Idaho Radio News Etc.

There are a very few things on the radio in Boise that I consider “favorites.” There is a lot to like — but on that selective list you’d find New Horizons in Education with Dr. Robert Kustra.

I had a chance to interview Dr. Kustra for my day job about six months ago – and I found him to be very engaging and friendly. That’s exactly what you get when he is the one doing the interviewing. His guests cover a wide swath: From the president of a local charter school – to Nampa’s mayor -to an expert on Japanese Interment.

How a university president has time to put on a radio show is beyond me. But Kustra does more than just “put on” the half-hour show. He’s one of the most well-prepared interviewers you will find.

The show airs Fridays at 5:30pm and Sunday at 8:30am on KBSX/NPR News 91 – or you can download audio on demand here.

Anyone heard KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM’s new weekend DJ? “DJ Winnie the Pooh.”

Seriously.

Update: It’s “DJ Vinnie the Pooh.”

I follow the Kansas City Star newspaper a bit — for the simple reason that I’m a fan of Aaron Barnhart’s TV coverage (at TVBarn.com).

They just did a redesign of the paper — and it’s impressive: modern, simple, clean.

And today – the day after al Zarqawi was killed in Iraq, the paper featured it on the front page. What a concept.

People are raving about the redesign.

Last week’s post on the Dixie Chicks has ignited quite a bit of discussion.

But while controversy and outside media may be helping CD sales — it isn’t getting people in to the concert hall to see the Dixie divas.

Billboard.com notes that the trio is having trouble selling tickets to its shows. The Dallas Morning News says that a show in Memphis has been dumped, and that dates in Houston and Oklahoma City are in trouble.

By contrast – a concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto sold out in EIGHT minutes.

So why the slow sales? If radio stations aren’t spinning your tunes – they aren’t going to be talking about your concerts. I know that the promoters often act like they hold all the cards (*cough*bravo*cough*) — but without the radio stations to promote and pimp – sales just aren’t going to be there.

A Time magazine cover may help you sell CDs, but without radio – folks may not even know you are coming to town.

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The Eagle Volunteer Fire Department put together a series of risqué ads to promote this weekend’s Eagle Nut Feed.

Here’s one:

A series of companion radio spots were also produced — and ran on at least on Citadel station (sponsor KKGL). One of the radio spots features talk of sodomy and bestiality.

After pressure from the City of Eagle, the fire department put the cat (er… bull) back in the bag — and pulled all the ads.

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM this weekend did some sort of Britney Spears-themed promo stunt. The details already escape me.

Wait, hold on — I have a point. The tag to the promo featured a familiar voice: Jeff Berlin. The long-time (but now former) KZMG voice of God recently popped up in a few quick whispers (story) – but this was a full-on “you can win prizes from x, and other prizes from y, all you have to do is listen” kind of a thing.

A couple of KZMG/KSAS notes:
- KZMG’s Valentine seems born for mid-days. His show is better in that time slot, and he’s clearly been motivated to perform. Things sound tighter, and the widgets work well (lyric ho-down, song you never hear anymore, new song at noon etc.). It’s very refreshing from the days of the (mostly-voicetracked) Jim Allen show – or even the voicetracker of the week at KSAS.
- Miggy Santos is the right choice for afternoons on Magic. I haven’t heard anymore recycled bits (and you know I’d point them out!). When night-timer Matty comes on toward the 5pm hour, the two put on a pretty good show.
- I still don’t get the whole “Magic 93.1 KZMG” thing. After more than a decade of hiding the ugly call-leters, why are the out in full view NOW?
- Kiss is doing the usual “103 Days of Summer” that someone trots out just about every year. They’re doing a prize a day — but instead of giving it away one at a time, they’ll bundle it all up and give it away at the end of the summer.
- Kiss also now has a “text us” phone number — allowing folks to text in comments or requests. I think it uses the Radio Voodoo platform — allowing all the VT jocks to check the texts from wherever-they-come-from. They are also doing a contest using the number — text a code-word and get a chance to win. Smart.
- When are they going to get Hooker a partner? The solo-dude vibe is stark contrast to the merry-band of three over at Magic.

And one last thing: Why is Magic running the Weekly Top 30 countdowns on Saturday nights, but they are “live & local” on Sunday?

One of MySpace.com’s rotating “featured videos” of the week is Nerina Pallot’s “Everybody’s Gone to War.” It is one of a very few videos taking up residence in the prime spot on MySpacer’s control panel page right now.

You’ll remember that Pallot is the author of “Idaho” — a song wich has caught fire to some degree here in Boise, due to the title – and airplay from KRVB/94.9 The River.

Read my earlier coverage here.

Her album, “Fires,” is number 14 on the Record Exchange’s top-selling albums chart.

The Dixie Chicks new album “Taking the Long Way” is number one on both the country and Billboard 200 charts this week. 526,000 copies of the album flew off the shelves.

In Boise – none of the three major country stations are playing the album’s lead single, according to Yes.com data. It might have something to do with that lead single’s theme. “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which addresses the pre-Iraq war controversy that surrounded the trio (“Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas” – said by singer Natalie Manes during a performance in the UK).

But it’s not just KIZN, KQFC & KTMY. Counter-intuitively, the single isn’t well-rotated anywhere really.

Controversy helps – along with Time Magazine, the Today Show, GMA etc. etc.