Nielsen begins its monthly release of PPM ratings with today’s Day 1 update including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston/Galveston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Long Island, Riverside/San Bernardino, San Jose, and Middlesex/Somerset/Union.
All the numbers can be found at RadioInsight.com/Ratings.
Also released today were the December monthly ratings for Jackson MS and Fall ratings for Cheyenne, Fort Collins/Greeley, Modesto, Morristown, Oxnard/Ventura, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria/Lompoc, South Bend, and Victor Valley.
New York
On the day it is celebrating its 40th birthday, iHeartMedia AC “106.7 Lite-FM” WLTW sets a station record with a 14.3 share up significantly from the 10.4 share Christmas music brought it in 2022 (and 11.3 in December monthly). Ratings Expert Chris Huff notes that it is also the highest share in the market by any station since 710 WOR in 1970.
iHeart Classic Rock “Q104.3” WAXQ was second down 6.7 to 5.9 month-to-month. MediaCo Adult R&B 107.5 WBLS was third up 4.5 to 4.7. iHeartMedia CHR “Z100” WHTZ (4.9 to 4.6) and SBS Spanish Tropical “Mega 97.9” WSKQ (up 4.2 to 4.6) tied for fourth.
EMF Christian AC “K-Love” WPLJ trends up 1.7 – 1.9 – 2.1.
Los Angeles
iHeartMedia AC 103.5 KOST drops from a 13.1 Holiday share in 2022 to 12.6 this year. With its Christmas music, Mount Wilson FM Broadcasting’s “Go Country 105” KKGO registers a 2.0 share down from 2.5 last year.
Audacy Classic Hits 101.1 KRTH rose from 5.1 in December to 5.8. iHeartMedia CHR 102.7 KIIS-FM holds at a 4.7 share. iHeart News/Talk 640 KFI is down 5.1 to 4.6, while sister Hot AC “104.3 My-FM” KBIG dips 4.7 to 4.5.
Meruelo Media has unsubscribed from Nielsen with Classic Hip Hop 93.5 KDAY, Spanish Hot AC “Cali 93.9” KLLI, Rock 95.5 KLOS, and Hip Hop “Power 106” KPWR disappearing from the public numbers.
Chicago
iHeartMedia also sets a new record in Chicago as Soft AC “93.9 Lite-FM” WLIT rises to a 16.0 share up from its previous Holiday monthly highmark of 14.8 last year. Huff notes it is also the largest share in the market since 720 WGN in 1971.
iHeart Adult R&B “V103” WVAZ is up 5.5 to 6.1. Hubbard Classic Rock “97.1 The Drive” WDRV dips 5.8 to 5.7. Audacy News 780 WBBN/105.9 WCFS is off 5.2 to 4.9. Univision Regional Mexican “Que Buena 105.1” WOJO dips 4.5 to 4.0.
San Francisco
Bonneville AC 96.5 KOIT is down year-to-year with a 14.1 share (down from 15.5 in 2022).
Public News/Talk 88.5 KQED rises 6.6 to 6.9. Audacy News 740 KCBS/106.9 KFRC drops 6.4 to 4.7. Bonneville CHR “99.7 Now” KMVQ falls 5.7 to 4.7. iHeartMedia Hip Hop 106.1 KMEL rises 3.7 to 3.9.
Univision Regional Mexican “Que Buena 98.9/99.1” KSOL/KSQL trends up 1.5 – 1.8 – 2.0. Audacy Classic Hip Hop “102 Jams” KRBQ rises 1.3 – 1.4 – 1.6.
Dallas/Fort Worth
Both Christmas stations in Dallas rise from 2022. iHeartMedia AC “Star 102.1” KDGE is up from 9.1 last year to 10.3. Salem Christian AC 94.9 KLTY placed second overall up from a 3.2 in 2022 to a 4.6 share. In 2022, a third station went all-Christmas with Classical 101.1 WRR getting a 3.2 share with commercial-free Classical Christmas music.
Three stations tied for third at a 4.2 share. Service Broadcasting Adult R&B 105.7 KRNB is up 3.5 to 4.2. Cumulus Sports “The Ticket” 1310 KTCK/96.7 KTCK-FM drops 5.2 to 4.2. Audacy Classic Hits “98.7 The Spot” slips 4.7 to 4.2.
iHeartMedia Hot AC “Mix 102.9” KDMX rises 2.7 to 3.1, but sister CHR “106.1 Kiss-FM” KHKS-FM is down 3.9 to 3.0 to set the lowest share for the frequency since Fall 1992, which Huff notes was when they flipped mid-way through from Smooth Jazz.
Hope Media Group Christian AC “Way-FM” 89.7 KAWA rises 1.4 to 2.4. Radio One Hip Hop “97.9 The Beat” KBFB rises 1.5 to 2.4.
In its final monthly, Cumulus 90s/2000s Hits “Hot 93.3” KLIF-FM holds at a 0.8 share.
Houston/Galveston
iHeartMedia AC “Sunny 99.1” KODA is down a full share to a 13.7 from its 2022 mark of 14.7. Hope Media Group Christian AC 89.3 KSBJ rises from a 5.8 in 2022 to a 6.5 share in Holiday 2023.
Radio One Classic Rock “107.5/106.9 The Eagle” KGLK/KHPT ties for second with KSBJ rising 6.1 to 6.5. Audacy Variety Hits “95.7 The Spot” KKHH is up 5.0 to 5.5. Radio One Adult R&B “Majic 102.1” KMJQ dips 5.8 to 5.4.
Audacy Country “100.3 The Bull” KILT-FM jumps up 3.5 to 4.5. Radio One Country “93Q” KKBQ moves down 4.9 to 4.2.
Univision Spanish CHR “104.9 Latino Mix” KAMA trends up 2.7 – 2.9 – 3.4.
Atlanta
Salem Christian AC “104.7 The Fish” WFSH-FM is the third station that Huff notes set a station record as it moves into double-digits with a 10.5 share rising from an 8.1 last year. Radio Training Network’s “The Joy-FM” WVFJ-FM had a 2.8 with Christmas music in 2022, but after its tower was destroyed in a January tornado, it only had a 1.4 share in 2023.
Cox News/Talk 750 WSB/95.5 WSBB is down 8.3 to 7.4, while sister Classic Rock “97.1 The River” WSRV falls 8.2 to 6.9. Radio One Adult R&B “Majic 107.5/97.5” WAMJ/WUMJ is up 6.3 to 6.7. Cox AC “B98.5” WSB-FM was up 4.7 to 6.0 playing just a few Christmas songs per-hour.
Audacy Sports “92.9 The Game” WZGC is up 2.8 to 3.5.
Philadelphia
Audacy AC “B101” WBEB matches the 16.8 share it had in 2022.
iHeartMedia Adult R&B 105.3 WDAS-FM is down 9.4 to 8.6. Beasley Classic Rock 102.9 WMGK dips 7.9 to 6.5. Audacy Sports 94.1 WIP (6.6 to 5.7 with additional 1.5 on stream) and Beasley Rock 93.3 WMMR (6.1 to 5.7) tie for fourth.
Audacy Hot AC “New 96.5” WTDY-FM gains 2.2 to 2.7. Radio One R&B Oldies “Classix 107.9” WPPZ gains 2.1 to 2.6.
Nassau/Suffolk
Both Christmas stations tie with a 9.2 share atop Long Island. Connoisseur Media Hot AC 97.5 WALK-FM is down from its 10.7 last year, while iHeartMedia’s “106.7 Lite-FM” WLTW is up significantly from a 6.7.
Cox Classic Rock 102.3 WBAB/95.3 WHFM drops 6.6 to 5.2. Connoissuer Media Soft AC “98.3 K-Joy” WKJY is up 4.5 to 4.6. iHeartMedia CHR “Z100” WHTZ dips 4.8 to 4.4.
Riverside/San Bernardino
With iHeartMedia’s 103.5 KOST not appearing in the public numbers the Christmas music leader in the Inland Empire is hidden. Anaheim Broadcasting Classic Hits 99.9 KOLA-FM leads down 9.9 to 8.9. Audacy Country “95.1 K-Frog” KFRG is down 5.6 to 4.6. Entravision Spanish Adult Hits “Jose 97.5” KLYY dips 4.7 to 4.5. Good News Radio Christian AC 89.7 KSGN rises 3.3 to 4.0. iHeartMedia Rhythmic CHR 99.1 KGGI is up 2.9 to 3.3.
Anaheim Broadcasting Rock 96.7 KCAL-FM trends up 1.6 – 1.9 – 2.4.
San Jose
Bonneville AC 96.5 KOIT registered a 15.5 share down significantly from its massive 22.7 share in 2022.
Public News/Talk 88.5 KQED-FM is down 6.7 to 6.2. Bonneville CHR “99.7 Now” KMVQ drops 6.3 to 5.2. Bonneville Classic Rock “98.5 K-Fox” KUFX holds at a 4.7 share. Alpha Media Hot AC “Mix 106.5″ KEZR drops 4.9 to 4.0.
Univision Regional Mexican “Que Buena 98.9/99.1” KSOL/KSQL gains 2.6 to 3.2. SBS Regional Mexican “La Raza 93.3” KRZZ trends up 1.6 – 1.9 – 2.2.
Middlesex/Somerset/Union
iHeartMedia AC “106.7 Lite-FM” WLTW pulls a three-market sweep with its 11.5 share leading in Central New Jersey and up from a 11.2 share last year. Beasley AC “Magic 98.3” WMGQ registers a 9.7 share down from its Christmas music 10.9 last year. Pillar Media Christian AC “Star 99.1” WAWZ continues to trend down year-to-year 5.2 – 2.3 – 2.2 this year.
iHeartMedia Classic Rock “Q104.3” WAXQ is down 7.2 to 6.1. Townsquare Media Talk/Classic Hits “New Jersey 101.5” WKXW rises 5.2 to 5.7. SBS Spanish Tropical “Mega 97.9” WSKQ is up 4.7 to 5.2, while its stream jumps up 0.8 – 1.7 – 1.9.
Press Communications Country “Thunder 106” WKMK rises 1.3 to 1.8. iHeartMedia Conservative Talk 710 WOR trends up 0.6 – 1.1 – 1.6.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com