Recent ratings thoughts....

[LJNF40D@prodigy.com (BUMP MARTIN)]

Just a comment about a peice I saw in the paper.... and then some
thoughts about the recently released Boston Winter ARB.....  And then a
"trivia" question for anyone who is real familiar with ARBITRON's
methodology...(Donna, that might be you!)
                                                                        
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(Newnote from the Globe)  "WEEI is adding five minutes of commercial
time per hour, from 15-20 minutes.  It began Wednesday, implemented by
CBS until it sells the station.  The same thing is being done on WRKO...
..."

My comment:  If I remember correct, there was a time that the FCC
limited stations to 18 minutes...But EVEN THEN, only the most local of
stations would dare even go that high.  IMHO, the local-yocals that
aired 18 minutes of spots per hour were UN-listenable.  In the
competetive environment of the major-markets, the spot load was always
an issue that the sales dept and the programming dept fought over.....
with the issue usually finding a livable "middle-ground".  Now with the
competitive environment a bit more tame.....I guess the sale departments
won.  But JEESH 20 minutes PER HOUR?  That's 33% of ALL their
programming!   


Now about the ratings....any thoughts on these comments?

WRKO....seems to have had their LOWEST "12+" #'s in about 3 years(4.4)

       ....At the same time the just had their HIGHEST "25-54" #'s in 3
years(5.7)...

Does this mean they are successful?  


WFNX.  This station looks "dead in the water".  hitting an all time low
of a 1.2 rating.

Thoughts?  (Does anyone remember what Mindich paid for this thing?  I
can't remember if he got a "bargain" or "got taken" for what he may have
thought was a viable signal/station...)


WXRV  For all the talk that this station gets....(Didn't someone on the
list say that they enjoyed this station?)...I don't think it even broke
a 1 share in Boston.  Latest ratings have them at a 0.7.  


Now about Arbitron....

I've noticed this footnote for years at the bottom of rating books for a
long time.  "Stations audience estimates adjusted for actual broadcast
schedule."  Usually (if not always) associated with a daytimer.  

What does this mean?  

Does this mean the number is "massaged" as if they were on the air the
entire daypart?

i.e....If WILD gets a 1.0 for the 7-12MD daypart....does that discount
the hours they are off and only count the hours they have a product on
the air?  Or do they count the time that they have ZERO listeners after
sign-off?  


Thoughts?

Thanks!

BM!

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