Exclusive September PPM Analysis: Seattle, Phoenix And Minneapolis

Exclusive PPM Analysis

Seattle: Top 5 Shake-up

There was a lot of movement in SEATTLE’s top 5 last month. However, one station that kept its feet on the ground and kept reaching for the stars was ENTERCOM Active Rock KISW. The station posted its second consecutive #1 book (5.4-5.4) and third out of the last four. A year ago, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW was hanging out in a tie for #10. Coming back to the future we find that its nice little increase (4.7-5.1) moved the station up to #2. BONNEVILLE Talk KIRO-F had its sights set on returning to the top spot it held a year ago. Baby steps. The station inched its way up to #3 (4.7-4.8). Things were cooling off a bit for SANDUSKY AC KRWM (WARM) as it endured its second straight down book (4.8-4.7), which caused some slippage to #4. Crashing the top 5 for the first time since APRIL was CBS RADIO Classic Rock KZOK, which equaled its best books of the year (4.6-4.6).

Last year, SANDUSKY Top 40/M KQMV (MOVIN’) was all the way down at #14. MOVIN’ managed to move all the way to #2 last book. Alas, the movement has come to a temporary halt as it fell to #6 (4.9-4.3). The stars were definitely shining on FISHER Hot AC KPLZ (STAR) as it moved back into the top 10 for the first time since March. It is now #7 (3.7-4.2). Despite some painful ratings erosion, CCM+E Top 40/M KBKS (KISS) managed to hold on to the #8 slot (4.4-3.9). This month’s top 10 turned it up to eleven as three stations tied at #9. CRISTA Christian Contemporary KCMS (SPIRIT) posted its best book of 2012 (3.0-3.8) to earn leap-of-the-week honors by moving up from #17. CBS RADIO Country KMPS had its worst book since APRIL (4.1-3.8) while BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A was down but still had its second-best book of the year (4.2-3.8). There’s not too much howling going on at ENTERCOM Country KKWF (THE WOLF) as it plummeted from a tie at #6 down to a tie at #13 (4.6-3.6).

KISW has been the #1 station 25-54 since the beginning of the year and that streak continued. Two books ago KZOK was down at #9 but now it is enjoying its second consecutive stay at #2. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KJAQ (JACK-FM) has jacked the station up from #5 to #3. KUOW rebounded from its worst book of the year to land at #4, while KPLZ returned to the Top 5 for the first time since MARCH. KQMV has moved in the wrong direction as it ended its two-book stay in the Top 5. KKWF’s worst book since MARCH also removed the station from the top 5 to the point where it is dangerously close to falling out of the top 10.

Two stations were locked in an epic struggle for #1 18-34. CCM+E Top 40/R KUBE rocketed up from a tie at #4 with its best book of the year, while KQMV suffered a few losses to fall into that tie. Two other stations tied at #3. KISW is up for the third book in a row while KBKS enjoyed being a yo-yo. KPLZ posted its best numbers since JANUARY to return to the top 5 while KMPS had its worst book since MARCH and dropped out of this illustrious quintet. 

There is no one even close to KISW when it comes to 18-49 as the station continued its year-long domination of that demo. KQMV was down but held on to #2. KBKS had its third straight down book yet somehow managed to move up to #3. KUBE rebounded from its worst book of the year and jumped back into the top 5 at #4, while KKWF had its worst book in over a year and dropped to #5. KMPS ended its brief stay in the top 5, while KPLZ was on the comeback trail and jumped from #13 to #6.

Phoenix: How The Mighty Have Fallen

There were some big changes atop the leaderboard last month. First, there is a new #1 station in town – CCM+E AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ). The last time the station experienced this level of exhilaration (5.4-5.4), there were bells a-jingling. Hard to believe that exactly one year ago CCM+E Talk KFYI-A was stuck in a tie for #17. After posting its best book in over a year (4.3-5.3), it is now #2. A former #1 station, CBS RADIO Classic Hits KOOL, had its third up book in a row (4.8-4.9) and is now at #3. CCM+E Hot AC KMXP (MIX) ended a two-book slide (4.7-4.8) and slipped up to #4. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KHOT (LA NUEVA) posted its worst book since APRIL (4.9-4.6) and tumbled from #3 to #5. 

The real surprise this month was the hit CBS RADIO Top 40/R KZON (JAMZ) took. It fell from #1 to completely outside the top 5 at #6 (6.0-4.4). CCM+E Country KNIX is riding a four-book surge (3.7-4.2) and inched up to #7. Two stations moving in opposite directions are tied at #8. SANDUSKY Classic Rock KSLX was down for the second book in a row (4.4-4.1) while CCM+E Top 40/M KZZP (KISS) bounced up from #12 (3.5-4.1). Rounding out the top 10 is CBS RADIO Country KMLE (3.6-3.9). BONNEVILLE Talk KTAR-A (THE VOICE OF ARIZONA) was speaking in hushed tones this month as it fell from a tie at #9 to sole possession of #15 (3.6-3.2).

Even though KHOT did experience a down book, the station maintained its hold on #1 25-54. KMXP is now on a three-book slide yet still managed to remain at #2. KSLX was off a bit, as well, and fell from a tie at #2 to #3. ENTRAVISION Regional Mexican KLNZ (LA TRICOLOR) qualified for leap-of-the-week honors with oak clusters as it zoomed from #15 all the way up to #4. KESZ fell into a tie at #5 with FARMWORKER Regional Mexican KNAI (CAMPESINA). 

KHOT racked up its fifth consecutive stay at #1 18-34 while KNAI is riding a two-book surge and moved in at #2. KMXP is on a two-book slide and fell to #3 while KZON posted its worst book in over a year and fell to #4. KZZP followed its worst book in over a year with a solid rebound to #5. KESZ, on the other hand, followed its best book since chestnuts were roasting on the open fire to free fall from #5 to #12.

A year ago, KHOT was in a tie for #6 18-49. Now, for the fifth straight month, it is #1. KMXP is on a three-book slide but is still in a tie at #2 but with a different station than last book – KNAI. KLNZ came soaring up from a tie at #9 to a solid hold on #4, just ahead of the resurgent KZZP at #5. Things were not as rosy for KZON as it fell from a tie at #2 all the way down to #8. KESZ also dropped out of the top 5, moving from #4 to #9.

Minneapolis-St. Paul: Everybody’s Shufflin'

While the top 5 contained the exact same members as last survey, there was some shuffling going on. First, order was restored at the top as CCM+E Top 40/M KDWB broke a first place tie to reign as the true #1 (7.6-8.1). It also returned to the familiar 8-share range it has owned for all of 2012 – except for last month. HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) fell out of its first-place tie (7.6-7.6) to take ownership of #2. These last two surveys match the station’s lowest numbers of the year but KS95 is a full share point ahead of last year. Speaking of last year, back then CCM+E Country KEEY (K102) was #1 with a 10 share. Now, with a little buzzing in its ears, the station is up from #4 to #3 (7.0-7.2). Also taking one step forward was CUMULUS Classic Rock KQRS, which moved up to #4 despite an off book (6.7-6.5). The market is talking about CBS RADIO Talk WCCO-A after posting its worst numbers in over a year (7.1-6.4), which allowed the station to fall to #5. 

CCM+E Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL) matched its best book in over a year (6.2-6.2) to remain at #6 for the fifth consecutive survey. Last year, NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE Christian Contemporary KTIS was hanging out at #14. Now, despite a two-book slide, it continued to hold on to #7. CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) remained consistently consistent (5.0-5.0) and did not move an inch from #8. The top 10 concluded with a tie at #9 between MPR N/T KNOW (4.5-4.6) and CBS RADIO Country KMNB (BUZ’N) (4.6-4.6).

For the last eight books, KSTP was the #1 station 25-54. And when we say #1, we mean by a considerable margin every time. That impressive winning streak has come to an end as KDWB bumped KS95 to #2. KSTP is now on a rather noticeable three-book slide. KQRS slipped a step to #3 while KEEY maintained its presence at #4. KXXR matched its best book of the year to hold on to #5 for the seventh straight book.
When it comes to 18-34, KDWB crushes the competition. It has yet to vacate the top spot in all of 2012. KXXR remained a solid #2 but its lead over new #3 KEEY has shrunk. KSTP scored its worst in-demo book in 2012 and fell to #4 while KMNB remained a solid #5.

Adding a few years does not seem to make a difference for KDWB as it extended its streak of 18-49 #1s to nine. KEEY recovered from its worst in-demo performance of the year and moved from #4 up to #2, while KSTP recorded its lowest numbers of 2012 to fall to #3. KXXR was reasonably stable yet it slipped a slot to #4. KQRS experienced some ratings slippage but held firm at #5.

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