August Arbitron Ratings: Big Month for KIIS-FM and Kevin & Bean

The summer of KIIS-FM continues, as the top 40 powerhouse ended August once again in first place, according to Arbitron portable people meter data. Among persons 12+, KIIS posted a 5.5 share of the Los Angeles market audience, unchanged from July and June. Hot AC KBIG ("My 104.3") was in second, with a 4.9 share, followed closely by talker KFI-AM (4.8) and AC KOST-FM (4.3). All four top stations are owned by Clear Channel.

Rounding out the top ten: Hip-hop KPWR (Power 106), classic hits KRTH "K-Earth 101" (3.9), top 40 KAMP-FM "Amp Radio" (3.8), oldies KHHT "Hot 92.3" (3.6, a big jump from 3.0), Spanish KLVE (3.3) and alternative KROQ (3.3).

Among the public stations, KPCC dipped to a 1.6, while KUSC (1.1, up from 0.9) and KCRW (1.0, up from 0.7) saw gains.

In morning drive, KROQ's Kevin & Bean dominate in every demo, garnering an 8.9 share with persons 18-34, a dominant first place win over No. 2, KPWR's Big Boy (6.2). KIIS' Ryan Seacrest is third (5.2). (By the way, among listeners 18-34, the race has gotten tight between rival top 40 morning show hosts -- and rival TV singing competition hosts -- Seacrest and Carson Daly.)

Kevin & Bean are also a clear No. 1 with adults 25-54 (7.5), ahead of KFI's Bill Handel (4.9). Handel's older audience is big enough that KFI wins overall with persons 12+ in the morning.

Mike with TV Guide Magazine Fan Favorites Sarah Michelle Gellar, Danny Pudi and Cee-Lo

More than 200,000 TV fans voted for their favorite actors, shows and TV moments as a part of this year's TV Guide Magazine Fan Favorites poll. I then had a chance to meet up with a few of the big winners to break the news -- including "Community" star Danny Pudi; "Ringer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar (as she was about to tape a segment for "Sesame Street") and "The Voice's" Carson Daly and Cee-Lo Green. Here's the video that was put together -- and yes, they edited out most of the moments where I chatted with the stars. So don't mind me as I stand to the side and stare at the stars.

Two Radio Guys Made Good: Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly on Their History Together (VIDEO)

You all know I'm a radio geek. (As a matter of fact, in writing about my Gene Simmons reality panel below, I kept typing "KIIS" instead of "KISS." See? Radio geek.) And I must admit, I have a begrudging respect for Carson Daly and Ryan Seacrest, my two archnemeses. Why? Because they pulled off the kind of successful radio careers that I dreamed of having when I was a kid.

In these clips from the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Jimmy and Carson recount how they first met -- back when Jimmy was 17 and Carson was 12 -- as well as how Carson was once Jimmy's intern at a radio station in Palm Springs. The fact that both are now late-night network TV hosts is quite astounding.

Carson Daly Joins The L.A. Morning Drive Time Radio Wars This Morning

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Carson Daly takes over the KAMP-FM (97.1) "Amp Radio" morning drive show this morning, pitting him against fellow radio-DJ-turned-TV-star-and-producer-yet-still-a-radio-DJ Ryan Seacrest (who's replaced Rick Dees on KIIS-FM in 2004).

The L.A. Times recently spoke to Daly, who stressed that his show would focus much more on music, and less on chatter, compared to Seacrest:

Daly, who'll be on from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays, promises no sidekicks, no celebrity sleaze, no morning zoo. "This is about music. I'm not going to go on for four hours and talk," he said...

The parallels are striking -- for example, both used L.A. radio as a springboard, Daly at KROQ and Seacrest when he was on afternoons at KYSR-FM (98.7) until 2003. They've hosted TV music shows that became pop culture phenomena -- "Total Request Live" vs. "American Idol." Both have branched out as executives on the other side of the camera or microphone. And now they helm morning-drive shows on the two most popular contemporary-hits radio stations in L.A.

"I get it," said Daly, 36. "Ryan and I laugh about it. We're friends. We have dinner every year this week," when both are in New York hosting their respective New Year's Eve countdown shows, Daly on NBC and Seacrest on ABC.

So don't expect any feuding or a blacklisting of guests who appear on the rival's show. Instead, they might even guest for each other.

"We'd be foolish not to try and put our brains together to try and do something cool," Daly said, then paused: "I think we'd be better served to do something charitable. Like something for Earth Day."

Here's where the small world factor comes in: Daly got his start as a 16-year-old intern for Jimmy Kimmel at KCMG-FM in Palm Springs. Kimmel, the one-time KROQ sports guy, was until recently the executive producer of Adam Carolla's morning show when 97.1 was "FM Talk" KLSX-FM. Daly is now taking over that slot.

MEANWHILE, Daly's hire finally completes the missing DJ link for KAMP, joining midday DJ Chris Booker, afternoon drive time host Ted Stryker and nighttimer Casey McCabe. Strangely, all four -- Daly, Booker, Stryker and McCabe -- came to KAMP with a modern rock DJ background. Now, instead of spinning Rage Against the Machine, they're the voices intro'ing Lady Gaga.

That brings us to this question...

Get Ready for A Morning Drive Smackdown Between Carson Daly and Ryan Seacrest

CBS Radio announced Tuesday that former DJ-turned-MTV host-turned NBC late night gabber Carson Daly is taking the morning drive gig on its KAMP-FM 97.1 "Amp Radio."

Daly represents the latest KROQ alum to join Amp (KROQ's sister station) as a DJ (where other ex-KROQers like Ted Stryker now also work). He also reps the latest spawn of "Kevin & Bean" to take on his former bosses (something "K&B" alum Adam Carolla did on, yes, FM Talk KLSX 97.1 before that station flipped to top 40).

Of course, the fun part will be watching to see if Daly makes a dent at all in Ryan Seacrest's top-rated morning show on rival top 40 KIIS-FM. Daly, if you recall, was originally considered the modern-day successor to folks like Dick Clark -- until Seacrest came along and stole his thunder.

Daly starts on Jan. 4.