January & February 2001

February 24, 2001

Plans to convert Iowa Public Television's transmitters from analog to digital may be delayed due to state budget issues.  $8.5 million has already been appropriated to convert KDIN Des Moines, KRIN Waterloo and KSIN Sioux City.  Members of a Legislative subcommittee have suggested that the conversion of the other five transmitters, which will cost $25 million, be delayed until the budget is in better shape.  IPTV is required by the FCC to broadcast a digital signal by May 2003.....KKDM (Kiss 107) Des Moines got into some hot water with Sony Music due to their playing "Survivor" the first single from the upcoming Destiny's Child album a month before the song is made available to radio.  Kiss 107 received a cease and desist order that they posted to their website.    

February 16, 2001

Several personnel changes in Des Moines radio:  Scotty Davis of KDWB in Minneapolis-St. Paul has added cyberjock duties for KKDM (Kiss 107) at night.....  KSTZ (Star 102.5) has found a new afternoon drive personality.  Bobby Knight of WAEV Savannah, GA will head north and is set to debut on Star on February 26.....J. Michael McKoy is reportedly out as the General Manager of KJJC (The Jock).....Former KSTZ afternoon guy Andrew Z. is now doing mornings at WWCK in Flint, MI.....KCRG Radio Cedar Rapids is going by SportsRadio 1600 in all station id's and on its webpage.  They have gradually moved in that direction over the last couple of years.  The Cedar Rapids dial guide has been updated to reflect this.....In the spirit of Survivor  All Access reports that KCCQ (Channel Q) will hold a "Cancun on the Rocks" contest on March 3.  Three listeners will compete to see who can sit on a rock in the snow the longest.  The survivor wins a trip to Cancun.     

February 9, 2001

Pete Taylor, the radio voice of the Iowa State Cyclones, is among the sportscasters, mostly from Big 12 Conference schools, that are serving as guest play-by-play announcers for Oklahoma State.  The sportscasters are filling in for Bill Teegins who was among the ten people associated with the Oklahoma State basketball team that were killed in a January 27 plane crash.  Taylor will call the Oklahoma State vs. Kansas game February 10.  All the announcers are donating their pay to a scholarship fund and Learfield Communications will match the contributions.....WMT Cedar Rapids news director Jim Boyd is leaving the station after 21 years.  He will become the new news director at WHO Radio Des Moines effective February 12.  Both stations are owned by Clear Channel Communications.....KJOC (K Jock) Quad Cities has dropped ESPN Radio in favor of One On One Sports.....Reflecting the switch to the WB Network, KJMH-TV in Burlington recently changed it's call letters to KGWB.     

February 1, 2001

Some action on the Des Moines sports radio front.  The Iowa State Cyclones have a new Des Moines radio home.  ISU athletics has moved from KRNT to the new Clear Channel owned sports station KXNO beginning with the men's basketball game vs. Kansas State on February 3.  KXNO will be carrying Cyclone football, men's and women's basketball as well as the coaches call-in shows.  The timing is odd as it comes during the middle of basketball season and KRNT still had over a year left on the ISU contract but a press release says it was "mutually agreed upon by KRNT, Iowa State University, Clear Channel Sports, and KXNO"  Clear Channel also produces and distributes the Cyclone Radio Network.....Sportscaster Larry Morgan, best known around the state as the TV voice of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball is back on the radio.  He joined KXTK (The Big Ticket) Des Moines as co-host of the morning show on February 1.  Morgan was morning co-host on KGGO from 1981-1999.  He will continue with his TV play-by-play duties.....KWWL-TV Waterloo has announced that Rick Lipps, who was General Manager of WTNZ Knoxville, TN, is the new station GM effective February 5.  Both stations are owned by Raycom Media.          

January 27, 2001

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that KAZR (Lazer 103.3) Des Moines is among six current and former affiliates of Mancow Muller's morning show that are being sued for disparaging remarks Mancow made about a rival's wife.  Janet Dahl, the wife of Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl is suing Muller, his Chicago flagship WKQX, and the affiliates for $100 million.  The affiliates sought to be dropped from the lawsuit claiming they are outside the jurisdiction of Illinois courts.....KCRG-TV will see a name from the past returning to the anchor desk.  Eadie Fawcett, who was an anchor at the station in the late 80's and early 90's before leaving broadcasting, is returning to co-anchor the 10 o'clock news beginning January 29.....After serving as General Manager of KWWL-TV in Waterloo since 1983, Jim Waterbury announced his resignation effective February 2.  His tenure has been highlighted by serving a term as the national board chairman of all NBC affiliates and KWWL consistently having the top rated newscasts in the Cedar Rapids/Waterloo market.  He also hosted the popular "Viewer Voice Mail" feature answering viewers questions about facets of station operations.  Waterbury did not announce what his future plans are.

January 21, 2001

KPWB-TV went on the air Saturday January 20, 2001 giving Central Iowa a WB Network affiliate.  In addition KPWB is carrying some UPN Network shows as a secondary affiliate.  KPWB is initially only available over the air as a retransmission consent contract between the station and ATT Broadband has not been signed yet.  Both sides expect to finish that in the next few days.  This is typical when a new station signs on.  It will air on cable channel 9 on AT&T Broadband in the Des Moines area.....After twenty years at KGAN-TV, fifteen of them as Farm Director, Wade Wagner was fired by the station.  Wagner told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that it was due to corporate budget cuts.  

January 19, 2001

Herb Plambeck, who was a pioneering farm journalist, died of a heart attack January 15 in Des Moines.  He was the farm director at WHO radio for 34 years.  Mr. Plambeck was 92.....Bruce Law is the new General Manager of Barnstable's Des Moines cluster.  KHKI/KGGO GM Peter McLane becomes the Director of Operations for the group.....The FCC has denied Davis Broadcasting's request to hold up Cumulus' sale of 22 stations to Clear Channel.  This transaction includes KGLO, KIAI, and KLKK all in Mason City, KCHA AM-FM Charles City, KCZE New Hampton and KWMM Osage. 

January 16, 2001 

Tracey Williams has left KCNZ Cedar Falls where he was Sports Director to become the General Manager of KQWC in Webster City.  Jerry Kiwala, formerly of WMT Cedar Rapids, is filling in as play by play voice for UNI Women's Basketball while the station looks for a replacement.  Sources have told the Iowa Media Resource Page that they may actually hire two people since Williams was also a sales person at KCNZ.....After numerous weather related delays, KPWB the new Central Iowa WB Network station has finished its tower.  As of January 15 they were testing the signal so actual sign on is imminent.....The Neilsen ratings show that KCCI newscasts continues its dominance as the most watched in the Des Moines market.  KWWL has similar bragging rights in the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo market although the race is rather tight between KWWL and KCRG who has more early morning viewers.  The two stations are in a dead heat at 5 p.m. with KWWL winning other dayparts.....KCRG is airing a teaser that someone is returning to TV-9 news on January 29.  Stay tuned.     

January 11, 2001

All Access reports that KRTI Newton's Morning man and Program Director Dave Mason has parted with Central Iowa Broadcasting, Inc.....This may be one of the shortest retirements in Iowa radio history.  After announcing his retirement from KCRG Radio and the end of the "Sunday Morning Polka Show", Dave Franklin will return to the Cedar Rapids airwaves.  After a one week hiatus his Polka show will debut on KMRY starting January 14.....Jenna Mueller has left KCRG-TV where she was the 10 p.m. co-anchor to join her new husband in Milwaukee.  She is now at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee.....KWWF the Eastern Iowa UPN station plans to begin constructing it's tower this summer and will go on the air in the Fall.....One of the contestants on the ABC reality show "The Mole" is an Iowan.  Wendi Wendt-Falb, 29, of Cedar Rapids is on the nine-week series.  She is not allowed to speak to the media or faces a $10 million fine.

January 2, 2001

As has been rumored, KDMI Des Moines changed formats on New Years Day.  The Religious format has been dropped for Sports Talk.  AM 1460 has new call letters KXNO and it is affiliated with the new Fox Sports Radio Network.  Both are owned by Clear Channel.  Clear Channel plans to utilize WHO-AM for news updates, KASI Ames for Cyclone updates and KXIC Iowa City for Hawkeye updates.  On air promos say that Jim Rome, currently heard in the Des Moines market on KJJC, will be moving to KXNO soon. This brings the number of Sports formatted stations in Des Moines to four.....Also on New Years Day, KJMH-TV Burlington stopped simulcasting most of KLJB-TV Davenport's schedule.  KJMH now carries the WB Network and a separate schedule for most of the day. Grant Media, which owns both stations, plans to upgrade KJMH's signal but for now it can only be seen in the Quad Cities by cable subscribers.  Those without cable should be able to get KWKB-TV in Iowa City.....KSTZ (Star 102.5) Des Moines is looking for a new afternoon drive host as Andrew Z has left the station.