September & October, 2001

October 21, 2001

A Des Moines TV news reporter has been fired for playing a prank in the newsroom involving an anthrax hoax.  Steve Oswalt, who had been with KCCI-TV for 15 years sprinkled face powder in front of a group of co-workers and two days later, he was escorted from the station.  Oswalt was the station's weekend anchor.....KCCI news director David Busiek was elected chairman of the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA).....The University of Iowa honored sportscasters Bob Brooks, Ron Gonder and Jim Zabel for their many years of broadcasting Hawkeye sports before the Iowa-Indiana football game Oct. 20.....KXTK (The Big Ticket) is the new home of Drake men's and women's basketball this season.....The University of Northern Iowa and its expanded network has a new flagship for men's basketball, KWLO (Star 1330) Waterloo.  Former UNI assistant coach and Iowa Hawkeye standout Kevin Boyle will be the new color commentator for the games.....Approximately 6,000 people participated in Saga's human flag at Sec Taylor Stadium.    

October 11, 2001

Clear Channel Communications has promoted Steve Winkey to Regional Vice President of the Iowa trading region.  The region includes all of Clear Channel's Iowa properties as well as Omaha, Lincoln and other eastern Nebraska markets.  This is a newly created position that is part of the company's reorganization which aligns the company into regions.....Former KJJY Des Moines Program Director Beverlee Brannigan has been named the new PD at KMXM (Max Country) in Omaha.....KOEL and KKCV in Waterloo have tweaked their Country formats.  KOEL is now known as "Big Country 92.3" and focuses on Traditional Country.  Sister station KKCV (The Hog) plays the new Country.  All Access reports that the two stations have switched Program Directors.  Bucky Doren now programs KKCV while Austin James moves to KOEL.....Tim White is the new PD at KLIT (Lite 104.1) Des Moines.....KBEA (B100) Quad Cities has tabbed middayer Jeff James as new Morning co-host.....A new radio station has signed on in Sioux City.  Wiatt Broadcasting's KKYY (Y101.3) has a Traditional Country format and began with a 5,000 song marathon on October 5.....KGAN-TV Cedar Rapids has added a 5 pm newscast.  The station had dropped news at that timeslot a few years ago.  The 10 pm newscast is repeated at 5 am.....KWMM (98.7 Kiss FM) Osage/Mason City has changed it's call letters to KSMA.....Gary Shore is the new Chief Meteorologist at KCAU-TV Sioux City.....Former KWWL-TV Waterloo General Manager Jim Waterbury has been named Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo.....WOI-TV Des Moines plans to add a 6 pm newscast in the near future while the newscast get a new look.  Stephanie Heft has left as morning and midday anchor.  Apparently she declined a contract offer and wanted to do something else.  Marc Hansen's Des Moines Register column reports that former KJJC (The Jock) Program Director Scott Pierce has returned to the Des Moines sports talker as an announcer and morning show producer.....Hansen also reports that KOIA Des Moines Dic Youngs is recuperating from a back injury from a fall which will require surgery....."Politically Incorrect" returned to WOI-TV October 3 after host Bill Maher apologized to viewer that may have been offended by comment he made about the U.S. military....Saga's Des Moines Radio Group has invited Iowans to Sec Taylor Stadium on October 20 in order to create a human American flag.  They plan to sell aerial photo of the flag with money going to the American Red Cross Relief Fund.   

September 23, 2001

Citadel Communications, owners of WOI-TV Des Moines and KCAU-TV Sioux City,  cancelled the ABC late night talk show "Politically Incorrect" indefinitely after the show's host Bill Maher made comments that some viewers took as being anti-American and insensitive towards the military.  Maher said that the U.S. military were cowards for firing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away and that flying a plane into a building was not cowardly.  Sears and FedEx have stopped advertising on the show.  WOI and KCAU are the only ABC stations serving Iowa that have dropped the show.   

September 17, 2001

The Iowa Media Resource Page would like to pay tribute to all of the radio and TV stations in Iowa that went above and beyond the call of duty after the terrorists attacks of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as the plane crash in Pennsylvania.  There were examples all over the state of stations breaking format to air continuous news reports of the tragic events.  Many stations are participating in relief efforts such as blood drives and raising money for the Red Cross and other charitable organizations that are providing assistance to the victims families, the survivors and rescue workers.....Saga's Des Moines Radio Group has declared Tuesday, September 18 as Flag Day.  Funds will be raised for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.....On a national level, Clear Channel has initiated a relief fund as well.....M Street reports that KQWC-AM in Webster City has ceased the simulcast of the FM station to carry the ABC Stardust Adult Standards format.  In addition KQWC-FM is carrying ABC's Adult Contemporary service.....Veteran Des Moines sportscaster Mike Newell is Tim Darrah's new co-host on KXTK's (The Big Ticket) "PM Ticket."....GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!