Idaho Radio News Etc.

KLIX/NewsRadio 1310 will spend Thursday delivering good news to Magic Valley radio audiences. Starting at 5:30am, the station will present nothing but positive news for 24 hours. Stories, interviews and positive news will be featured throughout the entire morning show from 5:30am until 10am, then with updates twice an hour during syndicated fare. A Twin Falls nursery is helping sponsor the effort, and will launch a good news website starting Thursday.

Massive cuts in the Twin Falls market – hitting all three major groups.

KZDX/99.9 The Buzz – Liz leaves the AM shift

KYUN/106.7 The Canyon’s Ken Simmons leaves mornings

KTFI – News anchor Dale Metzger exits

KTPZ/Music Monster 99.1’s Howard Mayhem is out.

KLIX/Kool Superhits 96.5 – Doc Holiday, mornings is out – Brad from sister KEZJ is doing double-duty.

PS: Radio-Info’s column says these are all GAP stations – however  KZDX is a Lee Family station, KYUN, KTFI and KTPZ are Locally Owned stations and KLIX is GAP-owned.

KLIX/News Radio 1310 news director made his status as a gay man known on the radio last week – in the wake of the controversy over a parade float. Organizers of the Western Days event barred a float from a local gay & lesbian group last year – then put a set of very strict restrictions on the group this year (they could not use symbols like rainbows, etc.) KLIX news director James Tidmarsh told the station’s listeners about his sexual orientation – and stance on the story.

“For several years the Magic Valley has trusted me to inform them of the important issues. As a gay man, the issue of the Western Days parade is one not only important to those the western days committee is trying to blatantly silence, but to the perception of our great community as a whole,” he said.

Gap West management issued a news release in reaction to Tidmarsh’s statement:

Some of our listeners may have been shocked initially by the revelation that James is gay. However we trust his sexuality is not, nor has ever been an issue. The management of GAPWEST – Twin Falls will expect the same quality of fair reporting and news gathering from James that we always have. We also recognize his right to have an opinion, and in this case some may view it as a controversial one. While not necessarily reflective of the management or ownership of News Radio 1310 KLIX, we stand behind that right, as we do for any of our on air staff, and more importantly the listeners we serve.

Tidmarsh has been with KLIX for five years — and before that worked at KIDO/NewsRadio 580 in Boise.

Editor’s note: I don’t generally post about the people’s personal lives in this way… but a new release was issued. Keep the comments clean, please.

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.