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Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive June PPM Analysis For Detroit, Miami, Seattle, Phoenix & Minneapolis
July 9, 2015
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. DETROIT: The Eye On The Prize
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Welcome to round three of our ratings analysis. As you have seen before, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., along with the data divers from XTRENDS, take you on an intimate journey through the numerical fortunes of five more markets. For those of you just tuning in, we feature the four major demos and dig about five (or so) deep into each of them. These are the facts – at least, the facts as we see them.
We are covering the JUNE survey, which spanned MAY 21st through JUNE 17th. So, it really was kind of JUNE. This book was neatly bisected by the Memorial Day holiday and the continuation of the baseball season. Now, on with the show …
DETROIT: The Eye On The Prize
A pretty good month for the folks in the CBS RADIO cluster as they nailed down the top three spots 6+. Your new market leader brought something old to the party. CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOMC moved into the penthouse thanks to its highest share in over a year (7.0-7.3). CBS RADIO Sports WXYT-F (THE TICKET) did take a bit of a blow (8.4-7.1) as it slid back to #2. However, when put into perspective, this was pretty close to where the station was a year ago (7.3) when it was #1. This just in – CBS RADIO News WWJ-A was flat (6.3-6.3) but that was good enough to take sole possession of third place. That was due to the fact that GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WCSX gave up its share of #3 to move back one step to #4 (6.3-6.2). iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WMXD (MIX) and GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WRIF were tied last time at #5. For this book, the stations went in opposite directions. MIX remained in place (5.1-5.8) while WRIF fell back to #7 (5.1-4.8).
It is not often that a station can lose over a share of ratings and still remain #1. That is exactly what happened to WXYT-F. And, it still led #2 WRIF – which was flat – by almost a share. WMXD had a nice increase as it moved up a spot to #3 while WCSX was flat but stepped back to #4. Once again, WOMC had its best performance in over a year and that propelled the station from #7 to #5. This deposed the two stations that were tied at that spot last survey. Both iHEARTMEDIA Urban WJLB and iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKQI (CHANNEL 955) were off slightly and fell back into a tie at #6.
While those last two stations took small steps backwards in the previous demo, they continue to lead the way 18-34. WJLB was #1 for the fifth straight month. WKQI was up slightly but remained a rather distant #2. WRIF took a bit of a hit but managed to claim the #3 slot as a solo act because its former partner – WXYT-F – fell back to #4. CUMULUS AC WDVD was up for the second book in a row to remain at #5. A couple of stations farther down the list had some impressive gains. WMXD scored its best book since JANUARY to move up four spots to #7 while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WDTW (THE D) had its highest share in over a year as it cracked the top 10.
There was a changing of the guard 18-49 as WRIF – which was flat – returned to #1 for the first time since FEBRUARY. As we have seen in the previous demos, WXYT-F lost a rather large chunk of share and dropped back to #2. WJLB remained at #3 despite posting its lowest score since DECEMBER while WKQI was flat and happy at #4. WMXD moved up three spots to #5 with its best book since SEPTEMBER. This forced WCSX – which was up slightly – to step back to #6.
MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: They Left The Light On
It was a little surprising that LINCOLN AC WLYF (LITE) moved to the top of the 6+ heap last survey. After all, that had been the exclusive domain of COX RADIO Urban AC WHQT (HOT) for years. Well, LITE proved that MAY was no fluke as the station took its second straight #1 crown (7.1-7.3) with its highest share in over a year. HOT remained at #2 with its smallest share in over a year (6.9-6.8). UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR) also had its least productive outing in over a year (5.7-5.0) but this did not affect its #3 ranking. COX RADIO AC WFEZ (EASY) ended a five-book skid (4.3-4.9) to advance three squares to #4. This bumped COX RADIO Urban WEDR (99 JAMZ) back to #5 (5.0-4.8) while COX RADIO Top 40/M WFLC (HITS) dropped two places to a tie at #7 (4.7-4.4).
One thing that hasn’t changed for a while – say the last eight books – was seeing WHQT at #1 25-54. The station remained in charge despite posting its lowest total since OCTOBER. There followed a couple of ties. At #2, WFLC remained in place while losing a chunk of share while WEDR vaulted three spots with its best score in over a year. Knotted at #4 were WLYF, which moved up two spots, and iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Contemporary WMGE (MEGA), which was flat but still slid from #3. WAMR did not fare as well. The station dropped six places to #9 with its lowest share in over a year. One station to keep an eye on is SBS Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL). The station has been on a roller coaster ride this year. It was #2 in FEBRUARY, dropped to #12 in APRIL, and just bounced back to #6.
There was a lot of unrest in the 18-34 ranks but one thing remained clear – WEDR was #1 for the third book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHYI (Y100) ended a two-book slide as it moved up to #2 but it still trailed the leader by a full share. CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPOW (POWER) is on a roll. The station scored its highest total since the HOLIDAY survey to move up two spots to #3. WMGE remained at #4 with a small decrease while iHEARTMEDIA Urban WMIB (THE BEAT) inched up to #5 with its best book since JANUARY. WFLC took a noticeably large cut and fell from #2 to #6. Somewhat out of character for this demo has been the recent performance by iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WBGG (BIG). In MARCH the station was at #15 but after a strong three-book run, it most recently landed at #7.
WEDR became the fourth different station to reach #1 18-49 in the six books of 2015. The station again posted its best score in over a year as it leap frogged WFLC, which slid back to #2. WMGE was off slightly but remained at #3. Not bad considering the station was in a tie at #10 three books ago. There was a tie at #4. WHYI remained in place while WPOW moved up from #6 with its best total since DECEMBER. WHQT has been on a steady decline since the beginning of the year. It began by being #1 in JANUARY but has drifted lower and ended this survey at #8.
SEATTLE-TACOMA: Movin’ Right Along
Like the steady drumbeat of a SEATTLE shower, HUBBARD Top 40/M KQMV (MOVIN) continued to have its way with the 6+ category. The station recorded its sixth consecutive #1 book (6.9-6.8) as it maintained a comfortable lead over the rest of the field. ENTERCOM Country KKWF (THE WOLF) pounced on its best share in over a year (4.9-5.6) to climb three spots to #2. Cluster bro’ ENTERCOM Active Rock KISW fell back to #3 with its lowest total since FEBRUARY (5.8-5.4). CBS RADIO Classic Rock KZOK came down from last month’s high (5.6-5.2) and slid back to #4. Two stations met up at #5. BONNEVILLE Talk KIRO-F dropped back from #4 (5.0-4.9) while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJR-F (THE JET) hit the afterburners in moving up from #10 with its highest share in over a year (3.9-4.9). Farther down the list – and making some noise – was SINCLAIR Hot AC KPLZ (STAR). The station cracked the top 10 for the first time since DECEMBER (2.9-3.7) with its best book since that very same month.
The 25-54 race suddenly became a lot tighter. KISW was down but remained #1 for the third straight survey. However, #2 KQMV ended a two-book slide and closed the gap to the narrowest possible margin. KKWF moved up to a distant #3 with a strong performance while KZOK took a hit and fell back to #4. KJR-F’s flight plan continued to gain altitude as the station soared from a tie at #8 to #5. CRISTA Christian Contemporary KCMS (SPIRIT) was down for the third book in a row and reached its lowest ebb in over a year as it fell three places to #8.
Though its string of double-digit 18-34 shares ended at three, KQMV was again a comfortable #1. KISW was off a bit at #2. After hitting double digits in MARCH, the station has been moving backwards ever since. KKWF was up slightly to continue to sink its teeth into the #3 spot while ENTERCOM Alternative KNDD (THE END) moved up to #4 as it ended a three-book slide. ENTERCOM Rhythmic AC KHTP (HOT) took one step forward to #5 with its best showing in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R KUBE was off slightly from last month’s big share but that was enough to sink the station from #4 to #6.
Last month, KQMV and KISW were neck and neck 18-49. This month, the gap widened as #1 MOVIN was down slightly but #2 KISW had its lowest share since FEBRUARY. KKWF continued to howl at the moon, posting its best number since AUGUST to remain at #3. KHTP advanced three places to #4 as it, too, copped its best book since AUGUST. Three stations were taking their turns at #5. KZOK slid back from a tie at #4 as it ended a two-book surge while KNDD stepped up from #6 with a flat performance. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KBKS (KISS) used a modest gain to propel itself up from #8.
PHOENIX: Easy Does It – Again
The 6+ winning streak for iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (99.9KEZ) reached eight books as the station maintained its dominance over the rest of the market (6.7-6.9). There was a new #2 in town as HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX moved up two spots with its best share in over a year (5.3-6.1). The station has been on quite the two-book tear as it was sitting at #8 in APRIL. CBS RADIO Classic Hits KOOL cooled off a bit (6.2-5.4) as it slipped back to #3. Two stations were entangled at #4. HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD was there last time (5.3-5.2) while iHEARTMEDIA Talk KFYI-A stepped back from #3 (5.4-5.2). A station that is either named for a terrain feature or a character from GAME OF THRONES had a nice month. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (THE MOUNTAIN) had its best book in over a year (3.7-4.6) to move up to #7. As recently as JANUARY, it was parked at #14.
For the eleventh time in the last fourteen surveys, KUPD was #1 25-54. The station was off slightly this time but maintained a healthy lead over the new #2 station – KYOT. THE MOUNTAIN has been on a five-book tear that started with the station at #10. KESZ was flat and fell back to #3 while KSLX dropped to #4 despite posting its best number in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KMXP (MIX) moved up to #5 despite recording its lowest total since JANUARY. Three stations were close behind at #6. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KZZP (KISS) slipped back from a tie at #5 as did its cluster brother iHEARTMEDIA Country KNIX. CBS RADIO Country KMLE joined the party as it moved up from #9.
That large sound you just heard was KUPD going “boom.” The station was #1 18-34 for the third book in a row but that is only the beginning. It also hit double digits, was up for the third book in a row (adding over three shares in the process) and stretched its lead over #2 KZZP to almost four shares. KISS saw its five-book surge come to an end this month. KESZ was off slightly yet moved up to #3 while KNIX dropped to #4. CBS RADIO Top 40/M KZON (LIVE 101.5) was down for the third consecutive survey yet worked its way up to #5. RIVIERA Top 40/R KKFR (POWER) dropped back to #6 with its lowest share in over a year. A couple of stations in the back of the rack had nice gains. Both were tied at #12 last time but KSLX moved up to #7 with its best book since HOLIDAY time while KYOT advanced to #8 with its best showing in over a year.
KUPD’s growth spurt 18-49 continued as the station was #1 for the second book in a row and held a two-share lead over repeat #2 station KESZ. KYOT and KSLX continued their sizzling ways. THE MOUNTAIN moved up three spots to #3 with its best performance in over a year while KSLX moved up two places to #4 by doing the exact same thing. KZZP slid to #5 as it was off sharply for the second book in a row. KMXP dropped two slots to a tie at #6 while KNIX fell four places to #9.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL: A Three For One Deal
We think that one of the signs of the apocalypse is having three stations occupying the same #1 6+ position at the same time in the TWIN CITIES. Or, not. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KDWB was down for the fifth book in a row (8.7-8.5) yet managed to hold on to its share of the lead. HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) was flat (8.5-8.5) to move up from #2. This also matched its best book in the last year. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL) had its best showing since it was spinning those Santa songs (8.1-8.5) as it advanced from #3. Then, there was everyone else. iHEARTMEDIA Country KEEY (K-102) remained at #4 (6.9-6.8) while CUMULUS Classic Rock KQRS held steady at #5 (6.2-6.5). A couple of other stations had some nice gains. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN-ST.PAUL Christian Contemporary KTIS moved up two places to #6 with its highest share in over a year (5.5-6.1). CBS RADIO Country KMNB (BUZ’N) ended a four-book slide (4.7-5.3) to advance four paces to a tie at #8.
Things were a little more spacious 25-54 as KSTP repeated as champion for the third time in a row and had its second straight double-digit share. KDWB was flat at #2 while KQRS moved up to #3 with a small increase. KQQL ended a three-book slide as it moved up a spot to #4. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KZJK (JACK) was off and dropped two slots to #5. KEEY had its best share in over a year to move up to #6.
While we can’t be specific, it is safe to say that about a quarter of all 18-34 listening goes to two stations. #1 KDWB and #2 CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) were both off this book but maintained double-digit shares. KSTP remained a distant #3 as its three-book surge came to an end. KZJK was off slightly but static at #4 while KEEY held on at #5 with a small increase. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KTCZ (CITIES 97) moved up to #6 with a healthy increase.
Though it was down for the fourth book in a row, KDWB continued to dominate 18-49. KSTP was off a bit but remained a solid #2 while KXXR crept a bit closer at #3. KZJK dropped back to #4 with a modest decrease while KEEY moved up to #5 with its highest total since JULY. KEEY was tied with KQQL, which moved up two spots with its best Frosty-free share in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN) dropped to #7 as it ended a nice three-book surge.
That was the month that was. We’ll be back next time for the month that is. In the meantime, the Ratings Experts at RESEARCH DIRECTOR INC. stand ready to help you turn your numbers into gold.
E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
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