Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins, yesterday on Capitol Hill: “you’re better off having more stop sets with fewer commercials in each pod."
.. so I checked the top of the rankers from yesterday's ARB November PPM monthlies, to see how many programmers agreed with that assertion. I reviewed the top ranked music stations in New York and Los Angeles yesterday in their 9:00 am to 10:00 am hour:
Station - # of commercial breaks:
WLTW (#1) - 2
WCBS-FM - 2
WHTZ - 4
WAXQ - 2
WKTU - 2
WPLJ - 4
WRKS - 2
WBLS - 4
KRTH (#1) - 3
KIIS - 3
KAMP - 2
KPWR - 3
KCBS-FM - 2
KLOS (no music) - 3
KBIG - 3
KHHT - 3
KROQ - 4
The average number of commercial pods in same hour by these 17 top-rated music stations in America's two largest markets: 2.8.
Before implementing programming guidance from a CEO, you might want to ask some top programmers who have been managing daily cume and daily time spent exposed usage.
However, proving that he is paying attention and learning along the way, Liggins also cited for lawmakers the lessons syndicated morning host Tom Joyner has learned from PPM, and that guidance will find few detractors among PD's or programming consultants who have experience in any of the meter-measured markets:
"Talk, no matter how big a personality you are, if you’re not absolutely entertaining, is a death knell.”
