First look at first PPM data ...

Note: the info below compares the last paper-diary results with the first burst of PPM-collected data. There are significant variances between the two modes of data collection and that would account for the huge differences seen.

The question we should all be asking, though, as we view these differences, is this: which of these ratings results is based on a faulty system of data collection and interpretation?

If you do not understand either the diary system or the new PPM system or are unfamiliar with radio ratings altogether, please visit www.arbitron.com and take a look at their tutorials.

Now, here's the memo Secret Squirrel dug up...

Here's a quick glance at the first St. Louis pages of Arbitron's new PPM system. The following is a summary of the Spring 2009 to July 2009 breakout.

Overall, quite a few of the big stations remain where they have always been, and a few are higher than they have been recently. Monday through Sunday, 25-54 Persons shows The Arch, KSHE, Y98, K-HITS and KLOU as your top five. It's the "percentage of change" stat that is noticeable. The Arch (up 72%), KSHE (up 60%), Y98 (up 55%), K-HITS (up 55%) and KLOU (up 39%). There are astonishing increases for The Point in this demo. Not traditionally thought of as much of a factor 25-54, they're up 44% here for sixth place, up 37% in mornings for eighth place, up 26% mid-days for sixth place, and up 41% at night for fourth place. Also in Persons 25-54, Monday through Sunday, there's a 104% increase for WHHL, a 56% drop for KFNS and an 88% drop for KATZ-AM. WIL is seventh, followed by z107, WHHL, WFUN, KMJM, KEZK, KSD, KTRS and KFTK at 15th. KMOX is next, followed by KATZ-FM, KWMU, the new WXOS and KFUO. Of note is KMOX's streaming audio on the internet finishing in a 24th-place tie, ahead of #21 KSLG (Team 1380). The 18-34 numbers, Monday through Sunday, show swings Arbitron may have to explain. For example, The Arch is up 156%, WIL is up 121%, K-HITS is up 180%, KFTK is up 109%, while KFNS is up 100%. Z107, The Arch, The Point, WHHL, Y98, KSHE, KATZ-FM, WIL, KSD, KLOU, K-HITS, KMJM, WFUN, KEZK and KFTK are your top fifteen. KTRS is down 55% at #16, KWMU (tied at #16), WXOS, KMOX and KFNS round out the top twenty.

MORNINGS: Wild swings in Persons 25-54 for Y98 (6th to 2nd), KMOX (12th to 4th), KFTK (10th to 5th), WIL (1st to 9th), KEZK (4th to 12th), Z107 (3rd to 12th tie) and KMJM (8th to 15th. The Arch is up 82%, Y98 up 71%, KMOX up 53%, KLOU up 53% and WXOS up 46%. KFNS is down 40% while KSLG is down 63%. The Arch, Y98, KSHE, KMOX, KFTK, WFUN, KLOU, The Point, WIL and K-HITS are your top ten. That's followed by KWMU, KEZK, Z107, KSD, KMJM, WHHL, KATZ-FM, KTRS, WXOS and KFNS. KMOX's streaming audio is 27th. The 18-34 numbers have The Arch in first place with a 170% increase, followed by Y98 (up 118%), The Point, Z107, WIL, KSD, KSHE, WHHL, KATZ-FM and KFTK at #10. KMOX shows a 650% increase for 18th place, while their streaming audio finishes 25th.

MID-DAYS: In 25-54, Persons, The Arch, KSHE, Y98, KLOU, K-HITS, the Point WIL, KSD, KEZK, KMOX are your top nine, with Z107 and WFUN tied for 10th. KMJM, KFTK, WHHL, KTRS, KATZ-FM, KWMU, WXOS and KFUO round out the top twenty. Again, KMOX streaming audio shows up at #22, one notch behind KFNS and one ahead of KSLG.

AFTERNOONS: In 25-54 Persons, The Arch, Y98, and KSHE are top three, but The Point comes out of nowhere to move from 9th place into 4th. WHHL moves 18th to 5th, up 150%. That's followed by K-HITS, KLOU, KMJM, WIL, Z107 and KEZK. KFTK drops 2nd to 12th, tied with KTRS, and followed by KATZ-FM, KSD, KMOX, WFUN, KWMU, WXOS and KFUO. KMOX streaming audio finishes #26. In 18-34 there are more wild discrepancies, most notably K-HITS up 633% to 12th and KFNS up 200% to 21st. KMOX streaming audio is 25th.

NIGHTS: The Arch, KSHE, WHHL, Z107, KTRS, K-KITS (up 282%), WIL, The Point (up 222%), Y98 and KATZ-FM are the top ten. In 18-34 we see Z107 first, followed by WHHL, the Point, The Arch (up 300%), KATZ-FM, KSHE, WIL, Y98, WFUN and KLOU at #10. KIHT is up 440% to #13, while KMOX's streaming audio checks in at #22.

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