"Airwaves" is the new title for the Simmons Radio Group, which relocated last month to Trolley Corners at 500 S. 700 East.
Five stations, KSFI ("FM-100"), KQMB ("Star 102.7"), KRSP ("Arrow 103.5"), KXRK ("X-96") and KDYL ("Talk 1280") are in studios that span two floors in the same building as the movie theaters, just east of the Main Trolley Square.
Besides giving the five stations twice as much space as they had at their 57 W. South Temple Location (where they spent 21 years), the building, which used to house a bank, also promises other exciting amenities.
For example, the stations plan to add JumboTron screens on two sides of the building, facing both 700 East and 500 South. These giant screens will help promote radio events and could even be used to highlight DJs.
Dave Hurtt, promotions director for Simmons, said the plan is to make the studios a destination. There will also soon be an espresso bar in the lobby of the stations, as well as a merchandise store to sell T-shirts and other station promotional items.
Grand opening ceremonies for the facility are planned for mid-August.
During a late-June tour through the Airwaves facility, many areas remained unfinished. However, one new feature is a rubber floor that is not only quiet and easy on the feet but also controls static electricity, which can be a thorn in the side of engineers striving for perfect sound quality.
Another interesting feature was the so-called "Death Star" conference room. It looks like something out of a "Star Wars" movie, and a half-dozen radio studios surround the circular conference table with plenty of display glass. Indeed, one radio studio on the northwest corner of the ground floor looks directly out to 700 East.
A section of the actual radio-transmission tower also sits in the main-floor lobby, giving it a kind of museum feel.
Employees at the facility seem pleased to have only one flight of stairs separating the five stations, as opposed to four in the old building.
G. Craig Hanson, president of the Simmons Radio Group, said the company searched high and low for a new facility. They examined many locations but liked the flavor of the old Trolley Square building. Also, the close-to-downtown-but-not-quite-downtown Trolley Square location was appealing.
It's amazing that you have the outrageous morning radio team of Kerry, Bill and Gina of X-96's "Radio From Hell" shows housed here alongside the G-rated afternoon team of Mark Van Wagoner and Danny Kramer of KDYL.
Rival Clear Channel of Salt Lake is trying the same excessive/mild approach but is using two stations to do so. AM-570 (KNRS) is moderate and AM-910 (KALL) is outrageous.
Meanwhile, nostalgic big-band fans are sad about the demise of KDYL's music format. That leaves KLO (AM-1430, Ogden) as the only nostalgic channel left in the market. Fortunately, KLO increased its transmission strength recently and is now received better in Salt Lake City than ever before.
Why did KDYL change formats? Hanson said it was an economic move, as it was just too hard to sell advertising to a station with a primary audience over age 50.
Besides, audiences nowadays crave information and stimulation. Talk radio provides that.
RADIO HAPPENINGS — KURR has a controversial new billboard featuring a woman's cleavage. Morning DJs Mick and Allen were taking responses from listeners this week about the new sign, which describes the duo as "quite a pair" . . . Connie Myers, Salt Lake correspondent for Radio Digest on the Internet, reports that the company is quitting the business in the next week. Too bad — the service offered not only a good look at Utah radio news, but also the rest of the country.
E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com