Howard Stern Defeated in NYC Radio Ratings Wars, Imus Fades Big Time

The Drudge Report and Early Arbitron Ratings ^ | January 6, 2003 | Matt Drudge

[ewing]

October-December 2002

Stern with 9.2 share of audience ages 25-54 in AM Drive Time

#1 In Top Demographic Market

WINS-AM Tops in All Listeners With 7.0 to Howard Sterns 6.9

WABC Kurtis and Cuby 2.9

WFAN's Don Imus Fades At 2.8 Rating

WOR 2.6

[ewing]

Hasn't it been years since Howard lost a ratings book in NYC?

Could it be the divorce..

[OldFriend]

A message to WABC.......we're sick of the likes of Kuby. Give us all Kurtis all the time in the morning.......

Enough of Richard Bey too! FEH!

[ambrose]

He's still number 1 in the demographic group advertisers care about...

[dead]

I think the Spanish language station was beating him for a while. And 1010 Wins was for a while also.

BTW, Stern was on vacation for most of December. It's hard to be #1 when you're airing reruns.

[shadowman99]

So what's on WINS during Stern's hours?

[capt. norm]

9.2 is very good in that size market. That would usually be enough to win outright.

Are you sure this info is being correctly interpretted?

It looks more like someone has read the results backwards.

[ewing]

Mancow from Chicago on FOX and Friends was the first to ever beat Stern head to head in his own demographic on Morning Drive.

I believe he Fed-exed his own personal 'present' to Howard..

[PaulJ]

Am I reading this wrong, or what? The way I see it he is #1 in the most important market by a lot. Can anyone explain otherwise to me?

[ewing]

Stern wins in highly sought after advertiser groups, but loses overall.

[mr.pink]

I think the Spanish language station was beating him for a while.

I think (95% sure) the Spanish station is still beating him, but for some reason it is not counted in the ratings.

[Sungirl]

I can't stand listening to him...all he talks about is sex. I tried a few times...I last 5 minutes tops. Only the pornographic obsessed man constantly listen to him....morons.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

Nah, it's people getting sick of the same old schtick . . . I turned on Stern this morning and I couldn't tell if it was live or a replay. Eventualy it all seems like the same old show.

[ewing]

Why don't they count the Spanish Channel?

[ewing]

I dont think the average guy can relate to Stern now that he isn't married anymore and is sitting on the floor at Knicks Games dating models.

Part of that married frustration is what made the show funny, now it is like every other show other there..

[gridlock]

WINS is all news, all the time. Give us 22 minutes, and we'll give you the world...

Just headlines. I don't really even knows who reads them, because they have no presonality driven programming. If they ever come up with a decent voice synthesizer, they'll save a little bit of money on on-air talent.

BTW, with regard to Stern, who can listen to that swill first thing in the morning? At 2 AM after a few beers, maybe. But when I'm heading to work!?

[ewing]

LOL! Stern is losing to Headline News...

[RooRoobird14]

I honestly don't know how anyone can stand listening to Howard Stern for more than 30 seconds. I can understand Stern being a hit among trashy punk 11-18 year old boys, but I can't imagine anyone else wanting to listen to his sleaze.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

Plus, He had to resist temptation with all those attractive girls (something all guys can understand), Now he has nothing to hold him back. I have heard old shows from WNBC (all together now - - - WNBC) and they are so over the top funny. (You can find them on music download servers if you look hard enough.) You listen to those shows and the shock makes you how they could say that on the air. My favorites are Grandpa Munster yelling "F--- the FCC" or Howard and Dee Snyder, in the "homo room" with another WNBC jock playing rotissiere. Howard needs a foil like "pigvomit" or Alison to try to keep him in line. If he gets to run wild without boundries, it's just not funny.

Granted I wouldn't let my children listen to Stern until they were much, much older. It's definitely not family fare.

[My2Cents]

Don Imus has been a tired old fart for years. It's about time he faded from the scene.

[ewing]

Exactly, Howard needs a bad guy to play against.

[Antoninus]

Maybe its that Stern's aging perv routine is wearing a little thin. I listened to him for about 3 months about 15 years ago while in high school but decided he was too infantile even then. I'm amazed that he's hung on as long as he has.

[ewing]

It has gone downhill since his wife got rid of Howard and re-married some Textile tycoon.

[cactusSharp]

if FOX NEWS went and hired IMUS IN THE MORNING
lock stock and barrell , IMUS would rock

Additionally if FOX NEWS created an hour show
featuring GEORGE WILL , Fox News would set numbers
that are as to now , a dream.


...because the above is so obvious , it's almost
a crime the above doesn't already exist. IMHO

[NutmegDevil]

I need my morning dose of Imus.

[Alberta's Child]

I don't think that's the case.

Don Imus, with his 2.8 rating, generates more advertising revenue than Howard Stern, with his 6.9 rating.

[ewing]

FOX already hired the Chicago conservative who beat Howard as his own game in the morning, Mancow and FOX and Friends is #1 with millions of viewers.

[cactusSharp]

not close to what IMUS could generate

[Alberta's Child]

Listen to an hour of Don Imus, then listen to an hour of Howard Stern. Despite Stern's high ratings in that "prime" demographic group, the difference in the caliber of their advertisers is astonishing.

In New York, the Imus show is dominated by ads for high-end automobiles, expensive consumer products, and even the New York Stock Exchange.

[NativeNewYorker]

WINS is dry-as-toast headlines/weather/traffic/sports.

I've listened to Imus for many years, and he has really slacked off now that his charity ranch for sick kids is up and running.

Aside from seemingly more frequent vacations, an increasing % of his air time is spent in dull self-centered banter.

Now, I listen to Bloomberg radio for business news in the am.

[NativeNewYorker]

Don Imus, with his 2.8 rating, generates more advertising revenue than Howard Stern, with his 6.9 rating.

I've always wondered about this. Got a source?

[hchutch]

I've listened to Stern, mostly because he was one of the major folks who say what they think, and don't give a rat's rear end about PC. I also listen to Rush as well. If peopel don't like Howard, they can use the tuning dial or the off switch.

[hchutch]

Indexing via bump list.

[Timesink]

No, there's nothing new about this at all. WINS wins (no pun intended) quite regularly in overall listeners. Sometimes Stern beats them too, sometimes he doesn't. But people generally don't count WINS because being a news station is almost like being in a different business entirely than all the other stations dedicated to entertainment, and will naturally fluctuate up and down as world events dictate.

[Alberta's Child]

I'll try to find a direct source, but what I've posted here is based on anecdotal information I've heard over the last few years.

WFAN in New York takes pride in the fact that they generate more advertising revenue than any other radio station in this market, and Imus is a major reason for that even though his is not a sports program.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

Unfortunately, The P.D. at K-ROCK kisses his behind.

[america-rules]

"HOWARD STERN ROCKS NEW YORK CITY IN JUST RELEASED FALL RATINGS [OCT-DEC '02]... 9.2 SHARE OF AUDIENCE AGES 25-54 IN AM DRIVE: #1 IN TOP RADIO MARKET... WINS-AM NEWS TOPS IN ALL LISTENERS WITH 7.0 TO STERN'S 6.9; WABC'S CURTIS/KUBY 2.9; WFAN'S DON IMUS FADES AT 2.8 RATING; WOR 2.6...
"

[ewing]

Is that really true? I heard the WB with Dawsons Creek and Buffy can generate more revenue than the networks with a 90th rated program because of the advertisers..

[altura]

There are a couple of funny minutes on Imus.

Unfortunately, one has to listen 2 hours to hearm them.

[OldFriend]

He was defending Patty Murray last I heard!!! I switch to WOR......hoping for John Gibson filling in for O'Reilly, and then listen to Bob Grant.

[OldFriend]

IMUS is a legend in his own mind.....and has McCrazy on as a regular guest. Two losers.

[dennisw]

Stern's show sucks now because it's just him and his crew talking about themselves. He can't or won't book interesting celebrities anymore, only desperate women, porn starts with implants and slutty lesbians.

[Timesink]

So what's on WINS during Stern's hours?

News. Headline news-style, faster paced than WCBS, which is more like a regular newscast, airs longer reports, etc. WINS generally owns the City, while WCBS owns the suburbs.

The WINS of 2003 is practically indisguishable from the WINS of 30 years ago. Continuous wire-service machine sound effect in the background 24/7 (and how long has it been since those existed?), "You give us 22 minutes, we'll give you the world," dry-as-dirt just-the-facts-ma'am anchors and reporters, etc. You tune in, get your fix, and tune out.

[new cruelty]

what were the previous ratings numbers?

[NativeNewYorker]

WFAN in New York takes pride in the fact that they generate more advertising revenue than any other radio station in this market, and Imus is a major reason for that even though his is not a sports program.

I've heard the same, and listen to FAN almost every night.

Imus' morning show has SO many interminable commercial blocks, and so many minutes of brainless "ain't I a fool?" yucking, that I rarely stay tuned for more than a minute.

[Timesink]

Mancow from Chicago on FOX and Friends was the first to ever beat Stern head to head in his own demographic on Morning Drive.

Girlcow only did that IN Chicago. They must have an inferiority complex that requires the citizenry to support the home team even when they suck. I believe it's called Cubs Syndrome.

[NativeNewYorker]

only desperate women, porn stars with implants and slutty lesbians

Must be enormous implants if you can see them on the radio. :)

[aristeides]

Wouldn't news stations draw a lot of audience during storms? (I was listening to WMAL in D.C. this morning to hear about any possible cancellations.)

[Timesink]

Imus' morning show has SO many interminable commercial blocks, and so many minutes of brainless "ain't I a fool?" yucking, that I rarely stay tuned for more than a minute.

Imus's big problem is that he doesn't do an entire show. Many of the same bits than run before 8 are aired again in the 9-10 hour.

It's not really that big of a problem though, since WFAN just rakes in the $$$ due to their demos, plus all the extra cash generated by syndicated Imus.

[YOMO]

IMUS has a face for Radio.