Research Director Inc., PPM Exclusive Holiday ’22 Analysis For New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas-Ft. Worth

Holiday '22 PPM Ratings

Just when you thought it was safe to pack away all the holiday decorations and move on with your life, the ghost of CHRISTMAS Past rears its ugly head and confronts you with (insert dramatic music here) the HOLIDAY book. Unless your station was under the spell of BURL IVES and his minions, you’ll likely pay scant attention to the results. Still, it is the sworn mission of The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with our partners in data from XTRENDS – to give a full accounting of the events of this survey. It began on DECEMBER 8th and concluded on JANUARY 4th. In a cruel twist of fate, this means that 18 of the 28 days were fouled by the jingling of bells. 

NEW YORK: Holiday Lite

It wasn’t exactly a miracle on 34th Street, but iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM) crashed through the double-digit roadblock for another 6+ victory (7.6-10.4). The station was unable to top last year’s 11.2 share. MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS was back at #2 but with its lowest mark since AUGUST (6.4-5.9). SBS Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) stepped up to #3 (5.3-5.5), while iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3) dipped to #4 (5.6-5.1). In its second book with a “no static at all” signal, AUDACY News WINS was up to #5 with its best book in over a year (4.2-4.6). And now that song is ear-worming through your brain. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHTZ (Z100) remained at #6 (4.3-4.5), while AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS slid to #7 with its smallest share in over a year (4.6-4.1). WLTW remained the cume leader with a huge 25.7% increase (3,681,700-4,628,200). The market shrank 0.4%.

As expected, WLTW was still #1 25-54 and in double digits. However, the next three stations had up books. Take that, Santa. WSKQ repeated at #2 with its first up book since SEPTEMBER. WHTZ stepped up to #3 as it halted a three-book slide, while iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKTU moved up to #4 with its third up book in a row. WBLS fell two places to #5 with its lowest number since AUGUST.

WLTW was unable to hit double digits 18-34 but the station was the runaway demo leader. WSKQ moved up to #2 with its highest share in over a year. WBLS saw its three-book winning streak come to a skidding halt as it dropped to #3 with its lowest score since SEPTEMBER. A flat WHTZ remained at #4, while cluster mate WKTU had its best outing since JUNE to advance three spaces to #5. MEDIACO Top 40/R WQHT (HOT 97) cooled off a bit as it slipped to #7.

With a little help from the elves, WLTW had its fifth straight up book 18-49. Naturally, the station was #1 and it did surpass the double-digit threshold. WSKQ ended a three-book slide to repeat at #2, while WHTZ stood alone at #3 with a slight increase. WKTU moved up two slots to #4 with its third up book in a row. WBLS slipped from the tie at #3 to #5, while AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) dipped to #6.

LOS ANGELES: The Toast Of The Coast

It’s not like iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST needs any help from BRENDA LEE. After all, the station just notched its sixth straight 6+ win. Still, a little extra share never hurts (12.1-13.1). This fell a bit short of last year’s 13.4 finale. AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101) stood alone at #2 (4.7-4.7), while iHEARTMEDIA Talk KFI-A stepped down to #3 with its smallest share since JUNE (4.7-4.4). TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish AC KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5) moved up to #4 (4.2-4.2), while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) dipped to #5 (4.3-3.9). AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) remained at #6 (3.9-3.4). Both KBIG and KTWV had their lowest scores in over a year. KOST maintained control over the cume with a 19.5% increase (2,781,100-3,323,200). The market lost 1.2%.

KOST didn’t gain much 25-54 share this month, but when you’re well into double figures, you can be somewhat complacent. The station did repeat at #1. KLVE had its best book since AUGUST as it stepped up to #2. KRTH slipped to #3 with a slight increase. KBIG fell to #4 as it – again – had its lowest mark in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) repeated at #5 with a slight decrease. It was not far in front of two stations occupying the #6 position. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7) was flat while AUDACY Adult Hits KCBS (93.1 JACK FM) was up slightly.

The young folks sure liked them some holiday tunage. KOST repeated at #1 18-34 with a pretty large share increase. KRTH moved from a tie at #5 to #2 with its best showing in over a year but still trailed the leader by about eight shares. KYSR and iHEARTMEDIA Urban KRRL (REAL 92.3) had been tied at #2. Both stations moved down the chart. KYSR slipped to #3 with a small decrease, while KRRL alit at #4 with its lowest total in exactly a year. KIIS stood alone at #5 with a small decrease. KBIG had its lowest share since AUGUST as it slipped to #6.

Completing the demo sweep, KOST was again #1 18-49 and solidly within the double-digit boundaries. KLVE remained #2 with its best book since AUGUST but was better than six shares off the pace. KRTH moved up to #3 with its best performance since AUGUST, while KBIG dipped to #4 with a small decrease. Two stations moved up and into a tie at #5. A flat KIIS stepped up from #6, while KRRL advanced from #7 with a slight increase. KYSR dropped to #7 with a slight decrease.

CHICAGO: Santa Rules

In a surprise everyone saw coming, iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) was still #1 6+, thanks to the power of performance-enhancing music (12.4-14.8). The station also bested last year’s 14.4 share. Two stations were well behind the leader as they spent time together at #2. HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1 THE DRIVE) remained in place but with its smallest share since MARCH (5.4-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) stepped up from #3 (5.3-5.0). AUDACY News WBBM-A repeated at #4 (4.9-4.8), while HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) stepped up to #5 while being down (4.0-3.7). After landing its lowest share in a year, AUDACY AAA WXRT dropped four places to #9 (4.1-3.1). WLIT received a huge 33.4% influx of cume to remain #1 in that category (1,932,100-2,577,300). The market was down 0.8%.

WLIT was both #1 and in double digits for the second book in a row. WTMX was off slightly but stepped up to #2, while TELEVISAUNIVISION Regional Mexican WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1) had its smallest share since APRIL as it dipped to #3. The next two stations made some rather bold advances. SBS Regional Mexican WLEY (LA LEY 107.9) had its best showing in over a year as it leapt from a tie at #13 to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) ended a somewhat steep three-book slide as it advanced from a tie at #15 to #5. WVAZ posted its lowest number in over a year as it dropped into a three-way tie at #6 with WBBM-A and AUDACY Rhythmic AC WBMX (104.3 JAMS). WXRT fell from #4 to #12 with its lowest total since MAY.

The power of the Claus was on full display 18-34. In OCTOBER WLIT was sitting at #11. The station has more than tripled its share since then and was #1 while soaking in the double-digit hot tub. WOJO moved up to #2 with a solid share increase, while AUDACY Country WUSN (US99) dipped to #3 as it ended a strong three-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WGCI stepped up to #4 despite returning most of last survey’s large share increase. WDRV slipped from #4 and landed in a tie at #6 with CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS. 

Another demo, another huge win for WLIT. The station was #1 and in double digits 18-49. WOJO repeated at #2 but with its third down book in a row. WBMX had a slight increase as it moved up to a distant #3 position. Two stations also moved up the chart and landed together at #4. WUSN had been at #5 and had a slight increase, while WLEY was previously tied at #9 but landed its largest share in over a year. WBEZ ALLIANCE N/T WBEZ fell four places to #7 with its lowest mark since AUGUST.

SAN FRANCISCO: If We Build It…

For the city that was supposedly built on rock and roll, it would appear that milk and cookies are a more powerful ratings driver. BONNEVILLE AC KOIT was again your 6+ leader (10.5-15.5) as it easily outpaced last year’s 11.1 share. The perennial spoken work leaders AUDACY News KCBS-A and KQED INC. N/T KQED had been tied at #2. KCBS-A remained in place with its lowest mark since SEPTEMBER (7.4-6.7), while KQED dipped to #3 with its smallest share since MAY (7.4-5.9). iHEARTMEDIA AC KISQ (98.1 THE BREEZE) remained calm at #4 but with its least productive outing since JUNE (5.0-4.4). iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R KMEL advanced three spaces to #5 with its best book in over a year (3.3-4.0). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR 101.3) slipped to #7 with its smallest share since JULY (4.1-3.4). KOIT still had the most listeners, thanks to a 22.5% increase (1,368,700-1,676,600). The market was off a modest 0.1%.

The added fuel provided by Santa’s sleigh propelled KOIT to its fourth straight 25-54 victory. The station was in double digits, as well. KQED remained at #2 with its lowest mark since JUNE and was paired with BONNEVILLE Top 40/M KMVQ (99.7 NOW), which stepped up from #4 with a slight increase. KMEL was up two places to #4 with a solid increase, while KISQ was down two slots to #5 with a rather large share loss. KIOI slipped to #7 as it returned all of last survey’s solid increase – plus a little extra.

There was a bit of a surprise in the 18-34 ranks. Sure, KOIT was #1 again with a strong double-digit share. But KMEL was also in double digits as it remained at #2 with easily its best book in over a year. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KYLD (WILD 94.9) repeated at #3 but with its smallest number since JULY. KMVQ was up two places to #4 with a small increase, while KIOI dipped to #5 as it gave back most of last survey’s huge share increase. SBS Regional Mexican KRZZ (93.3 LA RAZA) slipped to #6 where it was hanging out with the likes of TELEVISAUNIVISION Regional Mexican KSOL (QUÉ BUENA 98.9/99.1) and AUDACY Sports KGMZ (95.7 FM THE GAME). 

How strong was KOIT’s 18-49 book? It had almost as much share as the next three stations – combined. The station was, of course, in double digits and, for the tenth book in a row, was #1. KMEL advanced from #5 to #2 with its best outing in over a year. KMVQ slipped to #3 with a slight decrease, while KYLD advanced three spaces to #4, despite a small decrease. KIOI slipped to #5 while KISQ dropped to #6.

DALLAS-FT.WORTH: The Star Aligns

Not to be confused with ‘the dude abides,’ iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) rode the musical sleigh to another 6+ win (7.1-9.1), though it did not match last year’s 10.6 tally. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZPS (LONESTAR 92.5) repeated at #2 but with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER (6.5-4.9). AUDACY Classic Hits KLUV (98.7 K-LUV) stepped up to #3 as it ended a two-book surge. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) and SERVICE Urban AC KRNB (SMOOTH R&B 105.7) had been tied at #5. KHKS inched up to #4 (4.3-4.1), while KRNB remained in place (4.3-3.9). CUMULUS Sports KTCK (THE TICKET 1310/96.7) had its least productive outing since JULY (5.1-3.8) as it slid from #3. It was tied with TELEVISAUNIVISION Regional Mexican KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1), which was down for the seventh straight survey (4.1-3.8). SALEM Christian Contemporary KLTY was also fully committed to the holiday experience. The station was up eight places to #11 (2.1-3.2). KDGE remained the cume leader with a robust 24.6% increase (1,335,000-1,663,300). The market was off by 3.5%.

Thanks to a healthy push from Rudolph, KDGE moved up to #1 25-54. The station more than doubled its NOVEMBER share. KHKS stepped up to #2, despite a slight decrease, while KLNO ended a three-book slide as it advanced two squares to #3. KZPS had its lowest score in over a year, which ended the station’s two-book run at #1. It dropped to #4. AUDACY Alternative KVIL (ALT 103.7) returned all of last survey’s big increase (plus a tad extra) as it dipped to #5. How ‘bout them COWBOYS! Wait, too soon? AUDACY Sports KRLD (105.3 THE FAN) had its best book in over a year as it marched up the field from #15 to #6. KLTY rose from #21 to a tie at #16.

For the second book in a row, KDGE was both #1 and in double digits 18-34. While it would be easy to point the finger at that annoying drummer kid, the station was #1 in JULY. Just sayin’. KHKS moved up to #2 with a slight increase, while KVIL slipped to #3 with a massive share loss. SERVICE Urban KKDA (K104) repeated at #4 with a modest loss and ended up tied with KLNO, which stepped up from #5. URBAN ONE Top 40/R KBFB (97.9 THE BEAT) landed its largest share in over a year as it leapt from #15 to #6.

KDGE did enter double-digit territory 18-49 as it captured the demo once again. KLNO remained a solid #2 with a slight decrease. KHKS moved up to #3 with its best outing since AUGUST. KVIL slipped to #4 with a large share loss. It was partnered with KRLD, which advanced from #15 (without throwing one interception), thanks to its best book in over a year. AUDACY Regional Mexican KMVK (LA GRANDE 107.5) had its lowest mark since MARCH as it dropped to #7. It was sharing that space with KRNB, KKDA and CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF).

This ends our first visit with a ghost from CHRISTMAS Past.  The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. will return tomorrow with another batch of holiday hilarity. This one will feature HOUSTON, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON DC, PHILADELPHIA and BOSTON. 

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 About Research Director, Inc.: Research Director, Inc. is based in Annapolis, Maryland. We help radio stations’ programming and sales departments maximize the value of their research. For more information, visit www.ResearchDirectorInc.com, call (410) 295-6619, or e-mail info@ResearchDirectorInc.com or sallan@ResearchDirectorInc.com.

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