Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive August PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta

Markets 6 - 10

After a brief respite and a visit to our local watering hole, the Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. are sufficiently fortified to bring you the next round of our crackerjack ratings analysis. As always, we would not be nearly as adept at this without the help of our friends from XTRENDS.

This is round two of our look at the AUGUST survey. The precise timeline of this event was JULY 16th through AUGUST 12th. It was a holiday-free zone but wrought with vacations. The results looked something like this …

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Sharing The Wealth

As you shall soon see, this month featured a different station atop each of the four demos we examine every month. We begin with 6+. iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY) held court for the 13th time in the last 14 surveys. The station did post its lowest score since MARCH (7.8-7.0) but remained sufficiently ahead of the new #2 station. That was RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC), which moved in from #4 with a small increase (6.0-6.3). UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN was sin cambios (6.1-6.1) and retained its bronze medal for the fourth book in a row. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) was humming along after posting its biggest share in over a year (4.8-5.8). As a result, it moved up two places to #4 where it was joined by COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q), which slipped from #2 with its smallest share since MARCH (6.4-5.8). Cluster brother COX RADIO Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE) was up slightly (5.3-5.4) but was forced to take a step back to #6. RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX) wrapped up its best performance since DECEMBER (4.5-5.3) to climb up to #7.

Only one of last month’s co-leaders 25-54 remained in place this survey. KLTN was flat but captured the crown for the fifth time in the last seven books. KTBZ had a huge increase and rose two spots to #2 and was a bee’s wing away from tying for the lead. KKBQ was off slightly but stationary at #3 while last month’s co-leader –- KODA -– dropped to #4 with its lowest share in over a year. The stations sharing the #5 hole last time parted ways this survey. KGLK remained in place with a modest increase while KMJQ slipped to #6 by being flat.

KBXX had a very strong month 18-34 – its best since DECEMBER. It was the fifth #1 in a row for the station and it also opened up a comfortable lead over the new #2 station. KTBZ had its best showing since JANUARY to move up three spots into the runner-up position. KLTN ended a two-book slide to move up a spot to #3 where it was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Urban KQBT (THE BEAT), which rose from a tie at #5 with its highest share since APRIL. KKBQ dropped a couple of slots to #5 even with a modest increase in share. ‘Twas not a sunny month for KODA. The station had its lowest share since FEBRUARY and dropped from #2 to a tie at #8.

All the - ahem - buzz KTBZ generated in the previous demos bore fruit 18-49. The station had a huge book – over a two-share increase from last month – and vaulted from #5 to #1. It held a slim lead over KLTN, which remained at #2 with a slight increase. KKBQ was off slightly but remained firmly entrenched at #3 while KBXX became a closer #4 with its highest share since OCTOBER. KODA switched places with THE BUZZ, falling four spots to #5 as it, too, had its smallest number since OCTOBER.

WASHINGTON, DC: Gridlock

Much like The Hill and the Beltway there was gridlock in the 6+ ratings race. Well, maybe stagnation is more to the point. The top five players rarely seem to change though they often move around. HUBBARD News WTOP was down (8.7-8.0) but was #1 for the eighth book in a row. For the ninth time in a row AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU was the silver medalist (8.2-7.7). iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH posted its best un-NAT KING COLE-aided share in over a year (6.0-6.4) to move up a couple of spots to #3. It was joined by HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR, which scored its highest share since FEBRUARY (6.2-6.4). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIHT (HOT) had its lowest share since FEBRUARY and slipped two spots to #5 (6.8-5.9). These five stations were well ahead of the rest of the pack. The closest to joining the top five was CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC, which moved up to #6 with its best book in over a year (4.1-4.5).

The usual suspects were atop the 25-54 leaderboard, as well. WIHT was #1 for the fifth book in a row but had to share the prize with WTOP, which moved up a spot. Both stations were down somewhat from the previous survey and that allowed WASH to get within striking distance at #3. WHUR had its best performance since MARCH to inch up to #4 while two stations were jostling about at #5. WAMU slid from a tie at #3 with a small loss while WPGC advanced from #7 with its best score in over a year. RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) was not far behind. Though it fell in rank to #7, it actually gained some share this time.

When that right jolly old elf is messing with the playlist, WIHT is not nearly as dominant 18-34. However, in every other survey the station scores double-digit shares. This month’s was actually the lowest since JANUARY but was still good enough for more than a share-and-a-half lead over #2 WKYS – which had a small increase. WPGC again had its best showing in over a year but was stuck at #3 for the fourth straight survey. WASH was off slightly at #4 while iHEARTMEDIA Country WMZQ moved up to #5 despite a down book. WHUR ended a two-book surge and took two steps back to a tie at #7.

There were all sorts of things happening 18-49. WIHT was still #1 by a wide margin though the station absorbed its lowest share since JANUARY. WPGC’s strong month was really evident in this demo as the station rose from a tie at #5 to #2. WKYS remained close behind at #3 with a small increase while WHUR slipped to #4. WTOP came to the party. Even though it was off slightly, the station returned to the top five for the first time since MARCH. WASH was not so fortunate, falling four spots to #6. And, WAMU ended its three-book stay in the top five as it dropped to #7.

PHILADELPHIA: The Ties Have It

In a rare moment of mathematical cosmic convergence, there were ties at three separate positions in the top five 6+ – and all were on the odd number. CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL had its best share in over a year (6.7-7.0) to remain atop the leaderboard. It was accompanied by JERRY LEE RADIO AC WBEB (MORE), which bounced back from a down book to move up one slot (6.3-7.0). Our next duo featured GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK, which moved up from #4 despite landing its lowest share since friends were calling “Yoo Hoo!” (5.7-5.5). CBS RADIO Country WXTU moved up five spots with a solid increase (5.0-5.5). Our final pairing featured iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS, which remained at #5 with a small decrease (5.5-5.2).

GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR moved down from #3 as it ended a strong five-book surge (5.9-5.2).
Though it lost a chunk of 25-54 share, WMMR won the demo for the eighth consecutive survey. And, it managed to keep a solid lead over WBEB, which moved up to #2 with a modest increase. WXTU had its best performance since OCTOBER and vaulted four places to #3. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WUSL (POWER) slid back to #4 with a small decrease. Two brothers from the same cluster were hanging out at #5. WMGK remained in place with a small decrease and was partnered with GREATER MEDIA Adult Hits WBEN (BEN FM), which advanced from a tie at #9 with its best outing since MARCH. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) saw its strong two-book surge come to a halt as it dropped five places to #7.

WUSL powered its way to an eighth straight #1 finish 18-34. For good measure, the station also cracked the double-digit barrier. WXTU also had a strong month as it held on at #2 with its best score since OCTOBER. WBEB had its best elfless book in over a year and moved up to #3. These three stations were all well clear of the rest of the market. WMMR dropped to #4 as its three-book run came to an end while CBS RADIO Top 40/M WZMP (AMP) moved up to #5 despite a small decrease. WIOQ lost a large chunk of share and fell back to #6 where it was tied with iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5), which landed its lowest number in over a year.

WMMR couldn’t quite match last month’s monster 18-49 share. Still, it managed to make it eight #1’s in a row. WBEB moved up two places to #2 with its best ANDY WILLIAMS-free showing in over a year and was within spitting distance of WMMR. WUSL drifted back to #3 with a small decrease while WXTU moved up to #4 with its best performance since NOVEMBER. WIOQ took a pretty big hit as it fell back two spots to #5.

ATLANTA: UAC Is The People’s Choice

This is a market with three Urban ACs and they all had a strong AUGUST. Of course, we begin with CBS RADIO Urban WVEE (V-103). The station was #1 6+ for the seventh book in a row (8.9-9.1). And to think, just a year ago it seemed like the station was in trouble when it sank to #5 with a 6.3 share. COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) was a strong – if distant – #2. The station moved forward one step thanks to its best book in over a year (6.8-7.8). COX RADIO Talk WSB-A slid back to #3 with a slight decrease (7.3-7.1). These three stations clearly outpaced the rest of the field. SALEM Christian Contemporary WFSH (THE FISH) ended a damaging two-book slide as it swam upstream three spots to #4 (4.9-5.4). Two stations surged into a tie at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WWPW (POWER) rose from #9 (4.6-4.9) while RADIO ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC) posted its best number since DECEMBER (3.7-4.9) to move up from a tie at #13. COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5) had its lowest share in over a year (5.2-4.8) and slid two spots to #7. iHEARTMEDIA Country WUBL (THE BULL) also had its least productive book in over a year (5.3-4.1) as it dropped six places to #10.

The 25-54 race got a bit closer this survey. Well, relatively closer. WVEE was #1 for the 13th consecutive survey though it did experience a slight loss. WALR remained at #2 after landing its best book in over a year. Yes, the gap did narrow. From over four shares to about two-and-a-half. The two stations that were tied at #5 last survey remained in that partnership but at a higher level – #3 to be exact. WSB-A had its best showing since APRIL while RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) posted its highest score in over a year. CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) was flat and fell one spot to #5. COX RADIO Classic Hits WSRV (THE RIVER) reversed course, dropping four slots to a tie at #7 with its lowest total in over a year. In the previous demo it appeared that WUBL was being led to slaughter. However, in this demo the station was actually up slightly and charged ahead two spots to #6.

Last month we saw WVEE’s string of double-digit 18-34 books end at six. This month, the station began a new double-digit streak as it extended its lead to over three shares over its closest competition. WHTA moved up to #2 with its best book since NOVEMBER while WWPW advanced two squares to #3 despite a slight decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRDA (RADIO 105.7) took in its best number since DECEMBER to move up into a tie at #4 with WWWQ, which remained in place with a small share loss. WUBL was stunned as its strong four-book charge came to an end. The station dropped from #2 to #6. While it was hurting a bit 25-54, WSRV was thriving in this demo. The station landed its best number since NOVEMBER to move up to #8.

The double-digit share streak 18-49 remained intact for WVEE. This was the fifth book in a row the station played in that rarefied air and it held a four-plus share lead over everyone else. WALR stormed into the picture by posting its best book in over a year. It rose from #7 to #2. WHTA slipped back to #3 despite landing its highest share in over a year. WWWQ was off slightly but still moved forward one step to #4. Three stations were vying for the coveted title of #5. WWPW moved up one spot by being flat while WSB-F fell back one rung with its smallest total since NOVEMBER. WUBL stepped back from a tie at #2 with its lowest number since APRIL. Though it was a bit farther back, WAMJ had a strong book – advancing from #14 to a tie at #8 with its highest share since MARCH.

BOSTON: A Cluster-Friendly Month

All three of the 6+ medals went with the same cluster. GREATER MEDIA Classic Hits WROR rebounded from two down books in a row (6.7-7.6) to capture the gold for the seventh straight survey. The silver went to GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB, which was flat and stationary (6.2-6.2). GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) moved up a spot to capture the bronze with its best book since APRIL (5.9-6.1). CBS RADIO News WBZ-A was off a bit (6.2-5.8) and slid a couple of notches to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WXKS (KISS) was up slightly and stayed put at #5 (5.5-5.7). CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB) was in at #6 with its highest run total since FEBRUARY (4.6-4.9).

Speaking of scoring, WBZ-F aced 25-54 for the second book in a row, just edging out #2 WROR, which had a nice gain, as well. WXKS remained at #3 but with its lowest share in over a year. WMJX moved up to #4 with a small increase. ENTERCOM Active Rock WAAF made the leap from #11 to #5 and erased the memory of the last two down books. CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX) has had quite the four-book ride. It has gone from #4 to #9 back to #4 and most recently to a tie at #6. What is the next number in this sequence?

Country continued to be king, at least with the 18-34 set. WKLB was #1 for the third book in a row with its best share since MARCH. Last month WXKS held a share of the lead but fell back to #2 this time thanks to a small decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) had its lowest share in over a year yet remained at #3. It was in league with GREATER MEDIA Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT), which moved up a spot while remaining flat. All the buzz about deflategate was fodder for WBZ-F, which had its largest share since JANUARY (when the deflation allegedly occurred – no, wait, when it did occur) and moved up three places in the standings to #5. GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) slid three spots to #8. WROR had a surprisingly strong showing in this demo. Though the station only moved up one spot to tie WBOS at #8, it did land its largest number in over a year.

For the seventh book in a row – and 11th time in the last 14 –- WXKS was #1 18-49. WBZ-F had a strong month and moved up a slot to #2, which pushed WKLB back to #3 as it was off slightly. WBOS was stable at #4 and decided to share the experience with WROR, which took one step forward with its best performance since MARCH. Last month’s #5 duo split up. WMJX moved on to #6 despite a solid increase while WBMX settled in at #7 while maintaining an even keel.

There is still more fun yet to come so don’t change that dial. In short order we’ll be back with our third – and final – installment of How AUGUST Turns. We’ll get into the weeds with DETROIT, MIAMI, SEATTLE-TACOMA, PHOENIX, and MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL. In the meantime, why not reach out and touch the Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. via any of the platforms listed below.

E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
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