WMVP trounces WSCR in spring ratings
Teddy Greenstein | ON SPORTS MEDIA AND COLLEGES
7:54 PM CDT, July 23, 2008
WMVP-AM 1000 program director Justin Craig refused to gloat about his station's lopsided victory over WSCR-AM 670 in the spring ratings book.
"It's a good day" was as bold a proclamation as Craig would offer.
The same went for WMVP host Marc Silverman, whose "Waddle & Silvy" show bested the Score's 9 a.m.-noon offering (among men 25-54) 4.6 to 2.7.
"I hate to sound like an athlete," Silverman said. "But it's not about doing well in one book."
The "Waddle & Silvy" show has grown nearly every month, and Silverman attributed some of that to having "the best booker in all of Chicago radio."
Executive producer Randy Merkin scored interviews with aspiring Cubs owner Mark Cuban, Bulls disser Mike D'Antoni and Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman the day after he ripped "obnoxious" Cubs fans.
"We bring you the newsmakers," Silverman said, "and we have fun with it."
Everyone at WMVP could relish the latest numbers from Arbitron.
"Mac, Jurko & Harry" regained the No. 1 spot in the market for men 25-54 with a 5.3 rating, easily defeating the Score's "Boers and Bernstein," which drew a 3.2.
Mike North's final book at the Score was ugly. ESPN's "Mike and Mike" crushed him from 6-9 a.m. (5.0-3.0).
A first-place Cubs team couldn't even rescue the Score's blabbering Mike Murphy, who lost to Mike Tirico (3.3-2.
from 12-2 p.m.
The overall spread between the stations was 3.8-2.8, but only because the White Sox were a popular draw at night for the Score. The spread from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. was 4.7 to 2.9.
"People are gravitating to our strong personalities," Craig said.
But that's only part of the story. The other part provided some relief to Score officials.
The spring book marked the end of the "diaries"—Arbitron's outdated method for measuring radio ratings. No longer will listeners be asked to recall their listening habits and record them in a book.
The new system of "Portable People Meters" uses mobile phone-sized devices that some 2,000 Chicago panelists wear that measure their listening habits by picking up radio signals.
"The books are history," Score program director Mitch Rosen said. "The PPM technology gives a true measurement of the audience."
Arbitron has been developing the PPM system since 1992.
"This will be a truer representation," Craig said. "It's what everyone has been waiting for for many, many years."
The spring PPM still gave WMVP a huge edge (5.2 to 3.7) in ratings among men 25-54.
But the Score did have a higher "cume"—306,000 to 289,000. So WSCR had more listeners, but WMVP retained them for far longer.
And that alone was enough to justify the Score's recent lineup shift, "Mully and Hanley" replacing North in the mornings and Laurence Holmes vying for the permanent spot from 10-noon.
"We've changed half the lineup," Rosen said. "We feel the timing is perfect for the new methodology."
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