Research Director Inc., PPM Exclusive April '22 Analysis For Houston-Galveston, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia And Boston

August '22 PPM Ratings

As we pre-game for every ratings foray, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – with a strong but silent nod from the numbers crunchers at XTRENDS – tend to spend a little too much time on the mundane. Case in point: Did you know that APRIL is one of only three months that could also be a person’s first name? I mean, no one’s going to name their kid FEBRUARY, right? Perhaps we pre-game just a bit too much. This survey began on MARCH 31st and ended on APRIL 27th. While there were no federally mandated holidays during that timeframe, we did hear “Play ball!” while also celebrating the religious holidays of RAMADAN, PASSOVER, and EASTER. Let’s see how that may have affected the numbers…

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Getting Closer

The last time a station was this close to knocking iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY 99.1) out of the top spot 6+ was in NOVEMBER when UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN (QUÉ BUENA 102.9) was tied for #1. KODA posted its lowest share since that fateful month (7.5-6.8), while KLTN had its highest share since that time (5.8-6.4). Could this be the beginning of a trend? KSBJ EDUCATIONAL Christian Contemporary KSBJ slipped to #3 with its smallest share since OCTOBER (6.2-5.8). COX MEDIA Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE 106.9 & 107.5) stepped up to #4 with its best performance since JULY (5.4-5.6). AUDACY Adult Hits KKHH (95.7 THE SPOT) dipped to #5 (5.5-5.5), while URBAN ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC 102.1) repeated at #6 (5.2-5.2). KODA continued as the cume champ with a 1.9% increase (1,665,500-1,696,500). The market was off by 0.3%.

As with the previous demo, KLTN had its highest 25-54 share since NOVEMBER while KODA posted a notable loss. This caused the stations to swap spots with KLTN moving to #1 and KODA ending its two-book winning streak. KKHH remained a somewhat distant #3 with a slight decrease, while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (94.5 THE BUZZ) repeated at a close #4 with its third up book in a row. AUDACY Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA 101 FM) had a massive share increase – the station’s best number in over a year – as it rocketed from #11 to #5. KSBJ slipped to #6 with a small share loss.

The 18-34 competition was heating up as six stations were within a share of the lead. KTBZ stepped up to #1 with a slight increase and had a half share edge over the two stations languishing at #2. KLOL moved up a spot with its fourth straight up book, while KLTN advanced from #14 with its best outing in exactly a year. KKHH’s stay at #1 was brief. The station dropped to #4 after returning most of last month’s huge share increase. URBAN ONE Top 40/R KBXX (97.9 THE BOX) remained at #5 with a slight increase. It was partnered with CUMULUS Top 40/M KRBE, which rose from a tie at #11 as it regained most of last month’s tough share loss. KODA dropped from a tie at #3 to #7.

The top four 18-49 stations were as we last saw them. KODA was #1 for the third book in a row, while KLTN repeated at #2. However, the station’s respective shares moved in the opposite direction. What had been better than a two-share lead for KODA shrank to less than a half share. KKHH was back at #3 with a slight increase, while KTBZ remained at #4, also with a slight increase. KLOL rose from #8 to #5 with its best outing in over a year, while KRBE bounced back from a down book to move from a tie at #10 to #6. KSBJ slipped to #7 as it ended a modest two-book surge.

ATLANTA: Rollin’ On The River

The top five stations on the 6+ leaderboard were unchanged from the previous survey, though there was a bit of expansion. In addition, the top four slots were owned by one cluster for the third straight survey. COX MEDIA Classic Hits WSRV (97.1 THE RIVER) was #1 for the fourth book in a row but was down (8.1-7.4). Though #2 COX MEDIA Urban AC WALR (KISS 104.1) was flat (7.3-7.3), it was a heartbeat off the lead. COX MEDIA Talk WSB-A repeated at #3 (6.9-6.4), while COX MEDIA AC WSB (B98.5) remained at ##4 (5.9-5.4). CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q99.7) stayed at #5 with a slight loss (5.4-5.0). However, URBAN ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC 107.5/97.5) moved up to forge a tie at that position (5.1-5.0). WSB-F remained in cume control with a 0.9% increase (881,900-889,500). The market rose by 2.3%.

Unlike the previous demo, the 25-54 contestants played a game of musical chairs. WALR had a small share loss yet moved up to #1. This was because WWWQ had its lowest number since Grandma was roadkill. The station slipped to #2 as its three-book winning streak came to an end. This dynamic duo was well clear of the rest of the field. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WWPW (POWER 96.1) advanced five spaces to #3 with its highest mark in over a year. Yet, it was still better than a share out of second place. AUDACY Urban AC WVEE (V-103) stepped up to #4 with its best showing since JULY. A flat WAMJ dipped to #5, while WSRV fell three places to #6.

Last month WWWQ and WSRV were tied at #1 18-34. That relationship was dissolved and WWWQ was awarded custody of the crown. This was the station’s fourth win in a row but with its lowest share in that span. WVEE had a huge share increase – the station’s best book in over a year – as it rose from a tie at #4 to #2. The gap between the two stations was under a half share. WSRV landed at #3 as it ended a very strong five-book surge. It was paired with WWPW, which rose from #6 with its highest mark in over a year. These four stations were within a half share of each other. AUDACY Rhythmic AC WSTR (STAR 94) dipped to #5 with a slight loss, while WAMJ jumped from a tie at #11 to #6 with its highest score in over a year. WSB fell from #3 to #9. The station had been #1 as recently as the HOLIDAY book.

As with the previous demo, the top four 18-49 stations were within a half share of each other. WWWQ captured the flag for the fourth straight survey but had a noticeable share loss. WALR remained at #2 with a solid share gain and was joined in that space by WVEE, which advanced from #4 with its best performance in over a year. WWPW moved up to #4 with its highest share since SEPTEMBER. WSRV slid two places to #5 and was not far in front of WAMJ, which stepped up to #6 as it ended a two-book slide. WSB dropped from #5 to #7 with its lowest mark since MAY.

WASHINGTON DC: The Song Remains The Same

Well, technically the #1 6+ station does not play songs for a living. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was easily the market leader for the fourth book in a row (9.6-9.7). HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR stepped up to #2 with its highest mark since DECEMBER (8.3-8.6). HUBBARD News WTOP dipped to #3 as it returned a good portion of last month’s rather large increase (8.7-8.1). Nestling in at #4 again was iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH, which landed its lowest share since OCTOBER (7.1-6.5). Repeating at a distant #5 was iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WBIG (BIG 100) (4.3-4.3). WASH was the cume leader for the ninth straight survey with a 3.4% decline (907,200-876,700). The market grew by 0.5%.

It was a good month to be WHUR. The station was up for the third book in a row, posted its largest share in over a year, and moved up to #1 25-54. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC101) was forced to step down to #2 with its smallest share since we were carefully hanging hosiery. WAMU moved up to #3 despite its lowest score since AUGUST, while WASH dipped to #4 with its fourth down book in a row. WTOP remained at #5 with a small decrease but it had company. URBAN ONE Urban WKYS advanced from #8 as it ended a two-book slide.

WAMU was back in double digits 18-34 for the third time in the last four surveys. The station has also been a strong #1 during that span. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIHT (HOT 99.5) remained at #2 with a small loss. It was teamed up with WASH, which advanced from #3 with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. That duo trailed the leader by two-and-a-half shares. A flat AUDACY Urban WPGC stood alone at #4, while its former partner in that space – WTOP – slipped to #5 as it gave back all of last month’s huge share increase. WKYS stepped up from #7 to claim a share of the #5 spot as it bounced back from a down book.

Though WWDC was off slightly 18-49, the station repeated as the demo leader. However, it was not alone as WAMU moved up to forge the tie, thanks to a slight increase. WASH remained at #3, though with its smallest share since OCTOBER. WHUR advanced to #4 with its best performance since JULY.  ATLANTIC GATEWAY Christian Contemporary WGTS and WKYS had been tied at #8. Both stations had solid increases to end up at #6 and #5, respectively. WPGC was not far behind at #7 as it was up for the fourth consecutive survey. Two stations exited the top five. WIHT dropped from #4 to #8, while WTOP slid from #5 to #9.

PHILADELPHIA: Two For Three

For the third book in a row, two stations hogged the top spots of the 6+ leaderboard. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS was #1 again (8.2-7.3), while BEASLEY Active Rock WMMR was back at #2 (7.6-6.8). BEASLEY Classic Rock WMGK attempted to make it a three-team race. The station regained all of last month’s lost share (5.4-6.2) as it moved up two places to #3. WHYY INC. Public Radio WHYY slipped to #4 with its lowest share since NOVEMBER (6.9-5.6). It was tied with AUDACY Classic Hits WOGL, which had its best book in over a year (4.8-5.6). This was also the last book prior to the station rebranding itself as BIG 98.1. Two other stations came dangerously close to making this a four-way tie. AUDACY AC WBEB (B101.1) slipped to #6 (5.6-5.5), while AUDACY News KYW-A stood alone at #7 with its highest mark since SEPTEMBER (4.7-5.4). WBEB was still in cume control with a 6.4% increase (956,200-1,017,300). The market was up by 0.9%.

So WMMR lands its lowest 25-54 share in over a year. That would appear to be a problem, no? No. The station was #1 for the thirteenth time in the last fourteen surveys. It has also been in double digits for that entire span. WDAS remained at #2 with a slight decrease. The stations were almost three shares apart. WHYY was back at #3 but with its lowest score since DECEMBER. WMGK gained back some of last month’s share loss to stay at #4, while BEASLEY Country WXTU stood alone at #5 with its highest share since JUNE. Baseball is back and, even though the PHILLIES are guaranteed to disappoint, hope sprang eternal out of the gate. AUDACY Sports WIP was up to #6 with its highest score since OCTOBER. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WUSL (POWER 99) returned most of last month’s large increase and dropped from a tie at #5 to #8.

WBEB was #1 18-34 for the seventh straight survey. However, the station fell out of double digits for the first time since the streak began in DECEMBER. WUSL moved up to #2 with a small decrease and trailed the leader by a full share. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) posted its best number in over a year to move up three places to #3. It was a half share out of second place and a half share ahead of WMGK, which remained at #4 with its best book in over a year. WMMR repeated at #5 with a small loss, while WDAS fell from #2 to #6 as it ended a very strong three-book surge.

A lot was happening in the 18-49 space. WDAS moved up to #1 but lost a large chunk of share along the way. WMMR had its lowest total in over a year as it slipped to #2 and saw its four-book winning streak grind to a halt. WMGK rebounded from a down book and a tie at #5 to move up to #3, while WBEB slipped to #4 with a small share loss. WIP worked it from #9 to #5 with its best outing since MAY. WUSL dipped from the #5 tie to #6, ending a three-book surge, while WHYY dropped to #7 with its lowest mark since JUNE.

BOSTON: The Beasley Twins

For the second book in a row, two stations were well ahead of the 6+ pack. They were also in a struggle of control of the demo. BEASLEY Classic Hits WROR shed most of last month’s big share gain (9.2-8.6) but was still #1. BEASLEY Sports WBZ (98.5 THE SPORTS HUB) came in at #2 again but with its highest score since DECEMBER (7.3-8.4). AUDACY AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7) was a distant #3 with its lowest mark since NOVEMBER (7.2-6.4). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WXKS (KISS 108) stepped up to #4 (5.6-5.8), which pushed iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WZLX back to #5 (5.9-4.9). WMJX remained the cume champion despite a 3.1% decline (865,900-839,100). The market was down 0.5%.

When it comes to the 25-54 cell, the race is consistently for second place. WBZ was #1 for the thirteenth time in the last fourteen surveys. The station was also in double digits for the tenth time during that span. WROR remained at #2 but with a down book and trailed the leader by over five shares. WXKS advanced to #3 as it bounced back from a down book, while WMJX dipped to #4 with its fourth straight down book. AUDACY Adult Hits WBGB (BIG 103) scored its highest share in over a year as it jumped from #8 to #5. WZLX dropped three places to #7 with its lowest mark in over a year.

As with the previous demo, WBZ remained scorching hot 18-34. The station was #1 for the fourth book in a row and in double digits for the sixth time in the last seven surveys. Last month WMJX came dangerously close to doubling its FEBRUARY share. This pushed the station up to #2. It maintained that posture but returned a decent portion of that massive increase. WXKS stepped up to #3 with a slight increase, while WROR dipped to #4 as it halted a strong three-book surge. BEASLEY Country WKLB (COUNTRY 102.5) moved up to #5 with its best showing since SEPTEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N 94.5) slid to #8 and was tied with BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT 96.9).

Well, WBZ continued to run roughshod over the 18-49 demo. The station was #1 for the thirteenth time in the last fourteen  surveys, had its twelfth double-digit share in that span, and posted its largest number since DECEMBER. WXKS was up two slots to #2 as it bounced back from a down book. It was close to seven shares behind the leader. WROR dipped to #3 as it lost a large chunk of share. It was tied with WMJX, which remained in place as it, too, lost a noticeable bit of share. WBGB was up to #5 with its best outing in over a year, while WZLX dropped to #8 with its lowest mark in over a year.

Thank you for playing. We have successfully navigated our second ratings roundup. Let’s go for number three! The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. will return shortly to focus on SEATTLE, MIAMI, DETROIT, PHOENIX, and MINNEAPOLIS. 

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