Country Down Year-To-Year Again In August

August PPM Analysis

While Country remains the #2 overall format in AQH share behind Top 40 among persons 18-34 and 25-54, it continued its across-the-board, year-to-year decline for a fifth consecutive month, according to NIELSEN’s analysis of the just-released AUGUST PPMs. Among persons 6+, a JULY-AUGUST dip of 7.7-7.5 showed Country off 0.7 compared to AUGUST of 2015, which perhaps contributed to Country's drop to fourth overall in AQH share, as it fell behind AC by one tenth (7.6-7.5).

Additionally, NIELSEN declared SUMMER of 2016 a “Classic SUMMER,” with Classic Hits and Classic Rock building share, and continuing what NIELSEN called, “an upward trajectory for several years now” in PPM markets, confirming what many Country programmers have been discussing amongst themselves for most of this year. Also rising fast: News/Talk, a result of 2016 being an election year, with NIELSEN commenting, “News/Talk’s share of audience this AUGUST was the highest we have seen in that month going back to the start of full PPM measurement in 2011." Complete AUGUST analysis here.

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