Highest Rated Hot AC Stations

[atlantaboy]

Here are Arbitron's Top 10 current highest rated Hot AC stations (top 250 markets)

#1 WBNQ/Bloomington, IL 10.7 share
#2 WBQB/Fredericksburg VA 9.5 share
#3 WINC/Winchester VA 9.4 share
#4 WEZF/Burlington VT 8.8 share
#5 WDAQ/Danbury CT 8.7 share (#1 in market)
#6 WMXL/Lexington KY 7.7 share
#7 WHYN/Springfield MA 7.6 share
#8 WIAL/Eau Claire WI 7.4 share
#9 WIKZ/Hagerstown MD 7.3 share
#10 KCIX/Boise ID 7.2 share

Here are Arbitron's Top 10 current highest rated Hot AC stations (Top 50 markets only)

#1 KMXB/Las Vegas 6.1 share (#1 in market)
#2 WRMF/West Palm Beach 5.2 share
#3 WPTE/Norfolk 4.8 share
#4 WSNE/Providence 4.8 share
#5 WTIC/Hartford 4.3 share
#6 KEZR/San Jose 4.2 share
#7 WOMX/Orlando 4.2 share
#8 WBNS/Columbus OH 4.2 share
#9 KMYI/San Diego 4.1 share
#10 WMYX/Milwaukee 4.1 share

[Kid Pulse]

Nice to see WINC at #3 on the first list.

I find it ironic that Winchester, Hagerstown, and Fredricksburg are all in the top 10 when they are all so close to one another.

[Topay]

Go WINC ans B101.5! The Winchester and Fredericksburg stations are owned by the same company.

[Kid Pulse]

topay said:

Go WINC ans B101.5! The Winchester and Fredericksburg stations are owned by the same company.

Ohhh, is that why thier websites are so similar? I remember realizing that last summer, and wondering why.

[shocker]

KMXB (Mix 94.1) in Vegas blows all the other large-market Hot ACs away. I really like that station. It can be described as a modern AC with a top 40 lean because they do an excellent job at keeping current with their music.

Here's their website -
www.mix941.fm/

[shocker]

topay said:

Go WINC ans B101.5! The Winchester and Fredericksburg stations are owned by the same company.

Could they possibly be on a satellite hookup?

Some smaller-market stations broadcast their on-air talent and music selection via a nationally-syndicated network, which is satellite-linked.

[Topay]

They each run independently (no satellite hookup). Even though they're classified as smaller stations, they both reach well into Northern Virginia (DC suburbs), which provides great revenue. Also, WINC alternates between being AC and Pop leaning, while B101.5 places a greater emphasis on current hits.

[Haley]

WRMF! I love it. :)

[atlantaboy]

shocker said:

topay said:

Go WINC ans B101.5! The Winchester and Fredericksburg stations are owned by the same company.

Could they possibly be on a satellite hookup?

Some smaller-market stations broadcast their on-air talent and music selection via a nationally-syndicated network, which is satellite-linked.

There is a huge network, nationwide, of Hot AC small market "Your Music Your Station" radio stations (one of which I listened to when I lived in Charlotte) - they all simulcast on satellite hookup - but I think Mediabase disqualifies them from ratings, since I've never seen the Charlotte station (WKBC) even show up on the Charlotte ratings even though it was very popular

[Slinky]

Mediabase doesn't disqualify anyone from ratings. Mediabase's charts have nothing to do with Arbitron's ratings.

Satellite-based stations do sometimes show up in the ratings. Satellite Adult Standards stations often made the ratings in the 90's. Radio Disney affiliates have shown up occasionally in various markets, and when Chicago's WZZN was doing satellite Oldies, it made the Chicago ratings. Satellite-based stations are often small stations with few listeners, and thus they don't show up often, but when they have enough listeners, they are listed.

[atlantaboy]

slinky said:

Mediabase doesn't disqualify anyone from ratings. Mediabase's charts have nothing to do with Arbitron's ratings.

Sorry, I meant Arbitron, not Mediabase

Still, it's hard to believe that WKBC wasn't disqualified for being part of a 24/7 network of over 50 stations throughout the country - it was voted #1 station in Charlotte by a local entertainment magazine, and has never even shown up in the ratings

[tico]

atlantaboy said:

slinky said:

Mediabase doesn't disqualify anyone from ratings. Mediabase's charts have nothing to do with Arbitron's ratings.

Sorry, I meant Arbitron, not Mediabase

Still, it's hard to believe that WKBC wasn't disqualified for being part of a 24/7 network of over 50 stations throughout the country - it was voted #1 station in Charlotte by a local entertainment magazine, and has never even shown up in the ratings

But are those local entertainment magazine readers getting Arbitron diaries? That's what's most important than any magazine poll.

BTW, I've heard WBNQ Bloomington...they're CHR. You be the judge.

[atlantaboy]

tico said:

atlantaboy said:

Sorry, I meant Arbitron, not Mediabase

Still, it's hard to believe that WKBC wasn't disqualified for being part of a 24/7 network of over 50 stations throughout the country - it was voted #1 station in Charlotte by a local entertainment magazine, and has never even shown up in the ratings

But are those local entertainment magazine readers getting Arbitron diaries? That's what's most important than any magazine poll.

BTW, I've heard WBNQ Bloomington...they're CHR. You be the judge.

Wow - major miscategorization - they play more Urban songs than many stations that are labeled as CHR/Pop - in my opinion, any station that has "Buy U A Drank" by T-Pain in heavy rotation is not Hot AC

[jdcfan]

atlantaboy said:

Wow - major miscategorization - they play more Urban songs than many stations that are labeled as CHR/Pop - in my opinion, any station that has "Buy U A Drank" by T-Pain in heavy rotation is not Hot AC

When I looked at this post I was shocked to see WBNQ on the list. I live in Illinois and WBNQ is definitely CHR/Pop, not Hot AC.

[atlantaboy]

I guess Arbitron needs to do some re-evaluating of its station labels - WLNK/Charlotte is still listed as "Talk" but is on the Mediabase Hot AC panel (true it's talk most of the workweek but it's Hot AC overnights and weekends

[tico]

Since WLNK still plays music, albeit overnight and weekends, Mediabase may've justified it staying on the hot AC panel.

[atlantaboy]

WKRQ/Cincinatti and WDAQ/Danbury definitely need to move to the CHR/Pop panel