Local broadcasters gain in ratings war

Northern Colorado radio stations appear to be winning a ratings war against the larger Denver stations — a trend that could prove lucrative to local operations as they seek to attract advertising revenue.

According to Arbitron, the national surveyor of radio markets, Northern Colorado listeners are increasingly turning ears to the local stations.

As of last fall — the last Arbitron ratings period — 69.5 percent of the Northern Colorado radio audience tunes into stations based within the Fort Collins-Greeley-Loveland market. That compares to a listener share of just 39.4 percent in 1998.

Industry insiders attribute the growing allegiance to local radio to…