Idaho Radio News Etc.

KBOI’s audio stream of the BSU-Utah game could not have been MORE WORTHLESS.

I listened through RightNowRadio.com – and got a loooong commercial break that covered up local content. Yeah – that included the Broncos first score.

I don’t take a stance like this very often: but don’t provide a service if it’s going to be this messed up.

Victor Pacania will co-host Private Idaho with several notable names in coming weeks.

9/30 – Marla Leggette
10/7 – Carl Scheider
10/14 – Marla Legette
10/21 – Bob Lily
10/28 – Rick Overton

I’m a BIG fan of yes.com. It’s a GREAT source of research for this site.

The site got a very Web 2.0 makeover. Tons of new features:
- The homepage now features the top 100 most played songs nationwide – across all formats. What’s even cooler – is next to each title, you’ll find a list of three stations currently playing the tune. If one of those stations has a streaming link – you can click on it to listen live.
- Before yes.com features links to iTunes – now you’ll find Amazon and Thumbplay (ring tone site) links as well.
- You can now look up a station’s playlist for a full week (up from 24 hours).
- If a spot is in the MediaGuide database, you’ll see it listed – and get an easy Google link. Gives you a quick fix on how many RegionalHelpWanted.com ads are running these days.
- In the hourly playlists, you can see a song’s ranking – even if it isn’t in the top 100.

Check it out

And if your station’s site doesn’t have the YES bar yet (like KZMG, KTPZ and others) – add it! Details here.

No, Yes isn’t paying me. Sadly.

OK – two more points.

- Someone pointed out that the talent category is labeled “Best Morning Show/DJ.” So I guess Tim is being judged on his merits as a DJ, not as part of a morning show. Still think it’s weird.

- The Weekly makes fun of a voter for marking down “96.9 The X!!.” Well, golly gosh. What an idiot this poor schmuck must be. It’s 100.3 The X you dolt – or 96.9 The Eagle. Hahaha. So dumb! I mean, everyone knows that. Come on! It’s like – everyone knows Magic 93.1 has Mike & Kate, and that really popular dude on The X is Big J-a-y!

The Boise Weekly let lose its 2006 Best of Boise. The Best Morning Show category has to make you laugh.

First the quote, then comment:

First: Tim Johnstone on The River

Every town has its voice, but Boise’s is different than most. It’s not a booming, deep, Guy Smiley voice. It’s just a little bit scratchy and just a little bit higher than you expect when you meet him. Back during our flannel days, Tim Johnstone spun the grunge on 100.3 that made us look at our shoes in a whole new, extra-profound way. Now, he’s jumped genres over to the “world class rock” of 94.9, and wouldn’t you know it, it looks like our readers have followed him. We like to think that you also like Tim and Ken Bass’ morning show because every Wednesday, our editor-in-chief goes on at 8:15 a.m. to talk about the issue of BW out that morning. But then, we like to think a lot of things.

Second: Big Jay, 100.3 THE X

Third: Mike and Kate, MAGIC 93.1

Props to Tim – but why no Ken? It’s nice to hear that Big Jayeremy is back on in the morning. And imagine my shock to learn that Mike & Kate went back to Magic! I’m sooo behind.

In the Best Radio Station category – KBSU 91.5 took the top spot – the fourth win in four years. KRVB/94.9 The River is in second and KQXR/100.3 The X takes third place honors.

KBSU also took top honors in the “Best News Source” category:

Against all these so-called professional TV, print and radio outlets, a college radio station comes out on top? (Jeez, who do we have to pay to rig this race?) If it’s KBSU, you better believe it. Between expanded NPR coverage, multiple program streams online and more local bang per buck than other stations even think of trying, Radio Bronco aces the test and shames the rest.

“Internet” take second place – KTVB is third.

Update: It should be noted that NPR News 91 employs a staff of professional journalists. Calling KBSU a “college radio station” these days is a stretch. A little research… that’s all I’m sayin’.

Mike Deeds doesn’t like the Stones opener.

Finally! The news Rolling Stones fans have been waiting for! The opening act at the Stones’ Nov. 14 concert at the Idaho Center will be …

BLUE OCTOBER!

Huh?

Baby boomers won’t have a clue about this Texas rock band, which will open the sold-out concert, according to the Stones’ publicist. But know this: Blue October just played Meridian Speedway four days ago at X-Fest, a multi-band festival produced by modern-rock station 100.3 FM. No, Blue October was not the headliner.

The band’s radio hit is “Hate Me.” Ask your kids: They might know.

That song – Hate Me – is #39 in overall nationwide radio play right now (according to yes.com). The song is in heavy rotation on KZMG (#2), along with KQXR – and the group’s second single is already starting to build momentum.

The Stones have a tradition of picking young-skewing bands: Nickelback, Black Eyed Peas, Joss Stone, Jason Mraz, Everclear…

Deeds asserted on The Other Studio recently that the Stones’ management would ‘probably just call up Bravo at the last minute.’

Six months after Jon Duane & Chris Kelly left KIDO-AM on their own accord – the news/talk station still finds itself on a rough road.

Thanks to Google, folks are still dropping by this site to leave comments – and most STILL wonder where the pair went.

KIDO picked Kimberly James and Brian Norton this summer to replace Duane & Kelly. The station parted ways with James just a few weeks ago – leaving the program in further flux. As I’ve hinted at before – CC Boise went after a number of well-know local folks to fill the morning slot – and clearly wasn’t able to come up with that big marquee name it hoped to land.

KIDO lost ground in all major demos (and overall) in the morning day part. Since Jon & Chris left midway through the book, it leaves you to wonder: what will fall look like?

Clear Channel faces a number of challenges – outside of KCIX, all of its stations lost ground from fall to spring. Two frequencies now have to rebuild morning shows – KIDO and KXLT/107.9 Lite FM. New country entry KTMY has a long battle – possibly several years – to climb to the top of the pack. The group is also likely to lose cluster support – shedding sister stations in Twin & Idaho Falls.

Recent moves like joining up with a company it competes against (the KIVI deal) puts further confusion in the water. CC Boise has a great group of talented people – and everything is cyclical – but with new pressures and distractions – what are CCs best options to climb back to the top of the heap?

Today is the three year anniversary of Idaho Radio (aka IdahoRadioNews.com). Our traffic has boomed in recent months. Alexa ranks the site as the top blog in Idaho – and most days we serve more pages than kbcitv.com, todays6.com, idahopress.com or fox12idaho.com (chart). Mainstream media be damned!

What do you want to see? What should be here that isn’t? What don’t you like? Comment below or send me an e-mail.

AllAccess reports Bustos Media will flip KQTA/106.3 to its regional Mexican format – “Ke Buena.”
Ke Buena is a kind of Mexican CHR – skewing younger.

The station currently pumps out Bustos’ “La Bonita” – a Spanish-language superhits of the 70s/80s format.

Bustos bought the station in February for $2.25 million

After a somewhat quiet period, national contests are back in action.

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM is doing a thousand dollar Thursday stunt — called the “Big Cash Addiction.” Listeners are told to listen for a cue to call – then a thousand bucks is given out every ten minutes that hour – by calling 1-866-525-WINS. CC stations from all formats across the country are running the contest.

KIZN/Kissin’ 92.3 is doing an Internet contest – inviting listeners to listen for code words – that they can punch in online at kizn.com. The contest runs for 90 days.

From the services terms of service:

Some Rewards provided through the Service by way of auctions, sweepstakes, or trade-ins are promoted regionally or nationally to users of other rewards services.

KIZN/Kissin’ 92.3’s Hot Rod Thompson has left the Citadel palace for a job outside radio.

The station is looking for a new evening host.

Clear Channel’s Boise stations were out in force in front of a crowd of 15,000 for the annual St. Luke’s Women’s Fitness Celebration Saturday.

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM, KTMY/My Country 104.3, and KXLT/Lite 108 were set up along the 5k course, cheering the women along – while the Mix 106 van helped serve as pace car in front of the wheelchair division.

Mix morning host Kate McGwire helped warm up the crowd — and also competed in the event’s elite run.

Update: I’ve had a few questions about that thing Kate’s holding. It’s Flat Annie – a class project Ysabel is helping a cousin with. Now you know.

Mancow is off another station – as KQXR/100.3 The X drops the out-of-market syndicated show and kicks off a new local program with program director Mat Diablo and former evening host Ian. Ian gets another nickname – this time not from an old Disney movie — as “Reverend Ian.”

The move disrupts the entire broadcast day. Big J slides to afternoons – and Jac(kie) reclaims her old home in mid-day. KZMG/Magic 93.1 part-timer Josh will hold down nights.

Mancow didn’t even last a year on the Boise airwaves – after replacing Byl, Big J and Mellisa last fall.

I’m leaving town Sunday for a quick trip to the middle of nowhere. No cell service, no Internet.

So I’ll rely on the chattering class to report on the new KQXR/100.3 The X morning show Monday.

I’ll check in from the familiar confines of NorthWest Cable News mid-day.

My friend Mat Thompson has fired up RhetoricStyle.com – a collection of very funny shirts – some with a local flair. I was lucky enough to do the web design work. I hope you’ll take a second to check it out - and maybe buy a couple shirts.

KQXR/100.3 The X is dropping the nationally syndicated Mancow’s Morning Madhouse. Which you already knew if you’ve been checking in lately.

PD Mat Diablo teases “something new” starting Monday morning. Folks attending XFest Friday will be the first to know — according to a promo on the air now.

I have a hunch what’s up – but since I’m always wrong, I’ll keep my mouth shut for a switch.

Another YouTube find… getting lots of media attention.:

The Fall 2006 Arbitron rating period begins today in the Boise market.

Only 84 days ’til it’s over…

Clear Channel Boise and KIVI-TV/Today’s Channel 6 are now sharing newsgathering and promotional resources.

Seems perfectly natural – until you realize that KIVI is owned by Journal Broadcast Group, which also happens to own six radio stations in the Valley.

Why is there no mention of Byl & Doug on the home page of KKGL/96.9 The Eagle?

In fact, the pair still aren’t on the “Eagle Announcers” page… despite joining the station in April.

Update: My mistake – the earlier post on KQFC and Brooks & Dunn was incorrect. The concert went on sale September 9 – the show isn’t until October 21.

All new Acuras will come with XM. Standard.

Plus a three month free trial.

This won’t be the last such announcement.

I had nothing to do with this.

But, several of my (far funnier) colleagues came up with a series of 10 :10 spots with some GREAT uses for newspaper classifieds (hint: buying stuff isn’t one of them… that’s what the Internet’s for)

This is a condensed YouTube friendly version:

Steve Safran at LostRemote has turned in another must-read piece on convergence. Safran, along with Cory Bergman have been hammering the convergence nail for years – and it’s starting to finally stick.

In the piece, he runs through every media sub-industry – and what they have to do to win in the new world. Think back to what your radio job was like in 1996 – and how much it’s changed. Now imagine what it will be like in 2016..

Read the whole piece when you get a chance. (“STUDIOS: You’re screwed. My God you’re screwed” and “RECORD LABELS: Circling the drain and good riddance too.”)

Here’s the section on radio, quoted for your conveinence:

LOCAL RADIO STATIONS: I’ll start by arguing in the negative. I’ll tell you what your savior is not: HD radio. I am the most gadget-addicted freak I know, and I’ve never even heard HD radio. Plus, there’s no public demand saying “I really like this station. If only it had crisper highs and deeper lows.” Your savior is also not streaming your radio station online. Forget it. I can listen to whatever song I want on my computer. I’m not listening to your station.

Your ad breaks are absurdly long. You are invading my time. Satellite radio gives me digital delivery and does it without ads or with minimum ads. I know you need to make money. But your competition doesn’t have any ads. Your competition lets me listen to whatever song I want, when I want and where I want. And it lets me buy the songs too. It’s the iPod. And you can’t possibly beat it at its own game. Forget the “Jack” or “Jane” or “Mike” or whatever formatting. It’s no iPod shuffle. There is no one-size-fits-all model.

Now the positive: you are still a vital, local resource. As I pointed out last year – during Hurricane Katrina, the most reliable source for information in New Orleans was the radio. For all the self-congratulation we webbies gave ourselves about internet coverage during the storm, nobody in the flood had a laptop. Or a TV. Radio is a vital local service.

It just needs to understand that. Local is where it’s at for radio. So go crazy local. Produce local programming, and you won’t even have the headache of dealing with the RIAA and the labels. Find great local bands. Produce easy, cheap local shows. Think true alternative radio. Stop trying to be a homogenous, same-in-every-freakin’-market station. You’re now a music (or news, or religious programming, or whatever) producer. Best of all, the programming can be syndicated, podcast, put on mobile. You win.

The New York Post reports that Sirius star Howard Stern is mulling a return to the traditional airwaves – this time with Citadel.

Details are light – but one possibility is the Opie & Anthony model – with a few hours on satellite and terrestrial — and then a few censor-free hours on satellite only.

(via MarketWatch)

Update: Stern said “no way” on the air this morning. (via Countdown).

Let’s pretend that you get to pick the new morning team for KQXR/100.3 The X (because, let’s face it – Mancow’s goose is cooked).

What do you think would work?