Exclusive November PPM Analysis: Seattle-Tacoma, Phoenix And Minneapolis-St. Paul

Three More Markets

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.

SEATTLE-TACOMA: A Market In Upheaval

Strap in, we’re in for a bumpy ride.  It is a rare sight, indeed, when every single station in a market’s top 10 changes position in a single book.  To begin with, there was a new #1 in town as UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON N/T KUOW scored its best book in over a year (4.6-5.4) to move into the top spot.  For the last three months, ENTERCOM Active Rock KISW was on top of the world but it had  to #2 (4.8-4.7).  It was only last MARCH when CCM+E Top 40/M KBKS (KISS FM) was #13.  Now, after a two-book surge, the station sat pretty at #3.  In the not-too-distant past (AUGUST) CRISTA Christian Contemporary KCMS (SPIRIT) was #17.  Last month, the station ascended to a tie at #4 (4.0-4.5) with SANDUSKY AC KRWM (WARM), which fell from a tie at #2 (4.6-4.5).

But wait, there’s more.  Two cluster dwellers moved in opposite directions.  BONNEVILLE Talk KTTH-A scored its biggest book in over a year to soar from a tie at #12 to #6 (3.7-4.2).  The station was just ahead of BONNEVILLE Talk KIRO-F, which claimed its lowest number in over a year (4.6-4.1) to fall from a tie at #2 to #7.  Then there was FISHER News KOMO-A .  All that station did was rise from #14 to #8 (3.6-3.9).  Three stations were new residents at the #9 slot.  CBS RADIO Country KMPS soared from a tie at #15 (3.4-3.8).  Last month, two stations were tied at #7 and now share space a couple of slots lower -- SANDUSKY Top 40/M KQMV (MOVIN’) (4.0-3.8) and CCM+E Classic Hits KJR-F (4.0-3.8).  All this movin’ and shakin’ caused three stations to drop completely out of the top 10:  BONNEVILLE Sports KIRO-A (4.1-3.7), which fell from #6 to a tie at #12 with CBS RADIO Classic Rock KZOK (3.9-3.7);  ENTERCOM Country KKWF (THE WOLF) was howling as it dropped from a tie at #10 to #16 (3.9-3.4). Whew.

Things were slightly more stable 25-54. Slightly.  KISW remained where it has been all year -- at #1. FISHER Hot AC KPLZ (STAR) made the huge leap from a tie at #8 all the way to #2 (that qualified as a leap-of-the-week).  Meanwhile, KUOW also leapt from a tie at #8 to a tie at #3 with KBKS, which broke out of a three-way tie at #5.  KZOK suffered its third down month in a row and slipped to #5.  Four stations dropped out of the top 5.  KIRO-A fell from #4 to #6 while KCMS dropped from a tie at #5 to #7. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KJAQ (JACK FM) stumbled from #2 to #8 while THE WOLF lost the tie at #5 but gained a tie at #9.

The upheaval continued 18-34.  KPLZ had a monster book to pull out of a tie at #4 to do the ratings bonding thing at #1 with KBKS, which also had a monster book.  CCM+E Top 40/R KUBE moved from a tie at #2 to complete ownership of #3.  ENTERCOM Alternative KNDD (THE END) had its best book in over a year to move up to #4, forcing KISW to accept the #5 position.  With all these monster books being thrown around, KQMV picked a bad time to score its lowest number of the year and fell from a tie at #2 to #6.

A little more normalcy with 18-49 as, despite a three-book slide, KISW was still #1 while KBKS scores its second straight #2.  KPLZ, #13 in this demo just three months ago, was now #3.  KNDD moved from a tie at #5 to #4 while KQMV dropped from #3 to a tie at #5 with the resurgent KUBE.  KKWF left the top 5 for the first time since MARCH and ended up in a tie at #7.

PHOENIX: I Heard The News Today

As we have seen in many markets, all the brouhaha leading up to the election seems to have driven a lot of listeners to their local News and/or Talk outlets.  Whether the quest for conversation was for a national perspective or the result of local initiatives is a question best left to those who work there. What we can say is that CCM+E Talk KFYI-A easily had its best book in over a year (4.9-5.9), more than two share points better than last NOVEMBER, and moved to #1.  Last month, CBS RADIO Classic Hits KOOL became the market leader but was unable to withstand the onslaught of talk and slipped to #2 (5.4-5.2).  CCM+E AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ) was #1 two books ago but was now resting comfortably at #3 (4.9-4.9).  CBS RADIO Country KMLE was up for the third book in a row (4.4-4.6) and took over sole possession of #4.  Surging into the top 5 for the first time since JUNE was CCM+E Top 40/M KZZP (KISS FM), which made the leap from #9 to #5 (3.9-4.3).

In the previous survey, two stations were in a heated struggle for #6.  Well, they are still there -- CCM+E Hot AC KMXP (MIX), which matched its lowest number of the year (4.2-4.2) and cluster cousin CCM+E Country KNIX, which matched its highest number of the year (4.2-4.2).  Three months ago, CBS RADIO Top 40/R KZON (JAMZ) was #1 but the station has now slipped to #8 (4.4-4.1).  SANDUSKY Classic Rock KSLX returned to the top 10 (3.6-3.9) at #9, as did BONNEVILLE Talk KTAR, which moved up to #10 (3.6-3.8).  There was one top 10 dropout: UNIVISION Regional Mexican KHOT (LA NUEVA) (4.1-3.3).

There was some serious movement 25-54 and when the dust settled, two new stations were stalemated at #1.  KMXP rose from #3 and KZZP earned leap-of-the-week honors by rocketing to the top from a tie at #11.  KSLX moved from a tie at #4 to a tie at #3 with last month’s market leader KHOT.  They were joined at that spot by ENTRAVISION Regional Mexican KLNZ (TRICOLOR).  Exiting the top 5 was FARMWORKER regional Mexican KNAI (CAMPESINA).

More changes were wrought 18-34.  KZZP jumped from a tie at #4 to become the new market leader while KNIX also broke out of a tie at #4 to rise to #2.  Despite improved ratings, KZON slipped a slot to #3.  By posting its best number of the year, SANDUSKY Active Rock KUPD surged from #10 to #4.  All this turmoil forced KMXP to drop from #3 to #5.  KNAI fell out of the top 5 to a tie at #7 while KHOT free fell from #1 to #9.

Another demo, another new #1 station.  This time KZZP rose to the top 18-49, all the way from #6.  KLNZ also experienced some ratings inflation and moved up to #2.  Last survey’s #1, KHOT, slid to #3 and there was a four-way tie at #4.  KMXP moved from #5, KNIX and KZON moved up from a tie at #7 while KNAI fell from #2.  BONNEVILLE Adult Hits KPKX (THE PEAK) hit a bit of a valley and moved from a tie at #3 to #8.

MINNEAPOLIS - ST. PAUL: And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’

There seemed to be virtually no election effect on the listening habits in this market as music continued to dominate the scene.  CCM+E Top 40/M KDWB owned the top spot for the fourth book in a row (7.7-8.0) while HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) inched up to #2 (6.7-7.2).  CCM+E Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL) kept pace with itself (6.4-6.4) but moved up from #6 into a tie at #3.  The other half of that bracket belonged to CCM+E Country KEEY (K102), which moved up from #5 despite suffering its second straight down book (6.5-6.4).  Taking a bit of a tumble was CUMULUS Classic Rock KQRS, which fell to #5 after posting its lowest number since JUNE (6.9-6.1)

All the election buzz was of no benefit to CBS RADIO Talk WCCO-A, which landed its lowest number in over a year to fall from a tie at #3 to #6 (6.7-6.0). NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE Christian Contemporary KTIS rebounded (4.7-5.3) and moved up to #7.  MPR N/T KNOW had its best book since JANUARY (4.5-4.9) to move up to #8.  CBS RADIO Adult Hits KZJK (JACK FM) moved up to #9 while CCM+E Sports KFXN (KFAN) lost a couple of yards (4.8-4.4) to land at #10.  Two stations did drop out of the top 10. CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) ended up in a tie at #11 (4.5-4.3) with CBS RADIO Country KMNB (BUZ’N), which fell from #7 (5.0-4.3).

There is a new player atop the leaderboard 25-54 and that would be KDWB.  The station is closely pursued by two other stations locked at #2 -- KSTP and last month’s #1 KQRS.  KEEY was the only occupant of the #4 position while KZJK cracked the top 5 for the first time this year, climbing up from #8.  Leaving the top 5 starting lineup was KFXN, which dropped into a tie at #6.

KDWB continued to dominate 18-34 as the station posted its 11th straight #1 book.  KXXR remained a solid #2 while KSTP rebounded from its lowest book of the year to move up a couple of places to #3. KEEY, on the other hand, posted its lowest number in over a year to slip a slot to #4.  Crashing the top 5 party for the first time in, like, forever, was KQQL, which went from #8 to #5.  KQRS ended its all-too-brief visit to the top 5 by sliding to #6.  Watch out for KTIS.  The station had a substantial book and moved from #12 to #7.

Once again, KDWB is the dominant station 18-49, leading the competition by well over two share points.  Last month there was a confusing three-way at #2.  Last month, things were in proper numerical order as KSTP kept #2, KEEY slid to #3 and KQRS slipped to #4.  KXXR had the good sense to remain at #5.  Something was brewing at KNOW as the station had its biggest book in over a year and moved from a tie at #11 to a tie at #7.

« see more Net News