Idaho Radio News Etc.

KJOT/J-105 Journal Broadcast Group has a nice little exclusive set for tomorrow night. The station has a preview screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. The group has been snagging winners for the last few days – and will pack an auditorium at Edwards 21 Tuesday – two days before the movie opens wide to the general public.

Update: KRVB/Idaho’s 94.9 The River, KQXR/100.3 The X and KTHI/107.1 K-Hits are also in on the fun

The Idaho daily Statesman’s guide for newcomers is out .
The paper picked a few select stations to highlight – under the guise of “top rated” – though, as usual – it really is just more about some random sample. Why not list them all? The paper dedicated 122 words to radio — but 188 words to JUST describe its own website and blogs (more on that in a second).

RADIO
According to the Fall 2007 Arbitron ratings for Treasure Valley, top radio stations include:
* Country station “Kissin’ 92″ (92.3 FM) – the top station among listeners between the ages of 25 and 54.
* News and talk radio stations KBOI (670 AM) and KIDO (580 AM) are the top two stations among the 12-plus crowd.

Other top stations among listeners 25 to 54 include:
* ’60s and ’70s classic hits station KTHI “K-Hits” (107.1 FM)
* Country station KQFC (97.9 FM).
* ’80s, ’90s and current hits station KCIX “Mix 106″ (106.1 FM).
* Treasure Valley 96.1 “Bob FM” “plays anything” and makes the top 10 stations.
The local National Public Radio affiliate KBSX can be found at 91.5 FM.

The next section is labeled “LOCAL WEBSITES AND BLOGS” – and the Statesman hack proceeds to describe ten of its own little-read so-called blogs. They throw a small bone to Betsy Russel’s site from another Idaho newspaper – and one other blog. All star blogs like NewWest, Boise Guardian, the great sports blogs from the Idaho Press Tribune or others are ignored. But you didn’t except fairness from them, did ya?

Update: Um, yeah. I’m self-serving too. But do I at least get points for admitting it? :)

KXLT/Peak Broadcasting host Tobin Jeffries is leaving Boise – headed for Louisiana to care for his parents. Peak is already searching for his replacement.

Jeffries has a long history in the market – with stops at a number of local stations.

Two radio groups are holding direct-to-the-public sales this weekend.

Impact Radio Group’s “World’s Largest Radio Auction” will be simulcast on KQLZ/100.7 Idaho’s True Oldies and KTMB/99.1 The Man. Hundreds of items will be auctioned off – with proceeds going to Hope’s Door.

“Idaho’s Largest Garage Sale” from Peak Broadcasting will take off at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds both Saturday and Sunday. More than 100 booths will be set up, and Peak stations have been beating the drum working to get people to come down and check it out.

More than 50 students at Minico High School in Rupert showed pride in their heritage on Cinco de Mayo by wearing the colors of the Mexican flag. The call to action came from Ben Reed of KFTA/La Fantastica 970 – who prompted more than 50 students to sport the colors.

Reed’s call to action came after a student charged that a teacher threw away his Mexican flag after it was confiscated during PE. The teacher said he didn’t have any pockets, and “put it in the garbage can for safekeeping. ” The student said the instructor had a pattern of making racist comments.

Reed told the Twin Falls Times-News that racial tension has been rising in the area in recent years.

“There is a lot of racial tension in the area,” he told the paper. “I have seen it escalate the past couple of years, and it’s reaching a fever pitch.”

Reed did not respond to an e-mail from Idaho Radio News seeking comment.

The school previously cut funding for its English as a Second Language program – which led the program’s teacher to make a statement of his own last Tuesday.

The program cut was a factor again this week when ESL teacher Dan Luker, who has resigned rather than be assigned elsewhere, heard about the flag incident and responded by desecrating an American flag in the office of a school administrator on Tuesday.

Luker appeared on Reed’s program Wednesday to apologize for stepping on the flag.

My friend and colleague Jessica Flynn of Red Sky PR has launched “PR Musings.” The blog covers public relations in the state – and beyond – and is written by the Red Sky team.

Right now, the site has features on Twitter, the future of free newspapers – and even a note about a little mistake in the daily newspaper (a blog after my own heart).

By my count – this gives Idaho three media blogs: the virtual rag you’re reading now, Idaho Ad Agencies and the PR Musings effort. You can always find links to these two sites over in the sidebar.

Of the newest blog, I want to go on the record as saying it certainly does not suck.

Mike Schutta is no longer the VP of the GAP Broadcasting station in Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Schutta was let go Tuesday according to sources. He started the job just a few months ago – picking up the VP title last January. GAP’s president Eric Hellum came to town to make the announcement.

Former interim GM/Director of Sales Neica Kinney is back in the GM role on a temporary basis. Staffers tell Idaho Radio News Schutta was a “bad fit.”

Peak Broadcasting and Citadel Broadcasting can go back to competing on the airwaves and the offices of advertisers — but not in the courtroom.

After a year of coughing up cash to attorneys – the two parties have now settled.

The terms? None really. Pay your own attorneys and take you ball and go home.

Idaho’s FM shuffle continues – with two pending frequency moves in the Treasure & Magic Valleys.

GAP Broadcasting has asked to change KLLP/Star 98.5’s city of license from Chubbuck to Filer – and boost from a C2 to a 100kw C1. The station would stay on 98.5 FM.

The company (which owns the former Clear Channel stations in Poky/IF and Twin Falls) is asking to move KSNQ/98.3 The Snake to 100.1 FM.

So I got an e-mail telling me that KAWO/WOW Country 104.3 turned the radio station upside down for mother’s day — with a link to the station’s home page. I must have spent a full minute trying to figure out what I was missing…

KTHI/107.1 K-Hits helped co-host KIVI’s coverage of Race for the Cure today. He held down the fort at the halfway point for the station’s coverage of the race event today. Mac joined a pair of KIVI anchors and an Idaho Daily Statesman reporter for the broadcast.

And as a PS/shameless plug… you can find lots of video, pics and exclusive aerial video & finish line cam over at KTVB.COM.

And PPS: After Race for the Cure I was standing behind my dad downtown today at the Saturday Market with a KTVB vest on when my dad (a former radio guy) said “hi” to none other than Bob Rosenthal. I was uncharacteristically quiet…

Former KTSY/KCIX/KZMGer Dave Arthur ran into former KZMGer Jayar Reed a few weeks ago at the Gospel Music Association shindig in Nashville. Here’s the self-portrait…

KIDO/NewsRadio 580 has a bumper running during its morning news:

“Traffic and weather together – six minutes faster – on NewsRadio 580, KIDO.”

It’s a not so transparent shot at KBOI/NewsTalk 670. KIDO does the traffic and weather dance on the 10s (:00, :10, :20 etc.) while KBOI does it on the 6s (:06, :16, :26). So depending on your perspective, KIDO is six minutes faster… or four minutes slower.

The Idaho Press Club handed out its annual awards last night. Staffers from newspapers, radio outlets and television stations (as well as some PR flacks and others) gather each May to celebrate the best in Idaho journalism. The warm-up comedian worked Paul J. Schneider into his monlogue (with a joke about the media’s coverage of his “ouster” that escapes me), and another riff about NPR’s Diane Josephy Peavy (who lives near Carey). There was also a joke about Idaho Daily Statesman entertainer Michael Deeds – who was actually in the room and also won an award.

Idaho Radio News was given the second place award for Best Website in the online publication/magazine division. The excellent Sun Valley Guide took first place honors.

Pay special attention to second place in the “Use of Sound” category…

GENERAL EXCELLENCE
1st Dave Plourde – KCHQ – FM – “Q102 News”

GENERAL NEWS REPORT
1st Samantha Wright, Sadie Babits, Don Wimberly, Krisi Packer, Adam Cotterell – Boise State Radio – “A Senator in Trouble”
2nd Glenn Mosley – Northwest Public Radio – “Moscow Shooting”
3rd Andrew Jacobson – KUOI FM Moscow 89.3 – “Police Have No Leads in Weekend Murder”

SPOT NEWS REPORT
1st Krisi Packer – NPR News 91/KBSX – “What Do You Think Boise?”
2nd TIE
Samantha Wright – NPR News 91 / KBSX – “Crash!”
Samantha Wright – NPR News 91 / KBSX – “Space Rock”
3rd Adam Cotterell – NPR News 91 / KBSX – “PETA Protest”

SERIOUS FEATURE REPORT
1st Samantha Wright, Krisi Packer – NPR News 91 / KBSX – “Summer Feeding Program”
2nd Andrew Jacobson – KUOI FM Moscow 89.3 – “Goodbye Old Friend”

LIGHT FEATURE REPORT
1st Samantha Wright, Krisi Packer — NPR News 91 / KBSX – “On the Road – Construction”
2nd Adam Cotterell – NPR News 91 / KBSX – “Tamales Not Turkey”
3rd Andrew Jacobson – KUOI FM Moscow 89.3 – “A New Face for Jazzfest”

PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM
1st Sadie Babits – Boise State Radio – “The Power of the B-17″

USE OF SOUND
1st Krisi Packer – NPR News 91 KBSX – “Corn Maize”
2nd Andrew Jacobson – KUOI FM Moscow 89.3 – “Moscow is Quiet”
3rd Sadie Babits – Boise State Radio – “On the Red Carpet”

Disclosure: I’m now on the board of the Idaho Press Club. Amazingly… no one said “nay” while voting on the new slate of directors that includes me.

KQXR/100.3 The X cut afternoon host and former morning host Ian this week. Night guy Josh will move up and work 3pm-8pm – while “Britt” will fill the void from 8-11. Parts of the shifts will now be voicetracked. I’m told Ian wasn’t fired — could this be part of the Journal-wide belt-tightening we talked about earlier?

The memo said that JBG bosses would “miss” him and “wished him well.”

Several stations in the E. Idaho area are asking for special authority from the FCC to either operate silent or at reduced power.

KBJX/B106.3 and KGTM/98.1 Good Time Oldies have both asked to operate at 10kw instead of the usual 100kw due to damage at their shared antenna on Iona Butte near Idaho Falls.

KEZQ/92.9 FM and KWYS/102.9 FM are both currently silent – and have been since March 2006, except for brief periods so the FCC doesn’t cancel the license. The stations are claiming ice damage at their shared antenna on Sawtelle Mountain.

KEZQ is also part of a proposed rulemaking that would shift it to Iona and make it a full Idaho Falls station at 100kw on 92.7 FM.

KBOI/KKGL/KTRV SkyWatch traffic reporter Ron O’Brian wrote in to note the passing of Ron O’Brien – who he took his radio name from. The Boise Ron shares a story of how the LA radio legend helped give him a big morale boost during the formative days of his career:

I was just a goofy kid of 18 when I first heard the “real” Ron O’Brien. I was attending college in Pendleton Oregon, and could occasionally catch KFI out of Los Angeles at night. It was “Big Ron O’Brien” on the air, and he was doing a contest, including a KFI T-Shirt…I figured I’d call and at least try and get through. When I got through it was actually Ron who answered the call…and as a kid just starting in radio (talking to a “big time” DJ!), I was thrilled. I explained that I was just starting my career…he was very patient as I went on. He said to write, and he would send me a KFI T-shirt. I wrote…and sure enough, he wrote back (see attached) and sent the shirt. It was just a few days after receiving the letter that I got my first full-time job offer at KTIX in Pendleton.
Before starting, the PD asked what name I was going to use…and previously I was using my real name, but he suggested I use something else. I looked through the Gavin Report for ideas, but couldn’t make up my mind. I had told him about the call and letter with Big Ron…he suggested I go with his name, since my real first name was Ron. So, I became Ron O’Brian in 1980 (minus the “big”, which he often used)…after the “real” Ron O’Brien (he spelled it with an “a” early on).

The creative folks at KAWO/WOW Country 104.3 put their own spin on a new ad branding campaign by the Discovery Channel. The Discovery ads tag with “The World is Just Awesome” and stand out from the crowd. The WOW ads are similar in style and tag with “Idaho… it’s just awesome”

First the Discovery ad — then the KAWO spin.

Boise will soon have one fewer radio frequency controlled by Journal Broadcast Group. Currently, KIVI-TV broadcasts on channel 6, which is 83.25-87.75 Mhz. The audio portion of channel 6 (in Boise and everywhere) is at 87.75 Mhz — which some (but not all) radios can pick up as 87.7 FM.

But on February 17, 2009 – all TV broadcasters will shut off their analog transmitters and broadcast in digital only. That means that stations will move to a new portion of the spectrum – on the UHF band (KIVI moves to channel 24 though PSIP will map it to “6.1″). So if you currently listen to KIVI’s program audio in your car — enjoy it while it lasts.