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Dan Caesar: "KFNS, minus Slaten, tumbles 50 percent"
By Dan Caesar
KFNS, which has ruled the St. Louis all-sports radio business for a decade and a half, has lost half its listeners since firing Kevin Slaten four months ago according to the latest ratings. And upstart KSLG has caught KFNS in the battle for listeners in the key demographic both chase — men ages 25-54.
But KSLG's ascent is the result of the massive decline at KFNS rather than a breakthrough for a station that has been a serious challenger for only about eight months.
According to Arbitron figures provided to stations this week for the spring ratings period (April-June), KFNS and KSLG attracted 2 percent of that target audience from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays — the time they most compete head-to-head. That was the same audience size KSLG (1380 AM) pulled last winter. But 50 percent of KFNS' listenership fled as it tumbled from a 4 share and KSLG won in the key morning and afternoon drive-time slots after trailing in the previous ratings "book.'' Each of KFNS' daytime weekday shows fell at least 23 percent.
That comes amid the most colossal period of turmoil at KFNS since the 590 spot on the AM dial began broadcasting in the sports format in 1993. KFNS in recent months has had a wave of firings, major lineup changes (all but the morning drive-time show had personnel moves in the spring ratings period) and general chaos. The biggest mess involves Slaten, who was dumped amid much controversy just before the spring "book" began and the rating for his old afternoon drive-time slot tumbled 65 percent. He first was replaced by a revolving door of hosts before the station settled on the combo of Bob Ramsey, Bob Fescoe and Kyle Elfrink midway through the ratings period.
"The station had a hiccup as we terminated a long-standing voice in sports-talk radio and we had to retool,'' KFNS general manager Evan Crocker said.
He pointed to the fact that the station rebounded in June, the final term of the three-month ratings period, beating KSLG in the four head-to-head time blocks among men ages 18 and above (ages 18-54 numbers are not available on a monthly basis).
"We are again growing, and we expect to be back to where we were in the next ratings book,'' Crocker said.
KFNS management said Slaten was fired for putting Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan on the air without his consent, a violation of a Federal Communications Commission rule. Slaten contends he didn't physically put Duncan on, and a station that is having financial problems used that as an excuse to fire him so it wouldn't have to pay his $161,500 salary. Not surprisingly, Slaten's gleeful about the ratings decline.
"If you're a manager of any kind of business in America and made a bone-headed decision like that (resulting in such a big drop), you'd be fired,'' said Slaten, who is suing the station for wrongful termination. "We all know why, it was to dump money. But I guess dumping money has really hurt them. Listeners know what's going on more than what management does at 590. From the top down, there's nothing but blubbering incompetence.''
KFNS added football reporter Howard Balzer a couple weeks ago, but has had many layoffs and cutbacks in recent months and has told Brian McKenna and Joe DeNiro, the primary hosts of its morning drive-time show, that their contracts won't be renewed when they expire in a few weeks but can continue without deals. That show suffered a 58 percent ratings drop.
Frank Cusumano and Ramsey had the highest-rated show among the two stations last winter, but in a risky move KFNS sent Ramsey from mid-mornings to afternoon drive in mid-spring. Cusumano now solos and still is No. 1 at the stations, but slid 23 percent.
"Sure we'd like the numbers better,'' Cusumano said. "But to factor in the massive turnover, you can understand how the first couple months could be rough. But don't get me wrong — 1380's got a nice team.''
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/02/2008KFNS, which has ruled the St. Louis all-sports radio business for a decade and a half, has lost half its listeners since firing Kevin Slaten four months ago according to the latest ratings. And upstart KSLG has caught KFNS in the battle for listeners in the key demographic both chase — men ages 25-54.
But KSLG's ascent is the result of the massive decline at KFNS rather than a breakthrough for a station that has been a serious challenger for only about eight months.
According to Arbitron figures provided to stations this week for the spring ratings period (April-June), KFNS and KSLG attracted 2 percent of that target audience from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays — the time they most compete head-to-head. That was the same audience size KSLG (1380 AM) pulled last winter. But 50 percent of KFNS' listenership fled as it tumbled from a 4 share and KSLG won in the key morning and afternoon drive-time slots after trailing in the previous ratings "book.'' Each of KFNS' daytime weekday shows fell at least 23 percent.
That comes amid the most colossal period of turmoil at KFNS since the 590 spot on the AM dial began broadcasting in the sports format in 1993. KFNS in recent months has had a wave of firings, major lineup changes (all but the morning drive-time show had personnel moves in the spring ratings period) and general chaos. The biggest mess involves Slaten, who was dumped amid much controversy just before the spring "book" began and the rating for his old afternoon drive-time slot tumbled 65 percent. He first was replaced by a revolving door of hosts before the station settled on the combo of Bob Ramsey, Bob Fescoe and Kyle Elfrink midway through the ratings period.
"The station had a hiccup as we terminated a long-standing voice in sports-talk radio and we had to retool,'' KFNS general manager Evan Crocker said.
He pointed to the fact that the station rebounded in June, the final term of the three-month ratings period, beating KSLG in the four head-to-head time blocks among men ages 18 and above (ages 18-54 numbers are not available on a monthly basis).
"We are again growing, and we expect to be back to where we were in the next ratings book,'' Crocker said.
KFNS management said Slaten was fired for putting Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan on the air without his consent, a violation of a Federal Communications Commission rule. Slaten contends he didn't physically put Duncan on, and a station that is having financial problems used that as an excuse to fire him so it wouldn't have to pay his $161,500 salary. Not surprisingly, Slaten's gleeful about the ratings decline.
"If you're a manager of any kind of business in America and made a bone-headed decision like that (resulting in such a big drop), you'd be fired,'' said Slaten, who is suing the station for wrongful termination. "We all know why, it was to dump money. But I guess dumping money has really hurt them. Listeners know what's going on more than what management does at 590. From the top down, there's nothing but blubbering incompetence.''
KFNS added football reporter Howard Balzer a couple weeks ago, but has had many layoffs and cutbacks in recent months and has told Brian McKenna and Joe DeNiro, the primary hosts of its morning drive-time show, that their contracts won't be renewed when they expire in a few weeks but can continue without deals. That show suffered a 58 percent ratings drop.
Frank Cusumano and Ramsey had the highest-rated show among the two stations last winter, but in a risky move KFNS sent Ramsey from mid-mornings to afternoon drive in mid-spring. Cusumano now solos and still is No. 1 at the stations, but slid 23 percent.
"Sure we'd like the numbers better,'' Cusumano said. "But to factor in the massive turnover, you can understand how the first couple months could be rough. But don't get me wrong — 1380's got a nice team.''
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