Among Chicago radio stars, Doug Banks was No. 1 to the end

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Doug Banks

Doug Banks

In a fitting tribute to a stellar career cut way too short, the late, great Doug Banks went out on top among Chicago radio personalities in the Nielsen Audio survey released Monday.

Hours after Banks died from complications related to diabetes, ratings showed his nationally syndicated afternoon program on iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7 tied for first place in Chicago with the CBS Radio all-news combo of WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9. Both had a 5.5 percent audience share.

Among listeners between 35 and 64, Banks’s show was No. 1 alone with a 6.6 percent share.

Bob Collins

Bob Collins

It was the first time a top-rated Chicago radio drive-time personality died since February 2000 when Bob Collins, the morning star of Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, was killed in a midair plane collision.

Both Banks and Collins were 57 at the time of their deaths.

Here are the top 40 radio stations in the Chicago area followed by average share of listeners age 6 and older from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio from February 25 through March 23 (followed by the previous month’s share in parentheses):

1) WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) 6.6 (6.9)
2) WVAZ FM 102.7 5.6 (5.5)
3) WTMX FM 101.9 4.9 (5.5)
4) (tie) WKSC FM 103.5 4.0 (3.7)
4) (tie) WLIT FM 93.9 4.0 (4.5)
6) (tie) WGCI FM 107.5 3.8 (3.8)
6) (tie) WGN AM 720 3.8 (3.6)
8) WOJO FM 105.1 3.3 (3.1)
9) (tie) WDRV FM 97.1 3.2 (3.2)
9) (tie) WJMK FM 104.3 3.2 (3.2)
11) WBBM FM 96.3 3.0 (3.0)
12) WLS FM 94.7 2.9 (2.9)
13) (tie) WBEZ FM 91.5 2.8 (2.7)
13) (tie) WKQX FM 101.1 2.8 (2.7)
15) (tie) WMVP AM 1000 2.6 (2.5)
15) (tie) WSHE FM 100.3 2.6 (2.3)
15) (tie) WXRT FM 93.1 2.6 (2.6)
18) WSCR AM 670 2.5 (2.4)
19) WUSN FM 99.5 2.4 (2.7)
20) (tie) WLS AM 890 2.2 (1.8)
20) (tie) WPPN FM 106.7 2.2 (2.0)
22) (tie) WLUP FM 97.9 2.1 (2.4)
22) (tie) WPWX FM 92.3 2.1 (2.0)
24) (tie) WLEY FM 107.9 1.9 (2.2)
24) (tie) WRME FM 87.7 1.9 (2.4)
26) WEBG FM 95.5 1.8 (1.8)
27) WJKL FM 94.3 1.5 (1.6)
28) WIND AM 560 1.3 (1.0)
29) WFMT FM 98.7 1.2 (1.0)
30) (tie) WCPT AM 820 1.1 (1.1)
30) (tie) WVIV FM 93.5 1.1 (1.1)
32) (tie) WIIL FM 95.1 0.8 (0.7)
32) (tie) WSRB FM 106.3 0.8 (0.9)
32) (tie) WZSR FM 105.5 0.8 (0.7)
35) WMBI FM 90.1 0.7 (0.9)
36) (tie) WCCQ FM 98.3 0.6 (0.6)
36) (tie) WGRB AM 1390 0.6 (0.7)
36) (tie) WSSR FM 96.7 0.6 (0.5)
39) WXLC FM 102.3 0.5 (0.4)
40) (tie) WERV FM 95.9 0.4 (0.6)
40) (tie) WFXF FM 103.9 0.4 (0.4)
40) (tie) WVON AM 1690 0.4 (no rating)

Morning drive top 10

Here are Chicago’s top 10 morning shows followed by average share of listeners age 6 and older from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio (with previous month’s share in parentheses):

1) WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy 9.8 (9.7)
2) WTMX FM 101.9 Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart 7.4 (7.9)
3) WGN AM 720 Steve Cochran 5.1 (5.0)
4) WVAZ FM 102.7 Steve Harvey 4.9 (4.9)
5) (tie) WBEZ FM 91.5 Morning Edition; Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia 3.8 (3.3)
5) (tie) WKSC FM 103.5 Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Angi Taylor 3.8 (3.6)
7) WSCR AM 670 Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley 3.5 (3.6)
8) WOJO FM 105.1 Raul Molinar, Sylvia del Valle and Andres Maldonado 3.4 (3.7)
9) WLIT FM 93.9 Kristina Kage 3.3 (3.8)
10) (tie) WDRV FM 97.1 Pete McMurray and Dan McNeil 2.8 (2.8)
10) (tie) WGCI FM 107.5 Kyle Santillian, Kendra Gilliams and Leon Rogers 2.8 (2.8)

Afternoon drive top 10

Here are Chicago’s top 10 afternoon shows followed by average share of listeners age 6 and older from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio (with previous month’s share in parentheses):

1) (tie) WVAZ FM 102.7 Doug Banks 5.5 (4.8)
1) (tie) WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson 5.5 (6.3)
3) WTMX FM 101.9 Koz (Kevin Koske) 5.1 (5.0)
4) WLIT FM 93.9 Mick Lee 4.3 (4.7)
5) WKSC FM 103.5 Brady Broski 4.2 (4.0)
6) WGCI FM 107.5 Tone Kapone 3.7 (4.2)
7) WGN AM 720 Roe Conn and Anna Davlantes 3.4 (2.9)
8) WBEZ FM 91.5 All Things Considered; Marketplace 3.3 (3.0)
9) WBBM FM 96.3 Dougie Stylz and Justin Roman 3.2 (3.2)
10) (tie) WKQX FM 101.1 Walter Flakus 3.1 (2.9)
10) (tie) WMVP AM 1000 Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman 3.1 (3.3)
10) (tie) WOJO FM 105.1 Oswaldo Diaz 3.1 (2.5)