Steve Harvey continues to dominate Charlotte’s ears during morning drive-time, notching his second consecutive No. 1 finish in the latest Arbitron ratings.
Harvey’s New York-based syndicated show has surged 67 percent in listeners over last summer and driven WBAV-FM to No. 1 in the Charlotte market. About 9 percent of listeners in the 6 to 10 a.m. time period tune in Harvey.
His success isn’t just in Charlotte. He is up across the nation. In Greensboro, Harvey took WMKS-FM in Greensboro up 185 percent in listeners in a single year, spring to spring. Charlotte radio observers state Harvey’s success is remarkable in a business where new morning shows often take years to develop a top-five audience. Harvey launched his show in November 2005, and by August 2006 it was No. 4 among morning shows in the Charlotte market. He claimed his first No. 1 spot in the last ratings, released in May. Overall, his show has helped boost WBAV-FM’s ratings by nearly 50 percent over last summer. “Steve Harvey. He’s the gift that keeps on giving,” says media buyer Nancy Haynes, a principal in the Charlotte ad agency Collins, Haynes & Lully.
