June 2025 PPM Ratings

[umfan]

Detroit

Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings Detroit (Market #14) Population: 3,881,600 Black: 842,800 – Hispanic: 203,300 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 audience estimates and data are...

radioinsight.com

WXYT drops, but remains on top. WOMC and WNIC are steady for #2 and #3 respectively. WMXD hops for WYCD for 4th and WYCD drops to 5th after a notable share drop. WYCD needs to be performing better and has the market elements to do so. This is shoddy execution by the station. WCSX (#7) recovered some share, as did WWJ (#9). WDVD saw a marginal gain that was good enough to get them into the #10 spot.

Of other notes, WDZH (98.7) continues to perform well with the ALT format. WRCJ gained back some share and continues to impress. WJR's share (1.4) remains anemic. The recent change in afternoons won't move the needle much IMO.

 

[CTListener]

Detroit

Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings Detroit (Market #14) Population: 3,881,600 Black: 842,800 – Hispanic: 203,300 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 audience estimates and data are...

radioinsight.com

WXYT drops, but remains on top. WOMC and WNIC are steady for #2 and #3 respectively. WMXD hops for WYCD for 4th and WYCD drops to 5th after a notable share drop. WYCD needs to be performing better and has the market elements to do so. This is shoddy execution by the station.

Seems to be doing quite well for a country station in a market that's more than one-quarter black or Hispanic. Its cume is nearly equal to the adult R&B station. Maybe 5s and 6s would be disappointing in a Southern market or one with a greater non-ethnic white population, but I don't see anything wrong with WYCD's performance in Detroit. Also, 6.2 to 5.6 is still in "wobble" territory, nothing "notable" about that drop at all. Low to mid 5s is where the station usually lands. If anything, the 6.2 was the outlier.

 

[umfan]

Seems to be doing quite well for a country station in a market that's more than one-quarter black or Hispanic. Its cume is nearly equal to the adult R&B station. Maybe 5s and 6s would be disappointing in a Southern market or one with a greater non-ethnic white population, but I don't see anything wrong with WYCD's performance in Detroit. Also, 6.2 to 5.6 is still in "wobble" territory, nothing "notable" about that drop at all. Low to mid 5s is where the station usually lands. If anything, the 6.2 was the outlier.

Fair points, but they basically own the market for that format and there is a large base of Country listeners in Detroit. Prior to the emergence of NASH in the market, WYCD was routinely #1. NASH went away, and they struggle often to stay in the Top 5. I believe they could be doing better but concede a lot of factors go into this. I do think a roughly 10% drop in share is notable and maybe calls into question the prior months reading.

 

[TheBigA]

Which format is #1 doesn't matter to Audacy as long as it's one of their stations. They have three in the Top 5, so they own Detroit. WYCD amortizes their evening talent by syndicating them nationally to all Audacy country stations. The company's country format captain is also based there.

 

[umfan]

Which format is #1 doesn't matter to Audacy as long as it's one of their stations. They have three in the Top 5, so they own Detroit. WYCD amortizes their evening talent by syndicating them nationally to all Audacy country stations. The company's country format captain is also based there.

I suspect they would prefer to have WYCD higher than WNIC. In fact, I'm certain of it.

 

[TheBigA]

I suspect they would prefer to have WYCD higher than WNIC. In fact, I'm certain of it.

Audacy doesn't care about 6+ numbers. WYCD is #1 in 18-34. #4 in 25-54.

WNIC isn't Top 5 in any demographic. But it's #1 in cume.

 

[vw86]

I know the 6+ numbers don't matter, but that's a good way to show how much they don't reflect the demographic breakdown. If the station with the highest cume and number 3 share in the 6+ numbers doesn't crack the top 5 in any demo, that shows a noticeable difference.

 

[MarkW]

Those of us without Nielsen subscriptions do not know how tightly packed - or not - the stations atop the A18-49 or A25-54 heap happen to be.

A few tenths of a share could separate the first ranked station from the fifth ranked station or it could be a separation of several shares.

Both WYCD and WNIC are very strong performers in terms of adult demos, and more importantly, billing compared to the market at large. They bounce around from time to time. WNIC performs best in cold weather months; country usually performs best in summer.

Adults 18-34 is less important; relatively few advertisers use A18-34 as a primary consideration for radio buys these days. Just about all the bar / nightclub ad dollars have disappeared.

Until a couple years ago, WCSX and WMGC used to make regular appearances in the top 5 in A25-54 and often A18-49. That is no longer the case. I have no idea how much they've slipped in terms of actual points. I will say WMGC's 6+ share over the past year is down about a full point compared its average over the preceding five years, so clearly, the station isn't as popular as it once was.

RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, June 2025, Part III | Research Director, Inc.

Like the relentless turning of the tides, ratings days arrive, summoning us to our screens even in the height of summer. Will these numbers spark cel

researchdirectorinc.com

 

[davideduardo]

Fair points, but they basically own the market for that format and there is a large base of Country listeners in Detroit. Prior to the emergence of NASH in the market, WYCD was routinely #1. NASH went away, and they struggle often to stay in the Top 5.

Remember, most agencies still buy on ratings and never have bought on "share". So, in many markets, multiple stations are #1, and often many more are #2. So worrying about two or three rank positions on share is not relevant to the way radio is bought.

Agencies, the bulk of those who actually use ratings as the major decision maker in ad buys, look at the rating (not share) and the "CPP" (Cost per Point) and buy based on lowest costs to deliver the desired campaign goals.

I believe they could be doing better but concede a lot of factors go into this. I do think a roughly 10% drop in share is notable and maybe calls into question the prior months reading.

It is most likely a wobble. I have always thought that "snow belt" markets tend to be a bit more erratic in the Summer because people do a lot more outdoors and away from a radio in the few "good months" that they have... and they tend to mass all their vacation time in those months, too.

 

[davideduardo]

Those of us without Nielsen subscriptions do not know how tightly packed - or not - the stations atop the A18-49 or A25-54 heap happen to be.

A few tenths of a share could separate the first ranked station from the fifth ranked station or it could be a separation of several shares.

Good observation. And since agencies don't look at share, in "rating" the stations are even more tightly packed.

 

[davideduardo]

I know the 6+ numbers don't matter, but that's a good way to show how much they don't reflect the demographic breakdown. If the station with the highest cume and number 3 share in the 6+ numbers doesn't crack the top 5 in any demo, that shows a noticeable difference.

Remember, advertisers do not buy cume.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I know the 6+ numbers don't matter, but that's a good way to show how much they don't reflect the demographic breakdown. If the station with the highest cume and number 3 share in the 6+ numbers doesn't crack the top 5 in any demo, that shows a noticeable difference.

Yes, but you still need the demo breakouts to confirm that observation. It cannot be done with the 6+ numbers exclusively.