June ratings posted

[Art Landing]

OK - the June ratings for Los Angeles are out and while perhaps meaningless for demographic advertising buys (I've gotten the message) they do possibly reflect a certain listener tend overall:

KOST-FM 5.9 5.3 5.4 5.3 AC iHeartMedia
KIIS-FM 5.1 5.1 4.9 5.1 CHR iHeartMedia
KBIG-FM 4.8 4.8 5.1 5.0 Hot AC iHeartMedia
KTWV-FM 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.7 Urban AC CBS Radio
KRTH-FM 4.5 4.9 4.6 4.5 Classic Hits CBS Radio
KCBS-FM 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.9 Variety Hits CBS Radio
KLVE-FM 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.6 Spanish CHR Univision Radio
KRCD-FM 3.0 3.4 3.6 3.6 Spanish Variety Univision Radio
KAMP-FM 3.0 3.3 3.1 3.5 CHR CBS Radio
KNX-AM 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.1 All News CBS Radio
KRRL-FM 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.1 Urban iHeartMedia
KYSR-FM 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.0 Alternative iHeartMedia
KFI-AM 3.5 3.2 3.0 2.9 News/Talk iHeart Media

Note that for the first time in memory KNX has edged into the top ten while KFI has drooped to thirteenth pace.

Why?

As a regular listener to both 50,000 watt stations I can't help but note that KNX has tweaked its news coverage positively while KFI has been hit hard with turmoil in its news operation even as its daytime hosts have been reshuffled. Among other things: losing one reporter to KNX, Michael Clark, Michael Chapey and David Cruz simply disappearing without explanation,Libby Denkman also leaving, Steve Gregory on hiatus to care for his mom, etc. I feel for Chris Little (how can you run a cohesive department with this kind of turnover?), but must also note that the silence has provoked numerous (unanswered) fan inquiries on the station's website.

http://kfiam640.iheart.com/articles/kfi-news-team-449622/kfi-news-team-9665244/

Even I know that Debra Mark (despite one fan's post) isn't a KFI newbie - just being used more extensively in the midst of what's been going on. But a little more information abut the newcomers and reasons for the departures would be appreciated.

The KFI news team for a time was providing excellent in depth coverage of selected local topics that crossed over the programs of several hosts. David Cruz particularly was getting excellent scoops. This approach presently is apparently too difficult to attempt - or at least isn't being done. I can't help but wonder if some of the loyal legion of KFI listeners isn't wandering down the dial to 1070 until things get back to normal?

The fact is that BOTH stations actually lost audience share - which may reflect the general disaffection of the overall electorate with the current choices of candidates. KEIB has now dropped to one-half of KABC, while KRLA is also down. Even more reason for KFI to get back to its "live and local" focus, which is where the tweaked KNX is presently surpassing it on several fronts.

 

[TheBigA]

There are a lot of iHeart haters in the world, and they believe the company has ruined radio. Yet whenever I see the ratings in major markets, they always have several stations in the Top 5. One can say they have great heritage frequencies, but you don't stay #1 after all these years just on heritage. Ask the folks at KABC/KLOS.

 

[Art Landing]

I'm not one of the haters. Like a number here I recognize that prior management took on too much debt because they miscalculated the future as they took advantage of deregulation to build an empire. Result? Economies to handle the debt and placate stockholder at expense of talent on-air and engineering) who in larger numbers could arguably better serve the "public interest." But that train, with its specifications on content and limits on ownership left the station long before iHeart and it isn't coming back.

As Dave Eduardo and others have pointed out this is tied both to the failure of the FCC to shield AM receivers from electrical interference from other spectrum users and the change in listener preference for music sound quality on FM that is impossible on AM. There is a $$$$ reason why David Sarnoff and RCA fought so hard against FM radio even as they promoted color television - they perhaps understood what quality FM might do to their AM franchise. NBC was the first to bail on its radio network and sell its O&O stations - CBS expanded when given the chance. Hating iHeart or Cumulus (or CBS for that matter) is in my view mis-guided The mega chains behavior, and indeed their existence, is the unintended consequence triggered by the actions of others.

As you note, despite their layoffs and economies iHeart still overall has numerous top-rated profitable stations which I would say would likely be even better and profitable if they didn't have the need to help service a crippling debt load. They aren't so much "bad guys" as businessmen caught in an economic bind.

 

[TheBigA]

Economies to handle the debt and placate stockholder at expense of talent on-air and engineering) who in larger numbers could arguably better serve the "public interest."

But for the most part that hasn't happened in the major markets. iHeart pays top talent some of the best salaries in town, and it's become a pretty stable place for a lot of veterans, some of whom have sought refuse there after being bounced from other LA broadcasters.

 

[AM FM listener]

What strikes me is that there are only 3 companies with stations in the top 13. KNX vs KFI is interesting to me because I listen to both of them. They appear to differ by only a couple of tenths each month so that may be random statistical wobbling rather than a cause and effect. Our top five has been the same for awhile now; sometimes in different order but always the same 5. Not long ago, KPWR and KROQ were consistenly up there; KRRL and KYSR seem to have replaced them.

 

[david]

Here is the full order (top to bottom) with the 12+ numbers omitted. (disclaimer understood about 12+ being not truly reflective....yada yada yada)
KOST-FM Cluster of 3 iHeart stations atop
KIIS-FM Cluster of 3 iHeart stations atop
KBIG-FM Cluster of 3 iHeart stations atop
KTWV-FM Cluster of 3 CBS stations near the top
KRTH-FM Cluster of 3 CBS stations near the top
KCBS-FM Cluster of 3 CBS stations near the top
KLVE-FM
KRCD-FM
KAMP-FM
KNX-AM The only all-newser in town. Nice to see it remain consistently above a 3 share
KRRL-FM 92.3 continues to hurt Power 106
KYSR-FM Why does 98.7 consistently place above 106.7 for quite some time now?
KFI-AM
KROQ-FM
KPWR-FM
KSCA-FM
KKGO-FM Solid numbers for LA's only country station. Check out 105.1 HD2 for K-Mozart and HD3 for Unforgettable Standards
KLOS-FM Nearly identical performance w/ KSWD
KLYY-FM Very nice performance by an IE based signal
KSWD-FM Nearly identical performance w/ KLOS
KLAX-FM
KXOS-FM
KXOL-FM
KPCC-FM NPR stations doing quite OK
KCRW-FM NPR stations doing quite OK
KBUE-FM
KUSC-FM Classical - long may it last on the FM dial (BTW…check out 105.1 HD2 for K-Mozart)
KLAC-AM Dodgers baseball providing a nice rise for AM 570
KDAY-FM
KJLH-FM
KWIZ-FM Powerful performance by an OC signal
KSPN-AM
KABC-AM A blip up. Would be nice to see 790 move solidly above a 1.0
KRLA-AM Wonder why there is slippage here. Mostly consistent schedule for years from 6a-6p
KSSE-FM
KFSH-FM Wonder if the upcoming move-in by 95.9 from Oxnard toward Simi Valley will impact KFSH
KKJZ-FM
KEIB-AM Not so excellence in broadcasting ratings any more
KLAA-AM Angels season in full force has doubled numbers from the off-season
KTNQ-AM
KKLA-FM

 

[only1moore]

Its sad to see KPWR getting beaten by KRRL, and even dropping the Rhythmic Pop/Dance tracks isn't helping them improve their ratings. Sooner or later Emmis will have to clean house.

 

[TheBigA]

Sooner or later Emmis will have to clean house.

They've already begun

 

[Ray D. Owe]

I would really love to see a day part breakdown for KFI. Anyone?

 

[davideduardo]

I would really love to see a day part breakdown for KFI. Anyone?

It's on allaccess.com, but here it is:

12+
Overall 11th (tie)
AMD 3rd
Midday 11h
Afternoons 15th
Nights 11th
Weekends 15th

25-54
Overall 18th
AMD 17th
Midday 17th
Afternoons 16th
Night 16th
Weekend 21st

 

[davideduardo]

KLYY-FM Very nice performance by an IE based signal

Its a simulcast with the two 103.1 signals in LA and Orange counties.

KWIZ-FM Powerful performance by an OC signal

It has a local signal in South Central LA (a Nielsen zone set up to aid in proportionality), which is where a huge percentage of the LA Spanish language listening

 

[davideduardo]

What strikes me is that there are only 3 companies with stations in the top 13. KNX vs KFI is interesting to me because I listen to both of them. They appear to differ by only a couple of tenths each month so that may be random statistical wobbling rather than a cause and effect.

Newsers and talkers don't share all that much. Just about one out of 5 KNX listeners also uses KFI and one out of 5 KFI listeners uses KNX. This is fairly normal in markets that have both.

 

[semoochie]

It's on allaccess.com, but here it is:

12+
Overall 11th (tie)
AMD 3rd
Midday 11h
Afternoons 15th
Nights 11th
Weekends 15th

25-54
Overall 18th
AMD 17th
Midday 17th
Afternoons 16th
Night 16th
Weekend 21st

This is pretty pathetic for the best there is! I suddenly realized how bad off the News/Talk format is when checking Cume numbers for the various Talk stations and realized that with the lone exception of KFI, they all had less cume than our local AC, KKCW in market #23.

 

[MarkW]

Moving Limbaugh off the KFI schedule was a bad decision, IMO. KFI's ratings struggles of late (at a time when many other News/Talk outlets have seen improved ratings year-over-year) seem to support this notion.

 

[TheBigA]

Moving Limbaugh off the KFI schedule was a bad decision, IMO.

The move wasn't for ratings but sales. They found that advertisers were blackballing Limbaugh's show. Putting him on his own station solved that problem.

 

[mr_arbitron]

The move wasn't for ratings but sales. They found that advertisers were blackballing Limbaugh's show. Putting him on his own station solved that problem.

I don't think so. Clearly, KFIs numbers dropped 50% after the the move to a small signal strength station. And as for blackballing, that;s a leftist meme that's going around. Limbaugh carries stations. see KOGO in San Diego

 

[TheBigA]

And as for blackballing, that;s a leftist meme that's going around.

That may be your view, but as someone who works in radio, I get instructions from advertisers all the time that specifically say their spots can't air in Limbaugh. It's definitely a real problem. KFI's numbers didn't drop immediately after the move, but six months later. So it wasn't because of moving Limbaugh. KFI has a very strong staff of local talkers. They are the heart and base of that station. Not Limbaugh.

 

[davideduardo]

I don't think so. Clearly, KFIs numbers dropped 50% after the the move to a small signal strength station. And as for blackballing, that;s a leftist meme that's going around. Limbaugh carries stations. see KOGO in San Diego

Daytime, the signal Limbuaugh is carried on is just as good at covering the LA metro as KFI.

Limbaugh was declining before the move, and was underperforming the station, particularly in under-55's. He has further declined since being on KEIB. In fact, in 25-54 he is down by 50% since the end of 2016.

 

[DrAkbar]

Limbaugh was declining before the move, and was underperforming the station, particularly in under-55's. He has further declined since being on KEIB. In fact, in 25-54 he is down by 50% since the end of 2016.

Aging demos, and toxic content for a lot of stations across the fruited plains. But he's had a hell of a run, and his next contract will most likely be his last. Don't feel sorry for El Rushbo, his money can buy a lot of happiness!

 

[SimiRadioListener26]

I don't think so. Clearly, KFIs numbers dropped 50% after the the move to a small signal strength station. And as for blackballing, that;s a leftist meme that's going around. Limbaugh carries stations. see KOGO in San Diego

Wait, what? When did KFI move to a small signal strength station? Or did you mean Limbaugh's numbers?