Traffic Reports Key To 3 Chicago Radio Stations

A lot of listeners take traffic reports on the radio for granted. But three stations -- WBBM-AM (780), WLS-AM (890) and WGN-AM (720) -- certainly don't. It's an important service to which all three devote considerable resources, according to a story at chicagosun-times.com.

Why? Because traffic updates help attract listeners in the big city and boost ratings, which, in turn, drive revenue. "Traffic reports are a very big part of what this station is about," said Ron Gleason, program director at WBBM-AM, which has made a mantra out of providing traffic and weather updates on the "8's" during every hour it is on the air.
Traffic reporting on WBBM dates back more than four decades, but providing that service on the "8's" only started during the 1980s, said Gleason, who plans to stick with the purposely rigid format. As far as Gleason is concerned, predictability is key to keeping listeners happy -- and informed.

At WLS-AM, traffic reports aren't delivered using a formula as precise as that of WBBM. According to WLS operations director Drew Hayes, the station aims to provide five reports every hour during morning drive and four reports per hour during afternoon drive. But the timing of those reports can vary a bit depending on the whims of the host(s). Still WLS listeners can almost always hear reports near the top and bottom of each hour at peak traffic times. Though WBBM has had a traffic tip line in place for a while, WLS only recently installed such a phone line -- part of an effort to further upgrade traffic reporting and give listeners another opportunity to interact with the station.

WGN-AM considers its traffic reports so important that it refuses to discuss what it considers proprietary information. WGN news director Charlie Meyerson would only say that "WGN has the most intelligible, useful traffic reports in Chicago, and we deliver them around the clock seven days a week."

While all three stations certainly aim to deliver helpful traffic reports, their respective styles of reporting the traffic can vary. Gleason said each WBBM traffic report lasts 90 seconds. It might not sound like much, but Gleason's research indicates WBBM's reports are actually longer than those of any other radio station in the country, including outlets in traffic-clogged New York City and Los Angeles.

Read more here.