'Kat' surges to lead in country radio war

WKKT-FM, "Kat," surged in the latest Arbitron rankings above its key competitor, WSOC-FM, but the two powerful stations remain locked in spirited battle near the top of the Charlotte radio ratings. Both have been performing strongly for more than a year, just behind perennial powerhouse WBAV-FM. They were tied in the May rankings and "Kat" has moved ahead in the June numbers.

WKQC-FM continues to gain strength in the adult-contemporary realm, landing at No. 5, while its main competitor, WLYT-FM, came in at No. 15. WLYT, long known as "Lite," changed formats this month and now brands itself as "Lake" and plays variety hits.

Classic rock's WRFX, the "Fox," is having a good summer. It has trended up more than a percentage point since May.

Here are the top radio stations in Charlotte and the percentage of the audience they reach as measured by Arbitron:

1. WBAV-FM ("V" 101.9) -- 8.9%
2. WKKT-FM ("Kat" 96.9) -- 8.4%
3. WSOC-FM (103.7) -- 7.3%
4. WPEG-FM ("Power 98" 97.9) -- 6.9%
5. WKQC-FM ("K" 104.7) -- 4.9%
6. WEND-FM ("End" 106.5) -- 4.8%
6. WRFX-FM ("Fox" 99.7) -- 4.8%
8. WHQC-FM ("Channel" 96.1) -- 4.6%
9. WLNK-FM ("Link" 107.9) -- 4.3%
10. WNKS-FM ("Kiss" 95.1) -- 4%
10. WPZS-FM ("Praise" 100.9) -- 4%
12. WBT-AM (News-Talk 1110) -- 3.7%
13. WFAE-FM (NPR 90.7) -- 3.1%
13. WRCM-FM ("New Life" 91.9) -- 3.1%
15. WLKO-FM ("Lake" 102.9) -- 2.9%
16. WQNC-FM ("Q" 92.7) -- 2.7%
17. WMIT-FM ("The Light" 106.9) -- 2.1%
18. WFNZ-AM (Sports 610) -- 1%
18. WDAV-FM (Classical 89.9) -- 1%
20. WBCN-AM (Talk 1660) -- 0.3%
21. WZGV-AM ("ESPN" 730) -- 0.2% 
21. WNSC-FM (NPR 88.9) -- 0.2% 
21. WSGE-FM (Gaston College 91.7) -- 0.2%

Source: Arbitron