"Doodler" wrote in message
ps.com...

David Eduardo wrote:

When the "AM formats" like news or talk or sports are moved to FM, the
same
programming jumps in 35-54 ratings, just because it is on FM. This has
been
demonstrated in markets like Phoenix, SLC, Jackisonville, Dayton,
Philadelphia, New Orleans, Charleston, and Washington, DC where AM takers
have come on, moved to or swimulcast with FM... in every case, the
salable
35-54 numbers have expanded dramatically.


And it is notoriously difficult to maintain the jump in numbers
without accompanying changes in programming. You've been in
broadcasting for a long time, so you know this.

Just the move of an established news or newtalk format is enough to jump the
25-54 and keep it up. KSL in SLC began a year and a half ago an AM FM
simulcast, It immediately jumped about 25% in 25-54, and has, since then,
held the numbers consistently (n/t stations wobble a lot due to how strong
the "goings on" politically are, so one just has to index...) as a part of
the overall listenership. In fact, since the move, the numbers have been
consistedntly higher than any time in the last decade.

Same for KTAR in Phoenix, which moved from AM to FM... much higher 25-54
consistently. And WTOP in DC now has a very big 35-54 complonent, which they
were losing when AM only. No programming change at all, either.

All the cases I mentioned are typical traditional news talkers, with Rush,
Dr. Laura and other syndicated fare... and all have done very well. The best
example is the FM talker in Pittsburgh, which has taken nearly all the 35-54
numbers from KDKA, leaving that old AM with mostly 55+ listeners and hugely
declining revenue.

All it takes is putting the SAME format on FM and the 25-54 jumps. No need
to do anything else differently.



Do those buzzing sound effects on KNX traffic reports
actually sound that much better?

I listen to KNX quite a bit, but it's on my factory installed HD radio in
my
car. It sounds great in HD. Much clearer, greater presence, more "human"
sounding voice.

If you spend a lot of time around people with throat conditions that
generate a lot of 'hash', I suppose it would.


The HD audio sounds quite listenable... vastly more listenable than analog
AM.