Research Director, Inc.: Exclusive Sept. PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston

Markets #6-10

If you are in the SEPTEMBER of your years take heart. By using the NIELSEN calendar, you’re actually younger than you think. Stay with us here. See, the SEPTEMBER survey only contained about a quarter of that particular month. The exact dates were AUGUST 11th through SEPTEMBER 7th. Still, it was a four-week period that featured a long holiday weekend, the return of back-to-school days, pennant races, and zero meaningful NFL games. That is the backdrop for our most current ratings analysis. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., along with the data droids from XTRENDS, invite you to start scrolling …

HOUSTON-GALVESTON: Two In A Row

For the second consecutive survey, UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN was #1 6+. The station was off a bit (7.0-6.7), which allowed COX RADIO Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE) to swoop within a heartbeat of the leader (6.2-6.6). Just another small step behind was iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY), which dropped to #3 (shocker!) thanks to its lowest score in over a year (6.9-6.5). RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC) was firmly entrenched at #4 with a flat performance (5.9-5.9). The race for the #5 slot was hotly contested. COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q) continued to hold the space but with its lowest share since FEBRUARY (5.2-4.7). RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX) was close behind (4.8-4.6) at #6 while two other stations were closing in from the #7 position. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) was up from #9 (4.2-4.5). CBS RADIO Spanish Contemporary KLOL (MEGA) had its best book in over a year (3.6-4.5) to rise from #12.

There was all sorts of commotion in the 25-54 arena. First, KODA was not in first for the first time in over a year. It dropped back into a tie at #2 with KGLK, which was flat and did not budge. Vaulting to the top was KLTN with its highest total since MAY. KLOL again had its best book in over a year and leapt from #10 to #4. KTBZ ended a two-book slide to move up two slots to #5. KMJQ took one step back to #6 despite a slight increase while KKBQ dropped three spots to #7 as its three-book surge was halted.

As is usually the case, KBXX was #1 18-34. This was the station’s thirteenth win in the last fourteen surveys. It was down a bit, which allowed the two stations occupying the #2 position to close to less than a share from the lead. iHEARTMEDIA Urban KQBT (THE BEAT) remained in place, though it lost a chunk of share while KLTN moved up a spot with – surprise – its best book in over a year. KTBZ was up a bit to remain at #4 while KLOL took one step forward to #5 with its highest score in over a year. UNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KOVE also had its biggest book in over a year but was forced to stay grounded at #6. KKBQ slid to #7 with its smallest share since FEBRUARY. UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KAMA (LATINO MIX) rose from a tie at #15 to #8 with its largest number in over a year. We sense a trend here …

KLTN notched its third straight 18-49 win and landed its best book in over a year. KODA had its lowest total since MARCH to remain at #2 where it was tied with KTBZ. THE BUZZ was up from #4 with its highest mark in exactly a year. KLOL scored a huge share increase, which drove the station from #10 to #4. KBXX fell two slots to #5 with its third straight down book. Last month’s #5 duo split up and moved down the chart. KQBT alit at #7 while KKBQ ended up in a tie at #8.

WASHINGTON, DC: Politics And Prose

Despite all the rancor that emanates from the seat of our government, it would appear that there is something a lot of radio listeners can agree on – spoken-word programming. Last month both AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU and HUBBARD News WTOP were tied at #1 6+. This time, WAMU forged ahead (9.1-9.0) while WTOP took the secondary position with its lowest score (9.1-8.7) since ELTON JOHN was asking us to hop aboard a turntable (that’s analog technology, kids). The next four positions remained unchanged. HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR was #3 as it lost some of last month’s increase (6.9-6.6). Its direct competitor – RADIO ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC) – came in at #4 again with its lowest share since MARCH (5.9-5.4). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIHT (HOT) was #5 (5.3-5.2) and its older cluster sister – iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH – repeated at #6 (5.0-4.5). The big move (pun intended) of the month belonged to iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WBIG, which was up to #7 as it ended a two-book slide (3.5-4.2).

That WAMU was #1 25-54 is not breaking news. The station has done that now for six books in a row. What is worth noting is the fact that it crested the double-digit barrier and led second-place WTOP by close to three shares. The all-newser had its lowest total since APRIL. WIHT was off slightly but steady at #3 while WHUR remained at #4 with a slight uptick. CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC had its best book since APRIL to move up two slots to #5. Three stations were in high-level discussions around the #6 position. WASH stepped back from #5 as it ended a three-book run while WMMJ was motionless but posted its lowest score since MARCH. RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) rebounded from last month’s down book to move up from #9.

Last month both WIHT and WAMU hit double digits 18-34 and were separated by the slimmest of possible margins. Not the case this time. HOT had a healthy increase to remain #1 while WAMU dropped back to second place as its five-book up trend skidded to a halt. WKYS was still #3 but proud to show off its best number since APRIL. WPGC was close behind at #4 with its highest mark since the weather outside was frightful. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC-101) was flat but moved up a slot to #5 to land in a tie with cluster mate iHEARTMEDIA Country WMZQ, which advanced from #8 with a slight increase. WASH dropped three places to #8 as it shed a chunk of share.

For the second straight survey, WAMU was #1 18-49. The station slipped a bit from last month but managed to hold off WIHT, which was down slightly. WKYS moved up three spots to a distant #3 with its best book since APRIL, which forced WTOP to take a step back to #4 as it posted its lowest number since APRIL. WMMJ remained at #5 with its third straight down book and was tied with WPGC, which advanced two squares with a small increase. WASH slid three places to #7 as it ended a strong three-book run with a bit of a thud.

PHILADELPHIA: Have Some More

The summer of its discontent was rescued for JERRY LEE RADIO AC WBEB (MORE) as the station returned to the top spot 6+ after a two-month absence. This also ended a three-book slide for the station (6.8-7.4). CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL was flat (6.9-6.9) and was bumped back to second place. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS had its highest share in over a year (6.0-6.4) yet could not advance past its previous standing at #3. GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR remained at #4 with a flat book (5.9-5.9). Its older and less inked cluster brother – GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK – did not budge from the #5 position but did end a two-book slide (5.5-5.7). iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5) advanced two squares to #6 as it halted its three-book slide (4.5-5.0).

For the fourth book in a row, WMMR was #1 25-54 as the station regained almost every drop of share it ceded last month. WBEB took sole possession of second place with a solid increase while WDAS slipped back to #3 as it returned most of last month’s big gain. WRFF was up three places to #4 and ended its three-book slide while CBS RADIO Country WXTU dropped back to #5 with its smallest number since MAY. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WUSL (POWER) dropped two slots to #7 with a modest decrease.

WUSL saw its streak of double-digit 18-34 books end at two as it posted its lowest score since MAY. This also ended the station’s four-book run at #1 as it dropped to the #2 slot. WMMR took control of the demo as it regained a good chunk of what it lost last survey. WRFF was off slightly but still a solid #3. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) was up to #4 thanks to its best performance since FEBRUARY.  WBEB had its highest share since MAY to move up to #5 while WXTU recorded its lowest number since MARCH to fall back to #6.

WMMR regained all the share it lost last month and, as a result, moved back to #1 18-49. This forced WUSL to take a step back to #2 as it ended a strong three-book surge. Last survey, three stations were tied at #3. This time, only WBEB was left standing as the station ended a three-book slide. WRFF also ended a three-month run of down books to climb up to #4. WDAS and WXTU left the cozy confines of the #3 position to take up residence farther down the list. The former ended up at #5 as it returned all of last month’s gain while the latter fell to #6 after losing a chunk of share.

ATLANTA: Keep Talkin’

It has been a good year for COX RADIO Talk WSB-A. The station just notched its ninth straight 6+ win. Even though the station had a down book (9.4-8.9), it maintained a commanding lead over CBS RADIO Urban WVEE (V-103), which remained at #2 (6.5-6.8). COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) secured its lowest share in over a year (6.2-5.6) yet managed to hold on to its #3 position. SALEM Christian Contemporary WFSH (FISH) was treading water at #4 with a flat performance (5.3-5.3). The big mover this survey was CUMULUS Country WKHX (KICKS). The station had a huge increase (3.9-5.2) as it jumped from #11 to #5. RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) slipped back to #6 with its second down book in a row (5.0-4.9).

While WVEE’s 25-54 numbers may change, its rank position doesn’t. The station bounced back from last month’s down book but remained at #1 while maintaining a healthy advantage over the #2 station. That position had a new occupant this month as WFSH moved upstream from #4 with its best showing in over a year. WSB-A stepped back to #3 with a small loss of share while WHTA moved back to #4 with an equally small loss of share. WALR remained at #5 but with its least productive outing in over a year. In case you were wondering, WKHX had its highest share since NOVEMBER to advance six paces to #10.

For the last five books, WHTA has been the market leader 18-34. That run ended this month as the station fell back to #2 with its lowest share since APRIL. This allowed WVEE to reclaim the top spot for the first time since MARCH with its best showing since FEBRUARY. ENTERCOM Hot AC WSTR (STAR) was up to #3 with its best book in over a year. The station has been on quite the run lately especially when you consider that it was sitting at #14 at the beginning of the year. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WWPW (POWER) dropped back to #4 as it was unable to sustain last month’s big number. CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) held steady at #5 but with its lowest total in over a year. COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5) had its best outing since APRIL to move up to #6.

Last month it looked like we were going to have a tight race for the 18-49 lead as WVEE and WHTA were separated by less than half a share. This time V-103 had its best book since APRIL while HOT landed its lowest share since then. The end result was that WVEE increased its lead over WHTA by a share and a half. WWPW was off a bit to remain a distant #3 while WFSH was close behind at #4. The station advanced two places with a healthy increase. WSTR stepped back to #5 with a small decrease. WWWQ had its smallest share in over a year as it fell from #5 to #11. WKHX was up seven places to a tie at #9 with its highest total in over a year.

BOSTON: And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’

Make it a big nine in a row (with no talk!) for GREATER MEDIA Classic Hits WROR. Though the station was off a bit (8.4-8.1), it maintained a noticeable 6+ bulge over cluster sister GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC), which was flat (6.3-6.3) and the perennial #2 station. #3 iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WXKS (KISS) maintained a respectful distance from the two leaders, though it was down for the third book in a row (5.5-5.3). GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB was creeping up the chart after posting its highest score since DECEMBER (4.7-5.0) to land at #4. CBS RADIO News WBZ-A dropped back to #5 with its lowest share in over a year (5.2-4.9). ENTERCOM Sports WEEI-F slid back to #6 (5.1-4.8) but maintained its edge over CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB), which fell back to #8 (4.4-4.4). It should be an interesting fall watching these two duel. RED SOX post-season versus BRADY-less football.

For the third book in a row, WROR was #1 25-54. The station was off slightly and with #2 WXKS’ slight increase, the gap between the two was narrowed to a single share. WMJX ended a three-book slide to take sole control of the #3 position, which pushed WBZ-F back to #4 as THE SPORTS HUB turned in its least productive outing in over a year. GREATER MEDIA Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT) was up slightly but immobile at #5. Meanwhile, CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX was up to #6 with its highest score since MARCH. CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX) moved up to #7 with its best mark since APRIL and was joined in that space by WEEI-F, which took one step back with its lowest score since MARCH.

WBQT posted a strong gain from last month’s big number to continue to lead the 18-34 pack. #2 WXKS bounced back from last month’s down book but saw the gap between the two widen to almost a full share. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) had a huge increase, which allowed the station to move up three places to #3. Conversely, CBS RADIO Top 40/M WODS (AMP) was down for the second book in a row and dropped back to #4. WROR also took a step back – to #5 – as it ended a two-book surge. GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (ALT 92.9) gave back some – but not all – of last month’s big gain as it also took a step backward to #6. Though WBMX only advanced two places to #9, the station did have its best book since FEBRUARY.

WXKS extended its 18-49 winning streak to nine books and it ended a two-book slide with a slight increase. WBQT was up to #2 with its highest share in over a year while WMJX remained at #3 with a flat performance. WROR saw its three-book surge subside as the station fell two places to #4. Three stations were enjoying each other’s company at #5. WBZ-F remained in place but with its lowest score in over a year while WODS inched up a spot with a slight increase. WJMN moved in from #9 as it regained all the share it lost last survey.

While there may be much to debate about in our industry, there is one thing we can count on. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. will return with round three of our exclusive ALL ACCESS analysis. We can promise you that we will fact check the numbers from DETROIT, MIAMI, SEATTLE-TACOMA, PHOENIX, and MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL. Until then, feel free to chime in via the platforms listed below.

E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
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