Austin Ratings... Emmis Made The Right Moves

[Gregg]

Emmis may be having financial problems but in Austin, it made some wise programming moves over the last few months.

All of its Austin stations are getting a three share or better... six stations in the top 11. The decision to move Adult Alternative KGSR to the more powerful 93.3 frequency has paid off. It's now in the top 10, something I don't think it ever did at 107.1. And the replacement at 107.1, Regional Mexican KLZT, is now the top Latino station in the market, in just a few months. Univision's KLQB has tumbled since KLZT signed on. Alternative KROX is also enjoying its best ratings in memory.

It's also interesting how tastes change in contemporary hits. KHFI is #1, well ahead of co-owned Hip Hop KFMK. It wasn't that long ago that KHFI was one of the few mainstream Top 40 stations in all of the Southwest. Some markets didn't even have a mainstream Top 40. And KHFI was often far behind whatever station was doing Rhythmic Top 40. Did American Idol change all that, revitalizing mainstream pop?

Another big change is how Country has tumbled. At one time KASE was so far ahead, it had double the ratings of the #2 station, which was often co-owned KVET-FM. No more double digit ratings for KASE these days. It's in a three-way tie for #2 and KVET-FM is #5.

So what happeened to Big Talker 98.9? Did they not encode? Are they not subscribers to Arbitron? Glenn Beck is the #3 syndicated talker nationally and Mark Levin is the top 10. Bob & Tom are big on many FM stations in the morning and even have their show airing on WGN-TV on most cable systems. Something must be wrong if 98.9 doesn't show in the Austin ratings. I can't believe talk station WOAI San Antonio makes the Austin ratings but not KXBT.



Gregg
[email protected]

 

[intx]

The KGSR move and refocusing, as controversial as it was with longtime listeners, has defintely appeared to pay off. They seem to really be hurting Mix, which was already in a slide. The new TV ads they're running make it pretty clear this is a new KGSR ... focusing almost entirely on big names like Matchbox 20 until the very end, when they throw in Willie and Lyle.

 

[dallasboyz]

what does American Idol have to do with CHR radio? practically nothing. and KHFIs success has been in the last 3-4 years. And if youve noticed the ratings of Idol, the last few years havent been their best.

KGSR is a new station. Mainstreaming that station somewhat has paid off heavily.

 

[davideduardo]

...And the replacement at 107.1, Regional Mexican KLZT, is now the top Latino station in the market, in just a few months. Univision's KLQB has tumbled since KLZT signed on.

If one thing is constant in the diary markets that remain to become PPM markets is that the Spanish language shares bounce around in an incredible fashion.

Nonetheless, in the extraps for April, the first month of the last diary book, KLZT is the #3 Spanish language station in 18-49, the key Hisapanic demo. KLQB and KLJA are both ahead of KLZT, although all three are close. The same story on rank applies to 18-34, althouth KLQB has a 30% advantage over KLZT in this demo. Only in 12+ does the slightly higher older end performance of KLZT pull Z into second rank.

But May will probably scramble the numbers again... and we'll have a PPM book in mid-August.

 

[radiogroupie]

Emmis may be having financial problems but in Austin, it made some wise programming moves over the last few months.

All of its Austin stations are getting a three share or better... six stations in the top 11. The decision to move Adult Alternative KGSR to the more powerful 93.3 frequency has paid off. It's now in the top 10, something I don't think it ever did at 107.1. And the replacement at 107.1, Regional Mexican KLZT, is now the top Latino station in the market, in just a few months. Univision's KLQB has tumbled since KLZT signed on. Alternative KROX is also enjoying its best ratings in memory.

It's also interesting how tastes change in contemporary hits. KHFI is #1, well ahead of co-owned Hip Hop KFMK. It wasn't that long ago that KHFI was one of the few mainstream Top 40 stations in all of the Southwest. Some markets didn't even have a mainstream Top 40. And KHFI was often far behind whatever station was doing Rhythmic Top 40. Did American Idol change all that, revitalizing mainstream pop?

Another big change is how Country has tumbled. At one time KASE was so far ahead, it had double the ratings of the #2 station, which was often co-owned KVET-FM. No more double digit ratings for KASE these days. It's in a three-way tie for #2 and KVET-FM is #5.

So what happeened to Big Talker 98.9? Did they not encode? Are they not subscribers to Arbitron? Glenn Beck is the #3 syndicated talker nationally and Mark Levin is the top 10. Bob & Tom are big on many FM stations in the morning and even have their show airing on WGN-TV on most cable systems. Something must be wrong if 98.9 doesn't show in the Austin ratings. I can't believe talk station WOAI San Antonio makes the Austin ratings but not KXBT.



Gregg
[email protected]

Kase like many other country stations sound like juke boxes. Outside of morning it sounds automated. Pay is worse thus over the years mediocre talent has taken over.

 

[fredcantu]

The KGSR move and refocusing, as controversial as it was with longtime listeners, has defintely appeared to pay off

I can recall KLBJ-FM making a similar move in the 80s away from local music and more focus on popular rock acts of the time. The controversy got them sampled and IIRC it doubled their numbers.