With ratings on the downswing in April, Entercom Alternative “96.5 The Buzz” KRBZ Kansas City PD Lazlo began a social media based campaign to “Save The Buzz” trying to replicate a similar successful outreach ten years ago.
Using the hashtags #SaveTheBuzz and #ListenLonger, Lazlo and other Buzz staffers have pushed their listeners to ensure they spend more time attached to the station with the threat of a format change otherwise. A campaign that has taken on a life of its own.
https://twitter.com/Ellinator_/status/345026292191739904
Listen longer and save the buzz <3#SaveTheBuzz
— k a w t e . (@_M3ntal) June 13, 2013
https://twitter.com/lazlothebuzz/status/344942326180900864
One listener, Chris Love, created ListenLonger.com in an attempt to try to understand how Arbitron’s PPM ratings work to save the station. He asked for PPM panelists to come forward and give out details of how their carrying of a PPM device affected their daily radio listening, and what was involved in them getting involved. Arbitron sent Love a cease & desist letter on June 4 asking him to remove their proprietary data and to stop interfering with their panelists.
Love does not mention KRBZ or The Buzz anywhere on his site to “keep them out of harms way,” and Arbitron also does not come out and finger the station anywhere for being involved in this campaign. In the May PPM monthly that was published yesterday, KRBZ did rebound from a 2.8 in April to a 4.0 for its highest ratings since a 4.1 in December. That has pushed Wilks Broadcasting to push Arbitron to throw out the current survey and replace the entire local PPM panel for contamination due to the website, something that Arbitron will not concede to. At least not yet.