Johny D. overtakes former radio home
5/9/2006Johny D. did what not long ago seemed like the impossible.
His show on WTWR-FM (98.3) has overtaken WVKS-FM (92.5) in the morning race.
WVKS fired him 8 1/2 months ago. At the time, the morning-drive audience on WVKS was nearly triple that of WTWR.
When Johny D. took over the WTWR morning show, it was tied for 13th. It is now No. 8.
Clear Channel-owned WVKS, a perennial No. 2 when Denny Schaffer was the morning host, is now No. 9. Andrew Zepeda took over as host late last year.
Both stations have a contemporary hits/pop format.
The results of Arbitron's 12-week winter survey - Jan. 5 to March 29 - were made available to stations late last week.
Schaffer left WVKS in 2003 and was replaced by Johny D., who had eight successful years as the station's afternoon-drive host. But Johny D. lasted only two years on the WVKS morning show. He was fired Aug. 24; he was No. 6 in his final ratings period.
Johny D. made his debut on Cumulus-owned WTWR on Sept. 12. He took over a morning show that averaged 1,700 listeners during a typical 15-minute interval (compared to 5,000 on WVKS); in Arbitron's winter survey, WTWR averaged 4,100 listeners during an average quarter-hour vs. 3,700 for WVKS.
WKKO-FM (99.9) finished No. 1 in the morning race for the 17th consecutive ratings period. Gary Shores and Harvey J. Steele averaged 13,700 listeners during an average quarter-hour.
The WKKO morning show's audience share was 14.2 percent. An average of 73,100 listeners tuned in to the country station weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
WRVF-FM (101.5), which has an adult contemporary format, finished No. 2 during morning drive with a 9.8 share, averaging 9,500 listeners during a typical 15-minute interval. It was the final full ratings period for "Mitch and Mary Beth" - Jack Mitchell and Mary Beth Zolik; Mitchell retired on March 31.
WIOT-FM (104.7), which airs the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom show, was No. 3 in the morning with a 9.3 share and 9,000 listeners during an average quarter-hour.
In the daylong ratings - 6 a.m. to midnight Monday-Sunday - WKKO was No. 1 for the 41st ratings period in a row, dating back to 1996. Its audience share was the same as its morning show - 14.2 percent. An average of 130,600 listened to the station during the course of the week.
WRVF, which is owned by Clear Channel, was No. 2 overall. It averaged 104,700 listeners during the week.
WRQN-FM (93.5) finished No. 3 for the second time in the last in each of the past five ratings period.
Finishing in a tie for fourth overall were two Clear Channel stations, news/talk WSPD-AM (1370) and rocker WIOT.
Two WSPD talk-show hosts - Fred LeFebvre, 5:30 to 9 a.m.; Brian Wilson, 3 to 6 p.m. - worked their first full ratings periods. Both finished No. 4 among listeners age 12-plus. Each show was No. 3 during the previous ratings period.
LeFebvre's morning show averaged 7,600 listeners during a typical 15-minute interval, down 200 from the previous ratings period. Wilson's afternoon show averaged 5,200 listeners during an average quarter-hour, down 700 from the previous ratings period.
Among listeners age 25 to 54, which is demographic that advertisers covet, WKKO was No. 1 overall with an audience share of 15.5 percent. WRVF was second with a 10.1 share, followed by WIOT at 7.6.
WKKO's morning show was No. 1 in the key demographic with a 16.2 share, followed by WIOT at 11.8 and WRVF at 9.2.
Arbitron conducts four 12-week surveys each year. Its spring ratings period began March 30 and runs through June 21.
Contact Russ Lemmon at:
rlemmon@theblade.com
or 419-724-6122.