September Ratings

[Mediafrog+]

September ratings are out: https://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb033

The usual suspects at the top. The Spot drops a bit.

KBXX and KQBT regain some listeners.

Still surprised that KSBJ is in the threes. Where have those listeners gone? Air1?

KHMX trending down.

KOVE trending up, while Mega 101 takes a hit.

La Raza back in the threes for the first time in quite a while.

SportsTalk 790 up nicely, while SportsRadio 610 improves a bit.

And our favorite dumpster fire, KROI, is still stuck in the zeroes. They are even behind Air1 and KTSU. The reason Urban One doesn't fix this mess is probably because they are shopping the station.

 

[tb_]

It amazes me that KKBQ does so well in the books... the station sounds like a terrible small-market outfit with no creativity whatsoever - they play no local music despite Texas having an incredible country music scene, the imaging has been the same for years, the jocks are still reading the same liner cards they've been using forever, and they even have a night show off the bird. Might as well just air a straight satellite feed.

Then again, KILT is even worse, and country music is incredibly popular here, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Then again, KILT is even worse, and country music is incredibly popular here, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me.

Please tell me what is wrong with The Bull.

I have listened, and the flow is good, the morning team is real and personable and in the lifestyle and the music is obviously researched for the local market.

Now, that's my opinion. I'd be interested in your analysis.

 

[TheBigA]

they play no local music despite Texas having an incredible country music scene,

Texas has an incredible LIVE country music scene. It's a great place to see live cover bands. But even when KPLX in Dallas marketed itself as "Texas Country," most of the music they played came from Nashville.

However, I do wonder why neither station really promotes itself as Texas.

 

[Mediafrog+]

It amazes me that KKBQ does so well in the books..

KKBQ is doing things right, for better or worse, as the station is consistently near the top of the ratings, well ahead of KILT-FM. Listeners appear to be content with things the way they are.

I do think calling themselves "New" after 26 years is dumb, but obviously the listeners don't care.

I have gripes with Cox sibling KGLK/KHPT which is stale and boring to the point of annoyance, with commercial breaks that seem to drag on forever. But again, their listeners are content with the way things are, as the ratings continue to show.

 

[tb_]

Please tell me what is wrong with The Bull.

I have listened, and the flow is good, the morning team is real and personable and in the lifestyle and the music is obviously researched for the local market.

Now, that's my opinion. I'd be interested in your analysis.

I haven't listened in over a year now, but the last time I listened for a long enough period of time, the playlist rotation was extremely tight, the music was almost all currents with very little recurrent or gold content, and the airchain was absolutely fatiguing to listen to (music heavily pitched up, processing geared to be incredibly bass-heavy)... it was almost as if they are trying to be a CHR that plays Nashville country-rap. That style seems to work in the major markets up north - Entercom's WUSN in Chicago seems to be doing rather well because of it - but it doesn't seem to do so well in Houston. Perhaps things have changed, so I will try to give them another listen soon.

Texas has an incredible LIVE country music scene. It's a great place to see live cover bands. But even when KPLX in Dallas marketed itself as "Texas Country," most of the music they played came from Nashville.

However, I do wonder why neither station really promotes itself as Texas.

Not even just cover bands anymore - there's a lot of great songwriters in the state... KVST in Conroe does a great job at mixing the local stuff in with the Nashville chart hits.

 

[stevenNOLA]

I have gripes with Cox sibling KGLK/KHPT which is stale and boring to the point of annoyance, with commercial breaks that seem to drag on forever. But again, their listeners are content with the way things are, as the ratings continue to show.

Couldn't agree more... I'm a 41 year old male and their music doesn't appeal to me. Repetitive and too "classic" for my age. I'm getting to the top end of "desirable" demographics--other than The Spot, when is someone else going to play music for my demo? The Buzz does a decent job, but I'm not sure what the correct answer is...

 

[CTListener]

Couldn't agree more... I'm a 41 year old male and their music doesn't appeal to me. Repetitive and too "classic" for my age. I'm getting to the top end of "desirable" demographics--other than The Spot, when is someone else going to play music for my demo? The Buzz does a decent job, but I'm not sure what the correct answer is...

Seems to me that nationwide, the male music listener, especially in the top half of 25-54, is not really wanted by advertisers, who must think sports is the best way to reach that listener, then classic rock, at least for white males. (And is there any musical format targeting older black males? I don't hear classic R&B stations in most markets, and the hip-hop throwback format died a quick death.) Other music formats, from hip-hop, to CHR to AC to country, all now seem to skew decidedly female.

 

[ThatVoice22]

It amazes me that KKBQ does so well in the books... the station sounds like a terrible small-market outfit with no creativity whatsoever - they play no local music despite Texas having an incredible country music scene, the imaging has been the same for years, the jocks are still reading the same liner cards they've been using forever, and they even have a night show off the bird. Might as well just air a straight satellite feed.

Like it or not, KKBQ "Q93" just won another National Marconi Award --- http://mikemcguff.blogspot.com/2018/10/93q-kkbq-wins-prestigious-marconi-award-2018.html
Beyond winning once, Q93 has won this award 4 times in the last 6 years, which that alone, brings into question the credibility of the Marconi Award. Q93 might be "good" but can it really be superior to every other country station in the entire U.S. for 4 out of the last 6 years?

 

[Radio Radio Listener]

Don't mean to bump in this thread, but I do have a few questions for the Houston market:

- Why is KODA almost constantly #1 in the market (outside of Holiday season), given that Houston is in Texas (which isn't really a state where people have an affinity for the AC format) and that Houston skews younger, not older?
- How did KTBZ / The Buzz do so well, given the decline of Alternative radio in the USA? (Even alternative is failing to make the Top 10 in New York and Boston, let alone Miami)

Could be obvious questions, but I do like to hear input from Houstonians.

 

[stan]

And yet classic hits is not here, unless you count Spot. It does well in other major markets.

 

[Uknowit]

I do think calling themselves "New" after 26 years is dumb, but obviously the listeners don't care.

The 93Q name and related logos were considered the intellectual property of John Lander and a trademark of Gannett. They were not included when the station was transferred in the early 90s. It had a variety of short lived names 93 Rocks, EZ Country 92.9, 93Q Country, and now the New 93Q for two decades. They can legally be anything they want except plain old 93Q.

 

[DJboutit3]

Don't mean to bump in this thread, but I do have a few questions for the Houston market:

- Why is KODA almost constantly #1 in the market (outside of Holiday season), given that Houston is in Texas (which isn't really a state where people have an affinity for the AC format) and that Houston skews younger, not older?
- How did KTBZ / The Buzz do so well, given the decline of Alternative radio in the USA? (Even alternative is failing to make the Top 10 in New York and Boston, let alone Miami)

Could be obvious questions, but I do like to hear input from Houstonians.

KODA is played in a lot of Doctors Dentist office and other clinics from 8:30 till like 5pm that why it is number one. I hate the playlist they play a song from the 80s then the next song is only 5 to 7 years old they just need to stick to 80s 90s nothing newer than 2003 or 2004.

 

[Mediafrog+]

- Why is KODA almost constantly #1 in the market (outside of Holiday season), given that Houston is in Texas (which isn't really a state where people have an affinity for the AC format) and that Houston skews younger, not older?
- How did KTBZ / The Buzz do so well, given the decline of Alternative radio in the USA? (Even alternative is failing to make the Top 10 in New York and Boston, let alone Miami)

Older demographics have extremely limited choice of formats they like, so those few stations that actually do target those listeners are going to have better numbers. There are plenty of younger skewing stations, so the pie is divided into smaller pieces.

As for KTBZ: It does well because it really doesn't have any competition on FM. Where would those listeners go?

 

[Radio Radio Listener]

Older demographics have extremely limited choice of formats they like, so those few stations that actually do target those listeners are going to have better numbers. There are plenty of younger skewing stations, so the pie is divided into smaller pieces.

As for KTBZ: It does well because it really doesn't have any competition on FM. Where would those listeners go?

But isn't there KKHH (95.7 the Spot) for older listeners? Especially since it's an 80s/90s variety hits format. Thought it would scrape off KODA's ratings.

And talk radio skews older, yet KTRH is not in the Top 10. And neither is classic country KTHT.

 

[DavidEduardo]

- Why is KODA almost constantly #1 in the market (outside of Holiday season), given that Houston is in Texas (which isn't really a state where people have an affinity for the AC format) and that Houston skews younger, not older?

Well, it is a good station. It's #1 in 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and 35-64. It's broad, yet does well enough in every major demo to be at the top of buyer's rankers for nearly everything that comes up except perhaps some male buys (even then, they are 7th in 18-34 men!) and certain Hispanic targeted buys.

 

[DavidEduardo]

But isn't there KKHH (95.7 the Spot) for older listeners? Especially since it's an 80s/90s variety hits format. Thought it would scrape off KODA's ratings.

KKHH seemss to be targeted at a median age around 40. They are top 10 in 18-34, 4th in 18-49 and also 4th in 25-54. They are not even top 10 in "older listeners" which we'd define as 55+.

Keep in mind that stations are not listened to exclusively. The average Houston panelist samples / uses 6 stations each week. No station "takes" listeners from another... they share, and the amount of time given to each varies week to week with many listeners changing listening to each of their preferred stations over weeks and months.

 

[DavidEduardo]

And talk radio skews older, yet KTRH is not in the Top 10. And neither is classic country KTHT.

KTRH is 5th in persons 55+, after KMJQ, KGLK, KUHF and KODA.

KTHT is 7th in 55+, the only place it shows up in the top 10. Even in 35-64 it is down at 20th, meaning most of the audience is 65+. Fully 2/3 of this KTHT listening is 55+, making that a pretty hard station to sell to most advertisers. Of course, KTHT is a really inferior rimshot signal, and does not cover most of the market listenably... explaining why it's around 30th in market billings.

 

[Radio Radio Listener]

Well, it is a good station. It's #1 in 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and 35-64. It's broad, yet does well enough in every major demo to be at the top of buyer's rankers for nearly everything that comes up except perhaps some male buys (even then, they are 7th in 18-34 men!) and certain Hispanic targeted buys.

Wow didn't know millennials like lighter music! Plus a rather Disney-fied morning drive and...Delilah. (I would like to note that iHeartMedia AC's tend to be more conservative relative to, say, Entercom and Cumulus ACs. Also, DFW has similar demographics to Houston, and while iHeartMedia's KDGE is within the Top 10 in the latest survey, they never cracked the top 5.)

David, do you know of any other markets where AC does well in the 18-34 demographic? I'm curious.

 

[Radio Radio Listener]

KTRH is 5th in persons 55+, after KMJQ, KGLK, KUHF and KODA.

KTRH in the Top 5 for 55+. Kind of clashing with the increasingly diversified population of, anyone under 55 in Houston, don't you think?