Apparently referring to Colorado Media Matters, Boyles changed his tune on Denver Spanish-language radio station's Arbitron rating

Written by Media Matters Staff

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630 KHOW-AM host Peter Boyles read from a Denver Post article about an April Fool's Day joke Boyles' producer, Greg Hollenback, played in which he told listeners the station would switch to a Spanish-language format. Citing the article's reporting on the Arbitron ratings for Denver Spanish-language radio station KXPK, Boyles gave KXPK's figures among listeners in two key age groups, then -- presumably referring to Colorado Media Matters -- said, “There's some website, I guess, that doesn't believe that.” As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Boyles misstated the Arbitron ratings in January to hype his warning that Denver will become a predominantly Spanish-speaking city.

On the April 2 broadcast of his 630 KHOW-AM show, host Peter Boyles praised his producer, Greg Hollenback, for an April Fool's Day prank in which Hollenback told listeners the station soon would convert to a Spanish-language format. Reading from a Denver Post article that reported on the joke and the growing audience for Spanish-language stations, Boyles stated that "[l]ast fall, Denver's KXPK 96.5-FM became the first Spanish-language channel to finish first in the Arbitron ratings among listeners [ages] 18-49 and 25-54." Then, presumably referring to Colorado Media Matters, Boyles asserted, “There's some website, I guess, that doesn't believe that.”

In fact, Colorado Media Matters pointed out on January 31 that Boyles, in an effort to support his assertion that Denver will become a predominantly Spanish-speaking city, falsely cited Arbitron's ratings in claiming that KXPK had “been lionized” and had “become -- and dominantly -- [the] number-one radio station in Denver.” But that statement omitted the two specific demographics in which KXPK actually finished first and ignored the fact that Arbitron showed that the Spanish-language station was third overall in the market.

A January 24 Post article reported that KXPK was top-rated specifically in two important (and mostly overlapping) listener categories: “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.” And, contrary to Boyles' assertion that KXPK “dominantly” topped the Denver radio market ratings, Colorado Media Matters noted that Arbitron's fall quarter 2006 ratings released in January showed the station ranked third overall in the Denver-Boulder market with a 5.5 Average Quarter-Hour Persons (AQH) share (or percentage of the market share of listeners 12 years and older tuned in for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period). The top two, both English-language stations, were KOSI-FM with a 6.2 AQH share and KQKS-FM with a 5.8 AQH share.

From the April 2 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Peter Boyles Show:

BOYLES (reading from Denver Post article): A new Spanish-language channel “angered some listeners Sunday to the point of protest and on-air rants.” Now, I really like it. “Rants” is a term that is used by liberals and the left when they don't like what somebody's saying. It's like hate speech. Now you're ranting.

“Greg Hollenback, host of a self-titled show” -- I thought that was interesting -- “told listeners the station was going to be switching its identity soon and asked for public response.” Post continues: “Furious emails and calls flood the station in the 30 minutes Hollenback kept the joke alive. In an email read by Hollenback, a listener wrote: 'I will not knowingly use, purchase, or listen to anything associated with Clear Channel because of this crap.' Another email that listed a series of anti-immigration vents.” Vents. “One listener using the name Tony called the show back to apologize for an earlier rant, explaining the issue was sensitive one to him.” Anything that's like that is a rant, right? “Hollenback didn't echo the apology. 'Don't joke, yourself, if you think it's going to happen -- if you don't think it's going to happen in many markets,' Hollenback said on-air. 'It's a demographic that is untapped in our capitalistic society.' ” Good boy.

“Spanish-language radio stations are emerging media, gathering” -- now, this is their writing this; the Post is now writing this. “Spanish-language radio stations are emerging media, gathering increasing listeners and support in recent years.” Next paragraph: “Last fall, Denver's KXPK 96.5-FM became the first Spanish-language channel to finish first in the Arbitron ratings among listeners [ages] 18-49 and 25-54.” There's some website, I guess, that doesn't believe that. “Two years ago, industry giant” and KHOW owner -- this is how, I love how they're doing this. “Two years ago, industry giant” and KHOW owner “Clear Channel began converting 25 of its two -- [speaking to Greg Hollenback] now, what does this have to do with your stunt? -- to ”25 of its 2,000 stations to Spanish-language programming, and seven of Denver's 40 or more stations are now Spanish-language. Hollenback said" the show -- “said after the show his prank wasn't meant to be mean-spirited or hurtful, only an exercise in the dynamics of society today. 'It's satire. It's the world we're living in, and I was framing' ” it in the world I see -- in the way I see the world. And, “as for the fiery response, Hollenback said it comes with the territory. 'You're going to get feedback and fire from any hot-button topic. You put these things out there so people see it from every angle.' ” So, good thinking, man.