Stern Back in Driver’s Seat, but KLAX-FM Is Still No. 1

Hot-talker Howard Stern reclaimed the kingdom in the key morning drive-time slot for KLSX-FM (97.1), but Spanish-language KLAX-FM (97.9), the relative new kid on the radio block, retained its lead in the overall rankings for the third quarter in a row, according to Arbitron ratings released Wednesday.

Although it maintained the No. 1 position, KLAX slipped substantially, from a 7.2 share of the audience during the winter quarter to 5.7% for the spring quarter that ended June 23. Its morning show, featuring the comedy of Juan Carlos Hidalgo and El Peladillo (Jesus Garcia), fell from first to sixth in the 6-10 a.m. rankings, tied with KFI-AM (640), whose all-female morning team of Terri-Rae Elmer and Tracey Miller was replaced on Monday by Bill Handel.

Stern’s comedy antics on KLSX were also down slightly in the ratings, from 6.3 to 6.1, but not enough to keep his syndicated show out of the morning top spot.

At KLSX, station officials were crowing. “Well, he’s back in No. 1,” said Andy Bloom, program director, “and he’s also No. 1 in New York.” Bloom suggested that the dip of two-tenths of a point was negligible. Overall, from 6 a.m. to midnight, KLSX ranked 10th in the 80-station market.

“KLAX got a little bit lucky,” Bloom said of the previous quarter, when Stern had ranked second.

At KLAX, however, officials took the morning loss in stride. “It’s a settling process,” said General Manager Alfredo Rodgriguez, whose station catapulted to the top with its ranchera (Spanish country-type music) format. “It was logical. We knew it was going to happen sometime. There are so many factors. We haven’t done anything different than before.

“This is an average for three months,” he added, “and our deepest dive was in May. June was a dramatic recovery. But (earlier), kids were in school, studying for finals.”

The morning-drive rankings, in order: Stern; the KLOS-FM (95.5) duo of Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps; KABC-AM (790) veterans Ken Minyard and Roger Barkley; in fourth place, Rick Dees at KIIS (102.7-FM and 1150-AM), the two bands accounting for his squeeze past all-news KFWB-AM (980) with 4.8.

Otherwise the spring book held no major surprises, and was described by radio executives as stable. The first three rankings--KLAX, KOST-FM (103.5) and KPWR-FM (105.9)--remained the same as the previous quarter. Talk-radio station KFI, which last time was in fifth place, moved to fourth. KROQ-FM (106.7), which last time was tied for sixth with talk-station KABC-AM (790), moved to fifth, while KABC fell to ninth.

Another change was the reappearance among the top 15 of Spanish-language station KLVE-FM (107.5) in 11th place. There has been no change in its contemporary hits type of format. A station source said KLVE is “recovering nicely after an initial shock of (KLAX) coming on the marketplace. It’s just a settling down.”

The area’s Top 15 stations and their Arbitron ratings for last winter and the more recent spring quarter:

WINTER SPRING 1. KLAX-FM 7.2 5.7 2. KOST-FM 5.5 5.1 3. KPWR-FM 5.0 5.0 4. KFI-AM 4.3 4.5 5. KROQ-FM 3.9 4.3 6. KIIS-AM/FM 4.3 4.0 7. KLOS-FM 3.8 3.9 KRTH-FM 3.7 3.9 9. KABC-AM 3.9 3.7 10. KLSX-FM 3.8 3.6 11. KLVE-FM 2.4 3.5 12. KBIG-FM 3.5 3.2 KFWB-AM 2.9 3.2 14. KKBT-FM 3.4 3.1 15. KYSR-FM 3.0 3.0

The ratings survey covers people 12 and older listening between 6 a.m. and midnight, from April 1 to June 23, 1993.