‘Adult’ Formats Dominate On April PPMs’ Day 1.

A key takeaway from the eight non-embedded PPM markets reporting on Day 1 of Nielsen’s April 2026 survey, covering Apr. 2-29: if the name of your format includes the word “adult” — whether spelled out, or in an acronym — your odds of ranking first in these markets just got better.

While adult contemporary stations regularly finish at the top in three of these markets and take over during the holiday season in most of the others, adult alternative, hot AC and urban AC outlets currently rule in Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta, respectively. 

Other “adult” formats that have reached the top over the past several years include soft AC — with stations that have led in Chicago, Miami and Tampa — and, in Day 2 markets, adult hits, represented by stations in Minneapolis, Baltimore and St. Louis.

For Day 1, the leaderboard shows three wins for AC, and one each for adult alternative, hot AC, urban AC, news/talk and sports.

The rankings do not include stations owned by Cumulus Media, which is in the midst of a re-negotiation of its contract with Nielsen, which expired Dec. 31, 2025.

While iHeartMedia AC “106.7 Lite FM” WLTW’s return to the top in March’s survey put it just two-tenths of a share point ahead of Audacy all-news WINS-AM-FM, the Jan.-Feb. leader, it’s now widened that lead over WINS to a full share point, as it breaks into 8-share territory for the first time in a non-Christmas book since September 2025. Just below, Audacy classic hits sister WCBS-FM and iHeart CHR sister “Z100” WHTZ switch places, with news/talk pubcaster WNYC-FM still fifth.

L.A.’s top four stay as they were in March. iHeartMedia keeps control of the top two with AC KOST in front for a sixth survey in a row, followed by hot AC sister “104.3 MyFM” KBIG just 0.9 behind. Audacy claims the rest with classic hits “K-Earth 101” KRTH third, adult hits “93.1 Jack FM” KCBS-FM fourth, and at fifth all-news KNX-AM-FM for its last complete Nielsen survey on both bands, having been replaced on FM by sports “97.1 The Fan” on May 18. 

Audacy adult alternative WXRT makes it a second survey on top, just 0.6 in front of all-news sister WBBM-AM/WCFS and Hubbard Radio hot AC “101.9 The Mix” WTMX, which tie for second. The two companies claim all the top five as Hubbard’s classic rock “The Drive” WDRV/WWDV returns to the region, while Audacy country “US99” WUSN holds at fifth.

It’s a fourth survey at number one for Audacy hot AC “Mix 102.9” KDMX, winning in a photo finish vs. iHeartMedia AC “Star 102.1” KDGE, a tenth of a point in back. Audacy sports and Texas Rangers flagship “105.3 The Fan” KRLD-FM places third for its first top-five showing since November 2023, when the team won the World Series. News/talk pubcaster KERA bounces back into the top five at fourth, while Univision Spanish regional Mexican “Que Buena 94.1” KLNO slips from a tie for fourth to fifth.

iHeartMedia AC “Sunny 99.1” KODA racks up a ninth consecutive victory, while Urban One urban AC “Majic 102.1” KMJQ marks its ninth straight survey in the runner-up slot. iHeart modern/alternative rock sister “94.5 The Buzz” KTBZ makes its first top five appearance since April 2025, making a 1.2-share-point gain and moving from a tie for seventh to third.

News/talk pubcaster KQED and Audacy all-news KCBS-AM/KFRC, which tied for top honors in March, now rank at the usual 1-and-2-respectively. KQED has ranked first or second in San Francisco for every Nielsen survey since November 2023. Bonneville AC KOIT places third, with CHR sister “99.7 Now” KMVQ tied for fourth with iHeart hot AC “Star 101.3” KIOI, which moves back into the top five.

It took Urban One urban AC “Majic 107.5/97.5” WAMJ more than three years to get back to the summit when it led the market in February’s survey, but it only took two subsequent books for it to reclaim its crown, as it holds the slimmest of leads over Cox Media Group classic hits “97.1 The River” WSRV. Cox Media Group news/talk sister WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, number one for seven of the past nine surveys, finishes third, followed by Audacy urban contemporary “V103” WVEE and CMG’s urban AC “Kiss 104.1” WALR, repeating at fourth and fifth respectively.

Philly’s revolving door of market toppers continues, as Audacy sports and Phillies flagship WIP-FM takes the prize for the first time since January, and for the fourth time in the past nine surveys. Half a point behind is Beasley Media Group heritage rock WMMR, which in February shared top honors with classic rock sister WMGK, which had the crown all to itself in March. Christmas champ Audacy AC sister “B101” WBEB comes in fourth, with iHeart urban AC WDAS-FM — which hasn’t led in Philly since November 2024 — placing fifth.