Idaho Radio News Etc.

KCHQ/Q-102’s morning show raised $5,000 for E. Idaho children in a few short hours last week.  The station’s “Q Morning Crew” helped raise the money for Sub for Santa – which will help give toys to children in need this Christmas throughout the area.  Station PD Charlie Michaels helped organize the event after the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program ran out of toys – and aimed to give toys to about 450 kids

Residents in Eastern Idaho are upset that KIGO-AM/Radio Fiesta 1490 is bleeding into their landline phones. The AP reports the 32,000 watt transmitter is coming into their phones and baby monitors. Station owner Albino Ortega says it isn’t his issue – that it’s Qwest’s fault. Qwest says they are looking into it.

Eastlan has pushed out its E. Idaho ratings.  The book is based on Bonneville, Bingham and Bannock Counties.  Here are the 25-54 AQH share numbers

• KLCE (AC) – 15.2
• KFTZ (CHR) – 8.3
• KMGI (Classic Rock) – 8.0
• KCVI (Active Rock) – 7.8
• KPKY (Classic Rock) – 6.9
• KUPI (Country) – 5.3
• KQEO (Classic Hits) – 4.6
• KTHK (Country) – 4.3
• KWIK (News/Talk) – 3.6
• KID-AM (News/Talk) – 3.2

By group:

• Riverbend – 4FM & 1AM – 37.6
• 2.GAP West – 4 FM & 2AM – 19.5
• Sand Hill – 4 FM – 12.6
• 4Pacific Empire – 3 FM & 1AM – 11.6
• Idaho Wireless – 2FM – 3.5

PD/Morning Air Talent Needed Now

Tired of corporate radio & all the pressure that goes with it? If you LOVE radio and your family, then come to one of America’s best family communities…Rexburg, Idaho. Q102-KCHQ has a unique opening for a PD/morning air talent. Work with state-of-the-art equipment and have all the tools you need to make your magic! Q102 is offering great money for the right person so if you are looking for a great place to raise a family, enjoy the western outdoors and do radio the way it is meant to be done then send your CD & resume ASAP to:
Q102-KCHQ
Attention-Ted Austin
1152 Bond Avenue, Suite 102
Rexburg, ID 83440

or email to:
ted@q102fm.net

R&R reports former Clear Channel Boise VP and one-time CC Twin Falls manager Terry Tario has landed a new gig. Tario will replace Mike Schutta at the helm of GapWest’s properties in Idaho Falls & Pocatello.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Terry’s caliber to join our team,” GapWest president Erik Hellum told R&R in a prepared statement. “Not only is he one of the most seasoned and respected broadcasters in the state of Idaho, he is also a great cultural fit for GapWest. With his focus on people, product and a positive workplace, he will lead our team in Idaho Falls and Pocatello to accomplish great things.”

Tario takes over June 2

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.”

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.

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.

AllAccess notes – and FCC filings confirm that GAP Broadcasting has made a deal to buy KSNQ/98.3 The Snake in Twin Falls and KEGE/92.1 The Edge in Pocatello. Intermart Broadcasting currently owns both stations, but GAP controls them via LMA the dates back to the Clear Channel days.

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.

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.

KQPI – the new country station in Eastern Idaho is changing hands. The station will flip from College Creek to Sandhill Media Group.

KQPI signed on the air just last week with a city of license of Aberdeen – serving the greater Pocatello area. Sandhill pays $1.1 million — which as Oldtimer notes — is $600,000 below the price College Creek paid at auction.

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

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.

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.

A trio of Idaho stations under construction permits have to get on the air in coming weeks — or they could lose those permits:

• KQPI licensed to Aberdeen has until March 25 to file for their license as a C2 at 99.5 (College Creek-Chris Devine-Chicago)
• KRID licensed to Ashton has until March 28 to file for their license as a class A at 96.5 (College Creek-Chris Devine-Chicago)
• A CP issued to Salmon with no call letters assigned has until April 21 to file for their license as a class C at 94.5 (Skywest Media-Ted Tucker-Tucson AZ)

(Thanks Oldtimer!)

Sand Hill Media launched a new station – KQPI/Magic 99. The station takes KQPI for calls, and is owned by Chris Devine’s College Creek. Our E. Idaho spy notes that a rumored move to Sand Hill Media may be upcoming.

The station positions as “East Idaho’s Hit Music Station,” and I’m told the format sounds quite a bit like KZDX/99.9 The Buzz in the Magic Valley

Michael R. Schutta will head up the six station GAP West group in Idaho Falls/Pocatello. The group includes KID-FM/96.1 The Bull, KID-AM/NewsRadio 590, KLLP/Star 89.5, KPKY/94 Nine, KPPC/92.1 The Edge and KWIK/NewsRadio 1290.

Schutta was VP for Pittman Broadcasting in Louisiana – before moving west two years ago.

“I’m excited about joining Skip Weller and his team at GAP West as VP/Market Manager for both Idaho Falls and Pocatello. It’s great to be part of a first class organization and I’m looking forward to working with the top notch staff in both markets,” Schutta said in a prepared statement.

Neica Kinney will slide into a new role as general sales manager.

Gap Broadcasting II now owns the former Clear Channel Communications clusters in Twin Falls and Idaho Falls – the culmination of a $74 million deal that also included a rash of small market stations in several states.

The Federal Communications Commission just approved a big rulemaking document that affects a raft of frequencies across Idaho. As part of the decision, KZDX/99.9 The Buzz will have to leave its current dial position behind for a new slot at 93.5 FM. KZBQ/Idaho Country 93.7 will shift to 93.9 FM – and KQEU/Arrow 107.1 will slide up to 107.9

Our FCC expert Oldtimer has the breakdown:

WINNERS in IDAHO

- Sand Hill Media’s KSNA 94.3 a C2 licensed to Rexburg Idaho swaps channels with co-owned KUPI at 99.1 thus giving it an improved signal over Idaho Falls.
- Sand Hill’s KUPI takes over the frequency of BYU-Idaho’s KBYI at 100.5 which will give it a transmitter site near Idaho Falls and thus coverage over both Idaho Falls & Pocatello.
- Sun Valley Radio’s KLZX 95.9 licensed to Weston ID upgrades to a C3 from an A and moves to 99.9.
- Simmons owned KOAX 107.3 C2 licensed to Kemmerer WY becomes a move-in to Shelley Idaho covering Idaho Falls & Blackfoot.
- College Creek, another Chris Devine entity, has their Ashton Idaho Fm construction permit changed from 96.5 class A to 104.5 which will allow it to move closer to Idaho Falls & Rexburg.

LOSERS in IDAHO

- The community of Soda Springs loses its only local FM as it moves to Wilson (Jackson) WY at 100.1 as a C3.
- BYU-Idaho’s KBYI is forced to change frequencies from 100.5 to 94.3 despite its objections to the FCC.
- KZBQ Pocatello changes frequency from 93.7 to 93.9 despites its objections to the FCC.
- KZDX Burley changes frequency from 99.9 to 93.5.
- KQEO Idaho Falls changes frequency from 107.1 to 107.9
- Vacant channel 105.1 class A at Dubois ID to 96.5 class A

KCHQ/Q-102 in Eastern Idaho finally jumped on the ol’ web bandwagon — with q102country.com. “We have been somewhat slow coming to the web because we wanted to develop a site that reflects the unique nature of our station and its coverage area,” GM Ted Austin told Idaho Radio News. “We are also the only east Idaho FM station with fresh local news updates provided to our listeners via the web on a daily basis.”

Austin also says he hopes to have audio streaming online by the end of the quarter.