Report: Storm Clouds For Cumulus

Jerry Del Colliano

Radio industry analyst and author Jerry Del Colliano  of Inside Music Media revealed on Thursday a stunning ratings nosedive across a broad array of formats for Cumulus Media’s Citadel acquisition, reports breitbart.com

In addition to its virtual implosion of its bedrock conservative AM talk stations, Cumulus’ dramatic decline in numbers is meaningful because the Citadel acquisition made the company highly leveraged with $2.23 billion of debt.

Since acquiring Citadel in September 2011, Cumulus’ ratings plunge has resulted in stunning losses of audience share for 39 of 42 major stations, including such flagships as:

• WABC/NY down 44%
• KABC/LA down 52%
• WLS/CHI down 57%
• KGO/SF down 58%
• KSFO/SF down 38%
• WBAP/DAL down 32%
• WLS-FM/CHI (Classic Hits) down 45.9%
• KLOS-FM/LA (Classic Rock) down 24.6%
• WGVX-FM/MN (Sports) down 80.8%
• WKDF-FM/Nashville (Country) down 45.2%
• WDVD-FM/Detroit (Hot Adult Contemporary) down 38.3%
• KBEE-FM/SLC (Hot Adult Contemporary) down 50%

As the data reveals, the decline has been broad-based and steep in a host of genres that have previously been considered bulletproof, like Country and Sports. In addition, Cumulus’ ratings vortex has eviscerated its traditionally strong talk radio audience, which has been a stanchion of the grassroots conservative movement for over twenty years.

Del Colliano says Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey “has lost talent, fired what remained,” and “singlehandedly killed talk radio.”

Last year, conservative luminary Sean Hannity sent shockwaves through the radio world when he decided to dump the Dickeys and Cumulus for Clear Channel.  The results for Cumulus have not been pretty. Hannity replacement Michael Savage has seen a 49% loss in the all-important 25 to 54 age demographic on WABC-NY and WBAP-AM Dallas.

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