RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, February 2025, Part IV

March 27, 2025

Since today is baseball’s opening day, it is appropriate to say we are rounding third and headed for home as we wrap up the FEBRUARY survey. Another set of data points are on deck as we examine how this whole three-minute rule – NIELSEN’s version of the pitch clock – has affected radio listening. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with our double play partners from XTRENDS – will focus on share rank, as usual. However, we will also continue to look at how PUMM has been affected on a book-to-book and year-to-year basis. This is our version of inside baseball.

The FEBRUARY book ran from FEBRUARY 6^TH through MARCH 5^TH. There was a long government-sponsored weekend in there, the end of the football season and plenty of the winter doldrums. The play by play begins now ….

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Fits Like A Dove

COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) was perched atop the 6+ roost as per usual with another dominating performance (9.5-10.1). RADIO TRAINING Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) moved up two places to #2 with its best performance in over a year (6.0-6.5). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) remained nested at #3 (6.1-5.7), while COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE) slipped to #4 with its smallest share since OCTOBER (6.6-5.5). The station did garner a 0.4 share from its stream. Two stations moved up and into a tie at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) stepped up from #6 with its highest mark in over a year (4.8-5.2), while iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5) advanced from #7 (4.6-5.2). BEASLEY Country WQYK (99.5 QYK) slipped to #7 (5.3-5.0). WDUV still had the biggest flock of listeners (744,000-702,100) – a 5.6% decline. The market was down 0.7%. Market PUMM was up 1.2% from JANUARY and 19.7% from 2024.

WXTB made it back-to-back 25-54 wins with its fifth up book in a row. WCIE vaulted from #6 to #2 with, again, its best outing in over a year. WDUV dipped to #3 with its lowest score since JULY. WQYK dipped to #4 and was tied with the flat and stationary WTBV. COX MEDIA N/T WHPT (102.5 THE BONE) fell from a tie at #4 to #10 as it surrendered a good chunk of last month’s large increase. It was sharing that space with BEASLEY Classic Hits WRBQ (Q105) and iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ (93.3 FLZ). Market PUMM was up a modest 0.2% from last month and a substantial 25.3% from the previous year.

WFUS has been on quite the 18-34 tear. It has gone from #10 in the HOLIDAY book to #6 and this time landed in first place with a double-digit share. This halted the seven-book winning streak of WDUV, which dipped to #2 despite a solid share increase. WFLZ stepped down to #3 and was paired with WXTB. WQYK inched up to #5 as it ended a steep two-book slide. WXGL slid three places to #6 as it surrendered a large portion of last month’s massive share infusion. WCIE dropped from #5 into a tie at #8 with BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1). Market PUMM was up 2.7% from the previous book and 14.6% from a year ago.

WXTB widened its already comfortable 18-49 lead to about two shares over #2 WDUV. WFLZ, WCIE and WFUS were last spotted at #5. The latter two stations had solid share increases as they landed at #3 and #4, respectively. COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9) dipped to #5 with a slight decrease. WFLZ and WQYK exited the top five and were huddled together at #7. Market PUMM grew 3.6% on a monthly basis and 30.7% from last year.

DENVER-BOULDER: That’s Kool

KSE VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105) had its best 6+ book since AUGUST as it repeated as the market leader (6.1-7.0). BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) stepped up to #2 (5.4-6.1), while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) jumped from a tie at #6 to #3 with its best showing since MAY (4.7-5.9). BONNEVILLE Country KYGO slid to #4 (5.8-5.4), while AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) moved up to #5 (4.7-4.7). iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO and PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF COLORADO N/T KCFR were last seen at #4. KBCO dropped to #7 (4.9-4.5), while KCFR ended up at #8 (4.9-4.4). KOSI was still in cume control with an 8.5% increase (494,900-536,900). The market grew by 3.4%. Market PUMM was down 0.8% from JANUARY but up 6.6% from 2024.

For the eleventh time in the last 14 surveys, KTCL was #1 25-54. The station received a huge influx of share this month and led KXKL, which stepped up to #2, by more than three shares. ENTRAVISION Spanish Adult Hits KJMN (LA SUAVECITA 92.1) leapt from #7 to #3 with its fifth up book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7) rebounded from a down book to vault from #13 to #4. AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) remained firmly rooted at #5 with a small decrease. However, it had company as KOSI rose from #8 and iHEARTMEDIA Country KWBL (106.7 THE BULL) advanced from #12. KYGO dropped three places to #8. KCFR and KBCO had been #2 and #3, respectively. The stations fell into a tie at #11 along with KALC. Market PUMM was off 2.3% from last month but up 6.8% from the previous year.

Last month KTCL, KOSI and KQMT shared the top 18-34 spot. KTCL stood alone, thanks to its best book since MAY. KOSI and KQMT had solid increases but dropped into a tie for second place. AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) stepped up to #4, while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) dipped to #5. KSE VENTURES Hot AC KIMN (MIX 100) slipped to #6 and was paired with KDHT. Market PUMM was off 0.6% from last survey and down 2.4% from a year ago.

The 18-49 leaderboard went through some things. KTCL stepped up to #1 with its highest score since JULY. KDHT and KOSI fell out of the top five last month and landed in a heap at #7. Both stations bounced back and were at #2 and #3, respectively. ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) remained at #4 with a slight decrease. It was joined there by KQKS and KXKL, which has been tied at #11. KIMN slid from a tie at #4 into a tie at #7 with KJMN. KBCO gave back most of last survey’s huge increase as it fell from #2 into a tie at #9 with KQMT. A month ago, KCFR was the demo leader. This time, it was sitting at #12 along with KALC. Market PUMM fell 3.5% from last month but was up 3.3% from a year ago.

SAN DIEGO: Was A Sunny Day…

Not only was AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) the repeat 6+ champion, but the station also landed its largest share in over a year (7.4-9.0). SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS was back at #2 with its highest mark since AUGUST (6.0-6.7). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) stepped up to #3 (4.9-5.4), while LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) advanced three spaces to #4 with its best showing in over a year (3.8-5.3). AUDACY AC KYXY slid to #5 (5.5-4.9). The station added a 0.2 share from the interwebs. KXSN kept its cume lead with a 3.4% increase (560,200-579,200). The market was off 0.1%. Market PUMM fell 1.3% from JANUARY but was up 30.9% from 2024.

For the first time since AUGUST, KXSN was back on top of the 25-54 leaderboard. XTRA moved up to #2 with its best book in over a year but was still about a share and a half off the lead. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5) went from first to third with only a slight decrease. XHRM slid to #4 with a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3) stepped up to #5 with its best outing since OCTOBER. It was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHTS (CHANNEL 933), which rose from #8 with its best book in exactly a year. AUDACY Country KSON fell five places to #10 as it returned about half of last month’s large share increase. Market PUMM was down 4.9% from last month but gained 24.0% when compared to last FEBRUARY.

KXSN had its best 18-34 book in over a year as it made its way up to #1. KIOZ vaulted from #8 to #2, also with its highest score in over a year, but was still two shares off the lead. XTRA slid from #1 to #3, while three stations were massed together at #4. A flat XHRM remained in place, while KSON dropped from a tie at #2. KHTS stepped up from #5 with its best book since JUNE. KPBS and AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9) were last seen at #5. KPBS slipped to #7 and was in league with KYXY, while KBZT landed at #9. Market PUMM was down 1.0% on a monthly basis but up 6.9% from a year ago.

Both KXSN and XTRA had their best 18-49 books in over a year as they rose to #1 and #2, respectively. XHRM repeated at #3 with a small increase and was paired with KIOZ, which moved up from #5. KLNV fell from first to fifth with its smallest share since JULY. Market PUMM was down 1.2% from last month but up 22.7% from 2024.

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CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: MMMM … K

BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) was #1 6+ for the third straight survey (6.9-6.9). BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) was back at #2 (6.5-6.6), but had company as UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE moved up to claim its share of second place with its highest score in over a year (5.9-6.6). PACIFIC Classic Hits WXRC (95.7FM THE RIDE) remained idled at #4 with its third up book in a row (5.4-6.2). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX) landed its largest share in over a year (3.8-5.9) as it advanced from #12 to #5. BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98FM) slid from #5 to #9 (5.2-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) reassumed control of the cume war with a 13.8% increase (365,500-416,000). The market was up 2.5%. Market PUMM grew 3.7% from JANUARY and 10.9% from 2024.

The top three 25-54 stations were unchanged from last month. WPEG was back at #1, while WKQC repeated at #2. Both stations had down books and were less than a half share apart. WBAV remained at #3 with a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) stepped up to #4 as it bounced back from a down book. It was paired with WRFX, which advanced from #10 with its fourth up book in a row. URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ (SPORTS RADIO 92.7 FM) slipped to #6 and was hanging out with WFAE. Market PUMM was up 8.9% from last month and 9.4% from a year ago.

As recently as NOVEMBER, WRFX was #12 18-34. The station has more than tripled its share in the ensuing surveys and this time found itself at #1 and in double figures. WFNZ repeated at #2 but was better than two shares off the pace. WEND leapt from #7 to #3 with its highest score in a year. WKQC dipped to #4 as it ended a strong four-book surge. BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) worked it from #9 to #5 as it halted a steep four-book slide. WBAV dipped to #6 with its lowest total since APRIL. WPEG lost more than half its previous share as it tumbled from #1 to #7. It was tied with URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB). Two stations moving in opposite directions met up at #9. BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1) slid from a tie at #5, while WFAE rose from #15. Market PUMM was up 4.8% from last month and 23.9% from the previous FEBRUARY.

WPEG was unable to duplicate last month’s double-digit performance, though it had enough left to remain #1 18-49. While WBAV also had a down book, it was able to move up to forge a tie for the demo leadership. WRFX vaulted from #9 to #3 with its best book in over a year, while WEND was up two places to #4 as it regained some of last survey’s rather large share loss. WKQC slid to #5 with a small decrease. WNKS and WFNZ had been tied at #4. They had identical share losses and slipped to #6. Market PUMM was up 5.2% on a monthly basis and 5.7% when compared to last year.

NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): I Heard The News Today …

… oh boy, another earworm! AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) repeated at the 6+ winner (7.0-7.1). It also was granted a 1.1 share from the digital realm. COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB was back at #2 (6.8-5.8), while iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) remained at #3 (5.3-5.7). CONNOISSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3) had its best book in over a year (4.5-5.6) as it moved up two slots to #4. COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI (106.1 BLI) stepped down to #5 (5.1-5.2), while CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) dipped to #6 (4.8-5.1). WINS kept the cume crown with a 9.7% increase (367,000-402,400). The market was down 0.7%. Market PUMM was also down. It fell 1.3% from JANUARY and 6.0% from 2024.

WHTZ made it back-to-back 25-54 wins with its best book since NOVEMBER. WALK repeated at #2 with a small share increase, while a flat WBAB stood alone at #3. WBLI dipped to #4 with a small share loss. It was paired with CONNOISSEUR Mainstream Rock WWSK (94.3 THE SHARK), which rose from #8 as it ended a two-book slide. WINS stepped down to #6 and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (103.5 KTU). Market PUMM was off 2.7% from last month and 5.4% from a year ago.

WKJY got a massive 18-34 share infusion and was dangerously close to double figures as it stepped up to #1. This pushed WBAB down to #2 where it was joined by WHTZ, up from a tie at #3. Those two were nearly three shares behind the leader. WBLI stepped down to #4 with a small share loss, while iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) stood alone at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) slid from the tie at #5 into a partnership at #7 with WKTU and RED APPLE N/T WLIR (TALK RADIO 107.1). Market PUMM was down 2.6% from JANUARY and 8.0% from last year.

WALK had its best Frosty-free share in over a year as it took control of the 18-49 demo. WBAB moved down to #2 as it gave back all of last month’s share increase, plus a bit more. It was tied with a flat WHTZ, which moved up a spot. WBLI repeated at #4 with its fourth up book in a row. WKTU and WKJY remained an item at #5 as both stations had a strong share increase. Market PUMM declined 3.0% from last month and 5.2% from the previous year.

That does it for FEBRUARY. Hope you enjoyed the show. We’ll be back in a month to see how MARCH played out. Thank you for listening, uh, reading.

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