In late April, 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh made a change in afternoon drive. Gone were Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio, and hired to host the drive time show was Tim Donnelly. Ovies spent more than thirteen years with the station. Giglio joined the brand in 2020. Together, they formed The OG, and led afternoons for the past three years.
Though the move generated some local reactions, it didn’t effect The Fan’s ratings in the latest spring book.
For the quarter, 99.9 The Fan ranked 2nd with a 7.0 share in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 25-54. That was up year over year from a 5.6 share and 6th place finish.
In mornings, ESPN Radio’s Keyshawn, JWill and Max featuring Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams, and Max Kellerman had a 7.6 to snag 2nd place. That was up from a 5.3 and 7th place ranking last year. As many are aware, the show has since been canceled by ESPN Radio.
Turning to middays, Greeny with ESPN Radio’s Mike Greenberg scored a big win, finishing 1st with an 11.0 share. That was a massive jump from one year earlier when the show finished 9th with a 4.1 share. The station’s other midday program hosted locally by Adam Gold produced a 5.2 share for the quarter, landing in 5th. Gold was up from a 4.7 and 8th place last year.
Closing things out in afternoons, The Fan finished 2nd this spring with a 7.9 share. That was up from 4th and a 7.4 during the same time last year. The OG with Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio contributed to part of this book. Their final month together (April) saw the duo deliver an 8.6 share to rank 2nd. The station gained ground in May using rotating hosts, also ranking 2nd but with a slightly improved share of 8.7. Curiosity about the drive time change, and a Hurricanes playoff run likely helped the brand maintain interest.
Overall, The Fan has to feel ecstatic about its results this quarter. To see the afternoon number hold steady following a change, and get 1st and 2nd place finishes from two ESPN Radio shows is big. The challenge moving forward, making sure Tim Donnelly’s new afternoon show delivers at the same level, and hoping local listeners welcome ESPN Radio’s replacement programming in morning drive. If Gold can further cement his position as a Canes Insider and continue adding cume to middays, that’s the cherry on top.
