Changes On The FM Dial

Wow! The day after Arbritron ratings come in, and we have at least three radio changes:

The Sound, WSWD-FM (94.9): Tommy BoDean is out as program director of "The Sound," the day after the station's best ratings in a year on the air. BoDean, the former PD as Clear Channel's KISS107 and MIX94 (2004-06), had been hired a year ago, shortly after the station debuted.
Patti Marshall, Bonneville FM operations manager, wouldn't talk about it. "Bonneville does not comment on former employees," she says.
Whatever happened, it came down quickly. "I haven’t even posted the opening yet. Anyone insterested should contact us," she says.
"The Sound," which premiered in November 2006, was tied for third (with country music WUBE-FM) with listeners ages 18-34.

96 Rock, WFTK-FM, 96.5: Gary Willis from Atlanta has been hired to program the 96 Rock format launched Dec. 14 by Cumulus. He's a Midwest native (they don't say where) who had previously worked at stations in Atlanta and Cleveland, among others.
Karrie Sudbrack, Cumulus market manager, says Willis brings "an innate understanding of the region and the market, and a rock sensibility like no other we’ve seen." (Kiese note: See previous blog, "Coughing Up The Truth," revealing that Gary Willis is actually Michael "Dolpin" Walter, former WEBN-FM program director/DJ/promotions director from 1992-2004. He was fired by Clear Channel last month in Atlanta, and starts at 96 Rock next week.)

WAKW-FM (93.3): Kelly St. James and Daryl Pierce are leaving the airwaves to concentrate on their off-air jobs in a shake-up at the Christian adult contemporary station.
Kurt Wallace from Indianapolis will do the 2-7 p.m. shift previously held by Julie and Daryl Pierce. Julie moves to 10 a.m.-2 p.m., replacing St. James.
The station also has will add two hours of music weekdays, until 10 p.m., at the request of listeners, says Rob Lewis, program director and morning co-host.