Changes likely for Utah radio

Salt Lake area radio could soon be affected by two recent developments nationally.

1. According to Radio and Records, the U.S. Supreme Count will hear a challenge later this year from the nation's major broadcast TV networks about "fleeting expletives" and fines the Federal Communications Commission levy against stations for airing such "expletives."

While the challenge is mostly TV oriented, its outcome will affect radio, too.

2. Radio Disney and Arbitron are teaming up to secure national measurements on the radio listening of children. The "under-12" category has long been a void in radio audience estimates.

Radio Disney is popular in the Salt Lake market at KWDZ AM-860. Once a steady measurements of the under-12 audience comes in, it will likely affect Utah more than most places due to Utah's young demographic.

How will Radio Disney rank among Salt Lake stations when its core audience is measured? Will KZHT and any other stations also reap any benefits? Stay tuned.

• SEEKING USED INSTRUMENTS — Utah Public Radio and KRCL (FM-90.9) have teamed up for "Replay ..." a campaign to collect used musical instruments for public schoolchildren throughout the state. It began last week and runs through April 15.

"We hope to receive $100,000 in instruments," said Cathy Ives, general manager of Utah Public Radio. "We are partnering with officers of the Utah Music Educators Association who are endorsing this promising program."

Donna Land Maldonado, general manger of KRCL, agreed.

"We know that there are many students that will benefit from having their own musical instruments. There is research that documents the benefits of playing a musical instrument."

Donations can be dropped off at school district offices around the state. Go online to www.upr.org for a list of addresses.

Utah Public Radio is a service of the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (HASS) at Utah State University, broadcasting a mix of information, public affairs and fine-arts programming 24 hours a day throughout most of Utah and into southern Idaho via a network of 31 translators.

• RADIO HAPPENINGS — The "Z-Morning Zoo" on KZHT was on vacation this week. A "best of..." aired instead. The DJs, Frankie Dangerboy and Jessica will return on Monday.

—KXRK ("X-96") has a "Now Live" option available on the Internet. See your favorite DJs from the station, instead of just hearing them. When I checked out the site earlier this week, 147 viewers (including myself) were watching Todd Nuke 'Em at the same time.

—Not to be outdone, KBEE (FM-98.7) has a list of recently played songs at www.b987.com that listeners can hear hours after they've aired.

—Edison Media Research now estimates that 33 million Americans listen to a radio station over the Internet during an average week. That's up from 29 million a year ago.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com