"Pop goes the weasel" and "pop" goes a new radio station at FM-101.9.
"Pop 101.9," with a pop-music format, replaced a simulcast of sister station KFNZ (all-sports, "K-Fan," AM-1320) last week.
According to Eric Hauenstein, general manager of Citadel Broadcasting, which now owns the former KKAT station, a sampling of the music the new station has is now playing.
"Utah's Pop Music Channel" will be the station's new slogan and the new call letters, which have been applied for, are KPQP.
"It's a station oriented to women, ages 18-34," Hauenstein said, explaining it won't have any rap or hard-edged music and will be broad-based. "We think we'll be different."
KZHT and KQMB are probably the two stations closest in format to the new FM-101.9.
Hauenstein said FM-101.9 is still involved in a local marketing agreement with the former owner, Millcreek Broadcasting. That will technically continue until the Federal Communications Commission approves the sale of the station to Citadel. The new call letters also have to be approved.
The new station will unfold in the coming weeks and will have its own DJs later this summer. It will also feature pop-culture-lifestyle information that will appeal to its core audience.
Hauenstein said the station will remain a local one, with live local personalities.
FM-101.9 began airing some "Pop Goes the Weasel" segments last week to highlight the format change.
TOM BARBERI WILL STAY ON THE AIR — This talk-show host, a nearly 34-year fixture on KALL (AM-700), will continue doing his weekday morning show.
There was some question last month if Barberi's contract, which was to expire Wednesday, would be renewed.
According to Stu Stanek, vice president and general manager for Clear Channel's Salt Lake cluster of stations that includes KALL, "He will be staying with us."
Barberi has one of the longest-running careers as a talk-show host in Utah, if not the nation.
KSFI HONORED — "FM-100" has been nominated by Radio & Records, the industry's leading trade publication, for the adult contemporary radio station of the year.
"Only five AC stations have been nominated nationwide," Chris Redgrave, station vice president and general manager, said. "We are very fortunate to be among them."
Winners will be announced this weekend at the annual R&R convention in Beverly Hills, Calif.
MORE RADIO LONGEVITY — The veteran radio DJ list, published in the "Radio Dial" two weeks ago, included the eight longest-surviving radio personalities in the Salt Lake area market. If the list were lengthened to nine, the next in line would likely be Jon Carter of KRSP, with 25 years of on-air time here.
Carter started at Ogden's KLO in 1979. He moved to KRSP in 1980 and began his 16-year team-up with Dan Bammes in 1982. He worked for other local stations, too, but has now been at KRSP the second time around for seven straight years, doing a solo morning show.
Count Carter's out-of-state radio work and he has even more on-air time.
KBYU-FM ("Classical 89") is airing a new show, "A Night on the Town" each Saturday at 6 p.m.
The program is hosted by George Harter and presents an overview of the history of the American musical and the great American songwriters.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com