L.A.’s ‘Alt 98.7,’ KROQ Lead Top 10 Modern/Alternative Rock Stations.

One of the first stations to embrace the modern rock genre — born from punk and new wave — and one of the first to feature a modern adult contemporary format prior to its flip to full-on alternative rock, rank in the top two of Inside Radio’s TOP 10 modern/alternative rock stations, based on persons 6+ cume delivery in PPM markets during Nielsen’s fall 2025 wave (October-to-December three-month average), as compiled by ACT 1 Systems.

One other small detail: both of the top two stations are in the Los Angeles market. They’re also the only stations in the top 10 to hit the million-cume mark, with both iHeartMedia’s “Alt 98.7” KYSR and Audacy’s KROQ (106.7) at 1.1 million.

KYSR has been the flagship of Woody Fife’s syndicated “The Woody Show” in mornings since 2014, and is currently home to Chris Booker and Ted Stryker in afternoons. It was one of the first modern AC stations in the U.S., adopting the format in 1995 — when its PM drive co-host was a young Ryan Seacrest — before moving to modern/alternative rock in 2007.

KROQ is one of the earliest modern/alternative stations, dating back to the 1980 launch of its “Rock of the 80s” format, when its music mix featured acts like The Clash, Blondie, U2 and Duran Duran generated ratings competitive with L.A. mainstream rockers KLOS and KMET. Over the years, “The World Famous KROQ” has won many awards and is a Rock Radio Hall of Fame inductee. The station currently features Kevin Klein and Ally Johnson in AM drive, and Kevin Ryder, who co-hosted the “Kevin and Bean” morning show for nearly 30 years, in afternoons.

Both iHeartMedia and Audacy land four stations in modern/alternative rock’s top 10 and two in the top five. Ranking fourth is iHeartMedia’s “94.5 The Buzz” KTBZ Houston, where Rod Ryan has hosted mornings since 2004, with Audacy’s “Alt 103.7” KVIL-FM Dallas fifth. Coming in third is Cumulus Media’s one entry in the top 10, “Q101” WAQX Chicago.

Audacy’s “Live 105” KITS San Francisco, which launched its modern rock format in 1986, places sixth. KITS’ AM drive features Gracie Award “Major Market Music Personality” winner Marci Wiser’s “Marci’s Playground,” named for the band whose “Sex and Candy” was Billboard’s No. 1 modern rock song of 1998. Wiser also hosts afternoons on KVIL.

iHeartMedia claims the seventh- and eighth-ranked stations with “DC101” WWDC Washington, DC, where Radio Hall of Fame inductee Elliot Segal has been hosting mornings since 1999, and “Woody Show” affiliate “Alt 104.5” WRFF Philadelphia.

Audacy’s fourth station in the top 10 is “107.7 the end” KNDD Seattle, a modern/alternative rocker since 1991, coming in ninth, with Hubbard Radio’s sole entry, “93.3 Alt AZ” KDKB Phoenix, placing 10th.

Although the top 10 does not include a station in New York, where Audacy’s “Alt 92.3” is heard on WINS-FM’s HD-2 channel, it should be noted that another of the first modern rock stations — Long Island’s WLIR-FM, then at 92.7, remembered for its tagline “Dare to be different” — impacted the market as early as 1982. The station was the subject of the 2017 documentary, “New Wave: Dare to Be Different.”