I realize that just as the kids are all back in school and everyone is settling in for the fall seems like an odd time for a mid-year report card. But sometimes it can take a while to compile all the necessary data. It’s better to share the news than not, so let’s look at some notes from the first half (or seven months) of the year and see what, if any, conclusions we can draw.
Classic Rock Keeps Growing
Classic Rock is one of three formats showing significant growth in the first half of 2025 according to Inside Radio. Rolling up the PPM-rated markets, the report showed Classic Rock, which is already the fifth largest format 6+ and the seventh largest 25-54, grew close to 10% in both demos for July compared to January of this year.
Good news for Classic Hits as well which has also shown steady growth from a 5.5% share in January to a 5.8% share for the last three straight months. Adult Hits, meanwhile, is generally flat having started the year around a 2.7% share, climbed to a 3.0% in June but fell back in July to January level.
Looking at year-over-year trends for the first seven months, in 2022 Classic Rock was a 5.2% share of listening. In 2023 and 2024 it rose to 5.6%. It then settled back to 5.4% this year. Still ahead of 2022 but not quite at the same levels.
Classic Hits year-over-year trend isn’t as encouraging. In 2023, the format captured 6% of listening. It has trended down though slipping to 5.8% and 5.7% respectively the last two years. However, Adult Hits has improved from 2.6% of listening in 2022 to 2.8% so far in 2025.
Three Minutes at a Time
With seven months of data available it also seemed like a good time to check in with Nielsen to look back at the impact of the change to the three minute accreditation rule which started January 1st. As a reminder, if a listener tunes in for three minutes during any quarter hour the station will receive credit for that person’s listening. This is a change from the rule which used to require five minutes.
The biggest news is that Average Quarter Hour (AQH) is up almost across the board. As you’d expect, when the standard for receiving credit becomes easier, more quarter hours are generated. While the impact in our world is negligible it is good for the sellers. The increased amount of reported listening means salespeople will have an easier time competing with other media. That helps them with setting higher prices.
Break down the data by format and nearly every group Nielsen measures has shown an increase in the amount of quarter hours being generated. But the impact on share, according to Jon Miller, Vice President of Audience Insights at Nielsen, has been negligible. Explained another way, most formats are getting the same sized slice of the pie relative to everyone else. The pie itself though has gotten larger.
Since we’re all competitive, I looked at some numbers. Here is the good news. Of the major formats, Classic Rock, Classic Hits and Adult Hits all showed some of the bigger increases in AQH compared to other formats.
Among 25-54 adults, when you compare the last three months of 2024 to the first seven months of 2025, Classic Rock went from averaging and AQH of 124,500 to 151,200, the fourth biggest gain amongst the major formats and a 21% increase. Classic Hits was right behind adding 26,110 AQH, an increase of 19%. Adult Hits also grew its AQH by about 20% adding 15,581.
Not surprisingly, the numbers 35-64 look even better. Classic Rock had the biggest increase in AQH jumping nearly 40,000, an increase of 20%. Classic Hits and Adult Hits also showed increases with both growing their AQH by 18%.
This doesn’t mean shares will skyrocket. However, it’s nice to see the change in methodology benefitting Classic-leaning stations as much or more so than to other formats. Hopefully, that will result in more advertising sold on our stations at higher rates and more job security.
Overall, it’s a rather good report card. Closer to the type of grades that get you taken out for ice cream than grounded. I’ll take that.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
