Exclusive August PPM Analysis: Boston, Detroit And Miami

Three More Markets

ALL ACCESS presents AUGUST PPM market highlights, compiled by the Ratings Experts at RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. and powered by XTRENDS, radio's #1 PPM and diary analysis tool. All numbers reflect subscriber only data.

BOSTON: Magic Closes The Gap

It was pretty much axiomatic in BOSTON that CCM+E Top 40/M WXKS (KISS 108) would be the #1 station. And, despite the fact that it just turned its worst book of 2012 (10.0-8.4), KISS continued to lead the pack.  However, heads were turning and tongues were wagging in MEDFORD (actually pronounced Meh-fed) as for the first time all year their lead has shrunk to less than a point.  Fortifying its hold on #2 was GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC 106.7), which is on a three-book surge.  They also managed to post their best numbers in over a year (7.1-7.8).  CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX continued to add to its record-setting 2012 performances.  Not only did ZLX score its best book of 2012 (5.9-6.3), it's a full share-and-a-half ahead of where it was a year ago and jumped from #5 to a tie for #3.  Speaking of surging, GREATER MEDIA Classic Hits WROR is now on a six-book winning streak (6.2-6.3).  As recently as JANUARY it was mired in the #10 spot but now find itself tied for #3.  Moving in quite the opposite direction was GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB (COUNTRY 102.5).  As recently as MAY, the station was a solid #2.  Now, it's holding on to #5 after landing its worst book of the year (6.5-5.9).

There was minimal movement in the second half of the top 10.  GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) did manage to post its best book in over a year (3.7-4.0) and came from outside the top 10 to land at #9.  If it came in, someone must've come out and that someone was BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR (3.8-3.7).  One station to note was CBS RADIO Top 40/M WODS (AMP 103.3), which was still looking to gain traction following its recent format change (3.3-3.0).  They are currently #13.

As we saw with 6+, WXKS’ once-commanding lead in 25-54 had shrunk to the point where we now have a dogfight on our hands.  WMJX rode a three-book wave to become a true threat at #2.  WZLX continued to land in the show position, while CCM+E Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N 94.5) jumped up to #4. WKLB and WROR were time-sharing the #5 spot.  After a brief stay in the top 5, CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX 104.1) went back to where they once belonged.

18-34 was a two-team race between WXKS and WJMN.  WMJX did post its best in-demo book of the year to move up to #3, while WBOS and WKLB experienced what is politely referred to as contraction and fell into a tie for #4.  WODS did manage to claw its way into a tie at #9 with its best non-Christmas-aided performance in this demo.

Even though WMJX is on a four-book rise with 18-49s and became the new #2, they still managed to see nothing but taillights from WXKS, which continued to lead the race.  WJMN had experienced some noticeable losses over the last several months but still found itself as a solid #3.  Despite an overall poor book, WKLB remained #4 while WBOS caught some wind and moved back into the top 5.

DETROIT: Talkin’ Tiger Baseball

At the beginning of the season everyone expected the TIGERS to run away with the AL Central.  That has not happened.  However, their below-expectations performance on the field has been a boon for CBS RADIO Sports WXYT-F (THE TICKET).  The TICKET notched its second straight #1 book (7.0-8.4), hitting it out of the park with its best numbers of 2012.  At least it won’t have to worry about the wild card.  This also ended a three-book run at #1 for its cluster brother CBS RADIO Country WYCD (7.0-7.2).  Still, five straight 7 shares was some darn good shooting.   Not be outdone by its cluster brethren, both CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOMC and CBS RADIO News WWJ-A found themselves sharing bunk space at #3.  After a soft run earlier in the year WOMC (5.6-5.9) hit a three-book upswing.  WWJ-A turned in its best numbers since MARCH by jumping 5.2-5.9.  The only station inside the top 5 that saw its numbers fall was CCM+E Urban AC WMXD (MIX 92.3), which followed up its best 2012 book by tumbling to #5 (5.4-4.8).

There was a new member of the top 10 club as GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WRIF made the arduous journey from #13 to #8 (3.6-4.2), simultaneously matching its 2012 high last seen in JANUARY.   Bidding adieu to its all-too-brief stay in the Top 10 was CCM+E Top 40/M WKQI (CHANNEL 955), which fell back to more familiar turf at #11.  RADIO ONE Urban AC WDMK (KISS-FM) had  been suffering from a severe loss of cabin pressure as its numbers fell for the sixth book in a row (3.9-3.7).  The run started with them at #2 and it's now #10. CBS RADIO Top 40/M WDZH (AMP 98.7) was not celebrating with its cluster mates, falling from #6 to a tie for #14 (5.1-3.4)

If WXYT-F’s performance with 6+ was a line drive into the gap, then it just hit an upper deck shot with 25-54s.  If the station was the TIGERS, it would be resting its regulars because WYCD is a distant #2.   WRIF recaptured some of its old glory and moved up to #3, while CUMULUS Hot AC WDVD slipped a bit but hung in as a solid #4.  WMXD lost a good chunk of listening but it held on to #5.  Keep WWJ-A in your thoughts as it posted its best in-demo numbers since MARCH.

WXYT-F is now a dominant #1 18-34 with its best share since last OCTOBER.  Coming up on the outside was BELL MEDIA Alternative CIMX (89X) as it leapt from #5 to #2.  This despite the fact that both WYCD and WKQI met or exceeded their best in-demo performances of 2012.  They both jumped from a tie for #6 to #3 and #4, respectively.  Former in-demo #1 CCM+E Urban WJLB fell to #5.  Both WDZH and WGPR INC Urban AC WGPR exited the top 5.

WXYT-F continued its market-leading performances by securing the #1 spot 18-49 for the fifth straight book.  WYCD seemed quite content to remain at #2 for the fourth book in a row, and WDVD notched consecutive #3s for the first time in over a year.  Two new players joined the top 5 -- WRIF and WCMX -- while WJLB and WKQI had their membership temporarily revoked.

MIAMI: Thirteenth Time Is The Charm

It was kind of hard to believe that exactly one year ago COX RADIO Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105FM) was languishing in second place, over two shares out of the top spot.  Now, for the 13th book in a row it's firmly entrenched at #1 (8.7-8.9) and just thisclose to having a 3 share lead of its own.  It was a double play as COX RADIO Urban WEDR (99 JAMZ) moved up to #2 (5.6-6.0) with its best book of 2012.  WEDR’s rise was aided by the misstep UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR 107.5) took -- falling to #3 (6.5-5.6).  The three-book slide COX RADIO AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1) is currently enduring dropped them from #2 to its current #4 position (5.6-5.4).  Still, last year at this time it was a full 2 shares below its current rating and were looking up at the pack from #12.  The fifth and final member of the top 5 was right where we saw them last month.  LINCOLN AC WLYF (LITE FM) was over 3 shares below where it was at this point a year ago (5.3-5.2).

Making a furious charge to attain top 5 status was SBS Spanish Adult Hits WCMQ (Z92), which earned "leap of the week" honors (remember that?) jumping from a #9 tie all the way to #6.  If there was a "leap of the week" there had to be a "tumble of the month," and that dubious distinction belonged to CCM+E Spanish Contemporary WMGE (MEGA 94.9), which plummeted from #6 to a tie for #10 (4.9-3.8).  That can happen when you post your worst book since JANUARY.  Like many BCS conferences, the MIAMI top 10 had 11 members.  New to the group is CCM+E Hot AC WMIA (3.5-3.8), which was tied with WMGE.  Falling off the top 10 chart this month was COX RADIO AC WFLC (COAST FM), which dropped from a tie at #9 all the way to #13.

There was some movement in 25-54 but it did not involve the top 2. WHQT widened its lead over sister station WEDR.  They had a pretty comfortable lead on WLYF, which inched up to #3, and BEASLEY Top 40/R WPOW (POWER 96) matched its 2012 in-demo high and snuck up on #4.  CCM+E Top 40/M WHYI (Y100) returned to the top 5 club after a one-book absence. WMGE followed its best in-demo book with something that caused them to drop from #3 to a tie for #7 with the recently expanding WFLC.  WAMR posted its worst book of 2012 to fall into a tie for #9 with WMIA, which was enjoying its best showing since FEBRUARY.

The top three players 18-34 experienced down books, but all held on to their respective positions.  WEDR continued to lead the way, as it has done since FEBRUARY, and was followed by WPOW and WHYI.  WMGE held steady at #4 but a new station cracked the top 5. UNIVISION Tropical WRTO (MIX 98.3) scored its best in-demo ratings since MARCH.

The top two 18-49 spots remained unchanged as WEDR continued to lead WPOW by a noticeable margin.  WHQT shook off a disappointing JULY and stormed back to #3, while WHYI logged its worst book in over a year to slump to #4.  WMGE suffered its second consecutive down month and fell to #5.

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