Courtesy Crain's Chicago Business

(January 15, 2010) The fall ratings for sports talk radio resemble last Sunday's Green Bay-Arizona game. Both WSCR-AM 670 and WMVP-AM 1000 are piling up huge numbers, scoring with relative ease.

However, unlike the Packers going home empty, there are no losers in this radio game.

In the Arbitron ratings period from October through December, both WSCR and WMVP did a 5.6 share, tying for first in the men's 25-54 demographic, the targeted group that matters most to advertisers for sports talk radio. And hear this: It was the best ratings period ever for both stations.

In December of 2008, WSCR ranked 16th in men 25-54 with a 2.6 rating, while ESPN 1000 was 12th at 3.3.

Why the dramatic rise?

As we've reported before, the change in Arbitron's methodology for reporting ratings has been huge for sports talk radio. Instead of relying on people to record their information in a diary, Arbitron is using a device, the Portable People Meter, that more accurately details a person's listening habits. Clearly, sports talk radio had been underreported all these years.

"What it shows is that people love this format," said Mitch Rosen, the program director for WSCR.

But it also goes deeper. Both stations are hitting their strides with solid, firmly established lineups. The addition of Dan McNeil to the 9 a.m.-1 p.m. slot has solidified WSCR, while Carmen DeFalco stepped in to seamlessly replace Mr. McNeil on ESPN 1000's "Afternoon Salon" program.

Mr. Rosen points to WSCR's afternoon show of Dan Bernstein and Terry Boers as an example of how continuity builds an audience.

"They've been on more than 10 years (the longest of any sports talk show in town)," Mr. Rosen said. "You can't beat that kind of consistency."

Also, both stations believe they are benefiting from a greater online presence. Mr. Rosen said WSCR is seeing a dramatic increase in traffic on its site, and ESPN Chicago has been wildly successful.

Mr. Rosen said, "It's a cross-pollination. One works together with the other."

"(The Web site) is giving us another outlet to bring in potential listeners," said Justin Craig, the program director at ESPN 1000. "When there are more opportunities out there, your numbers should go up."

Here's the ratings breakdown:

Morning drive:
Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley, WSCR: 7.2 (first in males 25-54)
Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, WMVP: 6.6 (second)

Middays:
Danny McNeil and Matt Spiegel, WSCR: 6.0 (third)
Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle, WMVP: 5.9 (fourth)

Afternoon drive:
Dan Bernstein and Terry Boers, WSCR: 6.3 (second)
"Afternoon Saloon," WMVP: 6.1 (third)

WSCR holds the upper hand now in the show-by-show battles. The rise of the Mulligan-Hanley show continues to be a big story, as previously the national Greenberg-Golic program on 1000 had been unbeatable for WSCR.

The ratings, though, remain close across the board. Unlike the Packers-Arizona game, this one is far from over.

"It's very healthy for both of us to have this competition," Mr. Craig said. "I believe there's a lot of opportunity out there for both of us to move forward. I'm intrigued by the possibilities."

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