Joe Soto
WVAZ 102.7-FM, the iHeartMedia R&B powerhouse, widened its lead as Chicago's most popular radio station in the latest Nielsen Audio survey.
Ratings released Monday showed V103 atop the market for the second month in a row as well as No. 1 in afternoons with Joe Soto and evenings with syndicated host Keith Sweat.
WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM, the Audacy all-news combo, recaptured the top spot in mornings with Pat Cassidy after ranking third in March. WBBM Newsradio traded places with Chicago Public Media news/talk WBEZ 91.5-FM, which fell from first to third, with V103 in between.
WLIT 93.9-FM, the iHeartMedia adult contemporary station, was first in middays with Robin Rock.
The month's other notable winner was WOJO 105.1-FM, the Univision Spanish-language Mexican regional station, which swept the advertiser-coveted 25-to-54 age demographic, finishing first overall and first in mornings, middays, afternoons and evenings.
Here are Chicago’s top 30 radio stations from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio from April 1 to 28, 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 R&B, 6.9 (6.3)
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 6.3 (6.2)
3. WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 5.6 (5.7)
4. WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 5.1 (4.7)
5. WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 4.9 (4.7)
6. WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 4.1 (4.2)
7. WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.0 (4.4)
8. WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.6 (3.6)
9. WGN 720-AM news talk, 3.4 (3.5)
10. WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 3.2 (3.2)
11. (tie) WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip-hop, 2.8 (2.9); WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 2.8 (3.1)
13. (tie) WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 2.7 (2.5); WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 2.7 (2.4)
15. WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 2.6 (2.4)
16. WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 2.5 (2.5)
17. WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 2.3 (2.2)
18. WUSN 99.5-FM country, 2.2 (2.6)
19. (tie) WGCI 107.5-FM hip-hop, 2.0 (2.2); WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 2.0 (1.8)
21. WFMT 98.7-FM classical, 1.9 (2.3)
22. WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 1.8 (1.8)
23. WCHI 95.5-FM rock, 1.5 (1.7)
24. (tie) WLS 890-AM news talk, 1.4 (1.5); WPWX 92.3-FM hip-hop, 1.4 (1.5)
26. WMBI 90.1-FM Christian ministry, 1.2 (1.0)
27. (tie) WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 1.1 (0.9); WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.1 (1.1)
29. (tie) WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian music, 0.8 (0.8); WXLC 102.3-FM hot adult contemporary, 0.8 (0.4)
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 Pat Cassidy
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM Steve Harvey
3. WBEZ 91.5-FM “Morning Edition”; “BBC Newshour”
4. WDRV 97.1-FM Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle
5. WLIT 93.9-FM Melissa Forman
6. WTMX 101.9-FM Eric Ferguson, Nikki Chuminatto, Brian “Whip” Paruch and Violeta Podrumedic
7. WGN 720-AM Bob Sirott
8. WOJO 105.1-FM Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado
9. WXRT 93.1-FM Richard Milne
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. WDRV 97.1-FM Bob Stroud
4. WVAZ 102.7-FM Bioncé Foxx
5. WOJO 105.1-FM Rafael “El Primo Rafa” Bautista
6. WBEZ 91.5-FM “1A”; “Reset”; “Fresh Air”
7. WXRT 93.1-FM Lin Brehmer
8. WGN 720-AM John Williams; Anna Davlantes
9. (tie) WRME 87.7-FM; WTMX 101.9-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. WVAZ 102.7-FM Joe Soto
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Keith Johnson and Lisa Fielding
3. WLIT 93.9-FM Mick Lee
4. WDRV 97.1-FM Steve Seaver and Janda Lane
5. WBEZ 91.5-FM “All Things Considered”; “Marketplace”
6. (tie) WOJO 105.1-FM Sylvia del Valle; WTMX 101.9-FM Chris Petlak and Lisa Allen
8. WKSC 103.5-FM Brady Broski
9. WBMX 104.3-FM Sean “Sonic” Leckie
10. (tie) WXRT 93.1-FM Marty Lennartz; WPPN 106.7-FM Maria Esther “La Chula” Mendez and Poncho “La Bestia” Mercado
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. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Bob Conway; Andy Dahn
3. WLIT 93.9-FM Delilah Rene
4. WBEZ 91.5-FM “Marketplace”; “The Daily”; “Fresh Air”; “1A”; “BBC World Service”
5. WBMX 104.3-FM
6. WGN 720-AM John Records Landecker; Dave Plier; Chicago Blackhawks
7. (tie) WDRV 97.1-FM John “Byrd” Kempf; WFMT 98.7-FM; WKSC 103.5-FM Jordan “JRDN” Foster
10. WGCI 107.5-FM Zach Boog
(Copyright © 2021 The Nielsen Company.)