The Number One, Two, Three, and Four Hit Music Stations

It’s appropriate that in my listening to the top-rated CHRs in America this week that I came across Noah Kahan on two out of the four I listened to, and one of them was playing “The Great Divide.” I’ve spent a lot of time in recent years with the successful medium- and small-market CHRs that have greater pop- and country-leans than their large market competitors. One distinguishing characteristic was understanding how big “Dial Drunk” and “Stick Season” really were compared to their national numbers.

Anecdotally, it felt like a soft fall for medium- and small-market CHR, both to me and ratings expert Chris Huff. But I went back and looked at a story I wrote in spring 2021 about the then format leader, KNEX (Hot 106.1) Laredo, Texas, which was there at the time with a 13.4 share. This time, there are two CHRs above a 14 share. Each time, there were nine stations above a 10 share.

In the fall ’25 Nielsens, these were the top-rated CHR stations:

• WKFR Kalamazoo, Mich. (Townsquare) 11.7-14.1
• WVAQ Morgantown, W. Va. (WVRC) 12.1-14.0
• WBDR (The Border) Watertown, N.Y. (Community Broadcasters) 12.0-12.8
• WLBC Muncie, Ind. (Woof Boom) 10.9-12.8
• KNEX (Hot 106.1) Laredo, Texas  (Radio Para Mi) 11.3-11.5
• WKEE Huntington, W. Va. (iHeart) 10.2–11.3
• KSYN Joplin, Mo. (Kissin’ 92.5) (Zimmer) 11.3-11.0
• KZBT (The Beat) Midland/Odessa, Texas (Townsquare) 8.8-10.5 — Rhythmic CHR
• WMGI (100.7 Mix FM) Terre Haute, Ind. (Midwest) 13.6–10.0

One caveat from the KNEX article is worth repeating here. Lest you’re tempted to dismiss any of the 10 shares here as the function of smaller, less competitive markets, there are plenty of small-market CHRs that dramatically do not have a 10 share. (There are also plenty of CHRs in larger markets that have disappointing shares despite a lack of direct competition.) And Kalamazoo gets radio from at least three other nearby markets. 

(It’s also hard to get a full picture of small-market CHR when Cumulus, owner of several key small-market outlets, isn’t represented. Neither is another admired outlet, KNDE (Candy 95) Bryan/College Station, Texas.)

The top four stations are all heritage outlets. (The newest, WBDR, goes back to the mid-’90s.) WLBC bills itself as Hot AC, but it serves the same function in its market as the others under VP/programming Steve Lindell. Plus, the “Adult vs. Mainstream CHR” distinction, long worn down by this group of stations as well as WIXX Green Bay, Wis., WKRZ Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and others, has also worn down as a whole between the formats.

WKFR actually bills itself as “The Number One Hit Music Station,” making it the station where that claim is most unquestionably true. WVAQ is “The Hit Music Channel.” Ironically, both stations use ReelWorld’s One CHR package, giving them a similar classic feel.

In the 10 a.m. hour I heard, WKFR was heavily recurrent and gold-based. The major promotion was Townsquare’s flyaway to see Harry Styles at home in Manchester, UK. (In the fall, there were Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga in L.A. trips.) On their morning-show promos, PD Dana Marshall and partner Jess Poxson were soliciting input for the next day’s topic: “What job would you have if every job paid the same?” 

One of the common threads between many of the stations I heard was community events. WVAQ was talking about both an upcoming hunting and fishing show and a “cat happy hour” in conjunction with Petworks, already its partner on adapt-a-pet “Fursday.” (WKFR did a “Pet-O-Ween” costume contest during the fall.) WVAQ also had a mention of the big local story: West Virginia University’s search for its next Mountaineer mascot.

On WBDR, there were promos for an upcoming Second Chance Prom with a “Back to the ’90s” theme, hosted by morning man Johnny Spezzano. WLBC was emphasizing “always real local winners,” including a recent $2,000 diamond winner. Middayer Kim Morris also made extensive use of audio in both content breaks and frontsells, setting up Charlie Puth’s “Changes” with his Super Bowl appearance, for instance.

Here’s WKFR with Townsquare middayer Deanna just before 1 p.m., February 17:

• Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”
• Hozier, “Too Sweet”
• Dua Lipa, “Dance the Night”
• Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
• Post Malone, “Circles”
• Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
• Nelly Furtado, “Promiscuous”
• Harry Styles, “As It Was”
• Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• Tate McRae, “Greedy”
• Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
• Raye, “Where Is My Husband!”
• Olivia Dean, “Man I Need”
• Panic! At The Disco, “High Hopes”
• Sabrina Carpenter, “When Did You Get Hot?”
• Charlie Puth, “Attention”

Here’s WVAQ under PD Matt Kelly just before 1 p.m., February 17 with middayer Just Jaime:

• Myles Smith, “Stargazing”
• Raye, “Where Is My Husband!”
• Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”
• Benson Boone, “Mr. Electric Blue”
• Chappell Roan, “Pink Pony Club”
• Bad Bunny, “DtMF”
• Huntr/x, “Golden”
• Black Eyed Peas, “Let’s Get It Started” — with a throwback stager
• Harry Styles, “Aperture”
• Taylor Swift, “Opalite”
• Sombr, “12 to 12”
• Skrillex & Diplo f/Justin Bieber, “Where Are U Now”
• Sabrina Carpenter, “When Did You Get Hot?”
• Rosé & Bruno Mars, “APT”
• Pink, “Raise Your Glass” — also staged as a throwback
• Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”

Here is WLBC just before 1 p.m., February 17:

• Jelly Roll, “I Am Not Okay”
• Taylor Swift, “Opalite”
• Benson Boone, “Mr. Electric Blue”
• Gracie Abrams, “That’s So True”
• Leon Thomas, “Mutt” — with audio from Thomas talking about the song
• Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart”
• Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• Coldplay f/BTS, “My Universe”
• Raye, “Where Is My Husband!”
• Teddy Swims, “Bad Dreams”
• Lady Gaga, “Poker Face” — teased a little earlier as an all-time classic
• Charlie Puth, “Changes”
• Sabrina Carpenter, “Expresso”
• Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
• Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Here’s WBDR at 10 a.m.:

• Taylor Swift, “The Fate of Ophelia (Remix)”
• Noah Kahan, “The Great Divide”
• Ariana Grande, “Positions”
• Olivia Dean, “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”
• Lewis Capaldi, “Before You Go”
• Huntr/x, “Golden”
• Myles Smith, “Stargazing”
• Justin Bieber, “Yukon (‘Hold Yuh’ Remix)”
• The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”
• Harry Styles, “Aperture”
• Sombr, “Back to Friends”
• Tate McRae, “Sports Car”
• Taylor Swift, “Opalite”