Black Friday in Springs radio
Just when you thought it was safe to turn on the radio...
In separate moves, local radio stations KRDO (95.1 FM) “The Peak” and KKCS (104.5 FM) laid off most of their staffs on Friday.
"There’s a lot of good talent out there that are looking for work through no fault of their own,” said Mark Goldberg, who was part of KKCS’ morning show.
Country music station KKCS laid off seven employees and its owner, Superior Broadcasting, plans to sell the station, general manager Cody Carlson said. Carlson and one other staffer will keep the station on the air until new owners are found. Carlson said she didn’t know who would buy the station or how quickly a sale might happen.
“It was a sad day today,” she said.
KKCS has struggled with reception issues and falling ratings since selling its old frequency, 101.9 FM, in January to Bustos Media, which turned it into Spanish-language station KGDQ.
“We were hopeful that they would actually fix the signal and it would stay on the air,” said Samantha Adams, who co-hosted KKCS’ morning show with Goldberg and her husband, Craig Morrison. “In this business anything can happen and there was writing on the wall.”
Pikes Peak Broadcasting is in the process of selling KRDO to Citadel Broadcasting, but the companies signed a management agreement that will give Citadel control of the station as of Sunday. In the switch, Citadel decided not to keep KRDO’s air staff, Pikes Peak Broadcasting general manager Neil Klockziem said, meaning at least five people lost their jobs (although they can reapply with Citadel).
Citadel operations manager Bobby Irwin said he couldn’t comment on the changes at the station and general manager Kevin Godwin was out of town and could not be reached for comment.
Pikes Peak Broadcasting is also selling KRDO (Channel 13) and KRDO (1240 AM), along with television station KJCT in Grand Junction, to the News-Press & Gazette company of St. Joseph, Mo. That sale will be completed on Monday, but Klockziem, who is staying on as general manager, said viewers shouldn’t notice any immediate changes at the TV station.
“It’s going to be pretty seamless,” he said.
posted by AndyW @ 6/23/2006 02:32:00 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Expect lots of change with Peak 95.1. One thing that will change for sure are the call letters.
I think it will fill the Country gap since KKCS could not get back on its feet.
With that said Superior Broadcasting flushed years of hertiage with that station down the drain.
I am sure its previous owner Walton regreats selling KKCS to Superior. It might have been better off with a corporation big or small that would have likely continuted the hertiage of the station.
Instead it was sold to a Mom and Pop for the sake of Mom & Pop ownership who was obessed with going into the Denver market at all costs. This is just my humble opinion about this.
KKCS R.I.P.????
As of this Comment regarding this story seen not only on SpringsTV Talk blog but The Gazette as well. KRDO-FM is currently simcasting KSPZ.
I would not be suprised if Bobby Irwin tried to adapt the KKCS monker if he wants to take 95.1 Country which I think has a greater chance now. I say cause I base this on Irwin expressing his sadness in how KVUU-FM no longer called themselves K-View (they are now called My 99.9 but still uses the KVUU calls) and thr fact that Irwin knows the hertiage of seveal stations in the market.
I don't think what I said is a long shot.
Post a Comment
<< Home