Utah and Weber counties are where the biggest changes in Wasatch Front radio are under way.
Radio and Records is reporting that KHQN (AM-1480) in Spanish Fork — probably the world's only Hare Krishna radio station — is being sold for $315,000 by Sace Broadcasting to Robyn Howell.
KHQN was a rock-music station in the early 1980s but has been broadcasting Hare Krishna full time since 1984.
"All Access," another online radio-news source, reports that the format at the station is expected to change soon from Krishna to talk.
That isn't the bad news it might have been a decade or so ago. That's because online broadcasting means that the Hare Krishna format could still continue worldwide from its Web site, www.harekrishna.com.
Meanwhile, in Ogden, AM-1490 is back on the air. The station's new call letters are KOGN, and it is broadcasting adult standards (nostalgia) music.
Months ago, AM-1490 was KYFO and simulcast a conservative Christian format.
GENERAL GRIDLOCK IN SEATTLE — "General Gridlock" is one of the best and most unusual traffic reporters in the Salt Lake radio market. Besides being on KUBL and other stations, he is on Seattle radio, too, according to www.saltlakeradio.com.
He's doing traffic reports on KKWF, FM-100.7 in Seattle. Nicknamed "The Wolf," this country station has "Fitz in the Morning."
Internet and freeway camera technology make remote traffic reporting feasible.
Imagine being in Salt Lake City and reporting to Seattle commuters, almost 900 miles away, on traffic problems.
A Utah connection that probably helped put "Gridlock" in Seattle is Scott Mahalick, program director of KKWF. A decade ago, he was the Citadel Communications vice president and general manager for Salt Lake operations and KUBL.
RADIO HAPPENINGS — KUBL's "Johnson and Johnson" asked listeners last week what they would do for Kenny Chesney concert tickets. One listener painted his car with Chesney's name and then used a sledge hammer to smash the windows out. Now that's wanting to go to the concert real bad.
Another dove head first into manure in the back of a truck, while another lady ate a bowl of live worms.
That's plain crazy.
— Want to save money on gasoline? The KSFI Web site, www.fm100.com, has a list of the lowest fuel outlets along the Wasatch Front.
— Radio Disney, locally KWDZ, AM-910, will celebrate 10 years on the air next month. A special concert and other events are planned.
TEN YEARS AGO IN SALT LAKE RADIO — Four companies were controlling 68 percent of the radio audience in the Salt Lake market. . . . "Kerry and Bill" on KXRK were airing "Space Elders" episodes each Thursday. . . . "Charlee and Brian" were the new morning team on KBER. . . . Howard Bogarte of KFAM was closing in on 60 years of radio experience as Utah's most veteran radio personality. . . . KRGQ ("Kargo") was playing Christmas music in June to signal an upcoming format change.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com