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Research Director, Inc.: Exclusive February PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta
March 15, 2016
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. HOUSTON-GALVESTION: Sunny Side Up
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By the power vested in us from JOEL DENVER, the Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., in careful collaboration with the data gnomes from XTRENDS, bring you another round of exciting ratings analysis. As previously stated, this one covers the FEBRUARY survey, which itself covered 1/28 through 2/24. This book was notable for two things. First, there was a holiday weekend embedded within, which can affect listener behavior and patterns. Second, we are keeping a watchful eye on the progress of the CHRISTMAS stations. So far we have seen many examples where their post-Claus performance has been better year over year. That said, let us proceed …
HOUSTON-GALVESTION: Sunny Side Up
The added juice Santa provides iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY) is almost superfluous. CHRISTMAS music or no, the station has not been under a seven share 6+ since MARCH. It was #1 again this month with a larger share than last year’s 6.9 (7.2-7.8). RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC) has been consistently #2 since AUGUST and continued that trend this time (6.8-6.7). COX RADIO Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE) had its third straight third-place finish (5.9-5.7). The other two top-five occupants remained in the club but switched positions. KSBJ EDUCATIONAL Christian Contemporary KSBJ – which did its own flavor of holiday programming – moved up to #4 (5.3-5.2). It was also #4 a year ago but with a 5.8. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN (ESTEREO LATINO) slipped to #5 (5.4-5.1). Then, there were three stations vying for the coveted title of #6. COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q) remained in place but with its lowest share in over a year (4.7-4.4). CUMULUS Top 40/M KRBE took a step forward despite a small loss (4.5-4.4) while RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX) moved up two slots (4.2-4.4).
Last month KODA experienced the expected post-holiday let down and dropped about three shares 25-54. This month the station gained back a chunk of that to remain #1 and was a share and a half brighter than last year. KGLK was #2 for the third month in a row even though it was off slightly. KLTN returned as the #3 station with a slight decrease while KMJQ had a small loss while remaining at #4. KRBE jumped three places to #5 with a nice increase. Last month’s #5 duo were no longer tied and not #5 anymore. KSBJ slipped back to a tie at #6 with a lower share than last year when it was tied at #7. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) fell to #9 thus ending a nice two-book run.
KBXX continued its post-holiday recovery 18-34 as it was #1 for the second book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Urban KQBT (THE BEAT) took sole possession of second place with its best score in over a year. It also narrowed the gap between the two stations to close to a half share. Two stations on opposite tracks collided at #3. KRBE moved up a slot despite a slight decrease while KLTN dropped back from a tie at #2 with a larger loss. CBS RADIO Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA) ended a rather dramatic two-book slide and leapt five places to #5. The country battle got a bit more interesting. KKBQ slipped back to #6 with a modest loss while CBS RADIO Country KILT-F (THE BULL) advanced six paces to #7 with its best showing since JULY. The gap between the two was as narrow as mathematically possible. UNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KOVE returned to more familiar territory at #11 after a brief stay at #5.
KODA had a nice gain 18-49 as it moved back to #1. Last year it was #3. This displaced KLTN, which dropped back to #2 with its lowest share in over a year. KBXX was at #3 – its place for the last eight surveys. KRBE remained at #4 with a small increase while KQBT had its best performance in over a year, which drove the station from a tie at #10 to #5. KTBZ dropped two spots to #6 thanks to a down book.
WASHINGTON, DC: Hot Air
We hear a lot of talk out of WASHINGTION – especially now with all the political fur that has been flying. Well, that talk does not come cheap when it comes to buying time on HUBBARD News WTOP. The station had a monster 6+ month (9.9-10.1) to capture its thirteenth win in the last fourteen surveys. Oh, and this was easily the station’s best showing in over a year. Not to be outdone was AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU. It remained #2 with its best book in over a year (9.1-9.2). Then, several paces behind, came the rest of the pack. iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH was flat at #3 (5.3-5.3), which was not quite as strong as NOVEMBER (6.1) and a little off last year’s pace (5.4) when it was #5. Sharing the spotlight at #3 was iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIHT (HOT), which took one step forward (4.9-5.3). GREATER WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION Classical WETA cracked the top five for the first time in well over a year (4.2-4.8) and was partnered with HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR. It took a step back (4.9-4.8). A couple of stations farther down the chart had some strong gains. RADIO ONE Gospel WPRS (PRAISE) turned it up to a tie at #11 with its highest share since MAY (2.9-3.4). Meanwhile, CUMULUS Hot AC WRQX (MIX) had its best showing, at #16, since returning to its former self (2.1-2.9).
The top four positions 25-54 remained unchanged from the previous survey. WTOP was flat and #1, thus matching its best book of the last fourteen. WAMU was at #2 but with its highest score in over a year. WIHT was off slightly at #3 while WASH was flat at #4. As with the previous demo, WASH was off from NOVEMBER when it was #3 but about on par with last year when it checked in at #5. CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC bounced back from a down book to move up to #5 while arch nemesis RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) dropped to #8 with its lowest total since MARCH. WRQX again hit a new high in its return engagement and moved up to #14.
There was all sorts of stuff going on with the 18-34 demo. The one constant was WIHT, which was #1 again with a double-digit share. It was the station’s highest number since NOVEMBER. WPGC moved up two slots to a distant #2 just by being flat. It was followed closely by – surprise – WAMU, which advanced five paces to #3 with its highest score in over a year. The duo at #2 last time parted and moved down. WASH ended up at #4 but was in far better shape than last year when it was tied at #8. WKYS fell to #5 with its lowest total in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Country WMZQ stepped back to #6 with a small decrease while CBS RADIO Hot AC WIAD (FRESH) moved up three spots to #7 with its best book in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC-101) also moved up to #7 with its best showing since JUNE.
WIHT was up for the second book in a row to remain #1 18-49. WAMU had another strong gain in this demo to step up to #2. This knocked WTOP back to #3 as it was off slightly. WASH was down a bit at #4 – the exact position it held last year. Two stations moved up to the coveted #5 position. WPGC had a small decrease but still took a step forward while WIAD was up from #8 with its best book since JUNE. WKYS dropped out of the top five for the first time since MARCH and landed at #7.
PHILADELPHIA: More Of The Same
The two Yule stations had a solid month. JERRY LEE RADIO AC WBEB (MORE) was #1 6+ for the eighth consecutive survey (7.8-7.9). It was #1 a year ago but a share lighter (6.9). CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL was #2 and matched its HOLIDAY mark (5.9-6.2). Last year the station was #5 with a 5.5 share. GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK wrestled control of the #3 position with its best showing since NOVEMBER (5.5-6.0). CBS RADIO News KYW-A had its highest share since MARCH (5.5-5.9) but had to step back to #4. GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR was flat (5.5-5.5) but still fell two slots to #5. It was paired with iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS, which took one step forward with its highest share since JULY (5.0-5.5).
Both #1 WBEB and runner-up WMMR continued to lead the 25-54 pack. Both stations had the identical loss from the previous survey so the gap remained at just under a share. For comparison, last year MORE was tied at #2 and was lighter by over a share. WDAS was up for the third book in a row and was nestled comfortably at #3. Two stations made impressive gains and landed at #4. WOGL rose three places and actually exceeded its HOLIDAY share. Last year the station was sitting at #10. WMGK advanced six paces with a healthy increase. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5) had a slight loss but that dropped the station two spots to #6. CBS RADIO Sports WIP-F barely got comfortable as a #5 station when it dropped share and fell to #9. Perhaps it was a wing thing …
The top two stations 18-34 got a bit cozier as both WMMR and WBEB could legally claim they were #1 in the demo. WMMR was up slightly while WBEB was off a bit. Still, MORE was much stronger than last year when it was #3. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WUSL (POWER) was close behind at #3 after posting its best number since NOVEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) ended a two-book slide to take one step forward to #4. WRFF dropped back to #5. CBS RADIO Top 40/M WZMP (AMP) moved up to #6 thanks to its best performance since SEPTEMBER.
There was a familiar air about the 18-49 demo. Probably because WBEB and WMMR were #1 and #2, respectively. It was MORE’s fifth win in a row and the station was well ahead of last year’s #2 pace. WMMR was off slightly. WUSL moved up to #3 with its second strong book in a row. WIOQ slid back to #4 even though it was up slightly. WRFF was flat and stable at #5 and was joined by WDAS, which moved up a spot with its highest score in over a year.
ATLANTA: Talk The Talk
It has certainly been a couple of banner 6+ months for COX RADIO Talk WSB-A. The station has had some of its best numbers ever and set another fourteen-book high this time (9.0-9.1). Perhaps the presidential campaign circus has something to do with this. CBS RADIO Urban WVEE (V-103) remained at #2 and ended a two-book slide (7.9-8.6). COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) had its highest share since OCTOBER (6.8-7.1) but had to settle for solidifying its hold on third place. COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5) moved up to #4 (5.1-5.5). Two stations with the same parking pass advanced on and captured the #5 position. RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) took one step forward just by being flat (4.9-4.9). Meanwhile, down the hall, RADIO ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC) bounced back from a down book (4.1-4.9) to move in from a tie at #8. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WWPW (POWER) dropped three places to #7 with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER (5.7-4.7).
The top four 25-54 slots remained unchanged. WVEE was its usual dominant self and had a solid increase over the previous survey. WSB-A was off a bit but remained a distant #2. WHTA held firm at #3 with its highest score in over a year. WALR was up slightly at #4. WSB-F crashed the party. It rose two spots to #5 with a solid increase. CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) lost almost everything it gained last month and fell to a tie at #7.
The top five 18-34 remained pretty much the same with one notable change. After taking the last two books off, WVEE returned to #1. Oh, and the station was back in double digits. In case you’re keeping score (and we are), that was the eleventh double-digit book in the last fourteen for V-103. After two books breathing the rarefied air at the top of the heap, WHTA had to step back to #2. And, it’s not like the station had a bad book. It actually posted its biggest number in over a year. WWPW remained at #3 but lost a chunk of share while WWWQ took an even bigger hit while holding on at #4. By the way, we think the previous set a record for most capitalized W’s. We’re verifying that now. WSB-F had its highest output since NOVEMBER but did not move from its #5 slot.
From last APRIL through DECEMBER, WVEE hit double-digit shares 18-49 every single time. After a two-book respite, the station did it again to strengthen its grasp on the #1 slot. Even though #2 WHTA had a bit of a gain, the gap between the two exceeded three shares. WWPW was down but remained a fixture at #3. Two stations advanced their causes and met at #4. WALR took two steps forward with its best showing since NOVEMBER while WSB-F had a three-step improvement thanks to its highest score since JUNE. WSB-A was off slightly and slipped back to #6. WWWQ had its lowest total in over a year and fell three spots to #7.
BOSTON: Destined To Be A Classic
About a year ago GREATER MEDIA Classic Hits WROR ascended the 6+ throne and remained there through SEPTEMBER. The station returned to the top last month and remained there this time with a flat performance (7.2-7.2). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WXKS (KISS) dropped a little farther off the pace (7.1-7.0) but remained a solid #2. GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) moved up to #3 (6.3-6.5). The station was actually #1 in NOVEMBER with an 8.0 share but a year ago it was also at #3 with an almost identical share (6.6). CBS RADIO News WBZ-A remained at #4 with a small decrease (6.4-6.2). It was not a particularly good month for the sports world. ENTERCOM Sports WEEI-F did move up to #5 but lost a full share in the process (5.9-4.9). On the other side of the bracket, CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB) had its lowest point total since JULY (6.8-4.7) to drop three places to #6. It was tied with BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR, which stepped up a spot thanks to its best book in over a year (4.4-4.7).
Though WXKS was flat 25-54, it did return to the top of the 25-54 heap for the first time since APRIL. WROR moved up to #2 with its best showing since AUGUST. WBZ-F dropped two places to #3 with its lowest score since JUNE while WMJX remained steady at #4 with a slight increase. A year ago the station was a little leaner at #5. ENTERCOM Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT) was also flat but was able to step into the top five. CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX moved up to #6 with its best showing since OCTOBER while WEEI-F dropped three places to #8. It was tied with WBUR, which moved up thanks to its best book in over a year.
For the fourth time in the last five surveys, CBS RADIO Top 40/M WODS (AMP) was #1 18-34. Though the station lost a chunk of share from last month, it still held a comfortable lead over WBQT, which moved up to #2 with its highest share in over a year. WXKS slipped back to #3 with a small decrease while iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) remained at #4 with its second up book in a row. WMJX moved up a slot to #5 with a small increase but was behind last year’s #4 pace. WBZ-F skidded to a tie at #7 with its lowest total since JULY.
There was some positional swapping going on 18-49 but the one station unaffected by this was WXKS. The station remained on top despite a slight decrease. WBZ-F lost a big chunk of share but managed to hold steady at #2, though the gap between the two expanded from about a half share to two-and-a-half shares. WBQT was up for the third straight survey and moved up to #3. This pushed WODS back to #4 as it lost a modest amount of share. WROR advanced to #5 with its highest total since AUGUST and this pushed WMJX back to #6. A year ago MAGIC was at #4.
We appreciate you slogging through the prose. If you have anything to add or delete – or just want to chat – you can reach the Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. via the platforms listed below. We’ll be back in a few with the results from DETROIT, MIAMI, SEATTLE-TACOMA, PHOENIX, and MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL.
E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
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