Jeff Korbelik: KFOR, WOW-FM make changes

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In another cost-cutting move,  Three Eagles Communications last week released KFOR afternoon host Greg Jackson and news reporter Jeff Motz, according to general manager Jim Keck.

The station (1240 AM) soon will add nationally syndicated programming to its weekday lineup to replace Jackson, which is surprising considering the company’s long-standing commitment to local radio.

Meanwhile, NRG Media is heading in the opposite direction with one of its stations. General manager Andy Ruback said 105.3 WOW-FM has hired Jeff Sheldon to host 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays beginning next Monday. The once-jockless station now has two of them, with program director E.J. Marshall hosting from 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Interesting.

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Three Eagles and NRG each own four stations in Lincoln’s 10-station commercial radio market and are quite competitive.

Keck said KFOR soon will air financial guru Dave Ramsey’s show live from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays, moving it from its 6-to-9 p.m. timeslot. That’s actually a good thing, giving Lincoln listeners a chance to call in while Ramsey’s show is in progress.

But instead of filling Ramsey’s old timeslot with local talent, the station has opted to air more syndicated programming with comedian Dennis Miller’s show. It’s strange because Three Eagles often claims local talent is the reason for its stations’ success in the market. 

Jackson was on his third go-round with KFOR after coming over from competitor KLIN in June 2004. He began his Lincoln broadcasting career in January 1974. Motz, too, came to KFOR from KLIN, arriving in February 2006. 

As for WOW’s Sheldon, he most recently served as a guest contributor on sister station B107.3 as “The Single Guy.” The Pawnee City native joined NRG in 2007 as a creative services director.

Around the dial

n NRG also announced it has hired Iowa radio veteran Jonathan Belsaas to replace Gary Greenwood on Froggy 98’s morning show. He will go by “JD” on the air and team with Sue Bayou beginning Nov. 10. Belsaas comes to Froggy from country station WLLR-FM in Davenport, Iowa, where he spent more than decade in various positions, including morning show host since 2005. I’ll have more on Belsaas next week.

n Viewers who watch television with antennas can learn more about the digital conversion at two free workshops this week sponsored by the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging. A representative from NET Television will answer questions at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Walt Branch Library, 6701 S. 14th St., and 2 p.m. Thursday at Gere Branch Library, 56th Street and Normal Boulevard.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.