June 11, 2004

Program Changes Coming
To Boise State Radio
Efforts Designed to Better Serve Listeners

Recognizing greater opportunities for public service, Boise State Radio has announced a series of programming changes designed to better serve its audience. The changes, effective June 28, were announced by Jim East, associate general manager for network programming and administration. Changes include moving Fresh Air with Terry Gross from KBSU-FM at 5 p.m. to Idaho’s Jazz Station at 5 p.m. Classical music will now continue on KBSU-FM until 8 p.m. and the fans of the 5 p.m. Fresh Air will be able to listen to it on Idaho’s Jazz Station. According to East, there was considerable and consistent loss of audience at 5 p.m., a key hour for radio listening. “KBSU-FM is basically a classical music station. By 5 p.m., we have built a solid and loyal classical music audience. By switching to a talk-radio format at that hour, we have been losing listeners. This change will allow classical music fans to listen longer, and putting a popular program like Fresh Air with Terry Gross on Idaho’s Jazz Station will encourage public radio listeners to try out a truly great but under-utilized jazz station.” Fresh Air will remain at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on NPR News 91. Another change involves the well produced daily half-hour program Marketplace. Marketplace Morning Report airs at 5:50 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. with hosts who are regular commentators on Day to Day. After June 28, the Marketplace Morning Report and appearances of MMR hosts on Day to Day will continue. But, the half hour program will be discontinued. For listeners on KBSW in Twin Falls, Boise State Radio will carry the full two hours of All Things Considered. Similarly, Radio Reader will also be discontinued and Adventures in Good Music with Karl Haas, now heard at 7 a.m. on KBSU-FM, will be moved to the better-suited 7 p.m. time slot. “The 7 a.m. hour should have the highest listening audience for any radio station,” East explained, “yet KBSU-FM has seen a consistent drop in listeners at that hour. Moving Adventures in Good Music to the evening will allow the education and information to continue while giving the morning program with host Alan Chapman the opportunity to reach its potential.” On NPR News 91, the Boise City Club Forum will move from 7 p.m. Friday to 3 p.m. Friday. It will remain at 7 p.m. on Saturday. One programming highlight of the last year was the introduction of New Horizons in Education with Boise State University President Bob Kustra. This NPR News 91 program features interviews with local and national authors, newsmakers and personalities. Because of the considerable support the program has received from listeners, it will move from 3:30 p.m. Friday to 5:30 p.m. Friday. East said that audience research, listener surveys and listener support for specific programs were all considered in arriving at these decisions. He welcomes feedback from listeners, noting that, “with any change there will be those who preferred things as they were. But we are confident that the research and analysis are accurate and will help continue to build listening audience for the public radio stations.” East can be reached at jeast@boisestate.edu A service of Boise State University, Boise State Radio includes arts and cultural programming (KBSU-FM, Boise and KBSM, McCall), NPR News 91 (KBSX, Boise; KBSY, Burley; KBSJ, Jackpot; KBSQ, McCall; and soon, KBSS, Sun Valley) and Idaho’s Jazz Station (KBSU-AM, Boise; KEZJ-AM, Twin Falls; and KBSK-FM McCall). -30- Contact Jim East Associate General Manager, Network Programming Voice: 208 947-5659 Fax: 208 344-6631 jeast@boisestate.edu Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275 kcraven@boisestate.edu