Chicago radio ratings: Cubs light up The Score at night

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Javier Baez (Photo: John Starks)

Despite losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central tiebreaker game Monday, the Chicago Cubs came up a big winner for radio flagship on WSCR 670-AM.

Thanks largely to Cubs broadcasts, the Entercom sports/talk station finished first at night in ratings from mid-August to mid-September. The Score was up overall, posting its highest audience share since October 2017.

Chicago White Sox broadcasts on WGN 720-AM weren’t nearly so helpful to the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station, which posted only a modest increase in the latest Nielsen Audio survey.

WVAZ 102.7-FM, the iHeartMedia urban adult contemporary station, again was No. 1 overall. Close behind was Cumulus Media classic hits WLS 94.7-FM, which tied its highest share ever.

The biggest surprise was the downturn for perennial leader WTMX 101.9-FM. The Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary station’s morning show, hosted by Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Brian “Whip” Paruch, dropped to second place in the overall rankings and second among listeners between 25 and 54 — the key money demographic long dominated by The Mix.

Capturing first place in mornings was Entercom all-news combo WBBM 780-AM and WCFS 105.9-FM, anchored by Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy. Winning the 25-to-54 demo were Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado of Univision regional Mexican WOJO 105.1-FM.

The Nielsen Audio survey ran from August 16 to September 12.

Here are Chicago’s top 30 radio stations from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in September, followed by format and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with August share in parentheses):

1. WVAZ 102.7-FM urban adult contemporary, 5.7 (6.0)
2. WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 5.4 (5.3)
3. WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 5.0 (4.8)
4. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 4.8 (4.6)
5. WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 4.4 (5.5)
6. WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 4.3 (3.5)
7. WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.1 (4.9)
8. WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 3.8 (3.8)
9. WUSN 99.5-FM country, 3.6 (3.3)
10. WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.6 (3.4)
11. WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip hop, 3.3 (3.3)
12. WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 3.2 (2.9)
13. (tie) WGCI 107.5-FM urban contemporary, 3.1 (3.0); WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 3.1 (3.2); WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 3.1 (3.0)
16. WGN 720-AM news talk, 2.8 (2.5)
17. WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 2.7 (2.8)
18. WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 2.6 (2.5)
19. WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 2.4 (2.4)
20. WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 2.3 (2.2)
21. WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 2.2 (2.1)
22. WPWX 92.3-FM urban contemporary, 1.9 (1.7)
23. WLS 890-AM news talk, 1.7 (1.7)
24. WEBG 95.5-FM country, 1.6 (1.8)
25. (tie) WMBI 90.1-FM Christian ministry, 1.2 (1.7); WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 1.2 (1.0)
27. WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.1 (1.4)
28. (tie) WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian, 1.0 (0.9); WFMT 98.7-FM classical, 1.0 (1.0)
30. WERV 95.9-FM classic hits, 0.9 (0.8)

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 morning shows from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in September, followed by host and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with August share in parentheses):

1. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy 6.4 (6.9)
2. WTMX 101.9-FM Eric Ferguson, Melissa McGurren and Brian “Whip” Paruch 6.1 (7.7)
3. WOJO 105.1-FM Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado 5.7 (5.6)
4. WVAZ 102.7-FM Steve Harvey 5.3 (5.7)
5. WLS 94.7-FM Dave Fogel and Kim Berk 4.6 (5.2)
6. WDRV 97.1-FM Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle 4.5 (5.2)
7. WSCR 670-AM Mike Mulligan and David Haugh 4.4 (4.0)
8. WGN 720-AM Steve Cochran 4.2 (4.0)
9. WXRT 93.1-FM Lin Brehmer 3.7 (3.7)
10. WKSC 103.5-FM Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Angi Taylor 3.5 (3.0)

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 midday shows from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in September, followed by host and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with August share in parentheses):

1. WLS 94.7-FM Greg Brown 6.7 (6.3)
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM Bioncé Foxx 5.3 (5.5)
3. WOJO 105.1-FM Rafael “El Primo Rafa” Bautista 5.2 (5.0)
4. WDRV 97.1-FM Bob Stroud 5.0 (5.7)
5. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Cisco Cotto and Kris Kridel 4.3 (4.1)
6. WRME 87.7-FM, 4.0 (3.9)
7. WLIT 93.9-FM Robin Rock 3.8 (3.6)
8. (tie) WUSN 99.5-FM Drew Walker 3.7 (3.4); WXRT 93.1-FM Terri Hemmert; Marty Lennartz 3.7 (3.4)
10. WSHE 100.3-FM Lisa Kosty 3.5 (3.4)

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 afternoon shows from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in September, followed by host and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with August share in parentheses):

1. (tie) WLS 94.7-FM Ron Parker 5.3 (5.1); WOJO 105.1-FM Sylvia del Valle, Jose Gutierrez and Carlos Ivan Paez 5.3 (4.8)
3. WVAZ 102.7-FM Joe Soto 4.9 (5.1)
4. (tie) WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson 4.2 (3.9); WDRV 97.1-FM Steve Seaver 4.2 (5.1)
6. (tie) WRME 87.7-FM, 4.1 (4.1); WTMX 101.9-FM Kevin “Koz” Koske and Jennifer Roberts 4.1 (4.5)
8. WUSN 99.5-FM Mike Kasper 3.9 (3.8)
9. (tie) WBMX 104.3-FM Sean “Sonic” Leckie 3.6 (3.5); WKSC 103.5-FM Brady Broski 3.6 (3.5); WXRT 93.1-FM Richard Milne 3.6 (3.1)

Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 evening shows from 7 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio in September, followed by host and average share of listeners age 6 and older (with August share in parentheses):

1. WSCR 670-AM Laurence Holmes; Julie DiCaro; Chicago Cubs baseball 8.1 (4.7)
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM Chris Michaels 6.3 (7.0)
3. (tie) WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Mariam Sobh; Bob Conway 4.7 (5.3); WRME 87.7-FM, 4.7 (4.3)
5. WBMX 104.3-FM Julian Jumpin’ Perez 4.4 (4.5)
6. WLS 94.7-FM Tom O’Toole; Danny Lake; Brian Peck 4.1 (4.9)
7. WGCI 107.5-FM DJ MoonDawg (Michael Muniz) 4.0 (4.2)
8. WOJO 105.1-FM Karen “La Coqueta” Duran 3.8 (3.8)
9. WUSN 99.5-FM Kimmie Caruba 3.5 (2.7)
10. WDRV 97.1-FM Phil Manicki 3.4 (5.4)

Monday’s comment of the day: Burt Levy: Congrats to Mary Kay Kleist, she does a great job, well deserved. I do hope, however, that [news director] Jeff Harris has a plan for Megan Glaros beyond the morning weather. She is probably CBS Chicago's most talented asset, and she markets and promotes the station better than any marketing director ever has. Her work on social media on behalf of the CBS Chicago brand is tremendous. Her live show with Marissa Baily on Instagram is a revenue-generating opportunity waiting to happen.