Hip-Hop/R&B, By The Numbers: New York’s Power 105.1, L.A.’s Real 92.3, Reach A Million Listeners Each. | Story
To quote Cardi B, “If it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s stuck,” and Nielsen’s top 25 Hip-Hop/R&B (also known as Urban Contemporary) stations have been stuck at the top of their game for years in their respective markets. The ranking, based on weekly cume persons 12+ using Nielsen’s most recent National Regional Database (fall 2020), reflecting both in- and out-of-market on-air and streaming listening, is the focus of this week’s edition of Inside Radio‘s “By The Numbers.”
Topping the list is iHeartMedia’s “Power 105.1” WWPR New York, one of only two stations listed to reach over a million listeners weekly: its 1.7 million weekly cume means it reaches one in 10 New Yorkers. Powering the market since 2002, and 2018’s Marconi Award winner for Urban Station of the Year, Power, currently programmed by Thea Mitchem, has been the headquarters for the syndicated “The Breakfast Club” morning show with DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlamagne tha God since it began in 2010, and for 2018 Marconi Major Market Personality of the Year winner and “The Voice of New York” Angie Martinez in afternoons since 2014.
That other million-cume-ing Hip-Hop/R&B station, also under the iHeart banner, is Los Angeles’ “Real 92.3” KRRL. Launched in 2015 and programmed by Doc Wynter, Real is the home base for the syndicated morning show starring three-time Marconi Major Market Personality of the Year Big Boy, a staple of the market since 1997.
While not quite in the million club, the Hip-Hop/R&B station in third, Audacy’s “V-103.3” WVEE Atlanta, is certainly no slouch, reaching one in six people living in the market weekly, and ranking fourth in cume persons in Nielsen’s August PPMs. Serving Atlanta’s R&B listeners since 1976, and seven-time Marconi Urban Station of the Year winner, V-103.3 features “The Morning Culture” with rapper and multimedia personality Big Tigger, who’s been part of the station since 2013.
“V-103.3 is ‘The People’s Station’ and a one stop shop for our listeners – music, sports, community issues, news, gospel, and more,” Audacy Urban Format Captain and V-103.3 Brand Manager Reggie Rouse says. “We have an emotional connection with our audience, and our team is always out in the community aiming to keep listeners informed on everything going on in Atlanta.”
With 11 stations in Hip-Hop/R&B’s top 25, including half of the top 10 and four of the top five – with Philadelphia’s “Power 99” WUSL and Chicago’s WGCI placing fourth and fifth – iHeartMedia rules this ranking. The only other station group with more than two listed is Urban One, claiming one-fifth of the top 25 and two in the top 10: Washington, DC’s WKYS and Atlanta’s “Hot 107.9” WHTA. Beasley Media Group is the only other owner with more than one, with Charlotte’s “Power 98” ranking 17th and Fayetteville, NC’s “Foxy 99” WZFX tied for 22nd.
“All of our brands have that special local connection that endear us to their markets,” Urban One VP, Programming Colby Tyner says. “WKYS is DC, from the lingo to the diversity of the audience, plus we have an engaging on air lineup and deep connection and passion for all things DMV. Hot 1079 has a unique presence in a super competitive Urban market. Atlanta has been the mecca of Urban music over the past 20 years, and Hot 1079 has birthed all of these major artists, from T.I., Jeezy and Ludacris, who got his start on Hot as an air talent, to Future, Lil Baby and Young Thug. That’s an incredible legacy to have.”
Indeed, the ‘super competitive’ Atlanta market is the only one with three stations among Nielsen’s top Hip-Hop/R&B cume-ers: in addition to Audacy’s V103.3 and Urban One’s Hot 107.9 is JDJ Communications’ “Streetz 94.5” WWSZ-AM-FM. Three markets place two stations each: Chicago with iHeart’s WGCI, and Crawford Broadcasting’s “Power 92” WPWX; Miami with Cox Media Group’s “99Jamz” WEDR, and iHeart’s “1035 The Beat” WMIB; and Detroit with iHeart’s WJLB and independently-owned WGPR.
Among the Hip-Hop/R&B outlets that ‘punch above their weight,’ ranking higher than their market rank and reaching a significant share of the market’s population, are Urban One’s “92Q” WERQ Baltimore, in market 24 yet 13th here, reaching more than one in six people in the market weekly, and three from iHeart: “Q93” WQUE New Orleans (rank 16, market rank 50, 28% reach), “1011 The Beat” WUBT Nashville (rank 18, market rank 40, 19% reach) and “K97” WHRK Memphis (rank 19, market rank 51, 24% reach). Also notable is Beasley’s Foxy 99 in diary market Fayetteville, ranked 129, yet tied for 22nd.
Advice for ‘bubbling under’ Hip-Hop/R&B stations aiming for this winner’s circle? “You never want a station to be wallpaper,” Urban One’s Tyner says. “You want your stations to shine bright, entertain and engage. All of our brands do that consistently.”
