KSL Brightside

KSL Brightside

KSL Brightside. A smart take on life, current events, and everything important to you and your family - With a dose of fun. Join Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry every weekday from 1-3 on KSL NewsRadio, streaming live on YouTube from noon to 1pm. 

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KSL Brightside
Sprinkler shaming, Cinco de Mayo, and school cell phone bans don't work?
Ethan and Alex kick off the radio show with a quick hit of Utah’s biggest conversations of the day: from the state’s favorite license plate and rising cougar encounters to the fiery Box Elder datacenter debate that packed a room with frustrated residents. Utah’s new ban on prop bets is set to go into effect, the hosts discuss how this opens up the conversation parents need to have with their kids about gambling. 
 
Ethan and Alex talk with Bret Rawson of the law firm Nelson Jones, also general counsel of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police and a former police officer, about when bystanders should intervene in law enforcement situations, following an incident over the weekend. Alex quizzes Ethan on Cinco de Mayo.
 
The second hour covers drought‑driven sprinkler shaming, July 4th wildfire worries, new research on school cell‑phone bans, and a viral teacher who turns student emails into emo anthems.
 
 Three trending things
  • Which Utah license plate looks the best? A surprisingly passionate statewide debate.
  • Cougar sightings are up. Wildlife officials explain why encounters are increasing and how to stay safe.
  • Box Elder Data Center drama. A packed, heated meeting as commissioners approve the next step of a controversial data‑center proposal. We reset the story: why residents are upset, what the project actually is, and why commissioners say it’s still far from a done deal. (Plenty of sound opportunities from last night’s crowd.)
Utah’s ban on prop betting goes into effect Wednesday 
Utah’s new restriction on proposition betting takes effect Wednesday. The state is pushing back against prediction‑market platforms that insist they’re not gambling. We explain what prop bets are, why the state is cracking down, and how parents can talk to kids about online money‑risk traps.
 
Should you intervene with law enforcement?
A passerby helped UHP troopers arrest a knife‑wielding man — raising a big question: When is it smart to intervene in law enforcement situations? 
Ethan and Alex bring on guest Bret Rawson, attorney, former police officer, and general counsel for the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, to break down the risks and realities of civilian intervention.
 
Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday
Food deals, quick history, and a rapid‑fire Cinco de Mayo quiz to close out the hour.
 
Sprinkler shame
Utah’s drought continues and it turns out, there are ways to report your neighbor for wasting water. We ask: Would you turn in your neighbor for watering too early?  
 
Fireworks & the Fourth of July
A dry winter + the nation’s 250th anniversary = fire officials and veterans bracing for a risky July 4th. We look at wildfire concerns, safety warnings, and what communities may need to rethink this year.
 
School cell phone bans don’t change test scores… But that’s not the point
A new study says school cell‑phone bans don’t change attendance or test scores. A new study claims phone bans don’t affect attendance or academic performance. Alex walks through the real concern of what students are doing on their phones in school and the aftereffects. 
 
Teacher turns student emails into emo songs
A teacher has gone viral for transforming student emails into full‑blown emo tracks. Ethan and Alex listen to the song and discuss the emails. 
 
01:25:42
May 5, 2026 4:24 PM
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More Episodes

KSL Brightside
KSL Brightside Afterparty: Rodent Droppings, No Filming on Flights and Teacher Emo Emails 

A study claiming school cell‑phone bans don’t change attendance or test scores — while the real issue may be the nonstop digital drama happening off the record; a rare and unsettling hantavirus situation that turns a routine health segment into a crash course on rodent‑borne risks. Alex and Ethan talk about new restrictions from UK airlines that are reshaping what travel vloggers or anyone can film in the air. Alex and Ethan end the stream with a teacher who turned his students’ emails into an emo song.  

 

Welcome, School Cell Phone Ban research, and more 

Ethan and Alex kick off day 2 of KSL Brightside... they mention a new study claims phone bans don’t affect attendance or academic performance, but Alex is worried about other issues phones are causing in the classroom.

Health Class: Rodent Droppings & Rare Human‑to‑Human Hantavirus

As a suspected cruise‑ship outbreak raises unsettling questions.. We talk about what hantavirus actually is, why rodent exposure matters, and how public‑health messaging walks the line between caution and panic.

YouTuber Problems: UK Airlines Crack Down on In‑Flight Filming

British Airways and others are tightening rules on recording in the cabin — including bans on filming crew without consent and outright prohibitions on livestreaming. 

Teacher Turns Student Emails Into Emo Songs

A teacher goes viral for transforming student emails into full‑blown emo tracks.

00:39:44
May 5, 2026 4:2 PM
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KSL Brightside
Ethan & Alex Are Back! Welcome to KSL Brightside
Ethan and Alex kick off KSL Brightside with a proper welcome‑back—who they are, where they’ve been, and why they’re here. From there, the conversation shifts into the “Perfect Parent Club” as Utah revisits a big question: should parents be allowed to teach their own kids driver’s ed? The crew brings it to the audience for debate.
Then it’s full travel mode: Spirit Airlines’ sudden shutdown sparks passenger chaos, airlines raise fares but people keep booking. Fake voicemails from a very fake former KSL exec interrupt the show, and a non-fake, very alive, Doug Wright surprises Ethan and Alex.
The show keeps rolling with students racing through online degrees, three trending stories you won’t believe (including illegal vape sales, dishwasher radio voices, and Trump passports), and whether convenience stores like Maverik should worry about fast‑food competition. Ethan and Alex wrap with Utah outdoors news—from stocking prehistoric fish to what to do if animals are nesting near your home.
01:23:31
May 4, 2026 3:59 PM
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KSL Brightside
Disney Recap, Winter Games and ZENHEADLINES

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry recap Ethan's trip to Disney where he rates the Genie Plus line waiting system that has replaced the fast pass and Alex wonders what a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing really actually accomplished.  Plus, another week of Faux-Intern Ryan providing a zenheadline featuring a Dairy Queen Manager who takes the time to thwart a Karen.    

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00:23:25
Feb 7, 2022 1:50 PM
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KSL Brightside
Ethan Goes to Disney, How Australia Lost the War against the Emu

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry jump on together for a quick episode before Ethan heads to Disneyland where he forces his children to pay their own way.  Millard then launches into a story not for the faint of heart if you are a large bird lover as details emerge as to how the Australians have had to fight to defeat the mighty emu over the past several decades.  Finally, a #zenheadline that features two collegiate athletes who have found their niche in the NIL market earning hundreds of thousands of dollars for their massive social media presence as athletes.  Ethan defends the bureaucracy that is the NCAA. Of course, he does.  

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00:34:28
Feb 1, 2022 3:13 PM
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KSL Brightside
Packs of Coyotes, a Meatloaf and Loving Thy Neighbor (kinda)

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry get together for their weekly session of news bytes, stupid rants, and Tom Cruise shenanigans.  Alex compares Elon Musk to Willy Wonka, Ethan is approached at a local grocery store about how many coyotes he could kill if he was attacked by a pack of them and Amazon Prime is streaming the Mission Impossible movies, which Alex finds impossible to stomach. 

A #zenheadline featuring a challenge from a gym owner to shovel your neighbor's walkways and a local Salt Lake City donut shop is opening a location near Alex's house and it's going to be a real problem for his diet.  Don't worry, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall gives herself an 'A' for her grade on Mayor-ing last year.     

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00:27:08
Jan 24, 2022 5:0 AM
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KSL Brightside
Hey! Alex and Ethan are back.... What have they been up to?

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard defy all odds and are back to posting episodes once a week for the Nightside Project on the KSL Podcast Network because they are slaves to the man(Sheryl)! 

With the upheaval of both Ethan and Alex's work worlds, the boys catch up on what's been going on since KSL and Bonneville acquired The Zone Sports Network and Alex has to work full-time as a Sports Talk Show Host.  Ethan rolls out a #zenheadline in true fashion from a 10-year old story of a dog dying (thanks, Ethan).  Stay tuned as the guys will drop weekly episodes going forward now that things have settled down a little in both of their worlds.  Plus, a walk down memory lane when KSL let Nightside into the building for the first time all those years ago and they proceeded to break things in the office because they treated it like a frat house.  Not much has changed.    

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00:17:00
Jan 20, 2022 4:45 PM
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KSL Brightside
Tammy and Chad Daybell Murder Charges and 90's Fashion

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry have now lived to watch the waist height of pants go down. all the way up, all the way down and all the way back up again.  This saddens them both as its just another indicator on how little they know about fashion and how old they are.  Plus, new charges surface for Chad and Lori Daybell, the Idaho couple charged with the death of Tylee Ryan and her brother JJ Valow.  Not only are there 1st degree murder charges in the deaths of Lori Daybell's kids, Chad's wife Tammy was also found to be murdered after a new autopsy and they have also been charged with the same 1st degree murder chagres of Tammy Daybell.  Why does the nation, and Utah in particular love these murder stories so much?     

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00:21:43
Jun 1, 2021 9:0 AM
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KSL Brightside
Ethan Millard gets a New Car, Brags

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry come together for their weekly dressing down of one another on the Nightside Project Podcast as Ethan reveals he got himself a cool New (vintage) Mercedez-Benz.  The guys then reminisce about the times when we used to scare kids into safe driving by showing them terrible, gruesome accidents.  The viral youth football video that everyone is weighing in on makes an appearance and Ethan rolls out a Zenheadline.  

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00:17:15
May 28, 2021 9:3 PM
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KSL Brightside
Ethan goes to the San Diego Zoo

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry catch up after Ethan took some time to go to California where he had an interesting experience with the bathrooms at the famous San Diego Zoo.  Plus, a round of Zenheadlines that is sure to uplift...maybe.  Ethan makes it weird.  

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00:11:57
May 13, 2021 8:0 AM
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KSL Brightside
Tales of Mother Day

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry start off the program with tales of Mother's Day 2021 when Ethan made the bold move of just leaving his wife home for the weekend by herself.  He claims that it was his gift to her, not having to be around the kids and him for 3 whole days while Alex makes the argument that it's just another Valentine's Day-type holiday filled with pressure.  Plus, Alex encounters his first Karen in the wild who laid down a profanity laced, anti-mask tirade at a poor Costco greeter.  Grab the popcorn and enjoy the show.  

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00:19:21
May 11, 2021 6:31 PM
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KSL Brightside
Simulated cruises?

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry are back for another episode of the Nightside Project. The topic of cruising comes up again on this show and one of the most interesting ideas is to simulating cruise adventures instead of going to an actul excerusion.

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00:26:52
Apr 7, 2021 6:47 PM
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KSL Brightside
Chicken Sandwich Challenge; Sports Radio Madlib Adlib

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard have some fun with Ethan explaining how he is doing a chicken sandwich with his kids and guessing what restaurant they come from and also what they like as well. It will be a bracket he will keep track of.

Alex also has some fun and creates a mock sports radio madlib adlib. They end with some zen headlines.

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00:22:53
Mar 25, 2021 7:22 PM
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KSL Brightside
Guy's going through mid-life crisis because they don't feel important

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard discussed turning 40 years old and that birthday is one that a lot of people have their eyes on. Alex said he usually doesn't care about birthday milestones and mid-life crises. He ponders if he should be buying a certain car. In an article, there was a theory about how mid-life crises happen because people want to feel important.

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00:22:34
Mar 22, 2021 7:29 PM
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KSL Brightside
Could a four-day work week make its way to America?

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry get together on the Nightside Project today to discuss the 4-day work week that is being tested in Europe as an alternative to the rigor of the traditional 40-hour workweek over 5 days, this would only be a 32-hour week.  Spain is testing this right now and since the pandemic, the boys think that everyone will have warmed up to the idea.  A #zenheadline recounting a man whose dream vacation was turned into a nightmare after getting off a plane early only to spend time in Bangor, Maine instead of San Francisco.  

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00:20:49
Mar 15, 2021 7:28 PM
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KSL Brightside
Can your work force you to get the vaccine before a return to the office?

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry are back in the saddle as the guys discuss if businesses or airlines will require people to have the vaccine to get back to the office or to traveling. The question is, will your workplace allow you to come back without a vaccine or is it lawful to even ask workers if they've had the COVID-19 Vaccine.  Then, Ethan brings up a strange #zenheadline where one restaurant wants to avoid falling victim to the closures that have happened during the pandemic by promoting their place with a man spending 24 hours in a pool full of refried beans.  24-hours in a pool of beans?  Where do you go to the bathroom?  Oh, dear.  

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00:23:13
Mar 12, 2021 6:44 PM
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KSL Brightside
How to talk to your kids about dating

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry discuss some of the latest headlines across their little world including a group rescued from a deserted island after being there for 33 days.  They also talk about broaching the dating topic with their kids and The lady who sprayed her hair with Gorilla Glue instead of regular hair adhesive is getting a world-renown plastic surgeon to help her terrible situation out.  

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00:20:34
Feb 12, 2021 6:16 PM
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KSL Brightside
Vacationing at Disney World during COVID-19 is quite unique

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard are back for another episode and this time it is all about Alex's vacation to Florida where he and his family went to Disney World. The experience is like no other with the limited crowds due to COVID-19 restrictions and it was quite enjoyable.

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00:21:38
Feb 1, 2021 7:55 PM
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KSL Brightside
Only one protestor should up at New York state capitol

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard are back after a bit of the break and bring you some new Nightside Project episodes. There was the threat of protests at state Capitol's across the country and at the New York state capitol just a single person showed up for the event. His goal was to be part of a peaceful protest and it was with just the one person.

Also, Alex describes how it took for his mom to get the COVID-19 vaccine and basically gamed the system with an accidental sign up.

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00:14:32
Jan 21, 2021 4:8 PM
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KSL Brightside
Would you try baked pineapple... with cheese?

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard are back after a bit of the break and bring you some new Nightside Project episodes. In this return episode, the two discuss a few serious things at the beginning about work safety. Then the silliness comes out with Ethan bringing forward a recipe for baked pineapple. 

They also talk some sports with the AFC and NFC championship games this weekend.

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00:15:40
Jan 21, 2021 4:2 PM
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KSL Brightside
Introducing new Christmas traditions; What is a pocket sax?

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry start to get into the Christmas Spirit as Ethan rolls out a couple of new traditions that he's trying out on his family including chopping down their own tree and also a gingerbread house party.  Ethan also found a perfect gift for a saxophonist, the pocket sax!  Alex laments the fact that his family's Elf on the Shelf has actually found where their new house is and is ruining Alex's life a little but Ethan comes up with a plan to tell the kids that he has Covid-19 and to stay away from him. Plus, a zenheadline involving a very generous FedEx driver.  

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00:19:11
Dec 4, 2020 6:42 PM
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KSL Brightside
Mysterious Utah monolith might have an explanation about its removal

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry usher in December with a statement made today from the group of people claiming responsibility for removing the Utah Monolith out of the Southern Utah Desert.  Ethan explains why it is a misdemeanor to poop in the desert and Alex breaks down why Santa Clause shouldn't be getting so much credit for bringing presents.  Then Ethan rolls out another #zenheadline for you to finish your day happy involving an escape from North Korea by a very talented and brave gymnast. 

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00:24:58
Dec 1, 2020 6:53 PM
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KSL Brightside
Get ready for new TSA guidelines when traveling this holiday season

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard talk about the TSA's new Thanksgiving guidelines to traveling with your favorite foods across the country.  If you're thinking of taking sides, main dishes and desserts with you through the airports of America, this is your go-to guide to do so and Ethan brings zen headlines featuring a Spanish botched sculpture that they are now famous for. 

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00:16:27
Nov 18, 2020 7:0 AM
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KSL Brightside
NIghtside Gets in The (early) Holiday Mood

Alex Kirry and Ethan Millard get together after the most recent birth of Alex's new baby to talk about how nice it was not to have to be working in the KSL Newsradio newsroom last week while the election results were slowly rolling out. Alex made the mistake of reading both Joe Biden and President Trump's supportive texts into the station that mostly just attacked the poor news anchors delivering the updated headlines. 

Ethan shares a fast-food headline from Burger King in the UK who gave a rare shoutout to their main competitor, McDonald's, and Alex plays the first Christmas song of the season for Ethan to enjoy.  No mention of Tom Cruise, thank heavens.  

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00:27:19
Nov 11, 2020 6:40 PM
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