Bill Virgin's Radio Beat - March 8, 2007

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Last updated March 7, 2007 3:18 p.m. PT

On Radio: KUBE-FM is tops with young listeners

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER

Most radio stations typically chase after the "money demos" of listeners ages 18 to 34 or 25 to 54, figuring those are the most attractive audiences to advertisers.

But that leaves a lot of listeners at both ends of the age spectrum, with one of those being critical to radio's future. The 12- to-17 demographic is important not just because it's a group with a lot of disposable income of its own. It's also the age group that will produce tomorrow's adult radio listeners.

Or not. One of the industry's continuing worries is the level of listenership among young people. The current crop of 12- to 17-year-olds has grown up not counting radio as its primary channel for learning about or hearing music.

To find out what stations young listeners are tuned in to, the Seattle P-I asked Arbitron Inc. for the five most popular commercial stations among listeners 12-17 in the most recent quarterly ratings for the Seattle-Tacoma market.

In first place was KUBE-FM (93.3). That's not a surprise, given the urban contemporary music the station plays (performers include Jay-Z, Ludacris and Mary J. Blige), and the fact that KUBE often finishes at or near the top of the overall ratings.

Next, also not a surprise, is KBKS-FM (106.1), where the playlist includes such artists as Justin Timberlake and Beyonc?. The station's Web site also features a promo to have KBKS "kick it at your high school."

In third place is KKWF-FM (100.7), the relative newcomer to the local country scene with such artists as Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. This isn't the first time a country station with a youthful flavor has been attempted in this market; listeners may remember the "young country" station KYCW-FM.

There's an interesting tie for fourth. One is alternative station KNDD-FM (107.7), playing such bands as The Shins and Modest Mouse. The other is KDDS-FM (99.3) and its Spanish-language LaGranD format that, according to station owner Bustos Media's Web site, "addresses the musical taste of the first- and second-generation individuals of Mexican origin in the United States."

If the list included non-commercial stations, it's possible that student-run dance-music station KNHC-FM (89.5) would rank high on the list of those popular with the 12-17 crowd.

The challenges in reaching that audience is not just the competition with other media, including the Internet, for finding and sharing music, but also the pace at which that market moves from the current popular thing to the next. "They've become, in some ways, far more savvy than us at what's new," says Dave McDonald, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio, which operates KBKS.

Stations such as KBKS try to keep up and connect with the audience by using all those technology tools; KBKS runs contests employing cell-phone text messaging, both the station and its hosts have individual MySpace pages, and the Web site offers audio streaming and video clips.

In other radio notes:

Performances in the "Mountain Music Lounge" on KMTT-FM (103.7) include English beat at 3:15 p.m. Friday and Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Guy Clark and Joe Ely at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.

"John in the Morning at Night" broadcasts from Neumo's at 9 p.m. Friday with performances by The Saturday Knights, El Perro del Mar, The Blakes and The Shackeltons on KEXP-FM (90.3).

Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 7 a.m. Saturday on KPTK-AM (1090) and 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) include Jonathan Raban, author of "Surveillance."

The Metropolitan Opera performs Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at 9 a.m. Saturday on KING-FM (98.1).

Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart is the guest on "Cop Talk" at 6 p.m. Saturday on KVI-AM (570).

Lizz Sommars' guests on "Conversations" at 6 a.m. Sunday on KISW-FM (99.9), KBSG-FM (97.3) and KKWF-FM (100.7) include Gary Krist, author of a new book on the 1910 Wellington railroad disaster, "The White Cascade."

The Sunday edition of Jim French's "Imagination Theatre," heard at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KIXI-AM (880), includes a new episode of Kincaid the Strangeseeker.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels takes listener calls on "Weekday" at 10 a.m. Monday on KUOW-FM (94.9).

P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

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