Idaho Radio News Etc.

This Monday and Tuesday at noon and 7pm, KTHI/107.1 K-Hits will do something unique these days: present a radio play. The station will present A Christmas Carol, featuring members of Journal Brodcast Group filling each of the starring roles.

Tracy Mitchell and Margo Vaughn narrate the play – with KJ Mac as Mister Scrooge, Carl “CB” Ballance as Jacob Marley, Barry Lewis as Fred and KJOT/J-105’s Kristine Simone as the solicitor. Brian Rodgers (production director), Rockwell Smith (our “own” RDS) and Rick Kemp (JBG chief engineer) fill the roles of the three ghosts. Boise Traffic’s Susie Black pulls double duty as Belle and Martha. JBG Boise GM Bob Rosenthal appears as “Mr. Rosenthal” – KRVB/94.9 The River’s Tim Johnstone is (who else) Tiny Tim – and The River’s Rochelle Smith plays Peg. Sabra Brue (sales), Sandy Anderson and young Damian Mac round out the cast.

The group gathered in a Plaza Seven conference room earlier this month to perform the play, and Brian Rodgers produced the event. JBG even scored a sponsor – Paul’s Market – making this bit of good radio a commercial success as well.

Citadel has let go two of its on air staff in recent days. KKGL night guy Jason Drew and KZMG morning host Valentine are no longer with the company. Val was the longest serving member of the Magic staff – and will be replaced by Dan Tooker in early 2008. Valentine shifted to AM drive after Citadel let Brad and Tara go earlier this fall.

It’ll be interesting to see if the change at KKGL signals less of a commitment by Citadel to have jocks live in the evening.

Here’s a look at what Boise-area stations are doing to help the community this year. The Idaho State Broadcasters Association notes that in 2005 (the most recent year available), Idaho radio stations took in $2.1 in fundraising donations (along with $20 million in PSA value).

KTSY – The station is holding a Christmas concert at the Nampa Civic Center on December 19th, featuring local artists. Admission is a new, unwrapped toy which will go to Nampa’s Salvation Army. Details

KIZN – The annual Keep Kids Warm event is taking several approaches to help pay for heating costs for area families. Schools are competing to raise funds – with the school that raises the most getting a concert with American Idol star Bucky Covington. The station is also teaming with Intermountain Gas, to make it easy for folks to add money to their bill to donate to those in need. The station will also host an on-air auction that will start December 17th. Last year, Keep Kids Warm raised $50,000. Details

KZMG – Magic 93.1 is taking part in Christmas in the Nighttime Sky (see KBOI)

KRVB – The River’s annual Concert for Cause was held Wednesday night, and featured an all-local bill headed by Curtis Stigers. The event moved to the Morrison Center and benefited the new Interfaith Sanctuary. Details. KRVB is also joining other Journal stations, KIVI, KTVB, KBCI and others in collecting toys for Toys for Tots.

KKGL – 96.9 The Eagle is helping collect gifts for children at the Idaho Youth Ranch. Details

KQFC – All this week, 97.9 KQFC’s Q Wakin’ Crew is helping collect donations for five families. Morning co-host Debi is on location at Wal-Mart and Albertsons locations around the Valley helping collect items for the families selected. Details

KWEI – The Spanish AM/FM combo is helping collect needed items for the Ronald McDonald House. The House – located near St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital – gives families of sick kids a place to stay. Details

KQXR – The X is helping collect Toys for Tots.

KSAS – Hooker in the Morning is taking Christmas wishes during the morning show and helping to fill the needs for a variety of listeners.

KAWO – WOW Country 104.3 is taking suggestions for folks who should get a free Christmas tree this holiday. Details. Also, the station is in the midst of its St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital drive.

KJOT – J-105 is helping collect Toys for Tots.

KCIX – Mix 106 is featuring twelve cute puppies and 12 kittens in need of a home for its “12 Strays of Christmas” promotion. Each of the animals is from the Canyon County Animal Shelter – and two of the ten animals featured so far have found a new home. Details

KTHI – 107.1 K-Hits is helping collect Toys for Tots.

KXLT – 107.9 Lite FM continues a tradition started long ago by KCIX/K-106 with the Home Federal Christmas Wish. Folks can stop into any Home Federal location, nominate a deserving family for a variety of needs – and Home Federal and KXLT will work to fill wishes each day through the holidays. Details

KBOI – KBOI is teaming up with several other Citadel stations for Christmas in the Nighttime Sky. The station is taking toy donations for Toys for Tots during the event this Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in Garden City. The event will feature a fireworks show, hot foods for sale and more. Santa Claus will be on hand – and donations will go to the American Heart Association.

KTIK – KTIK is taking part in Christmas in the Nighttime Sky (see KBOI).

Others? Let me know…

KZDX/99.9 The Buzz held its first Christmas Party — this last Sunday at Nazzkart in Twin Falls. The event doled out 700 presents, 300 meals and a raft of activities for more than 300 children in need from throughout the Magic Valley.

The kids didn’t just get any meal – but a steak feast from Outback Steakhouse – plus a visit with Santa Claus and more. The kids also got goodies bags – and a case of frozen spuds for their family.

“Most of the gifts were purchased with donations made to the event,” said 99.9 The Buzz Program Director Broc Johnson. “Through our fund drives on and off the air, we’ve experienced overwhelming support from our Magic Valley residents and businesses – it makes me proud to live in, work in, and be a part of this community.”

Sending out a radio-related news release? Make sure to add idahoradio@gmail.com to your list.

Former KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM program director and afternoon talent Aaron Traylor will soon reappear in the Treasure Valley. KZMG/Magic 93.1 is sponsoring a series of appearances by the Tallest DJ in America at China Blue – starting with an event this month centering around Christmas. Traylor will bring his talents back to Boise once a month – while continuing as program director of KENR/Energy 107.5 in Missoula.

FYI – People making their first comment on this site will not have that comment appear to the public. YOU may see your comment in the thread – but no one else does. So if you post something inane or libelous or stupid, and I don’t approve it… no one ever sees it.

KZMG/Magic 93.1 is flushing its short-lived Music Mornings show with Valentine for a new show featuring Dan Tooker. Yes… Tooker in the Morning. It rhymes with Hooker in the morning.

Anyway — Tooker comes to Magic after leaving country station KFDI/Witchita, KS earlier this year. Tooker won the Personality of the Year in a Medium Market prize at the Country Music Awards this year — several months after KFDI declined to renew Tooker’s contract. KFDI is a Journal Broadcast Group station.

Tooker has a wife and 5-year-old child. He’s worked at KKDM/Des Moines, KFRX/Lincoln, KLYV/Dubuque, WIBC/Indianapolis, KHKI/Des Moines, KJYO/Oklahoma City, KTOK/Oklahoma City, KMLE/Phoenix, WYCT/Pensacola – and KFDI.

Here’s the demo reel.

I’m told both Bike & Skate in the morning and Ben Kass and John Timstone were unavailable.

After a day of closed-door meetings, KAWO/Wow Country 104.3 and morning man Panama Jack are parting ways, Idaho Radio News has learned. This is the second staff change on the KAWO morning show in the past two weeks – producer Brian Bird was cut from the Peak roster in November. The change is effective immediately.

Jack joined Peak Broadcasting this spring to head up Wow’s morning effort. He was hired when the former My Country 104.3 was rebranded and reworked as Wow Country just after Peak took over the frequency from Clear Channel Communications.

For now, Jack will be replaced in the morning drive by “The Outlaw” Don Jarrett, who will leave his afternoon post to take the early wake up call. He will team with Jack’s former partner Amber Lee.

Tarzan Dan will slide from mid-days to afternoons to cover the gap.

This is the fourth on-air cut at Peak Broadcasting in the last 14 days.

Last month, I featured the outstanding work of Peak Broadcasting’s Robin Scott. I planned to make this a monthly feature – and ironically, was set to feature Peak’s Greg Williamson this month.

I want to know who you think is the best person working in Idaho radio, and why. Content, programming, sales, administration – they are all fair game — and in all markets. Instead of doing this in the comment thread, please send me an e-mail at idahoradio@gmail.com. I’ll try to feature several of these before Christmas, then again after the first of the year.

Please tell me who you think deserves recognition – and why. The why is key: I need to know what they do that’s so great.

Take 60 seconds and nominate someone. It’s easy. And I won’t include YOUR name, unless you expressly tell me it is OK.

Another great media-related piece from the Boise Weekly, as Amy Atkins has a Q&A with Boise State Radio’s University Pulse General Manager Jeremy Miller. Miller talks about the way the service is funded (from a $2 fee that every student pays), how it started – and what’s in store for the future. UP plays for 12 hours each Sun day over-the-air on KBSU/730 AM and via a 24/7 Internet stream. All the programs are pre-recorded according to Miller, with the exception of one Tuesday night live show. Also, BSR’s program stream is played at all times in the Student Union Building and Rec Center on campus.

The latest filing in the Citadel v. Peak lawsuit brought earlier this year show signs that the two sides will settle – but a judge isn’t letting the two parties drag their collective feet.

In a joint filing, attorneys for both sides said “the parties continue to engage in settlement discussions and appear to have made progress towards reaching an amicable settlement of this case. The extension of deadlines requested will facilitate those continued discussions and will allow the parties and the Court to avoid the costs and expenses…”

The two radio companies already were granted a delay of the court calendar (including the discovery process) – and asked for another postponement Thursday. Yestrerday, Judge Larry M. Boyle ruled that no such delay would be granted.

The Court does not find good cause to extend these deadlines further based solely upon the parties’ interest in pursuing settlement negotiations. Such settlement discussions can take place as the parties continue to move the case forward.

The Citadel & Peak lawyers wanted to begin discovery with disclosure of Citadel’s expert witnesses on February 1. Since that request has been denied, the earlier schedule will stay in place – giving Citadel until yesterday, November 30th (yes, yesterday) to disclose its slate of witnesses.

We’ll keep watching.

The Idaho Daily Statesman is in a world of hurt. With its parent company losing big bucks due to the collapse of classified advertising, one of its top editors is taking heat for saying the University of Idaho should be bombed. Yikes.

The Boise Weekly picked up an earlier report from a Spokesman Review blog that had Mike Prater saying this of the UI on KTIK/ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK The Ticket (there’s your radio tie) last month:

They’re a horrible team, they’re a horrible program. the fans are horrible. The athletic director’s horrible, the president’s horrible. Everybody and everything associated with that program is horrible. They should take a bomb and blow it up and start all over again.

Here’s the audio.

The Weekly’s Shea Andersen also has a dynamite piece on the problems facing the Statesman and other newspapers in our state.

The paper’s owner, McClatchy lost $1.3 billion bucks in the most recent quarter. This is McClatchy’s two year stock chart:

Statesman editor Vicki Gowler: “this is the most challenging time I’ve seen as an editor.”

Boise Weekly: “Gowler said her paper’s circulation is either flat or up only slightly, depending on the edition.”

New Audit Bureau of Circulations figures that hit the street last month show that – despite an increase in population and big efforts by the paper to prop up circulation numbers… fewer and fewer people are getting the paper.

ABC numbers in June of 2006 show the Statesman selling 65,124 copies (link). The latest figure? 61,473 as of September 2007 – a decrease of six percent (link). Not surprisingly, the paper is still quoting the old numbers in its online customer service section.

For reference, Gowler told BW that the Statesman’s circulation is up or flat, depending on the edition. The Sunday edition also lost ground, 86,434 to 83,038.

The Statesman employs some fantastic, hard-working people – truly. I know several of them, and most of them even know how beleaguered their employer is.

UPDATE: Changed the headline from “Prater says UI should be bombed on KTIK” to “Prater says on KTIK that UI should be bombed” … for obvious reasons.