RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, April 2025, Part III

May 21, 2025

It’s that time again – time to marvel at the magical numbers that tell us just how much people love their radios. Or, if we’re honest, at least how much they tolerate them between Spotify sessions. Wait, did I say the last part out loud?

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in quiet collaboration with the math mages from XTRENDS – are back to demonstrate the power of radio. Yes, we believe – and if you’re reading this here missive, you do, too.

We are now four months into the three-minute reality, and we have seen PUMMS on the rise. Every market is different and these next five are a perfect example. The APRIL survey ran from APRIL 3^RD through APRIL 30^TH and unfolded thusly:

SEATTLE-TACOMA: IYKYK

Those in the know are aware that UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW was #1 6+ for the fourth book in a row with its highest share since NOVEMBER (7.8-8.0). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZOK was back at #2 with its third up book in a row (6.2-6.4). CRISTA Contemporary Christian KCMS (SPIRIT 105.3) rose to #3 with its best showing in over a year (4.5-4.9). It was joined in that place by iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 THE JET), which soared from #7 with its fourth up book in a row (4.1-4.9). Last month HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM 106.9) and AUDACY Active Rock KISW (THE ROCK) were an item at #3. KRWM was flat (4.8-4.8) as it slipped to #5, while KISW landed at #6 (4.8-4.7). Ladies and gentlemen, your new cume leader was KZOK, which was up 9.2% (551,100-601,900). This ended the six-book winning string for KRWM, which drifted to #3. Market cume was up 3.3%. Market PUMM gained 3.8% from MARCH and 16.4% from 2024.

For the first time since NOVEMBER, KISW was #1 25-54. This ended the three-book winning streak for AUDACY Alternative KNDD (107.7 THE END), which dipped to #2 with a rather large share loss. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KBKS (HITS 106.1) repeated at #3 with a modest share gain, while KUOW held steady at #4 with a small increase. FRIENDS OF KEXP Alternative KEXP worked it from #9 to #5 as it rebounded from a down book. It was paired with BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A (SEATTLE SPORTS 710 AM), which vaulted from #17 with its highest score since OCTOBER. Go MARINERS! AUDACY Hot AC KSWD (EMMA 94.1) fell from #4 to #16. Market PUMM was up 3.4% from last month and 10.7% from a year ago.

Last month KRWM’s five-book 18-34 winning streak was upended by KNDD. KRWM was back on top – and dangerously close to double figures – while KNDD slid to #3 with its lowest total since DECEMBER. In between was KBKS, which jumped from #5 to #2 as it regained almost all of last survey’s lost share. Also coming in at #3 was AUDACY Country KKWF (100.7 THE WOLF), which had a small share gain. KISW and KZOK were last spotted at #6. Both stations had solid share increases as they rose in unison to #5. HUBBARD Pop CHR KQMV (MOViN’ 92.5) fell from #3 to #7 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was up 10.3% from the previous survey and 3.7% from last year.

Despite a down book, KNDD was #1 18-49 for the fourth straight survey. KBKS moved up from a tie at #4 to #2 as it rebounded from a down book. KRWM remained at #3 with a small increase, while a flat KISW slipped two slots to #4. KEXP vaulted from #12 to #5 with its best showing since JULY. KQMV rose from #7 into a tie at #6 with KUOW and KIRO-A. SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Rhythmic CHR KNHC (C89.5) and KSWD were also previously tied at #4. KNHC fell to #11, while KSWD landed in a tie at #15 with AUDACY Rhythmic AC KHTP (HOT 103.7). Market PUMM grew 5.0% from MARCH and 13.6% from 2024.

MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: Breaking News!

This just in…for the first time in over a year, COX MEDIA Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105) was not the #1 6+ station. That honor went to COX MEDIA AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1), which moved up thanks to its best book in over a year (6.1-6.9). WHQT landed its lowest share in over a year as it dipped to #2 (7.5-6.8). AUDACY AC WLYF (101.5 LITE FM) stepped up to #3 with its third up book in a row (5.5-6.2), while AUDACY Classic Hits WMXJ (102.7 THE BEACH) stood alone at #4, but with its largest number in over a year (5.5-5.8). iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Adult Hits WMIA (MAGIC 93.9) ended a three-book slide as it moved up two places to #5 (4.0-4.9). TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR 107.5) fell from #2 to #6 with its lowest score in over a year (6.3-4.8). WFEZ became the cume leader with a 16.5% increase (695,900-810,600). The market was up 1.9%. Market PUMM rose 2.9% from MARCH and 4.4% from 2024.

For the fourth book in a row, WFEZ was #1 25-54. It also opened up a three-plus share lead over WLYF, which stepped up to #2 with its best book since JUNE. A flat WMXJ dipped to #3, while three stations moved up and into a gaggle at #4. AUDACY Rhythmic CHRWPOW (POWER 96) moved up a notch, while SBS Spanish Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL 106.7 FM) arrived from #8. WMIA ended a three-book slide as it advanced from #9. COX MEDIA Urban Contemporary WEDR (99 JAMZ) experienced a slight decrease but fell four places to #7. WHQT dropped from #5 into a tie at #8 with iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WZTU (TÚ 94.9). Market PUMM was up 1.3% from last month and 3.3% from a year ago.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little push. SBS Latino Urban WRMA (RITMO 95.7) had a slight share increase, but that was enough to advance the station from #3 to #1. WZTU and WXDJ were sharing first place a month ago. They dropped to #2 this time with identical share losses. WLYF rebounded from a down book as it jumped from #10 to #4. It was joined there by WFEZ, which rose from #12 with its highest mark since AUGUST. We had a four-way logjam at #5 last month. WMXJ and TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WRTO (MIX 98.3) both stepped down to #6. WPOW and WEDR landed together at #8. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WMIB (103.5 THE BEAT) fell from #4 to #10. (As an aside, am I the only one who sees those call letters and immediately thinks of a certain WILL SMITH movie franchise?) Market PUMM was up 9.8% from last month and down 0.7% from the previous year.

WFEZ landed its largest 18-49 share in over a year as it finished in first place for the fourth book in a row. WLYF inched up to #2 with its best showing since JUNE but still trailed the leader by more than two shares. WZTU dipped to #3 with a slight decrease, while two stations moved up and into a tie at #4. WPOW and WMXJ were previously at #5 and #6, respectively. WHQT slid from #4 to #8. Market PUMM was up 3.1% from MARCH and 1.5% from 2024.

PHOENIX: Another Upset

As we saw in the previous market, there was a surprising changing of the guard here. iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ) saw its year-plus 6+ winning streak brought to an end at the hands of HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX. KSLX moved up to #1 with its best book since JULY (5.9-7.5), while KESZ dipped to #2 with its smallest share in over a year (8.4-7.3). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 THE MOUNTAIN) stood firm at #3 (5.8-4.8), while AUDACY Classic Hits KOOL (BIG 94.5) advanced four spaces to #4 with its biggest book in over a year (4.0-4.6). The station also picked up a 0.3 share from the digital realm. HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD stepped down to #5 as it ended a three-book surge (5.7-4.3). HUBBARD Alternative KDKB (ALT AZ 93.3) dropped into a four-way tie at #6 (4.0-3.8). Also in that mix were iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX (3.9-3.8), AUDACY Country KMLE (3.5-3.8) and iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFYI-A (2.7-3.8). KESZ was still the cume commander with a 1.0% increase (994,400-1,003,900). The market was up 0.9%. Market PUMM rose by 6.1% from MARCH and 31.6% from 2024.

Both KESZ and KUPD posted their lowest 25-54 shares since NOVEMBER, but the stations remained #1 and #2, respectively. KDKB stepped up to #3 with a small decrease, while KSLX advanced from #11 to #4 with its best outing since, yep, NOVEMBER. KYOT slid to #5 with a rather large share loss. A flat KNIX dropped from #5 to #7. Market PUMM grew 2.3% from last month and 37.6% from a year ago.

KDKB was flat but that was sufficient to push the station from #3 to #1 18-34. KESZ stepped down to #2 with its least productive outing since JUNE. KYOT had a down book but moved up to #3. It was paired with KSLX, which rose from #12 with its highest mark in over a year. KMLE rebounded from a down book as it moved up to #5. It was tied with KUPD, which dropped from #2 with its lowest total since OCTOBER. KNIX slipped from #5 to #7. Market PUMM was up 3.3% from the last survey and 37.8% from last year.

The top three 18-49 stations all had down books but maintained their rank position. KESZ was #1, KUPD #2, and KDKB #3. KSLX vaulted from #11 to #4 with its highest score since JULY. KYOT dipped to #5. AUDACY Pop CHR KALV (LIVE 101.5) fell from #5 to #12 and was paired with ZELUS MEDIA Hot AC KMVA (HOT 97.5 & 103.9). Market PUMM grew 2.3% from MARCH and 31.0% from 2024.

Shameless Plug: Wonder how the three-minute rule changed things from year to year? We teamed up with XTRENDS to compare Q1 of 2024 with Q1 of 2025. You can see how formats were affected by reading this blog post.

DETROIT: Punching Their Ticket

Audacy Sports WXYT (97.1 THE TICKET) landed its largest 6+ share since NOVEMBER (7.6-8.9) as it stepped up to #1. The station also garnered a 2.1 share from the interwebs. This ended the five-book winning streak for iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC, which dipped to #2 (8.4-7.5). AUDACY Classic Hits WOMC repeated at #3 (7.3-6.9), while iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX 92.3) was up three places to #4 with its highest score in over a year (5.1-6.5). BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF scored its best number since AUGUST (4.9-5.4) as it rose three places to #5. AUDACY Country WYCD slipped from a tie at #4 to #6 (5.5-5.2). AUDACY News WWJ-A was also last seen at #4. It fell to #9 with its lowest total in over a year (5.5-4.2). WNIC still had the most listeners (1,118,700-1,120,200) – a 0.1% increase. The market was up 2.8%. Market PUMM grew 8.7% from MARCH and 25.7% from 2024.

WXYT had a large share increase as it stepped up to #1 25-54 for the first time since NOVEMBER. WRIF advanced three squares to #2 with its fourth up book in a row. WNIC had its lowest score in over a year as it went from first to third. This also stopped the station’s five-book tear. WOMC dipped to #4 as it ended a robust three-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKQI (CHANNEL 955) stepped down to #5 with its third straight down book. Market PUMM was up 9.8% from last month and 19.2% from a year ago.

WRIF crashed through the double-digit barrier for the first time since JUNE as it leapt from #4 to #1 18-34. WKQI ended its three-book winning streak as it dipped to #2 and was paired with WXYT, which moved up a slot with a strong share increase. WYCD had its best book since SEPTEMBER as it rose to #4, while WNIC slid three places to #5 with its least productive outing since the very same month. WOMC slipped to #6 as it surrendered a rather large chunk of share. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WJLB, which had its best book in over a year. Market PUMM was up 10.5% from the previous survey and 23.9% from last year.

WRIF had its best 18-49 book since JUNE as it advanced from #5 to #1. WXYT stepped up to #2 with a modest increase. The stations were separated by under a half-share. WKQI dipped to #3 with its lowest mark in over a year. WNIC saw its six-book winning streak draw to a close as it fell to #4. WOMC dipped to #5 and was paired with WMXD. Market PUMM was 10.8% bigger than MARCH and 22.4% larger than 2024.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: I’m A Big Fan

iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN FM 100.3) was #1 6+ for the fourth straight survey (9.9-10.9). The next four stations were within a half share of one another. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN-ST. PAUL Contemporary Christian KTIS was up three places to #2 with its best book since NOVEMBER (6.1-6.9). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL 108) dipped to #3 with its uncoolest share since JUNE (7.4-6.6). MPR N/T KNOW stepped down to #4 (7.2-6.5) and was paired with HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95), which remained in place (6.9-6.5). KNOW did add a 1.1 share from its stream. KQQL retained the cume crown with a 1.1% increase (768,400-776,900). The market was up 2.6%. Market PUMM grew 4.4% from MARCH and 16.3% from 2024.

You can’t stop them; you can only hope to contain them. KFXN was in double figures 25-54 for the ninth straight survey and was #1 for the fourth book in a row. MPR AAA KCMP (89.3 THE CURRENT) repeated at #2 but with its lowest mark since NOVEMBER. The gap between the two stations was better than five shares. AUDACY AC KZJK (104.1 JACK FM) was up two places to #3 with a small increase, while KSTP remained at #4 but with its third down book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDWB was back at #5 with a noticeable share loss. KQQL fell from #3 to #9 with its lowest score since JUNE. Market PUMM was up 5.5% from the previous survey and 12.0% from a year ago.

There was a lot of drama in the 18-34 scenario. KFXN stepped up to #1 with its largest double-digit share in over a year. KZJK was also in double figures as it rose from #8 to #2. The station more than doubled its previous number. CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) advanced from #7 to #3 with its best showing since DECEMBER. KQQL went from first to fourth. This ended the station’s five -book double-digit winning streak. KDWB slipped to #5 with its third straight down book. KSTP dipped to #6 and was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Country KEEY (K102). KCMP slid from #4 to #8. Market PUMM rose 3.4% from last month and 19.7% from a year ago.

KFXN extended its 18-49 winning streak to four and was in double figures for the eighth time in the last 9 surveys. KZJK was up four places to #2 with its best outing since JUNE but was nearly six shares off the pace. KSTP repeated at #3 but with its smallest share in over a year. KXXR leapt from #8 to #4, while KDWB remained at #5. KQQL fell from #2 to #6 with its lowest score since JULY. KCMP dropped from #4 into a tie at #7 with KNOW and KEEY. Market PUMM was up 5.9% from MARCH and 18.0% from 2024.

Hope you found this at least mildly interesting and maybe a skosh entertaining. We’re not done. Our final round of rounds is on tap and will focus on TAMPA, DENVER, SAN DIEGO, CHARLOTTE and NASSAU-SUFFOLK.

If someone in your circle of friends or colleagues might also enjoy our radio ratings reporting blended with a healthy dose of snark and industry know-how, send them this link.

-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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