The old KJQ in Ogden had a strong loyal following in the 1980s and early 1990s, before being bought out by a religious broadcasting company. Now that station is back — in a new form — as KJQN (FM-100.7/103.1), offering adult alternative music for the Wasatch Front.
However, the failure of its main Brigham City transmitter has meant some areas — especially those north of Salt Lake — haven't heard the premiere of KJQN yet. "We've had to replace the transmitter," said G. Craig Hanson, president of Simmons Media Group. The FM-100.3 transmitter is designed to serve from Cache County to Davis County, while FM-103.1 is for Salt Lake.
Hanson said KJQN is geared for a 25-54 audience of alternative music — a little more like KENZ ("The End") than sister station KXRK ("X-96"), which goes for the 18-34 audience. He is pleased by the response from listeners, and on-air personalities will eventually be added.
Ironically, a lot of the old KJQ staff is already working for KXRK — Mike Summers, Bill Allred, Kerry Jackson. In fact, Summers is programming both stations.
"KJQ was always an eclectic station," Hanson said. And his dream is to bring that back. In fact, Simmons Media has one of the old black-and-white "cow" trucks the original station had.
NEW MORNING SHOW — Mark Britton, who uses the on-air name "Chinaman," and "Jamilyn" have joined Mick Martin for a new KURR ("Rock 99") morning show.
Chinaman is part Chinese, and he does standup comedy at local comedy clubs. He's used the name Chinaman, which some might say is politically insensitive, doing comedy across the country for 16 years.
Tom Sly, vice president and general manager for Salt Lake's Clear Channel Communications and KURR's owner, reports receiving no complaints from listeners regarding Britton's stage name.
Jamilyn does the news on the show. It's too early to tell how the new morning team will do, but it has a "Bob and Tom" style in the risqué radio realm, though with a lot more music than previous ones on KURR. The show was also featured Monday on the Fox Ch. 13 TV morning news show.
TRAFFIC REPORTING CLARIFICATION — KTVX/Ch. 4 is only serviced by Airwatch Traffic, not Metro Traffic, too, as was reported here last week. And since Sept. 11, flying days for local traffic services have been rare, a situation that will only get worse as the Winter Olympics near.
IN THE BAG — Erica Hansen, former KSL traffic reporter, will join "Rockett" on the KISN (FM-97.1) morning show starting Monday, Jan. 21. However, in a TV segment last week, KISN representatives said they didn't believe they could show Hansen's face yet because of some sort of legal requirement with her former employer. That's why she appeared with a paper bag over her head.
CLASSICAL MUSIC RUMORS — It's just rumor at this point that a commercial classical-music station might be headed for the Salt Lake market. We have KBYU-FM out of Provo as a non-commercial classical music station. Rumors suggest that FM-103.9, a new frequency, could be a home to commercial classical music, but Randy Rodgers, general manager of FM-103.9 and four sister stations, said nothing has been decided.
RADIO HAPPENINGS — There hasn't been much local programming on KIQN (AM-1010) in recent weeks. Most, if not all, of the local hosts have been absent, and the station is airing CNN Headline News as its mainstay. The station is now reminiscent of the old AM-860, an all-syndicated news station during the Gulf War . . .
Bill Allred, morning co-host on KXRK's "Radio From Hell" show, is also hosting a new show on sister station KZNS (AM-1280). Each weekday from 11 a.m.-noon, he directs "Go, the Travel Show," in conjunction with Murdock Travel . . . Simmons Media Group, owner of six Salt Lake radio stations, contributed $140,000 last month to "The Road Home" (formerly Travelers Aid). Sales of the station's own Christmas music CD and a corporation donation provided most of the money.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com