This Spring’s Number One Hit Music Station

Spring’s diary market ratings and summer’s PPM monthlies aren’t yet a slam-dunk for CHR, but they have had a lot of encouraging individual success stories. That includes a small-market mainstream CHR with a 13.4 share.

In the spring 2021 Nielsens, these were the top rated CHRs:

• KNEX (Hot 106.1) Laredo, Texas 13.6 – 13.4
• WKFR Kalamazoo, Mich. 12.9 – 12.2
• WZOK Rockford, Ill. 10.5 – 12.2
• WVAQ Morgantown, W. Va. 10.8 – 11.9
• WBDR Watertown, N.Y. 12.5-11.6
• WKEE Huntington, W. Va. 11.6 – 11.3
• KSFT (107.1 Kiss FM) Sioux Falls, Iowa 9.6-11.2
• WIXX Green Bay, Wis. 12.7 – 11.1
• KIXY San Angelo, Texas 10.0 – 10.3

WMGI Terre Haute, Ind., which was No. 1 in the fall with a 13.8 had an 8.4 this time. Lest anybody is tempted to dismiss the success of the format in smaller markets, it’s worth noting that there are a lot of similar sized markets where Top 40 is in the 7-8 share range and others where the format isn’t a significant player. As for WKRZ Wilkes-Barre, Pa., one of the most successful top 100 market stations, that station went 10.0-9.8 12-plus and retained its market lead.

In Eastlan markets, it’s also worth taking note of a battle in Decatur, Ill. Ratings expert Chris Huff notes that Neuhoff’s WSOY (Y103) was leading the market in June, having gone 7.7-7.4-9.1, while Cromwell’s WYDS (the Party) was up 7.2-8.2-8.6, meaning that Top 40 was No. 1 and No. 2 in the market at a time when few head-to-head CHR battles exist.

Hot 106.1 carries Elvis Duran in the morning, meaning that Duran is not only on the format’s most-cumed CHR at his WHTZ (Z100) New York homebase, but also on the station with the highest share. And while it’s been a while since many in the industry have automatically equated Hispanic markets with Rhythmic Top 40, it’s still worth noting that Hot 106.1 has a significant pop component in a market that is 97% Hispanic.

Here’s Hot 106.1 at 1 p.m. on August 17. The station was coming out the Noon Throwbacks hour, which included “Bust A Move,” “Barbie Girl,” “C’mon and Ride It (The Train),” and ended with Erykah Badu, “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop).”

• Ava Max, “My Head and My Heart”
• The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
• Pop Smoke f/Dua Lipa, “Demeanor”
• Billie Eilish, “All the Good Girls Go to Hell”
• Ariana Grande, “POV”
• Nelly & Florida Georgia Line, “Lil Bit”
• Olivia Rodrigo, “Déjà vu”
• Lizzo f/Cardi B, “Rumors”
• Kane Brown f/Blackbear, “Memory”
• Weeknd, “Save Your Tears”
• Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
• Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass”
• Ashe & Finneas, “Till Forever Falls Apart”