Chicago Radio Ratings: September 2023

[pjc1961]

Covering the survey period from Thu. 8/17/2023 thru Wed. 9/13/2023, age 6+ overall:

Chicago

Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings Chicago (Market #3) Population: 8,004,000 Black: 1,343,100 - Hispanic: 1,913,500 Average Quarter Hour Share for

radioinsight.com

OR https://www.urbaninsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CHICAGO.htm

OR Radio Industry News, Radio Show Prep, Radio Promotions, Radio Station Data, Podcast News

Top 5+ demo rankings analysis from Research Director Inc.:
(scroll down to see Chicago)

RADIO RATINGS ROUNDUP, September 2023, PART I | Research Director, Inc.

Why does SEPTEMBER serve as the muse for so many songwriters? Why not the AUGUST of my years? Would the 21st night of OCTOBER have worked just as wel

researchdirectorinc.com

25-54: 1. WLIT 2. WOJO 3. WXRT 4. WTMX 5. WBMX 6. WUSN (down from #3)
18-34: 1. WOJO 2. WLIT 3. WUSN (up from #7) 4T. WDRV 4T. WKSC 6. WXRT (down from #3)
18-49: 1. WLIT 2. WOJO 3. WBMX 4. WXRT 5T. WUSN 5T. WDRV

 

[Gregg.]

It's amazing how WXRT defies the conventional wisdom for AAA stations. It's #4 in the 18-49 demo and #3 in the 25-54 demo.

KBCO Denver used to be the nation's best rated AAA station but now that honor goes to WXRT. Longevity has its rewards!

Meanwhile, how will KPNW-FM Seattle do? Since its debut, it's never gotten up to even a 1.0 rating.

 

[DrJerry]

WXRT is very well done and I even listen at home sometimes while I work (despite a strong distaste for commercials).

WRME (MeTV FM) - is there another "Franken FM" anywhere that does this well? As I once mentioned in another thread, some radios (like in my wife's car) won't even tune below 87.9. They do a decent bit of advertising which I'm sure helps. It was playing in the office during my recent visit to the dentist.

WBBM-FM is on a bad trajectory. Didn't they recently refresh their playlist?

 

[Gregg.]

B96 did switch to this new trend, along with WPOW Miami, WKFS Cincinnati and a few others. Top 40 with only four currents per hour. The rest is recurrents back to the early 2000s, maybe even a few 1990s. But WBBM-FM is now down to #21.

Meanwhile Franken FM (I think the FCC is going to allow Franken FMs to continue?) WRME is #15. There are times when MeTV-FM is in the top 10.

I'd like to know why Soft AC WLIT is so strong, tied for #1 overall, also #1 18-49 and #1 25-54, while Mainstream AC WSHE is nowhere. #20 overall? It's owned by Hubbard, which also owns WDRV Classic Rock, tied for #1, and #8 WTMX Hot AC. Hubbard knows how to do good radio. But WSHE struggles.

 

[A_b_m_90]

WXRT is very well done and I even listen at home sometimes while I work (despite a strong distaste for commercials).

WRME (MeTV FM) - is there another "Franken FM" anywhere that does this well? As I once mentioned in another thread, some radios (like in my wife's car) won't even tune below 87.9. They do a decent bit of advertising which I'm sure helps. It was playing in the office during my recent visit to the dentist.

WBBM-FM is on a bad trajectory. Didn't they recently refresh their playlist?

As for B96, they did revamp their playlist. Unfortunately it is not working out for them. If it were up to me, they should go head-to-head with Lite FM and see if they can chip away some of their audience - wouldn’t be a direct competition because Lite FM continues to do well and once Christmas comes, it’s all up from here. B96 can go Adult Hits, perhaps? “BIG 96.3”

 

[Mediafrog+]

Interesting that the WFMT OTA and streaming numbers have been identical the past three books.

 

[sox fan matt]

I listen to WXRT myself out of state.

 

[macattack]

WCHI managed to tick back up over 2.0. They did seem to make a playlist adjustment last month that a lot of people were calling for (going heavier). WKQX's turn to slip into the danger zone for major signals where WSHE and WBBM are.

WXRT did slip a bit but they're still overall doing very well in the key demos. They have added some recent heavy hitters to their rotation this month so the numbers should sneak back up before WLIT devours everyone.

 

[davideduardo]

WCHI managed to tick back up over 2.0. They did seem to make a playlist adjustment last month that a lot of people were calling for (going heavier). WKQX's turn to slip into the danger zone for major signals where WSHE and WBBM are.

Remember that changes on the order of +/- 0.4 or even 0.5 at the average high one's level are not usually audience related because such changes are within the normal margin of error of a mid-to-low ratings level. This is why advertisers who use ratings to evaluate radio buys look at the average of many books for decision making.

If a station has a 2.1, 1.7, 1.6, 1.9, 2.0, 1.4 and 1.8 they are actually flat and within the margin of error. If they have a 2.1, a 1.9, 1.8. 1.9. 1.7 and 1.5 they are down-trending and the decrease is significant.

 

[macattack]

Remember that changes on the order of +/- 0.4 or even 0.5 at the average high one's level are not usually audience related because such changes are within the normal margin of error of a mid-to-low ratings level. This is why advertisers who use ratings to evaluate radio buys look at the average of many books for decision making.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

B96 did switch to this new trend, along with WPOW Miami, WKFS Cincinnati and a few others. Top 40 with only four currents per hour. The rest is recurrents back to the early 2000s, maybe even a few 1990s. But WBBM-FM is now down to #21.

Meanwhile Franken FM (I think the FCC is going to allow Franken FMs to continue?) WRME is #15. There are times when MeTV-FM is in the top 10.

I'd like to know why Soft AC WLIT is so strong, tied for #1 overall, also #1 18-49 and #1 25-54, while Mainstream AC WSHE is nowhere. #20 overall? It's owned by Hubbard, which also owns WDRV Classic Rock, tied for #1, and #8 WTMX Hot AC. Hubbard knows how to do good radio. But WSHE struggles.

WSHE has not been Mainstream AC for a long time

B96 is their direct competition. Actually WSHE had the format first without the currents

WLIT plays a lot of the music the station was known for. It was Soft AC until some point in the 2000s. It's familiar music, can play it anywhere. They play just enough uptempo music to make it not too sleepy and they have a good presentation with live and local jocks most of the week aside from Delilah. It's probably one of the most listenable stations in the market.

 

[RadioJ55]

WBBM just needs to go back to mainstream CHR. It's almost like a copy of paste of WBMX (which is doing quite well) with the exception of some pop music from the Audacy National CHR trackers. They need to track everything except mornings go back to mainstream CHR. Have giveaways where people actually call in. They don't need a jock to answer the phone. A board op , engineer, or an intern can answer the phone like they do sometimes in smaller markets. It just has to seem live and like their giving an effort .Yes afternoon's are now live but the low energy isn't good . Also bring back the mix show, Bring back the concert they had every year and compete with WKSC. It's the cheapest option to make passive income . Oldies isn't gonna work. We are past the Score simulcast as they hired a new PD tweaked the morning show, hired a new afternoon jock etc.

 

[Dj mr fresh]

Disagree don’t think they goin back to mainstream chr they need either urban ac gold format

 

[JeremyAndrews]

WBBM just needs to go back to mainstream CHR. It's almost like a copy of paste of WBMX (which is doing quite well) with the exception of some pop music from the Audacy National CHR trackers. They need to track everything except mornings go back to mainstream CHR. Have giveaways where people actually call in. They don't need a jock to answer the phone. A board op , engineer, or an intern can answer the phone like they do sometimes in smaller markets. It just has to seem live and like their giving an effort .Yes afternoon's are now live but the low energy isn't good . Also bring back the mix show, Bring back the concert they had every year and compete with WKSC. It's the cheapest option to make passive income . Oldies isn't gonna work. We are past the Score simulcast as they hired a new PD tweaked the morning show, hired a new afternoon jock etc.

They have board ops. 104.3 does as well.

 

[RadioJ55]

They have board ops. 104.3 does as well.

I know that. My point was they need to be more alive . Giving out a keyword and telling people to enter it on their website is not a way to keep ratings. That's what a IHeart dog CHR in market 150 plus where they may not even have a dedicated studio. Thst shouldn't be the case in market 3 , they should have them take on additional tasks like executing contests to make it seem live even if it's not.

 

[RadioJ55]

Disagree don’t think they goin back to mainstream chr they need either urban ac gold format

That's even more unlikely as they would need all new jocks for that . I mean sure they could potentially track AC because they have jocks for that from other Audacy stations, but that format really needs to be local for it to work. Urban same deal and they don't have a lot of urban stations to work with to do it. That field is already crowded as well. CHR it doesn't have to be local better if it is but when your premise is to talk about who Justin Bieber is dating right now or what the hottest drink at Starbucks is right now that doesn't have to be local . On a AC or even a urban station talking about local events and news is key to the station doing well . When a out of market jock does it almost never sounds good unless they've worked in the market previously.

 

[JackindaBox]

They still compete with WKSC but I think WSHE is just another one of its competitors. Chicago has had no Mainstream AC station since WSHE went to mostly 80s-2000s anyways so why didn’t LITE FM flip back since it would likely not affect their ratings. My guess is probably cause the Soft AC format is succeeding right now but maybe WSHE could go back to Mainstream AC and go all Christmas like LITE FM since there is none in the market and at least succeed during the Holidays.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

They still compete with WKSC but I think WSHE is just another one of its competitors. Chicago has had no Mainstream AC station since WSHE went to mostly 80s-2000s anyways so why didn’t LITE FM flip back since it would likely not affect their ratings. My guess is probably cause the Soft AC format is succeeding right now but maybe WSHE could go back to Mainstream AC and go all Christmas like LITE FM since there is none in the market and at least succeed during the Holidays.

100.3 has done All Christmas more than once. It never was able to even make a dent in WLIT
100.3 has been Mainstream AC more than once. I think it forced WLIT to change their presentation. That was in the late 90s when it was all card reading.

100.3 is a flanker for WTMX. They always change it. The station got a 3.0 last year. Highest ratings I have seen on that signal and they changed it.

 

[JackindaBox]

Maybe the ratings were slightly better during the Holidays. Tbh when other stations follow suit it usually doesn’t make dents in the main Christmas station at all so it is the same for Seattle, Portland, and LA tbh.

 

[PB Randolf]

It's amazing how WXRT defies the conventional wisdom for AAA stations. It's #4 in the 18-49 demo and #3 in the 25-54 demo.

KBCO Denver used to be the nation's best rated AAA station but now that honor goes to WXRT. Longevity has its rewards!

Meanwhile, how will KPNW-FM Seattle do? Since its debut, it's never gotten up to even a 1.0 rating.

XRT is unique. KPNW is a start up wanna be flavor of the month AAA place card holder format for Hubbard - well actually it's not even listed as a Hubbard station it's listed to dude out of Santa Fe, NM that AAA guru or whatever the heck he refers to himself as. Bottom line XRT is a leader, has solid thing going... where as KPNoOneCaresW is a sad underperforming train wreck.