KLVE-FM Continues Run in Top Local Ratings Spot

For the third quarter in a row, Spanish-language music station KLVE-FM (107.5) hit the top of the Arbitron ratings charts Friday, followed by hip-hop outlet KPWR-FM (105.9).

KLVE averaged a 7.2% share of the Los Angeles and Orange counties listening audience, 12 years and older, for the spring quarter (March 28-June 19), up a sliver by one-tenth of a point from the winter period.

KPWR increased its share from 5% to 5.4% and led in the cumulative, or “cume,” audience rankings. It had 1,621,000 listeners versus KLVE’s 1,263,000, which was only fourth best in that category.

Cume is the number of different people who tune to the station for at least five minutes during an average week of Arbitron’s survey.

Top 40/pop stations KIIS-FM (102.7) and KIIS-AM (1150), which simulcast their signal, came in second in cumulative audience with 1,420,800 but took sixth place in share with 3.6% of the audience. In third place for cumulative audience was oldies station KRTH-FM (101.1), which had 1,273,000 listeners.

In the more significant measurement of audience share, urban station KKBT-FM (92.3) came in third, switching places with talk station KFI-AM (640) from the winter quarter.

Apparently on the strength of its popular morning-drive “House Party” program, KKBT, better known as “The Beat,” moved up nearly a full point from 4.2% to 5%. Meanwhile, KFI dropped from 4.3% to 4%.

The share is the percentage of the listening audience that tunes in for at least five minutes in any continuous 15-minute period.

In the highly contested weekday morning-drive slot (6-10 a.m.), KLVE hosts Pepe Baretto and Lupita Pena garnered the top spot, also for the third quarter in a row. They grabbed 7.6% of the available audience.

KKBT’s “House Party” moved up to second place over Howard Stern on KLSX-FM (97.1). “The Beat’s” morning program came up nearly a percentage point from 4.5% to 5.3% while Stern slipped from 5% to 4.8%.

In the weekday afternoon drive (3-7 p.m.), when more cars are on the road here than at any other period, KLVE, KPWR and KKBT took first, second and third place. KRTH moved up from ninth place to tie for fourth place with smooth-jazz station KTWV-FM (94.7), “The Wave.”

In the key demographic of listeners 25 to 54, which many advertisers look for, KLVE continued in the top slot with 8.2% of that audience, a drop from 8.8% in the previous survey period. KRTH came in second with 4.5%.

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Radio Ratings

The area’s Top 25 stations and their Arbitron ratings for the spring months compared with the winter quarter of the year:

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STATION CURRENT QTR LAST QTR 1. KLVE-FM 7.2 7.1 2. KPWR-FM 5.4 5.0 3. KKBT-FM 5.0 4.2 4. KFI-AM 4.0 4.3 5. KRTH-FM 3.8 3.6 6. KIIS-AM/FM 3.6 3.7 7. KTWV-FM 3.5 3.7 8. KLAX-FM 3.3 3.2 KROQ-FM 3.3 3.8 10. KOST-FM 3.2 3.9 11. KABC-AM 3.1 3.0 12. KBIG-FM 3.0 3.1 13. KYSR-FM 2.9 2.9 14. KLAC-AM 2.7 2.9 KLOS-FM 2.7 2.6 16. KCBS-FM 2.4 2.3 17. KFWB-AM 2.2 2.1 18. KNX-AM 2.1 2.8 KLSX-FM 2.1 2.0 20. KZLA-FM 2.0 2.0 21. KTNQ-AM 1.8 1.4 22. KKGO-FM 1.6 1.8 KXEZ-FM 1.6 1.8 KBUE-FM 1.6 1.8 25. KKHJ-AM 1.4 1.8 KRLA-AM 1.4 1.2 KSCA-FM 1.4 1.2

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The ratings survey covers people 12 and older listening between 6 a.m. and midnight, from March 28 through June 19.