KQRC-FM (98.9), Kansas City's home for headbangers, completed its rise to the top of the radio rock pile when it took top honors in the fall Arbitron ratings, released last week. "The Rock," which has steadily built a loyal following the past two years, was the most-listened-to station in the fall book (Sept. 23-Dec. 15). KQRC averaged a 7.1 share of all listeners (ages 12 and up) from 6 a.m. to midnight, swapping places with "The Mix," KMXV-FM (93.3), which had won the summer book. KQRC's rising tide again lifted the boat of morning team Johnny Dare and Murphy Wells. They were the top-rated morning team from 6 to 10 a.m.; WDAF's David Lawrence was No. 1 from 5 to 9 a.m. Kelly Urich on KMXV remained tops in afternoons. Meanwhile "The Rock," owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group of Baltimore, is awaiting sale to Entercom Communications Corp. of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., owner of the largest radio group in Kansas City. (See related item below.) The top 10 Kansas City stations overall: KQRC, album rock, 7.1 share; KMXV, contemporary hits, 6.8; KPRS-FM (103.3), urban, 6.7; WDAF, country, 6.6; KFKF-FM (94.1), country, 5.4; KUDL-FM (98.1), adult contemporary, 5.1; KCFX-FM (101.1), classic rock, 5.0.; KMBZ-AM (980), news/talk/ sports, 4.7; KBEQ-FM (104.3), "young country," 4.5; KCMO-FM (94.9), oldies, 4.4. Other ratings highlights and lowlights: WHB-AM (810), which switched from farm-ag to football one week into the ratings period, was the big gainer of the fall book. The sports talker's morning, midday and afternoon shows all soared to eye-popping heights, boosting WHB into the top 10 among 25- to 54-year-old men. No longer confined to the weaker, daytime-only signal of its former dial home, KCTE-AM (1510), the station should build its anemic evening ratings this winter. It appears that the stellar summer book for "young country" KBEQ-FM (104.3) was an Arbitron aberration. After consistently pulling mid-4 share levels for more than a year, "Q-104" spiked at 6.6 last summer. But in the fall book, KBEQ fell right back to a 4.5 share. On the other hand, the downturn of KYYS-FM (99.7) after a hot summer book is likely a temporary setback. "The New KY" finished first in adults ages 25-54 last summer, but in the fall book the station tumbled to seventh in the 25-54 category, and from eighth to 13th among all listeners. Doesn't matter, because KYYS is the new home of Chiefs football. Bob Zuroweste, who manages Entercom's Kansas City stations, said he sees "a lot of growth potential ahead" for "KY." No kidding. Ho ho ho! KSRC-FM (102.1) mystified some on the local radio scene when it dumped its screechy-ballad format and played nothing but holiday music during the Christmas season. But instead of a lump of coal, "Star 102" got a nice ratings lift in overall listeners without sacrificing its top-3 position among its target audience, young females. KLZR-FM (105.9) wanted to focus more on the Topeka-Lawrence radio market. So "the Lazer" dumped its alternative music format last fall for Top 40. Unhappy Kansas City listeners then deleted 105.9 from their presets, and the station practically vanished from sight. KLZR's share plummeted from 1.4 in the summer book to 0.5 in the fall. As for that northeastern Kansas strategy, KLZR also slumped in the Topeka Arbitrons, from a 5.8 share last summer to a 3.6. The station lost nearly half its young-adult listeners, as many of them switched to rival KDVV-FM (100.3). Bill Johnson, the owner of KPHN-AM (1190) and KFEZ-AM (1340), is surely wishing that John McCain's rising presidential crusade would help the country's No. 1 McCain booster, syndicated shock jock Don Imus. KPHN carries "Imus in the Morning," which had another miserable book and didn't improve the station's dismal daylong numbers (0.7 share, 21st place). It's too soon to tell which station is preferred by Spanish-language listeners: KUPN-AM (1480) or daytime-only KCTE. While KCTE averaged a 0.6 share, compared with KUPN's 0.5, both made their format change in mid-book. KCTE had been simulcasting WHB's sports talk, which likely inflated its share, while the reverse was true for KUPN, a ratings nonentity when it was simulcasting classical KXTR-FM (96.5). Two KPRS execs honored KPRS' Myron Fears was named large/medium-market urban music director of the year at the annual Gavin seminar, held Feb. 16-20 in San Francisco. This is the second nomination and first win for Fears, who also is the assistant program director for "Hot 103 Jamz." Also honored by Gavin, a leading radio trade publication, was KPRS program and operations director Sam Weaver. He won the mentoring award for his work in nurturing up-and-coming talent. KPRS and KPRT-AM (1590) are owned by Carter Broadcast Group, the nation's oldest continuously owned and operated black radio company. Waiting for the all-clear So why is Entercom stalling on its purchase of the four Sinclair stations, KQRC, KCFX, KXTR and KCIY-FM (106.5)? Sources say the company is awaiting the results of an even bigger deal: the $16.6 billion purchase of AMFM Inc. by Clear Channel Communications. Neither Clear Channel nor AMFM owns a station in Kansas City, but Entercom was among several radio groups trying to get its hands on some of the 125 stations Clear Channel is selling off to gain federal approval of the AMFM deal. Which means Entercom was probably using KCMO-AM (710), KCMO-FM and KCFX as barter with Clear Channel. Those are the stations Entercom said last year it would divest in order to get the government's OK on the Sinclair deal. But an industry newsletter, Inside Radio, reported this week that Clear Channel will instead sell most of its stations to CBS/Infinity, which owns four stations in Kansas City (KMXV, KBEQ, KFKF and KSRC). That would put Entercom back at square one, looking for another buyer for "The Fox" and the KCMOs. To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit TV Barn Web at www.tvbarn.com @ART:Graphic (uncaptioned color illustration)