December 2021 (11/11 – 12/8) Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings Day 2: KMOX, KUBE & KQKS Set New Record Lows

Nielsen Audio has released Day 2 of its monthly four day sweep of ratings in PPM markets.

Today’s releases include Washington DC, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis.

All the numbers can be found at RadioInsight.com/Ratings.


Today’s Christmas music surges are led by the explosion at WNIC Detroit, whose 16.8 share surpassed even the 16.6 it registered in the 2020 Holiday monthly.

  • iHeartMedia AC 97.1 WASH Washington 7.2 to 11.3 (#1 overall). WASH also rises 1.2 to 3.1 in Baltimore.
  • Audacy AC “Magic 106.7” WMJX Boston 5.0 to 7.9 (#2)
  • Audacy AC “101.5 Lite-FM” WLYF Miami 5.8 to 6.2 (#3)
  • Hubbard AC “Warm 106.9” KRWM Seattle 5.0 to 7.9 (#1)
  • Audacy Soft AC “94.1 The Sound” KSWD Seattle 4.7 to 3.9 (#11 and rare drop)
  • Lotus Hot AC “Star 101.5” KPLZ Seattle 2.7 to 3.1 (#15)
  • iHeartMedia AC 100.3 WNIC Detroit 7.0 to 16.8 (#1)
  • iHeartMedia AC “99.9 KEZ” KESZ Phoenix 6.7 to 12.9 (#1)
  • iHeartMedia Classic Hits “Kool 108” KQQL Minneapolis 6.7 to 10.5 (#1)
  • Audacy AC 96.5 KYXY San Diego 3.7 to 5.7 (#3)
  • Cox Media Group Soft AC 105.5 WDUV Tampa 7.5 to 8.5 (#1)
  • iHeartMedia AC “Mix 100.7” WMTX Tampa 3.7 to 5.4 (#3)
  • Bonneville AC 101.1 KOSI Denver 5.2 to 7.7 (#1)
  • Audacy AC “Today’s 101.9” WLIF Baltimore 6.5 to 12.3 (#1)
  • Audacy AC 102.5 KEZK St. Louis 6.4 to 12.5 (#1)

iHeartMedia Classic Rock “Big 100” WBIG-FM Washington DC grows 3.6 – 3.8 – 4.2 following the addition of Don Geronimo as morning host. Radio One Hip Hop 93.9 WKYS rises 2.6 to 3.4.

Beasley Sports “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM Boston retains its market lead over WMJX with a 8.7 to 8.5 dip. Beasley Rhythmic Hot AC “Hot 96.9” WBQT surges up 2.9 – 3.1 – 3.8.

In a market where no station goes all-Christmas, Cox Adult R&B “Hot 105” WHQT remains on top in Miami steady at a 9.3 share. Audacy Classic Hits “102.7 The Beach” WMXJ trends up 3.5 – 3.8 – 4.2, but sister Alternative “104.3 The Shark” WSFS ties its record low falling 1.4 to 1.0.

After setting record highs earlier this year, AAA 90.3 KEXP Seattle rebounds 2.4 – 3.4 – 4.4. iHeartMedia Variety Hits “96.5 Jack-FM” KJAQ trends up 2.4 – 2.7 – 3.4.

Moving the opposite direction, iHeartMedia Rhythmic CHR 93.3 KUBE Seattle slips 1.6 – 1.4 – 1.3 for what Ratings Expert Chris Huff notes is the lowest share on the 93.3 signal in Seattle since then-Christian KBLE no-showed in Fall 1980.

Audacy Country “102.9 The Wolf” KMNB Minneapolis surges up 1.6 – 2.4 – 3.0, while iHeartMedia’s competing “K102” KEEY slips 5.5 – 5.0 – 4.5.

Two stations set record highs this month in Phoenix. Public News/Talk 91.5 KJZZ rose 4.6 to 4.8 to place third in the market. Desert Valley Media’s “95.1/94.9 The Wow Factor” KOAI moves up to fifth with a 3.9 to 4.2 gain. Sierra H Broadcasting Classic Hip Hop “101 The Bounce” KZCE trends up 1.9 – 2.3 – 2.5.

Trending up in Tampa are iHeartMedia Hip Hop “95.7 The Beat” WBTP (2.3 – 2.6 – 3.7) and Beasley Classic Rock “98.7 The Shark” WPBB (2.1 – 2.8 – 3.0).

Another Rhythmic CHR setting a record low is Audacy’s “KS 107.5” KQKS Denver as it falls to a 1.5 share. Huff notes that is the lowest mark for 107.5 in Denver since Spring 1978 and for the “KS” brand since its first survey with that brand on 104.3 as an AC in Summer 1984.

Jazz 88.9 WEAA Baltimore surges up 1.8 to 4.4 to place fifth in the market with what Ratings Expert Chris Huff notes is a record high for the station.

Audacy News/Talk 1120 KMOX St. Louis plummets 5.8 – 3.8 – 3.0 to set a record low share for the station for the second straight month. Freeform 88.1 KDHX jumps up 0.6 to 2.0 for a station record high.