RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, October 2025, Part I

November 4, 2025

Let’s be honest— “Rocktober” isn’t a thing, no matter how many rock stations insist on making it the centerpiece of their fall promotions. If we’re going to rename months, can we at least pick something that doesn’t sound like a dad joke from 1997? The only thing rocking in OCTOBER Is the amount of pumpkin spice AMERICA is consuming. That, and tons of HALLOWEEN candy we steal from our kids.

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in close cooperation with the legendary logarithm leaders from XTRENDS – bring you another action splattered edition of how the numbers churn. The OCTOBER book ran from SEPTEMBER 18^TH through OCTOBER 15^TH. It featured ROSH HASHANAH, the Autumnal Equinox, and YOM KIPPUR. Here’s how it unfolded…

NEW YORK: Unbroken Chain

A nod to Dead Heads there, a band that is not part of the playlist for iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM), which continued its long unbroken string of #1 6+ books but with its smallest share in over a year (8.1-7.4). AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) was back at #2 (5.9-6.4) and added a 0.6 share from the stream. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) remained at #3 with its third up book in a row (5.5-5.9). SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) ended a three-book slide as it vaulted from #6 to #4 (4.5-5.2). The station also picked up a 0.9 share from the interwebs. AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS dipped to #5 (4.8-5.0), while MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS stepped up to #6 (4.3-4.7). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) slid to #7 with its lowest score in over a year (4.6-4.3). WLTW was still the most heard radio station despite a 2.6% decline (3,827,200-3,727,900). The market was up 1.4%. Market PUMM was up 3.9% from SEPTEMBER and 11.2% from 2024.

WHTZ had its best 25-54 book in exactly a year, which was also the last time the station was #1. This ended the five-book winning streak for WLTW, which dipped to #2. WSKQ remained at #3 but with its highest mark since JUNE. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WWPR (POWER 105.1) leapt from #9 to #4, which pushed archrival MEDIACO Rhythmic CHR WQHT (HOT 97) to #5. Both stations posted their largest shares in over a year. AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) fell from #5 to #11 with its least productive outing in over a year. Market PUMM was up 0.7% from last month and 13.5% from a year ago.

WHTZ and WLTW were still #1 and #2, respectively, with the 18-34 crowd. However, the gap between the two stations shrank from two and a half shares to less than a half-share. WWPR rose from #5 to #3 with, again, its best book in over a year. WSKQ was up two places to #4, while WBLS moved from #7 to #5. This meant two stations were excused from the top five.  WQHT fell four slots to #7 as it ended a solid three-book surge. WNEW dropped from #4 to #8. Market PUMM was down 6.0% from the previous survey and 1.3% from last year.

WHTZ made it back-to-back 18-49 wins with a small increase. A flat WLTW repeated at #2. WWPR advanced from #5 to #3, while WSKQ held steady at #4 as it bounced back from a down book.  WQHT slipped to #5 with a slight increase. Market PUMM was up 1.4% from SEPTEMBER and 11.0% from 2024.

LOS ANGELES: A K Quake

AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101) was #1 6+ for the sixth straight survey as it posted its best book in over a year (7.3-8.3). iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST stepped up to a distant #2 (5.5-5.7), while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) stepped down to #3 (5.8-4.9). AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) was back at #4 but with its lowest score since MAY (4.8-4.2). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) ended a three-book slide as it inched up to #5 (3.7-4.0). AUDACY News KNX dipped to #6 (4.3-3.8). It did pick up a 0.3 share from cyberspace. KRTH added to its cume lead with a 10.8% increase (2,121,600-2,350,400). The market grew by 2.1%. Market PUMM was up 0.3% from SEPTEMBER and 11.4% from 2024.

Last month KRTH saw its five-book 25-54 winning streak snapped. The station was back at #1 this survey with a solid share increase. AUDACY Alternative KROQ was up two places to #2 with its best showing in over a year. KBIG went from first to third with its lowest total since JUNE. KOST dipped to #4 and was met there by iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7), which rose from #8 with its highest mark in over a year. Something brewing in the Alternative universe? KIIS slipped to #6 despite rebounding from a down book. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5) slid from a tie at #5 to #8. Market PUMM was down 0.4% from last month but up 5.4% from a year ago.

KRTH was #1 18-34 for the fourth book in a row. KYSR leapt from #7 to #2 with its best book in over a year but still trailed the leader by about three shares. KIIS stepped down to #3 despite a solid increase. KOST moved down to #4 with a small share gain, while KROQ went from a tie at #3 to #5 with a slight increase. It had a new partner as KTWV moved up a spot as it bounced back from a down book. KBIG slipped from #5 to #7. Market PUMM was down 0.2% from the previous survey but rose 7.3% from last year.

KRTH’s seventh straight 18-49 win completed the demo sweep. KBIG remained at #2 but the gap between the two stations went from about a share to over three shares. KOST repeated at #3 with a small decrease. It was paired with KIIS, which moved up from #4 with a small increase. KROQ dipped to #5. It was met there by KYSR, which advanced from #10. Market PUMM was down 1.5% from SEPTEMBER but up 3.5% from 2024.

CHICAGO: Bright, Tight, Real, & Relevant

There were eight—count ‘em—eight stations within a share of the 6+ lead. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) was #1 for the third time in the last four books (4.7-4.9) AUDACY AAA WXRT (93XRT) bounced back from a down book to rise from #7 to #2 (4.2-4.6). AUDACY News WBBM-A remained at #3 (4.4-4.4). It added a 0.6 share from the digital realm. HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1 THE DRIVE) landed its lowest share in over a year as it reversed course from #1 to #4 (5.0-4.2). It was partnered with AUDACY Country WUSN (US99), which advanced from #10 as it, too, rebounded from a down book (3.7-4.2). HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) dipped to #6 (4.3-4.0). It was tied with AUDACY Sports WSCR (670 THE SCORE), which rode the CUBS up from #11 (3.4-4.0). Also landing at #6 was TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1) as it moved up from #8. CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS-F dropped from #3 to #9 (4.4-3.8). It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103), which dipped from #8 (4.1-3.8). NEXSTAR N/T WGN-A (RADIO 720) fell from #5 to #12 (4.3-3.6). WLIT continued as the cume commander with a 3.4% increase (1,281,300-1,325,500). The market was up 2.4%. Market PUMM was up 1.2% from SEPTEMBER and 20.1% from 2024.

iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) was #1 25-54 for the fourth straight survey. It held about a half share lead over three stations sitting at #2. WTMX remained in place but with its smallest share since Mom was making out with the big guy. WOJO inched up from #3, while CUMULUS Alternative WKQX (Q101) advanced from #4 with its highest score since MAY. CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA N/T WBEZ was back at #5 with a slight increase. Market PUMM was up 1.9% from last month and 23.7% from a year ago.

WKSC was #1 18-34 for the fifth consecutive survey. It was more than two shares in front of the two stations at #2. WLIT moved up from #4 with its best outing since JUNE, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WGCI rose from #6 as it recovered from a down book. WOJO held steady at #4 and was joined in that space by WUSN, which advanced from #13 with its highest mark since MARCH. WLS-F slid from #3 to #9, while WDRV fell from #2 to #12. Market PUMM was up 4.4% from the previous survey and 10.6% from last year.

As with the last two demos,  WKSC remained hot with the 18-49 group as it captured the flag for the fifth book in a row. WOJO stepped up to #2 with a slight decrease as WTMX dipped to #3. WKQX inched up to #4 and WGCI moved up to #5. Both stations had slight increases. AUDACY Rhythmic Oldies WBMX (104.3 JAMS) dropped three places to #7. It was aligned with WUSN and AUDACY Pop CHR WBBM-F (B96). Market PUMM was up 3.2% from SEPTEMBER and 24.2% from 2024.

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DALLAS-FT. WORTH: Hungry Like The Wolf

Sometimes they just write themselves. CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF) regained all of last month’s lost share as it moved up to #1 6+ (4.7-5.4). CUMULUS Sports KTCK 96.7 & 1310 THE TICKET) remained at #2 (5.4-5.3), while iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) landed its largest share since JANUARY as it advanced from #8 to #3 (3.9-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (MIX 102.9) went from first to fourth (7.0-4.8), while CUMULUS Country KSCS (NEW COUNTRY 96.3) slid to #5 with its smallest share since FEBRUARY (5.0-4.6). AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) dipped to #6 (4.6-4.3). KDGE remained the cume leader with a 1.9% rise (1,201,800-1,225,000). That nearly matched the market’s 2.0% increase. Market PUMM was down 0.8% from SEPTEMBER but up 23.3% from 2024.

Though KDMX lost a noticeable chunk of share the station remained #1 25-54 for the third book in a row. Two stations were a half-share behind. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) repeated at #2 with a slight decrease. It was paired with KPLX, which moved up from #4. KDGE had its best Frosty-free share in over a year as it leapt from #9 to #4. It was tied with KTCK, which rose from #6 with a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) dipped to #6 and was joined there by AUDACY Mexican Regional KMVK (LA GRANDE 107.5), which slid from #3 as it surrendered all of last month’s share increase. Market PUMM was down 0.1% from last month but grew by 20.2% from a year ago.

Despite a small share loss KLNO made it back-to-back 18-34 victories. KPLX vaulted from #8 to #2 with its best book in over a year but still trailed the leader by about a share. KTCK stepped up to #3, also with its best offensive performance in over a year. KSCS slipped to #4 with its lowest mark since MAY. KDGE moved up to #5, while KDMX slipped three places to #6. KHKS dropped to #7 and was tied with AUDACY Classic Hits KSPF (98.7 THE SPOT) and SERVICE Urban Contemporary KKDA (K104), which was last seen at #12. Market PUMM was up 0.9% from the previous survey and 24.5% from last year.

KLNO stepped up to #1 18-49, which ended KDMX’s two-book winning string. It dipped to #2. The two stations were separated by a very slim margin. KPLX stepped up to #3 as it regained all of last month’s lost share. KDGE advanced three spaces to #4 with its best book since FEBRUARY. KHKS slipped to #5 with its lowest total in exactly a year. KMVK dropped from #5 into a tie at #8 with KJKK. Market PUMM was up 0.6% from SEPTEMBER and 21.9% from 2024.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: It’s Still Sunny

iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) was back at #1 6+ with its best showing since FEBRUARY (8.1-9.0). URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) remained at #2 but with its best book in over a year (6.4-6.9). RADIO ONE Country KKBQ (93Q) landed its largest share since MARCH as it rose from #6 to #3 (5.1-5.7). It was tied with RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9/107.5), which stepped up from #4 (5.4-5.7). CUMULUS Pop CHR KRBE remained at #5 (5.2-5.3), while HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ slid to #6 with its lowest mark in over a year (5.8-5.2). It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ), which moved up a slot (4.8-5.2). KODA still dominated the cume space with a 6.8% increase (1,864,700-1,991,900). The market was up 4.0%. Market PUMM grew 5.0% from SEPTEMBER and 18.9% from 2024.

KODA kept its long uninterrupted string of #1 25-54 alive and was dangerously close to hitting double figures. KTBZ was back at #2, while KMJQ rose three places to #3. Both stations had their best books in over a year. KRBE ended a three-book surge as it dipped to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary KQBT (93.7 THE BEAT) moved down into a tie at #5 with KSBJ. Market PUMM Was up 2.6% from last month and 20.1% from a year ago.

KODA landed its best Frosty-free 18-34 share in over a year as it leapt from #4 to #1. This shattered the eight-book winning streak of KTBZ, which stepped down to #2 despite gaining a solid share increase. KRBE slipped to #3 with a share loss, while KQBT moved up to #4 with a share increase. KKBQ moved up two slots to #5 as it got back some of last month’s massive share loss. URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX) dropped three places to #6 as it halted a two-book surge. Market PUMM was down 2.7% from the previous survey but up 6.5% from last year.

KTBZ and KODA were #1 and #2, respectively, 18-49 for the third book in a row. They continued to be separated by the smallest of possible margins. KRBE remained at #3 with a small increase, while KQBT stepped up to #4. KSBJ dipped to #5 with its third down book in a row. Market PUMM was up 1.6% from SEPTEMBER and 14.7% from 2024.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you ever have any feedback or questions, shoot us an e-mail. It probably won’t go to spam. Our next roundup comes out tomorrow.  It will spotlight SAN FRANCISCO, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., PHILADELPHIA, and BOSTON in that order.

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-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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