Jonathon Brandmeier
So far Jonathon Brandmeier’s latest radio comeback doesn’t appear to be any more successful than his last one.
Nielsen Audio figures released Monday show Cumulus Media news/talk WLS AM 890 tied for 30th place with a 0.8 percent audience share from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday since Brandmeier debuted. That’s a 38 percent drop from the 1.3 share posted by the former duo of John Kass and Lauren Cohn during their final month in the time period.
WLS is the flagship station of Brandmeier’s new show, which Westwood One launched in national syndication March 30. The former Chicago radio superstar had been off since December when his three-year run with Tribune Media — including an unhappy mismatch on news/talk WGN AM 720 — came to an end.
Overall WLS ranked 28th during the latest survey period, which ran from March 26 to April 22. Big John Howell’s morning show tied with the station he left, Salem Media news/talk WIND AM 560, where mornings are now hosted by former WLS personality Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson. Both shows ranked 28th with 1.0 shares. In afternoons on WLS, Steve Dahl tied for 27th with a 1.3 share.
Leading the market was iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7, which also finished first in middays, afternoons and evenings.
CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780, the overall runner-up, again finished first in mornings. With the start of Cubs baseball broadcasts on Newsradio 780, Nielsen Audio began reporting separate figures for WCFS FM 105.9, which previously simulcast the AM station full time. The listing below combines the two stations in mornings, when the simulcasting continues.
Here are Chicago’s top 10 morning shows among listeners age 6 and older from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in April, followed by average share (with previous month’s share in parentheses):
1. WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 (simulcast) Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy 11.3 (10.4)
2. WTMX FM 101.9 Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart 7.0 (7.2)
3. WVAZ FM 102.7 Steve Harvey 5.7 (5.3)
4. WGN AM 720 Steve Cochran 5.3 (5.1)
5. WOJO FM 105.1 Raul Molinar, Sylvia del Valle and Andres Maldonado 4.1 (4.6)
6. WDRV FM 97.1 Pete McMurray and Dan McNeil 3.9 (3.5)
7. WBEZ FM 91.5 NPR Morning Edition; Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia 3.7 (3.0)
8. WSCR AM 670 Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley 3.5 (3.7)
9. (tie) WKSC FM 103.5 Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Angi Taylor 3.4 (3.7)
9. (tie) WLIT FM 93.9 Paul “Cubby” Bryant 3.4 (2.9)
Here are Chicago’s top 10 afternoon shows among listeners age 6 and older from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in April, followed by average share (with previous month’s share in parentheses):
1. WVAZ FM 102.7 Doug Banks 6.3 (5.8)
2. WTMX FM 101.9 Koz (Kevin Koske) 5.2 (5.8)
3. WKSC FM 103.5 Jordan (Ryan Gorman) 4.6 (4.7)
4. WBBM FM 96.3 Dougie Stylz and Justin Roman 4.3 (4.2)
5. WLIT FM 93.9 Mick Lee 4.2 (3.9)
6. WBBM AM 780 Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson; Cubs baseball 4.1 (6.0)
7. WGCI FM 107.5 U.B. Rodriguez 3.7 (3.5)
8. WKQX FM 101.1 Walter Flakus 3.6 (3.2)
9. WJMK FM 104.3 Gary Spears 3.2 (3.5)
10. WUSN FM 99.5 Shila Nathan 3.1 (2.9)