Clear Channel Sold

In a Press Release on the company's web site, Clear Channel announced that it has agreed to a $18.7 Billion buy-out by an investment group lead by Thomas H. Lee Partners LP and Bain Capital Partners LLC. In a separate transaction, Clear Channel will sell off all of it's television properties and over four-hundred of it's radio stations in smaller markets.

What does this mean for Salt Lake City? Radio: Clear Channel operates about a half-dozen stations in the Salt Lake City market including KJMY "My 99.5" (99.5 FM), KNRS "Family Values Talk Radio" (570 AM), KODJ (94.1 FM), KOSY (106.5 FM), KXRV "The River" (105.7 FM), and KZHT (97.1 FM). All of the radio properties will be included in buy-out by Lee Partners and Bain Capital. None of the stations would be included in the 448 radio properties that will be sold off to other buyers, as most of those are located in markets smaller than "top 100." Television: "ABC 4," KTVX in Salt Lake City is operated by Clear Channel. This property is included in sell off to other buyers and will not be acquired by Lee Parters and Bain Capital's private investment group. Timeliness: According to the Associated Press, Clear Channel has until December 7, 2006 to entertain counter-offers. Investment analyst Kit Spring felt that Clear Channel could be worth more money if it were dismantled and sold in pieces. He recommended that stockholders "reject the initial deal." If this occurred, a potential buyout may not be settled until well into next year. Outdoor: Clear Channel's billboard advertising unit was not mentioned in the buy-out. Currently, the AP is calling it "the wild card." Programming: There have been no statements made regarding any changes in on-air programming, from either the company's press release or the Associated Press' article. In 2003 a controlling share of Citadel Communications was purchased by the investment group Forstman Little. In that case, programming changes as a result of the buy-out were almost non-existant.

Follow Up On K-Bull Firings

An unofficial rumor states that KUBL's "K-Bull" (93.3 FM) longtime T.J. Evans and evening host "Shotgun Jackson" were let go, and the duo did not leave the station voluntarily. The disc jockies disappeared last week from the "K-Bull" line-up and from the station's web site. The rumor speculates that the cause for termination could've involved a discrepancy in an advertising audit of the station's commercial spots. The station has not spoken officially on the matter.

T.J. Evans, Shotgun Jackson Both Out

As we are all recovering from post-election night hangovers, a boat load of news has happened over the past few days. Users of the Utah Forum for Radio are reporting that long-time KUBL "K-Bull" (93.3 FM) disc jockey T.J. Evans is no longer with the station. Additionally, "Shotgun Jackson" (the station's fourth or fifth DJ of that name) is also out. The station has been mum about what happened. Listener speculations range from T.J. and Shotgun leaving for other opportunities, to being fired in a "K-Bull Scandal." Check out the forums for more opinion.

KTCE Payson (92.1 FM) has dropped it's simulcast of KUUU "U92" (92.5 FM). The station is now running a Hot AC format under the moniker "92.1 The Edge." One reader described it as a sort of "Star 102.7" format. Before 102.7 FM became a simulcast for KSL 1160, "Star" had been a Hot AC format with an emphasis on current music and nineties pop.

More "HD" signals have come on-line: Clear Channel has taken it's cluster of stations digital with KODJ "Oldies 94.1" (94.1 FM), KZHT "97.1 ZHT" (97.1 FM), KJMY "My 99.5" (99.5 FM), and KXRV "The River" (105.7 FM) all going digital with side "HD-2" channel programming as well. However, most of us don't have a receiver, so it's still not clear what the "HD-2" programming is. Citadel's KBER "K-Bear" (FM 101.1" has also gone digital in recent days.

More Christmas

Christmas station number five is coming Monday morning. Bonneville's KSFI "FM 100" (100.3 FM) is telling it's listeners that due to "popular demand" it will flip all-Christmas on Monday, November 6.

Here Comes the Christmas Music

The number of Wasatch Front stations flipping to all-Christmas has been incredible! KSFI HD-2 joins in Salt Lake County suspending it's "Sounds of the Sabbath" programming in favor of an all-Christmas format. In Utah County KSRR "K-Star" (AM 1400) put it's adult contemporary format on the shelf, as well as sister KQMB "Star" (96.7 FM) who put it's all- eighties format on hold, both in favor of all-Christmas music.

I also stand corrected: Last year, KOSY flipped on Halloween, as it did this year. It also wasn't the first of the year: 1400 KSRR "K-Star" was the first ... Lynn Arave, Deseret Morning News, Dec. 23, 2005: "On Oct. 24, KSRR begins playing holiday music, and KSFI begins an online on-demand holiday-music option on its Web site." It is a long tradition for the Utah county station - celebrating nearly two decades of Christmas music. KSRR started playing all-Christmas music during the holiday season in 1987.

KOSY Goes Christmas

Earliest ever! Clear Channel's KOSY 106.5 has gone ALL CHRISTMAS! The station's site is in full Christmas cheer. It's logo is now covered in wrapping bows decked with the new slogan "Utah's Holiday Music Station." KOSY has always been first in recent years to make the switch to all Christmas, generally on November 1st. This is the first time the station has flipped on Halloween! The last song played under it's adult contemporary format was Sixpense None the Richer, "There She Goes."

ZHT Targeting Hispanic Listeners, KXOL For Sale

12:30 AM - Viva La 97.1 ZHT? . . . . Pagamos Tus Cuentas: "We Pay Your Bills!" It appears that Salt Lake's oldest CHR (pop music) station is doing whatever it takes to target the next generation of listeners. This billboard caught my eye as I drove south out of Provo. It is located at approximately 600 South State Street. The station seems to be reaching out to the strong Hispanic community south of Provo's city center. The station has added air talent "Boy Loco" to the line-up. Sweepers between songs often read in Spanish-language only form. The station has even gone so far as to have their top of hour jingle resung as "Noventa siete uno ... ninety-seven one, Z-H-T." Last year the 97.1 ZHT web site also began offering both Spanish and English versions of it's site. It has since pulled that option.
Although there has been no comment from the station itself, ZHT's bilingual approach could be as a result of two factors: There is now stiff competition from new FM Spanish-language competitors. Last year, "La Magia" came on the air with a Spanish-language CHR (pop music) station, and it's sister station "La Gran D" in 2004. Another possible reason could be the loss of younger audiences to iPod and other MP3 player devices. As the traditional youth audience dwindles away, the station may be looking to expand into a larger demographic.
In the meanwhile, it's been neat to hear a sweeper in two languages!

1:30 PM - Simmons Media is in the works of selling longtime oldies KXOL (AM 1660). The buyer is Inca Communications, All Access reports, who will pay one-million dollars for the station. Currently the station is airing a Spanish-language contemporary music format. Inca will operate the station through a leased management agreement (LMA) before the sale closes.

A.J. Maguire Exits Eagle, Grizzlies to KKAT-AM

10:45 PM - Morning show host A.J. Maguire "has left the station," All Access reports. Meanwhile co-hosts Peggy Ijams, formerly of FM 100, and "Stubbs" will continue to pilot the Eagle (101.5 FM) mornings.

10:50 PM - Sports magazine Our Sports Central reports that West Valley City's Utah Grizzlies hockey team is back on the radio. Citadel communications has picked up the team and will air it on KKAT (860 AM). KKAT is a simulcast of it's FM sister station "The Country Legends" (107.5 FM).

Helen Powers To Retire, KNRS Gets New PD

This is a bit late but it's worth mentioning the following airstaff changes -- long time KBER (101.1 FM) mid-day air talent Helen Powers is planning to leave the station Wednesday. She had been with KBER ten years.

Former WGY Albany program director Greg Foster has been named as replacement for former KNRS program director Jason Wilmot. According to All Access, Wilmot is headed to KFYI Phoenix, according to. This is quite interesting, because former KSL (102.7 FM) anchor Russ Hill is program director at crosstown KTAR Phoenix. And finally, Todd "Nuke 'Em" Noker of X96 (96.3 FM) has been named program director of sister station KJQN "Jack FM" (103.1 FM).

Dream Doctor Diagnosed With Disease

Today's New York Times reports that radio host Charles McPhee has Lou Gehrig's disease. The former "Dream Doctor" heard on KBEE-FM "B98.7" and KUTR until this past summer was initially diagnosed with the disease in June after listeners began to hear noticeable slurring. "His presentation was suffering and no one knew why," Patrick Fant, of affiliate KFNC-FM, told the Times. McPhee and Cumulus Media tried to continue to show using text-to-speech technology from Model Talker, but canceled the idea when the outcome sounded too "robotic and zombie-like." The show will end October 21. Read the article in it's entirety from The New York Times.