The PPM ratings are in!

[victorres43]

For the Los Angeles February PPM ratings:

• KOST still #1. With K-Earth just behind, as usual.
• My FM and KIIS are still holding on.
• A Real jump for 92.3, from 2.6 to 3.0, for 12th place. Sadly, Power 106 isn't seeing the same. Maybe Power's demos are better than indicated.
• KPCC and KCRW are inching up at the same time KNX is, given omicron.
• KLLI is doing as good as KROQ and KDAY. Good as in not very great. Not that Mega has anything to brag about, anyway.

And for the Inland Empire, KOLA is still #1. Tons of LA stations have declined to subscribe to the books. That situation doesn't cover up KGGI's woes, however, as they are just behind KCAL-FM and KATY-FM, the latter having a spotty signal in either Riverside or San Bernardino. KHTI is a total laggard, full stop.

 

[Mido3737]

Thanks for sharing great insight .🏅👍

 

[davideduardo]

For the Los Angeles February PPM ratings:

• KOST still #1. With K-Earth just behind, as usual.

Not in sales demos. It is KRTH and KBIG ahead of KOST.

• My FM and KIIS are still holding on.

KIIS in 25-54 is at its lowest in 5 months. My FM is at its highest 35-54 in a year. But iHeart's strategy is to maintain the total Women AQH persons with the combo of the three "wall of women" stations of KIIS, KBIG and KOST.

• A Real jump for 92.3, from 2.6 to 3.0, for 12th place. Sadly, Power 106 isn't seeing the same. Maybe Power's demos are better than indicated.

That could be a wobble. The last week in 18-49 (the ethnic target for most buys) was a 3.6, while week #1 was a 4.7. But they have been, in total "month" growing for the last 5 months.

• KPCC and KCRW are inching up at the same time KNX is, given omicron.

KNX is below every month from August to November in 25-54. So far, no additional sales demo audience due to the FM addition.

• KLLI is doing as good as KROQ and KDAY. Good as in not very great. Not that Mega has anything to brag about, anyway.

Spanish language is not bought compared to English stations. Usually separate buys or budgets within the buy. Remember, a 2.0 share for a Spanish language station in general market is actually a 5 share among Hispanics and a 8 share among Spanish dominants.

And for the Inland Empire, KOLA is still #1. Tons of LA stations have declined to subscribe to the books. That situation doesn't cover up KGGI's woes, however, as they are just behind KCAL-FM and KATY-FM, the latter having a spotty signal in either Riverside or San Bernardino. KHTI is a total laggard, full stop.

The LA stations don't subscribe as it has no value to do that. The IE market is very small compared. LA's KIIS alone bills more than the whole IE market combined.

 

[victorres43]

Not in sales demos. It is KRTH and KBIG ahead of KOST.

Is that so? Usually, an AC bills better than Classic Hits, as we've seen for WLTW vs WCBS. But maybe the upper end of money demos are responding towards K-Earth resoundingly.

KNX is below every month from August to November in 25-54. So far, no additional sales demo audience due to the FM addition.

Guess Audacy simply doesn't want to invest on a CHR in LA anymore. Dealing with the current state of KROQ is bad enough.

Spanish language is not bought compared to English stations. Usually separate buys or budgets within the buy. Remember, a 2.0 share for a Spanish language station in general market is actually a 5 share among Hispanics and a 8 share among Spanish dominants.

The LA stations don't subscribe as it has no value to do that. The IE market is very small compared. LA's KIIS alone bills more than the whole IE market combined.

Mostly true, though KLAX and KLVE are doing better than either KLLI or KXOL, at least in 6+ share.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Other than for general discussion, I really do not understand the continued obsession with (and posting of) the 6+ numbers, since (as David points out) they are misleading in terms of stations' performance in their desired sales demo.

I'd really like to know why this happens every time: Someone posts the public numbers, includes their analysis as to what those numbers mean (and sometimes gets approval from people who also apparently don't know that those numbers are essentially meaningless) and then David comes along and shows why those numbers have no basis in reality.

Could all of you explain why you perpetuate this cycle? I simply don't get why past experience hasn't caused a greater realization of the truth about those numbers.

 

[davideduardo]

Mostly true, though KLAX and KLVE are doing better than either KLLI or KXOL, at least in 6+ share.

But in 18-34, a key Hispanic demo, KLLI and KXOL do much better. KLAX and KLVE lean older.

 

[jt99]

Is that so? Usually, an AC bills better than Classic Hits, as we've seen for WLTW vs WCBS. But maybe the upper end of money demos are responding towards K-Earth resoundingly.

AC typically does better than Classic Hits in 25-54, but KRTH is a rare Classic Hits station that has brought down the age enough to consistently be top 3 25-54, and isn't too far behind in 18-49. I truly wonder how they do it.

 

[CassChopper96]

I wonder if 97.1 no longer being CHR. Helped KBIG and KIIS

 

[hotpatrick2004]

I notice kabc was doing not as bad but ever since they dropped the Dr hour from 1 to 2 with all things covid with mostly Dr Kelly victory there overall ratings have dropped and they dropped the covid hour in September. They said it would return after the recall but it never did😢😢😢

They went to the fix California hour at 1 pm.

At this point I just feel sorry for Kroq. I just hope they can pull it together. I bet they themselves wonder how did this happen. For we are the world famous Kroq. Just a fun fact I learned...Kennedy that use to do mornings on alt 98.7 just before the woody show arrived started years ago as an intern at Kroq. Now she works at Fox news.

 

[davideduardo]

I notice kabc was doing not as bad but ever since they dropped the Dr hour from 1 to 2 with all things covid with mostly Dr Kelly victory there overall ratings have dropped and they dropped the covid hour in September. They said it would return after the recall but it never did😢😢😢

Not as bad? They are 43rd in 25-54. They are 39th in 35-64. The few that they have are 65 and over, and then not many.

 

[davideduardo]

I wonder if 97.1 no longer being CHR. Helped KBIG and KIIS

The key is to add KIIS and KBIG and KOST. That is how iheart judges the trio as its "wall of women".

 

[davideduardo]

AC typically does better than Classic Hits in 25-54, but KRTH is a rare Classic Hits station that has brought down the age enough to consistently be top 3 25-54, and isn't too far behind in 18-49. I truly wonder how they do it.

Very tight playlist. In last 7 days, 336 different songs played. Fastest rotating songs played every 5 hours. Slowest played once in the week, generally in overnights.

 

[jt99]

Very tight playlist. In last 7 days, 336 different songs played. Fastest rotating songs played every 5 hours. Slowest played once in the week, generally in overnights.

With how easy they make it look, you would think more Classic Hits stations would use the KRTH formula. Their loss, I guess.

 

[TheBigA]

I wonder if 97.1 no longer being CHR. Helped KBIG and KIIS

They look pretty flat to me.

 

[TheBigA]

KIIS in 25-54 is at its lowest in 5 months.

Aren't they more interested in 18-34? They're #3 there.

KRRL (also iHeart) is #1 18-34. KTWV seems to have fixed its aging demo problem, now #2 in 18-34.

 

[davideduardo]

Aren't they more interested in 18-34? They're #3 there.

No, they are interested in 25-44 women. Secondary would be 18-44 women. The interest in 25-44 rather than the lower 18 age start point is that 25-44 is where the buys are. Overlap the 35-44 core of KBIG and the 45-54 core of KOST in women, you have the fabled "wall of women". And that pretty much gets them on every buy.

KRRL (also iHeart) is #1 18-34.

Agencies buy rating. KLAX, KRTH, KTWV, KRRL, KOST, KSCA, KBIG, KIIS and KYSR all have a 0.2 rating in 18-34. As far as agency buyers are concerned, they are all tied. All 9 of them. Those same ones are all tied in a three book average, too.

KTWV seems to have fixed its aging demo problem, now #2 in 18-34.

It appears that the KTWV 18-34 bounce is a bubble, at least that is my guess. It will take months to see if they fall out of it as the panel changes. If I compare logs from "before" and "after" the 18-34 bounce, I can not see music or rotations changing. So the other usual variable is the panel.

 

[victorres43]

With how easy they make it look, you would think more Classic Hits stations would use the KRTH formula. Their loss, I guess.

Perhaps having a tight playlist would be good for cume. However, playing minor hits like True Faith and Love My Way would be a tough sell in Buffalo, Tampa, or even Chicago.

 

[K.M. Richards]

With how easy they make it look, you would think more Classic Hits stations would use the KRTH formula. Their loss, I guess.

A tight playlist approach works best in markets where there is a lot of short-term listening several times a day. And even that is a challenge because you need to set scheduling rules to have the largest gap possible between plays of any one song at the same approximate time (and keep a close eye on that when reviewing the music log before sending it to the automation). Markets with longer listening spans need to use a different philosophy.

Also, to extrapolate from what Vic said above, KRTH draws on the 80s heritage of KROQ and plays a lot of New Wave songs that get little or no spins in other markets (I can confirm this based on my own use of airplay databases). In the vast majority of markets, those songs are relegated to weekend specials, whereas on KRTH they are in regular rotation.

 

[victorres43]

A tight playlist approach works best in markets where there is a lot of short-term listening several times a day. And even that is a challenge because you need to set scheduling rules to have the largest gap possible between plays of any one song at the same approximate time (and keep a close eye on that when reviewing the music log before sending it to the automation). Markets with longer listening spans need to use a different philosophy.

Also, to extrapolate from what Vic said above, KRTH draws on the 80s heritage of KROQ and plays a lot of New Wave songs that get little or no spins in other markets (I can confirm this based on my own use of airplay databases). In the vast majority of markets, those songs are relegated to weekend specials, whereas on KRTH they are in regular rotation.

Also, K-Earth is co-owned with Jack FM. K-Earth already plays more Alternative / New Wave compared to a typical American Classic Hits station. A wider playlist could cause K-Earth to trample over Jack.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Also, K-Earth is co-owned with Jack FM. K-Earth already plays more Alternative / New Wave compared to a typical American Classic Hits station. A wider playlist could cause K-Earth to trample over Jack.

We must protect Jack!