Radio Ratings Roundup, December 2025, Part III

January 2, 2026

The holiday hostilities continue as we examine our next batch of markets. Did Santa continue the reign of cheer? Was BURL IVES the key to ratings success? Or, did one market pretend this was all a mirage? The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.—along with the data elves from the XTRENDS workshop—are here to break it all down as only we can. The DECEMBER book ran from NOVEMBER 13^TH through DECEMBER 10^TH. Besides the obvious yuletide madness, we also had that long weekend where people went over the river and through the woods to lapse into a food coma. Let us begin…

MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: No Santa For You

Year after year this is one of the few markets where no major player is willing to take the polar plunge on a full-time basis. A couple of fringe stations did make the switch but neither cracked the top 25 6+. COX MEDIA AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1) moved up to #1 with its highest mark in over a year (6.6-7.3). COX MEDIA Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105) dipped to #2 (6.9-6.6), while TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Hot AC WAMR (AMOR 107.5) remained at #3 (5.8-5.9). AUDACY Classic Hits WMXJ (102.7 THE BEACH) repeated at #4 (5.3-5.7), while iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Adult Hits WMIA (MAGIC 93.9) stepped up to #5 (5.0-5.3). AUDACY AC WLYF (101.5 LITE FM) was down to #6 with its smallest share since JANUARY (5.2-5.1). WFEZ was still the cume leader with a 6.4% increase (740,400-787,500). The market shrank by 2.1%. Market PUMM was down 7.1% from NOVEMBER but up 14% from 2024.

For the twelfth book in a row WFEZ was #1 25-54. WMIA was back at #2 with its fourth up book in a row but remained more than a share off the pace. COX MEDIA Rhythmic AC WFLC (HITS 97.3) repeated at #3 with a small increase, while WMXJ stepped up to #4 as it rebounded from a down book. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WZTU (TÚ 94.9) stood alone at #5 with a slight increase. WHQT slid three places to #7 as it returned most of last month’s share increase. Market PUMM was off 7.9% from the previous survey but up 14.3% from last year.

SBS Spanish Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL 106.7) had its best 18-34 showing in over a year as it rose to #1. It had a more than two and a half share lead over the three stations at #2. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WMIB (103.5 THE BEAT) dipped from #1 as its six-book surge skidded to a halt. WLYF moved up from #5 with a small decrease, while COX MEDIA Urban Contemporary WEDR (99 JAMZ) advanced from #6 with a small increase. SBS Latino Urban WRMA (RITMO 95.7) and WAMR dropped from a tie at #2 into one at #5. They were partnered with WZTU, which rose from #8. Market PUMM was off 15.4% from last month but up 34.7% from a year ago.

For the third book in a row WFEZ was #1 18-49. WMXJ stepped up to #2 with a solid increase but still trailed the leader by two shares. AUDACY Classic Hip-Hop WPOW (POWER 96) leapt from #6 to #3 with a small increase. It was joined there by WXDJ, which advanced from #9 with its highest mark in over a year. WLYF dropped from #2 to #5 with its smallest share since JANUARY. WHQT and WMIB were last spotted at #3. Both stations had down books and fell to #6 and #13, respectively. Market PUMM was down 7.5% from NOVEMBER but up 19.8% from 2024.

 SEATTLE-TACOMA: And Then There Were Two

There was a time when this market was lousy with Santa stations. Now, there are just two players, and both landed in the top five 6+. However, for the twelfth book in a row, the #1 slot belonged to UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW (9.4-9.8). HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM 106.9) began their reindeer games on day two of the survey. The station vaulted from #9 to #2 (4.2-9.5). Last year it was #1 but with a 7.3 share. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 THE JET) descended to #3 (6.3-5.7) and was paired with the stationary AUDACY Active Rock KISW (THE ROCK) (5.8-5.7). CRISTA Contemporary Christian KCMS (SPIRIT 105.3) got in the, um, spirit during week three of the book. It remained at #5 (4.7-5.6). A year ago it was #14 with a 3.2 share. Without the MARINERS to buoy them, BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A (SEATTLE SPORTS 710AM) fell from #4 to #12 (5.2-3.2). KRWM became the cume commander thanks to a 50.9% increase (531,900-802,700). The market was off 0.1%. Market PUMM was down 0.7% from NOVEMBER but up 13.2% from 2024.

KRWM more than tripled its previous 25-54 share as it was launched from #12 to #1. KISW dipped to #2 with a slight increase and was about a half share off the lead. KUOW rose to #3 with its best book in over a year. HUBBARD Pop CHR KQMV (MOViN’ 92.5) and KJEB slipped from a tie at #2 into one at #4. FRIENDS OF KEXP Alternative KEXP and KIRO-A were last seen at #4 and #5, respectively. They fell in tandem to #10. KCMS remained at #9. Market PUMM was down 1.2% from last month and up 27.8% from a year ago.

KRWM rose from #13 to #1 18-34 but was not alone. KISW stepped up to forge the first place tie with its best showing in over a year. KQMV dipped to #3, while AUDACY Alternative KNDD (107.7 THE END) went from first to fourth with its smallest share in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KJAQ (96.5 JACK FM) slipped three places to #5 with its third down book in a row. KIRO-A fell from #5 into a tie at #16 with iHEARTMEDIA Sports KJR-F (SPORTS RADIO 93.3). KCMS went from #13 to #10. Market PUMM was up 10.9% from the previous survey and 9.7% from last year.

KRWM tripled its last 18-49 number as it advanced from #13 to #1. KISW repeated at #2, while KUOW was up two slots to #3. Both stations posted their largest shares in over a year. KQMV moved from #1 to #4 as it returned a good portion of last month’s increase. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KBKS (HITS 106.1) was up to #5, while KNDD went from #4 into a tie at #6 with KJEB. KIRO-A dropped from #2 to #9. KCMS dipped from #9 to #10. Market PUMM was down 2.7% from NOVEMBER but up 1.8% from 2024.

 PHOENIX: Sleigh Bells Ring

And the market was listening. iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ) was an early adopter as it made the Frosty flip in the previous survey. The station remained on the nice list as it was still #1 6+ (8.3-14.0). Last year it was #1 with a 12.3 share. HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX was back at #2 but with its smallest share since MARCH (7.6-6.0). AUDACY Classic Hits KOOL (BIG 94.5) stepped up to #3 (4.9-4.7), while iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 THE MOUNTAIN) slid to #4 (5.3-4.4). iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX repeated at #5 (4.3-4.0) and was paired with iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFYI-A, which moved up a slot (4.2-4.0). KESZ increased its #1 cume by 36.1% (943,500-1,284,200). The market was up 0.1%. Market PUMM was up 2.2% from NOVEMBER and 26.8% from 2024.

KESZ was both #1 and in double figures 25-54 for the third book in a row. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KHOT (QUÉ BUENA 105.9 & 105.1) was up to #2 with its best book in over a year. KYOT inched up to #3 despite a down book. KSLX slipped from #2 to #4 and was paired with KOOL, which rose from #7 with a slight increase. HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD slipped three places to #8 with its smallest share in over a year. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX 96.9). Market PUMM was up 0.8% from last month and 31.5% from a year ago.

There was a ton of movement in the 18-34 ranks. KESZ leapt from #4 to #1 and hit double digits. KHOT stepped up to #2, while AUDACY Pop CHR KALV (LIVE 101.5) leapt from #7 to #3. KOOL rose from #9 to #4. All three of those stations posted their largest numbers in over a year. Also coming in at #4 were KMXP, which was up from #6, and KYOT, which slid from #2. KSLX fell from #1 to #8. It was partnered with HUBBARD Alternative KDKB (ALT AZ 93.3), which dropped from #5, and the stationary iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KZZP (104.7 KISS FM). Market PUMM was off 5.9% from the previous survey but up 28.5% from last year.

KESZ hit double figures 18-49 as it cruised to its third win in a row. KHOT moved up to #2 with its best showing in over a year. KMXP moved up two slots to #3 and was paired with KOOL, which advanced from #9. KDKB inched up to #5, while KYOT slipped to #6. KSLX dropped from #2 to #8. It was tied with ZELUS MEDIA Hot AC KMVA (HOT 97.5/103.9), which came up from #15. Market PUMM was down 0.6% from NOVEMBER but up 30.8% from 2024.

 DETROIT: Saint NIC Clicks

iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC hopped onto ELTON’S turntable towards the end of the previous book. The station repeated as the 6+ leader (8.0-12.2). A year ago it was #1 with a 13.1 share. The rest of the top was unchanged. AUDACY Sports WXYT (97.1 THE TICKET) was back at #2 (7.4-7.8). The station also added a 2.2 share from the interwebs. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX 92.3) remained at #3 (7.3-7.0), while AUDACY Classic Hits WOMC repeated at #4 (6.0-6.3). AUDACY Country WYCD again rounded out the top five but with its smallest share since the big guy’s last sleigh ride down WOODWARD AVENUE (5.4-4.7). WNIC increased its cume lead by 24.2% (1,026,300-1,274,400). The market was off 0.2%. Market PUMM was down 3.7% from NOVEMBER but rose 10.2% from 2024.

WNIC went from #3 to #1 25-54 and hit double digits. This ended the eight-book winning streak for WXYT, which dipped to #2, though it did return to double figures. WMXD stepped up to #3 as it ended a two-book slide. BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF slid to #4, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WJLB was up to #5 with a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKQI (CHANNEL 955) dropped to #7 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was down 2.8% from last month but up 9.2% from a year ago.

Would it surprise you to hear that WNIC moved up to #1 18-34 and hit double figures? Probably not. This halted the four-book winning string for WRIF, which drifted down to #2. WXYT and WKQI were last seen at #5 and #7, respectively. Both stations had solid increases to move up to #3. WMXD worked it from 9 to 5 and was joined there by WJLB, which dropped from #2 as it gave back some of last month’s huge increase. BEASLEY Classic Rock WCSX fell from #4 to #8, while AUDACY Alternative WDZH (ALT 98.7) dropped from #5 to #9. Market PUMM was down 2.7% from the previous survey but up 13.7% from last year.

WNIC rose from #3 to #1 18-49 with a large double-digit share. WXYT was down to #2 as its four-book reign came to an end. WRIF dipped to #3 as it halted a two-book surge. WMXD remained at #4, while WKQI stood alone at #5. WDZH dropped from a tie at #5 to #9. Market PUMM was down 2.6% from NOVEMBER but grew by 8.4% from 2024.

 MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: Kool Yule

iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL 108) started hanging the stockings on day two of the survey. The station jumped from #5 to #1 6+ (5.5-10.8). Last year it was #2 with a 10.7 share. This ended the eleven-book winning streak for iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN FM 100.3), which dipped to #2 (11.0-10.3). MPR N/T KNOW repeated at #3 (7.0-7.1). It also garnered a 1.2 share from the digital realm. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN-ST. PAUL Contemporary Christian KTIS—which got in the seasonal mood during the third week of the book—slipped to #4 (8.1-6.7). HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) stepped down to #5 with its smallest share in over a year (6.8-5.6). KQQL increased its cume lead by 16.8% (711,300-830,700). The market was down 1.8%. Market PUMM was off 4.2% from NOVEMBER but up 2.1% from 2024.

KFXN was #1 25-54 for the fifth straight survey, all of which have been in double digits. KQQL leapt from #8 to #2, also in double figures. It was less than a share off the lead. MPR AAA KCMP (89.3 THE CURRENT) was back at #3 as it ended a three-book slide. AUDACY Adult Hits KZJK (104.1 JACK FM) remained at #4 with its fourth up book in a row. CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) dropped three places to #5, while KSTP dropped from #5 to #8. Market PUMM was off 0.6% from last month but up 2.5% from a year ago.

KQQL rode the polar express from #9 to #1 18-34, more than doubling its previous share. KFXN was in double figures for the fourth straight survey but was forced down to #2. KCMP dipped to #3 though it was flirting with a double-digit score. KXXR stepped down to #4 despite an up book. KZJK slipped to #5 and was paired with KSTP, which moved up a spot. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KTCZ (CITIES 97.1) slid from #4 to #7. It was partnered with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDWB and CUMULUS Classic Rock KQRS. Market PUMM was down 3.3% from the previous survey and up 6.4% from last year.

KFXN was #1 18-49 for the twelfth book in a row. However, Santa entered the chat, which allowed KQQL to advance from #8 and claim a share of the demo lead. KCMP inched up to #3 with a strong share increase, while KXXR slipped to #4 with a modest share loss. KZJK was down to #5, while KDWB slid to #7. Market PUMM was down 2.9% from NOVEMBER but rose 5.2% from 2024.

Still more holiday tinged hijinks to come. Waiting in the wings are TAMPA, DENVER, SAN DIEGO, CHARLOTTE, and NASSAU-SUFFOLK.

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