Keith Sweat
WVAZ 102.7-FM, the iHeartMedia R&B station, bounced back to the top of Chicago's radio ratings in March, according to Nielsen Audio figures released Monday.
It marked a return to first place for V103 after five months. The station also finished first in evenings for the syndicated music show hosted by Keith Sweat.
WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM, the Audacy all-news combo, dropped to second place overall, but retained its leads in middays with Cisco Cotto and afternoons with Keith Johnson and Lisa Fielding.
Chicago Public Media news/talk WBEZ 91.5-FM fell from its record-high audience share and second-place ranking the previous month to fourth overall. But it retained the top spot in mornings with NPR's “Morning Edition” and “BBC Newshour” as well as Mary Dixon's local news cut-ins.
The month's most notable uptick was registered by WRME 87.7-FM, the Weigel Broadcasting soft rock/oldies station. MeTV FM gained more than a full share point to rise from 17th to 10th.
Among listeners in the advertiser-coveted 25-to-54 age demographic, Univision Spanish-language Mexican regional WOJO 105.1-FM ranked first overall and first in mornings, middays and afternoons.
Here are Chicago’s top 30 radio stations from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, as measured by Nielsen Audio from March 4 to 31, followed by format and average quarter-hour share of listeners age 6 and older (with previous month’s share in parentheses):
1. WVAZ 102.7-FM R&B, 6.3 (6.0)
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM all news, 6.2 (7.1)
3. WLIT 93.9-FM adult contemporary, 5.7 (5.3)
4. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM public radio news talk, 4.7 (6.4); WDRV 97.1-FM classic rock, 4.7 (4.0)
6. WTMX 101.9-FM hot adult contemporary, 4.4 (4.5)
7. WOJO 105.1-FM Mexican regional, 4.2 (4.0)
8. WXRT 93.1-FM adult album alternative, 3.6 (3.8)
9. WGN 720-AM news talk, 3.5 (4.1)
10. WRME 87.7-FM soft rock oldies, 3.2 (2.1)
11. WKSC 103.5-FM Top 40, 3.1 (3.0)
12. WBMX 104.3-FM classic hip-hop, 2.9 (2.5)
13. WUSN 99.5-FM country, 2.6 (2.0)
14. (tie) WKQX 101.1-FM alternative rock, 2.5 (2.5); WLS 94.7-FM classic hits, 2.5 (2.9)
16. (tie) WSCR 670-AM sports talk, 2.4 (2.1); WPPN 106.7-FM Spanish adult contemporary, 2.4 (2.6)
18. WFMT 98.7-FM classical, 2.3 (2.2)
19. (tie) WGCI 107.5-FM hip-hop, 2.2 (1.7); WSHE 100.3-FM adult contemporary, 2.2 (2.4)
21. (tie) WBBM 96.3-FM Top 40, 1.8 (2.0); WLEY 107.9-FM Mexican regional, 1.8 (1.8)
23. WCHI 95.5-FM rock, 1.7 (1.5)
24. (tie) WLS 890-AM news talk, 1.5 (1.6); WPWX 92.3-FM hip-hop, 1.5 (1.1)
26. WVIV 93.5-FM Spanish contemporary, 1.1 (1.2)
27. WMBI 90.1-FM Christian ministry, 1.0 (1.3)
28. WMVP 1000-AM sports talk, 0.9 (0.8)
29. WCKL 97.9-FM contemporary Christian music, 0.8 (0.9)
30. WCPT 820-AM progressive talk, 0.7 (0.9)
Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 morning shows from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio:
1. WBEZ 91.5-FM “Morning Edition”; “BBC Newshour”
2. WVAZ 102.7-FM Steve Harvey
3. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Pat Cassidy
4. WTMX 101.9-FM Eric Ferguson, Nikki Chuminatto, Brian “Whip” Paruch and Violeta Podrumedic
5. WOJO 105.1-FM Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado
6. WLIT 93.9-FM Melissa Forman
7. WGN 720-AM Bob Sirott
8. WDRV 97.1-FM Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle
9. WKSC 103.5-FM Christopher “Fred” Frederick and Kristie Graybill
10. WXRT 93.1-FM Richard Milne
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:
1. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Cisco Cotto
2. WLIT 93.9-FM Robin Rock
3. WDRV 97.1-FM Bob Stroud
4. WOJO 105.1-FM Rafael “El Primo Rafa” Bautista
5. WVAZ 102.7-FM Bioncé Foxx
6. WTMX 101.9-FM
7. WGN 720-AM John Williams; Anna Davlantes
8. (tie) WBEZ 91.5-FM “1A”; “Reset”; “Fresh Air”; WRME 87.7-FM
10. WXRT 93.1-FM Lin Brehmer
Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 afternoon shows from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio:
1. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Keith Johnson and Lisa Fielding
2. WLIT 93.9-FM Mick Lee
3. WVAZ 102.7-FM Joe Soto
4. WDRV 97.1-FM Steve Seaver and Janda Lane
5. WOJO 105.1-FM Sylvia del Valle
6. WTMX 101.9-FM Chris Petlak and Lisa Allen
7. WBEZ 91.5-FM “All Things Considered”; “Marketplace”
8. WKSC 103.5-FM Brady Broski
9. WBMX 104.3-FM Sean “Sonic” Leckie
10. (tie) WXRT 93.1-FM Marty Lennartz; WPPN 106.7-FM Maria Esther “La Chula” Mendez and Poncho “La Bestia” Mercado
Here are Chicago radio’s top 10 evening shows from 7 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, as measured by Nielsen Audio:
1. WVAZ 102.7-FM Keith Sweat
2. WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM Bob Conway; Andy Dahn
3. WBEZ 91.5-FM “Marketplace”; “The Daily”; “Fresh Air”; “1A”; “BBC World Service”
4. WLIT 93.9-FM Delilah Rene
5. WBMX 104.3-FM
6. (tie) WFMT 98.7-FM; WKSC 103.5-FM Jordan “JRDN” Foster
8. WDRV 97.1-FM John “Byrd” Kempf
9. WGN 720-AM John Records Landecker; Dave Plier; Chicago Blackhawks hockey
10. WGCI 107.5-FM Zach Boog
(Copyright © 2021 The Nielsen Company.)