WBBM Newsradio uses DNC bump to take top spot in ratings
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WBBM Radio scored a big bump in the "September" ratings, thanks to the Democratic National Convention.
Methodology: Nielsen calls it the "September" rating period, but the start date is always towards the end of the previous month. This ratings period started the week the DNC came to town.
- WBEZ-FM also saw a small increase to move them closer to the top 10 (currently 12th) after falling out earlier this year.
- The more conservative talk stations like WGN-AM and WLS-AM were flat in September.
Between the lines: With all the traffic disruptions, protests and breaking news during the convention, it's not surprising that listeners tuned into WBBM's all-news format for updates, rather than stations that either carried live political speeches or produced talk programming.
What we're watching: Presidential election seasons usually do well for news/talk programming like WBEZ and WGN. WBEZ had record ratings during the lead-up to the 2020 election.
Caveat: These ratings don't break down precisely when people are tuning in, or specific listener demographics.
Disclosure: Justin Kaufmann has worked for a number of these stations.