How Valuable Are Your Station Personalities?

In 2012, I recapped a study that analyzed the relationship between a radio personality and the station. Ultimately, it was proven that personality satisfaction has a very positive impact on station satisfaction, creating a sense of station loyalty toward the station.

But what happens when a beloved personality leaves the station?

In May 2015, Scott Van Pelt, co-host of SVP & Russillo on ESPN Radio, announced his planned departure from radio. SVP & Russillo, ESPN’s fastest-growing radio show over the past two years, aired for the final time on June 19th.

While we won’t immediately know what effect this will have on ESPN Radio’s ratings, we can get a feel for the impact Van Pelt’s departure has on the show’s fan base. For that, we head to the always (and sometimes brutally) honest Twitter.

It’s clear that SVP will be missed by many, and my guess is that there is a definite negative impact on short-term ratings. However, as I covered in 2012, the relationship between a listener and personality very rarely has a negative effect on station loyalty. So, while Van Pelt’s followers are expressing discontent with his absence, odds are that they’ll be tuning back to ESPN Radio during the 1p-4p ET daypart before long.

However, there are certainly exceptions to the rule; Howard Stern and Dan Patrick, to name a few.

-Tyler Plahanski, Sales and Marketing Associate

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