Report: Savage Besting Hannity In Some Markets

Michael Savage

The first month's numbers are in, and, according to Dylan Byers at Politico,  in at least five of nation's largest markets, Savage is not only beating Hannity -- he's trouncing him.

In January, in the coveted 25-to-54 year-old demographic, Savage beat and in some cases doubled Hannity's average quarter-hour (AQH) audience, according to new Nielsen numbers provided by an industry insider.

In New York, Savage's program on WABC averaged 9,500 AQH for 25-54, while Hannity's WOR program averaged just 5,000 on WOR. In Dallas, Savage's WBAP program averaged 3,600 to Hannity's 1,900 on KSKY. In San Francisco, his KSFO program averaged 3,700, almost doubling Hannity's 2,000 on KNEW. In Detroit, his WJR-AM program had a 4,200, more than five-times Hannity's 800 on WDTK-AM.

Sean Hannity

To be fair, there are some markets where Savage and Hannity's programs don't run head-to-head, due to delays. In Chicago, Savage outperformed Hannity 3,800 to 1,700, but that was due in part to the fact that his show (on WLS) is delayed until 6 p.m., whereas Hannity's (on WIND) airs live at 2 p.m.

Hannity also continues to command a far larger national audience, with more than 13.25 million listeners per week to Savage's 5.0 million, according to the latest data from Talkers, the industry trade publication. Hannity is broadcast on roughly 500 stations, Savage is broadcast on roughly 200 stations.

Overall, Hannity’s move to WOR has boosted that station's 25-to-54 drivetime audience by 22 percent year-over-year, while WABC drivetime has declined 35.3 percent in the demo. Hannity has also boosted the 25-to-54 audience in markets like Dallas and Los Angeles.

“The Sean Hannity Show reaches more than 13 million listeners on more than 500 affiliates weekly, and we are excited by the progress we are seeing out of the gate with recent affiliate movement," a spokesperson for Premiere Networks, the Clear Channel subsidiary that syndicates Hannity, said in a statement. "This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we look forward to continued growth and success."

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