RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, June 2025, Part II

July 15, 2025

Six down, seven to go. The JUNE survey kind of marks the halfway point in our ratings year. If you want to be more precise, we are actually more than past the midpoint as the final two books of the year are contaminated by that foul holiday music.

This book ran from MAY 29^TH through JUNE 25^TH. Some radio stations were adding ALICE COOPER to their rotations, many were taking to the highways and byways in search of some relaxation, and there was a long holiday weekend nestled perfectly into week #4. How did all of this affect radio listening? That’s why The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – with a healthy assist from the number’s nerds at XTRENDS – are paid the big bucks.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Turn It Up To Eleven

Yes, iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) was the 6+ leader for the eleventh straight survey (7.6-7.3). However, it was closely pursued by HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ, which rose to #2 with its best outing since JULY (5.4-7.1). URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) dipped to #3 with its first down book since we were playing reindeer games (6.6-6.5). RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9/107.5) ended a three-book slide as it moved up to #4 (4.9-5.4). This pushed RADIO ONE Country KKBQ (93Q) to #5 (5.3-5.2), and iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) TO #6 (5.0-4.9). Despite a 6.8% decline KODA was still the cume leader (2,053,400-1,914,200). The market was down 2.4%. Market PUMM was off 5.3% from MAY but grew by 19.5% from 2024.

KODA extended its 25-54 winning streak to eight with a slight increase, but KSBJ was now in the conversation as it jumped from #5 to #2 with its highest mark in exactly a year. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC KQBT (93.7 THE BEAT) stepped up to #3 with its best book in over a year. KMJQ moved up to #4 with a slight increase. It was paired with KTBZ, which slid from #2 with its smallest share since JANUARY. URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX) fell from #3 to #9 as it returned all of last month’s large increase – plus a little extra. Market PUMM fell 2.2% from last month but was up 29.0% from a year ago.

The top four 18-34 stations were as we last left them. KTBZ was #1 for the fifth straight survey and in double figures for the third book in a row. KODA fell back to a distant #2 as it surrendered most of last month’s massive increase. KQBT repeated at #3, while KBXX remained at #4. Both stations had slight increases. AUDACY Hot AC KHMX (MIX 96.5) dropped from #5 to #9 with its lowest mark since JANUARY. It was tied with AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT). Market PUMM was down 1.1% from the previous survey but rose a whopping 35.5% from last year.

KODA and KTBZ were battling it out for 18-49 supremacy. They remained #1 and #2, respectively, but were separated by the slimmest possible margin. KSBJ stepped up to #3 with a solid increase after being flat for two books in a row. KQBT stood alone at #4, while TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KOVE (AMOR 106.5) bounced back from a down book to advance to #5. KBXX fell three places to #6 as it returned most of last month’s share increase. Market PUMM was down 2.8% from MAY but grew 30.9% from 2024.

ATLANTA: Same Old Song And Dance

The top of the 6+ leaderboard was relatively unchanged from MAY. COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) was #1 for the fourth straight survey with its highest share in exactly a year (7.7-8.2). COX MEDIA N/T WSB-A was back at #2 (7.5-7.1), while two stations were huddled together at #3. COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1FM) remained in place (6.8-6.3). It was joined there by URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5), which moved up a spot (6.7-6.3). AUDACY Urban AC WVEE (V-103) repeated at #5 (6.4-5.9). The station did add a 0.2 share from the digital realm. COX MEDIA AC WSB-F (B98.5) continued as the cume leader with a 7.0% increase (920,200-984,200). The market was up 2.1%. Market PUMM was off 4.6% from MAY but up 5.8% from 2024.

A flat WVEE was #1 25-54 for the seventh straight survey. It held about a share and a half edge over WAMJ, which stepped up to #2 as it recovered from a down book. WALR dipped to #3 with a small decrease, while WSB-F remained at #4 with a slight increase. WSRV and iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WRDG (96.1 THE BEAT) were last seen at #5. WSRV held its position with a slight decrease, while WRDG moved down to #6. Market PUMM was down 5.8% from last month but up 8.9% from a year ago.

WRDG continued to run roughshod over the volatile 18-34 demo as it finished in first place for the third book in a row. EMF Contemporary Christian WAKL (K-LOVE 106.7) has been on quite the tear of late. In APRIL it was ranked at #14. The station has more than tripled its share over the last two books and moved from #6 to #2 this month. WSB-F stepped up to #3 as it halted a three-book slide. WSRV rose three places to #4 with its best outing since JANUARY. AUDACY Rhythmic AC WSTR (STAR 94) fell three slots to #5 as it gave back half of last month’s huge increase. WVEE dropped to #6 with its lowest mark since OCTOBER. WAMJ was down to #7 with a large share loss. Market PUMM was off 13.3% from the previous survey but up 29.5% from last year.

WVEE was a comfortable #1 18-49 for the seventh straight survey. WRDG was back at #2 but with a down book. As a result, the gap between the two stations widened to nearly two shares. Two stations moved up and into a tie at #3. WAMJ and WSB-F had been #4 and #5, respectively. WALR slid to #5. Market PUMM fell 9.0% from MAY but grew 10.2% from 2024.

WASHINGTON, DC: The News Fits

As per usual the top two spots on the 6+ chart were occupied by stations that refuse to play any songs, at least in their entirety. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was back at #1 (12.2-12.7), while HUBBARD News WTOP held firm at #2 (10.7-11.7). Think about it – nearly a quarter of all 6+ shares went to those two radio stations. HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR repeated at #3 (5.8-5.7), while two stations were happy together at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC101) remained in place (5.5-5.1) and was joined by iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH, which moved up from #6 (5.0-5.1). AUDACY Classic Hits WIAD (94.7 THE DRIVE) motored up to #6 with its best showing in exactly a year (3.9-4.6). CUMULUS N/T WMAL slipped to #7 as it surrendered all of last month’s large share increase (5.1-4.1). WASH was still the cume leader despite a 5.0% drop (878,600-834,300). The market fell by 2.1%. Market PUMM was up 4.1% from MAY and 16.4% from 2024.

WAMU was #1 25-54 for the sixth straight survey as it crashed through the double-digit barrier. WTOP stepped up to #2 with its first up book since FEBRUARY. A flat WWDC dipped to #3, while WIAD was up two slots to #4 with its highest score since OCTOBER. WHUR remained at #5 with a slight decrease. WASH was down for the fourth book in a row as it drifted down to #6. Market PUMM rose 7.1% from the previous survey and 13.5% from a year ago.

The young crowd was still in information seeking mode as WTOP repeated as the 18-34 leader. WASH rebounded from a down book to move from #5 to #2. It was about a half share off the pace. WIAD was back at #3 with a small decrease. Last month iHEARTMEDIA Country WMZQ fell from #2 to #8. The station rebounded this time as it moved up to #4. WWDC slipped to #5 as it gave back most of last month’s large share increase. It was paired with a stationary WHUR, which recorded its first down book since the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA was making bank. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIHT (HOT 99.5) fell from #2 to #9 with its smallest share in exactly a year. Market PUMM was down 1.7% from last month and 2.4% from last year.

WAMU was #1 18-49 for the third book in a row and dangerously close to reaching double figures. WTOP was back at #2 but with its highest mark in over a year. WWDC remained at #3 with a small share loss, while WASH repeated at #4 but with its fourth down book in a row. WIAD moved up to #5 with its best outing since OCTOBER, while WHUR dipped to #6. Market PUMM was up 4.9% from MAY and 12.8% from 2024.

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PHILADELPHIA: Rock Is Tops

For the fifth book in a row the top two 6+ spots were occupied by stations that purported to rock. BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK was #1 for the fourth straight survey (9.2-8.3) and was followed by its cluster brother BEASLEY Album Oriented Rock  Rock WMMR at #2 (7.0-6.9). AUDACY Sports WIP stepped up to #3 (6.4-6.7). It also reaped a 2.3 share from cyberspace. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS dipped to #4 with its lowest total in over a year (6.5-5.7). AUDACY AC WBEB (B101.1) was up to #5 with its best Frosty-free share in exactly one year (4.9-5.5). AUDACY News KYW slipped to #6 (5.0-5.3). It gained a 1.3 share from its online presence. WBEB maintained its cume lead despite a 1.5% decline (1,182,100-1,164,400). The market was down 3.3%. Market PUMM was off 7.3% from MAY but grew by 11.9% from 2024.

WMMR was #1 25-54 for the fifth book in a row, while WMGK was back at #2. WMMR was up while WMGK was down, which stretched the gap between the two stations to two and a half shares. WBEB inched up to #3 with a slight increase, while WDAS dipped to #4 as it gave up most of last month’s large share increase. BEASLEY Country WXTU had its best showing since JANUARY as it advanced three spaces to #5. WIP slipped to #6 with a slight decrease. Market PUMM was down 6.2% from last month but up 14.7% from a year ago.

The 18-34 numbers were bouncing all over the place as several stations bounced back from a down book. That applies to the top two stations on the chart. WBEB stepped up to #1, while WXTU rose from #4 to #2. WMMR was up three slots to #3 with its best book since FEBRUARY. WMGK fell from first to fourth with its lowest mark since NOVEMBER. It was met headlong by iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRFF (ALT 104.5), which advanced from #8. WDAS slid from #3 into a tie at #7 with WIP. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIOQ (Q102) slid from #5 to #9 as it gave back all of last month’s increase. Market PUMM was down 8.7% from the previous survey but up 9.6% from last year.

WMMR was #1 18-49 for the sixth straight survey and was flirting with double digits. It was three shares clear of WMGK, which repeated at #2. WBEB rose to #3 with a small increase, while WIP remained at #4 but with a modest share loss. WRFF posted its largest share in over a year as it advanced from #10 to #5. WDAS slid three places into a tie at #6 with WXTU. Market PUMM was down 5.8% from MAY but up 15.8% from 2024.

BOSTON: The Great Eight

The 6+ contest was a battle royale as there were eight stations within a share of the lead. AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) was #1 for the fifth book in a row (5.8-5.7). However, it was not alone as iHEARTMEDIA N/T WBZ-A stepped up to claim its share of the lead (5.3-5.7). AUDACY Hot AC WWBX (MIX 104.1) vaulted three places to #3 (5.0-5.3), while two stations were intertwined at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WZLX slipped from #2 (5.3-5.1), while BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR rose from #7 (4.8-5.1). BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR dipped to #6 (5.1-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WXKS (KISS 108) slipped three spots to #7 (5.2-4.9). It was tied with AUDACY Sports WEEI (4.6-4.9). WMJX still had the most listeners (878,500-866,900) – a 1.3% decline. The market was up by 0.6%. Market PUMM was down 3.6% from MAY but up 4.7% from 2024.

The 25-54 race was not as tight. WWBX made it back-to-back wins and held better than a share lead over its two pursuers at #2. BEASLEY Sports WBZ-F (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB) remained in place but with its smallest share since AUGUST. It was joined there by WXKS, which stepped up from #3 with a slight decrease. WBUR remained at #4, also with a slight decrease. WROR rebounded from a down book to move up to #5, while WZLX slipped to #7 with its lowest score since FEBRUARY. Market PUMM was down 2.6% from last month but up 11.4% from a year ago.

WWBX was #1 18-34 for the fifth book in a row and hit double figures for the first time since DECEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WZRM (RUMBA 97.7) made the leap o’ the month as it rose from #15 to #2, more than doubling its previous number. WMJX climbed up to #3 as it bounced back from a down book. A flat WXKS repeated at #4, while BEASLEY Country WKLB (COUNTRY 102.5) slipped to #5. It was paired with BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9), which arrived from #7 as it ended a four-book slide. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR WJMN (JAM’N 94.5) fell from #2 to #7 with its lowest number in over a year. It was tied with AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103), which slipped from a tie at #5. Market PUMM was down 5.4% from the previous survey and 11.9% from last year.

WWBX was #1 18-49 for the third book in a row and held a share and a half lead over a flat WXKS, which stood alone at #2. WBZ-F dipped to #3 with its fifth straight down book. WBQT and WROR were last spotted at #6. Both stations had solid increases as they rose to #4 and #5, respectively. WBGB slipped to #6, while WBUR dropped down to #7. Market PUMM was down 7.8% from MAY and 0.7% from 2024.

Two down, two to go. Stay tuned for our next action splattered edition, which will feature SEATTLE, MIAMI, PHOENIX, DETROIT, and MINNEAPOLIS. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog. 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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