Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive December PPM Analysis: Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta

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ALL ACCESS presents DECEMBER 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.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Ghost Of Christmas Future Awaits

The ghostly specter of dashing through the snow may have caused some rearranging of the positions in D.C.’s radio rankings, but the top spot was left relatively unscathed.  AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU captured the #1 position for the fourth book in a row (8.4-8.1) and was over two full shares ahead of where it was last year.  Meanwhile, CCM+E AC WASH was seen roasting its chestnuts as the station rose from #5 to #2 (4.9-7.8).  This year’s pre-holiday performance was not quite up to last year’s, however.  The lack of weather calamities and the cessation of political hostilities took a bit of wind out of the sails at HUBBARD News WTOP, as the station slipped to #3 (8.2-7.4).  CCM+E Top 40/M WIHT (HOT) scored its lowest number of 2012 and slid a notch to #4 (7.2-6.4).  HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR also fell a slot to #5 (6.1-6.0).

RADIO ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC) held steady at #6 (4.4-4.7) while cluster co-worker RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) continued to hold firm at #7 (4.2-4.3).  There was a second CHRISTMAS station in town -- WA ADVENTIST U Christian Contemporary WGTS -- and it used the polar express to post its best number since MAY (3.5-3.7) to rise from #10 to #8.  After a brief departure, CCM+E Classic Hits WBIG (BIG 100.3) returned to the top 10 at #9 (3.3-3.6).  The deflation of political hysteria caused CUMULUS Talk WMAL-F to slide (4.2-3.4) into a tie at #10 with cluster buddy CUMULUS Hot AC WRQX (MIX), which moved up from #15 (3.1-3.4). CCM+E Alternative WWDC (DC 101) matched its lowest number of the year to drop out of the top 10 (3.6-3.2).

WASH was whizzing like a saber jet and moved from #7 to #1 25-54.  This ended WIHT’s 11-book run at the top as the station fell to #2.  WTOP posted its lowest number since MAY to fall into a tie at #3 with WHUR, which suffered its third straight down book.  WAMU was awarded its lowest number since JULY and slipped into a tie at #5 with WKYS, which was up for the second book in a row.

There was a new #1 station 18-34 and it had nothing to do with having a wonderful CHRISTMAS time.  WKYS, on a two-book surge, became the proud owner of the #1 position.  This ended WIHT’s four-book reign as the station slipped to #2.  WWDC followed its best book since APRIL with something almost as tasty, to hold on to #3.  Friends and relations sent WASH salutations as it climbed to #4, forcing CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC to slip a notch to #5.

Try as he might, old FATHER CHRISTMAS could not prevent WIHT from being #1 18-49 for the 12th book in a row.  Of course, WASH was blowing up bushels of fun as it climbed from #8 to within a reindeer whisker of #1.  WKYS was given its best book in over a year but was forced to slide a slot to #3.  After a two-book absence, WHUR returned to the top 5 at #4 while WWDC slid from #3 to #5.  Two stations fell out of favor with the top 5 clique.  WTOP plunged from #4 to a tie at #8 while WAMU slipped from #5 to #6.

PHILADELPHIA: The Ghost Of Christmas Present

And so this was (almost) CHRISTMAS and what has WEAZ-FM RADIO AC WBEB (B101) done?  Simply taken over the top spot with a monster book (5.6-9.5), though it was not quite as monstrous as last year’s pre-holiday result.  This ended a three-book run at #1 for CBS RADIO News KYW-A, which fell to #2 (8.4-6.9).  CCM+E Urban AC WDAS posted its best number since APRIL (5.6-6.3) but was forced out of a tie at #2 and into the #3 position.  Meanwhile, GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR was off slightly (5.0-4.9) but managed to move up a slot to #4.  Two stations forced their way into the top 5 and are tied at #5.  GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK rose from #6 (4.9-4.7) while CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL came in out of the cold from #7 (4.7-4.7).  Interesting to note that WOGL became the second All-CHRISTMAS station, but did not begin jingling the bells during this survey.

BEASLEY Country WXTU picked a fine time to score its lowest number since MAY (5.4-4.5) and slipped from #4 to #7.  CCM+E Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5) is on a five-book slide (4.5-4.4) but still held on to #8.  Despite posting its lowest number since FEBRUARY, CCM+E Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) held fast at #9 (4.4-4.1).  CCM+E Urban WUSL (POWER 99) returned to the top 10 for the first time since AUGUST (3.5-3.7).

It seems that WBEB is doing all right with its CHRISTMAS of white as the station surged from #6 to #1 to take a commanding lead in the 25-54 race.  WDAS posted its best number since APRIL but had to settle for staying put at #2.  WRFF bounced back from its second-lowest number of the year to move up a notch to #3 while WMMR posted its lowest number of the year to slide from #1 to #4.  WXTU had its lowest total since MAY and went from #3 to #5.  WMGK fell out of the top 5 after scoring its lowest total since APRIL.

WBEB was having some pumpkin pie (and will later do some caroling) as it soared from #7 to #1 18-34. This ended WRFF’s 11-book run at the top as the station slid to #2.  WUSL had another strong book but was forced to move down a slot to #3.  WDAS not only had its best book in over a year, it has now more than doubled its shares from a year ago as it moved from #6 to #4.  WMMR followed its best book of 2012 with something not quite as appealing and slid from #3 to #5.  WIOQ had its lowest number of the year and fell from #4 to #6 while, despite maintaining its share, BEASLEY Top 40/R WRDW (WIRED) slid from #5 to #7.

There was a sentimental feeling for WBEB as it made another huge lord o’ leaping from #7 to #1 18-49. This ended WRFF’s six-book run in the top spot as the station took up position at #2.  WDAS posted its best number in over a year to climb from a tie at #4 into a solid hold on #3.  WMMR posted its lowest number in over a year and slipped from #2 to #4.  WIOQ had its lowest showing since FEBRUARY and tumbled from #3 to #5. Despite a flat performance, WUSL slid out of a tie at #4 and ended up at #6.

ATLANTA: Where Are The Christmas Shoes?

ATLANTA was the rare market where no station switched to Kringle Rock during the DECEMBER survey.  So, it was listening as per usual, which meant CBS RADIO Urban AC WVEE (V103) was #1 for the 12th survey in a row (8.6-7.9) despite posting its lowest number in over a year.  COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) got dangerously close to unseating WVEE by matching its best book of 2012 (7.0-7.5).  This year, COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5) made the decision to not flip to All-CHRISTMAS music and it seemed to pay dividends as the station moved from #5 to #3 (6.2-7.0) with its best number of the year.  RADIO ONE  Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC) scored its best number since APRIL (6.5-6.8) to remain at #4 while the lack of election hysteria likely contributed to COX RADIO Talk WSB-A dropping from #2 to #5 (8.3-6.3).

A year ago, COX RADIO Classic Hits WSRV (THE RIVER) was mired at #13 but has slowly built itself up to #6 (5.2-5.5).  In advance of its switch to All-CHRISTMAS, SALEM Christian Contemporary WFSH (THE FISH) netted its best book of the year to swim upstream from a tie at #10 to #7 (4.4-5.0).  RADIO ONE Urban AC WHTA (HOT) took over sole possession of #8 (4.5-4.8) while CCM+E Top 40/M WWPW (POWER) slipped to #9 (4.5-4.4).  Two stations were locked in a death struggle at #10 after posting their lowest numbers of the year: LINCOLN Hot AC WSTR (STAR 94) (4.4-4.2) and CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) (4.7-4.2).

With what appears to be the makings of a one-book trend, WVEE continued its dominance 25-54 despite posting its lowest number since MARCH.  WSB-F posted its best book of 2012 to climb up to #2 while WALR had its best book since AUGUST to remain at #3.  Despite posting its highest rating of the year, WAMJ slipped from #2 to #4.  WSRV cracked the top 5 for the first time in over a year with its best book of 2012 to land at #5.  WSB-A took a nose dive from #5 to #10.

Things played pretty much according to script in 18-34.  WVEE continued to dominate while WHTA strengthened its hold on #2.  WWPW remained a solid #3 while WWWQ slipped into a tie at #4 with the suddenly surging CCM+E Regional Mexican WBZY (EL PATRON), which shot up from #7.  The station has more than tripled its share in the last year.  For the first time since FEBRUARY, CCM+E Top 40/R WWVA (WILD) was not in the top 5 as the station fell to #9.

WVEE posted its lowest 18-49 share of 2012 but still continued to own this demo.  WSB-F jumped a couple of places to #2 by scoring its best number of the year.  WAMJ also had its best book of the year but slipped a slot to #3.  WHTA bounced back from its lowest book of the year but it wasn’t enough to keep the station from dropping a notch to #4.  Two stations came crashing in from outside the top 5 to land in a tie at #5.  WSRV posted its best book in over a year while WALR had its best since JUNE.  WSTR exited the top 5 with its lowest number in over a year and landed at #9.

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