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RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, April 2024, Part I
May 13, 2024
As predictable as the tides, every 28 days the ebbs and flows of the Nielsen metaverse are foisted upon us. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in an affiliated agreement with the masters of the metadata from XTRENDS – are here to guide you through the chaos. Nay, we do more than guide. We offer insight, perspective, and just a wee bit of snarkiness.
Welcome to part one of the APRIL recap. This book ran from MARCH 28th through APRIL 24th. We were forced to navigate the EASTER holiday, the first pitches of the baseball season, and whatever local calamity befell the markets in question. Buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride.
NEW YORK: Same As It Ever Was
As we begin our APRIL journey, we find that the top five 6+ stations in the city that never sleeps remained fixed in place. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) continued as the runaway leader with its third up book in a row (8.6-8.9). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) was back at #2 with its first down book since the geese were laying eggs (6.9-6.3). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) finished in third place again (5.2-5.3), while AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS repeated at #4 (4.9-4.8). Rounding out this quintet was AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) (4.6-4.7). The station did gain a 0.4 share from its stream. WLTW still had the most listeners but, in a rare occurrence, was precisely flat from the previous survey (3,660,800-3,660,800). The market grew by 2.3%.
Last month WHTZ ended the long 25-54 winning streak for WLTW by a very slim margin. Order was restored this month as WLTW was back on top with its best share since NOVEMBER. WHTZ dipped to #2 with a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU repeated at #3 with a slight decrease, while SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) remained at #4 with its first down book since OCTOBER. A flat WAXQ maintained its #5 residency. The next closest station to cracking the top five was AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7). It moved up three slots to #6 but was still more than a share behind the leaders.
Not only was WLTW #1 18-34 for the 12th straight survey, but the station also hit double figures for the ninth time during this run. It had almost as much share as the next two stations – combined. WHTZ stepped up to #2 and WAXQ moved up to #3. Both stations had slight decreases. WKTU was up to #4 but with its smallest share since Grandma had that unfortunate accident. WSKQ slipped three places to #5 as it returned all of last month’s huge share increase. It just beat out WCBS, which moved from #9 to #6 with its best outing since JULY.
WLTW was #1 18-49 for the 13th time in the last 14 surveys. The station also hit double digits for the first time since NOVEMBER. WHTZ was back at #2 with a slight increase, while WSKQ repeated at #3 with a modest decrease. WAXQ inched up to #4 with a small share gain, while WKTU dipped to #5 with its lowest score since NOVEMBER.
LOS ANGELES: Battling It Out
Two books ago, AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101FM) and iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST were tied at #1 6+. They have been battling it out ever since, and the stations were at #1 and #2, respectively, for the second straight survey. KRTH had its lowest score since DECEMBER (6.0-5.7), while KOST was down for the fourth book in a row (5.6-5.5). The battle for third place was being hotly contested. iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFI-A was back at #3 but with its lowest mark since we were hanging hosiery on the mantle (5.5-4.6). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) was up three slots to #4 with its first up book since NOVEMBER (4.1-4.5). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) stepped down to #5 with its lowest total in over a year (4.5-4.3). It was paired with TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5), which remained motionless (4.2-4.3). AUDACY Rhythmic AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) slipped to #7 with its third down book in a row (4.2-4.1). KOST retook the cume lead, despite a 1.4% decrease (2,131,700-2,101,300). This nearly matched the market’s 1.3% decline.
KOST captured the 25-54 crown for the sixth straight survey, despite posting its fourth down book in a row. KIIS was up two spots to #2 with a solid increase and was a half share off the lead. KBIG dipped to #3 with a slight decrease, while KRTH stepped down to #4 with its smallest share since MAY. KLVE was back at #5 with a slight increase.
The top five 18-34 players remained the same, though with some adjustments to their order. KIIS and KLVE were tied at #1 last month. KIIS retained the throne with a solid share increase, while KLVE slipped to #3 with an equally solid share decrease. In between was KOST, which regained some of last month’s huge share loss. Its former co-tenant at #3, KBIG, stepped down to #4 with a slight increase, while KRTH repeated at #5 with a slight increase.
Last month three stations were tied atop the 18-49 leaderboard. This month only one remained and that was KIIS, which landed its largest share since NOVEMBER. KBIG moved down to #2 with a slight increase, while KRTH dropped down to #4 with its third straight down book. Moving up to #3 was KOST, which had a slight increase. KLVE stood alone at #5, also with a slight increase. It was hearing footsteps from SBS Mexican Regional KLAX (LA RAZA 97.9), which moved up to #6 with its best showing since DECEMBER. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KRCD (103.9/98.3 RECUERDO) dropped from the tie at #5 into a tie at #7 with KTWV.
CHICAGO: Drive’s Way
For the first time since OCTOBER, HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1FM THE DRIVE) answered the musical question “Who’s gonna drive you home?” by landing at #1 6+ (6.6-6.2). This ended the six-book winning streak for iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM), which dipped to #2 with its smallest share in over a year (6.8-5.9). iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) remained at #3 (5.5-5.4), while AUDACY News WBBM-A was back at #4 (5.4-5.2). The station did pick up an additional 0.2 share from its stream. It was also tied with TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1), which advanced from #6 with its highest mark in over a year (4.5-5.2). AUDACY AAA WXRT stepped down to #6 (5.0-5.0). WLIT continued to garner the most listeners (1,391,800-1,429,300) – a 2.7% increase. The market was up by about 1.0%.
This marked the fourth straight survey that saw WOJO atop the 25-54 leaderboard. WLIT was back at #2 but trailed the leader by almost two shares. WXRT repeated at #3 with a slight decrease, and it was forced to share the moment with AUDACY Country WUSN (US99). It zoomed up from #7 with its largest share since JULY. CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS remained at #5 with its biggest number in exactly a year. WVAZ slipped to #6 with a modest share loss.
If you go back to JULY, WOJO has been #1 18-34 in every survey except when Santa’s tyrannical reign reached its zenith. The station had a small share increase and was nearly two shares in front of WDRV, which motored from #7 to #2 with its highest MPG in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) was back at #3 with a slight increase, while WUSN remained at #4 with a small decrease. Two books ago, WLS was sitting at #15. The station has more than doubled its share since then, and this time landed at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WGCI slid four places to #6 as it returned most of last month’s huge share increase. It was tied with WVAZ. WLIT posted its lowest score in over a year as it fell from #4 to #8.
As we have seen with the previous two demos, WOJO was the dominant 18-49 force. The station was #1 for the fourth book in a row and 11th time in the last 14 surveys. WLIT held steady at #2 but with its lowest number since JULY. SBS Mexican Regional WLEY (LA LEY 107.9) made the leap o’ the month as it rose from #13 to #3 with its best book in over a year. WDRV inched up to #4 with a slight decrease, while WVAZ slipped to #5. iHEARTMEDIA Mainstream Rock WCHI (ROCK 95.5) fell four slots to #8.
SAN FRANCISCO: And Now For Something Completely Different
For the first time in over a year, BONNEVILLE AC KOIT was not alone atop the 6+ chart. Yes, the station still had the number one attached to its title but, after landing its lowest share in over a year (8.4-7.1), it was forced to share the mantle with KQED INC N/T KQED (7.2-7.1). AUDACY News KCBS-A was at #3 for the seventh straight survey (6.5-6.2). BONNEVILLE Pop CHR KMVQ (99.7 NOW) repeated at #4 but with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER (5.6-4.6). iHEARTMEDIA Soft AC KISQ (98.1 THE BREEZE) remained at #5 (4.4-4.5). Baseball is back and that was good news for CUMULUS Sports KNBR-A (THE SPORTS LEADER). The station raced from #10 to #6 (3.0-3.9). The station also picked up a 0.5 share from its stream. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR 101.3) dropped four places to #9 (4.4-3.4). KOIT may have surrendered 6.45 of its cume, but the station was still #1 in that category (1,203,500-1,125,600). The market was up 0.4%.
KOIT may have posted its lowest 25-54 share since SEPTEMBER, but the station kept its long-running streak of #1 books alive. KMVQ was back at #2 with a down book and trailed the leader by over two shares. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR KMEL remained at #3 as it gave back some of last month’s strong share increase. It was partnered with KQED, which rose from #6 with a small increase. KISQ dipped to #5 with a small share loss. It was met there by TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KSOL (QUÉ BUENA 98.9/99.1), which advanced from #9 with its best showing in over a year. KIOI fell six places to #11 and was tied with AUDACY Hot AC KLLC (ALICE @ 97.3).
So KOIT was #1 18-34 again – a winning streak that stretches 10 books in a row, landing in double figures for nine of those. KMEL repeated at #2 with a small share loss. The stations were nearly four shares distant. KMVQ repeated at #3 with its lowest mark since DECEMBER, while CUMULUS Classic Rock KSAN (107.7 THE BONE) moved up two spots to #4. The station has nearly doubled its share over the last two books. AUDACY Alternative KITS (LIVE 105) slipped to #5 despite a small increase. AUDACY Rhythmic AC KRBQ (102.1 JAMS) fell from #5 to #12.
KOIT easily cruised to another 18-49 victory and held a better than a two-share advantage over KMVQ, which repeated at #2 but with its smallest share since we were subject to the tintinnabulation of the bells. KMEL remained at #3 with a slight decrease, while two stations moved up and into a tie at #4. KITS made the short trip from #5 with a slight increase, while KSOL arrived from #7 with its best outing in over a year. KISQ slipped to #6 with a modest share loss.
DALLAS-FT. WORTH: Feeling A Bit Constricted
There were seven – count ‘em – seven stations within a share of the 6+ lead. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) was #1 for the third book in a row though it halted a three-book surge (5.2-4.7). SERVICE Urban AC KRNB (SMOOTH R&B 105.7) repeated at #2 (4.7-4.6), while AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) stepped up to #3 (4.5-4.5). CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF) had its best showing since SEPTEMBER as it advanced five spaces to #4 (3.8-4.4). iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) was back at #5 (4.2-4.1) and finished just ahead of a couple of stations at #6. AUDACY Classic Hits KSPF (98.7 THE SPOT) slid from #2 with its lowest total in over a year (4.7-4.0). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) moved up from #8 (3.9-4.0). NORTH TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO N/T KERA had its smallest share since OCTOBER as it sank from #5 to #12 (4.2-3.1). KDGE was still the cume commander (1,148,900-1,171,800) – a 2.0% rise. The market added 4.6%.
The 25-54 race was also tight but with fewer participants. KLNO was #1 for the third book in a row and held about a half share lead over KJKK, which stepped up to #2 with its best outing in over a year. CUMULUS Sports KTCK (1310 & 96.7 THE TICKET) and CUMULUS Country KSCS had been tied at #5. KTCK moved up to #3 with a slight increase, while a flat KSCS rose to #4. KDGE jumped six places to #5 with a modest share increase. Three stations exited the top five. AUDACY Alternative KVIL (ALT 103.7) dropped from #2 into a tie at #7 with KHKS. KERA dropped from #4 to #9. KRNB slid from #5 into a tie at #10 with KSPF.
The 18-34 contest was anything but close. KLNO was #1 for the third book in a row and held about a share and a half lead over KJKK, which rocketed from #8 to #2. Just two books ago, it was languishing at #16. KHKS repeated at #3 with a slight decrease, while KSCS was back at #4 with a slight increase. Also coming in at #4 was KVIL, which dropped from #2 with a large share loss. KDGE dipped two places to #6 with its fourth down book in a row.
The 18-49 race was for second place. KLNO was #1 for the fourth straight survey as it ended a three-book surge. It was about two shares ahead of a pair of stations at #2. KDGE remained in place with a slight increase, while KJKK rose from a tie at #5 with its highest score since DECEMBER. KSCS stepped up to #4 with a minimal increase. KVIL slid from #2 to #5, where it was met by KHKS. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (MIX 102.9) landed its lowest number since DECEMBER as it dropped from #4 to #11.
So there you have it. Thank you for the time, and please feel free to share this with your radio comrades in arms: 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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