WBEZ dropped in Chicago radio ratings in March
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The March radio ratings weren't kind to WBEZ.
The big picture: The Chicago NPR station had a bad month on the charts right before its owner, Chicago Public Media, made headlines over layoffs and other management decisions.
By the numbers: WBEZ dropped to a 2.0 share, ranking 18th place in the market.
- In January, it held a 2.7.
- A year ago, it was in the top 10.
- Three years ago, it was second in the market with a 6.0+ share.
Zoom out: The fall comes as NPR is in crisis. The network has seen ratings decline, and recently faced internal turmoil after a senior editor criticized the direction of their programming.
- WBEZ plays hours of NPR programming daily.
Biggest winner: While WBEZ had the biggest drop month over month, WLS-FM had the biggest gain. The classic hits station moved up two spots, good for seventh place in the market.
The fine print: These ratings don't break down precisely when people are tuning in, nor specific listener demographics.
Disclosure: Justin Kaufmann has worked for a number of these stations.