Exclusive November PPM Analysis: Boston, Detroit And Miami

Exclusive PPM Analysis

ALL ACCESS presents NOVEMBER 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: You Tawkin’ To Me?

Whether it was a quest for storm-related news or the buzz of the election cycle, this was another market where information powered local radio listening. This is not to say that folks weren’t still interested in hearing the hits as witnessed by CCM+E Top 40/M WXKS (KISS 108), which was #1 for the eleventh straight time (8.2-8.1), albeit with its lowest number in over a year. GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) was quite content to hold on at #2 (6.5-6.7). The thirst for knowledge drove CBS RADIO News WBZ-A to its highest point since JANUARY (5.3-6.1) and into a tie at #3 with GREATER MEDIA Classic hits WROR which, despite losing a small part of its ratings (6.2-6.1), managed to move up from #4. This caused the station to do a little do-si-do with its cluster bunkmate GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB, which threw down its lowest number of the year to slip to #5.

Last month, two stations were tied at #5. This month, the same two stations are still tied -- this time at #6 -- CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX (5.4-5.7) and CCM+E Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) (5.4-5.7). CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX) infiltrated itself further into the top 10 by accepting its best book in over a year (4.2-4.5) and climbed to #8. Fueled by pre-election hysteria (and maybe some Red Bull), BOSTON UNIVERSITY N/T WBUR made a return appearance to the top 10 with its best month since MARCH (3.6-4.2) and is now occupying #9. CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB) stepped out of bounds and fell from #8 to #10 (4.6-4.1). Last month, CBS RADIO Top 40/M WODS (AMP) cracked the top 10 for the first time since the format flip. Alas, that was a short visit as the station fell back to #12 (4.1-3.4).

Yes, WXKS is still #1 25-54 but the station is a couple of share points lighter than it was a year ago. Like two Swan Boats passing in the night, WKLB is on a three-book surge and rose to #2, passing WMJX, which is on a three-book slide. While it appeared that WJMN was hibernating for the last couple of months, it is clear the station has arisen as it moved from #7 to #4. Behold the power of, well -- something. WBUR earned leap-of-the-week honors by climbing from #10 to #5 -- the station’s highest ranking in over a year. Note that there are two new members of the top 5 club. That means two were excused -- WROR, which slipped to #6, and WBZ-F, which moved down the bench to tie for #8.

Two stations continue to dominate the 18-34 landscape and they both have the same boss so we could call this a sibling rivalry – WXKS is #1 and WJMN is #2. WODS has started to make some noise as it climbed to #3 -- its highest ranking in this demo since, probably, ever (especially since its previous incarnation was as a Classic Hits station). Last month two stations were livin’ large, lovin’ life and tied at #3. Then, both decided to record their lowest numbers of the year and fell into a tie at #4. That would be WKLB and cluster brother GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO).

There was precious little drama 18-49 as the top 5 stations remained unchanged, at least in terms of ranking. WXKS was, naturally, #1 followed by WJMN. WKLB maintained itself at #3 just ahead of WMJX at #4. WBMX is now the sole owner of #5 as it slipped out of a tie at #5. WBOS broke away from that #5 tie to plunge into a tie at #8. Watch out for WBUR, which is coming up hard on the rail.

DETROIT: A Swing And A Miss State

Hey, we love and respect the TIGERS but it appeared the team’s quick demise in the WORLD SERIES did not do much for the fortunes of CBS RADIO Sports WXYT-F (THE TICKET). That, and the lack of hockey in Hockeytown, caused some irritating ratings slippage (8.9-7.9) but the station is still in first place. Now, about those PISTONS. DETROIT lives by more than sports as the intense election hype drove CBS RADIO News WWJ-A to its highest number in over a year (6.3-6.8) as the station moved up to #2. CBS RADIO Country WYCD is on a small two-book slide (6.9-6.6), which caused it to drop to #3. Another beneficiary of all the political hot air was CUMULUS Talk WJR-A. The station opted for its best book in over a year (4.8-5.9) and rose from #6 to #4. CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOMC retained its top 5 membership despite a little ratings shrinkage (5.9-5.5).

CCM+E Urban AC WMXD (MIX) popped its best number since JULY (4.6-5.1) to rise into a tie at #6 with CUMULUS Hot AC WDVD, which dropped down slightly (5.2-5.1). GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WRIF held fast at #8 (4.3-4.1) just ahead of its older, slightly balder cluster brother GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WCSX at #9 (3.9-4.0). There is a serious log jam at #10 with three stations trying to occupy the same place at the same time. CCM+E AC WNIC (FRESH) rose from a tie at #15 (3.3-3.7) while cluster co-conspirator CCM+E Urban WJLB inched up from a tie at #11 (3.7-3.7). Completing the trio was RADIO ONE Urban AC WDMK (KISS-FM), which climbed from #14 (3.6-3.7). Lost in all this shuffle was CUMULUS Adult Hits WDRQ (DOUG-FM), which tumbled to #16 (3.8-3.4).

Though the thirst for sports waned a bit last month, it did not prevent WXYT-F from scoring its ninth straight #1 win 25-54. Cluster sib WYCD held tightly to #2 for the eighth month in a row. WDVD was up for the third straight month and just happened to post its best number in over a year as it moved up a notch to #3. This forced WRIF to drop down one to #4. BELL MEDIA Alternative CIMX (89X) remained at #5 but is now tied with WMXD, which came screaming in from #8. It looks like WNIC is getting an early Christmas present as the station jumped from a tie at #12 to #7.

For the second straight month, WXYT-F is #1 18-34 but the station is hearing footsteps as CIMX had a huge book. How huge? Bigger than anything it has seen in over a year and big enough to take it from #7 to a tie at #2 with WJLB. WDVD followed its best book of the year with another solid performance but still slipped from #2 to #4. CCM+E Top 40/M WKQI (CHANNEL 955) rounded out the top 5.

Make it a clean demo sweep for WXYT-F as the station is #1 18-49 for the eighth straight month. A year ago, WDVD was #6 in this demo. Now, for the second month in a row, the station is #2. WYCD is a return occupant to #3 while WJLB rises up a slot to #4. The CIMX road show has the station traveling up The Lodge from #8 to #5. WRIF slid out of the top 5 into a tie at #6.

MIAMI- FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: The Hot Get Hotter

Last month some observers (ok, it was us) noticed how COX RADIO Urban AC WQHT (HOT) was maybe losing a bit of its usually insurmountable lead. That perhaps this market could actually have a ratings race. Well, it didn’t happen as HOT 105 FM had another huge book (9.2-10.2). And, to think, it was only a year ago that the station was #1 with a measly 7.5 share. It looks like COX RADIO Urban WEDR will have to be content with being #2 -- again (6.9-6.6). UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WAMR (AMOR) is on a mini two-book slide (6.0-5.7) but remained #3. COX RADIO AC WFEZ (EASY) easily held on to #4 (5.6-5.2) despite being on its own two-book slide. Moving back into the top 5 was CCM+E Top 40/M WHYI (Y100) (4.8-5.0).

LINCOLN AC WLYF (LITE FM) removed itself from the top 5 (5.2-4.7) as a result of posting its lowest number of 2012. BEASLEY Top 40/R WPOW (POWER) remained in familiar territory at #7 (4.3-4.4) while CCM+E Spanish Contemporary WMGE (MEGA) broke out of a tie at #10 to move up to #8 (3.6-4.1) with its best month since JULY. COX RADIO AC WFLC (COAST FM) dropped a slot (4.2-3.9) just ahead of LINCOLN Classic Hits WMXJ (MAGIC) at #10 (3.6-3.4). SBS Spanish Hits WCMQ (CLASICA) left its share of #8 behind (4.2-3.3) by suffering its third straight down book as it fell into a tie at #12.

Make it an even dozen for WHQT as it scored its twelfth straight #1 book 25-54. WEDR continued to reside at #2 while WPOW slipped out of a tie at #4 to take over sole possession of #3. WHYI posted its best book since JUNE and charged up to #4 from #8. Two stations on divergent paths were tied at #5. WMGE climbed up from #9 while WLYF slipped from #3. WAMR dropped out of the exclusive top 5 fraternity from a tie at #4 to #7.

The top 5 remained unchanged 18-34. WEDR was #1 for the tenth straight month while WHYI stayed strong at #2. WPOW came in at #3 ahead of WHQT, which just happened to have its best book of the year. Rounding out the top 5 was WMGE.

WEDR is enjoying its fifth straight month atop the leaderboard 18-49 while WHYI is on a three-book surge and remained at #2. Last month two stations were tied at #3. Defying the statistical odds (or is it gods) both stations were there again -- WPOW and WHQT. Two other stations flip-flopped from last survey as WMGE rose to #5, causing WAMR to do the opposite of rise to end up at #6.

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