Seattle arbitron ratings, the money demo: Air America sucks, KTTH rocks

Biggest winner in the newest (Fall, 2006) ratings book (collected Sept.21- Dec. 13) from newstalk stations in the money demo (ages 25-54) book is kranky, konservative KTTH, with Sytman & Boze (m-f, 5-6a) up some 127%; Michael Medved, cranking up 62% and Rush Limbaugh doing remarkably well- up 116%- after some bumpy books over the last year or so.

(Dan Sytman and Dave Boze have let us down utterly because they have utterly failed to utterly fail as we have predicted so many times).

Although it's news, and not talk, KIRO Morning News edged up 3% for a mighty 4 share; KVI's Kirby W at 1.9 barely beat Air America's Stephanie Miller who got 1.7 % share of the targeted demographic in the market.

Other notables were the Puerile Pair, Ron & Don (KIRO m-f, 4-7p) improving by 76% and ruling their time slot with a mighty 3 share. They whacked KVI's Bryan Suits, and Al Franken (KPTK) who both got 1.9; but took out the foul Michael Savage (KTTH) who pulled only 1.4. (this challenges our readers' opinion expressed in last week's BlatherPoll© that Ron & Don will be the next talk hosts fired.)

Neocon sports apologist, Dori Monson, (KIRO m-f, 1-4p) the guy we love to hate, improved himself; pulling a 2.6 which didn't do much against Medved's 4.3, but beat hell out of Bush administration mouthpiece Sean Hannity who improved by 19% but was still in the tank at only 1.9.

Ron Reagan (KIRO m-f, 12-1p) in his hard-to-compare-with-anything odd hour held his own with a decent 2.1. 

Progressive KPTK, Seattle's mostly Air America station is down, down, down across the board. Between 6a and midnight, the station was down some 22%. The only KPTK talker to hold his own, was Big Ed Schultz, who came in with a 1.9 share, tying with Hannity.

Thom Hartman got a 2.4 beating Dave Ross, (1.8) but everyone seriously trailed Limbaugh (5.4), especially The Commentators (KVI) who made some improvement over the last book but pulled a (1.4). 

Also sucking: New York Vinnie (KIRO, m-f, 7-9p) down 52% at just 1.1;  the whiny hemmorroid, Mark Levin (KVI m-f, 6-7p) with a 1.2 share; KTTH's Billo Reilly (m-f, 6-7p) pulling a much-deserved 1.8.

A huge loser was the bad-breathed Lars Larson (KTTH m-f, 8-10p) who pulled perhaps the lowest numbers in the local talk book at 0.4.

KIRO's mega-posteriored Frank Shiers' (m-f, 9p-1a) pants were yanked to his ankles with a 1.7 share (down 15%) until midnight when he got it up in his last hour for some reason to a 2.4. That doesn't mean much since the 80 lb. gorilla, Coast to Coast with George Noory (gorillas are small at this time of night) shoots up to a 14.4 share after midnight.

Before you ask: no, we don't have any weekend numbers, so we don't know anything about David Goldstein, Carl Jeffers or cRaZy!!! BrYaN sTiBle!

Overall: there seemed to be an upward trend in the book: KTTH up 62%; KIRO up 8%; KVI up 6%; the exceptions were KPTK, which was down 22% and all news KOMO down 24%. 

Comments

[Just bad radio]

See what happen's KIRO WHEN you dump the over baked brian The Styblehead it's just plan wrong!

[drool]

No specific news on Stephanie Miller in the morning?

How about Kirby?

KPTK needs to get their collective shit together and get some local talent on.

[starwood]

I hardly listen to AA radio with the exception of Stephanie Miller. She fills my 6a-9a time slot well. Better than anything else on at that time.

[bj]

Michael -

When you do these ratings updates, could you tell us neophytes the basis for the rating numbers? What a "2.1" mean anyway?

[joanie]

I'm sorry . . . these "books" are just to volatile. Does anybody trust them?

I don't care if AA is up or down . . . I'm just looking for some consistency.

Think it is a shame such suspect ratings can determine the fates of hosts.

I thought they were looking at a new way of rating radio?

And who was it recently that said 71DORI beats the pants off everybody? Does Dori do the best in certain slots? 2.6 is good but not beating everybody . . . Seems like mixed messages.

[sparky]

My "expert" analysis ( hah):

Conservative radio is up because they are all in mourning over losing so big in November and need to congregate in their shared misery, much like the progressives did after the 2004 election, ergo, KPTK is down because the Progressives can relax a bit for awhile and do other things.

But since i am not in the business of selling ads, I dont really care...between streaming and satellite, there will always be something to listen to.

[cyclic clonker]

(quote)I'm sorry . . . these "books" are just to volatile. Does anybody trust them?

I don't care if AA is up or down . . . I'm just looking for some consistency.

Think it is a shame such suspect ratings can determine the fates of hosts. (/quote)

From looking at this blog over the past year or so, you guys are plain gleeful when a conservative takes a hit, and celebratory when a "progressive" improves, if even but a fraction of a point... all regardless of the host's content, and based on that very same book.

Certainly, not many of you had a problem with Mike Webb, touting his "#1" ratings status after midnight. Guess those gorillas were a bit larger then, eh?

[sparky]

well, duh.

[Bobo]

Take heart Sparky,

The Dems will do everything they can to censor any disenting opinions, the "Fairness Doctrine" is on it's way. Sieg Heil!

[sparky]

whatever you say, Bobo.

[John]

Brian suits got a 1.9? Who the hell is listening to that retard?

Oh yea, Christian conservative retards.

[shoreke]

Michael Savage gets monster ratings all over the country. He has the nation's 4th largest talk radio audience. Savage is #1 in extremely liberal San Francisco. So how come he can't get ratings in Seattle?

[JDB]

shoreke:

Because he is a clown and he sucks. Even the far right around here is not so crazy as to listen to him or Hannity, which really does say something.

This book doesn't tell you that much, since it was taken during the height of a national election and its aftermath. What will matter is can KTTH hold their audience now that things are cooling down. Hating Democrats is only worth so many points.

I also think that the Republican hilarious meltdown in the fall drew in listeners. I know I was tuning in Rush and even Hannity to hear how they would try to spin the House Leadership cover up of page diddling and gay preachers. Unintentionally, they were as funny as the Daily Show.

My guess, Limbaugh and KTTH fall back heavy in the Winter book. The Spring book should give you a look at where everything stands.

What is surprising to me is that KVI is falling behind KTTH. Sure, KTTH has Limbaugh, and Medved is listenable while Hannity is just getting more and more pathetic (anyone notice that he is no longer asking if we are better off with Sadam out of power?). But half of Sytman and Boze is unlistenable (and I'm not talking about Boze, who at least has a sense of humor). And, after Medved, there is nothing worth listening to at 770.

As for dear old KVI. It is a shame they can't put the 'tators on in drive where people would listen to them. It would make the afternoon talk wasteland interesting. IT would help if they would be a little less parochial and if they focused their topics better. It would help more if they would clear up fairly consistent problems with their online feed.

What we need is some local talk radio that really focuses on local politics, as Carlson and Weisbach use to. Maybe the 'tators are (haven't been listening of late), but otherwise no one seems to care about Olympia other than the local NPR stations.

[chucks]

shoreke
We don't listen to Savege in the Seattle area just to keep the peace. At least those of us who like to drive with our windows down. Afraid that some loon in the car next to us or on the sidewalk will overhear and go world trade on us. Riot in Seattle, get arrested, get a lawyer, file suit, win, Seattle pays millions of the taxpayers money. Then Seattle can't afford a tunnel,bridge, train etc. The people of Seattle get depressed and riot, get arrested, get a lawyer, file suit, win, collect
etc. Vicious cycle. We listen to oldies to save the world.

[Thom]

These numbers are meaningless.

You have to compare dayparts.

[PeakLimiter]

For any successful talk station, just how important is Rush Limbaugh?

In Seattle, an ultra- competitive talk radio market, new ratings results representing the all- important Fall 2006 Arbitron Ratings Survey underscore the tremendous impact of featuring the nation's number one host.

For the first time in recent memory, El Rushbo is not only fending off four competitors during his 9am - noon timeslot, he's beating every news and talk show heard anywhere in the region, liberal or conservative and regardless of the time slot.

With a staggering 116% percent surge in the key adults aged 25-54 demographic, Rush clobbered everything the Puget Sound Area had to offer, with an enormous 5.4 share of the audience.

Heard on Bonneville's newly- acquired KTTH-AM, the talk titan scored three times the audience of longtime KIRO libtalker Dave Ross, who has been struggling for some time. And Rush ran circles around the liberal- conservative team of Ken Schram and John Carlson on the once- proud KVI, beating them by a factor of four.

In addition, he more than doubled his "progressive" competition at CBS Radio's KPTK- AM.

Beyond his own results, a carryover effect was felt on KTTH for programs that precede and follow his, leading to an overall surge for the station. Meanwhile, Limbaugh's former Seattle - Tacoma outlet, KVI- AM, has been badly hurt by the loss of his program.

Amplifying the damage, the addition of local shows featuring liberals and moderates has likely alienated KVI's traditional audience. Once a ratings powerhouse, KVI now ranks fifth overall among news and talk stations in the area.

In addition to KVI's significant weakness, KTTH is troubled between 3pm and midnight, while KIRO is in very bad shape during the evenings and some midday hours. In fact, KTTH now beats KIRO overall in the 25-54 demo.

So far, an hour- long local daily show hosted by former MSNBC anchor Ron Reagan Jr has not produced ratings results for KIRO, or much of a buzz in the Emerald City.

[joanie]

Peak, the addition of local shows featuring liberals and moderates has likely alienated KVI's traditional audience. Once a ratings powerhouse, KVI now ranks fifth overall among news and talk stations in the area.

Besides the tators, who's on KVI that is so suddenly liberal?

Also, are you saying that conservatives listen to the radio - like sheep - while liberals are doing other things . . . reading, working, going places, thinking for themselves?

[robinz]

For the first time in recent memory, El Rushbo is not only fending off four competitors during his 9am - noon timeslot, he's beating every news and talk show heard anywhere in the region, liberal or conservative and regardless of the time slot.

Two things, I have to agree with the assessment that part of this is due to last Nov. democratic wins and secondly, I would bet no matter what Rush says on his show he is praying for a Hillary win. Can you imagine what that would do to his ratings??

Nothing rolls money into Rush's pocket like unhappy, fundies and neocons and nobody plays the victim quite as well. That is after all how Rush got his start in the first place.

Robin

[Tommy008]

A certain L.A. shockjock, whose syndicated show just might be heard in this city, on a delayed basis, now sounds like a querulous, quavering 80 year old man, due to his now squeaking, strangled sounding pipes, which apparently is the result of nearly 40 years of talking and shouting on the air.

[SpamButcher]

1090's "Mayor for a Minute Segment" speaks volumes both about who -is- listening to 1090, and who they're trying to target.

"If I was mayor for a minute, I'd legalize marijuana, then I'd stop the war in Iraq, and then I'd end homelessness, and then I'd legalize marijuana."

Relatively young, disaffected, liberal-arts drop-outs.

Same folks who think they're saving the earth by filling up their '81 VW Rabbit with bio-diesel.

Collectively - they aren't the folks buying a lot of high-ticket items.

Good to hear that Mark Levin's and Vinnie's ratings are sucking almost as bad as they do!

[robinz]

"If I was mayor for a minute, I'd legalize marijuana, then I'd stop the war in Iraq, and then I'd end homelessness, and then I'd legalize marijuana."

Relatively young, disaffected, liberal-arts drop-outs.

good grief what generalizing crap. If you haven't noticed lots of people want a stop to Iraq and a warm safe place for the homeless.

Robin

[joanie]

Spam is very good at Spamming.

[sparky]

Darryl will call any number any time if he thinks he can get his voice on the air......

[pugetsound]

Tommy008 seyz
"A certain L.A. shockjock, whose syndicated show just might be heard in this city, on a delayed basis, now sounds like a querulous, quavering 80 year old man, due to his now squeaking, strangled sounding pipes, which apparently is the result of nearly 40 years of talking and shouting on the air."

If you want a real laugh Tommy 008, go to www.youtube video section and type in the name of Tom Leykis.
You'll see some videos of him circa 1987 or so posted by one of his former producers. This is back when Tom L. had his tv schtik in Phoenix. For a man who makes fun of the way other people look -especially women, even back when he was young he didn't look so good.

[Proregressive]

Michael Savage drops the f-bomb on-air.

http://www.orbusmax.com/alerts/savagefbomb.html

[spambutcher]

> If you haven't noticed lots of people want a stop to Iraq...

I actually agree with some of the causes I was poking fun at (I definitely want us out of Iraq) - but those who think they could do it by becoming "mayor for a minute" (or even mayor for a decade) are painfully foolish

if someone says "if I was mayor for a minute - I'd work to ban transfats from dining establishments" - I'd disagree - but that's at least plausible

if someone says "If I was mayor for a minute I'd end racism and stop the war in Iraq" - then they're just being dumb

that a station's choosing to showcase stuff more like the later says a lot about what it thinks of its audience.