Although the nation’s capital may be known for its political climate, the appetite for sports radio is very healthy. With 106.7 The Fan and ESPN 980 providing original content and high profile personalities each day, the market is responding by investing time in both radio stations.
In the latest November ratings, 106.7 The Fan benefitted the most, winning the market among Men 25-54. The radio station finished in the top 8 M-SU 6a-Mid with a 4.3. They advanced into the top 7 during prime time programming (M-F 6a-7p) with a 5.1.
When you dig deeper into the local show performances, it’s another strong story for The Fan. The “Sports Junkies” finished 7th in mornings with a 4.8 and “Chad Dukes vs. The World” was 7th in afternoon drive with a 4.5.
Where The Fan really popped was during middays. “Grant and Danny” produced a 6.8 to finish 2nd overall. During the show’s first 2-hours, they’re actually tied for 1st with a 7.0. That’s extremely impressive.
For ESPN 980 there are some good signs as well. The station’s “Inside The Locker Room” program which features Scott Jackson, Brian Mitchell and Doc Walker finished in the Top 10 with a 2.9. The afternoon show which consists of Steve Czaban, Chris Cooley and Al Galdi and airs during a different time (4p-7p) than The Fan (2p-6p), is only separated by a few tenths of a point during the 3 hours they’re on the air. Czaban’s show generates a 2.7 versus The Fan’s 3.1.
One other item that stood out in afternoons and is worth noting, SportsTalk 570 which is owned and operated by Red Zebra Broadcasting (the owner of ESPN 980) and operates ESPN Radio and Yahoo Sports Radio network programming, saw some lift in afternoon drive. Bomani Jones’ show delivered a 1.5 and was the only network program to appear on the first page of the ratings report.
Where ESPN 980 experienced their lowest weekday prime performance was in morning drive. The radio station has since eliminated the “Man Cave” which was anchoring that slot. The next monthly will provide a better indication of how that helps or hurts the station going forward.
For the sake of this conversation though, The Fan has taken control of the ratings in DC for the November book. But as we often see in many cities, there are usually two or three great brands providing sports radio content, and in Washington DC that story is no different.
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
