Remember how I used to publish the local sports talk radio ratings? I stopped because they were always the same. KNBR would cruise from a 4.0 or so during the baseball offseason to anywhere from 5.5 to 9.0 from April to October. Meanwhile, 95.7 The Game’s overall rating (all times of day, all ages, both genders) would hover between 1.0 and 1.9.
Longtime readers know the story from way back, when Jason Barrett, 95.7 The Game’s former Program Director, invited me out for lunch. The lunch was more of a two-hour lecture about the ratings process, how sports talk stations only care about one demographic for advertising purposes: men age 25-54. However, those ratings aren’t seen by non-radio folks.
Is there any way you can send those demo numbers to me, Jason?
No way, they’re secret. We aren’t allowed to give those out. Nielsen will lock us up and throw away the key. But you should stop posting the ratings that make us look bad. Seriously, I’m dyin’ here.
(Disclaimer: This conversation probably went a little differently at Zero Zero after we shared our Margherita pizza. But that’s pretty close to how it went down.)
It’s not clear what Barrett is doing these days, other than blogging. And he posted something fairly interesting yesterday: radio ratings from around the country. And not just any ratings, but the 25-54 male demo numbers that supposedly aren’t available to the general public (hat-tip goes to @beandoggerel for pointing this out).
Barrett went through the December ratings for nine different metro regions, but we’ll focus on San Francisco.
Overall 6+ Mon-Sun (ratings available to the public)
KNBR 680: 3.9
95.7 The Game: 1.9
Overall (Men 25-54)
KNBR 680: 4.8
95.7 The Game: 3.8
Morning (Men 25-54)
Murph & Mac: 6.1
Chad, Joe & Lo: 3.9
Mid-Morning (Men 25-54)
Gary & Larry: 3.5
Haberman & Middlekauff: 3.0
Noon-to-3 (Men 25-54)
Fitz & Brooks: 3.1
Papa & Lund: 4.2
Afternoon Drive (Men 25-54)
Mr. T & Ratto: 5.3
Damon Bruce: 3.0
Barrett didn’t include ratings figures for the evening shows.
If the numbers he posted are correct, 95.7 The Game is doing pretty well from 10 am until 3 pm, while KNBR has a significant edge during heavy commute hours. However, KNBR might not worry at all about any of these numbers, seeing as the Giants were big players in free agency and their ratings should spike across the board in April.
Several in the industry are wondering when 95.7’s current PD, Don Kollins, is going to make a move. Perhaps he’s hesitant to kill the station’s momentum if he’s seeing his current lineup making inroads, or he’s waiting until 2016 to make changes. I probably won’t post anything else on the “Radio Wars” unless something newsworthy occurs … or Barrett continues to post the ratings we weren’t allowed to see until now.
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#’s seem legit. I turn off 680 from 12-3 myself. Go over to 1050.
BASportsGuy any update on 95.7 dropping ESPN for Fox Sports? Rumor ESPN headed back to one of the KNBRs?
BASportsGuy 95.7 is awful. DamonBruce is a disgrace
Honestly the amount and length of commercials for KNBR is making me switch.
So in spite of him claiming his show is doing great, Damon is losing the hardest to KNBR? Lo Neal’s daily battle with the English language isn’t getting crushed as badly?
BASportsGuy 95.7 might do even better if the signal were stronger.
Oh, and hey look, JB was getting absolutely crushed in the ratings when he was here:
“San Francisco: KNBR won the month with Men 25-54 M-F 6a-7p with a 4.8 to 3.8 against 95.7 The Game. However, it was their lowest number in the demo in two years and down from a 6.1 last year. The Game during that same time has grown from a 3.4 to 3.8.”
3.4 to KNBR’s 6.1 this time last year. It’s almost like he was full of shit when he claimed he was doing just great.
BASportsGuy Related: https://twitter.com/GlobeChadFinn/status/679763099398750208
BASportsGuy I really think those Murph & Mac ratings would be tanking as well if they didn’t have that Kruk & Kuip spot at 7:39.
NotMrTibbs Oh man … can’t say I’m surprised.
BASportsGuy good stuff. The amount of commercials from KNBR has made me switch to Siriusxm except for Marty on weekends & Murph/Mac.
BASportsGuy can’t see how flight 957 is still going it’s difficult to listen to
BASportsGuy I am shocked, SHOCKED that somebody like this would go cheap at a pizza place that he hosted you at.
BASportsGuy KNBR will come back for 30 seconds and then break for 3-5 minutes of commercials. I hate that. What is the point?
i would not trust any of the numbers and stats that you see on a blog. Forfty percent of all people know that.
95.7 the game has been doing some pretty good things mainly their Warriors’ postgame call-in with Steinmetz taking a seat. This is one thing I always wondered in the past with the likes of Byrnes on KNBR. Wouldn’t Byrnes on KNBR been good hosting an evening show strictly during baseball season? Why not have seasonal hosts?
These numbers are pretty much in line with my listening habits with the exception of the morning show which I find unlistenable in both respects (Traffic on the 8s FTW).
I would listen to Haberkauff, but one of them constantly speaks in incomplete sentences, and I hate that.
LOL Fitz.
LOL Damon. Creeper. I like that opening bass riff from the Killers, and that’s as much of the show as I ever listen to.
BASportsGuy I live on the east coast. I stream & listen to podcasts on both stations. I lean more towards 957 tho.
BASportsGuy does the fact that KNBR is a 50k blow torch have anything to do with that? They reach a lot more people across the region.
skiswm BASportsGuy Sounds like Fox Sports Radio will replace some of The Game’s local weekend hosts. Yes ESPN has to be going back to KNBR. No way ESPN doesn’t have an affiliate in the San Francisco market.
BASportsGuy LOLKNBR numbers are a bit surprising tbh. Except 12-3, but I switch to Ramey before 957, which just hasn’t stuck with me.
I can’t listen to Murph and Mac in the morning. They sound like two fortysomething white guys trying to talk like young hip-hoppers. It’s embarrassing.
Pretty much agree with everything you said Otis, I only listen to KNBR when I can’t get 95.7 reception. For whatever reason I can see Rod fitting in at 95.7. Maybe Kate allso.
The worse is the morning show has little sports content and so many commercials (especially with Brian Murphy “and my friends at….). He gets double paid for little sports content and pitching stuff! #ItsAnOutrage.
Tom J I’m actually curious how much being able to pimp his DFS referral code is worth to Larry. Pretty sweet to be able to blast that out over 50K watts. If he was able to do that with an online poker referral code during the boom, it would have been worth thousands of dollars per year.
Why would they want to move to the second place station? It’s understandable why Damon did, he was on 1050 exile and wasn’t gonna get upgraded anytime soon, especially after his sexist rant. Dibley was an update guy and he’s barely hung on at 95.7. KNBR will pay more and you figure Gary is retiring soon and that’ll make a slot for someone to get paid, and probably not anyone who defects to 95.7.
Damon signed a two year deal, you gotta wonder how much longer they put up with Tolbert kicking his teeth in.
Jehovahwitnessprotection
Agree. Ted Ramey does an excellent job at 12:00 – 3:00pm.
He has grown into the position quiet well.
Speaks candidly with no trace of Bay Area bias. Unlike some other on-air host who serve as carnival barkers for the local teams.
Good to see Greg Pappa’s ratings are beating KNBR’s 680 contribution at 12:00-3:00.
Pappa has 10 times the sports knowledge and maturity than the circus at 680.
How Bob Fitzgerald keeps any job in the media is one of life’s small mysteries. He is simply bad. And laughably smug, given just how bad he consistently is. Now we see he’s getting smoked in the ‘key’ demographic rating as well.
Can you explain his longevity? Ted Robinson is easier to explain–he says what he’s told. Fitzgerald long ago became a regional joke. Auburn IQ, etc.
Otis Byrd III SFF49JYP4L A sports talk radio host with strong opinions? Well, that’s just unheard of.
They respect him according to him? According to me, lots of hot chicks have told me they think I look like a total stud.
Has 95.7 dropped ESPN in favor of FOX?
JacobWang Yup. Question is does KNBR drop CBS, or does ESPN buy its own 3rd station in the market?
It is official. Probably Mike and Mike in mornings on 1050’instead of Tiki and Tierney (neither show very good). If I were The Game, I’d get rid of that morning show, keep Fortenbaugh (good gambling knowledge without being a paid service like those stupid “KNBR segments” that look to suck people’s wallets like those “flip houses” promos) and put HaberKauff and Fortenbaugh together early am and play Cowherds Fox radio show 9-noon.
95.7 still shows ESPN on website. Not really that much of a loss as no sports talk just repeat of sports news at night except for morning show and Pxp of most major sports games. We never get a chance to hear say Cowherd,Eisen etc instead stuck with Amy Lawrence ,Ferrel etc.
Would be nice if ESPN buys a station and runs full coverage like in other cities.
Doubt they will go back to KNBR since both CBS/NBC Sports are all owned by Cumulus.