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Research Director, Inc.: Exclusive Holiday PPM Analysis For New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco And Dallas
January 19, 2016
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. NEW YORK: A Not-So-Silent Lite
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To quote the BEE GEES: “Ohh, you’re a holiday … such a holiday ….” We can be sure that this was not on anyone’s playlist during the HOLIDAY survey. What we are sure of is that every single stinkin’ week of the book was tainted by the stench of evergreen. The survey covered 12/3 through 12/30 and it is the mission of The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. and the numbers savants from XTRENDS to divine how well SANTA performed. Join us, won’t you?
NEW YORK: A Not-So-Silent Lite
It was all about the “ho, ho, ho” for iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (LITE) as the station was #1 6+ and ended up running the table in 2015. Big numbers? They got ‘em (8.0-12.8). However, this year’s total was slightly below last year’s 13.5. EMMIS Urban AC WBLS moved up a slot to #2 despite scoring its lowest share since APRIL (5.8-5.4). SBS Tropical WSKQ (LA MEGA) also advanced one square – to #3 (5.4-5.3). CBS RADIO Classic Hits WCBS-F posted its lowest number in over a year (6.0-5.1) to drop two slots to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHTZ (Z100) remained motionless at #5 as it, too, landed its lowest share in over a year (4.9-4.5). Could Santa have something to do with that?
WLTW was #1 25-54 for the sixth book in a row with the expected large, peppermint-infused number. As with the previous demo, this year’s final tally was about a share lighter than last. WSKQ had its highest share since AUGUST to remain at #2 while WBLS was off slightly but still mired at #3. Once again WHTZ had its lowest share in over a year yet it managed to claw its way up a spot to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Urban WWPR (POWER) was down for the fourth book in a row but moved back into the top five anyway. Last month’s ratings darling – UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary WXNY – returned to more familiar turf as it slid four places to #8.
For the first time in exactly a year, WLTW was #1 18-34. Deeper analysis will likely reveal the cause for this annual ascension but suffice it to say that this year’s score was over two shares heftier than last. WSKQ’s stay at the top was short lived. The station stepped back to #2 despite landing its best book since APRIL. EMMIS Top 40/R WQHT (HOT) – which was #1 two books ago – moved up two places to #3 just by being flat. WHTZ had its lowest total in over a year (we’re smelling a theme here) but only dropped a spot to #4 while WWPR – which was #1 three books ago – slid three slots to #5 with its lowest total in over a year.
Make it two books in a row at #1 18-49 for WLTW. This year’s final number was almost a share smaller than last. WSKQ was up slightly and remained at #2 while WHTZ held on at #3 despite – yup – scoring its lowest total in over a year. WWPR remained motionless at #4 with its lowest score since FEBRUARY while WQHT ended a two-book slide to move up a spot to #5. WXNY fell back three places to #8.
LOS ANGELES: Surfin’ Santa
That iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST was a strong, dominant #1 6+ in this book came as no surprise (7.0-12.3). And, the station almost matched last year’s 12.2 share. However, look at the swath of devastation SANTA wrought on the rest of the top five. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (MY FM) remained #2 but with its lowest share since JANUARY (5.6-4.7). Fellow cluster dweller iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KIIS (KISS) remained entrenched at #3 but with its smallest share in over a year (5.3-4.4). CBS RADIO Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH) had its lowest total in exactly a year as it held firm at #4. UNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE) rounded out the top five again (4.3-4.2).
The 25-54 pattern was similar to the previous demo. KOST was #1 for the second straight survey and was a half share off last year’s pace. KBIG was solid at #2 with its lowest share since MARCH. KIIS again had its smallest score in over a year but held on at #3. It was tied with KLVE, which took one step forward with its highest share in over a year. SBS Regional Mexican KLAX (LA RAZA) moved up to #5 despite a slight decrease. This was largely due to KRTH’s drop to #6 with its lowest share in over a year.
KOST nailed it 18-34. Not only did the station rise two places to #1, but it had exactly the same number as last year. KIIS dropped back to #2 with its lowest share since the last time red and green were the new black. KBIG stepped back to #3 with a noticeable share loss. For the first time since FEBRUARY, EMMIS Top 40/R KPWR (POWER) beat iHEARTMEDIA Urban KRRL (REAL 92.3). The former moved up to #4 despite a slight loss while the latter fell two places to #6 with its smallest score since, um, yeah, FEBRUARY. In between was KLVE, which moved up two slots to #5 with its best book in over a year.
KOST was in cruise control 18-49. The station was #1 for the second book in a row and just missed matching last year’s number. Both KIIS and KBIG remained tied at #2 with down books. KLVE was up slightly at #4 while KLAX advanced to #5 despite a small decrease. KRTH dropped out of the top five (it was tied at #6) with its lowest total in over a year.
CHICAGO: The Miracle Of Christmas
And behold, the power of the Kringle. A mere two months ago –- NOVEMBER to be exact -– iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC WLIT (MY FM) was tied at #8 6+. Sprinkle in a little fairy dust and the station moves up to #1 (6.6-13.9) and just misses matching last year’s total of a 14.2 share. CBS RADIO News WBBM-A remained relatively strong (7.0-6.8) but did drop back to #2. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) held firm at #3 though its four-book surge came to an end (6.1-5.8). As per usual, Santa was not kind to HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (MIX). Though the station remained at #4, it had its smallest share in exactly a year (4.7-4.2). iHEARTMEDIA Urban WGCI moved up three slots to #5 (3.2-3.5) while TRIBUNE N/T WGN-A fell to a tie at #7 (3.8-3.3).
#1 WLIT more than doubled its 25-54 share from the previous survey and eclipsed last year’s number by over a share. Talk about your merry and bright. WVAZ was stable at #2 with a small decrease while WTMX took the expected hit but did not move from #3. WGCI moved up three places to #4 with its best showing since JUNE while WBBM-A took a step back to #5. UNIVISION Regional Mexican WOJO (LA QUE BUENA) ended a six-book run in the top five as it fell back off the pace and tied at #6.
Once again, WLIT led the reindeer pack and more than doubled its share from the previous survey and crushed last year’s 18-34 share by over three full shares. WGCI had its best book since AUGUST to remain at #2 while iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKSC (KISS) moved up two places to #3 with a small increase. WTMX unsurprisingly had its lowest share in exactly a year to fall back to #4 where it was tied with WVAZ, which moved up two slots despite being down. CUMULUS Alternative WKQX had its lowest score in over a year as it dropped four places to #7.
As we saw in the previous three demos, #1 WLIT more than doubled its 18-49 share and beat last year’s number by more than a point. WGCI jumped three places to #2 with its best book in exactly a year while WTMX stepped back to #3 with its lowest total in over a year. WVAZ lost some share as it slid back to #4 while WKSC jumped two places to #5 just by being flat. WOJO had its lowest total since SEPTEMBER to fall two spots to #6.
SAN FRANCISCO: Room For Two?
This is one of those markets that has two all-jingle stations. Though, to be fair, only one is truly a full market player. That would be ENTERCOM AC KOIT, and it did not disappoint (5.7-10.4). It was just off last year’s 6+ pace of a 10.6. CBS RADIO News KCBS-A saw its winning streak end at six as it fell back to #2 (6.0-5.4) with its lowest share in over a year. KQED INC. N/T KQED was off (5.6-4.9) but remained at #3. Two stations moved up and into a tie at #4. CBS RADIO Hot AC KLLC (ALICE) moved up a slot despite posting its lowest total in exactly a year. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R KMEL was flat but advanced from #7. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR) was definitely not ascending. The station dropped five places to #9 with its smallest score in over a year. The “other” all-Yule station was DIGITY AC KBAY. It posted its best number in exactly a year (1.9-2.6) to move up eight spots to a tie at #13.
As expected, KOIT topped double digits 25-54 to run away with the market. The station just missed matching last year’s final number. KLLC was off slightly but remained #2. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KYLD (WILD) had a nice increase to move up three spots to #3. UNIVISION Spanish Adult Hits KBRG was certainly on the nice list. The station had its best book since FEBRUARY as it jumped seven places to #4. KMEL was flat and stable at #5. It was joined by KQED, which slid from #3. KIOI appears to be this market’s primary victim of the cruel Santa hoax as it fell to #7 with its lowest total in over a year. KBAY moved up six places to a tie at #16.
Last year KOIT could not crack the double-digit barrier 18-34. This year the leading station pushed through as it almost doubled its share from the previous month. KYLD had its lowest total in a year but remained at #2 while KMEL fell two places to #3 by accomplishing the same feat. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KSOL had its best showing in over a year as it advanced three spots to #4. CBS RADIO Top 40/M KMVQ (NOW) dropped a slot to #5 with its smallest share in over a year. KIOI was down for the fourth book in a row and fell from #5 to #9. KBAY had what was easily its best book in over a year as it jumped eight places to #11.
Of course KOIT was #1 18-49 and the station had the exact same share as a year ago. KMEL was off a bit but remained at #2 while KYLD was up slightly at #3. KBRG jumped four slots to #4 with its best showing since FEBRUARY. Both KLLC and KMVQ remained tied though each took one small step back to #5. KBAY had its best performance in a year to move up eight places to a tie at #13.
DALLAS-FT.WORTH: All You Need Is (K)Love
This is another of those markets with two stations ringing the silver bells. CBS RADIO Classic Hits KLUV (K-LOVE) was the 6+ winner (again) with a rather hefty increase (6.4-10.6). This easily outdistanced last year’s score of an 8.8. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KHKS (KISS) was up a bit (5.7-6.0) but remained #2 for the second book in a row. The other holiday player was SALEM Christian Contemporary KLTY. The station did move up six slots to #3 (3.6-4.4) but its share was pretty much in line with where the station regularly falls. There were three stations knotted at #4. UNIVISION Regional Mexican KLNO (LA QUE BUENA) was off slightly (4.4-4.3) but moved up a slot. CUMULUS Country KPLX (THE WOLF) had its smallest score in over a year (5.2-4.3) as it took one small backwards step. And, SERVICE Urban AC KRNB had its best book in over a year (3.5-4.3) to move up from #10. iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KDMX (NOW) was in the wrong kind of giving spirit (4.6-3.8) as it dropped four places to #8.
Two books ago KLUV was #9 25-54. Thanks to a little elfin magic, the station posted its second straight #1 and beat last year’s number by almost a share and a half. KHKS was off slightly to remain at #2 while KLNO moved up a spot to #3 even though it, too, was slightly off. KPLX was down but moved up to #4. Two stations met up at #5. CBS RADIO Adult Hits KJKK (JACK) fell back from #3, ending a nice five-book run. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZPS (LONE STAR) moved forward one square with a small increase. KLTY was up a bit and moved to a tie at #7 but the station has seen better surveys with regular programming.
It was not much of a Christmas morning surprise to see KLUV #1 18-34 (moving up from a tie at #9). That the station also beat last year’s number by close to two shares was an added bonus. What did come as a surprise was the fact that KHKS was also up and remained a part of the #1 discussion. KDMX had a small increase to move up to #3 while KLNO stepped back to #4 after losing a rather large chunk of share. iHEARTMEDIA Active Rock KEGL (EAGLE) swooped in to #5 with its best performance since MAY. This pushed cluster bro iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KDGE (THE EDGE) back to #6. KLTY ended a three-book slide as it moved up to a tie at #16.
KLUV completed the demo sweep as it moved up four places to the top spot 18-49 and trumped last year’s number by over a share. KHKS was up but slid back to #2. KLNO was down as it dropped back to #3. KJKK had the same experience while moving down to #4. KDMX remained at #5 but with its smallest share since MARCH. SERVICE Urban KKDA (K104) fell to #8 thanks to its lowest share in exactly a year. KLTY had a solid gain as it moved up to #11.
Much like all the garland and lights we now pack away, round one of this year’s HOLIDAY review is history. We’ll be back shortly with the deep dive into HOUSTON-GALVESTON, WASHINGTON, DC, PHILADELPHIA, ATLANTA, and BOSTON. In the meantime, if you wish to cajole, correct, or comment, feel free to reach out to the Ratings Experts at RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. via the platforms below.
E-mail: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com
TWITTER: @ResearchDirectr
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