Year-end 'best' list for Salt Lake radio

The 2004 year in radio has come and almost gone, so here is Part 1 of my superlatives for Salt Lake-area radio stations and personalities, to be followed by Part 2 next week.

Best overall morning shows: "Dain and Jill" on KSFI, "Johnson and Johnson" on KUBL

Best midday hosts: Helen Powers on KBER, Sue Kelley on KRSP

Best afternoon hosts: "Scott and Maria" on KSL, "Todd Nuke-'em" on KXRK

Best evening DJ: Pat Clark on KUUU ("U-92")

Best news station: KSL, AM-1160

Best all-sports station: KFNZ ("K-Fan")

Best new syndicated show: John Tesh, weeknights on KBEE

Best examples of ideal DJs, with limited but quality chatter and plenty of music: Jon Carter on KRSP, Kelly Monson on KBZN

Best talent not on the air: Tom Barberi, Mick Martin

Best dive: KUBL's listener dive into 100 gallons of KFC coleslaw for backstage passes to a Tim McGraw concert

Best wedding: KQMB's "Wedding on Ice" for Valentine's Day

Best male voices: Olympic Games announcer and KSL host Tim Hughes; KSL's Grant Nielsen, KXRV's Steve Carlson

Best female voices: Sue Kelley on KRSP, Peggy Ijams on KEGA, Helen Powers on KBER, Amanda Dickson on KSL

Best teamup: "Johnson and Johnson" of KUBL; they're consistent, funny, in sync and organized

Best nicknames : "Brotha' Fred," weekends on KZHT; "Hollywood Haze," middays on KODJ; "Clark After Dark," evenings on KUUU

Best Web sites for FM stations : KZHT with photos, daily updates and more at www.971zht.com; KQMB ("Star 102.7"), with its in-depth look at the exploits of morning DJs "Mikey and JJ" at www.star1027.com

Best Web site for AM station: KSL's nationally recognized site at radio.ksl.com

Best source for overall radio information/rumors: www.saltlakeradio.com

Best comebacks: Dan Bammes, mornings on KUER, following a serious illness; "Fisher and Laura" getting a morning show again after a few months lapse, this time on FM-107.9

Best example of traditional DJs: Danny Kramer, and Mark and Gayle Van Wagoner, on KDYL

Best morning-music mix: KSFI and KBEE

Best overall music stations: KRSP, KSOP, KUUU

Biggest station improvements: KUUU, KCPW

Biggest loss: The untimely death on Aug. 25 of Ed Wright, who was the "Music Professor" each evening on KODJ

Biggest change of 2004: The FCC crackdown on indecency, with DJs across the country cleaning up their act

Biggest prize: a new Ford Focus, given away last March by KXRK and LaPoint Ford

Biggest stunt: KQMB ("Star 102") 20 gallons of gasoline given free to each of the first 102 cars at a Taylorsville station on April 1

Biggest hoax: KCPX ("Channel 105.7") advertised an April 1 a $100,000 money drop, which proved to be an April Fool's hoax; 1,000 people turned out and many left angry