KLVE-FM’s Ballads Woo Top Ratings

Despite recent efforts by 13 general managers of English-language radio stations to change the way audiences are measured and thereby make inroads into the dominance of Spanish-language stations, KLVE-FM (107.5), which plays romantic ballads in Spanish, captured the top spot in the latest Arbitron radio ratings survey.

Figures released Monday for the final quarter of 1995 showed that KLVE drew an average 6.9% of the audience, up from its second-place showing of 4.8% in the preceding three months. Hip-hopping KPWR-FM (105.9) fell to second this time with a 5.5% share of the audience.

Talk station KFI-AM (640) moved into its highest position ever--third place--from sixth last time around. KKBT-FM (92.3), known as “The Beat,” stayed in fourth place, with 4% of the audience.

Alternative rocker KROQ-FM (106.7) tied with Top 40 station KIIS-FM (102.7) and soft rocking KOST-FM (103.5) for fifth place, with each drawing 3.6% of listeners.

In the hotly contested morning competition (6-10 a.m.), KLVE was also No. 1, with hosts Pepe Barretto and Lupita Pena jumping from 5.3% to 7.1% of the audience. Tied for second with a 4.8% share was KFI--its drive-time period split between Bill Handel from 6-9 a.m. and Rush Limbaugh’s first hour from 9-10 a.m.--and KPWR’s Tha Baka Boyz.

Tying for fourth place in the morning were Spanish station KKHJ-AM (930) and Howard Stern on KLSX-FM (97.1), with each drawing 4.5%. Talk station KABC-AM (790) was in sixth place while KIIS-AM/FM, news station KNX-AM (1070) and KKBT tied for seventh.

The complaint over Arbitron’s measurement techniques surfaced last month when 13 general managers complained to the ratings company that it was not accurately surveying Latinos. The executives sent a letter to Arbitron in December that was also circulated to advertisers last week.

The managers contend that in soliciting Latinos about their listening habits, Arbitron fails to differentiate sufficiently between people who are Spanish-dominant, English-dominant and bilingual.

Latinos make up 42% of the local Arbitron market, but nearly 100% of the survey diaries are sent to Latinos who speak only Spanish, said Roy Laughlin, president and general manager of KIIS-AM/FM. Not coincidentally, the stations represented in the letter are those with high English-speaking Latino listenership.

“We feel our side of the Hispanic population is not being represented,” Laughlin said Monday. “There has to be a language-weighting benchmark. We have to distinguish between Spanish-dominant and English-dominant Hispanics. . . . It’s not sour grapes on our part. We’re not unhappy with our performance. We’re unhappy with Arbitron’s performance. We think the Spanish-dominant response is being over-amplified.”

Arbitron has not yet responded to the letter and company officials could not be reached for comment Monday. The group of Los Angeles radio managers will meet again Thursday to press for further revision of survey methods.

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Radio Ratings

The area’s Top 25 stations and their Arbitron ratings for the final three months of 1995 compared with the preceding quarter:

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CURRENT LAST QUARTER 1. KLVE-FM 6.9 4.8 2. KPWR-FM 5.5 5.3 3. KFI-AM 4.8 3.9 4. KKBT-FM 4.0 4.2 5. KROQ-FM 3.6 4.5 KOST-FM 3.6 3.2 KIIS-AM/FM 3.6 4.2 8. KRTH-FM 3.5 3.9 9. KTWV-FM 3.2 2.9 KLAX-FM 3.2 3.3 11. KKHJ-FM 3.1 2.8 12. KBIG-FM 2.9 3.2 KABC-AM 2.9 3.2 14. KYSR-FM 2.8 2.2 15. KNX-AM 2.7 3.0 16. KFWB-AM 2.4 2.4 KCBS-FM 2.4 2.7 KLOS-FM 2.4 2.9 19. KXEZ-FM 2.0 1.7 20. KLAC-AM 1.9 2.1 KLSX-FM 1.9 2.3 22. KKGO-FM 1.8 1.9 23. KZLA-FM 1.6 2.3 KBUE-FM 1.6 1.3 KTNQ-AM 1.6 1.3

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The ratings survey covers people 12 and older listening between 6 a.m. and midnight from Sept. 21 through Dec. 13, 1995.