Early ratings in for Midday With Dan Rodricks and WYPR
Radio ratings for the first three months of 2008 suggest that the changes at WYPR-FM (88.1) have not led to the drastic ratings decline some fans of ousted talk-show host Marc Steiner predicted. But they also suggest the station has alienated some key listeners.
In the noon-2 p.m. time slot, where Sun columnist Dan Rodricks took over for Steiner beginning Feb. 25, WYPR took a considerable hit among listeners ages 25-54. The share (that is, the percentage of listeners tuned to a specific station in an average quarter-hour) declined 55 percent from a year ago (2.0 to .9). The total number of those listeners in a given week fell from 25,300 to 14,100.
Among overall listeners 12 and older, however, the change of share was only slight, from 2.2 in Winter 2007 to 2.0 in winter 2008; in fact, it grew from the last quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008 (1.4 to 2.0). Among listeners 55 and older, the listenership grew considerably, from a 3.3 share in winter 2007 to 3.9 in winter 2008 (the increase was even more marked from the last quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, 1.9 to 3.9). The weekly average of those listeners increased from 16,100 to 26,900, almost making up for the loss in the 25-54 age group.
It's too early, based on the ratings, to make any grand assessment of how listenership has been affected by the Steiner furor. Typically, any abrupt change in programming results in a drop in listenership; whether the numbers pick up again will be measured in future ratings books. It's also possible that all the tumult over Steiner's firing attracted some curious listeners to the station, which could lead to a short-term spike in the ratings (judging by WYPR's numbers, the over-55 crowd must have been especially curious). Again, the question is, are those numbers temporary, or will they translate into loyal listeners?
The ratings were released last week by Columbia-based Arbitron.
Comments
As someone in the 25-54 demographic, I have found that I can't listen to an entire show with Rodricks. I was a so-so Steiner fan, but Rodricks is so much more difficult to stomach. It is almost as though there is a smugness - he seems like he is waiting for his turn to speak and not truly listening to his guests. Maybe smugness is not the right word, but he definitely rubs me the wrong way. Anyone else find this?
Posted by: Michelle | May 9, 2008 8:44 PM
Losing 55% of your core listener-ship doesn't strike you as a bad sign for the health of your new and vastly unimproved public radio station? Has the Sunpapers gone totally in the tank for their compadre/colleague Dan Rodricks and the idiotic "management" of Their Corporate Radio Station?Or in the 8th year of George the Boy King, does any string of inane statements now seem to stand as a logical defense?
This Board of Directors was unable to stay in the same room with the 62 protestors who could attend a Tax Day afternoon public meeting before fleeing from its public now has decided that it can not hold its public BoD meeting of 5/21 in a room that can permit the public to attend. Holding a Board meeting while barring the public is both an violation of Corp Public Brdcting rules and a manifestation of the total cowardice of the Board. Do you believe that: these well connected Baltimoreans of wealth and privelege can't find a room big enough to accomodate their disaffected public. Perhaps they didn't try too hard! Since the feb 1 firng of Marc Steiner, this Board has refused to address the disaster they have created; they should resign for their cowardice alone.
I eagerly await the Sun clearly objecting to the continued cowardice and avoidance of accountablity by these incompetants. This BoD needs to resign!
Posted by: Joe Compton | May 9, 2008 11:03 PM
It is much too early to judge the effect of Tony Brandon's illegal termination of The Marc Steiner Show. The real issue remains--Brandon's plan to turn WYPR into a conservative public radio station. For once Brandon spoke the truth: "As far as I'm concerned, Dan [Rodricks] is a success. He's doing just what we wanted him to do."
MIDDAY is a shell of The Steiner Show. As ordered by Brandon, Rodricks keeps it as bland as possible, avoids issues which might challenge the powerful and the wealthy and has yet to do a point-counterpoint show. The show is a snooze, and thus Brandon is ecstatic.
Those of us involved in challenging YPR's autocratic management are not going away. We have been in contact with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as YPR has violated several Congressional requirements. We also hope to join the Community Advisory Board so that management starts hearing from those of us interested in a public radio station that presents diverse viewpoints.
Most immediately we plan to challenge management's decision to close the May 21st Board of Directors meeting. Brandon thinks it is all right to make the meeting available only on the Internet. We think such nonsense is illegal. Stay tuned to the tumult.
Posted by: Max Obuszewski | May 10, 2008 7:00 PM