October 1, 2026
Image by Visual Tag Mx of Pixabay.com
This week’s Monday Morning Memo from Roy Williams is particularly applicable to radio.
He wrote:
Corporations do not have personalities. Corporations have brands. A brilliant corporate brand has a personality that lives inside our mind…We do not bond with corporations. We bond with personalities.
Here’s the kicker:
A brand personality is an imaginary person that lives in the mind of the customer. The more deeply that a customer feels like they “know” the brand, the more likely they are to choose that brand. They are buying from a trusted friend.
Sustainable and scalable ad campaigns are a series of stories that reveal the personality of a brand.
Notice that I said “reveal” the personality. You cannot explain your brand personality. You must allow the public to experience it.
In radio we love to tout our stations as brands. They stand for something in our listeners’ minds. They are supposed to establish some sort of emotional bond with our audience that keeps them coming back for more.
But how do we “reveal” our brand personality? It can’t just be the music we play—we’ve ceded much of that territory to the streamers.
It’s the stuff that goes between the songs. It’s our human talent (live or voice tracked). It’s our imaging. It’s our promotions. And, yes, it’s even the commercials we play.
Do you use that audio real estate to tell a brand story or just to sell a feature?
“The (city’s) #1 Hit Music Station” is not a brand story.
A liner inviting your fans to “download the app” is not a brand story.
A van hit at the local car dealer is not a brand story.
Why? Because they contain no listener benefits. Everyone in this world (including you) constantly asks the question, “What’s in it for ME?”
Are you solving my problem? Are you giving me something I cannot get anywhere else? Are you, at the very least, making me feel…something…anything?
Storytelling is an art. Art takes time, focus, and effort. However, what comes out of that funnel is magic.
How much time do your live humans spend on developing your brand story? Yes, they may be tracking six stations and programming four, but what comes out of the speakers is your story.
Imaging is likely your biggest on-air personality. How much time do you spend on writing, re-writing, and freshening that content (and it IS content)? Are you saying anything that will pique their interest?
Your listeners live in a cloud of media clutter. What are you doing to stand out in that crowd?
The questions you may want to ask yourself and your team are: What is our brand personality? And, how are we revealing that to our listeners?
If you cannot definitively answer those questions, you don’t have a brand. You have a commodity.
Feel free to tell me I’m full of it: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
September 24, 2026
Image by cyberdyn from Pixabay.
I’m a huge fan of Mark Ritson. He recently wrote a column for The Drum about a survey he received from Anthropic. The goal of the survey was to get human input into improving their Cowork product.
Kind of ironic, no?
But this led into a discussion about synthetic market research. This is potentially a huge industry because getting AI to answer questions is a lot cheaper than obtaining and reaching a live sample. As Ritson says, “Synthetic research gives you speed, scale and lower marginal costs…” And can reach hard to find segments…like radio listeners.
The scary part about this is that a couple of studies cited in the article say that the synthetic respondents agreed with the humans at an 85-95% rate.
Now, it goes on to say, “Every synthetic respondent ultimately depends on human-generated data. Without fresh human evidence, the synthetic layer risks drifting away from reality.”
So, we’re safe…for now.
The question is—how can radio use this to our advantage?
Can AI analyze hit songs to find similarities in their tonal structure and lyrical content that makes them more likely to be a hit?
Can Xperi, for example, throw all their data into Claude and find out what tends to cause someone to change a station. Some of this is intuitive, but with their sample base we might learn something.
Can AI analyze your stream data and determine common behaviors your listeners exhibit?
Can we throw 100 perceptual questions at AI and find out which five or ten are worth including in our next perceptual study?
Honestly, I don’t have the answers to these questions. But someone does. Radio may not attract enough attention from tech experts to warrant a deep dive, but our industry has a vested interest in pursuing this line of questioning.
We’ve toyed with AI generated voices and copy. Maybe we use this tool to find out what resonates with current and potential listeners. We might learn something useful.
You can read Ritson’s article here.
Feel free to tell me I’m full of it: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
September 17, 2026
Image by Canva from Pixabay.
Last week, David Hill wrote a column for Barrett Media titled: “Why Radio’s Breakup With Nielsen Might Be Good for Programming Decisions.” His central point, as I interpret it, is that because of radio’s dogged pursuit of 25-54 numbers, our products have suffered. It seems that programming decisions are questioned or challenged by the sales department because the ratings were soft. Hill avers that without ratings, programmers are freed up to create great radio because of a lack of outside pressure.
I have thoughts.
First, radio’s focus on 25-54 has always been an issue. The reality is that 25-54 is a family reunion, not a demographic. Few, if any, formats can appeal to that wide age swath. Smart programmers look to dominate a segment of that demo in order to generate competitive overall numbers.
Second, Nielsen is our currency, but it is also flawed. PPM does a great job capturing real radio listening, but the sample sizes are too small. Don’t get me started on the flaws in diary methodology.
Third, Programming and Sales have been butting heads forever. They have always had competing audiences. Strong programmers know how to protect their product while creating opportunities for sales to thrive. But “making budget” has always been the #1 priority. Smart programmers know how to form compromises with sales without compromising their product.
Fourth, how will any programmer know if their “great radio” is working without some sort of ratings system?
To lay the troubles radio is facing at the feet of sales is, in my opinion, myopic at best.
Perhaps there are other contributing factors.
Corporate oversight and interference coupled with incessant cutbacks could be an issue.
Programmers handling multiple stations and formats—often in multiple markets—are overwhelmed. They almost have to simplify (read: automate) many processes just to get the job done. That leaves precious little time for creative thought.
On-air performers are often voicing multiple stations in the same day part. That “one size fits all” approach does not create a canvas for great radio.
In theory, great radio will attract great audiences and (eventually) great ratings. However, in today’s environment, a lot of mediocre radio accomplishes the same thing.
I would argue that radio needs more ratings data, not less. Nielsen is only one metric at a programmer’s disposal. Xperi’s DTS AutoStage and a station’s streaming numbers paint a more complete picture of a station’s success (or lack thereof).
David Hill theorizes that eliminating ratings is nothing more than a business reason to stop using demographics as the default proxy for programming excellence. What he seems to miss is that the pressure will just come from another direction. Ads will still need to be sold. Budgets will still need to be met. And whatever “great radio” is created will still need to be measured.
He does understand that programmers should not be chasing numbers. You don’t play to Nielsen, but there are ways to make the system work for you.
Great radio is not just about what comes out of the speakers. It is about creating a great culture inside the building. That means there is harmony between all departments and a unified belief in pursuing one goal—winning.
Feel free to tell me I’m full of it: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
September 11, 2026
By this point in the recaps, we’re kinda toast. So, I asked Gemini to write something about radio listening in August. Here’s what it offered:
The Car Radio Experience: “August radio tuning is basically an Olympic sport: speedrunning through five presets in under two seconds to avoid hearing another commercial for a local car dealership’s ‘End of Summer Clearance Event.'”
Not totally off base, y’know?
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.—along with the guaranteed humans from XTRENDS—bring you the final installment of the AUGUST survey. It ran from JULY 23RD through AUGUST 19TH and worked out something like this:
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: Seven Up
For the seventh straight survey, COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) was nested atop the 6+ leaderboard (9.9-10.0). RADIO TRAINING NETWORK Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) moved up to #2 (5.9-6.8), while COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) dipped to #3 (6.1-5.9). BEASLEY Classic Hits WRBQ (Q105) stepped up to #4 (5.2-5.4), while two stations moved up and into a tie at #5. COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE) rose from #7 with its best book in over a year (4.8-5.2), while iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) advanced from #9 (4.6-5.2). iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7) slid from #4 to #7 with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (5.4-4.9). It was tied with COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9), which was down a spot (4.9-4.9). Also landing at #7 was BEASLEY Country WQYK (99.5 QYK), which moved up from #11 as it bounced back from a down book (3.9-4.9). WDUV added 6.3% to its #1 cume total (592,300-629,500). The market grew by 2.3%.
Last month WRBQ and WXTB were the 25-54 co-leaders. WRBQ remained on top with a slight increase, while WXTB dipped to #2 with a slight decrease. WDUV and WWRM were tied at #3. WDUV remained in that space with a slight increase, while a flat WWRM was down to #4. It was joined there by WCIE, which rose from #6 as it ended a two-book slide. WMTX was down to #6 with its smallest share since MARCH.
The 18-34 scene was a wild west show. WTBV and WDUV were last spotted at #5. WTBV advanced to #1 with its best outing in over a year, while WDUV landed at #2 as it regained some of last survey’s huge share loss. WXTB vaulted from #7 to #3 as it recovered from a down book. WWRM slipped to #4 with a modest share loss. In July WXGL rocketed from #14 to #1. This time it settled in at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ (93.3 FLZ) and WCIE were part of a three-way tie at #2. WFLZ fell to #6 and was partnered with WQYK and BEASLEY Rhythmic CHR WLLD (WiLD 94.1), both of which moved up from #11. WCIE dropped to #9 and was tied with WMTX and iHEARTMEDIA Sports WDAE.
The 18-49 space was both topsy and turvy. WXTB advanced from #7 to #1 as it rebounded from a down book. WCIE and WDUV went from #4 and #5, respectively, to a tie at #2. They also recovered from down books. WWRM slipped to #4 with a slight decrease. This ended the two-book winning streak for WMTX, which wended its way down to #5. WRBQ dipped to #6 and was partnered with two stations. WTBV rose from #9, while WQYK advanced from #10. WFLZ fell from a tie at #2 to #9.
DENVER-BOULDER: We’re #2!
The 6+ battle was for second place as BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) cruised to its fourth win in a row with its highest Frosty-free share in over a year (6.9-8.3). The next six stations were within a half share of one another. BONNEVILLE Country KYGO was back at #2 as it halted a four-book surge (6.0-5.5). It was paired with AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9), which moved up a spot (5.2-5.5). AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) dipped to #4 (5.2-5.3), while two stations moved up and into a tie at #5. iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO was up from #6 (5.1-5.2), while KSE MEDIA VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105) arrived from #7 (4.9-5.2). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) slid from #3 to #7 (5.2-5.0). KOSI was granted a whopping 19.6% cume increase to remain #1 in that category (455,100-544,100). The market was up by 2.9%.
KTCL was #1 25-54 for the eighth book in a row, the last two of which were flat. KOSI stepped up to #2, while KALC dipped to #3 despite landing its largest share in over a year. Three stations were massed together at #4. ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) remained in place and was partnered with KYGO and KXKL, which rose from #6 and #8, respectively. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7) slid from a tie at #4 to #7 as it surrendered some of last month’s share increase. It was paired with KQMT.
There was some serious share swapping in the 18-34 space. KOSI went from #3 to #1 and hit double figures. KXPK went from #1 to #2, while KTCL dipped to #3. Both of those stations exited double-digit territory. KSE MEDIA VENTURES Hot AC KIMN (MIX 100) rose from #9 to #4 with its highest mark since FEBRUARY. KDHT slipped from #3 to #5 as it ended a strong five book surge. It was joined there by AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS107.5), which vaulted from #17, more than doubling its previous share. KXKL and COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO N/T KCFR were previously an item at #5. KXKL drifted down to #7, while KCFR fell to #13. It was tied with COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO Classical KVOD and iHEARTMEDIA Country KWBL (106.7 THE BULL).
KOSI went from #3 to #1 18-49 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. It narrowly defeated KTCL, which remained at # 2, but with its highest mark in over a year. KXPK went from first to third as it returned a good portion of last month’s massive increase. KALC repeated at #4 with a small increase. KQKS advanced from a tie at #13 to #5 with a huge increase. KDHT slipped to #6 and was tied with KXKL and KIMN, which also moved up from a tie at #13.
SAN DIEGO: Sun Run
As with the previous market, the 6+ battle was all about second place. That’s because AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) was the runaway leader for the fifth book in a row (7.8-8.1). AUDACY AC KYXY moved from #4 to #2 with its best outing since APRIL (5.3-5.9). AUDACY Sports KWFN (97.3 THE FAN) rose from #6 to #3 with its best performance in over a year (4.8-5.8). SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS dipped to #4 (6.4-5.7), while TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNV (QUÉ BUENA 106.5) rose from #7 to #5, also with its highest mark in over a year (4.3-5.5). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1) stepped down to #6 (5.0-4.9), while GRUPO IMAGEN Spanish Hot AC XLTN (RADIO LATINA 104.5FM) slid from #3 to #7 with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (5.6-4.3). KXSN remained the cume leader with a 4.4% increase (596,300-622,500). The market was down by 1.0%.
KXSN was #1 25-54 for the third book in a row, while KLNV was back at #2. Both stations posted their best numbers in over a year. KYXY vaulted from #7 to #3 with its highest Frosty-free share in over a year. LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) dipped to #4 with a small increase, while iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3) was down to #5. KMYI dropped from a tie at #4 into one at #7 with LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5).
For the sixth straight survey, KXSN was #1 18-34. The last two of which were in double digits. XTRA and KYXY rose from a tie at #5 to the same situation at #2. Both stations also rebounded from down books. KMYI stepped down to #4 with a slight increase, while KLNV repeated at #5 but with its highest score in over a year. KPBS and XLTN were last seen at #4. KPBS slipped to #6, while XLTN landed at #7 along with AUDACY Country KSON.
It was a four-peat 18-49 for KXSN, which had its best showing since SEPTEMBER. KLNV remained at #2 with a slight increase. It was paired with KYXY, which advanced from #6 with, again, its best Frosty-free share in over a year. XTRA stepped up to #4 with a slight decrease, while KMYI slipped to #5. XHRM dropped from #4 to #9 with its lowest total in over a year. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHTS (CHANNEL 93.3).
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CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: Fire Lake
I wonder if iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) plays that song? The station moved up to #1 6+ (6.6-8.0), while PACIFIC BROADCASTING Classic Hits WXRC (95.7FM THE RIDE) motored up to #2 (6.0-7.5). Both stations landed their largest shares in over a year. UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE went from first to a tie for second (7.0-7.5), while BEASLEY Country WSOC (COUNTRY 103.7) went from #6 to #4 with its highest score since NOVEMBER (5.5-6.6). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX) slipped to #5 (6.0-6.4), while iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT) fell from #5 to #8 (5.7-5.1). Despite a 5.4% decline WLKO was still in cume command (525,100-496,800). The market was down 0.6%.
WRFX moved up to #1 25-54 with its third up book in a row. WLKO moved up to a very close #2, while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) saw its four-book winning streak come to an end as it slipped to #3. WFAE was back at #4 with a small increase, while BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98) inched up to #5 as it halted a steep four-book slide. WKKT went from #5 to #7 with its lowest score since MARIAH CAREY was charting.
WRFX stepped up to #1 18-34 and landed in double figures. It was two and a half shares clear of the two stations at #2. WEND moved up a spot as it recovered from a down book, while WLKO advanced from #5. That duo was two shares ahead of the pair of stations at #4. WFAE moved up a spot with its highest total since OCTOBER, while BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V101.9) arrived from #7 with its best book since FEBRUARY. BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) slipped to #6 and was tied with BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1).
WRFX was back at #1 18-49 and dangerously close to hitting double digits. WFAE moved up to #2 with a strong increase, which pushed WEND down to #3. WLKO moved up to #4 and finished just ahead of WPEG, which rose from #7 to #5. WKQC dipped to #6 despite a small increase.
NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): News Travels Fast
For the eighth book in a row, AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) was #1 6+ (7.0-8.1). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) moved up to #2 as it bounced back from a down book (5.9-6.6). AUDACY Sports WFAN (SPORTS RADIO 101.9FM/66AM) stepped up to #3 with its highest score in over a year (5.7-6.5). RED APPLE MEDIA N/T WABC-A inched up to #4 (5.5-5.4), while CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) was up to #5 (5.4-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) fell from #2 to #8 as it returned all of last month’s large increase (6.0-4.2). Despite an 8.5% decline, WALK moved up to #1 in the cume wars (394,000-360,500). The market was up 1.9%.
WHTZ landed its lowest 25-54 share since FEBRUARY, but the station was still #1 for the sixth straight survey. WALK repeated at #2 with a small share loss. WLTW remained at #3 but with a large share loss. It was paired with WFAN, which moved up a spot with its highest mark since OCTOBER. A flat COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI (106.1 BLI) dipped to #5. It was paired with WINS, which rose from #8 with its best book since FEBRUARY. AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) slid from a tie at #4 to #7 and was tied with COX MEDIA Classic Rock WBAB.
WLTW was back at #1 18-34 but did not duplicate last month’s double-digit feat. WHTZ advanced from #5 to #2 as it recovered from a down book. WALK stepped down to #3 with its first down book since MARCH. It was tied with the stationary WBLI, which landed its lowest number since DECEMBER. A flat CONNOISSEUR AC WKJY (K-J0Y 98.3) moved up to #5, while MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS dropped from #4 into a four-way tie at #12.
WHTZ was back to #1 18-49 despite a slight decrease. It held a solid advantage over WALK, which stepped up to #2. WLTW went from first to third as it surrendered a good portion of last month’s massive share increase. WFAN stepped up to #4, which forced WBLI down to #5. WNEW dipped to #6.
We appreciate your support. See you in SEPTEMBER. We’re always open to your thoughts, suggestions, critiques and complaints about this here missive. A real human will answer this e-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com.
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September 10, 2026
AUGUST is usually a sleepy survey time. Real humans (our listeners) are wedging in their last bit of PTO, the weather was brutally hot, and county fairs were all the rage. However, so far we have seen some dramatic changes in the ratings hierarchy in several markets. Will that trend continue? Enquiring minds want to know.
And that’s what The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.—with a healthy assist from the data wizards from XTRENDS—are here to figure out. This particular survey ran from JULY 23RD through AUGUST 19TH. There were no specific holiday distractions to contend with. Here’s how it all broke down:
MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: Life’s A Beach
And right out of the gate we have a battle. AUDACY Classic Hits WMXJ (102.7 THE BEACH) landed its largest 6+ share in over a year as it rose from #3 to #1 (5.5-6.8). COX MEDIA AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1) was back at #2 with its best book since FEBRUARY (5.9-6.6), while AUDACY AC WLYF (101.5 LITE FM) went from first to third (6.0-6.5). TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Hot AC WAMR (AMOR 107.5) was up two slots to #4, also with its best showing since FEBRUARY (5.0-6.2). COX MEDIA Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105) dipped to #5 (5.4-5.9), while iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Adult Hits WMIA (MAGIC 93.9) stepped down to #6 (5.1-5.2). WLYF added 6.6% to its cume lead (703,800-750,500). The market was up by 2.1%.
WLYF won the 25-54 race for the fifth book in a row and landed its largest share in over a year. It was being hotly pursued by two stations at #2. WFEZ remained in place, while WMXJ moved up from #3, again with its highest mark in over a year. WHQT repeated at #4 with its best showing since MARCH, while EMF Contemporary Christian WMLV (K-LOVE) stood alone at #5. Its former partner in that space— COX MEDIA Rhythmic AC WFLC (HITS 97.3)—dipped to #6 with a slight decrease.
WLYF moved up to #1 18-34 with a double-digit share. The ended the three-book winning streak for COX MEDIA Urban Contemporary WEDR (99 JAMZ), which was down to #2 as it surrendered almost all of last month’s massive share increase. WFLC jumped from #6 to #3 with its best book since MARCH. WFEZ dipped to #4 and was met there by SBS Spanish Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL 106.7), which advanced from #13. Also, with its highest share since MARCH. WMIA slipped to #6 and was partnered with SBS Spanish Contemporary WCMQ (Z92.3) and AUDACY Country WKIS (KISS COUNTRY 99.9). WKIS moved up from #20 as it bounced back from a down book. AUDACY Classic Hip Hop WPOW (POWER 96) slid from #4 to #11. It was joined there by WAMR and iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHYI (Y100).
For the fifth straight survey WLYF was #1 18-49. The station was also handed its best book in over a year. WMXJ leapt from #8 to #2 but still trailed its cluster mate by about a share. WMLV repeated at #3 and narrowly edged WHQT, which stepped up to #4. WFEZ rose from #10 to #5, while WFLC dipped to #6 with its lowest score since “jolly” was in our everyday vocabulary. WEDR fell from #2 into a tie at #7 with WMIA, while WPOW dropped from #4 to #11.
SEATTLE-TACOMA: The End Is Nigh…
More on that in a bit. First off, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW was #1 6+ for the eighth straight survey (7.7-9.4). Baseball fever kept BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A (SEATTLE SPORTS 710) at #2 (6.4-7.0), while AUDACY Alternative KNDD (107.7 THE END) leapt from #7 to #3 with its best book in over a year (4.4-5.6). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 THE JET) taxied up to #4 (5.0-5.1), while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZOK dipped to #5 (5.2-5.0). AUDACY Active Rock KISW (THE ROCK) fell from #3 to #7 with its lowest total in over a year (5.5-4.6). It was tied with AUDACY Country KKWF (100.7 THE WOLF), which was up from a tie at #8 (4.2-4.6). KJEB was still in cume control despite a 2.5% decline (601,300-586,300). The market was down 0.8%.
KNDD had its best 25-54 book in over a year as it stepped up to #1. It barely defeated KIRO-A, which was up to #2 as it recovered from a down book. This ended KISW’s three-book winning string as the station drifted down to #3. KUOW remained at #4 with a small share loss. HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM 106.9) stepped up to #5 with a slight increase. It was paired with KKWF, which advanced from #13 as it bounced back from a down book. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KBKS (HITS 106.1) slipped to #7 and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KJAQ (96.5 JACK FM), which was up from #9 with its highest total since SEPTEMBER.
There was all sorts of movement among the 18-34 ranks. KIRO-A and KISW were no longer the demo co-leaders. That distinction was bestowed upon KNDD, which was up from #4 with its best showing since NOVEMBER. KIRO-A dipped into a three-way tie at #2. KKWF rose from #5 as it halted a three-book slide, while KZOK turned it up from #11. The station has doubled its share from JUNE. KISW went from first to fifth and was paired with KJAQ, which was up from #7. KBKS slid from #3 to #7 as it stopped a three-book surge. CRISTA Contemporary Christian KCMS (SPIRIT 105.3) fell from #5 to #13, losing nearly half of its previous share. It was tied with AUDACY AC KSWD (EMMA 94.1).
Over the last five books KNDD has gone from #5 to #4 to #3 to #2 and now, to #1 18-49. KIRO-A stepped up to #2, while KISW went from first to third with its smallest share since MARCH. There was a foursome at #4. KBKS remained in place as it halted a four-book surge. KRWM and KKWF were up from #5 and #6, respectively. KZOK advanced from #10 with its best performance in over a year.
PHOENIX: A Close Call
Last month HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX and iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ) were tied atop the 6+ leaderboard. This time KSLX stood alone at #1 (6.4-6.5), while KESZ drifted down to #3 (6.4-6.0). In between at #2 was iHEARTMEDIA N/T KFYI-A (6.0-6.2). MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGE N/T KJZZ was back at #4 (4.9-5.0), while iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX stepped up to #5 (4.5-4.6). iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 THE MOUNTAIN) fell from #5 to #10 with its least productive outing in over a year (4.7-3.5). It was tied with HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD (4.1-3.5). KESZ padded its cume lead with a 6.5% increase (845,500-900,700). The market was up by 1.2%.
KESZ was #1 25-54 for the twelfth straight survey though the station posted its lowest share in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX 96.9) was up two spots to #2. It has more than doubled its share over the last two surveys. KSLX and TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KOMR (AMOR 106.3) were last seen at #6. KSLX made its way to #3 with its highest score since NOVEMBER, while KOMR alit at #4 with its sixth straight up book. ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KLNZ (LA TRICOLOR 103.5) dipped to #5 with a small increase. KUPD slid from #3 to #6, while KYOT fell from #2 to #8.
As recently as MAY, KOMR was sitting at #20 18-34. The station has been making its way up the chart ever since and hit #1 (with a bullet) with its largest number in over a year. AUDACY Pop CHR KALV (LIVE 101.5) stepped up to #2 with a slight decrease. It was paired with KMXP, which advanced from #7 with its highest mark in exactly a year. HUBBARD Alternative KDKB (ALT AZ 93.3) rose from #9 to #4 as it stopped a three-book slide. KESZ went from #1 to #5 with its lowest total since SEPTEMBER. It was partnered with KYOT, which dropped from #2, and KUPD, which exited a three-way tie at #3.
KMXP has been on quite the 18-49 run. Two books ago it was sitting at #16. Last month it reached #4 and this time it landed at #1. This forced KESZ down to #2. The stations were separated by less than a half share. KUPD dipped to #3, while KDKB advanced from #8 to #4 with its best book since NOVEMBER. KLNZ jumped from #10 to #5 as it ended a four-book slide. KALV slid from a tie at #4 to #7 with a slight decrease. KYOT fell from #3 into a tie at #8 with KSLX. ZELUS MEDIA Hot AC KMVA (HOT 97.5/103.9) cooled off from a tie at #4 to #11 with its smallest share since FEBRUARY.
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DETROIT: The Usual Suspects
The MOTOR CITY ratings scene was relatively unchanged from last month. AUDACY Sports WXYT (97.1 THE TICKET) was #1 6+ for the eighth book in a row (9.2-10.5). AUDACY Country WYCD stepped up to #2 with its best showing in over a year (7.2-7.6). AUDACY Classic Hits WOMC dipped to #3 (7.5-7.2), while the next two stations were as they were. iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC was at #4 again (6.4-6.0), while iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX 92.3) repeated at #5 (6.1-5.9). WNIC increased its leading cume total by 6.2% (911,500-967,800). The market was up by 0.6%.
WXYT was both #1 and in double figures 25-54 for the eighth book in a row. BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF was back at #2 with its fifth up book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKQI (CHANNEL 955) remained at #3 with its highest mark since MARCH, while WOMC repeated at #4 with a slight increase. WYCD stepped up to #5 with its best showing in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WJLB dipped into a tie at #6 with WMXD and WNIC.
WRIF repeated as the 18-34 leader, while WKQI moved up to #2. Both stations exceeded the double-digit threshold. WYCD and WXYT were last seen at #4 and #5, respectively. Both stations had healthy share increases as they rose together into a tie at #3. WOMC stepped up to #5 with its best book since we were carefully hanging hosiery. Last month WJLB claimed a share of first place. It fell to #6 this survey with its lowest score since OCTOBER.
WRIF landed its largest 18-49 share in over a year to cruise to another winning finish. WXYT was back at #2 but still trailed the leader by almost a share. WKQI stepped up to #3 with its highest score in over a year, while WYCD was up to #4 while accomplishing the same feat. WOMC moved up to #5 with its best book since FEBRUARY. WJLB slipped from #3 into a tie at #6 with WNIC.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: Welcome To Fansville
iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN FM 100.3) was back as the 6+ leader (8.2-11.0). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL 108) repeated at #2 (7.5-7.3), while MPR N/T KNOW stepped up to #3 (6.8-7.1). KNOW also added a 0.9 share from the interwebs. iHEARTMEDIA Country KEEY (K102) dipped to #4 with its smallest share since FEBRUARY (7.3-6.2). HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) was up to #5 as it halted a three-book slide (5.6-6.1). UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN/ST. PAUL Contemporary Christian KTIS slipped from #5 to #7 (5.8-5.6). KQQL was still the cume leader despite a 1.5% decline (715,900-705,500). The market was up by 0.8%.
How dominant has KFXN been in the 25-54 space? The station was #1 for the 13TH time in the last 14 surveys (Santa was the only spoiler). And it has been in double figures for that entire span. MPR AAA KCMP (89.3 THE CURRENT) was back at #2 with a down book and now trails the leader by almost seven shares! KQQL remained at #3 but with its lowest total since JANUARY. A flat iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDWB stepped up to #4. It was paired with AUDACY Adult Hits KZJK (104.1 JACK FM), which advanced from #7 as it ended a two-book slide. KEEY went from #4 to #6 with a large share loss.
KQQL was both #1 and in double figures 18-34 for the fourth straight survey. KZJK moved up to #2 with its best showing in over a year but still trailed the leader by a share. KDWB regained most of last month’s huge share loss as it moved from a tie at #4 to #3. KCMP slid two places to #4 with a small share loss. KEEY dipped to #5 despite posting its largest number in over a year.
As with the 25-54 demo, KFXN continued to dominate 18-34. The station was #1 for the 13TH time in the last 14 books. It has been in double digits the entire time. KCMP repeated at #2 with a down book and was nearly six shares off the pace. KDWB was back at #3 as it bounced back from a down book. KZJK stepped up to #4, again with its best book in over a year. KQQL dipped to #5 with a small increase.
We still have a bit left in the tank. Tune in again next time for TAMPA, DENVER, SAN DIEGO, CHARLOTTE, and NASSAU-SUFFOLK.
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