Radio ratings: KIIS-FM tops in February

The shortest month of the year was kind to the stations with -- at least traditionally -- the shortest playlists, as Top 40 outlet KIIS-FM (102.7) extended its lead in the local radio ratings while rival pop station KAMP-FM (97.1) jumped from 10th place to fifth, according to February figures released Wednesday by the Arbitron ratings service.

With more than 3.9 million people tuning in for at least five minutes every week, KIIS snagged the top spot, averaging a 5.6% share of the Los Angeles-Orange County audience in the survey of listeners ages 6 and older from Feb. 4 to March 3. That was up from 5.4% in January, and its highest share since hitting 5.7% in February 2009.

Adult-contemporary station KOST-FM (103.5) shook off its post-holiday blues and rebounded to No. 2, with a 4.8% share. It had dropped to fourth and 3.9% in January, after dominating with its wall-to-wall holiday music from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

Oldies station KRTH-FM (101.1) went from second at 4.7% in January to third at 4.5% in February. And talk station KFI-AM (640) increased its share slightly, from 4.1% to 4.2%, but still fell one notch to fourth. KAMP grew from 3.1% to 3.5% in its return to the Top 5.

Onetime smooth-jazz station KTWV-FM (94.7) saw a huge jump, from 2.9% and 16th place in January to a tie for sixth at 3.5%, equaling adult-contemporary station KBIG-FM (104.3).

KRTH program director Jhani Kaye took over those same duties at sister station KTWV in January, and now “The Wave” is billing itself as “smooth adult-contemporary” and includes fewer instrumentals and more R&B. It had been one of the first stations in the country to feature new-age and smooth-jazz music in the 1980s.

Alternative music station KYSR-FM (98.7), after besting rival KROQ-FM (106.7) in January, retreated some in February, to 14th place and 3%, down from 3.1% and a 10th-place tie. KROQ, meanwhile, shot back up from 17th place and 2.8% in January to 10th in February, with 3.2% of the audience.

The market’s top two public-radio stations dipped slightly, to a tie for 22nd at 1.8%. Classical music outlet KUSC-FM (91.5) fell from 2.1% at 19th place in January, while news-talk KPCC-FM (89.3) slipped from 1.9%.

KFI maintained its stranglehold on first place during the important morning drive period -- 6-10 a.m. weekdays, when millions of commuters are on the road. Its lineup of local host Bill Handel and the first hour of Rush Limbaugh’s syndicated program claimed 6% of the audience.

Ryan Seacrest of KIIS remained in second place in the mornings, improving from 4.7% to 4.8%.

At KAMP, where former KROQ and MTV star Carson Daly took over mornings on Jan. 4, the station reclaimed some of the morning audience it had lost since the end of 2009. His show was 14th, with 2.6% of the audience, up from 17th place and 2.3% in January.

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