Many AM-Only Stations Are Still in the Top Ten

[Gregg.]

The biggest AM-only station in a large market is WISN 1130 with double-digit ratings. It's consistently the #1 station in Milwaukee. And it has to compete with another AM-only station in Milwaukee with a great signal and strong line-up, WTMJ. That makes its top station status even more impressive.

14 other markets have an AM station in their Nielsen top ten and Boston has two of them. (Stations with an * have an FM translator but that's not really a full power FM simulcast.)

#7 tie ....... New York ................... WABC ...... Red Apple .................... Talk
#8 ............. Los Angeles .............. KFI ............ iHeart ............................. Talk
#5 tie ...... Chicago ...................... WGN ....... Nexstar .......................... Talk
#7 ............ Houston .................... KTRH ........ iHeart ............................. Talk
#3 ............ Boston ....................... WBZ .......... iHeart .............................. All-News (Talk in evenings)
#10 .......... Boston ....................... WRKO ...... iHeart ............................. Talk
#4 tie ....... Detroit ....................... WWJ ......... Audacy .......................... All-News
#8 tie ...... Minneapolis ............. WCCO ...... Audacy ........................... News/Talk
#2 ............ Puerto Rico ............... WKAQ ....... WAPA Media ,.............. Spanish language Talk
#10 tie .... Tampa ........................ WFLA* ....... iHeart ............................. Talk
#4 ............. Austin ........................ KLBJ ............ Sinclair Telecable ........ Talk
#3 ............ Cincinnati ................. WLW* .......... iHeart ............................. Talk/Sports
#7 ............ Cleveland ................. WTAM ......... iHeart ............................. Talk
#2 ............ Columbus ................ WTVN ......... iHeart ............................. Talk
#1 ............ Milwaukee ............... WISN .......... iHeart ............................. Talk
#6 ............ Providence .............. WPRO ........ Cumulus ........................ Talk

Honorable Mention: All of these AM stations are at #11 in their markets: KFYI Phoenix, WBAL* Baltimore, KOGO San Diego, WOAI San Antonio, KEX Portland and KDKA* Pittsburgh.


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[PTBoardOp93]

Another way of looking at this list: 97% of the stations in the top 10 share 6+ in PPM markets are on FM.

 

[davideduardo]

The biggest AM-only station in a large market is WISN 1130 with double-digit ratings. It's consistently the #1 station in Milwaukee. And it has to compete with another AM-only station in Milwaukee with a great signal and strong line-up, WTMJ. That makes its top station status even more impressive.

14 other markets have an AM station in their Nielsen top ten and Boston has two of them. (Stations with an * have an FM translator but that's not really a full power FM simulcast.)

#7 tie ....... New York ................... WABC ...... Red Apple .................... Talk
#8 ............. Los Angeles .............. KFI ............ iHeart ............................. Talk
#5 tie ...... Chicago ...................... WGN ....... Nexstar .......................... Talk
#7 ............ Houston .................... KTRH ........ iHeart ............................. Talk
#3 ............ Boston ....................... WBZ .......... iHeart .............................. All-News (Talk in evenings)
#10 .......... Boston ....................... WRKO ...... iHeart ............................. Talk
#4 tie ....... Detroit ....................... WWJ ......... Audacy .......................... All-News
#8 tie ...... Minneapolis ............. WCCO ...... Audacy ........................... News/Talk
#2 ............ Puerto Rico ............... WKAQ ....... WAPA Media ,.............. Spanish language Talk
#10 tie .... Tampa ........................ WFLA* ....... iHeart ............................. Talk
#4 ............. Austin ........................ KLBJ ............ Sinclair Telecable ........ Talk
#3 ............ Cincinnati ................. WLW* .......... iHeart ............................. Talk/Sports
#7 ............ Cleveland ................. WTAM ......... iHeart ............................. Talk
#2 ............ Columbus ................ WTVN ......... iHeart ............................. Talk
#1 ............ Milwaukee ............... WISN .......... iHeart ............................. Talk
#6 ............ Providence .............. WPRO ........ Cumulus ........................ Talk

Honorable Mention: All of these AM stations are at #11 in their markets: KFYI Phoenix, WBAL* Baltimore, KOGO San Diego, WOAI San Antonio, KEX Portland and KDKA* Pittsburgh.


.

And Nielsen does not combine the two AM simulcasts of WKAQ in Puerto RIco because they do some separate commercial breaks for regions of the market that is 100 miles wide and 40 miles north to south.

 

[Gregg.]

Another way of looking at this list: 97% of the stations in the top 10 share 6+ in PPM markets are on FM.

True. But with all these AM stations in the top ten in their markets, it's still much too early to say "Let's shut down the AM band" or "Who needs AM reception on your car radio?"

 

[MarioMania]

What do you mean by AM Only?

WTAM, KTRH, WCCO have a FM Translator

 

[Mark Roberts]

What do you mean by AM Only?

WTAM, KTRH, WCCO have a FM Translator

KTRH doesn't have a translator. It's rebroadcast on KODA-HD2.

 

[Mr Tony]

What do you mean by AM Only?

WTAM, KTRH, WCCO have a FM Translator

WCCO does not have a translator. They are HD2 on kMNB 102.9

 

[MarioMania]

Alright, I made a mistake, I didn't see the HD2 Part

Read it to fast

 

[davideduardo]

Isn't Austin's KLBJ on a translator, too? I thought they were downgrading the AM facility because most listening was already on FM.

 

[davideduardo]

Essentially all of those high-rated AMs are on superior if not superb technical facilities that nearly or totally cover their market day and night.

Take Cleveland, for example. Other than WTAM, there is no AM that totally covers all hours of the day. So there is no way, no matter how well programmed a station might be, that there could be another high rated Cleveland AM.

Or... besides WTMJ and WISN in Milwaukee, what other AM there has a full MSA competitive signal.

So what we have with those AMs is a "last man standing" situation where a superior signal has managed to keep a big audience. Still, many operators are adding an FM to a successful AM because they know what the next few years will bring.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Isn't Austin's KLBJ on a translator, too?

KLBJ has a translator K259AJ on 99.7.

I thought they were downgrading the AM facility because most listening was already on FM.

KLBJ has a CP to move its transmitter to the KVET site, but using a separate tower, so not a diplex. Will still be 5kw nondirectional days, but nights will be 350 watts nondirectional instead of the current 1kw directional.

The CP was granted in 2022, but apparently no construction has taken place yet, thus uncertain if the station will actually build it. Supposedly the land for the legacy site was to be sold; perhaps that fell through?

 

[JJSPC]

In Milwaukee, we really don't know how WTMJ is doing anymore since Good Karma stopped subscribing to the book. Other than sports, none of the on air talent is the same as when they were one of the top players in the market.

 

[secondchoice]

What about WDIA Memphis #8 (6+)? They play some music too.

 

[Gregg.]

What about WDIA Memphis #8 (6+)? They play some music too.

True. But Memphis is Market 51. I kept it to the top 50.

And yes, WTAM and KLBJ have FM translators.

 

[secondchoice]

If you are giving honorable mentions to #11s why not market #51? The fact they are playing some music Is really unusual.

 

[semoochie]

If you are giving honorable mentions to #11s why not market #51? The fact they are playing some music Is really unusual.

If Puerto Rico hadn't been added to the list, Memphis would be #50!

 

[davideduardo]

If Puerto Rico hadn't been added to the list, Memphis would be #50!

Why wouldn't Puerto Rico be added to the list? It is part of the United States.

And there are several "markets" with PPM that are actually "embedded" portions of larger markets, so there are really less than 50 true PPM markets. And Puerto Rico, a top 20 market, is not a PPM market.

 

[semoochie]

Why wouldn't Puerto Rico be added to the list? It is part of the United States.

And there are several "markets" with PPM that are actually "embedded" portions of larger markets, so there are really less than 50 true PPM markets. And Puerto Rico, a top 20 market, is not a PPM market.

It's simply a statement of fact and compared to the time length of the broadcasting industry, it hasn't been all that long ago that Puerto Rico was added to the list. Is there any particular reason why no other territories are listed?

 

[secondchoice]

I remember when I was in the the Air Force the Puerto Rico guys got some kind "foreign duty pay" while assigned to an Air Base in the lower 48. I don't know if the Alaska or Hawaian guys got extra for lower 48 state duty but you got the same TDY money for Johnson Island as you did for Canada.

 

[Huff]

it hasn't been all that long ago that Puerto Rico was added to the list.

Arbitron began measuring Puerto Rico almost 27 years ago with the Summer 1998 survey.