The National Assocation of Broadcasters has named five finalists in four categories for Marconi Awards in the Salt Lake market.
KSL (FM-102.7/AM-1160) is up for "Legendary Station" honors against KBCO, Denver; KSHE, St. Louis; WBZ, Boston; and WTOP, Washington, D.C.
Doug Wright of KSL is one of five finalists for Large Market Personality of the Year.
The premier local talk radio host in Salt Lake City, Wright's broadcast career goes back 40 years to 1970.
KSFI ("FM-100") and KUBL (FM-93.3) are competing against each other in the Large Market Station of the Year category. Two Utah stations in the same category? That's unheard of.
KUBL is also one of the five finalists for "County Station of the Year."
Just to be named a finalist is an honor.
Winners will be announced this fall in Washington, D.C., at the 2010 Radio Show.
For a complete list of the finalists, go to www.radioshowweb.com/2010/newsroom/newsRelease.asp?id=2328
KODJ CHANGES? — Where's Steve Harmon, KODJ (FM-94.1) morning DJ?
He disappeared from the airwaves a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to confirm anything about his departure.
Harmon's not featured on the KODJ website anymore, either.
He began the "Breakfast Club" at KODJ in 2007 after Dickie and Angel Shannon were let go.
Even Harmon's blogs don't have an update on his current situation.
(This situation highlights one of the longtime weaknesses in radio — a station almost never mentions any specifics about a departing personality. Listeners have to find specifics out on their own.)
The only DJs currently mentioned on the KODJ website are Mark Coppola (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) and Lisa Berigan (3-7 p.m.). Both of these personalities are national Clear Channel radio DJs, not local DJs.
RADIO HAPPENINGS:
"Fisher and Peggy" on KOSY (FM-106.5) are offering a chance to win a "Summer Nightastic!" experience at Disneyland. Listeners can win a vacation for four (including three-day Park Hopper tickets and two nights at a Disneyland Resort hotel). To enter, post a photo of your kid's colorful drawings and vote for the chance to win. Go to www.kosy.com for more details.
According to Inside Radio, new PPM statistics from Arbitron show that the average radio listening occasion only lasts for about 10 minutes. In fact, Arbitron numbers suggest that two minutes is a more typical interval for radio listening.
Weren't Paul Harvey broadcasts about two minutes? It seems that listeners have a short attention span.
TWENTY YEARS AGO IN SALT LAKE RADIO — KLZX radio signs a contract to air Denver Bronco football. ... KCPX sponsors a "What would you do for $5,000?" contest. ... Erin Fraser teams up with "Uglee Jerry" on the KCPX morning show. ... Jon Berg produces four "How To" Saturday morning radio shows on KALL.
e-mail: lynn@desnews.com