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Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive April PPM Analysis For Detroit, Miami, Seattle, Phoenix & Minneapolis
May 13, 2015
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Detroit: Listeners Dig The Long Ball
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Welcome to the gripping third -- and final -- installment of our exclusive APRIL ratings analysis. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. have made numerous STARBUCKS runs in order to bring this information to light. It goes without saying that our efficiency and accuracy would be greatly compromised without the able assistance of the number crunchers at XTRENDS.
This particular survey covered MARCH 26th through APRIL 22nd. A time of better weather, spring breaks, and baseball opening days. Take a deep breath and dive in...
Detroit: Listeners Dig The Long Ball
People say many things about the MOTOR CITY -- not all of them kind. However, one thing you can say positively is that DETROIT is a great sports town. This is certainly reflected in the performance of CBS RADIO Sports WXYT-F (THE TICKET). Baseball season is nigh and THE TICKET was back to #1 6+ with its best share since OCTOBER (6.4-8.5). That also happens to be the last time the TIGERS played meaningful games. CBS RADIO News WWJ-A slipped back to #2 with a flat performance (6.7-6.7). GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WCSX continued with its recent growth spurt. The station was up for the fifth book in a row (6.2-6.5) to wrestle complete control of the #3 position. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX) continued to climb out of the hole it fell into back in FEBRUARY as it inched up to #4 (5.2-6.1). CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOMC dropped back to #5 with its lowest share since DECEMBER (6.2-5.6).
WXYT-F got the barrel to the ball 25-54. The station was #1 for the fourth consecutive survey but padded its total with two additional shares. Yes, it was the station’s highest score since OCTOBER. How hot is WCSX? A year ago it was sitting at #12 in this demo. After adding share for the fourth book in a row, the station repeated at #2 with a number over three shares higher than last year’s. Two stations were spending quality time together at #3. GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WRIF remained in place with a slight loss. WMXD moved forward one step with its best showing since DECEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WJLB remained at #5 despite being down for the second book in a row.
One place WJLB was not down was 18-34. The station was #1 for the third straight survey and was oh so close to hitting double digits. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKQI (CHANNEL 955) remained at #2 but fell a little farther off the pace with a down book. WGPR INC. Urban AC WGPR (HOT) has been on a nice two-book tear, which has taken the station from #7 to #4 to its latest landing spot at #3. The station also copped its best share in over a year. WXYT-F was very active in this space as it posted its best score since NOVEMBER. This allowed the station to rise four spots in the standings to #4. WRIF slipped back to #5 with its lowest total since the HOLIDAY book. WCSX remained at #6 but added to its noticeable ratings bulge. Just three books ago the station was ranked #12. iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC had been on the road to recovery after its anticipated post-holiday demise in JANUARY. However, this time the station took a step backward and dropped two spots to a tie at #7. CBS RADIO Country WYCD bounced back nicely from a down book to rise seven spots to join WNIC at #7.
It’s going, going…gone! WXYT-F cleared the bases 18-49 with its deepest blast since OCTOBER. Sports clichés aside, the station went from #4 to #1. WJLB dropped back to #2 with a small loss of share while WCSX continued its scorched-earth ratings policy by rising two spots to #3. As recently as NOVEMBER the station was sitting at #13. WRIF fell two spots and into a tie at #4 with WKQI, which slipped back from #3. Both stations had down books.
Miami-Ft.Lauderdale-Hollywood: A Little Less Heat
No, we’re not talking about the fortunes of the local NBA team, though that would apply. The reference was to COX RADIO Urban AC WHQT (HOT). The station was down for the fifth book in a row and was at its lowest P6+ ebb in over a year (7.8-7.6). Alas, it was also still #1 6+ so everything is relative. LINCOLN AC WLYF (LITE) was #2 for the tenth straight survey but could not close the gap because it was off, as well (7.0-6.8). UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR) remained at #3 with its second up book in a row (5.7-5.9). This month’s big mover was COX RADIO Top 40/M WFLC (HITS), which moved forward three paces to #4 with easily its best book in over a year (4.0-5.0). This surge has come on suddenly as the station was tied at #11 with a 3.5 share in FEBRUARY. This sudden windfall could have come at the expense of iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHYI (Y100), which slipped back to #5 with a small decrease (5.1-4.8). The two stations sharing the #5 position last book moved backwards this time. LINCOLN Classic Hits WMXJ (MAGIC) ended up at #6 (4.7-4.6) while COX RADIO AC WFEZ (EASY) dropped to a tie at #7 with its lowest share in over a year (4.7-4.4).
WHQT ended a small two-book slide 25-54 to remain #1 but the station was definitely hearing footsteps. WFLC went from a tie at #6 to #2 with a huge book and was certainly within striking distance of the top spot. Two of the three stations that were tied at #2 last survey continued their partnership though they moved back to #3. Both WHYI and WLYF experienced small decreases. The third member of that trio – WAMR – fell back to #5 with its smallest number in exactly a year. Several stations outside the top five had some strong gains this survey. UNIVISION Tropical WRTO (MIX) moved forward three spaces to #6 with its best book in over a year. It was tied with COX RADIO Urban WEDR (JAMZ), which advanced from #10 with its highest total since MAY. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WMGE (MEGA) moved from #14 to #8 with its highest share in over a year.
After a two-book hiatus, WEDR returned to the #1 spot 18-34 as it posted its biggest number since DECEMBER. This ended #2 WHYI’s two-book stay at #1. WFLC inserted itself into the discussion with another big increase. The station jumped two places to #3. Just two books ago it was tied at #8. WMGE also advanced two spots – to #4 – with a tasty increase. A couple of stations moving in the opposite direction met up at #5. CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPOW (POWER) fell from a tie at #3 with its lowest share in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WMIB (THE BEAT) advanced from #7 thanks to a minimal increase.
All that hard work finally paid off for WFLC. The station moved up two spots to become the #1 station 18-49. This has been quite the rags-to-riches story as WFLC was ranked at #11 back in JANUARY. WEDR also made a nice move as it advanced three places to #2. WHQT was up slightly but still stepped back to #3. WHYI dropped from the lead to #4 with its lowest share since the HOLIDAY book. WMGE made the leap from a tie at #10 to #5 thanks to a rather large increase in share. WLYF dropped two places to a tie at #6 with its lowest output since JUNE.Seattle-Tacoma: Keep Movin’
Though its three-book surge did come to an end, HUBBARD Top 40/M KQMV (MOVIN) landed its fourth straight 6+ win (7.2-6.6). It was also the tenth time in in the last 14 surveys the station came in at #1. That’s a pretty good run. ENTERCOM Active Rock KISW kept pace at #2 just by being flat (6.0-6.0). Its lupine-flavored cluster mate – ENTERCOM Country KKWF (THE WOLF) – captured its best book in over a year (4.8-5.3) to slink up three spots to #3. BONNEVILLE Talk KIRO-F continued to prove there was life after football. Though the station was off a bit (5.4-5.1), it remained at #4. Since moving into the top five in SEPTEMBER, KIRO-F has refused to leave. HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM) dropped two places to #5 with its lowest share since NOVEMBER (5.5-5.0). CBS RADIO Classic Rock KZOK had its best showing since JULY (4.2-4.9) to move up to #6. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW was down for the third straight survey (4.9-4.3) and fell to a tie at #7.
For 12 out of the last 14 surveys, two stations have taken turns leading the 25-54 pack. It was KISW’s turn this time. The station was up for the fifth book in a row and landed its biggest number in over a year. KQMV slid back to #2 as it ended a three-book run. KZOK made a bold statement as it moved up four spots to #3 with a nice, meaty increase. Speaking of meat, KKWF remained at #4 with a small morsel of an increase. CRISTA Christian Contemporary KCMS (SPIRIT) ended a nice three-book run and fell a couple of spots to #5. The two stations formerly known as #5 dropped back a little. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KJAQ (JACK FM) slipped to #6 while KIRO-F dropped to #7 with its smallest number since JULY.
18-34 has been quite an interesting battle to watch. Last month, both KQMV and KISW hit double-digit shares with the latter beating the former by over a share. Things changed this time. KQMV was flat to move up to #1 while KISW just missed hitting double digits again and slid back to #2. KKWF advanced to #3 with its highest number since SEPTEMBER while ENTERCOM Alternative KNDD (THE END) dropped to #4 with its lowest share since the same month. There was an official tie at #5. ENTERCOM Rhythmic AC KHTP (HOT) remained in place while iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KBKS (KISS) moved in from #6. Both stations had down books.
As in the previous demo, both KISW and KQMV had double-digit shares 18-49 last month. This time only KISW repeated the feat. It also remained #1, while KQMV remained #2. KKWF used a small increase to move ahead to #3, which pushed KCMS back to #4. KHTP was up for the sixth book in a row and moved up two spots to #5. KNDD had its smallest share since the HOLIDAY book and dropped three places to #8.
Phoenix: I Heart The Valley
It was a good month to be a part of the iHEARTMEDIA cluster as four of the top five stations had the same health plan. For the sixth book in a row, iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (99.9KEZ) was the 6+ leader. After its usual monster HOLIDAY book, the station experienced the usual malaise. However, it recovered nicely and posted its best carol-free book in over a year (6.6-7.3). The one interloper in the top five was CBS RADIO Classic Hits KOOL, which took over sole possession of second place with its best showing since NOVEMBER (5.3-5.5). iHEARTMEDIA Talk KFYI-A dropped back to #3 just by being flat (5.3-5.3). Of the three stations that were locked in at #5 last time, two managed to break free and land at #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KZZP (KISS) had its best book in over a year (4.7-5.0) while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX ) simply had to settle for a nice increase (4.7-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX lassoed its best share since SEPTEMBER (4.1-4.8) to move up three spots to #6. This may have come at the expense of CBS RADIO Country KMLE, which ended a strong three-book surge (4.9-4.1) to drop five spots to #9. HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD was flat (4.7-4.7) but fell two spots to #7.
The two stations tied at #1 25-54 last survey had good books this time, as well. The thing is that one was gooder than the other. KESZ remained on top with a huge increase. #2 KUPD’s increase was merely “nice” though it did end a two-book slide. KZZP was up for the fourth straight survey. By posting its largest share in over a year, the station was able to move up to #3. KNIX jumped five spots to #4 with its best performance since DECEMBER. KMXP was up for the third book in a row to remain at #5. KMLE dropped three places to a tie at #6 as its strong four-book run came to an end.
All sorts of stuff was going on 18-34 (sorry for the technical jargon). KUPD returned to familiar surroundings at #1 as it ended a two-book slide. KZZP moved up to #2 with its best showing in over a year. KESZ remained tied at #3 with a slight increase but it had a new partner. KNIX picked up almost two shares as it made the big leap from #9 to that tie at #3. Those shares likely came at the expense of KMLE, which dropped from the top spot to a tie at #8. CBS RADIO Top 40/M KZON (LIVE 101.5) moved up to #5 despite a small loss of share. ENTRAVISION Regional Mexican KLNZ (LA TRICOLOR) also lost a chunk of share as it fell two spots to #7.
KESZ has had quite the wild ride 18-49. After its market-dominating performance in the HOLIDAY book, it went to a tie at #3 then #6 then #4. Well, it came back in a big way this month as it reclaimed the top spot with its best frost-free book in over a year. KUPD had a slight decrease but remained at #2 while KZZP was cruising at #3 with its best book in over a year. The country battle completely flipped this month. KNIX went from a tie at #12 to #4 and just edged out KMLE, which fell from the lead to #5. KMXP was also at #5 as it arose from a tie at #7 with a healthy increase. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KHOT could not match last month’s monster book and dropped back to #8.
Minneapolis-St.Paul: Same Stations, Same Places
The exact order of finish for 6+ remained unchanged from last survey. However, maybe we need to sound an alarm or something. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KDWB was down for the third straight survey (9.7-9.0). Oh, right, it was still #1 with a nine share. Its older cluster brother with the receding hairline – iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL) -- moved closer to the top at #2 but that was more by attrition (8.4-8.1). HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) had its best share in exactly a year (7.2-7.7) to remain at #3. iHEARTMEDIA Country KEEY (K-102) won this leg of the country competition again (6.9-6.9) at #4. CBS RADIO Country KMNB (BUZ’N) dropped a couple of places to #11 (5.0-4.9). CUMULUS Classic Rock KQRS remained at #5 with its best book since OCTOBER (6.2-6.7). CBS RADIO Adult Hits KZJK (JACK) made a nice four-spot move to a tie at #6 with its largest number since OCTOBER (4.8-5.7).
Well, we certainly have the makings of a real donnybrook 25-54. KDWB had been in cruise control, registering three straight double-digit books. Things got very interesting as KSTP had its largest share in over a year. Combine that with KDWB’s loss and you have a tie at #1. Both KQRS and KZJK had their best books since AUGUST. The former moved up a spot to #3 while the latter advanced three spaces to #4. KQQL dropped a couple of places to #5 where it was tied with the incumbent -- iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (K-FAN) -- which registered its highest score since DECEMBER. In the country battle, KEEY had its best book since DECEMBER to inch up to #7 while KMNB rose to a tie at #11 with a small increase.
For the fourth book in a row, both #1 KDWB and #2 CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) hit double digits 18-34. Needless to say they were a strong one-two punch. KZJK remained at #3 with its best book since SEPTEMBER while KSTP used its highest share since NOVEMBER to maintain its grip on #4. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KTCZ (CITIES 97) scored its highest share in over a year to advance three steps to #5. MPR Triple A KCMP (THE CURRENT) was flat and fell two spots to a tie at #7. KEEY and KMNB were both up and stable with the former at #6 and the latter at #9.
KDWB was a strong double-digit sprouting #1 18-49 and led new #2 KSTP by four full shares. KXXR took a hit and slipped back to #3. KZJK had its best share since AUGUST to remain at #4 while KFXN scored its highest total since DECEMBER to maintain its #5 presence. KEEY and KMNB were both up slightly at #7 and #11, respectively.
Sadly, our time together has come to an end. But the good news is we’ll be back next month. Try to restrain yourself. In the meantime, if you want to win in the ratings, reach out to the Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. We stand ready to help.
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