Idaho Radio News Etc.

Halftime of the BSU-ISU tilt had a little Boise radio free-for-all, with Journal Boise General Manager Bob Rosenthal doing a wonderful tribute to Citadel morning show veteran Paul J. Schneider, with Peak Broadcasting’s KIDO-AM doing…. something else.

Schneider and his family appeared at the 50-yard-line to accept a tribute from the school. Since Rosenthal is still the stadium announcer for the games, he got the honor of toasting the Citadel employee. KIDO was doing the usual half-time fare, and passed on the opportunity to have one competitor talk about another competitor on its air.

I spent a bit of time listening to both pre-game shows, but it appears Peak’s got the advantage – if nothing else it has access to coaches and players, and has a location just a few feet from the west-side gates, whereas KBOI is across the street at Baja Fresh – and only has access to Statesman reporters. Having Paul J. is a big asset, but is it enough?

Over the past two decades or so, there are several instances where an upstart station bested the heritage player in the category. KZMG/Magic 93.1 destroyed KFXD/KF-95… KTHI/107.1 K-Hits beat out KLTB/Kool Oldies 104.3 and a few other scattered instances.

KAWO/WOW Country 104.3 hopes it is on that kind of meteoric rise. But for every Magic beating KF-95 there’s a mis-fire (K-106 taking on KZMG anyone?). When Clear Channel launched KTMY/My Country 104.3, it didn’t offer anything better than KIZN. Sure it played country music, but just spinning similar tunes to KIZN or KQFC isn’t enough. When Peak came in, they dumped the lame My Country presentation and started over by putting together a team of people hell-bent on winning, and dropped the money they needed to do it. The station is well-packaged and put together – and frankly makes KIZN and KQFC work harder to earn their place in the market.

Who wins? The listener. Country listeners have three solid options, with three different approaches to the market and different sets of talent. You’ll have your Mee in the Morning die-hards, KQFC loyalists and WOW fanbase.

This fight isn’t likely to be the type that leaves a station on the chopping block like what Mike Kasper and the Magic team did to KF-95 15 years ago, but KIZN and KQFC have a real enemy to battle (other than each other… which we all know has been the weirdest competition in his market) – and they are both sharper and stronger for it.

The bloggers at OBNUG caught KIDO being a little… too honest.

The station is joining the text message gold rush – you can get score updates by sending SCORES to 68255. But OBUNG noticed this bit of fine-print:

By submitting your information you will become a member of the ‘STATION’ Mobile Club. We’ll send information about contests and promotions to your mobile phone. Standard text messaging rates apply.” Or you can use a longer one “When you enter “Name of promotion”, you’ll automatically become a member of STATION mobile listener club. We’ll send information about contests and promotions to your mobile phone. Standard text messaging rates apply.” This should be mentioned on air when promoting the text giveaway. With this, we can place all entries into your mClub where you can retain the members and continue to send messages to them. Please email me prior to the campaign so I can manually begin the transfer process.

Oops. The correct disclaimer – which is much shorter – now appears on the page:

By submitting your information you will become a member of the ‘KIDO’ Mobile Club. We’ll send information about contests and promotions to your mobile phone. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Mmmmm. Spam.

Peak Boise needs some more people to help sell spots…

Radio Sales Account Executive

Peak Broadcasting is looking for motivated people to join our sales team. We have six great radio stations in Boise and the potential to earn a lot of money is incredible. If you’re organized and self-motivated, then the sky is the limit with Peak. If you’re willing to work hard to make a lot of money, this is the job for you.

Contact not listed, but I’m sure calling 344-6363 will point you in the right direction

Here’s the entire posting:

Account Executive (Boise)

must have radio sales experience,reliable transportation and must be bilingual
Contact Debra for more information 2083671859

That phone number is for KWEI Spanish Radio…

Why is the Idaho Daily Statesman suddenly giving weekend-only subscribers its Friday paper? The paper started the practice earlier this summer, and is now killing extra trees to give Saturday-Sunday subscribers something they didn’t ask for.

The question is… why? It certainly isn’t out of the kindness of its heart. Is the fast-shrinking paper trying to prop up its M-F circulation report by sautéing the books a bit? Hmm.

Former Spud Brother Jerr Moore shared this piece of history from his archive (touching on this post about the old KF95 logo). If you have something, send it to idahoradio@gmail.com and I’ll share it.

This is the KARO/Arrow 103.3 logo – before the frequency went pop as KSAS/103.3 Kiss FM.

I’m very behind in posting this, but Gordon Capps died August 7th in Ontario. The former owner of KSRV died at the age of 95. After the jump, read his obituary, and please feel free to leave your remembrances in comments.
Read the rest of this entry »

KQXR/100.3 The X mid-day talent Jac is heading away from the X for a variety of self-started versions, including as promoter of Bank (the band) independent voice work and she’s doing some concert promotion to boot.

That’s what this job posting is for.

As Peak Broadcasting ramps up its Bronco Sports Network, affiliate KSRV/1380 AM is increasing its sports coverage.

The Argus Observer notes KSRV will air high school football games for Fruitland and Ontario High Schools. Station manager Dave Tester will also host three local sports shows each week. A lunch-time show will broadcast from Fiesta Guadalajara from 12:15-1pm – then the Argus Observer newspaper and KSRV will team for a coaches show each Saturday morning at 9am, live from Carl’s Jr.

KSRV will also do two HS football games at once this Friday – with the assistance of the KQLZ/100.7 transmitter (which will soon have new call letters). Ontario vs. The Dalles airs at on KQLZ at 6:30 and Fruitland vs. LaGrande takes off at 7pm on KSRV.

This magically dropped into my inbox today. It’s a station demo for KQXR/100.3 The X back in 2002. It’s laced with sharp wit, localism… and Byl and Doug.

Cameos from Jacent Jackson, Mellisa Paul, Kallao and the funniest happy holidays promo you’ll hear for a while. Or heard a while ago. Or will hear in the future but you might have heard in the past. Whatever. Download the MP3 and quit reading my crap.

The Idaho Daily Statesman lost its lawsuit against the Idaho Business Review. Details here.

Key:

The Business Review said the Statesman was trying to corner the market on lucrative legal ads.

“The Statesman was attempting to gain a monopoly on the publication of a broad scope of legal notices contrary to the Idaho Constitution and, we believe, the Legislature’s intent when they amended the act in 1994,” IBR attorney Newal Squyres said.

PS: Back on the radio beat this evening with a bunch of stuff.

KBOI’s fingernails are still hanging on the edge of Bronco Football – with a pre-game show broadcasting live from Baja Fresh. The station is touting the new venture on its website. (Since when does the “J” in Paul J. stand for J-A-Y?) The KBOI radio experts have teamed up with the Statesman for a blow-out show For Bronco Game Day and Bronco GameNight.

Football is back, and for it’s 36th season, so is KBOI! Bigger and better than ever.Introducing KBOI’s Game Day “Dream Team”…

Legendary Voice of the Broncos Paul Jay Schneider,Jeff Caves,Boise State Hall of Famer Bart Hendricks,
The Idaho Statesman’s Mike Prater, Chad Cripe, and Brian Murphy, former Bronco Tony Altieri, plus Tom Scott, Chris Walton, Brett Reckamp, Nate Shelman, Andrew Paul and more!

Join us for Bronco GameDay all season long before every home game at Baja Fresh on Broadway and University. Our live pre-game show will start 3 hours before kickoff and will include great food and drinks, prizes, live music, and a big screen TV. Presented by Syringa Bank, exclusively on 670 KBOI.

Then after each game it’s Bronco GameNight… as Jeff Caves and former Bronco quarterback Bart Hendricks break down the game, and take your calls.

Now in our 36th year covering the Broncos, Nobody does it better!

HIBF returns to the Journal Studios for its August 28 meeting.
Read the rest of this entry »

Because Arbitron gets prickly when we quote book numbers that aren’t 12+… we’ll take a judicious approach:

Persons 12+ mornings (change from spring 07):
1) KKGL (down)
2) KBOI (up)
3) KTHI (down)
4) KIZN (down)
5) KQFC (up)
6) KAWO (up)
7) KSAS (up)
8) KCIX (up)

Other notes: the KZMG morning show fell by half, while KSAS doubled.

Persons 18-49 mornings (change from spring 07):
1) KKGL (down)
2) KQFC (up)
3T) KCIX (down)
3T) KIZN (down)
5) KSAS (up)
6T) KAWO (up)
6T) KJOT (up)

Other notes: KAWO up nearly 600%. KKGL down more than 3 share points, but still smoked #2 KQFC. KZMG lost 60%+ of its audience. KQXR also down 60%+.

Men 18-49 mornings:
1) KKGL
2) KQFC
3) KIZN
4) KJOT
5) KAWO

Women 18-49 mornings:
1) KSAS
2) KCIX
3) KTHI
4) KQFC
5) KIZN

Idaho Radio News has learned that KFXD is not listed on the stations page at the front of the Arbitron book.

Why?

In the 90s, this same station (in)famously wasn’t in the book because the program director at the time neglected to properly submit the station. One wonders…

Anyone have the demo and/or morning show numbers? An Excel spreadsheet sent to idahoradio@gmail.com would be much appreciated. E-mail me if you have something fax-able for the number.

Anonymity very much guaranteed.

Wonder whose job this was…
Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Man I should start charing for these…
Read the rest of this entry »

KAWO’/WOW Country 104.3’s “Tarzan” (aka the non-Hardball-playing Chris Matthews) is getting hitched! He popped the question to girlfriend Rosey last week. Tarzan told listeners that she wouldn’t let him tape it for radio playback… but that didn’t stop him from doing a dramatic reenactment with one of Boise’s most well-known voices…

One of the smartest local people in Idaho media is Vickie Holbrook of the Idaho Press-Tribune. Holbrook and fellow editor David Woolsey have started a new “From the Editors” blog at IdahoPress.com – and it’s already worth a read.

Also: With McClatchy freezing every single employee’s pay for a full year, one Statesman reporter is trading his gig on Curtis Rd. for a much more noble cause: he’ll be reporting for the Stars & Stripes military newspaper in Iraq and Afghanistan. Heath Druzin will be based in Germany, but be embedded with troops in both theaters over the next year.

I’m very excited about the appointment to my new management position with Impact Radio Group

Those words were credited to Darla Sturtevant in a news release issued eight days ago. But Sturtevant is no longer with Impact. Idaho Radio News has confirmed through multiple sources that Impact’s newly-appointed director of sales has left the company. She joined Peak Broadcasting’s Boise operations.

Sturtevant’s making the rounds. She started the year at Citadel – moved to Impact this spring, and now makes the drive to Park Blvd. each morning.

Factoid of the day: Sturtevant’s son Aaron Paul (nee Sturtevant) currently stars in AMC’s Breaking Bad (not Bud), and had bit parts in Mission: Impossible III, K-Pax, House MD, Medium and more. Here’s a press pic of the Sturtevants earlier this year at the Breaking Bud premiere.

Yeah yeah… no one sells 12+ numbers. Sadly, it’s the only way to put everyone on an even playing field with the same yard stick.

That yard stick is dripping with red ink – with ten stations falling from the fall. One more station (KJOT) saw a modest 3% gain, and three other stations (KTMB, KFXD, KQTA) disappeared, notching a zero. That’s 14 stations that didn’t fare strongly.

The biggest loser? KTIK/ESPN Radio 1350 KTIK The Ticket. After two straight books with a 2.6, the station slumped to a puny 1.4, its worst number since fall 2001. The station fell 47% book to book.

KKGL/96.9 The Eagle is Boise’s #1 radio station. Anchored by Bob & Tom in the morning and local jocks in the midday and afternoon, the station jumped to its best number since spring 1998 with a whopping 7.4. That mark is also the best rating for a commercial FM since KIZN/Kissin’ 92.3 scored a 7.5 in 2005. The Eagle also leads its nearest competitor (again KIZN) by 7/10s of a point and dominated direct competitor KJOT/J-105 by a 4.1 rating. Wow.