Media Watch

TAYLOR REPLACES BEDNAREK AT KGVY

Green Valley radio station KGVY AM 1080 has made a change in its program director/morning-show slot.

The so-called “familiar favorites,” or adult-standards station, has hired Andy Taylor to replace Jim Bednarek. Taylor, who co-hosted the KLPX FM 96.1 morning show with Jonas Hunter and filled in during KNST AM 790‘s recent morning-show transition, said he accepted the position over a radio job opportunity in Palm Springs, Calif.

This brings an end to Bednarek’s second stint with an adult-standards format within the last year. Before working with KGVY, the long-time KTUC AM 1400 employee was laid off during recent Citadel cutbacks.

LEN JOHNSON LANDS TEMPORARY WEATHER GIG AT KVOA

KVOA Channel 4 has added a familiar face to its news crew. Len Johnson, who once handled morning weather responsibilities at KGUN Channel 9, is filling in while the station brings in a replacement for Matt Brode, who bolted to Portland, Ore., in late February.

“Whenever they need me. I’m not contracted. It’s not a full-time job. They have a lot of shifts over there this month,” said Johnson.

Johnson currently teaches first-grade at a school in Santa Cruz County, but is enjoying getting back into TV now that the bitter taste of the KGUN experience is behind him.

“I’m having a blast,” said Johnson. It’s fun to get back on the air, and they’re nice people over there (at KVOA). It’s also kind of a healing process. We went through a change of ownership over (at KGUN), and the former news director fired a lot of people. It’s a memory now, but it’s a sign of how life comes back around if you’re patient and hang in there.”

Johnson is in pursuit of a meteorology certification, a critical component for television weather professionals. But whether or not the weatherman ever returns to TV on a regular basis, in the here and now, he seems to be enjoying himself.

“When you just think of what you’re doing, and the people you meet … I realize again how much fun it is,” Johnson said.

MIXFM LEADS RATINGS TREND

The so-called first phase “trend” portion of the Tucson winter 2009 ratings were released last week, and the results were good for Journal-owned KMXZ FM 94.9, aka MIXfm.

The station’s popular Christmas-music format might have helped with the boost to a 9.2 12-and-older rating. Country format KIIM FM 99.5 placed second with an 8.7; Top 40 KRQQ FM 93.7 ranked third, while Mexican regional format KCMT 102.1 FM and news/talker KNST AM 790 rounded out the top five.

This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2010.