Idaho Radio News Etc.

The Idaho Statesman’s weekly tabloid “Thrive” is dead. I’ve been working to confirm this for the last several days – but the folks at the Boise Weekly have the scoop. Last issue is tomorrow. Shockingly, the Statesman folks wouldn’t talk to them. Scene Magazine will replace the product in the ugly green boxes around town.

Update: Last week, the paper shrunk (in case you didn’t notice). This is being pitched as a positive – and may very well be. Another redesign also kicked in (at least the third since April, 2005). This is the second time the Statesman has decreased the size of its news pages in recent years. The paper also dumped USA Weekend in favor of Parade Magazine.

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM isn’t giving away a bunch of trips to Hawaii. Its giving away ONE trip to Hawaii.

All of a sudden, the station is making references to “picking a winner Monday morning with Hooker in the Morning.” But they are also using phrases like “get your pre-boarding pass.” This weekend is being described as your last chance to “get in to see Gwen.” The “Hooker picks a winner” theme just started – now that the contest is almost over

Last week, I heard a winner — very excited say “I WON!” – then, to her mother nearby “MOM! I just won a trip to Hawaii!” Well, no you didn’t miss. What you won is a very small chance of going to Hawaii. Did the DJ dispel that myth with the caller? Not on the air.

The contest has been carefully constructed in a way that deceives the audience. KZMG/Magic 93.1 is also conducting a flyaway contest – but every mention has been very clear that they are just picking up qualifiers. (In fact, I thought their contest was lame because it was only one trip, while KSAS was giving away a ton. Well, KZMG is being straight with its audience, while KSAS is not).

Now that the book (and a week of recall) are over – the station is finally sprinkling in the truth.

(Thanks, Dave)

The FCC officially recognized the license transfer from Clear Channel to Peak Broadcasting yesterday. The company now owns KSAS/Caldwell, KTMY/Boise, KFXD/Boise, KIDO/Nampa, KCIX/Garden City and KXLT/Eagle. Peak also owns a cluster of stations in Fresno, CA.

KTMY/WOW Country 104.3 has already made a line-up change – shuffling “Brian the Bird” off his nightside perch. Robin Scott will take his timeslot for now (Robin used to fill the midday shift when the station went by “My Country.”) Brian will now produce the morning show along side Panama Jack and Amber.

In a related note: KXLT/107.9 Lite FM afternoon host Micky Fox is no longer a Peak employee – she’s been replaced by a voicetracked Greg Williamson (who will continue to do traffic in the morning). (And no, I don’t think Peak’s a hen house… i’m just a sucker for a pun).

Shocker.

Hello Boise. I am back in Austin.
Special thanks to Alex C, Melissa W, Gina, Troy, Trudy, Coleen,
Kevin and Ginger Kirk, Dodie, Paul, Karl, Mary, Brad, Davis, Michaela, Richard, Linda L, Marla, Michael Z, David, Garnett, Debbie, Alex, Gary Bowman and your crew; you all made Victor’s memorial truly memorable.
Thank you to all who offered your condolences and shared your memories of Victor.
Thank you too, IDAHO RADIO, for this site.

KCIX/Mix 106 morning co-host Kate McGwire is popping up on TV screens around the Valley lately – in a new PSA for the Idaho Transportation Department. Kate is seen chatting with a guy at a local bar — she’s jabbering away while her male companion stares at his beer and doesn’t seem to be paying attention. The voiceover intones “So, how do you know when you are over the limit? Most people that get a DUI didn’t think they were ‘over the limit.’ What makes you think you’re not. If you’ve been drinking and driving and cause an accident where people are injured are killed, is that when you realize you’re over the limit.”

Lots of movement at KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM these days. New talent Keke Love and Lucky the DJ (formerly Dick on the Radio) are helming afternoons and nights. The station is also giving away a trip to Hawaii… oh wait — make that DOZENS of trips to Hawaii. I’ve personally heard at least twenty winners – and I (really) don’t listen that much (I heard ten given away in a row last week). The trip includes airfare, hotel and tickets to see Gwen Stefani in concert. It’s creating a lot of buzz…

The Idaho Statesman went to war with business paper Idaho Business Review over a sometimes little-noticed part of the local paper: legal notices. The Statesman sued the Business Review, in effect saying that the law only allows the Statesman to provide legal notices. The IBR disagreed, and fought back.

A judge sided with the Statesman, saying that ads have to appear in the newspaper with the “largest circulation.” IBR says it informed advertisers that the notice must appear in the Statesman — but that some customers also want to have them in the IBR. Welllll… the Statesman doesn’t like that idea so much – and filed a contempt of court motion against IBR trying to stop the paper from running any legal notice whatsoever.

Here’s the crux: legal notices make the Statesman a lot of money. Tons. Having IBR run notices take away potential revenue that the Statesman feels should it be its own. Revenue pressure is large at the paper – with price destruction from a number of free classifieds outlets cutting off a major money funnel. They found a legal argument that they think protects some the legal notice revenue – since they can’t really stop craigslist (or others…)

Those moxie-filled folks at the IBR today noted on their blog that Goldman Sachs recommended selling Statesman-owner McClatchy’s stock.

Oregon Senate Bill 248 would end the practice of non-compete agreements in employment contracts across the state. The measure passed the full house and senate – even after an attempt by broadcasting companies to exempt their employees from the proposed law. That attempt was blocked in large part by the efforts of Sen. Rick Metsger, a former radio station owner. “Management has required non-competes for even low level radio announcers
and that is unacceptable. To say to someone we don’t want you to work for us anymore and we don’t want you to work for anyone else either is totally wrong”, Metsger said in a prepared statement. If an employer still feels they need to have a non-compete agreement — they can, but must pay the employee a minimum 50% of their salary for up to two years after termination. The bill is now on Oregon Governor’s Ted Kulongoski’s desk for final consideration.

Ummm… the “local newspaper” has released its annual survey for “Best of Treasure Valley.”

The online poll seems to be… well — screwed up:

Cackle cackle.

(Notice that they dropped the best website category? I guess when you get beat by the competition in your own poll… you just give up)

UPDATE: This is nice. Now you are just presented with an option to write in your vote (no multiple choice).

The X crew put together a little farewell song to program director Mat Diablo, as he exits KQXR/100.3 The X for a job with Slacker.com in SoCal.

Here’s the MP3 (that’s night guy Josh on vocals… and Big J on… um… background yelling):

Mat Diablo farewell

Update: Idaho Statesman photo editor “Kim” was nice enough to ask for removal of the Pete & Joe pic from the site. I’m more than happy to oblige. It’s good to know the newspaper kids are watching this website as closely as the other one I’m involved in…

Pete and Joe from KJOT/J-105 run the Main St. Mile Saturday in Boise. Here’s the sorta confusing caption from the newspaper (which I’m sure you can top):

Joe Weber (right) carried two 30-packs of beer for a mile as a challenge to Pete Stauffer (left), in order to compensate for Weber’s better conditioning. When it was clear that Stauffer would win, he slowed down and ran with Weber and, in the end, let him win during the Main Street Mile. The two are morning DJs on the J105 radio station.