RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, Holiday 2024, Part IV

January 31, 2025

We are here to bid a fond farewell to the HOLIDAY book. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in complete agreement with the leaping lords of the algorithms at XTRENDS – have had enough of this CHRISTMAS stuff. We can pack it all away in mislabeled containers until next fall.

This survey ran from DECEMBER 5^TH through JANUARY 9^TH and, surprisingly enough, featured two holidays. It was also a five-week survey, which meant that only the first three weeks were contaminated with the foul stench from BURL IVES. This was the final time we will be encumbered by the NIELSEN five-minute rule. The next time we gather our spreadsheets will be filled with more PUMM than we have seen in a while. We await that with anxious anticipation.

Now, on with the show…

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Holiday Hostilities

This is one of those rare markets where not only did three stations make the Frosty flip, but they also all performed quite well. COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) continues to fly high above the 6+ flock (9.3-12.4). Last year it landed a 13.3 share. iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7) was also a Santa devotee and it rose from #6 to #2 with its best outing in over a year (4.9-6.6). COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE) returned all of last survey’s huge share increase, plus a bit more, as it dipped to #3 (8.5-6.5). It did gain a 0.3 share from the digital realm. RADIO TRAINING Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) was also in the, uh, holiday spirit. It held steady at #4 but with its largest share in over a year (5.6-6.2). BEASLEY Country WQYK (99.5 QYK) was back at #5 but with its lowest mark since JANUARY (5.4-4.8). It was paired with COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE), which slid from #3 (6.0-4.8). WDUV remained the cume leader with a 30.5% increase (539,700-704,200). The market was down 1.6%.

The CHRISTMAS Classics also performed well in the 25-54 space. WDUV rose from #3 to #1, while WMTX advanced from #4 to #2. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) jumped from #6 to #3 with its third up book in a row. WTBV went from first to fourth, while WCIE moved from #7 to #5. WQYK fell four places to #6, while iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5) dropped from #5 to #11 with its smallest share since JANUARY.

The 18-34 crowd was certainly in the seasonal mood as the top three chart positions were clogged with the haunting strains of the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. WDUV was #1 and in double figures for the sixth book in a row. WMTX stepped up to #2 and also hit double digits for the first time since AUGUST. WCIE rose from #5 to #3 with its highest share in over a year. WQYK landed its lowest number since JUNE as it sank to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ (93.3 FLZ) repeated at #5 with a small decrease. It was joined in that space by WTBV, which dipped from #4. WXGL ended a robust three-book surge as it fell from #5 into a tie at #10 with WFUS.

WDUV was #1 18-49 for the fifth straight survey, while WMTX moved up to #2 with its highest mark in over a year. WXTB landed its largest share since SEPTEMBER as it advanced from #7 to #3. WQYK slipped to #4, while two stations were jostling at #5. BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1) remained in place with a slight increase, while COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAJIC 94.9)moved up from #7. WCIE advanced from #12 to #7 and was paired with BEASLEY Spanish Contemporary WYUU (92.5 MAXIMA). A couple of stations exited the top five. WFUS dropped from #4 to #11, while WTBV fell from #5 to #10.

DENVER-BOULDER: Later On We’ll Conspire…

…and stay cozy by the fire. That’s what BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) did as it finished in first place 6+ for the third book in a row (9.3-12.7). Last year it posted a 16.5 share. KSE VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105) was back at #2 but with its smallest share since FEBRUARY (6.5-5.2). BONNEVILLE Country KYGO moved up to #3 but with its lowest score in over a year (5.5-4.9). PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF COLORADO N/T KCFR ended a five-book surge (5.2-4.6) but still stepped up to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) rebounded from a down book as it advanced from #9 to #5 (3.8-4.4). AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) dropped five places to #8 (5.7-4.0). It did gain an additional 0.6 share from its stream. KOSI kept the cume lead with a 38.1% increase (474,700-655,400). Th market was off 0.3%.

KOSI moved from #3 to #1 25-54 and just missed hitting double digits. This ended the two-book winning streak for iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3), which dipped to #2 with its smallest share in over a year. ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) bounced back from a down book to move from #7 to #3. KXKL slipped to #4 and was met there by iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7), which turned it up from #11 with its best outing in over a year. KCFR and KALC had been tied at #4. KCFR drifted down to #6, while KALC dropped into a tie at #15 with EMF Contemporary Christian KLDV (K-LOVE).

Last time KOSI and KXKL were the 18-34 co-leaders. That did not endure. KOSI was alone at the top as it, again, narrowly missed double figures. KXKL was down to #2. Three stations could claim they were #3. KRFX remained in place with its fourth straight down book. AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) moved up from #5 with a slight decrease, while KTCL advanced from #6 as it recaptured some of last survey’s large share loss. KYGO fell from a tie at #3 to #8. Also appearing at the spot was KALC and AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN).

There has to be a rounding error somewhere. KOSI was #1 18-49 and, as with the last two demos, finished just shy of double figures. KXPK stepped up to #2 as it regained some of last month’s lost share. KDHT advanced from #8 to #3 with its highest share in over a year. KTCL moved up to #4 with a slight decrease. KCFR dipped to #5 and was paired with KSE VENTURES Hot AC KIMN (MIX 100), which vaulted from #16 as it halted a five-book slide. iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO and KXKL left the top five and landed at #7. Joining them there was KQKS.

SAN DIEGO: Rudolph Rocks

AUDACY AC KYXY used the power of performance-enhancing music to step up to #1 6+ (6.6-11.1). The station also benefitted from a 0.5 stream share. Last year it had a 12.5 share. This ended the six-book winning string for AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1), which dipped to #2 (7.1-6.4). It did add a 0.4 share from its stream. SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS stepped up to #3 (5.7-5.9), while TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5) slipped to #4 with its lowest score since AUGUST (6.0-4.9). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) moved up two places to #5 (4.5-4.8), while LOCAL MEDIA Adult Hits KFBG (100.7 BIG FM) stepped down to #6 (5.5-4.6). KYXY assumed cume control with a 36.5% increase (440,100-600,900). The market was up 1.4%.

Rudolph led KYXY to a #1 25-54 ranking and a double-digit share. This halted the four-book winning streak for KLNV, which moved down to #2. KXSN remained at #3, while XHRM remained at #4 with a small share loss. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1) had its best book since AUGUST as it advanced from #11 to #5. AUDACY Country KSON dropped six slots to #11 with its lowest mark in over a year.

KYXY reaped all the holiday rewards as it moved up to #1 18-34. It was also in double figures, something it was unable to accomplish last year. There was a threesome at #2. KXSN remained in place as it ended a three-book surge, while XHRM moved up from #4 with its least productive outing in over a year. LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) dropped from #1, which ended its four-book winning string. AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9) dipped to #5.

As expected, KYXY stepped up to #1 18-49 with a solid double-digit share. This snapped the five-book winning run for KLNV, which was relegated to #2. KXSN repeated at #3 with a modest share loss. It was paired with a flat XHRM, which stepped up from #4. KMYI leapt from #11 to #5 as it stopped a steep five-book slide. XTRA, KBZT, and iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3) had been tied at #5. XTRA fell into a three-way tie at #6 with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHTS (CHANEL 933), up from #8, and LOCAL MEDIA Pop CHR XHTZ (Z 90.3 FM), which rose from #10. KBZT had its smallest share since the big guy’s last visit and fell to #9. KIOZ had its lowest number in over a year as it dropped into a tie at #10 with KSON.

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NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): Dueling Santas

If you were in the market for some yule tunes, you had choices. CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) was the more local option, and it moved up to #1 6+ (5.0-8.4). Last year it had a 9.2 share and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM), which rose from #6 to #2 this time (4.4-7.4). AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) went from first to third as it halted a four-book surge (7.1-6.0). It did gain a 1.6 share from its online presence. COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB slipped to #4 with its lowest mark since Santa’s last fly-by (6.4-5.7). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) dipped to #5 (4.8-4.3) and was tied with the stationary COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI (106.1 BLI) (4.6-4.3). WALK remained the cume leader with a 27.4% increase (349,000-444,600). The market fell by 3.1%.

Sleigh bells rang and the 25-54 folks were listening. WALK stepped up to #1 with a double-digit share, while WLTW advanced from #7 to #2. Last year the stations were tied at #1. Coming in at a close #3 was WHTZ, though its twelve-book winning streak was finally brought to an end. WINS and WBAB were tied at #4 and remained that way with slight decreases. CONNOISSEUR Mainstream Rock WWSK (94.3 THE SHARK) swam from #3 to #6 as it returned some of last month’s share increase.

WALK doubled its previous 18-34 share as it vaulted from #7 to #1. It maintained a healthy advantage over the three stations at #2. WBAB dropped down to that spot as it ended a three-book winning streak. CONNOISSEUR Country WWWF (103.1 THE WOLF) stepped up from #3 as it regained some of last month’s massive share loss. WLTW arrived from #5 in a one-horse open sleigh. CONNOISSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3) dipped to #5 with a slight increase. It was partnered with WBLI, which remained in place as it ended a two-book slide. WWSK fell from #2 into a tie at #8 with RED APPLE N/T WLIR (TALK RADIO 107.1).

Holiday tunes were a boon for 18-49 ratings. WALK jumped from #4 to #1, while WLTW leapt from #7 to #2. A flat WBAB moved down to #3 as its three-book winning streak ground to a halt. WHTZ slid to #4 with its smallest share in over a year. WBLI repeated at #5 with a slight increase and was met there by WWWF, which rose from #8 as it regained most of last month’s share loss. WINS dropped from a tie at #5 to #7, while WWSK fell from #3 to #9. It was tied with AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7).

CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: Santa vs Santa

Once again, we have a holiday battle royale. BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) was the winner as it moved up to #1 6+ (5.7-10.0). It posted an 11.2 share last year. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) rose from #7 to #2 (5.3-7.9). It had an 8.3 share a year ago. BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) stepped up to #3 as it bounced back from a down book (5.6-6.5). BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) fell from first to fourth (6.1-6.1). PACIFIC Classic Hits WXRC (95.7 THE RIDE) ended a three-book slide (4.1-5.0) as it advanced from #12 to #5. URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB) fell four places to #6 (5.7-4.9), while UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE slipped from a tie at #5 to #7 (5.5-4.5). iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT) fell from that #5 tie to #11 with its smallest share in exactly a year (5.5-3.9). Both holiday stations were swamped with new cume. WLKO won that battle with a 28.9% increase (377,100-486,000). WKQC moved up to #2 with a 51.2% gain (304,300-460,000). The market was down 0.8%.

WKQC more than doubled its previous 25-54 share as it rocketed from #6 to #1. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) dipped to #2 with a small share loss. WLKO launched itself from #9 to #3, while BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98) stepped down to #4 with its smallest share in over a year. WBAV slipped to #5, while URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ (SPORTS RADIO 92.7FM) fell from #1 to #7 with its lowest score since JANUARY. WOSF had its least productive outing in over a year as it dropped from #5 into a tie at #11 with WKKT.

Both WPEG and WFNZ had down 18-34 books but when the dust settled, they were tied at #1. Three stations came in at #3. WBAV held steady but with its fourth straight down book. WOSF was up from #6 with its best showing in over a year. WKQC advanced from a tie at #8. WSOC and WEND left the top five and joined three other stations at #6. Those players were WLKO, URBAN ONE AC WLNK (THE MIX 107.9) and iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX).

WKQC took control of the 18-49 demo as it moved from #4 to #1. It held a share and a half lead over the two stations at #2. WEND remained in place as it halted a strong two-book surge. WPEG saw its three-book winning streak draw to a close as it stepped down with its smallest share since MAY. WBAV moved down to #4 with its lowest mark since JUNE. It was paired with WLKO, which took the polar express in from #9. WFNZ dropped from #4 to #8 and was tied with WLNK.

That’s a wrap on the HOLIDAY wrapping. Thank you for playing along. We’ll be back in a month to see how that three-minute thing worked out.

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-Steve Allan, Programming Research Consultant

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