All-sports stations dig out from a long Chicago winter
On the surface, it looked like a winter of discontent for the local all-sports stations when quarterly Arbitron ratings were released this week.
WSCR 670-AM remained stagnant with a 1.5 percent share of the overall audience 12 and older, but that was good enough to move it ahead of WMVP 1000-AM, which dropped from a 1.7 share in the fall to a 1.4. WMVP led slightly in cumulative audience.
"Traditionally, winter is down," admitted the Score's Program Director Mitch Rosen. So excuse him for insisting, "We had a real good winter ratings book."
In fact, things were better in the 25-54 age demographic among men that both stations target. The Score still led, 3.6 to 3.4, coming back from a 4.4-3.7 deficit in the fall, but both stations had plenty to brag about.
The Score was the top-rated English-language station in the market in middays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a 5.4 share in that demo, behind only WLEY 107.9-FM and WPPN 106.7-FM. And Dan McNeil's afternoon show on 'MVP was second behind only the heavily promoted classic-rock WDRV 97.1-FM with a 4.8 share from 2 to 6 p.m. The Score's Dan Bernstein and Terry Boers weren't too shabby either with a fifth-place 4.4 share, with only Spanish-language WOJO 105.1-FM and adult-alternative WXRT 93.1-FM tying for third in between.
"It's a great rivalry in the afternoon," Rosen said.
It's a good rivalry in the morning too, but it goes the other way. WMVP's syndicated ESPN Radio tandem of Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic again topped the Score and Mike North 4.5-3.4 from 5 to 9 a.m., but even there North had an answer, rising to a 3.8 from 6 to 10 a.m., and he turned things around to top WMVP's Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman in the 9 o'clock hour, 4.0 to 3.6.
"The Score had a real nice book," allowed Justin Craig, Rosen's counterpart as program director at 'MVP, although he was quick to add, "It's our morning and afternoon drives that continue to carry us," and he didn't have to point out that's where the big advertising money is.
That said, middays remain the Score's time to dominate. From noon to 2 p.m., the Score's Mike Murphy was the top English-language show in town (although "Chicagoese" would probably be a more accurate description of Murph's native tongue) with a 5.4 share, behind only La Ley. From 10 a.m. to noon, Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley pulled a 5.6 share, behind only La Ley and 'PPN.
"Middays, we're doing something right," Rosen said, who couldn't resist rubbing it in by adding, "At the end of the day, the better content won out."
Be careful with at the end of the day, because what does that say about Danny Mac -- and about Mike & Mike at the start of the day.
There's no denying Mike Tirico's dry-as-dirt midday syndicated show on ESPN Radio is a local albatross, even if it did show growth. The station will bring him here June 25 in a bid to help break him in Chicago the way as it has with periodic appearances by Mike & Mike.
Still, it wasn't a bad book for the all-sports stations, given the way the Bulls tanked over the winter and the Blackhawks, while sparking, failed to ignite with a playoff berth. The Hawks now, however, are someone else's concern, which might help the Score next winter.