Net Talk

It seems like they don't. Except for national sales. All direct sales are made off of relationships. Certain markets that had a dominant cluster 3 years ago are now on the bottom and from what I can see the people in charge are still there. I guess there still making the money for the stations. Bottom line that's all that matters. So what does it matter that you have a #1 show? If the guy with the #10 show can sell more spots than you or gain more clients then he still wins. So why do we pay so much money for a service that doesn't count. Why don't the national buy spend there money to see what they should buy. McDonald advertises to children in there TV ads but on Radio, wont spend a lot on hip/hop? They may be #1 in market but the safe chose is the #4 station. Plus that is the station were the agency buyers friend works and they got drunk together a couple times so lets toss them a bone. Politics, I understand that's how life is. But why should the stations pay for it. Fire DJ's lower overhead. Most clusters have already agreed that they don't care about the product or the Ratings. So again why do we pay for it. ATTENTION OWNERS OF STATIONS: Another way to cut cost is not paying for ratings. Mark my words This will be something that will happen very soon. I've already heard of it from two different company's that won't pay any more. Our world of radio is changing every day. Its the end of an era.

You bet Ratings matter! We have four stations in the market. One station is in the top five, the others not so well. Our top five station outbills the other three combined 4 to 1. The RFP's coming in to the group are always addressed to our top 5 station, not the other ones. Yeah, I'd say ratings are still important.

NOTHING matters these days EXCEPT the bottom line.

"Do ratings even matter anymore?"

No.




Next question?

Ratings matter if they are helping you hit your bonuses, but beyond that you've better be creative as hell to use ratings to counteract the stupidity that the business has heaped on itself over the past few years with HD radio, less is more and dropping our pants around our ankles for rates.

They do if your jock sux, it's an out to get rid of them.

They do if your sales team can't sell with out them. A monkey with a tin cup can sell ratings.

They do if your numbers are better then your competitors.

They do if the agent only buys 5 deep.

Other than that stuff..nope!