Idaho Radio News Etc.

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM morning co-host Elizabeth has left the station — she’s expecting! I’m told she is welcome to rejoin the station down the road if things line up.

Former Kiss morning host Micky Fox has been sitting with Hooker and Chad a bit this week. Fox worked with Brad “No News” Roen/Weiler/Rotweiler, and has been appearing on Sunday mornings.

Side note 1: Anyone notice that Brad just kinda made up a team of one for the media ski race?

Side note 2: It was birthday week for the pop morning shows. Both “Chadillac” and KZMG/Magic 93.1 PD Brad Collins had on-air celebrations – just one day apart.

Side note 3: I’m getting up early enough to hear morning shows for the first time in about eight years… it’s a drag! For those of you who wake up in time to host them… geesh.

Gemma Gaudette will make her last on-air appearance at KIDO/News Talk 580 next Friday. Her job is already posted on the CC job board.

She is headed back to TV.

You’ve probably heard the street chatter: A well-known group of local folks is hoping to combine resources and snap up Clear Channel’s Boise operations.

CC already sold off the group’s other Idaho operations – in Twin Falls and Idaho Falls/Poky. Now – the big question is who will land the Boise group.

If a local buyer takes control – there are a lot of details that have to be nailed down. Right now, CC has most back-office operations consolidated out-of-state, and several of the stations rely heavily on out-of-market voicetrackers.

No deal, yet…

KQFC/The Big 98 is in the midst of a shakeup — with PD/midday guy Kevin Anderson on the outside looking in.

Think you can lead The Q back to the top of the ratings heap? Here’s the posting:

Leadership, integrity, strong work ethic; if that describes you then we want to talk to you about being the next program director of Boise’s heritage Country station, KQFC. If you’re promotionally minded, understand the importance of imaging to the success of the radio station, would like to live in one of the most beautiful, fastest growing cities in America, and above all, know how to lead and motivate people, then RUSH your materials to Mike Owens, VP-GM, Citadel Boise. Please send audio and complete written material with first response. Electronic submission preferred to mike.owens@citcomm.com No calls please. 1419 Bannock, Boise, ID 83702. EOE

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM PD Aaron Traylor will host afternoons for Missoula, MT’s KENR.

(via AA)

Citadel Boise showed up big for the recent media race at Bogus Basin — here are the results:

Idaho Media Race Results:

Biggest Team Participation: Citadel West Bannock Panic

Best Team Average: Citadel West Bannock Panic

Male Skier Overall: Kris Robinson – Promoshop

BRONZE – Brad Rowen- Team Rotweiler
SILVER – David Magnum – Citadel West Bannock Panic
GOLD – Kris Robinson – PromoShop

Female Skier Overall: Betsy Russell – Capital Correspondents

Male Boarder Overall: Jeremy Jennison – PromoShop

BRONZE- Brad Rowen – Team Rotweiler
SILVER – Heath Druzin – McClatchkey Kids/Idaho Statesman
GOLD – Jeremy Jennison – PromoShop

Jayar Reed, now host of Total Axxess – posed with Hawk Nelson — and you might recognize that shirt he’s wearing:

(Thanks for the story, Dave)

KTIK/ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK The Ticket welcomes back former morning host J Bates. Bates takes over his old role doing sports updates, etc. He spent a year as an off-air sports producer for KUTV/KJZZ before moving back to the Boise area.

He’s already on the air.

Was I the only one under-whelmed by this year’s crop of Super Bowl spots? There were a few that stood out — but not that many.

And what’s with the local spots? The only one that seemed to be “new” was for Eagle River Mortgage – but is a reference to wiping one’s rear end really the best way to build brand image — and how about the use of “She’s My Cherry Pie” — think they paid for the music rights?

I’m sure I’m the only one that noticed that KBCI played a news promo for the previous night’s 10pm news (also known as olds).

Update: KBCI did a story on the Eagle River spot — which you can watch here.

After the jump – see a few of my favorite national ads.
Read the rest of this entry »

Eastern Idaho stalwart KUPI-AM has dumped its country format – landing on a shiny new Spanish sound.

KIFI-TV reports the flip happened late last week – providing a full-time Spanish music service at 980 FM.

The station is headed by Program Director Domingo Munoz:

“I think this is the time the Spanish community is growing and they need something like this.”

The station last changed its tune almost exactly three years ago – moving from oldies to country. (Thanks RDS & Ben!)

Arbitron has again reranked its monitored markets based on overall population. Boise again makes a jump – now standing as the 105th largest market in the country. The market’s last ranking was 108 — just last year.

Still no sign of KDJQ/890 AM DJ Radio. Is this another case of not registering for the book, or did the station really perform that poorly?

KTIK/ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK The Ticket had its best book in eight years – pulling an impressive 3.1 rating. That’s a whopping 72% increase in audience from the spring. The halo effect from Bronco Sports is a possible driver – but the station seems to have found a lineup that works.

Word is the station may be making some changes in the very near future. You have to ask: why tweak with what works?

KZMG/Magic 93.1 and KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM continue to compete for a smaller and smaller combined audience.

Kiss won this round, bolstered by a new local morning show. The station grew 42% from the spring – but it’s all relative since the station is now only pulling a 3.7. Magic lost about 28% – sliding to a 3.1.

If you add them together you only get a 6.8 total rating — which would still be the third place station in the market.

KIDO/NewsRadio 580 seems to be holding on to share – despite the lose of marquee morning show Jon & Chris last spring. While the station is down slightly year to year (6.2 last year versus a 5.8 this) – it is actually up from the spring.

KJOT/J-105, KQXR/100.3 The X & KKGL/96.9 The Eagle seem to sit on a trio of teeter-totters. First they’re up… then down.

This time – KKGL rules the roost, with a 5.6 — with KJOT taking the title of second place rock station with a 4.9, and KQXR pulls up the rear with a 4.5.

The Eagle grew slightly from the spring — but The X and J-105 both slipped. J-105 led the way in the last book – with a 6.3. Overall, the category lost share.

Citadel’s KIZN/Kissin 92.3 is the market’s champion in the country war. Though the country audience is falling overall – KIZN grew from the spring (though it fell from the same period a year ago). The station pulled a 6.2, to take the third-highest overall rating.

Did you think KTMY/My Country 104.3’s 1.6 rating in the spring was the absolute bottom for the station?

Turns out — it’s not. The number of folks calling “My Country” theirs has dropped down to a 1.4 Even the station’s AM classic country cousin – KFXD beat it. KTMY is the lowest rated commercial station based in Boise (KTPZ currently pulls a lower number, but is focused – for now at least – on Twin Falls).

Somebody needs to grab the crash cart and put the paddles on KQFC — fast.

The older of Citadel’s country pair is scraping along the pavement – pulling an anemic 3.3.

Just two years ago – in the fall of 2004, the station was pulling a 7.4. The station dropped half its audience in two years flat.

The station’s previous low over the past eight years was a 5.1 in Fall 2000. KQFC had the greatest book-to-book drop-off of any frequency in the market – dropping more than 30%

The Broncos had a pretty incredible run this fall — and the station that holds the radio rights to the team reaped the benefits. KBOI had its usual great fall book, though it was down ever-so slightly form Fall 2005. KBOI pulled a 7.0 (compared with a 7.1 in the prior year).

KCIX/Mix 106 is the big story from this book. The station tops the ratings pile, with a HUGE 7.2 rating (12+).

I’ve been tracking the 12+ numbers since Spring of 1998 — and this is KCIX’s biggest book in that era. In the spring of 1991, KCIX (as K-106) scored a downright incredible 13.4 rating – in a string of great books (all above an 8.8).

After that great run, the station lost its way, got its lunch eaten by Magic 93.1, was sold off and floundered. Looks like they just might be back…

In the modern era, it is becoming increasingly rare for a station to net anything north of a 7. This represents a 30% bump from the Spring book,

Big breaking news on the day job trumps the big news here. Hope to work on this tonight. Sorry for the delay.