Radio stations getting into holiday mood

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Dec 12, 2003 by Lynn Arave Deseret Morning News

How do you like your radio commercials served?

Do you favor the current trend where four or five songs are played in a row followed by an almost equal amount of commercials? Or, do you prefer a song, a minute of commercials and then another song?

Using a stopwatch, I recently timed the commerical breaks being played weekday nights along the radio dial. What I found may surprise you.

For example, KSFI ("FM-100") aired more than nine minutes of commericals between songs. On KBZN ("The Breeze," FM-97.9), one commercial block lasted more than six minutes . At KURR (FM-99.5), one block lasted more than four minutes.

That's longer than what you find on television.

I know that when a commercial comes on I usually switch stations, even though the ads are what pays the station's bills, DJ salaries and makes radio a free medium.

How do you like your commercials? Are you so loyal to a station that you don't touch the dial during commercials? I'd like to know what you think. E-mail your comments to lynn@desnews.com.

THE POWER OF RADIO -- A 59-year-old Utah grandmother who listens to the "Healthy Wealthy Wow Reality Radio for Women Who Believe in the Beauty of a Balanced Life" show, weekdays at noon on KSRR (AM- 1400, Utah County), and decided to turn her passion for creative sewing into a business.

She created colorful snow caps and scarves and marketed them through the show's "Grapevine" program. Listen to KSRR for more information, or go to the program's Web site at: www.healthywealthywow.com.

RADIO HAPPENINGS -- Bonneville International Corp. finally received FCC approval to purchase KSFI, KRSP and KQMB, plus some radio station in Idaho, St. George and Cedar City radio stations from Simmons Media Group. KSL (AM-1160) is no longer a stand-alone radio station in the S.L. market.

-- KTKK (alias "K-Talk," AM-630) has improved its Web site at www.k-talk.com. The station has also hired Jim Sumpter, who will be on the air weekdays from 7-9 p.m. Sumpter, who used to work at the station, has decades fo radio experience. The station's weekday lineup includes: Jack Stockwell, from 7-9 a.m.; Jim Kirkwood, from 9- 11 a.m.;) and Merrill Cook, from 5-7 p.m. Van Hale continues to host "Religion on the Line" Sundays from 7-9 p.m.

Amanda Dickson of KSL will broadcast live from Quilted Mania, near the Fashion Place Mall on Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-- "All I Want for Christmas is Cheese, " a humorous song created by "Shamus" of KBEE-FM's "Todd and Erin" show, is available online at www.b987.com.

-- KZHT, with the assistance of a local jeweler, wants to help listeners pop the question to their significant others this holiday season.

-- KSFI's annual "100 Hours of Christmas Music" begins Dec. 21, at 8 p.m.

-- KSOP is sponsoring a contest for trip to Nashville to hear Toby Keith in concert on New Year's Eve.

-- KXRK is giving away the holiday gifts you really want with its "X-Days of Christmas" event, which runs through Dec. 19.

-- KOSY is offering volume three of its "All-Time Christmas Favorites" CD. It sells for $10 at all 5-Dollar Pizza locations and other sponsors.

-- KRSP's afternoon DJ, "Steve-O" Carlson, will be at the new Cinemark Theater in American Fork today from 5-7 p.m. and at Ultimate Electronics, 6284 S. State, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com