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RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, August 2025, Part I
September 8, 2025
AUGUST is normally thought to be the end of the “dog days” of summer. But did you know that AUGUST 17th is Cat Night? According to an IRISH legend, witches could turn themselves into cats eight times during the month. However, if they tried it a ninth time they could not return to their human form. Hence the genesis of the cliché: “A cat has nine lives.”
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with data diviners from XTRENDS – are stirring up another cauldron of commentary on the AUGUST survey. It ran from JULY 24th through AUGUST 20th. It was devoid of any holidays but did feature a lot of PTO. Here’s what occurred in the ratings multiverse…
NEW YORK: The Song Remains The Same
Assuming, of course, it’s something in the Adult Contemporary vein. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) continued its long string of #1 6+ books with its best Frosty-free share in over a year (8.4-8.6). AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) was back at #2 (5.8-6.0) and added a 0.5 share from the stream. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) moved from a tie at #5 (5.1-5.2) into a relationship at #3 with AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS (5.3-5.2). SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) slipped to #5 with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (5.6-4.9). However, it did squeeze out a 2.0 share from the interwebs. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) dipped to #6 (5.1-4.8). WLTW remained the cume leader with a 2.5% increase (3,775,400-3,868,800). The market rose by 1.1%. Market PUMM was off 0.1% from JULY but up by 5.7% from 2024.
The top three slots on the 25-54 leaderboard remained the same as before. WLTW was #1 for the fourth book in a row, while WHTZ was back at #2. Both stations had slight increases. WSKQ repeated at #3 but with its lowest mark since OCTOBER. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (103.5 KTU) stepped up to #4 with a slight increase. Bitter rivals MEDIACO Rhythmic CHR WQHT (HOT 97) and iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WWPR (POWER 105.1) went from a tie at #6 to one at #5. WCBS slid three places and landed in a tie at #7 with MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS. Market PUMM was down 3.1% from last month but up 6.9% from a year ago.
WLTW remained #1 18-34 but with a down book. Coming in at a surprising #2 was the WSKQ Stream, which turned it up from #11. As recently as MAY it was sitting at #24. WQHT stepped up to #3 with a slight increase. WWPR was up to #4 with its fifth up book in a row. WHTZ slipped from #3 into a tie at #5 with WSKQ. AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) fell from #2 into a tie at #7 with WCBS. Market PUMM was up 3.2% from the previous survey but off by 6.6% from last year.
A flat WLTW made it back-to-back #1 18-49 books. WHTZ moved up to #2 as it narrowed the gap behind the leader. WSKQ dipped to #3 with its third straight down book. WWPR rose to #4 with its best showing in over a year, while WQHT stepped down to #5 with a slight decrease. WNEW dropped from #5 to #8 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was up 1.8% from JULY and 3.5% from 2024.
LOS ANGELES: Earth Tunes
For the fourth book in a row AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101FM) was #1 6+ (7.4-7.2). iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST was back at #2 (6.1-6.2), while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) repeated at #3 (4.9-5.0). AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) was still at #4 but with its highest total in over a year (4.5-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) stepped up to #5 (4.2-4.1). AUDACY News KNX slipped to #6 (4.5-3.9) but did gain a 0.3 share from cyberspace. KRTH still had the most listeners (2,146,700-2,194,600) – a 2.2% increase. The market was off by 0.3%. Market PUMM was up 0.5% from JULY and 13.1% from 2024.
KRTH was #1 25-54 for the fifth straight survey but suffered its first down book since MARCH. KBIG, KOST and KIIS were back at #2, #3 and #4, respectively. All three stations had slight increases. AUDACY Alternative KROQ moved up to #5 with its best book in over a year. MEURELO Classic Rock KLOS dipped to #6 despite a slight increase. Market PUMM was down 2.0% from last month but rose by 9.8% from a year ago.
KRTH had its best 18-34 book in over a year as it remained the demo leader. KOST was back at #2 but was almost three shares off the pace. KTWV advanced from #6 to #3, also with its best outing in over a year. KIIS remained at #4, while KROQ moved up to #5. Just two books ago it was sitting at #10. KLOS slipped to #6 with its lowest score since JANUARY, while KBIG dropped to #7 with its third down book in a row. Market PUMM was up 1.6% from the previous survey but down 5.2% from last year.
There was little change in the 18-49 ranks. KRTH was back at #1 with a slight decrease. It had better than a two-share lead over KBIG and KOST, which were tied at #2. KIIS remained at #4 with a slight increase, while TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KSCA (LA NUEVA 101.9) held steady at #5. It was paired with KTWV, which rose from #6 with its best book in over a year. Market PUMM was up 1.0% from JULY and 3.6% from 2024.
CHICAGO: A Tight Fit
The top five 6+ stations were all within a half share of one another. Last month iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) and HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1 THE DRIVE) were the market-co-leaders. WLIT remained in first place (4.9-4.9), while WDRV motored down to #2 (4.9-4.7). AUDACY AAA WXRT (93XRT) repeated at #3 (4.8-4.6), while HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) inched up to #4 (4.6-4.5). AUDACY News WBBM-A was up two slots to #5 (4.3-4.4). The station did add a 0.8 share from the digital realm. CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS-F slipped to #6 (4.8-4.3). WLIT remained the cume commander with a 9.1% increase (1,265,100-1,370,100). The market was down 0.1%. Market PUMM was off 1.0% from JULY but up by 20.0% from 2024.
The 25-54 race was a tight two team contest. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) was back at #1 with a small share loss, while WTMX remained at #2 with a slight increase. They were less than a half share distant. CUMULUS Alternative WKQX (Q101) was up two places to #3 as it bounced back from a down book. AUDACY country WUSN (US99) repeated at #4, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WGCI stepped up to #5. A couple of stations saw their respective fortunes change dramatically. iHEARTMEDIA Mainstream Rock WCHI (ROCK 95.5) advanced from #19 to #6 with its highest score in over a year. WXRT fell from #3 to #15 as it ended a three-book surge. Market PUMM was up 0.5% from last month and 15.3% from a year ago.
WKSC was #1 18-34 for the third book in a row. WGCI jumped from #4 to #2 with its best book since NOVEMBER but was still more than a share off the pace. WLIT dipped to #3 with its least productive outing since OCTOBER. WCHI repeated at #4, while WLS-F slipped to #5. It was paired with WDRV, which rose from #12 as it rebounded from a down book. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1) fell from #4 to #9 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was down 1.9% from the previous survey but grew by 17.1% from last year.
A flat WKSC was #1 18-49 for the third book in a row. WTMX was back at #2 with a slight decrease, while WGCI remained at #3 with a solid increase. WKQX bounced back from a down book by advancing from #8 to #4. It was joined in that space by WCHI, which vaulted from #16 with its highest mark since NOVEMBER. Three stations were previously spotted at #5. AUDACY Rhythmic Oldies WBMX (104.3 JAMS) dipped to #6, while WLIT landed at #8. WXRT fell all the way to #15. WUSN slid from #3 to #7 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was up 0.1% from JULY and 23.4% from 2024.
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DALLAS-FT. WORTH: Mix Master
The market got quite the surprise when it saw these numbers as iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (MIX 102.9) rose from #6 to #1 6+ with its best outing in over a year (4.2-6.5). CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF) ended its two-book stay at #1 as it loped down to #2 (5.4-5.4). CUMULUS Sports KTCK (THE TICKET SPORTSRADIO 96.7FM/1310AM) remained at #3 as it ended a two-book slide (4.7-5.3). CUMULUS Country KSCS (NEW COUNTRY 96.3) slipped to #4 (5.2-5.0), while AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) moved up to #5 with its highest mark since MARCH (4.1-4.6). AUDACY Mexican Regional KMVK (LA GRANDE 107.5) slipped to #6 (4.4-4.1). Last month iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZPS (LONE STAR 92.5) went from #8 to #5. This time the station fell to #10 (4.3-3.7). iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) was still the cume leader with a 3.3% increase (1,061,000-1,095,800). The market was down 0.4%. Market PUMM was up 5.9% from JULY and 26.3% from 2024.
KDMX also landed its largest 25-54 share in over a year as it advanced from #4 to #1. KTCK was back at #2 but with its best offensive output since FEBRUARY. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) remained at #3 with a slight increase. KPLX slipped from first to fourth with a modest share loss. SERVICE Urban Contemporary KKDA (K104) stood alone at #5 with a small increase. KMVK dipped to #6 with a slight increase. Market PUMM was up 6.2% from last month and 22.0% from a year ago.
Last month KSCS and KLNO were tied at #2 18-34. KSCS had its best book in over a year as it moved up to #1. KLNO stood alone at #2 but with its largest share since FEBRUARY. KDMX stepped up to #3 with a small increase. This snapped the five-book winning string for iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHE KHKS (106.1 KISS FM), which landed at #4 with its lowest mark since JANUARY. EMF Contemporary Christian KYDA (AIR1) slipped to #6. It was met there by URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBFB (97.9 THE BEAT), which rose from #14 as it bounced back from a down book. Market PUMM was up 1.5% from the previous survey and 15.6% from last year.
Once again KDMX had its best showing in over a year as it moved from #4 to #1 18-49. This pushed KPLX to #2, ending the station’s two-book winning streak. KLNO dipped to #3 with a slight decrease. KHKS fell from a tie at #2 into one at #4 with KKDA. KHKS was down this month while KKDA was up. Market PUMM was up 4.0% from JULY and 27.5% from 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO: It’s The Same Old Song
Well, to be more accurate it’s the same pecking order on the 6+ chart but the top two stations do not play songs for a living. KQED INC. N/T KQED was #1 for the eighth straight survey but with its lowest score since OCTOBER (9.8-8.7). AUDACY News KCBS (ALL NEWS 106.9FM/740AM) was back at #2 with its best showing in over a year (8.2-8.6). BONNEVILLE AC KOIT was again the leading music station at #3 (6.1-5.8), while USC Classical KDFC (CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA) repeated at #4 (4.9-4.6). iHEARTMEDIA AC KISQ (98.1 THE BREEZE) stood alone at #5 (4.2-4.2). AUDACY Hot AC KLLC (ALICE @ 97.3) dipped to #7 (4.2-3.7). KOIT remained in cume control with a 1.1% increase (1,064,400-1,076,400). The market was up 1.4%. Market PUMM was off 0.1% from JULY by rose 17.7% from 2024.
BONNEVILLE Pop CHR KMVQ (99.7 NOW) had its best 25-54 book since, oddly, the airwaves were polluted with holiday cheer as it rose from #3 to #1. This halted the five-book winning string for KQED, which dipped to #2. AUDACY Alternative KITS (LIVE 105) stepped up to #3, while KISQ was up to #4. Both stations had slight decreases. KOIT slid from #2 to #5 with its smallest share in over a year. It was met there by iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR KMEL, which advanced from #8 with its best book since OCTOBER. Market PUMM was up 2.5% from last month and 5.3% from a year ago.
It was a good month to be KMEL. The station rose from #3 to #1 18-34 with its best showing in over a year. KISQ was back at #2 with a small increase and trailed the leader by a share and a half. KOIT saw its six-book winning streak snapped as it drifted down to #3 with its least productive outing since NOVEMBER. KMVQ repeated at #4 but with a large share loss. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KYLD (WiLD 94.9) remained at #5 with a slight increase. Market PUMM was down 2.3% from the previous survey but up 3.0% from last year.
KMEL did quite well 18-49, as well. It rose from #6 to #1 with its best book in over a year. KMVQ stepped down to #2 with a small share loss, while three stations were hovering around the #3 position. KISQ remained in place with a slight decrease, while a flat KQED moved up from #4. KITS came in from #5 with a slight increase. Market PUMM was up 2.7% from JULY and 11.8% from 2024.
Thank you for spending your time with this here missive. We’ll be back tomorrow with another tranche of information. It will spotlight HOUSTON, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., PHILADELPHIA, and BOSTON in that order.
If you’re a first-time caller but long-time listener be sure to sign up for this here missive. And feel free to pass it along to others in your chat group.
-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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