Radio stations see extreme gains, losses in spring ratings

By Jarrett Hicks

“Extreme” would be an apt description of the recently released spring Arbitron ratings survey “book.”

Many of the Tri-State’s top radio stations experienced extreme audience share gains, while others saw extreme share losses from the winter 2007 to the spring 2007 measurement period.

A number of Cincinnati-area stations saw major share gains from the winter book (January-March) to the spring rating period, which lasted from April through June. These stations include WLW-AM 700, WRRM-FM 98.5 (“Warm 98″), WMOJ-FM 100.3 (“Mojo 100.3″) and WIZF-FM 101.1 (“The Wiz”).

The start of the Reds baseball season usually leads to audience increases for WLW-AM 700, and the spring of 2007 was no exception. During the evening daypart (7 p.m.-midnight) WLW was a clear No. 1 with adults 25-54 and men 25-54. Year to year, WLW’s 17.5 average quarter-hour share of adults 25-54 was even higher than its remarkable 16.7 spring 2006 share.

WLW also had the top share of adults 25-54 in morning drive and midday. WLW’s midday lineup of Mike McConnell and Bill Cunningham maintained its first-place ranking and saw its adult 25-54 share grow 16 percent from the winter book. WLW finished second to WUBE-FM 105.1 (“B-105.1″) during the afternoon drive daypart.

WLW had the No. 1 share of men 25-54 in all four key weekday dayparts, including morning drive, where Jim Scott finished ahead of “Bob and Tom” on WOFX-FM 92.5 (“The Fox”). WOFX had a very poor spring book performance, as “Bob and Tom” lost 63 percent of its men 25-54 share from the winter book. This share loss moved “Bob and Tom” from first place in the winter, to fourth place in the spring among men 25-54.

While sports were a major draw on WLW, sports talk on other stations did not fare so well in the spring book. WCKY-AM 1530 (“Homer”) afternoon host Lance McAlister lost 30 percent of his men 25-54 share and dropped from fourth place in the winter to eighth place in the spring. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., WFTK-FM 96.5 (“Supertalk”) sports talk host Andy Furman finished in 18th place with men 25-54. Furman’s 1.1 share represented a 56 percent loss from the winter book.

Despite a drop in men 25-54 share in all dayparts from the winter to the spring, WEBN-FM 102.7 ranked second in morning drive, midday and afternoon drive.

WRRM-FM 98.5 (“Warm 98″) had a strong spring book with women 25-54 and adults 25-54. Warm 98 ranked No. 1 with women 25-54 in morning drive, midday and afternoon drive. In the morning, Warm 98 traded positions with WKRQ-FM 101.9 (“Q102″), jumping from third place in the winter to first place in the spring. In the spring, Warm 98 finished in the top five in most adult 25-54 dayparts. The station showed double-digit adult 25-54 share increases in the morning and midday.

Among adults 25-54, Classic Hits station WGRR-FM 103.5 had a strong perfomance in morning and afternoon drive. Comparing the winter and spring books, the station moved from fifth place to third place in the morning, and from sixth place to third place in the afternoon.

WMOJ-FM 100.3 (“Mojo 100.3″) had one of its strongest performances since the station went on the air in September 2006. Among women 25-54, the station showed double and even triple-digit growth from the winter to the spring book. “Mojo” finished in the top five in every major women 25-54 daypart and in the top 10 in every major adult 25-54 daypart. “Mojo” is now the No. 1 evening (7 p.m.-midnight) station with women 25-54, taking the top spot from WKFS-FM 107.1 (“Kiss 107″), which saw a double-digit share loss from the winter.

WIZF-FM 101.1 (“The Wiz”) experienced extreme share gains in the spring 2007 book, especially with its key audience, adults 18-34. “The Wiz” is now the No. 1 ranked adult 18-34 station in every major daypart. The Russ Parr Morning Show jumped from sixth place in the winter to first place in the spring, increasing its adult 18-34 share by 67 percent. The Wiz also showed double-digit share gains in midday and afternoon drive.

After a strong winter book, progressive rock/alternative station WSWD-FM 94.9 (“The Sound”) did not fare as well in the spring. With its key demographics, adults 18-34 and men 18-34, “The Sound” registered double-digit share losses in morning drive, midday and afternoon drive. The station did increase share however, during the evening daypart.

Similar to “The Sound,” a country station WYGY-FM 97.3 (“The Wolf”) lost adult 18-34 share from the winter to the spring. “The Wolf” experienced double-digit share losses in morning drive, afternoon drive and evenings. The station’s best spring performance was in afternoon drive, where it finished in 14th place, with a 1.9 adult 18-34 share.