Courtesy St. Louis Post Dispatch

(August 7, 2009) A newcomer and a couple of old hands are at the top of the heap in listenership among the shows on the local sports-radio stations and the most outspoken voice is last, according to statistics from the latest Arbitron survey of the St. Louis radio market.

D'Marco Farr, who entered the jock-talk jostling when WXOS (101.1 FM) adopted the format in January, and longtime local sports-gabbers Bob Ramsey and Randy Karraker form the team for station's afternoon drive-time show — which surged to the top of the list. And another local longtime sports-talk fixture, lightning rod Kevin Slaten (left) of KSLG (1380), was at the bottom.

The 101.1 triplets attracted a 4.9 market share among the stations' target demographic — men ages 25-54 — during the spring survey and obliterated the competition in that time block. The trio of Jay Randolph Jr., Bob Fescoe and Joe DeNiro at KFNS (590 AM) and Slaten combined for less than a third of that.

"I'm thrilled with the growth of our station,'' WXOS general manager Jason Barrett said.

KFNS' afternoon drive figure wasn't a shock — it was low last time — but Slaten's number was. His share was three times better last winter, when he was in middays. And previously he was a ratings powerhouse in afternoons at KFNS. Slaten, his boss and even a competitor questioned the uncharacteristically poor number.

"I think he'll bounce back with no problem.'' KSLG general manager John Helmkamp said. "Those things happen with this type of rating system.''

KFNS general manager Dave Greene also questioned that share while taking a shot at the system.

"How could Kevin possibly have put up the numbers he did at KFNS in afternoon drive and then have those numbers at 1380?'' Greene said. "It's not possible. That makes me believe in those numbers less and less."

Slaten was philosophical.

"When the numbers are great I don't get overly excited and when they're bad I don't get overly bummed," he said. "What I gauge success by is how listeners support the sponsors, and they do," also pointing to heavy donations during his show for a radiothon last week. "To me it's a fruitless ratings system whose day has come and gone."

To that end, the entire ratings system is being revamped. Instead of a written report from those being monitored, electronic measurements are now being taken and the next survey should reflect the utilization of this technology.

MIKLASZ, MCKERNAN SOAR

Bernie Miklasz, who manned Slaten's slot at 1380 before moving to middays at WXOS, also delivered a big number — 4.7. That bamboozled the competition by a margin not far behind 101.1's lopsided afternoon-drive victory.

So among all the shows beginning at 11 a.m. or later, WXOS beat the competitors by a combined share of 9.6-2.9 — a massive 70 percent.

That underscores why 101.1 had a substantial lead overall. As detailed last week, the combined share of its competitors barely matched 101's figure.

But WXOS lagged badly in the key morning drive-time period, and was second in late mornings.

KSLG's early show, with Tim McKernan, Jim Hayes and Doug Vaughn, dominated the genre with a 4.5 share. That's more than six times higher than any other fare on the station, and 44 percent higher than the market's second-place morning program — KFNS' offering with Martin Kilcoyne, Maurice Drummond and Rich Gould. (That program, though, had a solid improvement after Kilcoyne's arrival in April.)

WXOS was last in AM drive, with the only non-local program airing on the three stations — ESPN Radio's show with Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.

KFNS' lone victory came in late mornings, when Frank Cusumano trumped WXOS' Bryan Burwell and Pat Parris by 21 percent. KSLG's show with Brian McKenna and company began at the tail end of that time block and was far back.

Cusumano and Kilcoyne also team for an hour (9-10 a.m.) and drew a solid 3.5 share for KFNS.

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