Void left in Kate McGwire’s wake

KCIX/Mix 106 today formally announced what I reported last week – popular morning co-host Kate McGwire has decided to leave her spot behind the mic behind for a new, as-yet-undetermined future.

McGwire came to the market nearly 15 years ago and teamed with Boise radio fixture Mike Kasper at KZMG/Magic 93.1. After establishing a foothold at the pop station, the pair segued to Mix where they’ve held forth ever since.

mike-kate-et-alDespite a few ups and downs in the ratings, the pair have proved popular – driven by the chemistry between Mike & Kate and a strong marketing push.

I’ve been observing this market for years. I can only think of a few folks who have resonated to the level Kate has. In 2008, the station ran a contest that had people so concerned about Kate, they called police dispatch to try and help. Really.

In the latest ratings, KCIX was the top FM station not playing Christmas music among those 12+. Though I haven’t seen them in quite a while, the morning numbers for KCIX are always excellent. I’m not sure there’s anyone else in the market whose departure from radio could make such big waves.

This change will send listeners spinning around the dial a bit. KZMG/My 102.7 FM saw very strong ratings in that same ratings report and could benefit. Usually, KSAS/103.5 Kiss FM would be an obvious beneficiary, but has been running without popular host Keke Luv on the morning show for long stretches – including several months this summer, and again since before Christmas. Many could spin off to Pandora or Apple Music or Spotify.

Townsquare told the paper they hope to have a new co-host in place within a month. Whoever sits down in the Mix studio each morning will have big shoes to fill (though as they noted on the air this morning, Kate has small feet… so maybe there’s a better analogy out there).

Don Day edited IdahoRadioNews.com for more than five years. Now he tweets a lot.

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