RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, February 2024, Part II

March 19, 2024

Between surveys The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with outstanding oracles from XTRENDS – often find ourselves with a bit of free time. This provides an opportunity for pondering. And the question that arose was: why is FEBRUARY the shortest month? Why was it at the end of the line when they were handing out days?

Without going too far into the weeds, it’s all the fault of KING NUMA POMPILIUS. When they created the Roman calendar, they needed to add two months but did not want the entire year to be an even number, so FEBRUARY got the short end of the stick, so to speak.

For our purposes, we are dealing with a survey that began on the first of the month and ended on the 28^th – leaving that pesky leap day to fend for itself. There was a three-day weekend to contend and, hopefully, we saw the return of normal listening patterns.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: The Four-cast is Sunny

iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) shone brightly for the fourth straight survey as it remained the leading 6+ station (8.3-8.2). Not far behind was HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ, which landed its largest share in over a year (7.3-7.7). RADIO ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9 & 107.5) regained a bit of last month’s large share loss (5.3-5.6) as it flew from #6 to #3. URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) had its smallest share since JUNE as it dipped to #4 (6.1-5.2). It was partnered with RADIO ONE Country KKBQ (THE NEW 93Q), which remained in place (5.8-5.2). They, in turn, just nipped a pair of stations that moved up to #6. AUDACY Country KILT (100.3 THE BULL) had its best outing in over a year (4.7-5.1), while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) posted its best number in exactly one year (4.9-5.1). AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) landed its lowest share in over a year (5.7-4.6) as it drifted from #5 to #8. KODA was still in cume control (1,667,400-1,652,500) – a 0.9% decrease. The market added 1.2%.

There was a party atop the 25-54 leaderboard as two stations ascended the throne simultaneously. KODA stepped up from #2 with its best Frosty-free share since JUNE, while KSBJ rose from #3 with its fourth up book in a row. KTBZ moved up to #3 with a small increase, while last month’s leader – KKHH – slid to #4 as it ended a robust three-book surge. KKBQ was back at #5 with a modest decrease and it had company as ESTRELLA Spanish Adult Hits KQQK (EL NORTE 107.9 FM) arrived from #7 with its best performance in over a year.

KODA moved back up to #1 18-34 and was thiiiis close to hitting double digits. URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX) regained some of last month’s share loss to move up two slots to #2. KILT had its best book since JUNE as it vaulted from #10 to #3. KKBQ stepped up to #4 with its third up book in a row, while two stations landed at #5. KTBZ slipped from #3 as it gave up a good portion of last month’s large increase, while AUDACY Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA 101 FM) held steady with a slight decrease. KSBJ moved down to #7 and was met there by ESTRELLA Mexican Regional KTJM (LA RAZA 98.5 & 101.7), which advanced from #13 with its highest score in over a year.

This was the fourth straight 18-49 win for KODA, and it held about a share lead over KTBZ, which stepped up to #2 with its best book since OCTOBER. KQQK leapt from #7 to #3 – it was #16 in DECEMBER. KTJM also made a big move as it went from #10 to #4 – it was #18 in SEPTEMBER. A flat KILT repeated at #5 and finished just ahead of KBXX, which remained at #6 with a small increase. Close behind at #7 were KKHH and KKBQ, which had been #2 and #4, respectively, last month.

ATLANTA: River Deep, Ratings High

For the first time since OCTOBER, COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) crested at #1 6+ (7.2-7.8). URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5) remained at #2, though it ended a strong two-book surge (7.9-7.4). Last month’s market leader was COX MEDIA N/T WSB-A. It slipped to #3 this time (8.6-7.3). COX MEDIA AC WSB (B98.5) dipped to #4 (7.6-6.6), though it did gain an additional 0.3 share from its stream. URBAN ONE Contemporary Inspirational WPZE (MYPRAISE 102.5) had its best book in over a year (4.4-5.4) as it rose to #5. SALEM AC WFSH (104.7 THE FISH) moved downstream to #7 (4.7-4.5). WSB retained the cume crown with a 1.1% increase (793,400-802,300). The market was up 1.9%.

The 25-54 top five was in the same order as when we last saw them. WSB was #1 but surrendered a good portion of last month’s massive share increase. WSRV repeated at #2 with a slight increase. The gap between the two stations narrowed from nearly three shares down to a single share. CUMULUS Alternative WNNX (99X) was back at #3 with its best outing in over a year. A flat WAMJ was still at #4, while AUDACY Urban Contemporary WVEE (V-103) was close behind at #5.

Last survey WSB nearly doubled its previous share as it rocketed to #1 18-34. The station remained in first place but with a noticeably smaller number. WSRV stepped up to #2 as it halted a three-book slide, while WAMJ dipped to #3 as its four-book surge came to a close. Last month three – count ‘em – three stations were at #9. One of them was URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WHTA (HOT 107.9). It moved up to join WAMJ at #3 with its highest mark since MAY. The other two former #9ers were COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1) and WSB-A. They remained an item but at the loftier #5 perch. AUDACY Sports WZGC (92.9 THE GAME) slid from #3 to #7, ending its four-book surge. A flat WVEE fell from #5 to #8.

WNNX has been on quite the 18-49 trajectory. Last month it leapt from #6 to #3 and this time it landed at #1 with about a share lead over the pair of stations at #2. WSB dipped from the lead position with its first down book since OCTOBER, while WSRV remained in place but with its smallest share in over a year. WVEE inched up to #4 with a slight increase, while WAMJ moved down to #5 as it gave back most of last survey’s rather large increase. Making a strong bid to crack the top five was WHTA, which rose three places to #6.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Same Old Song & Dance

In a market not known for its (political) stability, the 6+ leaderboard was a paragon of predictability. While we won’t dive this deeply into the rankings, know that the top ten stations were unchanged from last month. As usual, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was the runaway leader (12.7-13.0), while HUBBARD News WTOP finished in second place (8.3-7.6). The leading music station was, once again, HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR, which came in at #3 (7.2-7.4). iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH posted its lowest score in over a year (6.5-5.9) but held steady at #4. URBAN ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC 102.3/92.7) was still at #5 (5.0-5.2). We’ll go one more, primarily because it has one of the longest ownership names: GREATER WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL TELECOM ASSOCIATION INC (though we just call it “WETA”) Classical WETA remained at #6 but with its best book in over a year (4.6-5.0). WASH kept a firm grip on the cume chart with an 8.2% increase (775,500-838,900). The market grew by 0.6%.

Despite its 6+ dominance, this is the first time since MAY that WAMU rose to #1 25-54. The station was also up for the fourth book in a row. This ended the eight-book winning streak for WASH, which dipped to #2 with its smallest share since JUNE. Even though it had a down book, WHUR stepped up to forge a second-place tie. WMMJ had some significant on-air personality changes over the last few months, but the station had its best book in this demo in over a year to move up to #4. URBAN ONE Urban Contemporary WKYS dipped to #5 with a slight decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC101) was close behind at #6, thanks mainly to it landing its largest share in over a year.

WAMU made it back-to-back double digit 18-34 wins – the eleventh time in the last 14 surveys the station has been in double figures. Also reaching that rarefied air was WMMJ, which moved up to #2. The stations were about a share and a half apart. WASH had its double-digit streak end at six as it dipped to #3. ATLANTIC GATEWAY Contemporary Christian WGTS had its first up book since SEPTEMBER as it advanced from #7 to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WIHT (HOT 99.5) slipped to #5 where it was met by AUDACY Rhythmic CHR WPGC. WKYS dropped from #5 to #8 with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER.

Once again, for the first time since MAY WAMU was #1 18-49. The station also posted its best number in over a year. This concluded the eight-book winning streak for WASH, which stepped down to #2 with its lowest mark since JUNE. WKYS repeated at #3 with a slight decrease, while WWDC moved up to #4 with – again – its best outing in over a year. WMMJ inched up to #5 with a solid increase. WHUR was excused from the top five as it drifted down to #7.

PHILADELPHIA: A Rock Block

For the second book in a row, the top of the 6+ leaderboard had a bit of an edge. BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK was back at #1 with its highest score since SEPTEMBER (8.2-9.1). Its younger more-inked bruh – BEASLEY Album Oriented Rock WMMR – repeated at #2 with its best book in over a year (7.5-8.0). iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS had its smallest share in a year (7.3-6.8) but held firm at #3. AUDACY AC WBEB (B101.1) landed its best Frosty-free share in over a year to move up to #4 (5.5-6.3). AUDACY News KYW-A sat steady at #5 (6.2-6.0), which does not include the 0.3 share its stream generated. To the haunting strains of “Fly, EAGLES, Fly,” AUDACY Sports WIP returned all of last month’s ratings spoils (7.0-5.7) as it slipped to #6, though it did pocket a 2.0 share from its stream. WBEB still had the largest cume (888,600-963,700) – an 8.5% rise. The market grew by 1.7%.

Not only did WMMR repeat as the 25-54 leader, but the station also cracked the double-digit barrier. BEASLEY Adult Hits WBEN (95.7 BEN FM) has now more than doubled its HOLIDAY share as it zoomed from #8 to #2. WBEB slipped to #3 with a small increase, while WMGK dipped to #4 with – again – its best showing in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WUSL (POWER 99) moved up two places to #5 with a slight increase. AUDACY Pop CHR WTDY (THE NEW 96.5) slipped into a tie at #6 with WDAS. WIP fell from #4 to #8.

WUSL powered its way to another 18-34 win and was better than a share ahead of WMGK, which stepped up to #2. Both stations had down books. WMMR moved down to #3 as it surrendered some of last month’s huge share increase. WBEB repeated at #4 with its best Frosty-free share since NOVEMBER. BEASLEY Country WXTU was back at #5 with a small increase. WBEN and WDAS had been tied at #10, but both stations had strong increases to rise to #6 and #7, respectively.

Though it was down slightly, WMMR ran away with the 18-49 demo for the second straight survey. WUSL repeated at #2 and was two and a half shares off the pace. WBEB was back at #3 with a slight increase, while WBEN advanced four spaces to #4 with its highest mark since SEPTEMBER. There was a three-way tie at #5 but only one station remained in that space – WMGK, which had its fourth up book in a row, while WTDY dipped to #6 with a slight increase and WXTU alit at #7. WIP slid from #4 to #9.

BOSTON: Another Runaway Victory

While the market was likely consumed by the departure of a certain football coach, the gnashing of teeth was not quite as loud this month. Sure, BEASLEY Sports WBZ (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB) was still #1 6+, but it did lose a bit of its luster (11.2-9.1). That said, the race was for second place and three stations were duking it out. AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) held on to the position (6.7-6.4), while BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR was not far behind at #3 (6.0-6.1). BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR repeated at #4 but with its best performance since AUGUST (5.2-6.0). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WZLX remained the #5 station (4.9-5.2). Despite a 9.9% decline in cume, WMJX was still #1 in that category (795,000-715,900). The market shrank by 2.1%.

As with the previous demo, WBZ was the clear 25-54 winner, though it did not maintain its double-digit status. The next five stations were all within a half share of one another with three of them landing at #2. WMJX remained in place with a slight increase, while WROR moved up a spot with its highest mark in over a year. Also landing its largest share in over a year was AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103), which vaulted from #9. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WXKS (KISS 108) may have slipped to #5 but the station had its best book since AUGUST. AUDACY Hot AC WWBX (MIX 104.1) repeated at #6 but with its finest performance since JULY. WBUR fell from #3 to #7.

For the second straight survey, WWBX was both #1 and in double figures 18-34. WBGB also reached that hallowed ground as it moved up to #2. The stations were separated by less than a share. WBZ dipped to #3 as it returned most of last month’s huge increase. It was paired with WROR, which rose from #8, nearly doubling its previous number in the process. WXKS stepped down to #5 where it was joined by iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR WJMN (JAM’N 94.5), which posted its best score in over a year.

Though it gave back the lion’s share of last month’s massive share increase, WBZ was still #1 18-49. WWBX repeated at #2, while WROR leapt from #7 to #3. Both stations landed their largest shares in over a year. WMJX remained the #4 station with a small increase, while WXKS slipped to #5 with a modest decrease. It finished just in front of WBGB, which made it up to #6. BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9) dropped to #7 with only a slight decrease.

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As always, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. stand ready to help you grow your ratings and revenue. Stay tuned for part three featuring SEATTLE, MIAMI, PHOENIX, DETROIT and MINNEAPOLIS.

-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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