Wait — an AM radio station is No. 1 in Boise? Yep, but this might be the last time
If you live in good ol’ backwoods Boise, nothing is certain except death, taxes — and the No. 1 radio station each fall being on the antique AM dial.
OK, not every fall.
But more often than not in recent years, news-talk station 670 KBOI-AM has been top dog during the autumn ratings. Conservative political programming targeting an older demographic helps. So do Boise State football game broadcasts. Not that KBOI isn’t a year-round force. It took third in the spring 2021 ratings.
Enjoy that transistor-radio glory while you can, Gramps. Not to give you static, but AM’s run in Boise is likely over.
KBOI won the newly released fall 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings. Yep, again. The station pulled a 6.0 share among listeners 12 and older. That’s best in the Boise market.
However, KBOI joined the 21st century a few weeks ago. It started simulcasting at 93.1 FM, too. KBOI isn’t a pure AM station anymore — and definitely not when the next Nielsen book is released in six months.
Still, afternoon host Nate Shelman’s voice is just so crisp and clear in stereo FM, right? The evolution also allows the station to expand its offerings. In the future, KBOI listeners will be able to hear BSU football on 670 AM and on 93.1 FM. Meanwhile, men’s and women’s basketball stays put on 670 AM.
Will KBOI slay competitors when fall rolls around again this year? Quite possibly. But the nostalgic crackle of AM radio won’t be its primary medium.
Other Boise stations endured — and enjoyed — significant swings in the latest Nielsen ratings. The limited sample size of Nielsen diaries makes them notoriously fickle. Most station managers try to average two ratings periods to account for aberrations.
Want the definition of a steady performer? Spinning country tunes, 101.9 FM The Bull had won three of the past four Nielsen ratings periods. It slipped this time — but still hung in the top three.
Below is the Treasure Valley ratings breakdown for fall 2021. These are quarter-hour share ratings for stations among listeners 12 and older between 6 a.m. and midnight. Nielsen Audio carves ratings into near-endless demographics. With its wide range of listeners, the 12-plus category essentially is the bragging-rights division.
▪ KBOI-AM 670 (news/talk): 6.0
▪ KBSX-FM 91.5 (Boise State; news/talk): 4.8
▪ KQBL-FM 101.9 (The Bull, country): 4.8
▪ KQXR-FM 100.3 (The X, active rock): 4.8
▪ KTSY-FM 89.5 (Christian contemporary): 4.6
▪ KSRV-FM 96.1 (Bob, variety hits): 4.2
▪ KIDO-AM 580 (news/talk): 3.8
▪ KXLT-FM 107.9 (Lite FM, adult contemporary): 3.8
▪ KKGL-FM 96.9 (The Eagle, classic rock): 3.7
▪ KBSU-FM 90.3 (Boise State, classical): 3.5
▪ KTHI-FM 107.1 (K-Hits, classic): 3.5
▪ KZMG-FM 102.7 (My 102.7, Hot AC): 3.3
▪ KAWO-FM 104.3 (Wow country): 3.1
▪ KCIX-FM 105.9 (Mix 106, Hot AC): 3.1
▪ KKOO-AM 1260 (Kool Oldies): 2.5
▪ KQFC-FM 97.9 (Magic 97.9, adult contemporary): 2.5
▪ KIZN-FM 92.3 (Kissin’ 92.3, country): 2.3
▪ KTIK-FM 95.3 (The Ticket, sports): 2.1
▪ KSAS-FM 103.5 (Kiss FM, contemporary hits): 1.9
▪ KWYD-FM 101.1 (Wild 101.1, rhythmic contemporary hits): 1.9
▪ KRBX-FM 89.9/93.5 (Radio Boise, community radio): 1.7
▪ KRVB-FM 94.9 (The River, adult album alternative): 1.7
▪ KJOT-FM 105.1 (Jack, variety hits): 1.5
▪ KQBL-FM HD2 99.1 (I-Rock): 1.3
▪ KQBL-FM HD3 96.5 (alternative rock): 1.2
▪ KFXD-AM 630 (Power 105.5, urban contemporary): 0.4
▪ KOAY-FM 88.7 (Christian contemporary): 0.4
▪ KBSU-FM HD2 90.3: (jazz): 0
▪ KSRV-FM HD2 99.9 (Fox Sports Boise): 0
Explaining the numbers: “Share” is the percentage of listeners tuned in to a station at a given time. KBOI-AM’s 6.0 means 6% of everyone 12 and older in the market listening to the radio at that time was tuned in to that station. These are quarter-hour share, or AQH, numbers — the average number of people listening to a particular station for at least 5 minutes during a 15-minute period. “Rating,” the percentage of potential listeners in the market actually tuning in, is a different thing. Find out more here.
