“We’re No. 2! We’re No. 2!”
Cat Collins, program director at KQKS 107.5-FM, does not mind being runner-up to top-rated KYGO 98.5-FM in the latest Arbitron radio ratings.
While all-country KYGO finished first among all listeners ages 12 and up, KQKS bagged what many consider the holy grail in radio ratings.
“We’re most happy that we were first among 18-34 adults for the seventh consecutive book,” said Collins, who has been at the station since 1998. “Honest to God, for us to be first in 18-24 for seven books in a row is remarkable. That’s our lot in life.”
What’s even more remarkable is that KQKS, shoved way up at one end of the dial, runs up such big numbers with a hip-hop format in a largely white-bread city.
“The audience is incredibly diverse,” said Collins. “Our audience is about 50 percent Anglo, 28-30 percent Hispanic and 20 percent African-American.” In fact, the station placed second, behind KBNO 1280-AM, among all Latino listeners 12 and up.
KQKS is owned by Jefferson Pilot Communications, which also has KYGO, KJCD 104.3-FM, KKFN 950-AM (“The Fan”) and KCKK 1600-AM in the Denver market.
All about banjos
Long-time Colorado bluegrass figure Pete Wernick hits the big time on Sept. 21 when he lands on “The Late Show With David Letterman.”
Wernick will be part of Men With Banjos (Who Know How to Use Them), which includes Steve Martin and Earl Scruggs. MWB also plays Sept. 24 in the New Yorker Festival.
“It’s hard to believe this is happening,” said Wernick. He and his Live Five are in concert at Mishawaka Amphitheater near Fort Collins on Sept. 17.
Sand Creek explored
With the recent establishment of the site of the Sand Creek Massacre as a national historic site, it might be time to look in on local filmmaker Don Vasicek’s project.
Vasicek appears at 4 p.m. Wednesday on DCTV Channels 57, 58 and 59 to talk about his film and his efforts to get it a wider audience.
Around the dial
Forty-one years to the day later, “1964 the Tribute” brings the Beatles’ sound back to Red Rocks Amphitheatre as a benefit for KBDI-Channel 12 on Aug. 26. Tickets at kbdi.org or 303-296-1212. … All Elvis: Sirius satellite radio doing a week-long tribute to Elvis Presley on its Channel 13 with live interviews from Graceland with friends and associates. He died Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42. … Rocky Mountain PBS has landed a three-year, $5.1-million U.S. Department of Education grant to help community literacy. … Quotable: “Hip-hop is an urban musical tree that has spawned branches from graffiti to gangsta rap and is still growing.” Lonzo Williams.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
