Nielsen Audio has released Day 2 of its monthly four day sweep of ratings in PPM markets.

Today’s releases include Washington DC, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis.

All the numbers can be found at RadioInsight.com/Ratings.

Nielsen divides its calendar year up into thirteen equal 28 day months for ratings measurement purposes, with its extra “holiday” month usually discarded, except by those stations that go all-Christmas for the purpose of selling the following year. This year’s holiday book contained an extra fifth “leap” week to help keep Nielsen’s calendar in step with the actual calendar. Since this five week Holiday month stretched into the first week of January, a number of stations including KOST and WBEB kept Christmas music running all the way through New Year’s Eve.

Unlike the other monthlies we’re going to compare the holiday numbers to 2019, but due to the extra week the numbers were slightly diluted. Yet like Day 1, a few stations set records.

iHeartMedia AC 97.1 WASH Washington DC has grown immensely each of the past four years in the Holiday book. The station has risen from a 9.7 in 2017 – 10.4 in 2018 – 12.9 in 2019 – to a 15.2 share this year. Ratings Expert Chris Huff notes that is the highest station share in the Washington DC market since 1964.

WASH was not the only Christmas station in the market as Christian AC 91.9 WGTS added an additional 4.2 share.

Also on a four year uptrend is Entercom AC “Magic 106.7” WMJX Boston. WMJX garnered a 15.8 share in 2020 after a 13.6 – 14.5 – 15.2 rise starting in 2017.

iHeartMedia AC 100.3 WNIC Detroit rebounded from a 14.8 in 2019 to a 16.6 in 2020. However that comes with the loss of the market’s second Christmas station in 2019 following Entercom’s flip of “98.7 The Breeze” WDZH to Alternative in November. Prior to WDZH going all-Christmas in 2019, WNIC garnered a 15.8 in 2017 and 17.9 in 2018. WDZH had a 4.9 share in 2019.

Four stations going to Christmas music diluted the market in Seattle. After leading the market with a 9.2 in 2019, Hubbard AC “Warm 106.9” KRWM only place third in the market with a 6.0 share this year. Entercom Soft AC “94.1 The Sound” KSWD placed sixth with a 4.9 share, Crista Media Christian AC “Spirit 105.3” KCMS-FM had a 4.0 share, and Sinclair Hot AC “Star 101.5” KPLZ which becomes “Santa-FM” every December added an additional 3.7 share.

The three Christmas stations in Tampa combined for over a 22 share of the listening audience. Cox Media Group Soft AC 105.5 WDUV was down to a 9.0 this year after an 11.2 in 2019 and 13.7 in 2018. The downtrend was caused by iHeartMedia beginning to take AC “Mix 100.7” WMTX to holiday music last year. WMTX rose from a 6.0 in Holiday 2019 to 8.2 this year, while Radio Training Network Christian AC “The Joy FM” WCIE/WJIS was down year-to-year 6.0 to 4.9. Huff notes that WMTX’s 8.2 share is the highest on the frequency since 1981.

Cox Media Group Soft AC “Easy 93.1” WFEZ Miami was up from a 7.5 in 2019 to 8.1 this year. That gives the station the highest share in the history of the frequency according to Huff. Entercom AC “101.5 Lite-FM” WLYF was right behind WFEZ with an 8.0 share.

In 2019 iHeartMedia AC “99.9 KEZ” KESZ Phoenix shattered its previous station high with a 19.2 share. This year it garnered a mere 16.7 share.

iHeartMedia Classic Hits “Kool 108” KQQL Minneapolis is down for the fourth straight year. KQQL has dropped 14.2 – 12.6 – 11.6 – 11.5 over the past four years amidst additional Christmas music competition in the market. Northwestern Media Christian AC 98.5 KTIS-FM was down year-to-year 8.2 to 4.9, while Cumulus Soft AC “Love 105” WGVX/WLUP/WWWM added an additional 2.2 share.

Bonneville AC 101.1 KOSI Denver was down from a 14.4 in 2019 to 13.3 in 2020.

Entercom AC 102.5 KEZK St. Louis rose from a 14.2 in 2019 to 16.9 in 2020. Co-owned 96.5 KYXY San Diego slid from 11.1 to 9.4.

The biggest year-to-year slide went to Entercom AC “Today’s 101.9” WLIF Baltimore. The station had a 16.0 share in 2019, but just an 11.0 in 2020. Christian AC “95.1 Shine-FM” WRBS-FM went Christmas but does not appear in the public numbers, while iHeartMedia’s 97.1 WASH Washington added a 2.9 share in the Baltimore market for the second straight year.

In non-Christmas station moves:

• In its first full monthly as “Alt 98.7“, Entercom’s WDZH Detroit registered a 2.0 share.
• Entercom Rhythmic CHR 95.5 WPGC Washington DC was up a full share from a 2.1 to 3.1.
• Entercom Variety Hits “Big 103.3” WBGB Boston continues to show growth as it rises 2.7 to 2.9.
• AAA 90.3 KEXP Seattle jumped up 2.4 to 3.6.
• Radio One’s pair in Baltimore gained as Adult R&B “Magic 95.9” WWIN-FM was up 8.1 to 9.1 and Hip Hop “92Q” WERQ 5.1 to 5.6.
• Two of the biggest month to month slides went to iHeartMedia AAA 97.3 KBCO Denver (4.5 to 2.9) and Variety Hits “102.7 Jack-FM” WQSR Baltimore (6.2 to 4.3).
• In their first months under full Entercom control, Adult R&B “96.3 The Lou” WFUN-FM St. Louis was down 4.8 to 3.8 on its new frequency, while Hip Hop “Hot 104.1” WHHL plummeted 3.5 to 2.1.