Classic Rock WLAV ties its all time record low AQH share in latest Nielsens

[MWmetalhead]

I've only seen WLAV as low as a 2.7 share one other time, if I remember correctly. The other time was maybe a decade ago when John Dickey decided the station should run a super tight playlist reminiscent of WLUP in Chicago at the time.

I suspect Tony Gates' longtime listeners are not warming up to Gregg Henson. Putting Brian Vander Ark in afternoon drive was an unwise move as well; he belongs on 94.5 not LAV.

Very funny to see LAV in a three way tie with 99.3 and 105.3 and trail the likes of 98.7, 100.5 (!!!) and 101.3 in the beauty pageant numbers.

Big 101.3 and WFGR are both up. I think 3.7 is the best or second best ever share since 101.3 went Oldies.

Monster numbers for WCSG.

How long until WLHT flips to Country to put Blunder out of its misery? WLHT is not pulling its weight with a 2.9 share and is probably getting crushed by CSG and B93 in F 25 to 54.

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

[Graham Wellington]

I've only seen WLAV as low as a 2.7 share one other time, if I remember correctly. The other time was maybe a decade ago when John Dickey decided the station should run a super tight playlist reminiscent of WLUP in Chicago at the time.

I suspect Tony Gates' longtime listeners are not warming up to Gregg Henson. Putting Brian Vander Ark in afternoon drive was an unwise move as well; he belongs on 94.5 not LAV.

Very funny to see LAV in a three way tie with 99.3 and 105.3 and trail the likes of 98.7, 100.5 (!!!) and 101.3 in the beauty pageant numbers.

Big 101.3 and WFGR are both up. I think 3.7 is the best or second best ever share since 101.3 went Oldies.

Monster numbers for WCSG.

How long until WLHT flips to Country to put Blunder out of its misery? WLHT is not pulling its weight with a 2.9 share and is probably getting crushed by CSG and B93 in F 25 to 54.

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

As I am reading this, I flipped over to WLAV just in time to hear some "Wheel In The Sky" rocking out of the speakers. I just don't get why their numbers are so terrible....

[MWmetalhead]

[48125er]

For some reason WLAV doesn't come in clear at all in my car, a 2013 Ford Taurus in Belding, it breaks up as soon as you hit the East beltline,

Didn't WLAV also hit a similar low around 1991/1992?

[TC Talks]

That would have been when Adams sent Mel and Frank to town to fix things. They hated Grand Rapids.

[Ben Zonia]

For some reason WLAV doesn't come in clear at all in my car, a 2013 Ford Taurus in Belding, it breaks up as soon as you hit the East beltline.

They lost their more centrally located site Northeast of Grand Rapids at full 50 kW/500 feet nondirectional. With nondirectional, the effective ERP was probably more toward Grand Rapids than 50 kW.

Now, the measured DA pattern has shallow nulls even to the East from near Allendale, and deep nulls to the West, that affect the whole pattern. They might be able to improve that by making the deeper null toward Whitehall more shallow, now that the 97.5 is further away. It only has 3 panel arrays rather than 4 like WHNN that optimizes the signal in all directions. Cumulus property WHNN had problems toward Saginaw until they optimized the pattern.

[since16]

Is the slight climb in WHTS because of the changes in the morning show?

[MWmetalhead]

That would have been when Adams sent Mel and Frank to town to fix things. They hated Grand Rapids.

I believe WLAV never fell lower than the mid or upper 3 share range in the early 90s. Given the station's numbers in the 80s (and KLQ's massive numbers at the time), that was still considered poor.

[MWmetalhead]

For some reason WLAV doesn't come in clear at all in my car, a 2013 Ford Taurus in Belding, it breaks up as soon as you hit the East beltline,

Didn't WLAV also hit a similar low around 1991/1992?

Ford OEM radios of that era have decent reception, so unless you have an antenna defect of some kind, I wonder if they are broadcasting at reduced power?

I've always gotten a crystal clear signal near the airport. Signal usually doesn't start to flutter until around Portland.

[jaywmi]

WLAV's shares were at a then all-time-low of 2.9 in the 12+ Winter 1991 Arbitrons (best demo was M 18-24, 16.2 share). Compare to WKLQ, which at the time had shifted to Active Rock, 6.8 12+, best demo M 18-24, 22.1 share).

This precipitated, by Memorial Day, a format change on WLAV to alternative/modern rock... but this only lasted a couple years before they started up a classic rock format there. During the modern rock years, ratings only trended between 2.6 to 3.0... but surged to over a six share when they brought classic rock to the signal again.

For some reason WLAV doesn't come in clear at all in my car, a 2013 Ford Taurus in Belding, it breaks up as soon as you hit the East beltline,

Didn't WLAV also hit a similar low around 1991/1992?

[billmich88888]

rock and classic rock are dying formats - the big band format for boomers and X'ers

[Greg Buben]

I saw the March ratings and discovered WLAV declined down to a 2.7% share. As I said earlier I believe that a new and
better classic rock FM station that is 50,000 watts could and would beat WLAV but neither I-Heart nor Town Square are
willing to do that. A new company would have to buy a 50,000 watt commercial FM to make that a possibility. At this time
that's not going to happen so it looks to me like the commercial broadcasters in the G.R. market are allowing the classic
rock format to die with a declining WLAV. This is a real disgrace because the classic rock people in the G.R. area deserve
a better classic rock station. With G.R. being #68 market in the U.S and #2 in MI a good classic rock FM should be on the
dial to compete with WLAV because classic rock isn't dead in G.R. yet it's just the presentation of WLAV that's dying. At the
very least Cumulus of G.R. should reexamine and readjust their classic rock playlist.

[MWmetalhead]

rock and classic rock are dying formats - the big band format for boomers and X'ers

WGRD and WRIF are almost always top 3 performers in Adults 25 to 54 and Adults 18 to 49.

The same also holds true for Rock stations in Seattle, Philly, San Diego, Tampa, Minneapolis and elsewhere.

[Graham Wellington]

rock and classic rock are dying formats - the big band format for boomers and X'ers

Classic Rock for sure. At least the ones that still have the same playlist they've had for the last 35 years other than slipping a Three Doors Down song in every couple hours to appeal to the kids.

[TC Talks]

You mean the country is tired of those 550 songs in the Classic Rock rotation since 1986 when Fred invented the format?