As winter winds swirl around us, the race for ratings is as hot as ever as demonstrated by the new BBM released today.

Perhaps it is just the remnants of a long hot summer, but the race for ratings is as hot as ever as demonstrated by the new BBM released yesterday.

A brand new BBM survey (bringing the yearly total to 4) made its debut today. This time around it covers Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Next year that list will include 9 markets in all. Anticipation (with apologies to Carly Simon) was intense.

Ottawa was not included in the December release of BBM's Fall ratings. BBM had discovered an error in its enumeration process that resulted in an imbalance of English and French respondents in this market. After analyzing the returns from the Fall survey, BBM staff determined that the Ottawa-Gatineau data was not within publication standards. Supplementary diaries were sent out for the weeks of Nov. 22 and Nov. 29 to remedy the error. These are the results of the final combined survey.

BBM just dropped the big one, the all-important Survey 4. It's especially relevant as we prepare to enter the winter wasteland, made worse by an economic recession. This also marks the final regular diary for Montreal (released to be analysed along with the recently unveiled PPM results).

Here's the latest numbers for the September 1st to October 26th survey.

Media analysts such as myself are distinguished by their distinctive squint, garnered from years of peering at tiny numbers. To save you the trouble (and a trip to the optometrist), I have summarized the results of the radio BBM released yesterday. You owe me one.

It would seem that the world is in a state of upheaval, with politicians continuing to pummel each other, the stock and housing markets crashing and Tina Fey emerging as the most popular vice-presidential candidate in the U.S. Despite all of that, radio keeps chugging along, as demonstrated by the radio BBM results released today.

As the spring breezes begin to blow, things are heating up in anticipation of the CRTC decision coming out of the satellite/subscription hearings held late last year. For now, the race for ratings is as hot as ever as demonstrated by the new BBM released yesterday.

Let's take a look at the numbers in BBM's Survey 4, 2007, released yesterday, and find out who'll be celebrating during this holiday season.

Like some of you, I've been squinting at tiny numbers for far too long. Time to update my prescription and pull out the calculator because the new BBM was released yesterday. Let's take a look.

Toronto: A great book for CHUM-FM, earning bragging rights at the top of the ratings heap with a 10.4% share (up from 8.4%) of hours tuned for A12+. Another good book for CHFI-FM, jumping to 9.6% share (up from 9.2%). Good news for 680 News with a 6.3% share (up from 5.4%). CHUM-FM, with Roger, Rick and Marilyn at the helm, continues to lead the way for females 25-54 with an impressive 18.3% share (up from 17.7%).

As the winter winds begin to howl, things are heating up in anticipation of the CRTC decision coming out of the hearings held in early November. Nothing less than the future of radio in Canada is at stake. For now, the race for ratings is as hot as ever as demonstrated by the Fall BBM released yesterday.