Chicago Radio: WBBM-AM Tops In 2012 Billing

Chicago radio station revenue slipped for 2012, getting little or no boost from political advertising and bucking a modest uptrend for the industry.

According to The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago radio market brought in just under $484 million for the year, down by about $5 million from 2011, according to media research firm BIA/Kelsey, which said radio revenue was up 1.5 percent nationally.

CBS Radio had three of the top five stations in Chicago, including the all-news simulcast on WBBM-AM 780 and FM 105.9, which remained No. 1 with $45.7 million in revenue, down a little more than $2 million from 2011. CBS' hit music station, WBBM-FM 96.3 (B96), gained $7.8 million, to $25.8 million, jumping from 8th to 4th place, according to BIA/Kelsey.

Tribune Co.'s WGN-AM 720 took a big hit in revenue, dropping more than $5 million, to $30.2 million for the year, according to BIA/Kelsey. The NHL lockout, a labor dispute which wiped out the Chicago Blackhawks broadcast schedule on the station for the fourth quarter, accounted for a big chunk of that.

Here are the Top 5 Chicago radio stations in revenue for 2012, according to BIA/Kelsey:

• WBBM-AM with revenue of  $45.7 million, down $2.3 million from 2011
• WTMX-FM with revenue of $34.1 million, down $1.9 million from 2011
• WGN-AM  with revenue of $30.2 million, down $5.3 million from 2011
• WBBM-FM with revenue of  $25.8 million, up $7.8 million from 2011
• WUSN-FM  with revenue of $23.1 million, up $1.1 million from 2011

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