Idaho Radio News Etc.

RBR-TVBR reports that big changes could be raining down from Cumulus Corporate. An escalating battle means the company is taking steps to bring more of its programming in-house, eschewing syndicated programs from Dial Global (formerly Westwood One), Premiere and others. Even ESPN could be swept away by the clouds.

If this plays out like the story intones, KBOI & KTIK would be severely impacted. KBOI is anchored by Rush Limbaugh – and despite current issues on a national scale, Boise is Rush-country. Rumors that former presidential Mike Huckabee might be the in-house pick for Rush’s timeslots abound – but he won’t pull the ratings Rush does.

It’s unlikely that both Limbaugh’s program and the ESPN deal would come open at the same time. But we’ll take them one-by-one:

• ESPN. If Cumulus decides to part ways with ESPNR it causes some major changes for KTIK – starting with its brand name. “FM Sports 93-1″ or whatever they land on won’t have the power behind it that the “worldwide leader” brand holds. While KTIK brands itself around Caves & Prater as well, ESPN holds down massive amounts of time on the station – including evenings and weekends – not to mention Mike & Mike, Cowherd and Scott Van Pelt. Jim Rome comes to the station via Premiere — but who knows if that’s safe either. ESPN would be left in a bind. If the ESPN contract comes up, two groups will make a play: Peak & Impact. While Impact doesn’t technically program a sports station now, you could easily see it re-consolidating the two KINF stations (FM & AM) back to one frequency and doing sports on the other.And while I’m in the middle of wild speculation – whatever happened to this (the station shuffle to move-in a new FM frequency)? The FCC says construction permits for KSAS and KQFC are up. We go down that rabbit hole here for this reason: I think the smart money on that new FM move-in would have it landing in Impact’s bucket… and they’re going to need something to put there. TOTALLY wild speculation.

  The other ESPN wannabe will be Peak. Despite all that… bankruptcy… stuff – those stations will end up in someone’s hands. And KFXD/Sports 630 is still in need of programming. This winter, PB picked up NFL playoff programming from Dial Global – a HUGE get. KTIK didn’t have the Super Bowl this year — KFXD did. Whoever ends up in charge will want it badly. I’m sure they’d be willing to trade Fox Sports over to Cumulus.

  One other note. I watched KTRV’s final local program – the Potato Bowl pregame show in December. It was hosted by Matt Loveless, Stacey Skrysak and Larry Polowski. Jeff Caves joined the show, and Polowski asked him an oddly phrased question : “So ESPN and KTIK, you guys are going to stay married together forever right?” It seemed like a type of reference to the KTRV/Fox split — but then Jeff’s answer was very non-committal and said “who knows how ESPN wants to play that card, and we want to provide it for the foreseeable future – but there’s no guarantees.” Why did he ask that in the first place? Why was Jeff’s answer so weird?

• Then there’s Rush. If Premiere and Citacumuldel don’t come to terms, then what? In Boise you are going to have the same two players: Impact and Peak. Peak would love to put rush back on KIDO. They were NOT happy when they lost it (remember this?). They’d be more than happy to put him back on the station. Likewise for Impact which just sniped Savage from KBOI and is clearly on the prowl for more content.

  One other thing: I heard rumblings last year that someone else wanted to light up a talk station in Boise. It didn’t come to pass – but will it?

There’s a lot of worse case here for Cumulus Boise. Even though it’s obvious corporate wants to bring thing in house – how far and how fast will it escalate that desire? While it has some programming on the shelf, it the items it hands to the competition – in Boise at least – could prove to be very problematic from a competitive standpoint.

It’s not the rise of IdahoRadioNews.com – though a few radio posts are possible. I have a new personal blog at DonLDay.com. Miss the collective you!

I’ve been working on this entry for a while. I probably let this site be a little bit more about me then it should have been – and you all were gracious to read it and comment and be so kind over the years.

In the nearly seven years I’ve been watching the radio industry, it has changed quite a bit. Lots of talented people now find work in other industries. Voicetracking has become the lion’s share of programming. Nearly every station is different than it was on IRN day one… if not in format, then in structure and staffing.

I’ve never drawn a paycheck from the radio industry – but have long been fascinated by it. If things had gone a bit differently here and there, I would have likely tried to make a career of it just as so many of you have. It’s an addicting form of media, and the creativity allowed is attractive to so many.

I should thank a few people: my parents for being such great guiding posts. My sister for listening to me read about a billion IRN posts followed by the question “does that make sense?” My business partner Aletia for putting up with me – and great friends like Kate and Kelsey and Melanie and Bri and dozens of others.

To the folks – anonymous or not – who have sent along tips, provided insight, corrected mistakes or been so kind with your words, thank you.  I’ve derived a deep enjoyment from producing this site – due entirely to the great IRN community.

I’d love to throw down two cents of wisdom – but I’ll leave that to you. For my 18th birthday, my dad put together a really cool display of some of the things my then-recently-deceased grandfather had said in his life — and usually when I’m trying to draw wisdom or at least make myself sound smart… I look to that.

The one that might fit the best is “Quitting smoking’s easy, I’ve done it lots of times” — though this really will be the last hurrah here, I promise. The one that might apply best to radio (or radio contest-winners) is “The free seats always boo first” but this one I like the best:

The harder you work, the luckier you get.

See you around…

Earlier: Idaho Radio News to close

KIDO’s Voice of the Broncos made a cameo in a promo for KSAS this week – with some totally out of context quotes. Very funny. Listen here.

Behler appeared on the KTVB.COM Fiesta Live Webshow last week, and was asked by Mark Johnson about his future plans. He said conversations have not begun with KBOI and won’t until his contract expires, but he hopes to continue in his role as “Voice.”  He also made an interesting observation — during his time with Peak/BSU, he’s only called one losing game – the Pointsettia Bowl against TCU last year.

The KZMG/KSAS (and now KWYD) pop war is entering its third decade in the Treasure Valley.  Old IRN friend Jim sent along this rap from Scooter B circa 1999 at Magic 93.1.  The parody of “Miss Jackson” has a line that now seems ironic:

99 The Monster got “the Point” and flipped to the 80s

And after a long winding road, came back to the pop space – and has found itself on top of both KSAS and KZMG.  The song had lots of insider talk…

We laughed when that jerk boss of yours got fired

Listen here

Jim Smith found a great solution to this site’s closing: A Facebook group!  Join Idaho Radio News Junkies for news and notes on the radio industry. Anyone can post and comment in the group.

For IdahoRadioNews.com, comments will remain open and the site’s archive will remain in place.

I won’t be writing here anymore – but here are a few sites I read that may not be on your favorites list. Many of these are local, and all crank out original, unique content on a variety of topics.

Idaho Ad Agencies – I think this would now be the oldest Idaho media-related blog – but still the best. Brian Harrison has a “street-level view” of marketing and ad-making in town.

Treasured Valley – The site that beat out IRN for best blog from BW this year — and deservedly so. Fun way to keep tabs on what’s going on locally – including news, politics, stuff to do and food/beer.

PR Musings – Written by the staff of Red Sky PR in Boise… and mostly by Jessica Flynn. Interesting nuggets on projects the company is working on plus… musings… on media, technology and PR. Also sometimes features local media critiques.

BoiSee – Yes, it’s written by my dad – but it’s always worth a look. Each Friday he posts a picture he’s taken for “Photo Friday,” and also puts up random observations throughout the week.

Faux Farmgirl - OK, perhaps I’m giving too many shouts-out to the blogs of friends & family (this would be three-in-a-row) but this blog from my long-time colleague Alyson Oüten is on a topic you might not expect from her. It’s a rich site loaded with pictures, simple pleasures and… food. Mmmm. Food.

Behind the Menu – A fairly new effort focused on Boise’s dining scene. News, reviews and video features blend together… to make you hungry. Mmmm. More food.

Oregon Media Central – a well-written, thoughtful site focused on primarily the Portland market.

OBNUG – Also known as “One Bronco Nation Under God.” The site is a fun, funny outsider’s take on Bronco football. Make no mistake though – the opinions and news are sharp and to-the-point.

Romenesko – This site has the pulse of the newspaper industry. A part of the Poynter Institute for journalism – it does a fantastic job covering media.

Mediaite – Mostly focused on national cable and online news. Good group of writers and great topics.

Brand New – A site that critiques logo and branding redesigns. Fascinating commentary from in-the-know folks in the industry.

At the beginning of the past several years, we’ve asked you to predict the future. Here are the results from the 2009 poll.

Will the Idaho Statesman still publish 7 print editions per week by 12/09?
Yes 76, No 88
Result: Though the daily paper went through lots of drama this year, it is still cranking out a full seven issues per week.

Will Peak Broadcasting survive the year?
Yes 110, No 60
Result: Peak is still alive and kicking.

In the Fall 2009 book, with KIDO carrying the Broncos and KBOI carrying Rush, who will win?
KIDO 82, KBOI 86
Result: We can’t answer this quite yet. The Fall 2009 book hits the streets in a few weeks.

What will happen to the KDJQ frequency?
Remain off-air 90, Acquired by Salt & Light 1, Acquired by Impact 13, Acquired by other 38
Result: Still off the air.

Which station will change formats?
KZMG 83, KJOT 22, KRVB 9, KXLT 22, KSRV 30
Result: None of the above — but the former True Oldies did flip, becoming V-99.1. Also, KZMG kept its format but dropped the “Magic” name

Will Impact Radio be…
Roughly equal to the “big three” 32, Still a small-time player: 132
Result: I’d say Impact has gotten very close to being on-par with Journal, Citadel and Peak.

Boise Community Radio will…
Be on air 19, Be no closer 64, Fold under economic pressure 49, Have taken steps toward the CP 19
Result: We’ll put this in the “Be no closer” category – though I’m sure the BCRP folks would disagree.

Will WOW Country topple KQFC?
Yes 59, No 108
Result: Nope.

What will the Dec. ‘09 market condition be?
Better 49, Worse 55, About the same 61
Result: This one is also subjective – but we’ll put it in the “About the same” category

I’ve been at this a damn long time. Like I’ve said before, it started as a lark. Blogging was new (hard to believe), and I wanted to try it out. My knowledge of radio was at least enough to give it a shot.

I’ve posted nearly 2800 items, an average of about one per day since we started. Many of them were inside baseball, but a few broke ground – and many started thoughtful debate.

One thing I’ve always appreciated about this site is the community that has sprung up. For the most part, the debate has been civil and on topic (even if I haven’t been).

Here are a few of my favorite stories:

• Radio prank leaves DJ in cuffs
• Behind the curtain: Why BSU picked Peak (Possibly the piece of journalism I’m most proud of here)
• Wild promo alleges Kiss bilked listener
• Want to buy time on Bob? E-mail.. Citadel
• Peak to kill Kiss FM for Bob FM … Impact/Tester beats them to it … Peak keeps Kiss
• Speaking of Kiss… Keke stays awake for 175 hours … Runs for 175 miles
• Clear Channel to Peak: You can’t bid on Rush
• Impact looks to live up to its name
• Legislator: Provider your real name on the net… or else
• KDJQ: The Saga
• Boise Community Radio won’t reach Boise… or will it?
• Statesman runs dog obituary, apologizes, gets own phone number wrong
• What would it take to band together to help Katrina victims?

KQLZ/V-99.1 has dumped the Virus name from its branding. The station reworked its website, Twitter page, YouTube channel and of course the on-air sound of the station itself.

KQLZ has been on the air just a few months – and shared a name with Sirus/XM channel “The Virus,” though its unclear if this change had anything to do with the name similarity.

While I’m preparing to sign off here, there are lots of questions that remain. These are the stories that I would be following if I were going to hang around…

• Will Boise Community Radio ever launch? Will it be a success? Is it needed?
• Will Peak Broadcasting survive its heavy debt load?
• Will Citadel Broadcasting keep the Boise cluster under the pressure of bankruptcy? Who would be a buyer?
• When will KQFC move to 102.7 and KSAS move to 103.5? Construction permits are up – but when will the big moves happen?
• That new frequency allotment coming to Boise will wind up in someone’s hands – but whose? Will Impact grab another FM? What would the program?
• Can KZMG/93.1 Hit Music Now hang on? Will KJOT/J-105 still be viable into the future?

Mellisa Paul – former KQXR mid-day talent and KIVI morning anchor hit the door for the last time today. She’s headed to Sacramento – and the folks at channel 6 put together a funny goodbye video.

We’ll be wrapping up here late next week. I’ve got a bunch of fun posts ready to go after the Fiesta Bowl

Journal Broadcast Group put together a lively TV spot wishing the audience of KIVI and KNIN a happy holiday season. The spot featured KIVI morning anchors Lincoln Graves and Michell Starke, plus the KQXR morning team and KJOT afternoon team passing a present.

Pete and Joe apparently like to spend time in the bathroom together… and trade gifts in the john as well.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Former KQXR/100.3 The X mid-day host is undertaking a massive new venture – launching a music festival. The Promenade Music Festival is set for October 7, 8 and 9, 2010 – and will take place all over downtown Boise – and it’s the brainchild and project of Jaclyn Brandt and her Underground Uncovered Productions.

The idea is to set up a walkabout-style festival with great bands – both from in and out of Boise. You can learn all about the festival at PromenadeBoise.com (a DayPower Media site… by way of disclosure).

I JUST found out my old station in Spokane got fined 4000 by the FCC for a stunt I did in 2006 ! What do they say about carma ??

That’s @LuckyThaDJ on Twitter earlier this month. Sure enough, ‘Lucky’ – then known as Dick on the Radio – caused former employer KQQB some trouble, after annoying a prominent Spokane hotel.

Lucky told listeners that 50 Cent was staying at the Davenport Hotel, and asked them to call the hotel and get him on the line. The Spokesman-Review reported that about 40 people jammed the phone lines, and another 20-or-so people showed up in the lobby looking for the rap star.

Nothing so far is illegal. But the Davenport found a way to get KQQB on a bit of a technicality with what happened next:

A Davenport representative called the DJ and asked him to stop – and had no idea the call was being recorded. The DJ then played the call over the air, which is a no-no.

Of course, anyone who calls up a top 40 radio station and later claims they “had no idea the call was being recorded” is at best naive – but that doesn’t mean the FCC rules are any different. That manager – Matt S. Jensen – complained to the government, and won: The FCC strapped the station with a whopping $4,000 fine.

Station managers say they didn’t condone Lucky’s actions.

KQQB has had a bit of trouble since Lucky and cohort Keke Luv left town. They used to broadcast from a local coffee shop as “Live 104.5,” but on top of the big fine, KQQB went silent in June 2008, telling the FCC that they had equipment problems. The station was off the air for quite some time before being sold off, and later relaunched this fall as Cube 104.5.

Let’s pretend you bought stock in the three major Boise radio companies when this site started in September 2003.

Citadel. Clear Channel. Journal. Which one would be worth the most money?

Citadel was worth $18.85 per share. A share of Clear Channel stock went for $17.93. Journal stood at $16.45.

Today? Citadel: one cent. Journal $4.09. Clear Channel: $39.48.

Journal’s dropped by nearly two-thirds. Citadel’s stock is worthless. But Clear Channel? You would have more than doubled your money.

Go figure.

Here’s another one from the vault. Shannon Ellis was nice enough to share this audio file with me… three years ago. I forgot about it until now.

This is a little trick KCIX/then-K-106 liked to play when it was trying to take on KZMG/then-Magic 93.1 about ten years ago.

Listen here.

At today’s best music mix, K-106, we know radio stations need to play commercials. I mean that’s how they pay their bills.

But geez, enough is enough already. Here at K-106, we never stop the music for commercials more than twice an hour during the work day. But the guys at 93 must be getting rich at your expense. They stop for commercials three, even four times an hour.

In fact, I bet they’re playing a commercial right now. I bet they are. Go on. Go check. We’ll wait. (Jeopardy music).

Hey, we’ve all got to pay the bills, but at K-106, your favorite songs come first. So, back to what we do best. Today’s best music mix… K… 106.

We’ve talked about the KWYD/Wild 101 boombox a few times here — including showing how it looks now — how it looked when owned by KF-95 as “The Legend.” Here’s one more picture, courtesy Dave Arthur — when the boombox still had the handle on top, and its original look and feel…

It’s not just IRN going bye-bye as the new decades opens… Michael Deeds reports KJOT/J-105 won’t publish its annual “girlie” calendar. Deeds says the move is a cost-cutting one at Journal Boise.

Speaking of which… I’m now traveling to Phoenix for the Fiesta Bowl for KTVB. That means my last day as a news person will be January 4th… so we’ll extend this site’s life for just a few more days to dovetail with that. I’m working on several wrap-up stories that we’ll publish next week.

I was looking through an issue of The Blue magazine tonight – the publication dedicated to Boise State sports. KBOI had a full page ad with a large football – and three simple copy points: “Live. Local. Legendary.”

It occurred to me that the station never stopped being the Broncos station. Two years ago, Peak Broadcasting got organized — and paid big — to swipe the rights to broadcast games from KBOI, moving them to KIDO.

But after KBOI accepted defeat – it set its sights on two things: keeping the Broncos as part of its brand, and getting the team back on its airwaves.

KBOI set up shop before each football game at a less-than-glamorous location: Baja Fresh. But they continued to crank out pre and post game shows, and had a big advantage: Paul J. Schneider. The long-time announcer of football and basketball was swept aside as part of the transition, but still was a very strong presence in the mind of fans. He continued to anchor the station’s morning show – and is arguably the best-known personality in Boise radio.

Meanwhile, the station kept its rather large news staff, and as Peak cut KIDO to the bone – KBOI grew. It picked up Rush Limbaugh, strengthened its news team, and kept hammering away on Broncos news. The games might not have aired on the station, but it was very much part of the scene.

Now KBOI gets the games back – and will likely bring Bob Behler on board as well. While Paul J. won’t be behind the play-by-play mic, he’ll continue to be part of the news coverage, and Citadel will likely find creative ways to wrap itself around the Broncos brand even better than it had before.

Citadel Communications, which owns six Boise radio stations, has declared bankruptcy.

The pre-negotiated filing allows the company to rework its debt and stay afloat. The company didn’t make any noise that it was going to shed assets.

“Citadel, like many radio, television and newspaper companies, has seen its revenue and profitability decline due to the downturn in advertising spending by companies particularly in the auto, banking and restaurant sector,” CFO Randy Taylor said.