Pop station KIIS regains top spot

Pop station KIIS-FM (102.7) reclaimed the top spot in local radio ratings in January, while KOST-FM (103.5) fell back to earth after its holiday feast, according to figures released Wednesday from the Arbitron ratings service.

KIIS garnered 5.4% of the Los Angeles-Orange County radio audience, up from 4.9% and second place in the previous month, based on the survey of listeners 6 and older from Jan. 7 to Feb. 3. More than 3.7 million people tuned in for at least five minutes each week, and the audience share was the highest for KIIS since it snagged the same percentage in March, 2009.

And it was the first time at No. 1 since October for KIIS, which had dominated the ratings chart for most of last year. Classic hits station KRTH-FM (101.1) finished first in November, followed by two first-place finishes for KOST, the adult-contemporary outlet.

KOST dropped to fourth place and a 3.9% audience share after a dominating first-place win with an 8.1% share during the “holiday” ratings period, which spanned from Dec. 10 to Jan. 6. The station’s annual practice of playing wall-to-wall holiday music from before Thanksgiving until after Christmas boosted its numbers, as it also placed first in the ratings survey that ran from Nov. 12 to Dec. 9.

KRTH took second in January, with 4.7%, followed by talk station KFI-AM (640) with 4.1%.

Making a huge jump to land in fifth place was Spanish-language adult-contemporary station KLVE-FM (107.5), which rose from 10th place, as it increased its audience share from 3% to 3.6%.

Another big gainer was KYSR-FM (98.7), which rocketed from 2.6% to 3.1%, shooting past alternative-rock rival KROQ-FM (106.7), which dipped slightly from the previous month’s 2.9% and 14th place to 2.8% and 17th in January.

During the crucial morning drive period (6-10 a.m.), KFI maintained its longtime hold on first place, as Bill Handel and the first hour of Rush Limbaugh’s show increased from 6.1% to 6.3% from the holiday period to January.

Ryan Seacrest on KIIS hurtled from the previous month’s seventh, at 3.9%, all the way to second, at 4.7%.

On Jan. 4, Carson Daly took over the morning show at pop station KAMP-FM (97.1), but the arrival of the former KROQ and MTV star has yet to produce ratings dividends. KAMP’s morning show placed 17th at 2.3% in January, down from 14th and 2.6% during the previous month, and 12th place and 3.1% the month before that.

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