Idaho Radio News Etc.

Boise Weekly is 13 years old this week.

I’ve been a fan of the paper since it launched. Even when it’s views were out in left (or, rarely — right) field — the experiment has been fun to read.

If you haven’t already, read this piece from mostly-former BWers.

There’s a few radio references (one to Dr. Drew Harold, though not by name). I was struck by who was not mentioned from the radio world. Ya’ know… former BW columnist…. used to host a political show on an AM radio station… currently on a different AM station…

Anyway.

The MSN.com portal has a list of the 8 coolest jobs — and TV/radio is on the list:

Having a career in television or radio sounds exciting — and maybe even glamorous. Whether it’s delivering the 6 o’clock news or hosting a drive-time radio show, what could be better than working in an environment where you get to listen to music or interview interesting people all day, right?

Funny read. (Thanks JB!)

Har har…

Got any news to share? Drop me a line

Ketchum resident Steve Miller is in the midst of launching his latest tour. He aired some (rather ironic) complaints about radio, and Clear Channel in particular:

Playlists are selected by “scientists and researchers and focus groups” rather than music lovers, Miller said, and his playful, melodic songs just happen to “test” well. He calls modern radio “the bane of our existence,” but acknowledges that “it’s really helped me.”

“The oddest thing is with ClearChannel; I really don’t like what they’ve done, and I don’t think they’re really capable of running 1,200 radio stations and every outdoor shed [venue] in the United States,” Miller said. “The last five years, their stock prices have proven it, and I think they’re divesting themselves of some things.

“At the same time, they did some research that said if they want to sell beer and cigarettes and gasoline to 18- to 24-year-old males, they have to play the greatest hits. I’ve never asked them for airplay, I’ve never done anything for them, I’ve never acknowledged them, and yet they use my music all the time.”

The Wall Street Journal this morning is reporting that Disney may be looking to spin off its radio properties, by selling half its shares to Disney shareholders, and the other half to another radio group.

On the list? Citadel, Cox, Entercom and Emmis. The deal could include Radio Disney, ABC Radio and the groups network efforts.

Just a few days after the June 28th launch of the latest version of iTunes, Apple says it has logged a million new subscriptions to various p’casts.

From a Billboard Radio Monitor story:

The Diffusion Group (released in June), the US podcasting audience is expected to approach 56 million consumers by 2010. Demand for podcasting has exploded wihin [sic] the last year: With only 0.8 million in 2004, the podcasting audience is expected to reach 4.5 million in 2005 and grow by 101% each year in the next five years.

And, slightly tangentially (from another BRM story)… Mark Mays thinks that Podcasts won’t win because they sound awful, and satellite radio won’t win because it’s ‘not local.’

I don’t think there is one particular competitor that’s going to supplant radio. It’s just going to be lots of different competition. Satellite radio is not going to replace radio in the near future . . . The great thing about radio is that it’s local—it’s focused on local content. Sirius and podcasting can’t create local content. Podcasting is a great thing. Have you listened to any of these podcasts? It is painful.

Both Citadel & Clear Channel posted week-over-week gains. A late-Friday rally brought Journal back to near-even.

It should be noted that Citadel had the best week overall, posting a nearly 4% gain. (chart)

Are advertisers boycotting a certain Boise-area radio station for its recent alcohol antics on the Boise river?

Will there be further reprecussions for the booze bash?

Could I find a bigger question mark?

If you’re reading the comments threads, you know that Paul Harvey is now heard on KSRV-AM (1380 The Cruise).

GM Dale Jeffries notes that Clear Channel’s loss in Locally Owned’s gain. Harvey’s morning report now airs at both 6:45a and 7:45a; the noon report blasts across the Valley at 12:05, and The Rest of the Story can be heard at 5:05pm.

AA reports that KID-FM’s “Officer” Mike Tyler is leaving the Bull for nights at Infinity’s WDSY in Pittsburgh, PA.

“I do windows — and I like doing them.â€?

Citadel Communication’s west region president Bill Figenshu is checking out to form his own consulting firm — that he says will do just about everything (though I doubt he’ll be scrubbing down many glass panes).

Figenshu was responsible for operations in medium markets west of the Mississippi. Citadel’s shares will all but flat on the news (down a fraction of 1%).

Seen the billboards all over town with “Ready Starr” on them? Yeah… me too.

They feature a giant KZMG logo, encouraging people to request songs from Ready’s album “Sugar Sandwiches.”

Ready (whose name appears to have been concocted just so idiots like me can use bad puns involving both his first and last “names”) is a former member of Mad Ro.

His album was released in May 2005 — and this past week the debut single “Paradise” has been played 15 times across the nation (so says MediaBase). Of course, I’m sure we can guess which station is responsible for all 15. I understand that KTPZ is also playing the song.

I listened to the song online. Not such a fan. I’ve been a Mad Ro supporter (with several posts on this blog) for quite a while. I even bought their album (the one with the tree on it… with the “No Matter” single, which I couldn’t get out of my head). But this latest song is.. um… not so great. I’m all for local music… but make sure it’s good first. And what is the point of the billboard? Is anyone going to really call the request line based on a billboard? Seems like a lot of money to… spend.

His online bio says he “connected” with Young MC on the album.

KIZN is again proving that they are one of the most plugged-in stations in the Valley — providing users a nice, patriotic screen background for computer desktops (with the KIZN logo included, of course). As usual, nice touch.

Smith Barney last week downgraded it’s recommendation of Citadel from “hold” to “sell.”

Currently, Smith Barney lists Clear Channel as “Buy” (the firm is not providing guidance on Journal).

“We’d get arrested if we gave a free can of beer,” said deejay Catrina Lee, who peered down at the river with a fishing pole in search of floaters. “Everybody’s just so funny about this ordinance.”

Eagle staffers cast shirts stuffed in beer cups over the bridge with a fishing pole. The package got the floater a free beer at the Buffalo Club.

Hmm. OK. Boy… that’ll goose the numbers. Or was the aim of this exercise something else?

A good friend tells me he stopped by the KDJQ open house a few months ago. He described it as the who’s who of Boise radio past. Dr. Drew Harold, Brian (Gregory) Michaels and others are inhabiting the former motel behind the Dutch Goose putting on the “DJ Radio” show.

Update: If you Google KDJQ, you get this page, which has become a fan forum of sorts (see comments).

Spent a bit of time listening to Boise’s 103.3 KISS FM this afternoon. It actually sounds like a local station! Maybe that’s because the afternoon slammer is actually living in Boise. The imaging sounds tighter than my last listen several months ago — and there’s some listener interaction. KZMG sounds about the same… is the tide in the popster race going to shift again?

KCIX’s “Ten-er” promo with Kate McGwire hurts my ears. Really… do we need to hear her snort?

KQXR has been named the “Station of the Year: Markets 101+” in the alternative category by the folks at R&R during their recent annual convention.

“Both Jacent Jackson and I were hand to behave like proud goofy godparents,” former X-er Stephen Kallao wrote to say.

Congrats to the team!

An editorial in this morning’s Statesman notes the loss of Paul Harvey from Clear Channel’s Boise stations – KIDO & KFXD. I notice a few detetions of CC stations dropping the well-known commentator as they grow affiliations with Fox News – but no good reason why.

Will another Boise station pick up his commentaries?

Good day.

Update: It was a letter to the editor, not an editorial.

Great. Add another wonderful thing people will identify with Idaho. Aryan Nations, Ruby Ridge.. and this. Yeah, that’s right… (I’ll let you read the link… cause I’m not putting that text on this blog).

No, I didn’t listen. But lots of others are… it’s on iTunes top 100 Podcasts. And it’s… created… in good old Nampa, Idaho. There’s a “Nampa as craphole” joke somewhere.

Well, Boise Community Radio launched its online service on Friday. I clicked on to it Saturday just before 7pm.

I heard… a non-local, non-Boise, non-community talk show. OK, so it’s day two, so I won’t say much more. But if this is going to work, this first wave HAS to stay local. If I want a call-in show from DC, I have several terrestial stations — and lots of online choices.

KKGL-FM says it will hand out free beer to river floaters Monday at noon.

The station’s press release says the move is a “challenge to our recently banned freedom of enjoying a cold one on the river.”

But you’ll have to drink quick kiddies — they’re lowering the alky-hol from the friendship bridge between Julia Davis Park and BSU dorms. By my math, that gives you about 10 minutes to gulp it down before you hit the take out point in Ann Morrison.

A city ordinances bans open containers in the river — and within 250 feet of its banks. The Idaho AG said the city has the power to enforce the law.

City officials say that by cracking down on alcohol on the river, problems like publican urination and rowdiness will subside.

Betcha there’s a cop on the friendship bridge Monday at noontime…

I’ll be in and out of computer contact over the next five days. But I will be in Idaho, so I’m sure I’ll have something to say soon.