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Airwaves: April 22, 2011

April Arbitrons

KIIS-FM (102.7 FM) was Los Angeles radio’s dominant force once again in the recent Arbitron ratings released this week. While down a half point to 5.1, it was still a half point above KOST’s (103.5 FM) 4.6. With KFI’s third-place 4.3 -- it’s highest rating since at least November, 2010 when it had a 4.2 -- Clear Channel had a 1-2-3 sweep. Add in 10th place KBIG (flat at 3.3) and the Evil Empire has four of the top-10 stations in town. An amazing feat.

But wait: while CBS doesn’t have the total dominance of the top-three as does Clear Channel, they, too, control much of the top-10 stations, with 4th place KRTH’s (101.1 FM) 4.2, a 6th place tie between KNX (1070 AM) and KROQ (106.7 FM) at 3.5, and Amp Radio’s (97.1 FM) 10th-place tie with sister The Wave (94.7 FM) -- matching KBIG’s 3.3, and CBS controls five of the top-10. Or top-11, since there was a tie at 10.

Let me repeat that. Of the top-11 stations in town, two companies own nine of them. In my opinion, that is market dominance that needs to be broken up ... especially when you realize that number 12, just below the above named stations, is CBS-owned Jack-FM at 3.0. Two companies controlling 84 percent of the ratings of the top-12 stations is a frightening thing. Last time something like that happened, the FCC broke up NBC and forced the launch of ABC, which later became one of America’s premier networks. But I digress.

Regardless, the month was very kind to KNX, which earned its highest ratings in 16 years, and only a half share down from it’s highest rating of the last quarter-century, a 4.0 share it earned in the Winter of 1991 during the Gulf War. KNX’s cumulative number of listeners stood at almost 1.4 million people, making it the largest audience of any non-music station in town. Everyone at KNX, especially programmer Andy Ludlum, deserves accolades.

Go Country (105.1 FM) continued its climb, coming in at 2.2 and 20th place. Sister KGIL, under its last month as standards/oldies, came in at 0.2. it will be interesting to watch the ratings under classical.

Some unusual showing this month: KFI’s internet stream came in at 0.2, combine that with the broadcast numbers and the station has a combined 4.5 share ... just 0.1 behind KOST. Also showing up with a 0.1 share was KROQ’s stream. While that may seem insignificant, it shows that the internet has the potential to change the face of radio, especially as smart phones become more popular. Rounding out the unusual: San Diego’s KOGO (600 AM) earned its first LA rating ever, I believe, at 0.1.

The full story: Each rating is an estimate of the percentage of listeners aged 6 and over tuned to a station between the hours of 6 AM and 12 midnight.

1. KIIS-FM (5.1); 2. KOST (4.6); 3. KFI (4.3); 4. KRTH (4.2); 5. Power 106 (3.6); 6. KNX, KROQ (3.5); 8. KLVE (3.4); 9. Amp Radio, KBIG, KTWV (3.3)

12. Jack-FM (3.0); 13. KLOS (3.0); 14. KBUE, Hot 92.3 (2.6); 16. KRCD, KYSR (2.5); 18. KLAX (2.4); 19. KSCA (2.3); 20. Go Country (2.2)

21. KXOL, KXOS (2.1); 23. The Sound (2.0); 24. KUSC (1.8); 25. KDAY, KDLD, KSSE (1.6); 28. KHJ (1.5); 29. The Fish, KPCC (1.3)

31. KLYY (1.2); 32. KABC (1.1); 33. KCRW, KJLH, KSPN (1.0) 36. KWKW (1.0); 37. KFWB, KLAC, KWIZ (0.7) 40. KJLL, KKJZ, KTLK (0.6)

43. KRLA (0.5), 44. KKLA, KSFV (0.4); 46. KLAA, KMRO, KOLA, KTNQ (0.3) 50. KCAQ, KDIS, KFI Stream, K-FROG, KGGI, KGIL, KLTX, KWVE, XPRS (0.2) 59. KGMX, KOGO, KPFK, KROQ Stream, XKAM (0.1)

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