Pretty much. The difference with KHJ was multiple competitors, and some not even in the same format. KHJ was always defending against KGFJ, and after 1974, against KDAY, because R&B records were big in that market at that time. And KLOS's rise after launching the Rock n' Stereo format in fall of '71 prompted KHJ to adjust to defend against them for the rest of that year and most of 1972.
That's in addition to direct Top 40 competition from KBLA (1965-67), KFWB (1965-1968), KRLA (1965-1971), KDAY (1968-1971), KGBS (1968-1974)*, KKDJ (1971-1975), KROQ-AM (1972-74), KIQQ (1973-1980) and KIIS-FM (1975-1980), as well as occasional intrusions into the L.A. ratings from KEZY in Anaheim.
As a result, KHJ never really had a moment in the 70s where they had vanquished the competition and saw their numbers climb prior to the big crash as KFRC did once KYA finally faded. Arguably, KHJ's moment came in 1968 when KFWB went news and KRLA automated for the better part of a year. That gave KHJ a 13.0 (12+ total audience) in the fall '68 book.
They held a 12.8 for fall '69, then slipped to a 9.0 in the fall of '70. Fall '71 was a 9.3.
From there, a 6 share was aspirational. 5.8 in fall '72. 5.4 in fall '73. A 6.3 in fall '74.
Then it became about staying above a 5.
Fall '75---5.4. A 5.3 in fall '76. Then a 3.5 in the fall of '77 and a 2.7 in the fall of '78---but still number one within the format (KFI had a 2.6, KIIS-FM and KTNQ a 2.1, and KIQQ a 1.8). KHJ fell to KFI in the fall of '79, 3.3 to 2.4 .
What happened in L.A. that didn't happen in San Francisco is that there was a gap of about two years between the death of a dominant AM Top 40 (KFI only enjoyed a year in the top ten and never got anywhere near top five, much less number one) and the arrival of a dominant FM.
That said, there were two FMs that damaged KHJ most. KMET, which took its teens and young adult males, and KRTH, which took its young adult females. KMET was AOR and KRTH, KHJ's sister station, was, according to RKO, a Gold-based AC, but R&R didn't buy that argument and listed KRTH alongside KHJ as a CHR (at that time R&R's term for Top 40).
*KGBS swore it wasn't Top 40, but the more I listen to the tapes, the more I have to disagree. Even a Hot AC (a term that didn't really exist yet) was not gonna be playing Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild".
Pretty much. The difference with KHJ was multiple competitors, and some not even in the same format. KHJ was always defending against KGFJ, and after 1974, against KDAY, because R&B records were big in that market at that time. And KLOS's rise after launching the Rock n' Stereo format in fall of '71 prompted KHJ to adjust to defend against them for the rest of that year and most of 1972.
That's in addition to direct Top 40 competition from KBLA (1965-67), KFWB (1965-1968), KRLA (1965-1971), KDAY (1968-1971), KGBS (1968-1974)*, KKDJ (1971-1975), KROQ-AM (1972-74), KIQQ (1973-1980) and KIIS-FM (1975-1980), as well as occasional intrusions into the L.A. ratings from KEZY in Anaheim.
As a result, KHJ never really had a moment in the 70s where they had vanquished the competition and saw their numbers climb prior to the big crash as KFRC did once KYA finally faded. Arguably, KHJ's moment came in 1968 when KFWB went news and KRLA automated for the better part of a year. That gave KHJ a 13.0 (12+ total audience) in the fall '68 book.
They held a 12.8 for fall '69, then slipped to a 9.0 in the fall of '70. Fall '71 was a 9.3.
From there, a 6 share was aspirational. 5.8 in fall '72. 5.4 in fall '73. A 6.3 in fall '74.
Then it became about staying above a 5.
Fall '75---5.4. A 5.3 in fall '76. Then a 3.5 in the fall of '77 and a 2.7 in the fall of '78---but still number one within the format (KFI had a 2.6, KIIS-FM and KTNQ a 2.1, and KIQQ a 1.8). KHJ fell to KFI in the fall of '79, 3.3 to 2.4 .
What happened in L.A. that didn't happen in San Francisco is that there was a gap of about two years between the death of a dominant AM Top 40 (KFI only enjoyed a year in the top ten and never got anywhere near top five, much less number one) and the arrival of a dominant FM.
That said, there were two FMs that damaged KHJ most. KMET, which took its teens and young adult males, and KRTH, which took its young adult females. KMET was AOR and KRTH, KHJ's sister station, was, according to RKO, a Gold-based AC, but R&R didn't buy that argument and listed KRTH alongside KHJ as a CHR (at that time R&R's term for Top 40).
*KGBS swore it wasn't Top 40, but the more I listen to the tapes, the more I have to disagree. Even a Hot AC (a term that didn't really exist yet) was not gonna be playing Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild".
Hey—I need to clarify something here—-the L.A. numbers I have from 1966 to 1974 are Pulse. After 1975, it’s Arbitron.
Thanks to Huff for pointing up the discrepancy. Given that he has a much more thorough set of numbers, going forward, I’ll be asking him to post particulars.