In what Nielsen calls a ratings upset, Classic Hits pushed
CHR and Country aside in August to
finish the summer as radio’s most improved format.
New analysis from Nielsen shows the average 6+ share for
classic hits in PPM markets jumped 10% in the summer months when compared to
its average performance from January-May.
During June and July, Country and Pop Contemporary Hit Radio
(CHR) both made a play to land the coveted title of “format of the summer,” as
Country popped in June, cooled in July, and was then overtaken by a spike in
Top40 listening. In August, however, neither format could keep their momentum
going, giving way to a dark horse that pulled in solid audience share
throughout the summer. Compared with Country and CHR, Classic Hits has quietly
and consistently grown its audience during the past three months and finished
the summer of 2014 with the largest percentage increase in listening shares of
any major format during the summer.
In order to judge this race, Nielsen compared listening
trends for the major radio formats during June, July and August with the
average results from the first five months of the year, January through May.
Based on the average quarter hour (AQH) share changes for the full-week
(Monday-Sunday 6 a.m.-midnight) daypart over the past four years, the last
three summertime “winners” have been Hot Adult Contemporary (AC), Pop CHR and
Country, respectively.
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This year, Classic Hits led the way, followed by Hot AC,
Classic Rock and Country.
According to Nielsen, August’s results for the Classic Hits format were historic in several ways: the format set a new all-time high for both 6-plus (5.6%) and 18-34 (3.8%) listener shares, and the 25-54 results (4.9%) were the highest since the spring of 2012.
Persons 6+
|
Summer 2011 Share
Increase (%)
|
Summer 2012 Share
Increase (%)
|
Summer 2013 Share
Increase (%)
|
Summer 2014 Share
Increase (%)
|
Adult Contemporary
(AC)
|
-3.3
|
-3.6
|
-5.3
|
-4.1
|
Album Adult
Alternative
|
-11.9
|
-1.6
|
4.0
|
-8.3
|
Album Oriented Rock
|
-4.4
|
3.8
|
8.4
|
Flat
|
All News
|
-7.6
|
-2.0
|
-9.3
|
-14.3
|
All Sports
|
-2.7
|
-5.3
|
-0.8
|
-2.4
|
Alternative
|
-8.2
|
7.5
|
7.6
|
Flat
|
Classic Hits
|
4.1
|
0.9
|
2.2
|
10
|
Classic Rock
|
6.0
|
3.2
|
5.9
|
6.5
|
Country
|
6.2
|
3.9
|
8.8
|
6.3
|
Hot Adult
Contemporary (AC)
|
26.3
|
3.6
|
5.3
|
6.7
|
Mexican Regional
|
-3.5
|
-3.5
|
-5.2
|
2.7
|
News/Talk
|
-5.1
|
-5.5
|
-7.8
|
-6.7
|
Pop Contemporary Hit
Radio (CHR)
|
3.2
|
8.5
|
1.9
|
1.2
|
Rhythmic
Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)
|
-1.3
|
6.9
|
-1.9
|
-8.1
|
Spanish
Contemporary+Spanish Hot AC
|
-1.5
|
-7.2
|
-4.9
|
4.0
|
Urban Adult
Contemporary (AC)
|
2.0
|
-1.4
|
-0.8
|
2.0
|
Urban Contemporary
|
2.0
|
1.1
|
1.9
|
Flat
|
PPM—Portable people
meter. CHR—Contemporary Hit Radio. AC—Adult Contemporary.
Source: Nielsen |
||||
Radio is dead.
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