RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, June 2024, Part II

July 10, 2024

Once again, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in close proximity to the algorithmic alchemists from XTRENDS – go boldly forward into the past. For those of you with short-term memory issues (you know who you are), we are talking about the recent past. Specifically, the JUNE survey. This is a review of those halcyon days that began on MAY 23^RD and ceased to be on JUNE 19^TH.

There was a lot of stuff going on during that 28-day span. There was the long MEMORIAL DAY weekend, we celebrated Dad (which in my house means I’m watching the closing round of the U.S. Open), the book ended on JUNETEENTH and, of course, school’s out for summer (earworm alert).

Here’s how our next batch of markets fared:

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Going Down

Six stations were crammed into the top five on the 6+ chart, and only one of them had an up book. HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ was the returning champion and, despite a share loss (9.6-8.6), held a significant advantage over the rest of the field. iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) and URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) had been tied at #2. KODA had its smallest share in over a year (6.1-5.8) but remained in place, while KMJQ dipped to #3 (6.1-5.4). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) was back at #4 with its lowest mark since FEBRUARY (6.0-5.2). RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9 & 107.5) repeated at #5 (5.2-5.0) but was forced to share as AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) moved up from #6 (4.9-5.0). KODA still had the most listeners (1,649,800-1,648,000) – a scant 0.1% decline. The market shrank by 1.1%.

Last month KSBJ ascended to the 25-54 throne and hit the double-digit mark. The station abdicated almost all of that share gain but had enough left in the tank to repeat as the market leader. KODA moved up to #2 with a small increase, while KTBZ dipped to #3 with its smallest share since JANUARY. A flat KKHH stepped up to #4 where it was paired with AUDACY Hot AC KHMX (MIX 96.5), which vaulted from #12 with its best outing since DECEMBER. Nipping at their collective heels was ESTRELLA Mexican Regional KTJM (LA RAZA 98.5 & 101.7 FM), which leapt from #13 to #6 as it halted a steep two-book slide. CUMULUS Pop CHR KRBE slid five places to #9.

KTBZ was the 18-34 leader for the third book in a row and hit its second straight double-digit number. AUDACY Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA 101 FM) had its best book in over a year as it rose from #5 to #2. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary KQBT (93.7 THE BEAT) had its highest Frosty-free score in over a year as it jumped from #7 to #3. KKHH dipped to #4, ending a three-book surge. It was tied with the stationary KSBJ, which had a slight decrease. Breathing down their necks was TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KAMA (104.9 LATINO MIX), which soared from #13 to #6 with its best showing since we were hanging hosiery from the mantle. ESTRELLA Spanish Adult Hits KQQK (EL NORTE 107.9) fell from #2 to #10 and was tied with KTJM.

The 18-49 leaderboard was relatively static. KTBZ was #1 for the fourth book in a row, while KSBJ was back at #2. Both stations had down books and the gap between them remained at about a share and a half. KODA repeated at #3 with a small increase. KKHH was still ranked at #4 but had to share that honor with KQQK, which moved up a spot with a slight increase.

ATLANTA: Take Me To The River

For the fifth consecutive survey, COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) was #1 6+. The station also posted its best number since DECEMBER (7.9-8.2). URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5) had its best showing since JANUARY as it rose from #5 to #2 (6.6-7.5). COX MEDIA N/T WSB-A dipped to #3 (7.1-7.2), while COX MEDIA AC WSB (B98.5) moved down to #4 (7.0-6.7). The station did garner an additional 0.4 share from its stream. COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1 FM) stepped down to #5 as it returned a good portion of last month’s massive increase (6.9-5.7). Despite a noticeable 14.8% decrease, WSB remained the cume champ (916,900-780,800). The market dropped by 3.7%.

WSRV rolled to its third 25-54 win in a row and landed its largest share in exactly a year. WAMJ scored its best book since SEPTEMBER as it advanced from #5 to #2. WSB stood alone at #3 with a small share loss, while AUDACY Urban Contemporary WVEE (V-103) stepped down to #4 as it gave back all of last month’s increase. Speaking of last month, CUMULUS Alternative WNNX (99X) fell from #3 to #7. The station rebounded this time as it climbed back up to #5. WALR fell four places to #6.

WSB was the 18-34 leader for the sixth straight survey. However, it was not alone as WALR stepped up to forge the tie. Both stations experienced rather large share losses. WVEE repeated at #3 but with its first down book since JANUARY. Four stations clawed their way up the chart to land at #4. WSRV was previously seen at #8, and it bounced back from a down book. CUMULUS Pop CHR WWWQ (Q99.7) rose from #10 with its highest mark since DECEMBER. SALEM AC WFSH (104.7 THE FISH) swam up from #12 with its best outing since it was playing that performance-enhancing holiday-themed music. URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WHTA (HOT 107.9) slid three places to #7, while WSB-A dropped from #5 to #8.

This was the third 18-49 win in a row for WSRV as the station extended its lead over the rest of the field to better than two shares. WSB rose from #4 to #2 with a slight decrease. WVEE stepped down to #3 as it ended a six-book surge. It was partnered with WNNX, which moved up from #5 with a slight increase. WALR slipped to #5 as it returned more than half of last month’s massive increase.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Second Hand News

Yes, this is the hot air capital of the free world. That probably explains why more than a fifth of the total 6+ share goes to two stations that don’t play any songs. As usual, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was #1 and in double figures (10.7-11.3). HUBBARD News WTOP was in its customary #2 position but with its highest mark in over a year (8.2-9.5). HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR was back as the leading music station at #3 (7.4-7.6). Thanks to its best outing in over a year, AUDACY Classic Hits WIAD (94.7 THE DRIVE) cruised from #9 to #4 (4.1-5.1). URBAN ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC 102.3/92.7) repeated at #5 (4.9-4.7), while iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH slipped to #6 with its smallest share in over a year (5.5-4.4). In a surprising turn of events, WTOP became the cume leader thanks, in part, to a 2.4% increase (703,500-720,400). It was assisted in that effort by WASH’s 10.4% decrease. The market was down by 2.5%.

Sometimes, just showing up is all it takes. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC101) was flat 25-54 but moved up to capture the demo flag. WAMU was also flat as it rose from #4 to #2. WASH dipped to #3 with, again, its lowest mark in over a year. WHUR inched up to #4 with a slight decrease. WIAD drove from #8 to #5 with its best book since DECEMBER. URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WKYS fell from #1 to #6 with its lowest score since SEPTEMBER.

WAMU was flat 18-34 as well, but that did not stop the station from finishing in first place for the sixth straight survey. ATLANTIC GATEWAY Contemporary Christian WGTS came close to doubling its previous share as it vaulted from a tie at #8 to #2. The stations were separated by less than a half-share. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIHT (HOT 99.5) stood alone at #3 with its best outing since JANUARY. WIAD leapt from the #8 tie to a tie at #4 with iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WBIG (BIG 100), which moved up from #6 with its sixth up book in a row. WKYS fell four places to #7, while AUDACY Rhythmic CHR WPGC dropped from #2 to #8. WASH fell from a tie at #3 into a pairing at #9 with WWDC.

They rearranged the deck chairs on the 18-49 cruise ship. WWDC rose to #1 with a small decrease, while WAMU was up two slots to #2 with a small increase. WASH dipped to #3, while WIAD’s Cinderella story continued as it jumped from #7 to #4. WIHT inched up to #5 with a slight decrease. WKYS fell from #1 to #6. WPGC dropped from #4 to #7 where it met up with WGTS, which arrived from #14.

PHILADELPHIA: Welcome Back

After taking last month off, iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS was back at #1 6+. The station also landed its largest share since DECEMBER (8.1-9.0). BEASLEY Album Oriented Rock WMMR stepped up to #2 (7.9-7.6), while AUDACY Sports WIP moved up to #3 (7.4-7.5). WIP also added a 1.7 share from its stream. BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK had its least productive outing since the bells were not only jingling, but they were also ring-ting-tingling too as it slid from #1 to #4 (8.5-7.2). AUDACY AC WBEB (B101.1) repeated at #5 (5.7-5.5). AUDACY News KYW-A remained at #6 (5.1-5.0) but was granted an additional 0.7 share from its stream. WBEB continued as the market’s cume leader with a 0.1% decline (1,035,500-1,034,300). The market grew by 1.6%.

WMMR was the 25-54 leader for the sixth book in a row, the last three of which have been in double figures. WDAS was back at #2 with a slight decrease and trailed the leader by three shares. WIP remained at #3 and was tied with WBEB, which rose from #5 with a solid share increase. However, if you added in WIP’s stream share, the station would be #2. Of course, we cannot do that. BEASLEY Country WXTU worked it from #9 to #5 with its best performance since JANUARY. WMGK slid from #3 to #6 with its lowest mark since OCTOBER. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WUSL (POWER 99).

We have been writing this column for over a decade and what happened this month in the 18-34 sphere is an outlier’s outlier. Four – count ‘em – four stations were tied at #1. WDAS was there last month and remained in place with its highest share in over a year. WUSL moved up from #3 with its best book since FEBRUARY, while WMGK advanced from #5 with its strongest showing in exactly a year. Finally, WXTU arrived from #7 with its largest number since NOVEMBER. WMMR dipped to #5 as it regained some of last month’s huge share loss. WBEB had been tied at #1, but it landed at #6 this time. AUDACY Classic Hits WOGL (BIG 98.1) slipped from #5 to #7 with a small share loss.

As we saw in a previous demo, WMMR was #1 18-49 for the sixth straight survey and hit double digits for the third book in a row. WDAS was back at #2 with a small decrease and trailed the leader by three shares. Two stations climbed the chart and forged a tie at #3. WUSL was up from #5 as it halted a five-book slide, while WXTU rose from #8 with its best book since DECEMBER. WIP dipped to #5 with a slight decrease, while two stations were asked to exit the top five. WBEB slid from #3 to #6, while WMGK dropped to #7.

BOSTON: Take It To The Hub

This was the sixth 6+ win in a row for BEASLEY Sports WBZ (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB), though the station just missed hitting double digits for the third straight survey (11.0-9.9). AUDACY Hot AC WWBX (MIX 104.1) had its best outing in over a year (5.6-6.9) as it rode to #2. BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR stepped down to #3, despite ending a two-book slide (5.7-6.3). AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) moved up to #4 as it stopped a five-book slide (4.9-5.5). BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR dipped to #5 (5.4-5.4). WMJX still had the most cume (829,800-821,700) – a 1.0% decrease. The market was up by a mere 0.2%.

All of a sudden, the temperature of the 25-54 race was turned up to high. WBZ was #1 for the sixth book in a row but with a noticeable share loss. Meanwhile, WWBX moved up to #2 with a huge share gain. The net result was that the gap between the two stations went from more than four shares to under a half-share. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WXKS (KISS 108) dipped to #3 with a slight decrease. WMJX stepped up to #4 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. WROR inched up to #5 as it rebounded from a down book. AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103) landed its lowest share in over a year as it fell from #4 to #10.

There was a ratings explosion in the 18-34 contest. WWBX was #1 and in double figures for the fifth time in the last six surveys. The station increased its previous two shares by about two-thirds. And it doubled the share of WXKS, which moved up to #2 with its best book since NOVEMBER. A flat WBZ stepped up to #3, while iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR WJMN (JAM’N 94.5) was up to #4 with its best showing in over a year. WROR and WMJX moved up the ranks and landed in a heap at #5. WBGB fell from #2 to #7 and was tied with BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9).

WWBX moved up to #1 18-49 with a double-digit performance. This ended the five-book winning – frequently in double digits – streak for WBZ, which dipped to #2. WXKS remained at #3 with, once again, its best book since NOVEMBER. It was paired with WMJX, which moved up a slot with its best Frosty-free performance in over a year. WROR stood alone at #5 with a solid increase, while its former partner in that space – WBGB – dropped to #10.

Thank you for your participation in this project. If you have any snarky comments, suggestions or complaints, feel free to e-mail me: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com.  And if you haven’t done so already, please subscribe to our blog right now. Feel free to share it with your network.

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

-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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