WSCR gets chance to crow
Even without Sox, station edges WMVP in radio ratings
In sports radio, as in sports, you don't want to give your opponent bulletin board material.
A few weeks ago, WMVP-AM 1000 general manager Jim Pastor attributed WSCR-AM 670's big lead in the summer ratings to the White Sox being on that station. Pastor concluded that with the Sox not playing much in the fall, "things will settle back to reality."
Well, here's the latest in reality: Even without the Sox, WSCR still is the dominant sports talk radio station in town.
The fall ratings, which came out Wednesday, show WSCR has a 2.0 share in listeners 12 and older, compared to 1.5 for WMVP; share is the percentage of radios tuned to a station. In men 18 and older, WSCR is up to 3.6 compared with WMVP's 2.8.
WSCR didn't care for Pastor's assessment of the summer book. The station was anxious to show it can hold its listeners without the Sox. A Sox-less WSCR basically maintained its audience in the fall, dropping a hair from its 2.1 in the summer.
"The issue in this ratings book was local," WSCR general manager Paul Agase said. "We're the local sports station in town, and we dominated."
Pastor had a more diplomatic take on the fall ratings.
"We're very pleased," said Pastor, whose station rose from a 1.3 in the summer. "We've never used them as a measuring stick. I need to know that we're making progress and growing, and we are."
The big difference for WSCR is in the 10 a.m.-3 p.m. category. A decision by program director Mitch Rosen to split the block between Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley (10 a.m.-noon) and Mike Murphy (noon-2 p.m.) has been a winner. WSCR did a solid 2.5 in that slot.
Both WSCR shows are heavily local and more nuts-and-bolts sports oriented. At that time of day, it seems sports listeners don't want as many movie references and comments on politics.
WMVP, meanwhile, lags behind at 1.5 during midday. Pastor, though, said he was pleased that the period, which includes the combination of Sean Salisbury and Steve Rosenbloom and the Dan Patrick show, did improve from a 1.2 in the summer.
Otherwise, the two stations are in a virtual dead heat in the other two main day parts. Mike North's morning show on WSCR holds a slight 3.7-3.6 edge over the Mike Golic-Mike Greenberg national show on WMVP in the 6-10 a.m. men's-18 segment.
In the 3-7 p.m. period, the Dan Bernstein-Terry Boers afternoon show on WSCR can claim a 3.6-3.4 victory over WMVP's Dan McNeil, John Jurkovic and Harry Teinowitz in men-18. But I can hear Mac now, shouting that his show holds a 4.4-4.2 edge in the all-important men's 25-54 demographic.
Both general managers agree this is a good time for sports radio in Chicago.
Clearly, each station is benefiting from the Bears' run to the playoffs. They should give a bonus to Rex Grossman for keeping area sports fans on edge. Nothing like a little controversy and angst to spike the sports-talk ratings.
"It says something that the sports stations combine to do a 3.5 [share] in this town," Agase said. "A lot of fans are listening to sports talk, and that's good for both of us."
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