Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive Holiday PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta And Boston

5 More Markets

Welcome back for round deux of our ratings analysis of the HOLIDAY 2013 survey, which covered the dates of 12/5/13 through 1/1/14.  The first three weeks of this book were a rum-soaked, stocking-stuffed CHRISTMAS spectacular as most stations ceased holiday hostilities on 12/26 – which happened to coincide with week four of the survey.  So, before we resume our normal activities, let’s commune with the ghost of CHRISTMAS past.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Do They Know It’s Christmas

A funny thing happened on the way to CHRISTMAS day – the rankings and the ratings of the top five stations did not change all that much.  There was one notable exception.  CCM+E AC KODA (SUNNY) was completely full of the holiday spirit as the station remained #1 (8.5-12.2) with a number well ahead of last year’s 11.3.  But, curiously, the rest of the top players did not see dramatic ratings mood swings.  RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX) remained at #2 with a slight decline (7.9-7.7) while cluster sister RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC) held on at #3 (6.0-6.1).  COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q) had the biggest decline of the top stations (5.9-5.4) but did not budge from #4.  UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN (ESTEREO LATINO) rounded out the top five with a completely flat performance (5.0-5.0).  There was another CHRISTMAS competitor – KSBJ EDUCATIONAL Christian Contemporary KSBJ – and it was elevated by all the revelry (4.0-4.5) though it remained at #6.

Even though the top five 25-54 did not contain any new faces, there was more movement than we saw in the previous demo.  There were no surprises on KODA’S stocking as the station took over sole possession of the #1 position with a number over a share fatter than last year’s.  KBXX was down for the second straight survey to slip back to #2 while KLTN was up slightly to gain a spot in the rankings to #3.  KKBQ scored its lowest number since SEPTEMBER to drop back one place to #4 while KMJQ stayed at #5 despite posting its lowest number in over a year.  There was no holiday bonus for KSBJ as it did not move out of a tie at #9.

There was a considerable amount of movement 18-34 but one thing did not change – KBXX was again a dominant #1 station.  Though it was down slightly from the previous month, THE BOX still led the market by almost six shares.  SANTA exercised his considerable influence on KODA as the station flew from #7 to #2 with a share that was not quite as robust as last year’s.  KLTN was up a bit, as well, yet fell down the ratings chimney two places to #3.  KKBQ was also the beneficiary of some ratings love yet it, too, took the two-step drop to #4.  CCM+E Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) was off for the third straight survey and also dropped back two to #5.  CBS RADIO Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA) performed its version of the two-step tango, falling from a tie at #5 into a tie at #6.  There was no holiday cheer for KSBJ as the station scored its lowest number in over a year to drop one spot into a tie at #17.

Things were all shiny and bright for KODA as the station moved up two spots to #1 18-49.  Last year, the station ended up at #2 in this demo with a score that was over a share smaller.  KBXX had its smallest share since JANUARY to slip to #2 – a rare sight indeed.  KKBQ scored its lowest number since JULY to drop back one spot to #3 while KLTN was up slightly to hold steady at #4.  KTBZ stopped a two-book slide to claim sole ownership of #5 – though the station is a full two shares lighter than a year ago.  KLOL was down a bit and dropped from a tie at #5 to #7.  What came upon a midnight clear was the fact that the Christmas bug did not bite KSBJ as it matched its lowest number of the year and slid a spot to #15.

WASHINGTON, DC: Ten Lords A Leaping

CHRISTMAS came to our CAPITAL and the talk was not about who was naughty or who was nice but who was #1.  And, the answer was CCM+E AC WASH, which leapt up from #3 (6.3-10.6) though this year’s haul was slightly below 2012’s mark of 10.8.  The news continued its incessant march as HUBBARD News WTOP remained at #2 with a flat book (7.5-7.5).  AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was down for the third straight survey and fell two places to #3 as it scored its lowest number in over a year (7.7-6.2).  CCM+E Top 40/M WIHT (HOT) was seemingly unaffected by all the jingling and caroling as it remained at #4 with a flat book (6.1-6.1).  HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR had its smallest share since APRIL (5.5-5.2) to remain at #5 though it was tied by RADIO ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC ,) which inched up from #6 (5.1-5.2).

The sound of reindeer hooves echoed on Pennsylvania Avenue as WASH took over the top spot 25-54 with a share that was a bit lighter than last year’s.  Cluster sister WIHT was off just a little bit and slid to #2 while WTOP moved up a spot to #3 despite being completely flat.  WHUR was not in a particularly giving mood as it scored its lowest number since MARCH to drop two places to #4.  WMMJ also lost a bit of share but was rewarded with a one-spot promotion to #5.  WAMU again posted its lowest number in over a year to drop from #5 to #8.

While the 18-34 group did like themselves some CHRISTMAS music, their tastes were not quite strong enough to dethrone WIHT as the #1 station.  WASH did have a strong double-digit share book – well above last year’s total – as it moved up three spots to #2.  RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) was off for the fourth straight survey as it dropped one spot to #3 while CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC fell one place to #4 despite being completely flat.  CCM+E Alternative WWDC (DC101) also experienced a slight loss of share to fall from #4 to #5.  Keep an eye on WA ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY Christian Contemporary WGTS as the station jumped from a tie at #15 into a tie at #8.

The 18-49 race was not much of a contest as WASH leapfrogged its cluster mate to take over the #1 position with a share that was slightly better than last year’s.  WIHT ended a two-book surge and dropped to #2 while WKYS had its smallest number in over a year to remain at #3.  WWDC also had its lowest total in over a year yet was able to move up in the ranks one spot to #4.  WPGC was up for the second straight survey and gained two spots in the standings to #5.  WHUR took a hit with its lightest showing in over a year and dropped from #4 into a tie at #6.

PHILADELPHIA: Two Stuffed Stockings

It is with a certain sense of irony that the city that was known for booing SANTA CLAUS would not only have two different stations specializing in holiday music but that both would find success.  Your clear market leader was the recently remonikered WEAZ-FM RADIO AC WBEB (MORE FM), which was #1 for the tenth consecutive survey with an astounding, mind-boggling share (10.9-17.2).  That was not a typo.  MORE’s 17.2 was better than last year’s 15.9.  CBS RADIO Sports WIP-F matched its best book of the year (6.0-6.0) to remain at #2.  However, it had company as cluster mate CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL followed RUDOLPH’S lead and moved up from #5 (5.3-6.0).  In case you’re keeping score, and who among us doesn’t, that is a combined 23.2 share for SANTA this year.  Boo-ya!  CBS RADIO News KYW-A also had a solid book (5.1-5.6) to move up two spots to #4.  CCM+E Urban AC WDAS had its lowest number in over a year (5.0-4.8) yet through the magic of the holiday season was able to climb three spots to #5.  Two cluster bro’s were not quite as fortunate.  GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK had its smallest share since MAY (5.5-4.7) to fall two places to #6.  GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR scored its lowest total in exactly one year (5.6-4.5) to drop four spots to #7.

They’re not booing, they’re saying yuuuuule, as WBEB remained in the lead 25-54 with a number reasonably close to its overall score and slightly ahead of last year’s pace.  While WMMR did land its lowest number in exactly a year, the station managed to hold firm at #2.  WIP-F was off slightly but held on at #3.  WOGL went over the river and through the woods on its way up the chart from #9 to #4.  WMGK dropped some share and was forced to take one step backward to #5.  BEASLEY Country WXTU snared its smallest share in over a year to fall four spots to #9.

In some markets, we have seen the holiday format meet with limited success 18-34.  Not here as WBEB was again #1 with a share that actually exceeded its 6+ figure and was well ahead of what it generated last season.  CCM+E Urban WUSL (POWER) scored its lowest number in over a year yet managed to claw its way up to #2 from #5.  Cluster mate CCM+E Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5) also had its lowest total in over a year but dropped one place to #3.  WXTU also dropped back a spot – to #4 – after posting its smallest share since FEBRUARY.   WMMR continued its trend by landing its smallest score in over a year and also dropped one spot to #5.

And what to our wondering eyes should appear but WBEB posting another dominant number to remain #1 – this time 18-49.  And, yes, it was better than last year’s.  WMMR again had its lowest number in a year but, again, managed to maintain control of the #2 position.  CCM+E Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) was off slightly but moved up a spot to #3 where it was tied with WIP-F, which moved up from a tie at #5 despite a slight loss of share.  WXTU’s lowest number in a year dropped the station two places to #5. WRFF had the same experience and ended up in a tie at #6.

ATLANTA: What Station Is This?

We go from a market where holiday music was the seasonal sound of choice to one where it was not nearly as obvious.  That said, there was quite a shake-up in the standings as COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) was clearly under the influence of the mistletoe as it posted its best number in exactly one year (6.8-7.4) to climb from #3 to #1.  Cluster sister COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B 98.5) was celebrating its highest score since FEBRUARY (6.1-7.3) as it moved up from #4 to #2.  SALEM Christian Contemporary WFSH (THE FISH) benefitted from three wise gentlemen, matching its best number in exactly one year (3.8-6.4) as it raced up to the rooftop from #11 to #3.  COX RADIO Talk WSB-A posted its lowest number since APRIL (7.5-6.2) to fall two places to #4.  CBS RADIO Urban AC WVEE (V-103) had a historically low book (8.0-6.1) to drop from #1 into a tie at #5 with RADIO ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC), which ended a two-book slide (5.8-6.1).

Before we start waxing on about the fall of WVEE, note that the station was #1 25-54 once again, though with its lowest share in over a year.  WAMJ had its best book since JUNE to remain at #2 though it was tied by COX RADIO Classic Hits WSRV (THE RIVER), which moved up from #3 with its best share since SEPTEMBER.  WSB-F remained at #4 despite scoring its highest number since JUNE.  WFSH swam upstream as it rose from a tie at #10 to #5.  In DECEMBER, two stations were knotted at #5.  They were not tied this time and neither was at #5.  WALR was up slightly but still fell to #6 while CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) was flat but dropped into a tie at #7.

The presents under the 18-34 tree featured no surprises.  RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) was number one for the fifth month in a row while WVEE held on at #2 despite landing its lowest number in over a year.  CCM+E Regional Mexican WBZY (EL PATRON) had its best book in over a year but had to settle at remaining in the #3 position.  WSB-F had a nice bounce-back book to move up a spot to #4 while WWWQ was down for the third straight survey and fell two places to #5.  They weren’t biting on Christmas music as WFSH was only able to move from #19 to #17.

Though it again had its lowest number in over a year, WVEE was onxw moew the market leader 18-49.  WSB-F had its best book in over a year to close the gap as the station rose two spots to #2.  WHTA was off slightly and dropped a spot to #3 while WAMJ suffered the same fate, falling to #4.  WFSH was swimming pretty as it moved from a tie at #12 to #5.  The two stations tied at #5 last survey were both off slightly.  WSRV slipped to #6 while WWWQ landed at #7.

BOSTON: Silk Hat Magic

That FROSTY fellow sure knew what he was talking about because once GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) donned the holiday chapeau, it was inevitable it would reach #1.  The numbers don’t lie (6.7-11.8) and in a rather curious twist, this year’s score was the exact equal of 2012’s.  CCM+E Top 40/M WXKS (KISS 108) had the exact same number for the third straight survey (6.8-6.8) as it fell to #2.  Meanwhile, there was plenty of chatter at CBS RADIO News WBZ-A after the station posted its best number since JULY (5.6-6.0) to move up two places to #3.  The PATRIOTS ill-fated run to another Super Bowl was fuel for CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB) as it moved up three yards to #4 (5.1-5.2).  The fog of Christmas seemed to have a negative effect on two music stations.  GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB had its lowest number in over a year (6.0-4.9) – and has lost almost three full shares since it was #1 in AUGUST – but it only dropped one spot to #5.  CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX also had its lowest share in over a year (6.2-4.8) – and is down over two full shares since it was #1 in NOVEMBER – as it dropped three places to #6.

WMJX posted a huge number 25-54 – over five shares above the previous survey and a full share better than last year – as it moved from #3 to the rooftop.  WXKS actually had its best book since OCTOBER to remain at #2 while WBZ-F moved up one place to #3 despite being off slightly.  After posting its lowest number since MARCH, WZLX saw its two-month stay at #1 come to a crashing halt as it dropped three spots to #4.  Two stations came from back in the pack to land in a tie at #5.  CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX) scored its best number since AUGUST to move up from #7 while GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) did the exact same thing to move in from #10.  CBS RADIO Top 40/M WODS (AMP) was not able to maintain its best book from last month and dropped from #5 into a tie at #9.

For the first time since AUGUST, a station landed double-digit shares 18-34 – something that had been a regular occurrence before the competition got noticeably hotter.  And, the honor of dominating the demo went to WMJX, which moved up from a tie at #4 and outperformed itself from last year.  CCM+E Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) fell back one spot to #2 while WXKS also fell back one place to #3 despite ending a six-book slide.  GREATER MEDIA Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT) had the exact same number for the third straight survey as it fell back one notch to #4.  WBOS bounced back from its worst book of the year with its best number since AUGUST to move from a tie at #10 to #5.  On the other hand, WZLX had its lowest total since MAY and fell from a tie at #4 to #10.

WMJX picked up five full shares of holiday cheer as it moved from #4 to #1 18-49 and easily bested last year’s performance.  WXKS ended a two-book slide but was still forced to take one step back to #2.  WBZ-F remained at #3 despite a slight loss of share while WJMN moved up a spot to #4 even though it, too, lost a bit of share.  WBMX had its best book since JUNE to move from #9 into a tie at #5 with WBOS, which flew in from #10.  WZLX scored its lowest total since MARCH and dropped from #2 into a tie at #7.

We’re not done yet!  Stay tuned through the break for our next round, featuring the HOLIDAY stylings of DETROIT, MIAMI, SEATTLE, PHOENIX, and MINNEAPOLIS. In the meantime, if you have any comments, corrections – or just want to say hello – you can find us hanging around the usual places:

E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
Twitter: @ResearchDirectr
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Web: www.researchdirectorinc.com

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