Idaho Radio News Etc.

Former KFXD/KF-95 afternoon guy/program director Kevin Welch has taken the next step up the mountain. Welch takes over the program director reigns of KMTT/The Mountain.

Welch’s last stop was KINK-FM in Portland.

The Idaho Statesman followed our lead on the boob billboard story online tonight (BREAKING NEWS!) – and has actual reaction from KKGL/96.9 The Eagle.

The radio station will make an announcement about the racy billboards’ future Thursday morning — leaving room for a few more days of news reports and publicity. A decision has already been made, (KKGL program director Scott) Souhrada said.

Thursday huh?

Souhrada’s tone is conciliatory – which makes one think the boards will come down. Maybe the billboards will sprout a sweater with Doug Hardee and Jason Drew’s faces.

Seen at the corner of 9th & Front.

UPDATE: KIVI did this story Sunday night. You can watch it here. The story did not have comment from KKGL (saying station officials were were not available… on a Sunday). KIVI did not disclose that it is co-owned with a competitor of KKGL. (So this is where I disclose that my paycheck comes from a competitor of KIVI).

UPDATE 2: KIVI pulled the story from its website. WHY? I don’t know. That’s what I get for linking to the comp. I guess.

…when first we practice to deceive.

KQFC isn’t playing 98 songs in a row. Its playing 98 minutes of music in a row. But that is NOT the impression the station is giving listeners. I mistakenly reported that the station was playing 98 cuts in a row – when in fact it is is only playing 98 minutes stopless.

The big question I have is: why not just be up front? Just say “98 minutes of non-stop music!” — which has a pretty big punch in itself. Just assuming your audience is dumb and won’t notice seems like a big gamble.

I’ll also posit that KTMY will just be doing 104 minutes in a row as well.

Steve Safran is the laziest man in America

The folks at Citadel’s KQFC are defending their country turf – gearing up for a run from KTMY/soon-to-be WOW Country 104-3.

The station is pumping out 98 songs at a time – commercial free. With an average song length of four minutes- that would be more than six hours without a spot. YES.com reports that the station played a spotbreak at about 10:50am today… anyone in the mood to count songs today? The station is calling itself “The Big 98-in-a-row”

Peak Broadcasting plans to roll 104 songs in a row on KTMY.

Also: The station rolled out a new jingle package and female voice talent.

KTIK/ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK The Ticket has revamped its Ticket Chicks website – theticketchicks.com. They’ve done a new photo shoot and added the latest additions to the “team.” Most of the members have a bio… and each is asked about their favorite host/show. All but one answered IST with Caves and Prater (the other said Jim Rome).

What, no love for Bates?

Update: The website is THEticketchicks.com…

A few quick items:

- I neglected to post this when it broke earlier this month (it was kinda busy): No one will face charges in the death of the woman who died after a water-drinking radio stunt. The DJs and managers at the California station lost their jobs – but won’t wind up in jail.
- As many of you likely have read, the Clear Channel sell-off deal is teetering a little bit. Many large investors have threatened to vote no – and the private equity firms working to take the company off Wall Street have been working to sweeten the bid. All these moves will not affect the Boise or IF/Poky/TF buys – since those bids are entirely separate transactions. CC technically still owns all its Idaho properties, pending final FCC approval of the sales.

KDJQ/890 AM has flipped back to Spanish from oldies for the second time in its history.

The station made the change Monday (after spending at least part of the day off the air). KDJQ launched with an oldies, flipped to Spanish, went back to oldies — and is now rockin’ the Spanish yet again.

I’ve heard all sorts of sale rumors – none of which I can confirm. I’ve made attempts to e-mail station owner Robert Combs, I’ll let you know what I hear. For the record, the FCC has no record of an application for transfer of license that I can find.

(Thanks to all the folks who e-mailed to give me a heads up!)

Put this in the “filler” category: Someone asked me why I always identify stations like this: KXYZ/Zowie 109.2. I thought it was obvious, but maybe not. I used to just use the station’s trade name, but folks outside Idaho said it was hard to figure out what station I was referring to in some cases. To solve that problem, I just do both… this also allows you to punch the call letters of a certain station in to the search box and see all the stories ever filed on this site about a given topic.

(cue NBC’s “The More You Know” jingle)

Our very “own” Jim Smith is running for Fruitland School Board. Smith – who went by Gary Gowen at KCIX/Mix 106 – currently works for the Idaho Dept. of Commerce and Labor… and uses his real name in comments ;)

More on KTMY/Wow Country 104.3: The station has pinned down its talent lineup. Current afternoon host Shotgun will segue to middays, but will likely ditch his Jeff Cochran-given name, instead likely opting for a variation on his God-given one: Chris. As previously announced, Don Jarret will bounce back to Boise. Mornings will feature “Panama Jack.”

Lia, Big D/Bubba and After Midnight will go buh-bye, but WOW will stick with Kix Brooks and the American Country Countdown on weekends.

KTMY/My Country 104.3 will dump its current voicetracker lineup, imaging, name, jingle package, (kitchen sink) and call letters – but will hold on to the country format.

The station will become “WOW Country 104-3″ in coming days. WOW will unload sets of 104 songs in a row – versus the six to 10 songs in a row currently on the station.

The “Wow Country” name is rare – the only other one I could find is WOWF-FM in Crossville, TN. Look for the station to try and snag “KAWO” as its calls (an AM station in California has KWOW).

Wow Country 104-3 will use Jack Murphy for imaging. Check out a demo of his country work here.

KTMY was purchased from Clear Channel Communications by Peak Broadcasting last month – and controls the station via an LMA until the FCC gives final approval for the sale.

The station was formerly KLTB/Kool Oldies 104.3 until January of 2006, when CC flipped it to a country format. The station sank to a 1.6 12+ rating in the spring 2006 book, then even lower to a 1.4 that fall.

WOW!

WOW!

Wow-ey wow wow!

Twin Falls now has two new radio frequencies blasting out music.

Locally Owned Radio lit up KTPZ/Music Monster 94.3 and KIRQ/I-Rock 102-1. KTPZ’s city of license is Hazleton, and KIRQ is licensed in the city of Twin Falls itself.

Our ears on the ground in Twin Falls report that I-Rock is branding as “Idaho’s New Rock Alternative” – playing a blend of modern rock and a few older cuts. The station is jockless – and, for the most part… adless.

The Music Monster format is now pumping out of three separate transmitters across the state – KTPZ/94.3 Hazleton, KTPD/99.1 Mountain Home and KTPD-FM1/99.1 Boise (the booster on Table Rock). The Monster is transitioning its imaging to the new “94.3″ dial position. Folks in Twin Falls are currently able to pick up the station in both slots.

The KTPD/KTPD-FM1 half of the station will ditch the CHR format in coming weeks. Locally Owned Radio, Inc. will keep control of both stations, but the Boise frequency will be under the guise of Dave Tester and his Tester Broadcast group. LOR is now the proud owner of seven FM stations, three AM stations and two boosters.

Wendell Starke sold KTPZ/KMHI/then-KMXM/KTFI and KIKX in 2000 to Horizon Broadcast Group. Three years later, Horizon sold the stations back to Starke. He later bought KSRV AM/FM, which Horizon had purchased from Journal. He turned five stations in to 10 in just about seven years.

So here’s how the company breaks down:

Locally Owned Radio – Twin Falls
KTPZ 94.3 FM
Music Monster 94.3 KTPZ
CHR
COL: Hazleton

KIRQ 102.1 FM
I-Rock 102-1
Modern Rock
COL: Twin Falls

KYUN 106.7 FM
106.7 The Canyon
Country
COL: Hailey

KIKX 104.7 FM
Kicks 104.7
Classic Rock
COL: Ketchum

KTFI 1270 AM
Super Talk 1270
Talk
COL: Twin Falls

Tester Broadcast – Boise
KTPD 99.1 FM
Music Monster 94.3 KTPZ
CHR
COL: Mountain Home (also KTPD-FM1, Boise)

KSRV 96.1 FM
96.1 Bob FM
Variety Hits
COL: Ontario (broadcasts from Deer Point)

KAYN 100.7 FM
Boomer 100.7
Oldies
COL: Gooding (also KAYN-FM1 Boise)

KMHI 1240 AM
1240 Hank
Classic Country
COL: Mountain Home (Boise on signal fringe)

KSRV 1380 AM
1380 The Bull
Country
COL: Ontario (Boise on signal fringe)

KZMG/Magic 93.1 has dumped the “Playing All Today’s Hits, Not Just Some of Them” line (for at least the second time in its history), and is now “Idaho’s Real Hit Music Station.” I caught a new promo emphasizing live jocks (“just pick up the phone… we’ll actually answer!”).

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM is also dumping its postioner — dropping “Boise’s #1 Hit Music Station,” though the line is still all over the station’s imaging.

And since we’re on the pop topic – Kiss hasn’t cut the Clear Channel voicetracker cord just yet. Mid-day talent Monrone has been replaced by her timeslot filler at KZHT/Salt Lake City – “AJ.”

Conservative radio host, author, CNN Headline News anchor and ABC News contributor Glenn Beck will land in Boise to kick off his latest tour.

Beck will hit nine cities in June – including Dallas, Philly, San Antonio — and B-town. The event is set for June 2nd at the Morrison Center. Tix go on sale April 30th.

His show airs mid-days on KIDO/NewsRadio 580. This won’t be his first appearance here – he last played (played??) Boise in December 2005.

In December, I noted an ad for KQXR on the large plasma monitors placed near the entrance to Boise Towne Square.

That ad says “Byl and Doug Mornings, New Rock All Day Long.”

It’s still up – I snapped this pic tonight:

Byl and Doug have not been the X morning show since the summer of 2004.

Sweeper just a few moments ago:
“You’re tuned to the best Magic Morning Show since Bambi & what’s-their-faces!”

Last week, AllAccess reported that the KSAS PD role would be handed to its morning host. But is the Hooker thing just temporary? (And isn’t that what they always say?)

That AA leak appeared to come from Peak.

Today AllAccess reports that Mostly Media Consulting will help Peak with the format it hadn’t planned to keep. This time AA’s information came from Mostly Media.

This from an exclamation-point happy Robert Scorpio at Mostly:

“The first order of business is finding an on-air PD to oversee Kiss and possibly KCIX! So if you are looking to work for a great company in a great city please send resumes and air-checks to rscorpio@mostlymedia.net!”

When was the last time KCIX/Mix 106 had a program director – other than Tobin Jeffries’ divided attention?

“Danny Ryan” is leaving KEGA/Salt Lake City in the dust – returning to Boise and KTMY.

Who is Danny Ryan? He went by Don Jarrett during his last stint in the market – doing afternoons at KIZN. He will fill that same time slot for KTMY/My Country 104.3 – as well as take on the music director role – so says All Access.

If AllAcces is correct – that time slot is currently held by “Shotgun.” It’s unclear where he will land (or if that landing will be on or off KTMY).

Wondering where Peak Broadcasting is getting its infusion of cash – to come from nowhere and pick up two expensive radio groups?

General Electric disclosed that it lent Todd Lawley, et al $68.5 million to purchase a cluster of stations in Fresno, CA from CBS Radio late last year. The Fresno deal closed March 30th.

“(GE’s) Media, Communications & Entertainment group’s knowledge and experience in the broadcasting space is unrivaled, and their financing guidance allowed us to move forward with ease and to focus on transitioning our quality programming, customer-based advertising solutions and new media innovations to the Fresno market,” Lawley said in the GE press release.

The release also notes that GE’s Commercial Finance – Media, Communications and Entertainment arm – will “support” the acquisition of six Boise stations (KFXD, KIDO, KTMY, KSAS, KXLT & KCIX) from Clear Channel.

Filings show the Boise purchase was in the $25 million range.

Peak Broadcasting will banish the “My Country” name on KTMY/My Country 104.3 in coming weeks. Apparently they think the My name is a bit of a dog.

The changes would be the first major moves by Peak Broadcasting since taking over control of the properties still technically owned by Clear Channel on April 1 (though they had hoped to flip KSAS-FM to another format).

Think you can confirm what I think I know? E-mail me.

The first season of WKRP on DVD hits stores April 24th. Some are upset because most of the original music will be missing.

Either way, I can’t wait to see the shows – cut or not.

I first wrote about the magically missing music in 2003. Which just made me realize that I’ve been writing this damn blog for way too long.

You will soon be able to buy ad time on Clear Channel stations nationwide — using a Google service, the companies announced today.