No true Utah Jazz fan is likely to forget when their favorite team is playing, but finding radio broadcasts of Jazz games will be easier this upcoming season.
Not only is flagship station KFNZ ("K-Fan," AM-1320) going to be airing Jazz games as usual, but sister station KBEE on the FM band (98.7) will simulcast play-by-play coverage.
It all starts with the first preseason game on Oct. 10.
"We are the FM home of the Utah Jazz," said Rusty Keys, KBEE program director.
Is FM coverage of the Utah Jazz going to help the team and fans? It can't hurt.
For example, having KSL (AM-1160) on the FM dial hasn't dramatically in- creased the station's rating. However, it is handy to have all news/talk available on the FM dial, which is frequented by 80 percent of radio listeners.
If you forget about a Jazz game one night and you are flipping across the FM band, you're now likely to come across the game.
Of course with Jazz games on KBEE, that means less evening music on game nights. The "John Tesh Radio Show" (7 p.m.-midnight, weekdays) will be partially replaced on game days.
• CLEAR CHANNEL BUYOUT — Clear Channel is being bought by Thomas H. Lee Partners LP and Bain Capital LLC for $19.5 billion, pending final approval, and you've got to wonder how this move will affect U.S. radio.
Clear Channel is the largest U.S. radio broadcaster, with some 1,150 stations, including six stations in the Salt Lake market.
• RADIO HAPPENINGS — KODJ (FM-94.1) is looking for the biggest entertainment/pop culture fan in the Salt Lake radio market. The station's "Breakfast Club" is taking calls, videos and MP3s from listeners showing off their entertainment-world knowledge. Interested candidates can call a special casting hotline at 908-1534 or send an e-mail to breakfastclub@kodj.com. The Grand Prize is $5,000 and a chance to be on the KODJ Morning Show performing the "Show Biz Buzz Reports." The winner will be announced Oct. 15, 7:40 a.m. For details go to www.KODJ.com.
—Rebecca Cressman of the "Brian and Rebecca" morning show on KSFI, will be at the 2007 Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk on Saturday, Sept. 29, at Murray park.
—"Ceci" of KBEE will be at the Scrapbook USA store in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 29, 10 a.m.-noon.
—"Todd and Erin" mornings on KBEE have kicked off another round of the popular "Secret Sound" contest. The pool of contest money starts at $1,000 and goes up by $98 with each wrong guess. The pot was almost up to $1,700 earlier this week.
—KXRK will co-sponsor another "Big A" show on Oct. 6. The KXRK web site, www.x96.com, is also offering fans some intriguing interactive features for the "Radio From Hell" show. For example, users can choose a new hairstyle for Bill Allred on the site, or offer encouragement in a Kerry (Jackson) and Bill 24 Hour Fitness competition.
• TWENTY YEARS AGO IN SALT LAKE RADIO — Tom Bock leaves KSL radio. ... Doug Wright is named KSL radio's program director. ... "Sports Open Line," with Chris Tunis and Craig Bolerjack, airs Tuesday nights on KSL. ... KRSP celebrates its 20th anniversary.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com