Russ Martin Scores Early

Posted on August 9th, 2010 3:12pm by Tim Rogers
Filed under radio

RMS-KINGThanks to portable people meters, a technology borrowed from Star Trek, Arbitron can now measure radio audiences in ever smaller time segments. Martin returned to the North Texas airwaves on July 12, and in the first three days, he brought in some big numbers for KEGL 97.1. In the 18-to-34 demo, during the 6 to 10 a.m. slot, he took the station from No. 15 to No. 3. And in the 25-to-54 demo, he took the station from No. 14 to No. 1. Those are big jumps. But as one radio executive tells me (and I use the term “executive” loosely):

Looking at ratings over the short term (one week or three days of one week) is kind of like watching the stock market for an hour or a day or a week, rather than over a month or a quarter. It’s a very, very small snapshot that may or may not be indicative of what really is happening big picture-wise.

I tuned in for short periods during my drive to work for the first couple of weeks Martin was on the air. To my ear, he came out of the gate haltingly (which was to be expected, given how long he’d been farting around his house and auto repair shop, away from a broadcast studio). The show just didn’t feel like it had the same pace and momentum I remembered. On-air stumbles (looking for the right sounders in the computer, trying to figure out when to go to commercial or traffic or whatever) that once sounded organic and welcome, if not planned, sounded on the new show like they were simply on-air stumbles. But even in the short time he’s been on the air, I’ve noticed improvement.

We’ll see whether that “very, very small snapshot” is indicative or not. There could have been a lot of people like me, just straying from their usual radio appointments out of curiosity to see what the show sounds like. Or, as the billboards say, maybe the king is back.

17 comments

  1. I have listened to him every day since I found out he is back…. I agree not quite as good but head and shoulders above anything else out there….

    That being said I am also a 26/m.

    @ 3:32 pm on August 9, 2010

  2. Usually the “radio executives” who don’t like to qualify those stats are the same ones that work at the stations who are NOT benefitting from them…i.e. the Goliath groups who used to tout market domination in all demos. Just saying…

    @ 3:46 pm on August 9, 2010

  3. Another reason to thank God for KXT and satellite radio. Thankfully, radio executives are heading the way of the dodo.

    @ 10:51 pm on August 9, 2010

  4. He started out a little problematic, but has since regained his footing. Accounting for the changes in personnel, at this point it seems almost as though he never left the radio. Too bad about J.D. Ryan not returning, but that isn’t Russ’ fault. Just happy to hear them back on the radio again, at least until Russ’ 50th birthday.

    @ 5:27 am on August 10, 2010

  5. I don’t know about everyone, but my friends and I were so excited to hear he was coming back, and have adjusted our mourning routines to get up and listen at 6 a.m. and listen at work, until 10.

    In my opinion, the show is great, and getting better. It’s a bit different, which is to be expected, it’s a different time, and a different cast. Russ has a lot of adjusting to do to get it back to that completely natural feeling that it had, but it’s getting there.

    I have to say though that even on his worst day, he is million times better than the other crap that is on in the morning. There really hasn’t been a good morning show in Dallas since he left.

    @ 8:03 am on August 10, 2010

  6. I was a loyal listener of his afternoon show but have been disappointed with his move to the morning. The political talk is annoying to me, especially when some of their facts are so far off. I’ve started changing the channel when they start up with anything political. I’m sure some day I will probably not even bother to start with Russ in the morning.

    @ 8:44 am on August 10, 2010

  7. Kudos to Russ and the gang. While JD definitely threw him under the bus with the Dallas Observer article, I think that it actually helped Russ indirectly. I think the show is better now as they still have their crude and awesome “tree house”, but Russ seems (so far) to be a tad bid more respectful to the other guys. I hope and believe that they can and will keep up this momentum.

    @ 11:17 am on August 10, 2010

  8. Why is Russ considered the King? He had a brief 4-5 stint where he was #1 in the ratings in the afternoons. The rest of the time the Hardline (The Ticket) beat him. When Russ was in mornings in the 90’s, he struggled. There are other morning shows in DFW (Kidd, The Musers, Hal Jay, Dorsey, Joyner) who have been on top of the ratings for 15-20 years, not 4 or 5…yet nobody calls any of them “King”. Am I missing something?

    @ 5:38 pm on August 10, 2010

  9. I see that Russ is back on the air, I do miss his old 105 show and was disappointed when it went off the air. I see he is back on now with mixed reviews. I will certainly be listening when I return home, I am currently in Baghram, Afghanistan.

    Russ didn’t mince any words, he told it like it is. What did J.D. say?? Anybody??

    @ 4:03 am on August 11, 2010

  10. TheTruth,

    Russ is the king because he is the only host to follow Stern’s removal, and not only maintain the ratings, but improve them.

    And he was consistently top rated in his target demographic, what in the radio industry is known as the money demographic because it is the people with disposable income, and most likely to spend it. The ticket was number one in their target demographic, which is much more narrow demographic. They appeal to two different audiences, but if you take the ratings in the all listeners category Russ was always ahead, not to mention, he regularly held the longest listener lead, meaning his average listener listened for 2 to 2 and half hours a day, while most shows average listeners only listen for an hour and half.

    Another reason he is the king is ad revenue. Ad time on his show is more expensive than ad time on any other show, because of the loyalty of his listeners.

    What it all comes down to, is what demographic are they number one in. Kidd is number one in his target demo, females 15-30, and the others you mention are number one in their target demo. Russ is number one not only in his target demo, but also number one period, as in all listeners.

    decawthorn,

    J.D. said some pretty bad things in this interview:
    http://www.dallasobserver.com/2009-07-30/news/former-shock-jock-russ-martin-s-ego-and-wallet-continue-to-swell-though-he-s-quietly-losing-relevance/

    Fact is love him or hate him, Russ has a very loyal fan base, and generates huge revenue for what ever station he is with, which is why CBS paid him 6 figures to sit at home, they didn’t want to have to compete with him.

    @ 8:36 am on August 11, 2010

  11. Jack–
    Part of what you’re are saying is correct, about certain shows being number one in certain demos. However, Russ was rarely number one among all listeners. His time at the top was VERY short compared to Kidd. And what exactly is his target demo? I thought M 25-54 was the demo that featured the most disposable income–Russ has not been number one in that demo much. Also true about what you said regarding revenue–which is partly why CBS fired him. His show, in the end, was hard to sell because he had become such and unlikable commodity (because of the abuse case) and because his ratings had slipped. He was not “The King” when he left there, and in fact, he has only been the true ratings king for a very short time during his years on the air in Dallas. That title should go to Kidd, in all fairness.

    @ 12:07 pm on August 11, 2010

  12. TheTruth-

    Speaking as a small business owner who attempted to buy time on the show, near the end, I can assure you that they were not having issues selling time, I was told that their were currently no open ad time during the main run of the show, and was offered a chance to buy time on the over night rebroadcast instead.

    He was taken off the air because the station overall sucked in the ratings, and they decided to change formats. (Something I never understood, because they got rid of Russ and Tom, the only two shows on that station that had good ratings, kept everyone else, and thought that would make it better.)

    Kidd may have been number one in his time slot, but his listener share was not as big as Russ. Really one couldn’t compare the two before since they were not in direct competition. Now that they are on at the same time we will see who beats who in the ratings. My money is on Russ.

    @ 10:08 am on August 12, 2010

  13. C729 – I’m right there with you. I’m really happy the show is back but the political talk is driving me nuts too. Poor Trey tries to provide some facts but Russ isn’t interested in facts. I’ve been listening to the podcasts instead so I can just fast forward through it. I hope they go back to what they do best and leave the politics to someone else.

    @ 3:13 pm on August 12, 2010

  14. I love Russ enough to get past his political talk. Russ isn’t really interested in politics, he’s just trying to have fun.

    I do feel for Trey though.

    @ 7:53 am on August 13, 2010

  15. CBS was paying him six figures a month to sit, not six figures a year.

    @ 9:46 am on August 14, 2010

  16. He’s ok, just ok. He’s not the King of anything, but hot talk format radio. It’s easy to be the King in DFW, when he is the ONLY game in town. I’ve been listening to this newbie on 1190 at noon that I find much more entertaining in that Russ-talk than Russ himself.

    @ 11:03 pm on August 18, 2010

  17. that guy needs to reinvent….the show is boring sounds like tha same old stories

    @ 12:57 am on August 25, 2010

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