Did Magic throw ice water on the Hot 9?
Don Day | February 14, 2008
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.
Didn’t Real Deal Mike Neil do that in 1992 when Magic took on KF95? Evan was doing a High 5 at 9 on KF at the time.
Personally, I like to believe that Magic’s night program went downhill right after I left, but I’m an egotistical prick.
I was going to say at least since I was 5, so 1988 at least. But then I remembered that was KF95. Oh the days of voting for White Snake.
yeah ian…it never recovered…no more “animal namded” night guys…such a shame on Bannock… ;)
“Didn’t Real Deal Mike Neil do that in 1992 when Magic took on KF95? Evan was doing a High 5 at 9 on KF at the time.” What ever happened to Evan the Hit Man anyway? Last time I heard, he was in the Carolinas. BTW, The Hot 9 at 9 may have started in 92. However, untill several weeks ago, Magic 93.1 hasw always been carying a top nine countdown. I remember back when Magic first changed from country to an AC format they just called The Top 9. BTW, Does KQFC still do their top 8 at 8? I will talk to you all later.
Ian’s right…
Actually… if memory serves, we did the “Top 8 at 8″ at KIYS-FM.
And my memory is a bit creaky (I was 12 in 1993), but I think KFXD’s countdown was the “Top Five at Nine.”
How long has it been since we mentioned Evan MC/The Hitman’s little stunt here? Leaving KF95 mid-shift, driving to Boise phoning in live to KZMG/Magic 93 and leaving KF95 in dead air (and allegedly stealing some stuff in the process).
Just for “gee whiz” file, Al Jackson did a “Top 8 at 8″ type feature when he was at KQFC back in the days when he, K.J., and Dave Burnett were there.
nothing’ll ever be better than the ol “none at one” feature from the early days at K106.
I kid, of course.
Ah yes… Evan the hitman. The day AFTER that stunt, we were all waiting for him to arrive for a staff meeting at Magic to introduce him to the staff. When he didn’t show on time, I called him at home. He answered but said he couldn’t talk because the police were there! DOH! The only “stolen” property turned out to be some Gun’s & Roses CD’s that he forgot were in his car. Back then we’d generally try to keep some give away stuff with us at all times in case we caught someone with our sticker on their car, which is why he had them. The Magic vs. KF95 battle was pretty heavy back then so we were always trying to connect with listeners. Evan never intended to steal anything… but the media coverage was priceless! Thanks for taking the hit, “Hitman”.
Don, I’m pretty sure KF’s countdown was the High Five at Nine. I may have a copy of the jingle packed we used then, so I’ll try to find it and give it a listen because I think we had a “shout” for it. Speaking of jingles… I think it’d be cool to post the old jingle packages on the site if people have them and would want to share them.
If people share them (idahoradio@gmail.com) I’ll post them.
When I was Manager of 103.3, KHEZ from 1990-1992, my son Mike used to ask us to play Magic 93.1 in the car. We did, and I remember hearing the “Real Deal Mike Neil” doing the Hot 9 at 9 and playing “Baby’s Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot. I heard the entire song from start to finsh today on 103.3 (kinda ironic huh?) including the spoken intro by the Valley Girl chick saying “Ohh-My God. Look at her Butt….it’s so…big!” I liked the song then, and enjoyed hearing it today! And it reminded me of Mike Neil’s show, which was damn good in my opinion. “Hot 93.1″ taking on KF-95 was a bold move…but that’s what CHR is all about…being the “new” hip station, just as KF-95 was when they first took on (and beat) KBBK-FM in 1983 or so.
KBBK soon got sold, switched formats, and had a brief try at Progressive before being taken back, then sold again and finally changing calls to KIYS. Ironically, in the late 70s and 80s, KBBK was known as “Magic 92″ when Don Kelly took over in 1978. Casey Keating was morning man, Bob Lee was mid-days, Don Kelly did PM Drive, and yes Jack Armstrong did 7-midnight and was damn good! Bob Anthony hung out there and WANTED a job in radio! I was GM of KWZ which was KBBK’s evil FM competition. And yes, I have many of the KWZ jingles and promos (featuring Ken Nordine) which will be on the web very soon!
I formed the History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation to settle these kinds of arguments and to post jingle packages, promos, video clips, etc. on the web for all to see, and hear! Many people had this idea too, so it was not original at all. I just got tired of hearing everyone say we needed to do this but never did it, so I finally did it, and at my own expense. I am asking for no praise for this, just help and cooperation, and I have to say most folks have been wonderful and are really coming through for us! You would not believe what we have collected!
What little “dues” money we take in helps pay for what we do, but as Mrs. Gregory can attest, our family is paying the bills, including the hosting fees for the web site since 2006. The newsletter has been mostly covered by dues, and since we are an Idaho Corporation, we have to pay legal costs, taxes filing fees, etc. Doing anything “legit” is not free, but we are all volunteers, and no one gets paid anything.
Rocky is now the Webmaster (thank you Rockwell!)and finally has the shell of our website complete. The site is like is like a giant building with a shelf for every radio and television station in the state; but the shelves are bare – they just need to be filled! And fill them we will…
I have personally collected a ton of old radio and TV stuff dating back to 1965 or so (I got my FCC Licenses in 66 at age 14!) as well as stuff (tapes, pictures, etc) from the various rock bands I was in from 66-73. We will have place for bands and rock groups that played on (or were promoted by)Idaho radio and television. In the 70s I started collecting jingle packages (KSPD, KIDO, etc) and have quite a few, and then about 25 years ago I started collecting old equipment including 3 old Gates control boards. We also own the old KBSU KIZN-AM, KYME transmitter.
I have the first Gates “Yard” Control Board that I first learned on in 1965 at KEST, and yes it’s the same one Dave Arthur used at KSPD in the 80s.
While it’s cool to have this stuff in your own home, my plan is make it avialbale for everyone to enjoy…free of charge. Hopefully at a Museum of Idaho Broadcasting. In the meantime, our website will be a “virtual museum” but we take the gear out from time to time to show it off, and in fact will have the 1950s Gates Studioette Board Box Car Wille used at KGEM in Nampa on display at Smoky Mountain Pizza on the 29th of Feb!
Sadly, a lot of Broadcast history is ending up on ebay (for sale), in garage and yard sales when the brodcaster dies, and in 2nd hand stores (I have seen promo KFXD LPs at the Idaho Youth Ranch). The worst thing that can happen is for the these things to be taken to the dumpster…and YES it does happen when the new Manager takes over and says “out with old – IN with ME and my regime.” What isn’t trashed by the new owners is often taken by employees!
But slowly but surely we are finding stuff – amazing stuff – and preserving it. Not for us, and our egos, but for you, and your kids and grandkids. We’ll soon have jingles from many idaho stations on the site. Right now you can click on ANY idaho radio or TV station and get their FCC FCC information – including coverage maps, call letter history etc.
What Don is doing here is fabulous and is radio history in the “play” mode (what’s happening right now). Plus Don’s site , as the name Idaho RADIO News inplies, is primarily radio information (which makes it even more ironic that Don works in TV). But Don’s Dad is a prominent radio guy and some of that love of radio must have rubbed off on Don, because this site is by far the best and most accurate chronicle or radio in the state of idaho that I know of. As you can tell, I’m a fan.
Conversly, our site is radio and TV in the “rewind” mode…and we hope to go back all the way to the beginning of the tape (even as they were threading the reel-to-reel tape onto the Ampex 601 and the “pre-tape” leader is playing). Our main interest in the “present” (other than to watch it like you all are doing) is to gather the present to store for the past…as very few people care about the past…or at least past anything THEY want to remember!
I was the same way; but I can assure you, the past unlocks many answers about the present (how we got to where we are now) and can also help predict the future (what didn’t work THEN often times still doesn’t work now)~ So stay tuned Dave. If we don’t get the Magic 93 or KF-95 airchecks and jinglea from YOU, we’ll perhaps find them from another source, and they will then be available for you to enjoy in the future…free of charge. Those who join our group get the newsletter, of which we have published 10, that is designed to go into a binder and build your own library of Idaho Broadcasting History. the KIDO call letters are 80 years old this November…we plan on doing a whole spread on KIDO. Kevin Godwin is excited about this, and we have most of the broadcasting mamagement’s support for what we are doing…which again is not for me and our members, (although I love the hell out of it), it is for everyone who has ever worked in radio or TV, and or wtached or listened to Idaho radio or TV, which when you think about it, amounts to – EVERYONE.
I like the analogie Art made — This blog is “play” mode, and the history site is the “rewind” mode. Since so much history winds up on this site, I asked Don for permission to occasionally snip stuff from here and put it on the history site, and he graciously has allowed me to do that. So, please do share — we’ll take what we need from an historic point of view. One disclaimer — if you are posting under a “fake” name, that is how you will be credited if I snip from the post. If you want to contribute directly to the history site, log on to it (Don has the link posted) and go to the contacts .. send us lots and lots of stuff so I can fill all those empty rooms and shelves. — Rockwell
It’s a little fuzzy now all these years later, but it seems like I was coming in to do the overnight shift shortly after Evan’s drive across town. Somebody had heard the dead air and rushed in to take over, but I can’t remember who. I want to say it was Neon Leon, but not positive. I remember more of the “stolen property” issue being the boxes of carts with sweepers and sfx he took with him. And Dave, wasn’t it you that came up with the name “No Big Deal Mike Neil???”
I have never gotten this question answered. But Why did Evan the Hitman get fired from Magic 93.1? Some of you radio people may remember the Obsession I had with Evan the Hit man. I remember calling CB and Tobin Jefferies and asking them if they would put me on the air. Every time they said “no.” I then said, “Evan the Hit man would.” Then I would go off on how mad I was that Magic 93.1 fired him. I can remember sometimes CB and Tobin would get so mad at me that they hung up on me. I laughed. BTW, speaking of Tobin, he is great to work for. I worked for him over the summer and I had a great time working for him. Many good memories at Peak Broadcasting. I will talk to you all later.
It’s odd the things you come across at 7am and a few beers lol. Wanted to say hello Arthur, I remember running around KF as a kid looking up to all you jocks. My wife now pays the price for that lol. Hope your doing well man, and best wishes. :)
Your biggest fan,
Mrs. Obenauf’s Son
Aren’t you the kid that we used to worry about getting electrocuted while driving the lawn mower around under the (then) KFXD AM towers? Crazy… Where’s your dad these days? And has anyone seen Margo? I swear I saw her in the Portland airport a number of years ago.
As for Wombat (Malcom Paul), I seem to remember him being busted just outside the Bon at Boise Town Square as he was no longer “legal” to be in the U.S. He left Big Jack an audio good-bye and was escorted onto the next plane to Australia.
Seriously, beer at 7am?
lol The lawn mower seems to ring a bell (It was usually David’s son tormenting me in that field lol). As for my dad, he still lives up in Boise with his wife and my sister. Margo is doing well, though i don’t think she would have been in portland at that time. Last i heard of David O. he was living happily out in florida somewhere. And while beer may seem weird at 7 a.m., I live out in Vegas now working a graveyard shift. And a child that spent so much time with such colorful character’s picks up a few odd habbits lol. Me and the wife are planning on moving back there within the next couple of years, is Murphy’s still around? As for Wombat, the story I always heard was that he called into work while being pursued saying that he wouldn’t be able to make it to work that day lol, always seemed like a funny story when mom retold it, I remember him being a great guy, as were/are all of u if memory serves. It is great by the way to hear back from u, all of you guys, including Big Jack ended up being a huge influence on me when it came to things like my sense of humor.
That field always gave me the creeps lol.
Just thought of this and thought it might be worth mentioning, Stone (who i will always remember fondly as being the guy that always threatened me with a beat down if i ever went near his daughter lol) actually runs a couple of pretty tight tattoo/piercing places up there- last time i was in town at least.
David, I don’t think I know you and for the record I don’t drink ANY LONGER. But, I can tell you that when you get back to Idaho you can stil get a beer at 7:00 AM. As a matter of fact, I think my knowledge of such things (and practice) is a good part of the reason that Rich Summers booted me off the KIZN morning show!
Good lookin’ out Jim, I must confess that one of my concerns about moving back home is going from a 24 hour town to a place that i remember as a kid closing down (for the most part) around 10pm. Thanx for the response man :)