BIA Advisory Services has unveiled its list of the top 15 billing AM and FM radio stations in 2023, with WTOP and WBBM taking the top honors in each category.
News/talk stations took up the top seven places on the AM radio list, and accounted for 12 of the 15 places on the highest earners.
WBBM in Chicago was number one with an estimated $30 million during the calendar year. The soon-to-be-shuttered WCBS in New York was a close second with $29.7 million. A pair of iHeartMedia stations took third and fourth place as KTRH in Houston ($24.6 million) and KFI in Los Angeles ($23.8 million) finished just slightly ahead of 95.5 WSB in Atlanta for fifth, with $23.8 million.
KOA ($21.58 million) was sixth, as Audacy all-news stations KNX News was seventh with $20.8 million, KYW finished ninth with $16.6 million, and KCBS rounded out the top 10 with $16.4 million.
Sports radio stations made up the three spots on the list not held by all-news or news/talk stations. The Ticket in Dallas was the top sports station on the AM band with $18 million, followed by 670 The Score in 11th at $16.2 million, and AM 570 LA Sports with $16.1 million, good for 12th.
WGN Radio ($16 million), WBZ News Radio ($15.63 million), and 700 WLW ($13.1 million) took home spots 13, 14, and 15, respectively.
While WBBM was ranked as the top-billing AM station in 2023, the station does feature an FM simulcast on 105.9 FM that covers the overwhelming majority of the Chicago metro. Similarly, WSB, KOA, KNX, KYW, and KCBS all also feature FM simulcasts.
As previously reported, WTOP remained the top billing station overall for the ninth consecutive year and the 13th time in 14 years. The station finished with $66.3 million in revenue, more than $25 million ahead of second place finishing KIIS-FM in Los Angeles.
