Top Five Stations Hold Their Own in Latest Arbitron Ratings

Reflecting a stable marketplace in which most people seem to be set in their listening habits, the Arbitron radio ratings that came out Friday were topped by the same five stations as the previous three-month period.

Still in the No. 1 and 2 spots for the Los Angeles-Orange County market--for the fourth quarter in a row--were Spanish-language stations KSCA-FM (101.9), playing Mexican regional music, and KLVE-FM (107.5), featuring adult contemporary music. But the separation between them narrowed to just a tenth of a percentage point, with KSCA attracting an average 6% share of audience among listeners 12 and older from 6 a.m. to midnight during the survey period, July 1-Sept. 22.

Top 40 station KIIS-FM (102.7) was third overall and first among English-language stations for the third quarter in a row, with a 4.8% share. KIIS, with a substantial Latino audience, is up 37% over a year ago.

Also improving was rock station KROQ-FM (106.7), which moved into fourth place, swapping positions with hip-hop station KPWR-FM (105.9).

Perhaps the biggest news in what was basically an uneventful survey was the rise of news station KNX-AM (1070), which jumped from a 2% share and a 21st-place tie last spring to a 2.4% share and a 15th-place tie. At the same time, rival news station KFWB-AM (980), also owned by CBS, dropped from 1.9 to 1.7%.

KNX News Director Bob Sims, who had just seen the numbers, said: “I choose to believe that ratings can result from quality programming, and our people have been working their tails off to do things right.”

He particularly cited the station’s midday “Business Hour” as a factor in the rise, adding: “Everything we’re doing is getting better.”

On the flip side, rock oldies station KRTH-FM (101.1) saw its numbers continue to slide. Now in 13th place with a 2.6% share, KRTH is down 23% from a year ago.

Another station that suffered a setback was KKGO-FM (105.1). The classical music station saw its share drop from 2.0% to 1.4%; it fell to 27th place.

KFI-AM (640) led the talk radio field--and all AM outlets--with a 3.5% share and finished in sixth place overall. KABC-AM (790) moved out of its basement of 2.3% last quarter to 2.4%, which had been its previous low point in decades. The station is now tied for 15th place. KLSX-FM (97.1), the local home of Howard Stern, stayed put with a 2.2% share while KRLA-AM (1110) moved up one-tenth of a point to 0.9%. KIEV-AM (870) dropped one-tenth to 0.6%.

In the key morning drive period from 6-10 a.m., the top two Spanish stations again prevailed. KSCA’s Renan Almendarez Coello got 9.7% to KLVE’s Pepe Barreto with 5.5%. Barreto, who had 5.9% last quarter, was out sick with voice and throat problems for a substantial part of the ratings period. He returned to the air in mid-September.

KLSX’s Stern remained on top among English-language morning shows (and third overall) with a 4.6% share, down one-tenth from last spring, while KIIS’ Rick Dees was in fourth place with 4.2%, dropping from 4.6%.

KFI was in fifth place with 4%, up from 3.7% last quarter. Morning host Bill Handel, who airs from 5-9 a.m., appeared to be faring better than former colleagues John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, now his competitors in the same time slot on KABC. KABC’s audience share in the 6-10 a.m. time period stayed at 2.1%.

Among listeners ages 25-54, the demographic that most advertisers target, KSCA topped KLVE, 7.1% to 7%, while smooth jazz station KTWV-FM (94.7), better known as the Wave, moved into third place as the top English-language station with a 4% share. KIIS took fourth place with a 3.6% share.

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Radio Ratings

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

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CURRENT LAST QUARTER 1. KSCA-FM 6.0 6.2 2. KLVE-FM 5.9 5.9 3. KIIS-FM 4.8 4.7 4. KROQ-FM 4.0 3.7 5. KPWR-FM 3.9 4.0 6. KFI-AM 3.5 3.3 7. KKBT-FM 3.3 3.0 KTWV-FM 3.3 2.9 KBUE-FM 3.3 2.7 10. KOST-FM 3.0 3.5 11. KYSR-FM 2.9 3.2 12. KLAX-FM 2.8 3.0 13. KRTH-FM 2.6 2.9 14. KCBS-FM 2.5 2.5 15. KSSE-FM 2.4 1.8 KNX-AM 2.4 2.0 KCMG-FM 2.5 2.5 KABC-AM 2.4 2.3 19. KBIG-FM 2.3 2.1 20. KLSX-FM 2.2 2.2 21. KLOS-FM 2.1 2.4 KZLA-FM 2.1 2.2 23. KFWB-AM 1.7 1.9 24. KJLH-FM 1.6 1.2 KLAC-AM 1.6 1.7 KKHJ-AM 1.6 1.4

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The ratings survey covers people 12 and older listening between 6 a.m. and midnight, from July 1 through Sept. 22.