Nielsen: CHR, Classic Rock Formats Poised For A Hot Summer

Things could be sizzlin' this summer for CHR and Classic Rock.

According to Nielsen, radio listening habits are already beginning to fall in line with summertime trends. And Nielsen’s March portable people meter (PPM) results show how Pop Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) and Classic Rock could continue their recent runs of success and open the debate about which format consumers will flock to this summer.

Pop CHR doesn’t always grab the headlines—even though it’s consistently one of the most listened-to radio formats across the nation. But in scanning the March results, it’s hard to ignore the upward movement, which is setting the format up for what could be another big summer.

CHR Trending according to Nielsen:

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Among all listeners aged 6+, Pop CHR saw the best share (8.7%) since its historic summer of 2012, which was a high point for the format. And while the same story played out with 18-to-34 year-olds (12.8% this month),the real news came in the 25-54 demographic. There, Pop CHR set a new record for listening share (9.5%).

Classic Rock Trending:

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Classic Rock is also on the upswing this month, setting new records for share of audience across each of the major listener groups.  Classic Rock has gone from being the 11th-ranked format among all listeners 6+ to the sixth-ranked format. Among listeners 25-54, it ranked 10th in March of 2012 and ranks fifth this year.