Why do dance stations have bad ratings?

[nd2023]

With a lot of today's pop sounding like the "brand" of dance that we're used to, I'm surprised to see that the dance stations aren't doing well in the ratings. We only have one commercial all-dance station in the US, 94.5 The Vibe. Their latest ratings show that they have a 0.5. Granted, their signal isn't as strong as the other Vegas stations, but they're static free on any decent radio in Vegas. They had no outdoor promotion, which is pretty much required for a brand new station, whereas I saw billboards for other stations all over Vegas.

The noncommercial dance stations are cellar dwellers at best, which is sad. C89.5 has a good signal and has been around for years, yet they're always below 1.0. Pulse 87's highest ratings was 1.0 before they went bankrupt, and that was with the handicapped signal and no outdoor promotion.

I wish that we could have ONE commercial dance station with a full signal in any major city just to show that dance is viable. I'm sure if 94.5 The Vibe had a 100000 watt signal from Vegas with a full airstaff and outdoor promotions, it would represent a successful dance station at the top of the ratings.

But I don't think we'll get a major market full signal dance station unless I win the Mega Millions tomorrow.

 

[Dancerev889]

With a lot of today's pop sounding like the "brand" of dance that we're used to, I'm surprised to see that the dance stations aren't doing well in the ratings. We only have one commercial all-dance station in the US, 94.5 The Vibe. Their latest ratings show that they have a 0.5. Granted, their signal isn't as strong as the other Vegas stations, but they're static free on any decent radio in Vegas. They had no outdoor promotion, which is pretty much required for a brand new station, whereas I saw billboards for other stations all over Vegas.

The noncommercial dance stations are cellar dwellers at best, which is sad. C89.5 has a good signal and has been around for years, yet they're always below 1.0. Pulse 87's highest ratings was 1.0 before they went bankrupt, and that was with the handicapped signal and no outdoor promotion.

I wish that we could have ONE commercial dance station with a full signal in any major city just to show that dance is viable. I'm sure if 94.5 The Vibe had a 100000 watt signal from Vegas with a full airstaff and outdoor promotions, it would represent a successful dance station at the top of the ratings.

But I don't think we'll get a major market full signal dance station unless I win the Mega Millions tomorrow.

I would not classify C89.5 as a cellar dweller. They make a ton of money in their radiothons each year. They have a loyal fan base. Aribitron is very expensive to get and most of these stations cant afford it. Its also funny to me that you get in the books one month then you are gone for 6. There is no way in hell a stations listening audience drops that fast.

Also remember if a station is making money regardless of their ratings, they are staying on the air

 

[Morpheux]

Most radio listeners are getting their brand of dance on chr and rhythmics. Seeing it from this perspective there's no real demand for a pure dance type station.Not one that is viable...yet.That probably will change as the 12 and over who are listening to pop dance songs currently will eventually seek or tastes will turn to a more core dance sound.

 

[TonySantiago]

Adding on to Morpheux, the buzzword is UPTEMPO

We don't have to have it "pure" dance to get things started, so as long as the dance music "brand" that we know and the pop/rhythmic/crossover "brand" that is happening now, with those artists coming over to the dance aspect, can merge together and make something happen. Once we can all get aboard on that, then I think a lot will happen down the road to strengthen things.

 

[tomie]

Dance stations get bad ratings because 1 they play to much top 40 remix 2 they don't play many dance songs as much. If you want dance radio to succeed play original top 40/dance hits and recurrents. You may play top remixes on Saturday night.

 

[nd2023]

Dance music suffers another blow as Party 101.5 is now gone. Party FM's ratings will go down as a result. Now the only commercial dance stations have their strongest signals in the middle of the pine barrens and in the middle of a desert.

 

[Dancerev889]

Dance stations get bad ratings because 1 they play to much top 40 remix 2 they don't play many dance songs as much. If you want dance radio to succeed play original top 40/dance hits and recurrents. You may play top remixes on Saturday night.

Please explain this one to me because most "dance" music is unfamiliar to general person

 

[JohnParker]

Dance stations have bad ratings (only talking about the commercial stations) because of a number of reasons. The #1 reason is the signal reach. If you can't penetrate the marketplace you're in by 100% you don't have a shot in the overall ratings. The stations also don't have promotional budgets that can compare with the big sticks. So again they are at a disadvantage. And last but not least, if the only differential between you and the CHR in town is a select number of unknown/new/club tracks combined with the problems listed above, what do you expect the ratings to be?

Dance radio can work. But it has a lot of things that hold it back.

jp

 

[radiofan111]

Adding on to Morpheux, the buzzword is UPTEMPO

We don't have to have it "pure" dance to get things started, so as long as the dance music "brand" that we know and the pop/rhythmic/crossover "brand" that is happening now, with those artists coming over to the dance aspect, can merge together and make something happen. Once we can all get aboard on that, then I think a lot will happen down the road to strengthen things.

Your NEVER going to be able to change what people think by suddenly calling it Uptempo. Maybe if you go back to 1985 but its way too late to call it other than it whats its been called for the past few decades... Its this thing called hertiage....

 

[TonySantiago]

Adding on to Morpheux, the buzzword is UPTEMPO

We don't have to have it "pure" dance to get things started, so as long as the dance music "brand" that we know and the pop/rhythmic/crossover "brand" that is happening now, with those artists coming over to the dance aspect, can merge together and make something happen. Once we can all get aboard on that, then I think a lot will happen down the road to strengthen things.

Your NEVER going to be able to change what people think by suddenly calling it Uptempo. Maybe if you go back to 1985 but its way too late to call it other than it whats its been called for the past few decades... Its this thing called hertiage....

It's not about changing what WE have thought or what we think now; rather than give the radio industry a buzzword for marketing purposes. The same the fans of R&B, hip-hop don't call the music "urban contemporary" (that too is a radio term)