Idaho Radio News Etc.

It’s been a prolific weekend here at Idaho Radio News. Don’t miss:
- Exclusive look at the bids for the BSU radio rights
- What stations the BSU radio network could consist of, including Spanish
- How the KCIX car stunt unrolled, and what it may mean
- Why the KSAS KeKe Luv stunt is making positive waves
- Former KQXR host Mat Diablo has a new home
- KISU could enter Idaho Falls
- KZDX and others about to shift dial positions
- New station sign on in E. Idaho

EXCLUSIVE

© 2008 Idaho Radio News

Idaho Radio News has obtained a large packet of documents relating to the radio rights process for Boise State University’s football and basketball games – including proposals by Peak Broadcasting, Citadel Broadcasting and Impact Radio (formerly Tester Broadcasting).

The documents outline three very different proposals — and show that only two were seen as viable options by a committee evaluating the bids.

The school scored a package submitted by Peak Broadcasting highest, ultimately granting the rights to the upstart company based in Fresno, CA. Peak will air the games on 580 KIDO, one of the state’s oldest radio stations. The Peak proposal scored 665 points out of a possible 700, while a pitch from Citadel Broadcasting scored 651.4. Two proposals from Impact Radio – an original pitch and a second try scored 458 and 454.

The package of documents contain a variety of surprises and information the station groups have not publicly disclosed.

If Citadel were to win the contract, it would have only kept legendary host Paul J. Schneider for one year of the two year agreement, and has hired Dan Karcher, who is scheduled to start work for KBOI in September. Karcher is a member of the Carl Karcher family – owner of the Carl’s Jr. restaurant chain. If Citadel had won the agreement, Karcher would have been involved with pre and post game shows “to become acclimated.”

According to notes of a March 7th meeting, BSU athletic director Gene Bleymaier asked Citadel executives “If we want to make a change immediately, is that an option?” Citadel bosses said they “would do it,” and said that they would have to have someone hired in two to three months.

Citadel would have extended its pre and post game shows in a deal with the Idaho Statesman, and would have put staffers Nick Jezierny, Mike Prater, Chad Dryden and Brian Murphy on the air during the shows. Citadel said the Statesman would “bring a whole new level of improvement to the terms of coverage.” IdahoStatesman.com was mentioned as the “best in the state for updated news.” The meeting notes that they planned to include “websites and blogs” with the agreement.

Citadel’s proposal was nine pages long. Peak Broadcasting’s proposal totaled 39 pages and delved into areas Citadel did not touch. Peak committed to purchasing the naming rights to the Bronco Stadium radio booth – paying a total of $25,000 over the two year agreement for the privilege. Peak also committed to a large scale “Bronco Sports Network,” that not only would expand Boise State’s geographic reach – but would bring the broadcasts to Spanish-language listeners. Peak has contacted stations in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Twin Falls, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, La Grande, OR and Lewiston/Clarkston, WA (see separate post here).

Peak SVP Kevin Godwin told Dave Burnett on KIDO Friday morning that the hiring of current KBOI host Paul J. Schneider had not been discussed. “We haven’t talked about it one time, even during the presentation.” In the proposal to BSU, Peak said they are “familiar” with the current team and “would make every effort to hire them to continue broadcasting BSU athletics.”

But Peak indicates their preference is to go in a different direction “We would propose a national search for a play-by-play announcer and commentary announcer.” Peak says it will launch a four week recruitment process that would identify the top three candidates – then seek input from Boise State in making a final decision. Peak says it received interest in the position even before the proposal

Impact Radio’s proposal was the leanest of the tree – but did identify its proposed broadcast team: Wayne Dzuback and Chris Wing. Dzuback currently hosts an hour-long radio show on KTMB/99.1 The Man, as well as working in sales. He used to work with Schneider as color commentator for KBOI-AM. Wing is a former Boise State player. Boise State alumn Brian King was proposed as color analyst for basketball games. King currently handles these duties for KTVB-TV.

Impact would have put the games on KTMB/99.1 The Man, as well as KIKX/104.7 in the Magic Valley – and a station currently owned by Blue Sky Broadcasting in N. Idaho. Impact says it has a pending purchase agreement in place for the N. Idaho station. It also would have worked to buy an E. Idaho station or contracted for airtime.

While Boise State took meetings with representatives for Citadel and Peak – they did not meet with Impact Radio.

Why Peak Won
Boise State’s letter of justification for awarding the rights to Peak hits a number of points.

• Peak bid $20,000 more than Citadel – and much higher than Impact
• Peak’s promotional bid component was $5,000 higher
• Peak committed to the naming rights for the radio booth and the school’s “Destination Distinction” program.
• Peak provided more coaches show airtime
• Peak committed to creating a network of stations across the region, something “Boise State sees as extremely important in growing the radio listenership statewide and regionally.”
• Peak’s proposal “demonstrated a true enthusiasm for having these broadcast rights”
• SVP Kevin Godwin and his team are former Citadel employees – and the “affiliation and already existing relationship played into the decision making and made it easier when it came to choosing a new radio rights partner.”

Bottom line
Cash value over two years

• Citadel: $655,000
• Peak: $670,132 (assumes BSU football bowl games both years)
• Impact: $493,200

Value of promotional air time

• Citadel: $200,000
• Peak: $205,000
• Impact: $110,000

Sweeteners

• Citadel: Letter of Intent broadcast, Final Four package giveaway, Homecoming week events, Fall scrimmage event
• Peak: Airing of three women’s basketball games
• Impact: Airing of ten women’s sporting events, creation of two fundraisers

Coach Shows

• Citadel: One hour weekly during FB season, four BBall shows; Bronco Notebook each weekday; Coach call-in each Tuesday
• Peak: One hour weekly from Sept. 1 through April 30; Monday coach call-in; Tuesday wrap-up feature
• Impact: One hour weekly during FB season, one hour weekly during WAC basketball season

Athletic Dept. show
(This would be a weekly show produced in-house by the athletic dept., and is separate from the coach shows)

• Citadel: One hour weekly Sept-April, Sat AM
• Peak: One hour weekly, 6pm Wednesday
• Impact: One Hour weekly Sept-April, Sat AM

Currently, the Bronco Sports Network consists of just two stations: KBOI/News Talk 670 and KGA/Spokane.

Under the new agreement, the network could swell to nine stations in seven markets. Peak Broadcasting worked behind the scenes to secure the network, and is “98% confident” in closing the deals now that it has secured the radio rights.

Potential network partners:

• KID/Idaho Falls (GAP West)
• KWIK/Pocatello (GAP West)
• KLIX/Twin Falls (GAP West)
• KALE/Tri Cities (New Northwest)
• KGA-KEYF-KJRB/Spokane (Mapleton)
• KBJX/Idaho Falls-Pocatello (Pacific Empire)
• KBKR/Baker City (Pacific Empire)
• KLBM/La Grande (Pacific Empire)
• KCLK/Lewiston-Clarkston (Pacific Empire)

But there could be one more partner: KWEI AM/FM. Peak would extend its rights to KWEI – which would produce a Spanish-language broadcast of football games.

KBJX/Hot 106.3 changed its name and adjusted its playlist (less “slow stuff”) – switching to B-106. Here’s the audio of the flip.

Is Paul J. Schneider’s tenure as Voice of the Broncos over? Perhaps. His current employer, KBOI-AM lost the right to broadcast the games after nearly four decades as Boise State’s partner.

Neither Schneider nor Peak Broadcasting SVP Kevin Godwin would say that it’s the end. Both said they hadn’t discussed the possibility, though Schneider mulled a number of future career possibilities with KTVB’s Mark Johnson – including a run for political office, or the option of staying on his morning gig.

On KIDO Friday morning, Godwin seemed to leave a glimmer of hope for all those Paul J. fans:

“We haven’t discussed it at all. We haven’t talked about it one time, even during the presentation,” Godwin said. “We want to put the best product on the radio for their fans and their listeners. When they hear Boise State broadcasts, they don’t realize it’s the radio station putting it on. I have a lot of respect for Paul J., I’ve known him since 99, he’s a tremendous broadcaster and a class act. We’ve got to get to that next week and make some decisions on that.”

Schneider shared a stage with Coach Chris Petersen and Gene Bleymaier Saturday morning for the Beat Coach Pete event. While the three interacted, you wouldn’t know about the week’s events except for fellow emcee Dan Tooker asking the crowd to “give a hand for your Voice of the Broncos for 35 years.”

FMQB notes that XTRA/91X in San Diego has a teaser on its website: “Who is Mat Diablo?” Diablo left his post as program director and morning co-host at KQXR/100.3 the X in Boise last June for a post at Slacker.com, an Internet company also based in San Diego.

Public radio’s about to get a makeover across Eastern Idaho – with KISU hoping to pick up a translator on Iona Butte to rebroadcast its signal in the Idaho Falls area. Right now, Idaho Falls is on the fringe of KISU’s signal pattern (map), so listeners in that city get their public radio from KBYI in Rexburg – an entity of BYU-Idaho and the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints.

While KBYI runs some NPR programming – it also focuses on Church programming. KISU will help bring shows like World Cafe, Fresh Air and Talk of the Nation to Idaho Falls.

The deal pends successful negotiations with the Educational Media Foundation — and FCC approval. This from the Post-Register:

Although there has been widespread consolidation with high-powered commercial stations, the situation for low-power FM stations (stations that broadcast at 10 watts or less) and translators has been more jumbled for much of the decade, said Ted Austin, a longtime eastern Idaho broadcaster and current owner of K102 in Rexburg.

Around 2003, low-power FM advocates asked the FCC to put a freeze on pending translator applications.

“(They) have been very vigorous in opposition to what they viewed as a translator grab,” Austin said.

A set of massive changes that could reshape radio across Idaho are moving closer to reality. This week, the FCC accepted for filing several proposals that will move several stations from their current dial positions.

• KQEO from 107.1 to 107.9, moving to a new tower with coverage in both Poky & IF (filing)
• KAOX from Kemmerer, WY to Shelley, ID at 107.1. This station would colocate on the KQEO tower. (filing)
• KZDX from 99.9 to 93.5 The Buzz would increase power from 27kw to 63kw and get a directional antenna aimed at TF/Jerome. (filing)

As previously reported, KBYI is moving from 100.5 to 94.3 with Sand Hill Media taking the 100.5 dial position.