Lionel’s Late-Night Takeover: Explosive Growth and a Slot Worth Owning

When most stations assume listeners are asleep, Lionel is building a broadcast empire at 1 a.m. According to Nielsen Audio Trend data (Spring ’24 → Spring ’25, Adults 35+), The Other Side of Midnight delivered a massive +60.4% increase in AQH, jumping from 22,700 to 36,400 listeners. Even more striking: the show’s Cume surged +32.3%, growing from 110,000 to 145,500 in just one year.

This isn’t incremental growth,  it’s a surge.

For affiliates, this means Lionel is doing what few overnight programs can: he’s turning a traditionally low-performing daypart into appointment listening. A +60% AQH increase tells us listeners aren’t just passing through, they’re staying locked in. The +32% Cume growth proves new listeners continue to discover and return to the show week after week.

In real terms, Lionel is building audience density and market reach at the same time, the gold standard for programmers and sales teams alike. A larger, more consistent audience means better advertiser targeting, stronger inventory value, and new leverage for overnight and national buys. Late night is no longer “dead air”,  it’s now one of your most strategic, monetizable hours of the day.

If your station is looking to strengthen its overnight lineup, Lionel is not a gamble, he’s already delivering the results.

Source: Nielsen Audio Trend (Spring 2024 → Spring 2025), Adults 35+