Ratings: KTIK loses the pep in its step
Don @ IdahoRadioNews | August 16, 2009Maybe it was Boise State Football’s undefeated regular season. Maybe it was some extra caffiene in Jeff Caves’ afternoon coffee… and maybe it was a fluke.
Whatever the reason, KTIK/ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK The Ticket saw a big drop in its spring numbers. Everywhere you look, KTIK saw massive drops from fall to spring — though it is basically right on the nose year-to-year.
And by massive, we’re talking about falling from a 4.1 to a 1.8 – more than two points (persons 12+).
Here’s the thing — this is the third book in a row where we’ve had a station jump from middle of the pack to top of the heap. In spring 2008, it was KKGL – which saw the best Boise-market ratings of any station in more than four years at the time. It then fell back to its normal ratings range.
In fall 2008 we saw KTIK jump up – and now fall.
This time it is KSRV/96.1 Bob FM, which popped from a 2.9 to a 4.9 — and notched even greater demo growth.
In all three cases, the stations did not make any massive alterations – no staff changes, no major music changes – just a ratings period of staying the course. Will this be a pattern of for Bob – or will it hold on to the numbers?
Working in that market for 7 years…it was the same ole ‘yo-yo’ of ratings…The worse thing bout it is that Boise gets its numbers almost dead last…that book ended almost 3months ago! Not much time to decipher the numbers and try to fix…or not break…what happened before the fall book comes out.
It is time for all the companies there to pony up the $$ and tell Arbitron that they want CONTINOUS measurement. 4 books and pay for the trends too. Soon enough I am sure that the PPM will come in…but as market 100…Boise should be a 4 book market.
Busted, PPM currency reports will eventually make their way to Boise. They are ready to roll out in the top thirty markets, just weeks shy now of hitting SLC. But to be honest with you, they are a pandora’s box. If anything, they are less than credible. The FCC is investigating Arbitron due to sample problems, ethnic weighting and the like. While diaries are not the greatest system, they do represent a 40+ year success story. Perhaps what might be better would be more books.
With ya there Chupacabra…I believe that Boise USED to have more diaries back in the day…But still…top 100 mkt needs to be 4 books and they need the RESULT a ton SOONER. The mkt 250’s and below should not come before top 100.
As for the PPM…yes…can of worms…especially for the ethnics…BUT I have seen it where an ethnic station gets this “huge” bump in a certain cell or cells…you do a little math and figure that it is one or two diaries that belong to a household where “supposedly” thy listen to that station from sun up to after sun down. Um…no. Probably not true.
I also wonder how much that the Diary show people “voting” for their favorite station (ethnic or not) even though they really did not listen to that station? Look at KUBE in Seattle…tanking in the PPM…T-man is out. Diary they were tops and now PPM, they are at the bottom and now sister station KBKS is ahead of them. KBKS used to be the ugly step child of the group…
This will be interesting in SLC and see if the ‘precious’ KBULL 93 is as good as the diary and Ed Hill thinks it is…maybe people DO listen to the Eagle and KSOP down there…Maybe the LDS stations will take a jump…hard to say.
I maybe wrong on this…but didn’t Arbitron change the way they measure “ethnic’ households a while back. something like…if there was a “white” person and a “non white” living together they called that white…now it is called “non white” (excuse the jargon…not trying to be mean…just not sure of the exact wording” ) I believe that this change is part of the reason that the “non ethnic” stations in Memphis are not in the top anymore…all to do with ‘weighting’ of the diaries…
…Ok…tangent off…
hey “busted”…you’ve landed on a real conundrum there. the phenonmenon of “people voting for their favorite station even though the do not listen” is referred to as “preference bias”. it works in reverse too. several years ago, while testing PPM, arbitron discovered that howard stern was waaayyy more listened to than indicated by the old diary keeping method (i believe this took place in canada, maybe toronto). PPM tends to scare the behemoths that spend huge amounts of marketing dollars because it reflects more “real” listening. i suspect you’d see a dip in cume for the christian stations too if things went the people meter direction. just a few thoughts.
T-man is out in Seattle? It’s about friggin time if that’s true. I spent 4 mos in that building on an internship with KJR just as his show was exploding in the early 00s. I never could stand his schtick – or his off-air personality – but also thought the show would flame out waaaay before now.
I remember when he first arrived in Seattle, KJR had him talking sports on nights and he was actually tolerable.
PPM has turned the Seattle books upside-down from what I’ve been told by couple PDs I know out there.
Update for Troy. I just checked the KUBE, Seattle website and the T-Man is still there at least for now.
I got a diary when I was in college – somehow. I simply filled in KJR on all the pages on the first day, since is was about the only station I listened to at the time. Then I waited until it was time to hand it in.
They did not renew his contract and CC is graciously letting him work til the end. Virtyally un heard of in this day and age…
from radio info dot com
–T-Man’s done. He talked about it this morning. He’ll ride out his contract then go on a personal hiatus 6/24
–T-Man is the first victim of the PPM dropping to 23rd 25-54 so I guess I can of expected it
He was the first for Seattle of an edgy style of morning cowboy that is fast disappearing in the PPM world but had huge numbers in the diary and a hell of a run in Seattle 6/24
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