Idaho Radio News Etc.

It’s time for another rousing round of… “Dum Adds!”

- Someone should convince Weight Watchers to customize its spots for the Boise market… and maybe get a better website name. The ads repeatedly direct you to punch up “weightwatchersofsaltlakecity.com.” If they can’t go to all the trouble of registering “WeightWatchersofBoise.com” – at least pick a neutral domain (WeightWatchersIntermountain.com perhaps?).

- I’m not really sure what an Energetic Body Wrap is – but the voiceover on this spot is beyond is hard to understand. The poor lady’s emPHAsis is usually on the wrong sylABLE.

- Will someone PLEASE stop clients from voicing their own spots? Sheree Atagi from Saturn of Boise comes to mind…

- NO MORE NANCY ROCHE JINGLES! The Montego Bay bed sounds just like the old River Festival song. One slide whistle is too many.

On the flip side – I’m completely contradicting BOTH of the last two points – but I like that Zamzow’s turns their ads in to PSAs for community organizations from time to time. Both the Idaho Humane Society and Zoo Boise are beneficiaries. I wouldn’t be surprised it Zamzow’s gets some sort of station discount – but whatever the case – the spots build admiration for the Zamzow’s brand, and help a few good local causes.

AllAccess reports that Tim Murphy is leaving his post as general manager of Clear Channel’s Eastern Idaho cluster.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been hearing rumors of a possible deal to sell Clear Channel’s non-Boise Idaho properties. AA reports that Marathon Media has signed a letter of intent for that purchase.

Developing…

Updated: Tim not Jim

Clear Channel Boise has dropped two morning hosts in recent weeks.

Kimberly James has already ended her short stint on KIDO/NewsRadio 580. I’m told CC let her go – it’s unclear what the reason.

Also, Laura Gannon is no longer holding down the AM shift at KXLT/107.9 Lite FM. I’m told this happened today – and her bio and photo have already been scrubbed from liteonline.com. Gannon’s exit was apparently not related to ratings.

Boise doesn’t have HD radio. Yet.

But Boiseans do have access to FAR more music options than ever before (and for that matter, more news/talk options). From Satellites the Internet to iPods – the over-the-air broadcasters in the Valley have more competition than ever before.

Chris Anderson’s book The Long Tail talks about how the Internet is changing the economy – from one that is hit driven, to one that is focused on more and more individual types of content, tailored to an audience.

Anderson talks about how the “Long Tail” effect (so called because of the way a sales chart looks on a graph) is hitting radio hard. He notes that in 2005, about one rock radio station went out of business each week – and lists five possible causes:

- iPods
- Cell Phones. People are no longer held hostage in their car with nothing but the radio to keep them company during commutes.
- The 1996 Telecommunications Act - which added more than 1,000 FM stations to the dial.
- Clear Channel. Anderson says CC is “as much a symptom of the industry’s brutal economics as it is a cause,” and notes that CC was able to “do a roll up of distressed stations.” He says that that Clear Channel’s efforts to slash costs and centralize programming resulted in “bland homogenization.”
- The FCC’s obscenity crackdown, which causes fear in broadcasters – the FCCs hefty fines can cost money, and for those responsible – their jobs.

It’s not that music is dying – but the era of the top 40 hits is drawing to a close -with more options driving consumers from the head of the chart (the hits) to the tail (everything else).

KQXR/100.3 The X is rotating a new promo about the morning show.

PD Mat Diablo intros a series of listener comments that consist of:
- “Mancow sucks”
- Someone who wants “something local” in the morning
- “Music music music” in the morning
- “Anything but Mancow”

The tag invites listeners to call 947-5498 and chime in.

Update: Mis-typed the phone number — thanks RDS.

Slightly off-topic here – the local fishwrap has made another set of changes… just months after the ballyhooed relaunch. The newspaper changed its logo (again… still no “the” in Idaho Statesman) – using a wider version of its current font. It also “added the color of sage green” to its pages… no idea why. National news will now show up on the front page – answering critics show shook their heads when BIG national news appeared to not exist.

Also, the paper’s withering classifieds product has been moved to the back of the book — you don’t have to slog through them to get to the Life section any longer.

Saturday – just two days after the changes went to press… the presses went to hell. The paper arrived after 10am for many customers – and even later for some.

Update: The paper has also tweaked its Sunday editions. The Google News-esque thing at the bottom of the page goes away on Sunday. Also, a big green “Sunday” is added to the front of all the section names — and the masthead on the first page (“Sunday Idaho Statesman”). You now get even more bird cage liner – with a breakout “Sunday Insight” section with long-form opinion and letters to the editor.

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The New York Times today reports that Clear Channel is looking to unload some of its 1200 stations – mostly in the nation’s smaller markets.

Industry change is cited as the reason.

How would the Twin Falls and Idaho Falls markets be affected? Who would be a likely buyer?

KBOI/670 AM may have one its biggest audiences in years this Saturday.

Why? The Boise State vs. Wyoming game will not be televised. Not on cable. Not on broadcast. Not on dish. Not online. Nowhere. Even sports bars are going to have a tough time. For the day job, I surveyed about ten local sports bars — and none of them have the game locked down. They need to a) have a satellite dish capable of getting the raw feed of the game, and b) know the sat. coords. to dial it in. No one has the feed window info yet — and only a few bars are capable of pulling it down (Crescent, Busters & The Ram are best bets).

With the game pretty much out of driving distance for most… what does that leave? Oh yeah, the radio voice of the Broncos – Paul J. Schneider. And… that’s… it. Unfortunately for KBOI, the football game comes one week too early for the Arbitron game. The fall book starts Thursday September 21st.

By our unofficial count – this is the first Bronco away game since 1997 not to air on TV locally.

The “Idaho Baked Potato” Carlos Morales is teaming up with his old KZMG/Magic 93.1 pal Scooter B. and several others for a new national mix show.

The Fix is billed as an “energetic, fun, and hip show packed with phoners and artist interviews.” The show is targeted at CHR/Rhythmic and CHR/Mainstream stations that tilt rhythmic.

“Soupcan” & “Sinatra” join DJ Mikus & Carlos on the show. You can hear a demo here. The show is already getting a number of hot artists to appear, including Pussycat Dolls front-woman Nicole, Frankie J, and Kellis — all booked for upcoming weeks according to the show’s website.

No Boise clearance so far…

(Thanks for the tip, Scoot)

KXLY-FM’s done stunting – and has landed on a format: “adult rock” according to SpokaneRadioNews.com. The station, owned by Spokane Television, picks up a familiar name: The River. And the playlist is also familiar — with artists like Blind Melon, REM, Sublime, John Mellencamp and U2.

Also: Welcome SpokaneRadioNews.com to the neighborhood. We’ll rely on Kevin to keep tabs on those stations that serve N. Idaho. Learn more about SRN here.

This is the third year in a row I’ve asked this… but is there an older Boise radio promotion than Rocktober?

KJOT/J-105 presents the 21st annual Rocktober countdown. The station will play back a track an hour of the 31 greatest albums of all time (as of 2006). This year’s prize is pretty sweet: a pair of front row Stones tickets.

Enter your top three picks here.

Pretty hot lineup… Yellowcard, Papa Roach, Hawthorne Heights, (hed)p.e., and Blue October. General admission tix are $30 at TicketWeb.com – show starts at 4pm. Hang out on the track at Meridian Speedway.

KQXR/100.3 The X will also be giving tickets away on air.

Thursday September 28 at 7pm – KIVI studios in Nampa (1866 E. Chisholm – off the Franklin Blvd. exit)
An audio tape of the station’s sign-on will be played (February 1974 as KITC). You’ll also get a tour of the Today’s 6 studio.

Thursday October 26 at KNIN – 816 W. Bannock.

Thursday November 30 at KSPD/KBXL in Boise.

- I remember driving to work in the 7am hour… listening to one of the local morning shows – and they were talking about these insane attacks.
- I remember flipping around the dial that evening, and EVERY station was airing news/talk.
- I remember Dr. Drew Harold on the Citadel stations – trying to triage all the local and national angles. I remember him trying to do a legal ID: “KBOI, KQFC, Magic, Kissin’ & The Eagle… I guess that’s as legal as we’re going to get”
- After a day of local coverage, I remember being ANGRY at those same Citadel stations, because they were all simulcasting KBOI — which was airing Michael Savage. I’d never heard of him before that day, but his ravings made me want to punch a wall. “We in the Savage Nation knew this was going to happen to this country…”
- I remember the hourly news updates on most stations – pop – country – rock.
- I remember a country station taking calls, and a listener asking “can you play some music?” And me agreeing… news overload.
- I remember the Citadel stations airing the Kevin Godwin speech and Star Spangled Banner for weeks afterward. I remember crying for the first time about a week after the attack – in my car, on the way to work when something as small as the patriotism of a pop station airing the National Anthem finally put me over the edge.

What do you remember?

Spokane Radio’s KXLY-FM is spinning the format wheel… every fifteen minutes.

The station (serving Spokane and N. Idaho) dumped its Classy 99 soft AC format and SpokaneRadioNews.com reports that it allowed folks to vote online or by phone on each format until Wednesday. The stunt apparently ended Wednesday – but no update on its outcome.

A look at YES.com data for the past hour looks like this: LeAnn Rimes/Dire Straits/Hoobastank/Peter Gabriel/Otis Redding/The Beatles/Puff Daddy/Avril Lavigne/Led Zeppelin.

KZMG/Magic 93.1 e-mail list subscribers were invited to fill out one of those “you pick the music” surveys that are all the rage these days.

On the first page of questions – there’s the basics: age, gender, most-listened-to-station, etc.

And this:

Country music superstars Rascal Flatts’ song “What Hurts The Most” is climbing the Pop Charts nationally… do you want to hear it on Magic 93.1?

Just over a year ago, I posted the top 500 search keywords that people plugged in to Google to find this site.

That page (here) is consistently one of the top traffic getters on the site.

I thought we’d play again.

Number one search term since July 1? “Kristi Lee” — a term that also did well last time. Other big searches include “Idaho Radio News,” “KZMG,” and “KDJQ.”

Number eight on the list? “Boise barebackers.” Sick.
54th? “Lucky Peak Dam What If It Failed.” Grrrreat.
103? “breastes.” Sweet.

Just about anyone ever mentioned on this blog is searched for. From Randy Michaels to Will Hoenike to Brad Chambers to Kip Guth and Meeghan Black.

“Millions of peaches,” “Rock Stinks,” and “China Blue Bistro owner Ted Boise Idat” [sic] might be among my favorites. Or maybe “Costco closing time.” Or “Taco Bell remodeling.”

But the best?

“Audio of annoying sounds.”

Word on Blue Lakes is that Arbitron will add the Twin Falls area to its list of surveyed markets — starting with the Spring 2007 book.

The Boise Community Radio Project — is still not on the air – and sources tell me, it’s not likely any time soon.

The station launched a web-stream last year – it’s filled with some local, some not local programming. BCRP’s website doesn’t give much of an idea of what’s going on — most of the pages on the site haven’t been updated in more than a year. Without a transmitter — the idea’s not going to fly (a webcast just isn’t enough, as much as I believe in the web…).

KIOV/1450 AM is off the air. It’s been nearly six months now — what’s the deal?

Just randomly found this on the Internets: Katie Couric can’t say KBCI CBS 2 News

Also: Couric will now anchor the 5pm ET CBS News Radio newscast. Is there stil a CBS News affil. in Boise? CBSNews.com lists KBOI, but the station’s been an ABC affiliate since last August…

AllAccess noted that KBER-FM’s Mick & Allen have signed a new three year deal to continue their Salt Lake City-based show.

The post also says the pair may “possibly syndicate” to Spokane, Boise, Tucson and Albuquerque. AA doesn’t say where that info’s coming from, but why would Citadel make jocks on their rock stations in those four rock stations nervous? So if the talent in question spilled those beans, it makes you wonder if it’s just an empty promise. (“We’re going to syndicate you!!!” Uh huh.)

KKGL/96.9 The Eagle doesn’t have an opening at the moment – with Bob & Tom, the popular Cat Lee and Byl & Doug holding down the marquee shifts on the station.

But you never know…

(Thanks for the lead, Ben!)

- Citadel Broadcasting Boiseis looking for an account executive.
- Journal Broadcast Group – On-air Talent (station not indicated in posting)
- KBOI is looking for a full-time producer
- KCVI/K-Bear 101 needs an afternoon rock jock. T&R to jobs@kbear.fm
(Thanks, Chris & Brian!)