Idaho Radio News Etc.

Impact Radio is looking for a general sales manager…

We are seeking a motivated team leader to take our sales staff to the next level. Your chance to grow and succeed in the nation’s fastest growing city. If you’re passionate about advertising, have great leadership skills love challenges, AND are qualified to lead our sales team -

Send your materials to:

Impact Radio Group
Attn: Randy Hyatt
5660 Franklin Rd. Ste 200
Nampa, ID 83607

or email
hyatt.randy@gmail.com

Sand Hill Media launched a new station – KQPI/Magic 99. The station takes KQPI for calls, and is owned by Chris Devine’s College Creek. Our E. Idaho spy notes that a rumored move to Sand Hill Media may be upcoming.

The station positions as “East Idaho’s Hit Music Station,” and I’m told the format sounds quite a bit like KZDX/99.9 The Buzz in the Magic Valley

The Citadel Broadcasting v. Peak Broadcasting et al case won’t settle on March 10th as first thought. The settlement conference set for March 10th has been pushed back to March 27th. No real reason was given – except to not that both parties agreed to the delay.

Impact Radio’s KTMB/99.1 The Man launched a new website – 991theman.net. The site is still a bit light on content, but has a nice layout – and even an ad!

Boise State Radio already has a wide variety of stations throughout the state – but it just launched its first digital mutlicast station: KBSU HD2. The station plays a 24/7 jazz format – and got off the ground. BSUR dumped “Idaho’s Jazz Station” from AM730 last summer as part of a realignment of its programming. Only people with an HD radio can receive the new station – and right now – there aren’t many who fall into that category. The state-funded KBSU is the first station to launch a digital multicast program in Idaho (that I’m aware of).

The History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation’s monthly meeting is set for February 29th at noon at the Smoky Mountain Pizza on ParkCenter. Art Gregory’s full note after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

Michael R. Schutta will head up the six station GAP West group in Idaho Falls/Pocatello. The group includes KID-FM/96.1 The Bull, KID-AM/NewsRadio 590, KLLP/Star 89.5, KPKY/94 Nine, KPPC/92.1 The Edge and KWIK/NewsRadio 1290.

Schutta was VP for Pittman Broadcasting in Louisiana – before moving west two years ago.

“I’m excited about joining Skip Weller and his team at GAP West as VP/Market Manager for both Idaho Falls and Pocatello. It’s great to be part of a first class organization and I’m looking forward to working with the top notch staff in both markets,” Schutta said in a prepared statement.

Neica Kinney will slide into a new role as general sales manager.

KCID/1490 AM and KGEM/1140 AM both launched websites for the first time. Not much to look at yet, and the sites don’t use the same framework as the FM JBG sites… but it’s a start.

For the past few weeks, a click on the Ticket Chicks link from KTIK.com takes you to a page that says “No web site is configured at this address.”

http://www.theticketchicks.com/

Animal guy Corbin Maxey was in studio with Mike & Kate… and this happened.

KZMG/Magic 93.1’s Hot Nine at Nine hasn’t appeared in several weeks. Why? KSAS is making a strong run at KZMG – and has put a night talent in place that is engaging and entertaining. Magic’s night show has been flat since… oh… about the time Big Boy left. Now it looks like the station killed off its longest running feature (maybe CB or Scooter or Mike or one of other readers can help pinpoint its start… 1993ish?)

Bad move.

Gap Broadcasting II now owns the former Clear Channel Communications clusters in Twin Falls and Idaho Falls – the culmination of a $74 million deal that also included a rash of small market stations in several states.

If you’ve been keeping up with Margo Vaughn’s blog “Road to Recovery,” you’ve been reading a funny, poignant, insightful account of the KTHI/107.1 K-Hits host’s battle with breast cancer.

Here’s a piece of her latest entry:

I’ve been chasing normal for so long, long before my cancer diagnosis, and I have realized now that normal is elusive. It’s not “normal” for someone to get up at 2:45am every week day to go to work. It’s probably not normal to put on insurance and credit forms that your occupation is news and laughter. I’m giving up. I’m going to let myself redefine my normal. I’ve had to since the surgery, I can’t do my normal yoga poses, my arm won’t extend … and for me … now … that’s normal. Appreciate it, enjoy it, savor it, it offers room to grow, room that I perhaps never had before … a method for marking achievement and progress … a small victory.

(I won’t post about any more milestones for at least six months, I promise)

We just hit our 10,000th comment here. That’s a whollllle lotta feedback. You have my thanks – because it’s what you write that makes this blog fun.

CMT Insider’s weekly Hit List feature this week shined the spotlight on KAWO/Wow Country 104.3 – and afternoon guy Tarzan Dan.

KTIK Sports Director J Bates blogged about the big Peak v. Citadel rivalry game held last night at Les Bois over at KTIK.COM.

Peak and Citadel like to do battle. On the airwaves, in the offices of advertisers… and latetly — in court. But tonight, the two radio groups will meet up on the ball field – as they battle it out in the Parks & Rec. adult baseball league.

The game’s tonight at Les Bois at 7:45.

A massive media group fight? Uh-oh. Here comes trouble…

Journal Communications, parent company of Journal Broadcast Group saw profit fall more than 59% in the fourth quarter – well below analyst expectation.

For the period ended Dec. 30, net income slid to $9.5 million, or 15 cents per share, compared with $23.4 million, or 33 cents per share, a year earlier.

A big chunk of the loss came from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The storm may not be over:

The company cautioned that first-quarter publishing revenue will decline due to classified advertising difficulties, partially offset by strong online, commercial printing and commercial distribution performances. Radio and television revenue is expected to fall slightly during the quarter.

The stock is getting pounded on Wall Street today. Here’s a live quote:

In Idaho, Journal owns KTHI, KRVB, KJOT, KQXR, KGEM, KCID, KIVI-TV and KSAW-TV.

Multiple sources confirm to Idaho Radio News that Dave Tester is no longer CEO of the Tester Broadcast Group. Tester did not have an ownership stake in the company – instead, he was CEO and FM Idaho/Locally Owned Radio borrowed his name for the company’s brand. Tester has been replaced by Randy Hyatt according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. A call made for the “day job” today seeking comment was not returned.

Dave Tester was arrested last Thursday in his Meridian home on charges of battery in the presence of children. He was arraigned in Ada County court on the charges Friday afternoon – then released from jail. More here.

The group of stations, which includes KSRV/96.1 Bob FM, KTMB/99.1 The Man, KMHI/Hank FM, KSRV-AM and KAYN/100.7 The Boomer has been rebranded “Impact Radio” – the same name used by the company during its last run at the Boise market, before selling to Horizon Broadcast Group (then buying all the stations back).

Editor’s note: Comments will remain closed on this entry. I’m very reluctantly reversing course on the stated policy to not post crimes committed by members of the Idaho radio community for this one instance only. It now affects his employees – and telling the story without the “why” behind it is not possible. Questions? Comments? idahoradio@gmail.com

Found on YouTube – this spot from 1984 for KWIK:

Here’s an interesting item from the now-departed Clear Channel Communications: the company plans to take its national ad sales in house. Instead of using a third-party firm to aggregate buys from national advertisers, the company plans to beef up its “marketing services” staff – by a stunning 50% – to cut out the middle man. Katz Media Group currently reps Clear Channel – but will lose the client.

And yes, Clear Channel is still a public company. CC is waiting for the Department of Justice to approve its plan to go private. CC shed the Boise market from its portfolio last March – and let the Twin Falls and IF/Poky clusters last fall.

The announcement is set for this Wednesday 9 a.m. MST. You can listen in on the conference call with investors right over here.

I’m trying to confirm a “big story” – but nailing down the details is proving tough. If you know something that fits this description, e-mail me. For clarity, I’m not talking about anything mentioned in the mainstream media in recent days.

KRVB/Idaho’s 94.9 The River have launched a new series of TV ads. The spots feature key phrases that describe the river over a bed of songs heard. The phrases slowly morph into 94.9 THE RIVER.

The new promos do not feature the station’s logo – and actually stand apart from the clutter a bit.