Holy crap. What happened? 😮

[AMRocks]

I used to live in Atlanta and V103 was always one of the top stations. They used to battle it out with WSB. Sometimes, WALR was up there, too.

I saw the latest ratings. What happened to that once dominating station? Audacy make some excessive cuts? Jeez. That's pitiful. It's barely in the Top 10 in 6+.

 

[secondchoice]

V103 is a victim of its own success. I remember in the late 1970’s and early 80’s they were the only FM signal of any consequence doing Urban (sometimes called Soul back in the day). I knew one of the sales guys. 103.3 had the 6+ numbers but still it was a harder sell verses the AM (the old Country WPLO) because of the income differences between blacks and whites. There still was a little bigotry too, but that’s another topic. As Atlanta grew and the V’s demos started to attract ad dollars. Then came several move-in FM signals. Then came the clusters allowing folks like Cox to “take a shot” at the V with one of there extra signals. Cox tried with 97.1 Jamz. The signal looks good on paper but the antenna is too far away verses V103. Cox finally got 104.1 which puts a good signal in the urban leaning zip codes. Several other players like Radio One want some of V103’s P1 listeners as those demos are attractive to ad agencies.

The V’s former morning Guy (Frank Ski) ended up on 104.1. IMHO It will take some time for V103’s morning show to gain traction like Frank did (if they ever do). Another issue could be some popular Urban songs with some lyrics that can’t be aired on the air radio. How many folks who want the explicit lyrics are getting these songs via the internet? Urban AC has been on a roll in the Atlanta market lately.

 

[ron]

I think you mistyped 97.1 instead of 97.5? Easy to do.

 

[acheron1982]

Is it possible that the Urban stations that lean in a younger direction (more hip hop and less R&B), are seeing performance issues similarly to Alternative - Because that generation has went to streaming? I know with Alternative, what I get on streaming platforms is not the stereotypical 'ALT-40' you hear on most Alternative stations today. Likewise, the streaming platforms offer less edited hip hop tracks. Some hip hop tracks are so edited on radio that they are basically not even listenable. You don't have the same issue with the R&B stations that have less hip hop and a slightly older target. Just a thought.

 

[megahertz]

I think you mistyped 97.1 instead of 97.5? Easy to do.

No, 97.1 is correct. 97.1 was Jamz between Fox and The River. 2003-2006

 

[deejaywestbrook]

Q997 is on fire! Does anyone have the breakdown of ratings by daypart? I'm very curious how much of their success is primarily from The Bert Show or music playlists. Because musically, Q997 sounds somewhat more rhythmic than Power. Especially with a full hour mixshow during the middays. I find it strange now that whenever Power tried daily mixshows and a slightly more rhythmic playlist, their ratings would plummet. But now Q997 does this and they're now higher than any Atlanta CHR has been in MANY years.

Don't the folks at Power listen to the competition? Maybe power should add more mix shows during the week again and try a slightly more rhythmic playlist. If not, then why? One example is the current EDM song, "Do It To It" by ACRAZE. Throughout the whole month of January (this ratings book), Q997 had that song in very heavy rotation (90+ spins per week). Power plays it, maybe 30 times per week.

Then, Adele's "Easy On Me". Q997 plays an upbeat remix of that song. But Power continues to play the original AC version. Yet, Q997 still beats Power by a wide margin and drew a 6.1 share. So what's really going on over at iHeart? Musically the two stations have flip-flopped. Or do Atlanta listeners finally want more electronic party music on their radios? Very strange if you ask me.

 

[deejaywestbrook]

I decided to make my reply into a separate thread. But I can't delete this one.... Sorry guys. 😁

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I look at ratings in a number of markets. Generally speaking, Urban AC is soaring, and Urban (Contemporary) stations have lost a lot of share. But I agree with Second Choice that Frank Ski's leaving V-103 to join Kiss certainly did not help V.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Is it possible that the Urban stations that lean in a younger direction (more hip hop and less R&B), are seeing performance issues similarly to Alternative - Because that generation has went to streaming?

Streaming is the only answer if you want to hear 60% to 75% of today's hip hop hits. The lyrics don't allow radio to play them, and people who like the music won't put up with fake edits. So they stream.

 

[CLTRadio]

It's not just hip hop, all of the younger targeting stations are down. People have options, and more and more the younger demos are choosing streaming and other options.

It's not the lyrics. Heavily edited radio versions of songs are nothing new.

Local jocks and community presence are becoming a thing of the past, and there is not much that radio can offer right now that differentiates itself from the other options. People can get music anywhere, they can skip the songs they don't like and don't have the long commercials if they have them at all.

What is really separating radio right now?

 

[DavidEduardo]

It's not just hip hop, all of the younger targeting stations are down. People have options, and more and more the younger demos are choosing streaming and other options.

Not the Hispanic reggaetón based stations. And Hispanics out-index non-Hispanic whites in smartphone ownership. Or how about country, which is now as much an 18-34 format as it is a 25-54 one? Hot AC is up, and it appeals to 25-44 and is mostly recent music based.

It is Churban, CHR and Urban that play lots of hip hop and related material where the lyrics exclude radio from the formula.

It's not the lyrics. Heavily edited radio versions of songs are nothing new.

The hip hop audience won't accept the heavy edits. You'd have to edit about 2 out of every 3 songs today. In the past, it might be two or three songs a year!

Local jocks and community presence are becoming a thing of the past, and there is not much that radio can offer right now that differentiates itself from the other options. People can get music anywhere, they can skip the songs they don't like and don't have the long commercials if they have them at all.

But local stations with local music research have an advantage or two, starting with the fact they are free, convenient and available in the 80% of cars that are not connected.

What is really separating radio right now?

If well done, a music source on shuffle is not as good as well programmed curated hits. Again, when radio can't play two thirds of the hits, that is where the problem lies.

 

[CassChopper96]

Streaming is the only answer if you want to hear 60% to 75% of today's hip hop hits. The lyrics don't allow radio to play them, and people who like the music won't put up with fake edits. So they stream.

CHR and HOT AC are on a roll right now though. People are still listening to pop radio. Not so much Hip Hop radio. Look at HOT 97 recent ratings

 

[ron]

No, 97.1 is correct. 97.1 was Jamz between Fox and The River. 2003-2006

Somehow I missed that part of history. I remember 95.5 being The Beat, but didn't remember 97.1 being Jamz. Apologies. A pox upon me!

 

[TheBigA]

I used to live in Atlanta and V103 was always one of the top stations. They used to battle it out with WSB. Sometimes, WALR was up there, too.

Frank Ski left WVEE and is now at WALR. So now for the first time, WALR is #1.

 

[CLTRadio]

Frank Ski left WVEE and is now at WALR. So now for the first time, WALR is #1.

Frank Ski has helped WALR increase their ratings in the morning, but he is not #1.

WALR had been trending up before Frank joined the station.

 

[CLTRadio]

Not the Hispanic reggaetón based stations. And Hispanics out-index non-Hispanic whites in smartphone ownership. Or how about country, which is now as much an 18-34 format as it is a 25-54 one? Hot AC is up, and it appeals to 25-44 and is mostly recent music based.

It is Churban, CHR and Urban that play lots of hip hop and related material where the lyrics exclude radio from the formula.

The hip hop audience won't accept the heavy edits. You'd have to edit about 2 out of every 3 songs today. In the past, it might be two or three songs a year!

But local stations with local music research have an advantage or two, starting with the fact they are free, convenient and available in the 80% of cars that are not connected.

If well done, a music source on shuffle is not as good as well programmed curated hits. Again, when radio can't play two thirds of the hits, that is where the problem lies.

There are plenty of articles out there about the decline of radio, and the prevalence of streaming among the younger demos. Google it.

I’m in my early 30s and grew up on hip hop. The radio versions in hip hop have been heavily edited since the late 90s due to the lyrical content. I think you’re just grasping at straws trying to come up with an explanation for radio’s decline.

I agree that sometimes the computer generated playlists are not the best, but with streaming you can just skip the songs you don’t like.

The demos aren’t just changing with country. Look at Urban AC. In a lot of markets they’re just as competitive in the younger demos as the older ones. I think it’s a combination of two things: older skewing stations are targeting younger demos and playing newer music (most country stations are playing “new country” now) and there is a smaller group of people in the younger part of the demos listening to radio so the older part is over represented in the sample. Again, streaming and competition is a big factor.

 

[TheBigA]

People have options, and more and more the younger demos are choosing streaming and other options.

People have had options from the moment cars included tape players in their dashboards. And people have been using those options for 30 years. The difference now is that the usage can be quantified. Streaming is the new personal mix tape.

 

[CLTRadio]

People have had options from the moment cars included tape players in their dashboards. And people have been using those options for 30 years. The difference now is that the usage can be quantified. Streaming is the new personal mix tape.

That's true, but radio has also always had an advantage when it comes to ease of use and local personalities/info/music. Those advantages are disappearing with more and more consolidation, less local content and technology advancements. I can press a button on my steering wheel and tell Siri to play whatever I want, and if I don't like the song or content I can skip it and play something else. I can press a button on my steering wheel and turn on the radio too. I listen to both, but I'm seeing the advantages of radio disappear. That's the difference.

Older demos grew up on radio, and there is a nostalgic piece to it. That's not the case with the younger demos.

 

[DavidEduardo]

there is a smaller group of people in the younger part of the demos listening to radio so the older part is over represented in the sample.

That's not true. Nielsen puts meters in households, not among people who listen to radio.

The meter was always designed to measure any medium that has audio... TV, streams, satellite, AM, FM, HD, etc. Meters are placed to measure what all people do, whether they listen to radio or watch TV or whatever. A percentage of metered people (remembering that meters are only placed in dwelling units, not with just individuals) don't listen to radio... about 11% today... but they are still metered.

And the sample is based on a mirror of the population. If 15% of the population is within a certain age group or demographic, then 15% of the meters are placed in the sample in that group.

 

[DavidEduardo]

There are plenty of articles out there about the decline of radio, and the prevalence of streaming among the younger demos. Google it.

Most of those articles are opinion, not based in facts and data.

And there is actual measured data that shows that 89% of Americans over 18 use radio. They use it less time than before, but much of that is due to the pandemic, not to a radio issue.

I’m in my early 30s and grew up on hip hop. The radio versions in hip hop have been heavily edited since the late 90s due to the lyrical content. I think you’re just grasping at straws trying to come up with an explanation for radio’s decline.

The decline is in amount of time, not total person usage. And, again, we need to look at data up to February of 2000 before the pandemic to get an idea of what the "normal" radio usage is. In fact, January 2022 is about 25% higher than the same month in 2021, showing radio is gradually returning to the pre-pandemic levels.

I agree that sometimes the computer generated playlists are not the best, but with streaming you can just skip the songs you don’t like.

It takes intervention. A button push, a verbal command. As people get older, that is too much work.

The demos aren’t just changing with country. Look at Urban AC. In a lot of markets they’re just as competitive in the younger demos as the older ones. I think it’s a combination of two things: older skewing stations are targeting younger demos and playing newer music (most country stations are playing “new country” now)

And country stations have been very current based for nearly 20 years. Gee, even when I supervised a country station in the early 90's we only played stuff from the last decade and were about 60% current and recurrent.

and there is a smaller group of people in the younger part of the demos listening to radio so the older part is over represented in the sample. Again, streaming and competition is a big factor.

Still, the 18+ figure shows 89% of the population uses radio weekly. Sure, there are more alternatives. Back in the 90's, we believed that declining radio usage had to do with video gaming, which can't be played while listening to radio. It's not just music streaming, it is every thing from TikTok to YouTube to podcasts to Facebook and other social media alternatives... there are just more choices.