Tag: Cume

Industry Views

Stop Throwing Away Weekends

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Walter Sabo
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host

Face - GlassesEvery radio sales presentation should start with one powerful number. This number – often found under the Sphinx – will dazzle any buyer, but is rarely revealed. The number is Homes Using Radio (HUR). Once upon a time it was part of the conversation. HUR shows how many people are using radio at any given time, a total number.

Studying hour-by-hour HUR reveals the most surprising fact: Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm is the second-most, listening-to-radio daypart after Monday – Friday morning drive. If a station suffers in total weekly audience, the first culprit is often squandering Saturday 10-3!

John Catisimatidis, owner of WABC, New York has taken the station from the depths of despair and turned it into a strong contender. His first act as owner was to dump the paid-for weekend programming and replace it with live, local shows. You could trace the ratings jump on WABC to the moment he placed live shows on Saturday midday.

Bart Walsh, a very successful Washington, DC general manager taught me the secret of Saturday midday. He explained that if Saturday midday’s share is higher than the station’s overall total week share, the next book will go up. If it is lower than the total share, the next book will go down. Amazingly this phenomenon has always proven to be true. I always paid attention to Bart because when he ran WKYS it had a higher percentage of profit than anything else owned by RCA and when he and Donnie Simpson ran it, the station was always #1, 12+.  Bart never expensed lunch – or anything else.

The puzzler is that weekends on radio are a built-in win. Americans love weekends. Weekends conjure good feelings and offer discretionary time. Smart stations tap the positive imagery of weekends. Imagine how easy and cheap it would be for a talk station to talk up weekends!

Become the go-to source of weekend activity information. Give away fun prizes that are all weekend related. Go shopping. Share information about local sales and retailer events. The result will be – guaranteed – a significant jump in Monday AM drive cume.

Walter Sabo is a long-time radio industry consultant and thought leader.  He hosts and produces a network radio show titled “Sterling on Sunday” 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET.  www.waltersterlingshow.com.   walter@sabomedia.com

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Baseball Bonanza, Part 2

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Joe Pags - Talkers MagazineIn last week’s column, we outlined the playbook for selling radio’s 2023 baseball season. This week, how smart stations leverage the franchise to build Time Spent Listening.

Plan now to OWN the games

They’re also on SiriusXM, where you can decide which team’s feed you want to hear. And “The MLB is back on TuneIn, and this year TuneIn Premium is the destination for all things baseball. With a Premium plan, listeners get access to live play-by-play of every single game — with no blackouts.” Here in New England the NESN 360 app, “in partnership with the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins and Major League Baseball,” $30 per month, “with a first-month promotional price of $1.”

So – post-exclusivity – what’s an AM/FM affiliate to do?

— Goal: Be KNOWN FOR having the games, by embracing the team. Waving the flag conspicuously, regardless of where fans hear it, can score you diary credit. Don’t quote me.

— During Spring Training, I’m wary of airing games Mon-Fri 6A-7P. But nights and weekends, why not? It’s conspicuous, also useful in diary markets, where ratings measure what’s NOTICED. And, hey, in March, every team is in first place.

— Can you go to Arizona or Florida? Admittedly not-inexpensive but ask your team network about Spring Training packages and arrangements. Some stations bring advertisers who commit early, hosted by the rep who sold the most.

— As Opening Day approaches, count-it-down in your on-hour ID. Then…

Graphics - Logo

 

Avoid the banana syndrome

 Use baseball to recycle audience in and out of games.

— Dumbest-thing-I-hear-most-often on baseball stations: During the game, when the network calls for a station ID, the station announces that it’s “your [name-of-team] station. Ugh. It’s like printing the word “banana” on the yellow peel.

— Your station’s on-hour ID – in any hour – is beachfront property. It’s where you sign your name, where you explain yourself to listeners you’ve trained to “check-in for a quick FOX News update, every hour, throughout your busy day.” Games invite listeners who might not otherwise cume your station, so use those 10 seconds to tell them why/when to come back for something else useful.

— “CATCH-up when you WAKE-up, with a quick morning update and your AccuWeather forecast, on your ONLY local news radio, [dial positions, call letters, city of license].” Opportune, since the game might be the last thing they near at night.

— Then in NON-game hours, use top-of-hour to wave the flag. Plug team-and-time of the next game you’ll air.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, October 3, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

Monday Memo: Yes, You Need More Cume. “It’s a never-ending problem” because budgets are tight, and with new-tech competitors chipping-away at AM/FM Time Spent Listening. In this week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke outlines three specific goals for on-air promotion; but cautions that “the only people who hear it are already listening.” Read it here.

 

Pending Business: The Aftermath of Ian. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa has been affected by natural disasters numerous times during his career – including the long list of hurricanes that have impacted Florida in recent decades. In today’s column, he offers five takeaways for radio sellers working in markets affected by Ian, as well as those who may face a similar situation in the future. Read it here.

 

Morning Host Chris Stigall Re-Ups with Salem’s ‘The Answer’ in Philly. WNTP-AM, Philadelphia “AM 990 The Answer” morning host Chris Stigall signs a multi-year extension to continue with the Salem Media Group news/talk station. The host of “Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall” says, “It’s been the highlight of my career to call Philadelphia morning radio my professional home for 12 years now. It’s so gratifying to work with principled, faith-first broadcast partners in Salem Media Group who genuinely respect their audience, their clients, and their broadcasters. Thank you to Salem Media, our sponsors and the smartest audience in all of radio for allowing me the privilege to continue hosting your morning show for years to come. All glory and honor to God!” Salem Philadelphia general manager Lorenzo Caldara adds, “Since the day Chris began with Philadelphia’s ‘AM 990 The Answer,’ he has engaged Philadelphians in intelligent and relevant conversation that has served to entertain and stimulate much thought in the minds of our audience. He has secured such an attentive audience that can’t wait to listen and call in to him everyday Monday through Friday.”

‘Smart Money Happy Hour’ Podcast Debuts at #1. The latest podcast from the Ramsey Network, “Smart Money Happy Hour,” debuted last week at #1 in Apple Business, #1 in Spotify Business and #19 in all Apple podcasts. Ramsey Network says the “Smart Money Happy Hour” is a mix of solid advice and snark from two friends who also happen to be money experts. Co-host Rachel Cruze says, “People will talk about almost anything these days, except money. These conversations shouldn’t be awkward or boring, but rather give listeners a sense of relief that they aren’t alone in their money journey – whatever circumstance or stage of life they’re in.” Co-host George Kamel adds, “The show is a good balance of real-life humor mixed in with money advice listeners can relate to. We’re willing to go there, have those conversations, and be that friend for you.” “Smart Money Happy Hour” topics include: Is Convenience Worth Being Broke? The TV Network That Brainwashed Us All; How to Leave a Royal Legacy for Your Family; and Can the Middle Class Still Afford to Go to Disney?

SRN’s Mike Gallagher Raises Funds for Hurricane Ian Relief. Pictured above in front of what’s left of a Venice, Florida car dealer’s lot is Salem Radio Network personality Mike Gallagher broadcasting live. In the wake of Hurricane Ian’s devastation in Florida and the Carolinas, Gallagher is broadcasting from disaster sites today (10/3) and is raising funds to help people impacted by the huge storm. Gallagher is partnering with Christian non-profit relief organization Food for the Poor to rush hurricane emergency kits and hurricane flood relief kits to impacted areas. Gallagher says, “This is what radio does best: opening the hearts and wallets of listeners to help fellow Americans they will likely never meet.”

TALKERS News Notes. A new deal between FOX Sports Radio and LaVar Arrington’s Up On Game Presents and Brinx.TV provides for distribution of programming across both platforms. The sports platform Brinx.TV is operated by John Brenkus – host of “Sports Science.” As part of the agreement, “The NIL House” will be the first joint property to be distributed by the Up On Game Presents podcast feed (available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard) and Brinx.TV. The venture launches today (10/3) at 3:00 pm ET. Arrington says, “We are thrilled to be partnering with a pioneer like John Brenkus and Brinx.TV. This relationship will dramatically expedite our slate of programming and positively impact the sports entertainment industry.”…..Cumulus Media’s news/talk KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno recently teamed with local agriculture company Gar Bennett to raise money for the Central California Food Bank for the 2022 Feeding Families Fund Drive. Gar Bennett Inc. matched every donation with 50 cents on the dollar as the effort raised $656,000 to fight hunger in the Central Valley. Cumulus Media Fresno VP and market manager Patty Hixson says, “I’m overwhelmed by the support of our community. We can always count on the generosity of our KMJ listeners! A special thanks to Karen and Greg Musson of Gar Bennett, Farm Credit and Amazon for their massive contributions and to our talented on-air team for their hard work on this important effort.”

Russia-Ukraine War, Hurricane Ian Aftermath, Economy/Financial Markets, Mar-a-Lago Documents Case, Brazilian Elections, and Indonesia Soccer Riot Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The move by Vladimir Putin to attempt to annex parts of Ukraine as he calls up more troops in Russia’s war against its neighbor; the aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s destruction of the Fort Myers-Naples region; inflation and the bear market that’s pushed the world’s financial markets to lows not seen since 2009; the battle between former President Donald Trump’s lawyers and the Department of Justice over the Mar-a-Lago records case; conservative Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro forces runoff election with opponent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; and the soccer riot in Indonesia that left 125 dead were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Advice

Monday Memo: Yes, You Need More Cume

By Editor | by Editor

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

 

BLOCK ISLAND, RI — “Cumulative Audience” is radio’s version of what newspapers called “Circulation,” back when there were newspapers. It’s the number of people who tune-into your station during the week. Listeners, not listening. How many, not how many “Average Quarter Hours” (AQH) consumed.

We can’t get someone who doesn’t listen at all to listen more

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Advice

Monday Memo: Is Your Show the Dog? Or the Tail?

By Editor | by Editor

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

 

BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Lots of response to last week’s “Weekend Warriors, Renegotiate.” SOME stations were horrified by what I’m telling their brokered ask-the-expert hosts. SMART stations already offer the win-win template I outlined. ICYMI: https://www.talkers.com/2022/03/21/monday-memo-weekend-warriors-renegotiate/

 FMs are scrambling. AMs? Ugh.

As if AM wasn’t already suffering listener demographics, technical interference, caricature programming, and too little local content, now comes the proposal to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. From November through February – when local sunrise would come between 8:00 am and 9:00 am – later pattern and power change times would cripple full-time stations. Daytimers would be utterly screwed if smart ones with translators hadn’t already rebranded as FMs (as have so many full-time AMs).

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Advice

Monday Memo: BOOM!

By Editor | by Editor

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

 

BLOCK ISLAND, RI — CNN reports: “Special counsel Durham alleges Clinton campaign lawyer used data to raise suspicions about Trump.” Righties light-up Twitter with “BOOM!”

Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book says White House staff “periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet,” which they believed the president was responsible for. Lefties light-up Twitter with “BOOM!”

Many days, these gotchas become radio talkers’ snark du jour.

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