Chicago radio ratings: WBBM Newsradio is the top story

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WBBM Newsradio

Chicago Bears broadcasts and the run-up to the midterm election helped boost all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM to first place in the latest Chicago radio ratings.

Nielsen Audio figures released Wednesday showed the Entercom simulcast combo No. 1 among all listeners with a 5.7 percent share. It was WBBM Newsradio's fourth monthly increase and its highest overall share in nearly two years. While the station finished second or third in each of the weekday dayparts, a huge weekend share and hearty cumulative weekly audience of 1,569,500 lifted it to the top.

In second place with another record-high share was WOJO 105.1-FM, the Univision Spanish-language regional Mexican station. La Que Buena 105.1 again was No. 1 in afternoon drive with Sylvia del Valle, Jose Gutierrez and Carlos Ivan Paez. Its main competitor, Spanish Broadcasting System's WLEY 107.9-FM, also posted gains in mornings and middays.

Last month's big winner, iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary powerhouse WVAZ 102.7-FM, dropped to third — although Chris Michaels kept V103 first in evenings.

The most precipitous decline was at Entercom sports/talk WSCR 670-AM, which dropped from sixth place to 18th, losing 33 percent of its audience share without Chicago Cubs broadcasts to draw listeners. Hardest hit were middays and afternoons on The Score, both of which fell out of the top 10.

Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Brian “Whip” Paruch of Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX 101.9-FM returned to first place in mornings, while Greg Brown of Cumulus Media classic hits WLS 94.7-FM continued his reign as the king of middays.

The Nielsen Audio survey ran from October 11 to November 7. Around-the-clock Christmas music on iHeartMedia adult contemporary WLIT 93.9-FM began November 8.

Note: In accordance with Nielsen’s publishing guidelines, I cannot report actual audience shares other than those for the full week (below). For mornings, middays, afternoons and evenings, I can list only their rankings — not specific shares.

Here are Chicago’s top 30 radio stations from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in November, followed by format and average quarter-hour share of listeners age 6 and older (with October share in parentheses):

1. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 5.7 (5.6)
2. WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 5.4 (5.3)
3. WVAZ 102.7-FM urban adult contemporary, 5.3 (5.7)
4. WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 4.8 (5.0)
5. WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.5 (4.6)
6. WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 4.3 (4.1)
7. (tie) WUSN 99.5-FM country, 3.7 (3.7); WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.7 (3.5)
9. (tie) WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 3.3 (3.1); WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 3.3 (3.4)
11. (tie) WGN 720-AM news talk, 3.2 (2.8); WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 3.2 (3.5)
13.(tie) WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip hop, 3.1 (3.0); WGCI 107.5-FM urban contemporary, 3.1 (3.1); WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 3.1 (2.6)
16. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 2.9 (2.3); WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 2.9 (2.6)
18. WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 2.8 (4.2)
19. WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 2.7 (2.3)
20. WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 2.5 (2.4)
21. WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 2.2 (2.3)
22. WPWX 92.3-FM urban contemporary, 1.9 (1.7)
23. WLS 890-AM news talk, 1.6 (1.5)
24. (tie) WEBG 95.5-FM country, 1.4 (1.5); 25. WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 1.4 (1.4)
26. WMBI 90.1-FM Christian ministry, 1.2 (1.0)
27. WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.1 (1.1)
28. WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian, 0.9 (1.2)
29. WFMT 98.7-FM classical, 0.8 (1.2)
30. WERV 95.9-FM classic hits, 0.7 (0.8)

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 morning shows from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in November:

1. WTMX 101.9-FM Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Brian “Whip” Paruch
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy
3. WOJO 105.1-FM Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado
4. WVAZ 102.7-FM Steve Harvey
5. (tie) WDRV 97.1-FM Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle; WLS 94.7-FM Dave Fogel and Kim Berk
7. WGN 720-AM Steve Cochran
8. WSCR 670-AM Mike Mulligan and David Haugh
9. WXRT 93.1-FM Lin Brehmer
10. WLEY 107.9-FM Alberto “El Terrible" Cortez

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 midday shows from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in November:

1. WLS 94.7-FM Greg Brown
2. WOJO 105.1-FM Rafael “El Primo Rafa” Bautista
3. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Cisco Cotto and Kris Kridel
4. WDRV 97.1-FM Bob Stroud
5. WVAZ 102.7-FM Bioncé Foxx
6. WXRT 93.1-FM Terri Hemmert; Marty Lennartz
7. WTMX 101.9-FM Lisa Allen
8. WRME 87.7-FM
9. (tie) WLEY 107.9-FM Diane "La Patrona" Fong; WLIT 93.9-FM Robin Rock

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 afternoon shows from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in November:

1. WOJO 105.1-FM Sylvia del Valle, Jose Gutierrez and Carlos Ivan Paez
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson
3. WVAZ 102.7-FM Joe Soto
4. WLS 94.7-FM Ron Parker
5. WUSN 99.5-FM Mike Kasper
6. (tie) WDRV 97.1-FM Steve Seaver and Janda Lane; WTMX 101.9-FM Kevin “Koz” Koske and Jennifer Roberts
8. WXRT 93.1-FM Richard Milne
9. WKSC 103.5-FM Brady Broski
10. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM All Things Considered; WGCI 107.5-FM Tone Kapone; WRME 87.7-FM

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 evening shows from 7 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in November:

1. WVAZ 102.7-FM Chris Michaels
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Mariam Sobh; Bob Conway
3. WDRV 97.1-FM Phil Manicki
4. WBMX 104.3-FM Julian Jumpin’ Perez
5. WKSC 103.5-FM Erik Zachary
6. WSCR 670-AM Laurence Holmes; Julie DiCaro
7. WOJO 105.1-FM Karen “La Coqueta” Duran
8. WLS 94.7-FM Brian Peck
9. WGCI 107.5-FM DJ MoonDawg (Michael Muniz)
10. WTMX 101.9-FM Chris Reese

(Copyright © 2018 The Nielsen Company.)

Wednesday’s comment of the day: Mary Van De Velde Unseth: Mike [Roberts] and Brian [Travis] . . . two great talents. They'll be missed by many third-shifters and others who appreciate the connection to a real person overnight!