Phoenix Airchecks » radio

WestStar TalkRadio Network staffer, jogger save Valley woman’s life

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:03:43 +0000

Michael James, Technical Director for WestStar TalkRadio Network’s Kim Komando show was on his way to work Saturday morning when he was flagged down by a jogger and directed to a vehicle submerged in a water canal running near the road. That was where he saw a 77-year-old Valley woman struggling to escape her vehicle.

James removed some clothing and rushed into the water. The woman was close to being swept away by a current, according to James, but before it would occur, James got a hold of the woman. The jogger got to a grate and was able to pull the woman up by her arms, saving her life.

Rush Limbaugh returns from honeymoon

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:04:50 +0000

Rush Limbaugh returned to his show today after a week and a half long leave of absence. Limbaugh married girlfriend of three years, Kathryn Rogers, on Saturday, June 5 at The Breakers luxury resort in Palm Beach.

He devoted a part of his show to “relive” it rather than begin talking about the usual politics and recent events.

Limbaugh opened up to his audience about how he met Kathryn six years ago, the wedding, and shared the story of the challenge for he and Kathryn to get to Elton John to ask him to sing at their wedding. He did not mention any of this prior because he tries to keep his life private, but that he currently has never been happier.

Limbaugh had known 33 year old Kathryn Rogers for six years, who was a local party-planner that happened to be working at some golf events Limbaugh would attend.

“I met Kathryn when she was running the foundation for Gary Player, and part of that job was to put together celebrity golf tournaments for Gary Player at various places,” Limbaugh explained.

They began dating in 2007 and got engaged on October 3 of last year in Pittsburgh– a city which Limbaugh said had significance for the both of them.

Limbaugh credits Kathryn for getting Elton John’s attention as they worked to get him to play at their wedding. She wrote him a letter when they found out several months ago that they were staying in the same hotel.

Limbaugh had high praises for Elton on-stage in front of their 400 guests as well as off-stage.

“We met Elton backstage prior to the performance. He walked in, gave me a hug, gave Kathryn a big hug, invited us to dinner at his home in London. He was dead serious about it, and we had just the greatest chat with him backstage,” Limbaugh said. “He told Kathryn that she reminded him of somebody in his life that was very beautiful, and we just had the greatest time.”

The honeymoon took place in Las Vegas, with a stop in Detroit on the way home to get their second sheepdog, Wellesley. They returned last night and have not yet seen their wedding photos, Limbaugh said, although he is being asked about them.

Video showing fifteen minutes of Rush’s show, here.

Former KZON PD to Atlanta’s “Groove”

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:21:03 +0000

Former KZON program director Dennis Martinez is set June 1 to become the new PD of 105.7 The Groove (WWVA)– Atlanta’s Rhythmic AC from Clear Channel. Martinez has currently been on-air at CBS Radio’s Top 40 MOViN 99.7/San Francisco.

Austin Hill gets WMAL in DC

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:51:35 +0000

Valley veteran talker Austin Hill lands two hours in the morning on AM 630 WMAL as the station searches for a permanent talk show host. He can be heard filling in for the Midday Show, weekdays from 10am to noon.

Hill has been a go-to host for fill-ins, as he has most recently in Phoenix filling-in frequently for Darrell Ankarlo on 92.3 KTAR-FM.

A battle of Phoenix morning radio

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:31:16 +0000

AZCentral.com’s 4th annual Best Of poll is out, asking readers for their best choices around the Valley, from food, to entertainment, resorts, hotels, and the best of in radio.

One question asks,
“WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MORNING DJ(s)?”

Options (and percentages as of 5:45 this evening):
Ankarlo (Darrell Ankarlo), KTAR
2%
Barry Young, KFYI talk radio
2%
Ben and Matt , KNIX
30%
Beth and Bill, KEZ
5%
Dave Pratt, formerly of KMLE
31%
Doug & Wolf, KTAR
1%
Holmberg’s Morning Sickness, KUPD
4%
Howard Stern, Sirius Satellite Radio
2%
Johnjay and Rich, KISS
21%
Tim and Willie, KMLE
2%

You can place your vote here.

PhoenixAirchecks.com Analysis:
- Where’s everybody else? Surprised to not see Chris & Amy. What about JR & Mary? And why not Tom & Maria? Dave Pratt is still an option, yet it’s been fifteen months since he’s been on the radio. (Yeah, but he also blogs for AZCentral.)

- Speaking of Dave Pratt, Pratt is beating Holmberg’s Morning Sickness over septuple! (that means times seven)

- Johnjay and Rich seem to be the ones most pushing for their followers on Twitter to vote for them on this one. So far it’s gotten them to 21%.

- Why can AZCentral never spell Willy’s name right?

Mathew Blades adds another station

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:50:20 +0000

Mix 96.9’s newly acquired morning guy, Mathew Blades, adds another station under his belt as he debuted today on Louisville, Kentucky’s 100.5 Gen-X Radio.

In addition to the morning shift on Mix, he will also be heard 6-10am on the fellow Clear Channel station in Louisville, Kentucky.

Gen-X Radio’s headline

Past, present radio personalities host Parada del Sol in Scottsdale

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:52:12 +0000

KNIX’s morning duo, Ben and Matt, hosted the Parada del Sol Pro Rodeo and Historic Parade in Scottsdale Saturday. The parade, which as taken place for 57 years, began at 10am and runs up Scottsdale Road from Oak to Indian School.

Ben and Matt were aboard a float. Hosts were scattered among intersections along the way, including Radio Free Phoenix’s Liz Boyle and Andy Olson at Scottsdale Road and Osborn, and a reunion of the KDKB morning team, Bill Andres and John Giese, at Scottsdale Road and Indian School.

[Thanks to Bill Andres for the correction.]

Tuesday morning power outages hinder radio

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:18:41 +0000

Tuesday morning power outages in the Valley have not only left an estimated 18,000 people without electricity, according to APS spokeswoman Jenna Henry, but also briefly knocked out several major Phoenix FM radio stations.

Several– if not a majority– of the FM stations went to static around 10:27am. The static lasted for a minute or two before broadcasts returned on-air. A few others, like KOOL-FM, went from static to silence for a few moments more.

A second occurrence reportedly occurred just minutes shy of 11am, that affected Bonneville’s KPKX and KTAR-FM. Since both stations returned just before the noon hour, we presume the hour was used for transmitter work. Both are located on South Mountain, which supports a majority of Phoenix FM radio station transmitters.

Book on radio greats include several of Phoenix

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:32:27 +0000

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.

Turn It Up!: American Radio Tales by Bob Shannon.

Jim Owen featured in Radio-Info publication

PhoenixAirchecks.com — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:08:56 +0000

KSLX program director, Jim Owen, has a quote included on Radio-Info’s magazine edition of “Radio Done Right”. The magazine is set for the NAB in Philly this week.
Get the issue online here.