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The "Late Spring/Early Summer 2009" book measured Edmonton radio audiences from March 2nd to April 26th, right on the heels of the previous survey.

Total audience numbers remained static, rising slightly to 1,780,100 from 1,770,200.

If anything, the latest book shows Edmonton audiences in a state of mood swing – with some stations gaining 20% in share points and others losing by the same amount.

At fault might be the manual diary-based method of recording listening habits. With the convenience of modern technology, recalling stations listened to and jotting down notes is so like yesterday.

At least that's what station managers and programs directors are likely thinking as they count down to the first samplings under the new-to-Edmonton Portable People Meter system.

The upcoming July/August sample will be the last to use the diaries, with electronic monitoring set to begin August 31st.

Particpants will be required to wear the pager-sized devices for roughly four weeks, and after three sets of samples are taken a 13-week snapshot will be issued.

The result will be year-round measurement, with standings issued quarterly. The first such survey, covering the all-important advertising rate-setting period from August 31st to November 29th, will be released December 10th, 2009.

The Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, which oversees the business of audience sampling, will be holding seminars across Canada to teach station honchos how to interpret the PPM data. Edmonton radio execs have marked down June 17th for their pep talk.

A presentation of BBM Analytics and U.S.-based Coleman Insights, the session highlight will likely be something called “Debunking the Myths About PPM.”

The stage seems to be being set for even more creative ways to spin the spin surrounding rating numbers and what they actually mean.

Each survey period is usually explained away by poor-performing broadcasters as an "anomaly," and the latest book is no exception.

However, when placed in the context of a long term view, most stations ended up just about where they were expected to.

That's good news for some and worrying for others.

For your consideration, in order of overall ranking ... the Late Spring/Early Summer 2009 book:

CHED - 11.4 (13.3 Spring 2009, 11.3 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Again, CHED finds itself in the top spot for what seems like the three-hundred-and-first time in living memory.

Perhaps troubling though is the 1.9 loss in share (the percentage of all people listening to a radio and for how long) which saw roughly a third of their male audience aged 25 to 54 leave the station (who represented a 12.5 share in Spring 2009 down to the current 8.4).

Blame may be laid at a poor Oilers run, but fans likely stayed glued for breaking news of a shoe being dropped (that shoe being Craig McTavish).

Credit, however, should go to a number of music stations (including Corus' JOE-FM – barely) that enjoyed re-bounds in their numbers.

To borrow a phrase, might it be talk radio is so popular that nobody listens to it anymore?

CHBN - The Bounce - 9.6 (8.9 Spring 2009, 8.2 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Once upon a time (actually the 1960s and 70s) there was a Top Forty station that dominated the market. It now looks like The Bounce is up there where the big yellow Mighty Six-Thirty sunspot used to shine.

With its best-ever showing of 9.6, the folks at CTV/globemedia have something to celebrate (and when the bottles are empty, they can go back to saving local TV).

Top spot may be in reach (CHED once posted a 9.7 back in the summer of 2008). Bounce's audience are the least likely to fuss with diaries and soon may wear their PPMs with pride.

CISN - 9.6 (8.8 Spring 2009, 8.2 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Corus' country station (which took a licking in the past few books) seems to be back in the saddle. Share and audience numbers are up for CISN, improving their ranking seemingly at the expense of format stablemate CFCW.

Demographics for the station took some twists and turns: female listenership in the 25-54 bracket dropped (to 13.9 from 17.0 in the Spring 2009 book) while males the same age increased from 5.2 to an 8.0 share.

CFBR - The Bear - 8.5 (6.8 Spring 2009, 9.7 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

The classic rock rollercoaster seems to be back on track (even K97's numbers took a climb), giving the Paul Brown Show and company even more reason to check out the new patio at Hudson's on Fourth.

With such fun stunts as on-air and viral video faux-fighting (well, there actually were some bruises sustained) fans seem hooked to hear what happens next.

But just as the books closed on the ratings period came news that Fearless Fred Kennedy flew the coop to try his luck at Toronto's The Edge 102.1. Here's hoping the Canadian Music Awards Under-30 Broadcaster of the Year doesn't get lost in hog-town traffic.

CFMG - EZ Rock - 8.1 (8.5 Spring 2009, 8.1 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

EZ Rock easily glides to another Top Five showing. Female demos are up as much as male demos are down, reflecting the fickle nature of listeners all across the dial this time around.

What's ahead for the easy-on-the-ears station? More of the same is what's predicted until the four recently-approved new outlets hit the airwaves. But until then there will be no distractions for 104.9's faithful fans.

CBX - CBC Radio One - 7.1 (9.2 Spring 2009, 4.9 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

It's safe to say that there is nothing safe to say about the public broadcaster's position in the commercial market. The station's yo-yo like rankings defy analysis, but Radio One's sixth-place showing and solid audience numbers prove it remains a contender.

The Ron Wilson and Peter Brown drive shows continue to cover local events in more depth and variety than the rest of the market combined, sometimes providing the all-too-infrequently heard Mark Scholz a chance to delight his fans. However, things make get shook up a bit when the station's FM transmitter finally gets re-located to its intended place.

The original plan for the AM station was to have its signal repeated on the more concrete-and-steel penetrating FM band from a mast atop their City Centre location. Problems with interference (some say from the workings of an elevator) forced the CBC to temporarily transmit instead from their old TV stick near Sherwood Park.

The out-of-town antenna beamed a signal that could be picked up from Radway to all the way past the International Airport. Time will tell where the new contours will drop off (and if audience numbers do the same as a result).

CKRA - 96.3 Capital FM - 6.9 (4.8 Spring 2009, 4.9 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Folks at the Newcap cluster in West Edmonton Mall must be breathing a sigh of relief as their two star properties both saw much improved performance. Maybe someone was right, and that everything old can be new again.

The potentially costly re-teaming of Rob Christie and Audie Lynds (a lawsuit continues to work its way through the courts) paid off with flying colours as the many-named 96.3 mhz frequency returned to the top half of the ratings pile for the first time since it was called ... 96X? Mix 96? K-Lite? roCKRAdio???

Displaced morning man Jason Roberts now seems at home in the p.m. drive ... but what needs to be worked on is the playlist (for example, try www.wlng.com's stream from Long Island, N.Y. for an hour to hear what a real oldies station can sound like).

CIRK - K-Rock - 6.3 (4.2 Spring 2009, 4.4 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Good news for Terry, Bill and Steve ... your jobs are secure (for now at least).

On the air for thirty years (with a threat they will continue) K-97's re-branding of itself as its former self seems to have paid off, and the return of the old morning team proves that what some perceive as bad taste never goes out of style.

But you never know what the future may hold ... and Walter Zipcut might want to keep that trucking licence valid.

CHDI - Sonic FM - 6.2 (4.6 Spring 2009, 4.6 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Sonic's Phoenix-like rise from a couple of bad books should put a swirl of "tinkering" rumours to rest. Garner Andrews does a great job in the mornings (and raising the station's profile with his wacky waxings on Global TV).

Just as the current ratings were released, Sonic launched a new TV ad campaign prompting viewers that alternative music can still remind people of something youthful (to borrow Pepsi's tagline).

Perhaps the TV spots are pre-emptive ... as new competition for alternative ears draws near.

CKNG - Joe FM - 5.5 (5.1 Spring 2009, 6.7 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

While showing slight improvement, JOE's not out of the woods just yet. While their share increased slightly, audience numbers are down and likely Capital-FM is drawing them away.

JOE-FM got great (nation-wide) media coverage when it was discovered they were behind the anonymous handing out of $100 bills to complete strangers (at least one, for sure).

The (last-minute within the ratings period) stunt was explained by program director Julie James as a 'feel good' gesture and was not intended as a promotional gimmick. Readers are advised to draw their own conclusions.

CFCW - 4.8 (6.9 Spring 2009, 7.3 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

While CFCW's urban ranking is down significantly, the station likely remains a winner in its un-measured rural base. The station has been a northern Alberta favourite ever since grandpa bought his first Model 40 John Deere. A date for the station's move from 790 to 840 on the dial remains to be announced.

CKUA - 3.0 (3.1 Spring 2009, 2.3 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008) and CBX FM - CBC Radio 2 - 2.1 (2.7 Spring 2009, 2.0 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Their numbers may be small but they remain relatively consistent. At the bottom end of the ratings scale, a few diaries here or there can make a big difference but over time CKUA and Radio 2's audiences have remained nothing but loyal (despite the latter's wholesale tinkering with their programming).

CHMC - Magic 99 - 1.9 (2.9 Spring 2009, 2.0 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Well ... what hasn't already been said about Magic 99? Flip to All-Day All-Hawaiian? Somebody throw these folks a lifeline.

Owner Rawlco must have great faith in a soon-to-launch sister-station to help things out. How it will fare against three other new signals remains to be seen but if either station ever spits out black ink on the balance sheet it will truly be a miracle on the prairies.

CHQT - iNews 880 - 1.0 (1.1 Spring 2009, 1.9 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

With now a full year under the all-news belt (last year's 1.9 share was CHQT's last showing as an oldies station), iNews880 is as successful as keeping competition from Rogers away as it is listeners.

Given the audience size, it might be time to re-name the station "The All-New Bob Layton School of Broadcasting."

Granted, PPM-style ratings may reveal a different story and that would give Corus time to consider options for the staff-intensive operation.

Local media watchers may not be aware that Corus once shut down an all-news station before – in Vancouver.

Back in 2001, CKLG was flipped to CJNW to go head-to-head with Roger's CKWX News 1130 which had been programming 24-hour news since early 1996.

After 16 months, Corus pulled the plug on the experiment (literally – the frequency went silent for a while) and re-launched their station as CHMJ Mojo Radio (first as talk radio just for guys, then just plain sports talk).

By 2006, the station became "AM 730, Continuous Drive Time Traffic and the Best of Talk," replaying shows from sister-station CKNW (think lots of Charles Adler). Soon it became "Continuous All Day Traffic" and later “All Traffic All the Time.”

Depending on how the Fall 2009 ratings come out, CHQT 880 might end up being the place to go for all things Anthony Henday.

CFRN - The Team - 1.0 (1.2 Spring 2009, 1.5 Late Spring/Early Summer 2008)

Loyal fans know who they are but it seems the BBM doesn't. The station serves its audiences well but doesn't get much respect when it comes to the big picture.

Late Spring/Early Summer 2009 - RadioWest.ca image

For more detailed data about the Late Spring/Early Summer 2009 book, read the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement report (opens as a .pdf) or the Astral Media Radio Sales report (which also opens as a .pdf).

General demographic data can be seen in this snapshot taken from Broadcaster Magazine.

The results of the next Edmonton ratings period (July 6th through 19th and August 3rd through 30th) are set to be released October 1st, 2009. Stay tuned.

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radio - edmonton ratings archives - late spring/early summer 2009