Tampa Ratings January 2025

[DToTheJ]

The Eagle soars into 3rd place. Joy held most of its holiday listeners, remaining in 4th place (that's what happens when you don't have K-Love in the market).

The Bone is up 1.3 points. Also trending up are FLZ, 98Rock, El Zol and even Q (which started after they let Roxanne go - coincidence?).

Tampa/St. Petersburg

Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater (Market #16) Population: 3,006,600 Black: 370,500 – Hispanic: 627,100 Average Quarter Hour Share for Persons 6+, Mon-Sun 6AM-Mid All ratings are Copyright © 2005-2024 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved. Nielsen radio...

radioinsight.com

 

[RMarino]

Maybe it’s just my perception, but it feels to me like Q105 has focused the music back to more ‘80s over the last few months. I think before then they were pushing forward more into the ‘90s.

 

[billalm]

Let's address Rumba 95.7. I mean seriously. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they're doing no better than when they were on 106.5. I mean between Maxima, El Zol, and Rumba.... someone has to make an adjustment.... AND last month Mega 101.1 (which is the translator for WTIS 1110) was on the list and was beating Rumba.

 

[theman8410]

Looking at the FM sports station ratings in the Twin Cities & other markets above Tampa Bay, it is amazing to me that iHeart has not made the move to FM sports in Tampa Bay. Is the apathy toward the Rays and the fact that there is no NBA franchise holding them back? How can a market like Milwaukee, which gets a bad rap as the smallest market in most franchises support 2 FM sports stations plus the statewide Bill Michaels broadcast while Tampa Bay is saddled with only 2 AM sports talkers? The experiment with 98.7 failed, but that signal has always been limited in reaching the entire market.

 

[RMarino]

Let's address Rumba 95.7. I mean seriously. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they're doing no better than when they were on 106.5. I mean between Maxima, El Zol, and Rumba.... someone has to make an adjustment.... AND last month Mega 101.1 (which is the translator for WTIS 1110) was on the list and was beating Rumba.

Spanish language stations don’t need to hit the same ratings benchmarks as English language stations to be successful. IHeart’s Rumba station in Philadelphia gets similar numbers, yet it’s considered a success. I’m sure iHeart is pleased with the performance of WRUB so far. Plus it’s still early. There appears to be movement amongst the Spanish language stations here.

 

[MetroMuscle]

It astounds me that 933 FLZ is still consider a CHR or Hit music station. Most of their playlist consists of older hits that left the top 40 charts months ago.
Looks more like a Hot AC station mix of songs. That are played out even though there are new releases by said artists.
Sure the ratings went up but I want a true hit station like it used to be for a legacy station.

 

[radiofan86]

Looking at the FM sports station ratings in the Twin Cities & other markets above Tampa Bay, it is amazing to me that iHeart has not made the move to FM sports in Tampa Bay. Is the apathy toward the Rays and the fact that there is no NBA franchise holding them back? How can a market like Milwaukee, which gets a bad rap as the smallest market in most franchises support 2 FM sports stations plus the statewide Bill Michaels broadcast while Tampa Bay is saddled with only 2 AM sports talkers? The experiment with 98.7 failed, but that signal has always been limited in reaching the entire market.

Milwaukee is full of long-time residents. They've grown up as fans of the Brewers, Bucks and Packers for 30, 40, 50 years. Same with Minneapolis and their teams.

Tampa is full of transplants from other parts of the country. They don't have the passion for the Rays and Bucs. They root for the teams from the states they came from.

 

[theman8410]

I understand the transient nature of the Florida population and that many team's fan bases are represented. But the Bucs would not have awarded the broadcast rights to an FM station if they didn't think it was a viable option , and iHeart wouldn't have placed the winning bid if they didn't think it would be profitable. Just look at the network...most of the signals either have an AM/FM combo or just an FM signal. Sports makes a lot more sense than 3 signals playing the same type of music that isn't as preferred in Tampa Bay as it is in Miami or Orlando. Plus many of those Hispanic listeners are sports fans as well. During off hours when the network programs are featured the hosts talk about teams from all U.S. markets, and if a big story hits local hosts would be wise to do so as well. We are not just talking about the city of Tampa, but multiple counties where a booming FM signal can be heard night and day.

 

[billalm]

Last year I suggested moving WDAE (or even WFLA at this point) to 95.7 exclusively and change AM 620 with the 95.3 translator to classic country. I'm still of that opinion. I know iHeart wants "Rumba" somewhere on the air, but I find it really hard to believe that the revenue has increased with the move from 106.5 to 95.7. I might be wrong but I can't believe it. Like an earlier poster pointed out, this has got to be one of the largest markets without a primary FM sports talk station.... and yes, I realize 102.5 The Bone has the Lightning and is hot talk the rest of the day, but it's not an actual "news" or "sports" station format so to speak. Maybe research says that the target demographics for WFLA and WDAE easily find those stations on the AM without issue and that's why they remain where they are.

 

[ksradiogeek]

It astounds me that 933 FLZ is still consider a CHR or Hit music station. Most of their playlist consists of older hits that left the top 40 charts months ago.
Looks more like a Hot AC station mix of songs. That are played out even though there are new releases by said artists.
Sure the ratings went up but I want a true hit station like it used to be for a legacy station.

CHR’s still largely in a down cycle for new music. In addition, a lot of the format’s core audience has shifted to streaming, and older hits seem to resonate with the audience still listening to terrestrial radio.

 

[Yabadabado1]

I understand the transient nature of the Florida population and that many team's fan bases are represented. But the Bucs would not have awarded the broadcast rights to an FM station if they didn't think it was a viable option , and iHeart wouldn't have placed the winning bid if they didn't think it would be profitable. Just look at the network...most of the signals either have an AM/FM combo or just an FM signal. Sports makes a lot more sense than 3 signals playing the same type of music that isn't as preferred in Tampa Bay as it is in Miami or Orlando. Plus many of those Hispanic listeners are sports fans as well. During off hours when the network programs are featured the hosts talk about teams from all U.S. markets, and if a big story hits local hosts would be wise to do so as well. We are not just talking about the city of Tampa, but multiple counties where a booming FM signal can be heard night and day.

Plus the fact that weather is a lot nicer and warmer there during the winter. Yes, I know that when it goes down to the low 60s/50s or lower people howl about how cold it is. Believe me, when my parents moved north and dragged me with them when it dropped into the 50s in the fall and way lower then that in the winter I sat on a giant steam heating pipe in junior high with my coat on reading a book and trying not to freeze to death. Even had a teacher order me off the pipe and another teacher told him to leave me alone, I was from Florida and freezing my ass off. But I digress, there's a lot more to do outside in the warmer winter months down there than going to a football game. I still can't get used to the fact that people here [NE Ohio] will go sit in single digit temps for a football game where outside the stadium where football heroes statue's brass nipples are freezing off......and they'll sit there for three hours or more doing it. Sorry, but even after all these years [and my advancing age] anytime that temp hits 40s or lower, I stay inside unless I HAVE to go outside for some reason like buying food, TP, or work.

 

[radiofan2023]

Plus the fact that weather is a lot nicer and warmer there during the winter. Yes, I know that when it goes down to the low 60s/50s or lower people howl about how cold it is. Believe me, when my parents moved north and dragged me with them when it dropped into the 50s in the fall and way lower then that in the winter I sat on a giant steam heating pipe in junior high with my coat on reading a book and trying not to freeze to death. Even had a teacher order me off the pipe and another teacher told him to leave me alone, I was from Florida and freezing my ass off. But I digress, there's a lot more to do outside in the warmer winter months down there than going to a football game. I still can't get used to the fact that people here [NE Ohio] will go sit in single digit temps for a football game where outside the stadium where football heroes statue's brass nipples are freezing off......and they'll sit there for three hours or more doing it. Sorry, but even after all these years [and my advancing age] anytime that temp hits 40s or lower, I stay inside unless I HAVE to go outside for some reason like buying food, TP, or work.

None of that has anything to do with Tampa station ratings…

 

[Yabadabado1]

None of that has anything to do with Tampa station ratings…

In a way, it does. If you're out and about doing other things and NOT listening to a station in your car/home, etc. and your PPM [if you have one] is only picking up whatever someone else may be playing, chances are anymore it's not a radio station. It's Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Sirius or some other streaming service.....so no ratings bump for the stations. Can remember years ago, even in the mid to late 90s, that if you went into a store, gas station, etc. chances are they'd have it on a local station. Now if I go in a place it's music being streamed, played from some corporate office headquarters, etc. About the only place I hear a local station being played is where I get my hair cut.....and they said they'd rather be listening to something streaming but the company is too cheap to pay for anything streaming.

 

[davideduardo]

I understand the transient nature of the Florida population and that many team's fan bases are represented.

Transients don't get PPMs or even diaries. It takes quite a while for a household to get on the kinds of verified lists that Nielsen uses to recruit participants. And with the PPM, they have to find only non-transient persons as they want panel households to be there for up to 24 months.

Sports makes a lot more sense than 3 signals playing the same type of music that isn't as preferred in Tampa Bay as it is in Miami or Orlando. Plus many of those Hispanic listeners are sports fans as well.

Spanish dominant Hispanics are fans of the teams and sports from their homeland. They don't suddenly become American football fans if they migrate from Colombia or the Dominican Republic.

During off hours when the network programs are featured the hosts talk about teams from all U.S. markets, and if a big story hits local hosts would be wise to do so as well. We are not just talking about the city of Tampa, but multiple counties where a booming FM signal can be heard night and day.

In radio, Tampa is not a city, as Nielsen does not measure cities. Most markets are made of multiple counties.

 

[WLCY/WALT]

I agree that El Zol 97.1, Maxima 92.5 and Rumba 95.7 sound "similar" with their music. I also do not believe their respective ratings are a true reflection of their individual popularity with the various Latino populations of the Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee, Pasco and Polk counties. Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, Dominicans, Colombian, and Cuban folks of the stations target age range probably listen to all three at different times and are these listeners are not reflected on PPM tallies. The Latino population in these counties is growing fast. Older latinos may prefer Mega 101.9, or the more "variety leaning" Ritmo or WQBN 106.7. Anyone looking for Mexican music finds it in La Ley 107.7 There is more than enough Spanish language choices in the radio for all.

 

[Yabadabado1]

Transients don't get PPMs or even diaries. It takes quite a while for a household to get on the kinds of verified lists that Nielsen uses to recruit participants. And with the PPM, they have to find only non-transient persons as they want panel households to be there for up to 24 months.

Spanish dominant Hispanics are fans of the teams and sports from their homeland. They don't suddenly become American football fans if they migrate from Colombia or the Dominican Republic.

In radio, Tampa is not a city, as Nielsen does not measure cities. Most markets are made of multiple counties.

Ehhh....in my case, when I say "Tampa", I'm meaning the whole Tampa Bay area. I tend to shorten it up because my ISP charges by the keystroke.

 

[WLCY/WALT]

Yesterday I tuned to ElZol 97.1and to my surprise I heard some Mexican music format; then I realized the car radio was on HD-2! I am surprised SBS would choose this format over another such as the one on WYPO HD-2 (Salsa). Tampa already has two FM translators with Mexican music formats, 96.1 and 107.7.

 

[101.9 La Kalle]

Yesterday I tuned to ElZol 97.1and to my surprise I heard some Mexican music format; then I realized the car radio was on HD-2! I am surprised SBS would choose this format over another such as the one on WYPO HD-2 (Salsa). Tampa already has two FM translators with Mexican music formats, 96.1 and 107.7.

Sounds like La Privada just dropped into Tampa.

 

[deejaywestbrook]

It astounds me that 933 FLZ is still consider a CHR or Hit music station. Most of their playlist consists of older hits that left the top 40 charts months ago.
Looks more like a Hot AC station mix of songs. That are played out even though there are new releases by said artists.
Sure the ratings went up but I want a true hit station like it used to be for a legacy station.

In looking at their recently played songs, they seem like a pretty solid CHR. I mean "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar and Gaga's "Abracadabra" being played during ALL day parts including morning office hours doesn't sound all that Hot AC to me. Our Q99.7 here in Atlanta isn't even touching "Squabble Up" and "Abracadabra" barley gets played. I should start streaming FLZ! Lol

 

[MetroMuscle]

Yes deejaywestbrook I have noticed the songs you mentioned being played but
I am also still hearing Shaboozy the Bar Song and Billie Eilish Birds Of a Feather and that breakout hit from Morgan Wallen.
So it seems they are trying to cover the biggest demo that is possible under the guise of top 40.