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Grand Rapids September Ratings

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
Greg Buben
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Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Greg Buben » Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:27 pm

The Nielsen radio ratings have come out for Grand Rapids in September. B-93 is the number one station once again.
B-93 got a 7.7 % share for everyone 12 and over. B-93 remains on top with their format of the modern country hits all
of which are on major record labels with Nashville offices. Although I don't like what the major labels did with country
music in the 2000's I can atleast say that B-93 does a good job doing what they do. Thunder Country on the other hand
was a bottom feeder once again and this time they jumped to a whopping 1.8%. All Cumulus does with 107.3 FM is copy
B-93. Although a 50,000 watt FM is a great thing to have B-93 is a 320,000 watt station and Cumulus will never exceed
B-93 by always copying them,



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tc
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by tc » Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:38 pm

So you like B93?



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Ben Zonia » Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:14 pm

Greg Buben wrote:
Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:27 pm
The Nielsen radio ratings have come out for Grand Rapids in September. B-93 is the number one station once again.
B-93 got a 7.7 % share for everyone 12 and over. B-93 remains on top with their format of the modern country hits all
of which are on major record labels with Nashville offices. Although I don't like what the major labels did with country
music in the 2000's I can atleast say that B-93 does a good job doing what they do. Thunder Country on the other hand
was a bottom feeder once again and this time they jumped to a whopping 1.8%. All Cumulus does with 107.3 FM is copy
B-93. Although a 50,000 watt FM is a great thing to have B-93 is a 320,000 watt station and Cumulus will never exceed
B-93 by always copying them,
The only real advantage of 320,000 watts is in places like Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and other far out areas. WYHA (WFUR-FM), WLHT, and even the Class As, WFGR and WTRV, have stronger signals and less signal variation with location in the center of population in Kent County and close surrounding areas. The valley areas around the Grand River and its tributaries have the most signal attentuation and variation with location.

Not that it will ever happen, but if WFUR-FM ever was sold and went to a well programmed Country Format, it would probably beat WBCT, or at the very least seriously wound it, in the Grand Rapids Market. Kalamazoo would be another story.

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Greg Buben
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Greg Buben » Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:42 am

I'll say it again although I don't like what the major record labels in Nashville, TN have done with country music in the 2000's
I do think that B-93 does a good job presenting their format. With the 320,000 watts of power B-93 is regarded as a very
important station to those folks in the industry. In the Grand Rapids area which is defined as Kent and Ottawa Counties
B-93 is number one with a 7.7% share for all 12 and over. Thunder Country WTNR-FM 107.3 isn't offering anything different
than B-93 except fewer commercials. Thunder only got a 1.8% share and that was one of their better books in September.
I still say that Cumulus should either flip it to old country or maybe a more diverse country or something not at all country.
Thunder doesn't offer any real competition to B-93 and Cumulus doesn't have a clue on what to do with their 50.000 watt
FM at 107.3 on the dial. I-Heart owns the modern country hits format in Grand Rapids with the 7.7% share that B-93 had in
the September book. I-Heart also owns the news/ talk audience with WOOD having a 6.8% share. Between B-93 and
WOOD it is a fact the I-Heart dominates the Grand Rapids market.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Ben Zonia » Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:52 pm

You have to realize that WBFX 101.3 and WTNR 107.3, and WKLQ 94.5 and WMAX-FM 96.1, and even WLAV 96.9 now, have towers that are way out of the center of the immediate Grand Rapids area, and don't have as strong and stable signals as the four previously mentioned. If you do an FM Fool Search near ground level, you'll see that. One of the engineers posted a spectrum scan of the FM band a few years ago, and that also demonstrated it.


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originalzzmfmjock
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by originalzzmfmjock » Tue Oct 19, 2021 4:22 pm

While what you say is true. All of those stations with the exception of LAV has been operating on those same towers for years and 2 of them had years where they were quite dominant in the Grand Rapids ratings. Especially when 101.3 was WCUZ in the 80's and 94.5 as WKLQ in the late 80's into the mid 90's. Put something worth listening to on those signals and they could again be competitive.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Ben Zonia » Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:01 pm

originalzzmfmjock wrote:
Tue Oct 19, 2021 4:22 pm
While what you say is true. All of those stations with the exception of LAV has been operating on those same towers for years and 2 of them had years where they were quite dominant in the Grand Rapids ratings. Especially when 101.3 was WCUZ in the 80's and 94.5 as WKLQ in the late 80's into the mid 90's. Put something worth listening to on those signals and they could again be competitive.
I understand that, but the Original Poster was suggesting that just because WBCT is 320000 watts ERP, it is unbeatable, and that's more preposterous. Maybe if they were right in the middle of the population, and blanketed every other station, they might, but at that point, people wouldn't listen. Maybe it would damage radios if it was strong enough, by permanently desensitizing them. It's almost 30 miles away though.


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Greg Buben
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Greg Buben » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:09 am

The fact that B-93 is a mega power FM at 320,000 watts isn't the only reason B-93 is number one. In the olden days when
they were WJFM they didn't have very high ratings at all. B-93 is unbeatable because of the fact that they established
themselves as a country institution in G.R. Although the major labels in Nashville have allowed the country hits of 2000's
to suck B-93 established themselves as a country institution back when most country was good in the 1990's. What the
past post failed to mention was that Cumulus can't offer real competition with their "Thunder Country" WTNR-FM 107.3
that plays the same modern major label country hits of the 2000's that can be heard on B-93. Besides that I should
repeat that B-93 is highly regarded in both the radio and country music industries. B-93 also offers more live and local
programming as compared to Thunder. I stick to what I previously said B-93 is unbeatable with the modern country
hits. The sister station of B-93 that came in number two is WOOD with news/talk. WOOD is unbeatable too. I-Heart
radio dominates Grand Rapids with the 7.7% share of B-93 and the 6.8% share of WOOD.



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SteveL
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by SteveL » Wed Oct 20, 2021 3:20 pm

I know we were not necessarily tearing it up when I was at WFGR but I seem to remember we were up around a 4. I guess that's what you get when you continue playing the same 230 songs for 10 years.



Trophyhead
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Trophyhead » Wed Oct 20, 2021 3:45 pm

SteveL, the Mrs. has more or less moved on to Big 101.3, though I think she listens to JoJo and his partner on their morning show. It is an incredibly tight playlist on 98.7.

I tune in 94.5 for sporadic periods, mainly having Real Oldies 1480 and WION out of Ionia on, when the daylight allows.



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48125er
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by 48125er » Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:19 pm

SteveL wrote:
Wed Oct 20, 2021 3:20 pm
I know we were not necessarily tearing it up when I was at WFGR but I seem to remember we were up around a 4. I guess that's what you get when you continue playing the same 230 songs for 10 years.
WFGR is the new 101.3 the brew, i rarely listen nowadays to them or 105.7, way too repetitive



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SteveL
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by SteveL » Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:25 pm

Trophyhead wrote:
Wed Oct 20, 2021 3:45 pm
SteveL, the Mrs. has more or less moved on to Big 101.3, though I think she listens to JoJo and his partner on their morning show. It is an incredibly tight playlist on 98.7.

I tune in 94.5 for sporadic periods, mainly having Real Oldies 1480 and WION out of Ionia on, when the daylight allows.
Agreed. I was telling Phil Tower the other day that even though 101.3 has a tight playlist, at least they are songs we haven't heard in a while. I never understood the reluctance to add to the few "Greatest Hits" at FGR. Seems like 101.3 has been adding some new songs recently so I will stick around.
Last edited by SteveL on Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Greg Buben
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Greg Buben » Thu Oct 21, 2021 11:34 am

I mentioned that I-Heart radio dominates the ratings with B-93 number one at 7.7% and WOOD with a 6.8% share. The third
station isn't owned by I-Heart nor is it commercial. The third station is the Christian station WCSG from Cornerstone Univer-
sity with a 6.2% share. The fourth station is an I-Heart station and that's the Top 40/CHR station WSNX with a 5.9% share.
Therefore I-Heart has three out of four stations within the top 4 of Grand Rapids. I think that clearly demonstrates that
I-Heart has three unbeatable stations in the market. When one thinks of modern country hits B-93 comes to mind, when
one thinks news/talk WOOD comes to mind, and when one thinks of Top 40/CHR WSNX comes to mind. Cumulus does
offer WSNX competition with WHTS-FM 105.3 known better as Hot FM but they only got a 2.8% share. Cumulus did do
something right with the classic rock station WLAV-FM 97 because they bounced back upto fifth place with a 5.6% share.
WLAV went from a 4.4% share in August to a 5.6% share in September. Classic Rock is the only format that Cumulus does
right in Grand Rapids with WLAV. I still think that WLAV should have some Classic Rock competition but it has to be real
competition not the phony competition that was "The Fox" from twenty years ago. I believe WLAV is beatable but it has
to be real competition going up against them.



Greg Buben
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Greg Buben » Tue Oct 26, 2021 10:48 am

Although WLAV jumped back to number 5 with a 5.6% share I still think they need some classic rock competition. I mean
real competition not the crap that Clear Channel tried offering in 2000 with their "Fox" station. Classic Rock is the only for-
mat that Cumulus does right in Grand Rapids but I believe that WLAV is beatable if classic rock was done right in GR.



Greg Buben
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Re: Grand Rapids September Ratings

Post by Greg Buben » Sat Oct 30, 2021 11:54 am

I had mentioned the top 5 stations of the Grand Rapids area in the September Nielsen ratings. I still say that I-Heart is
unbeatable with B-93 , WOOD, and WSNX. The formats of modern country hits, news/talk, and Top 40/CHR have been
recognized as formats that nobody can really do better than the three top rated I-Heart stations just mentioned. I still
think the 5th station in the September ratings WLAV with its classic rock format should have some competition because
I think WLAV is beatable. WLAV jumped back to a 5.6% share after a dismal August with 4.4%. If I owned a commercial
FM in Grand Rapids I'd love to compete with them. Again it would have to be real competition unlike "The Fox" of 2000.
I know that classic rock is the only format that Cumulus does successfully in GR but the time has come for somebody
else to compete against WLAV especially since they have that phony on weeknights who talks about what's going on
in Peoria, IL and other markets because he's not in GR. WLAV can't honestly say they're "live and local anymore. The
number 6 station WGRD with its Active Rock format got a 4.9% share. WGRD is Town Squares best GR station. I think
WGRD could use some competition as well as WLAV.



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