The spring 2000 Arbitron ratings were released yesterday, and it's looking like something of a new millennium for the local market.
KDKA-AM remains No. 1 among total listeners, but right behind it, the battle gets intense. For the past few ratings periods, WDVE-FM had slipped to third place behind second place WDSY-FM. This time around, WDSY and WDVE tied for second place, although both lost some listeners from the Spring '99 totals. A year ago, three stations were slugging it out for fourth place -- WBZZ-FM, WWSW-FM/AM and WXDX-FM. WBZZ moved ahead a little in the most recent ratings.
In morning drive, WBZZ moved into third place, up from No. 5 last year, while Howard Stern's syndicated show (heard locally on WXDX) lost more than two ratings points, losing its No. 3 spot from last year and slipping back to seventh place. The reunited WWSW morning team of Jim Merkel and Gary Dickson moved up from seventh place a year ago, tying for fifth place with WRRK-FM's Jim Quinn.
Among 25- to 54-year-olds, the Top 10 stations in spring 2000 were: WDVE, WDSY, WWSW, WBZZ, KDKA, WJJJ-FM, WSHH-FM, WXDX, WRRK and WLTJ-FM. The top five morning shows were: WDVE, WRRK, WDSY, WBZZ and KDKA. The big winner here is WRRK's Quinn, who beat out morning mainstays WDSY and WBZZ to move into second place behind WDVE, while the Stern show took a hit among these listeners, dropping to sixth place from its No. 2 spot a year ago.
Among listeners 12 and older, Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to midnight:
Spring 2000 Spring 1999
1. KDKA.......12.1 KDKA......11.2
2. WDVE.........7.6 (t) WDSY........8.3
WDSY........ 7.6 (t) WDVE........8.2
4. WBZZ ........7.1 WBZZ .......5.7 (t)
5. WWSW.......5.9 WWSW......5.7 (t)
6. WXDX..........5.2 WXDX.........5.7 (t)
7. WJAS..........5.1 WJAS.........4.9
8. WSHH..........5.0 WSHH.........4.4
9. WJJJ...........4.6 WJJJ..........4.0
10. WAMO.........3.6 WLTJ..........3.9
Morning drive, from 6 to 10 a.m.:
Spring 2000 Spring 1999
1. KDKA......18.1 KDKA......16.4
2. WDVE........8.9 WDVE......10.1
3. WBZZ.........6.8 WXDX.........7.7
4. WDSY .......6.5 WDSY .......7.4
5. WRRK........5.6 (t) WBZZ.........6.2
WWSW......5.6 (t) WRRK.........5.6
7. WXDX....... 5.5 WWSW.......4.3
8. WSHH........4.4 WSHH.........4.0
9. WJJJ..........4.1 WJAS.........3.8
10. WJAS.........3.7 WLTJ..........3.7
Each number represents a share of the market.
(t) denotes tie
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