Lars Larson’s talk show on AM 750 KXL was moved from afternoons to mornings beginning at 8:30 a.m. Lars replaces Gary McNamara. The comic talk duo, Dave Anderson and Dwight Slade are promoted from weekends to the noon to 4 p.m. slot. Also promoted December 13th, Paul Pimentel from assistant to program director of KXL.
Mike Chase teams up with Amy Faust as the new morning hosts on country FM 99.5 KWJJ on December 1st, replacing Jim Bosh. Chase previously was the morning man at KNRK (from 1995 to 98) and has been languishing on the sidelines lately at KINK and KOTK. Chuck Knopf continues as newsman in the morning.
Terry Boyd (from Cincinnati and Eugene) is the new morning co-host on Rosie-105 at the end of November. He joins the vivacious Carrie Owens.
The Portland Trail Blazers add former KXL sports director Mike Barrett on November 29th to provide NBA reporting during game broadcasts. KEX is the anchor station of Trail Blazer play by play coverage but that will likely change next season, at contract renewal, to Paul Allen’s KXL. Allen also owns the Portland Trail Blazers. Brian Bushlach takes Barrett's position at KXL.
The kid friendly radio drama, the Cinnamon Bear, returns for the holidays to AM 1450 KBPS on December 1st at 2pm. The 1937 radio show revolves around the trials and tribulations of the bear and his favorite friends. The show continues weekdays at 2pm until December 17th.
Program Director Mike Dirkx and his on-air reporter wife, Marie Dodds, were abruptly let go at KXL on November 24th. During his tenor at KXL, Dirkx initiated changes to freshen the sound and add more local reporting and talk shows.
AM 620 KEWS revamps its lineup on November 15th to local talk hosts from 6 am to 4 pm. Leading off mornings is "Scoot" from 6 to 9. Scoot , to Portland via afternoons in Seattle and New Orleans, is clever and creative with callers. Ed Teachout’s consumer show shifts to 9 to noon and Dave Stone occupies the afternoon until 4 pm. Beginning next week, Ian Pummett, in Atlanta, starts at 4 pm.
KEWS AM 620 switched its on-air emphasis from news to talk. Top of the hour newscasts are either direct from the ABC network, or refer to the KEX newsroom. The morning show is anchored temporarily by national talk surrogate Brian Wilson (not the Beach Boy) from the comfort of his New York talk studio. The 10 am to noon slot features Oregonian columnist Marge Boule this week – and local fave, Victoria Taft next week. Ed Teachout is the early afternoon host featuring a theme of trying to "right" consumer "wrongs".
Longtime Portland radio personality John Williams has re-surfaced on K-103 FM. Williams, who previously hosted mid-days on KEX, is performing fill-in duties on K-103 during other jock absences.
KXJM Jammin’ 95.5 FM recruits Mark Adams from San Francisco as new program director. Adams replaces John Christian, who migrates back to Stockton, California. 95.5 FM has zoomed upward in the Portland ratings from 20th to 5th since changing format in May.
Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger move from K-News (KEWS) radio to KEX. Also, morning K-Newsman, Greg Jarrett moves over to AM 1190. A new one hour news block at noon is anchored by Pat Boyle and Jim Howe and features the venerable Paul Harvey. The change began September 23rd with both stations simulcasting the 5:30 am to 4 pm lineup until October 4th. JohnWilliams, who hosted the mid-day music show on KEX is out, along with evening-time Dr. Dean Edell. KEWS keeps Dave Stone afternoons and will probably add local talk during the rest of the daytime. The same company, Clear Channel, owns both stations.
ESPN Sportscaster Dan Patrick begins a mid-day radio talk show from 10 am to 1 pm on AM 1550 KVAN in September. The show originates from New York. Meanwhile, KVAN has applied with the F.C.C. to increase its daytime transmitter power from 10,000 to 50,000 watts.
Sports radio The Fan, AM 910 KFXX, adds John Lund to the afternoon lineup in late September. Lund relieves program director Scott Masteller from afternoon broadcast duties.
Dave Stone of KEWS broadcasts live from Tokyo, Japan beginning Monday, August 23rd for one week in a promotion with Delta airlines. Because of the time difference, Dave will be starting at 6 am Tokyo time to begin his 3 pm show in Portland. The station is giving away a trip to the Far East, in conjunction with the trip.
It was formerly KXYQ, and now newly changed call letters in August more closely follow the format of Guy-talk radio.
Veteran Portland news journalist, Dave Paull was added to the morning line-up on AM 1080 KOTK August 9th. Paull, who replaced Paul Hanson, reports local news and conducts public affairs interviews for KOTK. Paull has worked at the legendary KGW radio and several other Portland radio stations. Hanson goes to AM 1550 KVAN.
KXL AM 750 drops the slogan "We’re on it" and adds "NewsTalk 750" and "the voice of Portland" to its portfolio on July 12. New jingles and voicers also debuted. Krystal Carlysle (from KGA, Spokane) is the new morning co-host. Gary McNamara’s talk show moves up a half-hour to 8:30 am.
Ex Portland Trailblazer, Kermit Washington, was dropped from the morning lineup at Sports radio KFXX on July 9 after his contract was not renewed. Kermit owns a Vancouver restaurant and is visiting Africa for charity work this summer.
Local radio magnate, J.J. Mckay sold her share of KKGT radio to buy AM 1010 KXYQ from Ivan Kafoury. Changing format to "Guy Talk", the station features a mix of talk programming aiming for the type of man who reads Sports Illustrated, Playboy and GQ. Local talk host, the Dreamweaver is on from 9 am to noon with other time periods filled in by nationally syndicated hosts.
Bill Sizemore, author of Oregon’s tax rollback initiatives, has purchased a 50% share of AM 1150 KKGT. Studios have been relocated from Vancouver to the Clackamas area of Portland. Sizemore began a weekday morning call-in show at the beginning of July.
He comes to Portland from WGST in Atlanta after growing up in Southern California and traveling with the Harlem Globetrotters for a decade. Dave began his afternoon show Monday, June 14th on AM 620.
KXL, the last three letter call sign on the FM band in Portland switched to KXJM on May 3rd. The call sign denotes the new "Jammin 95.5" format. Making his Portland debut is program director John Christian (from KWIN Stockton). New air-staff includes Alexas, middays; Mario Devoe, afternoons (from Dallas); nightslammer Louie Cruze and late night "Pretty-boy" Dante also hail from Stockton. Michael Jack Kirby rounds out the line-up. A morning show staff is under construction.
Mike Parker was appointed play by play radio announcer for the Oregon State University Beavers football and basketball teams in May. Parker previously hosted sports shows on KEX and KFXX, and did baseball broadcasts for the Portland Rockies. Parker replaces Darrell Aune. Beaver broadcasts are heard in Portland on KEX.
Steve Pringle moves to mornings from overnight. The smooth jazz station now calls itself K-Jazz.
Ten-year Portland radio talk veteran Bill Gallagher was pulled off his afternoon show on KEWS radio Monday, April 26th, due to lack of ratings. In place of Gallagher, programming from Jacor’s other talk station in San Diego, KOGO, was piped in. Then, weekender Victoria Taft was named interim host.
In a cost cutting move, NBC radio news dropped its national hourly newscasts in mid April. NBC had been providing radio news to Portland for better than 70 years. Local affiliate KKSN-AM switched its top of the hour newscast to the ABC radio network.
KINK-FM 102 is celebrated its 30th anniversary in early April with music stepping through every year since its inception. Also in the chronography, reflections of Portland’s past by staff and listeners. KINK was the first FM radio station in the Pacific Northwest to play album music.
KXL-FM 95.5 switched its format abruptly from album cuts to lively toe tappin’ urban music at the close of business on Friday afternoon, March 26th. With a new name of Jammin’ 95.5, the station serves up a mix of soul, rap, grooving ballads and lots of "what's up?" phrases. KXL was sold last year to Portland TrailBlazer owner Paul Allen. The 100,000 watt station has languished in the Portland ratings book for many years. Out the door is former program director Carl Widing, morning man David Shult, and full-timers Ruby Blake, Randy O'Neil and Teri Magnuson.
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Sports radio 910, the Fan KFXX, has beefed up its Portland Trailblazer basketball coverage with pre and post game interviews and talk. In addition to more chat about the NBA’s number one team, Portland radio vet, Bill Jackson is added to the morning show as newsman.
When a disaster hits, radio can respond quickly to its listeners. On Wednesday morning, Feb. 24th at 8:45 when a moderate 2.9 earthquake hit the Portland area, radio veteran Craig Walker on K-103 FM was first to give acknowledgement. Craig put callers on the air at 8:48 am describing what they felt. On the AM band, K-News radio was first to report the quake at 8:51 am. KXL AM came thru with the news a few minutes later. Newsman Mike Rich at KINK, was first to report the epicenter and size of the quake at 8:53 am after contacting the University of Washington seismology center. (The center has a web survey asking how the earthquake affected you.)
Portland’s first alternative station, the "Beat" at 107.5 FM (KBBT), adjusted its format in February to play more songs from the 1980’s. The change is partially due to the rising success of competitor Rosie-105 (KRSK). The Beat’s slogan changes from "new music alternative" to "the new sound of the Beat at 107.5". On the AM band, "straight country" 970 KUPL is now "classic hit country".
Mary McDermott leaves her KXL-AM morning news anchorship for the bright lights of television in Indiana. The search is on for a replacement, with ousted KEX newsman Bob Chase as a possible contender.
Oregon Symphony concert performances from this year are featured on FM 89.9 KBPS, Saturday afternoons at 4 pm. James DePriest is the conductor. On Friday evenings at 8 pm, Terry Ross hosts "Played in Oregon", featuring Oregon guest artists, analytical comments and musical quizzes.
Mark Gerek moves from weekends to afternoons replacing Eydie Bowen on Smooth Jazz KKJZ. Eydie moves to the Bay area with record industry husband. Gerek returns to the City of Roses from Denver. He previously worked as newsman in Portland at K-News and KYTE.
Popular newscaster, Valerie Ring, was let go from the Z100 morning zoo on Monday, January 11th due to irreconcilable differences. Stacey Lynn moves from the mid-day slot to take Valerie's place.
KPDQ AM 800 launches a new line-up and slogan in the New Year: True Talk. Two live Portland talk shows in the afternoon feature Mary Starrett (ex channel 2 tv host) from 2 to 4 pm, followed by Georgene Rice from 4 to 7 pm. Michael Medved (movie critic, Seattle) is on from noon to 2 pm.
Rosie-105 (KRSK) now has live announcers. The on-air line-up to begin 1999 is: Carrie Owens mornings (from Sacramento). Jim Allen mid-day. Matt Cane in the afternoon, and Tim Taylor, 7 to midnight.
Twisting the Portland Radio Dial - 
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Twisting the Portland Radio 
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Twisting the Portland Radio Dial - 1998
Twisting 
the Portland Radio Dial - 1997
Twisting the Portland 
Radio Dial - 1996