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July PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta And Boston
August 6, 2013
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. HOUSTON-GALVESTON: The Race For Second Place
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ALL ACCESS presents JULY PPM market highlights, compiled by the ratings experts at RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. and powered by XTRENDS, radio's #1 PPM and diary analysis tool. All numbers reflect subscriber only data.
Welcome to round two of our ratings analysis of the JULY survey, which covered JUNE 20th through JULY 17th, 2013. As stated previously, listening patterns might be a bit funky this survey as the four-day JULY 4th holiday commenced at the beginning of week three.
As always, The Ratings Experts at RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. are going inside the numbers to find the stories in each market. If you feel we have missed something or are in error, feel free to reach out to us. You can tweet (researchdirectr), go to our FACEBOOK page (click here) or e-mail sallan@researchdirectorinc.com.
Now, on with the countdown …
HOUSTON-GALVESTON: The Race For Second Place
Ever since SANTA left town, RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX) has been pretty much on cruise control – with the setting pegged at #1. The station did it again and continued to maintain a huge lead over any other challenger (8.6-8.3). This time, that list grew to two as a pair of stations found themselves locked in a duel at #2. RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC) was there last time but slipped a bit (6.9-6.2) after posting its lowest number since OCTOBER. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN (ESTEREO LATINO) was off slightly (6.3-6.2) yet managed to spring up from #4. CCM+E AC KODA (SUNNY) suffered its third straight down book (6.4-6.1) to slide one spot to #4. COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q) also had a third consecutive down survey (5.6-5.4) but maintained its hold on #5.
There was a whole lot of shufflin’ goin’ on 25-54. KLTN returned to the top spot for the first time since FEBRUARY even though its numbers were off slightly. Coincidentally, upon scoring its lowest number since that very same month, KBXX ended its four-month reign to slip to #2. KODA performed a feat of counter intuition as its numbers slipped a bit but its rank rose one, placing the station at #3. KMJQ had its lowest book in over a year to slip from #3 into a tie at #4 with KKBQ, which rose from #5 despite experiencing a bit of ratings contraction.
One of the drinking games we play at Research Director, Inc. (hey, it’s ice tea, ok?) is based on how big KBXX’s 18-34 lead is every book. The over/under is usually 6 shares, and this is the first time since JANUARY the station did not hit the over. KLTN was up for the third straight month to remain at #2 while KKBQ had its best book in over a year to move up a slot to #3. CCM+E Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) had its lowest number in over a year to drop a spot to #4. Watch out for CBS RADIO Top 40/M KKHH (HOT). The station had its best book since SEPTEMBER to leap from a tie at #10 to #5. This forced KODA out of the top 5 as the station landed at #6.
Sound the alarm! KBXX now has “only” a two-share lead on the market 18-49, more specifically, over KLTN, which remained a solid – if distant – #2 after earning its best book since JANUARY. KKBQ was up slightly and that earned the station one giant leap upward to #3 while KODA slipped back that very same distance to #4. KTBZ had its lowest book in over a year yet maintained its firm grasp on #5.
WASHINGTON, DC: Another DC Flip Flop
The last time news content did not occupy the top two positions in our Nation’s Capital was when that jolly old elf was in town (insert TIP O’NEILL joke here). That trend continued, however, the players swapped positions last month. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU returned to the top after a two-book hiatus (7.7-7.6), which ended the run of HUBBARD News WTOP as it slipped back to #2 (8.0-7.2). This was WTOP’S lowest share since OCTOBER. CCM+E Top 40/M WIHT (HOT) added a little share to its luster (6.5-6.6) to remain at #3. RADIO ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC) is no longer tied at #4; it owns the position outright even though it suffered a bit of a decline (5.8-5.6). HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR was up for the third straight book (5.4-5.5) to move from #6 into a tie at #5 with CCM+E AC WASH, which dropped from a tie at #4 (5.8-5.5). Watch out for GWET Classical WETA (2.9-3.9). In the last three books, the station has moved from #18 to #14 to #10.
Last month, wow, sisters from the same cluster were tied at #2 25-54. That union was dissolved as WIHT moved back to #1 for the third time in the last five books. WASH posted its best non-SANTA-influenced number in over a year but was forced to stay put at #2. It was apparently a slow news month as WTOP shed a few tenths to drop from #1 to #3. WHUR had its best showing since DECEMBER to move up a notch to #4 while RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) scored its highest number since JANUARY to cruise from #7 to #5. WAMU is on a three-book slide and just landed its lowest number in over a year to drop from #4 to #8.
While the share totals may have changed, the order of the 18-34 universe was an exact replica of the previous survey. WIHT was in double digits for the twelfth time in the last 14 books but saw its lead over #2 WKYS cut in half as KISS also reached the double-digit plateau – for the tenth time in the last 14 books. CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC added some audience but remained firmly entrenched at #3 while CCM+E Country WMZQ matched its best book in over a year (which it set last month) to maintain a firm hold on #4. CCM+E Alternative WWDC (DC 101) was off a bit but was still the #5 station.
Make it seven surveys in a row that WIHT was #1 18-49. WKYS got within a share of the lead at #2 with a strong showing while WASH was flat to remain at #3. WWDC was in a tie at #5 but added enough oomph (our technical term) to move up to #4. WHUR remained tied at #5 but now shares the spot with a new player – CCM+E Classic Hits WBIG, which moved up from #9 with its best book in over a year. WTOP reported in with enough share loss to slip from #4 to #7.
PHILADELPHIA: Another Win For The B Team
After completely dominating the market with its version of SANTA tunes, WEAZ-FM RADIO AC WBEB (B101) fell on some hard times. Well, hard times for them as the station “slipped” to #2 for three months. Now, after posting its highest non-Christmas number in over a year (7.4-7.6), the station earned its fourth straight #1 book – maintaining a healthy lead over the new #2 station in the process. And that new #2 is none other than CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL, which had its best book in exactly one year (5.7-6.1) to move up from #4. This displaced its cluster mate – CBS RADIO News KYW-A – which had its lowest book in over a year (6.1- 5.8) and slid to #3. CCM+E Urban AC WDAS ended a five-book slide (5.1-5.6) to jump from #7 to #4. BEASLEY Country WXTU was down for the second month in a row but still managed to remain at #5 (5.6-5.3). GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR posted its lowest number since FEBRUARY (5.8-5.2) to fall from #3 to #6.
Despite tumbling out of the top 5 in the overall ratings, WMMR continued to lead the pack 25-54. Though the station’s numbers were down for the second month in a row, it still had a comfortable lead over new #2 WBEB, which just recently moved in from #3. During the HOLIDAY book, WOGL was sitting at #11. Now, after scoring its best book in over a year, the station is up a spot to #3 where it is tied with CCM+E Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5), which dropped from #2. WXTU returned to the top 5 for the first time since DECEMBER, which bounced CCM+E Urban WUSL (POWER). That station fell from #5 to #8.
For eight of the previous surveys, WRFF was #1 18-34. Alas, JUNE was not one of those months as WUSL had a monster book to claim the throne. Well, that all changed this time. WRFF is back on top, despite a slight ratings loss, while WUSL slipped back to #2 after shedding a decent portion of that monster book. WMMR had its lowest number since the HOLIDAY book but remained at #3 while WXTU dropped some share, as well, but stayed at #4. Last month’s co-residents of the #5 position have gone their separate ways. WBEB ended a four-book slide to hold on to the position while CCM+E Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) dropped to #6 despite ending its two-book slide.
There was a lot of movement within the top 5 ranks 18-49 but one thing remained unchanged – WMMR was #1 for the fourth book in a row. WRFF was off slightly yet managed to move up a spot to #2 while WBEB reversed a four-book slide to climb from #5 to #3. WUSL dropped a couple of places to #4 while WXTU took one small step back to #5.
ATLANTA: Order Restored
Last month we felt like we were living that scene from Ghostbusters “… dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria ...” as the order of the known universe was turned asunder when CBS RADIO Urban AC WVEE (V-103) did not print out at the top of the first page 6+. Well, you can go back to your daily lives as the station returned to its customary position at #1 by ending a six-book flat-or-down run (7.2-7.6). In an odd twist of cosmic karma, the next four stations all belong to the same cluster. COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) remained at #2 (7.2-7.1) while cluster sister COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5) moved up a slot to #3 (7.1-6.8). Meanwhile, another member of the cluster lunch bunch – COX RADIO Talk WSB-A – had its best book since MAY (6.3-6.4) to move up a couple of places to #4. The last member of this cluster troupe was COX RADIO Classic Hits WSRV(THE RIVER), which held on at #5 (6.5-6.3). And what became of last month’s cover story? RADIO ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC) followed up its #1 performance by posting its lowest number in over a year (7.4-6.0) to tumble to #6.
Not much change in the rankings 25-54. WVEE had its best book since APRIL to remain at #1 and was comfortably ahead of WSRV, which was #2 for the second straight book. WALR had its lowest number since MARCH but held fast at #3. WSB-F was off slightly yet moved up a spot to #4, in part because WAMJ had its lowest number in over a year to drop back a spot to #5.
Last month, it looked like RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) was poised to de-throne the champ 18-34. The race really was that close. Well, this time WVEE not only remained on top but significantly widened the gap as WHTA posted its lowest number since NOVEMBER. CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) was in its customary spot at #3 with another solid performance. LINCOLN FINANCIAL Hot AC WSTR (STAR) easily scored its best book in over a year yet only managed to climb one spot to #4. CCM+E Alternative WRDA (RADIO 105.7) had its best book since OCTOBER to climb from #10 to #5. CUMULUS Country WKHX (KICKS) ended its two-book run in the top 5 by tumbling from #4 into a tie at #9.
WVEE remained #1 18-49 and ended a five-book down trend in the process. WSRV claimed sole possession of the #2 slot with its best showing in over a year. WSB-F was up for the third straight month and moved from a tie at #5 to #3. WALR matched its best performance of the last year to jump from #7 to #4. WWWQ claimed the #5 position as its own now that WSB-F has moved up. WHTA had its lowest book since JANUARY and plunged out of a tie at #2 to #6. WAMJ’s lowest book in over a year drove the station down from #4 to #7.
BOSTON: A Wicked Shockah!
Hold on to your seats, folks, but there is a new #1 in town. The last time CCM+E Top 40/M WXKS (KISS 108) was not the market leader was during the HOLIDAY 2011 survey. Now, after posting its lowest number since JANUARY (7.9-7.6), the station has slipped to #2 behind … (tympani) GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB. The station has been on a pretty strong run the last few months but just posted its best book in years (7.0-8.1) to become your new ratings champion. Meanwhile, CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX has quietly put together a nice three-book run (6.7-6.8) to claim the #3 spot for the third straight book. Cluster brother CBS RADIO News WBZ-A now has sole possession of the #4 spot (6.1-6.3) it previously shared with its more boisterous cluster companion, CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB), which dropped to #8 (6.1-4.5). GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) ended a six-book slide (5.6-5.8) to move up from #6 to #5. (A brief tip o’ the cap to long-time MAGIC morning man and true class act MIKE ADDAMS, who hung up his headphones during this survey.) GREATER MEDIA Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT) experienced its second straight down book (3.2-3.1) but remained at #13.
While WXKS may have surrendered its overall crown to WKLB, the two stations remained #1 and #2, respectively, for the sixth book in a row in the 25-54 demo. However, what is normally a gap of a share point or more has now shrunk to the narrowest of margins. KISS was flat but WKLB had its best book in, like, forever. WZLX had its best book in, like, over a year to climb a spot to #3. WMJX was up slightly to move from #6 into a tie at #4 with CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX) which, despite ending a six-book surge, moved up from #5. With the STANLEY CUP playoffs finally over, WBZ-F dipped from #3 to #6.
The natural order of things 18-34 experienced a paradigm shift this survey. Oh, sure, WXKS remained the market leader by posting another dominant double-digit score. However, WKLB’S impressive run took it from a tie at #4 to #2 and it is actually only a full share behind KISS. For years, CCM+E Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) has owned the #2 position. Actually, this demo belonged to KISS and JAM’N and everyone else was an also-ran. Well, this time around WJMN slipped out of the #2 spot to land at #3, and the station sports a share that’s over two points lighter than a year ago. GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) had its lowest share since the HOLIDAY book to dip one to #4. WBQT slipped a little in the share world but managed to return to the top 5. WBZ-F dropped from a tie at #4 to #6 though the station is in a far stronger position than last year when it was #8. Amazing what a good RED SOX season can do for you.
WXKS was its normal solid, steady, strong self as it maintained its hold on the top spot 18-49. WKLB continued its rocket ride with another killer showing to move up a slot to #2. WZLX also had a monster book – its best in over a year – to leap from #7 to #3. WBZ-F’s fall from grace was not too severe as the station dropped from #2 to #4 – far better than the #10 it had last year at this time. WJMN was off ever so slightly to fall from #4 to #5 while WBOS did the same in slipping from #5 to #6.
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