RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, July 2025, Part IV

August 20, 2025

Proving that we can flog a bit to death, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.  – along with our co-conspirators from XTRENDS – are back with another round of late data. Fortunately, data delayed is not data denied. While we have been unable to identify the cause of this glitch, we’re reasonably sure it has something to do with our expired automobile warranty. We did place a call to IT but they referred us to ICE T, instead.

The JULY book ran from JUNE 26^TH through JULY 23^RD and did have a somewhat extended holiday weekend along with the usual summer stuff. Let’s go inside the numbers:

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Flip Meet Flop

For the fourth book in a row, we see two stations trading spaces atop the 6+ leaderboard. This time it was COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) nesting at #1 (7.3-7.8). RADIO TRAINING NETWORK Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) moved back to #2 (7.5-7.4). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) remained at #3 (5.7-5.3). It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5), which moved in from #9 as it rebounded from a down book (4.3-5.3). BEASLEY Country WQYK dipped to #5 (5.6-5.0) and was met there by COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9), which rose from #7 with its best outing in over a year (4.5-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) dropped three places to #8 (4.9-4.8). WDUV kept its cume lead despite a 2.4% decline (622,800-607,900). The market was up 0.9%. Market PUMM fell 6.7% from JUNE but was up by 10.2% from 2024.

As with the previous demo, WWRM had its best 25-54 book in over a year, which propelled the station to #1. WXTB stepped down to #2 with a small share loss. WDUV regained a portion of last month’s huge share loss as it rose from #6 to #3. There was a foursome at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ and WQYK held steady with slight increases. WCIE was up from #6 as it rebounded from a down book, while iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7) advanced from #8 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. COX MEDIA N/T WHPT (102.5 THE BONE) fell from #3 to #8. Market PUMM fell 12.0% from last month but was up by 7.1% from a year ago.

So, a lot happened in the 18-34 arena. Last month WFLZ and WQYK were tied at #1. WFLZ remained in place with a slight increase. WQYK dipped to #2 as it surrendered almost all of last month’s large increase. It was part of a threesome at that spot along with WDUV and WFUS, which rose from #8 as it rebounded from a down book. That trio trailed the leader by two shares. WXTB dipped to #5 and was part of a triumvirate of stations at that position. WWRM held steady while BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1) advanced from #8 as it also bounced back from a down book. WCIE and WXGL were tied at #5. WCIE slid to #8 with a slight decrease, while WXGL landed at #9 along with WMTX and COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE). Market PUMM was off 6.9% from the previous book but rose 12.3% from last year.

Last month WXTB and WQYK were the 18-49 co-leaders. Both stations were off this time as they descended to #2 and #3, respectively. This opened the door for WWRM, which rose to #1 as it ended a two-book slide. WFLZ repeated at #4, while WCIE stepped up to #5. Both stations had small increases. A flat WMTX dipped to #6. Market PUMM was down 9.5% from JUNE but up by 19.1% from 2024.

 DENVER-BOULDER: Keepin’ It Cozy

For the fifth straight survey BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) was #1 6+ (7.7-7.5). BONNEVILLE Country KYGO repeated at #2 (5.9-6.2). Three stations were sorting things out at #3. KSE RADIO VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105) stepped up from #4 (5.3-5.6), while AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) moved up from #5 with its best outing since DECEMBER (5.2-5.6). AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) advanced from #7 with its best book in over a year (4.4-5.6). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) fell from #3 to #7 with its smallest share since JANUARY (5.4-5.0). KOSI remained in cume command (520,600-551,800) – a 6.0% increase. The market was down 2.4%. Market PUMM was off 5.3% from JUNE but up by 4.3% from 2024.

Despite landing its lowest number since MARCH, KTCL was #1 25-54 for the seventh straight survey. KOSI was back at #2 though it returned a good portion of last month’s huge share increase. ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) moved up to #3 with its highest score in over a year. AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) dipped to #4, while KALC repeated at #5 with its best showing since OCTOBER. Market PUMM was down 6.1% from last month but up by 6.3% from a year ago.

KXPK has been on quite the 18-34 journey. Two months ago it was #11. Last time it moved up to #5 and this survey it landed at #1. The station has more than doubled its share over that span. KOSI repeated at #2 with a slight increase and was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7), which moved up from #4 with a rather large increase. KBKS slid from first to fourth. It was joined by two other stations. KXKL dipped from #3 despite a slight increase, while KWBL vaulted up from #9 with its best book in over a year. KYGO fell from #5 to #9 and it was partnered with KXKL and KIMN. Market PUMM was down 3.4% from JUNE but up 9.6% from last year.

KQKS was back in first place 18-49 but it had a partner as KXPK moved up from #4 with its third up book in a row. KOSI repeated at #3, while KTCL slipped to #4 with its smallest share since JANUARY. KALC was up to #5 as it halted a somewhat steep two-book slide. KDHT and KYGO were last seen at #5. KDHT dipped to #6, while KYGO fell into a tie at #8 with iHEARTMEDIA Country KWBL (106.7 THE BULL). Market PUMM was down 7.1% from JUNE but rose 4.4% from 2024.

 SAN DIEGO: Sunny Seven

For the seventh straight survey, AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) was #1 6+ (10.0-8.6). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) was back at #2 (6.8-6.8), while AUDACY AC KYXY stepped up to #3 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year (5.8-6.6). SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS dipped to #4 (6.1-5.8), while iHEARTMEDIA N/T KOGO-A rose from #7 to #5 with its best performance in over a year (4.4-4.9). AUDACY sports KWFN (97.3 THE FAN) slipped to #6 with its smallest share since MARCH (5.5-4.5). KXSN remained the cume leader with a 2.2% decline (691,700-676,800). The market was off 1.0%. Market PUMM was up 5.1% from JUNE and 13.0% from 2024.

KXSN was #1 25-54 for the sixth book in a row but was unable to extend its double-digit streak to three. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3) remained at #2 but with its largest share in over a year. The gap between the two stations shrank from about five shares to under two shares. LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) rebounded from a down book to move up to #3. XHRM slipped to #4 with a slight decrease. KWFN stepped down to #5 and was partnered with KYXY and AUDACY Country KSON, which were last spotted at #7. Market PUMM was up 2.9% from last month but down 1.1% from a year ago.

KXSN was #1 18-34 for the third book in a row and just missed hitting double figures again. KSON remained #2 with a modest share loss. KWFN and XHRM remained tied at #3 with slight decreases. That duo became a foursome as KYXY and KIOZ moved up in tandem from #5. For KYXY it was the station’s best Frosty-free share in over a year. For KIOZ it was the station’s best outing since FEBRUARY. Market PUMM was up 2% from the previous survey and 13.6% from last year.

KXSN completed the demo sweep again capturing the 18-49 flag for the sixth straight survey. KIOZ repeated at #2 with its third up book in a row. XHRM was back at #3 with a slight decrease. KYXY stepped up to #4 and was tied with XTRA, which advanced from a tie at #7 as it rebounded from a down book. AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9) dipped into a tie at #6 with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1). KWFN fell from #4 to #8. Market PUMM was up 2.2% from JUNE and 6.9% from 2024.

 CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: A Solid K Rate

BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) was #1 6+ for the third book in a row (8.8-8.9). BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) remained in second place with its highest share in exactly a year (7.1-7.4). PACIFIC BROADCASTING GROUP Classic Hits WXRC (95.7FM THE RIDE) cruised up to #3 with its highest mark in over a year (6.7-7.1). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) dipped to #4 (6.9-6.4), while BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) repeated at #5 (5.7-5.7). WSOC became the cume leader despite a 5.7% decline (413,200-389,500). This had a lot to do with the 10.9% decrease suffered by the previous leader WLKO. The market was down 1.1%. Market PUMM was down 7.6% from JUNE but up by 39.2% from 2024.

WKQC was #1 25-54 for the fourth straight survey and just missed hitting double figures for the third book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) remained at #2, while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX) leapt from #7 to #3 as it rebounded from a down book. A flat WLKO dipped to #4. URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ moved down to #5 and was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT), which remained in place with a slight increase. BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98 FM) fell from a tie at #5 into one at #8 with BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1). Market PUMM was down 8.3% from last month but up by 39.3% from a year ago.

WBAV was back at #1 18-34 but was forced to share that moment with WEND, which stepped up from #2. Both stations had significant share losses. URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB) came back from a couple of down books to rise from #8 to #3. WRFX dipped to #4 and was joined with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHQC (HITS 96.1), which advanced from #13 with its best outing in over a year. Also coming it at #4 was WNKS, which moved up a slot with a small increase. WPEG was tied at #3, while WKQC was last seen tied at #5. The stations fell in tandem to #9 and were met there by WKKT. Market PUMM was down 5.9% from the previous survey but shot up 55.3% from last year.

WKQC remained #1 18-49 for the third book in a row. However, it had company as WNKS rose from #4 with its best outing in over a year as it forged the tie. WRFX leapt from #7 to #3, while WLKO stepped up to #4. These four stations were separated by less than a half share. WBAV slipped from a tie at #2 to #5 with its lowest score in over a year. WEND was also last spotted at #2. It dropped to #6 and was paired with WOSF, which rose from a tie at #11. WPEG dropped from a tie at #5 to #10 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was down 6.5% from JUNE but up by 35.3% from 2024.

NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): This Just In…

For the first time since MARCH, AUDACY News WINS was #1 6+ (6.2-6.9). The station also added a 1.1 share from the interwebs. RED APPLE MEDIA N/T WABC-A stepped down to #2, ending a four-book surge (6.7-6.4). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) dipped to #3 (6.2-6.2), while CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) moved up to #4 as it bounced back from a down book (4.6-5.2). AUDACY Sports WFAN (SPORTS RADIO 66AM/101.9FM) rose from #9 to #5 (3.8-4.5). It also picked up a 1.5 share from its stream. Four stations were locking arms at #6. COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI dropped from a tie at #4 (4.7-4.2), while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) remained in place (4.6-4.2). AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS moved up from #8 (4.3-4.2), while COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB advanced from #10 (3.4-4.2). CONNISSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3) fell from a tie at #4 to #10 (4.7-3.6). WALK recaptured the cume crown with a 4.5% increase (372,800-389,500). The market was down 2.6%. Market PUMM was off 9.7% from JUNE but up by 2.2% from 2024.

WHTZ was the runaway 25-54 winner for the fourth book in a row. WALK remained at #2 and was tied with WBLI, which moved up a slot. Both stations had slight decreases. WBAB posted its largest share since MARCH as it vaulted from #9 to #4. WINS worked it from #8 to #5 with its highest mark since JANUARY. WABC-A had its first down book since FEBUARY as it slipped to #5. WCBS dropped from #5 to #8. Market PUMM was down 9.2% from the previous book but up 11.6% from last year.

The top of the 18-34 leaderboard continued to be, well, odd. WABC-A was #1 for the third book in a row. Repeating at #2 was SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ-STREAM (MEGA 94.7). The station came in at #7. WBLI moved up to #3 as it rebounded from a down book. WALK dipped to #4, while WCBS stepped down to #5. It was tied with a stationary WHTZ. WKJY and iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) went from a tie at #5 to #10. They were partnered with MEDIACO Urban Contemporary WHQT (HOT 97). Market PUMM was off 5.9% from last month but up 3.5% from a year ago.

For the fourth book in a row, WHTZ was #1 18-49. WBLI inched up to #2 with a small increase, while WALK dipped to #3 with its fourth straight down book. WABC-A was back at #4, while WCBS repeated at #5. Market PUMM was down 8.8% from JUNE and up 5.6% from 2024.

Thank you for the time. Hopefully, next month will be glitch free. The AUGUST numbers will be here before you know it.

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