Nielsen audio AQH shares - new results for GR, K'zoo and Muskegon

[MWmetalhead]

Kalamazoo:
https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb251

Hits 96.5 is a disaster. Big book for WRKR and for WCSG. I think that's an all-time record in Kalamazoo for WCSG. WKZO performed surprisingly well.

Grand Rapids:
https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb127

WVGR / WUOM is listed again! Christmas music definitely helped Star 105.7. Nice gains for WSNX and WCSG, too. Hot FM had a surprising dip, as did the Q. Time will tell if these dips are temporary due to Christmas music shifts.

Muskegon:
https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb566

Nice to see the LPFM at 103.7 listed! Nice boost for 97.5 thanks to its improved signal.

[Michigan Media]

Kalamazoo:
https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb251

Hits 96.5 is a disaster. Big book for WRKR and for WCSG. I think that's an all-time record in Kalamazoo for WCSG. WKZO performed surprisingly well.

This has to be the nail in the coffin for Hits 96.5.

What’s going on with 102.5/104.9 The Block (WKFR-HD2)? It has registered an “N/A” in the ratings since its debut in January of 2023.

[MWmetalhead]

Townsquare is not paying for the numbers for that station evidently.

Its competition at 95.5 is performing well.

[CJ]

For Kzoo, what do you even do with 96.5 at this point? Just about every format has been tried there. Sports talk is about the only thing left, but that’s not going to pull in much higher numbers than where they are today. Country didn’t get a fair shake with the Bob & Tom morning lead in, but they have the Win 98.5 sign out front as well. Classic Rock/Hits was the longest running format, which lasted over 10 years if I remember correctly.

[SpartanAM]

Put sports talk back on 1600/95.5 and move the urban format to 96.5. With numbers that good on a translator, it deserves a full power FM, even if it's just a class A.

[48125er]

I noticed yesterday 105,3 has been playing songs that barely any top 40 or even 95.7 has been playing for years mixed in with the current top 40

Such as random songs from 2000 to 2016ish.

[jaywmi]

That's been a trend on increasing amounts of Top 40 radio stations nationally, as of late. It is an acknowledgement that the youngest demos aren't really listening to the radio, so might as well spike in some songs that 18 to 34s who are still listening might identify with.

I noticed yesterday 105,3 has been playing songs that barely any top 40 or even 95.7 has been playing for years mixed in with the current top 40

Such as random songs from 2000 to 2016ish.

[Greg Buben]

As always I was glad to see the December ratings posted. First of all the most impressive jump was with Star 105.7 with
their Christmas music jumping from a 4.2% share to a 6.2% share. The Christmas boost wasn't quite so favorable for the
other Christmas station "The River" that went from a 2.2% to a 2.3% share. It was expected to see the top three being B-93,
WCSG, and WGRD because all three stations have loyal audiences and are run professionally. I noticed that half of the
top ten stations were owned by I-Heart Media, two were non commercial, two were owned by Town Square, and Cumu-
lus only had WLAV in the top ten and they were number eight overall and declined to a 3.6% share. I still think that Town
Square should drop that horrible so called "Hot A/C" format on WLHT (which isn't "light" at all) and those call letters on
95.7 FM. Again only WLHT has the power to compete with WLAV as a classic rock station. I-Heart could return 101.3 FM
to a classic rock format and would have the power to compete against WLAV but I don't think I-Heart is capable of
presenting a good enough classic rock format to compete with WLAV because of when they were Clear Channel they
lost out to WLAV. As successful as I-Heart is with other commercial formats in G.R. they are weak on classic rock in
Grand Rapids although now wouldn't be bad to try classic rock at 101.3 FM once again because of Cumulus got rid of
their older veteran air aces Tone "The Fun Guy" Gates, Steve Aldrich, and Rob Brandt.

[Graham Wellington]

As always I was glad to see the December ratings posted. First of all the most impressive jump was with Star 105.7 with
their Christmas music jumping from a 4.2% share to a 6.2% share. The Christmas boost wasn't quite so favorable for the
other Christmas station "The River" that went from a 2.2% to a 2.3% share. It was expected to see the top three being B-93,
WCSG, and WGRD because all three stations have loyal audiences and are run professionally. I noticed that half of the
top ten stations were owned by I-Heart Media, two were non commercial, two were owned by Town Square, and Cumu-
lus only had WLAV in the top ten and they were number eight overall and declined to a 3.6% share. I still think that Town
Square should drop that horrible so called "Hot A/C" format on WLHT (which isn't "light" at all) and those call letters on
95.7 FM. Again only WLHT has the power to compete with WLAV as a classic rock station. I-Heart could return 101.3 FM
to a classic rock format and would have the power to compete against WLAV but I don't think I-Heart is capable of
presenting a good enough classic rock format to compete with WLAV because of when they were Clear Channel they
lost out to WLAV. As successful as I-Heart is with other commercial formats in G.R. they are weak on classic rock in
Grand Rapids although now wouldn't be bad to try classic rock at 101.3 FM once again because of Cumulus got rid of
their older veteran air aces Tone "The Fun Guy" Gates, Steve Aldrich, and Rob Brandt.

Yes, what Grand Rapids needs is another station cranking out some Dust In The Wind, More Than A Feeling, or Owner Of A Lonely Heart. Maybe some Sledgehammer to really push the awesomeness. What a treat for the listening public it would be to have TWO stations rocking out such a fresh sound.

[Greg Buben]

I just read Grahams response to my post and to some extent I can say yes many songs such as "More Than a Feeling"
by Boston which was a top 40 hit when I was in high school has been and still is overplayed. What I would do if I were
to go up against WLAV as a classic rock station would be to offer some deeper cuts so that when you hear Boston for
an example it wouldn't just be "More Than A Feeling" or "Don't Look Back". Now if Town Square or I-Heart were to flip
either 95.7 FM or 101.3 FM they may not go as deep cut as I would if I were in control but classic rock competition would
still be healthy for the G.R. area because classic rock is still a very viable format just look at the nearest major markets
Chicago with "The Drive" WDRV and Detroit with WCSX. For that matter look at the nearest small markets Kalamazoo with
"The Rocker" WRKR , Muskegon with WMRR, and Lansing with WMMQ. WLAV is in decline and I don't think classic rock should
die in the local radio market because of WLAV making poor decisions on how they run the classic rock station.

[MWmetalhead]

The December book is of little relevance to any station not playing Christmas music.

Only a moron would make a programming decision based on any single month in isolation, especially December where large short-lived listening habit swings occur.

[Graham Wellington]

I just read Grahams response to my post and to some extent I can say yes many songs such as "More Than a Feeling"
by Boston which was a top 40 hit when I was in high school has been and still is overplayed. What I would do if I were
to go up against WLAV as a classic rock station would be to offer some deeper cuts so that when you hear Boston for
an example it wouldn't just be "More Than A Feeling" or "Don't Look Back". Now if Town Square or I-Heart were to flip
either 95.7 FM or 101.3 FM they may not go as deep cut as I would if I were in control but classic rock competition would
still be healthy for the G.R. area because classic rock is still a very viable format just look at the nearest major markets
Chicago with "The Drive" WDRV and Detroit with WCSX. For that matter look at the nearest small markets Kalamazoo with
"The Rocker" WRKR , Muskegon with WMRR, and Lansing with WMMQ. WLAV is in decline and I don't think classic rock should
die in the local radio market because of WLAV making poor decisions on how they run the classic rock station.

Here's what's wrong with the classic rock format:

WMMQ recently played in last hour:
Abracadabra - Steve Miller
Big Empty - Stone Temple Pilots
Fly By Night - Rush
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Satellites
Baba O'riley - Who
Rock Of Ages - Def Leppard
Black Betty - Ram Jam
Stone In Love - Journey
Dream On - Aerosmith

WLAV recently played in last hour:
Takin' Care of Business - BTO
Dream On - Aerosmith
Keep your Hands to Yourself - Georgia Satellites
The Fire Down Below - Bob Segar
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
Modern Love - David Bowie
The Joker - Steve Miller

The same crusty-ass lame songs that have been played on these stations for the last 30 years. All these songs were heard on Classic Rock stations in the 1990s. Why are they still predominantly played? As I've said here before, 1960s oldies were kicked to the curb 20 years ago on mainstream radio. Why then is stale 1970s butt rock still dominating Classic Rock? In theory, they should have been gone 10 years ago.

[andymuskegon]

a LPFM would be number 1 in muskegon without the cancerous "big media" companies here. muskegon is fucking fed up with everything farmed in and gets this crap rammed up their ass while the national ads play for pennies on the dollar to local money.

[riggs]

I don't think you can tell a lot from December numbers. A lot of businesses switch to Christmas stations during the month and fewer people commute during the month and aren't in their cars listening to the radio as much. December numbers are always a bit whacky.

[MWmetalhead]

Exactly right.