Chicago radio stations not getting ratings bump from 2024 election cycle
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WBBM-AM continues its two-month reign atop the Chicago radio ratings, but other Chicago news and talk stations aren't trending.
Why it matters: Election season usually brings in more listeners and revenue for local broadcasters.
The big picture: While WBBM-AM still tops the charts with its news headlines format, other talk radio stations didn't move the needle in October.
- WGN-AM (16th place) ticked up a bit from September, but WBEZ (18th) and WLS-AM (24th) remained flat.
The latest: The stations are hoping they will grab listeners with election results on Tuesday night.
- WBEZ will play election coverage from NPR, with local cut-ins hosted by Sasha-Ann Simons. They'll also air a special call-in show Wednesday morning to analyze the results.
- WGN's newscasts will be covering local races, but the once live & local station will mostly syndicate parent company Nexstar's national coverage on election night.
State of play: On local television, all the stations will broadcast some expanded local coverage, but they too will lean on their network affiliation for programming.
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.