Willie and JoJo live on!
The one-time afternoon duo at KFMD 95.7-FM (“Kiss”) in Denver popped up in Colorado Springs two weeks ago, part of a makeover of longtime radio outlet KVUU 99.9-FM.
The “new” KVUU, known, seemingly forever, as “K-View,” is now “My 99.9.”
Interestingly, the format is essentially unchanged, with one notable exception – Christian artists are turning up in the station’s regular playlist.
JoJo Turnbeaugh, the station’s program director in addition to co-hosting a show at 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, downplays the religious inclusions.
“What basically happened is, there are a couple of artists – Switchfoot and Mercy Me – that have released songs to the format,” he said. “We play them because they are part of our format. We are not looking at Christian charts and playing those songs. Switchfoot has very much crossed over in the pop world, as has Mercy Me.”
Turnbeaugh and his on-air sidekick Willie Fisher were left unemployed “for about two weeks” when KFMD suddenly switched from rock ‘n’ roll to Spanish-language, virtually overnight.
Though the music at KVUU is essentially the same – rock, pop, country and, yes, Christian – the real changes, says Turnbeaugh, are in “re-imaging” the station and “refocusing” the music. “We have new talent, new imaging and a new TV campaign.”
Changes also include the addition of one-time Denver deejay Darren McKee, former morning man at KBPI 106.7-FM, and Therese Campanelli, who was promotions director at “Kiss” and is now head of marketing for Clear Channel’s Colorado Springs/Pueblo cluster.
JoJo, who grew up in the Springs, may not have changed his way of living but he’s changed his on-air behavior: no more bad boy. “We’re a non-offensive station, unlike ‘Kiss,’ where I came from,” he said. “Denver is a very liberal market. We were able to push the envelope. This is a much more conservative place.”
Around the dial
Judy Collins and John Cohen, co-founder of The New Lost City Ramblers, tape the e-town radio show at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 26, at the Boulder Theater … ESPN launching “Dream Job: Reportero,” a Spanish-language version of its popular show that gives wanna-be sportscasters a shot on the air. Winner of “Reportero” will cover World Cup 2006. Dates, locations of the tryouts to follow … “The Juggler of Notre Dame,” Jules Massenet’s opera which hadn’t been performed in the U.S. for half a century until Central City Opera took it on last August, airs at 7 p.m. Friday on KVOD 90.1-FM … Quotable: “Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them.” – Adlai Stevenson.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
