Idaho Radio News Etc.

Tuesday is April Fools’ Day — the first time we’ve had radio’s favorite holiday on a weekday since 2005.

If you hear something – leave it in comments here.

Last year was quiet on the April Fools’ front… except for the ultimate April Fool – when Peak tried to flip KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM to Bob FM and got punked.

KTSY/89.5 FM again pulled in the Gospel Music Association’s Station of the Year award in the medium market category. KTSY also won the award in 2002 – and has been nominated since.

From the news release:

The recipient in each market category was determined by a panel of judges who reviewed the following areas – community involvement, ratings, air check and industry leadership.

Congrats!

Have a non-compete clause in your employment agreement? That’s the language common in media contracts that says you can’t work for the competition for a set period if you quit, or are terminated for cause. It’s used to help pin down “stars” and other talent — but can also extend down the food chain. Now the Idaho House and Senate have passed legislation that would shore up those rules. Seems Idaho courts have been reluctant to enforce the non-competes. There’s been several cases of folks being held off the air while the agreements tick away (Steve & Steph’s four month furlough between KZMG and KCIX in the late 90s — and I believe Mike & Kate sat out a while when the made the same move), but in general most attorneys would tell you they weren’t easy to enforce.

If Gov. Butch signs it — it’s a done deal. Details here.

(Disclosure: I have a non-compete clause in my employment contract)

Idaho Talks Live on KTRV Fox 12 serves as a TV simulcast of the same program on KBOI/News Talk 670.

It’s not the most visually compelling television.

Now if Ken Weaver acted like Dick Smyth… things might be different:

KKGL/96.9 The Eagle is holding a tournament of its own this month – trying to determine the national champion of rock bands. The station has set up brackets on its website (well… on theticketchicks.com I guess) — and listeners are invited to vote.

We’re still in the second round – with a few upsets. 12-seed Queensryche beat #5 Rush, and #10 REO Speedwagon topped #7 U2. But who exactly set up the brackets and made The Eagles a #4 seed…. on THE EAGLE?

Vote early and vote often right here.

KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM program director/afternoon jock “Keke Luv” has decided to compress about eight weeks of on-air shifts into one massive lump. Starting Wednesday, April 2 at 10am – Luv will broadcast live… continuously for 175 hours straight (just more than seven days). He noted yesterday that he’s already been stretching out his days to prepare.

Another KSAS note
Night jock Chris finally found a way to sound smarter than his listeners! Twice in the past few weeks he’s taken calls and reedited them to make callers sound dumb. One “stunt” used the power of ProTools to make it appear listeners didn’t know how many zeros were in 175 million. Then last night he challenged listeners to spell spring break… turning it into things like spin beak.

Hmmm… Hope those KSAS listeners at least know the difference between a T and an H.

Update: Keke said he was doing the stunt “to raise awareness of child abuse.”

Now here’s… something.

Two other Magic notes:
- Shamus… er- Mike is now doing nights on the station – and the Hot 9 at Nine is back
- How’s this for a perk? Less than three months into the new show – and Dan Tooker in the Morning is airing a “best of” marathon this week. I just celebrated nine years at my job and even I don’t get that kinda vacation.

Hey Peak and GAP folks — still got Clear Channel stock? The Wall Street Journal reports the deal to take the company private is about to collapse. This, of course has no effect on the Idaho markets since those deals to sell were separate — but it looks like the $19 billion deal with Providence Equity Partners will collapse under its own weight. Now both CC’s radio and outdoor divisions are starting to plunge – and the stock price is starting to tank on reports the deal will fall apart.

Boise was the largest market Clear Channel sold — and it looks like folks here in Idaho got off the Titanic just in time…

The spring ratings period in B-town and Twin Falls starts April 3rd… and lasts 84 long days — wrapping up on June 25th.

No decision has been made on who will get the BSU athletics radio rights — though we continue to check in. In past cycles, the announcement has come in January or February – though this year’s hot run by the basketball teams may have been contributed to a delay.

KCHQ/Q102 host Charlie Michaels is helped raise cash for the Teton Valley Humane Society — by living in a dog house until the station raised $10,000. The station raised the goal — and Charlie got… um… out of the dog house. KIDK-TV has the story here

UPDATE: Corrected call letters

What do you do when you can’t show the restricted sports highlights? This, apparently…

Seen on the streets of SE Boise:

This week’s Hit List on CMT again features a Boise-area personality — this time KIZN’s Steve Shannon. The program aired twice on Saturday, as well as Sunday at 9am and Monday at 8:30am. We’ll try and dig it up on YouTube shortly.

Is tonight a milestone in Idaho radio history?

The Idaho Daily Statesman notes today that several public radio programs will be visiting the Boise area in coming months:

The comedy and quiz show “Whad’YaKnow?” will tape at the Morrison Center May 23.

The oral history-oriented “StoryCorps” will collect local tales from May 15 to June 7.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of the foodie show “The Splendid Table,” will appear in Boise in June.

And NPR correspondent Don Gonyea will talk about covering Obamamania in July.

Read the full piece here. Though the story says all the above programs are “NPR fixtures” and paints the picture that these are NPR shows. They aren’t. Splendid Table is produced by American Public Media, Whad’Ya Know? is produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and StoryCorps is produced independently – though all often air on NPR stations.

KBOI/News Talk 670 got hit by another burst of profanity during Saturday night’s WAC Tournament game against NMSU. Paul J. Schneider was forced to apologize for an outburst from a “drunk fan” during the game in Las Cruces – with a parade of expletives hitting the Boise airwaves. This is the second time in just a week that a KBOI game broadcast featured uncensored profanity, after a player at Taco Bell Arena was heard cursing in the background last week.

The Peak Boise stations are joining forces with ZIdaho.com and American Classifieds for Idaho’s Largest Garage Sale. The event will be held May 17th & 18th, and will use the muscle of Peak’s six Boise stations and partners to bring together sellers — then lure in buyers. Right now the stations are trying to land sellers – with a booth renting for $25 for one day or $45 for two days.

More on Idaho’s Largest Garage Sale at ZIdaho.com.

(Disclosure: I’m doing some work on the ZIdaho promotions)

KSEI/930 ESPN will launch its first sports talk show in May. The station will start as an hour on Saturday morning from 8-9 a.m. — beginning May 3.

KSEI carries ISU Bengal sports, and programs seasonal coaches shows on Monday evenings.

New KCIX/Mix 106 Assistant Program Director Josh “Lucas” Garber joined the station earlier this month, working under KCIX/KXLT program director Brent Carey. Carrry and Garber previously worked together at WTWR/Tower 89 in Toledo, OH. In 2006, Garber triggered a petition by members of the Asian American community by calling a Japanese restaurant and “made fun of the person who answered the phone because he or she didn’t speak English well.” Asian Communities United also said Garber made “racially insensitive remarks” according to the Toledo Blade.

Mix 106 is seeking people with an interest in a career in radio broadcasting or marketing. We are looking for interns to help complete our street team, assist in promotions, programming and help create internet content (including but not limited to video and graphics)! Will compensate with college credit. THIS IS THE WAY TO START if radio or marketing is what you want to do! Must have a valid drivers license, a clean driving record, be available 3 to 4 days a week, be reliable and come to work with a smile.

If interested please contact Assistant Program Director Josh Garber at jdgarber@peakbroadcasting.com

Big things coming out of KMCL — but the AM and FM.

KMCL-FM is now KMXM-FM, and is set to move to Parma (as previously reported), under the ownership of Wendel Starke and his FM Idaho group. The station would presumably become part of the former Tester Broadcast Group — now Impact Radio. For now, it still serves the greater McCall area.

The AM station – which we reported was sold from David Eaton to Holly Larsen (d/b/a Mountain Air LLC) – is still in Eaton’s hand. It appears the $50,000 did change hands, causing Eaton to cancel the purchase.

Also on the AM front, it sounds like bad weather has caused problems for the transmitter. This, from an FCC filing requesting the ability to broadcast from a… shorter tower:

UNFORTUNATELY, THE LICENSEE HAS SUFFERED THE LOSS OF THE TOP 40 FEET OF THE STATION’S ANTENNA TOWER. CURRENT CONDITIONS AT THE TOWER SITE, WHICH IS BOG-LIKE MUCH OF THE YEAR AND WHICH IS PRESENTLY BURIED UNDER SEVERAL FEET OF SNOW, PRECLUDE THE PLACEMENT OF THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT ON THE SITE THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE LOST TOWER SECTIONS, UNTIL THE SNOW MELTS AND THE SOIL DRIES OUT THIS SUMMER.

Radio Fiesta of Jerome is looking to buy a translator in St. Anthony. While translator purchases aren’t usually a topic around here — this one is interesting. Radio Fiesta is set to pay the current owner, Radio Assist Ministry an eye-popping $35,000 — for a TRANSLATOR!

Why? It appears Radio Assist is… um… assisting Fiesta in segueing the translator from St. Anthony to coverage of Idaho Falls – and we would assume they would want to rebroadcast Fiesta’s KIGO/1420 AM Spanish station.

In the filing, Radio Assist says its two current IF translators – are rebroadcasting non-commercial KISU out of Pocatello. The translators broadcast on 92.1 FM and 106.7 FM… however ears in the market say those frequencies are NOT playing KISU. I’ll leave it to our comments section and the E. Idaho crowd to report what is ACTUALLY on those stations.

Here’s the filing.

KFTY/88.1 FM in the Magic Valley is now broadcasting its own programming for the Magic Valley. The station had been simulcasting co-owned sister KTSY in Boise – but launched its own programming service under the direction of KTSY alum Ty McFarland. New website coming soon here.

Related: KTSY is again up for the Gospel Music Association’s station of the year award.