November numbers are here

[Mediafrog+]

November numbers: Houston/Galveston - RadioInsight

KMJQ and KLTN both drop a bit.

KTRH up, presumably election related.

SportsTalk 790 with a nice lead over SportsRadio 610. Texans horrible season hurting 610?

La Raza still low and flat, half of what sibling El Norte is pulling.

Country Legends numbers continue to sink. Still thinking the format has run out of gas.

KFNC up to a 0.4, interesting. Those escaping the Texans going to 97.5 and 790?

Our favorite dumpster fire, KROI, sinks further into the zeroes. Alfred, please sell this station.

Classical on KUHF HD-2 up to a 0.4. Bravo!

 

[jt99]

I'm not sure what KODA's Holiday record is, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them break it with how high their share has been over the past few months.

KBME enjoying the World Series effect, we'll see how many of those listeners return to KILT next month (who actually did go up a tiny bit).

I can't say I listen to KTHT, but my understanding is that it's playlist is quite old. If Cox Media Group could acquire KROI, simulcasting the two and making it a 1990s/2000s Country format could possibly complement sister KKBQ nicely.

I'm also wondering what's up with Spanish language radio in Houston as of late? Overall shares have been declining over the past handful of months, though KOVE-FM seems to be the only station unaffected by this, doing better than they have in years.

 

[HTX]

though KOVE-FM seems to be the only station unaffected by this, doing better than they have in years.

I’m kind of interested to see if their numbers will fall a bit if the 106.5 translator in Conroe ever turns on

 

[Mediafrog+]

I can't say I listen to KTHT, but my understanding is that it's playlist is quite old. If Cox Media Group could acquire KROI, simulcasting the two and making it a 1990s/2000s Country format could possibly complement sister KKBQ nicely.

A 92.1/97.1 simulcast would make a lot of sense, and would add flexibility should Cox consider a format flip. And it would be back to the future, as 97.1 began as a simulcast of the old Classical KRTS 92.1.

I agree that Country Legends sounds really old, from my limited sampling.

Rather doubt we see a change on 97.1 until the future of the Cox Media Group Houston cluster is resolved. Remember that CMG is supposed to acquire KHOU and KTBU if the Standard General-Tegna merger is approved. There might be a rethink of how the cluster is handled, which might include a spin-off of low rated KTHT. Any new owner could also go after KROI.

 

[victorres43]

I’m kind of interested to see if their numbers will fall a bit if the 106.5 translator in Conroe ever turns on

Not a lot of people within KOVE's demographics reside in Montgomery County.

 

[jt99]

Not a lot of people within KOVE's demographics reside in Montgomery County.

While I agree that most of the audience for the Spanish language stations is not in that area, perhaps its possible the translator affects the KOVE-FM signal in Northwest Harris County?

 

[victorres43]

While I agree that most of the audience for the Spanish language stations is not in that area, perhaps its possible the translator affects the KOVE-FM signal in Northwest Harris County?

Only if the signal is on a high antenna, but I doubt it is.

 

[Mrtejano]

Our favorite dumpster fire, KROI, sinks further into the zeroes. Alfred, please sell this station.

This is getting old a repetitive.

 

[Mediafrog+]

This is getting old a repetitive.

So are the Rockets and Texans losing ways, which is why they, along with KROI, need to make changes.

KROI is capable of doing much better, but is held back by ownership. Fresh perspective and ideas needed.

 

[Mediafrog+]

While I agree that most of the audience for the Spanish language stations is not in that area, perhaps its possible the translator affects the KOVE-FM signal in Northwest Harris County?

The proposed primary contour for K240FC on 106.5 doesn’t even cover Conroe, and would be a non-factor anywhere in Harris County and perhaps even The Woodlands.

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This would be an absolutely awful operation, with both stations creating an unlistenable mess in the Conroe area. Whatever consulting engineer came up with this should be ashamed of themselves, although such nonsense is becoming more commonplace on the now badly overcrowded FM band.

 

[HTX]

The proposed primary contour for K240FC on 106.5 doesn’t even cover Conroe, and would be a non-factor anywhere in Harris County and perhaps even The Woodlands.

It covers a good bit of Conroe. But I feel like outside of the contour you’d still hear interference vs just KOVE

 

[tb_]

The proposed primary contour for K240FC on 106.5 doesn’t even cover Conroe, and would be a non-factor anywhere in Harris County and perhaps even The Woodlands.

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This would be an absolutely awful operation, with both stations creating an unlistenable mess in the Conroe area. Whatever consulting engineer came up with this should be ashamed of themselves, although such nonsense is becoming more commonplace on the now badly overcrowded FM band.

Proposed, yes. But you know how these translators are... it'll be blasting all the way out to Tomball.

 

[pjc1961]

Via AllAccess.com, Top 5+ demo rankings for 25-54, 18-34 + 18-49:
Scroll down to see Houston market

25-54: 1. KODA 2. KTBZ 3. KKHH 4. (unlisted) T5. KSBJ T5. KGLK 7. KRBE 8. KKBQ
18-34: 1. KODA 2. KBXX 3. KILT-FM 4. KGLK 5. KQBT 6. KKHH 8. KTBZ
18-49: 1. KODA 2. KTBZ T3. KKHH T3. KBXX 5. KRBE T11. KQBT T11. KLTN

 

[victorres43]

Via AllAccess.com, Top 5+ demo rankings for 25-54, 18-34 + 18-49:
Scroll down to see Houston market

25-54: 1. KODA 2. KTBZ 3. KKHH 4. (unlisted) T5. KSBJ T5. KGLK 7. KRBE 8. KKBQ
18-34: 1. KODA 2. KBXX 3. KILT-FM 4. KGLK 5. KQBT 6. KKHH 8. KTBZ
18-49: 1. KODA 2. KTBZ T3. KKHH T3. KBXX 5. KRBE T11. KQBT T11. KLTN

Assuming KRBE is #7 in 18-34, but whether it is or not, it seems KRBE listeners may skew older compared to listeners of other CHRs, which are very strong in 18-34, or at least Top 5. This, even with CHRs playing more throwbacks.

Skewing even older is KTBZ, being #2 in 25-54 and 18-49 but only #8 in 18-34.

KMJQ is tied for #6 with KKBQ-FM in 6+. If it's not the #4 station in 25-54, then I wonder where we go from here. WBLS is a powerhouse in NYC, being Top 3 in 25-54, 18-34, and 18-49. You would think there will be a major appetite for throwback R&B in Houston, given that the metro is as black as the Tri-State area. (Also, WDAS in Philly is #4 in 25-54 and 18-49.)

What will it take to shake off KODA's dominance outside of the Holiday season? In LA, classic hits KRTH is competitive with KOST in the money demos. (Yes, I know KKHH is adult hits, but still.)

 

[davideduardo]

Assuming KRBE is #7 in 18-34, but whether it is or not, it seems KRBE listeners may skew older compared to listeners of other CHRs, which are very strong in 18-34, or at least Top 5. This, even with CHRs playing more throwbacks.

CHRs today principally target 18-34 and / or 25-39 women. Looking at any other demos is potentially deceiving.

You would think there will be a major appetite for throwback R&B in Houston, given that the metro is as black as the Tri-State area.

You forget that a huge portion of Urban listening is done by Hispanics. On the other hand, outside of LA and SF, about 95% of Urban AC listening is done only by Blacks.

What will it take to shake off KODA's dominance outside of the Holiday season? In LA, classic hits KRTH is competitive with KOST in the money demos. (Yes, I know KKHH is adult hits, but still.)

There are big differences in the ethnicities and heritage in those markets. In LA, there was a much larger percentage of Hispanics in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Those Hispanics had families that are now in 18-34 and 25-54 and those kids grew up on CHR; that is part of why KRTH does so well in LA.

And LA is now over 50% Hispanic in 25-54, with a lot of second and third generation English dominants... much more than the more recently created Hispanic community in Houston.

And Houston has nearly three times the percentage of African Americans as LA, and we know from other markets how a larger Black population can influence total market musical tastes.

 

[victorres43]

CHRs today principally target 18-34 and / or 25-39 women. Looking at any other demos is potentially deceiving.

KRBE seems different, considering that they are #5 in 18-49, but no better than #7 in 18-34. Structurally an Adult Top 40, indeed.

You forget that a huge portion of Urban listening is done by Hispanics. On the other hand, outside of LA and SF, about 95% of Urban AC listening is done only by Blacks.

Speaking of that, I once caught KJLH playing Katy Perry 5 years ago. Playing an artist like that on Urban AC is a major no-no in Chicago and Atlanta.

Perhaps KBXX has a Rhythmic presentation in order to entice as many non-Black listeners, even though it is an Urban One property. KQBT is Urban, but probably not a straight-up Urban like WHTA.

KMJQ used to be a regular Top 3 station in 6+. Now it's outside the Top 5, despite lacking direct competition. The ratings are not as spectacular compared to WBLS, WDAS, or WHQT.

There are big differences in the ethnicities and heritage in those markets. In LA, there was a much larger percentage of Hispanics in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Those Hispanics had families that are now in 18-34 and 25-54 and those kids grew up on CHR; that is part of why KRTH does so well in LA.

And LA is now over 50% Hispanic in 25-54, with a lot of second and third generation English dominants... much more than the more recently created Hispanic community in Houston.

And Houston has nearly three times the percentage of African Americans as LA, and we know from other markets how a larger Black population can influence total market musical tastes.

Wouldn't classic hit songs from the 80s have universal appeal, even with less affluent immigrants from Latin America?

And I don't know if KODA has particular appeal among non-white listeners. It's not known to be a Rhythmic-leaning AC. Maybe during the mid-to-late 2000s, when there is a glut of disco songs in the station.

 

[jt99]

Via AllAccess.com, Top 5+ demo rankings for 25-54, 18-34 + 18-49:
Scroll down to see Houston market

25-54: 1. KODA 2. KTBZ 3. KKHH 4. (unlisted) T5. KSBJ T5. KGLK 7. KRBE 8. KKBQ
18-34: 1. KODA 2. KBXX 3. KILT-FM 4. KGLK 5. KQBT 6. KKHH 8. KTBZ
18-49: 1. KODA 2. KTBZ T3. KKHH T3. KBXX 5. KRBE T11. KQBT T11. KLTN

Given KBXX's 18-34 and 18-49 performance, as well as the fact that they were #4 in 25-54 last month, one can only assume they are the unlisted #4 in 25-54 this month.

Seeing KLTN suddenly go from a 25-49 powerhouse to a seemingly more 50+ station (seeing as they're still top 10 in 6+ but outside the top 10 in 18-49) is easily the most surprising thing in Houston radio in quite some time.

What will it take to shake off KODA's dominance outside of the Holiday season? In LA, classic hits KRTH is competitive with KOST in the money demos. (Yes, I know KKHH is adult hits, but still.)

Probably KKHH going back to including more pop/rhythmic in their playlist (which did actually have them beating KODA on certain ocassional in the sales demos back in 2019-21) or someone launching a pop friendly Classic Hits station (unlikely). However, the heavy pop/rock sound of KKHH over the past year or so had seemingly led to them taking a fair amount of 35-54 listeners away from KGLK (particularly the younger half of 35-44, given how many '90s songs they play), but KGLK has finally bounced back into the top 5 in 25-54 after a long absence. I guess Audacy cares more about KGLK at the moment, even though it seemed KODA was KKHH's main concern for the first several years following the format flip.

 

[victorres43]

Given KBXX's 18-34 and 18-49 performance, as well as the fact that they were #4 in 25-54 last month, one can only assume they are the unlisted #4 in 25-54 this month.

Seeing KLTN suddenly go from a 25-49 powerhouse to a seemingly more 50+ station (seeing as they're still top 10 in 6+ but outside the top 10 in 18-49) is easily the most surprising thing in Houston radio in quite some time.

Probably KKHH going back to including more pop/rhythmic in their playlist (which did actually have them beating KODA on certain ocassional in the sales demos back in 2019-21) or someone launching a pop friendly Classic Hits station (unlikely). However, the heavy pop/rock sound of KKHH over the past year or so had seemingly led to them taking a fair amount of 35-54 listeners away from KGLK (particularly the younger half of 35-44, given how many '90s songs they play), but KGLK has finally bounced back into the top 5 in 25-54 after a long absence. I guess Audacy cares more about KGLK at the moment, even though it seemed KODA was KKHH's main concern for the first several years following the format flip.

Perhaps KKHH needs to directly compete with KODA more than KGLK, given KODA's dominance.

KGLK/KHPT has a very strong signal in the conservative exurbs, whereas KKHH has a very strong signal in Fort Bend/central Houston. IMO I'm not sure if targeting Galveston is more bankable than targeting Fort Bend, considering that the latter is one of Texas's wealthiest, if not the wealthiest in Texas. The "callers" to the Spot (often heard during liners before ad breaks) seem to differ substantially from Greater Houston's demographic makeup.

 

[davideduardo]

KRBE seems different, considering that they are #5 in 18-49, but no better than #7 in 18-34. Structurally an Adult Top 40, indeed.

But those are "persons" and not "women" numbers. And the competitive environment in 18-34 is different due to the huge percentage of Houston persons in that demo that is Hispanic or Black.

Perhaps KBXX has a Rhythmic presentation in order to entice as many non-Black listeners, even though it is an Urban One property. KQBT is Urban, but probably not a straight-up Urban like WHTA.

And in the case of Houston, Urban tends to get a high percentage of Hispanics.

KMJQ used to be a regular Top 3 station in 6+. Now it's outside the Top 5, despite lacking direct competition. The ratings are not as spectacular compared to WBLS, WDAS, or WHQT.

Urban AC tends to be 90% or over Black, while Urban is a mix of non-Hispanic white, Hispanic and Black. And, of course, Urban today has the disadvantage of a high percentage of songs that can't be played on the radio.

Wouldn't classic hit songs from the 80s have universal appeal, even with less affluent immigrants from Latin America?

No. Stations in Latin America that play English Top 40, AC or rock (and they are very common) appeal almost exclusively to A, B and, to come extent C+ socioeconomic levels. Immigrants tend to be, mostly, from the E level with considerable D as well.

Those lower income (and much lower education) level immigrants likely never listened to a station that played English language music. Stations in Latin America target listeners by income level, not by age.

And I don't know if KODA has particular appeal among non-white listeners. It's not known to be a Rhythmic-leaning AC. Maybe during the mid-to-late 2000s, when there is a glut of disco songs in the station.

Remember, a portion of the Hispanic population is English speaking only... third generation or greater. For example, at times the two country stations in San Antonio have a higher percentage of Hispanic listeners than non-Hispanic white.

And it's important to use the term "non-Hispanic" when referring to "white" as over 80% of all Hispanics self identified on the last census as "white" as well.

 

[davideduardo]

Seeing KLTN suddenly go from a 25-49 powerhouse to a seemingly more 50+ station (seeing as they're still top 10 in 6+ but outside the top 10 in 18-49) is easily the most surprising thing in Houston radio in quite some time.

Houston has some of the most awful proportionality and sample issues of any PPM market. Much of the ethnic "oddity" numbers is due to the sample being totally F-ed up.