WSOU Listenership Doubles During the Fall and Winter 2025-26 Ratings

Published: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

by Elijah Weintraub

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - WSOU’s listenership surged during the 2025-26 fall and winter ratings period, nearly doubling from the previous year, according to Nielsen Audio data.  
 
Across the Fall 2025, Holiday 2025, and Winter 2026 books, WSOU averaged 58,900 weekly listeners, a big achievement in a competitive market. While the number may appear small, it's actually a really big number for a student- and college-run radio station in the New York City market.  
 
The New York City Metro Area altogether averaged around 13.24 million weekly radio listeners during that period, according to the Nielsen Metro Total Estimates. WSOU’s nearly 59,000 weekly listeners make up a small but notable portion of that total, which is impressive for a college radio station.  
 
The daily accumulation also rose sharply from the previous quarters, with an average of 18,000 listeners, not including the holiday period.  
 
Audience composition data from Nielsen shows WSOU’s core listeners fall primarily within the 18-24 and 25-34 age ranges, with additional support from 55-64 and 65+ legacy listeners who have followed the station closely for decades.  
 
In a competitive New York radio landscape, WSOU accomplished something few college radio stations achieve: a measurable year-over-year increase in both daily and weekly audience totals.  
 
Since 1948, WSOU 89.5 FM has served the Seton Hall and tristate communities with music, news, and sports coverage. For more than 40 years, the station has been known for being home to the loudest rock and heavy metal music - a signature sound that continues to define WSOU today.  

 

For more information reach out to Elijah Weintraub at elijah.weintraub@student.shu.edu 

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