KNX News continues to lose audience after returning to an AM-only brand. The July ratings show another decline since leaving 97.1 FM.
What We Know: Audacy moved KNX News off the 97.1 FM signal on Monday, May 18th, giving way to the new sports brand 97.1 The Fan. KNX News posted a 3.1 share and 582,400 cume in July, according to Nielsen’s 12+ ratings. The July numbers mark another step down for KNX News following the FM change. The station has now seen its cume decline in each month since May, while its share has fallen from 3.6 to 3.1. KNX News recorded a 4.6 share and 983,000 cume in July 2025, when it still had the 97.1 FM signal. One year later, the station posted a 3.1 share and 582,400 cume. That represents a 40.8% decline in cume and a 1.5-point drop in share. After leaving FM, KNX posted a 3.6 share and 806,300 cume in May, followed by a 3.4 share and 645,300 cume in June.
What the Numbers Show:
KNX News 12+ Ratings/Cume Comparison
| Month | Share | Cume | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | 4.6 | 983,000 | — |
| July 2026 | 3.1 | 582,400 | ↓ -40.8% |
KNX News 12+ Ratings/Cume Since Leaving 97.1 FM
| Month | Share | Cume | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 3.6 | 806,300 | — |
| June 2026 | 3.4 | 645,300 | ↓ -20.0% |
| July 2026 | 3.1 | 582,400 | ↓ -9.7% |
What Remains Unclear: The Nielsen figures don’t establish how much of KNX News’ decline directly resulted from losing 97.1 FM. However, the timing is notable, with the station’s cume falling in each book following the transition.
What It Means: KNX News has lost more than 223,000 cume listeners since May and more than 400,000 compared with July 2025. Meanwhile, 97.1 The Fan recorded a 0.2 share and 137,000 cume in July, giving Audacy an early benchmark for its new sports brand.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.