RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, September 2024, Part IV

October 4, 2024

After you do this stuff for a while, that old cliché becomes reality – the more things change, the more they stay the same. Month after month, survey after survey, the usual suspects are generally seen at the top of the ratings leaderboard. There was a time when we would see volatility – especially in the 25-54 sector. Now it seems like the status is quo in almost every demo except for those 18-34 young’uns. Is this because they are fickle and have little brand loyalty to radio? Or are they so screen-distracted that they cannot focus long enough on – squirrel! It will be interesting to see how the upcoming three-minute qualifier affects this.

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC – in alignment with the number-crunching pishogues from XTRENDS – bring you our final installment of the SEPTEMBER survey. This ran from AUGUST 15^TH through SEPTEMBER 11^TH. School buses were on the streets, football was back, and there was a three-day weekend wedged in there as well. Here’s how it all played out:

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Double Your Pleasure

If you’re of a certain vintage, that jingle is now bouncing around your brain. As usual, COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) was #1 6+. The station also posted its eighth consecutive double-digit number (10.7-10.9) BEASLEY Country WQYK was back at #2 (6.4-6.0) but was now tied with its archrival iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5), which stepped up from #3 (6.3-6.0). COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE) repeated at #4 as it ended a four-book surge (6.2-5.7). The station also received a 0.9 share from its stream. iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7) had its smallest share since MARCH (5.7-4.9) but moved up to #5. COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) landed its lowest number in over a year (6.2-4.5) as it descended from #4 to #8. WDUV added 5.2% to its market-leading cume total (617,200-649,200). The market rose by 1.6%.

For the first time since it was fouling the airwaves with BURL IVES and his minions, WDUV was #1 25-54. COX MEDIA N/T WHPT (102.5 THE BONE) had its highest mark since MAY as it rose from #7 to #2. Meanwhile, iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB posted its lowest number since FEBRUARY as it went from first to third. WQYK rebounded nicely from a down book as it vaulted from #10 to #4. A flat WFUS remained at #5. WMTX drifted from #3 to #6 with its least productive outing since MARCH. WTBV slid from #4 into a tie at #7 with BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1).

WDUV stood alone atop the 18-34 leaderboard with its second straight double-digit performance. WQYK stepped up to #2 as it also hit double figures. WMTX went from a tie at #1 to #3 as it ended a robust two-book surge. Last month there were three stations claiming to be #4. This time only WFUS had the right to make that claim, even though it was down for the third book in a row. WXTB dipped to #5 as it returned a good portion of last month’s huge increase. WTBV ended up at #6 and was paired with WHPT, which advanced from #12.

WDUV completed the demo slam as it went from #3 to #1 18-49.  WQYK moved up to #2 with its best book in over a year. It was about a half share off the lead. This ended the two-book run at #1 for WXTB, which slid to #3 with its lowest score since MARCH. WMTX dropped two places to #4, while WFUS dipped to #5.

DENVER-BOULDER: Let’s Go!

BONNEVILLE Country KYGO had its best 6+ book in over a year (6.5-7.3) to rise from a tie at #2 to #1. BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) remained tied at #2 (6.5-6.8) but with a new roommate. That was KSE VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105), which stepped down from #1 as it gave back all of last month’s share increase (7.3-6.8). AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) was up two slots to #4 with its fifth up book in a row (5.3-5.6). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) remained at #5 (5.4-5.3) but was forced to share as iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) dropped down from #4 with its lowest mark since JANUARY (6.3-5.3). KOSI was still in cume control despite a 2.2% decrease (542,800-530,700). The market was off 3.4%.

A flat KTCL topped the 25-54 chart for the third straight survey. KYGO was up to #2 with, once again, its best book in over a year. It was a little more than a share behind the leader. KXKL dipped to #3 as it halted a strong four-book surge. KALC also had its best outing in over a year as it advanced four spaces to #4. Conversely, KOSI posted its lowest total in over a year as it slid to #5. iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO and KSE VENTURES Hot AC KIMN (MIX 100) were previously tied at #5. KBCO slipped to #7 with its smallest share since APRIL. KIMN ended up at #8 and was tied with KRFX.

It was quite the 18-34 book for KYGO. It more than doubled its previous share as it vaulted from a tie at #4 to #1. It was also in double figures. This evicted the former co-tenants in the top spot. KRFX dipped to #2, despite a solid share gain. KXKL landed at #3, thus ending its four-book surge. It was paired with KOSI, which remained in place but with a noticeable loss of share. At the beginning of the survey, AUDACY Rhythmic AC KQKS (KS 107.5) changed its format. It seemed to have paid some dividends as it stepped up to #5 with its highest share since MARCH. KTCL slipped from the #4 tie to #6 and was in league with KALC, KIMN and iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7).

KYGO completed the demo sweep as it jumped from a tie at #4 to #1 18-49. This ended the two-book winning streak for KXKL, which dipped to #2 with its first down book since MAY. ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) zoomed from #9 to #3 with its best showing since APRIL. KALC advanced from #7 to #4 with its fifth up book in a row. It was tied with KOSI, which slid from #2 with its smallest share since NOVEMBER. KTCL was down three spots to #6, while KBCO fell from the tie at #4 into a tie with KRFX at #7.

SAN DIEGO: A Sunny Disposish

H/T to GEORGE GERSHWIN. AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) was #1 6+ for the third book in a row and sixth time in the last seven surveys (7.8-6.4). SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS repeated at #2 (6.9-5.7) but with its smallest share since people were consuming that awful eggnog (don’t @ me). LOCAL MEDIA Adult Hits KFBG (100.7 BIG FM) advanced from #8 to #3 with its best outing in over a year (4.3-5.4). It was tied with AUDACY Sports KWFN (97.3 FM THE FAN), which moved up from #5 (4.9-5.4) with its best offensive performance in over a year. Go PADRES. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5) narrowly missed making it a three-way tie. It repeated at #5, also with its highest mark in over a year (4.9-5.3). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) and iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1) had been paired at #3. XHRM dropped to #6 (5.2-5.1), while KMYI landed at #7 (5.2-4.8). Despite an 8.8% drop, KXSN still had the largest cume (559,200-510,200). The market was essentially flat.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new 25-54 market leader. KLNV stepped up to #1 with its third straight up book. This brought to a close the six-book winning string for KXSN, which stepped down to #2 with its smallest share since JANUARY. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ inched up to #3 with a slight increase. It was joined in that space by LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X), which advanced from a tie at #7 as it rebounded from a down book. XHRM slipped to #5 with a small decrease and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHTS (CHANNEL 933), which moved up from the tie at #7 with a solid increase. KPBS fell from #5 to #13. It was partnered with AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9).

Last month XHRM replaced XTRA as the 18-34 leader. Their roles were reversed this time as XTRA rebounded from a down book while XHRM lost about half of its previous share increase. Four stations were milling about at #3. KXSN and KPBS stepped down from their tie at #2. KWFN moved up from a tie at #7 with its best showing in over a year. KFBG nearly doubled its previous share as it advanced from #14. KMYI dropped from #5 into an arrangement at #8 with AUDACY Country KSON.

KLNV was up slightly to capture the 18-49 flag for the second book in a row. XHRM repeated at #2 with a slight decrease, while XTRA leapt from #8 to #3 with its highest score in over a year. KXSN dipped to #4 with a small decrease and was tied with an unmoved KIOZ. KMYI dropped from the tie at #4 to #9. It was joined there by KFBG, which advanced from #15.

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CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: Good Vibes

BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) had its best 6+ outing since NOVEMBER (6.7-7.7) as it rose from #3 to #1. It was also the third different station to land in that spot over the last three surveys. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) dipped to #2 (7.5-7.0), while BEASLEY Country WSOC stepped down to #3 with its third down book in a row (7.0-6.6). PACIFIC Classic Hits WXRC (95.7 THE RIDE) landed its largest share in over a year (5.4-6.4) as it cruised up to #4. URBAN ONE N/T WBT-A moved down to #5 (6.6-5.8), while BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) slid from #5 to #8 as it ended a strong four-book surge (5.6-5.1). WLKO was still the cume leader, despite a 3.9% decrease (390,900-375,500). The market was up 0.8%.

Last month BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98 FM) dipped to #2 25-54 as its four-book winning streak came to an end. The station bounced back to #1 this time as it regained most of last survey’s lost share. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) and WBAV had been tied at #6. WEND moved up to #2 with its highest mark in over a year, while WBAV landed at #3 with its best book since MAY. WLKO went from first to fourth as it stopped a four-book surge. It was partnered with URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ , which dipped from #3. WSOC slipped two places to #6 with its lowest score in over a year. URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB) dropped to #7 with a modest share loss.

In AUGUST WBAV and WPEG were 18-34 co-leaders that narrowly missed hitting double digits. Both stations smashed through that barrier this time and ranked #1 and #2, respectively. BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1) remained at #3, though it returned a substantial portion of last month’s massive increase. It was sharing the moment with WFNZ, which moved up a spot despite a down book. WOSF and WEND had been tied at #5 and remained in that position this time. They had a new partner as WLKO rose from #8 with a strong share increase.

WBAV was #1 18-49 for the first time since NOVEMBER, thanks to its highest share in over a year. WPEG dipped to #2 despite bouncing back from a down book. WEND also had its best performance in over a year as it held steady at #3. WNKS was up three places to #4 with its third straight up book. WLKO slipped to #5 and was paired with a stationary WFNZ. Last month’s tie at that spot was dissolved as WSOC dropped to #7.

NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): Doin’ Fine On Cloud Nine

Even though COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB had its smallest 6+ share since APRIL (9.3-7.9), the station was #1 for the ninth book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) was back at #2 but with its best book in over a year (4.8-6.1). AUDACY News WINS repeated at #3 (4.7-4.9). It also picked up a 1.5 share from its stream. AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS advanced from a tie at #7 to join WINS (1010 WINS) at #3, thanks to its best showing since MARCH (4.1-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) dipped to #5 (4.4-4.6) and was paired with CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) (4.3-4.6). WHTZ assumed cume command, thanks to an 8.6% increase (415,000-458,800). This was the first time since JANUARY that WBAB was not the cume leader. The market grew by 0.4%.

Speaking of the number nine, WHTZ was #1 25-54 for the ninth straight survey. Yes, the station did post its largest share in over a year. WAXQ stepped up to #2 with a slight decrease, while WBAB dipped to #3 with its lowest mark since we were getting sugar plum flashbacks. Also coming in at #3 was iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU, which rose from #6 with its largest share since APRIL. A flat WALK repeated at #5, while COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI slipped to #6 as it ended a strong two-book surge.

Last month WBAB and CONNOISSEUR Country WWWF (103.1 THE WOLF) were both in double figures 18-34 and #1 and #2, respectively. WWWF remained in double digits as it moved up to #1, while WBAB dipped to #2 as it returned most of last survey’s huge increase. WHTZ inched up to #3 as it bounced back from a down book. WBLI slipped to #4 with its lowest total since MARCH. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) moved up two places to #5 with its highest score since it was all merry and bright. WALK dropped from a tie at #5 to a tie at #8 with WAXQ. AUDACY Sports WFAN (WFAN SPORTS RADIO) fell from the tie at #5 to #14. Also coming in at that spot was WINS and iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WWPR (POWER 105.1).

WHTZ rebounded from last month’s down book to move up to #1 with the 18-49 group. This ended WBAB’s three-book reign as it dipped to #2 with its first down book since APRIL. WAXQ repeated at #3 with a slight increase, while WKTU leapt from a tie at #7 to #4 with a large share increase. WWWF remained at #5 with a small decrease, while WBLI dropped from #2 to #7 with its lowest total since APRIL.

Be honest – how many of you Googled “pishogue” before you continued reading this screed?

This concludes our foray into the SEPTEMBER survey. We’ll see you in four weeks as we dissect OCTOBER.

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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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