Tag: "TALKERS"
Monday Memo: 1,000 True Fans
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — I’m hearing from lots of podcasters reacting to “Mainstream Media, Redefined,” the TV segment I did with TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison. ICYMI: https://youtu.be/HpE_iwSvIYE
They’re enthused, but frustrated. A common concern is “How do I get more downloads?”
I tell them they’re asking the wrong question, for reasons broadcasters understand.
Has Pandemic-Related Listening Peaked?
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — Radio’s roughly mid-March through June COVID-19 coverage has at least one thing in common with the novel virus itself: More questions are raised about each than we have answers.
In a matter of just several months, the number of Americans who have perished owing to the widespread coronavirus is rapidly hurtling toward 130,000. It is absolutely numbing that some medical experts are now upwardly revising USA fatalities to a quarter of a million by the end of the year, as each new day sets a record for reported cases..
The nation’s unemployment rate has soared to double-digits – those filing for claims continues at a staggering rate. The economy has taken a substantial hit, and millions of Americans continue to institute self-imposed quarantine practices.
Heretofore seldom-used expressions in our country such as “stay-in-place” and “flattening the curve” are recited daily, as have “returning back to normal,” and adjusting to life in the “new normal.”
Monday Memo: Curing the Radio Advertising Pandemic
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — If you’re reading this in Arizona, PLEASE be careful. As I file this week’s column on Sunday, the Active Infection rate there is 23%. Florida and Texas (14%) closed the bars, and other states that now seemed to have jumped the gun are slamming the brakes on re-opening. Wherever you are, you’re witnessing an ongoing challenge to public health…and advertiser-supported media.
“Local-Local-Local” has been the desperate plea of programmers, as corporate bloodletting whacked station staffs. Independent Texas owner Paul Gleiser, my longest-suffering client, weathered the coronavirus pandemic better than absentee-owned competitors because his sales strategy is so grassroots and focused on the service retailers deemed “essential” during the shutdown.
Coronavirus’ Cume Factor (Part Two)
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — Cume, the Rodney Dangerfield stat of the ratings world, is the focal point of our expanded coverage of radio listening habits during the May 2020 survey period (April 23 – May 20).
Posted yesterday (Wednesday, 6/24), our previous cume-centered piece dealt with news-formatted and sports talk stations.
Now, news/talk takes center stage in this follow-up overview of a sweep in which the singular national conversation was, once again, COVID-19.
All commercial, English-language news/talk stations registering at least a .1 (6+) in a PPM-surveyed market in the May 2020 report automatically qualify to be included in the below-listed breakouts.
Nielsen Audio only releases audience estimates for stations subscribing to its services. As a result, ratings stats in this analysis are limited to outlets paying that company for its information.
Coronavirus’ Cume Factor (Part One)
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — When someone quotes or inquires about the ratings status of a particular format or an individual station, the almost universal response is to cite the AQH share.
While cume numbers haven’t necessarily become a complete afterthought, they undoubtedly take a backseat to share.
As the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the nation, it’s time to revisit the sometimes-forgotten element of cume and examine its performance among spoken-word stations during the pandemic.
In the first of a two-part series addressing cume, we will focus on news, and sports talk facilities; part two with deal entirely with news/talk.
A top 20 ranking (May 2020, 6+) is the inclusion threshold for the news, and sports talk breakouts that appear below.
Nielsen Audio only releases audience estimates for stations subscribing to its services. As a result, ratings stats in this analysis are limited to outlets paying that company for its information.
May 2020 PPM Analysis: News/Talk
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — A comprehensive overview of news/talk concludes our four-part series of May 2020 ratings recaps.
Included in this detailed synopsis are all commercial, English-language news/talk outlets (including online streams, if applicable) that appeared in any of Nielsen Audio’s 48 PPM-markets during the May 2020 ratings period (April 23 – May 20).
Slightly more than one of every three news/talk stations improve or hold steady April 2020 – May 2020 (35%, 6+), versus just 12.5% for news stations, and a very impressive 75% for sports talk.
These stats compare to news/talk’s 78% (March 2020 – April 2020, 6+); 65% (news); and 22% (sports talk).
As far as May 2019 – May 2020 stats are concerned, 69% of news outlets and 65% of news/talkers post year-to-year gains; conversely, 65% of sports talk stations experience year-to-year attrition.
By way of perspective, the March – April percentages were 82% (news); 73% (news/talk); and 82% (sports talk).
Unless otherwise noted, information for each news/talk station and stream was factored into all of our highlighted charts.
Nielsen Audio only releases audience estimates for facilities that subscribe to its services. Owing to that reason, ratings stats in this exclusive analysis are limited to stations that pay Nielsen Audio for its data.
Monday Memo: ‘Mainstream Media’ Redefined
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — For several decades, the term “Mainstream Media” has been weaponized, first by scrappy fringe voices railing against legacy networks and newspapers; more recently by FOX News Channel and Rush Limbaugh…ironic, since ratings qualify them as “mainstream.” But never has the obsolescence of the term been more painfully obvious than lately, especially during the George Floyd episode.
May 2020 PPM Analysis: Urban AC
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — Each month, our extensive ratings recaps focus on three spoken-word genres and one music-intensive format.
In our third installment of May 2020 ratings overviews, urban AC takes center stage representing that latter category.
This summary is comprised of PPM-market urban ACs that rank in the top 20 (6+) in the May 2020 sweep, which covered April 23 – May 20.
Nielsen Audio only releases audience estimates for facilities that subscribe to its services.
Owing to that reason, ratings stats in this exclusive analysis are limited to stations that pay Nielsen Audio for its data.
May 2020 PPM Analysis: Sports Talk
By Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS
LOS ANGELES — The second in our four-part series of May 2020 PPM overviews is an all-encompassing examination of the sports talk format.
The following scoreboards are comprised of sports talk facilities that rank in the top 20 (6+) in any of the 48 PPM-markets during the May 2020 ratings period, which covered April 23 – May 20.
Ratings information in this exclusive analysis is limited to sports talk properties that subscribe to Nielsen Audio’s audience estimates.
Coronavirus-related challenges affecting sports talk facilities include the fact that the NBA and NHL seasons were put on hold several months ago. After starting exhibition contests on schedule, MLB pulled the plug in mid-March and the official season has yet to get underway.
