RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, November 2025, Part IV

December 8, 2025

As we head into our final roundup (hope that’s not an omen) we are here to tally up how many markets left the NORTH POLE early. In this last batch of five markets, we see that two of them were on the polar express. So, of the top 20 radio markets, a total of five flipped the switch during this survey. Were these wise decisions? We’ll let you be the judge of that. More importantly, the listeners are the judges.

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – with a healthy assist from the number’s crunchers from XTRENDS – are back for another excursion into the NOVEMBER data. The survey ran from OCTOBER 16^TH through NOVEMBER 12^TH. The clocks rolled back for some inexplicable reason, there was an election, and our veterans received their well-deserved due. Let’s dive in:

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Pure Joy

For the third time in the last 14 surveys, RADIO TRAINING NETWORK Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) was #1 6+. The station posted its largest share since APRIL (6.9-8.8). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) flew up to #2 with its best offering in over a year (6.2-7.0). This ended the four-book winning string for COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE), which made the Frosty flip on the final Friday of the survey slipped to #3 (7.1-6.8). iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5) was back at #4 for the third book in a row (5.5-5.3). It had company as COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9) rose up from #6 with its best book in over a year (5.0-5.3). iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7) dipped to #6 (5.1-4.7). WDUV shed 4.1% of its listeners but remained the cume leader (626,500-601,000). The market was off 0.2%. Market PUMM was up 4.0% from OCTOBER and 14.9% from 2024.

Last month WCIE and WWRM were tied at #4 25-54. WCIE vaulted into first place with its highest score in over a year, while WWRM made it up to #2 as it bounced back from a down book. WFUS remained at #3 with a small share loss. Last month, WMTX and BEASLEY Classic Hits WRBQ (Q105) were #1 and #2, respectively. Both stations had down books as they dropped into a tie at #4. Joining them there was BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1), which advanced from #7. WDUV fell from a tie at #4 into an arrangement at #7 with iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK). Market PUMM was up 3.1% from last month and 9.5% from a year ago.

WWRM was #1 18-34 for the third straight survey. However, it was not alone. Once again, WCIE landed its largest share in over a year as it rose from #3 to force the jump ball. BEASLEY Country WQYK (99.5 QYK) was back at #3 as it gave back some of last month’s increase. It was paired with WLLD, which moved up from a tie at #6 with its highest mark since APRIL. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ (93.3 FLZ) stepped up to #5, while WMTX dipped to #6. It was tied with WXGL, which advanced from #11 after more than doubling its previous share. WDUV fell from #2 to #8 and was partnered with COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE). Market PUMM was up 1.7% from the previous survey and 17.1% from last year.

After flirting with the top 18-49 spot for the last couple of books, WCIE finally made its move to #1. It helped to post its biggest number in over a year. Despite a small increase WWRM moved down to #2. WLLD rose from #5 to #3 with a slight increase, while WFUS dipped to #4. WMTX went from a tie at #3 to #5. Market PUMM was up 4.3% from OCTOBER and 17.5% from 2024.

DENVER-BOULDER: Nine Is Fine

As it prepares for its upcoming holiday campaign, BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) was #1 6+ for the ninth book in a row (6.6-6.9). There was something in the Classic Rock waters this month. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) had its best outing in over a year as it stepped up to #2 (5.4-5.7). Meanwhile, its archrival AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) moved from #5 to #3 (4.6-5.5). BONNEVILLE Country KYGO slipped to #4 (5.7-5.4), while AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) dipped to #5 (5.2-5.0). KSE RADIO VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105.1) dropped three places to #8 (4.6-4.5). KOSI was still the cume commander with a 0.6% increase (506,400-509,200). The market was statistically flat. Market PUMM was down 0.2% from OCTOBER but up 15.3% from 2024.

There was a ton of drama in the 25-54 situation. The one constant was iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3), which was #1 for the eleventh straight survey. KALC was back at #2 with a slight decrease, while KRFX vaulted from #10 to #3 with its best showing in over a year. KQMT ended a three-book slide as it advanced from #9 to #4. Last month four stations were intertwined at #5. This time only ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) remained. BONNEVILLE Sports KKFN (THE FAN 104.3 FM) was flat as it dipped to #6. KOSI dropped from #3 to #7 with its smallest share in over a year. It was joined there by KSE RADIO VENTURES Sports KKSE (ALTITUDE SPORTS RADIO 92.5 FM), which fell from #4 with a small share loss. AUDACY Pop CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) dropped from that #5 tie to #9 with its fifth down book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7) went from that comfy #5 tie to #12 with its smallest share since MAY. Market PUMM was off 0.4% from last month but up 13.6% from a year ago.

The 18-34 ranks also experienced some turbulence. KQKS was back at #1 but did return a good portion of last month’s massive increase. KTCL was up two slots to #2 with its best showing since MAY. It was paired with KXKL, which turned it up from #11 with its highest mark since DECEMBER. KOSI slipped to #4 and was partnered with KRFX and KQMT, which were previously an item at #8. KXPK fell from #2 to #7 with its lowest mark since MAY. It was tied with KSE RADIO VENTURES Hot AC KIMN (MIX 100), which stepped down from a tie at #5 with a slight decrease. KDHT and KYGO were still tied but this time at #9 as opposed to their last sighting at #5. Also coming in at #9 was iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO. Market PUMM was up 2.4% from the previous survey and 20.6% from last year.

Things were a bit calmer in the 18-49 space. KQKS was #1 for the sixth straight survey. KALC was back at #2 and was paired with KTCL, which rose from #4. Both stations had down books. KXPK rose to #4 as it halted a three-book slide. KRFX worked it from #9 to #5 with its best performance in over a year. KOSI fell from #2 to #6 and was tied with KKSE. Market PUMM was up 0.4% from OCTOBER and 13.7% from 2024.

SAN DIEGO: Eleven Heaven

AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) was #1 6+ for the eleventh book in a row but with its smallest share since JANUARY (8.8-7.8). As a result, SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS narrowed the gap from its #2 position with its highest score in over a year (6.9-7.4). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) repeated at #3 (5.9-6.2), while AUDACY AC KYXY was back at #4 (5.6-5.7). AUDACY Country KSON stepped up to #5 (5.1-5.1). It was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1), which advanced from #8 with its best outing in over a year (4.0-5.1). As the PADRES season came to a sad end, AUDACY Sports KWFN (97.3 FM THE FAN) saw its playoff hopes dashed, as well. The station fell from #5 to #13 (5.3-3.5). KXSN was still the cume leader but with a 6.3% decline (633,300-593,300). The market was off 0.5%. Market PUMM was down 0.8% from OCTOBER but up 13.8% from 2024.

There were six stations within a share of first place 25-54. KXSN was #1 for the third book in a row but was feeling the heat from TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5), which rose from #7 to #2 with its best book since FEBRUARY. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHTS (CHANNEL 933) was up two places to #3 with its fourth up book in a row. LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) and KSON were last seen at #2 and #3, respectively. Both stations had down books as they dropped into a tie at #5. Market PUMM was up 1.2% from last month and 5.3% from a year ago.

KSON landed its largest 18-34 share since MARCH as it stepped up to the #1 position. KMYI vaulted from #10 to #2 as it precisely doubled last month’s share. This ended the three-book reign for KXSN, which slipped to #3. KHTS and KYXY were last seen at #6. KHTS rose to #4 with its best showing in over a year, while KYXY rebounded from a down book to move up to #5. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR KSSX (JAM’N 95.7) and XHRM tied at #3. A flat KSSX slid to #6, while XHRM dropped to #7 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was flat from the previous survey but up 23.5% from last year.

The 18-49 arena had two winners. KHTS went from #3 to #1 with its best book in over a year, while KLNV rose from #6 with its highest mark since JANUARY. This snapped the nine-book winning streak of KXSN, which slipped to #3. KMYI and KYXY were last spotted at #10. Both stations had up books as they rose to #4 and #5, respectively. That #5 spot was a bit crowded. XTRA moved down there from #2 while KSON and XHRM fell in tandem from #3. Market PUMM was up 1.7% from OCTOBER and 10.6% from 2024.

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 CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: Double Your Santa, Double Your Fun?

More on that in a bit. URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB) was #1 6+ for the third straight survey (7.9-8.3). BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) repeated at #2 (7.7-7.3), while BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) bounced back from a down book to rise from #6 to #3 (5.7-6.3). The next two stations added BURL IVES to their playlist on the last Friday of the book. It did not seem to work out all that well. BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) slipped from #2 to #4 with its smallest share since MARCH (7.7-6.2). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) dipped to #5 with its lowest total since MAY (7.1-5.7). UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE stepped down to #6 as it ended a three-book surge (6.2-5.0). WLKO still had the most cume despite a 1.2% decline (395,900-391,200). The market was up 0.7%. Market PUMM was down 3.5% from OCTOBER but up 18.6% from 2024.

WOSF was #1 25-54 for the third book in a row and posted a double-digit score. WKQC moved from #5 to #2 but with only a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) repeated at #3 though it gave back a portion of last month’s rather large share increase. URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ (SPORTS RADIO 92.7 FM) was up to #4 with a slight increase, while WLKO dropped three places to #5 as it surrendered almost all of last month’s massive share gain. WSOC slipped to #6 with a big share loss. Market PUMM was down 2.4% from last month but up 19.6% from a year ago.

WBAV vaulted from #7 to #1 18-34 to move back to #1 with a double-digit performance. This was a rebound for the station as it had its six-book winning streak felled last survey. WOSF and WLKO were the prior co-leaders. WOSF dipped to #2 with a slight increase, while WLKO landed at #4. BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1) stepped up to #3 with its best showing in over a year. WEND slipped to #5 with a modest share loss. WFAE fell from #3 into a tie at #7 with WFNZ and WSOC. Market PUMM was down 7.4% from the previous but up an amazing 34.2% from last year.

WOSF captured the 18-49 crown for the fourth book in a row. WBAV went from a tie at #1 in SEPTEMBER to #7 last month and now, back to #2. WNKS inched up to #3 with a small share gain. WLKO slid two spots to #4, while WEND dipped to #5. WSOC fell from #3 to #6 as it returned most of last month’s large share increase. Market PUMM was up 4.9% from OCTOBER and 7.5% from 2024.

 NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): Talkin’ The Talk

RED APPLE MEDIA N/T WABC-A moved back up to #1 6+ with its largest share in over a year (6.2-8.2). This pushed iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) down to #2 (7.3-7.3). AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) was back at #3 (5.9-6.9) and picked up a 1.6 share from the digital realm. Three stations moved up to join forces at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) stepped up from #5 (4.7.4.2). AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS was up from #6 (4.3-4.2), while COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI rose from #7 (4.1-4.2). With the YANKEES demise, AUDACY Sports WFAN (SPORTS RADIO 66AM/101.9FM) slid from #4 to #7 (5.6-4.1). The station did gain a 1.7 share from the interwebs. WHTZ continued to have the most listeners (447,400-441,400) – a 1.3% decline. The market grew by 1.4% Market PUMM was up 1.1% from OCTOBER and 17.5% from 2024.

WHTZ was #1 25-54 for the eighth book in a row and finally hit double figures. WABC-A leapt from #6 to #2 but was more than three shares off the pace. CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) vaulted from #8 to #3 with a small share increase. WFAN and WBLI were tied at #3. Both stations had down books as they drifted to #4 and #5, respectively. Also coming in at #5 was WCBS, which fell from #2 as it ended a three-book surge. WAXQ dropped five places to #10 with its smallest share since JUNE. Market PUMM was up 7.6% from last month and 19.2% from a year ago.

WABC-A moved back to #1 18-34 with a monster share increase. It was firmly in double-digits and had more than twice the share of WBLI, which dipped to #2 as it halted a robust four-book surge. WHTZ repeated at #3 but with its lowest total since JUNE. It was paired with WALK, which rose from #5 as it rebounded from a down book. The stream for SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) rocketed from #25 to #5. It was about a nine-fold share increase. CONNOISSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3) slid to #7 as it stopped a strong three-book surge. Market PUMM was up 16.8% from the previous survey and 18.0% from last year.

WHTZ was #1 18-49 for the eighth straight survey while WABC-A was #2 for the third book in a row. However, the gap between the two stations shrank from nearly four shares to about a half share. WBLI dipped to #3 with its lowest score in over a year. WFAN repeated at #4 but found itself tied with WALK, which advanced from #8. WCBS dropped five places to #9 with its least productive outing since FEBRUARY. Market PUMM was up 6.7% from OCTOBER and 19.5% from 2024.

That’s a wrap on this survey. Thank you for reading. We will see you in DECEMBER. Yes, it’s already DECEMBER. You know what we mean…

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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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