Not to be redundant, but it’s another winning month for WLTW/Lite-FM.

The Clear Channel number one mainstay kept residence in its familiar spot with a 7.6 in the overall Arbitron ratings. That’s a .4 boost from January.

By contrast, WCBS-FM slipped to a 6.2 in the current PPM.

• Related: FishbowlNY, Radio Ratings Status Quo: WLTW Remains Number One Overall

WBLS also dropped by .2 to 5.5, while WHTZ/Z100 lost .3 to 5.1.

WINS was next with 4.7, a .2 gain. Sister station WCBS 880 also saw a .2 upgrade to 3.8.

The big news is tracking NASH-FM/WNSH, the city’s first Country station in more than 15 years. NASH in its first full ratings survey notched a 1.6. Just below NASH was ESPN’s WEPN-FM at 1.3, a drop from 1.6. More dramatically, ESPN has lost a point since November.

• Related: FishbowlNY, NASH-FM 94.7 Welcomes First Air Personalities

WFAN-FM kept its distance from its rival. But the ‘FAN, which simulcasts on 660 AM and 101.9 FM, had an uncharacteristic drop of 1.2 to 2.5 for February.

There’s more from the monthly ratings after the jump.

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Jodi Applegate left WPIX to start her family. The former WPIX anchor and her husband YES announcer Michael Kay have their first child, a two-month old girl. Applegate was a guest with WOR’s Joan Hamburg yesterday. She talked about the surrogacy route that was taken to pregnancy and her difficult decision to walk away from WPIX in December.

“I was thrilled to have [5 and 10 p.m. newscasts] and I really enjoyed working at PIX,” Applegate says. “But that’s a pretty hard schedule to do with an infant [and] a husband who travels.”

Related: FishbowlNY, Applegate To Step Down From PIX11

Once her gestational carrier was chosen and the pregnancy was realized, Applegate admitted being torn between family and career.

“I lost sleep for seven months,” Applegate says. “I am not exaggerating when I say I tossed and turned about for seven solid months, right up until the moment.”

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The tree is now mulch and the lights are back in the attic. But the holidays aren’t over until Arbitron releases its seasonal ratings… and it has!.

Lite-FM/WLTW got a big boost from its annual Christmas programming. The Clear Channel perennial number one had an 11.3 for the holidays, up from an 8.4 in December.

By contrast, number two remains WCBS-FM, which slipped .2 to 6.6.

WBLS is still a powerhouse with new YMF owners. The Urban station stands at number three with a 5.9, although losing .2 for the book.

But Z100/WHTZ had a .5 drop to 4.6.

Spanish station WSKQ was next at 4.5, off .3 from December’s figures. Rival WXNY was also on the negative side of the ledger (.1) at 4.2.

WINS saw gains, jumping .5 to 4.2. WCBS 880 slipped .1 to 3.5.

In the sports on FM battle, WFAN is the clear winner! The original all-sports station registered a 3.1, off .1, while WEPN (ESPN)/98.7, is still trying to find its footing on FM. It scored no gains at 1.8.

Also of note, the final rating for WOR under the ownership of Buckley Radio, was 1.1, down .4.

Cumulus made waves this week with the flip to Country at 94.7. That station hasn’t made the survey yet, but the company’s WPLJ was 2.3, off .3. WABC dropped .6 to 2.2.

Here’s a look at what FishbowlNY stories made the most buzz this week.

1. New CBS Game Show Offering Editorial Assistant Job at Cosmopolitan as Top Prize, January 9

2. NRA President Attacks The Journal News, Gawker, for Publishing Gun Owners’ Information, January 10

3. Threats to Journal News Staffers Are Intense, January 7

4. Mark Simone (above) Grabs Late Morning Slot at WOR, January 7

5. Cover Battle: Businessweek or Wired

6. NYC Media Come Out for Love & Hip Hop 3 Premiere, January 4

Keep up-to-date with the latest FishbowlNY news. Click here to sign-up for the FishbowlNY daily newsletter, bringing you our articles each afternoon directly to your inbox.

Changes are afoot at Clear Channel’s newest property. With the ownership of WOR Radio officially transferred from Buckley Broadcasting, Clear Channel is moving quickly to put its fingerprint on the venerable talk station.

Longtime WABC host Mark Simone has jumped ship, having been named the weekday 10 a.m. to noon host, effective immediately.

After more than a dozen years at 770 on the AM dial, Simone tells FishbowlNY, a move to 710 is not easy.

“I’ve never had an unpleasant moment with the management there, they were wonderful to me from the beginning to the end,” Simone says. “I’ll miss WABC and never thought I’d want to leave, but this is probably how some people at Microsoft felt years ago when they left to go to Apple.”

Neccessitating the professional address change for Simone is the fact that ex-WABC president and GM Steve Borneman is assuming a management role at Clear Channel and WOR. Simone says working for Borneman at WABC was a pleasurable experience.

“He’s a great leader and the best GM we ever had on the 17th floor at WABC and everyone on the air there would tell you that they would follow him anywhere,” Simone admits. “So, while I hate leaving the best coworkers in radio, it may not be long before many of them decide to join me [at WOR].”

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It was only a matter of time at WOR. It’s the sense of radio insiders that staffers at the venerable news/talk station were on borrowed time since Clear Channel purchased the 710 frequency in August.

Now, FishbowlNY has learned that numerous changes have taken place at WOR, with others still possible, all within days of Christmas. Here’s what we know at this point. Midday host, Dr. Joy Browne is out. The psychologist spent 15 years dishing advice to callers on WOR.

Mike Huckabee‘s syndicated show has been dropped.

A source close to the information tells FishbowlNY that only scratches the surface.

“All local show promos are off… news department will be absorbed into Total Traffic. It’s a bloodbath there today.”

Part of that bloodbath, we’re told, is the dismissal of former New York Governor David Paterson. The unorthodox hire joined WOR for a weekday two-hour show, succeeding Steve Malzberg in September 2011.

Paterson’s spokesman confirmed the firing to FishbowlNY.

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It’s been a remarkable ride for cantankerous and controversial Bob Grant. The influential talk show host will leave his one-hour Sunday show this weekend, his third stint at WABC. Grant, 83, rejoined the station in September 2009.

He wrote today on his Web site, bobgrantonline.com: ”I am not sick, I am just a tired of life member of the chorus.”

Grant, who had a highly successful 12-year stint as afternoon WABC host, added: “I will miss you as much as you say you miss me.”

In 1970, Grant made his splash in New York when he arrived at WMCA. For the next seven years he was the station’s ”house conservative.” Grant also worked at WOR twice. Most recently, he was on the air at the Buckley family-owned company from 1996 to 2006.

As Grant writes on his site: “There are other things I want to do with the rest of my life. For one thing, I may have time to write the book we have talked about.”

Grant wrote only one book, the 1996 Let’s Be Heard.

WABC operations manager Tony Mascaro refused to comment.

Photo: wabcradio.com

The big news of the August PPM is all about WBLS. The Urban Adult Contemporary station is finding new life since the ESPN/KISS FM deal in April. WBLS, now the only game in town for that format, jumped to number two, up .4 to 6.3.

Despite the great WBLS showing, WLTW continues to rule the radio roost. The Clear Channel heavyweight added a .1 to 7.0, but Lite-FM lost a chunk of its lead to ‘BLS in the latest Arbition figures.

WBLS’ good fortune means a backtracking for perennial number two, WCBS-FM. The Classic Hits station slipped into a third-place tie with WHTZ/Z100. However, the two stations got there in slightly different scenarios. CBS-FM gained .2, while Z100 lost .2 for the month.

The homecoming of WRXP to Merlin Media’s Alternative Rocker at 101.9 reaped the rewards. The station shot up a full ratings point to a 1.6.

More from the Top 10 after the jump

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It’s WLTW in familiar territory. Clear Channel’s Lite FM is number one in the July PPM ratings, released yesterday by Arbitron.

But in a rare spot for the A/C station, WLTW lost .8 from June. Thus, opening the door for sister station WHTZ. Z100 actually gave back .2, but finds just a .6 deficit from being the city’s top station.

Then there’s WCBS-FM, which commemorated it’s 40th anniversary in July. Overall, there’s not as much to celebrate at the home of Classic Hits. The usual number two to Lite-FM slipped .3 to 5.9. WCBS-FM, which officially ended its association with veteran jock Bob Shannon, tied for third.

The station joining WCBS-FM in third place is WBLS. The Urban station saw a .3 jump to 5.9. WBLS added KISS FM programming in late April, after the mega deal brought ESPN to 98.7.

As for ESPN/WEPN, it was a less promising month. The overall rating dropped .3 to a 21st-place showing of 1.3.

Rival WFAN, which started July with its 25th anniversary, fell slightly to 3.2.

The month’s big winner, WKTU. The Rhythmic A/C made a .7 leap to 5.5 in fifth place.

More from Top 10 after the jump

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Without any fanfare, it’s a typical month for WLTW/Lite FM. The Adult Contemporary giant was number one in the just-released overall PPM ratings for June.

Lite FM saw its huge numbers dwindle from May (8.1 to 7.7). But the station maintained its 5,600,000 cume (audience).

A surprise at number two, where WLTW sister station WHTZ/Z100 made a nice .5 leap.

Despite only slipping .1 for June, WCBS-FM fell from its usual second-place perch. The Classic Hits format, now under the direction of longtime WLTW programmer Jim Ryan, finds a home in third.

It’s the second ratings book for WBLS since the Urban station gave a voice to several displaced KISS FM/WRKS personalities following ESPN’s takeover of the 98.7 frequency.

WBLS had a fourth-place showing, with only a minimal drop off to 5.6.

As for ESPN/WEPN, the all-sports station lost .2 to 1.6 in the overall ratings. By contrast, rival WFAN improved slightly to 3.3.

More ratings insight after the jump

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