Stormy weather lifts WBBM ratings
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Listeners looking for real-time updates on extreme weather pushed WBBM-AM into the top spot in the August Chicago radio ratings.
Why it matters: Social media may have transformed how people get breaking news, but radio still has an immediacy advantage when severe weather hits — especially for people on the road.
Context: August was a rough month for extreme weather in the area, including a record-setting derecho that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers.
What they're saying: "We are fortunate that listeners across Chicago know that when storms get dangerous, WBBM Newsradio will be all over it," WBBM news director Craig Schwalb tells Axios.
- "Between direct connections with public safety officials and our reporters deployed into the middle of the storm, we are able to provide crucial and credible information when our communities need it the most."
Between the lines: Most other news and talk radio stations offer limited local news after hours.
Meanwhile, WXRT-FM continued its torrid ratings streak, posting another gain to cap a strong summer for the modern rocker.
- WVAZ-FM (V-103) saw the biggest decline from July.
Caveat: These ratings don't show when people are tuning in or provide detailed listener demographics.
- Ratings are Nielsen average quarter-hour shares among listeners ages 6+.
Disclosure: Justin Kaufmann has worked for a number of these stations.