Radio wars find familiar
victors in latest ratings
About one-fifth of radio listeners on Oahu punch in to Michael W. Perry and Larry Price in the morning, according to the latest Arbitron Inc. survey.
With few dips in its decades-long dial dominance the KSSK-FM/AM morning show is the high bar to which other stations aspire.
Among listeners 12 and older, the top-ranked broadcast lost nearly four rating points from a year earlier, but still commands 20.4 percent of the overall morning audience and 20.2 percent of adults 25 to 54. In the 1980s nearly one-third of Oahu's radios were tuned to their show; there were fewer stations then.
No. 2-ranked KCCN-FM 100.3 rose from No. 5 last year, getting a 6.6 percent share of the overall audience and a 6.8 share of adults 25 to 54.
Sister-station KINE-FM 105.1 dipped to No. 3 from No. 2 with 5.3 percent of the audience, but fell precipitously among adults in the face of increased competition. For instance, KAHA-FM 105.9 wasn't playing classic rock at this time last year but it is now, and is in the top 10.
Radio advertising is generally not purchased according to overall listenership. Media buyers look for the best environments for their clients' commercials, and a station's demographics are key for such placement. Adults age 25 to 54 have higher incomes and are the most desirable demographic. In recent years the 18- to 49-year-old group has found increasing interest among media buyers.
