V-103, Fish, WABE, the Fan hot in August Arbitron radio ratings

Tops as usual is V-103. The R&B/hip-hop station hit another 2009 high in ratings in August. Frank Ski and Wanda Smith in the mornings have seen a steady rise the past four months. They drew almost 20 percent of the 18 to 34 listeners, an astoundingly high number given the competition in the market. Ski is currently in contract renegotiations. These numbers certainly help him.

Another winner is Christian pop station 104.7/The Fish, with its strongest numbers in months. It ranked 11th overall and 10th among 25 to 54 year olds.

And both major country stations continued to ride a rising wave in popularity in the genre this summer. (Taylor Swift, anybody?). Kicks finished fifth in the overall ratings and had its best 25 to 54 year old numbers this year. And though it lags behind Kicks, the Bull has seen its numbers steadily rise under the new leadership of Scott Lindy this year. It’s now a solid viable Pepsi to Kicks’ Coke.

But alas, when there are winners, there are losers, too.

While Atlantans are flocking to NPR for news, they seem to be fleeing news/talk station 750/WSB-AM. It has lost 25 to 54 year old listeners four months in a row and for the second month in a row, came in behind sister station Kiss 104.1.

WGST, which introduced syndicated personality Michael Smerconish, did even worse in the mornings. It tied for 27th among 25 to 54 year olds in the mornings.

August also proved to be a tough month for most rock stations, especially in the mornings. Dave FM had its worst performance since January. (It’s a little early to judge Jimmy Baron’s morning show numbers since he came in mid month.) Rock 100.5, which has geared its music more to Dave’s listeners in recent months, also saw dismal results, landing tied for 23rd among 25 to 54 year olds and 18th among 25 to 54 year olds.

The River and Project slipped from July as well. Among rock stations, only 99X held steady. In fact, 99X’s numbers are comparable to Rock 100.5, despite a much weaker signal. (Both stations are owned by Atlanta-based Cumulus.)

Top 40 hasn’t been all that hot lately either. 95.5/The Beat has taken a beating the past few months. Since January, 46 percent of its 18 to 34 year old audience has disappeared. And Star 94 had its weakest numbers since early spring. Q100 bounced back slightly from 2009 lows in July.

1. V-103

2. WSB-AM

3. Kiss 104.1

4. B98.5

5. Kicks 101.5

6. WABE-FM (highest ever)

7. Majic

8. Hot (tie)

8. Praise (tie)

10. Q100

11. Bull (tie)

11. Fish (tie)

13. River, Beat, True Oldies (tie)

16. Project, Star (tie)

18. El Patron

19. Dave FM

20. The Fan

21. WGST

22. Viva

23. The Zone/Rock 100.5 (tie)

25. The Legend

26. Jazz-Clark Atlanta

27. J93.3

28. WGKA/WAOK/WRAS (tie)

Top 20, 25-54

1. V-103

2. Kiss 104.1

3. WSB-AM

4. Majic

5. B98.5

6. Kicks

7. Hot. Q100 (tie)

9. The Bull

10. Fish

11. The River, Praise (tie)

13. Star, El Patron, Project (tie)

16. Dave FM

17. WABE

18. 95.5/The Beat

19. The Fan

20. True Oldies

Top 20, 18-34

1. V-103

2. Q100

3. Hot

4. Kicks

5. El Patron

6. B98.5, Star, Project, the Beat (tie)

10. Majic

11. Praise

12. Bull

13. Kiss, WSB-AM, Fish (tie)

16. River, Viva (tie)

18. 99X, Rock 100.5 (tie)

20. Dave FM

Top 25-54 morning shows

1. Frank & Wanda, V-103

2. Scott Slade, WSB-AM

3. Tom Joyner, Kiss

4. Bert Show, Q100

5. Steve Harvey, Majic

6. Caddy & Dallas, Kicks

7. Steve & Vikki, B98.5

8. Morning Edition, WABE-FM

9. Jason Pullman & Kristen Gates, The Bull

10. Kevin & Taylor, Fish; Cindy & Ray, Star 94 (tie)

Top 18-34 morning shows

1. Frank & Wanda, V-103

2. Bert Show, Q100

3. Patrones De La Manana, El Patron

4. The Regular Guys, Rock 100.5

5. Rickey Smiley, Hot 107.9

6. Cindy & Ray, Star 94

7. Caddy & Dallas, Kicks

8. Scott Slade, WSB-AM

9. (tie) Steve Harvey, Majic; Steve & Vikki, B98.5