Nielsen’s September 2020 PPM survey ushers in record-high shares for WCBS-FM New York, WVAZ Chicago, KGLK and KTBZ Houston, and WSRV Atlanta. The final monthly ratings report card of the Summer 2020 book also crowns new No. 1 rankers in New York, Chicago, and Dallas, while KCBS and KQED-FM tie for first in San Francisco.
The two formats that usually battle it out for the Format of the Summer, classic hits and classic rock, sit on top of the New York market in the September numbers. Entercom classic hits WCBS-FM rises from second to take the top spot (6.2-6.1-6.8) and posts its largest share since August 2015, according to ratings historian Chris Huff. iHeartMedia classic rock WAXQ (5.2-5.2-5.7) leaps from fourth to second, while AC sister WLTW (6.1-6.1-5.6) stays put in third. Last month’s No. 1, Spanish Broadcasting System tropical WSKQ-FM drops to fourth (7.9-6.3-5.4). SBS Spanish hits sister WPAT-FM posts its largest share since winter 2007, climbing 3.3-3.1-4.1 to rank seventh.
Entercom classic hits KRTH (6.1-6.5-6.5) Los Angeles leads the market again in the latest report card. As it was in August, it remains in September: Rhythmic AC sister KTWV (4.6-5.4-5.6) is second, followed by iHeartMedia hot AC KBIG (4.4-4.5-4.8).
There’s a change at the top in Chicago as iHeartMedia adult R&B WVAZ posts its biggest total audience number in station history, adding two-and-a-half shares (5.7-6.0-8.6) and increasing cume by 17% (796,800-937,400). WVAZ flips positions with Entercom news WBBM (7.0-7.3-6.4), which had a seven-month-long stranglehold on the top spot in the market. iHeartMedia AC sister WLIT-FM remains in third (5.0-5.7-4.7), sharing the position this month with Entercom adult alternative WXRT (4.5-4.9-4.7).
News and news/talk always seem to take bragging rights in San Francisco and in September it’s a tie as Entercom news KCBS (8.3-7.5-8.0) and public radio news/talk KQED-FM (7.4-7.8-8.0) share the honors. iHeartMedia soft AC KISQ (4.4-4.6-4.6) and hip-hop/R&B sister KMEL (4.3-5.3-4.6) tie for third.
Dallas is another market where the top two stations trade places. Salem Media Group contemporary Christian KLTY adds a share month-over-month and takes first (5.6-5.8-6.8), bumping iHeartMedia CHR KHKS (6.2-6.0-5.6) to second. Ascending from fourth to third is iHeartMedia classic rock KZPS (4.3-4.7-5.2), while growing cume 12% (732,400-825,600). Cume for KHKS was up 11% (1,243,300-1,389,200).
Continuing the flip-flopping trend, Cox Media Group classic rock KGLK Houston (6.4-6.9-7.4) posts its highest share in station history, Huff says, and advances from second to first as iHeartMedia AC KODA (7.1-7.5-6.7) heads the opposite way. Posting its largest share since October 2010 is iHeartMedia modern rock KTBZ (5.8-5.6-6.3), which moves up a rank to third. KTBZ also increased cume by 14% (705,100-805,300).
Status quo in Atlanta as Cox Media Group news/talk WSB/WSBB-FM remains first (10.6-10.1-10.6), followed again by classic hits sister WSRV (7.9-8.3-8.5), which nails its largest share in station history. Adult R&B sister WALR-FM (6.9-7.1-7.5) placed third.
iHeartMedia adult R&B WDAS-FM (8.9-8.8-9.0) keeps its top rank in Philadelphia, while Beasley Media Group classic rock WMGK adds a share (6.1-5.7-6.7) and moves from fifth to second, followed by rock sister WMMR (6.7-6.4-6.6).
The September 2020 PPM survey covers the period from Aug. 13-Sept. 9. All shares quoted are Persons 6+, Mon-Sun 6am-Mid.
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