Clear Channel ?KIX? Arbitron Ratings

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Apparently, country is king in Northwest Arkansas. Clear Channel Communications’ country-formatted KKIX-FM, 103.9 “KIX 104,” radio station landed the No. 1 slot in the market, according to the recently released Arbitron fall 2005 ratings (see chart here).

KKIX had a 10.3 percent share in the 12-year-old and higher demographic.

The station also held the top spot in the spring 2005 ratings and tied with classic rock-formatted KIGL-FM, 93.3 “The Eagle,” (also owned by San Antonio-based Clear Channel) in the fall 2004 ratings with an 8.3 percent share.

For the fall, KIGL remained steady at No. 5, while Clear Channel’s adult contemporary station KEZA-FM, “Magic” 107.9, ascended from No. 4 in the spring to No. 2, a 42 percent increase; and contemporary hit radio formatted KMXF-FM, 101.9, nose-dived from the No. 2 slot in the spring, to No. 9, reflecting a 45 percent loss in the market’s share.

Meanwhile, only three of Atlanta-based Cumulus Broadcasting’s seven stations made the top 10 in the 12-year-old and higher demographic.

Classic-country formatted KAMO-FM, 94.3 “US 94,” landed a 6.6 percent share and came in at No. 3, a 40 percent increase; KMCK-FM, “Power” 105.7, a contemporary hit station, was just behind at No. 4; and KQSM-FM, 98.3 “Rooster Country,” came in at No. 10.

Cumulus Broadcasting’s classic rock station KKEG-FM, 92.1, and news/talk station KFAY-AM, 1030, both tied at No. 11 with 3.3 percent shares.

Joe Conway, Cumulus marketing manager, said that within each station’s demographic, he was still pleased.

“Arbitron tends to reflect things as they were and not as they are,” he said, noting that the 12-year-old and higher demographic is too broad for an accurate comparison.

“It’s working for our advertisers,” he said.

In the coveted adult 25- to 54-year-old demographic, Clear Channel held the top three spots, with a combined 30.9 percent average share. That number is down from a 33.4 percent share in the same demographic for the spring.

There are five Cumulus stations in the older demographic with a total 23.1 percent share for the spring.