By Chad Finn, The Boston Globe
The fall Nielsen Audio ratings period was an unusually turbulent one for 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Original morning show co-host Rich Shertenlieb abruptly left the “Toucher and Rich” program on Nov. 9, with nearly a month remaining in the ratings book.
It was the first time since February 2015, when Marc Bertrand replaced Andy Gresh on the station’s midday show, that one of the main hosts from a Sports Hub daytime program changed.
But the Sports Hub’s long run of ratings success did not change.
In the fall Nielsen Audio ratings, covering the period from Sept. 14 to Dec. 6, the Sports Hub finished first overall and across all of its weekday and weeknight programming in the men ages 25 to 54 demographic, its primary advertising target.
Overall, the Sports Hub had a 16.3 share, well ahead of the runner-up, rock station WZLX (7.0). Rival sports radio station WEEI was seventh (4.4).
Last fall, the Sports Hub earned a 19.6 share, while WEEI was second at 9.0.
The breakdown this fall by day parts:
Morning drive (6-10 a.m.): “Toucher and Rich” – or unofficially “Toucher and friends” after Shertenlieb left and before Rob “Hardy” Poole was confirmed as the new co-host beginning January 4 – took first with a 17.1 share. WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” was second with a 10.2, easily the station’s highest-rated show.
Middays (10 a.m.-2 p.m.): The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand” show was tops with a 16.7 share. WEEI’s “Gresh and Fauria” show tied for sixth with a 3.8 share.
Afternoon drive (2-6 p.m.): “Felger and Massarotti” continued its long run of dominance for the Sports Hub, finishing the No. 1 spot with a 20.1 share. WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” tied for 12th with a 2.6.
Evenings (6-11 p.m.): The Sports Hub, which has Bruins and some Celtics broadcasts along with a show hosted by Joe Murray at night, finished first (12.2). WEEI, which features “The Rich Keefe Show,’’ tied for 13th (2.8).
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