RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, March 2024, Part I

April 15, 2024

MARCH is an interesting term. Sure, it’s the third month of the year. But it is also a verb (“Forward march!”) And it can be a plural noun (Google “The Welsh Marches”) However, it is probably best known as the first name of a famous rabbit.

For our purposes, the term is the NIELSEN designation for the third survey of the year. This one began its, uh, march on Leap Day and came to a halt on MARCH 27^TH. It featured no official holidays – unless you celebrate green beer – but it did require many of us to re-learn how to set the clock on our microwaves.

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in close cooperation with those masters of the numerical dark arts at XTRENDS – now bring you the latest in the ratings game:

NEW YORK: I Heart A Threesome

Wait, that didn’t come out right.… For the second straight survey, the top three positions on the 6+ leaderboard belonged to one cluster. For well over a year, the top two slots were occupied by iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM), which had its best Frosty-free share in over a year (8.4-8.6), and iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) (6.9-6.9).  Coming in at #3 again was iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) (5.6-5.2). AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS stepped up to #4 (4.6-4.9), while AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) advanced two squares to #5 (4.5-4.6). The station gained an additional 0.4 share from its stream. MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS was forced to move down to #6 (4.6-4.5).  NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO N/T WNYC fell from #4 to #9 (4.7-4.0), where it was in league with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (4.2-4.0) and RED APPLE RADIO N/T WABC-A (3.8-4.0). As per usual, WLTW had the most cume (3,578,100-3,660,800) – a 2.3% increase. The market rose by 0.4%.

The top five slots on the 25-54 chart were relatively unchanged from last month, but four of the five stations had down books. WHTZ moved back up to #1, which displaced its cluster mate as WLTW had to step down to #2. WKTU repeated at #3, while SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) was back at #4 with its fifth consecutive up book. WAXQ remained at #5.

WLTW was #1 18-34 for the eleventh straight survey and hit double digits for the eighth time during that span. WSKQ was up three places to #2 with its best showing in over a year, yet it still trailed the leader by about four and a half shares. WHTZ remained at #3 as it ended a solid two-book surge, while WAXQ repeated at #4 with a down book. WKTU fell from #2 to #5. The stations at #2 through #5 were all within a half share of each other.

Though it was off slightly, WLTW cruised to its second consecutive 18-49 victory. WHTZ fell a bit further off the base while maintaining its hold on the #2 position. WSKQ moved up to #3 with its highest score in over a year, while WKTU dipped to #4 with a modest decrease. WAXQ stepped down to #5 with its first down book since DECEMBER.

LOS ANGELES: Flat Earthers Rejoice

Your prophecy came true! AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101) was flat 6+ (6.0-6.0) but the station stood alone at #1. That’s because iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST dipped to #2 with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (6.0-5.6). iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFI-A repeated at #3 (5.4-5.5), while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) was a somewhat distant #4 (5.0-4.5). AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) remained tied at #5 (4.3-4.2) but with a new partner. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5) moved in from #8 with its best book since JUNE (3.7-4.2). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) slipped to #7 (4.3-4.1). After taking the last four books off, KRTH was back as the cume leader with a 4.4% increase (2,071,900-2,163,700). The market gained 1.3%.

The top five on the 25-54 leaderboard were exactly where we left them last time. KOST was #1 for the fifth book in a row with a slight decrease. KBIG was #2 while KRTH was #3 – both stations also had tiny decreases. KIIS was #4 with a small decrease, while KLVE remained at #5 with a slight increase. Making a bid to join that prestigious group was TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KRCD (103.9/98.3 RECUERDO), which was up three places to #6 with its best showing in over a year.

The 18-34 arena was both topsy and turvy. KIIS stepped up to #1 despite a small decrease. It had company as KLVE launched itself from #8 with its highest share in over a year. KBIG repeated at #3 with its lowest mark in over a year. It was partnered with KOST, which saw its four-book demo winning streak come to a close. KRTH was back at #5 with a slight increase. Things were pretty tight after that as witnessed by MERUELO Rhythmic CHR KPWR (POWER 106 FM) rising from #10 to #6 with only the slightest of increases. AUDACY Alternative KROQ dropped from #5 to #8. AUDACY Adult Hits KCBS (93.1 JACK FM) fell from #4 to #9 with its lowest score in exactly a year. It was joined in that space by SBS Spanish Contemporary KXOL (MEGA 96.3) and iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7).

What are the odds? Three stations moved up and into a tie at #1 18-49. KBIG, KRTH and KIIS were #2, #3 and #4 respectively before they made that mad dash. KOST was the previous leader and it landed at #4 and just missed making it a four-way tie. KLVE repeated at #5 with a solid increase. It was met there by KRCD, which advanced from #9 with its best showing in over a year. SBS Mexican Regional KLAX (LA RAZA 97.9) and KYSR has been tied at #5. KLAX slipped to #7 with a slight decrease, while KYSR dropped to #10 with its lowest total since DECEMBER.

CHICAGO:  Lite ‘Em Up

For the sixth book in a row – and thirteenth time in the last 14 surveys – iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) was #1 6+ (6.7-6.8). The object in its rearview mirror was HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (THE DRIVE 97.1), which repeated at #2 (6.6-6.6). iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) inched up to #3 (5.1-5.5), which pushed AUDACY News WBBM-A down to #4 (5.4-5.4). AUDACY AAA WXRT was back at #5 (5.0-5.0). WLIT was still in cume control (1,296,200-1,391,800) – a 7.4% increase. The market was up by 0.1%.

For the third book in a row, TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1) and WLIT were #1 and #2, respectively, with the 25-54 crowd. Both stations were down this survey and were separated by about a share. WXRT was back at #3 with a slight increase, while WVAZ was up two spots to #4 with its best outing since everything was all merry and jolly and stuff. CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS posted its best number since APRIL as it advanced from #8 to #5. These moves knocked two stations out of the top five. WDRV backed up to #6, while AUDACY Country WUSN (US99) drifted down to #7. Both stations had small decreases.

This was the third straight convincing 18-34 win for WOJO. Despite a down book, the station had about a share and a half lead over iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WGCI, which regained most of last month’s huge share loss as it rose from #6 to #2. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) repeated at #3 with a slight decrease. WUSN slipped from #2 to #4 and was tied with the stationary WLIT. WDRV dropped from a tie at #4 to #7 as it returned a chunk of last month’s sizeable share increase.

For over a year, the top two 18-49 stations have been WOJO and WLIT. This was the third straight survey that they finished in first and second, respectively. The next two stations landed their largest shares in over a year. WVAZ leapt from #8 to #3, while iHEARTMEDIA Mainstream Rock WCHI (ROCK 95.5) held steady at #4. WDRV reversed its course from #3 to #5. WUSN and AUDACY Rhythmic Oldies WBMX (104.3 JAMS) dropped from a tie at #5 to #9 and #10, respectively. While this looks bad on paper, WUSN, in particular, was only about a half-share away from returning to the top five.

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SAN FRANCISCO: Towering Above The Competition

Once again, BONNEVILLE AC KOIT was the clear 6+ leader (8.7-8.4). KQED INC. N/T KQED was back at #2 (7.6-7.2), while AUDACY News KCBS-A was sitting at #3 for the sixth book in a row (6.7-6.5). BONNEVILLE Pop CHR KMVQ (99.7 NOW) was #4 for the seventh straight survey (6.1-5.6). Coming in at a distant #5 again was iHEARTMEDIA Soft AC KISQ (98.1 THE BREEZE) (4.6-4.4). This time it was forced to share as iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR 101.3) moved up a slot with its best book since JULY (3.7-4.4). Despite a 1.9% decrease, KOIT was still the cume commander (1,226,700-1,203,500). The market rose by 1.1%.

KOIT continued to dominate the 25-54 expanse as it opened up a nearly three share lead over #2 KMVQ. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR KMEL had its best outing since DECEMBER as it stepped up to #3. KISQ dipped to #4 as it gave back most of last month’s huge increase. KIOI rebounded from a down book to rise from #8 to #5. Just a click behind at #6 was KQED, which was also in rebound mode. AUDACY Alternative KITS (LIVE 105) and SBS Mexican Regional KRZZ (93.3 LA RAZA) were no longer tied at #5. KITS slipped to #7 with a small share loss, while KRZZ ended up at #11, though it was only about a share outside of the top five.

KOIT was in its customary #1 position with the 18-34 folks. The station also recorded its eighth straight double-digit book. KMEL bounced back strongly from a down book to move up to #2, while KMVQ dipped to #3 as it ended a robust three-book surge. KITS stepped up to #4, despite landing its lowest number since OCTOBER. AUDACY Rhythmic AC KRBQ (102.1 JAMS) made the leap o’ the month as it rocketed from #17 to #5, doubling its previous share in the process. KRZZ slipped to #6 and was tied with KISQ, which remained in place, and CUMULUS Classic Rock KSAN (107.7 THE BONE), which turned it up from #11.

To the surprise of no one, KOIT was #1 18-49 again. It held more than a two-share lead over #2 KMVQ. KMEL had its first up book since DECEMBER to advance two squares to #3. KISQ dipped to #4, while KITS rose to #5 with a slight decrease. KRZZ fell from #4 to #10.

DALLAS-FT. WORTH: Time Is Tight

There were six – count ‘em – six stations within a share of the 6+ lead. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) was back at #1 with its best book since OCTOBER (4.9-5.1). Two stations moved up to forge a tie at #2. SERVICE Urban AC KRNB (SMOOTH R&B 105.7) inched up from #3 (4.8-4.7), while AUDACY Classic Hits KSPF (98.7 THE SPOT) regained all of last month’s lost share as it rose from #6 (4.2-4.7). AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) had its best book in over a year (4.1-4.5) as it moved from #7 to #4. iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) slipped to #5 (4.8-4.2). It was tied with NORTH TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO N/T KERA, which vaulted from #8 (4.0-4.2). There was a three-way at #10 that featured two former members of the top five club.  CULUMUS Sports KTCK (1310AM/96.7FM THE TICKET) had its two-book winning streak snapped as it landed its smallest share in over a year (4.9-3.6). SALEM AC KLTY dropped from #5 (4.3-3.6), while CUMULUS N/T WBAP moved in from #12 (3.3-3.6). KDGE still had the most listeners (1,060,700-1,148,900) – an 8.3% increase. The market grew by 1.2%.

Though it was flat, KLNO maintained a comfortable lead over the rest of the 25-54 field. AUDACY Alternative KVIL (ALT 103.7) stepped up to #2 despite a slight decrease. KJKK jumped from #9 to #3 with a strong share increase. KERA rose two slots to #4 with a slight gain, while three stations found their way to the #5 watering hole. KTCK slid from #2 while its cluster bud – CUMULUS Country KSCS – stepped up from a tie at #6. KRNB leapt from #9 but with only a slight increase. The six stations sandwiched between #2 and #5 were separated by a half share. Two other stations were excused from the top five. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (MIX 102.9) slid from #4 to #9, while KDGE dropped six places to #11. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHKS (106.1 KISS FM).

What a difference a year makes. Last MARCH KLNO was #12 18-34. The station has more than doubled its share since then as it repeated at #1 with its best book in over a year. KVIL moved up to #2 despite a slight decrease, while KHKS went from first to third as it returned a good portion of last month’s massive increase. KDGE was back at #4 but with a noticeable share loss. It was paired with KSCS, which stepped up from a tie at #5 as it bounced back from a down book. CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF) and KDMX were also at #5 last time. KPLX was up slightly as it moved down to #6, while KDMX ended up at #7.

KLNO dominated the 18-49 space for the second straight survey as it scored its biggest number since OCTOBER. KDGE remained at #2 but with its lowest mark since NOVEMBER. KVIL was also down but moved up to claim its share of second place. KSCS moved up two places to #5 with a slight increase. Meanwhile, KJKK also landed at #5 as it leapt from #11. KHKS slipped two slots to #7.

Thank you for the time. Feel free to forward the link to anyone you know who is a ratings geek like us:  www.ResearchDirectorInc.com/Hot-Topics. 

Round two is in the queue and will focus on HOUSTON, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., PHILADELPHIA and BOSTON in that order.

-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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