From: blair@obdient.chi.il.us (Doug Blair)
Subject: More about Q101 in Chicago
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: Obedient Software Co.
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 10:59:24 GMT


[Moderator's Note: This article was in chi.general, a local newsgroup.
Since this topic has seen a lot of interest from outside of chicago, I
am re-posting it to this group.]  


In article <1992Jul20.193908.26334@news.acns.nwu.edu> staggers@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Ken Staggers) writes:
>
>With the recent radio ratings out last week, Q101 had a 2.0 share and was
>in 18th place (I think).  Murphy didnt show up on the top 10 morning shows.
>What is the ratings goal of this new format?  What did Murphy pull in the
>last ratings book?  How committed to Murphy is Q101?

One of the design constraints on this programming problem was that we
will keep the morning show intact.  The fact that we are contractually
obligated to do so aside (Murph's contract is H.E.F.T.Y.) Robert Murphy's
personal appeal is tremendous.  When we changed the format last Tuesday
there was no morning show.  By 11am when we left the station for the
Big Deal Format Kickoff Luncheon at Spiaggia we were unable to dial out
on our studio lines.  By three PM the outgoing fax lines were unusable.
We used three rolls of fax paper in that afternoon, all filled with
offices demanding that Murphy return to the air!  At 4pm we went
through several periods in which we were unable to dial out on our
business trunks also!

Now to be fair, many of these calls were about the new music, but the
personal appeals not to tamper with the morning show amazed even me.
I've been on the air for more than 25 years, more than half of those
in major markets, and I have _never_ seen a display of this intense
listener loyalty.  Murph made no appeal for calls on the air and there
were just too many people calling for him to have paid them off!

I was on from 6pm-10pm that first day.  At 10:05 I slumped into a chair
in Bill Gamble's office and told him "I've been here for 2 1/2 years,
and I _finally_ understand Murphy."  It's true. and the station is
committed to his morning show.  At the moment his audience may not have
been large but it is fanatically loyal.  We expect it to grow and remain
loyal :-).

I honestly don't know what the station's target rating goal is.  I think
like most stations we'de love it if we got a 100.  I also suspect there
is a break-even point (such-and-such a share and we can earn enough to
make our mortgage!) around a 3 share and when the station gets a 4 we
will all be deleriously happy.

Remember the number one station has only an 8, the #2 is an 8, the 3 is a
6, the 4 is a 5 and the 5 is a 5.  There are 62 radio stations in Chicago,
more you can hear with an outside antenna.  Anytime we get more than
one person to listen we're very excited.

>Also, are there other stations in the country doing this "Rock Alternative"
>format?

Please do remember that Q101 is a mainstream rock station that includes
some bands that started as "alternative" but have been accepted by the
rest of us.  I don't think a pure "alternative" format would be
commercially successful on our license.  And... to answer your question
about how many other stations are trying to be a rock station that
appeals mostly to women?  Zero.

>And since you are in the business Doug, do you know, or can you even guess
>which Chicago radio stations have been talking to Howard Stern about
>simulcasting his morning radio show here in Chicago?  Just very curious.

OK - pure speculation here.  There was some discussion about carrying Howard
on the Loop AM and splitting Jonathan Brandmeier's simulcast. The Loop
has made a $32 million dollar offer to purchase WWBZ pending approval of
FCC rules which would allow them to own more FM stations in the same
market. I assume that if they did that they might try to put Howard there.
WWBZ's debt service is high and I don't think they can afford the price
of the Howard Stern show in market number three, which is reportedly about
$600,000 / year.  That price tag also keeps the show off some perhaps more
willing licenses in the burbs, which would just LOVE to strike a deal
to carry Howard Stern like they carry Larry King or Rush Limbaugh.

Actually, it is in the LOOP's, WLS's, and the LOOP AM's best interest to
keep Howard Stern _out_ of Chicago.  His programming, while more tasteless 
and thanyour traditional midwest market fare, would attract audience who
now listens to Johnny B and Steve & Gary and so forth.  As the leading
carrier of Personalities With An Attitude, the show makes the most sense
on WLUP AM, but Evergreen Communications might be foolish to air something
that would cut into the success of their own morning show.  At the moment,
therefore, absent a radical change at say WCKG (unlikely) or XRT (impossible)
I think we're going to have to stick with channel 66 for our Howard fix
for a while.

--
Doug Blair
591-8300 8pm-1am


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