KSL radio leads ratings

KSL radio (FM-102.7/AM1160) is back on top of the Salt Lake radio Arbitron ratings for the month of October.

The all-news/talk station had a 9.3 percent share of the audience, far outdistancing runner-up and sister station KSFI ("FM-100") at 6.6 percent and KXRK ("X-96") at 6.0 percent.

KSL hasn't been No. 1 since June, as KXRK was estimated as No. 1 twice this summer and KSFI was the leader last month.

So far this year, KSL has been No. 1 six of 10 months.

Even though KSL is back on top, KSFI continues to have the largest "cume" audience with 595,100 unique listeners.

("Cume" is the total number of different persons who tune to a radio station during the course of a day for at least five minutes, while the share — average quarter hours share — is the average number of persons listening to a particular station for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period.)

Rounding out the top 10 in ratings for October were: 4. KODJ (FM-94.1), 5.2 percent share; 5. KUBL (FM-93.3), 5.0; 6. KZHT (FM-97.1), 4.5; 7. KOSY (FM-106.5), 4.3; 8. KNRS (FM-105.7), 4.1; 9. KUDD (FM-107.9), 3.9; and 10. KRSP (FM-103.5), 3.6

The next 11 were: 11. KBEE (FM-98.7), 3.5; 12. (tie) KSOP (FM-104.3) and KUUU ("U-92"), 3.1; 14. KJMY (FM-99.5), 2.9; 15. KHTB (FM-94.9), 2.6; 16. KBZN (FM-97.9), 2.5; 17. KBER (FM-101.1), 2.3; 18. KUER (FM-90.1), 2.2; 19. KKAT (FM-107.5), 2.1; 20. KEGA (FM-101.5), 1.9.

21. (tie) KYMV (FM-100.7) and KBYU (FM-88.1), 1.8; 23. KBMG (FM-106.1), 1.5; 24. (tie) KDUT (FM-102.3) and KJQN (FM-103.1), 1.4; 26. KZNS (AM-1280), 2.1; 27. (tie) KALL (AM-700) and KYLZ (FM-104.7), 1.2.

RADIO HAPPENINGS — As expected, KOSY (FM-106.5) and KSFI (FM-100.3) both made the switch to all-holiday music late last week. There are now about 15 U.S. radio stations airing all-Christmas music, two of them in the Salt Lake market. No other city has two stations playing all-holiday music. So, does this say Salt Lake City is more festive than other U.S. cities?

— KBZN (FM-97.9) plans to play all-holiday music only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Otherwise, the station will begin playing a couple of standard Christmas songs per hour some time after Thanksgiving.

—"Bowling and Billiards with Radio From Hell" on KXRK will be Friday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m., at the Jupiter Bowl, 1090 Center Drive, Park City. Join Kerry, Bill and Gina for free bowling and billiards — first-come, first-served. (Bowling shoe rental is extra, though.) KXRK will be giving away SKULLCANDY prizes throughout the night.

e-mail: lynn@desnews.com