RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, JANUARY 2024, Part IV

February 23, 2024

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful …” – yeah, we can bury that lyric until NOVEMBER or so. Our long national holiday nightmare is over as the annual quarter hour migration begins. Balance is returning to the force. The radio continuum is coming back into alignment.

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC – along with the oracles of the algorithms from XTRENDS – bring you our final installment of the JANUARY gestalt. This 28-day period began on the fourth of the month and concluded on the 31^st. There was a three-day weekend clogging up the works, people were back at the school bus stops, and football was all the rage. Here’s what happened next:

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG: The Holiday Multiverse

Three stations of consequence had all been vying for seasonal dominance. As they returned to their regularly scheduled programming and the dust was clearing, we find COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) still on top of the 6+ leaderboard (13.3-9.7). Last year the station posted a 7.8 share. COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) secured its best book since AUGUST (5.4-5.7) as it landed at #2. COX MEDIA Talk WHPT (102.5 THE BONE) had its best outing since SEPTEMBER (4.1-5.3) to leap from #7 to #3. iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5) also made a bold move as it rose from #9 to #4 (3.9-4.6). It was tied with BEASLEY Classic Hits WRBQ (Q105), which advanced from #5 (5.0-4.6). RADIO TRAINING Christian Contemporary WCIE (THE JOY FM) also ventured into the holiday realm. It slipped to #6 (5.2-4.5). It had a 6.7 share a year ago. Also coming in at #6 was BEASLEY Country WQYK (4.9-4.5). Our final holiday player was iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7). It dropped from #2 to #8 (6.5-4.4). Last year’s final number was a 5.8. WDUV shed 10.8% of its cume but was still the leader (683,900-609,900). WMTX was down 18.6% (499,000-406,300), while WCIE lost 25.1% of its previous total (265,700-199,100). The market fell by 1.4%.

Last survey WHTP and iHEARTMEDIA Album Oriented Rock WXTB were tied at #6. The stations fared much better this time around. WHTP rose to #1 for the first time since SEPTEMBER, while WXTB arrived at #2 with its highest score in over a year. WMTX dipped to #3, and BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1) repeated at #4 with a solid increase. Also coming in at #4 was WDUV, which dropped from the top spot. WQYK slid three places to #6 with its lowest mark since AUGUST, while WCIE dropped from #4 to #7 as it ended a three-book surge.

WDUV managed to hold onto enough of its holiday endowment to repeat as the leading 18-34 station. WQYK moved up to #2 with a slight increase, while WLLD remained at #3 as it returned all of last survey’s solid increase. WMTX slipped to #4 and was paired with WXTB, which arrived from #6 with its best showing since JUNE. WCIE dropped from #5 into a tie at #8 with WFUS and WHTP.

As with the previous demo, WDUV remained strong enough to capture the 18-49 flag once again. It had about a share lead over two challengers at #2. WLLD remained in place as it ended a three-book slide, while WXTB advanced from #6 with its highest share since MAY. WMTX was down two spots to #4, while WQYK dipped from #3 to #5. WCIE went from #5 into a tie at #8 with WFUS.

DENVER-BOULDER: It’s Go Time

Now that the reindeer have returned to their stables, BONNEVILLE Country KYGO was free to move back to #1 6+ for the first time since OCTOBER (5.6-7.2). The ancestral home of ELMO & PATSY – BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) – dipped to #2 (16.5-6.9). The station had a 6.2 share last year. KSE VENTURES Hot AC KIMN (MIX 100) repeated at #3 (5.3-5.1), while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) stepped up to #4 (4.4-5.0). KSE VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105.1) inched up to #5 as it recovered from the holiday blues (4.1-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) slinked down to #6 with its lowest total since APRIL (4.8-4.6). It was closely followed by PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF COLORADO N/T KCFR, which leapt from #13 to #7 (3.0-4.5). KOSI may have given up 31.0% of its cume, but the station was still #1 in that category (756,000-521,300). The market shrank by 3.8%.

KTCL had its largest 25-54 share since JULY, which moved the station up to #1. KOSI dipped to #2, while KYGO stepped up to #3 with its highest mark in over a year. KIMN had a solid share increase to rise up to #4, while KXKL returned to more familiar ratings territory as it rose from #9 to #5. KRFX slid to #6 and was tied with EDUCATIONAL MEDIA FOUNDATION Christian Contemporary KLDV (K-LOVE).

There was quite a pileup in the 18-34 ranks. AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) and KTCL jumped from being co-owners of the #4 position to co-leaders of the demo. Then you had five – count ‘em, five – stations at #3. KRFX advanced from #6 with a solid increase, while KOSI dropped down from #1. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Alternative KBCO and KIMN stepped down from their tie at #2 while KYGO moved up from #7. All seven of those stations were within a share of each other.

The 18-49 was not as compressed as the previous demo. KTCL rose to #1 with its best outing since JULY, while KOSI dipped to #2. KXKL once again shook off the holiday doldrums as it advanced from #7 to #3. KYGO repeated at #4 with a small increase, while two stations moving in opposite directions met up at #5. KIMN slid from #3 with a small decrease, while KLDV vaulted from #10 with its best book in over a year. KRFX fell from #5 into a tie at #9 with ENTRAVISION Spanish Adult Hits KJMN (LA SUAVECITA 92.1).

SAN DIEGO: It’s Magic

No, we’re not talking about the stuff the elves throw around. This is all about LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5), which had its best book since AUGUST (5.4-6.6) to move up two places to #1 6+. SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS ended a three-book slide as it moved up to #2 (4.7-6.2). AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) dipped to #3 (6.3-6.1). The home of the holiday hits was AUDACY AC KYXY. It slid from #1 to #4 (12.5-5.0). The station posted a 5.7 share a year ago. iHEARTMEDIA N/T KOGO-A inched up to #5 (3.9-4.9). It was partnered with AUDACY Country KSON, which rebounded from its holiday malaise to rise up from #11 (3.4-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1) slid from #5 to #8 (4.6-4.4). KXSN was back as it usual place atop the cume leaderboard with a 7.6% increase (459,300-494,300). KYXY lost 35.2% of its previous base (634,600-411,400). The market was off by 0.2%.

Seemingly out of nowhere, iHEARTMEDIA Album Oriented Rock KIOZ jumped from #4 to #1 with its biggest number in over a year. XHRM stepped up to #2 with a strong increase but was a half-share off the lead. KMYI dipped to #3 as it returned a small portion of last survey’s huge increase. KYXY dropped from #1 to #4 and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA CHR KHTS (CHANNEL 933), which moved up from #6 as it bounced back from a down book. LOCAL MEDIA CHR XHTZ (Z90.3) stepped down to #6 with a slight decrease. It had company in the form of KSON and KXSN.

KIOZ and XHRM were tied at #3 18-34 last survey. KIOZ landed a double-digit book as it moved up to #1, while XHRM settled in at #2 with its largest share in over a year. Four stations were in league at #3. XHTZ was up from #5 with a slight decrease, while KHTS rose from #6 with a small increase. KXSN advanced from #10 as it recovered from the holiday gloom. Also joining the fray was iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary KSSX (JAM’N 95.7), which arrived from #7 as it rebounded from a down book. KYXY dropped from #1 to #8. KMYI fell from #2 to #10 where it was tied with five other stations.

As with the previous two demos, KIOZ had its best 18-49 book in over a year to advance from #5 to #1. XHRM remained at #2 as it ended a three-book slide, while XHTZ was back at #3 with a slight increase. Also landing at #3 was TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5), which rose from #7 as it regained some of last survey’s rather large share loss. KYXY dropped from #1 to #5 and was tied with KHTS, which remained in place with a slight increase. KMYI fell from #3 to #8.

NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): A Return To Normalcy

Due to the evil presence of BURL IVES and his minions, COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB saw its 10-book 6+ winning streak grind to a halt last survey. Well, the station was back at #1 this month (5.2-7.2). Moving up four slots to #2 was AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS, which had its best outing in over a year (3.6-5.8). COONOISSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3) inched up to #3, also with its highest share in over a year (4.6-5.1). It was joined in that space by iHEARTMEDIA CHR WHTZ (Z100), which rose from #5 (4.4-5.1). AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) jumped four places to #5 with its best showing in over a year (3.3-4.8). The station also added a 1.0 share from its stream. The two SANTA stations were tied at #1 last survey but did not repeat. CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) landed at #6 (9.2-4.7); it posted a 4.8 share a year ago. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) ended up at #11 (9.2-3.3). It had a 3.1 share last year. Though WHTZ saw its cume shrink by 6.8%, the station did move up to #1 (401,900-374,400). WLTW lost 39.2% of its cume (600,600-365,000), while WALK was down 35.0% (532,900-346,200). The market fell by 3.1%.

WHTZ had its best 25-54 performance since FEBRUARY as it rose from #3 back up to #1. WCBS leapt three places to #2 with its largest share since JULY. WBAB inched up to #3 as it regained all of last survey’s lost share. WINS again posted its biggest number in over a year as it advanced from #7 to #4. WALK and WLTW had been tied at #1. WALK slipped to #5, while WLTW fell to #13.

WHTZ moved from #5 to #1 18-34. This was both the station’s first appearance in that spot and its highest score in exactly a year. COX MEDIA CHR WBLI repeated at #2 as it got back a good portion of last survey’s big share loss. It had company as WKJY stepped up from #3 with its best book in over a year. SBS Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) moved up to #4 with its third up book in a row. Also moving into that space was WCBS, which advanced from #8 with its highest mark since JUNE. WALK fell from #1 to #9, while WLTW dropped from #3 to #12.

Last survey WHTZ had its five-book 18-49 winning streak snapped by that right jolly old elf. The station moved back to the top spot this month with its highest score since FEBRUARY. WCBS and WINS had been tied at #6. Both stations had huge share increases as they rose to #2 and #3, respectively. WBLI repeated at #4 as it bounced back from a down book, while WKJY, also a veteran of the #6 multi-tie, stepped up to #5 with its largest share in over a year. Three stations were languishing at #6. WSKQ remained in place, while WBAB dipped from #5. WALK dropped in from #1. WLTW fell from #2 to #12.

CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: The Beasley Effect

This was another market that had a two-headed holiday beast. BEASLEY AC WKQC (K104.7) continued as the 6+ leader for the third straight survey (11.2-7.1). The station had a 6.6 share a year ago. BEASLEY Country WSOC had its best outing since SEPTEMBER (5.4-6.8) to rise four slots to #2. BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) repeated at #3 (7.2-6.4), while BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98 FM) stepped up to #4 with its highest mark in over a year (5.6-6.0). You may have noticed that the top four spots belonged to one cluster. URBAN ONE Urban AC WOSF (105.3 RnB) slipped to #5 (5.8-5.7). Also landing at that spot was UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE, which vaulted from #12 with its biggest number in over a year (3.5-5.7). The other holiday hitmaker was iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE). It fell from #2 to #8 (8.3-4.6). It had a 5.9 share last year. However, WLKO did take the top cume spot, despite a 22.3% decrease (500,700-388,900). WKQC lost 32.9% of its former cume (529,900-355,600). The market was down 2.4%.

After taking the holiday blitz off, WPEG was back at #1 25-54. WSOC was up three places to #2. It narrowly defeated WKQC, which went from first to third. WOSF was back at #4 with a small decrease. It was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END), which advanced from #7 with its highest score since JUNE. WFAE ended a two-book slide as it catapulted from #12 to #6. WLKO sank from #2 to #7 and was tied with URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ.

SANTA, schmanta. WKQC was both #1 and in double figures 18-34 for the third book in a row. WSOC was close to double digits as it moved up to #2. Then we had four stations huddled together at #3 and all of them moved up the chart. WPEG advanced from #8 as it rebounded from a down book, while WOSF arrived from #7 with its highest share since MAY. WEND rose from #6 with its best outing in over a year, while iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT) moved up from #5 despite a modest decrease. WBAV slid from #3 to #7 with its lowest total since SEPTEMBER. WLKO fell from #2 into a tie at #8 with WFNZ and URBAN ONE Hot AC WLNK (THE MIX 107.9).

WOSF was back at #1 18-49 after taking the last three books off. WEND was a half share behind as it advanced from #7 to #2 with its highest score since MAY. WSOC moved from #5 to #3 as it rebounded from a down book. WKQC slipped from #1 to #4, while WPEG stepped up to #5 with a slight increase. WBAV drifted from #3 to #6 with its smallest share in over a year. WLKO dropped from #2 to #9.

That’s our story and we’re sticking to it. Thank you for playing along. We’ll be back in 28 days (or so) with the FEBRUARY follies.

Make sure you – and everyone you know – don’t miss our next adventure by subscribing to our blog here. And if you have any comments, suggestions or complaints, just send us an e-mail.

-Steve Allan, Programming Research Consultant

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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.

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