Rock Stations With Presence Gain Listeners : Radio: Those playing newer tunes rise in ratings compared to numerous ‘classic’ rock stations.

While a host of stodgy classic and oldies rock radio stations battle for San Diego listeners locked in a time warp, the hip, happening rock stations playing new music are winning over increasingly large audiences, according to the Arbitron ratings for the spring released Thursday.

Perhaps the most dramatic increase came from KIOZ-FM (Rock 102), the hard-rockin’ home for metalheads and fans of Metallica, Slayer and all the other heavy-metal bands. Among listeners 12-and-over, Rock 102 increased from a 2.6 last spring to a 4.4, making it the 8th-highest-rated station in the city.

Always strong in the separate North County book, Rock 102 now dominates the area with a 10.2, trailed by KFMB-FM (B100) with a 6.5. Among listeners 18-34 in the North County, Rock 102 posted an amazing 18.9 share.

The community is becoming more aware of the format despite a limited marketing budget, said Rock 102 promotions director Chris Ryan: “It caters to an age group that tends to operate on word of mouth.”

XTRA-FM (91X), the so-called “cutting edge of rock,” also returned to its usual ratings, posting a 5.7 rating among listeners 12 and over to place second behind the modern country of KSON, which again leads the market with a 7.6.

Meanwhile, the retro-rock of KGB-FM (101.5) posted a 4.5 rating among listeners 12 and over, down from a 5.3 in the winter, although it remained steady among listeners 25-54, with a 6.0 rating. Its main competition, KCLX-FM (102.9), which plays a slightly different variety of aged rock, slipped from a 3.0 in the winter to a 2.3 in the overall listening category.

The perfomance of the classic rock stations flies in the face of the rationale of the station executives and their reams of research, which suggested that there is a huge untapped audience for classic rock in San Diego. The audience for KGB and KCLX combined totaled only a 6.8 share, far below what KGB earned during its heyday as the radical album-oriented rock station.

“I think Arbitron is an inadequate piece of information,” said KGB General Manager Tom Baker, who has joined the growing list of stations that no longer pay for the ratings reports, in protest of what they view as inadequate sampling.

The Arbitron numbers tend to fluctuate--”tremendous wobbles,” Baker said--yet it is clear that there is an audience for stations willing to deviate from the tried and true. XHTZ-FM (Z90), which plays a less rigid dance format than some of its counterparts, continued to eat away at the Top 40 market, moving to a 4.2 rating in the 12-plus category.

“The reason I’m real happy is that the stations that I think are doing interesting radio in town did well,” said 91X program director Kevin Stapleford, pointing to Rock 102, XHTZ-FM (Z90) and KFMB-FM (B100), in addition to his own station.

“Some of the heritage stations have lost a grip on what the town wants.”

The continued strength of the hip rock stations is certainly more interesting than the Battle of the Oldies stations, which finds KCBQ slipping from a 2.6 in the winter 12-plus ratings to a 1.9, while competitor KBZS-FM (K-BEST) went from a 2.0 to a 2.6.

It was also a good book overall for B100, which moved into third place in the market with a 5.7 rating, bouyed by the strength of the “Jeff and Jer” morning show.

KFMB-TV’s (Channel 8) two-part series on teen-agers living and partying in an El Cajon storm drain, produced by photographer Charles Landon and Susan Peters, was compelling television, made far more powerful by the simple presentation, devoid of sensationalism or the star-reporter elements that clutter up so many similar television reports. Instead, they focused on the children’s stories. . . .

San Diego radio veteran Jack Hayes, who filed an age-discrimination claim against XTRA-AM earlier this year, has been hired as director of programming for the Las Vegas-based Sports Entertainment Network, a 24-hour all-sports service.

Hayes, 52, one of KCBQ’s star disc jockeys in the late ‘60s, charges in his filing to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing that XTRA management told him he wouldn’t be promoted from his job as director of management services to the $40,000-a-year morning show host gig last year because he was too old. He was laid off a few weeks later. Contacted on Friday, Hayes said that he is still pursuing the age discrimination charge, which has been denied by XTRA. . . .

KNSD-TV (Channel 39) led the way in local coverage of the Democratic convention by sending reporter Gene Cubbison to cover the San Diego and California delegations and provide a local angle lacking in the competitors’ coverage. Of course, it was a one-horse race, since Channel 39 was the only local television station to send a reporter to the convention. . . .

KGTV (Channel 10) anchorman Stephen Clark, from the parking lot of the All-Star Game, after 3,430,892 All-Star Game-related stories: “We acknowledge there is other news going on this evening.” Then the station previewed a story about the circus. . . .

Former Channel 39 anchorwoman Kim Devore has resigned from KCOP-TV (Channel 13), reportedly to work with her husband on a music video company.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: A SECOND CHANCE

While watching “Europa, Europa,” it is important to remember that it is a true story, otherwise it would border on the ludicrous. It tells the adventures of a Jewish youth during World War II who manages to avoid persecution at the hands of the Nazis and the Russians, eventually ending up in the Hitler Youth. It is a fantastic tale, told with stunning, unemotional detachment by director Agnieszka Holland. For those who missed it in its previous run locally, the Ken Cinema will present the film for one night, Wednesday, along with Holland’s 1985 Academy Award nominee, “Angry Harvest,” another World War II tale. “Angry Harvest” explores the relationship between a Polish Catholic farmer and a Jewish woman he hides from the Nazis.