Following Howard Stern?s departure from broadcast radio late last year, local radio station WHFS-FM 105.7, which aired the formerly syndicated program, has seen a drastic decline in its ratings, according to numbers released Thursday by Arbitron, the media company that tracks radio listening trends.
The radio station is currently ranked 16th in the market for the morning drive time of 6 to 10 a.m. in the rating period covering winter 2006 for listeners 12 years of age and older. Specifically, the station slipped to a 1.7 AQH share during the morning drive time, marking a 68 percent decline compared with fall of 2005, when the station saw a 5.3 AQH share. AQH share is the average quarter hour share and percentage of listening each station receives in the audience. That number factors in not only the number of listeners but the amount of time listeners tune into a particular station.
“They dropped from sixth place to 16th ? that?s a huge drop,” said Jessica Benbow, an Arbitron spokeswoman. “But it?s not uncharacteristic of several of Stern?s stations once the show was dropped.”
Further, among men 25 to 54 in the morning drive time, the station has dropped even more significantly, down 78 percent compared with fall 2005.
“Three-quarters of their audience is gone,” Benbow said. “Keep in mind, though, that Stern had a very specific audience. You have to program to a very different audience makeup now. Depending on how they?re programming, they may pick up a new audience, but men 25 to 54 may not be their core audience anymore.”
In the morning drive time, the station currently broadcasts “The Junkies” talk show, which hit the morning airwaves Jan. 3.
A WHFS programming director did not return phone calls before press time Thursday.
But, while WHFS is suffering as a result of Stern?s departure, officials at other stations say they are reaping the benefits.
“There is no question that with Howard?s departure the audience was seeking a new home, and it?s been spread out, but certainly 98 Rock got a very high percentage of that audience,” said Ed Kiernan, vice president and general manager of WBAL-AM 1090 and WIYY-FM 97.9 98 Rock. “But I think that in the fall 98 Rock got hurt a little because Howard was leaving. He got a special tune-in that he wouldn?t have gotten otherwise.”
WIYY has increased 25 percent in the morning drive time among listeners 12 and older, compared with fall 2005. WIYY airs longtime Baltimore talk show “Kirk, Mark and Spiegel” during the morning drive time.
The Stern effect
» Baltimore?s WHFS is not alone in its rating decline. New York radio station WFNY-FM, which carried the Stern show, has dropped from second place to 22nd in the morning drive time for winter 2006. Likewise, Los Angeles station KLSX-FM has dropped from seventh place to 31st for winter 2006 during the morning drive time.”We?re seeing declines on both coasts,” said Arbitron Spokeswoman, Jessica Benbow.
