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RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, January 2025, Part I
February 24, 2025
And so it begins. Welcome to the first book of the rest of your radio life. The JANUARY survey marks the beginning of the three-minute rule era. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., along with our compatriots from XTRENDS, have been anxiously awaiting this moment. Yes, we are ratings nerds.
A few housekeeping notes. The survey ran from JANUARY 9TH through FEBRUARY 5TH. There was a federally-mandated three-day weekend in there, playoff football, and some really lousy weather.
Besides our normal analysis of the numbers, we will be adding in a new wrinkle. We always show how the market cume has changed every month. As we adjust to this new reality, we will also be listing the percentage change of market PUMM by demo. For this book, we will compare it to the previous survey. In future roundups, we will look at year over year.
Let’s do this…
NEW YORK: Major Movement
The 6+ leaderboard saw some turmoil. The top two stations remained a constant. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) was still #1 (13.1-7.7). This matched their share from last JANUARY. AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) was back at #2 but with its best book in over a year (5.1-5.8). The station also received a 0.7 share courtesy of its stream. A couple of stations rebounded from their ‘seasonally ineffective disorder.’ AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS rose from #8 to #3 (4.1-5.3), while two stations moved up to forge a tie at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) was up from #6 (4.5-5.2), while NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO N/T WNYC advanced from #9 with its best outing in over a year (3.7-5.2). SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) and MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS were previously seen at #2. Both stations were flat (5.1-5.1) as they drifted together down to #6. WSKQ did pick up a 0.9 share from its digital side. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) was down for the fourth book in a row (4.7-4.6) as it slid from #5 to #9. It was tied with RED APPLE MEDIA N/T WABC-A, which remained in place (3.7-4.6). WLTW shed 10.5% of its previous cume but was still #1 (4,127,900-3,696,100). The market was up 3.0%, while 6+ market PUMM was up 16.9%.
WLTW was #1 25-54 for the fourth straight survey but with its smallest share since AUGUST. WSKQ stepped up to #2 with a slight decrease, while WHTZ dipped to #3 with its least productive outing in over a year. AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) repeated at #4, while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (103.5 KTU) was back at #5. Both stations had solid increases. Close behind at #6 was WAXQ, which finally ended a six-book slide. Market PUMM for 25-54 was up 19.0%.
WLTW remained #1 18-34 and in double figures, though with its lowest score since JULY. WSKQ was back at #2 with its highest mark since MARCH. WHTZ rose from #6 to #3 with a strong share increase. WCBS slipped to #4, despite a small increase. WAXQ leapt from #10 to #5 as it rebounded from a down book. Two stations were excused from the top five. WKTU slid to #7, despite landing its best book since JULY. WNEW fell to #8 with a small share gain. Market PUMM 18-34 was up 9.5%.
Even though it shed about half its previous share, WLTW was #1 18-49 for the sixth straight survey. A flat WSKQ was back at #2, while WHTZ remained at #3 with a small increase. WKTU stood alone at #4 with its best book since JULY. WNEW stepped down to #5, despite regaining all of last survey’s share loss. It was a tick ahead of #6 WAXQ, which ended a two-book slide. Market PUMM 18-49 rose by 14.6%.
LOS ANGELES: The Power Of Radio
The tragic PALISADES fire started on JANUARY 7TH, two days before this book began. The need for vital information drove iHEARTMEDIA News KNX from #7 to #3 6+ (3.7-5.2). The station also picked up a 0.5 share from those tuning in to the stream. iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST was #1 for the third book in a row (12.4-6.1). It had a 7.0 share a year ago. AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101FM) repeated at #2 but ended its six-book slide (4.7-5.8). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) remained at #4 (4.2-5.0), halting a four-book slide. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) slipped to #5 (4.6-4.7), while TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5) dipped to #6 (3.9-4.4). KOST remained the cume leader with a 25.4% decrease (3,165,300-2,361,600). The market was up 1.4%, while 6+ market PUMM grew by 19.7%.
KOST lost more than half its previous 25-54 share but was #1 for the third straight survey. However, it was forced to share as KIIS stepped up from #2,bouncing back from a down book. KRTH rose from #5 to #3 with a solid increase, while KBIG dipped to #4 with a small share gain. KLVE was up to #5 with its best book in over a year, while SBS Mexican Regional KLAX (LA RAZA 97.9) fell three spots to #6 with its first down book since AUGUST. KNX rose from #20 to #11. 25-54 market PUMM was up 23.1%.
KRTH had its best 18-34 book since SEPTEMBER, while KIIS its lowest share since AUGUST, but both stations moved up and into a tie at #1. KOST slipped to #3, again shedding more than half its previous share. SBS Spanish Contemporary KXOL (MEGA 96.3) leapt from #9 to #4 with easily its largest share in over a year. KBIG dipped to #5, though it ended a steep four-book slide. AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) slipped to #7 and was tied with KLVE, which advanced from #15. 18-34 market PUMM was up 12.3%.
KIIS ended a three-book 18-49 slide to step up to #1, while KRTH had its best showing since AUGUST to rise three places to #2. KOST dropped to #3, while KBIG slipped to #4 despite a solid share gain. KLVE was up to #5 with its best book since JUNE, while KLAX dropped to #6 as it halted a three-book surge. KNX went from #24 to #16. 18-49 market PUMM was up 20.1%.
CHICAGO: It’s News To Us
After taking the last three books off, AUDACY News WBBM-A was back on top of the 6+ leaderboard (5.7-5.9). The station was also granted a 1.2 share from the digital realm. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) stepped up to #2 (5.2-5.2). There was quite a bit of recovery from the HOLIDAY malaise. AUDACY AAA WXRT (93 XRT) had its best book since SEPTEMBER as it vaulted from #9 to #3 (3.1-4.8). It was partnered with AUDACY Country WUSN (US 99), which advanced from #7 with its highest share since JUNE (3.2-4.8). Also coming in at #3 was HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1 THE DRIVE), which moved up a spot (5.1-4.8). HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) remained at #6 but with its highest mark in over a year (3.3-4.5). CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS-F slipped to #7 (3.7-4.3). The home of the holiday hits – iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) – fell from #1 to #8 (12.5-4.2). The station was #1 with a 6.9 share a year ago. It also kept its #1 cume status, despite a 38.6% decline (1,965,400-1,207,100). The market grew by 5.5%, and 6+ market PUMM rose by 25.4%.
There was quite the shakeup in the 25-54 ranks. WTMX rose from #4 to #1 with its best book in over a year. It had a full share lead over the two stations that advanced to #2. WUSN was up from #7, while iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) arrived from #6, also with its highest mark in over a year. WXRT leapt from a tie at #14 to #4, while its former partner in that space – CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA N/T WBEZ – landed at #6. In between was iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WGCI, which slid from #2 to #5. WVAZ dropped four places to #7 with a slight decrease and was tied with TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1), which slipped from #4 with a slight increase. WLIT sank from #1 to #12 and was paired with WBBM-A. 25-54 market PUMM grew by 31.2%.
WKSC had its best 18-34 book in over a year while WUSN posted its largest number since JUNE as the stations finished at #1 and #2, respectively. WOJO stepped up to #3 and was sharing that moment with WLS-F, which rose from #6. Both stations had strong share increases. WLIT fell from #1 to #5 and was feeling the heat from WTMX, which advanced from #13 to #6. WGCI fell from #3 into a tie at #9 with WXRT (which moved up from #17). 18-34 market PUMM was up 33.0%.
Change was the operative word for the 18-49 space. WUSN rose from #4 to #1, while WTMX advanced from #6 to #2. Both stations landed their largest shares in over a year and were separated by the slimmest of all margins. WKSC was up to #3, also with its highest mark in over a year. WGCI and WOJO each slipped two places in the standings to finish at #4 and #5, respectively. WLS-F was up three slots to #6 with its highest mark since MARCH. WLIT fell from #1 to #9. 18-49 market PUMM rose by 32.5%.
Shameless plug: We’re in for a wild ride with this new three-minute rule. Are you ready to do a deep dive? We are.
DALLAS-FT. WORTH: Ticket To Ride
How ’bout dem COWBOYS! Misery is great for ratings as CUMULUS Sports KTCK (96.7 & 1310 THE TICKET) stepped back up to #1 6+ with its best outing in over a year (5.7-7.1). Rudolph’s departure allowed iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) to dip to #2 (10.1-5.2). Last year it was #4 with a 4.5 share. AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) stepped up to #3 (4.4-4.8), and it had company as TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) halted a three book slide to advance from #8 (3.7-4.8). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) stood alone at #5 (4.0-4.3), while NORTH TEXAS PUBLIC BROADCASTING N/T KERA stepped down to #6 (4.0-4.2). CUMULUS Country KSCS (NEW COUNTRY 96.3) dropped five places to #8 with its smallest share since JUNE (4.6-3.9). It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (NOW 102.9), which dipped from #7 (3.8-3.9), and CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF), which was up from #9 (3.6-3.9). KDGE lost 23.3% of its cume but was still #1 (1,620,600-1,243,300). The market was up 1.2%, as the 6+ market PUMM grew by 18.6%.
As with the previous demo, KTCK had its best 25-54 book in over a year as it returned to the top spot after a two-book layoff. KLNO bounced back from a down book to move up two slots to #2, while AUDACY Mexican Regional KMVK (LA GRANDE 107.5 FM) rose three places to #3 with its best showing since OCTOBER. KHKS dipped to #4 and was tied with KDGE, which fell from #1. KDMX slipped from #5 to #7 and was paired with KSCS. 25-54 market PUMM was up 25.0%.
Despite losing more than half its previous 18-34 share, KDGE was #1 for the third straight survey. KLNO got back most of last survey’s big share loss as it moved from #4 to #2. KDMX dipped to #3 and ran headlong into the flat and stationary KSCS. KTCK rocketed from #14 to #5, while KHKS slipped to #6 with its third down book in a row. 18-34 market PUMM was up 16.6%.
The 18-49 race was a photo finish. KTCK and KLNO were both #1, having risen from #4 and #3, respectively. KDGE moved down to #3, while KHKS dropped two places to #4 with a slight decrease. It narrowly defeated KMVK, which stepped up to #5 with its best book in exactly a year. KDMX slid to #6. 18-49 market PUMM rose by 21.3%.
SAN FRANCISCO: Back To Normal
Now that all the holiday madness has subsided, the 6+ chart has returned to its full and upright position. KQED INC N/T KQED moved back to #1 with its best book in over a year (9.5-10.7), while AUDACY News KCBS-A (ALL NEWS 106.9FM/740AM) moved up to its more familiar #2 position (6.4-6.9). BONNEVILLE AC KOIT slipped down to #3 (11.6-6.1). It was #1 with an 8.6 share a year ago. USC Classical KDFC (CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA) remained at #4 (5.4-5.2), while two stations settled in at #5. BONNEVILLE Pop CHR KMVQ (99.7 NOW) held steady but with its smallest share in over a year (4.5-3.9). AUDACY Hot AC KLLC (ALICE @ 97.3) advanced from #9 with its best outing in over a year (2.8-3.9). KOIT was still #1 in cume but with a 16.4% decrease (1,339,600-1,119,600). The market was up 1.6%. 6+ market PUMM rose 24.1%.
KQED captured the 25-54 flag as it rose from #3 with a strong share increase. KOIT dipped to #2 as it shed some of that holiday weight gain. KMVQ moved down to #3 as it gave back all of last survey’s solid share increase. AUDACY Alternative KITS (LIVE 105) repeated at #4 as it rebounded from a down book. It was paired with AUDACY Rhythmic AC KRBQ (102.1 JAMS), which arrived from #7 with its best book in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KYLD (WiLD 94.9) and iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR KMEL were last spotted at #5. Both stations had down books as they landed at #8 and #12, respectively. 25-54 market PUMM gained 24.6%.
Despite a slight decrease, KMVQ moved up to #1 18-34. It held a narrow lead over KOIT, which dipped to #2. KITS repeated at #3 but with a noticeable loss of share. SBS Mexican Regional KRZZ (93.3 LA RAZA) stepped up to #4 with its best showing in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KOSF (CLASSIC HITS 103.7) more than doubled its previous share as it vaulted from #12 to #5. KMEL slipped to #6 with its fourth down book in a row. 18-34 market PUMM was up 28.3%.
The top five 18-49 was relatively unchanged from last survey. KQED was up to #1 with a strong share increase and led KOIT, which stepped down to #2, by close to two shares. KMVQ dipped to #3 as it returned most of last survey’s solid share gain. KITS was back at #4, while KRZZ repeated at #5 with, again, its best book in over a year. 18-49 market PUMM gained 25.5%.
Whew, what a ride! The three-minute reveal continues tomorrow with HOUSTON, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., PHILADELPHIA, and BOSTON in that order.
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-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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