Here's a capsuled look at the happenings in the Salt Lake-area radio during 2003:
JANUARY: KISN conducts a three-day countdown to signal a format change to "KISS-FM," adult top 40 music without the hard stuff. . . . KSL hires Robyn Bringhurst as the new weekend personality for its travel and garden shows. . . . "Johnson and Johnson" on KUBL stage a contest where listeners try to find Toby Keith concert tickets in 250 pounds of oatmeal. . . . KFNZ joins the Rocky Mountain Golf Network. . . . The new "KISS" morning show features "Dexter and Mercedes" a k a "Rockett and Erica," the DJs from the previous station format. . . ."Casey Scott," of KENZ's "Chunga and Mister" show is burned in a radio stunt, but not seriously.
FEBRUARY: KSL holds it annual Radiothon to benefit Primary Children's Medical Center. . . . KZHT stages its fourth annual singing "Grammies" event. . . . Five local DJs make appearances in "The R.M." . . . KHZT sponsors a "Valentine's Day Massacre," complete with 80 women diving into a huge cake to find a diamond ring. . . . KISN holds a "Bachelorette Ball" . . . KZHT has a "Blind Scavenger Hunt" to tie in with the "Daredevil" premiere. . . . Cathy Ives is named as KCPW's new general manager. . . . KALL radio is split up and sold by Mercury Broadcasting. . . . Clear Channel purchases the KALL "intellectual properties" (programming/personalities), and Radio Disney/ABC Radio buys the frequency.
MARCH: KSL is a finalist for another Crystal award. . . . "The Provo Girl" replaces "The Chinaman" on KURR. . . . KUBL's "Johnson and Johnson" host a "Red, White and Blue Rally" for U.S. troops in Iraq. . . . Mike Summers leaves KXRK. . . . Simmons Media Groups sells one of its Texas radio stations and purchases two Ogden stations, KXOL-AM and KSOS-AM.
APRIL: KSL's Amanda Dickson begins a new show, "A Women's View," airing Sunday mornings. . . . Don Shafer, begins a new Saturday morning travel show on KNRS. . . . Local radio stations play more patriotic music than ever during the war with Iraq. . . . KIQN, AM-1010, loses voluntary control of the station in what signals a bankruptcy and ownership transfer to another party. . . . "Todd and Erin" on KBEE-FM orchestrate the preparation care packages for U.S. troops overseas. . . . "Fisher and Laura," mornings on KQMB ("Star 102.7"), start a drive to try and get school letters on mountainsides painted red, white and blue. . . . Utah Public Radio at Utah State University in Logan celebrates 50 years of history April 15. . . . Dan Jessop of KLO recovers from surgery. . . . A Salt Lake couple names their baby Laura Fisher Tayian after KQMB morning DJs, "Fisher and Laura."
MAY: KSL celebrates its 81st birthday. . . . KFNZ is the first to announce John Stockton's retirement from the Jazz. . . . Radio Disney moves to AM-910, and KALL switches to AM-700. . . . Ralph Carlson, owner of KKDS-AM radio, is honored by the Utah Advertising Federation for more than three decades of radio service. . . KSL, KSFI and KXRK lead the Arbitron winter ratings book. . . . AM-860 becomes "The Coyote," a syndicated classic-country music station. . . . KUER has its annual professional-clothing drive.
JUNE: Derrick Pedarson joins the KFNZ morning radio show, replacing Jeff Rickard, who moves to afternoons. . . . Chet Tapp leaves the KJQN morning show. . . . Charla Haley returns to radio as a morning co-host and the news director at KBZN. . . . Rob Boshard is named the new program director at KODJ.
JULY: KURR switches to "Classic Rock 99." . . . "Chunga and Mister" of KENZ get upward of 180 entrants for the "Show Us Your End" TV commercial contest. . . . KSOP enters more than half-dozen parades this summer. . . . KSFI and KUBL lead the spring Arbitron ratings book among individual stations.
AUGUST: KCPW raises the money it needs for its new studios in Library Square. . . . Jaxon and Micki of KURR's "Dawn Patrol" capitalize on the Fleetwood Mac "Say you Will" tour by becoming Internet-ordained ministers and performing eight marriage ceremonies at the Delta Center. . . . Marty Patch wins KENZ's "Show us Your End" TV commercial contest.
SEPTEMBER: Kevin Stanfield and Danny Jessop begin a new morning talk/news show on KLO. . . . Jeff Hansen and Laura Jones comprise the new "Jeff and Jones" morning show on KJQN radio as former morning host, "Cuzzin Brad," moves to overnights at sister station KXRK. KJQ also debuts a new "Bessie" milk truck. . . . KUBL sponsors a human flag-making event in the Delta Center on 9/11. . . . . Phil Hendrie, national talk show host on KALL, visits Deer Valley. . . . Long-time broadcaster Wes Bowen dies at age 79. . . . KBEE radio stages "Drive by Dating," where women pick the number of their favorite bachelors from a street-corner lineup.
OCTOBER: KUBL's "Johnson and Johnson" gather some 5,000 teddy bears to give to children in trauma situations. . . . Bob Lonsberry, morning talk show host on KNRS radio in Salt Lake City, is fired from his New York station for making a racial slur. He's suspended from his Utah show for two weeks. . . . Dan Bammes, morning host on KUER, recovers from cancer. . . . KEGA, a new Simmons Media country music station premieres at FM-101.5. . . . KSL, KXRK and KRSP lead the summer Arbitron ratings.
NOVEMBER: Paul Koffy is the new morning DJ for KEGA. . . . Jeff Austin is the new program director for all-sports stations KFNZ and KJQS. . . . Dain Craig becomes the new program director at KSFI. . . . KZNS revises its lineup, including a new late-morning sports show by Eric Ray and Jason Cheny. . . . Mary Fraser becomes KCPW's new station manager. . . . Pat Clark is the new evening host on KUUU radio.
DECEMBER: KEGA adds Jim Mickelson, Danny Ryan and Kenny Ostin to its lineup. . . . KODJ's "Dickie and Angel" plan their second annual New Year's Eve party at the Salt Lake Hilton. . . . Bonneville International Corp. gets FCC approval to purchase KSFI, KQMB and KRSP, plus some stations in southern Idaho and St. George/Cedar City from Simmons Media Group. . . . Clear Channel sells FM-94.9 and KKAT to Superior Broadcasting and makes plans to move KZHT from FM-94.9 to FM-97.1, meaning KISN will cease to exist. Clear Channel also purchases KOSY and KCPX from Mercury Broadcasting.
E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com