RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, November 2025, Part III

December 5, 2025

If you’re keeping score (and since you’re in radio you always keep score), of the first ten markets we have examined, only one had a station that dove into the holiday fray. As we prepped round three, we discovered that two of the next five markets had an early adopter. Which begs the question: Do listeners really want to hear BRENDA LEE that early? We could also ask if Costco shoppers want to buy Disney displays in SEPTEMBER. It’s all about expectations. Or is it?

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR INC.—along with the right jolly old data elves from XTRENDS—bring you back into the NOVEMBER state of mind. This survey ran from OCTOBER 16^TH through NOVEMBER 12^TH. The time it was a-changing, there was an election, and we honored our Veterans. Here’s how that all played out:

MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: The Flop Flipped

For the fourth book in a row, two stations have been trading places atop the 6+ leaderboard. This time it was COX MEDIA Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105) that captured the top spot (6.6-6.9), while COX MEDIA AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1) eased on down to #2 (7.2-6.6). TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Hot AC WAMR (AMOR 107.5) stepped up to #3 with its highest score since MARCH (5.5-5.8). AUDACY Classic Hits WMXJ (102.7 THE BEACH) inched up to #4 (5.4-5.3). AUDACY AC WLYF (101.5 LITE FM) landed its smallest share in over a year as it slipped from #3 to #5 (6.5-5.2). The station remained the cume leader despite a 3.6% decline (801,100-772,000). The market was down 1.3%. Market PUMM was up 3.7% from OCTOBER and 17.2% from 2024.

Despite a down book, WFEZ was the clear 25-54 leader for the eleventh book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Adult Hits WMIA (MAGIC 93.9) was up to #2 with its third straight up book. It was still more than a share off the lead. COX MEDIA Rhythmic AC WFLC (HITS 97.3) stepped up to #3 with a slight increase, while WHQT went from #6 to #4 as it bounced back from a down book. WMXJ repeated at #5 but it was not alone. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WZTU (TÚ 94.9) advanced from #16 with its best outing since JANUARY. WLYF fell from #2 to #7 with its lowest mark since FEBRUARY. Market PUMM was up 2.2% from last month and 19.3% from a year ago.

iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WMIB (103.5 THE BEAT) landed its sixth consecutive 18-34 up book, which propelled the station from #3 to #1. Three stations were circling one another at #2. SBS Spanish Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL 106.7FM) remained in place with a modest share loss. WAMR and SBS Latino Urban WRMA (RITMO 95.7) moved up in tandem from a tie at #5 with rather large share gains. WLYF slid from first to fifth. COX MEDIA Urban Contemporary WEDR (99 JAMZ) experienced a slight increase but fell from a tie at #5 into one at #6 with AUDACY Rhythmic Oldies WPOW (POWER 96). WFEZ also dropped from a tie at #5 but it landed at #9 with its third down book in a row. Market PUMM was up 7.5% from the previous survey and an incredible 68.6% from last year.

For the tenth time in the eleven 2025 surveys, WFEZ was #1 18-49. WLYF was back at #2 but the gap between the two stations expanded to a share and a half. Three stations were in league together at #3. WMXJ and WHQT moved up from a tie at #4 with flat books. WMIB vaulted up from #9 with its best performance in over a year. WFLC and WPOW were last seen at #3 and #4, respectively. They slid into a tie at #6. Market PUMM was up 3.3% from OCTOBER and 24.9% from 2024.

SEATTLE-TACOMA: IYKYK

For the eleventh book in a row UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW was #1 6+ (9.1-9.4). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 THE JET) piloted its best book in over a year to rise to #2 (5.6-6.3). AUDACY Active Rock KISW (THE ROCK) stood alone at #3 (5.6-5.8). The magical post-season run of the MARINERS came to an end and so did the lofty numbers for BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A (SEATTLE SPORTS 710AM). The station went from a tie at first to #4 (9.1-5.2). CRISTA Christian AC KCMS (SPIRIT 105.3) had its best book since APRIL as it ascended from #8 to #5 (3.9-4.7). BONNEVILLE N/T KIRO-F ended a three-book surge as it dipped to #6 (5.2-4.4). It was partnered with HUBBARD Pop CHR KQMV (MOViN’ 92.5), which was up from #9 (3.6-4.4) and CLASSIC RADIO Classical KING (4.3-4.4). KJEB climbed back to #1 in cume with a 4.0% increase (577,200-600,300). The previous leader was KIRO-A and it dropped to #9. The market was off 0.5%. Market PUMM was down 2.2% from OCTOBER but up 13.8% from 2024.

KISW moved back to #1 25-54 with a slight increase. KJEB and KQMV moved up to forge a tie at #2. KJEB was off slightly as it stepped up from #3, while KQMV advanced from #4 with its best showing since JANUARY. Still, they were two shares off the pace. FRIENDS OF KEXP Alternative KEXP leapt from #8 to #4 with a strong increase. KIRO-A dropped from #1 to #5 and was tied with KUOW, which slipped from #4 despite an up book. Market PUMM was down 4.5% from last month but up 32.1% from a year ago.

After taking the last two books off AUDACY Alternative KNDD (107.7 THE END) was back at #1 18-34. It held a full share advantage over the three stations, massed together at #2. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KJAQ (96.5 JACK FM) and KQMV moved up from a tie at #4, while KISW inched up from #3. KIRO-A dropped from #1 to #5. Two stations outside of the top five made some impressive gains. AUDACY Country KKWF (100.7 THE WOLF) rose from #10 to #6 with its best book since JULY. AUDACY Hot AC KSWD (EMMA 94.1) vaulted from #20 to #7 with its highest mark since FEBRUARY, when it was in a completely different format. Market PUMM was off 4.5% from the previous survey but up 7.2% from last year.

KQMV had its best 18-49 book in over a year as it advanced from #4 to #1. KIRO-A dipped to #2 and was tied with KISW. KNDD stepped down to #4, while KUOW moved up to #5 as it rebounded from a down book. KJEB descended to #6 with a small share loss. Market PUMM was down 3.5% from OCTOBER but up 19.5% from 2024.

PHOENIX: Do We Need A Little Christmas?

Right this very survey? Apparently, the folks at iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ) thought so, as the station changed formats on the last Friday of the book. It was not dramatic, but the station did move back to #1 6+ (7.9-8.3). That was its exact share and rank as last year. This did end the seven-book winning streak for HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX, which dipped to #2 (8.7-7.6). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 THE MOUNTAIN) was up to #3 with its best outing since MARCH (4.3-5.3). AUDACY Classic Hits KOOL (BIG 94.3) landed its largest share in over a year to inch up to #4 (4.2-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX bounced back from a down book as it went from #7 to #5 (3.7-4.3). iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFYI-A slid to #6 (4.7-4.2) and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KZZP (104.7 KISS FM), which rose from #8 (3.5-4.2). KESZ still had the most cume with a 4.3% decline (985,700-943,500). The market was up 0.1%. Market PUMM was up 6.3% from OCTOBER and 27.6% from 2024.

KESZ made it back-to-back #1 and double-digit 25-54 books. KSLX was a distant, but solid, #2 with its best outing in over a year. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KHOT (QUÉ BUENA 105.9) remained at #3 with a small increase, while KYOT moved up two places to #4 as it regained some of last month’s share loss. Last month, HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD and HUBBARD Alternative KDKB (ALT AZ 93.3) were tied at #4. KUPD was up slightly as it slipped to #5, while a flat KDKB dropped to #6. Market PUMM was up 9.3% from last month and 31.5% from a year ago.

KSLX was #1 18-34 for the third straight survey and was dangerously close to hitting double figures. KYOT scaled from #5 to #2 with its best showing in over a year. KHOT repeated at #3 as it rebounded from a down book. KESZ was back at #4 with a solid increase, while KDKB slid from #2 to #5 as it returned a portion of last month’s massive increase. Market PUMM was up 10.6% from the previous survey and 39.4% from last year.

KESZ repeated at #1 18-49 with a slight increase. A flat KSLX was back at #2, while KHOT remained at #3 but with its highest score in over a year. KYOT leapt from #8 to #4, while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX 96.9) held steady at #5 with a small increase. KDKB slipped to #6 despite a slight increase. Market PUMM was up 10.3% from OCTOBER and 32.5% from 2024.

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DETROIT: Rudolph By A Nose

The reindeer games began early as iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC went the jolly route on the last Friday of the book. The station did move up to #1 6+ (7.4-8.0). AUDACY Sports WXYT (97.1 THE TICKET) dipped to #2 with its least productive outing since FEBRUARY (10.3-7.4). The station did pick up a 2.1 share from cyberspace. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX 92.3) was back at #3 as it bounced back from a down book (6.9-7.3). AUDACY Classic Hits WOMC repeated at #4 (5.5-6.0), while AUDACY Country WYCD moved up to #5 as it also bounced back from a down book (4.8-5.4). BESLEY Classic Rock WCSX dipped to #6 (5.0-5.1) and was paired with BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF (4.6-5.1). WNIC saw its cume drop by 0.7% but it was still the leader in that category (1,033,700-1,026,300). The market was down 1.8%. Market PUMM was off 4.0% from OCTOBER but up 14.8% from 2024.

Though it departed double-digit land, WXYT was #1 25-54 for the eighth book in a row. WRIF was back at #2 with its best outing since MAY, while WNIC remained at #3 with a small increase. WMXD repeated at #4 with a modest decrease, while a flat iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKQI (CHANNEL 955) rounded out the top five again. Market PUMM was down 1.4% from last month but up 15.4% from a year ago.

WRIF was #1 18-34 for the fourth straight survey. It was tied at that spot last month with WXYT. That partnership did not endure. WNIC rebounded from a down book to move up to #2. It was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WJLB, which advanced from #8. WCSX rose from #7 to #4. Both WJLB and WCSX had their best outings in over a year. WXYT landed at #5 and was tied with AUDACY Alternative WDZH (ALT 98.7). WKQI and WYCD were last spotted at #3 and #5, respectively. Both stations had down books as they landed together at #7. Market PUMM was up 7.1% from the previous survey and 19.9% from last year.

WXYT was #1 18-49 for the fourth book in a row but was hearing footsteps from #2 WRIF. The gap between the two stations shrank from nearly four shares to under a half share. WNIC stepped up to #3 with its best book since MARCH, while WMXD dipped to #4 with a small decrease. A flat WKQI remained at #5 and was joined there by WDZH, which rose from #7 with its highest score in exactly a year. Market PUMM was up 0.4% from OCTOBER and 11.4% from 2024.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: You Can’t Stop Them…

…you can only hope to contain them. And few have been able to even contain iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN FM 100.3). The station was #1 6+ for the eleventh book in a row, the last three of which have been in double figures (12.1-11). UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN-ST. PAUL Contemporary Christian KTIS was back at #2 but with its best showing in over a year (7.8-8.1). MPR N/T KNOW moved up to #3 with its highest score since MARCH (5.9-7.0). It also added a 1.3 share from the interwebs. HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) dipped to #4 (6.6-6.8), while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL 108) remained at #5 but with its smallest share in over a year (5.8-5.5). The station was still the cume leader despite a 4.4% decline (743,700-711,300). The market was off 2.2%. Market PUMM was down 5.8% from OCTOBER and 1.8% from 2024.

For the fourth book in a row KFXN was both #1 and in double figures in the 25-54 space. CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) stepped up to #2 with its best showing in over a year yet still trailed the leader by more than six shares. MPR AAA KCMP (89.3 THE CURRENT) dipped to #3 with its lowest total in over a year. AUDACY Adult Hits KZJK (104.1 JACK FM) remained at #4 with a small increase, while KSTP held steady at #5. Market PUMM was down 5.3% from last month but up 0.8% from a year ago.

KFXN made it back-to-back #1 18-34 books. The station was also in double-digits for the third straight survey. KCMP repeated at a distant #2, while KXXR remained at #3 with a slight decrease. KZJK stepped up to #4 as it got back a small portion of last month’s huge share loss. It was joined there by iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KTCZ (CITIES 97.1), which rose from a tie at #6 as it bounced back from a down book. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDWB fell from #4 to #7 with its least productive outing in over a year. Market PUMM was down 7.7% from the previous survey but up 9.1% from last year.

For the eleventh book in a row KFXN was #1 18-49. The station also hit double figures for the fourth straight survey. KXXR stepped up to #2 with a solid increase, while KZJK was up to #3. KCMP slipped to #4 with its smallest share since MAY. KDWB stood alone at #5, while its former partner in that space – KSTP – dipped to #6 with its lowest mark in over a year. Market PUMM was off 5.9% from OCTOBER but up 6.1% from 2024.

Had enough? Well, we haven’t. Another fresh batch of markets is in the oven. Specifically, they are TAMPA, DENVER, SAN DIEGO, CHARLOTTE, and NASSAU-SUFFOLK.

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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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