Ratings: Is Journal in trouble?
Don Day | August 15, 2008Journal Broadcast Group’s stations had a tough book. The group has one station in the top 10 – perennial winner 107.1 K-Hits with a strong 6.7.
The rest of the stations are in the doldrums.
- KJOT/J-105 down 12% from last year to 3.3
- KQXR/100.3 The X lost a third of its audience for a 3.1
- KRVB/Idaho’s 94.9 The River went up slightly from spring ‘07, but only notched at 2.6
And as a commenter noted, Impact’s automated, unstaffed KSRV/96.1 Bob FM outranked those three stations – despite management upheaval and a fairly weak overall presentation.
Bob-FM is designed to pull from a number of stations. The format is also designed to be done without air personalities. Jack and Bob are successful in a number of markets. I didn’t know disc jockeys were a requirement to be a good radio station. We are in a business to entertain our audience and sometimes that may be with or without on air talent.
And, since when are the ratings affected if there’s a management change. The last time I checked, Arbitron didn’t weight diaries based on staff change behind the scenes.
It is very interesting to watch the opinions expressed here. Some by people in the business who don’t understand the business they are in, others in the business with a fairly good grasp of what is going on, and then the outsiders, that always have answers that they think will save the world. Granted, any observation may have a kernel of truth or perspective, but the real interesting factor is this — Stations that change formats or personel at every change of the wind (or book) are criticized for changing. Stations that hold steady (with some minor tweaks) are criticized for not changing. Journal , with its collective demographics, is still very strong. It will not panic, fire everyone, change three formats, or anything weird just because of a few strong books somewhere else. Instead, it will look at improving its product, continue to give the advertisers the best audiences for their money, and move forward to the next report card.
When adjusting the sights on your rifle, you don’t throw the gun away if you have a consistent pattern that just isn’t exactly where it should be. You adjust the scope a little, and work your way closer.
I’ve watched Journal since I’ve been here for the past five years and I agree with RDS. Correct slowly and systematically, improving a little with each book and stick with the people who add personality to the station. I’ve worked at and seen stations where management had a knee jerk reaction to every book and, more often than not, fell lower and lower in the ratings with every “improvement”.
Mark me down in the same column as RDS and Rainshadow. Good management REALLY does have to do with the success of a station. Sometimes you can throw at the wall and it will stick, but the majority of the time, stations are much better adjusted with a slight ebb and flow and not CHUCK, PITCH AND THROW!
Friend of Fuentes: You are the ANTI-CHRIST of RADIO! Yeah, it’s a strong statement, but when you say “I didn’t know disk-jockeys were a requirement for a radio station,” you step on hallowed ground here! Jockless stations do well in the short-term, but over time, they loose ground. Go buy an 80gb IPOD and go program the damn thing, and leave the real radio people the HELL ALONE! Other posters have stated it in the past, but I will say it again, PERSONALITY made radio and continues to make radio. I congratulate you on your “win,” but your holier-than-thou attitude represents why so many are abandoning this media for their IPOD.
I praise all the other groups in the state for their local involvement and trying to put together GOOD RADIO.
If I owned a radio station or 6 I would hate to hear the words “abandoning this media for their IPOD” as that would mean everyone loses in radio!
I forget what market, but one BOB format hired local writers to create LOCAL drop-in content to give the station a more personal flair.
Radio stations with personalities have always been a challenge to manage because of the egos involved, but when I hear that BOB has just run down the hall for a new shipment of music at 3 in the morning? Come on. FedEx drivers are not that motivated.
WCBS-FM dropped the Jack format because sponsors wouldn’t support it. They went back to live personalities and are doing much better in both ratings and, more importantly, revenue.
I think the BOB format is interesting, but, as an advertiser, I would have to think twice about buying it. Give me a live, motivated personality who may even do a live read any day.
And also, how does one meet “Bob” at a remote ?
Good one RDS!
I wonder who that Bob guy really is? Must be some cheapskate who didn’t bother to hire jocks. LOL