KSRR (alias "K-Star," AM-1400, Utah County) has started simulcasting its LDS music programming on KMGR AM-1230 every Sunday, as of July 26. Since KUTR's demise last February, Salt Lake LDS music fans have been left wanting.
K-Star has improved its broadcasting signal to reach a small part of Salt Lake County, but its special once-a-week broadcasting on KMGR-AM, an all-world news, sports and business station, is likely a foothold into KUTR's old territory.KSRR is on KMGR-AM every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and one K-Star representative said the response to the trial programming has been very good.
The simulcast is relayed by telephone line to KMGR, the sister station of the more well-known KMGR-FM (alias "Magic 107.5")
- KJQN (alias "KJQ,"AM-1490) is no longer simply simulcasting the modern music signal of its FM sister station. It switched to a 24-hour Christian radio format about one month ago.
"It's doing really well," said Gary Hayes, the station's general manager. "It's a Christian station for the family."
KJQ-AM is linked up with the Morning Star Network out of Dallas, Texas, and although it is only playing music now, it hopes to add some ministry programming later on, in addition to making technical improvements to increase the station's broadcasting range.
- KZQQ (AM-1550) is another station switching formats in the past month. The station still has its Spanish format in the evenings but has changed its daytime lineup from gospel/religious programming to country music.
- KBER (FM-101.1) has hired Susan Andrews as its new general manager. She replaces Doug Ottison, who left the station to pursue other interests. The complete transition officially takes place Wednesday.
"I'm excited," Andrews said, explaining that she recently returned to KBER after a 16-month sabbatical. She originally started at KBER in 1986 when the station started its quest to become a top 10 station in the market.
Andrews might currently be the Wasatch Front's only female radio general manager. She was general sales manager at KBER before, and so she said she has the management experience she needs to help increase the station's strength in the market.
- KLZX (alias "Z-93.3," FM) - Some radio listeners have told me they believe "Jon and Dan" are on the way out. That is, they can't remain one of the most-listened-to morning shows for long because they can't keep coming up with new material and antics.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Jon and Dan never cease to surprise me.
Take earlier this week as an example. I kind of expected them to take at least a brief excursion to Barcelona, Spain. (As it turned out they spent almost a week there and are probably on the way home this weekend.)
What I didn't expect was who Jon and Dan would capture as the guests on their show. One I heard was Bruce Jenner, 1976 gold medalist in the decathlon. He provided an excellent capsule analysis of the American medal chances in track and field, one that could have aired on any all-news station, while at the same time had some fluff and flavor to keep listeners tuned in even if they didn't care for the Olympics.
I noticed Jenner learned quickly to be careful what he said, knowing the wit of Jon and Dan to play on words and phrases not well-chosen. Jenner, by the way, is doing track commentary for NBC-TV.
On Wednesday, Jon and Dan went to the streets of Barcelona to talk with ordinary citizens. Barcelona might never be the same.
- KSL (AM-1160) - Speaking of the Olympic Games, if you want to hear the Olympic results on radio, before you see them on TV in the evening, listen to KSL radio between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily through Aug. 9. NBC-TV delays broadcasting the Olympics until prime time weeknights, but KSL has live daily results.
- ARBITRON RATINGS - Last week I provided my own impression of an actual Arbitron Diary, used to compile radio ratings. This week, we have the finished product - the spring book radio ratings for April, May and June along the Wasatch Front (Ogden to Provo).
Remember these are just estimates, and potential radio advertisers would be better off consulting the entire Arbitron Book to look at exact demographic ratings to see where the best target audience is.
Here are the age 12-plus, Monday-Sunday, 6 a.m. until midnight ratings:
1. KKAT, 12.9 percent share; 2. KSFI ("FM-100") 8.4; 3. KLZX, 6.3; 4. KSOP, 6.2; 5. KBER, 6.0; 6. KUTQ, 5.3; 7. KSL, 5.2; 8. KISN, 5.1; 9. KRSP, 3.1; 10. KALL-FM, 2.8; 11. (tie) KBZN ("The Breeze,") and KMGR-FM, 2.5; 13. KALL-AM, 2.4; 14. KCPX, 2.3.
Here are the adult ratings, for ages 25-54:
1. KKAT, 13.1 percent; 2. KSFI, 9.6; 3. KLZX, 8.2; 4. KSOP, 6.9; 5. KISN, 5.2; 6. KSL, 4.7; 7. KALL, 4.4; 8. KBER, 4.0; 9. KBZN, 3.5; 10. KRSP, 3.4.
- ON HOLD - The Federal Communications Commission has put its ownership rule change proposals on hold indefinitely, pending a review of the numerous petitions it has received.
The FCC was considering increasing both the total number of AM and FM stations a company could own nationwide, as well as in the same market, effective in August.
- KBLQ (FM-92.9) and KLGN-AM - After 16 years in the Salt Lake radio market, Mike Carver has accepted the position of operations manager at these two Logan stations. He will also do a morning show on KBLQ starting Monday.
"This is a great opportunity to move to a smaller community that my wife and I have always loved to visit and take reins of a station that has some challenges," Carver said.
Carver said his emphasis at KBLQ will be community involvement and to expand the adult contemporary format. He most recently worked at KKAT, KSL and was noted for his involvement with KUTR, Salt Lake's former LDS contemporary music station.
- KKAT (FM-101.9) - The station's "Morning Guys" aren't afraid to talk about some of the most sensitive of issues, and even though their style is to be humorous/entertaining and not offensive, occasionally they still upset some listeners. For example, earlier this week the station received some complaints about the jokes Richard Cano and Ken Simmons made about death-row inmate William Andrews.
KKAT station manager Dana Horner said the station is taking the complaints seriously and promised not only to apologize but to offer air time to offended parties if their concerns are legitimate.
I didn't hear any of the Andrews jokes Cano and Simmons made, but I know these "Morning Guys," ranked by Arbitron as having Utah's largest morning audience, can get into this kind of trouble easily. This isn't to say they are looking for trouble. Since they have the largest morning audience in Utah, they have a higher potential to offend at least some listeners when they joke about controversial matters.
Also, for some reason Cano and Simmons have a segment of their listening audience that appears to only listen to them for one reason - they want to get mad at them. These people don't even like country music, and it beats me why they force themselves to listen to KKAT while obviously not listening to their type of radio station.
I've heard Cano and Simmons have on-air conversations with these kind of listeners who seem to be making it a mission to complain or to try to get KKAT in trouble. Cano and Simmons, if anything, have been too polite to listeners of this type.
- PAUL ALEXANDER, 75, a long-time Utah broadcaster who worked at KUTA, KSL, KSXX and KWMS, died Sunday, July 26. He started at KUTA in 1939, moved to KSL in the late 1940s and left KSL in 1958. He then worked at KWMS and KSXX, returning to KSL radio in the 1980s as a part-time, late-night weekend host.
- KTKK (alias "K-Talk," AM-630) - Marianne Williamson will discuss her best-selling book, "A Return to Love: Reflections of the Principles of a Course in Miracles," Saturday, Aug. 1, 6-8 p.m., on the "How To Be Happy" show with host Lynne D. Finney.
- KBZN (alias "The Breeze," FM-97.9) - G.E.N.E. and their "Katching" album will be featured on the Sunday, Aug. 2, "Musical Starstreams," (8-10 a.m.) Later in the day, Peter White will be the guest on "Jazz Trax," (7 p.m.-midnight). "Straight to the Heart" by David Sanborn (1984) will be the show's "Archive Album" segment.
- Here's a schedule for next week's "7 O'Clock CD" show:
Monday, Aug. 3: "This Is a Recording," by Flim and the Bb's."
Tuesday, Aug. 4: "Portrait," by Spencer Brewer.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: "Change of Heart," by David Sanborn.
Thursday, Aug. 6: "Twice the Love," by George Benson.
Friday, Aug. 7: "Eye in the Sky," by the Alan Parsons Project.