The Drive in the driver's seat in October radio ratings

Now we may know why LITE-FM switched to all holiday music so early this year: It's no longer No 1. in the radio ratings.

Driving the news: WDRV-FM surged in October, toppling the adult contemporary station for the first time in 2023.

Yes, but: The Lite didn't drop off much — down from 6.8 in September — and is poised to take back the top spot now that the bells are jingling around the clock.

Biggest jump: V-103 climbed almost a percentage point from September. There was a time in recent memory when the R&B station was the perennial No. 1 radio station in the city.

• Also, WBBM-AM and WOJO-FM had big gains from last month.

Biggest drop: It wasn't a banner month for WSCR-AM (sports/talk), but can you blame the station for losing ground with our current professional sports landscape?

• WXRT-FM continued to drop but is still in the top 10.

Of note: These ratings don't break down precisely when people are tuning in, nor specific listener demographics.

Full disclosure: Axios' Justin Kaufmann has worked for a number of these stations.