from Austin360.com
December 22, 2005
For those not keeping score, here's how Austin's radio landscape changed in 2005:
The Beat came back. Air America debuted. KPEZ-FM flipped from Adult Album Alternative (AAA)/classic rock "Channel 102.3" to contemporary Christian "102.3 The River." Kevin Phinney went to Seattle, leaving KGSR-FM's "the Kevin & Kevin Show" with just one Kevin. Public radio's "Marketplace" host, David Brown, left that gig and started "Texas Music Matters" at Austin's KUT-FM — which became the No. 1 station in the market in the spring (and darned near did it again last summer) — a virtually unheard-of feat for a public radio station. Austin became a town without a Tejano music radio outlet. And several stations, from KMFA-FM to the Clear Channel cluster, finally began streaming their broadcast content.
Oh, and Howard Stern left. But you knew that. The King of All Media had all 2005 to make sure everybody knew of his flight to satellite radio. His slot at the urban-formatted Beat 104.3 (KXBT-FM) was handed to the syndicated "Star & Buc Wild" show — the only program to beat Stern's ratings in New York City, according to the show's site (starandbucwild.com), and Dusty Hayes, vice president of programming for Austin's CBS Radio cluster. Which, until last week, used to be known as Infinity Broadcasting.
The newest player in town, Border Media Partners, is celebrating a healthy year in the Austin market. Late in 2004, the Houston-based, Hispanic-oriented media company acquired three stations, and early this year, it bought four more. BMP now owns KOKE-AM (1600), KTXZ-AM (1560), KELG-AM (1440), KHHL-FM (98.9), KXXS-FM (104.9), KFON-AM (1490) and KKLB-FM (92.5). In March, it switched formerly Spanish KOKE to English-speaking liberal talker Air America. Last month, it replaced KTXZ's "Super Tejano" format with "La Lupe" (regional Mexican oldies) and began simulcasting it with KKLB, which used to simulcast norteño with KFON, which kept that format. Mexican regional KHHL is now "La Ley," Spanish pop KXXS is "Digital" and KELG, formerly "Caliente," is now "La Luz," though its Christian-based format is the same. The company has upgraded its transmission towers and will soon move into its new, 18,779-square-foot offices at 912 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360).
"We're hoping it symbolizes our commitment to the marketplace," Dallas vice president of operations Bob Proud says.
The marketplace apparently is committed to BMP as well. In the last Arbitron ratings book (summer 2005), KHHL and morning personality El Chulo ranked No. 1 in weekday morning drive listeners, topping Stern, KLBJ's Dudley & Bob and everyone else, in three key demographic groups: men ages 18-34; people ages 18-34; and people ages 25-54. (Men 25-54 apparently prefer Dudley & Bob; KHHL came in second with that group.)
As for "We play anything" BOB (KBPA-FM 103.5), it built a hot love affair with 25- to 54-year-old listeners, winning that demographic in four consecutive Arbitron ratings books. Overall, it ranked No. 2 in the winter and spring books and No. 3 in the summer book. In the Arbitrends, a series of interim measurements, BOB ranks fifth for the first fall period. BOB's five-decades-of-hits format might be slipping slightly in popularity, but not in its key demographic.
And that's why BOB got blamed for KPEZ-FM's week-before-Christmas flip to contemporary Christian. Dusty Black, Clear Channel's Austin market manager and regional vice president for Central Texas, said BOB's success kept KPEZ's AAA/classic rock hybrid from reaching its potential.
"This format really fits in better, we feel like, demographically, with what we're doing with our cluster," Black said.
Emmis-owned KLBJ-FM (93.7), meanwhile, started calling itself a classic rock station, and KLBJ-AM (590) dropped ABC News for Fox, which Emmis Austin vice president and market manager Scott Gillmore called "faster-paced." He also noted that, once a local morning team is hired for BOB, the Emmis Austin cluster will have local morning shows on all six of its stations. (They're hunting for a new partner for KGSR's Kevin Connor — and yes, they're considering people whose names do not begin with K.)
KGSR (107.1) got kudos for coolness from Entertainment Weekly magazine. KMFA-FM (89.5) responded to demands from nonlocal fans to get its signal online — and hired its first-ever music director. KUT-FM (90.5) started broadcasting a second channel of content via a high-definition signal (though no one has HD radios yet). Program director Hawk Mendenhall promised that the news-and-information channel, which also will be streamed on KUT's Web site, will get a formal unveiling once it's fully operational. The station is hoping to add an all-music HD channel as well.
But country station KASE-FM (100.7) still pretty much rules the roost in Austin, ratings-wise, though it took an inexplicable dive in the spring book, which put KVET-FM (98.1) on top.
Go figure. In radio, as in life, about the only constant is change.
from the Austin Chronicle
January 28, 2005
The Coyote is road kill. Last Friday, radio listeners hoping to hear the comedy clips and talk shows of the all-comedy network on KOYT-FM (104.3), "The Coyote," were instead greeted by the steady drone of a heartbeat, which went on for seven hours. At 5pm, with "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas, the station switched back to calling itself "The Beat," dedicated to the music of Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, Usher, and other R&B and hip-hop hit makers.
For hip-hop fans, as the great Yogi Berra supposedly said, it's déjà vu all over again. The Beat was once the top-rated format in Austin. But Infinity Broadcasting, faced with competition from upstart KDHT-FM (Hot 93.3), dropped the Beat last July to create a format more appropriate as a vehicle for Howard Stern's morning show, which is syndicated by Infinity. The demise of the Beat surprised many people, even prompting those hip-hop gangstas at the Austin American-Statesman to write an editorial lamenting the lack of choice on local radio.
But a few weeks later, Stern announced plans to move to satellite radio in 2006, which doesn't bode well for the long-term prospects of the new comedy format. Infinity never got around to hiring local on-air talent for the Coyote, which in seven months never generated ratings comparable to the old Beat. "We just looked at where the station was going to be in the future," said program director Dusty Hayes. "Hip-hop is so big and the music hasn't shown any sign of slowing down." Infinity lost the rights to the old call letters, KQBT, so the station is now KXBT. Stern will stay in the morning slot until his contract expires in December, Hayes said.
The move will re-engage the head-to-head competition between the Beat and Hot 93.3, a true hip-hop throw down. At first glance, the station's playlists are almost identical. Last year, after dropping the Beat, station general manager John Hiatt told a reporter, "We knew there wouldn't be sufficient advertising revenues to support both stations." But Hayes believes the fast-growing market is "absolutely" big enough for two hip-hop stations. "Of course, I would like for there to be only one, but I think most markets have two," he said. Hayes is starting to search for on-air talent. "That's where most of the differentiation comes in – the on-air talent," he said.
January 26, 2005
from today's print edition of the Austin American-Statesman:
"There are a lot of rumors and misinformation out there," Stern told his estimated 20 million listeners. "We're still on the air in Austin."
The station, renamed "the Coyote" in July, had switched to an all-talk format with Stern anchoring the 6 to 10 a.m. morning drive slot. But on Monday, station honcho John Hiatt said "it just never got the acceptance 'the Beat' did," and the Infinity Broadcasting-owned station went back to the likes of Usher and Destiny's Child, with the exception of Stern's controversial chatter.
January 24, 2005
They've flipped the format to hip-hop, but as of this morning Howard is still on! Woo-hoo!
January 22, 2005
As of 5pm yesterday, 104.3FM in Austin has switched back to hip-hop.
They've also changed their www site (www.1043thecoyote.com) and left no mention of Howard.
It looks like Howard's gone for the 2nd time from the Austin market.
Thanks, and goodbye, Infinity! And hello to Sirius!
from the Austin American-Statesman
August 1, 2004
When her favorite radio station switched from hip-hop, dance and R&B to Howard Stern and talk radio last week, 22-year-old Stacey Worrell was distraught.
"Four years ago when I first came from Houston to attend St. Edward's (University), 104.3 was the only hip-hop station." Worrell said. "I just want an explanation of what happened."
The reasons, according to the company that owns the station formerly known as the Beat, are new competition and a desire to attract a more lucrative group of listeners.
After the August 2003 debut of HOT 93.3 (KDHT-FM), a competing hip-hop station, 104.3's owners felt that Austin wasn't big enough for both.
"The station had done well for six years as Austin's only hip-hop station," said John Hiatt, senior vice president and market manager for Infinity Radio Austin. "But after HOT 93.3 came in, we knew there wouldn't be sufficient advertising revenues to support both stations."
The company changed the station's call letters from KQBT to KOYT on July 19 and began carrying Stern's famously raunchy radio show to anchor an all-talk format. Stern was last heard in Austin in September 2000 on KJFK-FM, which then changed its format from talk to soft rock.
Hiatt said the station also wanted to target an older crowd.
"With the Beat, our demographic was ages 12- to 34-year-olds, and 65 percent of listeners were female. Howard Stern's show has always been a male-dominated show, and it targets 25- to 54-year-olds," he said.
"What you look for is revenue pull, and we didn't have a lot of that with the younger crowd. In the final analysis, there is just more revenue available for older demographics than for the younger crowd."
Scott Gillmore, vice president and market manager for Emmis Austin Radio, which owns HOT 93.3 and several other radio stations, said his station will benefit from the change.
"We were delighted the Beat changed, because they were competitors with our HOT 93.3," he said.
Gillmore's station will be luring listeners such as Austinite Kim Romo, 23, who said she was a daily listener of the Beat.
"It was my favorite station to listen to while I ran," she said. "Now I have to take 104.3 off of my radio dial."
from allaccess.com
July 15, 2004
ALL ACCESS hears that the BEAT is getting fainter in AUSTIN - besides the already announced return of HOWARD STERN to the market in mornings at INFINITY's Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover KQBT (THE BEAT 104.3), we now hear that the station has signed up as an affiliate of ALL COMEDY RADIO. And could a transformation to FM Talk include carrying sister KLLI (LIVE 105.3)/DALLAS afternoon guy RUSS MARTIN as well?
from the Austin American-Statesman
June 30, 2004
Howard Stern's raunchy radio show is returning to the Austin airwaves.
The New York-based shock jock announced Wednesday that beginning July 19 his syndicated morning show would be carried by Austin hip-hop station KQBT-FM.
Stern, known for mixing sex and humor and interviewing porn stars on his show, was last carried by an Austin station in September 2000, but was bumped off the air when KJFK-FM's format changed from talk radio to soft rock.
Since then, Stern has been at the vortex of a controversy over indecency on radio and television stations.
In early June, San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications Inc. agreed to a record $1.75 million settlement with the Federal Communications Commission to resolve indecency complaints against Stern and other radio personalities.
In February, Clear Channel suspended Stern and dropped the country's best-known shock jock from its stations in Rochester, Orlando, San Diego, Pittsburgh and two other markets after complaints by federal regulators.
KQBT-FM and the eight other stations that will pick up Stern's show in July are owned by Viacom Inc.'s Infinity Broadcasting unit, which also owns the syndication rights to Stern's show.
With Wednesday's announcement, the show appears on 45 stations, most of them owned by Infinity.
Stern made the announcement at a news conference aired live on his radio show. He railed against the increased scrutiny he has received in recent months from the FCC.
"I'm not taking it sitting down," Stern said.
He said entering the new markets, in approximately two weeks, was a message to the FCC, which has tightened its enforcement of indecency standards. Stern and the FCC have battled for years, with Infinity paying $1.7 million in 1995 to settle various violations by the DJ.
Stern said the FCC's enforcement "has a chilling effect on all broadcasters."
Federal law bars radio stations and over-the-air television channels from airing references to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be tuning in. The rules do not apply to cable and satellite channels or satellite radio.
Clear Channel, in dumping Stern, said it feared any continued association with the DJ and his raunchy show might led to losing its station licenses.
Joel Hollander, president and chief operating officer of Infinity, expressed his support for Stern.
"Howard has dominated the radio landscape for more than 20 years," Hollander said. Stern's listeners are "one of the most loyal audiences in radio who will no doubt embrace his return."
from RadioandRecords.com
June 30, 2004
Check out the latest Howard-related Austin chat at Austin360.com
September 12, 2000
from InsideRadio.com
Thanks to George for sending them in.
Arbitron 12+
Call Format Owner Spring-2000 May-July letters KQBT-F contemp hit radio Infinity 7.8 7.2 KASE-F country Clear Channel 8.1 7.2 KAMX-F modern adult contemp Infinity 5.9 5.7 KLBJ-A news/talk LBJS 4.6 5.1 KHFI-F contemp hit radio Clear Channel 4.7 4.9 KVET-F country Clear Channel 4.7 4.9 KROX-F alternative LBJS 4.7 4.8 KKMJ-F adult contemp Infinity 4.5 4.4 KFMK-F rhythmic oldies Clear Channel 3.9 4.0 KGSR-F album adult altern LBJS 3.8 3.8 KEYI-F oldies Clear Channel 4.9 3.5 KLBJ-F album oriented rock LBJS 3.7 3.3 KPEZ-F classic rock Clear Channel 3.3 3.1 KQQA-A spanish regional Yellow Rose 1.7 2.1 KLNC-F country LBJS 1.9 1.7 KELG-A spanish regional Dynamic 1.5 1.6 KTXZ-A spanish contemp Nogalis 0.7 1.5 KAHK-F 70s Simmons 1.3 1.4 KVET-A sports Clear Channel 1.5 1.3 KJFK-F talk Shamrock 1.2 1.2 <----- Howard's old station KJCE-A urban adult contemp Infinity 1.2 1.1
from the Austin Chronicle
September 15, 2000
--snips--
Don't touch that dial if you are looking for the right-wing rant of G. Gordon Liddy or the shock jock schlock of Howard Stern. On Monday Shamrock Communications of Scranton, Pa., switched formats in the middle of Stern's program. What was all-talk is now "rock without the hard edge." The switch was driven by market research that found adult contemporary rock without edge a better sell that talk with edge. The frequency remains 98.9, but the KJFK call letters become KHHL...
--snips--
from the Austin American-Statesman
September 14, 2000
XLent section
Street soundz column
By Chris Riemenschneider
--snips--
--snips--
from the Austin American-Statesman
September 12, 2000
By Chris Riemenschneider
The format change started with a broadcast of the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill," and for fans of Austin's mouthy talk station KJFK, the song selection was quite telling.
KJFK (98.9 FM) was abruptly replaced Monday morning by new station KHHL, "The Hill," which will air "rock without the hard edge." The format change came at 10 a.m., in the middle of Howard Stern's broadcast, silencing the infamous shock-jock in Austin and putting an end to the city's only all-talk FM station.
None of the station's personalities, including Stern and G. Gordon Liddy, will be heard in Austin anytime soon - not until another picks them up. Their absence on the radio Monday caused a swarm of angry calls to KHHL.
"It just doesn't make sense," said Bill Thompson, who was among the many KJFK listeners caught off guard by the change.
KHHL General Manager Mark Stacey said it made sense to the station's owner, Scranton, Pa.-based Shamrock Communications.
We think we handled the FM talk format well and had a great listenership," Stacey said, "but that didn't translate into great revenue."
Stacey said the change was made solely to generate more advertising, denying sure-to-come allegations that KJFK's handlers chickened out of the First Amendment-testing format. Last year, the station lost a $455,000 slander suit to a Pflugerville woman. It also was mired in controversy when talk-show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was fired in December.
The soft classic rock KHHL plans to play is clearly safer broadcasting. Elton John, the Eagles, Eric Clapton and the Fab Four were named by the station as representative artists. New program director Hank Dole, hired from a similar station in Jacksonville, Fla., said the softer side will distinguish KHHL from Austin's established classic-rock station, KPEZ (102.3). He used Led Zeppelin as an example. "We might play some of the mellower stuff, say, from 'Houses of the Holy,' but not the really hard music you always hear," Dole said.
KJFK was started in 1996, when Shamrock changed it from hard-rock station KUTZ.
September 11, 2000
At 10:00am today KJFK cut Howard off, Station Manager Mark Stacey making an announcement saying the station was changing their call letters to KHHL and was going all music.
Call 512-331-9191 to voice your displeasure, or sent an email to: Comments989@postmark.net.
Howard appears to be gone...more details as they become available...
from All Access NET NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2000
Updated at 11:58a (PT)
--snips--
FM Talk KJFK/AUSTIN flips to KHHL (ROCK WITHOUT THE HARD EDGE, THE HILL). The flip occurred at 10a with HOWARD STERN's syndicated show abruptly cut off and a message from GM MARK STACEY announcing the switch. STERN is no longer with the station. Also gone from the lineup: G. GORDON LIDDY, SHANNON BURKE, CLENDON ROSS, and TOM LEYKIS.
from the Austin American-Statesman
June 1, 2000
The airwave battle for listener attention continues. Winter Arbitron rankings were released last month, showing who did what during the first quarter of 2000. While some stations leap-frogged into the top spots, it was business as usual for many broadcasting companies.
KLBJ-S-owned 101-X (KROX 101.5 FM) jumped eight places to finish fourth among listeners 12 and older. The alt-rock station moved up a few notches in other categories, too, but nothing quite as dramatic. It's doubtful that this was a research fluke. Instead, the higher ranking probably comes from variations in listening habits among younger audiences. According to trends for male listeners between the ages of 12 and 24, the station saw more than a five-point increase, lifting its share from 12.4 last fall to a dominating 17.8. Only CBS/Infinity-owned the Beat (KQBT 104.3 FM) came close to that high number, finishing the winter trends with a 14.8 share.
Women between the ages of 12 and 24 listened mostly to the urban sounds of Beat, which earned a 27.1 share from these young listeners. The closest competition for this age group wasn't close at all, with the Mix (KAMX 94.7 FM), KASE (100.7 FM), KHFI (96.7 FM) and 101-X holding around nine point shares.
Listeners 18 to 34 spread their attention more evenly, although 101-X tops out here, too, with a nine-point share. Other popular stations include the Mix, KASE, the Beat and KLBJ-FM. Men in this age group still pick 101-X as their favorite station, with KLBJ-FM not far behind. Women in this category overwhelmingly prefer the Beat, while the Mix's light alternative comes second, with country KASE following in third.
Older audiences (listeners 25-54) keep KASE-FM rock solid with an 8.4 share. Other top-five stations in this group include KGSR, Majic 95, KLBJ and the Mix, all owned by CBS/Infinity or homegrown radio kingpin KLBJ-S. All-talk KJFK (98.9 FM) leapt into the top 10 this cycle along with 101-X. Men listen to KLBJ-FM and KGSR more than others, while women stand by KASE, with a dominating 11.8 share. Testosterone-talk KJFK, by contrast, earns a single share from women in this group.
The broad morning drive-by for listeners 12 and older shows some changes during the last quarter, with KGSR's morning show, led by Kevin Connor and Kevin Phinney, jumping five slots into fifth. KJFK also did well, moving from 11th to seventh place. Dale Dudley's team pushed KLBJ from fourth to second place, while others, like the Beat, dropped to the bottom of the top ten.
Looking more closely at the books, listeners 18 to 34 pick Dudley's KLBJ-FM as their top morning radio program, while J.B. and Sandy carry the Mix into second with 8.4 shares. KJFK's broadcast of the Howard Stern Show falls in third, with 101-X next in line. Dudley leads Austin radio for men in this age group, earning a whopping 14.4 shares. Howard Stern is second with more than 10 points. After that, the numbers dive quickly, with 101-X second with 7.7 shares. Women tune in to the Mix in the morning, with the Beat, KASE and KHFI following in that order. KGSR, the Mix and Oldies 103.5 (KEYI-FM) do well in the mornings with listeners 35 to 64.
These numbers, of course, are only broad indicators of what people like, and don't include the listening habits of those who support public or non-commercial stations such as KUT (90.5 FM), KMFA (89.5) or KOOP (91.7 FM). But Arbitrons do provide a useful survey of the commercial market. One interesting thing to note is that companies like CBS/Infinity, KLBJ-S and AMFM own quite a mix of stations. If a company does poorly in one category, chances are it will have success in another. A station like Shamrock Communications-owned KJFK has a limited shot in Austin because there are no other stations in this market to support the company. It relies on a format popular among male audiences. If that doesn't sell, no other market will pick that station up by the bootstraps. But this is what the demographics are for, to identify and target listeners with products that sell.
LISTENERS 12 AND OLDER
Monday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-midnight
(Numbers in parentheses indicate fall-quarter rankings)
1. KASE-FM 8.1 (1) 2. KQBT-FM 6.1 (2) 3. KKMJ-FM 5.3 (4) 4. KROX-FM 5.0 (12) 5. KGSR-FM 4.9 (7t) 6. KLBJ-AM 4.7 (7t) 7. KAMX-FM 4.4 (3) 8. KEYI-FM 4.2 (10) 9. KLBJ-FM 4.1 (7t) 10. KVET-FM 3.7 (6) 11. KHFI-FM 3.5 (5) 12. KFMK-FM 3.4 (10t) 13. KJFK-FM 2.4 (17) <--- Howard 14. KPEZ-FM 2.2 (13) 15. KVET-AM 2.1 (16) 15. KELG-AM 2.1 (14)
LISTENERS 12 AND OLDER
Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-10 a.m.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate fall-quarter rankings)
1. KASE-FM 8.0 (1) 2. KLBJ-FM 5.9 (4) 3. KKMJ-FM 5.3 (6) 4. KAMX-FM 5.2 (3) 5. KGSR-FM 4.8 (10) 6. KLBJ-AM 4.5 (7) 7. KJFK-FM 4.4 (11) <--- Howard 8. KEYI-FM 4.0 (8t) 9. KQBT-FM 3.8 (5) 9. KROX-FM 3.8 (12) 11. KVET-FM 3.7 (7) 12. KHFI-FM 3.3 (8t) 12. KHFI-FM 3.3 (8t) 14. KFMK-FM 2.4 (13) 15. KPEZ-FM 2.1 (17) 15. KVET-AM 2.1 (19t)
from the Austin American-Statesman
The Arbitron fall quarterlies finally arrived several weeks later than anticipated by the radio industry. While most stations in the Austin Top 10 held firm positions, there was a significant point drop, with a full share or more shaved from leading commercial stations. This could be a survey error, or perhaps it indicates a new trend in listener habits. But the lower numbers did little to disrupt the firm hold corporate media groups like AMFM, Clear Channel and CBS have on the Top 10 market.
KASE (100.7 FM) kept its first place rating in the 12-and-over demographic, and CBS's the Beat (KQBT 104.3 FM) held second, but both stations show a significant decrease in ratings, dropping almost an entire share.
"That's no biggie," explains KASE program director Michael Cruise. "If you look at the ratings they drop down the board for everyone in the Top 10."
Cruise says the lost numbers appear at the bottom of the recent charts, where Spanish language stations received a 100 percent or more increase to their ratings in a single survey cycle. This might explain why ratings are lower than usual for the consistently successful corporations that own much of the Top 10 market. Regardless of the reason for the low numbers, the coveted Top 10 positions were held by the usual suspects.
Other stations in the 12-plus category kept positions earned over the summer. CBS's The Mix (KAMX 94.7 FM) moved into third place and Majic 95 (KKMJ 95.5 FM) went from sixth to fourth despite a limited share increase. KVET (98.1 FM) remained at sixth while KLBJ (93.7 FM) dropped two places into seventh. But another LBJS-owned station, KGSR (107.1 FM), moved up from number nine to tie its sister station in seventh place despite a share decrease from the last book. Other stations like KVET-AM (1300) and KJFK (98.9 FM) actually dropped one place each, despite small share gains.
Among adult listeners between the ages of 25 and 54 there were few changes, although it is notable that KGSR, with its best showing ever, pushed its way into second place just behind KASE.
Ratings for the morning shows didn't reveal any major upheavals either. Among persons 12-plus, the Mix jumped from number five to three, while Dale Dudley and his morning show at KLBJ-FM slipped a point to fourth place. But on the more specific morning demographic, looking at listeners between the ages of 25 and 54, the KLBJ-FM show held first place again despite a significant point loss. Other stations owned by the big corporate media firms shuffled slightly, with no startling moves. Times Shamrock-owned KJFK-FM, led by morning syndicated host Howard Stern, jumped four digits into eighth place.
--snips--
ARBITRON RATINGS*
FALL '99 6 a.m. - midnight
1. KASE (1)
2. KQBT (2)
3. KAMX (4)
4. KKMJ (6)
5. KHFI (6)
6. KVET-FM (6)
7. KLBJ-FM (5)
7. KGSR (9)
7. KLBJ-AM (3)
10. KFMK (11)
10. KEYI (13)
12. KROX (10)
Weekdays 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
1. KASE (2)
2. KVET-FM (1)
3. KAMX (5)
4. KLBJ-FM (3)
5. KQBT (6)
6. KKMJ (7)
7. KLBJ-AM (4)
8. KEYI (12)
8. KHFI (8)
10. KGSR(9)
11. KJFK (14)
12. KROX (11)
* previous ratings in parentheses; both represent ages 12 and over demographic; identical ratings indicate a tie.
from the Austin American-Statesman
December 2, 1999
Political talk show host Alex Jones, a vocal critic of the government's conduct in the Branch Davidian raid, and sports commentator Mike Konderla were fired this week from their jobs at KJFK (98.9 FM) radio.
Jones, whose show "The Final Edition" aired from 8 to 10 p.m. weekdays, said he was fired Tuesday because station management tried to censor his discussion of certain issues and he refused to comply. KJFK Operations Manager Brian Billeck said that is "nonsense."
Jones has been labeled a conspiracy theorist for views that are critical of U.S. domestic and foreign policy.
The talk show host said his nightly references to President Clinton and to events surrounding the Branch Davidian site near Waco were the sources of conflict between himself and the Times Shamrock-owned talk radio station.
"Station consultant Don Davis told me to lay off Clinton or I won't have a place at KJFK," Jones said. "I was also told, in General Manager Mark Stacey's office several days later, to stop promoting the rebuilding of the Branch Davidian church in Waco on the station."
Jones was not censored, Billeck said, but he was told that he needed to broaden the number of topics he covered on the air. Billeck said Jones was told that his off-air efforts to help the Davidians rebuild "had nothing to do with this radio station."
"Our decision was about the bottom line," Billeck said. "Our focus needs to be on what will help us. Due to the content of his show, businesses didn't want to support him. It's not a matter of ratings as much as a matter of content and style, and how he conducts himself off the air."
Jones said he is confused about his dismissal because he brought himself and the station national media attention during the recent accusations of a government cover-up in the 1993 siege at the Branch Davidian complex that ended in a fire, killing 76 Davidians.
"When I was just a conspiracy theorist kook to them, I was just a way to get listeners and advertisers," Jones said. "But when everything that I've been saying for almost four years has come true, it makes it serious. It makes it real. And that's dangerous."
According to Billeck, there had been some difficult communications between Jones and station management despite favorable ratings.
Konderla, host of "The Mike Konderla Show," also was fired from KJFK on Tuesday.
The sports program, which ran from 5 to 8 p.m. weekdays for about a year, wasn't earning the ratings the station wanted to see, Billeck said.
"Mike wasn't growing in the way we would like him to grow," he said.
The station has replaced Konderla's show with Clendon Ross' "Inside Sports," which aired previously on KJFK each Sunday afternoon.
"Nothing will change with the (Howard) Stern, (Gordon) Liddy and Shannon Burke lineup," Billeck said of some of the other talk shows on the station.
The Tom Leykis Show, dropped by the station in February, will return in place of Jones' show.
Jones, whose show is syndicated by the Genesis Communications Network, said he will continue broadcasting for other stations.
from the Austin American-Statesman
November 18, 1999
The Beat: Radio
by Dale Smith
The latest Arbitron surveys, an indicator of which stations have the most listeners, showed a slight shuffling of the cards over the summer quarter. Despite the recent mergers of Capstar and Chancellor into AMFM Inc., and a proposed merger between that entity and Clear Channel, individual stations held steady throughout the hot summer season.
KASE (100.7 FM) topped the charts for another successful cycle, while sibling country station KVET (98.1 FM) dropped from third to sixth place among listeners 12 and over. That station didn't do much better with adults 25-54, losing more than one share to drop from fourth to 11th place. KVET (1300 AM) gained slightly in both demographic categories, but not enough to boost it into the top 10.
KLBJ's AM station (590) remains strong in its news format, holding onto a third place rating for listeners 12 and older. LBJS's KGSR (107.1 FM) rose to a No. 3 spot in the 25-54 category, up from sixth place last quarter. That station's unique adult alt format might be catching on enough to support consistent top 10 listenership.
CBS's Beat (KQBT 104.3 FM) holds steady in second place behind KASE for the 12-plus audience and moved to fifth for listeners 25-54. CBS's Mix (KAMX 94.7) went up from sixth to fourth place with its smooth alternative format. LBJS's 101.X (KROX 101.5 FM) continues to stall out in 12th place among listeners 25-54, and it slipped from seventh to 10th place in the 12-plus listing. I don't have surveys for teen audiences, but 101.X's groomed angst probably sells well to Austin males between 12 and 21.
KHFI (96.7 FM) rose in both demographics to hold a place in the top 10. AMFM Inc.'s Jammin' Oldies (KFMK 105.9 FM) gained points for a fifth place tie with the Beat, KLBJ-AM and Majic 95 (KKMJ 95.5 FM) for listeners 25-54. AMFM's oldies station earned a few shares in the 12-plus group, nudging it into 11th place, but it's still down from its second place showing last winter.
The top five ratings for Austin morning shows remained the same, with the exception of KLBJ-AM topping The Mix for fourth place in the 12-plus demographic. KGSR and the Jammin Oldies entered the top 10, knocking KJFK (98.9 FM) down from ninth to 14th.
Adults 25-54 are listening to Dale Dudley at KLBJ-FM more than any other morning station. KASE and KVET also draw a strong rating, falling into second and third places. All-talk KJFK, however, dropped from sixth to 12th place, pushing Howard Stern back out of the top 10. Still, with its weak, North Austin signal, and unusual FM talk format, the Times-Shamrock-owned station competes well with others owned predominately by one of three major corporations.
In fact, the top 10 stations in the 12-plus demographic are owned by AMFM Inc., CBS Broadcasting and Clear Channel. 'LBJ is the only local entity with a significant showing in the top 10. Also, it's important to note that Howard Stern is syndicated, with G. Gordan Liddy, by CBS. And while these companies produce a reliable and recognizable product, other formats and smaller stations, public and commercial, are listened to by smaller, devoted audiences. Still, the Arbitron ratings give the lay-of-the-land, in a sense, and show, statistically, where a majority of listeners set their dials.
--snips--
from: The Austin American-Statesman
June 24, 1999
All talk KJFK (98.9 FM) performs well in its niche, men between the ages of 25 and 54, during the morning broadcast of the Howard Stern Show. In that sub-demographic, the station's ratings shot up last quarter from a 3.5 share to a 6.5, making it the fourth most popular show. But in other morning demographics the station received lower ratings. For women between 25 and 54, Stern dropped from 12th to 24th, not even receiving a full share. And for both men and women, the station landed in 12th place for last quarter's ratings. But in a town like Austin where sub-demographics are so important, these distinctions play a big role in defining markets for radio advertisers and station underwriters.
-- Snip --
I was wrong last week when I wrote that KJFK's (98.9 FM) morning show slipped to 12th place among men between the ages of 25 and 54. In that category, the show remains in fourth place. I misread the Arbitron reports. That station's morning ratings slipped to 12th place for men AND women between the ages of 25 and 54. That's a big distinction in the radio business. Next week I'll look more closely at how Arbitron ratings are read by advertisers, and examine how they determine successful stations.
When KJFK (98.9 FM) brought Howard Stern to Austin in 1996, the self-proclaimed "king of all media" was riding an unprecedented wave of nationwide popularity. The movie "Private Parts," based on his first best seller, would soon become a modest box office success. Another book, "Miss America," was reaching for laurels on the New York Times Bestseller list. Late last year, CBS began televising an edited version of Stern's popular radio show to compete with NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Austin television stations, however, haven't picked up Stern's CBS offering. And judging by the radio ratings, there may be good reason why local TV doesn't want to fork over cash on the controversial but satirically charged radio and E! channel persona.
The New York-based shock jock has hovered well below other Austin morning shows, with only 2.8 percent of shares earned last quarter from listeners 12 years and over. Even under KJFK's targeted age group demographic -- men between the ages of 25 and 54 -- Stern slipped a notch, placing him in 12th place for morning programming in Austin.
Stations with locally based morning shows, like KASE (100.7 FM), KVET (98.1 FM) and KLBJ-FM (93.7 FM), do well against national programs syndicated to compete for morning audience shares. The majority of local listeners seem to prefer the down-home drawls of Sammy Allred and Bob Cole to the obnoxious and infectious humor of the flatulent, big-city jock.
"Howard Stern's an incredibly talented entertainer," said KVET morning host Bob Cole. "Whatever he does, he does well. But we're local. Our show is more family friendly. If you miss us in the morning, you might feel like you missed something going on around town."
Dr. Laura Schlessinger's nationally syndicated show remains strong in the ratings despite pressure from local programming. Schlessinger, talk-radio phenomenon and morality maven, whose California-based show receives close to 60,000 calls a day from listeners seeking counsel on sexuality, put KLBJ-AM (590) in fourth place among listeners 12 and over in the most recent Arbitron trend report. She brought that station more than twice the shares Stern gave KLBJ during the same 6-to-10 morning slot. She does less well in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, but remains five spots ahead of Stern in the local ratings.
Schlessinger, the best-selling author of "Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives," was the subject of some controversy late last year when nude photographs, taken 20 years prior, appeared on a leading adult Internet site. She has managed, however, to maintain high ratings despite her tarnished reputation and, unlike Stern, does quite well in Austin.
Rush Limbaugh's afternoon program on KLBJ (590 AM) remains strong, leading the afternoon shares just behind KASE. San Antonio's powerful WOAI News Radio (1200 AM) will also begin broadcasting Limbaugh's conservative talk format beginning Aug. 9. Limbaugh's show was made available recently to online listeners through Broadcast.com, an Internet company that streams programs and radio stations directly to the Web. With new area syndication and online access to his show, the ABC syndicator of Limbaugh's program is appealing to the disaffected audiences out there who can't get enough Clinton bashing from this childless promoter of family values. With scandals in Washington and a war in Kosovo, it's no wonder Limbaugh's ratings remain firm.
Although Stern, Schlessinger and Limbaugh all have popular appeal and nationally marketed images, their shows face stiff competition from local markets.
--snips--
from the Austin American-Statesman
The Arbitron radio ratings from last quarter were released recently, and while those in the business know the numbers inside out, reading radio futures according to surveys of the past three months, I zone out when I see more numbers on a page than I have fingers or toes. I found this quarter's report instructive, however, because it gave a good indication of who's listening to what.
Capstar's infant station, KFMK-FM (105.9), popularly known as the Jammin' Oldies, more than doubled its shares from Fall 1998 to Winter 1999, giving it a second place rating in the 25-54 demographic. It came in just behind its older sibling KASE-FM (100.7), the long-time country giant that dominates local ratings. Even in the 12 and older demographic, the rhythmic newcomer earned two whole shares, driving it to a tie for second place with CBS's urban hit format KQBT-FM (104.3), the Beat. That station actually lost more than a share from its fall rating. CBS's Magic 95 (KKMJ-FM) seems to be affected by the new rhythmic format also, dropping more than two shares in the last quarter.
"The marketing campaign we utilized helped spread the word," said Jammin' Oldies manager Dusty Black. "Obviously, the listeners liked what they heard."
"I don't know if it's a fluke," said GSD&M media supervisor Elyse Clark, who spoke to me about the success of the Jammin' Oldies. "I think it's a viable format. I know the format in Dallas has done extremely well. I think they've done well programming the format. It's working."
The classic rock and oldies stations are duking it out, with KPEZ-FM (Z-102) and KEYI-FM (103.5) at each others' heels. But watch your step after the ratings for KGSR-FM (107.1) and KROX-FM (101.X) because there's a serious drop-off after those mid-rated stations. Hanging there, like a slow moving helium-inflated balloon, is my personal commercial favorite KJFK-FM (98.9) [Ed. - Howard's station]. Hopefully that station's hot air will keep it off the ground.
The morning show ratings surprised me. Capstar's country stations attract the most listeners in the mornings. Surprising also is that KLBJ-FM (93.7) and KKMJ-FM (Magic 95.5) are losing shares to the Jammin' Oldies morning show, which has more than doubled its ratings to reach the No. 6 spot.
KLBJ-AM (590) leads the way on the AM band with CBS's rhythm and blues format, KJCE-AM (1370), and Christian station KIXL-AM (970) coming in second and third. Capstar's AM sports station, KVET-AM (1300), continues a slow slide down into radio sludge, although it still manages to hold a full share.
Community supported KUT-FM (90.5) tied with Z-102 for a 4.2 share, and KMFA-FM (89.9) landed at 3.3, putting it firmly in the middle of the ratings. This shows that Austin's community stations compete well in a market dominated by corporate influence.
It will be interesting to see what happens during the next quarter when the novelty begins to wash off the Jammin' Oldies. Until then we can only wait and see how the Austin radio market absorbs the retro sound.
Here's an email I got from Dale Smith re: Howard's ratings:
From: Dale Smith
To: animaux@9ticnet.com
Subject: Re: Radio: Oldies format jumps the charts
Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 07:41:18 PDT
Hi. Stern's ratings in Austin aren't very high. He doesn't even make top ten, oddly.
KJFK comes in at #13 with 2.3 shares. Take care, Dale
While his jealousy of Howard knows no bounds, KLBJ's Dudley, (dudman@realtime.com), did come through with the Spring ratings for Howard. The Stern Show fell to a 2.9 share, good for 15th place.
Dudman...sounds like the guy's 14-years-old with a nick like that...repeat now after me: "Dudman! Dudman!" Bwahhahha!
from the The Austin American-Statesman
Published: Aug. 6, 1998
As Willie Nelson said in song, "Ain't it funny how time slips away." We've come to the eve of the release of the spring 1998 Arbitron survey, and I've yet to address the winter 1998 book. So here's how things stacked up last winter on the local radio scene, with the spring numbers to follow soon. Look for a future column on trends of the past year or so.
The hardly surprising news is that KASE has reasserted its dominance, recapturing the No. 1 slot in the overall ratings. KASE was tied with KHFI for the top position in the fall book, the first time in at least a decade that KASE didn't keep a clear lock on No. 1. But let's not discount KHFI's market dominance. Even though the contemporary hit station lost some points in the overall rankings for the age 12-and-above demographic, it holds steady at No. 2. It also grabbed No. 1 in the 18-34 category and No. 3 in the 25-54 category.
But the big winner this time is KAMX, which jumped from fifth to third place in the 12-plus ratings, gaining 1.7 audience points since the fall of '97 and 2.1 points over last year. Among listeners 18-34, "The Mix" jumped an impressive 3.4 points, moving from fourth place to second. In the 25-54 demographic, KAMX gained a full point to move from fifth place to fourth (where it tied with KLBJ-FM). And as one delves into more narrow demographics, "The Mix" gained some huge numbers in the men and women 18-34 demos in a number of day parts. This station has shown steady and strong growth over the past year, becoming a local radio powerhouse.
Otherwise, there are few significant shifts in the overall ratings. KLBJ-FM lost some points across the board, dropping from 6.7 to 5.5 in the 12-plus demographic since the fall survey. The station fell from 11.4 to 8 points in the vital 18-34 segment (KLBJ-FM's worst showing in a year there). KVET-FM also took a dip in the 12-plus overalls, losing a full point to drop from second place to fifth.
One notable increase is for KUT, which climbed from 3.8 to 4.5, tying KEYI ("Oldies 103") at eighth place. This is probably KUT's best rating in recent years, and proof of the public radio outlet's considerable strength with the Austin audience.
In the ever-competitive morning show game, KASE took No. 1 with the 12-plus demographic, while its sister station KVET-FM's "Sammy and Bob" show dropped from No. 1 in the fall to No. 4 in the winter. Wonder if that's because Allred and Cole haven't been stirring up much controversy lately. Maybe it's time for me to tick off the notorious morning team to help their ratings some.
Also in mornings, "Dudley, Bob and Debra" on KLBJ-FM held steady at No. 2. KHFI's morning show pretty much held its own with 8.5 points last fall and 8.6 in the winter, and KAMX added 1.2 points between the fall and winter books in its strong growth curve. Meanwhile, national phenomenon Howard Stern continues his slow and steady growth on KJFK, going from a 3.5 to 3.9 in the past two books. Last year, he was at 2.9.
Don't expect things to remain so calm and steady over the next few books. With new stations coming on and the increasing presence of big national radio chains in our market, I feel safe in predicting that the ratings will grow more volatile over the next year. But for now, it's a rather calm interlude with last winter's numbers.
A reader recently suggested that we let folks know how much an Arbitron share equals in terms of listeners. Basically, each share represents about 1,400 listeners in an average quarter hour. Hence KASE's 10.3 ratings means the station has an average of some 14,420 listeners.
Note that I practice my own "fairness doctrine" in the chart of numeric rankings. When two stations are tied, such as KAJZ and KGSR in the 12-plus demographic at No. 11, Arbitron then jumps to No. 13 for the next station. Frankly, I think if two stations are tied at No. 11, the next is No. 12. Makes more sense to me.
Have some fun with KLBJ's DUDley! Send a reply to him of your own!
Reply-To: dudman@realtime.com
To: animaux@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Austin ratings
What a complete crock of Shit. Our show is #1 Persons 25-54 Men 18-34
and Persons 18-49.
There has been more than a 20% GAIN since Coward
went on the air. Get your facts straight and stop posting bullshit.
Dudley
KLBJ
...and my reply. Send your own!
Well, good for you!
In your rush to bash Howard, how about providing something more recent then what I have, which I guess you missed in your haste.
Check again, those ratings are TWO YEARS OLD.
How 'bout putting your money where your mouth is...let's see the latest ratings...xerox me the relevant pages from the latest book and send them to me as an attachment.
I'll bet I never see them...
Thanks for trying, though.
animaux
The challenge of Howard Stern to established Austin morning shows remains a front-burner topic around the market. The news from the summer Arbitron ratings survey, released last week, is good for the locals, but not bad for Stern. Stern enjoyed a rush of listener interest when the program debuted on KUTZ-FM during the spring survey period, but interest waned in the summer. The show's audience shares were more down than up in key demographic segments. With all listeners, Stern was in 11th place, dropping from 3.2 to 2.9 percent; with listeners 18-34, he rose from 5.7 to 6.1 percent; and with older adults 25 to 54, he was down from 3.4 to 2.0. KLBJ-FM's morning show, featuring Dale Dudley, Bob Fonseca and Debra Cole, is Stern's primary target. This show's ratings dropped from 9.2 to 7.8, but held on to third place overall. With listeners 18 to 34, Dudley and crew jumped from 13.3 to 13.9 for second place; and the show was third with listeners 25 to 54 with 8.4 percent. KVET-AM/FM's Sammy Allred and Bob Cole remained in a strong second place with 10.8 percent of listeners 12-plus, and was second with older adults, too, at 9.8; and they jumped more than a point and a half to 6.4 with young adults. The big winner in the morning show sweepstakes, though, was not a station or a format that Stern offers much competition. Country music station KASE padded its first-place lead with the strongest growth in the market, almost 2 percentage points from 10.9 to 12.6 percent.
The Howard Stern Show is now at a 6.5, trailing the market leaders, KLBJ-FM, who have a 16-something. However, KLBJ is going down, down, down, while Howard and KUTZ continue their upward climb.
The Howard Stern Show, since going on the air in Austin, (April 4, 1996), has moved from a 1.6 to a 5.2 rating. The competition station, KLBJ-FM, the former #1 station in town, has lost 40% of their morning show audience since Howard's gone on.
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