- Todd Fooks (a.k.a. "Fook")
FOOK AND MISHELL LEAVE KFMA, LARGER MARKET LOOMS
KFMA 102.1 FM's morning show, helmed by Fook and Mishell Livio, ended its run on the Lotus-owned new rock station last Friday. As Dan Gibson reported in The Range, the Tucson Weekly's website, Fook made the announcement that morning, and while vague about future details—apparently this is a secret more closely guarded than the leaked plot points of the new Star Wars film—the split seemed amicable and Fook says the departure is related to a move to a larger market.
Fook started in the summer of 2011. Livio joined the fray in early 2013.
The morning show delivered solid numbers in some key demographics, including ranking fourth among young adults 18-34 in the winter 2014 ratings period. KFMA is returning to a "More Music Mornings" approach, but has plans to search for an on-air successor.
More Music Mornings is not a new concept for KFMA. It utilized the same tag line after transitioning The Frank Show to sister station KLPX 96.1 FM.
"We most likely will find a morning show replacement," said interim GM Ken Kwilosz via email. "We are not rushing this search. We'd like to find the best talent possible."
Wait. Interim GM? Steve Groesbeck, who ran the ship for the Lotus Tucson outlet for the better part of 15 years, parted ways with the company July 7.
SHAW JOINS KVOI AFTERNOON LINEUP
The local afternoon political/current events talk lineup in Tucson features James T. Harris from 3 to 6 p.m. on KQTH 104.1 FM and John C. Scott from 3 to 6 on KEVT 1210 AM. Add Mike Shaw to the fray.
Shaw is the host of 4Tucson at 4, which as the title suggests hits the airwaves on KVOI AM 1030 weekdays at 4. The program is part of a Christian-based organization that promotes community assistance.
"4Tucson is an organization that looks for solutions in Tucson," said Shaw. "It mobilizes Christians in the community to serve the community in their areas of interest. We're making a difference in the city, and if you can get all or most of the Christians in town involved in that work, then we feel like we can make a positive impact for the people of Tucson."
Among the organization's successes, Shaw credits 4Tucson for being a well-received outlet for schools that are trying to fill their needs in light of difficult budget circumstances.
"One really big example is church/school partnerships. A church will approach a school, and instead of saying we've got this great program you should have at this school it's the other way around," Shaw said. "Do you have any needs, and how can we help you with those needs? How that looks varies by every partnership. One school might need some equipment for their auditorium, so a church might raise some funds. Another school might need tutors, so a church might provide some tutors. We've seen a lot of success with churches blessing schools, and serving because we care about kids and we care about our neighborhoods.
"It's not hitting people over the heads with bibles. It's just neighborhood churches getting involved in neighborhood schools, and doing what's right by helping schools with needs. It's not about the Christian element at all. What we've found is principals and superintendents might be skeptical at first, but once that relationship gets forged, there's a lot of joy on both sides, and it's worked out well."
Shaw's media background spans the better part of 30 years. He started in radio in 1984 and transitioned to television in a production and on-air capacity, which included morning anchor and weather reporting stints in Lubbock, Texas. He's been with Family Life Radio for a number of years, which led to the move to Tucson, and occupied the organization's news director slot for a while. It was there KVOI GM Doug Martin proposed to Shaw he do a radio show about current events with a biblical worldview. That started with a Saturday slot on sister station KGMS before the move this summer to KVOI.
"We talk about illegal immigration, the poverty rate here, the streetcar," Shaw said. "When we talk about the challenges the city has, we turn it to what are the solutions and how can Christians and others get involved in helping in the city."
Shaw hopes to pursue other topics as well.
"Tucson gets about 1,000 political refugees a year, and they may not know about the Tucson Refugee Center and its partnerships with other churches to help with transition. We'll be telling a lot of those untold stories about churches, ministries, people of faith, even people not of faith, who are serving in the city to help on the ground floor."
AZPM TO HOST POLITICAL FORUMS
The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson and Arizona Public Media have scheduled six political forums in preparation for the upcoming election cycle. The first, a Republican primary gubernatorial forum, is scheduled for July 30 at 6:30.
The remainder of the hour-long forums, broadcast on PBS 6 and hosted by Lorraine Rivera, will air between Oct. 6 and 9.
For those who want to attend, the events will occur at the Proscenium Theater on the Pima College West campus.
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