Joana Canals, 23, a broadcasting major at the University of Utah, was named the nation's No. 1 student radio broadcaster earlier this month, just as she was finishing up her four-year degree.
She won first place in the nation-wide Hearst Radio News Competition. After qualifying for the Hearst event with a radio story about a Salt Lake construction worker who builds houses by day and artificial fingernails by night ("Nails to Nails"), Canals traveled to San Francisco in May for the final competition. There, she had six hours to find a story on the streets of San Francisco and another half-day to produce a finished project for radio.Canals wrote and produced a 3 1/2-minute story about cable cars to win a first-place $5,000 scholarship and a $2,500 award for the U. of U. Department of Communication.
"We were all good writers," Canal told the U. of U. news service. "But the judges said my radio production skills stood out."
Her "Nails to Nails" story also won first place in radio news reporting during a statewide competition sponsored last spring by the Utah chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Canals was born in Uruguay to Omar and Beatriz Canals, the second of five children. She moved to Salt Lake City with her parents when she was 8 months old. She grew up with a microphone in hand and was raised speaking both Spanish and English fluently. Canals was doing Spanish voice-overs for Bonneville Media Communications at age 8.
"My parents came to the United States with nothing," she said. "But that didn't stop them from finding success. I've learned a lot from their strong work ethic."
She graduated from Cottonwood High in 1990 and has continued to work for her father's Spanish translation firm, Canals & Associates, and also recently finished a radio/TV internship with KSL. She reported Latin American news during commercial breaks between her father's translation of Ch. 5's nightly news.
"I guess I was born at the right time. Knowing both languages is so important today. Diversity can work for you in the journalism profession," she said.
Canals now plans to put her bilingual skills to work in TV broadcasting and find a job in that field - possibly abroad.
Despite her early radio experience, Canals didn't decide on a broadcasting career initially. She was a ballet dancer with the Ballet West Academy for 14 years and also studied jazz dance for six years. She was a Utah Jazz dancer for two seasons and even studied dance in Los Angeles and New York.
"But I realized that to be a professional dancer, I'd have to leave my academic studies behind," she said. "I've always been a serious student."
While she continued to take dance classes at the U. and even taught an aerobics class on campus, it was communications that became her major.
Her father believes that his daughter's talents will take her to high places, and in a few years, University of Utah officials will be able to point to her with pride and exclaim - "She was one of our students."
- NEW CALL LETTERS - The former KSOS (FM-106.9, 92.1, 96.7 and FM-98.3 for Utah County) not only has the classic rock format of the former KLZX, it also now has the same call letters, too. The station received permission from the FCC last week to use the new call letters. So, classic rock and KLZX are truly back.
However, sister station KSOS-AM (800) has retained its same call letters and the 1960s oldies music format that all the KSOS frequencies had.
- KALL (AM-910) - Gaylen Palmer, afternoon talk show host from 4-6 p.m. weekdays, unexpectedly quit the station last week. In the meantime, Bob Evans and Kevin Stanfield are filling-in on KALL's afternoon talk show. The station may hold a press conference as early as next week to name a replacement for Palmer.
- KISN-AM (570) is broadcasting live from the new Jordanelle Reservoir Friday, June 30, and Saturday, July 1. According to Chris Tunis, morning host and sports director, the opening of this new body of water to the public is significant, since it's northern Utah's first new reservoir in several decades.
The station will broadcast on location from near the marina's store and also conduct some interviews of lake users.
KISN-AM also has a new sports show, "Sports Sunday," airing each Sunday from 10 a.m. until noon. John Youngren, Peter Behle and Neal Buchan host the show that features in-studio guests, provides sports news, commentaries and interviews.
- KZHT (FM-94.9) started the summer with a listener-appreciation party at the Vortex, attended by 750 people. The Real McCoy played music and the station gave away 94 free CDs, a trip for two to the Bahamas and dinner tickets.
DJ Charlee Simons and his morning sidekicks, Liz Harris and Dan the Vacuum Man, were in attendance. Brian DeGeus, Andy Miller and the Hitman were also there.
- KSL (AM-1160) has invited listeners to its annual "Street Heat" Saturday, July 1, 4-7:30 in Provo's Cougar Stadium. The free event precedes the "Stadium of Fire" and will feature the band Mirage and lots of street games.
- 10 YEARS AGO - KXYC in Utah County beats KUTR by starting the first LDS music station ever. KSVN in Ogden begins using the nickname "K7 Gold."
- RADIO HAPPENINGS - Mills Crenshaw is back on KTKK, doing mornings 7-10. He was last on "K-Talk" in February 1993, before he was fired there. On Monday, Crenshaw was talking with listeners - many who seemed to be his die-hard fans about such topics as religion in the schools. On Tuesday, he talked a lot about one of his favorite subjects - taxes . . . .
KBEE is a sponsor of this year's "Sky Concert" on July 4. On Tuesday, the "Wakeup Club" sent out a sidekick, "Judd," to be a mattress policeman and play pranks on unsuspecting people who have removed tags from mattresses . . . .
"Kidd Cassidy" on KKAT asked listeners Monday what the strangest thing they ever tasted was. The DJ was also still giving listeners predictions on the sex of babies. On Tuesday, "Kidd" asked listeners about the worst job they've ever had . . . . "Cano, McCormick and Ruel" continued to give birthday greetings each weekday at 7:30 a.m. on KUTQ. On Tuesday, the DJs discussed the upcoming "Power Rangers" movie . . . . "The Breakfast Flakes" on KBUL also provide regular birthday greetings . . . .
"Country Joe" on KSOP does a song of the day contest, worth $104. He also does a country music quiz, and Tuesday's prizes were passes to the station's upcoming screening of "First Knight" . . . . Len Allen on KLO did a taped, on-location ad for a car lot Tuesday - just like DJs did in the old days . . . .
Todd Herman on KCNR talked about the drug testing in schools issue Tuesday . . . . Tom Barberi on KALL also discussed school drug testing this week and he spoke his mind again on what he said was the inconsistency of Provo's public swimming pool closing on Sundays. On Wednesday, he talked about freeway speed limits . . . . "Kerry and Bill" on KXRK talked about the cancellation of Pearl Jam's summer tour Monday. They also had another "Mr. Mannly." On Tuesday, the DJs had a KTVX reporter as their special guest . . . .
"Fisher, Todd and Fraser" on KISN-FM replayed a tape from May 1 where part of the morning team complained about the cool weather. They did this because Monday they were griping about the hot temperatures. The DJs also had another "Battle of the Sexes" Tuesday and gave away passes to Raging Waters . . . .
"Dickie Shannon and the Morning Maniacs" on KODJ had a "Captain Kangaroo" quiz Tuesday in honor of his birthday . . . . Salt Lake City Magazine asked listeners to vote on their favorite local radio personality in its March/April issue. Bob Lee of KSL ended up the winner. Station morning personalities Grant and Amanda will welcome the audience to the "Stadium of Fire" July 1 at Cougar Stadium. The show features Barbara Mandrell, the Utah Symphony, a mystery celebrity guest and fireworks.