WAMU & KQED TAKE THE LEAD IN JULY NIELSEN PPM RATINGS • NEW RATINGS FOR NEW YORK, BOISE, ROCHESTER & TULSA

WAMU and KQED are back on top of commercial News/Talk competitors in AQH shares according to Nielsen Audio’s July PPM ratings. Both stations have locked in seesaw races for the past three years.

In Washington, DC, NPR News/Talk WAMU has had the leading AQH share only twice in the past year.   

The two stations were in a statistical tie in the April 2019 Nielsen ratings. WTOP has always led WAMU in estimated weekly listeners. WTOP’s cume tends to be higher because they specialize in quick in-out features such as traffic and weather.

WTOP is the nation’s top commercial radio station, as measured by annual revenue. The station routinely bills $75 million or more in advertising sales. WAMU had $37 million in annual revenue in FY 2018.

Elsewhere in the DC July ratings, local, live Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) station WGTS seems to be having no problems competing with Educational Media Foundation’s K-LOVE repeater WRQX, formerly Mix 107.3.  

K-LOVE is an automated format, delivered by satellite, originating in California.

Pacifica’s WPFW continues to languish at the bottom of the ratings.

In another closely watched radio news competition, KQED regained its position as the top station in AQH share, beating Entercom’s KCBS AM/FM according to Nielsen’s July 2019 PPM ratings.

Like WTOP in DC, KCBS airs many features that create quickly tune-in and tune out. 

KCBS has traditionally led KQED in estimated weekly listeners.

Pacfica’s flagship KPFA continues to be “the doormat” in the Bay area.

In New York, NPR News/Talk WNYC-FM held steady in third place in the radio news race behind the leading AQH share performers WINS and WCBS-AM.

EMF’s new K-LOVE repeater WPLJ came back to earth after its launch in late May.   

AAA WFUV held steady while Jazz WBGO looks like it is in another downward trend.

Pacifica’s WBAI performs about as well as other Pacifica stations.

In Spring 2019 Diary methodology markets, Boise State Public Radio’s NPR News/Talk KBSX was down a bit from its high point in Spring 2018.  On the other hand, Classical KBSU had a nice bump up.

Full-time NPR News/Talk WXXI-AM slid a full share point compared with a year ago. Classical WXXI-FM had a nice gain. Dual format WRUR (NPR News and AAA) stayed about the same.  All three stations are operated by WXXI.

In Tulsa, NPR News/Talk KWGS held steady but they have yet to top their Spring 2017 AQH.  KWGS’ sister station Classical KWTU bounced back for their Spring 2018 AQH.