Trumper back in radio with "Star 97.5"
After an absence of four years, Jeff Trumper, CEO of Trumper Communications, is back in the radio business as GM of his new Star 97.5FM (KRZS-FM) Phoenix. The station is a complicated move-in from KVNA-FM Flagstaff (8/23/04 RBR #164), (4/1 RBR #65).
Trumper previously owned and operated station groups in Minneapolis; Portland, OR; Albuquerque; Charlotte, Salt Lake City; Decatur, IL; and Lexington, KY. The last Trumper group in Salt Lake City was sold to Clear Channel in 2001.
The station features an entirely new format featuring a contemporary blend of pop, jazz, swing, blues, and standards: Carly Simon, Rod Stewart and Michael Buble mixed in with perennial favorites from Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles and new standards from Diana Krall, Harry Connick, Jr., Steve Tyrell, Peter Cincotti, Norah Jones, and a few surprises from artists such as Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, Elton John, Aaron Neville, Gavin DeGraw.
Veteran programmer Bill Minckler has been tapped as PD; heading up the sales department is Jim Ryan, a native of Phoenix, who formerly ran the sales departments at Phoenix stations The Edge and KGME.
Air America to repay loan
Air America Radio continues to battle the PR fallout from an inappropriate, if not illegal, loan arranged by former Chairman Evan Cohen. The New York Post reports that the liberal talk network has now agreed to put the entire 875,000 into escrow, rather than making installment payments. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is continuing to investigate the loan made by the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club, a non-profit which received city funding. Cohen's whereabouts are unknown.
Michigan stations team up with governor
The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) reports that more than 200 radio and TV stations in the state are joining with Governor Jennifer Granholm today in an unprecedented statewide fundraising effort for Hurricane Katrina victims - - Michigan Cares/Michigan Gives Fundraising Day. From 6:00 to 9:00 am today (and later in some markets), radio and TV morning shows will be urging listeners and viewers to contribute to disaster relief through their local Red Cross chapters. While noting that many local broadcasters have already been raising funds for the relief effort, MAB Chairman Julie Koehn of WLEN-FM Adrian says the special statewide effort today "will allow Michigan citizens to have an even greater impact and raise critical resources at a time when they are needed most." Celebrity messages for download are posted on the MAB website, www.michmab.com.
Week-long fundraising in Coastal Carolina
Local media outlets in the Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville, NC area, including the five Beasley radio stations and BlueStone's WCTI-TV, are planning a week-long string of events to raise hurricane relief funds for the Red Cross. Beasley radio stations participating in the effort include WIKS-FM 101.9 KISS, WSFL-FM Classic Rock 106.5, WMGV-FM V103.3, WXNR-FM New Rock 99X, WNCT-FM Oldies 107.9 and WNCT-AM 1070. They are joined by WCTI TV12, Freedom Communications, The Jacksonville Daily News, The New Bern Sun Journal and the Free Press in Kinston. Representatives from the participating Beasley Broadcast Group stations, the American Red Cross and WCTI TV12 will be onsite at a different Lowe's store or shopping mall location each day Monday, September 12th through Friday, September 16th to accept cash donations from 6:00 am until 7:00 pm.
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