KFWB One-Ups Rival KNX on Traffic Reports.

L.A. news radio has become a bruising battle waged by the minute -- at least when it comes to traffic reports.

Earlier this month, KFWB-AM 980 fired a salvo against longtime rival KNX-AM 1070 by starting to broadcast traffic reports every five minutes -- a full minute ahead of KNX, which airs them every six minutes.

"Basically we took feedback from listeners on why they listen to KFWB, and traffic was among the top three reasons," said Pam Baker, the station's marketing director. "They said they would love to have more traffic updates."

George Nicholaw, general manager of KNX, says the new schedule at KFWB is merely a move to upstage his station by 60 seconds. "We are flattered," he said. "But you can say it appears to be a competitive move."

In the most recent ratings, conducted by the Arbitron Co. last summer, KNX had a 2.4 audience share in the L.A. metro area, compared with 1.6 for KFWB.

Both stations get premium prices for commercials during the heavily trafficked morning and afternoon drive time, when commuters are especially interested in road conditions. (Both stations are owned by CBS Corp., but separately managed..)

"In a city where there is little alternative transportation, knowing where the traffic jams are gets a guy to his job or to school or to a date," Nicholaw said. "It's vital information."

Baker said it's becoming even more vital because of increasing freeway congestion and the growth of more-distant suburbs.

"More and more people are spending more time in their cars than they did before," he said. "They are driving longer distances to get to and from work to live in affordable housing."

The California Department of Transportation estimates that L.A. County drivers log a total of 92 million miles every day just on freeways and major highways.

"A lot can happen in five minutes or one minute," said Officer Frank Sandoval, a California Highway Patrol spokesman. "Or nothing could happen. That's news, too."