KIIS-FM regains top spot in the Arbitron ratings

After being dethroned for two months by talk station KFI-AM (640), Top 40 outlet KIIS-FM (102.7) found itself back atop the Arbitron local ratings Wednesday, the spot it had occupied throughout the first half of the year.

KIIS attracted an average of 5.2% of the L.A.-Orange County audience during the ratings period, which surveyed listeners 6 and older from Sept. 17 to Oct. 14. More than 3.8 million people tuned in for at least five minutes every week, compared with 3.6 million during the previous month, when the station had a 4.8% audience share.

KIIS was strong across the board, finishing second on weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., sixth from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., first from 3 to 7 p.m. and first from 7 p.m. to midnight. It was also first on weekends.

KFI, meanwhile, fell to third place in October with a 4.3% share. Oldies station KRTH-FM (101.1) maintained its hold on second with a 4.7% share. Soft rock station KOST-FM (103.5) was fourth at 4.1% and oldies station KCBS-FM (93.1) and Top 40 outlet KAMP-FM (97.1) tied for fifth at 3.7%.

Even with its drop, KFI far outpaced its talk rivals. KABC-AM (790) ranked 22nd, KRLA-AM (1110) was 36th, KTLK-AM (1150) was tied for 41st and newcomer KFWB-AM (980) was tied for 38th.

October was the first full month of ratings for KFWB under the new format that the former all-news station unveiled with great fanfare in September, boasting that it had lured advice guru Laura Schlessinger away from KFI to anchor its midday schedule.

Despite the presence of Schlessinger and such other experienced hosts as Laura Ingraham and Michael Smerconish, KFWB not only has not gained traction, it actually has lost listeners. The CBS-owned station has ebbed from a 1% share in August to 0.8% in September and 0.7% in October.

And Schlessinger, a ratings powerhouse at KFI, is an also-ran at KFWB so far. In October, during the weekday period of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that covers the time she’s on the air, the station tied for 32nd place with a 1% share of audience.

KNX-AM (1070), the sister CBS station that now has the all-news field to itself, tied for 15th in October with a 2.8% share, much the same as it has scored for at least the last six months.

In the 6-10 a.m. “morning drive” period that is radio’s prime time, KFI maintained its lock on No. 1, with Bill Handel and Rush Limbaugh combining to attract 6.2% of the audience. KIIS’ Ryan Seacrest was second with a 5.1% share, followed by Gary Bryan on KRTH, Mark Thompson & Brian Phelps on KLOS-FM (95.5) and Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo on Spanish-language KSCA-FM (101.9).

Classical music outlet KUSC-FM (91.5) was the top-rated public radio station in October, finishing in a tie for 18th with a 2.3% audience share. News and public-affairs station KPCC-FM (89.3) was 24th at 1.8%, while news-and-music station KCRW-FM (89.9) was 30th at 1%. Jazz outlet KKJZ-FM (88.1) was 38th at 0.7%, and public-affairs station KPFK-FM (90.7) was tied for 48th at 0.2%.

KPFK announced several changes to its program lineup Wednesday, including giving weekend host Ian Masters another show that will air Mondays through Thursdays at 5 p.m. Margaret Prescod will host a 7 a.m. show Tuesdays through Fridays.

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lee.margulies@latimes.com