KRSP (FM-103.5) has a new morning team in Mark Waldi and Sue Kelly. Former morning host Frankie Belco has moved to the 6 p.m.-midnight shift.
Waldi comes to "Rock 103" from KVRY in Phoenix. Before that, he worked for KRBE in Houston. Kelly previously worked for Salt Lake's KZHT, where she had been since the inception of "Hot 94.9."Kelly is handling morning news and traffic for KRSP and is also doing her own solo midday DJ shift from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. She's followed by "Steve O" Carlson from 2-6 p.m.
- In other KRSP news, the station will simulcast music synchronized to the fireworks for Salt Lake City's "First Night" events, New Year's Eve at midnight.
KRSP also has a "Concert Flyaways" promotion under way every weekday for about the next month. Every weekday at 7:30 a.m., the station announces the key artist of the day and when that performer's song will play later in the day. When listeners hear the song, they call in; the winner gets a trip for four to the West Coast for a concert by the artist.
- KKAT (FM-101.9) - Ken Simmons, morning co-host, is taking some time off work, following an incident Monday in Sandy's South Towne Mall in which Simmons was arrested for investigation of lewdness.
"Kenny's on a leave of absence," said Dana Horner, KKAT general manager.
Horner said Simmons met with him Tuesday morning to explain the situation and to request the leave of absence. Simmons told Horner he felt there was a misunderstanding in the incident.
"We'll be pulling for him," Horner said.
Simmons, 30, has done news, traffic and weather for KKAT since he started there in the fall of 1990.
In the meantime, Jim Mickelson and Kevin Stanfield are the DJs who are handling the morning shift on KKAT.
Simmons' co-host, Richard Cano, is on vacation with his family in Florida. He hasn't been on the air all week and returns to work Monday. However, Horner said he wasn't sure if Cano would return to the air on Jan. 3.
Horner believes the Simmons incident has been sensationalized by most media and that Simmons is being found guilty when he's only under suspicion and before charges have even been filed.
- How did other morning radio teams handle the Simmons inci-dent?
"Ron and Allen" of KBER said they had a strict memo from management that stated they were not to discuss it on the air. These DJs didn't mention KKAT by name or Simmons - despite having some callers who wanted to talk about it.
"Jon" on KLZX also had callers who wanted to discuss Simmons, but he said the station would not be a soapbox for such subjects.
Bill Allred on KXRK simply read a newspaper report of the Simmons incident and played it straight - with no jokes or put-downs - at least when I listened.
Four other FM stations I checked didn't mention the story at all.
- MORE NEW YEAR'S RADIO - In addition to the other annual New Year's holiday radio specials mentioned here last week, add one more to the list - the second annual "Soundbites Year-In-Review" on KCPW (FM-88.3, Salt Lake City) and KPCW (FM-91.9, Park City).
This year's event will air Friday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. and is titled "1993 - The Clinton Year: I Don't Understand, But I Feel Your Pain."
This one-hour retrospective is described as a time travelogue, from the inauguration parade to "Bill Skytaxer" and "Ross Perot National Backseat Driver."
Also, like KUER (FM-90.1), KPCW/KCPW will air "The Capitol Steps' 1993 Year in Review Revue" at 6 p.m. Friday. (KUER will air it at 7 p.m.)
- KUER (FM-90.1) - "Jazz Smithsonian" will premiere Saturday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. The American Public Radio series will air each week in that same one-hour time slot.
"Legacies: Tales from America" is a 13-part series that starts Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. on KUER. This new 30-minute series combines the spoken word with documentary in the tradition of literary journalism.
- MORNING RADIO HAPPENINGS - The holiday drive for KKAT listeners to donate Christmas presents for the needy worked. The station reports that more than $1 million worth of gifts were donated . . .
The latest promotion on KVRI will be a drawing on Jan. 4 to give away a trip for two to Hawaii. Brian Casey of the "Wakeup Club" was excited he got a leather jacket for Christmas but said the sleeves are so long it would fit Mark Eaton and he'll have to return it. Mick Mackay also kept the predictions for 1993 from last year's National Enquirer; he said they went 0-33 on what the "psychics" said would happen this year . . .
"The Z-93 Winter Guide"' for KLZX is available at selected business locations. It contains money-saving coupons and details on how to qualify for a free trip to Lake Tahoe. "Jon" also revealed one of his secret ambitions this week - the fact that he'd love to be a snowplow driver . . . Charla Haley on KISN-FM said her son received a bowling ball for Christmas. Scott Fisher dubbed her family the "Bowling Haleys," but Charla reminded him her husband's last name is Cheeks . . .
"McCormick and Scotty" on KUTQ discussed more of the outlandish stories from the newspaper tabloids Tuesday . . . "Mike in the Morning" on KZHT was taking applications for a hair stylist Tuesday . . . "Kerry and Bill" on KXRK had their own tribute to the late Norman Vincent Peale this week . . .
Mark Van Wagoner of KDYL is out of town this week with a station tour of Southern California and the Rose Bowl. Co-host Danny Kramer manned the AM-1280 airwaves this week, but he'll fly to Southern California to join the tour group this weekend . . .
KSL again sponsored "Quarters for Christmas." One interesting contribution came from the young children in a Monroe, Sanpete County, family. The kids, whose father died and mother abandoned them, have been adopted by their grandmother. Despite their circumstances, they still donated to the Quarters for Christmas fund, used to purchase shoes for needy children . . .
"Ron and Allen" of KBER were on vacation earlier this week, but Wednesday they returned to discuss killing pigeons, as well as Michael Jackson's problems . . . Tickets to Utah Jazz games are popular prizes on at least two stations - KISN-FM and KUTQ . . . Tom Barberi on KALL-AM has been off the air this week. He's in California with the Ute football team. Bill Cawley has been filling in.