Seattle-Tacoma Radio Ratings: May 2023

[pjc1961]

Covering the survey period from Thu. 4/27/2023 thru Wed. 5/24/2023, age 6+ overall:

Seattle/Tacoma

Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings Seattle/Tacoma (Market #12) Population: 4,137,900 Black: 311,600 – Hispanic: 469,600 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...

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

Top 5+ demo rankings analysis will be available via AllAccess.com on Wed. 6/14/2023.

 

[JackindaBox]

KJEB is #1 again apparently.

 

[speer360]

KPNW is crawling up slowly to .9. Tied with KNHC

 

[JackindaBox]

Yep it is crawling up slowly… Hubbard is doing everything it can to make it work…

 

[JackindaBox]

Star has a 2.1 rating which is pretty low considering they have to compete with both KRWM and KSWD.

 

[trevorparker588]

Star has a 2.1 rating which is pretty low considering they have to compete with both KRWM and KSWD.

Yep it is crawling up slowly… Hubbard is doing everything it can to make it work…

Gonna be a long game for KPNW at this rate and haven't seen much in the way of marketing but they've got some solid talent and seem to have figured their music out so maybe time will tell. Star's journey seems moot going head to head with two successful AC's, not sure why they vacated the Hot AC lane to circle the drain in the AC world but it leaves quite an opening for the right player. 933?

The big winners are the Jet and the WOlf. Impressive stations with great local morning shows. Get a good morning show that can entertain and win the whole day.

 

[fordranger797]

Gonna be a long game for KPNW at this rate and haven't seen much in the way of marketing but they've got some solid talent and seem to have figured their music out so maybe time will tell. Star's journey seems moot going head to head with two successful AC's, not sure why they vacated the Hot AC lane to circle the drain in the AC world but it leaves quite an opening for the right player. 933?

The big winners are the Jet and the WOlf. Impressive stations with great local morning shows. Get a good morning show that can entertain and win the whole day.

It would be nice to see the wolf add a live afternoon show into the mix. I doubt that they will, but it would be an added bonus.

93.3 will stay put, leaving the ball in KPLZ’s court to tweak accordingly and hopefully find a way to get a bit more traction.

 

[RadioRon]

As far as KPNW is concerned, while the AAA format on the surface appears to be an open lane, if Hubbard doesn’t see any significant revenue growth by the end of the year, I suspect they’ll try something new going into ‘23. Still hearing a significant amount of out of place Bobby Bones voiced spots, as they run out that contract.

 

[bobdavcav]

As long as certain sources continue to list KPLZ as a Hot AC, I don't think there's going to be a big push for a new station in that format, unless someone thinks they can do a better job. Otherwise, there's not much to see from this book, though I do wonder how long it will be before either 101.5 or 98.9 flips. One of those two will be the next FM flip we see in Seattle.

 

[Kelly A]

Otherwise, there's not much to see from this book, though I do wonder how long it will be before either 101.5 or 98.9 flips. One of those two will be the next FM flip we see in Seattle.

Hot AC is a format that ad agencies like, because it hits a desirable demographic sweet spot. Because of that, many agencies will buy spots on the Hot AC, regardless of ratings.
The bad news for Hot AC; is it relies on the music industry pumping out hits. Other than Taylor Swift, the record labels have been struggling lately. Similar could be said about Country, but they aren't suffering anywhere close to Hot AC.

 

[pjc1961]

Top 5+ demo rankings analysis for ages 25-54, 18-34 +18-49:

Research Director, Inc Exclusive May '23 PPM Analysis For Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle-Tacoma, Phoenix, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul

As predicted, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. are back with another revealing episode of the numbers game. We take a deep dive into the MAY survey to determine where the chips have fallen – which programming teams were smiling and which had furrowed brows. This book was devoid...

www.allaccess.com

25-54: 1. KISW (up from #6) 2T. KJEB 2T. KQMV 4. KKWF (down from #1) 5. KHTP 6. KEXP
18-34: 1T. KEXP 1T. KJEB (up from #12; was #2 in Mar.'23) 3. KQMV 4T. KZOK 4T. KISW 6. KUOW
18-49: 1. KISW (up from #6) 2. KJEB 3T. KKWF 3T. KQMV 5. KHTP 6. KEXP (down from #3)

 

[JackindaBox]

They probably vacated Hot AC to try to compete better with KRWM and KSWD which isn’t even working.

 

[TheBigA]

Similar could be said about Country, but they aren't suffering anywhere close to Hot AC.

In fact the country genre is filling the void in the pop world right now with songs by Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen in Billboard's Hot 100. It's the first time in 20 years that this is happening.

Country radio right now has an overabundance of new hit music by superstars who are selling out stadiums this summer. Perhaps that's why The Wolf is doing so well right now.

 

[DMK]

The 18-34 age range, which reflects the younger end of the demographics, must love music from the late 60s through the early 90s because they are boosting the numbers for 95.7 and 102.5. Music is timeless and clearly there is hope that the greats of Rock and Roll will never go out of style. That's not to say 18-34 year olds aren't listening to newer music, as evidence by the stations at #1, #3, and #4 (though KISW does play both old and newer music). I wonder if other radio markets across the country are seeing something similar.

BTW with all the hubbub about Country I'm guessing it's the 34-54's that are driving the demo numbers. Otherwise KKWF would show up in the Top 5 for 18-34 (maybe there are just outside at number 6).

 

[TheBigA]

The 18-34 age range, which reflects the younger end of the demographics, must love music from the late 60s through the early 90s because they are boosting the numbers for 95.7 and 102.5.

It's amazing but I was at a concert attended by a lot of people under 30, and they knew all the words to songs released in the early 80s, before most of them were born. I had one under-30 classic rock fan explain to me that he and all his friends became familiar with those songs by playing the video game Guitar Hero. Lots of other video games feature older rock songs.

 

[fordranger797]

The 18-34 age range, which reflects the younger end of the demographics, must love music from the late 60s through the early 90s because they are boosting the numbers for 95.7 and 102.5. Music is timeless and clearly there is hope that the greats of Rock and Roll will never go out of style. That's not to say 18-34 year olds aren't listening to newer music, as evidence by the stations at #1, #3, and #4 (though KISW does play both old and newer music). I wonder if other radio markets across the country are seeing something similar.

BTW with all the hubbub about Country I'm guessing it's the 34-54's that are driving the demo numbers. Otherwise KKWF would show up in the Top 5 for 18-34 (maybe there are just outside at number 6).

I think you’re spot on. A lot of people like to fit age groups into certain “boxes,” which are intended to dictate what we like and don’t like.

I’m 28, and I’ve always liked older music. Anything from the 60’s through the 80’s is the sweet spot for me. I would like to think there will always be some space on the radio dial for the classics, but unfortunately, as age groups move forward, so does the music. As for new pop music, it’s never done anything for me. Not when I was younger, and not now. Most of the people I grew up with felt the same way I did, viewing new pop as being unlistenable.

I think it would be easier to find a happy medium (in between new and gold) on a format like country, as most fans of the genre accept new and old (within reason). I don’t think it’s as easy with classic hits. You’ve got radio stations like KOLA in the inland empire trying to program music like “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha right next to Pat Benetar, or any of the horrible songs that were made by “LMFAO.”

 

[Kelly A]

I think it would be easier to find a happy medium (in between new and gold) on a format like country, as most fans of the genre accept new and old (within reason). I don’t think it’s as easy with classic hits. You’ve got radio stations like KOLA in the inland empire trying to program music like “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha right next to Pat Benetar, or any of the horrible songs that were made by “LMFAO.”

And that's the challenge with programming any music station. In the example of Hot AC; staying true with the intent of the format by playing popular currents, while introducing classics that the listener likely heard while growing up. It's striking that proper balance by not going crazy by scheduling too many 'oh-wow' classics, that could induce inadvertent tune-out.
I know we've said it before many times; but you determine those classics via research, if possible.

 

[davideduardo]

I think it would be easier to find a happy medium (in between new and gold) on a format like country, as most fans of the genre accept new and old (within reason). I don’t think it’s as easy with classic hits. You’ve got radio stations like KOLA in the inland empire trying to program music like “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha right next to Pat Benetar, or any of the horrible songs that were made by “LMFAO.”

Keep in mind that KOLA is one of the best performing classic hits stations in the country. It's not "trying to program music" but actually programming it and doing enormously well.

First, it's very clear they research their library. So what they play is what their target audience wants to hear.

Second, the market is somewhat unique in that it has a huge, over 50% Hispanic population and that group is predominantly later generation Hispanics who use English language media. So the influence of that group in the overall market is significant and substantial. In other words, the Inland Empire is not Seattle or Portland or even Spokane or Boise.

 

[bobdavcav]

I think you’re spot on. A lot of people like to fit age groups into certain “boxes,” which are intended to dictate what we like and don’t like.

I’m 28, and I’ve always liked older music. Anything from the 60’s through the 80’s is the sweet spot for me. I would like to think there will always be some space on the radio dial for the classics, but unfortunately, as age groups move forward, so does the music. As for new pop music, it’s never done anything for me. Not when I was younger, and not now. Most of the people I grew up with felt the same way I did, viewing new pop as being unlistenable.

I think it would be easier to find a happy medium (in between new and gold) on a format like country, as most fans of the genre accept new and old (within reason). I don’t think it’s as easy with classic hits. You’ve got radio stations like KOLA in the inland empire trying to program music like “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha right next to Pat Benetar, or any of the horrible songs that were made by “LMFAO.”

When I saw KOLA having added that I almost wanted to scream! Okay, I figured it might happen eventually, but I thought Classic Hits would push into that decade around the time I hit 50, not 30. I grew up mainly on KBSG, but I happen to think every era has good music. The songs that defined my era though are the ones on the radio when I was in high school, which would have been 2008-2012.

 

[JackindaBox]

Most Classic Hits stations wouldn’t add songs from the late 2000s to early 2010s. KOLA seems to lean heavily toward Adult Contemporary.