Rock station isn't on roll
Valerie Block
Insiders at Emmis New York are kvetching over the dismal ratings at the company's WRXP-FM. The rock station, which debuted in February, ranked 29th by share in October's Arbitron ratings survey. Its predecessor, smooth jazz CD101.9, was often in the top 10.
"Advertisers say they'll buy spots in a PennySaver before they'll advertise on RXP," gripes an exasperated staffer. "We're selling 30-second spots at night for $30."
Emmis New York's new general manager, Alex Cameron, stands by the format and denies that ads are going for peanuts. Media buyers, however, remain skeptical about RXP's prospects. "I don't think it'll be around a whole lot longer," says Mark Lefkowitz, media director at Furman Roth Advertising.
Rumor has it that ESPN might take over the frequency. But a new format won't help much. The monthly Miller Kaplan & Arase audit revealed that ad revenue for the New York marketplace fell 19% in October, a source says.
Despite a small boom last month, job numbers in the city remained flat
MTA has finished Interborough Express feasibility study, Hochul says