Idaho Radio News Etc.

After two months of break-neck, everyday, intense i-can’t-keep-up news… it’s quiet.

If you’ve got a lead on a story, or know of something I should check out e-mail me.

Salt Lake’s second longest-running morning show has been axed.

Clear Channel-owned KODJ dumped “Dickie and Angel” from the superhits station. The married pair spent twelve years on air together, according to the Deseret Morning News.

Former Boise Clear Channel operations manager Jeff Cochran took that same position with CC in Salt Lake back in March.

(Thanks, Ben!)

KXLT/107.9 Lite FM has reworked its imaging, logo and song selection.

The station grabbed John Pleisse to do voice work. Pleisse used to voice Lite’s sister KCIX/K-106 during its run as a (very hot) hot AC in the late 90s. (At least this time he won’t have to avoid saying K-K-K one-oh six-six-six).

The station smashed the lite bulb on its old logo, changed the blue color to red, adjusted the font and add a comet trail of sorts. The logo is already on the van and website.

OLD:

NEW:

KXLT also has new TV spots. The first song snippet out of the gate? “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt. Peak purchased a heavy schedule for the spots, so now not only do we get to hear that song every 9 seconds on any of five or six radio stations, but it’s in every other TV commercial break. You have to feel sorry for Blunt though… he’s probably the only person on earth that has heard the song more than WE HAVE.

(I’m really emptying the Lite notebook here…) I’ve also noticed that several Mike & Kate promos on KCIX/Mix 106 still feature Lite morning co-host Claire Day. Day used to do traffic for Mix – and I’ve heard Greg Williamson doing those drops of late… but is Claire still dropping by the Mix studio, or is Mix running old promos?

So the scanner in our newsroom picks up random radio marti signals from time to time. We hear snippets of Boise Traffic drops, etc.

Today, KZMG/Magic 93.1 was broadcasting its morning show live from Guitar Center right down the street.

Since the signal usually just cuts in and out, we only get short snippets. This out-of-context line from Shamus had everyone laughing just after 8:30 today:

“How do you button your pants? I said ‘you put the button in your hole!’”

KKGL/96.9 The Eagle has removed its boobs.

Here’s the story and pic from KTVB.COM

The FCC has approved the acquisition of six Boise radio stations by Peak Broadcasting. “Peak Broadcasting of Boise Licenses LLC” will take the stations from “Citicasters Licenses L. P.” subject to the posting of a legal notice.

The deal includes KCIX/Mix 106, KFXD/Classic Country 630, KIDO/NewsRadio 580, KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM and KXLT/107.9 Lite FM.

Now that the FCC has issued its decree, Peak and CC have 90 days to um… consummate… the transaction

Peak Broadcasting’s new team has been quietly working away on the relaunch of KTMY/My Country 104.3 for the past few weeks. As I first reported last month, Peak will rework just about everything on the low-rated station. Jingles, talent, morning show, even the name: Wow Country 104.3.

The station hired former KIZN afternoon jock Don Jarrett from SLC to do the afternoon/MD gig at KTMY, and will move “Shotgun” to mid-days. Nights and mornings will also feature local talent (currently syndicated programming is in place) – with “Panama Jack” in the morning, and “Brian the Bird” at night.

I’m also told an interesting little gimmick is on tap regarding song identification…

Now we’re just waiting for launch.

RELATED: Peak has secured the trademark in Idaho to “Wow Country.”

The Clear Channel going-private deal still affects a lot of folks around here – since many CC Boise employees have 401(k) plans that are wrapped around CCU stock.

Reuters reports that the vote isn’t looking so hot – and that some moves by Clear Channel’s board have a few investors none too pleased.

(Off topic) Last week, Jill Kuraitis wrote a pretty scathing piece about the Idaho Statesman on the New West blog. Top reporters Dan Popkey and Rocky Barker shot back on the blog. Then Shea Anderson at the Boise Weekly blogged about it… followed by a blog post from the Idaho Business Review (which is how I learned of the scrum).

Bottom line: Kuraitis says some Statesman staffers are living below the poverty line, while Popkey and Barker says they are not. It’s hard to say who is right – though as we all know, media salaries in Boise are often on the low end. Dive in here.

RELATED: The Weekly writes about the Statesman’s lawsuit against the Idaho Business Review.

We’ve just got media on media reporting all over the place.

Here are the winners of the 2006 Idaho Press Club awards, handed out at the Owyhee Plaza in Boise Saturday night.

(Click below for the full list)
Read the rest of this entry »

It’s no secret that FCC filings make my head spin. I just revisted good old docket 06-72 – a complicated set of proposals that would require KQFC to move to 102.7 FM, and KSAS to to 103.5. The moves would allow a new FM licensed to Melba at 97.5 FM.

In October, the FCC ordered Citadel to show why it could not move KQFC to 102.7, and separately ordered Clear Channel to do the same for KSAS.

Citadel’s response came in December. The company said it “agrees to have KQFC’s channel changed to 274C.” The company agreed to move KQFC is the commission tells it to.

I can’t find a notice from Clear Channel, and am not sure where this goes next – so if someone has insight, chime in.

Our friend Oldtimer has some information and analysis on FCC rulemaking:

On April 20th the FCC issued an Order to Show Cause to KBYI-FM, licensed to BYU-Idaho on channel 263 (100.5), as to why they should not be required to move to channel 232 as proposed by Logan UT based Sand Hill Media as part of docket 05-243.

This all came about when Sand Hill filed a counter-proposal to docket 05-243. Sand Hill’s proposal was to allot channel 262 to Lima MT thus creating a short-spacing to KBYI in Rexburg. In order to eliminate the short spacing and thus allow the first local service to be granted at Lima, Sand Hill graciously (he says that in a comical tone) suggested that they would swap 232 (currently KSNA 94.3’s channel) for KBYI’s channel 263 (100.5) while reallocating 263 to Idaho Falls as its new city of license and back filling Rexburg with channel 256. Channel 256 happens to be where heritage KUPI operates so it seems KUPI could move to 100.5 and remain licensed to Idaho Falls while its sister station KSNA remains licensed to Rexburg but moves to the 99.1 frequency. OOOOORRRRRR…KUPI remains at 99.1 but changes its city of license to Rexburg while KSNA moves to 100.5 as an Idaho Falls licensed station. Funny thing…either way KSNA/Sand Hill gets a C1 signal capable of reaching Pocatello & Blackfoot.

Here’s another “cog”…maybe the recent call letter request for College Creek’s Aberdeen FM construction permit on channel 258 (99.5) will be a simulcast of KUPI from 99.1? The call letters requested & granted are KQPI. So we have KUPI-99.1 serving Idaho Falls/Rexburg while KQPI-99.5 serves Pocatello & Blackfoot. So is Sand Hill about to purchase College Creek’s Aberdeen licensed channel too?

However you look at it, very cleaver & creative engineering on Sand Hill’s part. Unfortunately KBYI doesn’t want to move but I doubt whatever their argument may be, that it will “trump” first local service at Lima.

Part of this same 05/423 docket has several stations in Utah moving around which also impacts KZBQ in Pocatello. Idaho Wireless (Paul Anderson), licensee of KZBQ, has also been issued an Order to Show Cause why KZBQ should not move to channel 230 from channel 229. Apparently Idaho Wireless is not willing to move given the traditional incentive of being reimbursed “for the reasonable costs incurred” so the FCC is asking Idaho Wireless to tell them why not. Both Idaho Wireless & BYU-Idaho have until May 21 to respond.

Tester Broadcasting may have beaten Peak Broadcasting to the Bob punch by launching KSRV/96.1 Bob FM days before PB planned to do the same, but Peak does have one piece of the Bob pie.

The Idaho Secretary of State recognizes Peak’s ownership of the oral trademark “Bob FM” in the state. Peak and applicant Kevin Godwin filed for the mark on March 28th, which the SOS lists as “Active.” KSRV launched Bob on March 30th.

Here’s a funny blast from the past: Citadel Broadcasting still owns the trademark to “Steve & Steph” and “Shannon and Kelly.” You’ll remember that Steve Shannon and Stephanie Kelly packed up their KZMG/Magic 93.1 morning show act and rolled up the dial to Jacor’s KCIX/K-106 (after sitting out a four month non compete).

Former KZMG program director Mike Kasper and the Citadel bosses huddled together and came up with a plan: trademark elements of the show. Along with the names, the station bought the trademark to some of the show’s elements: “Tabloid Tuesday,” “Claude Knobler’s Hollywood Report,” and .

This story is rife with irony. KZMG put jocks on the air with the aliases “Stephanie Kelly” and “Steve Shannon” in the days leading up to the KCIX show launch. The “Steve Shannon” doppelgänger on KZMG was actually Shannon Ellis… who later ended up doing nights at KCIX.

Several years later, the mastermind of the trademark fun – Mike Kasper – left KZMG’s morning show to take over the morning show timeslot at… KCIX. And Steve Shannon? He went BACK to Citadel, doing afternoons on KIZN.

Citadel’s trademarks are in effect and active until early 2008.

Here’s ol’ Deeds’ take on KKGL’s bibard fun:

Forget Bob and Tom. The biggest boob is whoever made the decision at 96.9 FM “The Eagle” to tear down those silly billboards so soon.

There’s no such thing as bad publicity in radio. (Unless someone dies.) And since the target demographic of “The Eagle” is males — whom I suspect did very little of the complaining — why not just leave up the buxom banners?

You know, milk the publicity?

Bob and Tom could have played the funniest soccer-mom complaints on the radio.

At least we know what makes for big news in Boise. (And, embarrassingly enough, beyond. National media picked up the story.)

I just ran across Peak Broadcasting’s logo for the first time… and thought I’d share. Don’t get too excited.

Our boob story made CNN.com

From this cheesy blog… to the real media… to CNN in one week flat. Woot.

(Thanks, Oldtimer… and others)

UPDATE:As of 1pm, the video is the MOST VIEWED on CNN.com. Incredible.

UPDATE 2: I just had a chance to watch the video – and I wanted to note that they used the version from KBCI.

…shocker.

UPDATE: Here’s the story

I just noticed this in a Tucson Weekly profile of Peak Broadcasting CEO Todd Lawley from late last year

(Lawley) was instrumental in wresting the UA sports package away from long-time radio home KNST AM 790, to the tune of $1 million a year.

Lawley has already made rumblings that he’d like his stations to be the home of Bronco Sports when the current deal with KBOI/Citadel ends.

Hear that?

That… sound?

It’s the sound of the rumor mill buzzing.

Everyone wants to know… is it true?

Are the old conflicts settled?

Will a familiar sound be back in front of the mic?

Will it return to its old home… or somewhere else… close by?

The TV media buys are everywhere this book…

KXLT/107.9 Lite FM is running a heavy schedule – I’ve seen spots on KTVB all day today.

KTHI/107.1 K-Hits and KJOT/J-105 have both purchased time on KTVB and CableOne. The spots are also running on sister-station KIVI. K-Hits has a new package of ads, updated from the last book. J-105 has a somewhat amusing series of “It’s all about the rock” ads… I’m hoping to capture one and throw it on YouTube one of these days.

I’ve also been told that KSRV/96.1 Bob FM is running a TV spot… though I haven’t seen it.

Woo. I’m like… so Internet 1998…

Remember when KKGL tried to gin up publicity through its listeners last fall?

Well, its done a much better job of getting attention this time around, but it had to place an expensive outdoor ad buy to make it happen.

So far the “boob” story has appeared on KIVI-TV, KBCI-TV, in the Idaho Statesman and the Idaho Press-Tribune.

Watch the KBCI video here (they accidentally fonted KKGL program director Scott Souhrada as “upset over billboard”).

Interestingly, the Idaho Press-Tribune did not show the “full frontal” if you will. This morning’s paper just showed the “Two Boobs in the morning” sidepanel, but not the shirt itself. (I can’t find the IPT story online).