WHERE THE MONEY IS IN RADIO

It's not in talk radio, as you can see from this list of the top 10 billing stations:
The First Five Billers of 2013.

• #1 is all-news WTOP and here’s the recent history - $51,750,000 of revenue in 2008. $51,030,000 in the hard recession year of 2009. Then $57,225,000 in 2010, $64 million in 2011, $64.6 million in 2012, and now a BIA/Kelsey-reported $63.5 million for 2013.

• #2 is KIIS, Clear Channel’s Los Angeles CHR. Back in 2008, it was the nation’s leading biller at $66.3 million. Then came the recession and it fell to $55 million in 2009 and $54 million in 2010. That’s the year that WTOP took the crown of “America’s top biller.” Now for 2013, KIIS is still #2 at an estimated $61.6 million.

• #3 is “Z100,” Channel’s New York City-market WHTZ. It did $43 million in 2010 and $46 million in 2011. For last year, 2013? $51.5 million.

• #4 is WCBS-AM New York. The CBS Radio property is one of four all-newsers on the BIA/Kelsey Top 10 list, and one of three owned by CBS. Going back a bit, it did $46.7 million in 2008, $43.6 million in 2009, $49 million in 2010, $47.5 million in 2011 – and now $50.5 million.

• #5 is WLTW, Clear Channel’s New York AC “Lite.” It’s higher than a couple of years ago, with $44.3 million in 2010, $42 million in 2011 – and now $45.5 million for 2013.

The Second Five –

• #6 is “1010 WINS,” the other CBS all-newser in New York City. It did a BIA/Kelsey-estimated $41 million in 2010 and $42 million in 2011. For last year, 2013 - $45 million.

• #7 is KBIG, the Clear Channel AC in Los Angeles that’s recently been going back-and-forth with KIIS for the 6+ share lead in L.A. It jumps in rank from #13 in the previous year to #7, at an estimated $44.5 million in 2013 revenues.

• #8 is WFAN-AM/FM, CBS Radio’s all-sports combo in New York City and the very first all-sports station anywhere, with more than 25 years in the format. It’s the only sports-formatted station to make the Top Ten, at $43 million last year. It did $40.5 million for both 2010 and 2011.

• #9 is KROQ, Clear Channel’s alt-rocker in Los Angeles. It billed an estimated $39 million in 2010, $42 million in 2011 – and $42.8 million last year.

• #10 is WBBM, CBS Radio’s all-newser in Chicago with a booming 50,000-watt AM signal at 780 and an FM signal (WCFS) that it tacked on to compete with the expected challenge from Merlin. The Merlin threat never materialized, and you wonder if CBS would like a do-over on that decision today. They blew up the billing on AC “Fresh” WCFS/105.9. In 2010, WBBM-AM by itself billed a BIA/Kelsey-estimated $42.5 million, then $48 million the following year – and $42 million for 2013. Speaking of 50,000-watt AM signals – Clear Channel’s talk KFI Los Angeles has dropped from the #3 biller in 2011 to #5 in 2012 – and is now out of the top 10.