RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, August 2024, Part II

September 4, 2024

Howdy, buckaroos! Welcome back to the Triple R Radio Ranch. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with those old number-crunching cowhands from XTRENDS – are back for another round of roping the ratings. We can assure you this is not our first rodeo.

There are another five markets in the corral, and we’re here to show you the good, bad and the ugly of the AUGUST survey. This one ran from JULY 18^th through AUGUST 14^th and was devoid of any federally mandated holidays. It was hot (dang hot!) and was smack dab in the middle of vacation and county fair season. So saddle up – we’re rarin’ to go.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: The Streak Is Alive

For the fourth straight survey – and fifth time in the last six books, HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ was #1 6+ (7.6-7.0). However, iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) grew larger in the rearview mirror as it moved up to #2 (5.7-6.8). URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) dipped to #3 (5.9-5.9), while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) ended a three-book slide as it advanced four spaces to #4 (4.5-5.4). RADIO ONE Country KKBQ (THE NEW 93Q) stepped up to #5 (4.8-5.2). A couple of library-based stations each landed their lowest share in over a year. RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9 & 107.5) fell from #3 to #7 (5.7-4.4), while AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) dropped from #5 to #9 (5.3-3.9). KODA remained the cume leader, despite a 1.9% decrease (1,566,500-1,536,700). The market was off 0.6%.

For the first time since FEBRUARY, KODA was #1 25-54. It held a full-share advantage over KTBZ, which stepped up to #2. This ended the three-book winning streak for KSBJ, which slid to #3 with only a slight decrease. KKBQ moved up to #4 with its highest mark since JANUARY. Two stations came together at #5. CUMULUS Pop CHR KRBE stepped up from #6, while AUDACY Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA 101 FM) vaulted from #10. Both stations landed their largest share in over a year. KKHH dropped from #3 to #10. It was tied with ESTRELLA Regional Mexican KTJM (LA RAZA 98.5/101.9 FM) and URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX).

KTBZ kept its 18-34 buzz going as it scored its fifth straight #1 book. KLOL stepped up to #2 with, again, its best outing in over a year and trailed the leader by about a half-share. KODA spent the last three books lounging at #8. It received a large share infusion this month, which propelled the station to #3. KRBE has been on quite a three-book journey. Last month it rose from #7 to claim a share of the demo lead. This time, thanks to a slight share loss, it slipped to #4. There was a twosome at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary KQBT (93.7 THE BEAT) moved up a spot with a small share loss, while TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLTN (QUÉ BUENA 102.9) advanced from #12 with its biggest number in over a year. The two stations previously seen at #3 moved much farther down the chart. KKBQ dropped to #8 as it returned a good portion of last month’s massive share increase. KKHH landed at #15 as its share was more than halved.

As it halted a three-book slide, KTBZ copped its sixth straight #1 18-49 book. KODA leapt from #6 to #2 but was still about a share off the pace. KKBQ and KSBJ had been tied at #2. KKBQ dipped to #3 with a slight increase, while a flat KSBJ alit at #4. It was paired with KRBE, which took one step upward with a slight increase. KKHH fell from #2 to #11.

ATLANTA: Cluster Muster

The top four spots on the 6+ leaderboard all park in the same garage (we assume). COX MEDIA N/T WSB-A made it back-to-back #1 books with its highest score in over a year (9.1-9.9). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) rebounded from a down book (6.7-7.6) to move up to #2. COX MEDIA AC WSB (B98.5) dipped to #3 (6.9-6.9). The station also gained a 0.6 share from its stream.  COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1) stepped up to #4 (5.9-6.0). SALEM AC WFSH (104.7 THE FISH) had its best Frosty-free share since NOVEMBER (4.9-5.6) as it swam up to #5. URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5) landed its lowest share in over a year (6.2-5.2) as it slipped to #6. WSB still had the most listeners (793,100-826,900) – a 4.3% increase. The market rose by 1.9%.

Last month WSRV had its three-book 25-54 winning streak squashed by AUDACY Urban Contemporary WVEE (V103). WSRV regained a good portion of last survey’s share loss as it rose from #4 to #1. WVEE dipped to #2 with a small share loss. WSB-A was up for the third book in a row as it advanced from #7 to #3. A flat WALR stepped down to #4, while WSB slid from #2 to #5. URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WHTA (HOT 107.9) and WAMJ were previously aligned at #5. WHTA moved to #6, despite posting its largest share in over a year. WAMJ ended up at #7 with its least productive outing since DECEMBER. It was partnered with WFSH, which moved up from #13.

You can’t tell the 18-34 leaders without their frequency. WSB was #1 for the eighth straight survey. WSB-A stepped up to #2 with its best book since MARCH. WFSH and WSRV were last seen at #5. Both stations had solid share increases as they rose to #3 and #4, respectively. WVEE dropped three places to #5, while WALR landed in a tie at #6 with WHTA. AUDACY Sports WZGC (92.9 THE GAME) surrendered all of last month’s huge increase – plus a bit more – as it dropped from #3 to #10. It was cohabitating that space with iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WBZY (Z105.7) and CUMULUS Pop CHR WWWQ (Q99.7).

The top two 18-49 stations flip-flopped. WSB moved up to #1, while WVEE stepped down to #2. Both stations had down books. WALR remained at #3 with a slight increase. WSRV repeated at #4, also with a slight increase, and was paired with WHTA, which moved up a slot with its hottest score in over a year. Making a strong bid to join the top five club was WSB-A, which advanced from #9 to #6 with its best book in over a year.

Shameless plug: How many reports to generate when the book arrives? What if all that data was in your inbox within minutes of its release? How much time could The Ratings Experts save you? We can answer these – and many other – questions. All it will cost you is a little time to learn what we can do.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: That Was Fast

Last month the market was torn asunder as the leading 6+ station was not AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU. That honor was bestowed upon HUBBARD News WTOP. Welp, order was restored as WAMU was back on top (10.4-10.5), while WTOP was back to its more customary #2 position (10.7-9.8). HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR was again the leading music station at #3 (6.7-6.4). Coming in at a distant #4 once again was iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH (4.8-4.8). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC101) repeated at #5 (4.5-4.4). WASH was still the cume leader (750,700-733,800) – a 2.3% decline. This was remarkably similar to the market’s 2.0% drop.

WWDC racked up its third 25-54 win in a row despite a slight decrease. WAMU was back at #2. The stations were separated by about a half-share. WASH repeated at #3 with a small share loss. URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WKYS was up two places to #4 with a solid share gain. It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Country WMZQ, which landed its largest share in over a year as it advanced from #10. WTOP gave back most of last month’s rather large share increase as it slipped into a tie at #6 with AUDACY Rhythmic CHR WPGC. AUDACY Classic Hits WIAD (94.7 THE DRIVE) fell from #5 to #9.

Say hello to your new 18-34 leader. WPGC moved up to #1 and landed its largest share in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIHT (HOT 99.5) was last month’s leader but stepped down to #2 as it surrendered a good portion of its previous share. It was joined in that space by WKYS, which arrived from #6, also with its highest share in over a year. WAMU dipped to #4 with its lowest mark in over a year. It was met there by a flat iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WBIG (BIG 100), which stepped up from #5. WASH returned most of last month’s huge increase as it slipped to #6. It was tied with WWDC and ATLANTIC GATEWAY Contemporary Christian WGTS. Both of those stations moved up the chart.

WWDC was flat 18-49 but captured the 18-49 flag for the third book in a row. WASH was back at #2 but the gap between the two stations expanded past the one-share mark. WAMU repeated at #3 but was forced to share as WPGC moved up from #5 to forge the tie. WKYS rose from #7 to #5 with its first up book since MARCH. WIHT slid from #3 to #6.

PHILADELPHIA: A Three-Peat

We checked with legal and were fairly certain we do not owe PAT RILEY any royalties for the use of his trademarked phrase. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS was #1 6+ for the third straight survey as it regained all of last month’s share loss (8.2-9.0). BEASLEY Album Oriented Rock WMMR had its best outing in over a year (7.2-8.1) as it rose to #2. AUDACY Sports WIP dipped to #3 (7.7-7.0) but was consoled by the fact that its stream picked up a 1.7 share. BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK repeated at #4 (6.7-6.7), while AUDACY News KYW-A was back at #5 (5.0-4.8). It added a 0.6 share from its stream. AUDACY AC WBEB (B101.1) continued to have the largest cume (895,700-900,100) – a 0.5% increase. The market was down 0.5%.

Can we trademark “eight straight”? That’s how many 25-54 books in a row that WMMR has been #1. The station did post its lowest number of the streak but still led WDAS, which moved up to #2 with its first up book since APRIL, by about two shares. WIP slipped to #3 with its first down book since FEBRUARY. BEASLEY Adult Hits WBEN (95.7 BEN FM) was up two places to #4 with a small share increase, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WUSL (POWER 99) repeated at #5 with a slight increase. BEASLEY Country WXTU ended a very strong two-book surge as it dropped from #4 to #7.

In our previous dalliance into this market, WDAS and WMMR were both sitting at #3 18-34. They each had strong share increases as they rose together to become co-leaders of the demo. WMGK stepped down to #3 with a slight increase. This ended the two-book run at #1 for WUSL, which landed at #4 with its smallest share since APRIL. WBEN was up two spots to #5 with its highest score since SEPTEMBER. WXTU slipped into a tie at #6 with WBEB.

WMMR ended a three-book 18-49 skid as it cruised to its eighth consecutive victory. WDAS rebounded from a down book to move up to #2 but was more than two shares off the lead. WUSL stepped down to #3 with a somewhat large share loss. WIP dipped to #4 and just edged out WBEN, which jumped from #8 to #5 with its highest mark since MARCH. WXTU fell from #5 to #8.

BOSTON: A Mix-Up

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, AUDACY Hot AC WWBX (MIX 104.1) found its way to the 6+ winner’s podium after landing its largest share in over a year (7.0-7.8). This ended the seven-book winning streak for BEASLEY Sports WBZ (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB), which drifted down to #2 (7.7-7.5). BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR was back at #3 (6.8-6.4), while AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) repeated at #4 (6.0-5.7). WMJX did gain an additional 0.3 share from its stream. iHEARTMEDIA N/T WBZ-A stepped up to #5 (4.7-4.7), which forced BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR down to #6 (5.1-4.6). WMJX may have lost 8.3% of its listening base but the station was still #1 in cume (758,800-695,600). The market was essentially flat.

WWBX made it back-to-back 25-54 victories as it posted a double-digit share. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WXKS (KISS 108) remained at #2 with its third down book in a row. The stations were better than four shares apart. WBZ and WROR were previously tied at #3. A flat WBZ held steady, while WROR dipped to #4 with a slight decrease.  A flat WMJX was still sitting at #5 but it was accompanied by iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WZLX, which moved up a slot with its best showing since NOVEMBER.

How dominant is WWBX with the 18-34 crowd? Let us show you. The station was #1 for the fourth book in a row, and seventh time in the last eight surveys. The station was also in double figures for the seventh time during that eight-book span. We’re not finished. Its share was larger than the next three stations – combined! WXKS was back at #2 as it regained some of last month’s large share loss. WMJX repeated at #3 but was matched with BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9), which moved up from #5. WBZ advanced three bases to #5 as it partially recovered from last month’s devastating share loss. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR WJMN (JAM’N 94.5) slipped to #6 with its lowest mark since APRIL. WROR and AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103) were formerly partners at #5. The stations dissolved that arrangement and landed at #7 and #8, respectively.

WWBX was #1 and in double figures 18-49 to the third straight survey. WBZ maintained its presence at #2 but was nearly seven shares off the lead. WXKS stepped up to #3 with a slight increase, which pushed WMJX down to #4. WROR dipped to #5 as it ended a modest two-book surge.

Thank you for slogging through this with us. There is still more in the queue. 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

About XTrends: XTrends’ exclusive XNotes feature is the only way to track what’s happening on-air and see its impact on your ratings. Learn more 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