SABO SEZ: Managing the Meters is a Fatal Time Waster
By Walter Sabo
a.k.a. Walter Sterling, Host
WPHT, Philadelphia, “Walter Sterling Every Damn Night”
and TMN syndicated, “Sterling on Sunday”
At first, I thought it was a joke. When I realized there were serious people having serious meetings about the joke, it became both horrific and symptomatic
The sitcom is called: MANAGING THE METERS. Note: As a suited consultant I was a prime mover to get Arbitron off diaries and onto meters.
Worldly success is often the result of being highly focused on what one can control versus imagining what can be controlled. Nielsen can manage their meters. You can’t.
Imagining what can be controlled has led to wasting time playing MANAGING THE METERS. To participate one must learn where Nielsen meters are placed, which station has which meters, and who is carrying “your” meters. Yes, one can learn, for example, that a 19-year-old in Glendale listens to KIIS-FM for 17 hours a week. More than 17 hours in radio conference rooms will be spent playing whack-a-mole with that 19-year-old’s meter; where will it land next?
Playing MANAGING THE METERS is a major time waster and cume killer. Once upon a time many music stations embraced “request line call-in research.” Shudder. Stations would tally which songs were getting how-many requests and make on-air playlists based on those counts. Obviously call-in request playlists would appeal primarily to existing listeners and do nothing to reach new listeners. Sure, P1s are appeased but cume always dies.
And here we are: Super-serving meter holders who already listen to a station will appease P1s but cume will diminish every month. It is pure myth that “talk” is high TSL and low cume. In fact, most current talking stations do everything possible to lower cume. Casual cuming is virtually impossible. (Who is talking? What’s the number? Thanks for holding on! Who has time to hold on?). The MANAGING THE METERS fantasy gives “science” to cume-killing actions and reactions.
MANAGING THE METERS, rather than making better, bigger shows has resulted in fear, indecision, and the crime of overthinking. Nothing could be worse for a medium that thrives on emotional wallops than turning feelings into math.
What to do when tempted to play MANAGING THE METERS:
— Go for a pleasant walk and imagine a better show, new promotions, fresh promos and surprising, possibly weird topics.
— Eat your favorite ice cream and imagine a better show, new promotions, fresh promos and surprising, possibly weird topics.
— Call your father and thank him and imagine a better show, new promotions, fresh promos and surprising, possibly weird topics.
— Remember that innovative programmers who CREATE – rather than copy – great stations give all of their attention to P2s and then imagine a better show, new promotions, fresh promos and surprising, possibly weird topics.
Walter Sabo has been a C Suite action partner for companies such as SiriusXM, Hearst, Press Broadcasting, Gannett, RKO General and many other leading media outlets. His company HITVIEWS, in 2007, was the first to identify and monetize video influencers.. His nightly show “Walter Sterling Every Damn Night” is heard on WPHT, Philadelphia. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET, and is now in its 10th year of success. He can be reached by email at sabowalter@gmail.com.
content, providing an accurate assessment of the audience’s attentiveness and engagement.” Some of the key findings include: 1) Despite lacking “sight, sound, and motion,” AM/FM radio programming was +13% more engaging than Mediaprobe’s norm for television in the U.S. For advertisers, this means the AM/FM radio context for their ads has greater engagement than the TV context; 2) Overall, AM/FM radio advertising’s Emotional Impact Score (EIS) outperformed TV advertising by +12%. These new findings validate the recently released Dentsu/Lumen study, which revealed audio ads outperform video for attention and brand recall; 3) AM/FM radio news was the most impactful genre, consistently measuring as a high-quality contextual environment for advertising (+14% greater than Mediaprobe TV News norms and +8% than total AM/FM radio); 4) Mediaprobe audio benchmarks reveal the sound contrast between AM/FM radio programming and the ads drives higher attention and brand recall. For example, ads with music and jingles perform very well in spoken word programming due to the contrast; and 5) Creative best practices: Use female voiceovers, jingles, and include five brand mentions. 
one the most successful voices in audio branding as a 2023 honoree of the Benztown 50 list of the top 50 voiceover professionals in the U.S. and Canada.” The Ambush audio imaging library is written and produced by imaging director Scott Phillips. Benztown VP, sales & operations Masa Patterson says, “JJ is world class, serving as the imaging voice for some of the best NT stations in America. Combining him with a production talent like Scott Phillips and retooling the content plan has Ambush positioned as a top-of-class resource for audio producers in the spoken word space.” Surma adds, “Scotty Phillips is an amazing writer and producer, and Ambush is a legendary resource that I leaned into many times in my years as a creative services director. The opportunity to bring my energy to such a respected and trusted audio library and company has me all fired up!” 
(9/14). Khan most recently served as anchor at WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach. She’d also hosted shows on Newsmax and America’s News Voice Network. KCMO program director Pete Mundo says, “KCMO Talk Radio is making a strong commitment to Kansas City by continuing to invest in live, local programming. Miranda is a smart, engaging voice who brings years of media experience and deep Kansas City roots, and she knows how to connect with listeners and drive meaningful conversations. Her addition strengthens our commitment to delivering the news, opinions, and discussions that matter most to Kansas Citians every day. We are excited to welcome Miranda home to KC.”
while playing venues such as the Bitter End and TV shows like “Midnight Special,” the band has gained a multi-generational fan base over the past six years due in large part to exposure on talk radio. Talk show hosts have been attracted to Gunhill Road’s engaging themes, sharp lyrics, and provocative YouTube videos that tackle the hottest issues of the day. These include the rise of idiocy, scourge of scammers, threat of censorship, dangers of AI, noise of politics, cruelty to animals, aging, and more. Since 2020, more than 1,500 talk shows, stations, and networks have aired Gunhill Road songs in whole or part, extracted segments for bumpers, and interviewed a member about its provocative messaging.
wide range of disciplines, from News Programs, Documentaries, and Talk Programs to On-Air Talent, Craft, and Entertainment. Specialized category groups spotlight groundbreaking work in Digital, Podcast, and Audio Book content, while Programming Formats and Promotion/Open & ID recognize the creative standards and imaging innovation driving radio forward.” New York Festivals EVP Rose Anderson says, “Here’s to Radio – the original social media. Awards do more than keep score: they honor creative excellence, mastery of craft, they can change your life, and they offer an opportunity to take your place in industry history!” 
iHeartMedia’s WFLA, Tampa and is also heard on WIOD, Miami. It features Gorman (left) and Dana McKay (right) with news anchors Nathalie Rodriguez and Chris Trenkman. iHeartMedia NTS brand coordinator and SVP of news and AM programming Florida Region Grace Blazer says, “Ryan and Dana bring an authentic connection to Florida and a unique ability to tackle the biggest stories of the day in an entertaining way. We’re thrilled to bring the show to Orlando and continue WFLA’s legacy of delivering trusted news and engaging content.”
conservative hosts across America as he offers encouraging commentary to growing national concerns among Republicans about the Democrats flipping an all-important Senate seat in the traditionally red Lone Star State. Yesterday’s installment of the highly rated “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton” Show featured an in-depth interview with Berry (a.k.a. The Czar of Talk) about the Texas Senate race between AG Ken Paxton and James Talarico, who President Donald Trump has taken to calling “Talacreepo.” 
Premiere adds, “For his achievements, Hannity has been honored with two Marconi Awards for ‘Nationally Syndicated Personality of the Year’ and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2017. For the past five consecutive years, radio industry publication TALKERS has ranked Hannity No. 1 on its ‘Heavy Hundred’ list of the most important radio talk show hosts in America.” Sean Hannity comments, “Reaching 25 years in national syndication is both humbling and a tremendous honor. What began as a passion for engaging in meaningful conversations about the issues shaping our country has become a daily connection with millions of listeners across America. I am deeply grateful to our audience, our affiliate partners, Premiere Networks, our advertisers, and the talented team that makes this show possible every day. Their loyalty, trust and support have made this milestone possible, and I look forward to continuing the conversation for many years to come.”
“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.
The most important sentence in Sharon Gai’s How to Do More With Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI Economy (Wiley) isn’t about technology at all. It’s about leverage. She writes that the goal is to stop being “the busy bee” and instead become “the beekeeper… someone that controls the ‘bees’ to get what you want.” That’s the wakeup call radio needs right now.
As TV is touting its coming attractions, take a step back. We – inside the box – live-and-breathe radio.
Houston Public Media today announced that popular local media figure Tessa Barrera is joining its weekday daytime talk show, “Hello Houston,” as co-host alongside longtime personality, Ernie Manouse. Barrera makes her on-air debut on August 17. Barrera brings 13 years of regional television and radio experience to the program. The plan is for Barrera and Manouse to conduct conversations with newsmakers, community leaders, artists and neighbors, giving audiences a fresh, engaging look at the issues, events and people making an impact in Greater Houston. “Tessa’s warmth, curiosity and ability to connect with people make her an outstanding addition to ‘Hello Houston,’” said Josh Adams, associate vice president and general manager of Houston Public Media. “Alongside Ernie, she’ll continue the thoughtful, community-focused conversations that reach audiences across radio, television, digital, HPM+ streaming and social platforms.” To learn more about Houston Public Media, visit 
edition of the show will emanate from Jay Leno’s Garage, with special guest, Jay Leno. Wolfe says, “For 20 years we’ve never tried to fit into a radio format. We’ve simply tried to make people laugh. The cars brought people to the show, but the stories, characters, the guests and the friendships are what kept them coming back every Saturday. We’re grateful to everyone who’s been part of the journey and excited to welcome a whole new audience.” iHeartMedia division president Eddie Martiny states, “John Clay Wolfe has built one of the most entertaining and engaging programs in radio, and we’re excited to expand his reach across our platform. Growing ‘The John Clay Wolfe Show’ to nearly 120 iHeart stations is a testament to the strength of the show and our shared commitment to delivering compelling, relevant programming to our listeners. We’re proud to partner with John and look forward to continuing this incredible growth together.”
