Research Director, Inc.: Exclusive May PPM Analysis For Detroit, Miami, Seattle, Phoenix, Minneapolis

Markets #11-#15

As you prepare for the end of the school year and summer vacation season, let’s take one more look longingly back to the MAY survey. A time spanning 4/26 through 5/23. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., along with our partners in divination from XTRENDS, prepare to relive those halcyon days.

DETROIT: Classics Rock

The radio version of the old(er) folks boogie continued to lead the 6+ brigade though there was a change in leadership. BEASLEY Classic Rock WCSX moved up to #1 with its fifth up book in a row (7.6-7.9), as well as its best book in over a year. ENTERCOM Classic Hits WOMC slid back to second place with its first down book since it was playing BURL IVES in heavy rotation (7.9-7.1). ENTERCOM News WWJ-A stepped up to #3 (5.7-5.8) while BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF posted its best share in over a year (4.7-5.5) to advance five squares to #4. ENTERCOM Sports WXYT-F (THE TICKET) remained tied at #5 (5.4-5.3) but with a new partner. That would be iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC, which slid from #3 with its lowest score in over a year (5.9-5.3). CUMULUS Hot AC WDVD dropped from that tie at #5 to #9 with its lowest mark since JANUARY (5.4-4.9).

The top-five 25-54 stations were unchanged from last month as rock music continued to be the coin of the realm for this demo. WCSX was #1 for the second straight survey and again had its best book in over a year. Its younger cluster bro – WRIF – was very close behind at #2 after landing its largest share since NOVEMBER. WDVD was off a bit but held on as a distant #3. WXYT-F returned in fourth place with a slight decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX) was also off slightly as it finished fifth for the third book in a row. BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WMGC (THE BOUNCE) ended a four-book slide to jump four places to #6.

There was a changing of the guard 18-34 as the two rock stations switched positions. WRIF returned to the top spot as it regained some of last month’s share loss. WCSX slipped back to #2 as it ended a three-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKQI (CHANNEL 955) remained at #3 but with its lowest share since JANUARY and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Urban WJLB, which took one step forward despite ending a two-book surge. ENTERCOM Country WYCD was off slightly but remained in fifth place. WGPR INC. Urban AC WGPR (HOT) moved up to #6 with its highest score since DECEMBER. WMGC took three steps upward to #7 as it bounced back – ahem – from last month’s big loss.

Once again, WRIF and WCSX swapped spots. This time it was 18-49 and WRIF moved back up thanks to its highest share since NOVEMBER. WCSX was flat as it slid back to #2. WMGC rebounded from last month’s big decrease to jump three places back up to #3. WKQI remained at #4 with a slight decrease and was joined by WDVD, which slipped from #3 as it ended a four-book surge. WXYT-F stepped back to #6 with a slight decrease.

MIAMI-FT.LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: Hot Stuff

The top-five 6+ stations remained the same as before with one small alteration in their order. COX RADIO Urban AC WHQT (HOT) moved back to #1 thanks to its best book since OCTOBER (7.2-7.5). COX RADIO AC WFEZ (EASY) slid back to #2 (7.3-7.3) while its chief rival – ENTERCOM AC WLYF (LITE) – fell a bit farther off the pace at #3 (6.7-6.4). SBS Tropical WCMQ (Z92.3) returned at #4 (6.1-6.1) while UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR) repeated at #5 (5.0-5.1). 

Though WHQT was flat 25-54, it continued to dominate the 25-54 space and posted its fourth straight win. WLYF was off slightly but managed to move up to #2. WFEZ moved up two slots to #3 with a small increase and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WZTU (TU 94.9), which had a slight increase and moved up one spot. COX RADIO Urban WEDR (99JAMZ) stepped up to #5 with a slight increase and was joined by SBS Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL), which dropped from #2 with a rather large share loss.

There was a lot of motion in the 18-34 ranks but one thing remained a constant – WEDR was still the dominant force despite a slight decrease. WFEZ ended a dismal two-book slide to jump seven spaces to #2 but was still two shares off the lead. WZTU moved up a couple of places to #3 with a slight increase while WHQT slipped back to #4 as it ended a two-book surge. COX RADIO Top 40/M WFLC (HITS) regained most of what it lost last month to move up to #5. WLYF lost most of what it gained last survey to slide back to #6 and into a tie with ENTERCOM Top 40/Rhythmic WPOW(POWER), which ended a two-book slide. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WMIB (THE BEAT) fell six places to #8 with its lowest share in over a year. UNIVISION Tropical WRTO (MIX) fell four slots to #9 as it returned all of last month’s big increase. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WMIA, which moved up from #19 as it more than doubled its previous share.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new 18-49 leader. WZTU moved up to the top from #3 thanks to a slight increase. It barely edged out WEDR, which was flat and stable at #2. WLYF took a step forward to #3 with a small decrease and was tied with WFEZ, which moved up from #6 with a solid increase. WHQT was flat and happy at #5 while WXDJ dropped from #1 to #6 with its lowest share of the year.

SEATTLE-TACOMA: Rock On Top

The sound of choice for all those 6+ had a harder edge this month as ENTERCOM Active Rock KISW assumed control of the demo thanks to its highest share in over a year (5.8-6.2). This pushed UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW back to #2 as it posted its lowest mark since JULY (6.5-6.0). HUBBARD Top 40/M KQMV (MOVIN) moved up to #3 as it ended a two-book slide (5.6-5.9). BONNEVILLE Talk KIRO-F inched up to #4 with its best number since NOVEMBER (5.5-5.8) while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZOK dropped back to #5 as it ended a five-book upswing (5.7-5.4). The MARINERS were very, very good for BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A as it scored its highest total in over a year to move up five places to #8 (3.6-4.1).

KISW was flat but still managed to dominate 25-54 as it logged its fifth win in a row. KQMV was up slightly at #2 but remained more than a share and a half off the lead. KIRO-F moved up four slots to #3 with its best book in over a year while ENTERCOM Alternative KNDD (THE END) slipped back to #4 with its lowest mark since DECEMBER. KZOK and ENTERCOM Rhythmic AC KHTP (HOT) were both tied at #8 last month but moved up this time. KZOK moved to #5 with its highest total in over a year while HOT ended up at #6 by accomplishing the same feat. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KJAQ (JACK) slipped to #7 with a small decrease. The two stations previously tied at #4 remained an item but fell to #8. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJR-F (THE JET) and KUOW both had modest decreases.

Speaking of the ties that bind, last month KISW and KQMV were the 18-34 co-leaders. This time KISW wrested control of the demo despite a small loss as KQMV slipped to #2 with a slightly bigger decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KPWK – which changed its calls to KUBE during the survey – had a huge increase, which drove it from #8 to #3. It was tied with HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM), which took one step upward with its best Frosty-free month since JULY. KNDD slipped back to #5 with its lowest total since JULY and was paired with KHTP, which dropped from a tie at #4 despite a small increase. KZOK moved up to #7 with its fifth straight up book.

KISW completed the demo sweep by posting its best 18-49 number in over a year. KQMV was up slightly but remained well off the pace at #2 while KNDD repeated at #3 but with its lowest share since DECEMBER. KHTP moved up to #4 with its third up book in a row while KIRO-F advanced two spaces to #5 with its highest score in over a year. Three stations were knotted together at #6. KJR-F was there last time and was off a bit while KZOK moved up from a tie at #13 with its best outing since SEPTEMBER. KPWK/KUBE moved in from #12 with its highest share in over a year. KJAQ fell from #4 to #9 with its lowest mark in over a year.

PHOENIX: The Big Easy

That iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (KEZ 99.9) is usually #1 6+ is man-bites-dog stuff. However, this time the station posted a number that was reindeer games worthy (7.3-9.0) to open up a nearly three-share lead over the rest of the market. HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX remained #2 as it has been up or flat every book this year (6.1-6.2). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KZZP (KISS) moved up to #3 with its best book in over a year (5.4-6.0). Since Santa was in town and the station was tied at #15, it has doubled its share. iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX was pushed back to #4 (5.6-5.6) while two stations were locked in arms at #5. HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD made a return engagement (4.9-4.8) while ENTERCOM Classic Hits KOOL moved up from #9 with its best outing since NOVEMBER (3.8-4.8).

KZZP continued its hot streak with the 25-54 crowd. Since reaching its nadir during the HOLIDAY book, the station has increased its share every survey. It was #1 for the second book in a row and landed its largest share in over a year. KSLX moved up to #2 with its best showing since NOVEMBER, which pushed cluster bro KUPD back to #3 as it was off slightly. KESZ moved up to #4 with its best Frosty-free share since AUGUST. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX) slipped to #5 with a slight decrease. KNIX stepped back to #6 despite landing its largest share in over a year. KOOL made the move of the month by jumping from #16 to a tie at #8 with its highest number since NOVEMBER.

The resurrection of KZZP continued 18-34 as the station moved up to #1 with – yup – its highest share in over a year. The station has doubled its share in this demo since the HOLIDAY book. KUPD dropped back to #2 despite posting its best score since SEPTEMBER. KESZ moved up to #3 with its best jingle-free share since OCTOBER. ENTERCOM Top 40/M KALV (LIVE 101.5) remained at #4 despite scoring its largest number since DECEMBER. KSLX dropped back to #5 with a slight decrease and was tied with RIVIERA Hot AC KMVA (HOT), which moved up from #7 with its best book in over a year. Both Country stations had good books. ENTERCOM Country KMLE was up to #7 and was tied with KNIX, which moved up from a tie at #10. KMLE had its largest share since JUNE and KNIX had its largest share in over a year. HUBBARD Alternative KDKB (ALT-AZ 93.3) fell from #3 to #9 with its fifth down book in a row.

The 18-49 race was as close as was mathematically possible. KUPD was flat to remain #1 but #2 KZZP again had its best book in over a year to make the gap between the two a rounding error. KESZ was up to #3 with its best book in over a year not aided by BURL IVES records. KMXP slipped back to #4 with a flat performance and was tied with KSLX, which moved up from a tie at #6 with its best showing since DECEMBER. FARMWORKER Regional Mexican KNAI-A (CAMPESINA) dropped to a tie at #9 with its lowest share since the HOLIDAY book.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL: Getting Closer

Last survey, HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) beat iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL) in the 6+ race by almost two shares. Though the stations retained their respective positions, the gap narrowed considerably. KSTP had its lowest share since JANUARY (8.6-7.9) while KQQL had its highest Frosty-free number in over a year (6.7-7.7). Not far behind those two was iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KDWB, which remained at #3 but with its best book since JULY (6.0-7.3). CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) held steady at #4 (5.9-5.8). Its older cluster bro CUMULUS Classic Rock KQRS remained at #5 with its third straight down book (5.8-5.7) and was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Country KEEY (K102), which moved up from a tie at #8 with its fifth up book in a row (5.4-5.7).

KSTP was not able to duplicate last month’s double-digit 25-54 share but was strong enough to capture the demo for the fifth straight survey. KXXR remained a share behind at #2 while KDWB held steady at #3 with its best showing since DECEMBER. KQQL strengthened its grip on the #4 position with its fourth straight up book. ENTERCOM Adult Hits KZJK (JACK) moved up to #5 with a small increase while KQRS moved up to #6 as it ended a two-book slide. iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (K-FAN) dropped to #7 with its least productive outing since JUNE.

For the third straight survey, both KXXR and KDWB surpassed the double-digit barrier 18-34. 93X won the demo for the fifth book in a row and led #2 KDWB by about three shares. Two stations were over three shares behind the leaders at #3. KFXN again had its lowest share since JUNE while KSTP was down for the second book in a row. KZJK moved up to #5 as it got back about half of what it lost last month. KEEY inched up to #6 with a slight increase while KQRS took two steps forward to #7 with its highest share in over a year. KQQL ended a three-book surge and dropped to #8.

KXXR cracked double digits 18-49 for the third straight survey to move back to the top spot. KSTP was unable to duplicate last month’s double-digit feat and dropped back to #2. It was just ahead of #3 KDWB, which posted its largest share since NOVEMBER. KQQL was up to #4 with a flat performance, which pushed KFXN back to #5 as it had its lowest number since AUGUST.

Thank you for spending a few minutes with us. For us this is a labor of love. Hopefully, you enjoy it as well. We’ll see you and be seen next month.

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