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August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Hunter User icon on September 8, 2026, 8:01 pm

Interesting survey.

WXRT-FM 93.1 picked up the traction they lost from the last two surveys.
WBBM-AM 780 is back on top.
WKSC-FM 103.5 is still ahead of WBBM-FM. No surprise.
WLIT-FM 93.9 is holding on until the cash register explodes from all of the Christmas advertising.
WDRV-FM 97.1 Too many cooks in the kitchen. The music is flawed.
WCHI-FM 95.5 iHeartMedia, blow up this format and place something worth listening to on the 95.5 frequency. Problem is the demos. 87.7 would love the frequency. The listeners of 70 and up would follow due to the oldies music. Advertisers ignore this demographic. It's all about billing.
WSCR-FM 104.3 The Score is on a mega-signal. What's going on over there?
WTMX-FM 101.9 I'm betting some of the female listeners dumped the Drive 97.1 and are now listening to the Mix.

We don't see WLS-AM or WLS-FM due to the legal issues with Cumulus.

Link: August 2026 PPM Ratings

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 8, 2026, 8:15 pm, in reply to "August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

The Drive recently tweaked their branding from the longtime "97-1FM The Drive" to "Classic Rock. 97-1 The Drive" They also have a new voice guy. They play songs as new as the 2000s now, not many but I think this is part of what 95.5's problem is. When 95.5 came into the format, they were a Classic Rock station with a focus on 80s, 90s and 2000s. It was initially successful. The Drive added some of the newer songs. Now 95.5 is all over the place and I mean all over the place. They also play currents now.

The Score on FM? Audacy just wants FM Sports everywhere. In some markets, this has helped bring listeners who don't typically listen to AM. From the looks of it, there's not many Sports listeners in Chicago that don't typically listen to AM. So they have basically the same numbers the AM did on it's own.

Should point out 94.7 added a ton more 90s and 2000s songs into their playlist. There have been sweeps of up to 5 songs in a row from the 90s and 2000s. Not sure if that was intentional or if the log just got bunched up. You'll have to look at Eastlan if you want to see Cumulus' ratings.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 8, 2026, 9:17 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Not sure if that was intentional or if the log just got bunched up.

Intentional. They are jettisoning the 80s. Skipped the 90s. Focusing on 2K. Todd is heavy on research and follows the old school, if they had multiple hits, you play them all to death. One hit wonders do not exist. 90s don't test well.

LOL. 🤣

As a Todd station it sounds good. As a Classic Hits station, it is atrocious.

Z

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by detectivetom User icon on September 8, 2026, 10:19 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

WMVP remains at 1.2. Wonder how low they would be without White Sox baseball?

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 9, 2026, 8:08 am, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Probably not much for WMVP without the White Sox. They never typically had very high ratings. Ratings typically don't matter for sports stations because they get revenue other ways

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 9, 2026, 8:07 am, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Here's an example:

Overnight
Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
Oasis - Wonderwall
2Pac - California Love

Yesterday
The Killers - Mr. Brightside
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Spice Girls - Wannabe

Usually they spread out the 90s, 2000s stuff a little more. Most of the time they do.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 9, 2026, 1:26 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

I have heard them go 3 songs deep on 2K titles. Mark Ronson uptown funk is probably the newest song I have heard.

What I am trying to say is, they went from a few hundred 80s titles burned to a crisp, pretend B96 and majority of the 90s did not exist, into 2K. I do not expect them to play Yolanda by Reality, but, was The Real McCoy a fantasy? Anything 90s and especially dance, is just vapor.

But all the larger companies research simply states 90s are toxic like the 70s were. You will see them jump right over it and focus on rock titles.

Z

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 9, 2026, 1:46 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

It's technically a cover, but now they are playing Elton John & Dua Lipa, from 2021

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 9, 2026, 2:12 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

LOL, Beautiful. Just atrocious man.

Market to market, many Classic Hits stations run it differently. Some are rock based, some skipped over the 90s, some focus on Hip Hop. It all depends. WLS-FM is just, bland. does anyone even know the PM drive dudes name? Who is he? What does he have to do with this market? There was no splashy promo to introduce him. Just slap him on the air. To this day, I can't tell you his name or anything about him. Is he even here? Or tracked like JayBeau? 0 craps given. No specialty shows either. In the past it was not only filler but helped define a station at night or on weekends. Just no identity. Bland, to the max.

At some point, it will be a classic hits based Hot AC by adding in currents and recurrents.

Z

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 9, 2026, 1:47 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

They're playing plenty of 90s on WLS-FM. Not skipping on them at all with the latest batch of songs they added.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 9, 2026, 2:35 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Jeremy, you know better than me and know where to look for this. When is the last time they played these #1 90s hits?

Gonna Make you Sweat - C&C Music Factory
Another night - Real MCCoy

Forget individual songs. Here are the Top 10 from the 90s. Link for the Billboard Hot 100 of the 90s is below. All of these were huge in Chicago. Let me know how many spins these are getting Jeremy because, overall, I do not hear them. Don't know where to go look it up. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Z
---------------

I ONE SWEET DAY-Mariah Carey & Boy: I Men-Columbia

2 MACARENA (BAYSIDE BOYS MIX)-Los Del
Rio-RCA

3 I'LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU-Boy. II Men-
Motown

4 UN-BREAK MY HEART-Toni Braxton-LaFace/
Arista

5 CANDLE IN THE WIND 1997/
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT-Elton John-Rocket/A&M

6 END OF THE ROAD-Boy II Men-Biu 10/
Motown

7 I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU-Whitney
Houston-Arista

8 THE BOY IS MINE-Brandy & Monica-Atlantic

9 I SWEAR-All-4-One—Blitzz/Atlantic

10 I'LL BE MISSING YOU-Puff Daddy & Faith Evans (Featuring 112)- Bad Boy/Arista

Link: https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA20#v=onepage&q

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 9, 2026, 2:59 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

I was just looking at what you can see that they played in the last week. Here's what they are playing as far as 90s, not including 2000s

2Pac - California Love
Ace Of Base - The Sign
Alanis Morrissette - Hand In My Pocket
Alanis Morrissette - Head Over Feet
Alanis Morrissette - Ironic
Alanis Morrissette - You Oughta Know
Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games
Bryan Adams - Everything I Do (I Do It For You)
Cardigans - Lovefool
Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
Coolio - Gangasta's Paradise
Cranberries - Dreams
Cure - Friday I'm In Love
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
Green Day - Time Of Your Life
Green Day - When I Come Around
Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away
Mariah Carey - Always Be My Baby
Mariah Carey - Can't Let Go
Mariah Carey - Fantasy
Matchbox 20 - 3AM
Michael Jackson - Black Or White
Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
Nirvana - Come As You Are
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
No Doubt - Don't Speak
No Doubt - Just A Girl
Nsync - I Want You Back
Oasis - Wonderwall
Santana - Smooth
Semisonic - Closing Time
Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do
Sixpence None The Richer - Kiss Me
Spice Girls - Wannabe
Spin Doctors - Two Princes
Sublime - Santeria
Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam
Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
TLC - No Scrubs
TLC - Waterfalls
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

There's others. Surprised there's no Boyz II Men. Puff Daddy won't get any airplay. He's been heavily banned from the radio because of his behavior. There's actually radio edits of Notorious B.I.G. songs now that edit his verses out.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 9, 2026, 3:17 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Jeremy, just going off that list, they are not playing NINE out of the Top 10 songs and FOURTEEN out of the Top 20, of the decade. LOL. (They are playing Gangsters Paradise). That is not a representation of the decade. I was an adult, not a teen through the 90s. But, it does not surprise me, that is Todd radio.

He did the same with the 80s. Very selective on what titles to play. Even before him WLS-FM ignored a whole swath of the 70s.

I have no problem that the 80s need to move on, the music is burnt to a crisp and the demo is aging on. But, just can't ignore a whole slew of titles that were mainstream, not niche B96 Killer Bee hits, then the industry asks why the younger generation has abandoned radio and listernship is down while podcasts are spanking terrestrial radio, or worse off, the industry pretends it is not a problem.

Z

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on September 9, 2026, 3:41 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Chicago didn't have Mainstream CHR for most of the decade. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. A lot of these songs reflect 92 KISS FM, Q101 and to a lesser extent B96.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WKDI User icon on September 9, 2026, 7:10 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

One day white listed to WLIT I heard " What is Love" by Haddaway. What a surprise. I think a station like WLIT or WTBC would have to throw in a few more dance tracks before WLS FM B96 and WJSC would start adding them in rotation. I wish WCHI would take a stab at it. They would be the perfect station for it.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 10, 2026, 1:34 am, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

WKDI, Todd will never add them on WLS-FM. He is a corporate YES man. Swears by the research too. B96 is Audacy hell and will never be more than what it is. WKSC is hit music, the leader and will not add them either.

I agree about 95.5, but iHeart is really bent on their research showing that Rhythmic dance from the 70s, 80s and especially the 90s (aka non hip hop) is toxic on a mass appeal station. Don't believe me? Tune into iHeart 70s stream for 1 hour. Let me know how much Urban and Dance product they play. But their iHeart Dance Nation 90s stream is not mass appeal and pretty good.

End of day, we will never hear the likes of 80s WBMX, WCRX, B96, Energy 88.7 and Energy 927&5 on terrestrial radio again. To be honest, I am happy we will not, because they will manage to f*** it up massively, choke it of talent we grew up on and it will be deemed a failure.

Z

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by JJSPC1372 User icon on September 10, 2026, 7:56 am, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Simply put, and we have discussed this before...no one really knows what "Classic Hits' is supposed to look like anymore. Can't be too old or you get no ad buys. Can't be too new because then you are in the era of folks who started streaming and didn't grow up with traditional radio.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on September 14, 2026, 1:56 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

JJSPC -- spot on. We're seeing the Venn diagram pull apart.

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 14, 2026, 2:16 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

LOOOOL!!!!!!! 🙇🏻‍♂️

That post and graphic, wins the internet. Hands down. Thank you Phil. I fell off my chair, twice. Sadly, it is 100% correct, as funny as it is.

Z

Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on September 14, 2026, 2:56 pm, in reply to "Re: August 2026 PPM Ratings for Chicago"

Thanks, Z. I wasn't even trying to be funny, it just kind of came out that way. It's a sad reality that we are witnessing diagrams coming apart like this for the music formats on terrestrial radio. The overlap is already gone for CHR, except for a third circle of people titled something like "parents gave them radios" or "can't get cell or wifi where they listen." One more tiny circle is: They have one station doing a great job of keeping listeners engaged. 🤷‍♂️

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