Chicago radio ratings: ‘Waddle & Silvy’ most valuable to ’MVP

Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle

Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle

When it comes to sports radio in Chicago, “Waddle & Silvy” are in a league of their own.

Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman, now in their 10th year together as the afternoon duo on ESPN Radio WMVP AM 1000, dominated the sports/talk genre in Nielsen Audio ratings released Monday.

For the survey period from October 8 to November 4, Waddle & Silvy not only turned up in the top 10 among all afternoon shows but finished first among men between 25 and 54, the station’s money-making target demographic.

“Waddle has really turned into the Johnny Morris of this era,” program director Adam Delevitt said in comparing his No. 1 star to another former Chicago Bear who reigned as the city’s most popular sportscaster for decades.

Delevitt also pointed to strong ratings for midday host David Kaplan just two months after he joined ESPN 1000 from Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, where he’d been a fixture for 20 years.

The only sports talkers among the top 10 morning shows were Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley of CBS Radio WSCR AM 670, who ranked second among men between 25 and 54.

As expected, Chicago Cubs postseason play helped boost ratings for CBS Radio WBBM AM 780, but not enough for the all-news station to overtake iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7 for the top spot overall. As of the December survey, according to Ron Gleason, director of news and programming, WBBM Newsradio will return to a full-time simulcast with WCFS FM 105.9, presumably putting the combo back on top decisively.

With the Cubs moving to The Score (replacing the less popular Chicago White Sox broadcasts), the competitive ratings picture could look a lot different this time next 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 October 8 to November 4 (followed by previous month’s share in parentheses):

1) WVAZ FM 102.7 6.0 (5.8)
2) WBBM AM 780 5.9 (5.8)
3) WTMX FM 101.9 5.4 (5.3)
4) (tie) WKQX FM 101.1 3.7 (3.5)
4) (tie) WOJO FM 105.1 3.7 (3.7)
6) WGN AM 720 3.6 (3.3)
7) WKSC FM 103.5 3.5 (3.6)
8) (tie) WGCI FM 107.5 3.3 (3.5)
8) (tie) WJMK FM 104.3 3.3 (3.4)
8) (tie) WLIT FM 93.9 3.3 (3.2)
11) WBBM FM 96.3 3.0 (3.1)
12) (tie) WLS FM 94.7 2.8 (3.3)
12) (tie) WUSN FM 99.5 2.8 (2.8)
14) WDRV FM 97.1 2.7 (2.8)
15) (tie) WSHE FM 100.3 2.6 (2.4)
15) (tie) WXRT FM 93.1 2.6 (2.6)
17) (tie) WLUP FM 97.9 2.5 (2.6)
17) (tie) WMVP AM 1000 2.5 (2.1)
17) (tie) WPPN FM 106.7 2.5 (2.6)
20) (tie) WBEZ FM 91.5 2.2 (2.2)
20) (tie) WCFS FM 105.9 2.2 (2.3)
20) (tie) WSCR AM 670 2.2 (2.2)
23) (tie) WEBG FM 95.5 2.0 (2.0)
23) (tie) WPWX FM 92.3 2.0 (2.1)
25) WLS AM 890 1.8 (1.9)
26) WRME FM 87.7 1.7 (1.7)
27) WLEY FM 107.9 1.5 (1.6)
28) WJKL FM 94.3 1.3 (1.4)
29) WSRB FM 106.3 1.1 (1.2)
30) WFMT FM 98.7 1.0 (1.0)
31) (tie) WIIL FM 95.1 0.9 (1.2)
31) (tie) WMBI FM 90.1 0.9 (0.9)
31) (tie) WVIV FM 93.5 0.9 (1.2)
34) (tie) WIND AM 560 0.7 (0.9)
34) (tie) WXLC FM 102.3 0.7 (0.6)
36) (tie) WCPT AM 820 0.6 (0.7)
36) (tie) WERV FM 95.9 0.6 (0.5)
36) (tie) WGRB AM 1390 0.6 (0.5)
39) (tie) WCCQ FM 98.3 0.5 (0.5)
39) (tie) WSSR FM 96.7 0.5 (0.5)
39) (tie) WZSR FM 105.5 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 9.7 (9.5)
2) WTMX FM 101.9 Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart 7.8 (7.9)
3) WVAZ FM 102.7 Steve Harvey 6.7 (5.8)
4) WGN AM 720 Steve Cochran 5.4 (5.0)
5) WOJO FM 105.1 Raul Molinar, Sylvia del Valle and Andres Maldonado 3.6 (3.7)
6) (tie) WKQX FM 101.1 Brian Phillips and Lou Lombardo 3.3 (3.1)
6) (tie) WSCR AM 670 Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley 3.3 (3.6)
8) WKSC FM 103.5 Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Angi Taylor 3.1 (3.3)
9) (tie) WBBM FM 96.3 J. Niice (Jamar McNeil) and Showbiz Shelly Menaker 2.7 (2.9)
9) (tie) WBEZ FM 91.5 NPR Morning Edition; Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia 2.7 (2.6)
9) (tie) WLIT FM 93.9 Kristina Zsenyuk 2.7 (2.8)

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) WBBM AM 780 Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson; Cubs baseball 5.6 (4.3)
2) WTMX FM 101.9 Koz (Kevin Koske) 5.2 (4.8)
3) WVAZ FM 102.7 Doug Banks 4.8 (5.1)
4) WKSC FM 103.5 Brady Broski 4.3 (4.0)
5) WKQX FM 101.1 Walter Flakus 4.1 (3.8)
6) WGCI FM 107.5 Tone Kapone 3.7 (3.5)
7) WLIT FM 93.9 Mick Lee 3.5 (3.5)
8) (tie) WBBM FM 96.3 Dougie Stylz and Justin Roman 3.3 (3.5)
8) (tie) WUSN FM 99.5 Shila Nathan 3.3 (3.1)
10) (tie) WMVP AM 1000 Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman 3.1 (3.0)
10) (tie) WOJO FM 105.1 Oswaldo Diaz 3.1 (3.4)