Classical California KUSC and KDFC Achieve Record Audience Highs

Classical California stations KUSC in Los Angeles and KDFC in San Francisco celebrate another round of remarkable ratings success.

KUSC 91.5 FM and kusc.org earned a 9th-place spot in Nielsen’s Holiday ratings for December 2024, achieving a 3.6 audience share—the highest in the station’s history, breaking its previous record set just last month.

Meanwhile, KDFC at 90.3 San Francisco, 104.9 Silicon Valley, 89.9 Napa, and kdfc.com ranked 4th in the San Francisco market with an impressive 5.4 share, its second-highest ever after last month’s record-setting performance.

Classical radio stations in major U.S. markets rarely crack the top 10, yet Classical California continues to thrive. This success reflects its commitment to nurturing a vibrant community of music lovers and making everyday life more harmonious.

In the December 2024 Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings, Classical California’s stations, KUSC and KDFC, celebrated new audience milestones.

Classical California is also heard in Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Ukiah and is a broadcast service of USC.

KUSC achieved a 3.0 share of all radio listening in the Los Angeles market, which spans both LA and Orange counties. This marks a record high for the station, reaching a unique radio audience of 472,000 weekly listeners—the largest classical radio audience in the country.

The Classical California KUSC Staff at the LA Times Festival of Books, April 2024

Meanwhile, KDFC earned an unprecedented 6.3 share in the San Francisco, placing 3rd among all stations in the region, which includes all nine Bay Area counties. This is among the highest shares ever for classical in a major market. The total radio audience was 288,000.

Classical California KDFC celebrates "KDFC Day"

In addition, KUSC and KDFC now attract a combined monthly digital audience of approximately 375,000, reflecting the growing reach of Classical California across multiple platforms. KDFC also broadcasts in the Ukiah and Monterey areas, while KUSC extends its presence to Palm Springs, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.

As America’s most popular classical music network, Classical California brings the magic of classical music to diverse communities with a vision to make everyday life more harmonious. The network continues to expand its audience through innovative digital experiences, including custom streams like Arcade (video game music), Glissando (for families), and The Great Escape (a chill-out channel), attracting new fans and enriching the classical music experience.

Partnerships with cultural icons and organizations—such as rapper RZA, La Plaza de la Raza, and the Watts Learning Center in Los Angeles, as well as the SF Community Music Center and The Tech Interactive Museum in the Bay Area—have helped Classical California connect with younger and more diverse audiences, ensuring a bright future for classical music.