WBZ-FM "finished first in the coveted men 25-54 demographic in the Boston market" from Jan. 5-March 29, while WEEI-FM was third, according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. WBZ finished "ahead of WEEI in all four day parts in Boston, but in a certain way these numbers are actually weighted toward WEEI." WEEI's share "includes its streaming number," but WBZ does not. There is "nothing dubious or deceptive about this," as it is a matter of the two stations "using different but equally authentic methods of measuring its streaming audience." Entercom, WEEI’s parent company, "subscribes to a Nielsen service called Total Line Reporting, which combines the over-the-air and online audience shares into one number." That is something most stations do. CBS Radio, WBZ' parent company until its merger with Entercom becomes official in a couple of months, is the "rare network that does not subscribe to TLR." Instead, its radio and online audiences "show up on the Nieslen Audio sheets as separate numbers." In theory, that "doubles the amount of advertising unites available to sell." The bottom line this time around is that WBZ "topped WEEI across the board in the men 25-54 demo -- the one that has been the standard measure in sports radio" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/21).
