A Sad Goodbye to 92.9 KICK-FM

This post has been sitting in the "drafts" section too long. I think I wrote it in August. Here it is: my lament for KICK-FM.

I have no pointing fingers, nor conspiracy theories to pass along. I just have a hole on my radio dial where my favourite station used to be.

I started listening to KICK around 2004. I loved it because the music was fresh, and I was (and am) so sick to death of the same-old same-old on Winnipeg radio. KICK renewed my faith in radio as the way to discover new artists. It introduced me to Snow Patrol (the first time I ever heard "Run", I was driving through the intersection of Route 90 north at Silver, on my way home from the U of M), J.P. Hoe, Quinzy, Keane, Bloc Party, Fear Zero, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and so many more.

Another aspect of KICK that I enjoyed was the DJs, and their obvious love of the music they played. I liked Home Spun and The New Sound, and never missed an episode, if I could help it. KICK was also my primary place to find new local bands that I would then go and check out live.

I had a secret agenda when I enrolled in Creative Communications in the Fall of 2008: I wanted to be involved with the radio station! I hadn't thought of being an on-air personality until I started radio classes, and realized it wasn't so terrifying (I hate public speaking! There, I said it!). No one sees you when you're on the radio. That's public speaking I can handle! Backtracking a little, my OTHER secret agenda was to learn how to run a radio station so that I could grow up one day and manage my own. 'Cause let's face it, Winnipeg radio mostly suuuuucks.

I came to host Home Spun after having noted that for a couple of weeks, there wasn't anyone on-air. I lingered outside Rick the Boss's office for about half an hour trying to build up the nerve to go in and ask him about it. The conversation went something like this: Me, "I noticed there hasn't been anyone on Home Spun for a couple of weeks." Rick, "No, there hasn't. Do you want to do it?" Me, (probably with a bright red face), "Yes." And so I hosted Home Spun for three years. It was awesome because more than anything else, I felt like I was maybe hopefully introducing people to new music, and therefore contributing to what I loved so much about KICK: we were playing different and better music than anyone else in Winnipeg. Thanks for that, Rick the Boss.

I don't know how the station will sound when it starts streaming in the Fall for the new CreComm students, and I don't know who's going to win the coveted 92.9 spot on the FM dial (Please be The Peak!), all I know is that I now subscribe to XM satellite radio because I can't stand the current local offerings (other than CBC, of course). There's a serious need for a station like KICK in this market.

Anyone want to start a radio station with me?