August 2023 PPM Ratings Takeaways – Part Three
August 2023 PPM Data – Information for the August 2023 ratings period has been released for Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus.
Nielsen Audio’s August 2023 sweep covered July 20 – August 16.
TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian provides “Takeaways” for spoken-word stations finishing in their respective markets’ top twenty.
Cited as well are each particular city’s #1 station (6+) and loftiest (6+) upticks and drop-offs.
All comparisons noted are July 2023 – August 2023 (6+).
PORTLAND
News/Talk: Alpha Media’s KXL “FM 101 News” 5.8 – 6.7, +.9, fourth to third
iHeartMedia-owned KEX “News Radio 1190” 1.4 – 1.9, +.5, #20 to #18
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Oregon Public Broadcasting’s KOPB 6.2 – 6.1, -.1, third to fourth
KOPB’s internet stream 1.4 – 1.7, +.3, anchored at #20
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia adult contemporary KKCW, first month, 8.8 – 10.3, +1.5
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: adult contemporary KKCW (+1.5)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: triple A KINK (-1.6)
CHARLOTTE
News/Talk: Urban One-owned WBT AM & WBT-FM “Charlotte’s News Talk” 6.1 – 6.4, +.3, fourth to third
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Urban One’s WFNZ-FM “Sports Radio 92.7” 1.9 – 1.8, -.1, locked at #16
Public Radio News/Talk: University Radio Foundation’s WFAE 3.6 – 4.6, +1.0, #11 to #6
Number One 6+: Urban One urban-rhythmic oldies WOSF, fourth straight month, 8.0 – 8.2, +.2
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: public radio news/talk WFAE (+1.0)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: adult hits WLKO (-1.5)
SAN ANTONIO
News/Talk: Alpha Media-owned KTSA “Stay Connected” 2.5 – 2.6, +.1, #16 to #15
iHeartMedia’s WOAI “News Radio 1200” 2.6 – 2.4, -.2, #15 to #17
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Texas Public Radio’s KSTX 1.7 – 1.9, +.2, #19 to #20
Number One 6+: Cox Media Group classic hits-oldies KONO-FM, eighth consecutive month, 9.1 – 8.6, -.5
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: country KCYY (+1.5)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: adult contemporary KQXT (-1.3)
SACRAMENTO
News/Talk: iHeartMedia-owned KFBK-AM & KFBK-FM “News 1530 AM & 93.1 FM” 12.6 – 9.7, -2.9, #1
KFBK-AM & KFBK-FM cluster-mate KSTE-AM “Talk 650” flat at 3.7, seventh to tenth
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Capital Public Radio-owned KXJZ 2.1 – 2.3, +.2, #15 to #14
Number One 6+: Audacy classic rock KSEG, first month, 10.7 – 9.7, -1.0 and iHeartMedia news/talk KFBK-AM & KFBK-FM, second month in a row, 12.6 – 9.7, -2.9
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: adult contemporary KBEB (+2.0)*
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: news/talk KFBK-AM & KFBK-FM (-2.9)**
*Represents the largest July 2023 – August 2023 increase (6+) of any station from these 12 PPM-markets
**Represents the largest July 2023 – August 2023 decrease (6+) of any station from the 36 PPM-markets analyzed thus far
PITTSBURGH
News/Talk: Audacy’s KDKA-AM “News Radio 1020 AM” 3.6 – 3.8, +.2, repeats in tenth-place
KDKA’s internet stream .7 – .8, +.1, #21 to #20
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy-owned KDKA-FM “93.7 The Fan All Sports All The Time” (Pirates) 6.7 – 6.8, +.1, continues at #4
Public Radio News/Talk: Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting’s WESA flat at 4.6, sixth to eighth
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia classic hits-oldies WWSW, ninth month in a row, 12.8 – 11.4, -1.4
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: alternative WXDX (+.8)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: classic hits-oldies WWSW (-1.4)
SALT LAKE CITY
News/Talk: Bonneville-owned KSL “News Radio 102.7 FM & 1160 AM” 4.3 – 4.9, +.6, sixth to fifth
iHeartMedia’s KNRS-AM & KNRS-FM “Talk Radio” 4.6 – 3.4, -1.2, #4 to #11
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: University of Utah’s KUER 2.1 – 2.6, +.5, #20 to #17
Number One 6+: Bonneville adult contemporary KSFI, tenth straight month, 11.6 – 10.8, -.8
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: hot AC KBZN (+1.3)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: news/talk KNRS and adult contemporary KBEE (-1.2)
LAS VEGAS
News/Talk: None in the top twenty
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: None in the top twenty
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia adult contemporary KSNE, second month in succession, 8.1 – 9.3, +1.2
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: rhythmic hot AC KXQQ (+1.4)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: Spanish adult hits KWID (-2.1)
ORLANDO
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s WTKS “Real Radio 104.1” 4.0 – 4.4, +.4, tenth to seventh
Cox Media Group-owned WDBO “Orlando’s News Talk” 3.9 – 3.4, -.5, #11 to #13
WTKS’ cluster-mate WFLF “Orlando News Radio” 1.6 – 1.7, +.1, #17 to #16
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: iHeartMedia’s WYGM “96.9 The Game” 1.3 – 1.4, +.1, #19 to #18
Public Radio News/Talk: Community Connections-owned WMFE 2.4 – 2.9, +.5, repeats at #14
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia adult contemporary WMGF, third consecutive month, 8.5 – 9.1, +.6
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: classic hits-oldies WOCL (+1.9)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: Spanish tropical WPYO (-1.2)
CINCINNATI
News/Talk: iHeartMedia-owned WLW “700 Cincinnati’s News Radio” (Reds) 16.0 – 14.0, -2.0, #1
WLW’s cluster-mate WKRC “55 KRC The Talk Station” 4.2 – 4.4, +.2, seventh to sixth
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: iHeartMedia’s WCKY “ESPN 1530” .8 – 1.2, +.4, #22 to #20
Public Radio News/Talk: Cincinnati Public Radio’s WVXU 4.1 – 4.0, -.1, repeats in eighth-place
Number One 6+: news/talk WLW, 19th consecutive month, 16.0 – 14.0, -2.0
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: classic hits-oldies WGRR (+1.8)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: news/talk WLW (-2.0)
CLEVELAND
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s WTAM “News Radio 1100” (Guardians) 5.1 – 5.5, +.4, continues in eighth-place
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy’s WKRK “Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan” 3.1 – 4.0, +.9, #12 to #11
WKRK’s internet stream .4 – .5, +.1, repeats at #18
iHeartMedia-owned WARF “Fox Sports 1350 AM The Gambler” flat at .2, #21 to #20
Public Radio News/Talk: Kent State University’s WKSU 4.9 – 5.2, +.3, steady at #9
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia classic hits-oldies WMJI, tenth month in a row, 10.3 – 10.5, +.2
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: sports talk WKRK +.9)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: urban AC WZAK (-1.6)
KANSAS CITY
News/Talk: Audacy-owned KMBZ-FM “98.1 FM News, Traffic, Weather” 4.9 – 5.1, +.2, fifth to third
KMBZ-FM cluster-mate KMBZ-AM “Talk 980 AM” 1.2 – 1.3, +.1, #20 to #19
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy’s KCSP “Sports Radio 610 Our Teams, Our Town” (Royals) 2.6 – 2.7, +.1, repeats at #13
Public Radio News/Talk: University of Missouri-owned KCUR 3.4 – 3.5, +.1, #12 to #10
Number One 6+: Cumulus Media classic hits-oldies KCMO-FM, first month, 9.8 – 10.6, +.8
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: country KBEQ (+.9)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: adult contemporary KCKC (-1.1)
COLUMBUS
News/Talk: iHeartMedia-owned WTVN “News Radio 610” 6.9 – 7.4, +.5, third to second
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Tegna-owned WBNS-FM “97.1 FM The Fan” 4.9 – 5.6, +.7, sixth to fifth
Public Radio News/Talk: Ohio State University’s WOSU 4.5 – 4.4, -.1, eighth to ninth
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia country WCOL, tenth straight month, 10.9 – 10.4, -.5
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Increase: classic rock WLVQ and rock WRKZ (+.6)
Largest 6+ July 2023 – August 2023 Decrease: classical WOSA (-.7)
Up next: August 2023 overviews for Austin; Raleigh; Indianapolis; Milwaukee; Nashville; Providence; Norfolk; Jacksonville; West Palm Beach; Greensboro; Memphis; and Hartford.
Email Mike Kinosian at Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com.
recently director of sales at the company’s Beaumont, Texas/Lake Charles, Louisiana operations. The cluster includes news/talk WJCW-AM, sports talk WXSM-AM and two music brands. Walker says, “I’m extremely excited to be joining our Tri-Cities team. Cumulus Media is a great company to be a part of, supporting its employees with many great resources for our success. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve our Tri-Cities team, advertisers, and community. I have family in the market and can’t wait to call Tri-Cities home.”
August 2023 PPM Data – Information for the August 2023 sweep has been released for Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis.
“Overreaction Monday” on September 4 that expands on the most popular segment of his flagship podcast, “The Rich Eisen Show,” into its own weekly podcast with Eisen and co-host Chris Brockman reflecting on the biggest fan- and hysterical media-driven overreactions from the previous weekend’s professional and college football games. To support his growing podcast network, Eisen has built an expanded studio and team in El Segundo, California with state-of-the-art recording equipment and set design. Eisen says, “Since joining the Cumulus family, they have shown unwavering support for my vision in growing my brand. As I have expanded my suite of services, they were the only ones I wanted to do business with, and I couldn’t think of a better place for my voice and productions to be heard over the coming years.” In addition to his podcast network, Eisen hosts the pregame and halftime shows for Westwood One’s syndicated “Monday Night Football” coverage and anchors “The Rich Eisen Show,” also syndicated by Westwood One for national radio.
August 2023 PPM Data – Information for the August 2023 ratings period has been released for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey).
Which is the more important “check the box” trait – persistence or passion?
director of operations and sports programming Chase McCabe (left). Middle Tennessee State alum Dubin was an original host on “The Game” when the station flipped to sports talk in 2012. He has also hosted programs on WNSR-AM, WKRN-TV, and WSMV-TV. McCabe says, “This is a surreal moment for me. After being able to watch Joe on TV, intern with him and then produce his shows on “The Game,” I am thrilled to be able to finally co-host with him. Joe is one of my mentors who always taught me to laugh and we will be doing a lot of that each weekday. I’m so glad to have him back on the team.” 
across all demographics, while heavy listening (listening more than 8 hours per week) increased year-over-year. Also from the study: 1) The number of Americans listening to podcasts has increased by 45% in the last five years, and more than doubled in the past decade; 2) the jump in listening while in the car (or on public transportation) is noticeable across all age groups. It is now the most popular location to listen to podcasts among consumers 18-34 and 35-49. 
station features Michigan talk personality Justin Barclay in morning drive, followed by Premiere Networks’ daytime lineup of “The Glenn Beck Show,” “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” Sean Hannity, and Jesse Kelly, supplemented by “Our American Stories” and some FOX News Radio content. Adell bought the former Radio Disney station in January of 2015 and launched “910 The Superstation” featuring Black talk hosts who were not on the payroll but were given the platform to get their message out. Ultimately, Adell says it wasn’t financially successful. He told the Detroit Metro News, “When you look at it, no one supported it. I couldn’t get the community to support it.”
him the right person to lead this market and continue to raise the bar. I’m excited for our team to continue our commitment to serving our communities through local news, talk and sports with best-in-class brands in Wisconsin.” Scalzo comments, “I am honored and excited to take on the role of market manager with our GKB Milwaukee team. We are excited to work together to serve Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin with quality, trusted content in news, sports, and talk while connecting fans with our partners and impacting the community. We are proud of the new content we will be creating on ‘ESPN Wisconsin’ and the amazing things to come across all of our brands.”
Wisconsin hoops star Ben Brust, and former Wisconsin Badger and NFL punter Brad Nortman. The station also adds “The Homer Hour” hosted by Steve “Homer” True airing from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm and featuring former Packers star Bryan Bulaga, sports commentator John Anderson, ESPN reporter Rob Demovsky, Wisconsin State Journal NFL contributor Jason Wilde, and more. ESPN Milwaukee director of content Bryan Dee says, “The new lineup includes a dynamic group of hosts with unique perspectives, all of whom possess a passion and expertise in Wisconsin sports. It begins in the morning with Evan Cohen, a UW-Madison alum, followed by ESPN College Gameday reporter Jen Lada, ESPN Radio host Gabe Neitzel, and former Packers tight end Mark Chmura. The midday slot features ‘Kyle, Brust, & Nortman,’ while the day concludes with Homer. Fans can expect to enjoy fresh, bold, and entertaining local content throughout the day.”
iconic voice of the Texas Longhorns, is now part of our team. Every day from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, he’ll be diving deep into UT sports, sharing insights only he can offer. It’s a new era for afternoon radio, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring this experience to our listeners.” Way joins iHeartMedia Austin from Austin Radio Network, where he most recently served as the sports director. He comments, “I was honored to be a part of the launch of ‘AM 1300 The Zone’ as Austin’s first all-sports station in October of 1998, and am thrilled to return as host of a daily show on ‘The Zone’ once again at a station that I called home from 1997-2017.”
in this market will undoubtedly enhance our commitment to delivering top-notch news coverage and engaging content to our listeners every morning.” Stanford, who is currently co-hosting “The Suki & Scott Show” on Gannett’s USA Today Network, begins his new role on September 5. He comments, “Like most life-long New Yorkers, my Dad was always listening to 1010 WINS in the car when I was a kid. As an adult, WINS has been my go-to station for news, traffic and weather. As a New York broadcaster, it’s an honor to now be one of the morning voices on this legendary station.” Stanford served as PIX11 morning show co-host from 2013 to 2019. He’s also served as sports anchor at NBC4-NY, UPN9-NY, WCBS 880, CBS Sports HQ and Boxing30 on YES.
with station PD Terry Ford on the air. He told his audience, “It’s not a money thing. I just hit 50 this year. There are some things in my career I still want to do. They really wanted to keep me in Columbia and focused on that, and we just couldn’t get to where we needed to… This isn’t anybody’s fault. It’s just how radio and how business works sometimes.” Meanwhile, Cline says he’ll serve as executive producer and sub host for Chuck Oliver’s regional, college football-focused show and will continue the weekend hosting and fill-in work he’s been doing for Dickey Broadcasting’s WCNN, Atlanta “680 The Fan.” 
the Obama Administration – is also the host of the programs “As I See It” and “Take My Word for It” on sister news/talk WRVA-AM. Collin Gutman hosts “The Gutcheck” on WRNL. Audacy Richmond SVP and market manager Bennett Zier states, “We’re thrilled to introduce ‘The Postgame Gutcheck’ and give Commanders fans a dedicated space to dissect and digest each game this season. Hosted by the dynamic duo of Ambassador Howard Gutman and his son Collin, this show will be a must-listen for anyone seeking in-depth analysis, insider insights and a passionate breakdown of all things Commanders.”
Super Bowl will include the Lions, “There is nothing like an NFL run and nothing like knowing your team has a legitimate chance to get to the Super Bowl. I don’t know if they do, but I think it could be the start of a yearly thing. Them getting to the Super Bowl in my last year of doing the morning show, it would be unbelievable. I’d consider myself the lucky charm.” The 64-year-old Stone has been on Detroit sports radio since helping launch the format on WDFN-AM, Detroit in the early 1990s. Stone says he’ll stay with the station as a fill-in host for two more years.
10:00 am ET), “Lions Tailgate Show” with Rico Beard and Jim Costa (10:00 am – 12:00 noon), “Lions Pregame Show” with Dan Miller, Lomas Brown and TJ Lang (12:00 noon – 1:00 pm), Lions Radio Network postgame with Dan Miller, TJ Lang and Jim Costa (game end to 5:00 pm), “Lions Postgame Show” with Mike Stone and Jennifer Hammond (5:00 pm – 7:00 pm), and Pat Caputo (7:00 pm – 11:00 pm).
Rick Caffey says, “We are thrilled to welcome Eric Baker to the Audacy Atlanta team as our new director of sales. With his extensive background in sales management, we are confident that Eric’s expertise will drive our market growth to new heights. His strategic vision and proven leadership will undoubtedly contribute to our continued success in delivering top-tier content and engagement to our valued listeners and partners.” Baker says, “It’s with great enthusiasm that I embark on this new journey as the director of sales at Audacy Atlanta. I’m thrilled to collaborate with industry veterans like Rick Caffey, Doug Abernethy, and Reggie Rouse, whose expertise I greatly respect. My 16 years at Radio One have been invaluable, and I can’t wait to bring that experience to the dynamic team at Audacy Atlanta, working together to deliver results and achieve remarkable success for our clients while continuing to positively impact the Atlanta community!”
2022, according to data from Comscore. The platform also saw 24 million total multiplatform views and 27 million total multiplatform minutes. OutKick founder Clay Travis – co-host of the Premiere Networks syndicated talk show “Clay Travis and Buck Sexton” – says, “It’s always great to see OutKick’s strong growth every month. We continue to distribute engaging content on topics that reach beyond sports and add talent to our roster that embrace common sense reporting.”
Baltimore, Birmingham, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. The show airs on SiriusXM’s College Sports channel in addition to radio stations in 12 of the top 50 markets across the country including Washington, Tampa, Portland, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Austin, Kansas City, Raleigh, Nashville, Norfolk, Jacksonville, and New Orleans. Guests on the program over the years have included Serena Williams, Kevin Durant, Simone Biles, Jerry Rice, Snoop Dogg, Michael B. Jordan, and more.
their podcast “The Dumb Zone,” arguing that it violates the terms of their contracts, specifically the non-compete clause. McDowell and Kemp left “The Ticket” in July after being unable to come to terms on a renewal due to the two sides’ disagreement over digital initiatives. Since then, the two have been producing the aforementioned podcast. In response to the suit filed by Cumulus, McDowell and Kemp argue, “Plaintiff’s business is the operation of terrestrial radio stations – old media – and it was only in that business that Plaintiff employed Defendants. Plaintiff has realized only too late that it should have been moving into new media platforms for years now. Defendants’ new venture does not compete with Plaintiff, and their words and actions have complied with the restrictive covenants of their employment contracts despite, as will be shown below, almost all of those covenants are illegal restrictions on Defendants’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act.” Mediation has been set for August 22.
December and now hosts a show on the Outkick platform. With Query’s move to middays, the Kevin & Query Show that’s been airing in morning drive becomes “The Wake Up Call With KB and Andy,” as Kevin Bowen is joined by new co-host Andy Sweeney. Urban One Indianapolis operations manager David Wood tells the Indianapolis Business Journal, “While Jake loves working with Kevin, the show is a complete antithesis to his body clock. He’s a huge night owl. It dawned on me, ‘Why don’t I put a known quantity in this noon to 3 p.m. show?’ Everybody knows Jake. He’s well-respected and he’s an entertaining person.” 
launch of a new weekly preview show called “Big Blue Kickoff Live” to be hosted by Giants.com’s John Schmeelk and WFAN’s Shaun Morash airing on Saturday mornings during the regular season. In addition, all three WFAN daily shows will broadcast live from Giants training camp on Monday (8/14), beginning at 6:00 am with “Boomer & Gio,” followed by “Brandon Tierney & Sal Licata” and “Evan & Tiki.” Audacy New York market president Chris Oliviero says, “WFAN is proud to grow our long-standing partnership with the New York Football Giants. More opportunities for fans to connect with Big Blue is our commitment, one that goes beyond Sunday and extends year round.” 
Golden Hour.” Schaub’s signature podcast, “The Fighter and The Kid,” is a weekly show hosted by the comedian and former professional UFC fighter and co-hosted by actor and comedian, Bryan Callen. “The Schaub Show,” explores the intersection of combat sports and life in and outside the sport. “The Golden Hour” is a weekly look at all of the most relevant cultural and social topics driving conversations in America. Schaub is joined on each show by a rotating collection of top-tier comedians who stop by to share their thoughts on everything from top trending news and engaging fan submitted videos.
July 2023 PPM Data – Information for the July 2023 survey period has been released for Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford.