$\"\"$ <\/a>

<\/a> Me-TV FM<\/p><\/div>\n

Days after parent company iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy protection,<\/a> urban adult-contemporary powerhouse WVAZ FM 102.7 remained firmly entrenched as the top-rated radio station in the Chicago area.<\/p>\n

But far bigger news in the Nielsen Audio survey released Monday was the growth of Weigel Broadcasting\u2019s WRME FM 87.7, the\u00a0soft-rock oldies station known as Me-TV FM. Jumping from 21st place to sixth in one month, it delivered its highest total audience share ever. In middays the station ranked No. 2 overall \u2014 behind only V103.<\/p>\n

The achievement was even more amazing considering that Me-TV FM operates with a programming staff of two \u2014 program director Rick O\u2019Dell and production director Bill Cochran \u2014 and broadcasts on a low-power analog television frequency that functions as a radio station. Its leased signal at the farthest end of the dial isn\u2019t even accessible by some automobile radios.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a>

Neal Sabin<\/p><\/div>\n

Before Weigel Broadcasting launched the radio spinoff its Me-TV digital classic television network in February 2015, the station had been a bust for other companies. Earlier, Tribune Broadcasting bowed out in 38th place with a 0.5 share for its ill-fated sports\/talk format known as The Game 87.7 FM.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur success is all the more remarkable because of our challenged dial position and somewhat weaker signal than many of the boomer stations in the market,\u201d said Neal Sabin, vice chairman of Weigel and the creator of Me-TV and other networks for the company. \u201cThe uniqueness of the Me-TV FM music format and its presentation seem to have overcome these obstacles in a manner no other broadcaster has been able to accomplish in this or any other market utilizing the 87.7 frequency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of the station\u2019s format, Sabin said: \u201cWe continue to break many of the old \u2018radio rules\u2019 by playing thousands of different songs in a strategically balanced manner that span many decades, genres and tempos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also making a notable leap in February was Hubbard Radio adult contemporary WSHE FM 100.3, which jumped from a tie for 19th to a tie for eighth. The syndicated morning team of Brooke Fox and Jubal Flagg catapulted to the top 10.\u00a0\u201cWe believe the station has been consistently well programmed, which pays off over time, especially in a market with so many recent changes,\u201d said Jeff England, vice president and market manager for Hubbard Radio Chicago.<\/p>\n

In its final month as a classic rock station, Cumulus Media\u2019s former WLUP FM 97.9 closed out in a tie for 11th place overall. Among men, The Loop ranked third \u2014 behind only V103 and Entercom Newsradio WBBM AM 780\/WCFS FM 105.9. The Loop ended its 41-year run<\/a>\u00a0March 9 before it switched to contemporary Christian music under new ownership.<\/p>\n

Here are Chicago\u2019s top 30 radio stations from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in February, followed by format and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with January share in parentheses):<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) WVAZ FM 102.7<\/strong>\u00a0urban adult contemporary, 6.6 (6.8)
\n2) WBBM AM 780\/WCFS FM 105.9<\/strong>\u00a0all news, 5.3 (4.7)
\n3) WTMX FM 101.9<\/strong>\u00a0hot adult contemporary, 4.9 (5.4)
\n4) WBMX FM 104.3<\/strong>\u00a0classic hip hop, 4.0 (4.8)
\n5) WOJO FM 105.1<\/strong>\u00a0Mexican regional, 3.7 (3.5)
\n6) WRME FM 87.7<\/strong>\u00a0soft rock oldies, 3.6 (2.4)
\n7) WLS FM 94.7<\/strong>\u00a0classic hits, 3.4 (3.1)
\n8) (tie) WDRV FM 97.1<\/strong>\u00a0classic rock, 3.3 (3.3); WLIT FM 93.9<\/strong>\u00a0adult contemporary, 3.3 (3.4); WSHE FM 100.3\u00a0<\/strong>adult contemporary, 3.3 (2.6)
\n11) (tie) WGCI FM 107.5<\/strong>\u00a0urban contemporary, 3.2 (2.7); WLUP FM 97.9<\/strong>\u00a0classic rock, 3.2 (2.9)
\n13) (tie) WGN AM 720<\/strong>\u00a0news talk, 3.1 (3.3); WXRT FM 93.1<\/strong>\u00a0adult album alternative, 3.1 (3.2)
\n15) (tie) WKSC FM 103.5<\/strong>\u00a0Top 40, 3.0 (3.4); WUSN FM 99.5<\/strong>\u00a0country, 3.0 (3.4)
\n17) (tie) WBBM FM 96.3<\/strong>\u00a0Top 40, 2.8 (3.0); WKQX FM 101.1<\/strong>\u00a0alternative rock, 2.8 (3.0)
\n19) WPPN FM 106.7<\/strong>\u00a0Spanish adult contemporary, 2.7 (2.8)
\n20) WLEY FM 107.9\u00a0<\/strong>Mexican regional, 2.6 (2.6)
\n21) WSCR AM 670<\/strong>\u00a0sports talk, 2.5 (2.7)
\n22) (tie) WBEZ FM 91.5\u00a0<\/strong>public radio news talk, 2.2 (2.2); WPWX FM 92.3<\/strong>\u00a0urban contemporary, 2.2 (2.1)
\n24) WLS AM 890<\/strong>\u00a0news talk, 2.0 (1.7)
\n25) WEBG FM 95.5<\/strong>\u00a0country, 1.7 (2.0)
\n26) WMVP AM 1000<\/strong>\u00a0sports talk, 1.5 (1.6)
\n27) WFMT FM 98.7<\/strong>\u00a0classical, 1.4 (1.5)
\n28) WIND AM 560<\/strong>\u00a0news talk, 1.3 (1.4)
\n29) (tie) WJKL FM 94.3<\/strong>\u00a0contemporary Christian, 1.1 (1.1); WVIV FM 93.5<\/strong>\u00a0Spanish contemporary, 1.1 (1.0)<\/p>\n

Here are Chicago radio\u2019s top 10 morning shows from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in February, followed by host and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with January share in parentheses):<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. WTMX FM 101.9 Eric Ferguson<\/strong> 7.7 (7.5)
\n2. WBBM AM 780\/WCFS FM 105.9 Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy<\/strong> 7.2 (7.0)
\n3. WVAZ FM 102.7 Steve Harvey<\/strong> 5.6 (5.9)
\n4. WOJO FM 105.1\u00a0Ra\u00fal Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andr\u00e9s Maldonado<\/strong> 4.4 (4.1)
\n5. WDRV FM 97.1 Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle<\/strong> 4.0 (3.5)
\n6. WSCR AM 670 Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley<\/strong> 3.9 (4.0)
\n7. WSHE FM 100.3 Brooke Fox and Jubal Flagg<\/strong> 3.6 (2.5)
\n8. WLEY FM 107.9 Alberto Terry \u201cEl Terrible\u201d Cortez<\/strong> 3.5 (3.4)
\n9. WGN AM 720 Steve Cochran<\/strong> 3.4 (3.9)
\n10. WXRT FM 93.1 Lin Brehmer<\/strong> 3.2 (2.9)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"