KGB Rock Rivals Making Inroads

Rock contenders KIOZ-FM (Rock 102.1) and XTRA-FM (91X) are gaining ground on once-dominant KGB-FM (101.5) in the battle for the hearts and ears of San Diego rock listeners, according to Arbitron’s summer ratings released Wednesday.

Arbitron also showed that the modern country format of KSON, simulcast on AM (1240) and FM (97.3), continued to maintain its lead among listeners 12 and over, the largest demographic group surveyed, posting a 7.1 rating, down from an 8.7 in the spring quarter.

The teen dance-tune format of KKLQ (Q106) was second with a 6.5, followed by KSDO-AM (1130), the news-talk station, which placed third with a 5.6 rating.

It was also a good “book” for the KFMB-FM (B100) morning team of Jeff Elliott and Jerry St. James, “Jeff and Jer.” Although the duo’s gag-filled morning show placed second in the 12 and over category to the news of KSDO, it moved into first in the key 25-54 age group with a 10.7 rating, replacing KSON’s team of Lisa Dent and John Stone, which slipped from a 10.9 in the spring to a 7.8 in the summer.

But industry observers were primarily discussing the competition for San Diego rock lovers. KGB, which not long ago consistently posted 7 and 8 ratings, fell to a 4.9 among listeners 12 and over. It was the same rating the rock station received last summer, part of an inexplicable roller coaster that sees the station jump in the fall and spring and slip in the winter and summer.

But KGB’s competition is growing stronger. Among listeners 12 and over, 91X posted a 5.5 rating with its modern rock format, and Rock 102.1, which was known as Magic 102 until a few months ago, jumped from a 2.6 to a 4.0. KIOZ plays a harder brand of modern rock, including current heavy metal stars.

KSDO-FM (Classic 103), which targets a specific, older rock audience, has also managed to make ratings inroads in recent months. In the spring ratings, it had jumped to a 5.8 rating among listeners 25-54, approaching KGB’s 6.6.

In the most recent report, Classic 103 slipped to a 4.0 in the 25-54 group, but KGB also dropped, posting a 5.5.

KGB, which has been changing its format in recent years to feature more established hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s, views the 25-54 audience as its primary target. Advertisers view the 25-54 group as the most lucrative.

“We have to be successful in that demographic,” KGB General Manager Tom Baker said. “We’re pleased with our morning show in 25 to 54, which went up from a 6.0 to a 6.6. I think it shows we are on the right mark with that show.”

Baker acknowledged that the days of a rock station producing large 12 and over audiences are gone. The local rock ratings competition is typical of similar competitions in other cities, where rock stations have emerged to target specific niches.

“You can’t be that wide anymore” in targeting an audience, Baker said. “You have to pick a path and follow it.”

To a certain degree, audiences are choosing sides, said KIOZ program director Greg Stevens.

“It may have taken some time for people to start to understand which station is which,” Stevens said. “People are starting to see the differences in rock stations and pick which one to listen to.”

KIOZ and 91X are more popular with younger audiences than KGB and Classic 103. Among listeners 18 to 34, 91X placed first with an 11.4 rating, followed by Q106 at 9.3, KIOZ at 9.1 and KGB with an 8.7.