The fall book in Nashville produced rewards for both 104.5 The Zone and 102.5/106.3 The Game. Both stations enjoyed success across multiple dayparts, evidenced by the latest Nielsen Audio numbers within the weekday prime (M-F, 6a-7p) category. 104.5 The Zone attained a 10.5 share to finish first in the market. 102.5/106.3 The Game registered a 4.1 share to earn a tenth place tie. The Zone was down in prime from a 12.3 in the summer but finished first throughout all four ratings books in 2023 with Men 25-54.
In morning drive, Ramon Foster, Kayla Anderson and Will Bolling achieved a 9.7 share for the quarter. That number placed the program second overall in the fall book. The show’s only blemish was a dip from the summer when it recorded an 11.9 share.
Conversely, the early midday program hosted by Buck Reising made a year-over-year jump from second to first place. The show reeled in a 10.2 share for the quarter, which was down four tenths of a point from its summer book performance. The Zone’s second midday program hosted by Blaine Bishop and Mickey Ryan, also moved from second to first year-over-year. Bishop and Ryan produced a 10.5 share for the quarter. Akin to Reising though, their share was down from the summer book when the duo registered a 13.1.
Moving to afternoons, 3HL featuring Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay finished first with the best performance on the station. The afternoon trio delivered an impressive 12.1 share. Similar to mornings and middays, afternoons was down year-over-year by 3.1 points.
Although 102.5/106.3 The Game finished lower across all dayparts, the station did see some positive signs during the quarter. Robby Stanley and Joe Rexrode led mornings on the outlet with a 5.4 share. That number was the station’s best in the fall book, placing the morning show in a tie for sixth. The show’s performance with younger demos was even stronger, with the program occupying first place.
Chase McCabe and Joe Dubin began anchoring the early midday program in September. The Chase & Big Joe Show generated a 2.2 share, placing them in a fourteenth place tie. The Game’s second midday program hosted by Caroline Fenton, Willy Daunic and Derrick Mason earned a 1.9 share, placing the show in a sixteenth place tie.
Lastly, the Stillman & Company afternoon show recorded a 5.2 share. That performance helped the show deliver an eighth place tie. Continuing the trend seen in mornings, the afternoon show ranked first with the younger 18-34 demo.
For the full-week (M-SU 6a-Mid), 104.5 The Zone grabbed the top spot again. The station enjoyed a 10.2 share this quarter. The Game meanwhile finished tied for twelfth with a 3.1 share.
From the outside looking in, The Zone is comfortably in front. The station is performing well across the board, and battling against itself to match prior performance. For The Game, five shares in both drive times are very respectable, and the younger demo growth is something to build upon.
“Ratings reports and analysis are written by BSM and sponsored by Crowd React Media, a division of Harker Bos Group. Learn more about the different ways sports media research can benefit your station and cut through the noise by clicking here.
