Is AM radio still alive? Ahhh...yeah!

[Tim Davisson]

Well, I don't know about every area of the country, but here in NE Ohio...I sell advertising for a 50kw FM, that's classic rock, and is always #1 or #2 in adults 25-54 and a 5kw AM that's news in AMD, locally-hosted/voice-tracked oldies middays and overnights, and pro sports evenings. The AM has a 3% share 12+...and less than half the weekly cume audience of the classic rock FM and the other 7 or 8 FMs in our medium market.
 
I had my best income-earning year ever in 2008 (got off the air into radio sales in 1983, with these stations since 1987) and TWO-THIRDS of my 2008 income came from advertising I sold on the AM!
 
The station has about
 
So, I find the businesses who either target or don't mind going after consumers at the point in their lives that have the strongest disposable & discretionary income. 
 
As I put it to many businesses...you can pay $120 to $140 a spot on FMs to reach adults 25-45, or $20 to $25 a spot to reach a TON of folks 55 and older. Guess which will get you more ad frequency and a more dominant audience for the commercials?
 
So, yeah. AM is still alive. It simply reaches an older audience. But, at least they have the money most married-with-kids folks in their 20's and 30's won't have for 20+ years.
 
Tim, KD8GZ