Chicago radio ratings: Christmas music lifts Lite FM to No. 1

posted on at by

Robin Rock

Non-stop holiday music once again catapulted iHeartMedia adult contemporary WLIT 93.9-FM to the top spot in the latest Chicago radio ratings.

Lite FM, marking its 20th year as "Chicago's Christmas Music Station," finished first overall — as well as first in middays with Robin Rock and first in afternoons with Mick Lee — in the Nielsen Audio survey released December 21.

93.9 Lite FM

Covering the four-week period from November 5 to December 2, the report included the first month of Lite FM's Christmas format, which began November 6. The station ranked sixth in the previous month's survey.

Among news/talk stations, Nexstar Media Group WGN 720-AM continued in 11th place despite a fourth consecutive downturn in audience share. Chicago Public Media WBEZ 91.5-FM moved up from fifth to fourth although it lost three-tenths. Cumulus Media WLS 890-AM fell from 13th to 15th, also losing three-tenths.

WVAZ 102.7-FM, the iHeartMedia R&B station, led in mornings and evenings with two syndicated hosts — Steve Harvey and Keith Sweat, respectively.

Here are Chicago’s top 30 radio stations from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio from November 5 to December 2, followed by format and average quarter-hour share of listeners age 6 and older (with previous month’s share in parentheses):

1. WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 9.5 (4.6)
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM R&B, 8.4 (8.9)
3. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 6.8 (6.5)
4. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 4.4 (4.7); WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 4.4 (5.0)
6. WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.1 (5.1)
7. (tie) WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 3.9 (3.7); WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 3.9 (3.8)
9. WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.5 (3.3)
10. WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 2.9 (3.1)
11. WGN 720-AM news talk, 2.8 (2.9)
12. WUSN 99.5-FM country, 2.6 (2.4)
13. WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 2.5 (2.6)
14. WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip hop, 2.3 (2.4)
15. (tie) WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 2.2 (2.2); WLS 890-AM news talk, 2.2 (2.5)
17. (tie) WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 2.1 (2.1); WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 2.1 (2.3)
19. WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 1.9 (2.1)
20. (tie) WGCI 107.5-FM hip-hop, 1.8 (1.7); WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 1.8 (2.2)
22. (tie) WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 1.7 (2.1); WCHI 95.5-FM rock, 1.7 (2.1)
24. WPWX 92.3-FM hip-hop, 1.4 (1.4)
25. WFMT 98.7-FM classical, 1.2 (1.0)
26. WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.0 (0.9)
27. WCPT 820-AM progressive talk, 0.9 (1.2)
28. WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 0.7 (0.9)
29. (tie) WCCQ 98.3-FM country, 0.6 (0.8); WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian music, 0.6 (0.6)

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

1. WVAZ 102.7-FM Steve Harvey
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Pat Cassidy
3. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM “Morning Edition”; “BBC Newshour”; WLIT 93.9-FM Melissa Forman
5. WTMX 101.9-FM Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Brian “Whip” Paruch
6. WDRV 97.1-FM Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle
7. WGN 720-AM Bob Sirott
8. WOJO 105.1-FM Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado
9. WLS 94.7-FM Dave Fogel and Kim Berk
10. WRME 87.7-FM

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. WLIT 93.9-FM Robin Rock
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Cisco Cotto
3. WVAZ 102.7-FM Bioncé Foxx
4. WDRV 97.1-FM Bob Stroud
5. WTMX 101.9-FM Nikki Chuminatto
6. WLS 94.7-FM Greg Brown
7. WOJO 105.1-FM Rafael “El Primo Rafa” Bautista
8. (tie) WXRT 93.1-FM Lin Brehmer; WBEZ 91.5-FM “1A”; “Reset”; “Fresh Air”
10. (tie) WLS 890-AM Chris Plante; Rush Limbaugh; WRME 87.7-FM

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

1. WLIT 93.9-FM Mick Lee
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM Joe Soto
3. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Keith Johnson and Lisa Fielding
4. WOJO 105.1-FM Sylvia del Valle
5. WLS 94.7-FM Erin Carman
6. (tie) WDRV 97.1-FM Steve Seaver and Janda Lane; WTMX 101.9-FM Chris Petlak and Lisa Allen
8. WBEZ 91.5-FM “All Things Considered”; “Marketplace”
9. WXRT 93.1-FM Marty Lennartz
10. WKSC 103.5-FM Brady Broski

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 Keith Sweat
2. WLIT 93.9-FM Delilah Rene
3. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Bob Conway; Andy Dahn
4. WBMX 104.3-FM Sean “Sonic” Leckie
5. WBEZ 91.5-FM “Marketplace”; “The Daily”; “Fresh Air”; “1A”; “BBC World Service”
6. WLS 890-AM Mark Levin
7. WXRT 93.1-FM Ryan Arnold
8. WRME 87.7-FM
9. (tie) WGCI 107.5-FM Zach Boog; WKSC 103.5-FM Jordan “JRDN” Foster; WOJO 105.1-FM Jesus “Chuy” Gonzalez

(Copyright © 2020 The Nielsen Company.)