Research Director Inc., Exclusive August 2021 PPM Analysis For New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas

August 21

AUGUST. That month where everyone says: “Can you believe it’s AUGUST already?” However, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the math mavens from XTRENDS – have a slightly different take. Can you believe this is the eighth book of the year already? Only five more to go! This one commenced on JULY 22^nd and concluded on AUGUST 18^th. So, it was mostly AUGUST. This one was devoid of any federally mandated three-day weekends but ran roughshod through vacation season. Let’s see how it played out. 

NEW YORK: Lite Is Lit

Last month the radio ratings world was torn asunder as iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) was not perched atop the 6+ leaderboard for the first time in nine books. You’ll be happy to know that equilibrium was restored as the station was back at #1 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year (6.6-7.4). MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS vacated the lead as it stepped down to #2 with its first down book since MARCH (6.9-6.3). SBS Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) repeated at #3 (5.4-5.1), while AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS moved up to #4 as it ended a three-book slide (4.7-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHTZ (Z100) was up two slots to #5 (4.4-4.6). SBS Spanish Contemporary WPAT (93.1 AMOR) slipped two places to #6 (4.9-4.3) and was tied with AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) (4.4-4.3). WLTW continued as the cume leader with a 3.3% increase (3,193,000-3,296,800). The market grew by 0.7%.

Though WLTW returned all of last month’s small increase 25-54, the station had enough left in the tank to remain at #1 for the twelfth straight survey. WSKQ stepped up to #2 with a slight loss and trailed the leader by a share. WBLS ended a four-book surge as it dipped to #3. Two stations moved up and into a relationship at #4. WNEW had its best book in over a year as it advanced from #7, while WHTZ moved up from a tie at #5 with a slight gain. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic AC WKTU went from a tie at #5 to #6 as it halted a three-book surge. WPAT fell four places to #8.

WLTW and WSKQ remained #1 and #2, respectively, 18-34. Both stations had down books and the gap between the two shrank to the smallest possible margin. WPAT leapt three places to #3 with its fourth straight up book and highest share in over a year. WHTZ repeated at #4 with a slight loss, while WNEW moved up to #5 with its fifth up book in a row. MEDIACO Top 40/R WQHT (HOT 97) slipped to #6 with a small loss, while WKTU dropped from #3 to #8.

Though WLTW had its first down 18-49 book since APRIL, the station remained #1 for the tenth consecutive survey. It led #2 WSKQ by a share as that station suffered a small decrease. WPAT remained tied at #3 with a slight increase but with (literally) a new partner. WNEW advanced from #6 with another large share increase. WHTZ went from being tied at #3 to #5 all while being flat. WKTU dipped to #6 with its first down book since MARCH. It was mere paces ahead of iHEARTMEDIA Urban WWPR (POWER 105.1), which moved up from #10 with its highest mark in exactly a year.

LOS ANGELES: The Ties That Bind

For the seventh book in a row AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101 FM) was the leading 6+ station (5.9-5.3). However, this time it had company as iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST moved up to forge the tie with its best outing since MARCH (4.8-5.3). UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5) moved from a share of second place to third place as it ended a three-book surge (4.8-4.7). AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) had its best book since JANUARY (4.3-4.6) to remain #4, while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MY FM) posted its largest share since SEPTEMBER to break out of a tie at #6 and claw its way up to #5 (4.0-4.4). SBS Regional Mexican KLAX (97.9 LA RAZA) slipped from #5 (4.1-4.1) into a tie at #7 with iHEARTMEDIA Talk KFI-A (4.0-4.1). KOST was back as the leading cume station with a 7.6% increase (2,253,800-2,424,200). The market was up by 0.6%.

KLVE captured the 25-54 flag for the third straight survey but things were compressed as the top four stations were separated by a half share. KOST moved from a tie at #6 to a very close #2 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. KLAX repeated at #3 with a slight loss, while KRTH dropped to #4 as it ended a strong two-book run. KBIG moved up to #5 with its best showing since some kid was wishing for dental work. AUDACY Adult Hits KCBS (93.1 JACK FM) slid to #6, while iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KIIS (102.7 KIIS FM) fell to #7 and was tied with ENTRAVISION Spanish Adult Hits KLYY (JOSÉ FM 97.5).

As recently as MAY, KLAX was sitting in a tie at #9 18-34. The station has been on a roll since and moved up to the top spot this survey with its best performance in over a year. This ended the six-book winning streak for iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7), which dipped to #2. KIIS repeated at #3 with a small loss. KRTH was up slightly to remain in a tie at #4 though it had a new dancing partner. KLYY advanced from #11 with its best outing in over a year. Just two books ago the station was in a tie at #16. KLVE dropped from one tie and into another. It fell from #4 as it returned all of last month’s large share increase and was commiserating with AUDACY Alternative KROQ.

KLVE ended a strong five-book surge 18-49 but remained in first place for the fourth straight survey. It was a half share in front of KLAX, which remained at #2 with a slight loss. KRTH repeated at #3 with a small loss, while KIIS was back at #4 with a slight gain. KBIG stepped up to #5 with a slight increase, while KCBS dipped into a tie at #6 with KOST.

CHICAGO: The Flying V

After having its four-book 6+ winning streak snapped last month, iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) was back on top this month (5.8-6.3). This pushed AUDACY News WBBM-A back to #2 as it reported its lowest number in over a year (6.7-5.7). iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) stood alone at #3 (5.2-5.4), while CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS had its best book in over a year (4.1-4.5) as it moved up two places to #4. HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (THE DRIVE 97.1) had its smallest share since FEBRUARY (5.2-4.3) as it slipped from a tie at #3 to #5. UNIVISION Regional Mexican WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1) dipped to #6 (4.4-4.2). WLIT continued to have the most cume (1,233,400-1,313,800) – an increase of 6.5%. The market rose by 0.6%.

WOJO bounced back from a down 25-54 book to capture its seventh straight demo victory. WLIT stepped up to #2 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year but still trailed the leader by better than a share. WVAZ broke out of a tie at #5 and moved up to #3 as it regained almost all of last month’s large share loss. WLS again had its best outing in over a year as it repeated at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) was up three slots to #5 with its best showing since MARCH. HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) was flat but moved from a tie at #5 to #6. It was just ahead of WBEZ ALLIANCE N/T WBEZ, which advanced from a tie at #12 to #7. WDRV fell from #2 to #8.

Back in MAY, WOJO was in a tie at #10 18-34. It has significantly improved its lot since then and landed at #1 this survey with its highest mark since OCTOBER. WVAZ was up two places to #2 with a solid increase and was about a half share off the lead. WDRV had popped up to #1 last survey but dipped to #3 this time despite a slight increase. AUDACY Rhythmic AC WBMX (104.3 JAMS) fell from a tie at #2 to #4 despite landing its largest share in over a year. Three stations were not far behind at #5. WKSC remained in place with a small gain, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban WGCI stepped up from a tie at #8 as it regained most of last month’s large share loss. WLIT made the leap o’ the month as it moved up from #15 with a huge increase.

For the third book in a row and the sixth time in the last seven surveys, WOJO was #1 18-49. WVAZ ended a steep two-book slide as it inched up to #2 but was almost two shares off the lead. WLS moved from a tie at #4 to #3. As recently as MAY, it was sitting in a tie at #20. WLIT was close behind as it advanced from #11 to #4 with its best Frosty-free share in exactly a year. WDRV dropped from #2 to #11, while UNIVISION Spanish AC WPPN (AMOR 106.7 FM) fell from a tie at #4 to #12.

SAN FRANCISCO: Quod Erat Demonstrandum, K?

KQED INC N/T KQED posted its lowest 6+ share in over a year (7.9-7.6). As a matter of fact, this was only the third time in the last fourteen surveys the station was below an eight share. No problem as it was #1 for the eighth book in a row. CUMULUS Sports KNBR-A got back most of last month’s big share loss as it returned to the #2 slot (5.1-6.0). AUDACY News KCBS-A dipped to #3 with its smallest share in over a year (6.0-5.7). iHEARTMEDIA AC KISQ (98.1 THE BREEZE) remained the leading music station and landed its largest share since DECEMBER (4.7-4.9). BONNEVILLE AC KOIT repeated at #5 (3.9-4.0). It also remained the cume leader (1,111,000-1,071,700) – a 3.5% decline. The market was up by 0.7%.

The previous 25-54 order was completely rearranged. KOIT was off slightly but moved up two places to #1 for the first time since it was giving BURL IVES some spins. KQED stepped down to #2 with its seventh straight down book. It was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KYLD (WILD 94.9), which moved up from a tie at #4 with its best book in over a year. AUDACY Hot AC KLLC (ALICE @ 97.3) stood alone at #4 with a slight increase. BONNEVILLE Top 40/M KMVQ (99.7 NOW) posted its lowest score in over a year as it slid to #5. It was joined there by KISQ, which advanced from #10 with its best performance since NOVEMBER.

For the second book in a row, KYLD was #1 18-34. The station had a slight increase but was forced to share the spotlight with cluster mate iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R KMEL. It moved up from #2 with its highest mark since JANUARY. This duo was better than a share in front of KISQ, which repeated at #3 with a slight loss. CUMULUS Classic Rock KSAN (107.7 THE BONE) moved up to #4 with its third consecutive up book. KQED dipped to #5 and was just ahead of a pair of stations at #6 – KMVQ and iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR 101.3).

Here's the 18-49 progression for KYLD over the last three books: #8 to #3 to #1. The station also landed its largest share in over a year. KQED remained at #2 but with its lowest mark in over a year. It was better than a half share behind KYLD. KMEL and KISQ were tied at #4 last month. Both stations had slight increases and remained an item but at the higher elevation of #3. KNBR-A was experiencing GIANTS fever as it rose from a tie at #9 to #5 thanks to its best offensive output in over a year. It did have a partner as KMVQ dropped from #1 with its lowest total in over a year.

DALLAS-FT.WORTH: Kiss Returns

For the longest time this market had a recurring theme. One station continued to dominate all the demos we cover. However, for the last year this has not been the case. But, like a MARVEL superhero iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) returned to prominence 6+. The station leapt from a tie at #4 to #1 for the first time in exactly a year (4.3-5.2). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZPS (LONESTAR 92.5) stepped up to #2 (4.6-4.7). AUDACY Classic Hits KLUV (98.7 K-LUV) saw its three-book winning streak come to an end as it slid to #3 (5.1-4.6). Both country stations moved up the chart. CUMULUS Country KSCS went from #6 to #4 as it rebounded from a down book (4.1-4.4). CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF) went from #7 to #5 (4.0-4.1). There were two departures from the top five. AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM) slid from #2 to #6 with its lowest mark since FEBRUARY (4.7-4.0). It was tied with CUMULUS Talk WBAP-A, which moved up from a tie at #9 (3.7-4.0). iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) fell from a tie at #4 to #8 with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (4.3-3.8). It was joined in that space by UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1), which rose from a tie at #9 (3.7-3.8). After a three-book hiatus, KHKS was back as the cume leader (1,026,700-1,128,600) – a 9.9% increase. The market grew by 1.2%.

KHKS had its best 25-54 book since SEPTEMBER. . It moved up from #3 this survey and ended KJKK’s seven-book winning streak in the process. KJKK dipped to #2 and went from leading KHKS by a share to trailing by about a share. Two stations ran headlong into each other at #3. KLUV slipped from #2 as it ended a five-book surge. KZPS stepped up from #4 despite a slight decrease. Three stations were bound together at #5. SERVICE Urban KKDA (K104) remained in place with a flat performance. KSCS inched up from #6, while KLNO advanced from #7. Both KLNO and KSCS had their best books since MARCH.

KHKS continued to dominate 18-34. The station was #1 for the seventh book in a row, posted its largest share since FEBRUARY, and led the #2 station by more than two shares. That station is URBAN ONE Top 40/R KBFB (97.9 THE BEAT), which remained at #2 with a small increase. KKDA was up from a tie at #6 to #3 as it ended a steep two-book slide. KLNO slipped from a tie at #3 to #4 where it was tied with KPLX, which advanced from #11 with its highest score since MARCH. AUDACY Regional Mexican KMVK (LA GRANDE 107.5) went from one tie to another. The station was off slightly as it went from #3 to #6 where it was met by KZPS, which moved in from #10. UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KDXX (LATINO MIX 107.9/107.1) fell from #5 into a three-way tie at #10. Its partners were iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (NOW 102.9) and iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KEGL (97.1 THE EAGLE).

KHKS completed the demo sweep as it broke out of a tie at #2 to claim the 18-49 crown with its best book since FEBRUARY. KKDA was up two slots to #2 as it rebounded from a down book, while KLNO went from #6 to #3 with a slight increase. Three stations were trading blows at #4. KJKK arrived there after seeing its four-book winning streak halted. KLUV fell from a tie at #2, while KZPS stepped up from #5.

That ringing in your ears is either the result of too many years wearing headphones or a signal that round one of our ratings report has come to an end. Or, it could be both. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. thank you for your patronage. Our next episode drops tomorrow and will focus on the ratings fortunes of HOUSTON, WASHINGTON DC, ATLANTA, PHILADELPHIA, and BOSTON. Don’t miss it!

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About RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.: RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. is based in ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND. We help radio stations’ programming and sales departments maximize the value of their research. For more information, visit www.ResearchDirectorInc.com, call 410-295-6619, or e-mail info@ResearchDirectorInc.com or sallan@ResearchDirectorInc.com.

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