RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, April 2025, Part II

May 20, 2025

Well, dear friends, here we are again, digging through the dirt of the radio ratings trenches. APRIL has been a rollercoaster of numbers, surprises, and the usual drama, which pretty much sums up every survey. Just when you thought you could predict the winners and losers, the universe throws a curveball or a sweeper. Honestly, I don’t know the difference.

This specific 28-day segment began on APRIL 3^RD and concluded on APRIL 30^TH. It featured some rather important religious holidays, baseball was being played for real, and you were likely having some pleasant discussions with your accountant.

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with our partners in data from XTRENDS – are here with all the juicy details.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Nine Is Fine

For the ninth consecutive survey, iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) was the leading 6+ station (7.1-7.7). URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) repeated at #2 (6.3-6.3), while HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ inched up to #3 (5.6-5.7). iHEARTMEDIA N/T KTRH-A was up for the fourth book in a row (5.1-5.3) as it advanced three spaces to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) stepped up to #5 (5.4-5.2). Two cluster buds exited the top five and joined forces at #6. They were RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9 & 107.5) (5.6-5.1), which posted its lowest score since OCTOBER, and RADIO ONE Country KKBQ (93Q COUNTRY) (6.0-5.1). KODA added 10.7% to its market-leading cume total (1,944,000-2,151,500). As a matter of fact, the station also exceeded its cume score from that magical HOLIDAY book. Market cume was up 1.1%. Market PUMM was off 1.2% from MARCH but up 17.8% from 2024.

Last month KODA and KTBZ were the 25-54 co-leaders. Both stations were up this survey but KODA’s was a bit more uppity as it remained in first place while KTBZ dipped to #2. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KOVE (AMOR 106.5) landed its largest share in over a year this month as it vaulted from #10 to #3. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary KQBT (93.7 THE BEAT) dipped to #4 as it stopped a strong three-book surge. KSBJ rebounded from a down book as it rose from #8 to #5. URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX) and KKBQ were last spotted at #4. Both stations had down books as they dropped to #8 and #12, respectively. Market PUMM was off 0.7% from last month but grew by 20.7% from a year ago.

KTBZ was #1 18-34 for the third straight survey and hit double figures for the first time since JUNE. KODA bounced back from a down book to step up to #2, while KQBT dipped to #3 as it returned most of last month’s large share influx. KGLK slipped to #4, while AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) advanced from #13 to #5 with its best performance since JULY. KBXX posted its smallest share since AUGUST as it moved down to #6. Market PUMM was down 9.7% from the previous survey but rose 16.5% when compared to last year.

A flat KTBZ was #1 18-49 for the third book in a row, while KODA repeated at #2. The stations were about a half-share apart. KSBJ was also flat but moved up two spots to #3. KQBT slipped to #4 and was tied with KOVE, which leapt from a tie at #14 with its best book in over a year. SBS Mexican Regional KROI (LA LEY 92.1) was also last seen at #14. It rose to #6 this month with its best showing in its current format configuration. KBXX fell from #4 to #7. Market PUMM was down 0.9% from MARCH but up 17.6% from 2024.

ATLANTA: Watchin’ The River Flow

For the second book in a row, COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) was #1 6+ (8.0-7.8). The next three stations were all within a share of the leader. URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5) was up two slots to #2 as it rebounded from a down book (6.8-7.2). COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1) had its best outing since DECEMBER as it climbed from #6 to #3 (5.7-7.1). COX MEDIA N/T WSB-A slipped to #4 (7.0-7.0), while AUDACY Urban Contemporary WVEE (V-103) dipped to #5 with its first down book since NOVEMBER (6.9-6.2). COX MEDIA AC WSB-FM (B98.5) stepped down to #6 (6.4-5.9). The station remained the cume leader despite a 1.1% decline (908,400-898,800). The market shrank by 2.1%. Market PUMM was up 3.6% from MARCH and 3.1% from 2024.

Despite a down book, WVEE was #1 25-54 for the fifth straight survey. WALR moved up to #2 as it regained most of last month’s lost share but still trailed the leader by nearly two shares. WAMJ dipped to #3 as it regained a small portion of last month’s big share loss. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WRDG (96.1 THE BEAT) stepped down to #4, even though it was up for the third book in a row. WSRV inched up to #5, while WSB-F slipped to #6. Market PUMM was up 3.4% from last month and 6.2% from a year ago.

The top two 18-34 stations each posted their largest number in over a year. WRDG stepped up to #1 and crossed the double-digit threshold. WAMJ leapt from #6 to #2. WVEE dipped to #3 with its lowest number since OCTOBER, while WSB-F saw its two-book winning streak come to a close as it dropped to #4. WSRV slipped to #5, while WALR rose from #11 to #6 as it rebounded from a down book. EMF Contemporary Christian WAKL (106.7 K-LOVE) fell from #5 to #14, shedding more than half its previous share. Market PUMM grew 7.7% from last month and 35.5% from the previous year.

WVEE captured the 18-49 flag for the fifth book in a row but its once-commanding lead had shrunk to less than a half share over WAMJ, which moved up to #2 as it bounced back from a down book. WRDG repeated at #3 with a strong share increase, while WALR stepped up to #4 with its highest mark since DECEMBER. WSB-F fell from #2 to #5. Market PUMM was up 7.9% from MARCH and 18.7% from 2024.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: All Talk, All The Time

As is usually the case, the top two spots on the 6+ leaderboard were controlled by stations that eschew the playing of songs. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was #1 again (11.4-12.4), while HUBBARD News WTOP remained at #2 (11.3-10.5). The leading music station this month was iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC101), which rose from #5 to #3 (5.3-5.5). HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR dipped to #4 (5.4-5.4), while iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH slipped to #5 with its smallest share since OCTOBER (6.7-5.1). This is something you do not often see. AUDACY Sports WJFK (106.7 THE FAN) scored a larger share from its stream than its tower. The station went 1.0-1.3 while the stream went 1.0-1.6. WASH saw its cume total shrink by 8.0%, but the station was still #1 in that category (955,500-879,200). The market was down 0.2%. Market PUMM was up 1.5% from MARCH and 17.8% from 2024.

The 25-54 contest featured the usual suspects. WAMU was #1 for the fourth book in a row, while a flat WTOP stepped up to #2. WWDC moved up to #3 with a slight increase, while WASH slipped to #4 with a rather large share loss. WHUR repeated at #5 with a slight decrease. Market PUMM was up 2.7% from last month and 16.5% from a year ago.

Though WASH coughed up all of last month’s huge share increase – plus a little extra – the station had enough left to repeat as the 18-34 leader. AUDACY Classic Hits WIAD (94.7 THE DRIVE) and iHEARTMEDIA Country WMZQ were last seen at #3. Both stations had the identical strong share increase as they moved up as a couple to #2. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIHT (HOT 99.5) landed its lowest number in exactly a year as it drifted down to #4. WWDC slipped to #5 and held a slim lead over WHUR and WTOP, which were tied at #6. Market PUMM was up 6.4% from the previous survey and 20.7% from last year.

WAMU moved up to #1 18-49 with a small share gain, while WTOP stepped up to #2 with a slight increase. A flat WWDC inched up to #3. This halted the two-book winning streak for WASH, which slid to #4. A flat WHUR moved up two places to #5. It was paired with WIAD, which rose from #8 with a small increase. WIHT slipped to #7 with its third down book in a row. Market PUMM grew 3.1% on a monthly basis and 20.9% annually.

Shameless plug: ICYMI, we teamed up with XTRENDS to compare to see how the three-minute qualifier changed the landscape from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025. You can read all about it here.

PHILADELPHIA: They Call It Rock

For the second straight survey, the 6+ chart had a definite rock lean. BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK was back at #1 with its best book in over a year (8.8-9.0), while BEASLEY Album Oriented Rock WMMR repeated at #2 (7.9-7.6). AUDACY Sports WIP (SPORTSRADIO 94WIP) moved up to #3 as it rebounded from a down book (5.3-7.2). The station also picked up a 1.5 share from cyberspace. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS dipped to #4 with its smallest share in over a year (7.2-6.5). BEASLEY Country WXTU (92.5 XTU) stepped down to #5 (5.5-5.4). AUDACY News KYW-A inched up to #6 (4.7-5.0). It also added a 1.0 share from the stream. AUDACY AC WBEB (B101) remained the cume leader despite a 3.7% decline (1,173,800-1,130,200). The market was up 1.2%. Market PUMM was off 0.8% from MARCH but up 13.2% from 2024.

WMMR was #1 25-54 for the third straight survey and hit double figures for the second book in a row. WMGK was up to #2 with its highest mark in over a year but still trailed its cluster bruh by more than two shares. WIP got back some of last month’s share loss as it was up two slots to #3. WBEB repeated at #4 with a slight decrease. WDAS fell three places to #5 with, again, its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was down 2.4% from last month but up 18.3% from a year ago.

Last month WBEB and WMGK were sharing first place in the 18-34 crowd. Both stations had down books this time. WBEB remained on top while WMGK dipped to #2. They were about a share apart. WDAS also had a down book but remained at #3. However, it was forced to share as WXTU stepped up to forge the tie as it bounced back from a down book. WIP more than doubled its previous share as it vaulted from #11 to #5. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRFF (ALT 104.5) slipped from #4 to #6. It was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIOQ (Q102) and iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WUSL (POWER 99). Market PUMM grew 0.5% from the previous survey and 3.8% from last year.

WMMR conquered the 18-49 kingdom for the fourth book in a row. WIP leapt from #5 to #2 but was still almost two shares behind the leader. WMGK dipped to #3, while WBEB repeated at #4. Both stations had small share losses. WDAS slid from #3 to #5. Market PUMM was down 4.0% from MARCH but up 16.6% from 2024.

BOSTON: Time Is Tight

The top six stations on the 6+ leaderboard were all within a share of one another. AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) was #1 for the third book in a row but with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (7.2-5.9). iHEARTMEDIA N/T WBZ-A stepped up to #2 (5.8-5.6). It was paired with BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR, which advanced from #5 with its fourth up book in a row (5.1-5.6). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WZLX repeated at #4 (5.7-5.4), while AUDACY Hot AC WWBZ (MIX 104.1) stepped up from #5 (4.8-5.3). BEASLEY Sports WBZ-F (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB) dropped four places to #6 with its least productive outing in over a year (6.2-5.2). WMJX was still the cume leader, despite a 4.9% loss (882,900-839,200). The market was up 0.1%. Market PUMM was down 4.4% from MARCH but rose 10.6% from 2024.

A flat WBZ-F repeated as the 25-54 leader. WWBX was still at #2 with a slight increase. The stations were about a half-share apart. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WXKS (KISS 108) was also flat as it held steady at #3. BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR stood alone at #4 with a slight increase, while WZLX dipped to #5 with a small share loss. Market PUMM was down 1.9% from last month but grew 11.6% from a year ago.

WWBX was #1 18-34 for the third straight survey and posted its biggest number since DECEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR WJMN (JAM’N 94.5) stepped up to #2 with a small share increase but found itself trailing the leader by about two and a half shares. BEASLEY Country WKLB (COUNTRY 102.5) had its best outing in over a year as it jumped from #9 to #3. WMJX slipped to #4 with a small decrease, while WXKS moved up to #5 with a small increase. BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9) dipped to #6, while WBZ-F fell five places to #9. It was tied with WZLX and AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103). Market PUMM was down 6.8% from the previous survey but rose 15.3% from last year.

Last month WBZ-F was #1 18-49 and bested #2 WWBX by more than two shares. This time the stations swapped spots and were separated by a very small margin. WXKS stepped up to #3 with its best showing since NOVEMBER, while WBUR was up two places to #4 as it bounced back from a down book. WBGB slid to #5 with a slight decrease. It was partnered with WROR, which moved up from #6, and WKLB, which advanced from #12 with its highest score in over a year. WZLX fell from #5 to #11. Market PUMM was off 5.0% from MARCH but up 7.8% from 2024.

But wait, there’s more! We’re not done exposing all the ratings secrets from the APRIL survey. Up next in the queue are SEATTLE, MIAMI, PHOENIX, DETROIT and MINNEAPOLIS. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog at www.ResearchDirectorInc.com/Hot-Topics. And remember, sharing is caring – spread the word far and wide.

-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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