Research Director, Inc.: Exclusive August PPM Analysis For New York., L.A., Chicago, S.F., Dallas

Top-5 Markets

Here’s a completely useless fact. Did you know –- according to the all-knowing Wikipedia -– that in Anglo-Saxon times, the dog days of summer began on JULY 14th. Why is that important? Because the AUGUST survey we are about to splay open also began on JULY 14th. And you thought this would just be another ratings analysis from The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. (with a healthy assist from the numbers nerds at XTRENDS). Our goal is to inform and enrich. (FYI –- those original dog days ended on SEPTEMBER 5th while NIELSEN ended this survey on AUGUST 10th).

NEW YORK: Let There Be Lite

After wandering around in the darkness for a month muttering “winter is coming,” iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (LITE) returned to the top spot 6+ with its first up book since MARCH (6.0-6.1). Last month CBS RADIO Classic Hits WCBS-F rocketed to the top with a “yuge” increase. Alas, this time the station gave most of it back and dropped to #2 (6.2-5.5). SBS Tropical WSKQ (LA MEGA) was off a bit (5.6-5.3) but remained at #3. It was joined by iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHTZ (Z100), which took one step forward with its first down book since FEBRUARY (5.5-5.3). EMMIS Urban AC WBLS was in at #5 for the third book in a row (5.1-5.2). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKTU was up for the fourth straight survey. The station posted its highest share in over a year (4.4-4.7) to move up a slot to #6.

The top two stations 25-54 were flat and remained motionless. WSKQ was #1 for the eighth book in a row while WHTZ notched its fifth straight #2 appearance. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WWPR (POWER) was steady at #3 with a slight decrease while WBLS moved up a spot to #4 as it ended a two-book slide. WLTW stopped its down-book streak at four to move up to #5. Two stations landed their best numbers in over a year and, as a result, ended up tied at #6. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) advanced two places while WKTU took one step forward. WCBS-F had its lowest share in over a year and dropped from #4 to #9.

All of a sudden the 18-34 chase became a four-team race as the top four positions were separated by less than half a share. WSKQ was #1 for the fourth book in a row but also posted its lowest score since APRIL. WWPR was up to a dangerously close #2 with its best performance since MARCH. EMMIS Top 40/R WQHT (HOT) remained at #3 while being flat. WHTZ slid two places to #4 with its smallest share since FEBRUARY. Two books ago WKTU was at #9 but its recent surge just landed it at #5 – the first time it has been in the top five since NOVEMBER. WAXQ had its best book in over a year to advance three places to #6 while WLTW dropped two spots to #7 despite a slight increase.

This round of the 18-49 contest ended in a tie. WSKQ was still in there for the fourth book in a row despite a rather large loss of share. WHTZ moved up from #3 to knot things up with only the slightest of increases. WWPR dropped back to #3 with a small decrease but was this close to making it a threesome at #1. Once again, WKTU had its best showing in over a year and moved up to #4 while WQHT slid back to #5 with its lowest score since MARCH.

LOS ANGELES: A Bigger Bulge

As you are undoubtedly aware, NIELSEN removed a number of households from this survey. They were there in the first two weeks then – poof – they were gone. Did that affect the overall ratings? To begin with, the top six stations 6+ were the same as last month. One noticeable change was that iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST had its best book since MARCH (5.4-5.8) and further extended its lead over the rest of the field. CBS RADIO Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH) was up slightly (4.8-4.9) to move up to #2. It was joined by iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (MY FM), which advanced from #4 as it ended a two-book slide (4.7-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KIIS (KISS) dropped two slots to #4 with its lowest share since Ma was in her kerchief (4.9-4.6). CBS RADIO Rhythmic AC KTWV (THE WAVE) was stable at #5 (4.2-4.1). Gazing over the rest of the 6+ list, we did not see any wild ratings swings or fluctuations.

There was a changing of the guards atop the 25-54 leaderboard. KBIG bounced back from last month’s down book to recapture the lead – something it held from APRIL through JUNE. KRTH had a small decrease but that was enough to drop the station back to #2. KIIS slid to #3 with its lowest share since I was in my cap while KOST was up to #4 with its best performance since FEBRUARY. UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE) moved up a slot to #5 with its best outing since JANUARY. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7) had its best book in over a year to remain in a tie at #6 though with a new partner. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KCBS-F (JACK) fell back from #4 despite a flat performance.

KIIS was #1 18-34 for the third month in a row with a very slight decrease. KYSR was also off slightly but remained close behind at #2. iHEARTMEDIA Urban KRRL (REAL 92.3) jumped three places to #3 with its best book since NOVEMBER. Its chief rival – EMMIS Top 40/R KPWR (POWER) – was off slightly to remain at #4. It was paired with KBIG, which took one small step forward with its first up book since APRIL. Two other stations met headlong at #6. CBS RADIO Top 40/M KAMP (AMP) ended a strong two-book surge and fell from #3. KLVE was up one space with its best showing since Grandma was a hit-and-run victim.

This marked the eighth month in a row that KIIS was #1 18-49. This was also the station’s lowest share of that run. As a result, KBIG crept back into the race at #2 with a small increase. Three stations were duking it out at #3. KYSR was up a spot with a slight increase while KLVE took three steps forward with its largest share since JANUARY. KOST advanced four squares with its best showing since FEBRUARY. The station that was alone at #3 last time – KRTH – fell to #6 with a slight decrease and was virtually – if not actually – tied with the other three. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KSCA (ZONA MX) was up for the third book in a row and, after registering its highest score in over a year, moved up three spots to #7.

CHICAGO: Oh So Close

The 6+ pennant race got very close this time. CBS RADIO News WBBM-A was #1 for the seventh time in the last eight surveys (5.8-6.1) but was feeling the heat from iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103), which was a very close #2 as it bounced back from last month’s down book (5.6-6.0). HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (THE MIX) remained at #3 but did post its best number since FEBRUARY (4.9-5.5). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKSC (KISS) held on at #4 with a slight decrease (4.6-4.5). Cluster brother iHEARTMEDIA Urban WGCI became the sole proprietor of the #5 position after posting its best number in over a year (4.0-4.3). Could CUBS fans already be jaded by their team’s showing? CBS RADIO Sports WSCR-A (THE SCORE) had its lowest share since APRIL (4.0-3.7) to drop back to #7.

By contrast, the 25-54 race continued to be dominated by WTMX. The station was #1 for the eighth book in a row and posted its best share since MARCH. It stretched its lead over #2 WKSC – which was flat – to two full shares. WGCI again had its highest score in over a year as it inched up to #3. Conversely, WVAZ had its lowest total in over a year as it slid back to #4. WBBM-A remained a fixture at #5 with a flat book. HUBBARD Classic Hits WDRV (THE DRIVE) moved up three slots to #6 with its highest share in over a year. Just two books ago the station was in a tie at #16.

It was the eighth 18-34 win in a row for WGCI and the station landed its largest share in over a year to boot. WTMX moved up to #2 (from #5) with its best book since FEBRUARY but still trailed the leader by almost two shares. WKSC slipped back to #3 as its strong three-book run came to an end. CBS RADIO Top 40/M WBBM-F (B96) halted its two-book winning streak as it dropped back to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Country WEBG (BIG) had its first down book since FEBRUARY as it fell back to #5.

Last month WTMX saw its #1 winning streak 18-49 halted at six. The station was not down for long as it bounced back to reclaim the lead with the exact same score it had in JUNE. WGCI was up to #2 with its best outing since MARCH. Last month’s leader – WKSC – dropped to #3 despite the slightest of decreases. WBBM-F was off a bit but remained at #4. CUMULUS Alternative WKQX held on at #5 even though it also had a slight decrease.

SAN FRANCISCO: The Race Is On

This is a case where ratings imitate life. Much like the contested battle between the DODGERS and GIANTS in the NL WEST, there was a tie atop the 6+ standings. Appropriately enough, one of those stations was a flagship – CUMULUS Sports KNBR-A. The station had its lowest share since MARCH (6.2-5.7) but remained in the #1 position for the fifth book in a row. However, this time it was forced to share as KQED INC. N/T KQED moved up from #3 with its highest run total in over a year (5.3-5.7). CBS RADIO News KCBS-A slipped back to #3 (5.5-5.4). And then, as always, came all those stations that play songs for a living. iHEARTMEDIA Rhythmic AC KISQ (THE BREEZE) became the leader of that pack as it moved up four places to #4 with its best book in over a year (3.5-4.0). Close behind were three stations amassed at #5. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR) was motionless as it ended a three-book flat streak (3.9-3.8). ENTERCOM AC KOIT slid back from #4 with its lowest score in over a year (4.1-3.8). CBS RADIO Top 40/M KMVQ (NOW) moved up from #6 just by being flat (3.8-3.8).

Though it was down 25-54 for the second book in a row, KNBR-A was still #1. However, KQED significantly narrowed the gap as it moved up two slots to #2 with its best showing in over a year. CBS RADIO Hot AC KLLC (ALICE) also had its highest score in over a year yet was forced to take a step back to #3. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KYLD (WILD) was off slightly and slid back to #4. KMVQ was flat but stepped up to #5. KOIT fell two places to #6 with its lowest share in over a year.

There was no change in the top four positions in the 18-34 batting order. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R KMEL was leading off for the second book in a row despite a slight decrease. KYLD was also off a bit as it remained at #2. KMVQ was again in the #3 hole as it was completely flat. KIOI continued to bat clean-up as it was flat for the second book in a row. CBS RADIO Alternative KITS (LIVE 105) was up two slots to #5 as it rebounded from last month’s down book. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KSOL (QUE BUENA) dropped four places to #9 with its lowest share since NOVEMBER.

KYLD and KMEL continued their pas de deux 18-49 with the former taking the lead this time just by being flat. KMEL slid to #2 as it gave back all of last month’s big gain. KMVQ was not flat here. It was actually off slightly but held steady at #3. KLLC had its highest score since NOVEMBER and was rewarded with a two-step improvement to #4. KNBR-A was off slightly and dropped back to #5. KQED had a huge gain, which drove the station from #10 to #6. Meanwhile, KOIT matched its lowest number of the year and dropped back to a tie at #7.

DALLAS-FT.WORTH: Kiss This

For the last two surveys, the general wailing and gnashing of teeth was coming from iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KHKS (KISS) as the station was not in its customary #1 position 6+. Alas, the fabricated crisis is over as the station moved back to #1 as it ended a three-book slide (5.6-5.8). CUMULUS Country KPLX (THE WOLF) had reason to howl. The station was up to a very close #2 with its highest share since SEPTEMBER (5.1-5.7). CBS RADIO Classic Hits KLUV (K-LOVE) ended its two-month stay in the ratings penthouse. It dropped back to #3 with its lowest total since MARCH (5.7-5.4). These three stations were well clear of the rest of the market. Their closest pursuers were tied at #4. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLNO (QUE BUENA) was nearly motionless (4.7-4.6) while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZPS (LONE STAR) moved up one slot with its first up book since APRIL (4.4-4.6).

KHKS was #1 25-54 for the seventh book in a row and posted its best number since FEBRUARY. KLUV bounced back to #2 and regained almost all the share it lost last month. KLNO slid to #3 with a slight decrease. KZPS was the lone occupant of the #4 position as it ended a three-book slide. KPLX was up to #5 after landing its largest share since DECEMBER. There was a bit of movement in the Sports radio genre. CUMULUS Sports KTCK-A (THE TICKET) dropped five places to #8 with its lowest share since MARCH. Meanwhile, it appears the combination of the RANGERS’ pennant run and the pre-season follies of the COWBOYS, gave CBS RADIO Sports KRLD-F (THE FAN) its largest score since OCTOBER. That moved it from #8 to #6.

The 18-34 race continued to be a blow out. KHKS was #1 again with its best book since APRIL. KLNO remained at #2. However, even though it landed its best book since DECEMBER, the station was still nearly three shares off the lead. KPLX had a slight increase but that pushed the station up to #3 – its highest rank in exactly a year. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (NOW) had its best showing since FEBRUARY and moved up four slots to #4. It was tied with KRLD-F, which took one step forward just by being flat. RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBFB (THE BEAT) was off for the second straight survey and slipped from #4 to #6. SERVICE Urban KKDA (K104) dropped four places to #7 as it returned most of last month’s big gain.

This was the eighth straight 18-49 win for KHKS as the station continued to dominate the demo. KLNO was flat at #2 but fell to almost two shares off KISS’ pace. And then, there was everyone else. KZPS jumped three places to #3 with a small increase. It was just this much ahead of the two stations tied at #4. KDMX was up from a tie at #8 with its highest share since FEBRUARY while KLUV advanced eight spaces (must have been a double roll) as it executed a partial rebound from last month’s big drop. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KJKK (JACK) was off a bit as it dropped three places to #6. It was partnered with KPLX, which moved up from #11 with its best outing since SEPTEMBER.

This ends round one of our dog days review (or revue). Stay tuned (dang, how many just punched out) as The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. prepare the next exciting exposé. This one is bound to excite as we look longingly at the numbers from HOUSTON-GALVESTON, WASHINGTON, DC, PHILADELPHIA, ATLANTA, and BOSTON. Until then you are more than welcome to harass us via the platforms listed below.

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