"Telamon" wrote in message
...

I know of less than a dozen stations today that make any money off
skywave,
and out of 13,500 US AM and FM stations, less than 200 show up in ratings
outside their own market area (MSA and embedded metros).

My argument is as follows.

First you must acknowledge that there is a lot (a high percentage) of
regional and national commercials on AMBCB.

Yes, there are lots of companies that advertise in many if not all the rated
markets in the US. But when they do, they buy advertising that is priced
based on thelocal audience in the metro to which the station is licensed.
Very seldom are even adjacent markets where a station may have some
listening even taken into consideration. There is no interest in skywave
coverage, as most such buys are placed only for 6 AM to 7 PM, and not at
night. Most of what you hear at night on AM are bonus spots and PI deals.

Second that many stations (a high percentage) carry network
programming.

Actually, very few stations carry network programming. And most have the
ability to take it a la carte, and run the spots (which are the payment)
when4ever they want as long as it is in 6 AM to 7 PM.

Third that it makes no difference to advertisers whether I listen to a
networked program carrying regional and national commercials on AMBCB
on a station that is local or distant. I hear the commercial and can
respond to the 1-800-number or go to the web site and make a purchase
so the advertising does its job either way.

But that is not how advertising is bought. It is bot based on Cost Per Point
only in the local market. If there are fringe benefits the advertiser does
not pay for them... and, again, nearly all sales are in daylight hours.

So when I respond to an advertisement who can know what station I heard
it on. Do they just make the assumption that it was a local station?

Yes. Unless it is one of a handful of PI accounts (where a station is paid
per inquiry) that use night radio to peddle C. C. Crane Radios and such.