Calgary PPM May 30, 2011 - August 28, 2011

[radiofan]

[CKNF]

Very interesting...a few 8's up on the board. CHQR falls from top spot again and take a look at how XL 103 continues it's slide.
From last month:

I suspect Don, as a PD, to be another one of those "Light, Tight & Bright" formatic afficianados.

The application of such formatics will absolutely kill XL - and the irony is: they won't know why or how it happened.

Their target audience, particularly, has some treadwear; has seen the road before; knows about the bumps and will only tolerate slush for so long.

XL's best days are now behind them.

...XL, in my view, rather than forging ahead full-throttle, has already hit the brakes.

It's not an uncommon phenomena either where stations get a good thing going and management - unable to discern how they got there - starts to apply pressures and controls where none are useful. Rawlco jumped into that same poison-staked, tiger-trap with 66-CFR. They just couldn't leave well enough alone.

Meanwhile, I have to wonder what it is, specifically, that UP is doing or even planning that will influence a great number of Calgary listeners to divorce the stations to which they now hold some allegiance and clutch the UPers to their collective ba-zooms.

Plus, four ratings periods is too long to wait, although it does allow for job-searches, packing and the rest.

Any station with high-end programming and strategic marketing should be able to demonstrate a significant audience increase in 90 days!

I got to say, pave called it. He was right and I have to agree with his take on Don Stevens being the PD...I must admit, even I have tuned away from the station as the playlist has become rather bland compared to before. I say we blame the on-air talent though. It's all their fault...fire them all!

Oh...and our beloved 97.7...yeah....need I say more?

[isthisthingon]

I stopped listening to XL as well. Too repetitive.

[pave]

Thanks for the recog.

What is tragic and sooo predictable, is how 'XL-management - having established what doesn't work without any awareness of what that might be - will now go into the behaviour-mode of doing the same thing - only much, much harder and with even more severe penalties for those who fail to comply! "Fun" has left the building.

'XL's format should be worth a "15" share - they should own the market, completely and utterly. But, there's too much "Traditional Programming Theology" in play here (and everywhere else) for them to break the mold and exploit what could still be a marvelous opportunity.

They must truly believe they are programming to dummies and can, therefore, get away with all manner of under-servicing, insults and patronizations. Their loss. And the loss of a willing, generous, Calgary audience.

[i2thesky]

AMP gives away a $ 10,000 Boob Job, makes national headlines for having the most controversial radio promotion in Canadian radio history, and get a 0.1 share increase. I smell a firing of a promotions director. (or a promotion to a station in Hollywood)

as for the slump in XL's ratings, I don't see any gain at UP. I just think Calgarian's are fickle as hell. They seem to bounce from oldies to country to AC to top 40 and go around in circles. The oldies have lost their novelty. I do agree if they hired a better PD, like Troy Stevens of Sunny, who really knows how to program an oldies station, XL would sound a whole lot less repetitive.

[pave]

The oldies have lost their novelty.

If, by that, 12thesky means the oldies- as presented by 'XL - have lost their novelty, I would agree.

I just think Calgarian's are fickle as hell.

I'd be more inclined to suggest that Calgary audiences are discriminating and have a capacity to recognise bull***t when it gets tossed off the wagon.

As to an oldies station being too repetitive: That's a correction that can be made in 37 seconds, and here's how to do it: "There are 10,000 groovy-tunes available. Play them!"

[isthisthingon]

As to an oldies station being too repetitive: That's a correction that can be made in 37 seconds, and here's how to do it: "There are 10,000 groovy-tunes available. Play them!"

'zactly!

And . . . Don, Joanne and The Coach worked. Don and Joanne = no personality, fun or humour.

[pave]

That's an interesting and intriguing observation - speaks to the dynamics of any team. Jamie (The Couch ) took the show sideways juuust enough.

Meanwhile and even though there are no excuses that are acceptable, a PD who is also the Morning Man is one, overwrought and doomed individual.

[jon]

David Bray weighs in, with some numbers not publicly available from the BBM:

Calgary: QR77 leads the way for A12+ with an 8.9% share (down from 10.2%) neck and neck with Country 105 which also posted with an 8.9% share (up from 6.5%). Country 105 is popular with the ladies, taking #1 spot for F25-54, delivering a 12.5% share (up from 9.4%). For M25-54, X92.9 leads the way with a 10.6% share (up from an 8.7%) along with JACK-FM at 10.6% (down from 12.8%). X92.9 takes top spot for M18-34, posting an 18.9% share (up from 18.1%).

ref. - http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/news ... 000574766/