Our overly connected lives mean that we are being inundated by information, data, charts, and research – a lot of which conflicts with one another. How often do you receive emails laden with stats that seem to contradict ones you’ve just read?
I had one of those Classic Rock “moments” last week with Inside Radio. It turns out that the format is suffering in the sales category, especially compared to AC/Hot AC, News/Talk (aren’t they in trouble?), CHR and Country. According to BIA/Kelsey, Classic Rock has lost a considerable amount of revenue share since 2000 (I had no idea that was such a great year).
JL Media executive Rich Russo blames Classic Rock’s sales malaise on a lack of engagement (whatever that means). He also notes that “Classic Rock has become an AC station.” Of course, that would indicate that things are actually pretty good as AC is the leading revenue generator among all the formats listed.
The “disconnect” is that Classic Rock’s ratings are higher. Around the time of The Radio Show, Paul Heine came to me about Inside Radio’s format coverage. The news for Classic Rock was very good.
Now granted, their analysis is essentially year-to-date rather than the long-range view offered up by BIA/Kelsey, but the trends and Inside Radio’s “take” is pretty clear:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
4.1 4.0 4.3 4.1 4.3 4.4*
“The discovery of timeless classic rock by a new generation of 18-24 year-olds is fueling overall share growth for classic rock. Although 45-54 remains its strongest 10-year age cell, the evergreen format made gains in the 18-34 demo in May and June. It also set a new all-time high PPM share of 4.4 among listeners 6+ in June, shattering records set in March and May.”
Inside Radio’s analysis that there’s something going on with 18-34 year-olds is a phenomenon that many Classic Rock programmers and brand managers have been seeing for some time now. But for me, that fad became a trend a long time ago. How do I know this? Easy – I read it in The Onion.
You see, back in 2001, that credible pillar of journalism said so, proving once again that humorists are often well ahead of the times.
In “Teen Who Just Discovered Led Zeppelin Starting To Piss Off Friends,” The Onion confirms what we’ve been seeing all along – Classic Rock has become a choice for a growing number of Millennials.
So the next time someone in the sales department, at an agency, or your neighbor across the yard begins to question whether Classic Rock has lost its appeal, you might want to remind him of that fictitious Gurnee, Illinois kid, 16-year-old Mark Campa, who is enjoying Classic Rock along with “59 billion” others. As The Onion reported, Mark’s summertime discovery of Zeppelin isn’t special because of the group’s ubiquitous appeal.
Through humor, we often discover truth.
Or so says The Onion.
Thanks to Mike Stern for being an avid Onion reader.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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