Idaho Radio News Etc.

Hey folks – there’s clearly a lot going on at the moment. I try to apply a journalist’s sense to this site, so I’m not posting everything that comes through the door. If you’re wondering “why doesn’t he post scenario x??” – it’s because I either can’t confirm it, or it’s not true.

Peak managers are set to be in town tomorrow (Wednesday), and logic would show that things will become much more clear. The Citadel folks are obviously still sorting out the next set of moves.

The lines are always open…

One other (rather odd) note: If you have something to share, I would appreciate an e-mail, versus a phone call. I had a couple calls to my work number today (and to those people – I’m not at all upset). I’m more than happy to call you back if you feel more comfortable that way – just leave me a number by e-mail and I’ll call you when I can. Thanks for your consideration.

Idaho Radio News has learned that Clear Channel/Peak Boise General Manager Terry Tario and sales guru David Levi have been relieved of their duties.

For now, this leaves two Boise clusters without top management. Meetings with top execs are scheduled at both Bannock and Park Blvd. over the next two days.

ALSO: The earlier item on Sutton and Owens is confirmed — they left on their own accord this weekend.

KBOI/670 AM will again tinker with its programming schedule, swapping Dennis Miller in to the slot currently held by Laura Ingraham. Miller’s show launches nationwide Monday March 26th, and will air on KBOI weekday mornings at 10am after Paul J. & Chris.

Claire Day scores a promotion with the soon-to-be-Peak Broadcasting group, moving from the cluster’s in-house traffic department (and member of the KCIX/Mix 106 morning team) to a full-time gig co-hosting mornings on KXLT/107.9 Lite FM with Kevin Murphy.

Congrats!

Multiple sources tell Idaho Radio News that Citadel Boise general manager Mike Owens and director of sales Mike Sutton are leaving the company.

This comes on amid a flurry of personnel changes amid the management ranks of Clear Channel and Citadel – with Clear Channel OM Jeff Cochran heading for the door, former Citadel Boise GM Kevin Godwin leaving his VP post in Colorado Springs, and LOTS of speculation surrounding others.

If you know something: E-mail me. Anonymity guaranteed.

The Boise Burn arenafootballl2-league team has chosen a radio broadcast partner for its inaugural season. KGEM/Oldies 1140 will carry the team’s game, with Boise Burn assistant GM (and my former KTVB desk neighbor) Scott Conklin doing the play-by-play chores. He will be joined by a rotating cast of color announcers.

The Burn hit the road for a pair of Friday away games on March 30th and April 13th – then open up at Qwest Arnea on April 21st.

Michael Deeds has a great story about local artist Ned Evett — his latest single is getting rotation on KRVB/94.9 The River. Deeds also talks to Aaron Traylor at KSAS and KQXR PD Mat Diablo.

It’s a must read

The winds are a swirlin’…

Former Citadel Boise GM Kevin Godwin has left the company. Godwin left town for Colorado Springs last June, as GM of that cluster, and company VP with oversight of a number of markets – including Boise.

“I’ll take ‘Shoes About to Drop’ for $500 Alex.”

So why did College Creek Media pick the call letters “KQPI” for its new construction permit in Aberdeen, ID?

That new signal would cover most of the Poky/IF market… just like the similarly-call-lettered KUPI-AM/FM — owned by Sandhill Media. Hmmm…

(Thanks, Oldtimer)

BREAKING NEWS – 5:35pm: Six Boise radio stations sold!!!

KCIX/Mix 106 vaulted to the top of the ratings pile in the latest book – which gives an old promo a new edge.

The spot (still in rotation) talks about how lots of stations claim they are number one…. “but the problem is… most of them sound like (flush sound effect) number two.”

That sounds like a jab at the (formerly) nearly identical positioning statements for KZMG and KSAS “Boise’s #1 Hit Music Station/Channel.” Magic dropped the branding – leaving just Kiss (and I can’t think of anyone really emphasizing “number one” at the moment). KSAS and KCIX share an owner if I remember correctly…

Byl Carrico has left the Citadel building. Just about a year after Carrico re-teamed with former KQXR/100.3 The X partner Doug Hardy for afternoons on KKGL/96.9 The Eagle — the pair are no longer holding down the afternoon fort together.

CC Boise has posted the operations manager job:

Peak Broadcasting of Boise is looking for an outstanding Operations Manager for our excellent Boise cluster of stations. The stations include a heritage News/Talk, AC, CHR, Country, Classic Country and a market dominant Hot AC. We have the resources to win and want a creative, competitive strategist who will work with and inspire talent to further grow our share with adults. The market is incredibly competitive, the city and facility are beautiful and the job is open right now. Send programming history and philosophy to:

Terry Tario
Market VP/General Manager
Peak Broadcasting
827 E. Park Blvd
Boise, ID 83712

The highlighting of KCIX is interesting…

(Thanks, Adam)

Update: Here’s the Peak Broadcasting posting on clearchannel.com.

KID pulled local talkers Trish and Halli more than a year ago — but one big question remained: would the pair’s previous comments result in the revocation of the station’s FCC license?

According to the Idaho Falls Post Register… the answer is no. Four IF residents filed complaints with the government over comments made by the conservative afternoon hosts. One of the complaintants was former house speaker Bruce Newcomb, who was steamed over what the pair had to say about Sen. Bart Davis and the shooting death of his son Cameron in 2003 in Boise.

The FCC renewed the license (which was up in October, 2005) after investigating the complaints. The commission basically said that the show was protected by the First Amendment. (The Post Register article is not available online to non-subscribers).

Is it just me, or is KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM now front and back selling pretty much every song? I’ve also heard talent emphasizing that the station is playing “less commercials.”

The (for now) Clear Channel stations in Pocatello and Idaho Falls banded together to raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital.

The stations asked listeners to donate $20/month to help fight childhood diseases.

- PB will begin operating the Boise group in April
- Deal should close by the second quarter
- The transfer application has been filed with FCC, and the agency listed it as “Accepted for Filling” on Thursday

Oh Statesman.

Today’s edition features a rather good feature piece about the March Against Meth effort. The City of Meridian, City of Nampa and others are teaming for a month long campaign targeting meth.

It’s the March Against Meth. I guess the newspaper thinks all these groups are coming together to support methamphetamine use… since they called the effort “March For Meth.”

Citadel Boise is looking for a promotions director for KIZN/Kissin’ 92 and KZMG/Magic 93.1. Here’s the posting.

Chaparral Broadcasting will be scooped up by Blue Point Media if the FCC gives its approval.

KECH (95.3FM, Rock), KSKI (103.7FM Alt. Rock) and KYZK (107.5FM, Nostalgia) of the Sun Valey area get new corporate masters in the deal.

The stations last changed hands in the summer of 2004 – when Chaparral purchased Alpine Broadcasting. Blue Point also grabs the company’s four stations in Jackson Hole, WY.

Quoting the Idaho Mountain Express:

“We are a company basically buying several radio stations in the West: Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota and Iowa,” Weller said. “The stations we want to purchase are in great growth markets. We are looking at small towns and resort towns, where we think there is the potential for fabulous growth over the next 30 years.”

Chaparral owner Jerry Lundquist will join Blue Point Media.
(Thanks, John & James)

Jeff Cochran is leaving Clear Channel Boise to take a similar position with Clear Channel in Salt Lake City. His last day in the Park Blvd. studios will be March 14th.

Cochran spent about five years with the Boise radio group.

Update: Obviously I meant March 14th… not January. Grr.

EXCLUSIVE
Idaho Radio News has learned that Peak Broadcasting of Fresno, CA has entered in to an agreement to purchase six radio stations in the Boise, ID area, currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.

Peak will pick up KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM, KCIX/Mix 106, KXLT/Lite 108, KTMY/My Country 104.3, KFXD/Classic Country 630 and KIDO/News Radio 580 – all currently broadcasting from offices on ParkCenter Blvd. in Boise.

Peak says it will focus on programming and “customer based” advertising solutions – and will pump “significant marketing” in to the stations. The group also promises to push new media.

The sale is part of Clear Channel’s ongoing effort to take the company private. The company announced it would shed all radio clusters outside the top 100 markets – with Boise being the largest group up for sale. This is the first change in ownership for one of the three major Boise clusters in nearly a decade.

The FCC still has to approve the deal.

More coverage to come…

See the cover of the newspaper Saturday? In the little “info snack” section that runs on the front page, the paper made a whopping mistake that someone should have caught.

The blurb headline read “Coles scandal ends.” My eye was immediately drawn to this item – because I hadn’t heard of any new news in the case since January.

Turns out, the story was about the smear campaign against Chuck Winder. The smear campaign that had NOTHING to do with Brent Coles. The smear campaign that happened six months after Coles left office.

Also, the paper is unwinding another of the new features it launched a year ago: Pocketbook. This consumer-focused business section bit the dust this week, and will now be combined with Sunday’s Life section. The paper also appears to be scaling back business coverage the rest of the week. Anyone paying attention knows that the established daily has been chasing these guys on just about every major business story for months. Are the changes a white flag?

Editor’s note: I fudged the timestamp on this post to keep the Clear Channel item on top. This entry was filed at 9:20pm on Sunday March 4th.

Victor Pacania, host of Private Idaho on KBSU-AM, is writing a blog about his ongoing struggle with cancer – among other things.

The personal, intimate blog is a must-read — not just for people enthusiastic about radio – but those enthusiastic about life.

Here are a couple passages from his inaugural post early this year:

I have also been the producer and announcer for the Private Idaho Show on KBSU (90.3 FM; Saturdays 10 AM – 2 PM) since about 1980, but have been with KBSU since shortly after its beginnings in 1976. It is a job that I love and I hope to continue doing forever.

It was about this time last year that I began not feeling quite right. I had had some trouble with ulcers in the past, so I knew (or guessed) that something was wrong with my gastrointestinal system. By the end of February – beginning of March I thought I was having gall bladder problems – maybe a gallstone, or even hepatitis. After some examinations, an ultrasound, an MRI and a ERCP (endoscopic surgery and biopsy) I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was a sobering moment when the doctor called me and told me the results of the biopsy.

Me with a part time job and no health insurance.

Knowing that the median survival rate for people in my condition was either 4 to 6 months or 8 to 9 months (depending on who you talked to or what you might have read on the internet), I was at a loss as what to do.

The cancer is inoperable but I am receiving chemotherapy.

Well I am still here and along the way I am learning how to live with cancer. Actually I am trying to live with enlightened attitudes; to know what is important and what is not and not regret the past nor shut the door on it . . . just being grateful to be alive and being able to do some things that I love.

To be with people that I love and who love me.

Most importantly I have a personal relationship with a God of my understanding who has always been there and will always be there. God is Love – I John 4:8 .

Dear friends it is nearly midnight and Lord knows I need my beauty coma. Be good to each other and please come back.

The posts veer from heavy — to the almost sublime:

I am watching “The People’s Court” and a guy offers up this comment – “He’s using her for an escape goat.”

I like that.

Everyone looks for an escape goat once in a while.

One more must-read – Vic’s road to radio.