The Birch-Scarborough radio ratings service is apparently quitting the business.
Although no one in authority at Birch's main offices in Florida or New York was available this week to comment on the subject, several local radio sources have confirmed that the current radio ratings the company has compiled for the September to November period are the last audience measurements the company will conduct. This means that the Arbitron company will now have a monopoly in measuring radio ratings.Arbitron uses a written diary to gather its radio estimates, while Birch used a telephone survey. Since younger people tended to talk on the phone the most, Birch had a much younger audience slant, while Arbitron seems to favors an older audience. Making a composite of the two radio ratings provided a much more accurate estimation of radio audience.
The demise of Birch is definitely bad news for radio. It is especially sad for youth-oriented stations along the Wasatch Front such as KZHT, KUTQ, KJQN, KBER and KRSP. Some major advertisers that catered to young audiences were just beginning to use the Birch ratings to determine which stations to advertise with.
Birch also offered subscriptions of its in-depth estimates for a much lower price than Arbitron, as well as being far more willing to share its results with the media than Arbitron is.
Both of the radio ratings offer only estimates of a station's listeners, but now it looks like stations with younger audiences are probably going to be rated lower in the future.
This could mean youth-oriented stations will end up receiving fewer advertising dollars, a critical development at a time when some Wasatch Front radio stations are struggling for survival.
- KTKK (AM-630) - Basil and Joy Beech of Ogden, co-presidents of the American Family Association of Utah, have filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Division alleging "indecent violations" during the Martin Davis show on Dec. 6 about 2:50 p.m. on "K-Talk" radio.
Talk host Davis apparently encouraged listener calls for confession on any subject matter during the incidents in question and gave them a maximum of 30 seconds to describe their actions.
The Beeches feel the language of three callers depicted and described patently offensive actions and that this was especially serious because it happened during afternoon hours when children could tune in.
Starley Bush, general manager of KTKK radio, said several callers to the station did make the statements as alleged by Mr. and Mrs. Beech but he can't make a specific comment on the FCC complaint at this time.
Bush stressed that KTKK does not encourage indecent comments from listeners and that Davis doesn't either. He implied that Davis might be more cautious in the future about how he asks for phone calls from listeners, though.
The FCC recently fined WLUP-AM in Chicago $6,000 because it had broadcast what was judged to be indecent material during an afternoon program.
- RADIO AUTHOR - Tom Barberi, morning personality on KALL (AM-910 and FM-94.1), has authored a new book "Legalizing Adulthood in Utah."
It is expected to be out this week or next week and is being published by Aspen West.
- KRCL (FM90.1) - The Christmas food drive staged earlier this month by the radio station and KUED, Ch. 7, was able to collect enough food to feed more than 225 families. The drive collected food in front of Kingsbury Hall to donate to the Crossroads Urban Center.
Volunteers for the food drive collected more than 225 turkeys, as well as chickens, hams and various canned and boxed goods.
- KRCL (FM-90.9) will celebrate New Year's Eve with a live broadcast from the Oakland, Calif., Coliseum on Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m.
The concert will be produced by Dan Healy and Grateful Dead Productions. Besides the Grateful Dead, Bella Fleck and the Fleckstones and Babatunde Olatunji will perform.
There will also be special features such as on-air visits with radio personalities during breaks between sets on the show.
- KZHT (FM-94.9) - The station's third anniversary is Tuesday, Dec. 31.
- KBYU (FM-89.1) - The "New Year's Eve at Symphony Hall" concert will be broadcast on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 10 p.m.
KBYU will also feature several special programs on New Year's Day: the "New Year's Day from Vienna Program" (9 a.m.) and "Beethoven's Symphony No. 9" as performed by Japan's NHK Symphony Orchestra (1 p.m.).