Kiss me.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)

When Arbitron Inc. released its winter 2009 radio ratings, an unfamiliar sight caught a few radio insiders off guard.

The institution that is KSSN, 95.7FM, was not the most listened to station in Little Rock for persons aged 12 and older listening from 6 a.m. to midnight--the broadest measurement for radio. A drop in KSSN's ratings resulted in Citadel Broadcasting-owned KOKY, 102.1-FM, nabbing the top spot. KSSN fell from a 10.4 rating in winter 2008 to a 7 rating for the same period this year. KOKY improved its rating from a 7.2 last winter to an 8.3 rating for winter 2009. (See chart of Little Rock's Top 10.)

KSSN had held the top spot in overall audience for numerous years before the most recent book. The dip in KSSN's ratings can partially be attributed to KMJX, 105.1-FM "The Wolf," Clear Channel Radio's new country station, targeting a younger audience than KSSN. Clear Channel also owns KSSN and three other Little Rock stations.

"Those numbers are probably sitting over there on The Wolf right now," Clear Channel Little Rock's General Manager Ron Collar said about KSSN's dip and The Wolf's gains. "If we were to take The Wolf off the air, KSSN's numbers would go up, but it'd be appetizing" for other radio companies to start a competing station.

"The Wolf" saw its winter rating improve from a 2.6 in 2008 to 4.6 in 2009.

Collar, who took over as vice president and market manager in February, said the drop does not disturb him because it is only one ratings book and advertisers are more interested in more specific demographics, like persons aged 25 to 54.

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