Suddenly, Oldies DJ Jaxon out of action
Dean Jaxon, the morning personality at KEYF-FM (Oldies 101.1) was cut loose from the station on Dec. 21 after nearly six years.
“It was quite a surprise,” said Jaxon, whose real name is Dean Henrich. “The phrase they kept repeating was, ‘We’re not renewing your contract.’ All they said was that they want to take the station in a new direction.”
That’s interesting, considering that KEYF was No. 1 in the market in the latest Arbitron ratings.
“We felt a change in the morning show would help us grow even more,” said Tim Cotter, operations manager for Citadel Broadcasting in Spokane, which owns KEYF.
Cotter said a new morning team would be announced next week, and that it would include Nyla Beck, who has been co-hosting with Jaxon.
What’s next for Jaxon?
“I haven’t got a clue,” he said. “I have two little kids and a house and we hoped to stay here for the rest of our lives.”
He has put in applications at other Spokane radio groups. However, he said he will also probably have to look outside the market.
Fox goes high-def
KAYU-28, Spokane’s Fox affiliate, is now available in high-definition on the Comcast cable system on digital cable channel 103.
This is excellent news for Seahawks fans with high-def TVs, since they will now be able to watch the playoff run in high-definition.
The station has also been broadcasting an over-the-air high-definition signal for several weeks. However, most Spokane viewers use cable to get their high-definition programming.
High-definition service from Comcast requires an HDTV-ready television set and an HDTV-enabled digital cable receiver from the cable company.
‘Curtain Call’ is coming
A celebrity interview show titled “Curtain Call With David Spatz” will begin airing on KGPX-34 in Spokane (cable channel 8 in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene) on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. beginning this week.
The show is taped behind the scenes at Northern Quest’s Pend Oreille Pavilion in Airway Heights. In the opening show, host David Spatz, a national broadcasting veteran from Atlantic City, interviewed Vicki Lawrence during her appearance at the Northern Quest.
Upcoming shows will feature Kevin Bacon and Michael Bacon of the Bacon Brothers, Air Supply, David Brenner and Trace Adkins. Additional segments will be taped in Atlantic City and other casino showrooms around the country.
Northern Quest will be the presenting sponsor of the program, and will make 30-second advertising spots available to area nonprofit groups.
The show will be repeated Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on Comcast channel 12 beginning next week.
KHQ changes
Two KHQ-6 journalists are moving on as the year ends.
Jeff Moreau, a reporter and anchor at the station for five years, has landed a new job as the main anchor at WHNS-TV in Greenville, S.C.
Tom Benemann, a three-year veteran, is heading to Hartford, Conn., where he will report and anchor for the Fox affiliate.
Is it steamy in here?
The Spokane Civic Theatre will have a musical revue fund-raiser on Jan. 15 with the most appropriate possible title: “Steam Heat.”
That’s because this show will raise money to replace the Civic’s cracked boiler, which went kaput in mid-December.
The show will be directed by Troy Nickerson and will feature a number of area performers.
Showtime is 7 p.m. on Jan. 15, and tickets are $25, available by calling 325-2507.
Stephanie, from the left
KPTQ-AM (Air America, Spokane’s Progressive Talk 1280) is making a change in its morning lineup beginning Monday.
Stephanie Miller, a syndicated talk host from Los Angeles, will take over the morning slot from 6 to 9 a.m., replacing “Morning Sedition,” which can still be heard from 3 to 6 a.m.
The Washington Post recently called Miller a “wisecracking liberal crusader.”
On the other side of the political spectrum, KQNT-AM (Newstalk 590) will switch from using CNN Radio news to Fox News Radio beginning Monday. KQNT is, after all, the home of Rush Limbaugh.
Opera Plus season
Opera Plus, the Coeur d’Alene-based opera group, announced its 2006 season recently. Here are some of the highlights:
“Opera Gala – May 7, in the courtyard of the Coeur d’Alene Resort Plaza. Dinner, auction and performances.
“Opera in the Plaza – June 9, free spring concert in the Resort Plaza.
“Opera Cruise on the Lake – July 16, sunset cruise with song.
“ “Le Nozze di Figaro” – Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Mozart’s comic opera performed at Schuler Auditorium on the North Idaho College campus.