Three of four Twin Ports radio stations owned by GAP West soared to the top of the most recent Arbitron listener survey. It's the first time in several decades that one company has so overwhelmingly dominated the Duluth-Superior radio market.
Meanwhile, four of six stations owned by Midwest Communications, including its flagship station, KDAL-AM 610, lost listeners. Only WDSM-AM 710 improved its numbers over the listener survey six months ago. WGEE-AM 970 had no change, with less than 1 percent of listeners.
The top three stations in the fall survey of listeners ages 12 and older were:
* KBMX-FM 107.7 -- adult contemporary music, 10 percent share.
* KKCB-FM 105.1 -- country,
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9.1 percent share.
* KLDJ-FM 101.7 -- oldies,
8.7 percent share.
Midwest's KDAL-AM 610 -- tied for first place in the previous survey -- fell to fourth place, with an average 7 percent of listeners, down 17 percent from six months ago.
The biggest drop in the number of people listening to KDAL-AM occurred from 5 to 6 a.m., an important hour for early risers who want local news, weather, sports and local personalities. When the station turned most of that hour over to CBS, 42 percent of its listeners went away.
Even the return of popular longtime radio personality Rik Jordan wasn't enough to completely recover after 6 a.m.
KDAL-AM took another beating in the evening when management suddenly dropped national talk show host Jim Bohannon -- he interviewed politicians, authors and other newsmakers from 9 p.m. to midnight -- and replaced him with Dave Ramsey. (The program is described on Ramsey's Web site as one that "focuses on life, love and relationships and how they happen to revolve around money.")
From 9 to 10 p.m., Ramsey had only 34 percent of the number of listeners pulled in by Bohannon.
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In the most important demographic age group for advertisers, 25-54, GAP West's top three stations dominated. KDAL-AM's demographics included 51 percent of listeners older than 65.
Several current local radio employees from different companies say Midwest Radio erred when it suddenly changed many of its stations' programs and fired or transferred some of its radio personalities to other stations as listener surveys were being taken.
The first personality fired by Midwest -- management said it was a money-saving move -- was Chris Allen, KTCO's longtime country music host during morning drive time. A few weeks later, GAP hired Allen for its country music station, KKCB, and the station's ratings jumped nearly 36 percent in less than six months.
GAP West Broadcasting purchased its four radio stations from Clear Channel in March 2008, promoted Duluth native Merry Wallin to general manager and, since then, the four radio stations' fortunes have improved dramatically.
Wallin says the stations' success "comes from building on a stable base of veteran radio personalities, a variety of solid formats and community involvement." In addition, she credits David Drew, operations manager since last April, for the latest ratings book.
Wallin believes that GAP's only local AM property, WEBC 560, was strengthened -- after the fall listener survey was taken -- by its new association with the ESPN Radio Network, formerly with Midwest's WGEE-AM before management dropped it.
Also, popular talk show host Tracy Lundeen's show moved last week to the 4-6 p.m. drive-time slot. Lundeen formerly was heard on WEBC in the evening.
