offhand. Hopefully what they've done is found a viable niche for a low-overhead product with which they can serve a frequently-ignored segment of the population.
 
Schroedingers Cat

It could be both even through it is a music stations that they aren't real any live djs playing music that somehow is selected for them to play. The only time you really hear any people's voice are maybe even the annocuemenls you hear and the Me TV FM morning minute news reports, that are done by WGN Radio news anchors Vic Vaughn, Andrea Darlas, Steve Grzanich, and Ryan Burrow. Or forever fills in for them, or Vic Vaughn might do an extra report, or I guess that they can always reply his early news report.
 
cyberdad said:
Exactly what I was trying to say earlier. The obvious "mainstreaam" agency buys I hear on other stations are mostly if not entirely absent from "ME TV-FM". Most of the business that I hear is the goofy debt relief/colon blow/weight loss, and similar stuff, etc. Also some stuff specifically targeted to seniors. Insurance and concerts by aging rock stars being a couple of examples. Not many local consumer busineses. In fact, I can't think of any offhand. Hopefully what they've done is found a viable niche for a low-overhead product with which they can serve a frequently-ignored segment of the population.
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Many, if not most, of the colon blow and weight loss stuff... anything with a toll free number and delivery... is likely paid as a commission on each sale, not at a spot rate. So the more times they run the ads, the more money they might make. That is how they can sound "sold out" with actual revenue being much lower than it would seem.
 
I would never underestimate the money involved with Per Inquiry advertising after I was fortunate enough to go to a Ted Turner “luncheon” at the CNN Center in Atlanta right before the Time Warner merger in 1996 took effect. After his speech Ted had a Q & A with several reporters. When asked what the most important single technology to his success was, Ted Turner said “the 800 number”.

I have always wondered why stations with loyal but out of agency favor audiences don’t have the “ethnic” broadcaster mindset. Figure out where your audience shops and go after those businesses. Here in Atlanta there was a radio campaign for a senior living development. Is there a regional / local drug store chain? If the station has a promotions department budget, co-sponsor some concerts. If there is limited or no promotion funds try to hook up with a Casino and piggy back some of their concerts. There are still a few travel agencies around that do a lot of cruises. In a 7+ million market there should be enough 55+ folks to make a go of it if they "think outside of the box."
 
Chicagoland Radio and Media reported billing for Chicago radio stations. Below is the article written by CRM.

BIA/Kelsey -- the independent market researcher and advisory firm for media and technology companies, specializing in the local advertising business for those companies -- released information on the top national billing stations for 2016, as well as shared with CRM the top earning stations in the Chicago market. According to these newly released numbers from last year, the winner in Chicago radio once again was WBBM-AM/Newsradio 780 & 105.9 (simulcast on WCFS-FM), as they were able to earn approximately $45 million in advertising revenue -- up from 2015's $43.8 million. WBBM-AM was also ranked as #5 nationally, up from #6 the year before. WTMX-FM/101.9 The Mix was once again the #2 billing station in Chicago. Its 2016 revenue was $32.5 million -- up only slightly from $31.9 million the year before. WGN-AM remains in third place, billing $25.2 million in 2016 -- up from 2015's $24.5 million. That marks the first time in nearly a decade that WGN-AM's annual revenue rose year-over-year instead of shrank, even if it was only a modest rise. Fourth place was a tie between WSCR-AM/670 The Score and WVAZ-FM/V103, each with $24 million.
 
WRME-LP as far as I can tell is a promotional tool for Me-TV, WCIU, Heroes & Icons, etc. Any other money they make a nice addition. Think of it as part of the TV family. The ratings are nice. Might not be in the hot demo, but it doesn't need to be for the reason I mentioned.
 
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