Courtesy St. Louis Post Dispatch

(February 26, 2010) The newcomer missed the monumental goal its general manager set of becoming the first St. Louis sports-talk radio station to crack the top 5 in market share among the demographic the outlets in that format pursue — men ages 25-54. But it didn't fall short by much in its first year in the jock-talk business.

According to Arbitron's listenership survey covering the fall ratings period, October-December, WXOS (101.1 FM) finished seventh in that target audience. It was behind rock station KSHE (95 FM), which led, four other music outlets and news-talk powerhouse KMOX (1120 AM).

But from a market-share standpoint WXOS ended its initial year as the most successful sports-talk radio station in the 17-year history of St. Louis sports-talk radio. It has risen because of two factors: a focus on straight sports talk instead of drifting into "guy talk" found in varying degrees on the jock-talk competitors; and the most powerful signal to broadcast locally in the format. It also became the first sports-talk station locally to gain play-by-play rights to one of the major pro teams, the Rams. It also broadcasts St. Louis U. men's basketball and soon could have its sights on the Cardinals.

"I'm pleased with the progress, that the appetite for a straight-ahead sports station was as strong as the research indicated it would be," 101.1 GM John Kijowski said. "I won't be satisfied until we're top three, then consistently top three. That's a ways to go."

The station also has a ways to go to being profitable. It's an expensive format, at least under the traditional approach of employees being paid a salary instead of selling their own air time. Kijowski acknowledges the station lost about half a million dollars last year with losses being heavier on the Rams than on talk shows.

"It started slow on the revenue side and it really didn't pick up until the middle of the year," he said. "Once the Rams revenue came in and people saw this (station) was real and it was getting traction, then the big annual contracts started coming in from advertisers. The first six months were very difficult. But after that, it truly has been very successful."

He attributes much of the deficit to being a start-up operation.

"We met our budget last year and we will beat our new budget this year," he said. "We had to start everything from scratch, all the advertisers we had to go get."

He said about 80 percent of Rams advertisers signed two-year contracts, adding, "We start this year with so much on the books, where we started last year with nothing on the books."

In its first year WXOS zoomed by its established competitors and nearly doubled the market share of KSLG (1380 AM) and KFNS (590 AM). And by the end of 2009, 101.1's programs occupied the four top slots among market share. (All figures in this story are for programming airing from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, when the stations' marquee shows air.)

Last fall WXOS drew 4.3 percent of the target audience. KSLG was at 1.4 and KFNS had a 1 share. While WXOS was seventh overall in the market, KSLG was 20th and KFNS was 21st.

But KFNS and KSLG management are undaunted.

"As has been the case since I first learned how the ratings system works, I don't pay attention to them," said 590 general manager Dave Greene, who added his group — Grand Slam Sports — is close to completing the purchase of KFNS from Big League Broadcasting. Grand Slam also publishes St. Louis Sports Magazine, runs KFNS' website, handles public appearances and combines those entities with the station into one business.

"We focus on the only numbers that matter — revenue numbers," Greene said. "Ours are up 40 percent over last year, so we are very happy with where we sit."

KSLG general manager John Helmkamp said his station is on a better track financially since moving to a system in which its hosts sell their own advertising as opposed to the customary straight-salary approach.

"We seem to have found a formula that's going to work in this economy," he said. "You have to be able to move with the times."

He said last month was the station's best from a revenue standpoint and expects to finally be in the black by the spring.

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