KGB Returns as S.D. Radio Ratings Power

A warning to San Diego radio stations: KGB is back.

After slipping to a 6.5 rating in the last quarter, the perennial ratings power posted an 8.8 share among listeners 12 and older in the spring Arbitron ratings released Friday, tying it for first place in the market with the contemporary hit music of KKLQ (Q106), which is simulcast on AM (600) and FM (106).

KGB’s album-oriented rock format was particularly strong among male listeners 18 to 34, posting a 23.3 share, almost twice as much as the nearest competition.

“We’re just ecstatic,” KGB Program Director Ted Edwards said. “We feel we’re getting credit where credit is due. We really worked hard. This is an extremely competitive market. The only way to stay on top is to work hard.”

It was also a strong book for the country music of KSON, now simulcast on AM (1240) and FM (97.3), posting a combined 7.0 share.

A share represents the percentage of the listening audience that actually listened to the station. Since most stations aim for a specific audience, industry professionals generally discount the 12-and-older numbers, but they do provide a yardstick by which to gauge a station’s total listening audience.

In the key 25- to 54-year-old age group, KGB had a 9.6 share, followed by KSON with a 7.9, KFMB-AM (760) with a 7.3, KFMB-FM (B100) at 7.2 and Q106 with a 7.0.

Among audiences 12 and older, KFMB-AM (760), bolstered by the San Diego Padres broadcasts, had a 6.7 share, followed by the news talk of KSDO-AM (1130) with a 6.0 and KFMB-FM (B100) with a 5.7.

The B100 morning show, the B-Morning Zoo, posted a strong 7.3 rating in the key morning drive slot, placing it behind Q106’s Murphy and McKeever with an 8.4 and KSDO at 8.6. The Zoo, a perennial ratings power that appeared to be weakening, jumped from 6.5 to an 8.8 among listeners 25 to 54.

“B100 has a lot of competition,” KFMB General Manager Paul Palmer said. “To see us do this well with this kind of competition is really gratifying.”

Palmer also noted KGB’s increase.

“KGB had a strong book,” he said. “I’ve always said some books tend to be high and some tend to be low. The 6.5 they had in the winter was probably underestimating them, and the 8.8 may be a little high.”

In the last ratings period, KJQY-FM (103.7) and KYXY-FM (96.5), both featuring mellow music, posted strong ratings--an 8.3 for KJOY and a 5.2 for KYXY. But KYXY fell back to a 3.6 in the new book, while KJOY posted a 6.6.

“We’re pleased with the book,” KJOY Program Director Neil Matthews said. “The book seemed to be a younger book. In our target audience, we’re right where we want to be.”

XTRA-FM (91X) posted a 4.6 share, down from a 5.0, while the adult contemporary format of KKYY (Y95) had a 3.5.

The “Lites Out Jazz” of KIFM (98.1) recorded a 3.5 in its first book under new ownership, a slight dip from the 3.8 of the previous book, while The Wave format of its primary competition, KSWV-FM (102.9), held relatively steady with a 1.9.

XTRA-AM (690), struggling to establish a news talk format, also held steady, posting a .8 share.