A couple thoughts:
- How about Rock or Classic Rock on 97.1? A straight-ahead Rock format would have minimal music overlap with KROQ (given KROQ's recent changes), and would offer an opportunity to rehire Kevin & Bean, if desired.
Half the team retired and wanted to go and live in England. The other half, alone, decimated the ratings.
Rock is predominantly a non-Hispanic white format in LA. The market is 42% Hispanic, 8% Black, 12% Asian and around 10% "other" immigrant communities in no more than second generation... Armenians, Persians, various Arabic-Speaking national origins, Russians, etc. They don't use rock stations, or use them much less than the core non-Hispanic white population.
I would bring back the KLSX branding under this scenario, too. Classic Rock would give listeners who are currently "settling" for KLOS another option, and similarly, would offer an on-ramp to rehire Kevin & Bean.
KLOS is getting very mid-range shares. There is no indication that dissatisfaction with it would significantly populate a second station in that field.
Of course, if Entercom is strongly desirous of having a station that hypertargets female listeners (especially Caucasian female listeners), perhaps moving 97.1 to a Hot AC / Adult CHR sound is something that would be on the table? Instead of targetting KIIS exclusively (and doing a poor job of it), maybe slide the station between KIIS and KBIG? I envision a station that sounds musically similar to New York's 102.7 WNEW-FM. A very upbeat AC a la Chicago's 100.3 She-FM is another option.
Actually, the only area in that demo range would be an adaptation of NYC's WKTU. More rhythmic, more Hispanic targeted. However, WKTU is working with Caribbean Basin origin persons, not Mexican and Central American. Very different ethnicity. It would have to be well researched.
A dark horse candidate could be Country (105.1 might fold like a cheap tent), but I cannot see that happening, and it's a move I would not recommend at all.
Again, the ethnicity of the market will decide that. There is a shrinking country core in LA.
I, too, have noticed the steady slide at KALI. AQH share was much stronger immediately following launch. Any curiosity listening has long since vanished.
They added a mid-day show by a woman who is out of demo and from the Mexico City mentality. Her humor and interests are about zero liked by the LA, mostly second generation, Hispanics. Then they moved her to mornings to further the destruction. Oh, she is the wife of the GM. (She is a delightful, wonderful person and the daughter of a very close and loved friend, but she is on the wrong station).