Posted on: Friday, October 29, 2004
Shell bash boosts KCCN-FM rating
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
Buoyed by the bash.
That's how KCCN-FM seems to have reclaimed the No. 2 spot on the summer Arbitron radio ratings, released Tuesday.
"There's no significant changes in the summer book," said Mike Kelly, general manager of KCCN-FM and other Cox Radio holdings in Hawai'i. "But we were up 1.9 shares, and that's probably reflected in our promotion for our annual Birthday Bash (held July 30 and 31 at the Waikiki Shell), which is the summer's biggest (two-day) concert event."
Since kids are also on summer vacation, more radios are likely to have been tuned in, he said, giving the station additional voltage.
Not surprisingly, Michael W. Perry and Larry Price remain kings of morning drive, the only a.m. team to post commanding double digits. Almost one-fourth of all radios tuned in — at home, in cars, in offices — were listening to the KSSK-AM/FM duo.
"We're proud of KSSK's strength and the great job Mike and Larry do for us," said Chuck Cotton, general manager of Clear Channel Hawai'i. "We saw growth on Star 101 (KUCD-FM) and on Island 98.5 (KDNN-FM) and KIKI-FM (Hot 93.9). It's a great book for us, but we don't sit and dwell. We move ahead."
KCCN's morning team of Billy V, Lina Girl and Pipi held on to the fourth spot in morning drive, though with a 1.6 ratings increase from the spring survey, behind KRTR-FM (No. 2) and KINE-FM (No. 3). Interestingly, the second spot was vacated by Dan Cooke this summer, so prevailing Chris Reiser and Sistah Sherry inherit a lofty ranking going into the winter survey, now under way.
Recent station sales, call letter changes, swapping action and format switches, however, are not significantly reflected in the latest numbers.
"It's too early to tell," said Kelly, whose KXME just become KPHW, with a format change heralding hip-hop and R&B hits instead of the earlier urban contemporary hits.
Other elements of the rankings:
• The return of traditional Hawaiian music this summer, on the renamed KHUI-FM (formerly, The Bob), also is not yet on the radar. • The demise of KPOI, the modern rock station, which now is KPOI The Big Kahuna, with a classic rock format, has not shown ripples of approval yet. • KSSK is the lone AM station to make it to the top 10 morning (No. 1) and over-all rankings (No. 6) • KDDB-FM dropped 1.4 shares to No. 10 over-all, compared to No. 6 last spring. • KHNR-FM, which now occupies the former 97.5 KPOI spot on the dial, has not yet made an appearance on the elite list since airing conservative news and talk last July. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8055.
