Posted on 20 November 2009 by PhoenixAirchecks.com
When will we get some Christmas music on the radio? 99.9 KEZ, or how about 94.5 KOOL-FM? You can find the question asked on websites such as Yahoo! Answers.
It’s late November and we had no shortage of Christmas music this time last year. In fact, no shortage of it on Halloween. The season hasn’t seen the light of day so far in 2009.
As of this morning, the Christmas music lovers’ eagerly awaited wish has finally come true. KEZ kicked off all-Christmas this morning at 8am.
KOOL has yet to flip to all-Christmas– as the website hints that it may play Christmas here and there, it also provides a station on KOOLradio.com to be streamed that plays only Christmas music. It could be a holiday race not chosen to venture, unlike last year’s excitement and spirit.
Posted on 18 November 2009 by PhoenixAirchecks.com
Mark Waters has left the building at CBS Radio Phoenix as Sr. VP/Market Manager, overseeing Country station KMLE, Classic Hits KOOL, and Rhythmic/Top 40 KZON.
In 2006, Waters left Bonneville Phoenix. He joined CBS Radio Phoenix in November 2006, and has held the Sr. VP/Market Manager position of the three station cluster since February 2007, succeeding Marco Camacho.
It is not known at this time who the replacement will be.
Posted on 16 November 2009 by PhoenixAirchecks.com
Last year we got an early Christmas music battle between 99.9 KEZ and 94.5 KOOL-FM.
KEZ, the “Holiday Station” of many years, has yet to flip to all-Christmas music this season. Rumor had it that the flip was to occur November 1, but word got out too early on the Phoenix Radio-Info.com boards. The date also drew national attention in Radio-Info’s newsletter by Tom Taylor. Several days later, a new date was disclosed by the same anonymous informant on the Phoenix Radio-Info board as being November 16, which is today.
During the weekend, new all-Christmas competitor, KOOL (since flipping to all-Christmas last year on Halloween before the doorbells even rang), began advertising Christmas to happen, and to listen Monday (today) at noon.
Considering the KEZ Christmas rumor to be true, and imagining the KOOL Christmas date for today as being a reaction to it, today is a potential day for an all-Christmas music showdown, balk, or tease– and what better day than on a Monday?
We should soon witness which Phoenix radio station sits on Santa’s lap first.
Posted on 04 November 2009 by PhoenixAirchecks.com
The month of October brought trouble to CBS Radio Phoenix, with the suspensions and departures of both on and off-air employees.
We begin with the KMLE Country 108 morning duo, Tim and Willy. Sources state the reason for their three day absence during the last week of the month was due to a suspension without pay on charges of plugola. Another CBS Radio Phoenix staffer(s) lost their job on the same charge.
101.5 Jamz (KZON) morning guy, Strawberry, was apparently charged of the same, suspended then fired. You can now hear him during the weekend on San Francisco’s MOViN 99.7.
Tim and Willy returned after their three day suspension; Jamz is in the process of searching for a brand-new morning show. No information is known on the replacement of the other position(s).
“Live” seems to be a luxury of radio these days, quickly becoming more and more of a rarity.
Norm Seeley (of KRUX and KOOL) has posted a blog this morning reflecting on live radio and providing us an audio clip eight minutes in length of a CBS broadcast aired on KOOL-AM, December 1, 1967. Lowell Thomas gave the news. Norm ran the network program from the studio.
It’s the magic of live radio — don’t miss all eight minutes!
Nationally recognized radio historian, Radio & Records, and All Access columnist Bob Shannon is coming out with a new book. It’s titled Turn It Up!: American Radio Tales and it features several of the biggest names of radio– talent, programmers, the innovators, and brilliant ones behind the magic of radio.
Some of those included are names us Phoenicians may know: Larry Daniels, John Sebastian, Gary Stevens, and Todd Wallace.
Posted on 09 September 2009 by PhoenixAirchecks.com
With the release of The Beatles: Rock Band game, and their digitally remastered collection, celebration is spread worldwide, and Phoenix radio celebrates.
KOOL-FM is celebrating with “Beatles Hours” at 9am, Noon, 4 and 5.
KSLX is in progress with the Top 200 Beatles songs, played after every couple of other classic rock. It is set to finish during Jim Owen’s Lunchtime Theme Park.
Posted on 01 September 2009 by PhoenixAirchecks.com
Phoenix Airchecks would like to congratulate the very talented, very likeable Tom Peake on 30 years at KOOL!
Quite literally, there’s probably not a daypart he hasn’t worked for a decent length of time. Currently, he is the morning show host. We hope for many more years on KOOL to come!
KOOL completed its 10th annual KOOL Summer Splash this weekend. The event, which gathers listeners, fans, family members and friends, met this year at the Fairmont Scottsdale. Plenty of poolside fun and games took place, as people got to see the KOOL on-air staff in person.
Saturday night’s big main attraction was the Las Vegas-based band, Wonder Boogie, playing 70s favorites.
Phoenix Airchecks was on-scene Saturday evening. Turnout looked great, and the event went almost seamless– though some loyal listeners had to be turned-away at the gates for not having a room at the hotel. Unlike previous years, when the event was open to everyone, this was not the case at Fairmont Scottsdale.
Check out the PhoenixAirchecks.com video featuring this event:
Congratulations are in order to Steve Goddard of KOOL-FM, for being the 2009 Best Afternoon DJ, as chosen by AZCentral.com critics. Goddard has a month to go before he celebrates one full year at KOOL. He came in June, originally in the midday spot, after spending over a decade in afternoons at Valley country station, KNIX.
When will we get some Christmas music on the radio? 99.9 KEZ, or how about 94.5 KOOL-FM? You can find the question asked on websites such as Yahoo! Answers.
