For the first time in Denver radio history, a Spanish-language station has finished atop the Arbitron ratings.
The fall 2006 ratings, released this week, show KXPK 96.5-FM first among listeners ages 18-49 and 25-54, radio’s two most- watched listener categories.
KXPK, known as La Tricolor, recorded an 8.5 share among 18- to 49-year-olds and a 6.1 share among 25- to 54-year-olds, a tenth of a point better than KBCO 97.3-FM. A share is the percentage of people listening.
Mario Carrera, KXPK’s general manager, said that the news came to him as no surprise. “It’s been in the works for some time,” he said. “The idea is to stay there.”
The station’s all-Spanish music format is country, “KYGO in Spanish,” he said. It includes the rich Norteño tradition, the hybrid music of northern Mexico that features guitars and accordions.
Industry experts attributed the increases, up almost two rating points from KXPK’s spring figures, to two factors: Arbitron has broadened the reach of its polling, and popular morning-show host Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo moved from KBNO 1280-AM to KXPK two years ago.
Carrera agreed. “(Arbitron) is recognizing the Hispanic population here, but it’s also been a steady trend. Piolín is a critical piece. He’s pretty much behind the growth.”
Leonel Salazar isn’t surprised that La Tricolor is now No. 1 in Denver. Eleven years ago, he opened Cristina’s Records, at West Colfax Avenue and Irving Street in Denver, to carry popular Norteño, Banda and Cumbia CDs among its 10,000 titles. As the demand for Spanish tunes grew, Salazar opened two more stores, in Aurora and west Denver.
La Tricolor “should have already been No. 1,” said Salazar, who is originally from Durango, Mexico. “I listen to Piolín; he makes me laugh. Sometimes I have it on all day.”
Tricolor is the only station played in the kitchen and prep area at the Olive Garden at West Alameda Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard, where Cesar Valdovinos is an assistant manager. Valdovinos was surveying the instrumental music at Cristina’s Records on Tuesday and said romantic music is his favorite.
“It’s great music (on Tricolor), and they have good commentary,” he said.
Behind the meat counter at Mercado Gigante, a few doors down from Cristina’s, Enrique Santamaria listens to Tricolor all day.
“For me it’s been No. 1,” he said. “It makes the day easier, and it’s entertaining.”
There are seven Spanish-language stations among Denver’s 40 or more outlets. Keith Abrams of CBS Radio Denver said Latino audiences listen longer to stations that appeal to them. “Historically, they spend more time with fewer stations,” he said.
Big radio corporations took notice of the expanding Latino market two years ago when industry giant Clear Channel Communications began converting 25 of its 2,000 stations to Spanish-language programming. The two leaders in Latino stations nationally are Entravision, with 52 stations in the top 50 U.S. markets, and Univision, which has 69 stations in the top 25 markets.
KXPK is owned by California-based Entravision, whose Aspen station, KPVW 107.1-FM, which has the same format as KXPK, finished No. 1 in its market.
Staff writer Dick Kreck can be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
