Radio Ratings Roundup, Holiday 2025, Part 3

January 28, 2026

As the ghosts of CHRISTMASES past become a fading memory, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.—with a healthy assist from data wranglers at XTRENDS—dive into another round of NIELSEN’S naughty or nice list. This is the survey generally greeted by a collective “mmm…K.” Unless you were bold enough to turn your entire radio station over to BURL IVES and his evil minions.

The HOLIDAY book. Number 13 on the ratings calendar. This one ran from DECEMBER 11^th through JANUARY 7^th. This meant that the last 14 days of the survey were of the post-CHRISTMAS variety. How did that affect our holiday heroes? Read on…

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

As is usually the case in this market, none of the major players chose to perform the Santa shuffle. COX MEDIA AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1) was back as the leading 6+ station (7.3-7.4). COX MEDIA Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105FM) remained at #2 (6.6-6.6). AUDACY AC WLYF (101.5 LITE FM) ended a three-book slide as it rose from #6 to #3 (5.1-5.6). TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Hot AC WAMR (AMOR 107.5) dipped to #4 with its smallest share since MAY (5.9-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Adult Hits WMIA (MAGIC 93.9) repeated at #5 (5.3-4.8). AUDACY Classic Hits WMXJ (102.7 THE BEACH) slipped to #6 with its least productive outing in over a year (5.7-4.6). This will repeat itself as we go on. WLYF moved up to #1 in cume with a 7.2% increase (751,000-805,200). The market was up 2.1%. Market PUMM fell 4.8% from DECEMBER but grew by 16.0% from 2024.

WFEZ extended its 25-54 winning string to a lucky 13, while WMIA remained a somewhat distant #2. Both stations had slight decreases. Not so for AUDACY Classic Hip Hop WPOW (POWER 96). The station advanced from #8 to #3 with its highest score in over a year. WHQT rebounded from a down book to move from #7 to #4. WLYF inched up to #5 with a small increase. COX MEDIA Rhythmic AC WFLC (HITS 97.3) slid to #6 with its lowest total since JUNE. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WZTU (TÚ 94.9) was down to #7, while WMXJ fell from #4 to #10. Market PUMM was down 6.6% from the previous survey but up 16.8% from last year.

The 18-34 experience went through some things. COX MEDIA Urban Contemporary WEDR (99 JAMZ) stepped up to #1 with its best book in over a year. SBS Spanish Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL 106.7 FM) dipped to #2 with a noticeable share loss. WEDR went from trailing WXDJ by more than two shares to leading the market by two shares. WZTU was up to #3 with its highest mark since JUNE. WLYF and iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WMIB (103.5 THE BEAT) were last spied at #2. WLYF slipped to #4 with a slight increase, while a flat WMIB landed at #5. WAMR and SBS Latino Urban WRMA (RITMO 95.7) dropped from a tie at #5 into one at #11. They were joined there by WHQT. Market PUMM was up 5.8% from last survey and an astounding 63.0% from a year ago.

WFEZ was #1 18-49 for the fourth straight survey. WPOW stepped up to #2 with a strong showing but was still a share and a half off the lead. WLYF advanced two squares to #3 as it ended a somewhat steep three-book slide. WHQT was up to #4, while WEDR vaulted from #15 to #5 with its highest share in over a year. WXDJ dropped from #3 to #8, while WMXJ fell from #2 to #12. Market PUMM was off 2.6% from DECEMBER but up 26.9% from 2024.

SEATTLE-TACOMA: A Tale Of Two Santas

Two stations took different approaches to the holiday situation. HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM 106.9) flipped at the beginning of the DECEMBER survey. The station stepped up to #1 6+ this survey (9.5-11.1). Last year it was also #1 with an 11.3 share. This ended the twelve-book reign of UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW, which dipped to #2 (9.8-9.4). CRISTA Contemporary Christian KCMS (SPIRIT 105.3) got into the, uh, spirit of the season towards the end of the last book. The station was rewarded handsomely as it moved from #5 to #3 (5.6-7.0). Last year it was #10 with a 3.4 share. AUDACY Active Rock KISW (THE ROCK) was down to #4 (5.7-5.2), while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 THE JET) descended to #5 with its lowest total since MARCH (5.7-4.1). KRWM added 20.1% to its #1 cume cache (802,700-963,800). Then market was off 2.7%. Market PUMM was down 5.0% from DECEMBER but up 14.1% from 2024.

KRWM was #12 25-54 in NOVEMBER. The station has more than quadrupled its share since then as it finished in first place once again. It also hit double digits. KISW remained at #2 but with its smallest share since AUGUST. Last survey FRIENDS OF KEXP Alternative KEXP fell from #4 to #10. The station regained all of that lost share as it rocketed up to #3. KUOW dipped to #4, while AUDACY Alternative KNDD (107.7 THE END) moved up to #5 as it also bounced back from a down book. HUBBARD Pop CHR KQMV (MOViN 92.5) slipped to #6 and was paired with KCMS, which rose from #9. KJEB dropped from a tie at #4 to #11. Market PUMM was down 5.3% from the previous survey but up 29.8% from last year.

KRWM stood alone in first place 18-34 and hit double figures. KISW dropped from a first place tie to #2. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KBKS (HITS 106.1) rose from #6 to #3 with its best showing since APRIL. It was paired with KNDD, which stepped up from #4 as it regained a good portion of last month’s lost share. KCMS advanced from #10 to #5. KQMV slid three places to #6 with its lowest score in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KJAQ (96.5 JACK FM) fell from #5 into a four-way tie at #13. Market PUMM was up 6.5% from last month and 22.6% from a year ago.

KRWM completed the demo sweep by finishing at #1 18-49 once again. Yes, it also landed a double-digit share. KISW repeated at #2 with its lowest score since JULY, while KUOW was back at #3 though it surrendered all of last month’s increase, plus a bit extra. It was tied with KNDD, which moved up from #6 as it halted a steep four-book skid. KCMS leapt from #10 to #5. KQMV and KBKS were #4 and #5 respectively in the last survey. They fell into a tie at #6 this time. Market PUMM was up 0.2% from DECEMBER and 23.7% from 2024.

PHOENIX: Easy Like Christmas Morning

Long credited with being the originator of the Frosty flip, iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (KEZ 99.9) used the power of the Claus to land at #1 6+ for the third book in a row (14.0-16.8). It was also #1 a year ago with a 16.4 share. The Santa Effect lowered shares on all the down ballot stations save for one. MARICOPE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Classical KBAQ (KBACH 89.5) leapt from #9 to #2 with its best, by far, book in over a year (3.2-5.6). HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX dipped to #3 with its smallest share in over a year (6.0-5.1). HUBBARD Classic Hits KOOL (BIG 94.5) stepped down to #4 (4.7-4.0), while iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 THE MOUNTAIN) was down to #5 (4.4-3.6). iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFYI-A and iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX were last seen at #5. KFYI moved down to #6 (4.0-3.5), while KNIX landed at #7 (4.0-3.3). KESZ increased its cume lead with a 17.1% windfall (1,284,200-1,504,000). The market was up 0.2%. Market PUMM was down 0.9% from DECEMBER but up by 28.2% from 2024.

KESZ was #1 25-54 for the fourth straight survey, all of which have been in double figures. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KHOT (QUÉ BUENA 105.9) remained at #2 though its ended a very strong six-book surge. KBAQ vaulted from #16 to #3, more than doubling its previous number. KOOL remained at #4 with a small increase. HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD rose from #8 to #5 with a slight decrease. It was joined there by iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KZZP (104.7 KISS FM), which advanced from #12 with a small increase. KYOT and KSLX were last spotted at #3 and #4, respectively. They fell into a tie at #7. Market PUMM was off 5.4% from the previous survey but up by 30.1% from last year.

KESZ made it back-to-back, double-digit #1 18-34 books. KOOL rose two places to #2 with a small increase. AUDACY Pop CHR KALV (LIVE 101.5) repeated at #3, though it gave back most of last survey’s huge share increase. KHOT slipped to #4 with its lowest mark since JULY. KYOT dipped to #5 with its least productive outing since MAY. It was paired with KUPD, which turned it up from #11 as it rebounded from a down book. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX 96.9) fell from #4 into a tie at #8 with KNIX. Market PUMM was down 0.8% from last survey but up by 41.3% from a year ago.

KESZ was #1 18-49 for the fourth book in a row. KHOT repeated at #2 with its first down book since MARCH. KOOL held steady at #3 with a slight decrease, while KBAQ was launched from #20 to #4 as it more than doubled its previous share. KMXP slipped to #5 with its lowest score since FEBRUARY. It was tied with KUPD, which rose from #11. HUBBARD Alternative KDKB dropped from #5 to #12. Market PUMM was down 5.5% from DECEMBER but up by 35.2% from 2024.

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DETROIT: NIC Clicks

This entire survey is all about the Santa station—iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC. It was #1 6+ for the third book in a row (12.2-14.7). Last year’s #1 share was 18.6. AUDACY Sports WXYT (97.1 THE TICKET) repeated at #2 (7.8-7.6). It landed a 2.0 share from the digital realm. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX 92.3) was back at #3 (7.0-7.0), while AUDACY Classic Hits WOMC held firm at #4 (6.3-6.0). AUDACY Country WYCD rounded out the top five again (4.7-4.7). WNIC was still the cume commander with a 3.3% increase (1,274,700-1,316,700). The market was off 3.0%. Market PUMM was down 9.5% from DECEMBER and up by 4.6% from 2024.

For the second book in a row WNIC was #1 and in double figures 25-54. WXYT just missed hitting double digits again as it continued to languish at #2. Its stream came in at #13. WMXD was back at #3 with a solid share increase, while BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF remained at #4 with a small share loss. WOMC stepped up to #5 with its best showing since AUGUST, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WJLB dipped to #6. Market PUMM was down 12.3% from the previous survey and up by 2.2% from last year.

Ho-hum, WNIC was #1 and in double digits 18-34 for the second straight survey. WXYT moved up to #2 with a solid share increase. WOMC leapt from #7 to #3 with its best book since MAY. WRIF slipped to #4 with its lowest total since FEBRUARY. WMXD and WJLB were both flat as they remained tied at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKQI (CHANNEL 955) fell from #3 to #7 with its smallest share in over a year. Market PUMM was down 16.4% from last survey and up by 0.4% from a year ago.

You may have read this already, but WNIC was #1 and in double figures 18-49 for the second book in a row. WXYT repeated at #2 with a slight decrease, while WRIF held steady at #3 with a small share loss. WMXD was back at #4 but with its lowest score since JULY. WOMC was up two places to #5 with its highest mark since JUNE. WKQI drifted down to #7 as it ended a string of three flat books in a row. Market PUMM was off 12.3% from DECEMBER and 0.3% from 2024.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: KOOL Yule

iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL 108) used the power of the season to dominate this survey. It was #1 6+ again (10.8-13.1). Last year’s leading share was 14.6. iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN 100.3) was back at #2 as it four-book double-digit streak came to an end (10.3-8.5). UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN-ST. PAUL Contemporary Christian KTIS was also not so silent as it followed the star light to #3 (6.7-7.7). Last year it was #4 with a 6.1 share. MPR N/T KNOW dipped to #4 (7.1-6.9). The station did pick up a 1.2 share from the interwebs. HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) remained snuggled in at #5 (5.6-5.6). KQQL added 11.3% to its #1 cume total (830,700-924,500). The market was off 1.7%. Market PUMM was down 5.2% from DECEMBER and up by 3.5% from 2024.

KQQL stepped up to #1 25-54, which pushed KFXN down to #2. However, KFXN did extend its double-digit streak to six books in a row. MPR AAA KCMP (89.3 THE CURRENT) remained at #3 though it gave back most of last month’s huge share increase. AUDACY Adult Hits KZJK (104.1 JACK FM) repeated at #4 with a slight increase. KNOW was back at #5, also with a slight increase. It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDWB which was up a slot with a small share gain. KTIS went from #9 to #7. Market PUMM was down 7.2% from the previous survey and 0.3% from last year.

And, once again KQQL was #1 and in double digits for the second book in a row. This time it was with the 18-34 crowd. KCMP moved up to #2 and cracked the double-digit barrier for the first time since SEPTEMBER. KFXN dipped to #3 as its four-book double-digit string came to a close. KZJK repeated at #4 as it rebounded from a down book. It was paired with KDWB which rose from #6 as it ended a three-book slide. KTIS went from #10 to #6 and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KTCZ (CITIES 97.1). KSTP fell from a tie at #4 to #9. Market PUMM was down 3.4% from last survey and 4.3% from a year ago.

Last survey, KQQL and KFXN were the 18-49 co-leaders. Both stations remained in double figures this time, but KQQL emerged as the solo winner while KFXN drifted down to #2. KCMP remained at #3 with a small share loss, while KDWB was up to #4 as it bounced back from a down book. KZJK dipped to #5, while a flat KNOW dipped to #6. Market PUMM was down 8.1% from DECEMBER and flat from 2024.

One more round of eggnog related matters to go. In the queue are TAMPA, DENVER, SAN DIEGO, CHARLOTTE, and NASSAU-SUFFOLK.

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