The Ten Best Markets For Radio Listeners: The Final Countdown
Written Nov. 30, 2007 by Sean Ross in Content + Ten Best Markets + Terrestrial Radio with 8 Comments
1 - Chicago: A huge, eclectic variety and still the best morning-show slate anywhere (be sure to read our full brief for it below);
2 - Philadelphia: It's made a surprise recent comeback in the "best Rock radio market" sweepstakes, but we're proud to have all of its radio in our backyard, including at least two "best-in-class" stations;
3 - San Francisco: Only Boston rivals it as a News and Talk market. There's local character and a lot of choice, particularly when you add in the South Bay and Santa Rosa;
4 - Miami/Fort Lauderdale: Like radio nowhere else;
5 - New Orleans: Like radio nowhere else, an even more remarkable achievement post-Katrina;
6 - Los Angeles: A lot of undeniable stations and talent. Not quite the bench strength you would want in a market with so much radio;
7 - Washington, D.C.: Pushed into contention by the fiercest Urban competition anywhere, a monster News outlet on FM, and some surprising market entrants in recent years;
8 - Austin, Texas: Radio that matches the city's own eclecticism and appeal;
9 - Salt Lake City: Long the most crowded medium-market: frustrating perhaps for programmers and owners, but great for listeners;
10 - Louisville: A longtime great radio market where the past is still present ... in a good way.
A few days ago, we talked about some, but not all, of the markets that almost made the list: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, and Phoenix. In discussions here, we've also argued the case for Seattle, Denver, San Diego, and Portland, Ore. We've also worried if we were shortchanging some smaller markets that offered quality choices but what we were looking for was both quality and quantity of choice.
But we're hoping you'll now chime in and tell us that we're nuts. After all, if there are a lot of radio markets that people feel passionately about now, that says something good about the state of radio as we head into 2008. Only one caveat: you'll have to make the brief not just for your own station and cluster, but for everybody else's.
And to start the debate, here's KWJJ (the Wolf) PD Mike Moore, doing just that on behalf of Portland, Ore.:
"Hope you'll mention the on-going epic country battle, which by the way, The Wolf has been consistently winning. Heck, there's a legendary CHR with Z100, one America's top Classic Rock stations with KGON, KINK a station that truly embodies the personality of the marketplace, 94/7 KNRK one of the most unique alternative station's in America and now a great Hispanic station on FM with EL Rey, KRYP. Portland really does seem like a logical choice to make the list."
And now, we're ready to mix it up with anybody!
Reader Comments
Your 2¢, in chronological order — add your comment below.
It seems to me that you have overlooked New York City. They have the format variety and talent of your Top 10 markets. Further, quantitatively, there are more radio stations offering outstanding programming than anywhere else in the country. You also have quality non-comms. What's up?
I am ASTOUNDED...No mention of The Motor City DETROIT! How dare you? Detroit was always on the cutting edge w/the HIGHEST RATED Jazz Station in the Nation...Marconi Award winner WJZZ. Perrenial market leader News/Talk WJR And Urban Powerhouse WJLB.
Sean,
Nice reading. It would be hard to find a market where the history hasn't been great. It seems that whatever market you can think of, there have been great talent, great programmers, great radio stations and hard fought battles.............and they continue today! I'm sure every radio person has his/her own version of the top ten.
Thanks for yours,
Buddy Scott
I have just returned from Chicago (last weekend - Thanksgiving) and I have to say that have never been as disappointed with radio in my life. We found it difficult to find a station to “settle on” throughout the whole trip – I found the listening just bland, most stations seemed to be in automation – there were very few tight segues and to be honest I found myself just getting annoyed with the whole listening experience and screaming at the radio oftentimes for the next item to start. The only station that I found worth listening to was Lite FM which was in holiday programming mode – funny liners from Christmas movies and some great seasonal favourites – however there’s only so much Christmas music one can take back to back in November! We eventually found the “90s and Now – The Pulse” channel on Sirius Satellite Radio which became the station of choice for the remainder of the weekend. Tight, great music mix, well voicetracked and easy to listen to.
Re: here in Miami/FTL....you must be counting the infinite pirate stations ..otherwise you'd better like Hispanic or Black programming.
Bravos, Sean! You have done a simply outstanding job in making your case for each of your ten best. I share your pov that Chicago is, arguably, the best of radio markets for listeners in 2007. Cheers
Boston should top your list, with amazingly diverse campus/community radio from Boston College (wzbc.org), MIT (wmbr.org), Emerson (emerson.edu -- it's basically a commercial station), Harvard (whrb.org --- home of the Orgy, a weekend of one great underground artist or genre), Northeastern (wrbbradio.org), Tufts (wmfo.org), Brandeis (wbrs.org) on the fringe of town -- they all have eclectic programming and strong listenership. I'd challenge you to create an equal list from Chicago stations. And two of the best NPR stations in the country are here, WBUR for news (wbur.org -- Car Talk, Here and Now, On Point) and WGBH for arts and culture (wgbh.org -- the World by PRI, Morning Stories). And if you like sports radio, AM has three or four good stations. Anyone who has lived here and lived other places would tell you the radio here is unparalleled. Being from the Midwest myself, I would tell anyone that Chicago won't top this list, and having worked in Miami/Fort Lauderdale, I'll tell anyone it's definitely not a Top-10 listener market (aside from great Cuban and Latin American music). My top 3 would be:
1 - Boston
2 - San Francisco
3 - Chicago
But WFMU for best station in the states. Tune in!
Boston radio is in a laughable state right now. Full of haughty Liberal elites, the city and station managers are ratcheting conservative talk down and trying to replace it with Lib talk. It's not working. Entercom, owners of WRKO (the so-called 'THE Talk Station' in Boston), is in the throes of miserable performance. It can point to success at their sister station, sports talk WEEI. But even there things aren't grand.