Once again, Miami stands out as one of the rare major markets where no significant station committed to full-time Christmas music during the holiday period. A few smaller signals experimented with the format, but none managed to break into the top 25 (6+).
Persons 6+ Highlights:
- Cox Media Group's Soft AC WFEZ (Easy 93.1) climbed to #1, posting its strongest share in more than a year (up from 6.6 to 7.3).
- Cox Media Group's Urban AC WHQT (Hot 105) slipped to #2 (down from 6.9 to 6.6).
- TelevisaUnivision's Spanish Hot AC WAMR (Amor 107.5) held steady at #3 (5.8 to 5.9).
- Audacy's Classic Hits WMXJ (102.7 The Beach) stayed at #4 (5.3 to 5.7).
- iHeartMedia's Spanish Adult Hits WMIA (Magic 93.9) advanced to #5 (5.0 to 5.3).
- Audacy's AC WLYF (101.5 Lite FM) fell to #6, recording its lowest share since January (5.2 to 5.1).WFEZ also remained the market's cume leader, growing 6.4% (from 740,400 to 787,500). Overall market listening declined 2.1%. Persons Using Measured Media (PUMM) dropped 7.1% from November but rose 14% year-over-year.
Persons 25-54 Highlights:
- WFEZ dominated the demo for the 12th consecutive book. Key movements:WMIA returned to #2, delivering its fourth straight upward trend but still trailing the leader by over a full share.
- Cox Media Group's Rhythmic AC WFLC (Hits 97.3) held at #3 with a modest gain.
- WMXJ rose to #4, rebounding from the prior month's dip.
- iHeartMedia's Spanish Contemporary WZTU (Tú 94.9) claimed sole possession of #5 with a small increase.
- WHQT fell three spots to #7, giving back most of the previous month's gains.
Demo PUMM was down 7.9% month-to-month but up 14.3% from the previous year.
iHeartMedia's AC WNIC kicked off its Christmas music toward the tail end of the previous book and rode the holiday wave to another dominant finish.
Persons 6+ Highlights:
- WNIC repeated as the market leader with a huge leap (8.0 to 12.2)—solid but slightly below last holiday's #1 finish of 13.1.
- The rest of the top tier held steady:Audacy's Sports WXYT (97.1 The Ticket) climbed back to #2 (7.4 to 7.8), bolstered by an additional 2.2 share from streaming.
- iHeartMedia's Urban AC WMXD (Mix 92.3) stayed at #3 (7.3 to 7.0).
- Audacy's Classic Hits WOMC repeated at #4 (6.0 to 6.3).
- Audacy's Country WYCD again rounded out the top five but posted its lowest share since the previous holiday season (5.4 to 4.7).WNIC extended its cume dominance with a 24.2% surge (1,026,300 to 1,274,400). Overall market listening dipped 0.2%.
Persons 25-54 Highlights:
- WNIC vaulted from #3 to #1 and reached double digits, snapping Audacy Sports WXYT's eight-book winning streak in the demo.
- WXYT slipped to #2 but still returned to double figures.
- WMXD advanced to #3, halting a two-book decline.
- Beasley's Active Rock WRIF dropped to #4.
- iHeartMedia's Urban Contemporary WJLB rose to #5 on a modest gain.
- iHeartMedia's Pop CHR WKQI (Channel 955) fell to #7 with its lowest share in over a year.
Demo PUMM declined 2.8% month-to-month but increased 9.2% from the previous year.
🌲Seattle's Holiday Landscape Has Thinned
🌲Phoenix Holiday Ratings: Holiday Hits
🌲Minneapolis-St. Paul Holiday Ratings: Holiday Hits Are KQQL
iHeartMedia's Classic Hits KQQL (Kool 108) flipped to all-Christmas on the second day of the survey and rode the holiday surge to the top of the market.
This year, only two players flipped to full-time holiday music—and both cracked the top five (6+). Persons 6+ Highlights:
- For the 12th consecutive book, University of Washington's News/Talk KUOW held firmly at #1 (up from 9.4 to 9.8).
- Hubbard's AC KRWM (Warm 106.9) flipped to Christmas on the second day of the survey and rocketed from #9 to #2 (4.2 to 9.5)—its best performance in years, though last holiday it hit #1 with a 7.3 share.
- iHeartMedia's Classic Hits KJEB (95.7 The Jet) dropped to #3 (6.3 to 5.7), tying with Audacy's Active Rock KISW (99.9 The Rock), which held steady (5.8 to 5.7).
- Crista Ministries' Contemporary Christian KCMS (Spirit 105.3) switched to holiday music in week three and stayed at #5 (4.7 to 5.6). A year ago, it ranked #14 with just a 3.2 share.
- Without Mariners baseball support, Bonneville's Sports KIRO-AM (Seattle Sports 710) tumbled from #4 to #12 (5.2 to 3.2).KRWM seized cume leadership with a massive 50.9% surge (531,900 to 802,700). Overall market listening dipped slightly by 0.1%. Persons Using Measured Media (PUMM) fell 0.7% from November but rose 13.2% year-over-year.
Persons 25-54 Highlights:
- KRWM more than tripled its prior share, catapulting from #12 to #1 in the demo.
- KISW slipped to #2 with a small gain, trailing the leader by about half a share.
- KUOW climbed to #3, delivering its strongest book in over a year.
- Hubbard's Pop CHR KQMV (MOViN' 92.5) and KJEB dropped from a tie at #2 to a new tie at #4.
- KEXP (Alternative) and KIRO-AM, previously tied at #4 and #5 respectively, both slid to #10.
- KCMS held steady at #9.
Demo PUMM declined 1.2% month-to-month but jumped 27.8% from the previous year.
Phoenix listeners tuned in strongly to holiday music this season, propelling one station to a dominant performance. Persons 6+ Highlights:
- iHeartMedia's AC KESZ (99.9 KEZ), which flipped to all-Christmas in the previous survey, retained its #1 position with a massive surge (8.3 to 14.0)—its strongest holiday showing, topping last year's #1 finish of 12.3.
- Hubbard's Classic Rock KSLX returned to #2 but posted its lowest share since March (7.6 to 6.0).
- Audacy's Classic Hits KOOL (Big 94.5) advanced to #3 (4.9 to 4.7).
- iHeartMedia's Adult Hits KYOT (95.5 The Mountain) dropped to #4 (5.3 to 4.4).
- iHeartMedia's Country KNIX held at #5 (4.3 to 4.0), tying with iHeartMedia's News/Talk KFYI-AM, which climbed one spot (4.2 to 4.0).KESZ widened its cume lead with a 36.1% jump (943,500 to 1,284,200). Overall market listening edged up 0.1%.
Persons 25-54 Highlights:
- KESZ remained #1 in double digits for the third straight book, cementing its holiday dominance.
- TelevisaUnivision's Mexican Regional KHOT (Qué Buena 105.9 & 105.1) climbed to #2 with its best performance in over a year.
- KYOT nudged up to #3 despite a slight share decline.
- KSLX fell from #2 to #4, tying with KOOL, which rose from #7 on a modest gain.
- Hubbard's Active Rock KUPD dropped three spots to #8, recording its lowest share in over a year and tying with iHeartMedia's Hot AC KMXP (Mix 96.9).
Persons 6+ Highlights:
- KQQL rocketed from #5 to #1 with a near-doubling of its share (5.5 to 10.8)—just edging last year's #2 holiday finish of 10.7.
- This snapped iHeartMedia Sports KFXN (KFAN FM 100.3)'s impressive 11-book winning streak, as it slipped to #2 (11.0 to 10.3).
- Minnesota Public Radio's News/Talk KNOW held steady at #3 (7.0 to 7.1), picking up an additional 1.2 share from streaming.
- University of Northwestern-St. Paul's Contemporary Christian KTIS—which joined the holiday format in week three—dropped to #4 (8.1 to 6.7).
- Hubbard's Hot AC KSTP (KS95) fell to #5 with its lowest share in over a year (6.8 to 5.6).KQQL bolstered its cume leadership with a 16.8% increase (711,300 to 830,700). Overall market listening declined 1.8%.
Persons Using Measured Media (PUMM) dropped 4.2% from November but rose 2.1% year-over-year.
Persons 25-54 Highlights:
- KFXN claimed #1 for the fifth consecutive survey, remaining in double digits.
- KQQL leaped from #8 to #2—also hitting double figures—and trailed the leader by less than a full share.
- MPR's AAA KCMP (89.3 The Current) returned to #3, ending a three-book decline.
- Audacy's Adult Hits KZJK (104.1 Jack FM) stayed at #4 with its fourth straight upward book.
- Cumulus' Active Rock KXXR (93X) fell three spots to #5.
- KSTP tumbled from #5 to #8.
Demo PUMM dipped 0.6% month-to-month but increased 2.5% from the previous year.