Talk radio in the Twin Cities is alive and well, represented by two respected brands, WCCO and Twin Cities News Talk. The two stations battled for the top spot in several different demographics during the winter ratings period. The latest results from Nielsen paint a picture of a very competitive marketplace.
Beginning with Persons 12+, WCCO saw an 8.0 share during the morning drive (6-10a) daypart, helmed by The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar and the first hour of the Adam and Jordana, hosted by Adam Carter and Jordana Green. That marked a third-place finish in the market for the Audacy-owned brand. The station also earned an 0.8 (Persons 25-54) and 1.3 (Persons 35-64).
Meanwhile, the morning daypart on Twin Cities News Talk features Jon Justice and the first hour of The Glenn Beck Program. Combined the two shows earned a 2.5 share in the Persons 12+ category, and shares of 0.5 (Persons 25-54) and 1.8 (Persons 35-54).
In middays (10a-3p), WCCO’s pairing of Carter and Green, as well as The Chad Hartman Show from 12p-3p produced a 5.1 share, good for a seventh place tie among Persons 12+. The result was lower with Persons 25-54 and 35-64, with the station recording a 0.7 and 1.0, respectively. On the iHeartMedia-owned Twin Cities News Talk, the station aired the final two hours of Glenn Beck’s program, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, and the first hour of The Sean Hannity Show during the window. The trio delivered a 3.3 share with Persons 12+, and a 2.5 share (Persons 35-64) and 1.5 share (Persons 25-54) in the key demos.
Afternoon drive featured the tightest battle between the two stations. Both WCCO’s Drivetime with DeRusha led by Jason DeRusha and programs helmed by Sean Hannity and Joe Pags were tied with a 1.1 share with Persons 25-54. When WCCO’s stream is added, the station finishes with a 1.2 share in the daypart. Among Persons 35-64, DeRusha’s show finished with a 1.7 share, while Hannity and Pags earned a 1.5 share. With Persons 12+, WCCO scored a 3.2 share, nine-tenths of a share higher than Twin Cities News Talk, which had a 2.3.
In weekday prime (M-F, 6a-7p), the stations jockeyed for position depending on demo. In Persons 12+, WCCO earned a 5.4 share, good for eighth. Twin Cities News Talk finished with a 2.8 share. However, in the Persons 25-54 demo, the outlet bested WCCO with a 1.0 share, compared to a 0.9. Similarly, in the Persons 35-64 demographic, the iHeart-owned brand pulled a 2.0 share, compared to a 1.2 from WCCO.
Finally, the full week ratings (M-Su, 6a-12a) saw WCCO earn a higher share in Persons 12+ with a 5.0, compared to the 2.2 share garnered by Twin Cities News Talk. But, just like the weekday prime sector, Twin Cities News Talk rebounded in Persons 35-64 with a 1.8 share, compared to a 1.5 for WCCO. In Persons 25-54, WCOO’s number was a 1.1, compared to an 0.9 by its competitor.
All numbers reported include both over the air and streaming. Ratings data for Salem Media Group’s AM 1280 The Patriot and Freedom 1570 was not available this quarter.
Ratings reports and analysis are written by BNM and sponsored by Crowd React Media, a division of Harker Bos Group. Learn more about the different ways media research can benefit your station and cut through the noise by clicking here.
