RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, April 2025, Part IV

May 22, 2025

Why is it that in some markets we see status quo in survey after survey, while in others we witness wild swings almost every month? Is it market conditions? Are some stations actually marketing? Or is it just the mood swings of the panel? These are some of the great mysteries of radio life.

Alas, while The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the number’s gurus from XTRENDS – may have some insight into this after years of observations, the sad truth is that every market has its own idiosyncrasies.

As we wrap up the fourth month under the new three-minute reality, we find the one consistent theme has been a lack of consistent themes. The APRIL survey began on APRIL 3^RD and ground to a halt on APRIL 30^TH. Here’s our final look at this survey:

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: There Is Joy In The Big Guava

The old sports adage is that streaks were made to be broken. Or is it records? Either way, the reality is that the long uninterrupted 6+ winning streak for COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) was ended at the hands of RADIO TRAINING Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM). WCIE moved up to #1 with its best book in over a year (8.2-8.8), while WDUV dipped to #2 with its smallest share in over a year (9.4-8.6). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) inched up to #3, also with its best outing in over a year (5.9-7.2). iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) halted a four-book surge as it moved down to #4 (6.3-5.8). BEASLEY Classic Hits WRBQ (Q105) landed its largest share in over a year as it leapt from #8 to #5 (4.4-5.1). iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5) slipped to #6 (4.8-4.9). WDUV was still #1 in cume (702,800-743,300) – a 5.8% increase. The market was up 0.6%. Market PUMM grew 4.1% from MARCH and 21.2% from 2024.

WXTB was #1 25-54 for the fourth straight survey, though the station ended a strong six-book surge. WDUV repeated at #2 and trailed the leader by a half-share. COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9) was up to #3 with its best book in over a year, while WCIE dipped to #4 with a modest share loss. WRBQ and COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE) were last spotted at #10. Both stations had solid increases as they rose to #5 and #6, respectively. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ (93.3 FLZ) slid to #7 and was partnered with BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1). Market PUMM was up 5.1% from last month and 19.8% from a year ago.

Last month WFLZ and WFUS were tied at #2 in the 18-34 demo. WFLZ had a slight decrease as it moved up to #1, while WFUS’ share loss was a bit larger and it stayed behind at #2. WWRM was up to #3, again with its best book in over a year. WXTB repeated at #4 but had company as WLLD arrived from #9, also with its highest score in over a year. WDUV dove from #1 to #6 with its least productive outing in over a year. BEASLEY Country WQYK (99.5 QYK) and WCIE had been an item at #5. WQYK dipped to #7, while WCIE landed at #8 along with WXGL and WTBV. Market PUMM rose 5.6% from the previous book and 10.8% from last year.

WXTB ended a four-book surge but still captured the 18-49 flag for the fourth straight survey. WWRM was up to slots to #2 and was a half-share behind the leader. WCIE dipped to #3 as it returned all of last month’s share increase. WDUV stepped down to #4 and was tied with WFUS, which moved up a spot. Market PUMM grew 3.4% from MARCH and 25.3% from 2024.

DENVER-BOULDER: Six For One

Six stations were within a share of first place in the 6+ contest. BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) made it back-to-back wins (6.6-6.5), while BONNEVILLE Country KYGO stepped up to #2 (5.8-6.1). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) was up to #3 as it bounced back from a down book (5.3-5.8). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) advanced two spaces to #4 with its best showing since AUGUST (4.8-5.6). AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) remained at #5 (4.9-5.5) but was joined there by KSE VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105), which slid from #2 (5.9-5.5). KOSI still has the most cume, despite a 3.8% decline (574,300-552,500). The market was up 0.9%. Market PUMM rose by 3.4% from MARCH and 12.0% from 2024.

KTCL was #1 25-54 for the fourth book in a row. The station also regained all of last month’s large share loss and opened up about a three-share lead over KOSI, which moved up to #2 with its third up book in a row. KALC was up two places to #3 with its best outing since NOVEMBER, while KYGO dipped to #4 with a slight increase. ENTRAVISION Spanish Adult Hits KJMN (LA SUAVECITA 92.1) and AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) were previously seen at #9. The stations moved up to #5 and #6, respectively. Two stations exited the top five and were part of a four-station confab at #7. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7) fell from #2 as it ended a strong two-book surge. AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) slipped from #5 as it gave back some of last month’s large increase. Also in the mix were ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) and KRFX, which advanced from #14. Market PUMM was up 7.8% from last month and 8.2% from a year ago.

Even with a down book, KTCL was a solid #1 18-34 for the fourth straight survey. KOSI was up to #2 with a small increase and trailed the leader by better than two shares. KQKS dipped to #3 as it returned most of last month’s large increase. KDHT did the same as it slid from #2 into a tie at #4 with KQMT. Market PUMM grew 3.2% from the previous survey and 12.8% from last year.

KTCL was up for the fourth book in a row as it captured its third straight 18-49 victory. KOSI moved up to #2 with its best Frosty-free share since JUNE. KQKS dipped to #3, while KALC was up two places to #4. KXPK repeated at #5, while KDHT fell from #2 into a tie at #6 with KYGO. Market PUMM was up 5.1% from MARCH and 5.6% from 2024.

SAN DIEGO: Sunny And 98

For the fourth book in a row, AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) was #1 6+ (8.3-8.9). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) was up to #2 with its fifth straight up book (5.9-6.6). SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS dipped to #3 (6.3-6.0), while two stations were occupying the #4 position. AUDACY AC KYXY remained in place (5.0-5.4) but also added a 0.7 share from the World Wide Web (a term not often used). It was paired with AUDACY Sports KWFN (97.3 FM THE FAN), which advanced from #11 with its best offensive production since OCTOBER (3.8-5.4). Go PADRES! AUDACY Country KSON slipped to #7 (4.8-4.5). KXSN lost 4.7% of its cume but remained #1 in that category (659,600-628,900). The market was up 1.5%. Market PUMM was off 0.3% from MARCH but up 13.3% from 2024.

KXSN was #1 25-54 for the third book in a row and landed its largest share since JULY. XHRM repeated at #2 with a down book and was about three shares off the pace. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5) remained at #3 with a slight decrease. It was paired with LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X), which moved up a slot with a small share increase. KWFN rode the seamhead express from #11 to #5, while KSON dropped five spots to #9 as it gave back most of last month’s share increase. Market PUMM was down 1.5% from last month and 12.0% from a year ago.

Last month XHRM and KXSN were tied at #2 18-34. Both stations had up books this time, though XHRM’s gain was a bit stronger as it moved up to #1 and KXSN stayed in place. KSON went from first to third as it lost a good chunk of last month’s huge share increase. It was tied with KWFN, which advanced three bases from #6. XTRA dipped to #5 with a small share loss, while KPBS ended a four-book surge as it slide into a tie at #7 with IHEARTMEDIA N/T KFI-A. Market PUMM was down 1.0% from the previous survey but up 2.0% from last year.

KXSN was #1 18-49 for the third straight survey with a slight increase, while XHRM was back at #2 with a small share loss. Three stations were massed together at #3. XTRA remained in place with a slight decrease, while AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9) arrived from #8 as it rebounded from a down book. KWFN advanced from #11. KLNV slipped to #6 with a slight decrease, while iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3) fell two places to #7. Market PUMM was down 1.2% from MARCH but rose 12.2% from 2024.

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CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: On The March

Back in JANUARY BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) was sitting at #9 6+. The station has been on the move since then and this time arrived at #1 with its highest mark since JULY (6.0-7.1). This pushed PACIFIC Classic Hits WXRC (95.7FM THE RIDE) to #2 (7.0-6.9). BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) dipped to #3 (6.0-6.5). It was paired with BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7FM), which stepped up from #4 (5.7-6.5). Both stations bounced back from down books. URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB) leveled up to #5 (5.3-5.9). iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT) fell from #5 to #10 as it returned most of last month’s large increase (5.4-4.5). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) was still the cume leader despite a 1.7% decline (443,600-436,100). The market was up 0.1%. Market PUMM was up 7.8% from MARCH and 24.8% from 2024.

WKQC and BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98.1) swapped positions on the 25-54 leaderboard. WKQC moved up to #1 with a modest increase, while WPEG dipped to #2 with a slight decrease. URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ (SPORTS RADIO 92.7) repeated at #3 with a small share gain, while WSOC advanced from #9 to #4 with its best outing since AUGUST. WBAV was back at #5 but with its lowest score since AUGUST. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END), which was last seen at #7. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX) dropped from #4 to #9 with a rather large share loss. Market PUMM grew by 10.3% from last month and 27.5% from a year ago.

Check out the glide path of the two stations that are now the 18-34 co-leaders. Over the last three books, WOSF has gone from #7 to #3 to #1. WBAV’s track was #6 to #2 to #1. They had a full-share lead over WSOC, which rose from #6 to #3. BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1) and WPEG had been tied at #3. Both stations had up books but slipped to #4 and #5, respectively. WRFX surrendered more than half its previous number as it fell from #1 to #7. Market PUMM rose 19.3% from the previous survey and 35.2% from last year.

WBAV and WPEG swapped places on the 18-49 chart, with WBAV going from trailing by almost a share to leading by a very small margin. Three stations were in third place. A flat WKQC stepped up from #4, while WSOC vaulted from #8 with its highest mark since JULY. WOSF advanced from #10 with its best book in over a year. WNKS dipped to #6, while WRFX fell from #3 to #8. Market PUMM was up 8.5% from MARCH and 20.2% from 2024.

NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): The Out Of Towners

The 6+ chart was dominated this month by NEW YORK radio stations. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) leapt from a tie at #4 to #1 with its best book in over a year (4.5-6.2). AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) dipped to #2 (5.7-5.6) but added a 1.4 share from cyberspace. It shared the position with AUDACY Sports WFAN (SPORTS RADIO 101.9FM/66AM), which leapt from #8 (3.9-5.6). It also picked up a 3.0 share from the digital realm. Go YANKEES! CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) dipped to #4 (5.5-5.5), while RED APPLE N/T WABC-A moved from a tie at #8 to #5 with its highest score in over a year (3.9-5.3). COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB fell from #2 to #7 with its smallest share in over a year (5.6-4.3). It was tied with CONNOISSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3), which slipped from the tie at #4 (4.5-4.3). COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI (106.1 BLI) dropped from the tie at #4 (4.5-4.1) into one at #9 with AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS (4.1-4.1). WHTZ went from fifth to first in the cume wars with a 24.3% increase (325,500-404,700). The market was down 0.1%. Market PUMM rose 4.0% from MARCH and 0.4% from 2024.

Last month WHTZ slipped to #2 25-54. The station came back with vengeance this time as it almost hit double digits. WALK dipped to #2 and was almost three shares off the lead. CONNOISSEUR Mainstream Rock WWSK (94.3 THE SHARK) rebounded from a down book as it moved up to #3. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) landed its largest share since OCTOBER as it vaulted from #10 to #4. WKJY dipped to #5 with a slight increase, while WBLI slid from a tie at #4 into an arrangement at #7 with WABC-A. WBAB dropped from #3 to #9. Market PUMM was up 1.6% from last month and 4.1% from a year ago.

The 18-34 chart experienced some things. WHTZ rebounded from a down book as it jumped from #4 to #1. WBLI repeated at #2 with a slight decrease. WABC-A rocketed from #15 to #3, more than tripling its previous number. There was a threesome at #4. WKJY slid from #1 with its lowest score since NOVEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (103.5 KTU) stepped up from #5 with a small increase, while WAXQ advanced from #9 with its highest share in over a year. WALK dropped from #3 to #7 and was tied with WFAN, which rose from #13. WBAB and iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) were last seen at #5. They dropped to #9 and #10, respectively. Market PUMM grew 8.6% from the previous survey but was off 2.6% from last year.

WHTZ completed the demo sweep as it leapt from #4 to #1 18-49 with its largest share in over a year. WALK dipped to #2 with its lowest mark since DECEMBER and was two and a half shares in arrears. WBLI repeated at #3 with a small decrease, while WKTU dropped two places to #4 as it ended a strong four-book surge. WAXQ worked it from #9 to #5, while WBAB fell from #5 into a tie at #9 with WCBS. Market PUMM was up 4.4% from MARCH but down 4.5% from 2024.

Thanks for participating. We’ll be back in a month to see what MAY has wrought. In the meantime – happy broadcasting!

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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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