10/3/17 10/3/17

Jeremy’s fall TV/radio changes

Jeremy Levy back with you to write about what’s going on in Colorado radio and TV for the end of the summer and into the fall.First some TV news:Holly Gauntt left fox 31 news and Channel 2 news at the beginning of June. There might be some changes coming to fox 31 and Channel 2 with even more conservative commentary in their newscasts. What is the reason for the change? Tribune media might be bought out by Sinclair broadcasting. Sinclair broadcasting has the largest group of TV stations. There has not been any word yet if Sinclair is taking over. Where has Holly gone? She is in the same roll at Channel 7 news. Congratulations to Holly. What stations does Tribune media own? They own WGN TV in Chicago and WPIX TV in New York. Adele Arakawa has left channel 9 being replaced with Kim Christiansen. Good luck Adele, I will miss you. Congratulations to Kim.Joel Hillan has been named weekend anchor at CBS 4 in Denver. I am really a big fan of Joel’s, both on CBS 4 and 850 KOA. Some big congratulations to you Joel!In the Colorado Springs area, Kimberly Price has left TV to pursue a job outside TV. The woman whom has stepped in is none other than Abbie Burke. Abbie is no stranger to TV news and to the Colorado Springs area. She worked there before but took a job in providence Rhode Island. She is back in the morning anchor chair. Congratulations to Abbie. I am sure that she will do a great job.Stephen Bowers is leaving NBC’s Colorado Springs affiliate KOAA TV after 5 years with the station. Sept 18 was his last day. It will be very interesting to find out where he goes to.Mark Boyle is an investigative reporter who is now joining KOAA TV. The Denver native is a Colorado State University graduate and began his career as a weekend sports anchor/reporter for NBC affiliate KNOP-TV in North Platte, Nebraska. I hope that Mark Boyle does a great job on the station. Boyle last worked as a reporter at KMGH in Denver for two years before joining KOAA in July.There are two multimedia journalists also joining the station. Alasyn Zimmerman is one of the new multimedia journalist at KOAA. The Wichita, Kansas native graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. Zimmerman comes back to Colorado after spending two years at ABC affiliate KIFI in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Good luck to Alasyn. This is her second go around here in Colorado.The other multimedia journalist is Caiti Blasé. Caiti got her start at NBC affiliate KDLT in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as a reporter. From there Blasé took a position as a multimedia journalist at KPTM/Fox 42 in Omaha, Nebraska, before arriving in Colorado Springs in August. Welcome Katie. Fans of KOAA tv are glad to have you.Now to radio news:The weekday line up on 710 KNUS radio is different.Peter Boyles is still on from 5-9 a.m. Hugh Hewitt is on from 9-11 a.m. Dennis Prager is on from 11-1 p.m. Chuck and Julie are on from 1-4 p.m. and Dan Caplis is on from 4-7 p.m.Where are Steve Kelley and Krista Kafer you might ask? Steve and Krista’s show ended in the middle of July this year. I will really miss this show. I thought that Krista and Steve Kelley did a wonderful job as a team. I am not sure how this will work out for KNUS yet. We will have to find out in the months ahead.Speaking of political radio, Ross Kaminsky of 630 KHOW and Mandy Connell of 850 KOA have done some very fun remote broadcasts this past summer Ross Kaminsky broadcast from Nebraska for the solar eclipse. This was fun to listen to and learn what was happening with the eclipse.Mandy Connell did remotes from the Taste of Colorado and from the mountains of Colorado. It was fun to hear her these remote broadcasts and the different people that she interviewed.There is a new sports radio station in town on 760. It is called Orange and Blue 760 and it is all Bronco’s all the time. The schedule is as follows:Andy Lindahl and Tyler Polumbus from 7-10 AM.10-12 is 10 at 10 with Andrew Mason, Ryan Edwards, and Steve Atwater.Dave Logan has added a second show and hosts this show from 12 to 1 PM.Then it is Brandan Krisztal and Matt McChesney from 1-3 PM followed by the Ray Crocket show from 3-6 PM. I really enjoy this schedule with all of these former players. It is really nice to see Ryan Edwards doing work for Orange and Blue 760 radio. Ryan Edwards was most recently with mile high sports radio. He was also doing some fill ins on Altitude sports radio.In my opinion, this was an excellent move to Orange and Blue 760 radio.It is also nice to see Dave Logan having a second show on Orange and Blue 760.Mike Pritchard has joined sports radio 104.3 The Fan teaming with Cecil Lammey form 9 Am to 10 AM talking football.Speaking of Altitude Sports radio 950 and Mile High Sports radio, there are a couple of things to mention.First: Mark Moser and Julie Browman have split up. Tom Helmer is no longer with the station. Julie Browman has joined Scott Hastings from 10 AM to 1 PM. Mark Moser is hosting solo from 1-3 PM. I still like these shows, but I really think that Mark Moser needs to have a partner to help him during the shows when he is on the road with the Avalanche broadcasts. I really miss Tom Helmer, but Julie Browman seems to be having fun with Scott Hastings. Julie was the producer at one time for the Sports Zoo with Dave Logan and Scott Hastings.On Mile High sports radio a new owner has taken over that station. Nate Lundy has been in Denver since 2006 or 2007. Nate Lundy has gone from program director to Morning host and program director to manager of his own podcast sports show to now owner of Mile High Sports radio. Congratulations to Nate. I hope the station will become a better station with your leadership.Switching to KOA radio news. Steffan Tubs is no longer with the Colorado’s Morning news. He was arrested in July of this year. KOA radio said that they are investigating him, so for right now he is off the air. Ed Green has been hosting the show with April Zesbaugh for now, and for the time being other cohosts have been filling in as well. KOA hasn’t announced who is going to fill Steffan’s chair permanently on 850 KOA.My thoughts on this are I’m going to miss Steffan, but I am also enjoying the shows with April and the other hosts.Switching to some happier news I am so excited that the Colorado Rockies are in the playoffs. I am hoping that they do well. Jerry Schemmel did a bike race across Colorado and it went well. I will certainly be listening to the playoff games that the Rockies are involved in.Rosa Jad has been a part time music DJ for rhythmic contemporary music station 107.5 KQKS radio for a short time. Now she can be heard on evenings on the station. Jeremy Gold is no longer with the station. No Word yet on why Jeremy Gold left the station. Good luck to Rosa Jad. It is nice to see part time people getting full time work.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

9/4/17 9/4/17

Murphy Huston Interview

Jeremy Levy back with you to talk about another person in Colorado radio.I would consider Murphy Huston a legend in Denver radio. I first started listening to Murphy in 1996 when he was teamed with Hal Moore. Hal Moore is another radio legend in Colorado radio. Hal and Murphy did the morning show on KHOW together for a long time. Their show was very fun to listen to and they had a lot of fun on the air together. The show was more of an entertaining show. They didn’t have many political guests AS they were just there to have a great time. This is what I think Morning talk radio should be.After KHOW, Murphy moved to KEZW and did mid days there by himself. Hal Moore ULTIMATELY joined him there as well to do afternoons. After that Murphy moved to Kosi 101. I found him there a couple of years later. He was doing the morning show with Jo Myers. They had a great time together. They would have Warren Byrne on with a restaurant tip on Friday mornings. Jo would always ask great questions and have great comments. Murphy was a wonderful host as well. I can still remember Murphy and Joe teaming up to do the Rocky Mountain PBS auction every April for years. A couple of years later Jo left the show to persue other hobbies/goals that she had and Denise Plante joined the show. One of my horse-back riding instructors is Murphy’s in-laws and she set me up to meet Murphy and Denise on a December morning. I have heard their show and I was thrilled and very excited to meet them.When I got into the studio with them they were very pleasant and they treated me like I was their guest. They encouraged me to ask questions of them. This was a very festive time at Kosi 101 because it was near Christmas time. They were playing Christmas music. I got to meet John Oates from Hall and Oates. They had him on as a guest. It was fun visiting Kosi 101 and meeting Murphy and Denise.A couple of years later Murphy semi-retired from the show. He is still on Kosi 101 doing weekend shifts. He also fills in on occasion on Kosi during the week.I really miss Murphy’s daily show.Here is my interview with Murphy.Jeremy Levy: How did you get your start in Colorado radio?Murphy Huston: I started on KHOW back in 1986. Hal and Charlie were doing mornings and Tom Kelley was doing mid-days and I was on in the afternoons.I was on KHOW from 1986 to 1996. KHOW was playing music when I first got there. Then a couple of years later they switched to talk and then I teamed up with Hal Moore and Charlie. Towards the end Charlie got fired. Then it was me and Hal. After 1996 I moved to KEZW. Then I was there for 3 months. Then I moved to Kosi 101. Kosi was owned by the same company as KEZW which it isn’t any more. The program director of Kosi 101 asked me if I would like to do mornings on KOSI and I said sure and I have been there ever since. My 20 year reunion is coming up in November.JL: Then I remember you were working with Jo Meyers for a couple of years. Is that right?”MH: When I started doing mornings on KOSI 101, my first partner was Melissa Moore. Melissa Moore is now working on KYGO radio. She got married and moved to Florida, so that’s why we broke up. Then I worked with Jo Meyers. She and I worked together for 7 or 8 years. Then she retired. Then I started working with Denise. We worked together for 10 years.JL: Now back to Hal Moore for just one second. What was it like working with such a legend in Hal Moore?MH: It was great! I heard about Hal and Charlie before I came out here. To got to work with Hal Moore one on one it was great! We had such a great time working together. He and I got along extremely well. I still see him a lot. He is still in town here in Colorado. He is doing well. It was just great working with him.JL: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?MH: It’s difficult getting into radio now compared to when I got into radio 20 years ago. I always advise people to go to college and learn from a college radio station. Because then you get a college degree. It’s very competitive.JL: What are 1 or 2 strengths and what are 1 or 2 weaknesses of Colorado radio today?MH: One weakness is that radio now isn’t DJ oriented anymore. It is more digitally oriented now. That’s because of the new rating systems. A strength is that Colorado has a really good radio market to get into. I have listened to stations over the country and Colorado is one of the best.JL: Do you have any favorite memories of some remotes that you have been a part of or any special broadcasts that you have been a part of?MH: Sure- sometimes we would broadcast from Disney World before the holidays. That was a lot of fun. Jo Meyers and I were on the air when 9-11 happened and that was a memorable time. That really changed radio because our show was more music driven and we started talking about 9-11. It is a great radio station and it is still doing well.I really appreciate Murphy doing this interview with me. He is a wonderful weekend DJ on Kosi 101. I would really encourage followers of my blog to give it a listen.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

9/4/17 9/4/17

Murphy Huston interview

Jeremy Levy back with you to talk about another person in Colorado radio.I would consider Murphy Huston a legend in Denver radio. I first started listening to Murphy in 1996 when he was teamed with Hal Moore. Hal Moore is another radio legend in Colorado radio. Hal and Murphy did the morning show on KHOW together for a long time. Their show was very fun to listen to and they had a lot of fun on the air together. The show was more of an entertaining show. They didn’t have many political guests AS they were just there to have a great time. This is what I think Morning talk radio should be.After KHOW, Murphy moved to KEZW and did mid days there by himself. Hal Moore ULTIMATELY joined him there as well to do afternoons. After that Murphy moved to Kosi 101. I found him there a couple of years later. He was doing the morning show with Jo Myers. They had a great time together. They would have Warren Byrne on with a restaurant tip on Friday mornings. Jo would always ask great questions and have great comments. Murphy was a wonderful host as well. I can still remember Murphy and Joe teaming up to do the Rocky Mountain PBS auction every April for years. A couple of years later Jo left the show to persue other hobbies/goals that she had and Denise Plante joined the show. One of my horse-back riding instructors is Murphy’s in-laws and she set me up to meet Murphy and Denise on a December morning. I have heard their show and I was thrilled and very excited to meet them.When I got into the studio with them they were very pleasant and they treated me like I was their guest. They encouraged me to ask questions of them. This was a very festive time at Kosi 101 because it was near Christmas time. They were playing Christmas music. I got to meet John Oates from Hall and Oates. They had him on as a guest. It was fun visiting Kosi 101 and meeting Murphy and Denise.A couple of years later Murphy semi-retired from the show. He is still on Kosi 101 doing weekend shifts. He also fills in on occasion on Kosi during the week.I really miss Murphy’s daily show.Here is my interview with Murphy.Jeremy Levy: How did you get your start in Colorado radio?Murphy Houston: I started on KHOW back in 1986. Hal and Charlie were doing mornings and Tom Kelley was doing mid-days and I was on in the afternoons.I was on KHOW from 1986 to 1996. KHOW was playing music when I first got there. Then a couple of years later they switched to talk and then I teamed up with Hal Moore and Charlie. Towards the end Charlie got fired. Then it was me and Hal. After 1996 I moved to KEZW. Then I was there for 3 months. Then I moved to Kosi 101. Kosi was owned by the same company as KEZW which it isn’t any more. The program director of Kosi 101 asked me if I would like to do mornings on KOSI and I said sure and I have been there ever since. My 20 year reunion is coming up in November.JL: Then I remember you were working with Jo Meyers for a couple of years. Is that right?”MH: When I started doing mornings on KOSI 101, my first partner was Melissa Moore. Melissa Moore is now working on KYGO radio. She got married and moved to Florida, so that’s why we broke up. Then I worked with Jo Meyers. She and I worked together for 7 or 8 years. Then she retired. Then I started working with Denise. We worked together for 10 years.JL: Now back to Hal Moore for just one second. What was it like working with such a legend in Hal Moore?MH: It was great! I heard about Hal and Charlie before I came out here. To got to work with Hal Moore one on one it was great! We had such a great time working together. He and I got along extremely well. I still see him a lot. He is still in town here in Colorado. He is doing well. It was just great working with him.JL: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?MH: It’s difficult getting into radio now compared to when I got into radio 20 years ago. I always advise people to go to college and learn from a college radio station. Because then you get a college degree. It’s very competitive.JL: What are 1 or 2 strengths and what are 1 or 2 weaknesses of Colorado radio today?MH: One weakness is that radio now isn’t DJ oriented anymore. It is more digitally oriented now. That’s because of the new rating systems. A strength is that Colorado has a really good radio market to get into. I have listened to stations over the country and Colorado is one of the best.JL: Do you have any favorite memories of some remotes that you have been a part of or any special broadcasts that you have been a part of?MH: Sure- sometimes we would broadcast from Disney World before the holidays. That was a lot of fun. Jo Meyers and I were on the air when 9-11 happened and that was a memorable time. That really changed radio because our show was more music driven and we started talking about 9-11. It is a great radio station and it is still doing well.I really appreciate Murphy doing this interview with me. He is a wonderful weekend DJ on Kosi 101. I would really encourage followers of my blog to give it a listen.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

7/4/17 7/4/17

Summer updates

Jeremy Levy back with you to tell you about another a couple of changes this early summer in Colorado Media.Congratulations to Tyler Polumbus and Rick Lewis. They will be paired with Dave Logan on Bronco’s broadcasts this season after Ed McCafrey’s departure from the station. Andy Lindahl will still be with the pregame show as a reporter. This will give Andy time to be with his family. Congratulations to Andy.BJ Harris and Jamie White have signed a contract extension to be on the air at KALC radio for another 5 years. This morning show started back in 2010.Dominic Garcia is coming home to anchor channel 4 KCNC evening news casts with Karen Lee. Dominic was with the station from 2010 to 2013 when he moved to San Diego California. Congratulations to Dominic. We are really glad to have you back in Colorado.Adele Arakawa retired from KUSA’s channel 9 news after almost 20 years. I will really miss Adele. She is moving to Arizona. I really thought that Adele was a wonderful news anchor. Kim Christiansen will be taking her place.Mark Moser and Julie Browman-I got to meet Julie and Mark a couple of weeks ago at the Stoney’s Bar and Grill. This was a thrill for me and I will be posting an interview with them sometime down the road.4th of July week, Jon Caldara will be filling in on KOA 850AM, 94.1 FM, and 630 KHOW. Jon will be on 850 KOA Monday and Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. substituting for Mandy Connell, and he will be on the rest of the week for Ross Kaminsky on 630 KHOW from 6-10 AM in the mornings.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

6/15/17 6/15/17

Rick Crandall interview

Jeremy Levy back with you to write about another one of my interviews about Colorado radio.Rick Crandall is the program director of KEZW 1430 radio. The station is now called Cruisin 1430. Rick also hosts the 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. shift on the station. As I have talked about in some of my other blogs Cruisin 1430 plays 60’s and 70’s music during the week and on the weekends they have different talk shows.I first started listening to Crusin 1430 in 1997. Back then the station played 50’s music. Frank Sinatra was one of the singers that they played a lot of. My parents and I were at a friend’s house helping him move to another house and I was listening to a boom box that I had brought to the house with me. I didn’t know that there were other radio stations besides 630 KHOW. I started flicking around the dial and came across 1430. The show that was on was the Warren Byrne restaurant show. I thought that the only restaurant show out there was Mike Boyle and the Mike Boyle Restaurant Show.The first time I heard Rick Crandall was him doing commercials for the Warren Byrne Restaurant Show. I found out later he did the morning show at the station and I found out that he did the Health show called the St. Joseph’s health Show on Thursday evenings from 6-7. This show had guests that were doctors for the St. Joseph’s Hospital to come on and talk about different topics. I learned a lot of things from listening to this show and I am sure the other listeners did as well. In the fall of 1997 I heard the station grow and have more talk shows including The cooking show with Nancy Merrill, The Mr. fix-it show, and Ask the Garden Pros. Another show I remember was the Cherry Creek Travel show. There also was another talk shows about pets plus retirement investing shows. During the week Rick has brought on such talent as Pat Mcnolte, Murphy Huston, the legendary Hal Moore, and Wayne Yafee. These DJ’s have brought great things to the station and I really appreciate Rick bringing these wonderful talented people to the station. Rick has also brought on some great producers to the station such as Rick Keading, and Janine and Mark Archer. Now they have more talk shows on Sundays as well. My favorite show on Sundays is the Real estate new show hosted by Lane Lion. I would describe the station as being around friends and great conversation.Here is my interview from Rick.Jeremy Levy: Rick, how did you get started in Colorado radio and how did you start with Cruisin 1430?Rick Crandall: My first shift in Colorado radio was on Christmas Day in 1987 on Kosi 101 FM. I put up the real to real tapes. Later in 1988 I was hired as program director of KOSI radio. I was doing mid-days back then.JL: When did you start being the program director of Cruisin 1430?RC: That started back in 1991. In June of 1991 I took over mornings on what was then KEZW 1430. This was the adult’s standards station. I have been the program director ever since.JL: Do you have any memorable broadcasts that you have done or any memorable events that you have been a part of?RC: Yes On Memorial day of 2000 I did my show from Normandy Beach in Normandy France. Then a year and a half later I did my show from Pearl Harbor. The point of this was to pay tribute to all of the Colorado’s World War 2 veterans that have served in the war. These 2 broadcasts really had a big impact on the people living in Colorado. A lot of the veterans got to share their story which was a big thing. Those 2 broadcasts were fun and emotional at the same time.JL: I bet they were. The reason why I started listening to Cruisin 1430 is because of the Saturday morning programming. My favorite show is the Mr. fix-it show. How has that show been doing in the ratings?RC: It’s been doing okay. Saturday morning shows like the Mr. fix-it show get all grouped up together. The station gets a ton of phone calls and the Restaurant Show does as well. Both Paul and Warren have been doing it for so long people trust them to give them the answers to their questions. They offer great advice. Since they have been around for so long it really speaks to their ability to connect with the listener.JL: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?RC:Radio has changed so much you need to be up to date on facebook and all of the newest technology. All of the new technology is very important in social media. The other would be find out what is unique about you. What can you do that no one else can do What can you offer that no one else can offer and be that person. Just be yourself.JL: What are one or two strengths and what are 1 or 2 weaknesses in Colorado radio today?RC: That there are people here that have been doing radio for a long long time like Peter Boyles and Hal Moore. Denver is one of the big radio markets People can get pretty protective of their space and that would be a weakness.We don’t do as good of a job working on more community events as a radio stations.I really appreciate Rick Crandall doing the interview with me. This interview is coming at a perfect time because this upcoming week is Rick’s anniversary at the station.Happy anniversary to you Rick Crandall! I always enjoy listening to you and Crusin 1430.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

6/2/17 6/2/17

Colorado Radio/TV changes for the Spring 2017

Jeremy Levy back with you to give you some changes that have occurred in Colorado radio and TV.Guy David is moving to KYGO radio after doing radio on WFOn Radio in Wisconson. He will be teamed with Tracy Dickson. The show with Tracy has been without a co-host since last Spring, When Tracy’s co-host Ryno moved to Texas radio.A new host, Rob Karson, substituted on KHOW for a couple of days this March 28-29. I really think he did a good job. His show was interesting because he used sound effects for some of the topics on his show. He reminded me of Dan Daru’s show. I hope that he might get his own show in Colorado soon.Dan Jackson is no longer with Sunny106.3 radio in Colorado Springs. Sunny 106.3 radio is owned by Iheart media. Dan Jackson was with Sunny radio for a long time. He was paired with Paul Richards for years. When Paul left sunny 106.3 radio Dan was paired with Tammy Oakland and was until Dan’s departure from the station. I will Miss Dan’s show in Colorado Springs. He was a wonderful DJ.Ed McCaffrey is no longer with the Bronco’s broadcasts or with 760 radio. Ed wants to spend more time with his 4 sons who play football. There is no word yet about who will replace Ed on the Andy and Ed show on 760 or who will replace him on Bronco’s broadcasts. Good luck to Ed in whatever his next adventures will be.KS107.5 has not renewed the morning show contracts with Kathy J and Larry Ulaberry. KS107.5 is owned by Entercom communications. The station is searching for their next morning show. Good luck to them in finding a new show. Kathy J is still with Fox 31 in Denver. I haven’t heard what Larry is doing.Mark Johnson who is the Sports director of 850 KOA has been cut from Iheart Media doing sports in the mornings. Mark started at KOA back in 2004. I always enjoyed Mark’s sports anchoring. I have always enjoyed him on the shows he was on as a substitute host as well wheather it was the Dave Logan show, or the Ride Home or the Sports zoo or even Colorado’s morning news with April Zesbaugh when Steffan Tubs was on vacation. . Mike Rice has been doing the morning sports updates. There is no word, yet, on who will be filling the position of Sports Director for KOA.Jessica Lebell is joining Fox 31 in Denver. She was recently with CBS channel 11 in Colorado Springs. Good luck to Jessica.Ed Green is no longer with CBS 4 in Denver in the evenings or afternoons. Lauren Witney has now taken over this responsibility.Ed is somewhat retiring. He might fill in on occasion. I really enjoyed Ed’s style of reporting the weather.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

5/31/17 5/31/17

Jim Berry Interview

The first memories I have of Jim Berry is listening to him in Colorado Springs at 92.9 KSPZ radio. This station played oldies music from the 60’s 70’s and 80’s music, which is my favorite kind of music. This kind of music has a lot of songs that I enjoy listening to. I used to get up on school mornings at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and listen to KSPZ radio,Jim Berry and his partner Tammy Oakland. Their morning show was fun to listen to and it had some good sense of humor. I remember one show on a Friday when we had a snow delay and they had Mike Boyle with a restaurant tip. This was good for the listener because if you were looking for a restaurant to go to over the weekend, then that tip might give just help.After KSPZ, Jim Berry moved to Kool 105 radio and he is also the program director of Kool 105.Jim Berry’s show can be heard from 3-7 p.m. on week days.Here is my interview with Jim.Jeremy Levy: I first started listening to you on KSPZ back in 2005 or 2006, but is this how you got your start in Colorado and where did you get your start?Jim Berry: I grew up in Trinidad, Colorado. I started radio there back in 1985. From there I went to Canyon City, Colorado. From there I went to Colorado Springs. From there I went to Fort Collins Colorado. I did sports there for the first time. I moved to Nebraska which was my first programming job. Then I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. Then I became operations manager in Alcon, Nevada. Then I went back to Colorado Springs and became the program director and the morning guy there. Then I became the general manager. Then I went to Salida, Colorado at a radio station there. Then I went back to the Springs and got sick with cancer so I needed to recover from that. Then that’s how I ended up at Kool 105 as the program director and afternoon host.Jl: What memories do you have of working in Colorado Springs radio or Denver radio?JB: In Colorado Springs radio I took the station to number one in the ratings book. I did some wonderful promotions down there. The Charity things I remember the most.There was one time I ate some jello for charity. I broadcast from a roof one day. I putted a golf ball through town to raise money. Another thing that was fun was giving away prizes, for example, trips for the listener. When 911 happened, the whole group of radio stations pitched in to help to raise money.JL:What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?JB: A lot of people wanting to get into radio think that they are going to start in an on air position and that’s not going to happen right away. You need to start in a small market and then work your way up. You need to do this so someone can give you a chance. You also need to hone your craft. Denver is where I always wanted to work. Denver is my New York.I really appreciated Jim Berry sharing the time with me. I enjoy listening to Jim Berry on Kool 105 radio. He and I knew some of the same people from Colorado Springs. I always appreciate his quick responses to questions I have at the station. Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

4/9/17 4/9/17

Jeremy’s Mark Crowley interview

Today I am going to share my Mark Crowley interview.I first remember Mark from his radio show called Success Radio. Mark Crowley’s show was on 710 KNUS Sundays from 12-2 p.m. I liked this show because it talked about people that were successful and some of the things that they had found out to make them this way. I remember he had a one person on to talk about real estate, named Armen Feldman. I found this interview fascinating. 710 KNUS had a great Sunday line up at the time. They had Mr. fix-it Paul McGregor from 8-10 AM, followed by Mike Boyle’s Restaurant show from 10-12, and then Success radio from 12-2. This meant that KNUS had local programming for 6 hours on Sundays! I love local programming!I also remember Mark Crowley doing some fill-ins on the Mike Boyle Restaurant show. One time Mike was stuck on a trip in California and he asked Mark to fill in. Mark did an outstanding job- as usual. This was an interesting show because Mark was doing a live remote show from a restaurant called the Atlanta Bread Company. Mike got there right at the end of the broadcast.Unfortunately, Success Radio came to an end in 2008. Mark still wanted to be involved with the radio station. He became the digital programming coordinator for 710 KNUS. This means that he takes care of the podcasts that are on the station. I am very thankful for Mark taking the time doing this interview with me.Jeremy Levy: How did you get your start in radio? How did that help you get your start being the digital program coordinator at 710 KNUS?Mark Crowley: I have been interested in radio ever since I was a young kid. I used to have a transistor radio. I used to listen to the Denver Bears baseball games. I loved it because the announcers painted such great pictures. I could see the games without seeing them. In the 80’s I came across a friend of mine who I was in a play with back in 10 years earlier. This person was Bob Lee who was Peter Boyles mentor and who got Peter Boyles into radio. He was a true legend in Denver radio. 20 years later in 2001, a guy by the name of Mike Lipton who was in New York at the time the station was WGBB radio. No one listened to that station because it was a low powered radio station. He would record it and post it on his website. Which was neat. I contacted with him. Then my wife Lynn was a big fan of Mike Boyle. I got introduced to him through her. Then Mike introduced me to Brian Taylor who is the general manager of KNUS. I started Success Radio back in 2002. I used Mike Lipton’s model. I put it up on my website for people to listen to. Podcasting was very new at the time. That really got me interested in technology. This is where radio is going. I just made it my business to be a steward of that and learn all I could about podcasting. Then I started with face book, then video, and then you tube.Jl: So do you think that’s where radio is going?MC: Yes, I do. Radio is becoming more digital now. A lot of times it is difficult for people to tune into the show they like at the specific time that it is on. That’s where the podcasting comes in. Podcasts you can listen to any time you would like to. I tell people all of the time that radio is becoming more and more like TV. You tube and face book live are allowing people to pull back the curtain on radio shows.JL: Do you have any great memories from doing Success Radio and being in the radio business?MC: Yes, there are some great memories around that. One of the interviews that I remember was interviewing Donald Trump’s attorney. He wrote a book and was on my show. John Maxwell was also on my show. Tony Robbins was another interview. The author that wrote QBQ, John Miller- The question behind the question. He was a regular guest on my show. That was fun. You name it anyone that was involved with personal development I interviewed them.I have now moved behind the scenes of radio and that is even more enjoyable than the on- air things I was doing. I get to do so many things in my current radio role. Attending the republican national convention in Tampa in 2012 and then again in 2016, was just an amazing opportunity and a personal highlight. My daughter traveled with me to Tampa in 2012. She had sort of become my assistant. We get to meet some amazing people. She had her picture taken with John Voight. He was in Midnight Cowboy and in other big time movies. He would sit down with my daughter and I and we just had a great conversation.Jl: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get in to radio?MC: It is a difficult business to get in to. There are not a lot of opportunities. I have discovered a hidden jewel In Denver. It’s 104.7 FM community radio. And they are in the Denver open media foundation. They have community television and radio. What I would recommend is for people to start there and gain some experience there. They have internships where you can intern and learn the skills that you need. You do everything. You can produce shows, you can be a host on the station, you learn how to be a sales person, loading audio, direct programming. That allows you to build a resume. You can take all of the classes for free television and radio. . You can come out of there with the same experiences that you would get at a broadcasting school but for less money.I really appreciate Mark Crowley sharing the time with me today. Next week I will share my Jim Berry interview.Thank you for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

3/31/17 3/31/17

Colorado Broadcasters Awards of Excellence Dinner

Today I am going to share my experience at the Colorado radio broadcasters dinner. This dinner was held on the second Saturday of March. It was wonderful going to this dinner and I am very appreciative and thankful to Mark Crowley from 710 KNUS for inviting me to come and be their guest! This event is where Colorado radio and TV stations get awards for excellence. When Mark Crowley invited me to this dinner I thought I would get to meet and socialize with more radio hosts. Salem Communications had 1 table and there were 5 or 6 people from the Salem stations. I thought there might be other radio personalities there. Most of the people there were nominated for or supporting others who were nominated for awards. I got to meet Tom Moller, who is the morning news personality on 710 KNUs. He and I had a wonderful time together. Tom has been in radio for a long time- about 50 years total. I am looking forward to doing an interview with Tom down the road. Salem Communications, which owns 710 KNUS, also has a Spanish radio station 1650 RadioLuz - Denver. They won an award for best Midday show! I wanted to say a big congratulations to 850 KOA for getting the best morning news program in the mornings award. I was really happy for Steffan Tubs and April Zesbaugh. I also wanted to say congratulations to the Fox KRFX 103.5 fm for getting best radio station of the year. One thing that really surprised me was how many awards went to Spanish stations. I guess that Spanish stations are getting biggerin Colorado.Congratulations to Kyle Clark for getting best news reporter of the year. Also congratulations to KUSa TV for getting best news station of the year.This was a super fun event for me to be apart of! Stay tuned next week when I will be sharing my Mark Crowley interview.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

3/19/17 3/19/17

Changes happening in Colorado radio and TV

Jeremy Levy back with you to tell you about some interesting changes that are happening in Colorado radio and TV.Ryan Harris has now joined Nate Kreckman on the afternoon show from 3-6 PM weekdays on Altitude Sports Radio 950 AM. Tom Nalen has left the station.TJ Carpenter has now joined Sean Walsh on 1340-Mile-High sports radio. TJ Carpenter comes from WHB radio in Kansas City. Sean and TJ can now be heard from 2-4 p.m. weekdays.Starting on March 31, Brandon Stokley will now have a new radio partner named Zach Bye. Zach comes from 104.5 The Team in New York. Zach and Brandon can now be heard on the 104.3 the fan from 12-3 PM on weekday afternoons. I am looking forward to hearing this show.Be on the lookout for a blog interview with Zach in the next couple of months!Sticking with the sports end of radio; Jack Corrigan and Jerry Schemmel have both signed extensions with the Colorado Rockies broadcasts. I think the article I read from Jason Barrett’s sports media said that their contract was for 5 years. Jack has been with the KOA radio broadcast since 2004 while Jerry started with the broadcasts in 2011. Jack and Jerry can be heard calling Colorado Rockies games on KOA news radio 850 a.m. and 94.1 fm.Congratulations to Slacker and Steve from KALC 105.9. They just got a contract extension for another 5 years. Slacker and Steve have been on the station since the early 2000’s. They always do such a wonderful job with the Children’s hospital radiothon every Valentine’s Day. Slacker and Steve can be heard from 3-7 on Alice 105.9 FM.Keefer can now be heard on 93.3 KTCL FM on week day afternoons from 3-7 PM. Keefer used to be with some other radio stations in Denver, so it is good to see him back on the air.Good luck to Tom Green who will be leaving Denver’s Channel 2 TV in Denver in the month of May. Tom anchors the morning on Channel 2. Tom doesn’t know what his plan will be after he leaves. Ernie Bjorkman is taking Tom Green’s spot after May. Good luck to Ernie. I am hoping that this will be a good move for him.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

2/23/17 2/23/17

Directly from 104.3 The Fan website

Denver — In the spirit of NFL free agency beginning in less than two weeks, Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan (KKFN-FM) announced today the signing of two talented free-agent personalities to join the team. Former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus and current Fan Broncos Insider Cecil Lammey will host, weekdays from 9-10 a.m., beginning immediately.“We’ve made it a challenge internally for almost a year now to get both of these guys more involved with our daily Broncos coverage,” said program director Armen Williams. “Tyler and Cecil have hosted shows together since last spring, discovering instant chemistry since day one. We’re excited to give our listeners even more local Denver sports talk throughout the day.”Polumbus, a Denver native, attended Cherry Creek High School and played football at the University of Colorado from 2003 to 2007. His eight-year NFL career finished with a Super Bowl 50 championship as a member of the Broncos.Lammey is one of the most respected football analysts in not just Denver, but nationwide. He will continue to serve as the Fan Broncos Insider, reporting from UCHealth Training Center daily during football season. Amazingly, Lammey travels to every major college football all-star game, the NFL Scouting Combine, the NFL Draft, and is a valued source for NFL prospects across the country. He is also a senior writer at FootballGuys.com.Lammey and Polumbus have been contributors for The Fan and will continue to host on the weekends and also in a fill-in capacity. In addition, both individuals will provide exclusive digital content, both in written and multimedia form, at 1043TheFan.com.

2/14/17 2/14/17

February"s Blog

Jeremy Levy here with you again for another blog for 2017. The reason why I haven’t been posting more regularly is because my computer hasn’t been working. Anyway here are some notes that I have missed.• Jacqueline Crea to exit KHOU 11 in HoustonThe reason I put this up is because Jacqueline is joining ABC 7 here in Colorado.Jacqueline starts sometime at the end of this month. I got this tip from Mike McGuff who writes a Houston radio and TV blog. I am looking forward to watching her. I think she will be a good edition to ABC 7.Last week the radio station called Alice 105.9 or KALC radio did their annual radiothon raising money for Children’s Hospital. I always look forward to this every year, and I think the stories are very touching and very inspiring. I always enjoy hearing Jamie White on this radiothon because she does a great job encouraging people to call in with their donations.I also went to the Colorado Garden and home show at the Colorado convention center last Friday and got to meet Steve Kelley and Krista Kafer. It was a real pleasure meeting them, and I want to thank Mark Crowley for giving us tickets for me to meet Steve and Krista and Casey Bloyer. Be on the lookout for an interview with Steve down the road, and my interview with Krista as well.At Winter Park a couple of weeks ago I also got to meet Peter Boyles. That's right, Colorado radio legend Peter Boyles. Garry DeFrange, the CEO of Winter Park, introduced me, and I so appreciate him for doing that. It was a real honor meeting Peter and I am looking forward to co-hosting a show with him sometime down the road.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

1/6/17 1/6/17

2017 New Year's blog

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that all of my followers have had a wonderful Holiday season and are ready for a great 2017.There are many Colorado radio and TV station moves and/or additions this first week of 2017 I am going to go through them all first and I will give my opinions on the changes afterward.Andy Lindahl and Ed McCaffrey have moved on KDSP radio 760 radio from 3 to 6 PM to 10 AM to 1 PM.Mike Rice is on KDSP from 1 pm-3pm. Susie Wargin is on KRFX radio 103.5 radio from 10 a.m. 3- p.m.Uncle Nasty Greg Stone is on 103.5 KRFX radio from 3-7 PM.Dave Logan is back on 850 KOA during the 4 PM –7 PM slot. Dave Logan has a new partner Rick Lewis. Rick is still doing mornings on The FOX with Kathy Lee.Corey Lopez is on from 7-8 PM hosting Prime Time Sports. Cheryl Preheim has left Channel 9 news. Drew Soicher has also left 9 news.Here are my opinions on these changes.I will really miss Cheryl Preheim. Cheryl was a big part of KUSA 9 news and will join sister-station WXIA in Atlanta as a morning news anchor starting in January. KUSA and WXIA are both owned by TEGNA Media.Susie Wargin has been one of my favorite personalities since 2004. I wasn’t a big fan of hers back when she was doing music radio, but I listened to her on Monday for a little bit, and she seemed happy. Good luck to her in this new adventure.I always enjoy listening to Andy Lindahl and Ed. I liked the 3-6 PM time slot for them, but I understand KDSP wanting to make some changes. I will miss them on their old time slot. I flip back and forth now from Tom Martino's 630 KHOW to Scott Hastings and Tom Helmer on Altitude Sports radio 950, and now I squeeze in Andy and Ed on KDSP.Mike Rice has been hosting the Bronco’s pregame and post-game shows since 2010 or 2011. I think he is a wonderful host and it’s nice to see that he has his own show on KDSP radio. I will certainly be a loyal listener to this show. I will also be flipping back and forth to Mandy Connell 850 KOA, and to Mark Moser and Julie Browman on Altitude Sports 950 during this time slot.Uncle Nasty has been with I heart media for a long time He was let go in 2011 or 2012 due to budget cuts. It’s nice to see that IHeart media has brought him back. He has a very distinctive voice, and I think he will bring in great ratings for The FOX.Rick Lewis has been a staple on The FOX for many years. He was partners with Michael Floorwax, but Floorwax had some health concerns a couple of years ago, and he is no longer on the show. I never really got into their show a whole lot. After Floorwax’s departure, Rick Lewis brought in Kathy Lee to host the show. This morning show has brought in strong ratings. KOA radio wants to bring in strong ratings, and Dave Logan’s shows have done that over the years. Dave Logan and Rick Lewis sound really good together. Kathy Lee is on this show as well, and is part of the banter back and forth. This show is fun and entertaining. Some of the humor might be a little intense if you are a younger listener, but I think that Dave Logan will help Rick Lewis with what is appropriate and what isn’t. I like fun and entertaining shows on the radio. Koa has said that it’s looking for a younger audience, and I think they have hit a home run with putting two popular personalities together.Cory Lopez has been a host for KOA radio, and hosted the Rockies pregame show. He is a good host, but I’m not sure if he would make a great host of a talk radio show. I like his voice, and I like it when he fills in on sports shows. I think that KOA should have fun locally at night. For example, in the good old days at KOA they had a popular show called the Sports Zoo hosted by Dave Logan and Scott Hastings. This was a raucous, fun show. It was followed by a host such as Russ Johnson or Ken Sasso to have more fun at night after Dave and Scott were finished.I haven’t heard a whole lot from Drew Soicher, but I wish him luck in whatever his next goals are.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

1/6/17 1/6/17

2017 New Year’s radio blog

11/28/16 11/28/16

April Zesbaugh interview

Back in 2003- or 2004, I started tuning into KOA radio in the mornings. The show was called Colorado’s Morning News, and was hosted by Steve Kelley and April Zesbaugh. This show was very informative, and kept me updated on the different news events both around Colorado and around the world. In 2005 Steve Kelley left the show and now the show is hosted by April Zesbaugh and Steffan Tubbs. I like the stories that April reads on the air, and I like the news stories that she covers. The show is on from 5-10 Am on 850 and 94.1 KOA radio.Here is my interview with April.Jeremy Levy: I first started listening to you back in 2003 or 2004, but is KOA radio where you got your start in radio if not, where, and how did you get your start in radio?April Zesbaugh: I got my start in radio in College at UNC in Greeley. I worked for the public radio station on campus, KUNC. I worked there throughout college and then got a job in Laramie, Wyoming at KUWR radio which was on the UW campus. Then I came to Denver for a radio job inside KCNC-TV. They owned a radio station for a couple of years as an experiment. Then I auditioned for the job at KOA on the morning show and got it! I recently had my 20th anniversary. I've been working there since 1996.JL: I know that you have done some remote broadcasts with the Rockies, and the Bronco’s, but are there any special broadcasts, and or interviews that are memorable for you?AZ: We've had so many special broadcasts and interviews it's tough to narrow it down. I remember watching Steve Kelly sit in every seat at the new mile high Stadium when it was built. He showed such grit, it was so inspiring. Yes, most of the remote broadcasts we do are in sports venues like Coors Field or Mile Hi stadium. I had a fun time on St. Patrick's Day at 'kegs and eggs' this year in a Lodo bar. And years ago before Colorado had Powerball, we took a group of listeners to Ogallala, Nebraska to play Powerball. That was a fun road trip. Both Steffan and I felt so honored to broadcast live from the Democratic National Convention when I was in Denver in 2008. And that same year we went to the Republican national convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. We interview a lot of politicians on a regular basis: the governor, our senators, all of our Congress people and local legislators. We also regularly interview nationally renowned comics like Norm MacDonald, Pete Davidson, and Caroline Rhea to name a few. I really liked talking with the creators of South Park, because they're from Colorado and funny. Just last week I got to interview Cyndi Lauper, a favorite of mine from the 1980s. That was pretty exciting. She told a funny story about how she used to wear real paint in her hair and it would flake off like orange dandruff.And of course we always talk to current and former athletes like John Elway, Pat Bowlen, Gary Kubiak, CJ Anderson, Charlie Blackmon, Tim Tebow, etc. It's always refreshing to find many of these rich, famous and powerful people who seem so down to earth.JL: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?What are one or two strengths, and what are one or two weaknesses of Colorado radio today?AZ: My advice for anyone getting into any broadcast field would be to get an internship. Typically you won't get paid for it, but the experience you get will be invaluable. I had an internship at a cable television station during college and of course at the radio station I worked at on campus. And then I also did an internship before I got my job at KCNC TV.Any radio station you work at will want to hear a tape of your on air work. So if you can get some studio time to put a tape together, that would be a great idea.I think Colorado radio right now is very diverse, which is great. People have a lot of listening choices. But I think it's very difficult for music radio in particular to compete with satellite radio and the 100+ channels of music and entertainment. Fortunately for us in the news business, people want to hear local news and traffic/weather and they're not going to get that on satellite radio. It is also good to be the big dog on the block. And I Heart Radio is definitely that. For instance, KOA is the only radio station in the Denver metro area that has a helicopter traffic reporter. One challenge for all radio stations is to provide compelling content around more and more commercials.JL: For me, I am very interested and passionate about getting into Colorado radio. I have done an internship at a radio station in Colorado Springs, and I really enjoyed being in the environment of a radio station. Would you have any advice for me, and would you have any connections for me?AZ: I am glad to hear that you're interested in pursuing radio as a career. Because of the advent of satellite radio and the internet, I feel like there are more opportunities for voice talent now then there were when I was coming up in the business. I don't know much about internships at KOA, but I know our news director sometimes has openings for weekend and overnite fill-in people. You are welcome to send me an mp3 of your work and I'd be happy to critique it.Good luck!April Z.

11/24/16 11/24/16

Thanksgiving

Welcome to my Thanksgiving blog for 2016. I hope that every one of my readers has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you all have something that you are thankful for. I am certainly thankful that I started this blog, and I am thankful for all of the readers and followers.There are just a couple of quick notes to pass along.Tom Martino isn’t on the radio this week. He has the whole week of Thanksgiving off. Marc Mager has done a great job of filling in for him on the Trouble Shooter on KHOW 630 AM from 10 AM to 1 PM. Marc Mager has been doing radio since the early 2000s, and he is entertaining to listen to. Marc Mager is Tom’s co-host normally, and fills in for Tom when Tom isn’t there.Speaking of KHOW, Ross Kaminsky is not on either because he is on vacation. Jon Caldara has been filling in. Jon Caldara is one of the best I Heart Media fill ins for KHOW and KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM radio in my opinion. I enjoy some of the fun topics that he discusses. One example of this is when he talked about different musical bands. I enjoyed his story of when he went to see The Who this past year. I could relate to his story because whenever I get to meet some radio people that are famous I get as excited as he did when he went to see The Who.Mike Boyle is in Peru the whole month of November visiting his daughter Kaylee. Last Saturday Pete Mackay filled in on the Mike Boyle Restaurant Show (710 KNUS from 3 PM to 5 PM on Saturdays on also 10 AM to Noon on Sunday) for him talking about restaurants in the mountains. It was a very informative show. I learned about Keys on the Green from Executive Chef Kevin O'Brien. It is so good to know that some of the older places are still around. Casey Bloyer will be filling on December 4th. Casey is also one of my favorites. Casey does a variety show Sunday nights on KNUS from 8 to 11 PM.My thoughts are with Steve Kelley and Krista Kafer. Steve and Krista are not on because Steve lost his mom a couple of weeks ago, and Krista had to have more surgery on her feet. Randy Corporon filled in on Kelley and Kafer on 710 KNUS from 1 PM to 4 PM Monday and Tuesday this week. Randy has a different take on the political issues which is very refreshing. I really missed Krista and Steve broadcasting from the Denver rescue mission event this past week, something they have done for many years. I am looking forward to hearing Steve and Krista again next week. You two are certainly in my thoughts.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

11/17/16 11/17/16

Andy Lindahl interview

The first time I heard Andy Lindahl was on a CD of the 850 KOA radios afternoon show with Dave Logan and Scott Hastings called- Zoo You Hear What I Hear. Back then the afternoon show was called the Sports Zoo. I got this cd from a friend of mine who knew how much I loved listening to 850 KOA. This was my first extended exposure to the Sports Zoo. I had listened a little bit during the summer before I got the CD, but this CD turned me into more of a fan. When I first heard Andy Lindahl, he was playing a character called Angry Andy. I wasn’t sure if that was real or if it was just a character he was playing. Over the years I have heard him doing sports reports on the afternoon show, and I found out that he was just playing the character. Andy could be humorous during the Sports Zoo and the Ride Home. Andy was also the sideline reporter for the CU Buffaloes games. He did that from 2006-2008. After that he became the home sideline announcer for the Bronco games. Now he has his own show on KDSP radio 760 from 3 PM to 6 PM and he has a one hour show on 850 KOA radio from 7 PM-8 PM. He is also now the sideline announcer for the Denver Broncos for all games. He has a very busy job. KOA radio has put out a couple of other CDs, and on them were also a couple of tracks of Andy playing the character of Angry Andy. After wanting to meet Andy for a long time, I finally got the opportunity to meet him the week after my birthday in September. Andy was doing a remote broadcast at the Haufbrau Steak house with Romi Bean. They were both very nice and welcoming as was the rest of the staff. The Haufbrau has a great burger by the way. A couple of weeks later I finally got to interview him. I am going to share that this week. As you read, he suggests I start a podcast. What do you think? I welcome all your opinions.Jeremy Levy: I first started listening to you back in 2003 or 2004. I first heard you on the Zoo You Hear What I Hear CD as Angry Andy, but is that where you got your start Would you please give a history of how you got your start?Andy Lindahl: That was probably my first on air job Jeremy, was playing Angry Andy. Dave Logan and Scott Hastings hosted the Sports Zoo, and I was their producer. Being their producer meant that I got to help them decide what we were going to talk about that day. I also had to call guests when they would have guests on the show. I also answered calls as well. The Angry Andy thing was to get them to laugh. That started as an off air thing and they were having so much fun with it they decided to have me on the air.JL: That is an interesting start. I have heard you say that you went to school where Dave Logan coached. How much insight did that give you into being the side line reporter for the Denver Bronco’s now?AL: I went to high school at Mullen High School. I also called Mullen games when Dave Logan was the coach. I played a little football in college. I also played lacrosse for 25 years. I was on some lacrosse teams. I used to play in these summer tournaments. I got too play against the Gate Brothers who were a pretty famous lacrosse team, and they were a lot better than I was. It gave me some good insight as to how good professional athletes are. I tried out for an indoor football team with a buddy. He was the quarter back, and I was the receiver. He wanted someone familiar to throw the football too. That gave me some good insight on what it was like to go through a football try out. It’s talking with people like Dave Logan and Scott Hastings. I am really good friends with Mark Shlereth. Guys like that have taught me the professional side of football. Mark watches the football tape with me, and shows me the different plays. He has taught me how to call football. My job is the color guy. My job as the color guy is to watch every play, how the blocking lined up did the receivers get open? That kind of thing. Dave being the main play by play guy will tell you where the ball is going or went. You just need to talk to a lot of the guys, and they will tell you how it is. When you have been an athlete you understand more what it is like to compete. You understand how it feels to lose. I lost the state championship in High School my senior year and that was gut wrenching. I have sympathy for these guys when I have to go and talk with them after a loss after a football game. For example, after the 2012 playoff loss to the Ravens, players like Ronnie Hillman were shocked that they had lost that game. When you know how that guy feels you have some sympathy for him. You want to conduct the interview so that they are not mad at you.JL: I know that you have covered a couple of Super Bowls. Would you have a couple of games or interviews that you could share?AL: Jeremy, you probably know this because you have been listening for so long, but for your readers who don’t know, I grew up here in Colorado. When I was a kid I watched the 1970’s Super Bowl, and watched everyone ever since. It was cool to be in New York for the 2013 Super Bowl. During the 2013 Super Bowl, as you might remember, the Bronco’s couldn’t get a drive going. When the ball went over Manning’s head on the first snap, I thought that isn’t how you want to start a game. I also can remember thinking if they can just get that one drive going then they might be able to get back in the game. During that season when they got their first drive going they were unstoppable. During half time that particular year I went up to the broadcast booth. Usually during a game I sit on the bench during half time. When I came down the elevator and came out of the tunnel I saw Percy Harvin taking it to the house for a touchdown. That was hard. I remember being in the locker room that day. No one wanted to talk. Terence Knighton (Pot Roast) was the only one that was willing to talk to me. I appreciated him for that. When you are on radio row you get to meet a lot of cool former football players. We stay in the team hotel when we are on the road. After that Super Bowl, Ed McCaffrey and I went into the room where they were supposed to be having the celebration party. We just talked about the game. We also talked about some of his memories. He had never lost a Super Bowl as a player (he played for the Broncos, 49ers, and Giants. We must have stayed up until 3 in the morning just talking about that game. The other memory that I have is riding down the elevator with Terrell Davis. Terrell told me that if the Broncos didn’t get a running game going that they would never be a championship team. That stuck with me when the Bronco’s got back to the Super Bowl last year. They had CJ Anderson and a real running game. I remember having a really good feeling. That week, I got to meet Boomer Esiason who was nice. One of my favorite interviews was meeting a famous actor from the movie Independence Day- Bill Pullman. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was sitting at the table. Jerry and Ed had played together when he was a 49er. Bill was waiting for his turn, and I could see that Bill wanted to say something to Jerry. He just started asking fan questions of Jerry Rice. Ed and I just sat back with all of the fans around us. That was a lot of fun. As far as the game that year, I remember Cam Newton warming up in our area of the field. I asked my friend Ryan Harris if that upset him. He said yes it did. Cam had no business warming up on our side of the field. He should have stayed on his side of the field. I started getting nervous later in the game, if the Panthers get one drive, this whole game could change. At the end of the game I looked at Romi Bean, who is a friend of mine. She had this look of excitement on her face. That’s when it all sunk in that the Broncos were going to win the game. My most favorite memory is the selfie that Antonio Smith and I took. Chris Harris and I also took a selfie together.JL: Before you started side line reporting for the Broncos you were the side line reporter for the CU Buffaloes. What insight did that give you?AL: I was at CU when the team wasn’t so good. I covered the last year of Dan Hawkins and the first year of Jon Embree. It is amazing how much faster the regular game is than the college game. When you go and watch the professionals from the side lines, and then you go and watch the college players from the side lines it seems like they are running in mud. Not everyone is big and fast in college as they are in the NFL. One of my favorite memories was when quarterback Tyler Hanson led the Buffaloes to a road victory in Utah. I loved him. I was so proud of him. A lot of people don’t know the mess that happened that year with taking him out of the game and putting Coach Hawkins son in the game. Being able to interview Tyler was a wonderful opportunity. Play by play announcer Mark Johnson was always good to me. Mark and I would go to lunch with the team. We just had a lot of fun. To get to bond with your friends like that was really fun. People don’t know that game days are really crazy. There is a lot going on. I also got to see a lot of cities as well.JL: I bet that Larry Zimmer influenced you.AL: Yes, Larry Zimmer did inspire me. I obviously listened to Larry growing up as a kid. I remember in the early 1990’s when John Elway played and Larry Zimmer was calling the games. The offensive line wasn’t that good and I remember Larry saying here comes the snap, and John Elway was down. I could hear the resignation in his voice because he knew that year wasn’t going to be the year. It was really fun to do broadcasts with Larry. I was an intern at KOA back then, and Larry gave me some really good advice. The best advice I ever got from Larry is to play the football video games so you understand the different plays.JL: When you started sidelining for the Broncos home games, you were working with Allen Roach, and now you have taken over for Allen Roach as the every game sideline reporter. What is it like taking over from Allen Roach?AL: Allen and I were really good friends. Allen was my buddy. We would drive to the home games together. We would also do the pregame show for years. Allen was ready to be done with it during the 2013 season. The transition happened a year earlier than he would have wanted it to. Allen told me just go and take it over. I really appreciated what he taught me along the way.JL: What advice would you have for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?AL: It’s an interesting time for us right now in radio. We are still trying to figure some things out. The internet has made things more interesting for us because we are doing more podcasts now. Also we are doing more social media. For example, when we have a player on we can put that on Facebook, and tell people to listen at that certain time to hear this player. You need to be patient. You are not going to make a lot of money right away. The job is great. You need to get into it for the right reasons. My best advice is don’t be too big for one job. Podcasting is a great way to get started. Start a podcast and have your friends critique it. That would be my best advice.I appreciated Andy’s insights. I love listening to his show and I hope his show is around for a long time. It was a pleasure meeting and getting to know Andy better.Thank you for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

11/11/16 11/11/16

R.I.P. Paul Macgregor. Mr. Fix-it

I am sorry to inform all of you readers to my blog that Paul Macgregor has passed away. Paul passed away last Thursday evening in his sleep. He was 78 years old. Paul was the original Mr. Fix-it in Colorado. He was one of my favorite hosts since 1996. I also appreciated his energetic and patient attitude when he was doing the show and talking to callers. I liked it when he said, “Welcome along to the Mr. Fix-it show.” Paul will be sorely missed by me and a lot of listeners to KEZW. Rest in piece Mr. Fix-it Paul Macgregor.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

11/4/16 11/4/16

Altitude sports radio 950 changes line up

Today I am going to be talking about and giving my opinions on the new lineup changes at Altitude sports radio 950. Vic Lombardi moves from early afternoons to early mornings from 7-10 AM. I haven’t given this show a listen because I have been busy with other radio listening. I like Vic, but I think he needs a good co-host to help him. Vic has done a show with Mike Evans on 104.3 The Fan and that show was a good show (Evans is still there).Scott Hastings and Tom Helmer (formerly of Root Sports and CBS 4) are on next from 10 AM-1 PM. When the station first started, they were on from 7-10 AM. This is a really fun show to listen to. I thought that Scott was sillier in the early mornings than he is on the mid-day show. I enjoy the new time though.Mark Moser and Julie Browman host from 1-3 PM. I have heard Mark Moser do shows before with other hosts, and I really like his style of broadcasting. He brings up great points, and he has great guests as well. I also like the way he laughs when there is something funny. I like his serious side as well. Julie is doing a great job as the co-host. It will be very interesting to find out how this new show does.Tom Nalen and Nate Kreckman are on from 3-6 PM instead of 4-7 PM. I haven’t listened a lot to this show, but Nate Kreckman seems like an interesting host. He has been around the radio dial on different sports radio stations.Those are my thoughts on the new line up.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy

10/28/16 10/28/16

Romi Bean interview

This week, I am going to share my Romi Bean interview. Romi co-hosts the afternoon show on AM 760 KDSP radio with Andy Lindahl and Ed McCaffrey. Romi is also a Bronco’s cheerleader. In my opinion she has a wonderful insight into the team and the players. I always enjoy tuning in. Romi also helps produce the show. She does the sports headlines for the show as well. She is a very busy woman with being on the radio, cheerleading for the Bronco’s and being at the Bronco’s games. . I think she is a wonderful addition to the show.Here is my interview with Romi.Jeremy Levy: I know that you were a cheerleader for the Bronco’s from 2005-2010. Then you moved to Los Angeles to get into real estate. What agency were you in and what made radio something that you wanted to pursue?Romi Bean: That is correct. I went to CU in college. Then I was with the Bronco’s from 2005-2010. I was the youngest cheerleader at the time. After that, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I moved to Los Angeles in 2010I interned with Josh Flag who does a TV show called Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles. I did that for a few months. Then I realized that I don’t like sales. I don’t like sales because I’m not pushy. Then I moved back here. After I moved back here doors started opening up for me.JL: When you moved back here how did you get the job at I heart media and 760 radio?RB: The first job I had when I moved back here was another sales job. After that I auditioned with the Bronco’s. While I was doing that, I was contacted by the radio station with an interview because no one had been a cheerleader, and went back to the Bronco’s years later. While I was talking to them, I started talking with them with how interested I was in getting into sports broadcasting. From there I started doing anything I could do for free with the radio station. I also started doing some podcasts on the Bronco’s website. . At the end of 2015 a position opened up for a producer’s job at the sports station and I applied for it. That’s how I ended up as the producer at the station KDSP radio.JL: What are some memories that you have in working with Ed McCaffrey and Andy?RB: Well I would have to say that working with Ed is fun. Ed is an idol to me. It is really amazing to work with such a wonderful person and such a hard worker in Ed. I feel like I get to learn so much from him. He talks about things from the football side of things. I respect him and look up to him so much.JL: I can relate to that as well. Whenever I listen to people on the radio I consider them my idols. When I get to meet people on the radio I get so excited, and I feel very fortunate that I can share on my blog about my experiences. What have been some of your favorite memories with cheerleading with the Bronco’s?RB: I would say the best one is going to Super Bowl 50. We got to go and dance on the field. It was an awesome experience. The other thing is that the Bronco’s organization is really amazing. They treat us like family. They let me bring someone to the game. I brought my dad, and it was a wonderful experience to share with him as well.JL: Are there any interviews that stand out as being your favorites?RB: Getting to talk to other hosts that are from different cities. One of my favorite interviews is Amy Trask. She has written a book recently. She is the only CEO of a professional football team. I also got to interview Mike Shanahan.JL: What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into Colorado radio?RB: First of all keep pushing. It took me 10 years to get to where I wanted to get my foot in the door. No is just a word. Also listen to the hosts that you like and decide what you like about their style. Develop your own style of what you would like to be.JL: What are one or two strengths of Colorado radio today, and what are 1 or 2 weaknesses of Colorado radio today?RB: One of the strengths is that we live in such a great sports town and, there is such a loyal following. People always want to talk about the Denver Broncos, the Rockies, the Nuggets, and the Avalanche. One weakness is that radio is getting to be an antiquated media.It was wonderful doing this interview with Romi. I so appreciated Romi taking me around KOA's studio after the interview so I could meet a couple of my other idols. I will blog about those in the coming weeks.Thanks for tuning in.Jeremy Levy