Last week, I wrote a rather pointed commentary about Inland Northwest Broadcasting’s KZFN, Z-Fun 106 Moscow, ID. This week, let’s take a fresh listen to the station.
I first heard KZFN on an orchestra trip to the University of Idaho in 2009. At the time, I thought the CHR format had to be big and over-the-top, and to some extend I still do. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear the station on an extended basis at that time, in fact I was way more interested in sister KRAO, My Radio 102.5. Since neither station streamed, I had no way of hearing either station again until I was in Cheney, some 60 miles away in the summer of 2012. It was the first time I had the chance to hear the station for any significant length of time, and it did not disappoint. I actually found it a refreshing change from the corporate radio of Spokane. At the time, the station had a female voice, and the slogan was more continuous hit music. I’m not sure why they used this slogan as they haven’t had any significant competition in more than 20 years. At that time, like today, the station sounded like it should be in a much bigger market than it is. As I said last week, this is likely intentional, as Moscow and nearby Pullman are college towns. Washington State University draws many from the much larger Seattle market, and I’m sure University of Idaho draws a significant number of students from Boise. What I hear on the station is quite similar to what I hear on any large market station, with the exception of non-existent website promos. Instead, you hear promos from listeners, sometimes college students, and sometimes from longtime residents who grew up listening. One promo not in the aircheck but I heard on a subsequent listen to the station was from someone who said she listened while studying, which made it fun. Here’s the station on March 13 at 5:00 P.M.
- Billy Eilish – Birds of a Feather
- Miguel – Sure Thing
- Kendrick Lamar and Sizza – Luther
- Surf Mesa F. Emilee – ILY, I Love You Baby
- Chapel Roan – Pink Pony Club
- Sabrina Carpenter – Busy Woman
- Glass Animals – Heat Waves
- Gracey Abrams – That’s So True
- Eminem – Loose Yourself
- Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
- Tate McRae – Greedy
- Paul Russell – Lil Boo Thang
- Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile
- Tyler the Creator – Sticky
- Taylor Swift – Cruel Summer
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