March 2023 PPM Ratings Takeaways – Part Two
March 2023 PPM Data – Information for the March 2023 sweep has been released for Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis.
Nielsen Audio’s March 2023 sweep covered March 2 – March 29.
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 February 2023 – March 2023 (6+).
WASHINGTON, DC
News/Talk: Cumulus Media‘s WMAL-FM 4.3 – 4.0, -.3, #7 rank
News: Hubbard Broadcasting-owned WTOP & WTLP “Washington’s Top News” 8.9 – 9.0, +.1, repeats in second-place
Sports Talk: Audacy’s WJFK-FM “106.7 The Fan” (Capitals and Nationals) 2.8 – 2.7, -.1, continues at #13
WJFK-FM’s internet stream 1.1 – .8, -.3, flat at #19
Public Radio News/Talk: American University-owned WAMU 12.1 – 12.0, -.1, #1
Number One 6+: public radio news/talk WAMU, 16th month in succession, 12.1 – 12.0, -.1
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: urban AC WMMJ (+1.2)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: contemporary Christian WGTS (-1.4)
BOSTON
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s WRKO “AM 680 The Voice Of Boston” steady at 4.1, remains in ninth-place
News – Talk: iHeartMedia-owned WBZ-AM “News Radio 1030” 4.6 – 4.4, -.2, sixth to seventh
Sports Talk: Beasley Media Group’s WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” (Celtics and Bruins) 7.5 – 8.1, +.6, #1
Audacy-owned WEEI-FM “93.7 Boston’s Sports Station” (Red Sox) 3.2 – 2.6, -.6, #13 to #15
Public Radio News/Talk: Boston University’s WBUR 4.5 – 4.7, +.2, seventh to fifth
WGBH Educational Foundation-owned WGBH 3.4 – 3.7, +.3, anchored at #12
Number One 6+: sports talk WBZ-FM, third consecutive month, 7.5 – 8.1, +.6
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: sports talk WBZ-FM (+.6)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: sports talk WEEI-FM (-.6)
MIAMI
News/Talk: None in the top twenty
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Dade County School Board-owned WLRN 5.3 – 4.3, -1.0, fourth to seventh
Number One 6+: Cox Media Group urban AC WHQT, first month, 8.4 – 9.5, +1.1
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: urban contemporary WEDR (+1.5)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: public radio news/talk WLRN (-1.0)
SEATTLE
News/Talk: Bonneville-owned KIRO-FM “97.3 FM” 5.4 – 4.8, -.6, fifth to sixth
News: Lotus Communications’ KNWN-AM/FM “Northwest News Radio” 4.3 – 4.1, -.2, ninth to tenth
Sports Talk: Bonneville-owned KIRO-AM “710 AM ESPN Seattle” (Mariners) 2.4 – 3.1, +.7, #18 to #14
Public Radio News/Talk: Northwest Public Radio’s KUOW 5.5 – 5.1, -.4, repeats in fourth-place
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia classic hits-oldies KJEB, first month, 5.9 – 7.2, +1.3
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: country KKWF (+2.1)*
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: triple A KPNW (-1.5)
*Represents the largest February 2023 – March 2023 increase (6+) of any station from these 12 PPM-markets
DETROIT
News/Talk: Cumulus Media’s WJR “News Talk 760 AM” 2.6 – 3.0, +.4, #16 to #14
News: Audacy-owned WWJ News Radio 950” (Pistons) 5.0 – 4.8, -.2, repeats in ninth-place
Sports Talk: Audacy’s WXYT-FM “97.1 The Ticket” (Red Wings and Tigers) 6.3 – 6.2, -.1, fourth to third
WXYT-FM’s internet stream 1.3 – 1.8, +.5, stays at #20
Public Radio News/Talk: University of Michigan-owned WUOM 2.8 – 2.6, -.2, #15 to #16
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia CHR WKQI, first month, 7.3 – 8.3, +1.0
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: CHR WKQI (+1.0)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: classic rock WLLZ (-1.0)
PHOENIX
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s KFYI “News Talk 550” flat at 3.0, #9 to #12
Bonneville-owned KTAR-FM “News 92.3 FM” (Sun) unchanged at 2.9, #11 to #14
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Bonneville’s KMVP-FM “98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station” (Sun and Arizona Diamondbacks) 2.8 – 2.3, -.5, #14 to #19
Public Radio News/Talk: Maricopa County Community College-owned KJZZ 7.4 – 6.4, -1.0, first to third
Number One 6+: Hubbard Broadcasting classic rock KSLX, first month, 6.4 – 7.5, +1.1
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: classic rock KSLX and adult hits KYOT (+1.1)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: rhythmic CHR KALV (-1.2)
MINNEAPOLIS
News/Talk: Audacy’s WCCO “News Talk 830” (Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Twins) 3.0 – 3.9, +.9, #15 to #12
iHeartMedia’s KTLK-AM “Twin Cities News Talk AM 1130” 2.4 – 2.9, +.5, #18 to #14
Hubbard Broadcasting-owned KTMY “My Talk 107.1” 3.4 – 2.8, -.6, #13 to #15
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: iHeartMedia-owned KFXN “FM 100.3 K-Fan” (Minnesota Wild) 5.6 – 6.1, +.5, eighth to sixth
Public Radio News/Talk: Minnesota Public Radio’s KNOW 6.6 – 6.7, +.1, repeats in third-place
Number One 6+: Hubbard Broadcasting hot AC KSTP-FM, first month, 6.0 – 7.9, +1.9
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: hot AC KSTP-FM (+1.9)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: country KMNB (-1.3)
SAN DIEGO
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s KOGO “News Radio 600” 5.6 – 5.1, -.5, locked in fourth-place
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy-owned KWFN “97.3 The Fan” 1.6 – 2.6 (Padres), +1.0, #20 to #15
Public Radio News/Talk: San Diego State University’s KPBS steady at 6.3, repeats in the runner-up slot
Number One 6+: Audacy classic hits-oldies KXSN, second successive month, 6.8 – 7.3, +.5
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: sports talk KWFN (+1.0)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: classic rock KGB-FM (-1.6)**
**Represents the largest February 2023 – March 2023 decrease (6+) of any station from the first 24 PPM-markets
TAMPA
News/Talk: Cox Media Group’s WHPT “102.5 The Bone – Real, Raw, Radio” (Lightning) 4.4 – 4.6, +.2, ninth to eighth
iHeartMedia-owned WFLA “News Radio 970” 2.1 – 2.3, +.2, repeats at #18
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: iHeartMedia-owned WDAE “Tampa Bay’s Sports Radio” (Rays) 1.2 – 1.3, +.1, #20 to #19
Public Radio News/Talk: University of South Florida’s WUSF 3.3 – 3.0, -.3, #11 to #12
Number One 6+: Cox Media Group adult contemporary WDUV, 20th month in a row, 7.8 – 9.0
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: adult contemporary WDUV (+1.2)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: contemporary Christian WCIE (-.8)
DENVER
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s KOA “News Radio 850” 2.3 – 2.4 (Colorado Rockies), +.1, repeats at #17
KOA cluster-mate KHOW “Talk Radio 630” 2.0 – 2.3, +.3, continues at #18
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Bonneville’s KKFN “104.3 The Fan” (Nuggets) 4.2 – 3.5, -.7, #10 to #12
Public Radio News/Talk: Colorado Public Radio-owned KCFR 4.5 – 4.3, -.2, stays in eighth-place
Number One 6+: Bonneville country KYGO, first month, 4.9 – 6.2, +1.3
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: country KYGO (+1.3)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: classic rock KRFX (-1.2)
BALTIMORE
News/Talk: Hearst Television’s WBAL “News Radio 1090 AM & 101.5 FM” (Orioles) 3.5 – 3.4, -.1, #11 to #12
WCBM Maryland-owned WCBM “Talk Radio AM 680” 1.7 – 2.0, +.3, steady at #17
Hubbard Broadcasting-owned WTOP & WTLP “Washington’s Top News” 1.1, #19 (unlisted in February 2023)
News: Audacy-owned business news WDCH “Bloomberg 99.1 FM” .5 – .9, +.4, #25 to #20
Sports Talk: Audacy’s WJZ-FM “Baltimore Sports Radio 105.7 The Fan” 5.1 – 5.5, +.4, remains in fifth-place
Public Radio News/Talk: Your Public Radio Corporation-owned WYPR 4.3 – 3.9, -.4, eighth to tenth
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia adult hits WQSR, second straight month, 9.6 – 8.2, -1.4
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: contemporary Christian WRBS-FM (+1.4)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: adult hits WQSR (-1.4)
ST. LOUIS
News/Talk: Audacy’s KMOX “The Voice Of St. Louis” (Cardinals) 5.0 – 4.9, -.1, remains in tenth-place
KMOX cluster-mate KFTK “Talk 97.1 FM” 2.3 – 2.1, -.2, flat at #16
iHeartMedia-owned KTLK-FM “104.9 The Patriot” .8 – .9, +.1, #19 to #20
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Hubbard Broadcasting’s WXOS “101 ESPN” (Blues) 3.2 – 3.0, -.2, continues at #13
Public Radio News/Talk: University of Missouri-owned KWMU flat at 3.8, repeats at #11
Number One 6+: Hubbard Broadcasting adult hits WARH, third month in succession, 9.8 – 10.6, +.8
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Increase: adult contemporary KEZK (+1.5)
Largest 6+ February 2023 – March 2023 Decrease: rock KSHE (-.6)
Up next: March 2023 overviews for Portland; Charlotte; San Antonio; Sacramento; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake City; Las Vegas; Orlando; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Kansas City; and Columbus.
Email Mike Kinosian at Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com
ownership has stalled with no post-Christmas “pop” in 2021 or 2022; 2) Smart speaker ownership rates are in the mid-40s for 13-54s but only 26% for those over the age of 55; 3) As smart speaker ownership flattens, the share of AM/FM radio streaming on smart speakers also stabilizes.The proportion of total U.S. AM/FM radio streaming occurring via the smart speaker has stabilized as device ownership growth has stalled. According to Triton Digital, since 2021, AM/FM radio streaming via smart speaker has stabilized, growing slightly from 23% to 26%; 4) Smart speakers are vital to U.S. AM/FM radio as they are now more likely to be the only “radio device” in the home. Edison’s 2022 Infinite Dial study revealed that 40% of smart speaker owners do not have a radio in their home, up from 28% in 2018; and 5) Aggressive promotion pays off as AM/FM radio is number one for smart speaker ad-supported audio shares. AM/FM radio stations are consistently number one in ad-supported audio shares on smart speaker devices. No wonder, as streaming now represents 20% of all time spent to AM/FM radio. 
immersive Weathercon experiences at Frontiers of Flight Museum, Texas’ premier air and space museum.” Included in the May 6 event is the opportunity for families to experience what it is like to be a meteorologist with a green screen, see storm chaser vehicles, and visit the interactive kids’ zone. WBAP meteorologist Brad Barton and WFAA-TV’s Pete Delkus will deliver presentations to visitors. 
and play-by-play announcer for the University of Arizona. Kelly’s won five Associated Press first place honors for his work in radio. Cumulus Tucson operations manager Herb Crowe says, “I couldn’t be happier to welcome David to the Cumulus family. His experience covering all of the University of Arizona athletic programs for television, combined with his years of radio experience, make him the perfect person to lead ‘Wildcats Radio 1290.’” Kelly comments, “When I came here to Tucson 15 years ago, my hope was that I’d have the chance at some point to lead coverage of the high-profile collegiate sports program at UA. The opportunity to head programming for ‘Wildcats Radio 1290’ gives me the chance to do that, as well as set the pace for delivering the best sports, news and information to our listeners in Southern Arizona.”
with Community Broadcasters in Florence, South Carolina as marketing and promotions director. He’s also served in a similar capacity with Cumulus Media, CBS Radio, and Flinn Broadcasting. Lyons says, “I am excited to join the SummitMedia Omaha team. I have heard great things about the company for years and I look forward to the opportunities these stations present. I’m energized by the great team here and ready to have some fun!”
deeper understanding of market performance immediately after Nielsen’s data release.” Company CEO Marc Greenspan says, “We’re excited to leverage Nikki’s extensive radio industry knowledge and experience, both on-air and behind-the-scenes, to fuel our growth in helping radio stations across the U.S. maximize the value of data to improve both their ratings and their revenue. She joins our team at a pivotal time as we look to showcase our unique ability to help clients improve their programming effectiveness and sales success.”
personalities have had on Fresno and the greater Central Valley of California over the past century. It debuted last night (3/30). KMJ hit the airwaves with just 50 watts of power on March 23, 1922. Eventually, with the threat of World War II looming, the FCC allowed KMJ to boost its power to a whopping 50,000 watts. “KMJ: 100 Years in the Valley” was written and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Aiello. KMJ program director Blake Taylor served as a producer.
February 2023 PPM Data – Information for the February 2023 survey period has been released for Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford.
programming Tom Tradup (left) at the SRN offices in Dallas while participating in the SRN News week-long series on Christian films titled, “Faith-based Films: Hollywood’s Brass Ring.” The SRN News special series focuses on the evolution of Christian movies from early, not-well-acted films to 2023’s smash hit Jesus Revolution, which has become Lions Gate Studios’ biggest-grossing film since 2019 with $45 million in box office receipts.
February 2023 PPM Data – Information for the February 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.
Marie Osborne, Tom Jordan, Chris Renwick, Lloyd Jackson, Mitch Albom, Ken Brown, Steve Courtney, Guy Gordon, and Bed & Bread Club founder and Radio Hall of Famer Dick Purtan, broadcasting from The Salvation Army Great Lakes Divisional Headquarters in Southfield. The Bed & Bread Club Radiothon has raised a total of more than $43.1 Million over the life of the radiothon.
The fourth of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2023 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s January 2023 sweep covered January 5 – February 1. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. Urban One’s news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis comes back from the Holiday survey with a 1.5 share increase to post a 7.2 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) but remains ranked #3. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN-AM adds eight-tenths to finish the survey with a 9.6 share that lifts it to the #1 rank, while Good Karma Brands’ crosstown news/talk WTMJ-AM adds 1.3 shares to wrap the survey with a 7.5 share but remains anchored in the #5 spot. In Nashville, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WWTN-FM tacks on 1.3 shares to finish with a 6.2 share, good for the #6 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WLAC-AM is off two-tenths, finishing with a 1.0 share and the #19 rank. 
Spanish on “La Kaliente” 1370 AM/KZSF-AM. KGO program director Kevin Graham says, “Cumulus San Francisco is thrilled to continue our partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes for the seventh straight year and broadcast their matches this season on the all-new KGO-AM. With The Spread’s powerful signal and strong digital assets including the station’s app, more Quakes fans in Northern California will be able to listen and engage than ever before.” Ted Ramey – KCBS-AM reporter and host of KGO-AM’s “The Soccer Hour” – will serve as the primary play-by-play voice for home and away broadcasts and Joe Cannon will serve as the color analyst for home matches.
full year of 2021. For the full year of 2022, Cumulus’ broadcast radio revenue was basically flat (-0.1%) at $709.6 million and its digital revenue was $142.3 million, an increase of 12.2%. Breaking down the broadcast radio segment, spot revenue was $479.8 million – up 4.9% over 2021 – but network revenue was off 9% for the year at $229.7 million. Cumulus president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “Despite considerable economic turbulence, we delivered fourth quarter financial performance in the upper half of our guidance range, continuing a multi-year period of significant accomplishments. Operating through a series of difficult macroeconomic environments, including the pandemic, we successfully executed a strategic plan under which we developed and drove new areas of growth, right sized the balance sheet, improved the company’s operating leverage and returned capital to shareholders. As a result, we have delivered consistent revenue growth, built several digital businesses to a $150+ million revenue run-rate, reduced our net leverage to its lowest level in more than a decade, and boosted our liquidity to give ourselves optionality regarding capital allocation.” Looking ahead to 2023, we continue to face substantial economic headwinds. However, our battle-tested skill in performing during challenging times, as well as our very strong financial position, gives us substantial confidence in our ability to not only weather this depressed ad environment but take full advantage of opportunities that may arise over the coming quarters.”