XTRA 1360 Disappoints in Ratings

All you need to know about the failure of XTRA Sports AM-1360 to score in the winter Arbitron ratings (as noted in The San Diego Union-Tribune, second item) can be found on the station's Web page, which is xtrasports1360.com

First is the title, which includes the number 1360. Generally, anything to the right of 1200 on the AM dial is considered to be a graveyard. Because of physics, signals are weaker the higher you go in frequency. So stronger stations migrate down the dial toward 600 (very strong KOGO), and 760 (oft-strong KFMB). It's why you could hear the old XTRA 690 "from Baja to the Canadian Rockies" but can't listen to the new XTRA in Rancho Bernardo.

Actually, I'm being conservative in calling everything to the right of 1200 a graveyard. KNX 1070 in Los Angeles is the only major 4-digit station I can think of off-hand.

Second, look at the front page of the site. The centerpiece rotates promotions for the Dave & Jeff morning show that includes NBA and NHL players -- leagues in which San Diego is not represented -- a Dallas Cowboy and a baseball player whom I think is wearing a uniform of the Baltimore Orioles. Then comes the Babe of the Day and an NBA playoff bracket.

Elsewhere on the front page are national sports headlines, links to non-sports features like Angelina Jolie admitting that she's having twins, a link to a page of national baseball stories, links to has-been rock groups like Def Leppard and Dokken and a link to photographs of young women who've taken digital photographs of themselves in various states of undress.

One look at this page and you immediately get the idea that these guys aren't exactly serious about local sports.

Go deeper into the Web pages of the hosts and only a couple comments were actually posted this week. One or two on the Padres. One apologizes for not updating recently and states that he hopes to update once a week. That was posted April 7 -- his most recent post.

Now, they're much better on the air than the Web site reflects and the ratings shutout demonstrates. The weak signal and Clear Channel's lack of promotion is killing them. I've met and like Jeff Dotseth, Mike Costa, Craig Elsten and Brian Wilson -- someone who interned for me when he was in college and for whom I hope nothing but the best. Things aren't working out as they are now, that's for sure. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to attract an audience will be actually having some local sports information on the station's Web site.

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There is a major outside factor working against XTRA, and 1090 which fell in the winter book, and ESPN Radio, which I'm not sure has ever made the cut. That's a lack of compelling local sports stories out there. The winter book basically covers San Diego State men's basketball a team which performed well below expectations. People are generally satisfied with the Chargers. The Padres stink. No one cares about Aztecs football anymore.

By comparison, when I ran SanDiegoSportsTown.com, my cup runneth over in great stories at the pro, college and high school levels. There are still some interesting things going on, like the Torrey Pines swimmers who have a shot at the Olympics and the SDSU softball team, but nothing you can base an entire sports radio station on.

The thing that could save XTRA would be a big SDSU football season, but that's not likely until the fall of 2009. By then, it could be too late.

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Funniest statement of the week: Padres manager Bud Black offering so much praise for Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster. No, Bud, your team would struggle at the plate in AAA.