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Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive Jan. PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta
February 18, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. HOUSTON-GALVESTON: The Beat Comes On
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Round two of our monthly gig as we look at the results of the JANUARY 2014 survey – which just happened to fall within the same month as it covered 1/2-1/29. It was a month featuring significant weather over much of the U.S. combined with the reshuffling of listener associations with the cessation of Yuletide hostilities.
HOUSTON-GALVESTON: The Beat Comes On
There was a massive reorganization in the ratings hierarchy thanks to one apparently effective format change. But, let’s begin at the beginning. CCM+E AC KODA (SUNNY) performed the expected share shedding after the departure of the elf brigade (12.2-7.0). However, this sudden loss of ratings pressure did not affect its ranking as the station remained at #1. Its share was about the same as NOVEMBER but appreciably higher than last year’s 6.3. Two cluster brothers had an amazing book. First, COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q) had its best book in over a year (5.4-6.6) to mosey up from #4 to #2. Second, COX RADIO Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE) soared to new heights as it flew from a tie at #10 to #5 (3.3-5.2). This undoubtedly had a lot to do with the fact that the former KKRW flipped from Classic Rock to an entirely different sound. The new station – CCM+E Urban AC KQBT (THE BEAT) – rose from #19 into a tie at #10 (2.2-3.9). The deeper story may be how the new station affected another pair of cluster mates. RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC) had its lowest total in over a year (6.0-5.4) to remain at #3. It was tied with RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX), which also had its smallest share in over a year (7.7-5.4). This marked the third consecutive survey that THE BOX was not #1 – a rare event, indeed.
The 25-54 world was also turned asunder as KKBQ again posted its best book in over a year to move from #4 to #1. KODA dumped a ton of share but only fell one place to #2, which is a far sight better than the #5 it garnered a year ago. KGLK also continued its amazing performance, moving from a tie at #9 into a tie at #3 with UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN (ESTEREO LATINO), which was off slightly. CCM+E Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) scored its best book since MAY to inch up one place to #5. The Urban arena went through some big changes. KBXX fell from #2 to #6 while KMJQ dropped from #5 to a tie at #7. This was the first time since JUNE 2011 that either of these stations was not top five. To have both drop out likely had much to do with KQBT’s arrival as that station moved from a tie at #16 into a tie at #9.
Finally, a demo where things – on the surface – appeared normal. KBXX was again your market leader 18-34, but the station did post its lowest number in over a year. KKBQ remained hot as it jumped from #5 to #2 with a share that is more than double what it had a year ago. The new kid in town – KQBT – had a rather spectacular month as it rose from #19 to #3. Not quite worst to first but pretty close. KLTN was off slightly but remained at #4 while KTBZ moved up a spot to #5 despite being down for the fourth straight survey. KODA dropped from #2 to #7 – about the same place as last year but with a larger share this time.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have a new #1 station 18-49. Say hello to KKBQ, which rose from #3 to claim the top spot. KBXX remained at #2 with its lowest total – by over two shares – in over a year. KODA dropped to #3 but has about the same share (and rank) from NOVEMBER and was well ahead of last year’s pace. KLTN was off slightly to remain at #4 while KTBZ was up a bit to hold on to #5. However, everyone might be hearing footsteps. KGLK seriously elevated its game as it rose from #16 into a tie at #6 with KQBT, which performed an equally amazing stunt as it came in from #18.
WASHINGTON, DC: Hurts Snow Good
The month of JANUARY brought two things to your Nation’s Capital – a scarcity of bread, milk, and toilet paper on local grocery store shelves and some big-time listening to HUBBARD News WTOP. This is not a judgment call but pure observation. When severe winter weather hits this town, people … freak … out. And, tend to lean on news radio to survive. We can see it in the numbers as WTOP moved up a spot to #1 (7.5-9.2). Meanwhile, the talking continued to rise as AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU bounced back from a lousy book (6.2-7.6) to also move up one square, to #2. CCM+E Top 40/M WIHT (HOT) was the leading music station as it scored its best number since JULY (6.1-6.4) to move from #4 into a tie at #3 with HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR. That station moved up from a tie at #5 with its best book in over a year (5.2-6.4). RADIO ONE Urban AC WMMJ (MAJIC) remained alone at #5 as its two-book surge slowed down (5.2-5.0). SANTA’s helper – CCM+E AC WASH – performed the customary post-HOLIDAY swan dive (10.6-4.6) and dropped from #1 to #6. This is the exact same share the station had prior to all the yule festivities but considerably smaller than the 6.4 share it had a year ago.
WHUR was on fire during this survey as it moved from #4 to #1 25-54 with easily its best book in over a year. WIHT was flat to remain at #2 though it was tied by WTOP, which moved up a spot. WAMU climbed four places to #4 on the strength of its highest number since MAY, while WMMJ was flat and stood still at #5. WASH dropped from #1 into a tie at #8. This did not compare favorably with NOVEMBER, when the station was #5, or last year – when it was #4.
Make it 13 surveys in a row that WIHT has posted a double-digit 18-34 share. Needless to say, the station remained #1 well ahead of a surging CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC, which scored its best book in over a year to move up to #2 from #4. Cluster amigo CBS RADIO Spanish Contemporary WLZL (EL ZOL) has more than tripled its share since OCTOBER as it has progressed from #17, a tie at #12, a tie at #9, #6, and its most recent standing at #3. What a difference a year makes for RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS). It just posted its lowest book in over a year to slip a spot to #4. More telling is the fact that a year ago the station was #1 in this demo with almost twice its current share. CCM+E Alternative WWDC (DC 101) was up slightly to remain at #5. SANTA-less WASH dropped from #2 to a tie at #6, which was about the same as NOVEMBER (tied at #5) and last year (#7).
After a one-book hiatus, WIHT returned to #1 18-49. WHUR rode its best book in over a year to rise from a tie at #6 to #2. The other station that was #6 last book, WTOP, rode the bad weather to #3. WPGC’s best book in over a year allowed the station to take one step forward to #4 while WKYS’s lowest book in over a year caused the station to drop two places to #5. WWDC was up a bit but still dropped back a couple of places to #6. WASH’s innovative “no Christmas music” format allowed the station to move from #1 to #7. It was tied at #5 in NOVEMBER and alone at #3 a year ago.
PHILADELPHIA: There’s No “B” In More
New name, same result. WEAZ-FM RADIO AC WBEB (MORE FM) may have sent the bee off to that great hive in the sky, but the listening public did not seem to mind. Yes, the station shed a large amount of share (17.2-8.8) but it had a lot to give. In the end, the station was still #1 and in a far stronger position than last year when it had a 6.8. The crappy winter weather was a boon to CBS RADIO News KYW-A as it scored its best book since MARCH (5.6-7.6) to move up two spots to #2. GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR was really rockin’ after posting its best number since JUNE (4.5-5.8) to climb from #7 to #3. CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL, which also dabbled with the all-Christmas format, was off slightly (6.0-5.6) and dropped from a tie at #2 to #4. CCM+E Urban AC WDAS remained at #5 even though it had its best book since OCTOBER (4.8-5.4). As the last NICK FOLES pass fluttered to the ground, it seemed to take some steam out of CBS RADIO Sports WIP-F, which fell from a tie at #2 to #8 with its lowest score since AUGUST (6.0-4.9).
With the sounds of “Don’t Stop Believing” playing in the background, we bring you the story of a station that became #1 25-54 back in APRIL and rode that train for eight months before falling from the tracks, only to rebound and reclaim its rightful place on top. We speak, of course, about WMMR, which shook off a disastrous HOLIDAY book and scored its best number since OCTOBER. Welcome back, kid. More is, apparently, more, as WBEB only slipped one spot to #2 after shedding its holiday cloak. This was its best non-SANTA book since MARCH. GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK ended a two-book slide and moved from #5 into a tie at #3 with BEASLEY Country WXTU, which also rebounded from a horrible HOLIDAY to move up from #9. CCM+E Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5) ended its four-book slide to move up three spots to #5. With all these move-ins there were bound to be a couple of move-outs. WOGL dropped from #4 into a tie at #7 while cluster brother WIP-F fell from #3 to #9.
While we all know that the world of PPM is not a zero sum game, it was interesting to see the flow of shares 18-34. WBEB shed over eight full shares of ratings but remained as the #1 station. The next four stations picked up a combined six full shares and, as a result, all had strong books. WRFF posted its best number since SEPTEMBER to move up a slot to #2 while WXTU had its highest total in over a year to gain a spot to #3. WMMR posted its best share since OCTOBER to move from #5 into a tie at #4 with CCM+E Urban WUSL (POWER), which fell from #2 despite logging in with its strongest book since OCTOBER.
WMMR won bragging rights to #1 18-49 with its best performance since MAY as it inched up from #2, which forced WBEB back a peg to #2. Still, this was MORE-FM’s best non-Christmas book since MARCH. WXTU had its strongest share since JUNE to climb two spots to #3 while WRFF had its biggest score since AUGUST to jump two places to #4. CCM+E Top 40/M WIOQ (Q102) had its best number since JULY but still fell from a tie at #3 and landed at #5. WIP-F also fell from a tie at #3 but found a lower landing zone at #11.
ATLANTA: The People’s Choice Rewarded
For the longest time, CBS RADIO Urban WVEE (V-103) landed at the top of the heap. Then came SEPTEMBER and the station was not #1 in four out of five books. Well, it’s back, as The People’s Station moved up four spots to reclaim the crown (6.1-7.4). COX RADIO Talk WSB-A bounced back from a poor (for them) showing in the HOLIDAY book to move up two notches to #2 (6.2-7.1). Cluster mate COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS) barely got used to its surroundings at #1 before it dropped back two places to #3 (7.4-6.9). Meanwhile, RADIO ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC) had its best showing since OCTOBER (6.1-6.3) to move from a tie at #5 into a tie at #4 with COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5), which dropped from #2 (7.3-6.3). SANTA’s departure left a bit of a void for SALEM Christian Contemporary WFSH (THE FISH) as the station fell back to its pre-Christmas level (6.4-4.0) and dropped from #3 to #10.
Though WVEE continued to reign supreme 25-54, last month’s share was one of its lowest ever. Once again, the station bounced back, posting its best book since SEPTEMBER to remain on top. Last survey, two stations shared space at #2 and they remained in the exact same spot. WAMJ picked up its best share since MARCH while COX RADIO Classic Hits WSRV (THE RIVER) posted its largest number since AUGUST. CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) turned in its best performance in over a year to climb three spots to #4. On the flip side, WSB-F had its lowest share in over a year but only dropped one spot to #5. WFSH sank five places to #10, which was still a better position than it had in NOVEMBER.
For the sixth consecutive survey, RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) held the top spot 18-34 though its once formidable lead over #2 WVEE shrank to less than a share as V-103 pumped up its best book since AUGUST. WWWQ ended a three-book slide as it moved up two slots to #3 while WSB-F remained at #4 despite securing its lowest number since AUGUST. In the last three surveys, WAMJ has moved from #12 into a tie at #10 to its most recent posting at #5. That kind of stuff happens when you ring up your best book in over a year. CCM+E Regional Mexican WBZY (EL PATRON) saw its two-book surge come to an end as the station fell from #3 to #6.
WVEE continued to own 18-49 and got dangerously close to posting a double-digit share as it landed its best book since APRIL. WAMJ had its best showing since MARCH to move up a couple of places to #2. This was not as dramatic a rise as WWWQ’s. The station had its highest total in over a year and jumped from #7 to #3. WHTA dropped a spot to #4 on the strength of its third straight down book. Two stations moving in opposite directions met at #5. WSB-F fell from #2 with its lowest share since APRIL while cluster brother WSRV ended a two-book slide and moved up from #6. WFSH dropped from #5 to #12, which is where it was in DECEMBER.
BOSTON: This Kiss
Over the last seven surveys, four different stations have been #1. However, only one has done it more than once in that time span – CCM+E Top 40/M WXKS (KISS 108). The station resumed command after posting its best book since OCTOBER (6.8-7.3). As expected, GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC) dumped shares onto the open market (11.8-6.3) but only dropped back one place to #2. Though this was better than the tie at #4 it had in NOVEMBER, it did not quite measure up to last year’s #1 7.9 share. Also moving into the #2 spot (from #5) was GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB, which also scored its highest number since OCTOBER (4.9-6.3). CBS RADIO News WBZ-A was off slightly (6.0-5.9) and dropped one spot to #4 while its cluster companion – CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB) – also dropped a place (to #5) despite an up book (5.2-5.6).
After a three-month vacation, WXKS returned to the top spot 25-54 by securing its best book since AUGUST. WBZ-F ended a two-book slide as it edged up a spot to #2 while WKLB had its highest share since SEPTEMBER to jump four spots to #3. WMJX lost about half its share but still only fell three places to #4. This is the same rank it had prior to all the silent nights but not quite as lofty as last year’s #2. GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) is on a three-book surge and just scored its best total in over a year. However, all it was able to do was remain at #5. A couple of cluster mates exited the top five. CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX was up slightly but still fell two spots to #6. CBS RADIO Hot AC WBMX (MIX) had its best book since JULY but still managed to drop from a tie at #5 to #7.
Could there be a changing of the guard 18-34? Prior to SANTA’s arrival, CCM+E Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) had wrestled control of the demo away from WXKS. SANTA’s gone but JAM’N is again #1 after posting its best number in exactly a year. WXKS had its best showing since OCTOBER to move up a spot to #2 while WBZ-F ended a two-book slide to rise three places to #3. WBOS had its highest total since JUNE to move up one place to #4. Two stations were aligned perfectly at #5. GREATER MEDIA Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT) fell from #4 despite a flat book while WKLB moved in from #9 with its best performance since AUGUST. WMJX dropped from #1 to #7, which was not as strong as NOVEMBER (#6) or last year (#4).
After securing its best book since AUGUST, WXKS returned to #1 18-49 and maintained a comfortable lead over WBZ-F, which moved up to #2. WJMN had its finest showing in over a year to move up a spot to #3 while two stations occupied #4 at the same time. WBOS edged up from a tie at #5 with its highest total since MARCH while WKLB drove in from a tie at #9 with its best score since SEPTEMBER. WMJX fell from #1 to #6 – which is the identical position it held in NOVEMBER but behind last year’s #2. Finally, WBMX had its best book since JUNE but still fell two places to #7.
This concludes round two of our ratings analysis of the JANUARY 2014 survey. Our third – and final – installment follows on this same fine network and features the touching stories of DETROIT, MIAMI, SEATTLE, PHOENIX and MINNEAPOLIS.
Until then, feel free to reach out to us to correct, complain, or comment on anything we’ve written. We are available wherever fine digital platforms are sold.
E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
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