Research Director Inc., PPM Exclusive Holiday ’22 Analysis For Seattle-Tacoma, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, Phoenix, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul

Holiday Trends

By now you’ve likely stowed all the holiday decorations in perfectly labelled Rubbermaids, stored them in a secure and easy-to-find location and finished all the leftover holiday treats. Now it is time for you to unpack the HOLIDAY survey. Let’s be honest. Most kind of shrug this one off because of the carnage wrought by LEROY ANDERSON and his musical thugs. Unless, of course, you are the ones putting out this joyful noise. This survey began on DECEMBER 8^TH and was over on JANUARY 4^TH. By our math, 18 of the 28 days of the survey were sullied by the sounds of the season. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the math mavens from XTRENDS – are here to dissect the remains.

SEATTLE-TACOMA: Dueling Santas

You’ll need popcorn for this one. Fully five stations turned their programming over to the elves. Three made an impact, with two landing at the top of the 6+ leaderboard. HUBBARD AC KRWM (WARM 106.9) reaped the most benefit as it remained at #1 (10.0-11.3). The station also topped last year’s 9.6 share. AUDACY AC KSWD (94.1 THE SOUND) also did quite well. It leapt from #7 to #2 (4.5-7.2), which was well ahead of last year when the station was at #5 with a 4.7 share. BONNEVILLE Talk KIRO-F posted its lowest number in over a year (6.6-5.5) as it stepped down to #3. It was met there by LOTUS News KNWN-A-F (NORTHWEST NEWSRADIO), which moved up from #5 (5.2-5.5). FRIENDS OF KEXP Alternative KEXP dipped to #5 (5.3-5.2), while UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON News-Talk KUOW remained at #6 (4.6-4.9). iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 THE JET) landed its lowest number in exactly a year (5.7-4.7) as it descended from #3 to #7. The other holiday player of note was CRISTA Contemporary Christian KCMS (SPIRIT 105.3). The station remained at #8 with the same share as a year ago (4.4-4.6). KRWM had the most cume (638,400-823,600) – a 29.0% increase. KSWD got a 46.5% bump (462,100-677,000). KCMS was up 1.4%. The market was down 0.6%.

KRWM was the 25-54 leader for the second book in a row and just made it into double-digit territory. KEXP repeated at #2 with a small increase, while KSWD jumped from #9 to #3 with its best outing in over a year. HUBBARD Top 40 KQMV (MOViN’ 92.5) remained at #4 with a slight decrease, while AUDACY Active Rock KISW dropped to #5 with its smallest share in over a year. KJEB dropped five places into a tie at #10 with KNWN-A. KCMS remained in a tie at #18.

For the second straight survey, KRWM was #1 and in double digits 18-34. KEXP was back at #2 but with its highest share in over a year. KSWD moved from a tie at #6 to #3. KUOW dipped to #4 with its lowest score since AUGUST. It was tied with KISW, which advanced from a tie at #9. KJEB fell out of a tie at #3 with KQMV and alit at #12, while the latter landed in a tie at #9.

KRWM was back at #1 18-49 and just missed hitting double digits. KEXP repeated at #2, again with its best outing in over a year. KSWD leapt from #8 to #3. KISW dipped to #4, KQMV stepped down to #5, and KIRO slipped to #6. All three stations posted their lowest shares in over a year.

MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD: Bah Humbug

Santa could not work his magic in SOUTH FLORIDA. COX MEDIA Urban AC WHQT (HOT 105) was #1 6+ for the first time since AUGUST (8.0-8.9). This ended the five-book winning streak for COX MEDIA AC WFEZ (EASY 93.1), which dipped to #2 with its smallest share in over a year (9.1-7.9). The station giving BURL IVES all those spins was AUDACY AC WLYF (101.5 LITE FM). It remained at #3 with its best showing since MAY (5.5-6.3). It did not match last year’s 6.9 share. TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Hits WAMR (AMOR 107.5) dipped to #4 (5.5-5.4), while SBS Tropical WXDJ (EL ZOL 106.7 FM) remained at #5 (5.0-4.9). WFEZ still had the most cume (880,900-895,400) – a 1.6% increase. WLYF became a much stronger #2, thanks to an 11.7% rise (756,600-845,300). The market grew by 1.0%.

The top two 25-54 stations remained the same. WHQT was #1, as usual, while WFEZ was back at #2, though with its first down book since JULY. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40 WHYI (Y100) stepped up to #3 with its best outing since JUNE. WLYF posted its largest share since FEBRUARY to advance two spaces to #4. WXDJ slipped to #5, while WAMR fell from a tie at #4 to #8.

There is a lot to discuss with the 18-34 crowd. WHQT moved up to #1 with its best book in over a year. WFEZ was unable to duplicate last survey’s double-digit share as it dipped to #2. It was paired with COX MEDIA Urban WEDR (99 JAMZ), which advanced from a tie at #6 as it ended a steep three-book slide. WLYF was up two slots to #4 with a small increase. TELEVISAUNIVISION Tropical WRTO (MIX 98.3) slid to #5 with its smallest share since SEPTEMBER. iHEARTMEDIA Spanish Hits WZTU (TÚ 94.9) dropped into a tie at #6 with AUDACY Top 40/Rhythmic WPOW (POWER 96), which moved up from a tie at #11 with its best book since May. SBS Spanish Hits WRMA (RITMO 95.7) fell from a tie at #4 into a three-way collaboration at #9 with iHEARTMEDIA Urban WMIB (103.5 THE BEAT) and WHYI.

For the sixth straight survey, WHQT was #1 18-49. The station also had its best book since MAY. WLYF landed its largest share in exactly a year to advance two spaces to #2. WHYI posted its best number in over a year to move up four slots to #3. WFEZ slid to #4, while WEDR was up five spots to #5. WRTO and WZTU dropped out of the top five and landed in a heap at #6.

PHOENIX: Ho Ho Ho Hum

This just in – iHEARTMEDIA AC KESZ (KEZ 99.9) reaped huge benefits from their temporary format change. This news came as a surprise to absolutely no one. The station was #1 6+ for the second book in a row (11.3-16.8) but did not quite match last year’s 17.7 share. MARICOPA N/T KJZZ was back at #2 with its best book in over a year (7.8-8.1). HUBBARD Classic Rock KSLX had its first down book since JULY (6.7-6.4) as it maintained its grip on the #3 position. DESERT VALLEY Adult Hits KOAI (95.1/94.9 THE WOW FACTOR) moved up to a distant #4 (4.4-4.3), while iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WMXP (MIX 96.9) dipped to #5 (4.5-4.0). KESZ garnered the most listeners again (1,245,400-1,485,800) – an increase of 19.3%. The market shrank by 1.6%.

For the seventh straight survey, KESZ was #1 25-54. The station did so in dominating fashion as it garnered more share than the next three stations – combined. KSLX remained in second place with a small decrease, while a flat HUBBARD Active Rock KUPD was back at #3. KMXP stepped up to #4 with its highest share since JUNE, while ENTRAVISION Regional Mexican KLNZ (LA TRICOLOR 103.5) parlayed a slight share increase into a four-space jump up to #5. iHEARTMEDIA Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 THE MOUNTAIN) had its least productive outing in over a year as it slid from #4 to #8.

For the seventh time in the last 14 surveys, KESZ was in double digits 18-34. The station has also been #1 for that entire span. And thanks to some performance-enhancing music, it had almost as much share as the next four stations combined. AUDACY Top 40 KALV (LIVE 101.5) and KMXP had been tied at #3. Both stations had slight increases and moved in tandem up to #2. AUDACY Country KMLE was up to #4, thanks to a slight increase, while HUBBARD Alternative KDKB (ALT AZ 93.9) dropped three places to #5 with its smallest share since MAY. KYOT fell from a tie at #5 into a tie at #12 with KSLX.

As with the previous demo, KESZ just shredded the 18-49 scene. The station continued its long uninterrupted string of #1 books and again had more share than the next four stations combined. A flat KUPD stepped up to #2, while KMXP was up to #3 with a slight decrease. A flat KALV landed at #4, while TELEVISAUNIVISION Regional Mexican KHOT (QUÉ BUENA 105.9) stayed behind at #5 with a slight decrease. KYOT fell from #2 into a tie at #6 with KLNZ. KSLX dropped from a tie at #5 to #8.

DETROIT: Jolly Old NIC

iHEARTMEDIA AC WNIC leveraged the power of the Claus into a second straight #1 6+ book (11.7-15.7). The station did not equal last year’s lofty 18.8 share. This is the spot where we usually dunk on the LIONS. It’s the low-hanging group. But they actually performed late in the season (not so much Big Blue), which kept AUDACY Sports WXYT-F (97.1 THE TICKET) at #2 with its highest mark in over a year (7.4-7.6). BEASLEY Classic Rock WCSX repeated at #3, though with its third down book in a row (5.9-5.6). BEASLEY Active Rock WRIF remained at #4 but with its smallest share in exactly one year (5.8-4.8). It was sharing the moment with iHEARTMEDIA R&B WMXD (MIX 92.3), which advanced from #6 despite its fourth down book in a row (5.1-4.8). AUDACY Classic Hits WOMC dipped to #6 with its lowest score in over a year (5.3-4.6). WNIC retained the cume crown with a 27.1% increase (1,049,800-1,333,900). The market was down 1.1%.

WNIC dominated the 25-54 space for the second straight survey, opening up a better than a six-share lead over a flat WXYT at #2. WRIF fell off the pace. The station was still #3 but had its smallest share in exactly a year. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WJLB rebounded from a down book to move from #7 to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40 WKQI (CHANNEL 955) was up slightly to repeat at #5. WCSX fell from #4 into a tie at #9 with BEASLEY R&B WDMK (105.9 KISS FM).

It was another dazzling 18-34 performance for WNIC as it crushed the competition. WRIF repeated at #2 but saw its double-digit streak snapped at four. WXYT was back at #3 with a slight increase, while WKQI ended a two-book slide to advance three places to #4. WCSX surrendered most of last survey’s large share increase as it slipped to #5. BEASLEY Rhythmic AC WMGC (105.1 THE BOUNCE) bounded from #5 into a tie at #7. It was paired with WMXD, which moved up from #12 with a strong showing.

WNIC wrapped things up with another dominant 18-49 victory. WXYT stepped up to #2. The station had a slight increase, which yielded its highest share in over a year. WRIF slipped to #3 with its lowest total since APRIL. WJLB moved from a tie at #6 to #4 as it ended a steep two-book slide. WKQI had a slight decrease while WMGC a slight increase. They ended in a tie at #5.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL: Christmas Is Kool

Two of the top three 6+ stations decided to go all in on the holiday tunes. As usual, iHEARTMEDIA Classic Hits KQQL (KOOL 108) ended up on top of the 6+ heap (11.4-15.0). The station just missed matching last year 15.1 share. ’Twas likely a rounding thing. iHEARTMEDIA Sports KFXN (KFAN 100.3) was not responsible for throwing short on fourth down but did remain at #2 (7.5-7.5). UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN-ST. PAUL Christian Contemporary KTIS went dashing through the snow a few weeks after KQQL. It worked as the station rose from #9 to #3 (4.6-7.0). MPR N/T KNOW dipped to #4 (6.7-6.3), while CUMULUS Active Rock KXXR (93X) stood alone at #5 (6.0-6.1). HUBBARD Hot AC KSTP (KS95) fell from a tie at #3 to #6 (6.7-5.5), while AUDACY Adult Hits KZJK (104.1 JACK FM) dropped to #7 (6.0-4.6). Both stations posted their lowest shares in over a year. KQQL was the cume leader once again with a 28.0% increase (855,300-1,094,600). KTIS also did well moving from #12 to #8, thanks to a 22.1% increase (333,700-407,400). The market lost 2.7%.

For the second book in a row, both KQQL and KFXN were in double digits 25-54. They finished #1 and #2, respectively. KXXR moved up to #3 with its best outing since JUNE and was only a share out of second place. KSTP dipped to #4 as it returned most of last survey’s large increase. KZJK repeated at #5 but with its lowest number since FEBRUARY. KTIS moved from a tie at #12 to #9.

The 18-34 competition was closer than you’d expect. KQQL was #1 for the second book in a row and, naturally, in double digits. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40 KDWB, which saw its eight-book double-digit streak snapped last survey, was back on that hallowed ground as it stepped up to #2. It also finished less than a half share behind the leader. KXXR slipped to #3 with a modest decrease, while KFXN had its best showing in over a year to rise from #8 to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Country KEEY (K102) had its smallest share since MAY as it dipped to #5. KSTP fell from a tie at #4 into a tie at #7 with MPR Triple A KCMP (THE CURRENT) and iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KTCZ (CITIES 97.1).

KQQL remained in double digits 18-49 but was able to move up to #1 this survey. KFXN also achieved double-digit status as it landed at #2. KSTP exited the double-digit area with its smallest share in one year. It slipped from #1 to #3. KDWB was up two slots to #4 as it got back a small portion of last survey’s huge share loss. KXXR saw its three-book surge grind to a halt as it dipped to #5. KZJK had its lowest score since FEBRUARY as it slipped to #6.

That’s it. No more dealing with elves and reindeers until NOVEMBER. Thank you for plowing through this with us. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. and our XTRENDS friends will be back in 28 days to do this all over again.

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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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