Summer Ratings Show KKLQ Remains Music Leader; XTRA-FM Playing to Win

While the youth-oriented dance music of KKLQ (Q106) maintained its first-place position in San Diego radio competition, XTRA-FM (91X) surprised KGB-FM (101.5) by surpassing the station for the first time since 1983, according to the summer Arbitron ratings released Wednesday.

The Arbitron numbers for adults 12 years old and over show KGB dipping to a 5.0 rating share, down from an 8.8 the previous ratings book. XTRA-FM (91X), which has been “fine tuning” its modern rock sound to include more traditional rockers, posted a 5.6, up from 4.6 in the spring. It is the first time 91X has beaten KGB since it switched to a new music format in 1983.

Most industry professionals discount the 12-plus ratings numbers, since most stations program to specific demographic groups. But the general numbers do reflect the overall size of a station’s audience.

In the key adults 25-54 category, KGB still maintains a solid edge over its competition, with a 6.1 to 91X’s 3.5.

The overall winner in the ratings race was again KKLQ (Q106), which has been at or near the top for the past two years. Simulcast on AM (600) and FM (106.5), KKLQ posted a combined 9.6 rating among listeners 12 and over. Both Q106 and 91X are particularly strong among teen-age listeners.

Buoyed by the San Diego Padres broadcasts, KFMB-AM followed Q106 with an 8.3. Other strong finishers in the general ratings included KSON, which posted a 6.1 rating with its simulcast country sound, the news of KSDO-AM (1130) with a 6.2, an KFMB-FM (B100) with a 5.4.

The news was not all good for XTRA. The AM station, which recently decided to focus on news instead of news-talk, posted a poor 1.1 share. In comparison, KNX, a news station in Los Angeles, also showed a 1.1 share of the audience in the San Diego book.

XTRA-AM’s much-promoted morning show featuring Steve Garvey did not appear in the top 12 rankings of San Diego morning shows, although station management noted that Garvey’s numbers among listeners 12 and over have improved from a .4 in July to a 2.2 rating share for September.

But XTRA staffers threw a party Tuesday night to celebrate the numbers for the FM, which reportedly spent a million dollars to bring the Who to San Diego this summer, in addition to sponsoring several other promotional events.

“We’re ecstatic for the FM,” said station Vice President and General Manager Tom Jimenez. “We’re trying to be the most visible station out there.”

KGB has been on a ratings roller coaster for the past year, hitting a high of 8.8 in the 12-plus numbers last winter.

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away,” said KGB General Manager Tom Baker. “I really can’t explain it. What did we do differently?”

In terms of the amount of time people spent listening, KGB dropped from second place in the market to 19th, Baker pointed out. But the Birch ratings book for the same summer period shows KGB second to Q106 with an 8.2 share, with 91X posting a 6.9.

Industry observers have also been tracking KJQY-FM (103.7), commonly known as KJOY, which has been altering its mellow music format in the last year. Always strong in the ratings, KJOY has been steadily slipping in the last year, down to a 5.4 share in the summer book.

In the morning competition, among adults 25-54, Hudson and Bauer on KFMB-AM posted a 10.1 share, followed by B100’s “Morning Zoo” with an 8.2. Q106’s revamped morning team had a 7.4 ratings share and KGB’s Berger and Prescott a 6.4.