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Sarah Dallof reporting Two of Utah's smaller, independent radio stations are going through big changes, and they may never be the same. One is up for sale, and the other is undergoing a makeover that will force out some volunteer hosts.
For years the appeal of KRCL has been the wide variety of hosts and programming. But with listenership on the decline, the station has decided to try something new.
At KCPW, it's a little more out of their hands. Inside the studio, it's all business. But just outside, loyal listeners are rallying to keep the station in business.
"It's time the little guy stands up and says, ‘I'm up for the challenge,'" said Ed Sweeney, former KCPW general manager and current president of Wasatch Public Media.
Sweeney is trying to raise the millions needed to buy the station, but he's up against tough competition--including a California-based Christian broadcasting group. "KCPW, in its current format, would go away, and when you tuned into 88.3 you'd be listening to Christian rock," he said.
On the other side of town, KRCL hosts are gearing up for their programs and for changes. Despite growth across the Salt Lake Valley, listenership hasn't increased. "People never know quite what they're going to get when they tune into KRCL. It could be folk music, Vietnamese radio, liberal talk radio," explained Ted Williams, executive producer of RadioActive.
The station wants more of a flow and is hiring three DJs who will spin from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The volunteers who've hosted blocks of programming will go to late nights, weekends or leave altogether.
"It's been the hardest decision for us because we love our volunteers so much, and we're fans of them as well," Williams said.
At KCPW, a decision on a sale should happen in early April. KRCL plans to go to the new format in April, too.
