June 15, 2026
Welcome to the merry, merry month of MAY, one of only two on the calendar that can be both a noun AND a verb. That’s true versatility. And before you “at” me for AUGUST, it’s a noun and an adjective. Now let’s all diagram that last sentence…a little middle school English anxiety for everyone.
The MAY book ran from APRIL 30th through MAY 29th. We saluted Mommie dearest, took part in a federally mandated three-day weekend, and watched as gas prices spiked. (I include that last point not to be political but to point out that rising gas prices could lead to fewer driving miles, which has a direct effect on time spent listening to radio.)
Now, on with the countdown…
NEW YORK: Same Old, Same Old
The 6+ leaderboard in AMERICA’s largest city was relatively unchanged from last month as the top four stations remained the same. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) was #1 for the third book in a row (8.1-7.9). AUDACY News WINS was back at #2 (7.1-6.9), while AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS strengthened its hold on the #3 position with its highest mark in over a year (5.4-5.8). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) repeated at #4 (5.2-5.6). Breaking into the top five with its best showing since JULY was iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) (4.4-4.9). NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO N/T WNYC slid from #5 to #9 with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER (4.7-4.1). WLTW padded its market leading cume total with a 1.6% increase (3,898,300-3,960,700). The market was up by 0.4%.
WHTZ rebounded from a down book to move up to #1 25-54 for the first time since OCTOBER. This ended the three-book winning string for WLTW, which dipped to #2. AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) stepped up to #3 with its best book in over a year. This pushed iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WWPR (POWER 105.1) down to #4. WCBS remained at #5 with a slight increase.
WLTW was #1 18-34 for the eighth straight survey. WHTZ was back at #2 and managed to cut its cluster sister’s lead down to a share. WNEW held steady at #3 with a solid increase, while WWPR stood still at #4 with a small increase. WCBS rounded out the top five again, also with a small increase. WAXQ rose from #10 to #6 with its best outing in over a year.
WHTZ regained all of last month’s lost 18-49 share as it moved back up to #1. WLTW stepped down to #2 with its lowest score since OCTOBER. WNEW and WWPR swapped places with WNEW up to #3 with a small increase and WWPR down to #4 with a slight decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WKTU (103.5 KTU) remained at #5 but was just ahead of WAXQ, which leapt from #12 to #6.
LOS ANGELES: Seven Up
For the seventh straight survey iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST was #1 6+ (7.1-7.1). The next three stations were in their same positions as last month. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) was back at #2 but with its first down book since OCTOBER (6.2-6.0). AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101) held steady at #3 (5.0-5.5), while AUDACY Adult Hits KCBS (93.1 JACK FM) remained at #4 (4.6-4.9). AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) swelled up to #5 with its highest score since NOVEMBER (4.0-4.4). AUDACY News KNX-A, which lost its FM simulcast during week three, slid from #5 to #8 with its smallest share in over a year (4.1-3.5). It was partnered with TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5), which rose from #13 (3.2-3.5) and the stationary PASADENA AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE N/T KPCC (3.5-3.5). KOST was still the cume commander despite a 3.5% decline (2,566,700-2,477,200). The market was up 0.5%.
The top five 25-54 stations were all within a half share of one another. KBIG was #1 for the third book in a row. KRTH and KCBS moved up to a tie at #2 with small share gains. KOST slipped to #4 as it ended a three-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7) stepped up to #5 with its best book in over a year. AUDACY Alternative KROQ dipped to #6 with a slight increase.
KOST was #1 18-34 for the seventh straight survey and landed its largest Frosty-free share in over a year. KRTH was back at #2 with a slight increase and was paired with KYSR, which rose from #4 with its best showing since OCTOBER. KTWV advanced from #9 to #4 as it rebounded from a down book. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) stepped up to #5 with a slight increase. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KSCA (LA NUEVA 101.9) fell from #4 to #12 with its smallest share since JULY. It was tied with MEURELO MEDIA Rhythmic CHR KPWR (POWER 106FM) and SBS Mexican Regional KLAX (LA RAZA 97.9).
The top four 18-49 stations were unchanged from last survey. KOST was #1 for the fourth book in a row and was about a share ahead of a flat KBIG, which repeated at #2. KCBS was back at #3 with a small increase, while KRTH held firm at #4 with a slight increase. KYSR inched up to #5 with its highest score in over a year, while KROQ dropped two places to #6 with its lowest mark since DECEMBER.
CHICAGO: X Marks The Spots
For the third book in a row AUDACY AAA WXRT (93XRT) was #1 6+ (6.3-5.6). However, the race got significantly tighter as HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) moved up to claim a share of first place (5.7-5.6). Close behind at #3 was AUDACY News WBBM-A (5.7-5.5), which narrowly defeated HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1 THE DRIVE), which remained idled at #4 (5.1-5.3). iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) was up to #5 with its first up book since we were hanging hosiery on the mantle (4.0-4.6). AUDACY Country WUSN (US99) dipped to #6 (4.4-4.5). WLIT still had the most listeners despite a 0.6% decline (1,314,100-1,306,400). The market was up 1.7%.
Despite a rather large share loss, WTMX was a dominant #1 25-54 for the fifth book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) was back at #2 but still trailed the leader by more than two shares. WXRT repeated at #3 with a small decrease. It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Urban Contemporary WGCI, which rose from #5 with its fifth up book in a row. WUSN held steady at #5 with a small increase, while AUDACY Pop CHR WBBM-F (B96) slipped to #6 with a small decrease.
For the second straight survey WKSC was in double figures 18-34. This extended the station’s demo winning streak to five. WBBM-F stepped up to #2 with its highest mark in over a year yet still trailed the leader by more than three shares. WTMX dipped to #3 with a small decrease, while WGCI moved up to #4 with its best book since OCTOBER. WUSN stepped down to #5 despite a small share gain. SBS Mexican Regional WLEY (LA LEY 107.9) was close behind as it jumped from #9 to #6 with its largest share in over a year.
The 18-49 contest got much tighter. WTMX was #1 for the fifth book in a row but saw its lead over #2 WKSC sink to under a half share. WGCI repeated at #3 while WBBM-F moved up to #4. Both stations had small increases. WXRT dipped to #5, also with a small share loss.
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DALLAS-FT. WORTH: A Star Is Born
iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) moved up to #1 6+ with its best Frosty-free share since OCTOBER (4.2-4.9). It just edged out iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (MIX 102.9), which dipped to #2 (4.3-4.8). EMF Contemporary Christian KLTY (K-LOVE) bounced back from a down book to vault from #11 to #3 (3.2-4.1). The two stations previously spied at #6 moved up the chart. AUDACY Alternative KVIL (ALT 103.7) made it to #4 (3.6-3.9), while AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) was awarded the #5 position (3.6-3.8). AUDACY Sports KRLD (105.3 THE FAN) slid from #3 to #9 as it surrendered all of last month’s share increase, plus a bit more (4.0-3.4). KDGE maintained its cume lead with a 3.8% increase (1,155,400-1,199,400). The market grew by 0.1%.
Two stations rose up to forge a tie at #1 25-54. KDMX stepped up from #2 with a small increase, while KDGE arrived from #4 with its highest Frosty-free share in over a year. TELEVISAUNIVISION Mexican Regional KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) went from first to third with its smallest share since JUNE, which ended the station’s four-book winning string. KJKK was up two slots to #4 and was joined there by SERVICE Urban Contemporary KKDA (K104), which stepped up from #5. KRLD slid from #3 to #6.
KKDA moved into first place 18-34 by landing its largest share in over a year. KDMX rose from #5 to #2 with a rather large share increase, while KDGE slipped from #1 to #3 with a slight decrease. It was tied with KVIL, which dropped down a spot with a slight increase. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) remained at #5, while URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBFB (97.9 THE BEAT) slid from #3 to #6.
KDMX and KKDA ended two-book slides as they rose to #1 and #2, respectively, 18-49. KLNO halted a two-book winning streak as it slipped from #1 to #3. KVIL advanced from #7 to #4, while KDGE repeated at #5. It was joined in that space by KHKS, which moved up from #8 as it regained last month’s lost share. KJKK went from #5 to #7, while KRLD fell from #3 to #8.
HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Ten For Ten
For the tenth straight survey iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) and URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) were #1 and #2, respectively, 6+. KODA (9.0-8.6) still had a strong lead over KMJQ (7.1-7.2). URBAN ONE Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9/107.5) was up to #3 with its highest share in over a year (5.5-6.4). HOPE MEDIA Contemporary Christian KSBJ was up to #4 (5.3-5.6), while URBAN ONE Country KKBQ (93Q) rose to #5 (5.2-5.2). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) slid from #3 to #6 (5.6-5.1). KODA added 7.1% to its #1 cume total (1,766,700-1,892,800). The market was up by 2.5%.
Despite a down book KTBZ extended its 25-54 winning streak to four. KODA was back at #2 and was a little more than a share off the pace. KSBJ repeated at #3, while KMJQ remained at #4. Both stations had solid increases. AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) inched up to #5 with its best showing in over a year. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KOVE (AMOR 106.5) was close behind at #6 with its largest share since JUNE. AUDACY Hot AC KHMX (MIX 96.5) slipped to #7 with a slight decrease.
KTBZ was #1 18-34 for the fifth book in a row, the last four of which were in double figures. KKHH advanced two places to #2, again with its best outing in over a year. However, the station was about four shares off the lead. KODA dipped to #3 with its smallest share since AUGUST. It joined up with the stationary KGLK, which posted a slight increase. URBAN ONE Rhythmic CHR KBXX (97.9 THE BOX) stepped up to #5 with a strong share increase.
The top three 18-49 stations were the same as last month. KTBZ was #1, followed by KODA at #2. Both stations had down books. KSBJ repeated at #3 with a slight increase. KKHH and KOVE rose together from #5 to #4. KHMX slipped from #4 to #7 with a slight decrease and was tied with KBXX.
We’ve only just begun. More markets and more numbers are still waiting to be crunched. Waiting in the queue are SAN FRANCISCO, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., PHILADELPHIA, and BOSTON. They will be in your inbox tomorrow.
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June 11, 2026
Radio has been fighting—and losing—the digital wars for far too long. Our once vaunted advertising medium is considered passe in too many circles. The bright shiny promise of a brave new digital world has hypnotized too many products and services into thinking that this is the only way to compete.
If only there was an alternative narrative.
Photo by Alex Knight from Pexels.
Here’s one. According to a recently released study by Cloudflare, bots and AI agents now outnumber humans in the digital realm. According to their study, 57.4% of internet traffic is generated by bots. That means only 42.6% is coming from humans.
The fraud in digital advertising has been well documented and is likely growing. That potential advertiser who touts all their “traffic” may not be aware that more than half of the visits to their web site are not potential customers.
But wait, there’s more.
According to an article by NBC news, humans may visit five web sites before making a purchase while bots will “visit” 5,000 (oh, and they don’t make purchases). Additionally, user-driven AI requests account for just 3% of all traffic.
Imagine, if you will, that more than half the listeners to your radio station were actually machines. (Insert your favorite listener joke here).
Advertisers often say Google is their number one referral tool. However, radio is a prime driver of awareness for those Google searches. Yes, things like SEO are important. Google is today’s version of the Yellow Pages (look that up, kids). Radio plants the seed in the minds of real people who use that knowledge to look for more detail on products they are interested in. You could say radio is a prime catalyst for that process.
This is not to say digital advertising is bad. It has a place in any media mix. But Radio not only delivers results – it reaches actual human beings.
Our strength is that human to human connection. Studies like the one cited above point to the urgent need for radio to invest in that human capital. Expand our emotional involvement with our audience. Develop a level of trust AI agents cannot deliver.
Not yet, anyway.
Here is the NBC article I referenced.
Feel free to tell me I’m full of it: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
June 4, 2026
Mark Ritson recently wrote a column in The Drum about the decline of Peloton. The company was built on selling bicycles. Roughly 75% of their sales were product based, while the remainder of their income was from subscription sales. Their rise was fueled by the pandemic and their decline stemmed from people’s desire to get back in the gym. Peloton lost their “must have” status because they were not able to develop a sense of community around their participation model. (Google their stock trajectory.)
Image by Stocksnap from Pixabay.
I couldn’t help but think of the parallels to radio.
As a free platform, we were a must-have item. We had radios everywhere. Now, we’re trying to hold on to our last stronghold—the car. We gave people information, companionship, and music at work that everyone can agree on.
There was a time when we actually valued our connection to community.
Unfortunately, consolidation and the annual budget cuts/layoffs have eroded that bond with our audience. While we were able to weather the portability of recorded music, we were not primed to combat the on-demand world.
As Ritson points out, back during Covid, if you saw a Peloton on your Zoom call you thought, “Cool.” Now, when you see one you ask, “Why?”
Fortunately for us, the radio industry is in a much stronger financial position than Peloton. We hear a lot about our ultimate demise, but we still reach a significant portion of the American public every day. And we continue to excel as an advertising medium.
The question is, is our current trajectory sustainable? Can we afford to continue to ignore our local communities? Can we afford to continue to cut back on talent? Can we afford the lack of a pipeline for new talent?
Radio once offered the element of surprise to our listeners. Conservative programming, the fear of “tune outs,” and the dogged pursuit of creating a product that plays it safe every day has taken us from “must have” to “nice to have.” That does not engender passion.
Everyone I have ever met or worked with in radio got into the business because they loved it. They loved the challenges, the people, and the competition. That passion fueled what came out of the speakers.
Have we lost that passion or are we just afraid to translate that into compelling content because one meter might switch off?
A lot of people who are much smarter than me have been saying similar things for years. I read about it weekly in the trades.
Radio became great because we took chances. We risked doing something that did not appeal to everyone, all the time. Those actions developed loyal audiences. They brought us repeat customers. They created communities.
That magic still exists…if we want it to.
If you still believe in great radio, call us. You’re the kind of person who appreciates and values the services and insights we provide.
Feel free to tell me I’m full of it: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
May 28, 2026
As the Ratings Experts, we tend to nerd out on the process of gathering radio ratings. This week in James Cridland’s excellent newsletter he revealed how the diary process works in Australia.
Image by Moerschy from Pixabay
According to his writings, the paper diary only represents about 20% of all participants. Compare this to Nielsen’s mSurvey which, at least initially, will only represent about 10% of the sample.
The folks at GFK, who conduct the ratings, were nice enough to produce a “how to” video for potential diary keepers. The link to the video is below and I encourage you to invest six-plus minutes in watching it. That is, if you’re a ratings/research geek like me.
What you will see is an incredibly complicated process that involves stickers. I would say it’s more work than the average person would undertake but then my attention span is short.
The video also reveals that by participating in this process you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one thousand Australian dollars. Sounds as enticing as a text to win a national contest, no?
Their diary “week” is eight days long (perhaps an homage to a certain British group?). It runs from Friday through the following Saturday. Oh, and the diary is about 26 pages long.
Listening credit is granted to a station as long as the listener spends at least eight minutes with the station inside a given quarter hour. That means only one station can get credit for a given quarter hour. I wonder how much listening gets left on the cutting room floor.
GFK asks participants for a lot of information. Besides the usual quarter hour listening, they ask for the usual locations: home, car, work, or elsewhere. They ask how you are listening: AM/FM radio, DAB+, Mobile, PC/Tablet, Smart speaker, or other. Lastly, they ask if you are listening via headphones. This is a lot of work for a diary keeper but if this is consistent with their online version and we assume the respondent “ticks” the boxes, there is a lot of valuable information for broadcasters.
Finally, there is a detailed lifestyle questionnaire that covers a variety topics like podcast listening, where you plan to spend your next holiday, and what type of takeaway food you purchased.
The data set is huge, as it encompasses 50,000 annual participants in five markets. That means about 10,000 people are filling out paper diaries a year.
But wait, there’s more. They also record streaming listening directly from streaming logs. Plus, they have a system of “watches,” which I assume are a version of PPM, that are not currently included in the data.
Could/should some of this be incorporated into Nielsen’s version of the diary? It’s certainly worthy of a discussion.
You can watch the video here and be amazed that the demonstrator is filling it out with a Sharpie: https://james.cridland.net/uploads/radio-diary-demo-video.mp4
You can read the entire article here (and I suggest you subscribe): https://james.cridland.net/blog/2026/inside-an-aussie-radio-diary/
May 22, 2026
Welcome back to our final installment of our monthly series – how the ratings turn. We bid a fond farewell to the APRIL book. We had some careless, fancy free good times that we will cherish for about another 28 days. Then all will be forgotten, if not forgiven.
This survey ran from APRIL 2nd through APRIL 29th, the only time this year that the two calendars will align. It featured the EASTER holiday, the reassuring sound on “Play ball!” and, of course, rising gas prices. Let’s dive in, shall we?
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER: When Doves Fly
COX MEDIA Soft AC WDUV (105.5 THE DOVE) continued to dominate the competition as it finished atop the 6+ leaderboard for the third book in a row (9.8-9.7). RADIO TRAINING NETWORK Contemporary Christian WCIE (THE JOY FM) was back at #2 (7.0-7.2), while COX MEDIA Classic Hits WXGL (107.3 THE EAGLE) repeated at #3 (6.5-6.0). Coming in at #4 once again was BEASLEY Classic Hits WRBQ (Q105) (5.9-5.8). COX MEDIA AC WWRM (MAGIC 94.9) ended a three-book slide as it stepped up to #5 (5.1-5.7). iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock WXTB (98 ROCK) fell from #5 to #10 with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER (5.7-3.9). It was tied with COX MEDIA N/T WHPT (102.5 THE BONE), which moved up a spot (3.5-3.9). WDUV was still in cume control with a 0.4% decline (655,100-652,200). The market was down 1.3%.
A flat WDUV was #1 25-54 for the third book in a row. WRBQ stepped up to #2 with a slight increase but was a share and a half off the pace. WWRM rose from #5 to #3 as it stopped a four-book slide. iHEARTMEDIA AC WMTX (MIX 100.7) leapt from #7 to #4 as it rebounded from a down book. WCIE remained at #5 with a slight increase, while WXTB dropped from #2 to #7 with its lowest score since NOVEMBER.
For the second book in a row WDUV was #1 and in double figures 18-34. WWRM went from #5 to #2 with its highest Frosty-free share in over a year. Tied for third place was WCIE, which was up from #4, and iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WFLZ (93.3 FLZ), which dipped from #2 with its least productive outing since DECEMBER. COX MEDIA Urban AC WTBV (101.5 THE VIBE) rose from #8 to #5 with its highest mark since SEPTEMBER. WRBQ stepped down to #6, while WXTB slid from #3 into a five-way tie at #7.
Despite a down book WDUV led the 18-49 pack for the third book in a row. WWRM went from #5 to #2 and narrowed the gap between the two stations to less than a share. WCIE was up to #3 with a slight increase, while WMTX advanced two spaces to #4 as it regained most of last month’s lost share. WFLZ slipped from #3 to #5, while WXTB went from #2 into a tie at #6 with WRBQ.
DENVER-BOULDER: Mountain High
For the third book in a row AUDACY Classic Rock KQMT (99.5 THE MOUNTAIN) stood tall over the 6+ landscape (7.1-6.8). BONNEVILLE AC KOSI (KOSI 101.1) was back at #2 but with its smallest share since MAY (7.0-6.5). iHEARTMEDIA AAA KBCO landed its largest share in over a year as it rose from a tie at #6 to #3 (4.2-5.5). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTCL (CHANNEL 93.3) also escaped the #6 pod as it landed at #4 with its best book since JUNE (4.2-5.2). It was paired with the stationary AUDACY Modern AC KALC (ALICE 105.9), which ended a two-book slide (4.9-5.2). KSE MEDIA VENTURES Classic Hits KXKL (KOOL 105) slipped to #6 (5.2-5.1), while BONNEVILLE Country KYGO moved down to #7 (4.8-5.0). KOSI still had the most cume despite a 2.0% decrease (506,600-496,400). The market grew by 0.7%.
KTCL was #1 25-54 for the fourth straight survey. It held a half share lead over KALC, which stepped up to #2 with a small share gain. KQMT dipped to #3 while KSE MEDIA VENTURES Sports KKSE (ALTITUDE SPORTS RADIO 92.5FM) was up two slots to #4 with its best showing in over a year. KOSI slipped to #5 and was tied with the motionless KXKL, which did post its best number in over a year.
KTCL vaulted from #8 to #1 18-34, more than doubling its previous number and landing in double-digit territory. KXKL moved up to #2, again with its best book in over a year, but trailed the leader by nearly three shares. KYGO moved from #5 to #3 with a strong increase, while ENTRAVISION Mexican Regional KXPK (LA TRICOLOR 96.5) slid from #1 to #4 as it gave back all of last month’s huge increase, plus a bit extra. Four stations were hanging out at #5. KOSI dropped from #2 with its lowest total in over a year, while COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO N/T KCFR remained in place as it halted a strong three-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KDHT (HITS 95.7) and KALC advanced together from a tie at #9. AUDACY Rhythmic CHR KQKS (KS 107.5) fell from #3 to #9, while KQMT dropped from #5 to #12. Both stations posted their lowest scores in over a year.
Last month KTCL fell from #1 to #7 18-49. The station recovered nicely this time as it moved back up to the top spot. KXKL rose from #5 to #2 with its third straight up book. KALC repeated at #3 and was paired with KKSE, which moved up a spot with its best performance in over a year. KQKS fell from #1 to #5, KOSI dropped from #2 to #6, and KXPK slipped from #5 to #7. All three stations had down books.
SAN DIEGO: The Sun Also Rises
It’s not often we can slip a HEMMINGWAY reference into the Roundup. AUDACY Classic Hits KXSN (SUNNY 98.1) moved back to #1 6+ just by showing up (7.4-7.4). SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY N/T KPBS repeated at #2 (7.6-7.3), while LOCAL MEDIA Rhythmic AC XHRM (MAGIC 92.5) went from first to third as it surrendered all of last month’s large share increase (7.9-6.7). AUDACY AC KYXY remained at #4 (6.0-6.0), and baseball was very, very good for AUDACY Sports KWFN (97.3 THE FAN) as it advanced from #12 to #5 with its best outing since OCTOBER (3.2-5.3). KXSN continued as the cume champ with a 3.4% increase (591,200-611,100). The market was up 1.3%.
KXSN bounced back from a down book to move back up to #1 25-54. KWFN vaulted from #9 to #2 with its highest score since AUGUST. XHRM went from first to third again as it returned most of last month’s increase. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KIOZ (ROCK 105.3) repeated at #4 with a slight increase, while KYXY stepped up to #5 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR KHTS (CHANNEL 93.3) slid three places to #8, while LOCAL MEDIA Alternative XTRA (91X) fell from #3 to #9.
KXSN and KYXY were back at #1 and #2, respectively 18-34 and remained a half share apart. XTRA inched up to #3 despite a down book, while two stations landed together at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMYI (STAR 94.1) moved up a spot while KWFN vaulted from #9 with its largest share since SEPTEMBER. XHRM fell from #2 to #6 as it ended a strong three-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic CHR KSSX (JAM’N 95.7) dropped from #5 to #10 and was partnered with AUDACY Alternative KBZT (ALT 94.9) and GROUPO IMAGEN Spanish Hot AC XLTN (RADIO LATINA 104.5FM).
Despite surrendering most of last month’s huge share increase, XHRM held steady atop the 18-49 leaderboard. KXSN was back at #2 with two stations nipping at its heels at #3. KIOZ held steady with a slight increase, while KYXY moved up from #6 as it rebounded from a down book. KWFN rose from #10 to #5. KHTS and XTRA went from a tie at #4 to #8 and #9, respectively.
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CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL: Pure Chaos
Book after book we see surprises, including unusual rises and falls, but we rarely see the type of upheaval as occurred in this survey. Two stations rose up to claim the 6+ crown. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits WLKO (102.9 THE LAKE) stepped up from #2 (7.9-6.5), while UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION N/T WFAE advanced from #4 (6.2-6.5). iHEARTMEDIA Country WKKT (96.9 THE KAT) clawed its way up to #3 with its highest mark in over a year (6.0-6.4), while two stations moved up to #4, each posting their best number in over a year. BEASLEY Pop CHR WNKS (KISS 95.1) was up from #6 (4.7-5.7), while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WRFX (99.7 THE FOX) rose from #9 (4.2-5.7). BEASLEY Urban Contemporary WPEG (POWER 98) slipped from #3 to #6 as it ended a strong five-book surge (7.4-5.4). BEASLEY Classic Hits WKQC (K104.7) snapped a two-book winning string as it dropped from #1 to #7 with its smallest share in over a year (8.1-5.3). WLKO added 13.0% to its #1 cume total (472,100-533,600). The market was down 0.6%.
iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WEND (106.5 THE END) leapt from #4 to #1 25-54 with its best outing in over a year. This ended WPEG’s two-book winning string, and six-book surge, as it dipped to #2. WLKO stepped down to #3 with a slight decrease. It was paired with URBAN ONE Urban Oldies WOSF (105.3 RnB), which advanced from #7 as it bounced back from a down book. WRFX vaulted from #12 to #5 with its highest score since AUGUST. It was tied with WKKT, which moved down a spot with a slight increase. WKQC dropped from #3 to #10.
WNKS rose from #3 to #1 18-34, while WRFX advanced from #5 to #2. Both stations landed in double figures. WPEG went from first to third as its double-digit streak ended at two. WLKO slipped to #4 as it gave back most of last month’s massive increase. It was paired with WOSF, which moved up from #9 as it regained most of last month’s massive share decrease. WKQC slipped to #6, while iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHQC (HITS 96.1) fell from #5 to #11 with its least productive outing since JUNE.
WNKS stepped up to #1 18-49 and was dangerously close to hitting double digits. WRFX vaulted from #8 to #2. Just two books ago it was languishing at #11. WPEG went from first to third, again, thus ending a five-book surge. WFAE repeated at #4 with a slight increase and was joined there by WEND, which moved up from #6. WHQC slipped from #4 to #7, while WLKO fell from #3 to #8. It was tied with WKQC and BEASLEY Urban AC WBAV (V 101.9).
NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND): This Just In…
…you can probably hear the teletype machine in the background. AUDACY News WINS (1010 WINS) was #1 6+ for the fourth straight survey (8.9-8.8). iHEARTMEDIA Pop CHR WHTZ (Z100) remained at #2 (6.9-6.2), while AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) leapt from #8 to #3 with its best book in over a year (3.8-5.5). AUDACY Sports WFAN (SPORTS RADIO 101.9FM/66AM) was back at #4 (5.6-5.4), while CONNOISSEUR Hot AC WALK (WALK FM) held steady at #5 (5.3-5.1). RED APPLE MEDIA N/T WABC-A fell from #3 to #8 with its lowest mark in over a year (6.1-4.4). WINS remained in cume control with a 5.7% decline (417,700-394,000). The market grew by 1.6%.
The top five 25-54 was unchanged from last survey. WHTZ was back at #1, while WALK came in at #2. Both stations had down books. COX MEDIA Pop CHR WBLI (106.1 BLI) repeated at #3 but with its best book in over a year. WNEW remained at #4 but with its seventh up book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) rounded out the top five again with a slight increase.
WBLI stepped up to #1 18-34 with its highest mark since OCTOBER. WINS stepped down to #2 with its first down book since DECEMBER. WALK remained at #3 as it halted a three-book slide. It was paired with two other stations. WNEW advanced from #10 with its best showing in over a year, while WLTW rose from #7 with its highest Frosty-free number in over a year. WHTZ and CONNOUSSEUR AC WKJY (K-JOY 98.3) went from a tie at #3 to #6 and #7, respectively.
WHTZ made it back-to-back 18-49 wins but with a down book. WNEW moved up to #2 and was now only a half share behind the leader. WALK dipped to #3 and was tied with WBLI, which moved up a slot as it bounced back from a down book. WINS stepped down to #5 but with a small share gain.
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