Classic Rock, By The Numbers, Part 2: WODE from Allentown and KQDS Top Markets 51-100 and 101+ from Duluth. | Narrative

Welcome to the jungle.

Indoor RadioThe look at the top rated stations in classic rock continues with the day 2 edition of “In numbers”, focused on the 51-100 and 101-forward markets. The ranking, exclusive to Indoor Radio from Nielsen Media, are based on the average quarter-hour share among people 12 and older Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in fall 2021.

Cumulus Media holds the top two with classic rockers posting double-digit delivery. With a share of 12.7, 12+ is “99.9 The Hawk” WODE at Market 73, Allentown, PA, home of 20-year market veteran Rick Michaels, paired with Joel Shimer on “The Hawk Morning Show” .

“The great success of 99.9 The Hawk is attributed to several things, including the heritage talent in all prime time. [who] give it your all every day, to focus on the life and breath of all of Lehigh Valley,” said program director Sal Palazzolo. “Rick Michaels [and] Joel’s unique chemistry adds extra entertainment value for listeners of all ages. With our music, we take a unique approach, using traditional classic rock as our base formula while blending 80s alternative, a dash of ‘pop rock’ tunes and a light touch of modern rock. Between our talent and a little adventurous music, you never get bored on WODE/99.9 The Hawk!”

Cumulus’ WSKZ “KZ 106” in Market 88, Chattanooga, TN, ranks second with a 10.4 share. “KZ is built on a foundation of consistency, surprise, and sincere, strong community engagement,” says Scott Chase, Cumulus Media Chattanooga’s director of operations and KZ afternoon driver, who has worked with the station since 1985. “We play a tight, well-researched library and think outside the box with features that speak to the quantity and quality of the product the format packs. Chattanooga listeners know we’re good at our word and have back when the need arises. Let’s face it, you can get this and every other genre of music in a multitude of places, so what happens between records really defines the essence of who we are : a family rock station that speaks their language and plays the soundtrack of their life.”

On the upper end of those 50 markets with stations in the top 10 are Buffalo, ranked 58th, with Cumulus’ “97 Rock” WGRF, and Rochester, NY, 60th, with Audacy’s WCMF.

Four of those 10s have a share of 10 or more, led by KQDS of Midwest Communications in Market 205, Duluth, MN with a 12.8. Classic rock since 1981, KQDS presents “The KQ Morning Show” with Scott Savage and program director Jason Manning, both with the station for two decades.

In second place, scaring the competition with an 11.3 12+ share, is The Zone Corp’s WKIT. in Bangor, ME, home of station owner and award-winning horror author and screenwriter Stephen King. WKIT is also home to 20+ ghost-do-only hosts – Mark “The Shark” Young, Jason “The Rock Dog” Roberts, and ScoMo.

“We’ve always done things that don’t make sense, in terms of money or programming,” says ScoMo, program director and host of the PM player since WKIT’s debut in 1987. we were live and local 24 hours a day, with an on-air crew that’s been around for decades.We’re still live from 6am-6pm and go far enough into the library to give any radio consultant gasping dry. COVID meant no more remotes or events, but for the first few months of the pandemic, we felt like we were becoming something more and connecting with our audience in a way we didn’t. didn’t have before. We try things that sometimes don’t work, but [we] Take the seed and move on.”

The top-ranked markets with stations in the top 10 of this group are Springfield, MA (102) with Saga Communications’ WAQY “Rock 102”, and Youngstown, OH (136) with Cumulus’ WYFM “Y103”.

Discover the Top Rated Classic Rock Stations in Markets 1-50 HERE.