DJ wins lifetime award after 44 years on Boise radio — and 43 as Broncos P.A. announcer

Some Idahoans know him as the morning personality on oldies station 101.5 Kool FM.

Others are familiar with his voice booming over the public-address system at Boise State basketball games — men’s and women’s. (He announces BSU softball, too.)

Either way, KJ Mac has been doing it for a long time — and still is.

The longest-tenured on-air radio personality in the Boise market, Mac was given a Lifetime Achievement Award on Wednesday at the annual Idaho State Broadcasters Association ceremony.

“It’s an honor to be given this recognition by the ISBA,” Mac said in a press release. “I consider myself one of the lucky ones to have a career I love and be able to work with some incredible people in this crazy thing we call radio.”

Market veteran KJ Mac started his Boise radio career after moving to Idaho from Colorado Springs in 1977.
Market veteran KJ Mac started his Boise radio career after moving to Idaho from Colorado Springs in 1977.

Mac has dedicated more than four decades of his life to Boise radio, and is in his 43rd year as P.A. announcer at Broncos games at ExtraMile Arena.

After moving from Colorado to Boise in 1977, he started at KFXD-AM. But longtime Treasure Valley listeners know him for his DJ work at then-country station 97.9 KQFC-FM and classic station 107.1 FM K-Hits.

Mac joined Kool FM in fall 2016.

“You would think after 44 years on the air here in the Treasure Valley that KJ would be getting tired of it,” said Darrell Calton, CEO of station owner Iliad Media Group. “But, what we see is the opposite. He has become such a great mentor for the rest of the programming team, bringing experience and showing what passion for the broadcast industry looks like.”