March & April 2001

April 28, 2001

More changes at Wilks Des Moines as KJJY Program Director Beverlee Brannigan adds similar duties at Country sister station KHKI.  She replaces Savannah Jones who left to become Music Director at KOYT in Tuscon, AZ.....SportsFan Radio Network, which KXTK (The Big Ticket) Des Moines was affiliated with, shut down at the end of the day April 27 due to parent company Winstar filing for Chapter 11.  KXTK afternoon co-host Marty Tirrell had a Saturday morning show on SportsFan.....KAZR (Lazer 103) Des Moines announced the line up for its inaugural "Big Ass BBQ" which will take place at Waterworks Park on May 27.  Among those scheduled to perform are System Of A Down, Monster Magnet, Buckcherry and Days Of The New.....Rumors has it that Saga Des Moines has let most of its weekend part-timers go to be replaced with voice-tracked shifts.    

April 16, 2001

Due to issues relating to royalties paid to commercial voice-over talent, radio stations across the country have temporarily ceased streaming of their audio.....The University of Iowa is accepting bids for the radio contract for Hawkeye football and men's and women's basketball.  The current contract with Learfield Communications, which went into effect in 1997, expires at the end of the 2001-2002 basketball season.  The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Learfield and KCRG are expected to bid.  Clear Channel is also a likely bidder.  Bids are due at the end of the month and a decision is expected in June.....KCNZ Cedar Falls-Waterloo has dropped SportsFan Radio Network on the weekends in favor of Fox Sports Radio as of April 14.  They already carry Fox personality Jim Rome.  In Des Moines, the Jim Rome show will move to KXNO on April 30.....The FCC has announced that construction permit applications for Low Power FM stations in Iowa will be accepted from June 11-15.    

April 10, 2001 

Here is a recap of recent events at Wilks Broadcasting Des Moines.  Jack O'Brien has been chosen to oversee the cluster.  There was a shake-up at KHKI as Morning man Jim Franklin is out, as is Angella Lynne middays.  JC Walker moves from afternoons to mornings, Program Director Savannah Jones takes over middays.  Jim Olson goes from nights to afternoon drive.  Jack Emerson was let go after 20 years with KGGO in what can only be described as a cost cutting move.  Rumor has it that there will be more cuts.....Since the last update, Steve Van Oort has become the new General Manager of KASI/KCCQ Ames.  He takes over for Betty Baudler who was with the stations for 27 years and owned them before selling to Clear Channel in 1999.    

March 28, 2001

Des Moines is about to get a second prime time newscast.  PAX affiliate KFPX will debut a 9 pm newscast on April 2.  It will be produced by NBC affiliate WHO-TV.....KATF (Kat FM) Dubuque has named morning host Mike Callaghan as its new Program Director.  Music Director Brian Davis has added Assistant PD duties and moved from middays to afternoon drive.....One On One Sports has been relaunced as The Sporting News Radio Network.  KXTK Des Moines and KJOC Quad Cities are its Iowa affiliates. 

March 21, 2001

Barnstable Broadcasting has reached an agreement to sell its Des Moines properties consisting of KJJY, KGGO, KHKI, KRKQ and KBGG-AM to Wilks Broadcasting.  Wilks owns stations in the Saginaw, MI and Springfield, MO areas.  The sale price is undisclosed but All Access reports it is believed to be around $30 million.  An LSA allows Wilks to take over operations right away pending the FCC approval of the deal.....Will there be format changes as a result?     

March 14, 2001

After several days of jockless stunting and speculation, KSTZ (Star 102.5) unveiled a new positioning statement, "Today's Best Variety without the rap, rap, rap."  The station also introduced this as part of a phrase that pays contest.....This week the entire full time air staff at KZIA (Z 102.9) Cedar Rapids are enjoying a Caribbean cruise courtesy of station owners.  Recently station Operations Manager Rob Norton began what he calls a "Truth in Contesting" campaign, taking aim at Clear Channel's national contesting.  He asked listeners what they would like to see the station give away and said that due to the response, they needed to take some time and brainstorm.  The vacation may also be a reward for the most recent ratings.  Part timers have been filling in as well as TV news personalities including KCRG anchor Liz Mathis and KWWL reporter Tara Rosenbloom.....WMT-AM Cedar Rapids has promoted Jeff Schmidt to News Director.....KAZR (Lazer 103.3) has promoted Jo Michaels to Music Director from Assistant MD and Adam Tool is the local producer for Mancow.  

March 7, 2001

KDSM debuted "Fox 17 News at Nine" on March 4.  The newscast is produced at Sinclair owned sister station KGAN in Cedar Rapids and uses KGAN's anchors.  It is transmitted to Des Moines by fiber optic cables that can also allow reports from Des Moines.  Judging from message board feedback, early reviews are positive.....All Access reports that former WHTS (All Hit 98.9)  Davenport night jock Red Hot Brian Scott is returning to the station to do noon to 4 pm as well as station imaging.  Since leaving the Quad Cities a couple of years ago, Scott worked at a station in Birmingham and most recently was Music Director at WBTS in Atlanta.....Also from All Access KATF (Kat FM) Dubuque Program Director Tim Dillon has left.  Music Director Brian Davis and morning co-host Mike Callaghan are co-interim PD's.....What is going on at KSTZ?  A check of the website (www.star102.com) just has the phrase, "rap, rap, rap."  In addition after every song someone says, "rap, rap, rap."  Included with one of those liners was a sample of Eminem's "My Name Is."  

March 2, 2001

AT&T Broadband has reached a deal with Mediacom Communications Corp. to sell cable systems in Iowa and three other states.  The sale pending approval from federal regulators is worth about $2.215 billion in cash.  AT&T Broadband says the sale is fitting with their strategy to concentrate on major metropolitan areas.....Citing a need to downsize due to a softening ad market, KWWL-TV Waterloo released two longtime news personalities.  Dale Hansen, Farm Director and Gary Sarnoff, news producer and feature reporter were both let go after over 20 years each of service to the station.  There may be something to that as they have on at least one occasion pre-empted Wheel of Fortune to air an infomercial about leprocy!.....Meteorologist  Josh Linker has left KGAN-TV Cedar Rapids for Bay News 9 in Tampa.....KAZR (Lazer 103.3) Des Moines Music Director Paul Oslund is moving on to Huntington, W.V. to become Program  Director at WAMX as of March 12.....Jim McBride is the new General Manager at KJJC (The Jock) Des Moines.