RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, HOLIDAY 2023, PART II

January 24, 2024

Welcome back to the least surprising ratings survey of this or any year.  The incessant par-um-pa-pum-pum of that dastardly little man combined with the constant tintinnabulation of the jingle bells, not only wreaks havoc on my tinnitus, it just makes a mockery of the ratings. Unless, of course, you are the chosen station. Then this is one of the two best surveys of the year.

So it falls to us, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., along with our merry math mavens from XTRENDS, to bring the numbers to life. The HOLIDAY survey ran from DECEMBER 7^th through JANUARY 3^rd. If you do the math – and we did – that means that the curse of BURL IVES and his evil minions were present for 19 of the 28 days of the book. Here is what they delivered:

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: If We Took A Holiday

This was a market graced by two versions of holiday madness. iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) captured the most attention as it repeated at #1 6+ (12.0-13.7). This did fall a bit short of last year’s 14.7 share. HOPE MEDIA Christian Contemporary KSBJ was also in the holiday spirit, and it stepped up to #2 (6.0-6.5). This was a bit better than last year when it landed a 5.8 (also good for second place). RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9 & 107.5) claimed a share of the #2 slot as it bounced back from a down book (6.1-6.5). AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) moved up to #4 (5.0-5.5), while URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) dipped to #5 with its third down book in a row (5.8-5.4). Honorable mention goes to AUDACY Country KILT (100.3 THE BULL), which leapt from #10 to #6 with its best outing since JUNE (3.5-4.5). KODA’s cume increased by 11.4%, keeping the station in the top spot (1,921,400-2,140,300). Fun fact: This was more than double the cume of the #2 station. The market was down 1.2%.

KODA was both #1 and in double figures 25-54 for the second straight survey. It missed last year’s number by about a share and a half. KSBJ and KKHH had been tied at #4 and both moved up in the standings. KSBJ landed at #2 with its highest mark since FEBRUARY, while KKHH settled in at #3 with a solid share increase. KGLK regained most of last survey’s lost share as it catapulted from #8 to #4. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KAMA (104.9 LATINO MIX) was up for the fifth book in a row as it rose from #9 to #5. It was tied with RADIO ONE Country KKBQ (93Q), which slid from #3 with its first down book since AUGUST. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) landed its lowest share in over a year as it fell from #2 to #8. It was partnered with RADIO ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX).

KODA was actually down slightly from last month, but it was still #1 and in double digits 18-34. The station was also about two shares off last year’s pace. As recently as SEPTEMBER, KAMA was sitting at #18. The station has been on a roll since then and this time found itself perched at #2 with its highest score in over a year. KBXX repeated at #3 with a small increase, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary KQBT (93.7 THE BEAT) stepped up to #4 with its best performance in over a year. KKHH bounced back from a down book to move up to #5. KTBZ dropped from #2 into a tie at #9 with KILT.

KODA completed the demo sweep with another double-digit 18-49 performance. It did not quite match last year’s number. KBXX was back at #2 with a slight increase but it had company. KKHH vaulted from #9 to forge the tie with its best showing since AUGUST. KGLK rose two places to #4, while KAMA advanced to #5 with another solid share gain. KILT leapt from #11 to #6 with its highest mark since JUNE. KKBQ fell four places to #9. AUDACY Hot AC KHMX (MIX 96.5) landed its lowest number since MARCH as it slid from #4 into a three-way tie at #12 with CUMULUS CHR KRBE and ESTRELLA Mexican Regional KQQK (EL NORTE 107.9).

ATLANTA: Took Some Time To Celebrate

This book was a boon for pescatarians. SALEM AC WFSH (104.7 THE FISH) swam up to #1 6+ (8.0-10.5). Last year it finished with an 8.1 share. This ended the two-book winning streak for COX MEDIA N/T WSB-A, which dipped to #2 (8.3-7.4). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) posted its lowest number in over a year (8.2-6.9) as it stepped down to #3. URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5) was back at #4 as it halted a three-book slide (6.3-6.7). COX MEDIA AC WSB (B98.5) had its highest share since MARCH (4.7-6.0), which propelled the station to #5. COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1 FM) moved down to #6 (5.2-5.1). WSB became the cume leader, thanks to a 9.9% increase (736,100-809,100). WFSH went from #8 to #4 with a 21.7% increase. The market was off 2.6%.

In NOVEMBER WFSH was #9 25-54. Last month it reached #2 and this time it captured the crown. The station also topped last year’s number by more than a share. This brought WSRV’s three-book winning streak to a close as it dipped to #2. WSB made the leap o’ the book as it rose from #9 to #3. AUDACY Urban AC WVEE (V-103) repeated at #4, while WAMJ was back at #5. Both stations had slight increases. CUMULUS Alternative WNNX (99X) dropped from #3 to #6 with a sizeable decrease. WSB-A and CUMULUS CHR WWWQ (Q99.7) had been tied at #5. Both stations had down books and ended up at #7 and #8, respectively.

WFSH repeated as the 18-34 leader and hit double digits. It was more than two shares beyond last year’s number. WSRV was back at #2 with its lowest score since SEPTEMBER, while WVEE repeated at #3 with its third down book in a row. WAMJ was up two slots to #4 with its best showing since JULY. iHEARTMEDIA CHR WWPW (POWER 96.1) landed its largest share since MAY as it leapt from #13 to #5. WWWQ fell three places to #8. It was tied with URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WHTA (HOT 107.9) and JDJ COMMUNICATIONS URBAN WWSZ-A (STREETZ 94.5). WSB-A lost more than half its previous share as it dropped from #4 to #15.

As with the previous demo, WFSH was #1 and in double figures 18-49. The station came close to doubling last year’s share. WSRV remained the #2 station as it returned a good portion of last survey’s huge increase. WVEE moved up to #3 with a slight increase, while WSB advanced to #4 with its highest mark since AUGUST. WAMJ repeated at #5 with a slight decrease, while WNNX dipped to #6 with a rather large share loss.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Just One Day Out Of Life

For the second book – and second year – in a row, SANTA was denied the 6+ championship. As has become the norm, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was both #1 and in double digits (11.3-11.5). The holiday hit purveyor was iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH. It was back at #2 with a share that was eerily close to last year’s 10.9 (9.6-11.0). HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR had its best outing in over a year (6.8-7.7) to move up a slot to #3. HUBBARD News WTOP dipped to #4 with its fifth down book in a row (6.9-6.3). URBAN ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC 102.3/92.7) remained at #5 (5.8-5.5). WASH still had the most listeners (1,035,400-1,221,100) – a 17.9% increase. The market fell by 0.4%.

WASH kept a couple of 25-54 streaks alive this survey. The station was #1 for the seventh book in a row and landed its sixth consecutive double-digit share. It also beat last year’s number by more than two shares. WHUR repeated at #2 but with its fifth up book in a row. WAMU was back at #3 with a small increase, while a flat URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WKYS stepped up to #4. AUDACY Classic Hits WIAD (94.7 THE DRIVE) ended a very strong three-book surge as it dipped to #5.

For the fifth straight survey, WASH was in double figures in the 18-34 space. The station was also #1 for the fourth time in the last five books and was about a share ahead of last year’s pace. WAMU was back at #2, though it could not extend its double-digit share streak to a third book. iHEARTMEDIA CHR WIHT (HOT 99.5) had its best performance since JUNE as it stepped up to #3. WMMJ dipped to #4 with its lowest mark since JULY. WKYS and ATLANTIC GATEWAY Christian Contemporary WGTS had been tied at #5. WKYS remained in place with a small share loss, while WGTS stepped down to #6 with its lowest score since AUGUST.

WASH recorded its seventh straight 18-49 win, the last six of which have been in double digits. It also beat last year’s number by nearly a share. WHUR was up three places to #2 while WKYS repeated at #3. Both stations had their best book in over a year. WAMU drifted down to #4 with its lowest mark in over a year. WIHT advanced three spaces to #5, thanks to a slight share gain. WIAD slipped to #6 as it returned most of last month’s huge increase.

PHILADELPHIA: It Would Be, It Would Be So Nice

Consider the power of the CLAUS. In NOVEMBER AUDACY AC WBEB (B101.1) was at #7 6+ with a 5.1 share. This time the station repeated at #1 as it has more than tripled its share in two books (9.5-16.8). Oh, and that 16.8 share is exactly what the station had a year ago.  iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS was back at #2 though it ended a strong three-book surge (9.4-8.6). BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK had its lowest mark in over a year (7.9-6.5) as it held steady at #3. To the haunting strains of “Fly, Eagles, Fly,” AUDACY Sports WIP had its least productive outing since AUGUST to remain at #4 (6.6-5.7). The station did get a 1.5 share boost from its stream. It was tied with BEASLEY Album Oriented Rock WMMR, which moved up a slot with its smallest share since MARCH (6.1-5.7). WBEB padded its cume lead with a 38.6% increase (1,266,600-1,755,600). The market dropped by 0.3%.

WBEB increased its previous 25-54 share by nearly 70% to remain #1. It was about a share ahead of last year and nearly equaled the combined share of the next three stations. WMMR was back at #2 with its third straight down book, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WUSL (POWER 99) was up to #3 with a slight decrease. WDAS dipped to #4 with its first down book since AUGUST. WMGK advanced two spaces to #5 despite a slight decrease. AUDACY Hot AC WTDY (THE NEW 96.5) moved from #9 to #6, while WIP slid two places to #7.

WBEB came close to doubling its DECEMBER share and almost beat the combined score of the next four stations. It also topped last year’s number by more than three shares. WUSL remained at #2 with its best book in over a year while the two rock bros moved up and into a tie at #3. WMGK was up from #6 as it ended a three-book slide, while WMMR took one step upwards with its lowest mark since APRIL. BEASLEY Country WXTU dropped to #5 with its smallest share since MARCH. BEASLEY Adult Hits WBEN (95.7 BEN FM) lost almost half its previous share in falling from #5 to #10, where it was tied with WIP and WTDY.

WBEB posted a monster 18-49 score that beat last year’s number by more than three shares and was larger than the next three stations’ combined scores. WUSL repeated at #2, again with its best showing in over a year. WMMR was back at #3 but with its third straight down book. WDAS inched up to #4 but with its lowest total in over a year. WTDY advanced four squares to #5 as it bounced back from a down book. WXTU slid from #4 to #8.

BOSTON: Holiday … Celebrate … Repeat

Living up to its moniker, AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) performed a CHRISTMAS miracle as it rose to #1 6+ (9.3-14.2). Last year it ended up with a 12.5 share. BEASLEY Sports WBZ (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB) was back at #2 (9.2-9.2), while BOSTON UNIVERSITY Public Radio WBUR repeated at #3 as it rebounded from a down book (5.6-6.1). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WZLX held steady at #4 (5.4-5.0), while iHEARTMEDIA News WBZ-A remained at #5 (5.1-4.7). WMJX was the cume leader again with a 31.5% increase (899,300-1,182,400). The market was down 0.9%.

WMJX came close to doubling last month’s share as it stepped up to #1 25-54. The station matched last year’s share. This ended the 12-book winning streak for WBZ, which stepped down to #2. For those keeping track, the last time WBZ was not #1 in this demo was when everyone was dancing merrily to LEROY ANDERSON. WBUR regained some of last month’s lost share as it stepped up to #3. iHEARTMEDIA CHR WXKS (KISS 108) was up to #4 with a slight increase, while BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR moved up to #5 with a small decrease. It was tied with AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103), which slid from #3 as it gave back most of last survey’s rather large share increase. WZLX fell two places to #7 with its smallest share since JULY. It was partnered with BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9).

Two books ago WMJX was #9 18-34. The station landed at #1 and in double digits this survey, though it was more than three shares shy of last year’s total. WBGB did not duplicate last month’s double-digit score as it dipped to #2. WBZ repeated at #3 but with its third straight down book. WXKS had its smallest share in over a year as it stepped up to #4. Also landing at that spot was WBQT, which moved up from #6 as it ended a steep two-book slide. AUDACY Hot AC WWBX (MIX 104.1) slipped three places to #6. However, if you add the station’s stream share it would be tied for #3.

WMJX has more than tripled its NOVEMBER share as it moved up to #1 18-49. It topped last year’s number by almost a full share. This halted the four-book victory parade for WBZ-F, which dipped to #2 with a slight decrease. WXKS stepped up to #3 despite a modest decrease. WBGB inched up to #4, even though it returned a good portion of last month’s big increase. It was joined in that space by WBUR, which advanced from #7 with a small share gain. WWBX fell four places to #7, yet adding in their stream share puts them in #3 slot.

Thank you for bearing with us for another ratings slog. To make sure you don’t miss part three of our continuing series, please subscribe to our blog right now. And if you don’t mind, please share this here missive with your radio brethren.

As always, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. stand ready to help you grow your ratings and revenue. Stay tuned for part three featuring SEATTLE, MIAMI, PHOENIX, DETROIT and MINNEAPOLIS.

-Steve Allan, Programming Research Consultant

About XTrends: XTrends is radio’s favorite Nielsen ratings analysis tool, used by all major groups. Learn why here.

About Research Director, Inc.: Research Director, Inc. is based in Annapolis, Maryland. We help radio stations’ programming and sales departments maximize the value of their research. For more information, visit www.ResearchDirectorInc.com, call 410-295-6619, or e-mail info@ResearchDirectorInc.com or sallan@ResearchDirectorInc.com.

• Tweet