Former Z-93 station sees boost in ratings

Dayton Business Journal – by Katie Maurer DBJ Staff Reporter

A month after eliminating most of its staff and changing its format, Main Line Broadcasting is seeing small, but positive results for the former Z-93 radio station.

The Main Line owned station increased its share from 2.7 percent in the summer to 3.6 percent in the fall, according to the fall 2007 Arbitron Inc. results released recently. The fall period began Sept. 20 and ended Dec. 12. Shares are the percentage of listeners in the 25 – 54 age range who listen to the radio between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m., which is th emost important demographic to advertisers.

Rob Riggsbee, president of Cincinnati-based Inside Media, said WGTZ’s decision to change its format in th emiddle of a ratings book was a good decision.

“The new format seems to be the right way for WGTZ right now,” Riggsbee said. “It’s too soon to say what the fate will be but it has a log higher possibility of success than Z-93 had.”

At least four on-air personalities were fired at the former Z-93 in November when it changed to a “Jack” format adn now goes by Fly 92.9. The exact number of job cuts was not available. A jack format is a juke-box type of way to run a radio station in which there are a limited on air personalities and audience interaction. The station is run by a computer, a playlist on shuffle and a program director programming the list.

The new Fly 92.9 attracts an older demographic by playing songs from every decade ranging from Aerosmith to Alanis Morrissette to Queen. it had gone after the 18 to 34 age group, and now goes after the 25 – 54 age range. Washington D.C.-based Main Line Broadcasting officially took over the five area Radio One stations in September.

Country station WHKO-FM 99.1, owned by Cox Radio Inc., tied with Clear Channel’s WMMX-FM 107.7 for the top spot in the market with adults 25 – 54.

WHKO saw it’s share increase to 10.1 percent in the fall from the summer’s 8.8 percent. But WMMX saw it’s share decrease from the summer’s 11.3 percent to fall’s 10.1 percent.

bob Zuroweste, general manager of Clear Channel Dayton, said 92.9’s change of format did not have much of an impact on any of the other station’s audiences.

Other top stations in the fall ratings period among adults 25 – 54 included:

Clear Channel’s WTUE-FM 104.7 with 9 percent, up from 6.8 percent
Clear Channel’s WLQT-FM 99.9 with 8.1 percent, down from its 11 percent
Main Line’s WROU-FM 92.1 with 6.4 percent, up from its 6.1 percent; and
Clear Channel’s WXEG-FM 103.9 with 5.8 percent, down from its 6.3 percent.

Ratings for radio stations are important as they correlate into higher advertising prices.

The costs for radio spots vary, but on average, 30-second commercials on Dayton radio stations cost between $70 and $100 while 60-second spots cost between $70 and $200, local media watchers report.

E-mail kmaurer@bizjournals.com. Call (937) 528-4427.