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RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, June 2025, Part IV
July 17, 2025
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – basically the Gandalf and Dumbledore of data, perpetually intertwined with the XTRENDS crew (who we’re pretty sure communicate via interpretive dance and spreadsheets) – have been doing this ratings rodeo since before your favorite influencer was even a twinkle in a TikTok algorithm. And let us tell you, we’ve seen things. We’re talking Bigfoot sightings, alien abductions, and, yes, even volatility in the 6+ and 25-54 ranks.
But those glory days of chaos? Long gone, my friends. Nowadays, it’s pretty much the same five stations playing musical chairs at the top. Occasionally, a rogue station tries to sneak in, but it’s usually just a brief, awkward cameo before they’re ushered back to the ratings kiddie table.
However, if you’re looking for drama, the 18-34 demo is where the real party’s at. That leaderboard changes faster than a teenager’s ‘favorite’ band. Why? Is it the complete absence of brand loyalty? Attention spans shorter than a Vine video? Tastes that shift with the wind, or maybe the panel just got a new batch of restless spirits? Honestly, we’re not paid enough to figure that out. We just report the numbers, often with a bewildered shrug.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re climbing off our antique, creaky soapbox to unveil our final, glorious dive into JUNE! This survey, running from MAY 29TH through the 25TH of JUNE, was chock-full of graduations (cue the Pomp and Circumstance!), vacations (wish we were on one!), the longest day of the year (finally, more time to lament ratings!), and a salute to all the dads we cherish so much. Let’s do this…
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Pure Joy
For the last five books, two stations have been dominating the 6+ sphere of influence. This time it was RADIO TRAINING NETWORK Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) that claimed the top spot (7.1-7.5). COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) settled in at #2 with its smallest share in over a year (8.6-7.3). COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) moved up two places to #3 (5.3-5.7). BEASLEY Country WQYK repeated at #4 (5.9-5.6). Last month iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) fell from #4 to #10. The station bounced back this time as it rose to #5 (4.0-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Country WFUS (US 103.5) dropped from #3 to #9 with its lowest total since the stores were stocking eggnog in abundance (6.0-4.3). WDUV was still in cume command with a 5.0% decline (655,500-622,800). The market was down 2.8%. Market PUMM fell 4.6% from MAY but grew 14.3% from 2024.
And in complete defiance of our opening preamble there were loads of changes in the 25-54 space. The WXTB redemption journey continued. The station’s four-book winning streak ended last month. It was back on top, rising up from #5. COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9) repeated at #2 with a small decrease. Last month COX MEDIA N/T WHPT (102.5 THE BONE) and iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ were tied at #7. WHPT was up to #3 with its best outing since SEPTEMBER, while WFLZ landed at #4 with its highest score in over a year. It was joined there by WQYK, which advanced from #9. WDUV dropped from #1 to #6 with, again, its lowest total in over a year. It was paired with WCIE, which dropped from a tie at #3 with a small decrease. WFUS went from a tie at #3 into one at #11 with WXGL. Market PUMM was down 4.9% from the previous month but up 15.5% from a year ago.
Last month WQYK and WFLZ were #2 and #3, respectively, with the 18-34 crowd. WQYK posted its largest number since DECEMBER, while WFLZ had its best book in over a year. This put both stations at the top of the chart. In the prior survey there were four stations at #4. WDUV stepped up to #3, while WXTB stood alone at #4. WWRM dipped to #5 where it found a couple of new partners. WCIE was up from a tie at #8, while WXGL vaulted from #11. Both stations had large share increases. BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1) dropped from its share of #4 into an arrangement at #8. Also in that club were WFUS, dropping from #1 as it shed more than half its previous share, and iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7, which remained in place. Market PUMM was down 7.3% from last month and 3.6% from the previous year.
WQYK and WXTB rose from #2 and #5, respectively, to become the 18-49 co-leaders. WWRM remained at #3, while WFLZ moved up three places to #4 with a slight increase. WMTX leapt from #10 to #5 with a small share gain. WDUV fell five slots to #8 with its smallest share in over a year. WFUS dropped from #1 to #11 as it lost almost half its previous share. Market PUMM was off 3.6% from MAY but up 18.5% from 2024.
DENVER-BOULDER: A Four Play
For the fourth book in a row BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) was #1 6+. The station also posted its best Frosty-free share in over a year (6.4-7.7). BONNEVILLE Country KYGO stepped up to #2 (5.9-5.9), while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) stood alone at #3 (5.9-5.4). KSE RADIO VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105) slid from second to fourth with its lowest total since the weather was frightful (6.1-5.3). AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9) inched up to #5 (5.2-5.2). AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) advanced from #10 to #6 with its best book in over a year (3.8-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KRFX (103.5 THE FOX) fell three places to #8 with its lowest score since FEBRUARY (5.3-4.2). KOSI still had the most listeners (546,800-520,6000 – a 4.8% decline. The market fell 0.5%. Market PUMM was off 5.7% from MAY but up 7.2% from 2024.
KTCL was the runaway 25-54 leader for the sixth straight survey. KOSI repeated at #2 and cut the gap between the two stations by about half. KQKS was up to #3 with its best showing in over a year, while ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) rose two places to #4 with a solid share increase. It narrowly edged out KALC, which slipped to #5 with a slight increase. KYGO was down two spots to #6 with a slight decrease. Market PUMM was down 5.6% from the previous survey but rose 4.3% from a year ago.
Last month KQKS and KOSI were tied at #2 18-34. KQKS had a small increase as it moved up to #1 while KOSI remained behind with a slight decrease. KTCL went from first to third with its lowest mark since JANUARY. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7) rose from #7 to #4 as it rebounded from a down book. KXPK had its best outing since NOVEMBER as it vaulted from #11 to #5. It was tied with KYGO, which dipped from #4 with a slight decrease. AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) descended from a tie at #5 into one at #7 along with COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO Alternative KVOQ (INDIE 102.3). It rose from #16, more than doubling its previous share in the process. KRFX fell from a tie at #5 to #12 along with KXKL and iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO. Market PUMM was down 5.3% from last month but up 5.4% from the previous year.
KQKS again had its best book in over a year as it rose from #3 to #1 18-49. This ended the four-book winning string for KTCL, which dipped to #2 with a slight decrease. KOSI was down to #3, while KXPK repeated at #4 but with its highest mark since NOVEMBER. A flat KYGO was still at #5 but was paired with KDHT, which arrived from #9 with a small increase. KALC slipped from a tie at #5 to #7, while KSE RADIO VENTURES KIMN (MIX 100) fell from a tie at #5 into one at #9 with ENTRAVISION Spanish Adult Hits KJMN (LA SUAVECITA 92.1). Market PUMM was down 7.5% from MAY but up 2.1% from 2024.
SAN DIEGO: Same Old, Same Old
The top five slots on the 6+ leaderboard were the same as we last left them. AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) was #1 for the sixth straight survey and landed its largest share in over a year (9.0-10.0). LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) remained at #2 (6.7-6.8), while SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS was back at #3 (6.0-6.1). AUDACY AC KYXY repeated at #4 (5.8-5.8), while AUDACY Sports KWFN (97.3FM THE FAN) again rounded out the top five (5.5-5.5). KXSN extended its cume lead with a 9.9% increase (629,400-691,700). The market was up 0.3%. Market PUMM was off 3.2% from MAY but up 10.6% from 2024.
KXSN was #1 25-54 for the fifth book in a row and made it back-to-back double-digit performances. XHRM remained at #2 but with its smallest share since the bells were ringing the sad, sad news. It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3), which moved up from #4 with its best showing in exactly a year. A flat KWFN repeated at #4, while LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) slipped to #5 as it ended a two-book surge. AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9) dropped to #6 with a small share loss. Market PUMM was down 7.7% from last month and 2.4% from the previous year.
KXSN repeated as the 18-34 leader and hit double figures with this demo, as well. AUDACY Country KSON, which was one of four stations previously tied at #3, stepped up to #2 as it rebounded from a down book. XHRM dipped to #3 with its lowest score since FEBRUARY. It was tied with KWFN, which had a small share increase. KIOZ and KYXY were last spotted at #7. Both stations had a small share increase as they rose together to #5. XTRA dropped from a tie at #3 to #7, while KPBS went from that tie at #3 to #12. Market PUMM was up 4.6% from the last book and 13.9% from a year ago.
For the third time in four demos KXSN was in double figures. The station was #1 18-49 for the fifth straight survey. KIOZ rose from #5 to #2 with its best book since FEBRUARY. XHRM dipped to #3 with its lowest score since JULY. KWFN stepped up to #4 with a slight decrease, while KBZT moved down to #5 with a larger share loss. It was partnered with KYXY, which advanced from #8. XTRA dropped from #3 to #7. Market PUMM was down 2.4% from MAY but up 7.8% from 2024.
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CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA ROCK HILL: Gimme A K!
For the second straight survey BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) was #1 6+. The station also landed its best Frosty-free share in over a year (8.1-8.8). BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) was back at #2 (7.1-7.1), while iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) rose from #6 to #3 with its highest Frosty-free share since NOVEMBER (5.4-6.9). PACIFIC BROADCASTING GROUP Classic Hits WXRC (95.7 THE RIDE) dipped to #4 (6.5-6.7), while BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) stepped down to #5 (5.9-5.7). URBAN ONE AC WLNK (MIX 107.9) fell four places to #9 as it returned all of last month’s increase, plus a bit extra (5.6-4.5). WLKO was back as the cume leader thanks to a 3.3% increase (403,600-417,000). The market was up 0.2%. Market PUMM gained 1.8% from MAY and a huge 37.6% from 2024.
WKQC was #1 25-54 for the third book in a row and hit double figures for the second straight time. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) was back at #2 with its best book since the swans were doing what swans tend to do. WLKO advanced from #8 to #3 with its best Frosty-free share since OCTOBER. URBAN ONE Sports WFNZ (SPORTS RADIO 92.7FM) slipped to #4 with its least productive outing since FEBRUARY. BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98) remained at #5 but with its lowest total in over a year. It was paired with a flat iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT), which moved up a spot. Market PUMM rose 0.4% from last month and 38.4% from a year ago.
For the third book in a row WBAV was #1 18-34 though it was unable to duplicate last month’s double-digit performance. WEND repeated at #2 but with a down book. Two stations took different paths as they landed at #3. WPEG stepped up from #4 as it gave back most of last month’s share increase. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX) snuck up from #5 with a solid increase. BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1 FM) slipped to #5 as it halted a very strong three-book surge. It was tied with WKQC, which advanced from #8 with its best book since FEBRUARY. Last month WSOC and WLNK were tied at #5. They fell together to #9 and were joined by WLKO and WKKT. Market PUMM was up 13.3% from the previous survey and 42.4% from last year.
Despite a slight decrease WKQC repeated as the 18-49 leader. WBAV was back at #2 but with its lowest mark in over a year. This allowed WEND to move up and force the tie, even though it had a down book, as well. WNKS remained at #4, while WPEG inched up to #5. It was paired with WLKO, which vaulted from #9 with its best Frosty-free share since OCTOBER. WKKT dropped from #5 into a tie at #9 with UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE. Market PUMM was up 0.2% from MAY and 32.3% from 2024.
NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): Talk Of The Town
Two of the top three 6+ stations do not play songs for a living. RED APPLE MEDIA N/T WABC-A was #1 again with its fourth up book in a row (6.5-6.7). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) and AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) remained tied at #2 with identical share gains (5.8-6.2). WINS did add a 1.0 share from the digital realm. CONNOISSEUR AC WKJY (KJOY 98.3) and COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI (106.1 BLI) moved from a tie at #5 to one at #4 as they matched share decreases (4.9-4.7). CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK slipped to #6 with its lowest score since SEPTEMBER (5.0-4.6). It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3), which inched up a slot (4.8-4.6). Ladies and gentlemen, your new cume leader was WINS. It moved up from #4 with an 8.2% increase (366,600-396,700). The market was down 0.1%. Market PUMM rose 3.6% from MAY and 5.2% from 2024.
WHTZ was #1 25-54 and WALK was #2 for the third book in a row. The gap between the two stations continued to hover around three shares. WBLI repeated at #3 with a slight decrease. A flat WABC-A moved up from #5 to claim a share of third place. Also flat was AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS but it still stepped up to #5. CONNOISSEUR Mainstream Rock WWSK (94.3 THE SHARK) fell from #3 to #6 with its lowest number since JANUARY. It was tied with WKJY. Market PUMM was up 3.6% from last month and 10.2% from a year ago.
Back in FEBRUARY WABC-A was #21 18-34. The station has had better than a sixteen-fold increase in share since, as it finished #1 for the second straight survey. In another oddity, the stream for SBS Spanish Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) rocketed from #21 to #2. Seriously. The stick ranked at #16. WALK was up to #3 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. Four stations ended up at #5. WHTZ and WKJY slipped from #3. WBLI dropped from #2 with its lowest total in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) rose from #8 with a solid increase. Market PUMM was down 0.9% from the previous book but grew 10.6% from last year.
WHTZ was #1 18-49 for the third book in a row. It held a two-share advantage over WALK, which stepped up to #2 with a slight decrease. WBLI dipped to #3 as it returned some of last month’s share increase. WABC-A repeated at #4 with a small increase. WCBS stepped up to #5, which pushed iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (103.5 KTU) to #6. The WSKQ STREAM went from #20 to #7. Market PUMM was up 2.5% from MAY and 4.8% from 2024.
Thank you for taking the time to plow through this here missive. We shall return in about 28 days to dissect the JULY book. In the meantime – tan, don’t burn. And use your sunscreen!
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