The madness that is the MARCH survey (will we get in trouble with the NCAA for putting those two words in a sentence?) is about to be fully revealed as The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – with valuable assistance from the numbers nerds at XTRENDS – perform a forensic analysis of the results. This particular month was neatly contained within its namesake as it ran from MARCH 2nd through MARCH 29th. It featured a time change, a season change, people drinking green beer and the holy holiday of Ramadan. Here’s how it all worked out…
NEW YORK: A Lite Fixture
The march of time apparently has little effect on iHEARTMEDIA AC WLTW (106.7 LITE FM). The station was #1 6+ for the fifth book in a row and posted its best Frosty-free share in over a year (7.0-7.6). The rest of the top five remained in the top five. AUDACY Classic Hits WCBS was back at #2, though it ended a strong two-book surge (6.6-6.1). It was joined in that space by iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3 FM), which was up for the third straight survey (6.0-6.1). SBS Tropical WSKQ (MEGA 97.9) was back at #4 (5.2-5.3), though it did receive an additional 1.1 share from its stream. MEDIACO Urban AC WBLS repeated at #5 (5.1-5.2). Lurking just outside of the top five was AUDACY News WINS, which stepped up to #6 with its finest performance in over a year (4.6-5.0). Looks like the FM addition has reaped some benefits. WLTW was still the cume leader, despite a 6.9% decrease (3,733,800-3,474,700). The market grew by 0.7%.
The top five 25-54 stations were in the same positions as WLTW continued to dominate the field. The station again had its best Frosty-free share in over a year for its fifth straight win. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WHTZ (Z100) was back at #2 with its best outing since SEPTEMBER but trailed its cluster sister by better than two shares. WSKQ remained the #3 station with a slight increase, while WCBS held firm at #4 with its best showing since APRIL. A flat AUDACY Hot AC WNEW (NEW 102.7) repeated at #5.
Two stations were tied atop the 18-34 leaderboard for the second straight book. However, they were not the same players as previously listed. WSKQ rose from #3, despite its first down book since DECEMBER, while WNEW advanced from #4 with its highest share in over a year. WBLS leapt from #7 to #3 with a strong increase and was less than a half share off the lead. WHTZ and WCBS had been the previous occupants of the premier position. WHTZ slipped to #4 as it returned all of last month’s solid increase. WCBS dropped to #6 as it gave back most of last survey’s impressive gains. Nestled in between at #5 was WLTW, which was off slightly.
Not only was WLTW the leading 18-49 station for the fifth straight survey, but the station also crashed through the double-digit barrier without the aid of performance-enhancing music. WHTZ was back at #2 with its fourth up book in a row but remained more than two shares behind the leader. WSKQ also had a slight increase as it remained at #3, while WNEW repeated at #4 with a slight decrease. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKTU was still the #5 station, while nipping at its heels from the #6 position was WCBS.
LOS ANGELES: What On Earth?
For the first time since NOVEMBER, AUDACY Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101FM) was the #1 station in the 6+ solar system. The station also posted its biggest number in over a year (5.4-5.8). Speaking of such,
iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KIIS (102.7 KISS FM) also had its best showing in over a year as it leapt from #7 to #2 (3.9-5.0). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KBIG (104.3 MYFM) moved up to #3 (4.5-4.5), which forced AUDACY Urban AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE) to step down to #4 (4.6-4.4). Last month, TELEVISAUNIVISION Spanish Contemporary KLVE (K-LOVE 107.5) and iHEARTMEDIA Talk KFI-A were tied at #5. That bond endured as both stations were flat (4.1-4.1). However, they did have to share with a third party as iHEARTMEDIA AC KOST joined the group. The station ended its eight-book winning streak and landed its lowest share in over a year (5.5-4.1). KRTH was back in the cume lead with a 1.0% increase (2,190,900-2,213,700). The market fell by 1.9%.
KRTH captured the 25-54 crown for the second book in a row with another commanding performance. The station had its best book in over a year and led KIIS by more than a share. KIIS jumped from #6 to #2, also with its highest mark in over a year. KBIG dipped to #3 with a slight decrease, while KLVE slipped to #4 with its lowest score in over a year. It was paired with ESTRELLA Regional Mexican KBUE (QUE BUENA 105.5/94.3 FM), which rose from #7 with its best showing in over a year. Just two books ago the station was sitting at #13. KOST slipped to #6, while iHEARTMEDIA Urban KRRL (REAL 92.3) dropped two places to #7.
KIIS has been on quite the 18-34 tear of late. The station finished in first place for the third book in a row with a dominating performance. It has come close to doubling its HOLIDAY share and led #2 KRRL – which was up slightly – by nearly two shares. KRTH repeated at #3 with a small increase, while KBIG stepped up to #4 as it bounced back from a down book. iHEARTMEDIA Alternative KYSR (ALT 98.7) dipped to #5 with its fifth straight down book. Though they were not quite ready for top-five action, two stations made some impressive gains. KBUE advanced from #11 to #6, while MERUELO Latin Urban KLLI (CALI 93.9) vaulted from #14 into a tie at #7 with KOST and KTWV.
It was a great month to be KIIS as the station moved up to #1 18-49 with a rather large increase. It held a two-share advantage over the two #2 stations. KRTH moved up from #4 with a small increase, while KBUE advanced from #7 with its best outing in over a year. The station was ranked #13 in the HOLIDAY book and has basically doubled its share since then. KBIG stepped up to #4 with a slight increase, while two stations fell into a tie at #5. KLVE was down from #3, while KRRL dropped from #1.
CHICAGO: Six For Six
The top six stations in the 6+ rankings were in the same position as we last saw them. iHEARTMEDIA AC WLIT (93.9 LITE FM) was #1 for the sixth straight survey but came back to the pack with its smallest share since NOVEMBER (8.0-6.7). HUBBARD Classic Rock WDRV (97.1 THE DRIVE) was still idling in second place (5.7-5.6), while AUDACY AAA WXRT was back at #3 (5.1-4.9). AUDACY News WBBM-A remained at #4 (4.8-4.8) but could possibly qualify for a tie at #3 if one added in the station’s stream, which received a 0.1 share. iHEARTMEDIA Urban AC WVAZ (V103) was still sitting at #5 (4.2-4.4), though it was feeling some pressure from the #6 station – TELEVISAUNIVISION Regional Mexican WOJO (QUÉ BUENA 105.1), which landed its largest share since NOVEMBER (4.0-4.3). Despite a 6.4% decrease, WLIT still had the most listeners (1,545,000-1,446,300). The market shrank by 1.9%.
There was a lot of movement among the 25-54 rank and file. One constant was WLIT, which was the demo leader for the fifth book in a row. However, the station had a down book while #2 WOJO had a small increase. The net result was that the gap between the two was reduced to about a half share. HUBBARD Hot AC WTMX (101.9 THE MIX) stepped up to #3 with a slight increase, while AUDACY
Country WUSN (US99) moved up two slots to #4 with its best book since JULY. AUDACY Rhythmic AC WBMX (104.3 JAMS) was also up two places – to #5 – with its second straight up book. CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS was just a beat behind as it advanced from #11 to #6 with its best showing since SEPTEMBER. It was tied with WXRT, which dropped from #3. WDRV fell from #4 to #8.
For the second straight survey, WUSN was #1 18-34. The station also posted its largest share in over a year. WLS zoomed up the chart, advancing from #7 to #2 with its largest share since OCTOBER. WOJO remained at #3 with a slight increase, while WLIT stood alone at #4 with a small increase. A flat iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) dipped to #5 and narrowly defeated the #6 station, WBMX. WDRV dropped from #2 to #7.
For the first time since NOVEMBER, WOJO was back in the #1 position with the 18-49 crowd. This ended WLIT’s four-book run as it dipped to #2. The stations were less than a half share apart. WUSN stepped up to #3 with a solid increase, while WBMX moved up to #4 with its highest share in over a year. WLS leapt from #12 to #5 with its best book since SEPTEMBER and was mere inches ahead of WXRT, which remained in place at #6 with a small decrease. WDRV dropped from #3 into a tie at #7 with WKSC.
SAN FRANCISCO: Order Is Restored
For the last four surveys, BONNEVILLE AC KOIT was the #1 station 6+. While two of those books were lousy with the likes of BURL IVES, the station did win twice based on its own merits. However, that four-book streak was halted by AUDACY News KCBS-A, which moved up to #1 with its highest share in over a year (6.0-8.0). KOIT slipped to #2 (7.9-7.2), while iHEARTMEDIA AC KISQ (98.1 THE BREEZE) dipped to #3 (6.9-6.4). The next closest station to that triumvirate was KQED INC. N/T KQED, which remained at #4 (4.6-5.3). iHEARTMEDIA Hot AC KIOI (STAR 101.3) had its best book since APRIL (4.1-4.7) to step up to #5. BONNEVILLE Top 40/M KMVQ (99.7 NOW) and USC Classical KDFC had been tied at #6. Both stations went 4.1-3.6 to drop down to #7. They were met there by iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/R KMEL, which slipped from #5 as it ended a three-book surge (4.4-3.6). KOIT retained the cume crown despite a 4.9% decrease (1,314,100-1,249,600). The market fell by 1.6%.
Though it had a down book, KOIT was the leading 25-54 station for the seventh straight survey. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KYLD (WiLD 94.9) was up three spots to #2 with its best book in over a year but was still about a share and a half behind the leader. KISQ was close behind as it slipped to #3 with a slight increase, KIOI moved up to #4 with a small increase, while KMVQ slid to #5 with its lowest mark since DECEMBER. KMEL went from #4 to #6 with its smallest share since MAY.
What a difference a book can make. KOIT was #1 for 18-34 for the thirteenth consecutive survey. The station did see its double-digit streak end at four. Meanwhile, KMEL repeated at #2 as it bounced back from a down book. The net result was that the gap between the two stations went from better than three shares to less than one. KYLD was back at #3 with its third up book in a row, while KIOI stepped up to #4 as it accomplished the same feat. KMVQ dipped to #5 as it ended a three-book surge.
KOIT continued to dominate the 18-49 space as it was #1 for the thirteenth book in a row. KYLD was up to #2 with its best showing in exactly one year, while KMEL dipped to #3 with a modest decrease. KMVQ moved down to #4 as it gave back all of last month’s big increase, plus a little extra. A flat KISQ repeated at #5.
DALLAS-FT. WORTH: Ticket Master
For the second straight survey, CUMULUS Sports KTCK (1310 & 96.7 THE TICKET) was the leading 6+ station. Though the station was flat (5.6-5.6), it still held a solid lead over the rest of the field. iHEARTMEDIA Classic Rock KZPS (LONESTAR 92.5) moved up to #2 as it rebounded from a down book (4.5-4.9), while AUDACY Classic Hits KLUV (98.7 K-LUV) stepped up to #3 (4.3-4.4). CUMULUS Country KSCS had its best performance in over a year (3.6-4.3) as it advanced from #10 to #4. iHEARTMEDIA Top 40/M KHKS (106.1 KISS FM) slid three places to #5 (4.7-4.2), while TELEVISAUNIVISION Regional Mexican KLNO (QUÉ BUENA 94.1) slipped to #6 (4.3-4.0). Thanks to a 7.4% increase, KHKS remained the cume leader and cracked the million listener mark for the first time since OCTOBER (931,400-1,000,200). The market was off by 0.1%.
It has been a wild ride for KTCK in the 25-54 arena. As recently as the HOLIDAY book, the station was sitting at #16. Since then, it moved up to #4, then #3 and finally captured the pole position with its highest offensive output in over a year. This ended the two-book run at #1 for KHKS, which slipped to #2 with its smallest share since MAY. It was partnered with KZPS, which advanced from a tie at #5 as it bounced back from a down book. KSCS inched up from that #5 tie to #4 with – again – its best outing in over a year. KLNO slid to #5 with its smallest share in over a year. SERVICE Urban AC KRNB (SMOOTH R&B 105.7) fell from #4 to #10. It was tied with CUMULUS Country KPLX (99.5 THE WOLF), SALEM Christian Contemporary KLTY and AUDACY Alternative KVIL (ALT 103.7).
For the third book in a row, KHKS was the runaway 18-34 leader. Though the station had a small decrease, it led the field by more than two shares. SERVICE Urban KKDA (K104) remained the #2 station, though it returned most of last month’s big increase. There were four – count ’em – four stations claiming to be the #3 station. iHEARTMEDIA AC KDGE (STAR 102.1) remained in place with a rather large share loss. The other three stations moved up the chart. KVIL was at #6 and had a slight increase, while URBAN ONE Top 40/R KBFB (97.9 THE BEAT) had its best book in over a year as it advanced from #9. AUDACY Regional Mexican KMVK (LA GRANDE 107.9) posted its best number since AUGUST to make the jump from #10. KSCS fell from #4 into a tie at #10 with KPLX, while KLNO dropped seven places to #12.
There was quite the commotion in the 18-49 world as three stations ended up at #1. KLNO was there for the third book in a row but with its lowest score in over a year. The other two players had their best outings in over a year. KSCS leapt from #5, while KTCK vaulted from #8. In the HOLIDAY book, these two stations were languishing at #15 and #22, respectively. KHKS slipped to #4 as it halted a four-book surge. A flat KMVK stepped up to #5 where it was joined by AUDACY Adult Hits KJKK (100.3 JACK FM), which advanced from #12 with its highest mark since NOVEMBER. KDGE slid from #3 into a tie at #7 with KKDA, while KRNB fell five places to #9.
This concludes the first portion of our march through the MARCH survey. Thank you for your participation. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. shall return with another installment. This one will feature HOUSTON, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., PHILADELPHIA, and BOSTON. Don’t miss it!
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