March 2022 PPM Ratings Takeaways – Part Three
March 2022 PPM Data – Information for the March 2022 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 March 2022 sweep covered March 3 – March 30
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 2022 – March 2022 (6+).
PORTLAND
News/Talk: Alpha Media’s KXL “FM 101 News” 7.7 – 8.1, +.4, fourth to third
iHeartMedia-owned KEX “News Radio 1190” 3.1 – 3.3, +.2, #14 to #13
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Oregon Public Broadcasting’s KOPB flat at 8.9, first to second and KOPB’s internet stream 1.9 – 1.7, -.2, #19 to #20
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia classic hits-oldies KLTH, first month, 8.3 – 9.1, +.8
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: classic hits-oldies KLTH (+.8)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease (Tie): adult hits KYCH and classical KQAC (-.9)
CHARLOTTE
News/Talk: Radio One-owned WBT AM & WBT-FM “Charlotte’s News Talk” 3.3 – 4.2, +.9, #14 to #10
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Radio One’s WFNZ-FM “Sports Radio 92.7” 2.1 – 1.8, -.3, repeats at #16
Beasley Media Group-owned WSOC-HD3 “Fox Sports Charlotte” .4 – .5, +.1, #20 to #19
Public Radio News/Talk: University Radio Foundation’s WFAE 4.6 – 4.2, -.4, eighth to tenth
South Carolina Educational Television Commission-owned WNSC .5 – .8, +.3, #19 to #18
Number One 6+: Beasley Media Group adult contemporary WKQC, second consecutive month, 6.3 – 6.6, +.3
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase (Tie): news/talk WBT AM & WBT-FM and alternative WEND (+.9)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: CHR WHQC (-1.3)
SAN ANTONIO
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s WOAI “News Radio 1200” (Spurs) 5.1 – 6.2, +1.1, seventh to third
Alpha Media-owned KTSA “Stay Connected” 2.4 – 2.2, -.2, continues at #14
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Texas Public Radio’s KSTX 3.3 – 2.5, -.8, #12 to #13
Number One 6+: Cox Media Group classic hits-oldies KONO-FM, second straight month, 7.1 – 8.4, +1.3
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: classic hits-oldies KONO-FM (+1.3)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease (Tie): CHR KXXM and rhythmic hot AC KVBH (-.9)
SACRAMENTO
News/Talk: iHeartMedia-owned KFBK-AM & KFBK-FM “News 1530 AM & 93.1 FM” flat at 6.5, anchored in third-place and cluster-mate KSTE “Talk 650” 3.3 – 2.8, -.5, #12 to #13
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy’s KIFM-AM “ESPN 1320” .9 – 1.1, +.2, #19 to #18
Public Radio News/Talk: Capital Public Radio-owned KXJZ 4.6 – 4.2, -.4, sixth to eighth
Number One 6+: Audacy classic rock KSEG, third month in a row, 10.2 – 11.3, +1.1
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: classic rock KSEG (+1.1)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: adult contemporary KBEB (-1.1)
PITTSBURGH
News/Talk: Audacy’s KDKA-AM “News Radio 1020 AM” 4.8 – 3.9, -.9, seventh to ninth
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy-owned KDKA-FM “93.7 The Fan All Sports All The Time” 7.5 – 7.6, +.1, repeats in fourth-place
Public Radio News/Talk: Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting’s WESA 2.8 – 2.4, -.4, #11 to #12
Number One 6+: iHeartMedia classic hits-oldies WWSW, fifth month in succession, 10.8 – 11.4, +.6
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: country WPGB (+.7)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: adult hits WRRK (-1.3)
SALT LAKE CITY
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s KNRS-AM & KNRS-FM “Talk Radio” 8.4 – 9.9, +1.5, #1
Bonneville-owned KSL “News Radio 102.7 FM & 1160 AM” 6.0 – 6.3, +.3, fourth to third
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: University of Utah’s KUER 4.1 – 4.6, +.5, tenth to sixth
Number One 6+: news/talk KNRS-AM & KNRS-FM second month in succession, 8.4 – 9.9, +1.5
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: news/talk KNRS-AM & KNRS-FM (+1.5)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: classic rock KAAZ (-1.4)
LAS VEGAS
News/Talk: Beasley Media Group-owned KDWN “The Talk Of Las Vegas” 2.2 – 2.0, -.2, #15 to #18
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: None in the top twenty
Public Radio News/Talk: Nevada Public Radio’s KNPR 2.2 – 2.3, +.1, repeats at #15
Number One 6+: Beasley Media Group classic hits-oldies KKLZ, first month, 6.8 – 7.1, +.3
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase (Tie): Spanish contemporary KRGT and similarly-formatted KXLI (+.5)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: hot AC KVGS (-1.2)
ORLANDO
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s WTKS “Real Radio 104.1” 6.3 – 5.9, -.4, fourth to sixth
Cox Media Group-owned WDBO “Orlando’s News Talk” 1.6 – 2.1, +.5, #17 to #16
iHeartMedia-owned WFLF “Orlando News Radio” 1.8 – 1.4, -.4, #16 to #17
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: iHeartMedia’s WYGM “96.9 The Game” (Magic) 1.5 – 1.1, -.4, #18 to #20
Public Radio News/Talk: Community Connections-owned WMFE flat at 2.4, #15 to #13
Number One 6+ (Tie): iHeartMedia CHR WXXL, third straight month, 7.9 – 8.3, +.4 and co-owned adult contemporary WMGF, first month, 6.1 – 8.3, +2.2
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: adult contemporary WMGF (+2.2)*
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: urban AC WCFB (-.8)
*Represents the largest February 2022 – March 2022 increase (6+) of any station from these 12 PPM-markets
CINCINNATI
News/Talk: iHeartMedia-owned WLW “700 Cincinnati’s News Radio” 12.3 – 12.2, -.1, second to first and cluster-mate WKRC “55 KRC The Talk Station” 5.3 – 5.1, -.2, fourth to fifth
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: iHeartMedia’s WCKY “ESPN 1530” 1.1 – .8, -.3, repeats at #19
iHeartMedia-owned WSAI “Fox Sports AM 1360” .6 – .8, +.2, #22 to #19
Public Radio News/Talk: Cincinnati Public Radio’s WVXU 5.1 – 5.4, +.3, fifth to fourth
Number One 6+: news/talk WLW, first month, 12.3 – 12.2, -.1
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: hot AC WKRQ (+1.0)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: classic hits-oldies WGRR (-1.5)**
**Represents the largest February 2022 – March 2022 decrease (6+) of any station from these 12 PPM-markets
CLEVELAND
News/Talk: iHeartMedia’s WTAM “News Radio 1100” (Cavaliers) 5.5 – 4.9, -.6, sixth to eighth
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy-owned WKRK “Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan” 4.2 – 4.3, +.1, #11 to #9 and WKRK’s internet stream 1.0 – 1.9, +.9, #17 to #15
Public Radio News/Talk: Ideastream’s WCPN 4.4 – 3.2, -1.2, #9 to #12
Kent State University-owned WKSU 1.5 – 2.2, +.7, #15 to #14
Number One 6+: Radio One urban AC WZAK, third month in a row, 11.1 – 10.4, -.7
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase (Tie): classic hits-oldies WMJI and sports talk WKRK’s internet stream (+.9)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: public radio news/talk WCPN (-1.2)
KANSAS CITY
News/Talk: Audacy’s KMBZ-FM “98.1 FM News, Traffic, Weather” 7.8 – 7.3, -.5, first to second
Cumulus Media-owned KCMO-AM “Talk Radio 710 AM” .9 – 1.6, +.7, remains at #20
News: None in the top twenty
Sports Talk: Audacy’s KCSP “Sports Radio 610 Our Teams, Our Town” 1.5 – 2.3, +.8, #18 to #17
Public Radio News/Talk: University of Missouri-owned KCUR 6.5 – 5.7, -.8, continues in fourth-place
Number One 6+: Cumulus Media classic rock KCFX, first month, 7.6 – 8.7, +1.1
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: classic rock KCFX (+1.1)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease (Tie): public radio news/talk KCUR; urban contemporary KPRS; and country WDAF (-.8)
COLUMBUS
News/Talk: iHeartMedia-owned WTVN “News Radio 610” 9.3 – 8.7, -.6, #1
News: iHeartMedia’s WYTS “Columbus’ BIN 1230” .3 – .2, -.1, #20 to #19
Sports Talk: Tegna-owned WBNS-FM “97.1 FM The Fan” (Blue Jackets) 8.8 – 8.6, -.2, remains in second-place and co-owned WBNS-AM “ESPN 1460 AM”.6 – .5, -.1, #17 to #18
Public Radio News/Talk: Ohio State University’s WOSU 8.3 – 8.5, +.2, repeats at #3
Number One 6+: news/talk WTVN, second straight month, 9.3 – 8.7, -.6
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Increase: adult hits WODC (+1.5)
Largest 6+ February 2022 – March 2022 Decrease: CHR WNCI (-.9)
Up next: March 2022 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.