Kristina Kage and Edison the Reindeer
While most of Chicago radio went home for the holidays, it was another December to remember for WLIT FM 93.9 and its annual Christmas music marathon.
Making merry for more than 3.6 million listeners, the iHeart Media adult contemporary station doubled its audience share from the previous month and rose to the top of the pack, according to Nielsen Audio ratings released Tuesday for December 3 to 30.
WLIT marked its 15th consecutive year as “Chicago’s Christmas Station” with a commanding 13.9 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 3,636,500 — a modest decline from last year’s 14.2 rating and 3,772,100 weekly cume. Among some age groups, including the key advertiser-drawing demographic between 25 and 54, ratings were up from last year.
Here are the top 40 radio stations in the Chicago area followed by average share of listeners age 6 and older from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio from December 3 to 30 (followed by previous month’s share in parentheses):
1) WLIT FM 93.9 13.9 (6.6)
2) WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) 6.8 (7.0)
3) WVAZ FM 102.7 5.8 (6.1)
4) WTMX FM 101.9 4.2 (4.7)
5) WGCI FM 107.5 3.5 (3.2)
6) WKSC FM 103.5 3.4 (3.3)
7) (tie) WOJO FM 105.1 3.3 (3.7)
7) (tie) WGN AM 720 3.3 (3.8)
9) (tie) WLS FM 94.7 2.8 (2.8)
9) (tie) WBBM FM 96.3 2.8 (3.1)
11) WDRV FM 97.1 2.7 (3.0)
12) WKQX FM 101.1 2.4 (3.1)
13) (tie) WXRT FM 93.1 2.3 (2.6)
13) (tie) WUSN FM 99.5 2.3 (3.0)
13) (tie) WJMK FM 104.3 2.3 (2.9)
16) WBEZ FM 91.5 2.1 (2.5)
17) (tie) WPPN FM 106.7 2.0 (2.5)
17) (tie) WLUP FM 97.9 2.0 (2.4)
17) (tie) WPWX FM 92.3 2.0 (1.8)
17) (tie) WSHE FM 100.3 2.0 (2.4)
17) (tie) WSCR AM 670 2.0 (2.2)
22) WMVP AM 1000 1.9 (2.0)
23) WEBG FM 95.5 1.7 (1.8)
24) (tie) WLEY FM 107.9 1.6 (1.7)
24) (tie) WLS AM 890 1.6 (1.6)
26) WRME FM 87.7 1.4 (1.9)
27) WJKL FM 94.3 1.3 (1.4)
28) WFMT FM 98.7 1.1 (0.8)
29) WMBI FM 90.1 1.0 (0.8)
30) WSRB FM 106.3 0.9 (1.0)
31) WVIV FM 93.5 0.8 (0.9)
32) (tie) WXLC FM 102.3 0.7 (0.6)
32) (tie) WIND AM 560 0.7 (0.7)
34) (tie) WCPT AM 820 0.6 (0.7)
34) (tie)WERV FM 95.9 0.6 (0.7)
34) (tie) WSSR FM 96.7 0.6 (0.6)
34) (tie) WIIL FM 95.1 0.6 (0.7)
38) (tie) WZSR FM 105.5 0.5 (0.6)
38) (tie) WMIL FM 106.1 0.5 (0.3)
38) (tie) WCCQ FM 98.3 0.5 (0.5)
Morning drive top 10
Here are Chicago’s top 10 morning shows followed by average share of listeners age 6 and older from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio (with previous month’s share in parentheses):
1) WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy 10.6 (9.9)
2) WLIT FM 93.9 Kristina Kage 9.9 (4.8)
3) WTMX FM 101.9 Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart 6.0 (6.5)
4) WVAZ FM 102.7 Steve Harvey 5.8 (6.0)
5) WGN AM 720 Steve Cochran 5.6 (5.6)
6) WOJO FM 105.1 Raul Molinar, Sylvia del Valle and Andres Maldonado 3.2 (3.8)
7) (tie) WKSC FM 103.5 Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Angi Taylor 3.0 (2.8)
7) (tie) WSCR AM 670 Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley 3.0 (3.1)
9) WGCI FM 107.5 Kyle Santillian, Kendra Gilliams and Leon Rogers 2.8 (2.4)
10) WBEZ FM 91.5 NPR Morning Edition; Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia 2.7 (3.2)
Afternoon drive top 10
Here are Chicago’s top 10 afternoon shows followed by average share of listeners age 6 and older from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio (with previous month’s share in parentheses):
1) WLIT FM 93.9 Mick Lee 14.5 (7.1)
2) WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson 5.4 (5.9)
3) WVAZ FM 102.7 Doug Banks 5.2 (5.3)
4) WTMX FM 101.9 Koz (Kevin Koske) 4.2 (4.6)
5) WKSC FM 103.5 Brady Broski 4.0 (3.8)
6) WGCI FM 107.5 Tone Kapone 3.7 (3.7)
7) WOJO FM 105.1 Oswaldo Diaz 3.2 (3.6)
8) (tie) WLS FM 94.7 Danny Lake; Robert Murphy 3.0 (2.7)
8) (tie) WBBM FM 96.3 Dougie Stylz and Justin Roman 3.0 (3.6)
10) WKQX FM 101.1 Walter Flakus 2.6 (3.0)