No local owner -- and no local sports

On-line comments today (1/8/09) to the Rapid City Journal regarding Jake Nordbye's story about the new ESPN radio affiliate in town were glowing. Even near legendary broadcaster Bob Laskowski chimed in with a congratulatory note.

Clearly, lots of folks in the Rapid City area are ready for more sports broadcasting, and absentee-owned KRKI is delivering it. Nordbye quoted KRKI program director Lonnie Glasford as saying that only national programming will air on the station, which is found at 99.5 on the FM dial. They "hope" to add local programming in the future.

It's too bad, however, that KRKI didn't pick up the rights last year to broadcast the Rapid City Rush, the hockey team that seems to be taking the area in a.....well, rush. KRKI has tried country music....then Christmas music.....and now casts its lot with wall-to-wall sports.

ESPN is a well-established brand, and they've done well in satiating the appetites of folks who can't get enough sports.

But KRKI's desire to become an "up-to-the minute source" for local sports will fall flat, unless and until they can add that local component. Stations like KOTA in Rapid City and KDSJ in Deadwood (although it fails miserably on local news coverage) have demonstrated what it takes to become sports leaders in broadcasting.

Localism remains the key to long-term survival, a reality that KRKI owner and entrepreneur Victor Michael (Colorado's Michael Radio Group) doesn't seem to embrace.

The Fox joins forces with The Rush

It’s a step up for Rushmore Radio’s Fox 100.3 to affiliate with the new regional hockey team, the Rapid City Rush. Public announcement of the broadcast arrangement was made this week. We’ll likely be hearing more about The Rush in coming weeks. Perhaps we’ll also be reading more about it on the “Classic Rock 100.3” web site – a site now populated with little more than scantily clad damsels (what they call their “Babes of the Day.”)

We hadn’t seen hockey until we moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania in 2001 and happily enjoyed watching the Hershey Bears play. We hope The Rush will bring the same kind of excitement to the Black Hills region, and we’ll be visiting the Rush web site from time to time.

Affiliation with The Rush should add a bit of class to The Fox. Their web site could sure use it.