Radio AM to FM: July 27, 2001
Spring Arbitrons
A big jump from KROQ (106.7 FM) did what some thought impossible: brought the alternative rock station to the top-spot in the Los Angeles Spring Arbitron ratings released last week, marking for the first time in recent memory that an English-language radio station has led the ratings race.
For the quarter, KROQ was up to 5.1 from 4.5; KPWR (105.9 FM) was also up -- to 4.8 from 3.9 -- good for a second-place tie with KSCA (101.9 FM) which was flat.
KRTH (101.1 FM) was down a notch to 3.0 from Winter's 3.1, but still held onto the oldies lead with an 11th-place tie with former Spanish music leader KLAX (97.9 FM). KCBS-FM (Arrow 93.1 FM), was up slightly to 2.4 from 2.2 and 16th place. KLAX, for its part, had a huge jump from 2.1 to 3.0 -- the highest rating it has earned in over a year.
Spring and Summer must be good months for FM talk radio, as KLSX (97.1 FM) had its highest rating since it played music with a 2.5 share, up from 2.1. Last time KLSX was this high was last Summer when it had a 2.4.
KABC (790 AM) -- the station that invented talk radio in Los Angeles -- rebounded slightly from its miserable showing last quarter with a 1.9 share, up from 1.8. KRLA (870 AM) wasn't far behind, with a flat 1.3 share. Interestingly, the station that was once called KRLA but is now sports-talk KSPN (1110 AM) didn't show in the ratings at all ... Of course neither did competitor KMPC (1540 AM).
The news was not so good for all-news stations KNX (1070 AM) and KFWB (980 AM). For the quarter, KNX was down half a point to 2.2, while KFWB was declined 0.4 to 1.7. Perhaps people are getting their news from the many talk stations; maybe there aren't any big breaking news stories. Maybe its time for the return of Color Radio Channel 98 ...
In spite of a signal that makes it impossible to receive throughout most of Los Angeles Metro, Orange County's KMXN (Cool 94.3 FM) earned a 0.3 share, up an infinite amount from last quarter's 0.0 (a little math humor there). If that doesn't show that people are fed up with LA music stations, I don't know what does. Somehow we need to get a better signal for Cool along with a station for former Mix 95.9 programmer Craig Carpenter to program in Los Angeles. Then I'd be a happy camper.
Each rating is an estimate of the percentage of listeners aged 12 and over tuned to a station between the hours of 6 am and 12 midnight. The full story:
Station: Winter-Spring
KROQ: 4.5-5.1
KPWR: 3.9-4.8
KSCA: 4.8-4.8
KIIS/KAVS: 4.6-4.7
KLVE: 4.6-4.3
KFI: 3.1-3.6
KKBT: 3.6-3.4
KTWV: 3.8-3.3
KOST: 3.7-3.2
KYSR: 2.5-3.2
KLAX: 2.1-3.0
KRTH: 3.1-3.0
KBUA/KBUE: 3.0-2.6
KCMG: 2.3-2.6
KLOS: 2.7-2.6
KBIG: 2.5-2.5
KLSX: 2.1-2.5
KCBS-FM: 2.2-2.4
KZLA: 2.9-2.3
KNX: 2.7-2.2
KABC: 1.8-1.9
KFWB: 2.1-1.7
KJLH: 1.7-1.7
KLAC: 1.4-1.6
KRLA: 1.3-1.3
KLYY: 1.6-1.2
KMZT: 1.6-1.2
KRCD/KRCV: 1.3-1.2
KSSC/KSSD/KSSE: 1.6-1.2
KXOL: 0.0-1.2
KHJ: 1.5-0.9
KTNQ: 1.0-0.9
KBLA: 0.8-0.8
KFSH: 0.6-0.6
KKLA: 0.5-0.6
KWKW: 0.5-0.6
KXTA: 0.4-0.6
KLTX: 0.4-0.5
KWVE: 0.6-0.5
XTRA: 0.5-0.5
KDIS: 0.5-0.4
KMXN: 0.0-0.3
KWIZ: 0.4-0.3
Ratings are Copyright 2001 Arbitron. May not be reproduced without prior written permission of Arbitron.
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Copyright © 2001 Richard Wagoner and The Copley Press.
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