Community Corner

Which Santa Cruz Radio Stations Have the Most Listeners?

You may be surprised at some of the answers in the latest Arbitron ratings.

The overall big money winner is a pig. KPIG-FM (107.5), that is. In the all-important 25-54 year old ratings group, the pig, based in Freedom, with studios in Watsonville, scored almost a 1 share over the quarterly Winter Ratings Book, or 1 percent of the listeners between those ages who listen in English.

Why is that important? Because advertisers think that age group has the most money and the most influence. And radio profits are based on advertising. The more listeners, the more the stations can charge.

The Pig doubles the 25-54 year old listeners its next nearest competitor, KHIP-FM (104.3), which in this case is owned by the same company, Los-Angeles-based  Mapleton Communications.  The Hippo has just under a .4 share of those listeners.

Yeah, you thought the Pig was some little local station where the DJ's are stoned and they do what they want. Well, it sounds that way and some of that may be true, but it runs as a serious business. Luckily, Mapleton, a family-owned company, which owns 35 other stations along the coast from Washington down, knows a good thing and lets KPIG continue its anti-establishment ways, somewhat. 

Next up in the 25-54 ratings is KDON-FM (102.5), the hip, urban station which ties with the Hippo at just under a .4 percent. KDON, based in Salinas, has an owner many will recognize, Clear Channel Communications, the ultra right wing Texas company that owns more radio stations than anyone else.

Keep this in mind when you look at the ratings: They cover the whole area of the Monterey Bay, including Salinas, Monterey and Santa Cruz, or some 582,200 listeners over 12 years old. It's the 83rd-biggest market in the U.S., behind Charleston, S.C. and ahead of Little Rock, AK. 

Sadly, none of these numbers include the nonprofit stations - KZSC-FM (88.1), KUSP-FM (88.9) and KAZU-FM (90.3) -  which attract significant listenership in the area but aren't measured by the commercial-oriented company.

The rest of the 25-54 list does like this:

KOCN-FM (105.1) rhythmic adult contemporary music,  .39
KKHK-FM (95.5), adult rock, .39;
KTOM-FM (92.7), country, .39
KCDU-FM (101.7)., hot adult contemporary .01
KWAV-FM (96.9), adult contemporary, .01
KBOQ-FM (103.9) soft rock .001
KSCO-AM (1080), talk .001

(Source: KPIG Ad  in Santa Cruz Weekly)

Over in what they call the "beauty contest," the overall ratings that have less to do with money, the order goes like this.

Station                      Format                  Ratings
KDON-FM (102.5), contemporary hits, 9.3 share
KWAV-FM (96.9), adult contemporary, 5.3 share
KPIG-FM (107.5), album adult alternative, 4.8 share
KLOK-FM  (99.5), Mexican regional,  4.5 share
KPRC-FM (100.7) Mexican hits, 3.6 share
KOCN-FM (105.1), Rhythmic Adult Contemporary, 3.5
KCDU-FM (101.7), Hot Adult Contemporary, 3.3
KHIP-FM (104.3), Classic Rock, 3.3
KTOM-FM (92.7) Country, 2.7
KSES-FM (107.1) Spanish Adult Hits, 2.3
KION-AM/FM (1460/101.1), 1.8
KKHK-FM (95.5) Adult Hits, 1.5
KMBX-AM (700) Spanish religious, 1.5
KBOQ-FM (103.9) Adult Contemporary, 1.4

So, which is your favorite radio station and why? 








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