BREAKING EXCLUSIVE -- Ticket v. Fan Ratings – A Closer Look at the Whitt Report, and Some Different Numbers

In the previous article, I speculated – actually, I just flat said – that Richie Whitt’s information on The Fan overtaking The Ticket, at least as I was interpreting his report, was wrong.  At least, I didn’t believe it.  Most of the reaction I got back on this agreed with me.  Among other things, Confessors wondered why The Fan would move Ben & Skin to afternoons and G-Bag to drive if things were going as great for The Fan as Mr. Whitt’s number’s purported to demonstrate.   They also wondered why The Fan itself didn’t seem to be trumpeting these results.

Since my article appeared, I’ve heard from industry people who have provided me with information that appears to answer these questions.

Now, I don’t know where Mr. Whitt got his information.  And I am not claiming that he inaccurately reported the information he received.  As you’ll see, I think there likely an explanation for why our numbers diverge.  And, as a non-radio guy myself, I don’t have any way of demonstrating that the information you’ll see in a moment is accurate.  As I’ve said in the past, I get tidbits now and then from sources that I personally cannot vouch for.  I suspect that what Mr. Whitt is reporting are apples, and the numbers I have are oranges. 

All I can say is:  This sounds more like it:

There are a couple of different strains to the information I have received.

First, let’s look at the reported numbers themselves.  Reprising Mr. Whitt’s report as to the overall “ratings”:

Among the coveted demographic (Men 25-54) in the money slot (Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-7 p.m.), since May.   The Ticket has tumbled from a 7.6 rating to a 3.2. The Fan, meanwhile, has surged from a 3.1 to a 5.5. Current score: Fan 5.5, Ticket 3.2. In its 25-year history, I can’t imagine The Ticket every getting lambasted by 2.3 points in a month. Ever.

Initially – and this may be the explanation the difference in our numbers – this passage is  unclear as to what period is being reported.  At first he says, “since May,” suggesting that his numbers apply over a several-month period and represents a trend, but his concluding phrase suggests that The Ticket got “lambasted” in some “month.”  I’m going to proceed on the assumption that he’s looking at numbers “since May,” and not in a particular month, since he seems to be suggesting a trend.  I don't want to be unfair in characterizing his piece, but that's how it's being interpreted, whatever his intention.  But if he’s only talking about a single month -- well, that’s a different story than suggesting some seismic shift in listener preferences, which is the tone of his piece.  So that we’re clear, the information I received relates to the entire time period “since May.”

Next, my sources say that what is important in the battle for advertising dollars is “share.”  “Share” includes the stream for the stations in question, as well as all radio signals (i.e., AM and FM for The Ticket).  And when you look at share “since May” – that is, June through October – for The Ticket and The Fan for that period of time, the numbers are:

            The Ticket:  5.3

            The Fan:  5.0

Admittedly close, makes it look like The Fan may be catching up.  But The Ticket is still on top – far from the industry-upsetting arse-kicking Mr. Whitt appears to be suggesting.

Mr. Whitt reports a similar whupping among individual shows.  I do not have any information about individual programs (or individual months), but his report is inconsistent with those June-through-October numbers, if share during that period is what we are measuring.

Again:  with numbers that close, it is possible, perhaps even likely, that as the Niffle season gets underway, The Fan may have bested The Ticket in September or October as some Confessors speculated in the last string.  And maybe that's what Mr. Whitt is actually reporting.  (Somewhat supporting this speculation is that if we go backwards with those share numbers -- back through May, further distant from football season – my sources advise that the delta favoring The Ticket is even greater.)   It wouldn’t shock anyone, and probably not even the CTO (Cumulo-Ticket Overlords), if there were a ratings reversal in a Cowboys month.  But overall, and over recent months, even conceding that particular natural advantage for The Fan during some months, The Ticket continues to outperform The Fan.

Second, and this is probably more important in the long run, sources confirm my speculation that there is currently controversy in the DFW market over Nielsen’s radio ratings procedures (not solely related to The Ticket’s ratings versus its competitors).   Nielsen has reportedly acknowledged industry complaints and is changing its procedures but they are not expected to be reflected in any instantaneous changes in rankings.

This may be another reason that Entercom is keeping its counsel on ratings – the numbers Mr. Whitt is reporting, and the narrow gap in share that I’m reporting, may be an artifact of dubious sampling that will be corrected as quickly as they appeared.  And Entercom knows it.

*     *     *

I’m not a full-time media or sports writer and I do not propose to get into a spat with Mr. Whitt over the differences between his numbers and mine (not “mine,” but somebody’s).  As noted, I can’t vouch for the accuracy of my own information, so I have no basis to question his.  I have suggested that the ambiguity in his article over whether he’s talking about an individual month or overall ratings “since May” may have something to do with it, and that we both may be correct, depending on what our respective numbers are purporting to reflect.  The tone of his article suggests some kind of longer-term change has taken place in the sports-talk scene in DFW, and that seems not to be the case.  The longer-term share numbers may (or may not, depending on how faulty the sampling is) signal a tightening race, and that makes more sense than the topsy-turvy 180-degree migration of 18-54 yo guys his article seems to portray.

In fact, I’ve enjoyed Richie Whitt’s journalism for a long time and I thought his Fan show with Greg “The Hammer” Williams – we recall “The RAGE,” do we not? -- was an interesting and frequently entertaining, if doomed, initiative.  Some long-time Confessors will also recall his tryout as a plus-one with Mike R and Corby on The Hardline for a day or so back when the station was thinking of replacing HeeHoo instead of promoting Corby.   So I don’t want this to look like Richie-bashing.  I’m just reporting what I hear in reaction from people who know more about it – or claim to – than I do.

*     *     *

One more thing, speaking of Ben & Skin:  The word in the industry is that the switch to afternoons was not a decision of Dallas management, but an edict from Entercom suits somewhat remote from local programming. 

Their departure shortly thereafter was voluntary on their part; they were not fired.

*     *     *

But what I really want to know is:  What the heck is a “stick-burner”?

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310 

The Fan Kicking The Ticket's Toches? Sum Ting Wong.

Thanks to Surly for posting the link to a Richie Whitt article that describes what is apparently a dramatic turnaround in fortunes between The Ticket and The Fan.

https://www.pressboxdfw.com/whitts-end-11-1-19/

Check out the entire article.  Here are the money graphs, cut and pasted without permission:

Among the coveted demographic (Men 25-54) in the money slot (Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-7 p.m.), since May The Ticket has tumbled from a 7.6 rating to a 3.2. The Fan, meanwhile, has surged from a 3.1 to a 5.5. Current score: Fan 5.5, Ticket 3.2. In its 25-year history, I can’t imagine The Ticket every getting lambasted by 2.3 points in a month. Ever.

Not surprisingly, the individual matchups sing a similar song. In mornings, The Fan’s Shan & RJ beat The Ticket’s Musers in October, 5.2-3.7. In middays, The Fan’s Ben & Skin clobbered The Ticket’s BaD Radio, 6.5-2.9. And in afternoons, The Fan’s G-Bag Nation topped The Ticket’s Hardline, 4.9-3.2.

 That is a huge reversal, and almost instantaneous.

But there's something not right about these numbers.  I speak not as an expert on ratings or as any other kind of expert.

The Ticket has been decisively on top of the ratings heap for a long time.  I and, I think, most people, including advertisers, believed those numbers, thought they were accurate.  Partly because of general trust of media ratings, partly because The Ticket was so plainly the superior station.  If anything, its comparative excellence and dominance was growing stronger with the passage of time.  The Fan was, and (mostly) still is, a conventional sports talker, very average with a bright spot here and there.

So I ask you -- do you believe that anything has changed between these two stations, or in its listenership, to have resulted in these surging numbers for The Fan, and the corresponding plummeting of The Ticket over a period of time that is the blink of an eye in radio-ratings time?  The Cowboys factor may have played a part, but The Fan has had the Cowboys for awhile.  That's not it.

I expect we will hear from the people who don't like Corby, and who think that Mike R has been phoning it in for awhile.  Fine; fair points.  But that can't account for what appears to be a wholesale shift up and down the radio day from The Ticket to The Fan, nor would it even if it were The Hardline alone.

No, I'm guessing that what happened here -- and this is the purest, uninformed speculation on my part, nobody feeding me inside industry dope -- is that there is continued turmoil in the world of radio ratings, changes in how ratings are measured, uncertainty on how to deal with streaming, things like that.  And that sometime within the last year, a switch got flipped on how ratings were measured or collected, and we ended up with what look to me like highly anomalous results.  A complete 180 in listenership in no time.  Not possible no matter how much you dislike Corby.

In short:  I don't believe it.

*     *     *

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310 

Let's Continue the Discussion of Gbag v. Hline

Fascinating news for Dallas terrestrial sports-guy-talk radio junkies.  G-Bag going to 2-7.  A bold and smart move by the Fan.  In the past I've given GBag a try and didn't care for it, but that was a long time ago.  I'll try to check it out and see what I think. 

This news is of particular interest in light of the analysis of the last set of ratings.  Confessor DA posted an article analyzing them.  The big news in that article was that, while in general, The Ticket was still #1 overall, listening to sports radio was way down from the same interval the year before.

However, buried in that article was this statement:  "One positive for The Fan, they defeated The Ticket in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 18-34."

That datum should send a shiver down the spine of Dan Bennett and Jeff Catlin.

This sets the stage for a program that attracts a younger demo to go against a Hardline largely believed to have grown stale and complacent (although not so much by me).

I caution that we have seen other programs that were thought at the time to pose a serious threat to The Hardline.  That includes Ben & Skin, and remember the hoohah surrounding the entry of the Richie Whitt/Greg Williams into the fray?

But Gbag seems to be a more serious contender, an overall better and more professional presentation than past contenders.

Will Mike R arise from his torpor and reassert control over The Hardline?  Will Corby prepare segments in advance of the commercial break preceding said segments?  

I would be interested in knowing how streaming factors into the economics of terrestrial radio competition.  The Ticket is one of the most-often streamed radio stations in the world -- am I correct in recalling that it comes in at #2 behind the BBC?  If Gbag is to be considered a success, will it have to make a dent in that segment of listeners?  Beyond my radio expertise, I'm afraid.

Anyway, let's continue the commentary on this.  I'll conclude by excerpting a fun comment from the last thread from Anonymous 656:

"Very very interesting stuff, fellow Confessors. Game on, indeed. THL had best step up their game, like, NOW. People, I believe we might be about to experience one of the coolest things a listener can witness, something that hasn't occurred around these here parts since the mid-80s (and really doesn't happen anymore, anywhere): Ladies and Germs, I think we might have a station war on our horizon. If so, buckle up buttercups, because it's gonna be one b-i-t-c-h of a ride. G-BaG has been and continues to be on the rise. Their fanbase keeps growing and growing more and more rabid. VERY reminiscent of the nascent Ticket years--especially with THL. THL, on the other hand, lost its fastball long ago. It's coasted on having damn near zero competition in its time slot. Can they step it up and be the true juggernaut that inspired the masses to walk out on a Rangers game or will they in a few books fade into a perennial second? How will B&S fare v. The Invasion and BaD? Will the CTO offer a counter move? If so, what? And will those (and there are many) who listen to G-BaG and switch to The Ticket once B&S are up now flip flop, leaving THL with less listeners but perhaps giving BaD more (though the final hour of BaD will go against G-BaG)? Whatever happens, best pop ya popcorn, pimps, ladies, and playas, because it's gonna be thrill ride. Bring. It. ON!

"And you were pondering on whether to close up shop or not, Pman..... THIS is what MTC is all about."

 

Data Dump

I've been terribly delinquent in getting up new blasts, but I do have an excuse:  Last Tuesday's storms were unkind to our shack out on the plains, and after a couple of visits from contractors and adjusters, the fine folks at Amica have offered to replace our sod roofing.  Those interruptions mean longer work hours and fewer MTC hours.  

I keep notes on things to write about.  I look at them and think yeah, that would work for a short piece, and then they get stale and I don't do it.  So to atone for my lack of output recently, I'm going to unload a ton of stuff on you in the hope that it will provoke a rainbow of well-considered reactions in the thread to follow.  Numbered for your convenience.

[By the way:  The guy who comments three or four times per thread making obvious reference to T.C. (and sometimes Jake) without naming him (them) – I'm going to start deleting you.  You got something specific, let's have it.]

*     *     *

            (1)   Let's say that Craig "Junior" Miller decided to go on the bicycle racing tour, whatever it's called, for a couple years.  Let's further say – and this may be more far-fetched – that Gordon could be persuaded to stop baiting Mike Doocy.  Would you listen to the George-Mike-Gordon Musers with regularity?  I would.

            (2)  I'm going to lose what modest credibility I have with some of you, but I am listening to those Reagor-Dykes ads with greater respect these days.  There may be some genius going on there.  That crappy production, the corny "keeping it real" theme, and Bart's non-sequitur giving-it-to-you-on-the-level ad copy ("I've never found Amelia Earhart, I've never published a paper on quantum loop gravity, but I'll make you a deal on a great car") – awful.  But he kind of won me over when he started pleading.  "Hey," he says, "don't hate me before you get to know me."  I don't like leasing my Conestogas (sorry, AutoFlex and D&M) and am unlikely to buy a used model, but if I did I might give old Bart a whirl.

            (3)  Over Drydock (I told you some of this stuff was stale), I heard Jake talking about someone, didn't catch the first part of his discussion so I don't know who he was talking about.  But the words out of his mouth made me laugh:   "The biggest thing for me was I learned about ego.  I couldn't believe anyone could be that brash that early in their career."  I didn't detect an ironic inflection in his remark.

            (4)  Why can't we have Intentional Grounding all year long?

            (5)  Award for Brain-Freeze Commercial Koan/Tautological Phrase of the Year goes to the following utterance from one of the blind pitch-guys on a Non-24 ad:  "If you're like me, you're not alone."

 

(6)  I do wonder about The Fan sometimes.  It was near the end of the Niffle year (at least for the Cowboys), I was switching back and forth between Norm/Donnie and the Fan post-game.   In contrast to Ticket callers, they took call after call from fans who were positively thrilled about the Cowboys' prospects for 2016.  Gavin shared their optimism.  When Jesse Holley tried to make a point about the Pokes' uncreative play-calling, Brad Sham (who joins the show for a segment) shot him down.  Aside from what seems like unsupportable Cowboys boosterism, however, it's not a bad show.   I've always thought Holley was quite good on it.

(7)  Is "Not a Podcast" a dig at "It's Just Banter?"   Let's help Justin and Machine think of a better name for what's a pretty good weekend show.

(8)  The muddy signal stayed muddy for a long time.  I don't know if I've just gotten used to it, but has it gotten a little sharper lately?   Someone dropped a comment not long ago, perhaps copied from Reddit, about some repairs being made.

(9)  Yes, I do like Not a Podcast.  Like it quite a lot.  And while I'm usually hands-off with the JV as they work to make names for themselves, I must say this – less Machine.  A couple of weeks ago I had to punch out when Justin was doing some news or something – in any event, it was a Justin segment – and the poor guy couldn't get a single sentence out without Machine derailing the point.

(10)  Corby did a story on 69 yo CBS newsman Steve Kroft's extramarital romps with the (rather attractive, and also married) Harvard Law School-educated NYC attorney Lisan Goines, dramatically illustrated with texts, in one of which he advised her, J-J Taylor-style, that instead of working he would "rather be eating your pudding."  What was strange about Corby's report is that this all took place a year ago, and there was nothing new on the story.  I wouldn't be mentioning this, except for Corby's closing remark, which made me laugh out loud on my drive home:  "I hope that when I'm 69 I'm not involved in a pudding scandal."

Lisan Goines, Esq.

            (11)  Did I hear George Dunham say that if you buy two PowerBall tickets instead of one, you do not double your chances of winning?  Yes, I did.  

*     *     *

 
Thanks for staying strong with MTC.  Hits still solid despite my recent neglect.  Will try to do better.  

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310

BREAKING: The Ratings Go Up, the Ratings Go Down

Thanks to Anonymous 718 for passing along the latest ratings in a comment to the last post:

October Sports Radio Ratings

The Ticket is still comfortably ahead overall in prime time in the prime demo.  Cat should give The Musers a nice gift card to All-Pro Foundation Repair, as they seem to be shouldering the burden of keeping The Ticket on top when everything is averaged out.

I don't know if there is much to be made about the rest of it.  I think it's fair to say that over the last several ratings periods, The Hardline and Ben & Skin are in a pretty close battle.

All of this must be viewed against the backdrop of continuing controversy nationwide over the accuracy of radio ratings since Nielsen switched to the personal people meters.  (What other kind of a meter would a personal meter be?)  (I wrote about the controversy in this post.)  As I also wrote in that post, The Musers' steady dominance tends to undercut the argument that the methods for measuring ratings are seriously flawed -- although I think that its much broader appeal means that it will tend to weather random ratings variations better than the other shows that don't offer as much variety.

I find The Hardline/Ben & Skin race less interesting than Norm & Donovan + Bad Radio's struggles against G-Bag Nation.  Norm & Donovan are significantly behind, while this time around the delta with BaD is about the same as between The Hardline and Ben & Skin.  I guess the jump in The Ticket's ratings at noon means some people are switching from G-Bag to BaD -- but not enough to vault BaD into the lead.

 The Hardline continues to get slagged in these pages, but as I wrote after Cat's AMA, it does seem to me like Mike is making his presence felt to a greater degree than he was there for awhile.  And it makes it a better show.   Show prep seems a little better.  Not a lot, but better.  But I do hear those Confessors who are weary of the lo-info cultural criticism that seems to have become a feature of most episodes.

I've been thinking about auditing Ben & Skin and G-Bag to see if I can discern its appeal.  My very hit-and-miss listening to Ben & Skin hasn't impressed me, but I haven't really given it a fair shot.  Maybe I'll take that up.

In the meantime, your views always welcome.

 *     *     *

A few readers need to revisit The Rules of the Confessional.   I've rejected several comments lately that were fine with the exception of entirely unnecessary shots or insults of other Confessors.  That's a deletin'.

bubba begs somewhat to differ

Confessor bubba had some thoughts at variance with Larry in Mowry's.  I'm not sure they're contrary, but bubba does pitch matters a little differently.  He thought they might work as a post, and I did too.

I am delighted to receive proposed posts from Confessors.  However, if you want to suggest some text for a post, please send them as emails and not as comments.  It is easier for me to handle them that way.   If I like your submission but decide not to use it as a post, I'll stick it in a comment myself with attribution if it meets the Rules of the Confessional (link at bottom of this post).  So one way or the other you'll get published.  Thanks.

I'm hopeful to have Larry in Mowry's exegesis on ESPN's offerings sometime soon.  

I have edited bubba's text very lightly for cleanup and clarity.

*     *     *

Back to Larry's main comments re: the Fan/Fail (to be referred to as the ‘F’ in this post for ease) and the way it has so effectively ripped from the Ticket as to make it their own  --  I disagree. And by that I mean no disrespect.

Yes, they have done a decent job of the whole "guys talking guy stuff in addition to sports," but their station totally lacks the thing that makes the Ticket so unique (and nearly impossible to copy):  a steady, long-term relationship with its listeners.

Maybe they will get there at some point, but that rapport takes years to build.

Just look at this blog and others (unTicket, reddit etc) as an example. What other radio station (anywhere) has enough dedicated listeners to put together multiple sites in which all they discuss is all things related to that station? We’re like a bunch of women gossiping about "The Bachelor" or some soap opera for heaven's sake.

And the ways that relationship was built will not be easily duplicated (by the F or anyone). The inside jokes that take months or years to get up to speed on as a listener, the vast library of drops, the way you feel a kinship with each host in some personal way (which requires a steady hosting lineup over long periods of time), the way the hosts and the whole station laugh at themselves and celebrate their own mediocrity.

I truly don’t think we will see another station/relationship like this in our lifetimes. Which I guess is kind of distressing in itself. What will we turn to when/if the beloved Little One is no longer?

Does the Ticket have problems? Absolutely. I don’t disagree with what people are saying about their complacency nor the need for Corby to back off/Mike to step up and for the web site to get out of the 90s. But to worry that the F will be able to supplant the relationship the Ticket has with its P1s seems a bridge too far (though why doesn’t someone at the Ticket use some version of the ‘F text’ during shows? It would be easy to do and it’s a great tool).  

The main thing the Ticket needs to worry about is NOT the F or ESPN taking their place. They need to worry about staying relevant and bringing the next generation of P1 into the fold. Because if they can’t create a relationship with the new P1 like they have with us, then all they have is "guys talking with guys about sports," and THAT’S where the F and ESPN could have an in. In fairness to Larry, he hammers this point home as well.

I am pretty comforted by the fact that BaD could easily take over for THL when Mike hangs it up, and there are several good choices to fill after noon (TSJ, Sirois). Norm is virtually irreplaceable from a knowledge/chops standpoint, but his time slot isn’t as important and can be filled with current talent. But when the Musers hang it up, especially if it’s near Mike’s retirement, then we’ll really need to hold on to our butts. Here’s to hoping things change organically enough that the Little One remains relevant for us and the next generation of P1 long into the future.  

Likely not bubba

Likely not relevant to bubba's post

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Before posting, please read Rules of the Confessional.  Thank you.] 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310  

Hello, Larry

A week or so back an Anonymous Confessor who later identified himself as Larry in Mowry (love it) submitted a three-part comment.  (He said he had commented in the distant past, but was recently inspired by the uptick in comment quality.)   Many of his observations will have been made by Confessors from time to time, but I thought the presentation was original and thoughtful and the writing colorful.  I'm going to give you all three parts here, so it will go on a bit.  I have edited very slightly for for clarity.

I was purposely flipping between TSJ and The FAN this morning. Heard an interesting B&S ad: "Two best friends who grew up in Richardson and who relate to you...The Ben and Skin Show." Those weren't the exact words, but damn near. Obviously it's a double-edged sword strike. 

     --  1. "THL doesn't get you anymore, they're too big time." 

     --  2."We're like The Ticket and THL used to be; we live like/where you do, think like you do, have the same problems you do." 

Maybe I'm a sucker, but I thought it was a pretty effective commercial. There was another spot that touted K&C Masterpiece being "guys like you and your buddies," and one more about how The FAN has more local programming than the other two stations. Again, me, a sucker?, perhaps; but I found them effective.

Overall I've tried to give The FAN a fair amount of listening the past few weeks--during all hours of the weekdays/nights and weekend days/nights. In full disclosure, I'm a D1P1, so yeah I'm biased towards The Ticket, even if I'm trying my best not to be. Having said that:

Flat out, The Ticket is better than The FAN across the board where weekdays are concerned. Flat out. "No question," as Corby would say. I'd go as far to say that other than Mike Bacsik (Ticket ex-pat) and AT TIMES B&S (Ticket ex-pats), the shows and hosts are not good to plain awful. GBag, the show Bacsik is on, might be the worst of the lot (though he's solid). Then again New School might be the worst. But.

I can see why The FAN (I'm going to devote likewise listening time to ESPN for the next 2 weeks beginning Monday, so I'm not discussing them) has gained on and in some places tied or even surpassed The Ticket. Moreover I can see why this isn't a trend, why it'll most likely continue, and thus how we are probably witnessing, barring some big gestures by The Ticket, Rome fall. Not go away, mind you, but to no longer be an empire.

     -- 1. The FAN has, on every level, coopted damn near everything The Ticket does. This includes lingo, attitude, aping Ticket hosts, copying promotions and listener-love events such as Ticketstock and Summerbash, and damn near everything and anything else and in every possible way that makes The Ticket, The Ticket. They have been doing it long enough now that, they've gotten really really good at it. To the point that it sounds organic, seamless. It used to not be that way. However, they have hired enough Ticket ex-pats and have done enough homework, and have hired management types such as Gilbert and now Spittle who either helped shepherd The Ticket to its heights (Gilbert), or aped The Ticket to such a degree (and to such a success) in another market (Houston) that that station's hosts and listeners actually get pissed and think The Ticket has ripped them off (Spittle).

      --  2. I also heard the Corby "I love you Jeff (Staubach)" moment last week. That plays right into [the] B&S spot I heard. Frankly, the spot has a ring of truth to it. One thing I didn't hear from any FAN host was the self-promotion for one's band or the kickass concert seats/suite or being in some local celeb's suite for the Mavs or Stars game or about hanging/texting/chatting with local musician celeb A, B, or C. You might hear a sports figure's name dropped. But it's always tied into the sports topic at hand, and not in a personal "my close friend/running buddy"kind of way like we find on The Ticket (mostly THL, to be fair).

      --  3.While the guy talk aspect of the equation is definitely a player on The FAN, sports takes precedence. Other than Norm and to some extent BaD (at least for the B side of BaD), it's the other way around at The Ticket. I know this is going to sound crazy to the bit lovers out there, but the majority of sports-guy talk listeners tune in primarily for sports talk.

      --  4. Signal. Signal. Signal. You can hear The FAN anywhere in the DFW area and even into the vast hinterlands. The Ticket, not so much. The FM signal is not good. It's better in some places, worse in others. Indeed it's the perfect counterpart to its AM sister.

      --  5. "I" know who CBS is, what's a Cumulus Station?

      --  6. Website, apps, and web presence in general. The FAN = solid, industry standard job; Ticket = Y2K disaster did happen, but only to The Ticket -- which never recovered.

Final Analysis: [LiM is engaging in a little theater of the mind here; he's a D1P1, recall.  Sorry for the overexplaining.] I'm new in town/I'm 15-16 and discovering sports radio.   Hmmm. OK. Here's a CBS station called The FAN. I know what CBS is, and hell, it's the station that comes in the best. They have the Cowboys and the Rangers. If there was another station, I've never been able to pick it up where I live, or not very well. Wow. These guys speak to me. They're besties from Richardson who dig what I dig and have the same problems I have (maybe not the young "discovering" listener). They have cool listener appreciation gatherings. Etc. Oh, I finally found out about and gave The Ticket a try. I don't know, their supposedly badass show, THL, does nothing but gossip like my wife or gf with her friends about tv shows and Hollywood and talk out of their asses about everything they have no knowledge on (and about music like a teenager or college student does) .  .  .  and has no interest in talking about what they actually know, or are supposed to know (sports and everyday mundane guy crap). Besides, both stations sound just alike in lingo and for the most part in presentation. Except The FAN breaks at regular intervals and has more content per hour.

Then you have the Ticket listener, from D1P1 to P1 to P2 who, after having been kicked out of the treehouse so to speak by the cool kids, says "I'll try something else for a while," and finds out that yes, The FAN isn't as good on the whole, but the dialogue and language itself is familiar; and you know what? they actually seem to want me in their club. These guys are dealing with the same bulsh I am. We're all sitting in Section 233 at the Stars game, having some beers, having a good time.

The Ticket IS a much better station. But The Ticket is in trouble. Not sure if they can fix it. One thing is for sure, they did it all to themselves.

Not Larry in Mowry

*     *     *

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