Exclusive September PPM Analysis: Boston, Detroit And Miami

Three More Markets

ALL ACCESS presents SEPTEMBER 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: It’s KISS And Then Everyone Else

For the last four surveys, two stations have commanded the market to do their bidding. CCM+E Top 40/M WXKS-F (KISS) has been a dominant #1 for the entire year and continued that run by rebounding from its worst book of 2012 (8.4-8.9).  Despite ending a three-book upswing (7.8-7.2), GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) maintained a firm grasp on #2. MAGIC has gained a share-and-a-half’s worth of audience over the last year.  Last month, GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB was crying in its beer over posting its worst numbers of 2012. Now, the station is raising glasses to toast a ratings rebound (5.9-6.5) and a jump from #5 to #3.  CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX proved the maxim that no good deed goes unpunished.  The station matched its best book of the year (6.3-6.3) yet fell from a tie at #3 to #4.  At least GREATER MEDIA Classic Hits WROR earned its slippage from a tie at #3 to sole possession of fifth place (6.3-5.6), which ended a six-book positive run.

Despite landing its fifth straight down book, CCM+E Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) managed to hold on to #6 (5.5-5.3).  A year ago, CBS RADIO News WBZ-A was a solid #2 with close to a 7 share.  Now, it is a solid #7 (4.9-4.6).  Given the sorry state of the RED SOX, it seems NEW ENGLAND was ready for some football.  That explains how CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F swept into the top 10 at #8 (3.7-4.5) with its best numbers since JANUARY.  ENTERCOM Sports WEEI can only look forward to the Hot Stove League, as it fell in the standings to #9 (4.3-4.1).  GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) duplicated its best book of the year (4.0-4.0) and was rewarded with a fall to #10. Who said life was fair?

Last survey it looked like WXKS-F was going to have some real, live competition 25-54.  That was merely a blip on the radar.  KISS rebounded from its worst book in over a year to resume command of this demo.  WMJX’s visions of grandeur were dashed but it is still a very strong #2.  WZLX held on to #3 ahead of WKLB, which rebounded nicely from its worst book of the year.  WROR remained at #5 while WJMN posted its worst book in over a year to fall out of the top 5.  WBZ-F posted its best numbers since FEBRUARY, which just happens to be the last time the NFL was in session.

If you’re a typical 18-34 Bostonian, you listen to either WXKS-F or WJMN.  Both stations have shared the top spots for over a year.  This just happens to be the fifth book in a row that has KISS at #1 and JAM’N at #2.  WKLB posted its best in-demo book of the year and managed to move up to a distant #3 while WBOS secured #4 with its worst in-demo book in over a year.  WMJX followed its best performance of the year by falling off the stage to land at #5.

Completing its demographic sweep, WXKS-F posted yet another dominant book 18-49.  WJMN had its worst book since JANUARY yet managed to move up to #2 because WMJX followed its best book of the year with another lackluster performance.  The station is now #3 just inches ahead of the resurgent WKLB.  WZLX moves into the top 5 for the first time this year, causing WBOS to drop out.

Detroit: The Eye Is On The Motor City

Did we miss an ALL ACCESS news bulletin or is DETROIT now a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS?  For the second book in a row, this group owns the top four spots.  After a brief respite at #2, CBS RADIO Country WYCD moved back to #1 with its best book in over a year (7.2-7.7).  Not a bad encore after winning a MARCONI.  CBS RADIO Sports WXYT-F (THE TICKET) followed its best performance of the year by falling out of bounds short of the first down (8.4-7.4) to land at #2. CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOMC has to be very proud of scoring its best book in over a year (5.9-6.2), yet all it could do was hold on to #3.  CBS RADIO News WWJ-A matched its best book of the year (5.9-5.9) and as its just reward fell a slot to #4.  Holding steady at #5 was CCM+E Urban AC WMXD (MIX) (4.8-4.9).

CUMULUS Talk WJR-A was up for the second book in a row and climbed to within spitting distance of the top five at #6.  As recently as MAY the station wasn’t even in the top 10. CUMULUS Hot AC WDVD maintained its status quo (4.6-4.6) but had to turn it down a notch to #7. GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WRIF was a steady #8 (4.2-4.1) just ahead of the hard-charging competition from the North (which in DETROIT is actually south) BELL MEDIA Alternative CIMX (89X), which earned leap-of-the-week honors by emigrating from a tie at #14 to #9 (3.4-3.8).  CCM+E Urban WJLB made a return visit to the top 10 at #10 (3.6-3.7) while CUMULUS Adult Hits WDRQ (DOUG-FM) ended its short stay with that group (3.8-3.5).
Sports is the ticket to prosperity 25-54 as WXYT-F continues to own the market. It holds a substantial lead over cluster-mate WYCD at #2, which, in turn, leads WRIF by an equally impressive margin at #3. WDVD is solidly and safely ensconced at #4.  If you’re keeping track, the top four positions in this demo remain unchanged from last book. CIMX broke into the top 5 for the first time in over a year with, coincidentally, its best in-demo performance over that same period.  Keep an eye on WOMC as it rebounded from a disappointing summer by posting its best numbers since MARCH.

WYCD laid a whoopin’ on 18-34 by posting its best numbers in well over a year to wrestle the top spot from cluster brother WXYT-F.  WJLB bounced back from its worst book of the year to move up to #3. Through no fault of its own, CIMX fell to #4 while CCM+E Top 40/M WKQI’s (CHANNEL 955) fall to #5 was entirely its fault.

The TIGERS pennant push did not seem to help WXYT-F as it took a huge hit 18-49.  However, that did not end the station’s run at #1, which extended to six books.  WYCD held firm at #2 by matching its best book of the year while WDVD continued to be satisfied with #3.  WRIF slumped a bit to fall into a tie at #4 with an up-and-coming WJLB.  All this movement dumped CIMX out of the top 5.

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood:  It’s A Hot Heat

Pity the folks at COX RADIO Urban AC WHQT (HOT).  For the last two books, the station was unable to crack a 9 share. Thankfully, those woes are over as it continued to dominate the market (8.9-9.8).  Meanwhile, what does cluster-mate COX RADIO Urban WEDR (99 JAMZ) get for its third straight up book and its best numbers in over a year (6.0-6.4)?  A three- plus share deficit.  OK, it is still #2 and managed to hold off UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR), which bounced back (5.8-6.1) into six-share territory to remain at #3.  A year ago, COX RADIO AC WFEZ (EASY) was languishing at #13.  A couple of share points later it remains the market’s #4 station (5.4-5.7).  In one of those rare moments of statistical Zen, the top 5 is actually full of six.  CCM+E Top 40/M WHYI (Y100) slowly inched its way up from #7 (4.9-5.0) to land in a dead heat at #5 with LINCOLN AC WLYF (LITE) (5.2-5.0).  LITE is now over two full share points off from where it was at this time last year.

Eliminating the need for a #6 station, BEASLEY Top 40/R WPOW (POWER) stepped up to #7 (4.4-4.5). Meanwhile, SBS Spanish Adult Hits WCMQ (Z92) followed up its best book of the year with something that doesn’t taste nearly as good (5.1-4.3) and fell to #8. COX RADIO AC WFLC (COAST FM) jumped from #13 to #9 by posting its best book since APRIL (3.6-4.1) while CCM+E Spanish Contemporary WMGE (MEGA) was down for the third straight book (3.8-3.5) but remained at #10. Two stations bid a not-so-fond farewell to the top 10 this survey.  CCM+E Classic Rock WBGG (BIG) used its worst book of the year (3.9-3.4) to turn it down to #11 while CCM+E Hot AC WMIA dropped to a tie at #12 (3.8-3.3).

If we gaze lovingly into the past we see that WHQT was yet to become the dominant force it is 25-54.  A year ago the station was a mere #2 but now it is #1 and almost two shares bigger. WEDR posted its best in-demo book in over a year and it will just have to be satisfied with being a solid #2.  Despite a down book, WPOW moved up a notch to #3, followed closely by a suddenly rebounding WAMR.  As recently as JANUARY, WLYF was leading the market in this demo.  After turning in its worst in-demo performance in over a year, it is now sitting at #5.  Speaking of how the mighty have fallen, way back in JUNE, WMGE was #2.  Today, it is sitting at #11.

There is a station that utterly dominates 18-34, but it’s not HOT.  WEDR owns this demo.  However, there is a race for the coveted title of Miss Congeniality, as both WHYI and WPOW are neck and neck.  WHQT is on a two-book upswing, but it remained a distant #4 well ahead of the two-way tie at #5 between WMGE and UNIVISION Tropical WRTO (MIX).

In 18-49, WEDR is bragging about its best book of 2012, which merely secured the station’s third straight stay at #1. In the not-too-distant past, #2 WHQT was the market leader and it is attempting a comeback with two straight up books.  WPOW fell off a bit to #3.  As recently as JUNE, WHYI was #1 but now it is holding firmly to #4.  The leap-of-the-week was bestowed upon WAMR, which jumped from a tie at #10 to #5. WMGE is down for the third book in a row and fell out of the top 5.

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