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104.5 The Zone Dominates The April Ratings

Jason Barrett

Published

7 years ago

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Sports radio stations in the northeast warrant a lot of industry respect and admiration. They dominate the headlines, receive consideration for awards, and are viewed as the gold standard in the sports format. Much of it is well deserved. But, some of it is the result of the industry not paying close enough attention to the successes that take place in other parts of the country.

Case in point, check out what 104.5 The Zone in Nashville has done. The station is one of the true success stories in the sports format.

In 2015, The Zone finished as the #1 rated station with Men 25-54. They were 5th best station among Persons 25-54, and the number one billing station in the Nashville market. They may not receive the headlines nationally that others do, but they belong in the same conversation.

In the latest April book, the radio station once again dominated. They popped double digit numbers across the board, and were so strong that they finished inside the Top 5 with Persons 25-54.

When you analyze the individual show breakdowns it’s even more impressive. The Zone’s morning, and afternoon shows, were each 1st with Men 25-54 with a little more than a twelve share. The same was true Monday-Friday 6a-7p. They slipped to second M-SU 6a-Mid, but even then they produced one tenth of a point less than a ten share.

If you thought that was powerful, sit down for a second. The Midday 180 which airs M-F 12p-3p, and features Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow, and Paul Kuharsky, were slightly above a sixteen share. That’s not a typo, a 16 share! That could be the highest number in middays anywhere in the nation this month. If it’s not, I want to see evidence.

The station’s weakest performance came from the nationally syndicated Dan Patrick Show which airs weekdays from 10a-12p. However, even D.P generated a nine share, and was rated 2nd. That’s an outstanding performance by a national show in a local market.

By comparison, The Game in Nashville which also offers sports in the market was slightly under a two share M-SU 6a-Mid. To be fair, The Game have some quality talent and programming on their airwaves too, and not everything should be judged by ratings performance alone. However, when numbers are taken into account, it’s very much a one horse race.

The real test moving forward for The Zone is moving up the ladder in the Persons 25-54 category. They’ve reached the point where they are judged by the way they compete against music brands. The other challenge is to gain industry recognition for the story they’ve developed.

To keep their own people on their toes, internal competition between shows is a must. For April, those bragging rights belong to the Midday 180. 3HL, and the Wakeup Zone now have to figure out how to turn a twelve share into a sixteen share. If only every sports radio station in America had such a problem.

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Dan Patrick: NBC Created ‘Something That Was Brilliant’ With Flex Scheduling

“Networks were so upset that NBC would go ‘Hey, you know what? We’re gonna take that game and we’re gonna have it on Sunday night.’ Then FOX and CBS would be scrambling there.”
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11 hours ago

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March 29, 2023

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Roger Goodell wants flex scheduling to come to Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football package. It could happen this season, but we won’t know for sure until May after league owners decided to table a vote on the proposal. On Wednesday, FOX Sports Radio’s Dan Patrick joined the chorus of critics calling it a bad idea.

Patrick said that the league always prioritizes revenue. If it were thinking about the fans, this isn’t something that would even be discussed.

The idea of flex scheduling was first introduced for NBC’s Sunday Night Football package in 2006. The goal was to make sure the prime time TV package could deliver high quality games every week.

“NBC did something that was brilliant where they were able to flex Sunday night games,” Patrick said. “Everyone wanted it.”

While the fate of flex scheduling for Thursdays remains up in the air, we do know that flex scheduling is coming to Monday Night Football on ESPN this season. Patrick, who worked for NBC when the practice was introduced, said that it always took care of one broadcast partner by screwing others.

“Networks were so upset that NBC would go ‘Hey, you know what? We’re gonna take that game and we’re gonna have it on Sunday night.’ Then FOX and CBS would be scrambling there.”

Dan Patrick suggested that perhaps Amazon’s Prime Video doesn’t deserve the same treatment as NBC or ESPN. Far fewer people watch the Thursday night game than any other primetime NFL contest.

Whether or not flex scheduling comes to Thursday Night Football, Patrick says it does not guarantee to change the package’s reputation for delivering largely unappealing games.

“I’ve long said it’s crazy to say you have to play Sunday and then turn around and play Thursday and we’d always go ‘Man, these Thursday games aren’t good,’” he concluded. “Well, was it the matchup or just the quality of play?”

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Sports Radio News

106.7 The Fan Extends Deal to Remain Washington Nationals Flagship

“We’re looking forward to continuing to serve as the home for everything Nats for the foreseeable future…”
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15 hours ago

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March 29, 2023

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106.7 The Fan has announced it has reached a multi-year extension with the Washington Nationals to remain as the MLB club’s radio flagship.

Nationals fans will continue to hear game broadcasts on the station, and those living inside the club’s broadcast territory will be able to stream the radio broadcasts on the Audacy app.

“Opening Day is finally here and we’re thrilled to celebrate the return of baseball season by extending our partnership with the Washington Nationals,” said Audacy Washington D.C. Senior Vice President and Market Manager Ivy Savoy-Smith. “We’re looking forward to continuing to serve as the home for everything Nats for the foreseeable future and give the team’s fans a front row seat to the action on the field and top storylines throughout the year.”

The Nationals have called 106.7 The Fan home since the 2011 season. Beyond game broadcasts, the station will welcome Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo to The Sports Junkies every Wednesday at 9:00 AM throughout the season. The station will also air segments titled “Nats Insider”, hosted by broadcaster Dan Kolko that feature player interviews and features. Those segments will air all along the Nationals Radio Network.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Audacy in bringing Nationals fans even more of the interviews and exclusive access they love,” said Lerner Sports Group COO Alan H. Gottlieb. “From in-depth interviews with execs and top players, to off-the-field profiles and more Spanish and English bilingual content than ever before, Audacy offers a comprehensive look at our ball club from all angles.”

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Sports Radio News

Todd Markiewicz Departing 97.1 The Fan

“He has left an indelible mark in the Columbus market and within the sports/talk radio world by building The Fan with excellent programming, dominant ratings, and overall market share.”
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15 hours ago

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March 29, 2023

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Longtime 97.1 The Fan Vice President and Market Manager Todd Markiewicz has announced he is leaving the sports radio station.

Markiewicz has been named the President of the 1870 Society, a Name, Image, and Likeness collective working with Ohio State athletics and Learfield to devise NIL strategy, fundraising, and logistics.

In an internal memo, Tegna Columbus President and General Manager John Cardenas credited Markiewicz for helping to establish the brand as “the powerhouse sports station in the country. He has left an indelible mark in the Columbus market and within the sports/talk radio world by building The Fan with excellent programming, dominant ratings, and overall market share.”

Markiewicz joined the station in 2010. Under his leadership, 97.1 The Fan has routinely ranked as the highest-rated station in the Columbus market.

His final day with the station will be Friday, May 26th.

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