LA Radio: 102.7 KIIS-FM Rebounds, El Mandril Widens Lead

Top 40 station KIIS-FM 102.7, which has been the dominant radio station in Los Angeles and Orange County for most of the previous three years, reclaimed sole possession of first place last month for the first time since April, according to the LA Times.

CCM+E’s KIIS claimed a 5.4 – 5.9 share of listeners age 6+ in September, according to the Nielsen Audio.

Sister-station AC KBIG-104.3 FM dropped to second, taking a 5.9 – 5.7 audience share, while CBS Radio’s Top 40 station KAMP-97.1 FM was flat to take third, at 4.5, based on the survey of listeners from Aug. 15 to Sept. 11.

CCM+E’s KOST 103.5 FM was fourth despite a 4.4 – 4.1 dip.

Emmis’ Top 40 KPWR 105.9 FM Power was flat 4.0 – 4.0 to hold on to the #5 slot 6+.

New/Talk KFI-640 AM, long a contender for the top spot among all stations in the Southland, and one of the most listened-to and influential talk-radio outlets in the country, dropped to 13th place in September.

Robin Bertolucci

KFI was in first place from January through March 2012, and remained near the top for most of last year. The station had been tied for fourth as recently as April 2013, but dropped to 12th in July.

"If you look at the monthly ratings, they're not so good," said Robin Bertolucci, program director at KFI and its sister talk station KTLK-AM (1150).

"Summers are never traditionally a good time for news/talk," she said, adding “In the fall you get more into a regular rhythm for news/talk," Bertolucci said, noting that she's already starting to see improved weekly numbers for the station.

KFI dipped last summer as well, though not as steeply.

During September's "morning drive time," the crucial 6-10 a.m. weekday slot when stations hope to grab and hold listeners for the rest of the day, Ricardo "El Mandril" Sanchez at regional-Mexican music station KLAX-97.9 FM took 6.9 of the audience, up from 6.5% in August.

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25-54:  KBIG…KIIS…KLAX…KROQ

18-34:  KISS…KPWR…KBIG, KAMP tied…KLAX

18-49:  KIIS…KBIG…KBIG…KAMP…KLAX

Cume:  KIIS 3,043,300…KBIG 3,456,500…KAMP 3,326,100

Nielsen Audio Monday released September PPMs (August 15 thru September 11) for the following markets: MYC, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas-Ft.Worth, Houston-Galveston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Nassau-Suffoll (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino CA, San Jose, Middlesex-Somerset-Union NJ.

Click Here for Topline Numbers.