From New York to Boston – Top 10 Radio Markets

Broadcast veteran Clark Smidt has set down his snow shovel and paused from the digging out process that seems to be going on in perpetuity in his New England home market to take a look at the latest top ten Nielsen Audio ratings. So strap on some snowshoes and take a stroll through the latest results.

From New York to Boston – Top 10 Radio Markets
by Clark Smidt, Broadcast Connections
The 13 PPM reports for 2014 are history and so are the Holiday format spikes as stations reset to whatever normal is. Once again, we’re only seeing Nielsen subscribers 6+ but piece together the 2015 starting picture. In the interest of a more level playing field, we’re checking trends as December/holiday/January but also comparing share fluctuations from just Dec/Jan without the special Holiday results. Boston: Snow shovels down, just long enough to present the suitable for printing, January 1-28, 2015 RBR Radio Score Card:

1. NEW YORK, NY. 6+ population 15,697,400.
#1. iHeart Media A/C WLTW falls to earth, down 6.1 but still #1: 7.7-13.5-7.4. #1 cume 5.357 million leads by 1.3 million. Dec/Jan share change – 0.3.
2. CBS Radio Classic Hits WCBS/FM fairly steady 6.9-6.2-6.4. The December/January shift – 0.5.
3. Emmis Communications Urban A/C WBLS gains + 0.8 and moves into 3rd place 5.3-5.8-6.1.
4. Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) Topical WSKQ/FM is + 0.1 and steady 5.4-5.6-5.5.
5. iHeart CHR WHTZ dips – 0.5: 5.6-5.0-5.1 dropping to 5th but with #1 cume 4.062 million; ahead of CHRs CBS WBMP by 2.5 & Emmis Rhythmic CHR WQHT by 2.3.
6. CBS News WINS 4.1-3.7-4.8 gains + 0.7 to lead CBS News WCBS by 1.2 and NYC Broadcasting News/Talk WNYC/FM by 2.1.
7. CBS Sports WFAN AM/FM 4.0-3.9-4.5 gains + 0.5 and 3.1 ahead of ESPN Sports WEPN/FM.
8. iHeart Classic Rock WAXQ down 0.4: 4.7-4.1-4.3, and trails WCBS/FM by 2.3.
9. iHeart Rhythmic A/C WKTU + 0.1: 3.8-3.5-3.9.
9. iHeart Urban WWPR + 0.3 to tie WKTU 3.8-3.5-3.9.
11. CBS News WCBS + 0.5: 3.1-3.0-3.6.
12. CBS CHR WBMP flat: 3.1-2.9-3.1.
13. Emmis Rhythmic CHR WQHT dips – 0.4: 3.2-3.0-2.8.
13. CBS Hot A/C WWFS 3.2-3.0-2.8 also is – 0.4 and leads Cumulus Hot A/C WPLJ by 0.8.
13. Univision Spanish CHR WXNY flat: 2.8-2.7-2.8 as SBS Spanish Hits WPAT/FM closes the gap to a .5 difference.
16. WNYC Broadcasting Foundation News/Talk WNYC/FM is also off -0.4: 3.1-2.3-2.7. The three WNYC stations total 4.2.
17. Spanish Broadcasting System Spanish Hits WPAT/FM + 0.1: 2.2-1.9-2.7.
18. Cumulus Hot A/C WPLJ – 0.2: 2.1-1.9-1.9.
19. Cumulus Talk WABC sneaks up + 0.1: 1.5-1.5-1.6 for a 0.4 lead over both iHeart Talk WOR and NJ Townsquare Media Talk WKXW.
20. Cumulus Country WNSH rings in the New Year flat: 1.5-1.3-1.5, with no other NYC Country format.
21. ESPN Sports WEPN/FM flat: 1.4-1.3-1.4.
22. Townsquare Talk NJ WKXW/FM flat: 1.2-1.2-1.2 and ties WOR/AM.
22. iHeart Talk WOR – 0.2: 1.4-1.1-1.2
24. WNYC Classical WQXR/FM off -0.2: 1.2-0.9-1.0
25. Pamal A/C upstate WHUD/FM, +0.2: 0.5-0.6-0.7.
26-28. Greater Media NJ WMGQ 0.6 in a three way tie with Fordham University Adult Alternative WFUV 0.6 and Univision Spanish WADO 0.6.
29. Newark Public Radio Jazz WBGO 0.5 ties WNYC News/Talk WNYC at 0.5.
New York Stats: 50 stations, 70% Nielsen subscribers are permitted to show shares. Ethnic Composition: Spanish 23%, Black 17%.
Largest Holiday/January drop: – 6.1 A/C WLTW. December/January swings: + 0.8 Urban A/C WBLS; – 0.5 Classic Hits WCBS/FM.
November/December/January Cluster Shares: CBS 23.9-24.4-26.2; iHeart 24.8-26.8-25.8; Emmis 8.2-8.5-9.1; Spanish Broadcast System 7.7-7.6-7.8; Cumulus 6.1-5.1-5.0.
Notes: CBS wins the market; December/January swings not dramatic other than the typical holiday format drop. I remember 77 WABC as the huge #1.

2. LOS ANGELES, CA. 10,860,300.
#1. iHeart A/C KOST is the Top of LA but has the post-holiday blues down 6.6. Nov/Dec/Jan trend is -1.4: 7.0-12.2-5.6.
2. iHeart CHR KIIS/KVVS + 0.1 leads #6 CBS CHR KAMP by 1.1 and retakes the #1 cume at 3.663 million on a slim 300,000 lead.
3. iHeart Hot A/C KBIG keeps the impressive 1-2-3 run alive with just a -0.1 fluctuation, 4.7-4.7-4.6 as LA’s only Hot A/C.
4. CBS Classic Hits KRTH + 0.1: 4.5-4.3-4.6 is LA’s only Classic Hits.
5. Emmis Rhythmic CHR KPWR + 0.1: 3.9-4.8-4.0
6. CBS CHR KAMP + 0.2: 3.7-4.0-3.9.
7. Univision Romantica KLVE – 0.3: 3.8-3.5-3.5 is the leading Spanish format with 1.0 lead over nearest challenger Mexican KLAX/FM.
8. CBS News KNX + 0.4: 3.0-3.2-3.4 is 0.9 ahead of Public News/Talk WPCC.
9. Bonneville / KSL Classic Rock KSWD trends + 0.4: 3.0-2.9-3.4 as this LA stand-alone leads Classic Rock KLOS by 1.4.
10. iHeart Talk KFI is – 0.2 and 3.5-3.0-3.3 to rank 2nd in the 7 station LA News/Talk competition.
11. CBS Adult Hits KCBS/FM stays flat: 3-2-3.0-3.2.
12. CBS Modern Rock KROQ + 0.3: 2.6-2.6-2.9 to lead Modern Rock KYSR/KSRY by just 0.4.
13. iHeart Rhythmic Oldies KHHT is off -0.4: 3.0-2.5-2.6 but jumps R&B Oldies KDAY/KDEY by 1.4.
14. SBS Regional Mexican KLAX/FM – 0.2: 2.7-2.6-2.5, in a 3 way tie with KYSR and KPPC.
14. iHeart Modern Rock KYSR/KSRY gain + 0.2: 2.3-2.4-2.5.
14. Southern California Public News/Talk KPCC up + 0.4: 2.1-2.1-2.5.
17. Entravision Spanish Adult Hits KLYY down – 0.6: 3.0-2.4-2.4 to tie with like formatted WRCD/WRCV.
17. Univision Spanish Adult Hits KRCD/KRCV flat: 2.4-2.2-2.4 also tied with co-owned KSCA.
17. Univision Regional Mexican KSCA also flat: 2.4-2.1-2.4.
20. CBS Smooth A/C KTWV + 0.1: 2.2-2.4-2.3 with a 1.5 lead over Jazz KKJZ.
20. SBS Spanish CHR KXOL/FM with leading gain + 0.7 to move 1.6-1.9-2.3.
22. Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters Country KKGO + 0.2: 2.1-1.8-2.3, as the one LA Country; the rest are Hollywood westerns.
23. Liberman Regional Mexican KUBE/KEBN/KBUA – 0.6: 2.6-2.0-2.0 to tie KLOS.
23. Cumulus Classic Rock KLOS off – 0.2: 2.2-1.8-2.0.
25. University of Southern California Classical KUSO, – 0.1: 1.9-1.8-1.8 as the only Classical in LA.
26. Santa Monica College News/Talk WCRW Quadcast + 0.3: 1.4-1.3-1.7
27. Entravision Spanish CHR KSSE + 0.4: 1.0-0.9-1.4.
28. Liberman Broadcasting Ranchero KWIZ + 0.3: 1.0-1.3-1.3, ties KSPN.
28. ESPN Radio Sports KSPN + 0.1: 1.2, 1.1, 1.3 ranks as the top LA sports station.
30. Meruelo Media Holdings R&B Oldies KDAY/KDEY + 0.1: 1.1-1.1-1.2
31. Salem Christian KSFH/FM – 0.2: 1.2-0.9-1.0
32. Taxi Productions Urban A/C KLJH 0.9.
33. iHeart Talk KEIB and Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters KKJZ tied at 0.8.
35. Cumulus Talk KABC, Salem Communications Talk KRLA and Salem Religious Teaching KKLA/FM all tied at 0.7.
Los Angeles Stats: 73 stations, 60% subscribe. Ethnic comp. Spanish 43%, Black 7%.
Holiday Drop: – 6.6 A/C KOST. December/January swings: + 0.7 Spanish CHR KXOL/FM, – 0.6 Spanish Adult KRDC/KRCV and – 0.6 Regional Mexican KSCA
November/December/January Cluster Shares: iHeart 23.5-26.2-24.2, CBS 19.2-19.4-20.5, Univision 8.8-8.9-8.6, Spanish Broadcasting 4.5-4.3-4.8, Emmis 4.3-3.9-4.0.
Notes: Many stations, minimal format duplication, same Top 5 order for each of the last 3 months.

3. CHICAGO, IL. 7,819,200.
#1. CBS News WBBM/WCFS-FM up + 1.0: 6.2-5.7-7.2 on the #5 cume.
2. iHeart Urban A/C WVAZ is down – 1.1: 7.3-6.7-6.2 and leads 5 Chicago Urban formats.
3. Hubbard Broadcasting Hot A/C WTMX + 0.3: 4.9-5.1-5.2 is ahead of WLIT/FM with the same format by 0.7.
4. iHeart Hot A/C WLIT/FM takes the huge post-holiday hit: – 9.7 for Holiday/January and – 2.7 Nov/Dec/Jan: 7.7-14.2-4.5.
5. iHeart CHR WKSC/FM – 0.3: 4.3-3.8-4.0 has the #1 cume at 2.261 million but now only 0.1 ahead of WBBM/FM.
6. CBS Rhythmic CHR WBBM/FM – 0.4: 3.5-3.7-3.9 with the #2 cume.
7. Tribune Media Talk WGN is flat, 3.5-2.8-3.5 and the 2nd of 4 major Chicago talkers.
8. iHeart Urban WGCI/F – 0.2 and 3.6-3.9-3.4 leading Urban WPWX by 1.2 and Urban A/C WSRB by 2.6.
8. CBS Sports WSCR + 0.9 to grow 2.5-2.7-3.4 as the sports leader over WMVP by 1.6.
8. CBS Adult Alternative WXRT + 0.3: 3.1-2.5-3.4 and listed as Chicagoland’s only AAA.
11. Univision Regional Mexican WOJO 3.2-3.1-3.3 is the top Spanish format in a field of 5.
11. Cumulus Modern Rock WKQX + 0.5 is part of this 5-way tie: 2.8-3.1-3.3.
11. CBS Country WUSN dips – 0.2: 3.5-2.6-3.3 as the only Chicago Country station.
11. Hubbard Broadcasting Classic Hits WDRV/WWDV is + 0.1 and the 3.2-3.0-3.3, ties Classic Hits WLS/FM.
11. Cumulus Classic Hits WLS/FM + 0.2: 3.1-2.6-3.3.
16. CBS Classic Hits WJMK gains + 0.4 but trails other Classic Hits WDRV and WLS/FM by .5: 2.4-2.3-2.8.
17. SBS Regional Mexican WLEY/FM + 0.5: 1.8-1.8-2.3.
17. Chicago Public Media News/Talk WBEZ/WBEQ + 0.4: 1.9-1.5-2.3.
19. Hubbard A/C WILV + 0.1: 2.1-2.5-2.2 ranking as Chicago’s lead A/C.
19. Crawford Broadcasting Urban WPWX off – 0.4 and goes 2.6-2.2-2.2.
21. Cumulus Classic Rock WLUP/FM – 0.2: 2.3-2.1-2.1.
21. Univision Spanish Hits WPPN + 0.5: 1.6-1.7-2.1.
23. ESPN Sports WMVP + 0.4: 1.4-1.4-1.8.
23. iHeart Gospel WGRB + 0.5: 0.7-0.8-1.2.
25. Cumulus Talk WLS – 0.3: 1.4-1.2-1.1
25. Univision Spanish Urban WVIV/WVIX 1.2-1.1.-1.1.
25. Digity Classic Hits WERV/FM 0.9-0.9-1.1.
28. iHeart Country WEBG falls by – 0.9: 1.9-1.6-1.0
29. Digity Rock WIIL 0.9; the Digity suburban cluster totals 4.1.
30. Crawford Urban A/C WSRB 0.8 and Digity Hot A/C WXLC 0.8.
Chicago Stats: 84 stations, 52% subscribe. Spanish 20%, Black 18%.
Holiday Drop: – 9.7 Hot A/C WLIT. Dec/Jan Swings: + 1.0 News WBBM/WCFS, – 1.1 Urban A/C WVAZ.
Cluster shares: CBS 22.3-21.2-24.0, iHeart 19.3-25.5-20.3, Hubbard 10.9-10.2-10.7, Cumulus 11.4-8.2-9.8, Univision 7.5-6.2-6.6.
Notes: 6 sets of ties, in January. Holiday highest share 14.2, January high 7.2.

4. SAN FRANCISCO, CA. 6,131,500.
#1. CBS News KCBS/KFRC-FM is on top + 1.1 at 6.3-6.1-7.4 to lead News/Talk KQED by 2.8 and News KGO by 5.5.
2. Entercom A/C KOIT trends – 1.0 through Dec/Hol/Jan 5.8-10.6-4.8 with Holiday blues of – 5.8. KOIT retains #1 cume with 1.562 million and a 294,000 lead.
3. KQED, Inc. News/Talk KQED – 0.3: 4.9-4.1-4.6. SF is the only Top 10 market with top news operations taking 2 of the top 3 slots.
4. iHeart Hot A/C KIOI rises + 0.5: 3.9-3.8-4.4 to push in front of Hot A/C KLLC by just 0.3; the lead over Hot A/C KEZR is 2.6.
5. Cumulus Sports KNBR turns positive at + 0.6 during baseball’s off-season at 3.7-3.6-4.3, and leads Sports KGMZ by 3.0.
6. CBS CHR WMVQ/FM + 0.3: 3.9-3.5-4.2 scores a lead of 0.8 over Rhythmic CHR KYLD.
7. CBS Hot A/C KLLC up + 1.1 and trending 3.0-3.3-4.1.
8. iHeart Urban KMEL down – 0.8: 4.7-4.4-3.9 to best Urban A/C KBLX by 1.2 and ties Spanish Adult KBRG.
8. Univision Spanish Adult KBRG gains + 0.7: 3.2-3.7-3.9 to top Regional Mexican KSOL/KSQL by 1.5 and Regional Mexican KRZZ by 2.4.
10. iHeart Rhythmic CHR KYLD – 0.2: 3.6-3.1-3.4, on the #2 cume.
11. University Southern California Classical KDFC/KXSC/KOSC + 0.2 at 2.6-3.1-2.8 and a tie with KISQ.
11. iHeart Rhythmic Oldies KISQ dips – 0.6 going 3.4-2.9-2.8.
13. Entercom Urban A/C KBLX is off – 0.5 at 3.2-3.2-2.7 to lead co-owned KRBQ by 1.4.
14. Univision Regional Mexican KSOL/KSQL flat: 2.4-2.3-2.4 but leads Regional Mexican competitors KRZZ by 0.9 and KXZM by 1.5.
14. iHeart Classic Hits KOSF dips – 0.3: 3.7-1.4-2.4, leading Classic Rockers KSAN by 0.3 and KUFX by 1.3.
16. Cumulus Adult Alternative KFOG/KFFG gains + 0.2 with 2.1-1.9-2.3.
17. Digity A/C KBAY is down – 0.5 showing 2.7-2.8-2.2 but still leading Alpha A/Cs KUIC, KKIQ and KKDV with a combined 1.1.
18. CBS Modern Rock KITS adds + 0.1: 2.1-2.0-2.2 to tie KBAY.
19. Cumulus Classic Rock KSAN – 0.2 and 2.3-1.8-2.1with a 0.8 lead edge on Classic Rock KUFX.
20. Cumulus Talk KSFO – 0.1: 2.1-1.7-2.0.
21. Cumulus News KGO also off – 0.1: 2.0-1.8-1.9.
22. Digity Hot A/C KEZR is down – 0.5 at 2.0-1.7-1.5 and tied with KRZZ.
22. SBS Regional Mexican KRZZ + 0.1: 1.4-1.7-1.5
22. Entercom Sports KGMZ 1.3-1.2-1.3 ties Entercom Rhythmic A/C KBRQ 1.2-1.2-1.3.
24. Entercom Classic Rock KUFX 1.3-1.1.-1.1.
25. Lazer Broadcasting Regional Mexican KXZM is 0.9-1.0-0.9 and tied with iHeart Talk KKSF 1.0-0.6-0.9.
27. Cumulus Country KSJO gains 0.6-0.7-0.8.
San Francisco Stats: 34 stations, 71% subscribe. Spanish 22%, Black 7%.
Holiday Drops: -5.8 A/C KOIT. Swings: + 1.1 News KCBS, – 0.8 Urban KMEL.
Cluster Shares: CBS 14.7-15.3-17.9, iHeart 17.6-19.3-17.8, Cumulus 17.4-13.3-13.7, Entercom 11.4-12.8-11.2.
Notes: S.F. is the 3rd of the Top 4 markets where CBS has edged out post-holiday hits. SF December/January trends, up or down are less than 1.1.

5. DALLAS, TX. 5,301,200.
#1. iHeart CHR KHKS holds #1 share trending +1.0 with 6.8-6.7-7.8 and #1 cume 1.886 million and a lead of 393,000 over the rest.
2. Salem Communications Christian KLTY gains +1.2 and moves up 3 notches 4.4-5.5-5.6 as Christian KCBI lags by 3.6.
3. Cumulus Country KPLX is flat: 4.8-5.0-4.8 for a tie with KDMX.
3. iHeart Hot A/C KDMX is up + 1.0, moving 3.8-3.9-4.8 on the #2 cume.
5. CBS Classic Hits KLUV drops – 0.8 and takes the Holiday hit of 4.6 to trend 5.0-8.8-4.2
6. iHeart Classic Rock KZPS – 0.3: 4.2-4.0-3.9.
7. Cumulus Country KSCS is off – 0.8: 4.6-4.3-3.8 and gives CMLS a combined Dallas Country Dec/Jan trend moving down 9.4-8.6.
8. Service Broadcasting Urban KKDA/FM + 0.1 for a steady 3.6-3.7-3.7 and a lead over Urban KLIF/FM by 1.7.
9. iHeart Rock KEGL dips – 0.7: 4.0-3.3-3.3 and takes a 0.7 lead over co-owned Rock KDGE.
10. Radio One Rhythmic CHR KBFB – 0.2: 3.3-3.3-3.2.
11. Service Broadcasting Urban A/C – 0.2: 3.3-2.9-3.1 and is part of a three-way tie.
11. Univision Regional Mexican KLNO + 0.2: 2.9-2.9-3.1, as the top Hispanic format in Dallas with a 0.7 lead over Regional Mexican KMVK
11. CBS Hot A/C KVIL + 0.2: 2.9-2.2-3.1.
14. CBS News/Talk KRLD + 0.4 and the news leader 2.4-2.1-2.8 on a 0.5 lead over News/Talk KERA.
15. Radio One Rhythmic Oldies KSOC is off -0.8: 3.4-3.2-2.6 and ties KDGE.
15. iHeart Rock KDGE – 0.2: 2.8-2.5-2.6.
17. CBS Sports KRLD/FM + 0.3 for 2.2-2.4-2.5 and the leading Dallas sports station with a 0.8 lead over good sports KESN and KTCK.
18. CBS Regional Mexican KMVX is steady 2.4-2.3-2.4 and ranks 2nd of 6 stations in the Regional Mexican competition.
19. North Texas Public News/Talk KERA gains + 0.2 for 2.1-2.0-2.3 and leads News/Talk WBAP by 0.6.
20. Cumulus Urban KLIF/FM dips – 0.6 for 2.6-2.0-2.2 and a tie with KJKK.
20. CBS Adult Hits KJKK slips – 0.2: 2.2-1.8-2.0.
22. First Dallas Media Christian KCBI trends 1.9-1.3-1.8. And then, there was the 5 way tie…..
23-27. Liberman Broadcasting with 2 Regional Mexican formats KNOR and KZZA tie at 1.7 while…
23-27. Cumulus includes 2 Sports stations KESN, KTCK plus News/Talk WBAP all at the same 1.7.
28-29. Univision Spanish Hits KDXX/KESS 1.4 and Univision Regional Mexican KFZO 1.3.
30-31. North Texas Public Adult Alternative KXXT ties another Liberman Regional Mexican KBOC at 1.0.
Dallas Stats: 67 stations, 46% subscribe. Spanish 26%, Black 16%.
Holiday Drop: – 4.6 Classic Hits KLUV. Swings: + 1.2 Christian KLTY, -0.8 for both Classic Hits KLUV and Rhythmic Oldies KSOC.
Cluster Shares: iHeart 20.8-21.6-22.4, CBS 16.7-17.1-17.0, Cumulus 16.9-17.2-16.0, Service Broadcasting 7.1-6.9-6.8, Radio One 6.4-6.7-5.8.
Notes: CBS gains a notch to 2nd. Very steady market on all fronts with 20 stations clumped between 3.3 and 1.7 on the totem pole.

6. HOUSTON, TX. 5,025,800.
#1. iHeart Soft A/C KODA drops 2.1 for the trend and – 5.4 coming out of the holidaze 9.2-12.5-7.1. KODA retains #1 cume 2.106 million and an 823,000 lead.
2. Radio One Urban A/C KMJQ adds + 0.2 as a steady 6.4-6.6-6.6 to lead Urban KQBT by exactly their share: 3.3.
3. Univision Regional Mexican KLTN goes 5.7-5.4-5.8 and tops 4 others in the Regional Mexican format by at least 3.1, leading #2 KTJM/KJOJ.
4. Cox Media Country KKBQ picks up +0.6 with 5.1-5.6-5.7 and leads Country KILT by 2.2 and Classic Country KTHT by 3.6.
5. KSBJ Foundation Christian KSBJ/KUBU takes a big + 1.2 jump from 9th place and moves 4.4-4.5-5.6 as the only station at the altar.
6. Cox Media Classic Hits KGLK/KHPT gains + 0.2 for 5.1-4.8-5.3 with no other Anglo Oldies type format in Houston.
7. iHeart Modern Rock KTBZ/FM steps up + 0.6: 4.5-4.4-5.1 with the format to themselves.
8 Radio One Rhythmic CHR KBXX is off – 0.7: 5.3-4.7-4.6 and moves up on co-owned KROI by a healthy 2.6.
9. iHeart News/Talk KTRH dips 0.7 for 4.6-4.0-3.9 but retains top news status at 1.8 ahead of public News/Talk KUHF.
10. Univision Spanish Adult KOVE/FM adds + 0.2 for a steady 3.3-3.3-3.5 and just that certain hair ahead of Spanish Hits KLOL.
10. CBS Country KILT/FM + 0.4 and becomes part of this 3-way tie, 3.1-3.3-3.5, along with Spanish KLOL.
10. Cumulus CHR KRBE adds + 0.2 for 3.3-2.9-3.5 and a 0.8 advantage over CHR KKHH.
13. CBS Spanish Hits KLOL moves 3.3-2.9-3.4 for a 1.0 gain over KAMA.
14. iHeart Urban KQBT is off 0.7, trending 4.1-3.8-3.3.
15. CBS Hot A/C KHMX moves up + 0.5: 2.5-2.7-3.0 and grabs the #1 cume at 1.283 million from their 15th share rank.
16. Lieberman Regional Mexican KTJM/KJOJ is – 0.3: 3.0-2.7-2.7; others in the format trail by 1.2 at co-owned KQQK and 2.0 back for KQBU/FM.
17. CBS CHR KKHH slips – 0.2: 2.8-2.9-2.6.
18. Univision Spanish Hits KAMA adds +0.3 going 2.1-2.1-2.4.
19. CBS Sports KILT goes + 0.4 and wins the Sports battle, 1.9-2.0-2.3 leading KBME by 1.1 and KGOW by 2.1.
20. University of Houston News/Talk 2.3-2.0-2.1 ties Cox Classic Country KTHT 2.1-1.9-2.1
22. Radio One Rhythmic Oldies KROI is down – 0.9 and now shows a complete but disappointing history of 1.0-3.2- 2.9-2.5-2.0.
23. Liberman Regional Mexican KQQK 1.5-1.7-1.5.
24. University of Houston Classical KUHA gains + 0.5: 0.7-1.0-1.2 and ties iHeart Sports KBME 1.3-1.1-1.2.
Houston Stats: 58 stations, 50% subscribe. Spanish 34%, Black 18%.
Holiday Drop: – 5.4 Soft A/C KODA. Swings: + 1.2 Christian KSBJ/KUBJ, – 0.9 Rhythmic Oldies KROI.
Cluster Shares: iHeart 22.1-24.1-21.1, CBS 13.9-13.6-14.8, Radio One 14.8-14.6-13.2, Cox 12.4-12.3-13.1, Univision 12.5-11.9-12.6.
Notes: Another post-holiday gain for CBS and a tight race for 3 others. Need work on keeping new formats strong after the initial “Oh, Wow!”

7. WASHINGTON, D.C. 4,522,700.
#1. Hubbard News WTOP/WTLP jumps + 2.2 to regain dominance 7.0-6.1-9.2. The competition is 1.3 back at WAMU and a more distant 5.0 from WMAL FM/AM.
2. American University News/Talk WAMU also adds +1.1 for the DC 1-2 news punch, 6.8-6.4-7.9 and leads the 4th market News player WNEW/FM by 6.2.
3. Howard University Urban A/C WHUR/F shed – 0.2, travels 6.2-5.5-6.0 and leads Urban WMMJ by 2.2, Gospel WPRS by 2.5 and Urban WKYS by 3.1.
4. iHeart A/C WASH gets the Grinch: – 8.1 post-holiday and trending – 3.1: 8.6-13.6-5.5. WASH retains the #1 cume 1.266 million.
5. iHeart CHR WIHT dips – 0.3: 5.5-5.1-5.2 but wins the CHR race by 3.4 over WRQX.
6. iHeart Classic Rock (as the new moniker replaces Classic Hits) adds + 0.8 to go 4.0-4.1-4.8. This is the only kind of “Classic” in DC, except Classical.
7. Greater Washington Educational Telecom. Classical WETA/WGMS, right on cue, adds +0.7: 3.7-4.1-4.5.
8. Cumulus News/Talk WMAL/FM-AM dips – 0.6: 4.8-3.6-4.2.
9. iHeart Modern Rock WWDC moves 3.9-3.6-4.1, in their stand-alone format.
10. Radio One Urban A/C WMMJ is a consistent 3.9-3.9-3.8.
11. Radio One Gospel WPRS/FM 3.4-3.1-3.5, also has an exclusive format.
12. Columbia Union College Christian WGTS rises + 0.4: 3.0-3.1-3.4, and also by itself.
13. CBS Hot A/C WIAD 3.4-3.1-3.5 while co-owned Hot A/C WWMX shows from Baltimore at 0.2.
14. iHeart Country WZMQ/FM slips – 0.5: 3.7-3.3-3.2 as the only Radio Cowboy in the Capital.
15 Radio One Urban WKYS holds 2.9-3.0-2.9.
16. CBS Rhythmic CHR WPGC/FM dips – 0.4: 3.2-3.0-2.9.
17. CBS Tropical WLZL also down – 0.4: 3.2-3.3-2.8 in their exclusive format.
18. CBS Sports WJFK/FM gets the format win 2.1-1.9-2.2 with a 0.3 lead over Sports WTEM.
19. Red Zebra Sports WTEM/WWXT/WWXX sheds -0.4: 2.3-2.1-1.9, as the Zebra’s other Sports WSPZ shows 0.3.
20. Cumulus CHR WRQX stays 1.9-1.9-1.8.
21. CBS News WNEW/FM + 0.4 and gains traction: 1.3-1.3-1.7.
D.C. Stats: 52 stations, 54% subscribe. Black 27%, Spanish 14%.
Holiday Drop: – 8.1 A/C WASH. Swings: + 2.2 News WTOP, – 0.6 News/Talk WMAL.
Cluster Shares: iHeart 22.7-25.7-19.6, CBS 13.4-13.0-12.7, Radio One 11.1-10.2-10.2, Hubbard 8.0-7.6-9.3, Cumulus 6.5-6.7-6.0.
Notes: The D.C. Top 3 are News & University station; Classical is #7 but no Jazz. American University lists Bluegrass WAMU-HD2, at 0.1.

8. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 4,493,700.
#1. Jerry Lee A/C WBEB takes the holiday hit at -7.8 but stays #1, 8.5-15.1-7.3 and holds Top cume 1.471 million with a 390,000 lead WIOQ.
2. CBS News KYW jumps +1.2 into the runner-up spot 5.3-4.9-6.5. Formidable competition from News/Talk WHYY but trails by 3.2.
3. Greater Media Classic Rock WMGK has a nice gain + 0.9 and moves into 3rd spot growing 4.9-4.6-6.5.
4. Classic Hits WOGL gains + 0.2 but is now that hair in 4th place, 5.5-6.1-5.7.
5. iHeart Urban A/C WDAS/FM down – 0.9 at 6.4-5.9-5.5 but still tops the Urban oriented category.
6. Greater Media Rock WMMR also gains + 0.3 and moves nicely 4.9-4.3-5.2.
7. iHeart Urban WUSL is a steady 4.6-4.6-4.5 and ties WRFF.
7. iHeart Modern Rock WRFF picks up +0.5 to advance 4.0-3.7-4.5.
9. CBS Sports WIP/FM is the clean-up hitter despite a – 0.8 dip: 5.1-4.6-4.3 and leading Sports WPEN by 2.0.
10. CBS Country dips – 0.5 in the trend but rebounds nicely as they take over the reins from Beasley, 4.8-3.6-4.3.
11. Radio One Rhythmic Oldies WPHI/FM is steady with 3.8-3.9-3.7 and ties WIOQ.
11. iHeart CHR WIOQ dips – 0.4: 4.1-3.4-3.7, leads Rhythmic CHR WRDW by 1.3 and grabs a 1.081 million 2nd place cume even from their 2nd tier position.
13. WHYY, Inc. News/Talk 6 station package led by WHYY is collectively off – 0.3: 3.6-3.0-3.3.
14. Greater Media Adult Hits WBEN meanders 2.9-3.2-3.1.
15. iHeart Rhythmic A/C WISX roller coasters 2.9-2.2-2.8 for a slim 0.4 over Rhythmic CHR WRDW/FM.
16. Radio One Gospel WPPZ gains 2.5-2.2-2.7.
17. CBS Rhythmic CHR WRDW/FM holds 2.4-2.2-2.4.
18. Greater Media Sports WPEN also holds 2.3-1.8-2.3.
19. CBS Talk WPHT stays 1.8-1.7-1.8.
20. University of Pennsylvania Adult Alternative WXPN ups 1.2-1.1-1.4.
21. Temple University Classical WRTI downs 1.6-1.4-1.3.
22. Connoisseur Media Hot A/C WPST from NJ registers 1.0-1.0-1.2.
23. Townsquare Talk WKXW also from NJ is 0.7-0.8-0.9 and shows Hot A/C WSJO & Country WPUR with 0.1 each.
Philadelphia Stats: 52 stations, 62% subscribers, Black 21%, Spanish 8%.
Holiday Drop: A/C WBEB – 7.8. Swings + 1.2 News KYW, – 0.9 Urban WDAS.
Cluster Shares: CBS 18.0-24.9-25.0, iHeart 22.9-22.0-21.0, Greater Media 15.5-15.0-16.4, Radio One 8.1-9.6-10.0, Jerry Lee 6.8-8.5-7.3.
Notes: The creative Beasley exchange gave CBS the Key to the City. Solid, tight competition in Philadelphia. Oldies / Classic formats total 18.8.

9. ATLANTA, GA. 4,322,100.
#1. Cox News/Talk WSB/WSBB-FM gets the win: 7.6-5.8-7.4. Competition is behind by 3.2 at News/Talk WABE; News/Talk WYAY is 5.7 back.
2. CBS Urban WVEE slides – 0.8 and into 2nd place from 1st 8.1-7.6-7.3. WVEE is still well ahead of Urban WHAT by 3.4
3. Cox Urban A/C WALR/FM is steady 6.0-6.7-6.1 and up by 1.3 over Urban A/C WAMJ.
4. Salem Christian WFSH/FM swims in place after a 2.1 post-holiday dip. The trend: 5.4-7.6-5.5 is some 4.4. ahead of pew mate Christian WVFJ.
5. Cox A/C WSB/FM slides – 0.6: 6.0-6.5-5.4, retains the #1, 1.166 million cume plus a 178,000 lead over CHR WWPW.
6. iHeart Country WUBL hangs on 5.1-4.8-5.2 and has a 1.6 lead over Country WKHX.
7. iHeart CHR WWPW steps up + 0.8 to move 4.2-4.9-5.0 and 0.5 ahead of CHR WWWQ.
8. Cox Classic Hits WSRV gains + 0.3 for 4.6-4.8-4.9 and a 2.8 jump on Classic Rock WNNX.
9. Radio One Urban A/C WAMJ/WUMJ dips – 0.3: 5.1-4.8-4.8.
10. Cumulus CHR WWWQ has a +0.6 gain trending up 3.9-3.8-4.5.
11. Radio One Gospel gets a + 1.2 bounce for 4.3-3.5-3.9, in their exclusive format.
12. Radio One Urban WHAT slips – 0.4: 4.2-3.5-3.9.
13. Cumulus Country WKHX is steady, 3.6-3.8-3.6.
14. Lincoln Financial Hot A/C WSTR also holds 3.3-3.5-3.2 and ties WABE.
14. City of Atlanta Board of Ed News/Talk WABE stays 3.1-3.1-3.2.
16. CBS Sports WZGC scores + 0.9 and leads the leads the sporting crowd 2.1-2.3-3.0 with a 2.7 jump over Sports WQXI.
17. iHeart Modern Rock WRDA/WRDG dips – 0.4: 2.9-2.6-2.5 but retains a 1.8 advantage over Modern Rock WTSH/FM.
18. Cumulus Classic Rock WNNX sticks 2.2-2.0-2.1.
19. iHeart Regional Mexican WBZY adds + 0.4: 1.3-1.5-1.7, as a stand-alone format in Atlanta.
19. Cumulus News/Talk WYAY ties WBZY: 1.6-1.4-1.7.
21. Clark Atlanta University Jazz WCLK is a very steady 1.3-1.3-1.3 (no relation).
22. Radio Training Network Christian WVFJ/FM shuffles 1.0-1.4-1.1.
23-24. Two Rhythmic Oldies stations register on HD: Cumulus WWWQ-HD3 0.7-1.2-1.0 and Radio One WAMJ-HD2 0.8-0.5-0.8.
25-27. Cox Modern Rock WTSH/FM 0.7, iHeart Talk WGST 0.5 and Georgia State University News/Talk WRAS 0.4.
Atlanta Stats: 69 stations, 45% subscribe. Black 34%, Spanish 10%.
Holiday Drop: – 2.1 Christian WFSH. Swings: + 1.2 Gospel WPZE, – 0.8 Urban WVEE.
Market Shares: Cox 24.8-24.9-24.5, iHeart 14.1-14.0-14.9, Radio One 13.5-13.2-13.7, Cumulus 12.1-12.3-13.1, CBS 10.8-10.4-10.3.
Notes: Fairly steady and even with the Holiday bounce, all fluctuations maxed at 2.1 and then 1.2 or less. Two HD feeds of the same format has interest.

10. BOSTON, MA. 4,022,600.
#1. Greater Media A/C WMJX still wins the Hub. Even with a – 9.4 Holiday aftermath, the 9.1-16.5-7.1 trend keeps a #1 1.38 cume and 200,000 lead over CHR WXKS.
2. Greater Media Classic Hits has a best all-time 6.0-5.4-6.9 and a fitting tribute to long-time morning greats Loren & Wally.
3. CBS Sports WBZ/FM pushing across the goal line with the Super Bowl Champion Patriots for a #2 tie and 1.7 jump: 5.2-5.1-6.9. “Deflate this!”
4. CBS News/Talk WBZ shows its strength adding + 0.8 to trend 5.6-5.2-6.4 and moving 2.4 ahead of News/Talk WBUR, which bested ‘BZ by 0.1 last November.
5. iHeart CHR WXKS gets a – 0.3 during the Dec/Holiday/Jan trend, 6.4-5.6-6.1. KISS is now in unfamiliar 5th place, but still tops 6 CHR/Hot/Rhythmic formats.
6. Greater Media Country WKLB slips – 0.4: 6.0-5.2-5.6 but keeps the new Bull corralled with a substantial 4.5 lead.
7. Entercom Sports WEEI/FM gets a + 1.0 bounce and stays in the fray 4.1-3.7-5.1, trailing Sports Hub WBZ/FM by 1.8. Co-owned Sports WEEI is a 0.3?
8. CBS Classic Rock WZLX dips again – 0.4 and trends down into the 4’s: 5.1-5.2-4.7.
9. Boston University News/Talk WBUR is consistent quality at 4.6-3.7-4.5 and frontline ahead of iconic News/Talk WGBH by 1.6.
10. CBS Hot A/C WBMX gets a big kiss (no pun) + 0.8 and moves 3.6-3.3-4.4. Hot A/C WXLO trails by 2.9.
11. iHeart Rhythmic CHR WJMN slips – 0.6 and into a tie 3.7-3.2-3.1 with arch rival WBQT.
11. Greater Media Rhythmic A/C WBQT is also off – 0.2 and equals Jammin’s 3.3-3.1-3.1. Both WBQT and WJMN are 0.5 ahead of CHR WODS.
13. Greater Media Modern Rock WBOS is quite flat: 2.9-2.9-2.9. It’s the only Mod Rocker in town, besides The Boston Globe’s web radio.
13. WGBH Educational Foundation News/Talk WGBH/FM is moving up + 0.5 to tie WBOS 2.4-2.6-2.9 and moves 0.9 ahead of commercial talk WRKO.
15. Entercom Rock WAAF stays put: 2.7-2.6-2.7.
16. CBS CHR WODS sits 2.7-2.8-2.6.
17. Entercom Talk WRKO still isn’t moving too far: 2.2-1.8-2.0.
18. WGBH Educational Foundation Classical WCRB fiddles: 1.8-1.6-1.9
19. Northeast Broadcasting Adult Alternative WXRV hangs 1.9-1.7-1.8.
20. Cumulus Hot A/C WXLO from Worcester is off 1.9-1.5-1.5.
21. iHeart Country “Bull” WBWL dips 1.6-1.1-1.1 but recently changed their directional signal pattern for more Boston coverage.
22. Hall Communications Country WCTK from Providence ties Emerson College Variety at 1.0
24-27. Entercom Sports WEEI 0.3, iHeart Spanish WKOX 0.3, University of Massachusetts Folk WUMB 5 station cluster 0.1 and WXKS Bloomberg Business DNS.
Boston Stats: 63 stations, 44% subscribe. Spanish 9%, Black 7%.
Holiday Drop: – 9.4 A/C WMJX. Swings: + 1.7 Sports WBZ/FM, – 0.6 Rhythmic CHR WJMN.
Cluster Shares: Greater Media 24.0-27.3-25.6, CBS 22.4-22.2-22.4, iHeart 12.3-11.9-10.6, Entercom 10.8-9.3-9.8.
Notes: Big sports town. Greater Media big, too. Excellent news services. Boomers, anyone?

Takeaways:
* New year, new potential if and when excellent content is there!
* The next sustaining format? My money’s on 45+.
* Radio remains the best, immediate, anywhere, wireless source of information & entertainment.
* Listing all licensed stations in all Nielsen markets will add radio presence and value to our story.

Broadcast Connector Clark Smidt implements no-cost strategy with existing resources. 
Valuable Conversation & Results: 978 470-2120. Andover, MA.
www.broadcastideas.com @ClarkSmidt [email protected]
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