KKLQ Continues to Lead Pack in Arbitron Radio Ratings War; KGB-FM Slips Slightly

The Top 40 format of KKLQ (Q106) is maintaining its position as the most-listened-to station in San Diego County, according to Arbitron ratings for the fall period released this week.

KKLQ, which is simulcast on AM (600) and FM (106.5), posted a combined 9.5 rating among listeners 12 years old and over. The rock ‘n’ roll format of perennial ratings power KGB-FM (101.5) was second with a 7.0, followed by the contemporary music and news of KFMB-FM (B100) with a 6.3, and the “light and easy” music of KJQY (103.7) and the news talk of KSDO-AM (1130) with identical 6.2 ratings.

The quarterly Arbitron numbers represent all of San Diego County, including the North County. The 12 and over ratings reflect the percentage of the listening audience that actually tuned into the station for at least a quarter hour between 6 a.m. and midnight.

Most stations and advertising agencies discount the 12 and over numbers, because they prefer to aim for specific demographics. But the numbers do reflect the general size of the station’s audience.

KKLQ, which usually does well with younger audiences, also did well in the 25-54 adults category. It tied B100 and the country music KSON-FM for first place in the key age group with a 7.2 rating. KGB was next with a 6.4.

“We’re very pleased,” Q106 program director Garry Wall said. “We’re certainly not satisfied, but it’s great to be No. 1. This is our fifth No. 1 (overall) in a row.”

KGB’s rating is a small slip for the station, which tied Q106 in the spring with a 9.0 and fell to a 7.4 in the summer. KGB officials were bolstered by the recent results of another ratings service, the Birch book, which showed KGB in first overall.

“I think most stations would like to be slipping as well as we are,” KGB program director Ted Edwards said. “I think the 9.0 in the spring was an amazing number and probably a little high, and the 7.0 is probably a little low. Overall, it is a very competitive market.”

One of KGB’s main competitors, XTRA-FM (91X), held relatively steady with a 5.1 rating. XTRA-AM’s (690) new news-talk format only managed a 1.0 rating.

The “Lites Out” jazz of KIFM (98.1) slipped to a 2.9 rating, down from a 4.7 the previous ratings period. The “soft, relaxing favorites” of KYXY-FM (96.5) went from a 5.4 to a 3.6. One of the largest gains in the market was posted by KPOP-AM (1360) and its hits of the ‘40s to ‘70s, which jumped from a 2.8 to 4.3. KIFM, KPOP and KYXY all returned to ratings levels of earlier books, so the new numbers don’t necessarily represent a trend.