Posts by Damian Christie
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Also, just taking another look at those ratings, Breakfast is bFM's lowest rating part of the day, other than overnights, when everyone in the world seems to listen to ZB talkback.
Competition is of course fiercest at breakfast, but it does indicate that more people switch to (or stay with, rather than turning off after breakfast) bFM during the day. And bFM Drive is the most popular show.
(All this info is again, based on the last survey not the one that came out on Friday. If anyone has that info, feel free to send it on).
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bFM is like Radio One in that sense (they are cooler than everyone else in town, associate their brand with the coolest gigs etc, and have a membership card), but it's not like Radio One in the sense that it reaches a massive number of people for a NZ student radio station. It's always been the big fish in the student radio pond. Which puts it in some awkward situations, and means it can compete with fully commercial radio stations.
Iin fact, in the last survey results (not the ones that came out on Friday, I don't have them), in the 25-39 demographic, out of 21 stations surveyed, bFM was in 6th place - ahead of ZB, which is a true goliath. It beat Hauraki, and More FM and George, and Radio Live (but was beaten by Breeze, ZM, Classic Hits, Mai and The Rock). That's impressive by anyone's standards.
It also says the audience is ageing....
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(BTW, I can only imagine how thrilled RadioWorks is about having bought George then finding Thane Kirby setting up Ponsonby FM 100 metres away.
If RadioWorks didn't had the sense to put contractual steps in place to stop that happening, then they've got bigger problems than Thane :)
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Markets like information, the more the better. Would you buy ads on a station that just winked at you and said, 'trust me"....
Again, as I said, bFM had advertising for many many years before it bought ratings in the 2000s. How much, and of what quality and value is the real question.
People buy advertising for all sorts of reasons. I'm amazed at the number of people who buy ads in magazines with no discernable readership (I also realise many ads in such magazine are freebees, contra etc). Often its because they want to support the people who are giving it a go, in the case of local titles. Other times they're doing it because it's 'cool'. And often, in any of these cases, because they are stupid.
When I helped get George FM off the ground I sold ads and sponsorship (as well as did the breakfast show, managed the station etc). We had no figures. But there was so much chatter about this new low frequency station in Ponsonby, people were willing to take a punt and get in on the ground floor. If they get a good response to their advertising, then they'll keep doing it, and ratings don't matter.
The worst thing was when people wanted to do ads saying "come in and tell us you heard this ad and get a free whatever" and no-one did...
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I guess my point was that having bought in the first time, we seemed somewhat condemned to keep buying them at the risk of "trying to hide something" if we didn't. And I remember that while the first ratings seemed really positive, because we really had no clue before that, the second survey (IIRC) showed a massive drop and bFM falling behind George, which was disheartening, and no doubt affected advertisers' decision-making.
bFM had advertising before it bought into surveys, Russ, you would perhaps know better than I do whether advertising revenue was up (in good surveys and bad) after joining the system than before. Because as you say, bFM has always had a cool factor that all those other 'marginal' radio stations didn't, and the ad agencies knew it.
As for TVNZ7 being part of the Neilsen ratings, probably, but I've never seen them reported anywhere, including the TVNZ intranet site, nor has anyone ever discussed them with me. Trust me, as someone who has worked on Close Up and Sunday, if you don't hear about them, and you're not being asked to change your show on a weekly basis as a result of them, they (to all intents and purposes) don't exist :)
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Ha, yeah, it's funny how one's weekend moods can be set by the specialist show on at the time. I don't usually listen to the jazz show to be honest - nothing against the hosts, jazz just gets to me after a while (I find myself hearing songs that sound exactly like the bit in the promo for the show that says "it's like, do-doodle-oo, do-doodle-oh"!) but really like Automatic's Back on the Good Foot. Generally creates the perfect vibe for some sunday arvo wines.
And then, just when I'm a bit sozzled having sat through Sunday drive, Border Radio comes along and makes Sunday evening beautifully melancholy...
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Craig, you've known me long enough to spell my name correctly. The others I forgive, but reallly...
Radio Live didn't enter us in the awards, the DLC did, thanks to a massive effort by Glynis in compiling an hour long highlights package of shows from the past year. So big thanks to her and the boys. :)
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@Andre - "My cat's breath smells like cat food." :)
@Kyle - they're expecting a good turn out? Awesome. Looking forward to it. We don't book tables as a general rule I don't think, you could ask the pub if they're reserving tables. Otherwise it's just first in first served - turn up early. I don't know the bar, whether they serve meals etc, but if so then come down for dinner about 6 or 7, grab a good table, settle in.
And make sure you come and introduce yourself!
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I think coming down off that high has been a challenge for the station as a whole. I was on the board that bought the ratings. We thought we were bloody geniuses.
Heh, yeah I have mixed feelings about b joining up to the ratings. As I complained recently about ratings re Campbell/Close Up etc, everyone loves ratings when they win, dismisses their validity when they don't. The best answer I believe is to stay away from them completely. Works for RNZ. Works for us at 7 don't ya reckon Russ? So I think buying those first ratings must've seemed smart, but having bought into the system, it becomes impossible to then pretend one is not part of it. Genuine question: If you could do it again, would you?
Second-time Mikey has been more professional, and, crucially, I think new entrants have flourished during that time
I've never denied Mike's a talented broadcaster - I wish I had a fraction of his on-air charisma and energy. However I struggle to call anyone who is consistently half an hour to an hour late for work "professional"; that's one hell of a caveat.
I don't think Matt will do BOTY in the morning. I don't think Chris is coming with him, for a start, and I think that schtick mainly comes as a duo. I expect he will be quick-witted and irreverent, sure, but I also think he'll be more thoughtful than you might hear on Drive. I don't expect to hear the catch-phrase "Good Morning, Arseholes". Anyone who knows him knows he's got more than a few brain cells to rub together.
@Simon - yeah I was referring to you and Greg :) But as I say, specialist shows call for specialist people, the best person for the job etc, regardless of age. That's one of the continued strengths of bFM, and I wouldn't want that to change.
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@Jackie - As I said, I'm sure Matt will be polarising to some degree - as Mikey is himself - and there will be listeners who drop off, and others who return after years listening elsewhere. I would say perhaps don't prejudge until you've given it a chance, and query where you're going to find anything better - even a bad show on bFM is easier on the ears than a good show on zm, for instance.
@Simon - I think the demographic definitely is older these days. Although it wasn't so many years ago these two guys who must now be pushing 50 used to host bFM's electronic music shoBw... and there are people like Jim, Troy, Dubhead etc, all doing great shows despite the greying hair.
Perhaps you're suggesting non-specialist shows should be different, and I tend to agree. Part of me would always like see a relative unknown newcomer have a shot at the big show. I think one to watch is Mike's producer Vince. He does the show until Mike shows up, so he's had heaps of airtime, and filled in for a week when Mike was suspended recently. I think he's only 18 or something, but he's a natural talent. Perhaps they think he needs a couple more years on him, but I hope he's on their radar for the future.