4.26.2006
Winter '06 Book Breakdown
Okay, class, please open up to Radio & Records, Chapter 1.
Let us begin.
1. WLTW (Rank last book - Fall '05: 1) Believe it when I say, nobody is looking forward to Christmas so soon than Lite-FM. All their books in '05 successively went down (while staying on top) until they got a jolt last book. Ho ho ho...
2. WSKQ (2) This is the only legitimate station that can give Lite a run for its money. Dream scenario: Lite's Victor Sosa joins La Mega and brings them over the top, beating his old station...
3. WHTZ (4) You've got to attribute their recent ratings success to the popularity of "American Idol". Bold prediction: The Winter '07 book shows WSKQ and WHTZ tied for second...
4. WPAT (8) You see? CBS Radio has a competing station in this market, after all... Okay, that's a stretch. Actually, SBS (WPAT's owner) is a media partner with CBS' advertising division... Still, a strong showing for a station just hovering below the 3's last summer...
5. WRKS (3) The Michael Baisden bandwagon apparently opening up some vacancies...
6. WINS-AM (6) I'm sure their AQH is way bigger. Let's go to John Montone...
7. WWPR (7) I'll get back to this one shortly...
8. WBLS (9) Perennial 3-player, which surprises me since they've had Wendy Williams for quite some time. They need to find the right morning host to cure their ails. Still, a Top 10 finish is a Top 10 finish, especially in this market...
9. WQHT (5). Amazing how both WQHT and WWPR flip-flop each other like John Kerry. Last book, WQHT beat Power by .2 and they now trail Power by as much... No cause for concern, they'll get back to the 4's and possibly higher by summer, mark my words...
10. WABC-AM (10) Just as Lite is looking forward to Christmas, 'ABC is looking forward to the next major election...
11. WAXQ (14) Remember, they're "New York's *only* classic rock station". Yes, we're not in 1999 anymore...
12. WQCD (12) "Chill" stays flat, rank-wise...
13. WKTU (15) KTU stays flat, ratings-wise, yet rises a couple of notches on the Arbitron pole. This would be radio's equivalent to baseball's blown save...
14. WQXR (18) Dare I say it, but based on how the rest of the stations did this period... I think the mighty WQXR has gained the most listeners since the departure of Howard Stern...
15. WCBS-AM (13) The suburban books are "Newsradio 88's" bread and butter, so no worries here...
16. WCAA/WZAA (17) While only down .1, still a pathetic showing considering that WPAT can show they can hang with WSKQ. Heck, even mediocre-signalled WADO (as you'll find out later on) is enjoying a slight ratings growth...
17. WFAN-AM (16) Nearly the same rating they got in Winter '05. Proving the Giants that Mr. Russo should be preoccupied with year-round should be the New York Giants...
18. WOR-AM (19) I'm feeling a little older just writing this blurb. Clear Channel, I beg of you, put this mega-watt signaled station out of its misery. Or better yet, switch frequencies with WEPN. Hey, the Yankees can use a radio station - that's the next big trend, ball clubs owning radio outlets... Even do what that Utah AM station did and donate your air frequency to people in Iraq, anything, just stop dilly-dallying, you sorry excuse for a station... Now, someone hand me my Geritol...
19. WPLJ (20) I'm not crazy, they're just a little unwell - I know, I know, you can't tell...
20. WNEW (21) As noted in circles, this is the top performer of the CBS-owned FM stations in the city. Speaking of which - do you notice how the last few stations' rankings have all went up by one? That's just the 92.3 "Free-fall" down the Arbitron elevator shaft...
21. WADO-AM (24) As mentioned, they're even enjoying a ratings increase. Bold prediction: WADO will catch WCAA/WZAA in the Spring '07 book...
22. WCBS-FM (22) That .2 bump they got last book is gone, baby...
23. WFNY (11) Ah, there it is - the "free-fall" stops on the 23rd floor. Bold prediction: With Opie and Anthony now in tow, 92.3 will show up in or around 16th place in the Spring book. At least in the 12+, anyway - if you'll remember, that's around the same place the old WNEW hung around with O&A in the afternoon...
24. WALK-FM (25) Flat. Next...
25. WKXW (26) Flat. Next...
26. WLIB-AM (23) Seems as if WLIB pulled a little "free-fall" of their own, surpassing two of the stations it was in front of last book. Now under a 1.0 for the first time in awhile, we may have seen the "air" start to come out of that station...
27. WHLI-AM (28) No comment on this one...
28. WBAB (31) Or this one...
29. WBLI (29) Or this one...
30. WEPN-AM (27) If "Mike and Mike" actually had a surge of disgruntled Stern listeners, I'm assuming everyone else must have got tired of Stephen A. and Michael Kay at the same time...
31. WKJY (32) No comment on this one...
32. WAWZ (33) Or this one...
33. WBBR-AM (34) Bloomberg: Good Mayor, bad radio station...
34. WBZO (35) Oldies lives. Yay...
35. WHUD (30) Ouch. Still, bottom of the city book, but, still, ouch...
36. WMCA (36) Good Lord...
37. WMTR (37) No comment...
37+. WQEW (?) Even WOR thinks this is a bad waste of a good signal...
And there you have it - the breakdown. See you next trend...
Let us begin.
1. WLTW (Rank last book - Fall '05: 1) Believe it when I say, nobody is looking forward to Christmas so soon than Lite-FM. All their books in '05 successively went down (while staying on top) until they got a jolt last book. Ho ho ho...
2. WSKQ (2) This is the only legitimate station that can give Lite a run for its money. Dream scenario: Lite's Victor Sosa joins La Mega and brings them over the top, beating his old station...
3. WHTZ (4) You've got to attribute their recent ratings success to the popularity of "American Idol". Bold prediction: The Winter '07 book shows WSKQ and WHTZ tied for second...
4. WPAT (8) You see? CBS Radio has a competing station in this market, after all... Okay, that's a stretch. Actually, SBS (WPAT's owner) is a media partner with CBS' advertising division... Still, a strong showing for a station just hovering below the 3's last summer...
5. WRKS (3) The Michael Baisden bandwagon apparently opening up some vacancies...
6. WINS-AM (6) I'm sure their AQH is way bigger. Let's go to John Montone...
7. WWPR (7) I'll get back to this one shortly...
8. WBLS (9) Perennial 3-player, which surprises me since they've had Wendy Williams for quite some time. They need to find the right morning host to cure their ails. Still, a Top 10 finish is a Top 10 finish, especially in this market...
9. WQHT (5). Amazing how both WQHT and WWPR flip-flop each other like John Kerry. Last book, WQHT beat Power by .2 and they now trail Power by as much... No cause for concern, they'll get back to the 4's and possibly higher by summer, mark my words...
10. WABC-AM (10) Just as Lite is looking forward to Christmas, 'ABC is looking forward to the next major election...
11. WAXQ (14) Remember, they're "New York's *only* classic rock station". Yes, we're not in 1999 anymore...
12. WQCD (12) "Chill" stays flat, rank-wise...
13. WKTU (15) KTU stays flat, ratings-wise, yet rises a couple of notches on the Arbitron pole. This would be radio's equivalent to baseball's blown save...
14. WQXR (18) Dare I say it, but based on how the rest of the stations did this period... I think the mighty WQXR has gained the most listeners since the departure of Howard Stern...
15. WCBS-AM (13) The suburban books are "Newsradio 88's" bread and butter, so no worries here...
16. WCAA/WZAA (17) While only down .1, still a pathetic showing considering that WPAT can show they can hang with WSKQ. Heck, even mediocre-signalled WADO (as you'll find out later on) is enjoying a slight ratings growth...
17. WFAN-AM (16) Nearly the same rating they got in Winter '05. Proving the Giants that Mr. Russo should be preoccupied with year-round should be the New York Giants...
18. WOR-AM (19) I'm feeling a little older just writing this blurb. Clear Channel, I beg of you, put this mega-watt signaled station out of its misery. Or better yet, switch frequencies with WEPN. Hey, the Yankees can use a radio station - that's the next big trend, ball clubs owning radio outlets... Even do what that Utah AM station did and donate your air frequency to people in Iraq, anything, just stop dilly-dallying, you sorry excuse for a station... Now, someone hand me my Geritol...
19. WPLJ (20) I'm not crazy, they're just a little unwell - I know, I know, you can't tell...
20. WNEW (21) As noted in circles, this is the top performer of the CBS-owned FM stations in the city. Speaking of which - do you notice how the last few stations' rankings have all went up by one? That's just the 92.3 "Free-fall" down the Arbitron elevator shaft...
21. WADO-AM (24) As mentioned, they're even enjoying a ratings increase. Bold prediction: WADO will catch WCAA/WZAA in the Spring '07 book...
22. WCBS-FM (22) That .2 bump they got last book is gone, baby...
23. WFNY (11) Ah, there it is - the "free-fall" stops on the 23rd floor. Bold prediction: With Opie and Anthony now in tow, 92.3 will show up in or around 16th place in the Spring book. At least in the 12+, anyway - if you'll remember, that's around the same place the old WNEW hung around with O&A in the afternoon...
24. WALK-FM (25) Flat. Next...
25. WKXW (26) Flat. Next...
26. WLIB-AM (23) Seems as if WLIB pulled a little "free-fall" of their own, surpassing two of the stations it was in front of last book. Now under a 1.0 for the first time in awhile, we may have seen the "air" start to come out of that station...
27. WHLI-AM (28) No comment on this one...
28. WBAB (31) Or this one...
29. WBLI (29) Or this one...
30. WEPN-AM (27) If "Mike and Mike" actually had a surge of disgruntled Stern listeners, I'm assuming everyone else must have got tired of Stephen A. and Michael Kay at the same time...
31. WKJY (32) No comment on this one...
32. WAWZ (33) Or this one...
33. WBBR-AM (34) Bloomberg: Good Mayor, bad radio station...
34. WBZO (35) Oldies lives. Yay...
35. WHUD (30) Ouch. Still, bottom of the city book, but, still, ouch...
36. WMCA (36) Good Lord...
37. WMTR (37) No comment...
37+. WQEW (?) Even WOR thinks this is a bad waste of a good signal...
And there you have it - the breakdown. See you next trend...
