Kdrk Crew Wonders Why It Got The Ax

Have you been wondering what happened to Jay Daniels and Kevin James, KDRK-FM’s morning team? They’re sitting at home right now, wondering the same thing.

They were fired on June 8, right after they got off the air.

The reason the management gave, according to Daniels, is that the station’s research showed that listeners were “looking for a change.”

That’s interesting, since the Arbitron ratings consistently show KDRK-FM’s morning show to be one of the most popular morning shows in town.

“I said, ‘If listeners supposedly want a change, why are they all listening to us?”’ said Daniels.

But this is the man-eating world of radio, where people can always come up with statistics to prove whatever it is they want to prove.

Daniels and James are understandably a bit hurt by their firing, but they know this sort of thing happens in radio. Daniels said that he and James don’t have any sour grapes, and that general manager Steve Cody always treated them fairly.

Daniels wanted to set the record straight, however, about one thing. He said listeners who called KDRKFM and asked about Daniels and James were told that they “got a job in another city.” One of those callers was somebody who already knew better: Daniels’ wife.

“We’re looking for something,” said Daniels. “We’re open to every option right now.”

Daniels came to KDRK-FM from Omaha in February 1994. James, originally from Harrington, joined him on the morning show about five months ago.

Tim Roberts, the station’s program director, is filling in on mornings for the time being.

KXLY’s new talk host

KXLY-AM has finally hired an afternoon talk show host, and he’s a doozie.

Rick Miller, former talk radio host on KING-AM in Seattle, will now handle the 2-5 p.m. weekday slot.

“He’s not a liberal or a conservative,” said executive news director Michael Espinoza. “He’s an independent thinker … just enough to upset everyone and please everyone.”

Espinoza called him a “true talent and entertainer.”

Miller himself said, “If you are one of those people who marches along in lockstep to the prerecorded persiflage of either the Right or the Left, it might take you awhile to get over the shock and start to have some fun.”

Miller lost his job at KING-AM when that station dropped its talk format and went all-news. Before that, he worked at KKEY-AM and KGW-AM in Portland.

He’ll fill the slot vacated when Jim Bickel quit in April. Since then, KXLY-AM has used dozens of different “hosts du jour” in that time slot, including Miller. Espinoza said Miller got more response than any other guest host, although he admitted the response was both positive and negative.

“I think Spokane is going to love this guy,” said Espinoza. “But maybe not at first.”

Miller begins at KXLY-AM on Monday at 2 p.m.

Charles Rowe, thespian

A Spotlight reader was watching “Blood Beach” on TBS recently (hey, she was channel-surfing, OK?) and she was startled to see a familiar face on the screen. Could that be … Charles Rowe? Yes. Rowe, the KREM-Channel 2 news anchor, was in a number of movies in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, usually playing a news anchor. He was a real L.A. news anchor for many years.

“Blood Beach” was a 1981 John Saxon masterpiece about monsters who live beneath the sand and eat people in bikinis. I believe it won multiple Oscars, including Best Actor for Charles Rowe.

You may want to look that up.

Ira Joe, in our homes

Speaking of familiar faces, that was Ira Joe Fisher filling in all of last week on the “CBS Morning News.”

Fisher was the weather anchor on KHQ-Channel 6 from 1970-80. He is now doing weather for WCBS-TV in New York.

Bruce knows how to talk

Bruce Williams, the nationally known talk show host heard on KJRB-AM, will speak at the Spokane Opera House on July 1.

Williams, who was also a fixture on KXLY-AM for many years, is an expert on financial matters, legal matters and all other practical matters.

He has so far sold about 500 tickets for his talk, which isn’t bad, but not as many as G. Gordon Liddy sold. Then again, Williams doesn’t recommend that people aim for the head.

Tickets are available through G&B Select-a-Seat.

Valley Rep season

The Valley Repertory Season has announced its 1995-96 season: “Noises Off,” a comedy by Michael Frayn.

“The World of Carl Sandburg,” by Norman Corwin.

“Inspecting Carol,” a spoof of “A Christmas Carol,” by Daniel Sullivan.

“New Stage III,” a showcase for new plays.

“Table Settings,” a comedy by James Lapine.

“Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck.

There will also be a musical, to be announced. Call 927-6878 for season ticket information.

Roesch is right

William Roesch, an actor and director who lives in Hope, Idaho, has a memorable summer in store. He will return to the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego to play the role of Doc in “Mister Roberts.”

The Old Globe is one of the most prestigious regional theaters in America, and Roesch just happens to be its former associate artistic director. “Mister Roberts” is part of the theater’s 60th anniversary season, and it’s a revival of the Old Globe’s longest-running play ever.

Local theatergoers might remember Roesch as an actor in Interplayers’ “Vikings” and as a director in Interplayers “Taking Steps” and “Hay Fever.”

Tom in Parade

Check out today’s Parade magazine (you’ll find it buried somewhere in the ad fliers).

Spokane’s Tim McIntyre, an aluminum worker, is included in the feature, “What People Earn.” He earns $35,000 a year, by the way.

Emmy-winners

KXLY-Channel 4 won two regional Emmys at the awards banquet in Seattle on June 9.

Rick Lukens won for Best Humorous Feature for a Lukens-atLarge piece about sports merchandising, called “Cougar Bandwagon.”

KXLY’s promotions department won an Emmy for Best Promo, Single Spot, for a piece called “BaldHeaded Men” which promoted “Star Trek, The Next Generation.”

Fairchild shooting revisited

KXLY-4 will air “Rampage to Recovery: Fairchild One Year Later” on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

This is a half-hour documentary looking back at the Dean Mellberg shootings.

, DataTimes