MEMO TO METH HEADS: STOP MESSING WITH PROGRESSIVE TALK
So I’m flipping through the AM band on my car radio, trying to figure out what the deal is at KWFM AM 1330—partly because some readers of this column were curious, and partly because one never knows what might happen next at that station.
Things sounded fairly normal, by 1330 standards. Through the static of a struggling AM signal, I managed to make out the sounds of a liberal talk-show host complaining about something the evil right had done—sounds which are welcome, since most of the rest of the talk portion of the AM band is filled with conservative talk-show hosts complaining about something the evil left has done.
So it was almost like … balance. Balance with a healthy dose of static. And then the talk-show host, needing a breather from the fervor he achieved by lamenting the evils of the right, went to a break. That’s when it got kind of weird—which is what one might refer to as “normal” at KWFM.
It wasn’t odd that operations manager Alan Michaels voiced a spot. But the subject matter was rather interesting: Instead of pimping some product, this was more of a public-service announcement, kind of like McGruff the Crime Dog extending a plea for help. According to Michaels’ message, somebody, or a series of somebodies, decided it was a good idea to steal copper from the 1330 transmitter. The message also noted that any information leading to the capture of the culprits would garner handsome financial compensation.
I, for one, think it would be really cool if some high-profile local Tea Party member was behind this heinous act—that would make for some quirky news-of-the-weird headline stuff, which would be right in 1330’s often-wacky wheelhouse. But I figure the Tea Partiers were busy supporting Chick-fil-A, so it was probably just some dude needing a fix.
But does this druggie understand the implications of those actions? There are devoted listeners in this community who also need a fix, and they’ll brave poor signal strength to get their fill of Michael Smerconish. How dare you take that away?
COWBOYS COMING TO KNST
It’s been nearly 10 years since KNST AM 790 (now simulcast at 97.1 FM) lost the rights to UA sports broadcasts. It’s not as if sports was a real focal point when the Clear Channel station had the deal, but KNST’s sports presence dwindled to nearly nothing once the package was picked up by KCUB AM 1290.
But KNST—the market’s big ratings-getter in terms of a talk lineup devoted to lamenting the evils of the left—is now participating in the evils of the NFL by broadcasting games of one of the standard-bearers for evil franchises.
“The Dallas Cowboys have a strong following in Tucson, and KNST is happy to provide coverage to listeners in our region,” KNST program director and morning host Garret Lewis said in a press release included here only because it made a really nice transition from the preceding paragraph. “When you drive around Tucson, it’s easy to notice the Cowboys stickers on the cars, and we’re excited to have all the Cowboys fans in Tucson become regular KNST listeners.”
That would involve Cowboys fans turning off country-station KIIM FM 99.5. Good luck with that.
KNST will broadcast all regular-season Cowboys games and other Sunday matchups as part of its NFL game-of-the-week package. It’s now the Tucson affiliate for the most overhyped, underachieving team in the NFL.
CHAPIN ACCEPTS GIG IN GILBERT
Jessica Chapin concluded her stint as a reporter for KGUN Channel 9 on Friday, Aug. 10. Chapin has accepted a position as a digital journalist for the city of Gilbert.
In addition to her regular beat, Chapin filled in as necessary in a variety of on-air capacities for the local ABC affiliate.
RAYCOM SEARCHES FOR TRUNZO REPLACEMENT
KMSB Channel 11 is in the market for a new morning host for its Daybreak program.
Gina Trunzo made it official that she will not return from a medical leave that began in May. Trunzo was a prime “get” for the station when Belo, which owns KMSB, relinquished control of its local-news products to Raycom, which operates KOLD Channel 13.
“All of us send get-well wishes her way as she continues to recover,” said GM Debbie Bush in a memo to staff.
The search for a co-anchor replacement is under way. Daybreak was added to the KMSB lineup after Belo’s shared-services agreement with Raycom went into effect in February.
TUCSONSENTINEL.COM LANDS BORDER GRANT
Tucsonsentinel.com was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Excellence and Ethics in Journalism Foundation. The grant will allow the nonprofit news website to continue investigative reporting on border issues, focusing on enforcement efforts, environmental issues and the impact of immigration.
The foundation doled out $1.84 million in grants to 23 journalism organizations worldwide.
AT LEAST THE CUTS WEREN’T AT THE ‘STAR’ THIS TIME
Arizona Daily Star owner Lee Enterprises, ever the friend of hard-working journalists, made another batch of cutbacks at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last month.
A total of 23 employees—13 from the newsroom and 10 from advertising and production—got the ax in the company’s latest downsizing effort.
At about the same time, Lee decided to increase CEO Mary Junck’s compensation package again, because it deemed she wasn’t paid at the level of her peers. Junck received 500,000 shares of Lee stock valued at about $655,000. Never mind that the company lost $1.4 million in the quarter that ended in June, and that Junck received hefty bonuses after the company wrapped up its bankruptcy proceedings.
Given the rate at which Lee is cutting back, Junck might be the company’s last employee. Imagine the sweet bonus package she’ll get then.
This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2012.
KWFM/KJLL 1330AM “the joke” is about the biggest example of how to fail at running a Radio station.
They are off the air. Then on the air. They blame the old staff for it, now they blame metal thieves for it.
They play talk radio one day, then they switch it to music and then back to talk. They have alienated the entire local media scene by blowing off journalists, slandering ex-employees and show hosts who they have fired or raised the rates so high they were forced to quit.
And now they expect people to take pity on them for not taking the correct measures to keep their already failing rinky-dink waste of a radio signal on the air? LOL.
I have a feeling it wasn’t meth heads and they know it. Karma can be a b*tch.
Shortly after the spot about being off the air because of metal thefts 1330 went off the air…again! Its off the air 2 or 3 times a month. They may have been hit by metal thieves but their poor radio transmission is not a simple matter of theft. Its simply a crappy station that, unfortunately, has a couple shows on I like to listen to.
Must be the neighborhood they have the KWFM(this week)’s transmitter is in. Kolb and Sunrise is such a magnet for lowlife thieves.
I suspect they have a problem not related to a missing ground system. Certain maintenance must be done, and I suspect it’s not happening. I know their array (antenna system) is out of adjustment because I can hear the station very well where I live at NIGHT. (Near Cortero / Thorneydale) This location is SUPPOSED to be in a very deep NULL. (a place where the alignment of the system makes the signal very weak or inaudible)
I am very familier with their site, and removal of their copper would be very difficult. (The desert has taken over the property, as it was intended) There are houses all around. Surely someone would be alerted to strange activity. Access to the site is difficult. It is land locked because of a ‘scrivner’s error’ at the County Recorder’s office some years ago. The machinery needed to remove that gound system would be almost impossible to get onto the property. Oh, and there are SURVEILANCE CAMERAS on site.
I’m disappointed to read that Gina Trunzo will not be returning to the Daybreak show on KMSB. I find her to be a charismatic talent in a world full of cheeseball hams. She comes across as friendly & charming, not to mention she is very easy on the eyes. In my opinion, she is the female equivalent of KOLD’s Chuck George.
“Health problems” or no, Trunzo’s depature was actually a function of her realization that TV News is actually work… that she couldn’t just show up 15 minutes before a newscast, rip-off other stations product and B.S. for three minutes. She was clearly out of her depth, especially when seated next to a pro like Mark Stine.