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Research Director, Inc. Presents Exclusive Dec. PPM Analysis For Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta And Boston
December 23, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Houston-Galveston: Santa Was Sunny
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ALL ACCESS presents DECEMBER 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.
The festivities continue as The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., in conjunction with the fine folks at XTRENDS, present another episode of how the numbers turn. If you were with us last time, you’ll recall that the DECEMBER book featured a little wrinkle known as the CHRISTMAS blitz. This was because the book covered NOVEMBER 6 through DECEMBER 3 and pretty much every flipper beat the Black Friday rush. Come with us now as we head down the ratings rabbit hole (there we go mixing myths again).
Houston-Galveston: Santa Was Sunny
This market was somewhat late to the office holiday party. iHEARTMEDIA AC KODA (SUNNY) flipped near the beginning of week three but still achieved dramatic results. The station was already #1 coming into this book and all it did was reinforce that position (7.1-9.2). This was better than last year’s 8.5 share for the same time period. RADIO ONE Urban AC KMJQ (MAJIC) was solid and steady at #2 (6.4-6.4) while UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLTN (ESTEREO LATINO) was anchored at #3 again despite losing some share (6.1-5.7). RADIO ONE Top 40/R KBXX (THE BOX) unwrapped a little bit of gain (5.2-5.3) but found itself two places stronger at #4. Two cluster brothers were moving in opposite directions and met at #5. COX RADIO Country KKBQ (93Q) inched up from #7 (5.0-5.1) while COX RADIO Classic Rock KGLK (THE EAGLE) dipped from #4 with its lowest share since FEBRUARY (5.5-5.1). iHEARTMEDIA N/T KTRH-A ended a strong three-book run (5.3-4.6) to fall a couple of places to #7. This was the second full book for RADIO ONE Classic Hip-Hop KROI (BOOM) and it was off slightly from last month (3.2-2.9) and dropped from #14 to #16.
It was a huge month 25-54 for KODA. The sleigh bells rang and people really listened. The station remained at #1 but this year’s total is almost two shares larger than last DECEMBER. KLTN held firm at #2 though it ended a nice two-book run while iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KTBZ (THE BUZZ) clung tenuously to #3 with a slight share loss. KMJQ inched up to #4 with an equally slight increase while KBXX bounced back from one of its lowest books of the year to move up to #5. KGLK had its lowest share since becoming the market’s only Classic Rock station and dipped from #4 to #7. KROI fell two places to a tie at #12.
Though KBXX had its lowest 18-34 share since MARCH, it was still the dominant player in the space and still held a commanding lead over #2 iHEARTMEDIA Urban KQBT (THE BEAT), which moved up from #3 with a solid increase. KKBQ moved up two spots to #3 as it recovered nicely from its lowest share of the year. KTBZ was up for the second month in a row to remain at #4 while KLTN dropped three spots to #5 thanks to its lowest total in over a year. KODA was dancing around an evergreen after moving up two places to #6 and had a much healthier outlook than last year when it was at #7.
KODA blew the roof off 18-49 as it moved from #3 to #1 with a dominating performance. It was a full share stronger than last year and led KLTN by more than a share as that station fell to #2. KBXX was flat but still dropped to #3 while KTBZ held steady at #4 with a slight uptick. KKBQ had a nice rebound from last month to continue to stake its claim on the #5 spot.
Washington, D.C.: Bipartisan Support
Achieving consensus in our NATION’S CAPITAL is next to impossible. However, iHEARTMEDIA AC WASH may have the kind of breakthrough usually relegated to formerly smoky back rooms. The station flipped the SANTA switch during week #3 of the survey and rode that sleigh to new heights. Not only was it #1 (4.8-8.6) but it easily eclipsed last year’s share of a 6.3. This ended the eleven-book winning streak for HUBBARD News WTOP, which reported its lowest number in over a year (7.4-7.0), falling to second place. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY N/T WAMU moved up a spot to #3 thanks to its highest share since MAY (6.0-6.8). Meanwhile, on a different campus, HOWARD UNIVERSITY Urban AC WHUR fell a couple of spots to #4 as its three-book surge came to an end (7.0-6.2). Perhaps the arrival of the elf posse had something to do with the sudden demise of iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WIHT (HOT). The station dropped two places to #5 with its smallest number in over a year (6.6-5.5). At least all the quarter-hours stayed in the same cluster. CUMULUS Talk WMAL was up for the third book in a row. Though it remained at #6 it did land its best number in over a year (4.4-4.8).
GRANDMA’s unfortunate accident was a boon for WASH as the station moved up four spots to take the lead 25-54. It added over four shares of listening and was over three shares ahead of last year’s pace. WHUR held steady at #2 even though it surrendered a chunk of share. There was a tie at #3, featuring two stations that roam the same halls. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WWDC (DC/101) remained in place despite a loss of share while WIHT fell from the lead with (again) its lowest book in over a year. WTOP also took a step back (to #5) as it was off slightly. WAMU fell from the top five to #6 even though it was up slightly. DASHER and the gang did not seem to affect iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WBIG. The station moved up two spots to #7. More importantly, it had its highest rating since MARCH.
All the marshmallows in the world could not prevent WIHT from another #1 18-34 book. Yes, the station was down with its lowest share in over a year but it remained above the double-digit barrier. WASH made a strong move and went from #8 to #2 with a book much fatter than last year’s. If we are peeking ahead, last year HOT held off WASH in the HOLIDAY survey. RADIO ONE Urban WKYS (KISS) slipped to #3 with its lowest share since MAY while CBS RADIO Top 40/R WPGC dropped back to #4 even though it ended a four-book slide. WWDC also took a step back, landing at #5 with a slight loss of share. It is not often that a Classic Rock station does well in this demo but WBIG rose six places to #6. A year ago it was ranked #11. All the holiday cheer put CBS RADIO Hot AC WIAD (FRESH) in a “bah, humbug” mood as it fell two places to a tie at #7 with its smallest total since AUGUST.
WASH captured the 18-49 crown with a number that was almost double from the previous month. It was also almost three shares ahead of the last time this happened. WIHT saw its eleven-book run at #1 come to a screeching halt as it slipped to a somewhat distant #2. WHUR took a bit of a hit as it dropped to #3 while WWDC fell to #4 with a small decrease. WAMU was up for the third month in a row to gain three spots in the standings at #5. WKYS slid back from #4 to #6 with its lowest total in over a year while WIAD also fell two places (to #7) – ending a nice four-book run.
Philadelphia: More Figgy Pudding, Please
Something said by no one ever. This is a market that will feature two major players slugging it out to see who rules the Yule. WEAZ-FM RADIO AC WBEB (MORE) donned its red suit at the beginning of week three and immediately reaped the benefits. The station remained at #1 but saw a huge share increase (6.8-8.5). This was not quite as SANTA-belly large as last year’s 10.9. It will also be interesting to see if MORE can replicate last HOLIDAY’s 17.2 share. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WDAS was a solid #2 (6.5-6.4). The other reindeer on the sleigh was CBS RADIO Classic Hits WOGL, which made the switch at the end of week three. The initial results were not encouraging. Though the station remained at #3, its share did decrease to its lowest point in exactly a year (6.0-5.5). CBS RADIO News KYW-A had its best book since MARCH (4.9-5.3) and moved forward three paces to #4. Cluster brother CBS RADIO Sports WIP-F rode the SANCHEZ express to a solid three-place jump to #5 (4.8-5.1). For the third book in a row, two cluster bros were tied. This time the position was #6. GREATER MEDIA Classic Rock WMGK had its lowest total since FEBRUARY (5.1-4.9) while GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WMMR landed its smallest share (5.1-4.9) since that dreaded BURL IVES was in town. One day after the book began, one station flipped a different switch. That’s when RADIO ONE Classic Hip-Hop WPHI (BOOM) came to life. Life was pretty good as the station doubled its share (1.9-3.8) and moved up eight spots to #12.
For the first time since MARCH, WBEB was #1 25-54. This most likely had a lot to do with the ingestion of performance-enhancing music. Still, this year’s number was a share-and-a-half lighter than last DECEMBER’s. WMMR fell back to #2 for the first time since MARCH (we sense a connection here). WDAS slipped to #3 even though it had its highest share in over a year – for the second book in a row. Yes, WPHI went BOOM, more than doubling its share as it rocketed up the chart from #18 into a tie at #4. It was joined there by iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRFF (RADIO 104.5), which moved up from #5 despite a slight loss of share. Perhaps as a result of all the CHRISTMAS tunes wafting around the market, CBS RADIO Country WXTU had its lowest share since the last time that odor permeated everything. The station slipped three spots to #7.
Them younger folks certainly got into the spirit of the season. WBEB moved up to #1 18-34 with a strong double-digit performance. It wasn’t as strong as last year’s but it was still a double-digit performance. That’s saying something. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WUSL (POWER) remained at #2 with its best book since SEPTEMBER. WXTU did slip from #1 to #3 with its lowest total since FEBRUARY. WRFF was still at #4 though it lost a chunk of share. WPHI continued its explosive ways, rising four spots to #5 with its best share in, like, ever. WMMR slipped to #6 with its smallest total since AUGUST.
Yes, WBEB had a massive infusion of 18-49 share and, yes, it moved up to #1. But it was still lagging behind last year’s monster-ish numbers. That said, with WMMR off slightly as it dropped to #2, the gap between the stations approached two shares. WUSL climbed to #3 despite a down book while WPHI was incendiary as it (again) more than doubled its share. The station shot up from #15 to #4. WRFF lost a chunk of share but remained at #5 while WXTU dropped four spots to #7 with its lowest share since that big guy knew when you were sleeping. Wait, does SANTA work for the NSA?
Atlanta: Fish Gotta Swim, V’s Gotta Fly
A late player to the CHRISTMAS game and a changing of the guard at the top. For the first time since JANUARY, CBS RADIO Urban AC WVEE (V-103) was the market leader after posting its best book in over a year (7.8-8.1). This ended COX RADIO Talk WSB-A’s three-book stay at #1 as the station slipped back to #2 (7.9-7.6). COX RADIO AC WSB-F (B98.5) rebounded from a down book (5.6-6.0) to move up a slot to #3. It was tied with the previous occupant – COX RADIO Urban AC WALR (KISS), which was off slightly (6.1-6.0). This year’s bearer of tidings of comfort and joy is SALEM Christian Contemporary WFSH (THE FISH). It made its move at the end of week #3 and appeared to reap some benefits as it moved up two places to #5 (5.0-5.4). iHEARTMEDIA Country WUBL (THE BULL) was steered (seriously?) to its lowest share since MAY as it slid to a tie at #6 (5.5-5.1).
For the fourth straight survey, WVEE was #1 25-54. This time, the station produced its finest work since JANUARY and extended its lead over the #2 station to nearly three shares. The runner up was RADIO ONE Urban AC WAMJ (MAJIC), which actually had its best showing since MAY. There was a jam up at #3. WSB-A slipped from #2 while blowing off some share while WUBL moved up from #4 even though it was down, as well. WSB-F moved up to #5 with a small increase, which knocked cluster brother COX RADIO Classic Hits WSRV (THE RIVER) back a peg to #6 as it shed a small bit of share. WFSH improved its lot by one spot to a tie at #9, which was slightly better than last year.
WVEE cracked the double-digit threshold for the third straight book. Not surprisingly, it was still #1 18-34. RADIO ONE Urban WHTA (HOT) stayed at #2 but lost some share. As a result, the gap between the two widened well over three shares. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative WRDA (RADIO 105.7) moved up to #3 with a slight increase while CUMULUS Top 40/M WWWQ (Q100) dropped back to #4 with its lowest total since MAY. WUBL advanced to #5 with a modest increase while WSB-F moved up three slots to #6 as it fought its way back from a very down book. WFSH swam upstream to #8. This is a far cry better than a year ago when the station was at #19. It has more than tripled its share in that time. WSRV could not replicate last month’s huge number and fell five spots to #10.
It has been a while since WVEE swept all three demos (like in the good old days). The station had its best 18-49 book in over a year and hit double digits, as well. WHTA was off slightly at #2 and the gap stood at four-and-a-half shares. Two stations decided to join forces at #3. WAMJ moved up from #4 despite a slight decrease while WUBL dropped from #2 with a slightly larger decrease. WSB-F and WWWQ swapped the #5 and #6 positions. The former had a solid increase while the latter posted its lowest number since MAY. WFSH moved up two spots and into a tie at #7. This was a marked improvement over last year when it was in a tie at #12.
Boston: That Magic Silk Hat
Jolly old SAINT NICK put a big, fat, red checkmark in the “nice” column for GREATER MEDIA AC WMJX (MAGIC). The station hopped the polar express early in week #3 and had quite the ride as it moved up two spots to #1 (5.7-9.1). At this moment in time a year ago, the station was #2 with a 6.7 share. This was only the second time in the last fourteen surveys that iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WXKS (KISS) was not #1 overall. The previous time was the last HOLIDAY book so we are staring at the possibility of a two-in-a-row trend next time. For the record, KISS had its lowest share in over a year (7.1-6.4). Two cluster-mates were in perfect harmony at #3. GREATER MEDIA Country WKLB remained in place (5.7-6.0) while GREATER MEDIA Classic Hits WROR dropped back from #2 even though it was flat (6.0-6.0). CBS RADIO News WBZ-A talked a good game as it landed its best book since JUNE (5.0-5.6) and moved up three spots to #5. Its slightly younger brother, CBS RADIO Classic Rock WZLX, moved back two spots to #7 with its smallest output since MAY (5.6-5.1)
Some may say that giving is better than receiving but we’re pretty sure WMJX is quite happy with its gift – a massive ratings increase that propelled the station to #1 25-54. It gained over three shares and is over two shares merrier than last year. WXKS’ eleven-book run on top ended as the station scored its lowest number in exactly a year. CBS RADIO Sports WBZ-F (THE SPORTS HUB) was off slightly as it slipped to #3 but was still riding TOM BRADY’s coattails. WZLX lost a bit of share as it fell back to #4 while WKLB remained stationary at #5 as it ended a small two-book slide. WROR stopped its three-book spiral and moved up a couple of spots to #6.
There was quite a bit of turmoil in the 18-34 ranks. First, WMJX picked up four shares en route to taking the 18-34 lead. It was three full shares above last year’s mark, as well. You would then expect to see us talk about KISS. That will have to wait because iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R WJMN (JAM’N) moved up to #2 with its best book since AUGUST. This caused WXKS to drop all the way back to #3 as the station had its lowest share since the last time everyone was stayin’ frosty. WKLB also dropped two spots – to #4 – as it ended a solid four-book run. GREATER MEDIA Rhythmic AC WBQT (HOT) had a decent increase but still fell back to #5 while GREATER MEDIA Alternative WBOS (RADIO 92.9) dropped to #6.
The 18-49 players remained the same this time but their order was slightly rearranged. Of course, WMJX was up from #4 to #1. That new pine smell had them up over three-and-a-half shares from last month and almost three from last year. The next three stations each took one small step back in deference to that right jolly old elf. Respect! WXKS was #2 with its smallest total in a year while WKLB ended up at #3 with its lowest share since JULY. WBZ-F dropped back to #4 by losing some yardage while WJMN remained at #5 with its best showing since APRIL.
Be sure to add RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. to your last-minute CHRISTMAS e-mail list. And, while you’re stuck in traffic or waiting at the airport, read our final installment of ratings analysis for the year. We don’t want to spoil the surprise but we hear it will involve DETROIT, MIAMI, SEATTLE, PHOENIX, and MINNEAPOLIS.
Email: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
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