Post by musicradio77 on May 24, 2005 21:21:34 GMT -5
From the Daily News:
New ad figures show charge of Lite brigade
By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Being that New York has dozens of radio stations, no single one dominates the market like, say, a Microsoft.
But from time to time one station clearly leads the pack, like WABC in the early '70s, and these days that would be WLTW (106.7 FM), popularly known as Lite-FM.
It's not just that Lite has been the top-rated station for most of the last five years. Last week, BIA Financial released its estimates of radio advertising revenue for 2004 and Lite-FM made $10 million more than any other station in America - $70.2 million compared to $60.6 million for second-place WINS (1010 AM).
That's like winning the Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths. It doesn't happen much.
"It's very good news," deadpans Lite program director Jim Ryan. "It's where my paycheck comes from."
What Lite has done to reach this enviable position is become the city's broadest-based adult music station, popular among whites, black and Hispanics.
Ryan calls Lite's format "top 40 for grownups," and like all good top-40 stations, it cherry-picks from everywhere. It plays contemporary hits and '70s classics, catchy Spanish tunes, R&B ballads, popular rock and even the occasional hint of danceable hip hop. James Taylor, Barry White, Uncle Kracker and Madonna all live together happily at Lite.
"We try to have every song be a good song," says Ryan. "They say people tune out of radio because they don't like commercials, but I think they're more likely to tune out if they hear a bad song."
The plan must be working, because Lite listeners stay tuned for long stretches, like all day at work or around the house. Also, the typical listener is a woman in her early 40s, a dream catch for advertisers.
A responsive one, too.
"Advertisers pay a lot of money to be on Lite," says Ryan. "You look at WINS, a very well-run, very successful radio station, and they carry up to eight minutes more commercials an hour than we do. So you get an idea what we charge. Our advertisers pay TV rates, which is unheard-of.
"They wouldn't do that if they didn't get results."
FYI: Speaking of BIA, its revenue report notes that the metropolitan area's population now is 53.8% white, 18.7% black, 8.7% Asian and 21.8% Hispanic.
And WWRL (1600 AM) says its 2004 ad revenue was $4.7 million, not the $2.7 million estimated by BIA.
LITTLE STEVEN SPEAKS: Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band and "The Sopranos" gives a talk tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Learning Annex on "How to Stay a Rebel and Still Manage to Make a Living."
The host is Ken Dashow of WAXQ (104.3 FM), where Van Zandt's "Underground Garage" airs Sunday nights. Half the ticket proceeds go to World Hunger Year. For info, call 1-800-772-6639.
AROUND THE DIAL: Morning newsman George Weber of WABC (770 AM) will do his newscasts tomorrow from the deck of the carrier JFK, marking the start of Fleet Week. Weber, who's been at WABC for nine years, just signed a three-year deal that will send him on the road more often to cover big stories. ... Maybe the biggest self-proclaimed "Star Wars" geek on city radio, "Crossover Negro" Reese Hopkins of the Star and Buc Wild show on WWPR (105.1 FM), yesterday called "Revenge of the Sith" total trash, one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.
New ad figures show charge of Lite brigade
By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Being that New York has dozens of radio stations, no single one dominates the market like, say, a Microsoft.
But from time to time one station clearly leads the pack, like WABC in the early '70s, and these days that would be WLTW (106.7 FM), popularly known as Lite-FM.
It's not just that Lite has been the top-rated station for most of the last five years. Last week, BIA Financial released its estimates of radio advertising revenue for 2004 and Lite-FM made $10 million more than any other station in America - $70.2 million compared to $60.6 million for second-place WINS (1010 AM).
That's like winning the Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths. It doesn't happen much.
"It's very good news," deadpans Lite program director Jim Ryan. "It's where my paycheck comes from."
What Lite has done to reach this enviable position is become the city's broadest-based adult music station, popular among whites, black and Hispanics.
Ryan calls Lite's format "top 40 for grownups," and like all good top-40 stations, it cherry-picks from everywhere. It plays contemporary hits and '70s classics, catchy Spanish tunes, R&B ballads, popular rock and even the occasional hint of danceable hip hop. James Taylor, Barry White, Uncle Kracker and Madonna all live together happily at Lite.
"We try to have every song be a good song," says Ryan. "They say people tune out of radio because they don't like commercials, but I think they're more likely to tune out if they hear a bad song."
The plan must be working, because Lite listeners stay tuned for long stretches, like all day at work or around the house. Also, the typical listener is a woman in her early 40s, a dream catch for advertisers.
A responsive one, too.
"Advertisers pay a lot of money to be on Lite," says Ryan. "You look at WINS, a very well-run, very successful radio station, and they carry up to eight minutes more commercials an hour than we do. So you get an idea what we charge. Our advertisers pay TV rates, which is unheard-of.
"They wouldn't do that if they didn't get results."
FYI: Speaking of BIA, its revenue report notes that the metropolitan area's population now is 53.8% white, 18.7% black, 8.7% Asian and 21.8% Hispanic.
And WWRL (1600 AM) says its 2004 ad revenue was $4.7 million, not the $2.7 million estimated by BIA.
LITTLE STEVEN SPEAKS: Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band and "The Sopranos" gives a talk tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Learning Annex on "How to Stay a Rebel and Still Manage to Make a Living."
The host is Ken Dashow of WAXQ (104.3 FM), where Van Zandt's "Underground Garage" airs Sunday nights. Half the ticket proceeds go to World Hunger Year. For info, call 1-800-772-6639.
AROUND THE DIAL: Morning newsman George Weber of WABC (770 AM) will do his newscasts tomorrow from the deck of the carrier JFK, marking the start of Fleet Week. Weber, who's been at WABC for nine years, just signed a three-year deal that will send him on the road more often to cover big stories. ... Maybe the biggest self-proclaimed "Star Wars" geek on city radio, "Crossover Negro" Reese Hopkins of the Star and Buc Wild show on WWPR (105.1 FM), yesterday called "Revenge of the Sith" total trash, one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.