The numbers are in for Houston, and overall it was a weaker month for the market’s top sports radio brands. With all due respect to KGOW, it’s a three station battle, and although March produced a dip in the overall numbers, April figures to provide a spark for all three brands due to the return of baseball, the NBA Playoffs, and the NFL Draft.
As the Houston Chronicle first reported, the ratings information covers the period of February 25th through March 23rd. The data being analyzed is Men 25-54, the key demographic for sports talk radio stations.
As always I remind you that things can change quickly. With KILT undergoing a change in morning drive due to the departure of Nick Wright, that could provide an opening for 790 and 97.5. How will that news impact KILT? We won’t know for a while, but for now, the radio station gets to celebrate a clean sweep victory in the March ratings book.
Here are the breakdowns for each of the key dayparts:
M-F 6a-10a:
- Sports Radio 610 KILT = 2.6
- 97.5 ESPN = 2.3
- SportsTalk 790 = 0.8
*** The drop from February in mornings was significant. Both 610 and 790 suffered a seven tenths of a point setback, and 97.5 lost eight tenths. Some of this could be due to the typical winter listening decline, but when three brands collectively lose two ratings points, that can also indicate that a meter or two disappeared from the panel. What’s odd is that the same pattern didn’t occur in middays, afternoons or evenings.
M-F 10a-3p:
- Sports Radio 610 KILT = 2.6
- 97.5 ESPN = 1.5
- SportsTalk 790 = 0.7
*** 790 was flat month to month, and 610 and 97.5 saw minor decreases. KILT lost one tenth, ESPN dropped two tenths.
M-F 3p-7p:
- Sports Radio 610 KILT = 3.3
- 97.5 ESPN = 2.6
- SportsTalk 790 = 1.1
*** All three stations were unchanged month to month.
M-F 7p-12a:
- Sports Radio 610 KILT = 2.3
- 97.5 ESPN = 0.8
- SportsTalk 790 = 1.0
*** 790 remained even, but KILT lost two tenths, and 97.5 lost three.
M-SU 6a-Mid:
- Sports Radio 610 KILT = 2.7
- 97.5 ESPN = 1.7
- SportsTalk 790 = 0.9
*** All three stations suffered a minor dip from February. KILT lost two tenths of a point, 97.5 was down three tenths, and 790 lost one tenth. With the Astros back, and the Rockets in the playoffs, that should help 790 make improvements. KILT and 97.5 should also benefit from the increased attention on the local teams, and being the flagship station for the Texans probably won’t hurt 610 as they gear up for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
