As the seasons change, so do the radio rankings in Milwaukee.

For a short period, as holiday music takes over the air, people shift and sample other stations. Now that we are back into a normal grove, things are back to where they were with WMIL-FM 106.1 at the top of the ratings.

In February, the country music station climbed back to a 10.7, which is larger than the 9.8 tallied in January. The move leapt over WTMJ-AM 620, leaving the news talk and sports station in second place with a 10.3.

WISN-AM is in third place with a 6.5, oldies station WRIT-FM 95.7 is next in at 6.2 and WKKV-FM rounds out the top five at 5.1.

What is astonishing to see is the tremendous drop in listenership between the top two stations and the rest of the field in the numbers provided by industry tracker Tom Taylor’s NOW ratings. If taking a quick glance at the Milwaukee market, country and talk radio formats are the only two important ones listeners cling to.

Knowing who we are as media samplers, we know that is far from the entire truth. As providing analysis, I have reported how flawed the ratings system actually is. However, it can track trends over time and be a valuable tool that everyone in the business lives with.

As politics and the Brewers heat up in the spring, I’d expect the rankings here to settle in for the next few months.

WMIL-FM, Country: 10.7
WTMJ-AM, News Talk Info.: 10.3
WISN-AM, News Talk Info.: 6.5
WRIT-FM, Oldies: 6.2
WKKV-FM, Urban: 5.1

WMYX-FM, Hot AC: 5.0
WKLH-FM, Classic Rock: 4.9
WHQG-FM, Mainstream Rock: 4.6
WXSS-FM, Pop CHR: 4.5
WLUM-FM, Alternative: 3.9

WLDB-FM, AC: 3.7
WJMR-FM, Urban AC: 3.2
WLWK-FM, Adult Hits: 3.1
WRNW-FM, Pop CHR: 3.0
WHAD-FM, Talk/Personality: 2.6

WNRG-FM, Pop CHR: 2.1
WSSP-AM, All Sports: 1.4
WUWM-FM, News Talk Info.: 1.4
WYMS-FM,  AAA: 0.7
WZTI-AM, Rhythmic Oldies: 0.7

WOKY-AM, All Sports: 0.4
WJYI-AM, Contemp. Christian: 0.2
WMSE-FM, Alternative: 0.2

PROMOTION: The RAMP newsletter recently reported that iHeartMedia promoted Colleen Valkoun from VP of Sales to Market President, overseeing 12 radio stations in Madison and Milwaukee.

"Colleen has played an instrumental role in building an excellent team in Milwaukee," Brian Olson, SVP of Operations for the West Region of iHeartMedia, told RAMP. "Her proven leadership, coupled with her impressive track record of success, makes her the perfect choice to lead our cluster of stations in Madison and Milwaukee."

Valkoun started in the area as the national sales manager for the six stations here in 2003.

"I’m excited for this opportunity to lead our teams in Madison and Milwaukee," Valkoun said in a release. "Having grown up in Milwaukee, graduated from UW-Madison and worked in both radio markets, I have strong ties to the communities and look forward to continuing the revenue and ratings success in both clusters."

BUSINESS: Fox Business Network has two new episodes of "Strange Inheritance" on tap for 8 p.m. Monday. Jamie Colby takes viewers to the Badlands of Eastern Montana where a man trying to keep the barren ranch he inherited in business stumbles upon an additional revenue generator with dinosaur fossils. The second episode will feature a woman who races to save a near bankrupt exotic wildlife refuge in Punta Gorda, Fla., bequeathed to her, along with the hundreds of animals living there.