THE WAVES’ SWELL

I’m not sure what constitutes a “swell” Arbitron rating, but I’m sure that KTWV-FM’s 1.9 doesn’t (“ ‘The Wave’ Rolls In With Swell Ratings,” by Steve Weinstein, April 23).

Yes, I know, 1.9 does represent a slight improvement over the previous low of 1.6 when KMET was occupying the 94.7 spot on the dial, but that low of 1.6 represented the management of KMET by Frank Cody and a few of his predecessors, and was easily improved upon.

While KTWV was creeping up three-tenths of a point on the Arbitrons, KLXS started playing songs like “Stairway to Heaven,” hired some of the KMET deejays, and jumped from 13th to 10th position with a healthy 3.6 Arbitron. That’s almost twice KTWV’s wimpy 1.9.

I predict that by summer’s end, even the yuppies (yes, Frank, there’s that Y -word) will have become bored with the elevator music at the Wave and that a different format, with real deejays and real music and a real program manager, will be adopted.

BOB PETERSON

Los Angeles