The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

26 April 2006

Air America Radio, WLIB, Randi Rhodes, Al Franken

DRUDGE: AAR MELTDOWN

On Temporary NYC Station, Leaked Ratings Show Huge Drop





After someone with access to early Winter 2006 Arbitron radio ratings results leaked them to Matt Drudge, Air America Radio can't possibly be happy. **Update below: Drudge understated losses**

While basic, overall audience figures will be released at 5pm today, Matt was slipped a copy of specific breakdowns this morning, bringing bad news for Franken & Co. For setting advertising rates, these quarterly numbers are especially important.

Normally, much of this information isn't disclosed to the public.

Almost immediately after the Drudge flash was posted, the Radio Equalizer's in-box was stuffed with readers wondering if we had the rest of the story.

For WLIB-AM, Air America's temporary New York City home, Drudge reports this:


the just released radio Winter Book [Jan-Mar 2006] from ARBITRON shows AIR AMERICA in New York City losing more than a third of its audience -- in the past year!

Among all listeners 12+, it was a race to the bottom for AIR AMERICA and WLIB as mid-days went from a 1.6 share during winter 2005 to a 1.0 share winter 2006.

During PM drive, host Randi Rhodes plunged to 27,900 listeners every quarter hour, finishing 25th place in her time slot, down from 60,900 listeners every quarter hour in the fall.

A network source says the radio ratings released today do not reflect the overall growth of the broadcast.

"The demos are better, and listerners trust AIR AMERICA to give them the real truth on issues and the Bush presidency," says the insider.


Just who is the crazy "insider" who won't put a name to these outlandish claims?


Later, another leaker posted this on the New York City radio board, where broadcast professionals chat about the business:


The numbers I am hearing for Air America are worse than that.

The figure I have for 12+ is that they dropped to a 0.8, from a 1.4 in the last book.

They lost almost half their audience in every daypart.

The 25-54 numbers are just as bad, with huge drops around the clock.

As far as Rhodes, here are the 25-54 numbers for afternoon drive:

WABC - Hannity -- 2.6

WLIB - Rhodes -- 1.0

WOR -Hennican/White -- 0.7


What Drudge didn't mention: Air America's temporary lease extension for WLIB-AM runs only through August, while options for a new Big Apple home range from bleak to hopeless.

Still being considered: Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen's failed Sporting News Radio outlet, with a signal far weaker than WLIB's.

Please return for a great deal more on this still-developing story.

Update: Confirmed -- WLIB falls to an overall 0.8 from 1.4. This is ugly.

Slight gains for Air America in Los Angeles, but still just a 1.0 share. Flat in Chicago with a miniscule 0.7. These are tiny, tiny numbers for a network that's now had plenty of time to catch on.

Small piece of good news for Air America: the 1.0 Los Angeles finish slightly cuts the amount it has to pay Clear Channel to have its programming carried on KTLK.

New York radio poster takes on the pro-AAR spin here. Plus more at BoreAmerica.

Some bloggers such as Viking Pundit and others are wondering why Drudge actually understated Air America's New York City losses.

John in Carolina adds his take here.

Your Amazon orders that begin with clicks here, regardless of what you ultimately purchase, help to support this site's efforts. Thanks again!

Lefty Lemon, AAR Spin: David A Lunde for the Radio Equalizer

published by Brian Maloney at 15:43

18 Comments:

  • If I'm Percy Sutton, right now I'm demanding "all bills get squared up before and then you bastards get outta my house."

    By Blogger Unknown, at 26 April, 2006 17:03  

  • AAR sucks. How anyone can stand to listen to any of their programming for more that 10 minutes is beyond me.

    By Blogger Lidsville, at 26 April, 2006 17:41  

  • Alex?
    If the books were actually ever cracked open, I'd bet Air Idiot did, per annum, a hella lot better than any NPR station has ever did, finance-wise.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 26 April, 2006 17:54  

  • The question I have is: How much longer can these jokers limp along? Brian, you've been following this sordid mess from the get-go and no matter how bad the radio line-up or the financials get they manage to stay on the air. There's obviously no market for them, yet they defy the laws of economics!

    The SEC should be all over AAR; ah, but they'd have to be publicly owned. The IRS then. Seems they'd have to be cooking the books to stay afloat, unless Soros and donors are constantly infusing them with cash.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 26 April, 2006 18:23  

  • Lemme do my best Dick Tuck impersonation:

    "But ... But ... But ... Chicago went up a tenth of a point! That means they're a success!!!"

    By Blogger BF, at 26 April, 2006 19:32  

  • There can be quite a bit of bouncing around in Arbitron ratings - I prefer to average a station's share over the four most recent reporting periods to help separate the noise from the signal. The three previous rating shares for WLIB in NYC are 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4.

    That said, with the Winter '06 book now closed, AAR's share of the 12+ audience for WLIB in NYC only averages out to be 1.1 with the recorded 0.8 share. For NYC's 15,330,000 member strong 12+ audience, that means 168,630 listeners per average quarter hour (AQH).

    If the Winter '06 rating had come in at 1.4, that would mean an average 1.25 rating over the four most recent rating periods, or 191,625 listeners per AQH. Since it came in at 0.8, that indicates AAR lost about 23,000 listeners, or 2.2% of my estimate of their total national audience through all their local broadcast affiliates.

    For reference a 0.8 rating is equivalent to 122,640 listeners per AQH in the NYC market.

    I wonder how much of their drop in listenership is tied to their troubles in securing WLIB as a long-term broadcast base in NYC? It might be that a good number of listeners might have moved on to stations with less possibility of a format change.

    By Blogger Ironman, at 26 April, 2006 20:00  

  • Only a liberal would stoop that low...

    By Blogger BF, at 27 April, 2006 08:55  

  • waaah123,

    Yes, although you should consider Andrew Olmstead's advice before making any similar request in the future.

    By Blogger Ironman, at 27 April, 2006 13:32  

  • Actually streaming is probably Air America Moneypit's best option. They aren't exactly on the 50,000 watt blowtorches across the country.

    By Blogger eLarson, at 27 April, 2006 17:53  

  • "It might be that a good number of listeners might have moved on to stations with less possibility of a format change."

    Ironman - I'm not a radio guy, so this thought requires a little more explanation for me as a reason for a drop.


    To me it decodes as saying:

    This radio station might go away later, so I'm going to stop listening to it now...."


    Huh? Sort of like breaking up with a girlfriend because she might break up with you?

    By Blogger Lokki, at 27 April, 2006 18:56  

  • elarson,

    I believe AAR's Internet broadcasting is one of the brighter spots in their business model, thanks in large part to Rob Glaser, CEO of RealNetworks and chairman of AAR's parent company, Piquant, LLC.

    That said, the Internet stream very likely doesn't provide anywhere near enough revenue to cover the costs of AAR's operations. Now that AAR will be losing WLIB as an outlet in the NYC market at the end of August, which represents upwards of 20% of the network's total audience (and revenue) if it's not replaced, one wonders if AAR's senior management will finally get around to getting their costs in line.

    Then again, AAR has always depended upon the kindness of strangers (billionaires)....

    By Blogger Ironman, at 27 April, 2006 18:59  

  • lokki commented and asked:

    "Ironman - I'm not a radio guy, so this thought requires a little more explanation for me as a reason for a drop.

    To me it decodes as saying:

    This radio station might go away later, so I'm going to stop listening to it now...."

    Huh? Sort of like breaking up with a girlfriend because she might break up with you?

    Good question - and your take on it is just about exactly right!

    This is something that happens not just in the radio business, but in business in general. Let's say we have a struggling business and its customers catch wind of it.

    Some customers (in this case, WLIB's listening audience) will begin a process of shopping for a potential replacement (another station) since they cannot count on the business staying in business to supply their needs.

    Non-radio example: HomeQuarters. Here you had a home improvement store that kept running worse and worse numbers each quarter. They began losing the business of contractors, since these particular customers need a sure supply of building materials. So, they went to Home Depot or Lowes, even if it wasn't their preferred option.

    In the end, it became something of a death spiral. The more contractors they would lose, the worse their business became, the less likely that the contractors could rely on them remaining in business, so they would lose more contractors all over again. Eventually the whole thing collapsed into bankruptcy and liquidation.

    Not to say something similar will happen with AAR, but that's why its senior leadership is under the gun right now to deliver really good news.

    By Blogger Ironman, at 27 April, 2006 19:22  

  • brett,

    Maybe so, but I think you're underestimating how may of AAR's listeners may have read the articles in the NY Sun and the NY Post.

    In the modern age of media, you *really* have to work hard to filter out news you don't want to hear! Three words: Tom Cruise's baby....

    By Blogger Ironman, at 27 April, 2006 21:25  

  • But the question is whether it was in the New York Times. If not, then you can't expect the AAR listeners in NYC to have noticed.

    By Blogger Bruce Hayden, at 27 April, 2006 22:21  

  • >>Air America's temporary lease extension for WLIB-AM runs only through August, while options for a new Big Apple home range from bleak to hopeless.

    Radio Business Report and All Access are reporting AAR will be off WLIB as of 8/31, but programmer Randy Michaels will replace it with _locally originated_ liberal talk. More info on the News/Talk board at radioinsight.com and the General Talk board at Free Republic

    By Blogger raccoonradio, at 28 April, 2006 03:41  

  • WLIB ownership are clueless. They get what they deserve. They got rid of Mike Malloy at night for something called the Satellite Sisters. They paved the way to get rid of Morning Sedition and Unfiltered, the two best and arguably most gritty and urban shows on the air. Morning Sedition was legendary for doing local remote broadcasts. That was pretty ill-timed as well since they could have increased listenership as Howard Stern left the airwaves.

    So I guess it is going to be talk about stadium issues, gun control, school vouchers, unicameral legislation, and taxes on WLIB. The people that are fans of AAR in NYC will have to follow Stern's lead and switch to XM. I did last year and it is a great deal.

    It will be entertaining to watch B.M . dance his little happy dance.

    By Blogger @whut, at 28 April, 2006 08:08  

  • If they were following Stern's lead, they'd go to Sirius.

    And the hits just keep on coming for AAR. AAR's defenders can no longer point to KLSD in San Diego and label it a success. Not after dropping nearly 50% in the last quarter (3.1 to a 1.6).

    Looks like Mr. Franken will be announcing his Senate candidacy any day now...

    By Blogger BF, at 28 April, 2006 08:51  

  • If they were following Stern's lead, they'd go to Sirius.

    Stern lost 90% of his audience going to Sirius. If the same thing happened to AirheadAmerica, their listenership'd basically be down to Alec Baldwin and that guy in Portland, Oregon.

    Part of AAR's problem... most of their listenership has difficulty distinguishing between their hosts and the other voices in their heads.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 28 April, 2006 09:28  

Post a Comment

<< Home


 
Page Rank Checker

Powered by Blogger