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Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
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MWmetalhead
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Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:03 am

Highlights:
-WCSG down big over past two months.
-WOOD down only a bit (signal limitations at 106.9 not asserting a big impact...yet).
-Big 101.3 is clearly hurting WFGR. Big is down a bit.
-105.3 Hot FM and the much more powerful WLHT are neck and neck in the beauty pageant numbers.
-WGRD continues to sag. Fix the boring playlist!!! Play more nu metal! Station used to pull 6 shares effortlessly.
-Thunder remains a total disgrace. 1.2 share.
-Nice win for B93.

The composite share for reporting stations continues to wane, suggesting an increasing percentage of listeners are turning to streaming, non-reporting stations, LPFMs and other audio sources.

Data can be viewed at radio-online.com.



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by audiophile » Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:24 am

WCSG played the same song 30 minutes apart this morning because someone requested it. Sloppy.


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:51 am

It's awesome they take song requests, but you're right; the listener should've been asked to pick a different song.



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by bugzapper » Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:13 am

Back in the day, WGRD AM had the feature of playing fast-rising songs twice in a row. They once played The Turtles' Happy Together twice and then a caller requested it and they ended up playing it three times in a row. Ah, the good ole days!



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by audiophile » Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:47 am

This wasn't a current.


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:47 am

Does WCSG have a human or a website taking requests? I've noticed that some things like this need to be reprogrammed, and or they can be hacked.

I think monthly surveys for markets of modest size compared to Major Markets may have a lot of statistical noise. I don't put much stock in month to month variations. That's not to say improvements can't be made. I think the outrageous playlists of secular, more or less contemporary, stations are starting to take their toll, and these offended people will seek WCSG and other similar stations out.


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Thu Sep 23, 2021 12:31 pm

Can't figure out how to save it as an image or cut and paste, but some of the answers of what might work for a full signal real Urban AC format, would be found at FM Fool. I put in a 49503 address at 6 feet AGL, and came to the obvious conclusion that WFGR or WTRV would be the obvious candidates from a facility standpoint. But as long as they are doing well, with some of the the best signals in the immediate Grand Rapids areas, then that won't happen.


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Greg Buben » Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:21 am

B-93 was the overall number one station once again in the Grand Rapids area for those surveyed 12 and over.
It clearly demonstrates that "Thunder Country" should stop trying to copy B-93 with the same major label modern
country hits of the 2000's. When B-93 runs that format it's in style and when "Thunder Country" runs it that is a waste
of a 50,000 watt station that can better serve G.R. with either old country or perhaps other formats.



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:27 pm

Completely agree with Kennelly regarding WTRV.

I actually suggested here a number of years back that it would make sense flipping 100.5 to Urban AC. Ironically, Townsquare did launch Urban AC on 94.1 (moved to 104.9) a few years later.

Townsquare as a company, sadly, seems to be non-supportive of Urban AC. Because they have a hip-hop station in Buffalo, and because playlists and dayparts are being standardized to a degree, I guess they decided 104.9 in GR needed to be hardcore hip-hop, too.



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Mega Hertz » Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:35 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:03 am


The composite share for reporting stations continues to wane, suggesting an increasing percentage of listeners are turning to streaming, non-reporting stations, LPFMs and other audio sources.

I have to wonder...can you think of ANY reason at all why commercial FM listenership is dwindling? Why other mediums are gaining listeners? Any reason at ALL?

I just can't seem to figure out why!

/s

On CSX just yesterday, I heard a phoner of a guy asking to hear Crazy Train. My reflexes punched the presets and a hearty "aw, fuck you" came out of my mouth.

"Can you play Crazy Train? I haven't heard it in 45 minutes!"


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:16 pm

Here's the obituary of Vernon Merritt, Jr., who founded WDZZ in Flint.

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2015/0 ... lack-.html

Grand Rapids would seem to be in the same situation as far as a full time, full signal, FM Urban format ownership. The translator doesn't seem to be enough, and the format is not inclusive enough for older listeners and other fans of the format.

There were early initially six applicants for 92.7. Three dropped out early, one being the late Pete Cavanaugh and the then owners of WTAC 600, who I asked why they dropped out. They realized that Flint Metro Mass Media would eventually be awarded the frequency.

I visited Vernon Merritt and talked to him on the phone in 1979 and a few times after. He was up there in Genesee Towers, getting things ready for sign on, in the Summer of 1979. Gerald McBride and Cleodia Myles were up there helping him. All had worked at WAMM 1420. WAMM had a similar story in 1955 when the late Ernie Durham got investors to put WAMM on the air. But the FCC never let the station sign on until Ernie resigned from WBBC 1330, where he had been offered a H*** amount of money to work live daily at both WBBC and WJLB 1400 to get him to stay, which resulted in the legendary commuting persona "Frantic Ernie". He sold his 25% to the other investors/partners, and WAMM was then allowed to sign on. Vern started out with 28.7%, and bought the four doctor/investors out a few years later. He didn't have the conflict of interest that Ernie Durham did.

I called one of the Bell Broadcasting family and suggested that they try applying for one of the new Class A frequencies dropped into Grand Rapids and Walker with Docket 80-90. He brought up some of the issues discussed in the Vern's obit and said he wasn't interested. The Waters tried to break into Grand Rapids with WCXT 105.3 Hart, but the best it could do, even now as WHTS as Class B, in Coopersville, was a far out rimshot.

Vern Merritt actually also owned WZRC 106.7 Des Plaines, not 103.5, which soon dropped Z-Rock for Smooth Jazz, reportedly due to Vern's concern about the negative spiritual aspects of the Z Rock format.


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:10 am

Mr. McBride is an outstanding broadcaster.

WCXT from Hart, even with 100 kW, was a good 60 miles away from downtown GR, and it was nowhere near max specs from an ERP / tower height combo standpoint. HAAT was only 680 feet (roughly) as compared to the permitted maximum of 981 feet.

Would've been nice to have seen a full 981 foot tower constructed near Hesperia so that WBLV and the station then known as WCXT could've shared it. WBLV delivers a decent signal to most of the G.R. area - at least in the car - from its existing Hesperia tower, which is only ~600 feet HAAT. Imagine what it & WCXT could've done with a full 981 feet from that location! Both stations would've been able to blanket a good 125 mile stretch of U.S. 131 effortlessly, probably from the Kent - Allegan line all the way to Manton.

From Hart, WCXT at 100 kW never delivered a reliable signal to the G.R. area, even for in-car listening. Scratchy with plenty of mixing down to monaural during normal atmospheric conditions. One had to get to about Sparta or Coopersville to receive a good signal.

The ZZM site works fairly well for the present-day WHTS, although I think Cumulus made a mistake by not using its translator at 106.1 to rebroadcast WHTS, whose signal struggles "in the valley" near downtown due to multipath, terrain shadowing, and RF interference. Overall, its signal in Kent County is almost on par with WSNX.



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Sat Sep 25, 2021 1:28 pm

Vern Merritt WZRC Des Plaines Z-Rock.

https://groups.google.com/g/ipodsquad/c/mOMHtec2wfc


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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by Greg Buben » Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:55 am

Grand Rapids needs some commercial radio stations to flip because they're getting more boring as time goes on. The
first one that should be flipped as I and others have mentioned is "Thunder Country" at 107.3 FM owned by Cumulus. I
have said that all they do is copy the more powerful B-93 with the same modern major label country hits of the 2000's.
Putting that bottom feeder aside Cumulus has some other low ranked stations that are slightly above their "Thunder".
Their "Q" which is WKLQ-FM 94.5 has a AAA format with mostly terrible music and the only artist they seem to play who
is good is Tom Petty. Their AM station with its FM repeater doesn't do well with sports and their "Hot FM" can't beat out
WSNX for the Top 40 fans. The best station in G.R. for Cumulus is their classic rock station WLAV and they don't have
the ratings that they once had. In fact I'd love it if someone who knows the Grand Rapids market would start a classic
rock FM that could compete with WLAV unlike the disaster of "The Fox" back in 2000. Cumulus should consider flipping
all of their stations in Grand Rapids except WLAV. Having said that they should readjust their classic rock playlist and
go back to "live and local" classic rock. When they put the guy on at night who isn't from Grand Rapids they threw out
the "live and local" classic rock concept with that phony host not in G.R. talking about what goes on in Peoria, IL and
elsewhere. Cumulus should either do some interesting things in G.R. or sell their G.R. stations. Again the first station
that they should flip is their "Thunder Country" and then their others plus rearrange WLAV.



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Re: Nielsen audio #'s released 9/21

Post by ftballfan » Fri Oct 01, 2021 11:35 pm

Greg Buben wrote:
Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:55 am
Grand Rapids needs some commercial radio stations to flip because they're getting more boring as time goes on. The
first one that should be flipped as I and others have mentioned is "Thunder Country" at 107.3 FM owned by Cumulus. I
have said that all they do is copy the more powerful B-93 with the same modern major label country hits of the 2000's.
Putting that bottom feeder aside Cumulus has some other low ranked stations that are slightly above their "Thunder".
Their "Q" which is WKLQ-FM 94.5 has a AAA format with mostly terrible music and the only artist they seem to play who
is good is Tom Petty. Their AM station with its FM repeater doesn't do well with sports and their "Hot FM" can't beat out
WSNX for the Top 40 fans. The best station in G.R. for Cumulus is their classic rock station WLAV and they don't have
the ratings that they once had. In fact I'd love it if someone who knows the Grand Rapids market would start a classic
rock FM that could compete with WLAV unlike the disaster of "The Fox" back in 2000. Cumulus should consider flipping
all of their stations in Grand Rapids except WLAV. Having said that they should readjust their classic rock playlist and
go back to "live and local" classic rock. When they put the guy on at night who isn't from Grand Rapids they threw out
the "live and local" classic rock concept with that phony host not in G.R. talking about what goes on in Peoria, IL and
elsewhere. Cumulus should either do some interesting things in G.R. or sell their G.R. stations. Again the first station
that they should flip is their "Thunder Country" and then their others plus rearrange WLAV.
If I were in charge of Cumulus:
- WLAV and WKLQ remain mostly as is, but do see playlist updates
- Hot FM moves from the Fremont-based 105.3 to 107.3
- 105.3 goes to a gold-based country format
- The Muskegon group mostly remains as is, except 97.5, 99.1, and 1490 flip to a simulcast of Hot FM
- 1340 and 106.1 goes Urban



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