Charlotte Ratings - WEND huge jump

[CLTRadio]

April ratings for Charlotte. WEND is way up to a tie for #2. Don’t remember a time that they’ve ever been that high.

WLKO 6.7 (5.6)
WEND 6.2 (4.8)
WKQC 6.2 (6.6)
WKKT 5.6 (5.0)
WBAV 5.1 (5.0)


Source allaccess.com

MODERATOR NOTE: I edited out the stations after #5 as the data came from another website. The appropriate thing is to post the top stations, if any at all, and then provide a link to the source.

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[tylerSC]

Good ratings for 102.9 the Lake which I prefer over their 102.5 the Lake which has become more rock oriented recently. Also enjoy K-104.7 but have to listen to the live stream only. 107.9 is my other choice for music, but looks like the switch to Mix has leveled off and they may need to tweak some things a bit.

 

[CLTRadio]

Good ratings for 102.9 the Lake which I prefer over their 102.5 the Lake which has become more rock oriented recently. Also enjoy K-104.7 but have to listen to the live stream only. 107.9 is my other choice for music, but looks like the switch to Mix has leveled off and they may need to tweak some things a bit.

WLNK has a new PD, Neal Sharpe. He actually programmed WLNK from 2000 to 2010, and just started back 3 weeks ago. I’m not that optimistic that they will improve. WLNK has always sucked musically, and in my opinion still does. Bob and Sheri and Matt and Ramona were the drivers on that station, and now Bob and Sheri are on WKQC. I agree WKQC and WLKO sound much better.

 

[w00t]

Neal Sharpe created the personality driven talk/music hybrid format that WLNK ran in the 2000s, and he left when Greater Media began dismantling the format. I’m honestly surprised he’s back. I doubt Radio One is going to give him the money to do anything too creative.

I disagree about WLNK musically at least when he was there. From launch in 97 until maybe a decade ago they were solid.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Neal Sharpe created the personality driven talk/music hybrid format that WLNK ran in the 2000s, and he left when Greater Media began dismantling the format. I’m honestly surprised he’s back. I doubt Radio One is going to give him the money to do anything too creative.

I disagree about WLNK musically at least when he was there. From launch in 97 until maybe a decade ago they were solid.

If he brings back Pam Stone I'll listen. She was funny!

 

[DavidEduardo]

April ratings for Charlotte. WEND is way up to a tie for #2. Don’t remember a time that they’ve ever been that high.

WLKO 6.7 (5.6)
WEND 6.2 (4.8)
WKQC 6.2 (6.6)
WKKT 5.6 (5.0)
WBAV 5.1 (5.0)


Source allaccess.com

MODERATOR NOTE: I edited out the stations after #5 as the data came from another website. The appropriate thing is to post the top stations, if any at all, and then provide a link to the source.

Login to All Access | Breaking Radio News and Free New Music

Login to the free members section for All Access Music Group. If you are not a member of AllAccess.com you may become one for free. Members of All Access receive up-to-the-minute breaking news on the latest changes in the music business and radio industry. Additionally, you will receive the...

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I recommend https://radioinsight.com/ratings/charlotte/ as a listing for Charlotte. Radioinsight gives five month history and is free. Additionally, its proprietor and producer is a valuable contributor to this board.

Further, there are some stations that lost as much as a third of their share, making me comment again that Nielsen is having some panel issues in the PPM markets.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Two stations don't seem to play the ratings game, 730 "The Game" WZGV and 95.7 "The Ride WXRC". I wonder how they are doing?

Amazing I have no trouble hearing WZGV 730 at night. Really strong for 165 watts!!

 

[101tm]

Wow, CHR has been struggling as of lately. Looks like WHQC is in a bit of a free fall.

Big collapse for WDAV that looks more realistic for their historical performance.

 

[tylerSC]

Wow, CHR has been struggling as of lately. Looks like WHQC is in a bit of a free fall.

Big collapse for WDAV that looks more realistic for their historical performance.

Since CHR seems to be fading, perhaps either 95.1 or 96.1 should flip formats. Do they need 2 CHR stations pulling from each other in a declining format? Beasley should move the more popular K-104.7 format with Bob and Sheri to the stronger signal on 95.1. Or add a Greenville-Spartanburg affiliate for Bob and Sheri since they are no longer heard on 107.9.

 

[tylerSC]

If he brings back Pam Stone I'll listen. She was funny!

Yes bring back Pam Stone. She was great. They built a custom studio from her home in Landrum, SC here in the foothills of Spartanburg County. Would love to see her back on, but she may not fit with the new music mix format.

 

[Gregg.]

The Charlotte ratings are kind of puzzling. Should we have some doubts about their accuracy? A few months ago, Classical station WDAV hit #1. I'm not aware of any classical station landing in the top three in any market since PPM began. The best Classical can do is hit #4 in affluent, resort-area Santa Barbara. But in Charlotte's January ratings, WDAV was #1. Today, WDAV is #13.

Now in an era where Alternative Rock stations have had some serious ratings problems around the U.S., we see that in Charlotte, an Alternative Rock station hit #2. Its ratings were in the 3.somethings two months ago. In the 4's last month. Now it's in the 6's, just a short distance from #1 WLKO. Huh? WEND is often among the lower ranked full power FM stations in Charlotte. Its tower is about 25 miles north of Charlotte near Kannapolis. Did it move its tower closer to Charlotte? A big change in direction or DJs? A surge in radio listeners craving Alternative Rock?

Or yet another quirk in Charlotte's ratings?

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Since CHR seems to be fading, perhaps either 95.1 or 96.1 should flip formats. Do they need 2 CHR stations pulling from each other in a declining format? Beasley should move the more popular K-104.7 format with Bob and Sheri to the stronger signal on 95.1. Or add a Greenville-Spartanburg affiliate for Bob and Sheri since they are no longer heard on 107.9.

That will never happen trust me. Youth must be served. Management no matter who the owner is hasn't changed much and when I was at K-104.7 it was treated like the red headed step child of the group. 95.1 was always live, K-104.7 was often voice tracked weekends, evenings and overnight.

Look at it like this Beasley vs iHeart. If someone wants to buy time on CHR, Country, or an AC station they each have one of those to sell the time buyer.

 

[101tm]

That will never happen trust me. Youth must be served. Management no matter who the owner is hasn't changed much and when I was at K-104.7 it was treated like the red headed step child of the group. 95.1 was always live, K-104.7 was often voice tracked weekends, evenings and overnight.

Look at it like this Beasley vs iHeart. If someone wants to buy time on CHR, Country, or an AC station they each have one of those to sell the time buyer.

Also, as you should know Mike, it makes zero business sense to uproot everything on one frequency just to accommodate out of market listeners. Beasley has NOTHING to gain other than confusion swapping K-104.7 and Kiss 95.1.

No offense, but Beasley is not concerned about people listening out of market. That’s not how the industry operates. They’re concerned about covering qhere their in market target audience is, which 104.7 and 95.1 both cover fine. To the average listener that they care about, 104.7 is a strong signal.

On that note, I’m not quite sure what format WKQC even is anymore. They still consider it AC, but it’s almost become an adult hits format with DJ’s.

Side note: I’ve always noticed AC’s are generally of less importance/effort to some clusters. I guess since it’s an easy format to sell and doesn’t require a lot of interaction, a lot of clusters are glad to not spend much money and still get good revenue.

 

[tylerSC]

It's just frustrating that I get a strong clear signal from most Charlotte stations in Spartanburg, except 104.7. And I enjoy their music format and morning hosts Bob and Sheri. For GSP stations I listen to 103.9, 102.5, 98.9, and 99.5. From Charlotte I like 102.9, 107.9, and 104.7. CHR staions are no longer my preference, but occaisonally I will sample 93.7, 95.1, and 96.1.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

It's just frustrating that I get a strong clear signal from most Charlotte stations in Spartanburg, except 104.7. And I enjoy their music format and morning hosts Bob and Sheri. For GSP stations I listen to 103.9, 102.5, 98.9, and 99.5. From Charlotte I like 102.9, 107.9, and 104.7. CHR staions are no longer my preference, but occaisonally I will sample 93.7, 95.1, and 96.1.

You can always stream K-104.7 for perfect audio from anywhere you have an internet connection. Back as early as 2007 the stream was considered just as important as the air signal, believe it or not!

 

[test123]

You can always stream K-104.7 for perfect audio from anywhere you have an internet connection. Back as early as 2007 the stream was considered just as important as the air signal, believe it or not!

Mike is on the money here...For $30ish you can buy an Amazon Echo. I just said 'Alexia play K-104 Charlotte' and in very short order it started playing K-104. Bob Lacey's voice was loud and clear from my tiny speaker.

I listen to stations all over the country with my Smart Phone using TuneIn. I can plug it into my car's system and most stations sound better than they would over the air.

As we speak I am listening to Jazz from KSDS in San Diego using Winamp on my desktop computer. I am no where near their transmitter. Sounds great.

I am not discounting the need for a home base transmitter. I think it is important for K-104 (or any radio station) to have a community to serve. But people are getting younger everyday. Young people are very comfortable using a smart device to listen to audio. The Hood Road transmitter doesn't matter to those folks. They click a button and it is there.

It is the way it is and we have to accept it...

t123

 

[vchimpanzee]

To the average listener that they care about, 104.7 is a strong signal.

As long as they're not south of Monroe. WNOK caused problems when I lived there.

On that note, I’m not quite sure what format WKQC even is anymore. They still consider it AC, but it’s almost become an adult hits format with DJ’s.

It's time to stop calling it AC. When people look at format descriptions, they have certain expectations.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

As long as they're not south of Monroe. WNOK caused problems when I lived there.

It's time to stop calling it AC. When people look at format descriptions, they have certain expectations.

Today's AC is not yesterday's AC pure and simple but the same can be said about Top 40 and Country. Times change even if our expectations don't.

 

[DavidEduardo]

The Charlotte ratings are kind of puzzling. Should we have some doubts about their accuracy? A few months ago, Classical station WDAV hit #1. I'm not aware of any classical station landing in the top three in any market since PPM began. The best Classical can do is hit #4 in affluent, resort-area Santa Barbara. But in Charlotte's January ratings, WDAV was #1. Today, WDAV is #13.

As has been mentioned, Nielsen has had a double PPM problem in the last two years.

First, the pandemic has caused many to drop off the panel. And it has been harder to get new panelists; the reasons why are varied by have to do with people not wanting outside contacts.

Second, the meters are made in Asia. Surprise to all, I am sure. Nielsen has been unable to get new meters for new panel households, so the sample is off in many ways.

The result is more erratic numbers for stations... 4.5 to 5.6 to 4.1 to 5.1 in four months. And, occasionally, some binge listening by a household causes a very strange peak like that of WDAV.

We have to keep in mind that ad agencies look at many combined books and get a feel for trends that are real before making a buy. So month to month wide variations average out, usually at a level that is the station's true rating.

In Diary markets, the issue is different: the slow-down of the USPS has cause many diaries to arrive too late to be "in tab" and are lost. In one market, a top 20 one too, there was a recent period where over a third of diaries were arriving too late to tabulate.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I don't know so this is an honest question. Why do they need new meters? Can't they reuse the ones that are turned in? What are they mailing in? Isn't there a way to submit the information via an internet upload?

I know some people might not be acquainted with the internet but it would seem like most of those people are well over 50 which we have been told agencies don't care about anyway.

Where I live USPS isn't slow. FedEx Ground and UPS are a different matter.