Chicago radio ratings: V103 vaults back to the top

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V103 102.7-FM Chicago

WVAZ 102.7-FM, the iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary station known as V103, took top honors Tuesday in the Nielsen Audio survey for September.

Jumping from third place to first, the R&B powerhouse recaptured the Chicago radio ratings crown for the first time since October 2018. V103 also was No. 1 in evenings with Chris Michaels.

Another notable gainer was Cumulus Media classic hits WLS 94.7-FM, which rose from a tie for seventh to third.

Biggest loser was Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX 101.9-FM, plunging a whopping 1.5 share points from first to a tie for sixth.

In its last full month under Tribune Media ownership, news/talk WGN 720-AM moved up from a tie for 16th to a tie for 12th, and Steve Cochran jumped from 11th to sixth in mornings. On September 19, the station officially was acquired by Dallas-based Nexstar Media Group, ending a 95-year run since its founding as Chicago radio flagship of the "World's Greatest Newspaper."

Sports/talk WMVP 1000-AM closed out its last full month under ESPN Radio management up from 25th to 23rd. As of this week, ESPN 1000 came under operational control of Wisconsin-based Good Karma Brands.

Entercom all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM was first in mornings with Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy, and Hubbard Radio classic rock WDRV 97.1-FM was first in middays with Bob Stroud and afternoons with Steve Seaver and Janda Lane.

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 from August 15 to September 11, followed by format and average quarter-hour share of listeners age 6 and older (with previous month’s share in parentheses):

1. WVAZ 102.7-FM urban adult contemporary, 5.7 (5.0)
2. WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 5.4 (5.4)
3. WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 4.9 (3.8)
4. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 4.8 (4.8)
5. WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 4.3 (4.1)
6. (tie) WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 4.2 (4.5); WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.2 (5.7)
8. (tie) WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 3.5 (3.8); WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.5 (3.5)
10. WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 3.4 (3.4)
11. WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 3.3 (2.9)
12. (tie) WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip hop, 3.2 (3.1); WGN 720-AM news talk, 3.2 (2.8)
14. WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 3.0 (3.0)
15. (tie) WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 2.9 (2.9); WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 2.9 (2.8); WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 2.9 (3.1)
18. WUSN 99.5-FM country, 2.7 (2.6)
19. WGCI 107.5-FM urban contemporary, 2.5 (2.5)
20. WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 2.1 (2.0)
21. (tie) WLS 890-AM news talk, 1.7 (2.1); WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 1.7 (1.9)
23. WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 1.6 (1.4)
24. WEBG 95.5-FM country, 1.5 (1.6)
25. WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.4 (1.5)
26. WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian, 1.1 (1.0)
27. (tie) WERV 95.9-FM classic hits, 1.0 (1.1); WSSR 96.7-FM adult contemporary, 1.0 (0.6)
29. (tie) WFMT 98.7-FM classical, 0.8 (0.8); WMBI 90.1-FM Christian ministry, 0.8 (0.9)

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

1. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy
2. WTMX 101.9-FM Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Brian “Whip” Paruch
3. WDRV 97.1-FM Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle
4. WSCR 670-AM Mike Mulligan and David Haugh
5. WVAZ 102.7-FM Steve Harvey
6. WGN 720-AM Steve Cochran
7. WLS 94.7-FM Dave Fogel and Kim Berk
8. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM “Morning Edition” and “Morning Shift” with Jennifer White; WKSC 103.5-FM Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Angi Taylor
10. WLIT 93.9-FM Melissa Forman

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:

1. WDRV 97.1-FM Bob Stroud
2. WLS 94.7-FM Greg Brown
3. WVAZ 102.7-FM Bioncé Foxx
4. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Cisco Cotto and Rob Hart
5. WLIT 93.9-FM Robin Rock
6. WTMX 101.9-FM Lisa Allen
7. WRME 87.7-FM
8. WXRT 93.1-FM Richard Milne
9. WSCR 670-AM Dan Bernstein and Connor McKnight; Laurence Holmes
10. WKQX 101.1-FM Lauren O’Neil

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

1. WDRV 97.1-FM Steve Seaver and Janda Lane
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM Joe Soto
3. WLS 94.7-FM Ron Parker
4. (tie) WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Keith Johnson and Lisa Fielding; WTMX 101.9-FM Kevin “Koz” Koske and Jennifer Roberts
6. WLIT 93.9-FM Mick Lee
7. (tie) WKSC 103.5-FM Brady Broski; WXRT 93.1-FM Marty Lennartz
9. WKQX 101.1-FM Tim Virgin
10. WSCR 670-AM Dan McNeil and Danny Parkins

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

1. WVAZ 102.7-FM Chris Michaels
2. WSCR 670-AM Joe Ostrowski; Julie DiCaro; Cubs baseball
3. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Mariam Sobh; Bob Conway
4. WLS 94.7-FM Brian Peck
5. WBMX 104.3-FM Julian Jumpin’ Perez
6. WLIT 93.9-FM Delilah Rene
7. (tie) WGN 720-AM Justin Kaufmann; White Sox baseball; WKSC 103.5-FM Erik Zachary
9. (tie) WBBM 96.3-FM Julia Lepidi; WDRV 97.1-FM Phil Manicki; WTMX 101.1-FM Nikki Imbracsio; Chris Petlak

(Copyright © 2019 The Nielsen Company.)