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LA Radio dot com's Don Barrett reports that his popular Web site is down after a computer hard drive crash.  Don expects to be up and running ASAP (visit LARadio.com)

The largest radio station owner in the Buffalo market reported record revenues for the fourth quarter though profits dropped nearly 12 percent. Entercom Communications Corp. said net revenues reached $110.2 million, a 5 percent jump from the previous year's $104.6 million (read more - Buffalo Biz Journal)

WEEI scheduled a conference call and was expected to introduce the station's new midday host. Jason Wolfe, recently promoted to director of sports programming for Entercom radio, will make the announcement. All indications are that former Globe columnist Michael Holley will become the third man to serve as cohost with Dale Arnold (read more - Boston Globe)

The battle for control of Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. is a study in contrasting strategies.  The young and nimble challenger, Internet services company Livedoor Co., has staked all on a blitzkrieg assault to outflank its entrenched opponent, Fuji Television Network Inc., and win control of radio broadcaster Nippon Broadcasting. Though much smaller in scale, Nippon Broadcasting is the leading shareholder in Fuji TV. With that beachhead secured, Livedoor will then have the muscle to come knocking on the door of Fuji Television Network Inc. itself (read more - Asahi)

Young Broadcasting announced results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2004. Vincent Young, Chairman of Young Broadcasting, stated, "As pleased as we are with the strong fourth quarter results, our confidence in the long term prosperity of commercial broadcasting, in general, and our Company, in particular, has never been greater.  (read more - Business Wire)

A new radio station in the works at the Children's Museum may not be active and well-known yet, but the museum hopes that will change this spring. The museum's Executive Director Marlene Brown is working with Regent Broadcasting to build Children's Museum Live (WCML), a station inside the museum that not only will broadcast a signal, but also teach children the history of radio (read more - Utica Online)

A former consultant for Fox Cable Networks was acquitted of charges that he made pirated movies and software available for downloading through the company's computer network.   Kevin Sarna was one of six people charged by federal prosecutors with illegally operating a computer server that authorities say contained illegal copies of such films as Daddy Day Care, X2: X-Men United and The Matrix Reloaded (read more - USA Today)

Woodruff Sweitzer announced Tuesday the launch of a strategic media buying company, True Media. The company will concentrate on media purchasing, planning, placement and analysis. Jack Miller, former marketing manager for Cumulus-owned radio stations in Columbia, is president and co-owner of True Media. Jim Hall, former national and regional sales manager for KMIZ/Channel 17, is True Media’s general manager (read more - Missourian)

Radio 1 breakfast show host Chris Moyles is going to take over the airwaves in Cambridge. Chris and his team are heading to the BBC radio station in Cambridge to broadcast their hugely popular breakfast show as part of their Red Nose Day Rally (read more - Cambridge News)

Univision Communications announced that Bert Medina has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Operating Manager of the TeleFutura Network, effective immediately (read more - Hispanic PR Wire)

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 2,867 children - an average of eight each day - were killed by gunfire in 2002. Now teens are standing up and saying enough is enough: students from Suncoast Community High School in Riviera Beach, Fla. have formed a group called Alter8tion (http://www.alter8tion.com) and recorded "Stop the Violence," an album speaking out against gun violence. And they're challenging radio stations and schools across the country to unite against gun violence by playing the album's first track, "Touch Your Mind," at noon on March 15, 2005 (read more - PR Newswire)

The consortium bidding for Virgin Radio has held talks with the Wireless Group, owner of the TalkSport station, about merging their advertising sales operation if its takeover bid succeeds. Lord Alli, the media executive leading the bid for Virgin, has discussed combining the station's sales unit with TalkSport's. Both stations own national licences and would save costs by bringing together their national sales teams. The talks are conditional on a number of factors (read more - The Guardian U.K.)

A federal appeals court on Tuesday sharply questioned whether the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to ban certain types of digital TV receivers, including peripheral cards, starting in July. Two of the three judges on the District of Columbia Circuit panel said the FCC never received permission from Congress to undertake such a sweeping regulation, which is intended to encourage the purchase of digital TV receivers that curb Internet distribution of over-the-air broadcasts of programming such as movies and sports (read more - CNET News)

Under siege from the "indecency" legislation rumbling through Washington these days, broadcasters are trying to come up with a "self-regulation" plan that might make the government feel less need for punitive measures. But at least one broadcaster thinks his colleagues should stiffen their resistance. According to Philip Lombardo, joint chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), "Responsible self-regulation is what we're about ..." (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)  

Neither executives nor employees of Sirius received subpoenas.  But, a regular guest on Howard Stern's syndicated radio show said he would testify tomorrow as part of an investigation into trading of Sirius Satellite Radio shares, which surged last fall when Mr. Stern announced that he was moving his program to the company. Chauncé Hayden, who writes gossip and other celebrity news for Steppin' Out magazine, received a subpoena last week ordering him to appear before Securities and Exchange Commission investigators in New York to discuss trading in Sirius securities (read more - NY Times)  (read more - LA Times)

Program director positions in a market as big as Chicago tend to be more stable than those of disc jockeys and talk show hosts. By and large, it's nice work if you can get it. Today, however, no fewer than five local stations are undergoing changes in the lineups of their top programmers. In each case, they face unique challenges (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Seeking to force federal regulators to more clearly define indecency violations, broadcasters are expected to bring a legal test case as early as next month, according to industry officials (read more - Jube Shriver Jr-LA Times)  (read more - MLive)

The First Rule of Techno-Pop: Any popular, free medium will eventually be ruined by ads, repetition and lowest-common-denominator junk. It happened to network TV, it happened to the Web and it certainly happened to radio. The Second Rule: Any free medium that has been ruined by ads will eventually encounter competition from a not-free alternative. It happened with cable TV and, more recently, satellite radio (read more - NY Times)

An Augusta-area radio personality was arrested during the weekend in Columbia County on a felony charge of commercial gambling. Mr. Brown is host of the sports talk show AB's Sportsline on WRDW 1630, which includes a segment called Break the Bookie. He also writes a sports column as a correspondent for The Columbia County News-Times, which is affiliated with The Augusta Chronicle (read more - Augusta Chronicle)

KGO Newstalk AM 810’s Afternoon News Anchor and veteran War Correspondent, Greg Jarrett, is being sent to Fallujah, Iraq to bring the full story home to the Bay Area. Jarrett will once again be embedded with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, flying with the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, nicknamed “Purple Foxes” (read more - KGO AM 810)

Cumulus Media reported financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2004. Lew Dickey, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Q4 was a solid quarter that capped a strong year marked by substantial EBITDA and free cash flow growth." (read more - Cumulus)

Radio's 'Rick and Bubba' are appearing at a church in Tifton.  Mayor Paul O. Johnson is hosting the event. He is Bubba’s cousin and said Monday that he grew up next to his mother and they were like “brother and sister.”  “Rick and Bubba’s show brings a wholesome and simplistic perspective to today’s complex issues,” Johnson said. “They are clean and funny and it is all about everyday living.”  (read more - Tifton Gazette)

On Thursday, February 24, Coast to Coast AM weekend Host, Art Bell, can be seen lending his UFO expertise to ABC’s primetime special, “Peter Jennings Reporting: UFOs – Seeing is Believing.” The program will feature interviews with Art Bell along with other experts and witnesses on topics covering “…the entire scope of the UFO experience – from the first famous sighting by Kenneth Arnold in 1947 to the present day.” The primetime special will air from 8-10 p.m. EST (visit Coast to Coast)

More than a month after it went off the air, the former Mix 102.9 is still a radio station without a home, and it's unclear when the Cumulus Group can begin airing it on a new frequency, a company manager said Monday. "We're still waiting on word from the FCC, and we have not received that yet," said C.J. Jones, market general manager for Cumulus of Shreveport (read more - Shreveport Times)

It's been more than a year now since a certain performer let fly a certain body part at a certain football game. And yet, we're still dealing with its repercussions, manifested in the Federal Communications Commission's threats and various letter-writing organizations' knee-jerk reactions to every slightly objectionable reference on the airwaves. The climate's effect on the Public Broadcasting Service may be the most detrimental of all. What began with the bleeping of three expletives in its presentation of "Cop Shop" last fall continues with the "Frontline" broadcast of "A Company of Soldiers"   (read more - Seattle PI)  (read more - Naples News)  (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS_

Dear Radio Babe, In (the) Feb. 8 Herald-Tribune, I read an obit about Karl Haas passing away at age 91. That article brought back a flood of memories to me. I grew up in Detroit, and my mother listened to WJR-AM all the time. Karl Haas was a favorite of hers, and I certainly learned a lot about classical music from his programs (read more - Dawn Scire - Radio Babe)

Hunter S. Thompson died on Sunday, alone with a gun in his kitchen in Woody Creek, Colo. In doing so, he added heft to a legend that came to obscure his gifts as one of journalism's most influential practitioners. Somewhere beneath the cartoon - he was Uncle Duke in the Doonesbury strip, of course, but Bill Murray inked him well in the 1980 film "Where the Buffalo Roam" - and a lifestyle dominated by a long and sophisticated romance with drugs, Mr. Thompson managed to change the course of American journalism (read more - David Carr-NY Times)  (read more - Newsday)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- There was an interesting article in the paper yesterday about “ego-casting” and those personal music devices (Dell DJs, Ipods). Some “think tank” types say they are ruining our chances of ever being “surprised” by giving us “the illusion of perfect control.” As the father of a grown son (once a teenager) and three other children, all of whom are now teenagers, I can confidently tell you that “perfect control” is definitely an illusion. But, I digress. This is an interesting argument that Christine Rosen, of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, makes: the listeners of personal music devices shutting out the world around them, web surfers filtering out news of a different viewpoint than their own, television viewers watching only channels that reinforce their views. Actually, I think we’ve been doing that all along. As a teenager, didn’t you shut out your parents’ world? And as a disc jockey, didn’t you love it when people listened only to you? (Talk about “ego-casting”!) Do you routinely sit down to watch opera on PBS instead of flipping over to NASCAR, just so you’ll expose yourself to something different? And haven’t the big monopolies already narrowed our listening choices on the radio anyway? It’s really not a matter of whether we’re trying to order and control our lives, but to what extent we’re able to. And we’ve got a lot more choices to help us do that. Given the world we live in, it’s probably good to have those choices (visit Jarrott Media)

WIRED Magazine, long the barometer for what's next in culture, technology and industry, today announced the winners of its sixth annual WIRED Rave Awards, which recognize and celebrate "The People Changing Your Mind" in 14 categories. This year's top Rave award, "WIRED Renegade," goes to Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed "King of All Media." Stern's battle with the FCC and upcoming move to Sirius Satellite Radio is reshaping the future of radio as we know it (read more - PR Newswire)

Charlie Riggs (Charlie Scott) lost his battle with Brain and Lung Cancer Sunday February 20th 2005, a few days short of his 72nd Birthday. Charlie's Resume : Husband, Father, Grandfather, Little League Coach, Mentor, Ham Radio Operator, Golfer, Magician ( a GOOD one), Computer Geek, Antenna Designer (Ham radio), Buffalo Bills Fan HE ALSO DID SOME RADIO AND TV in Buffalo, New York and California (read more)

From Laura Nachman -- Washington Crossing native and former Philadelphia radio and television personality John Ziegler seems to be thriving in Los Angeles.  He was promoted to the 7 p.m. shift on KFI 610-AM radio and his first book “The Death of Free Speech” is due in June.  His show can be heard online at www.kfi640.com

Viacom Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sumner M. Redstone and Viacom Television Stations Group President and Chief Executive Officer Fred Reynolds will participate in a question and answer session at the Bear Stearns 18th Annual Media Conference on Monday, February 28, 2005 at 1:30 p.m. EST. Infinity Broadcasting Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Joel Hollander will also participate in a question and answer session on February 28 at 6:00 p.m. EST. Audio webcasts of both sessions will be open to the general public through Viacom's corporate website at www.viacom.com. Replays of the audio webcasts will be available in the speeches section of Viacom's corporate website

95.9 The Fish will once again feature The StarFish Award at the annual FISH FEST Christian music festival, Saturday, April 16 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. This “American Idol” meets Contemporary Christian Music award will land one lucky winner a performance slot on the Main Stage at FISH FEST as well as a review/critique of their CD by independent label, INO Records (visit The Fish)

Local and national news outlets quickly broadcast details about the unusual plea bargain --- the first known criminal case in Georgia in which a woman agreed to undergo sterilization to avoid prison ... national radio and television personality Bill O'Reilly has repeatedly criticized Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard's handling of the case.  O'Reilly's Web site encourages people to protest the plea bargain by e-mailing Howard's spokesman, Erik Friedly.  "We've received a lot of e-mails --- a lot," Friedly said. "Many contained racial epithets and foul language. I quit looking at them. And I've gotten racial, foul, angry phone calls." What the public didn't know is that the lead detective and a Fulton County medical examiner had their doubts 5-week-old Destiny was murdered. Conflicting opinions on whether Ashe killed her child surfaced as early as the autopsy and still linger (read more - Atlanta JC)  You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

Steve Jones' five-day-a-week gig as a DJ at Indie 103, a Clear Channel-backed station in Los Angeles, is not a sign that he has pathetically sold out his youthful beliefs. "FCC no!" he says, dropping into his customary off-air vocabulary. "I'm out of here if they tell me what to FCCing play - that's it, mate," says the Sex Pistols guitarist. And the music on his two-hour show bears out his claim (read more - Wired News)

Univision Communications announced that Alina Falcón has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Operating Manager of the Univision Network (read more - Hispanic Wire)

Since the 1996 Telecommunications Act, long-distance giants have been duking it out with Baby Bells over the residential phone market. Now the Bells have vanquished both Ma Bell -- their former corporate parent -- and former upstart MCI Inc. But as that era fades, another is dawning. Competition in residential broadband will become even more vital as the telecoms and cable operators plan to sell more services on top of that basic fast Web link. Both want to move up the food chain to reap more revenues per subscriber, potentially putting them in conflict with others that need access to the same broadband pipes. Vonage Holdings Corp., for instance, is selling voice-over-Internet phone service over cable just as cable operators are entering that business, too (read more - Businessweek)

Emmis Communications Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smulyan has filed paperwork and deposited a $100,000 fee with Major League Baseball seeking ownership of the new Washington Nationals franchise. Jeff Smulyan knows baseball well. He owned the Seattle Mariners for three years in the late '80s and early '90s.  Smulyan says the baseball ownership model is much improved now (read more - Inside Indiana Business)  (read more - WTHR) 

An unattended candle may have sparked the fire that destroyed the home of former Atlanta radio personality Porsche Foxx, authorities said Monday. The Sunday night fire gutted the second floor of the two-story house on Carriage Gate Trail in the Regency, a neighborhood of half-million-dollar homes off Campbellton Road. Part of the roof caved in, and the room where the candle was burning collapsed onto the first floor, officials said (read more - Atlanta JC)

Earlier this month, Bill Burkett, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Texas Air National Guard and the man who provided CBS producers with the controversial documents at the heart of the "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment, fired off his response to the panel's investigation. In a 2,600-word letter, obtained by Salon, Burkett charged that the report, through inaccuracies and "selective recall" among the key players, "exacerbated the defamation of character that CBS obviously committed when they laid the blame for the collapse of this story at my feet." The center of Burkett's claim is that in giving CBS the documents, he expected the network to authenticate them (read more - Salon)  You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

After a long run of modest hits and disappointing flops, ABC stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising, syndication and DVD revenue from "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," two of this season's top-rated programs. The shows are the work of Touchstone Television, Disney's TV studio, and are its first hits since "Home Improvement" in 1991 (read more - Delaware Online)

Donald Fagen of Steely Dan wrote a lovely farewell to Mort Fega, the jazz host who died Jan. 21, age 84 + Miss Info (Minya Oh), the only member of the WQHT (97.1 FM) morning team who objected to the now-infamous "Tsunami Song," and who thus was not suspended or fired, still is finding it difficult to get back on the air. She and Hot-97 both say they want her back on. But there are two problems (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)

A popular conservative radio station and Web site is set to launch an all out a blitz against Cox and members of the Friendswood City Council. Edd Hendee is a Houston restaurateur and host of a morning talk show on KSEV-AM. He is also head of the group Citizens Lowering Our Unfair Taxes, or CLOUT (read more - Galveston County Daily News)

Livedoor Co. has increased its stake in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. to more than 40 percent in terms of voting rights, officials of the Internet services provider said Monday, stepping up the pressure on Fuji Television Network Inc. in a high-profile acquisition battle (read more - Japan Times)

The Conclave has announced its 2005 Rockwell Award recipient: Dave “Your Duke” Sholin! Dave has been a Conclave fixture for more than 20 years as a radio programmer, trade journalist, and label executive. Dave will receive the Rockwell – the Conclave’s lifetime achievement award - during the 30th Anniversary Conclave Learning Conference, July 21-24, at the Marriott City Center in Minneapolis. “This is a humbling moment for me as Executive Director of the Conclave, to see Dave win the Rockwell Award. This is someone who has truly been a trailblazer, mentor and a friend!” Stated Conclave Executive Director Tom Kay (visit The Conclave)

A New Jersey-based gossip columnist and frequent guest on the Howard Stern radio show has been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning insider trading in shares of Sirius Satellite Radio. Chaunce Hayden, a gossip columnist for Steppin' Out Magazine and a regular on Stern's radio program, told CNN he received a subpoena on Friday from the SEC asking him to call the regulator's New York office to answer a question concerning insider trading of Sirius' (Research) shares. When Hayden called the SEC last Friday, he said, an SEC lawyer asked him who was present in Howard Stern's studio at the WXRK Infinity station on Oct. 6, 2004, when Stern made the on-air announcement that he would be leaving Viacom's Infinity Radio Network for Sirius (read more - CNN Money)

Happy Presidents Day. Too bad 2005 is starting to feel an awful lot like 1955. Of the 19 members of the House of Representatives from Illinois, only Jan Schakowsky stood strong for free speech last week. The other 18 voted in favor of the government taking even more control of our lives. By a frighteningly huge margin, the House has voted to approve the Broadcast Decency Act, which would give federal regulators the authority to levy massive fines against radio and TV stations for broadcasting indecent material, whatever that means (read more - Richard Roeper-Chicago Sun-Times)

Brian Olson is the new market manager for the eight Cumulus-owned radio stations in the area, including top-rated WKKO-FM (99.9) and WRQN-FM (93.5). He replaces Kathy Stinehour, who resigned in December (read more - Russ Lemmon-Toledo Blade)

Hunter S. Thompson, the unflinching gonzo journalist who threw objectivity out the window in books such as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself Sunday at his Aspen-area home, his son said. He was 67. Thompson was known for a style that he described as "gonzo journalism," a form of "new journalism." It was rooted in the idea that absolute fidelity to the indisputably factual and provable did not always provide the best avenue to truth (read more - Rocky Mountain News)  (read more - USA Today)  (read more - NY Times)

From Claude Hall - A lot of things are gone from my youth. Some I miss muchly and some I don't miss very much. But I do miss the Thursday and Saturday late evening live  broadcasts from Cain's Academy over KVOO. Johnnie Lee Wills.  Younger brother of Bob Wills, who was already a legend in music by this time and had moved to the West Coast. Johnnie and his band played two or three hours for
dancing + e-mail from Louis P. Kasman, CMC, APR, CBC Media//Management Consultant, Ann Arbor, MI, "Hope you and yours are well. Dan Ingram worked the format like a maestro. While at WABC in the 60s as Rick Sklar's assistant (gopher) I had the chance to work around Dan and when he sat behind the mike a different Dan Ingram appeared. I think his love of Jazz helped  make his timing what it was. He produced my first audition tape!" (read more www.claudehallonline.com)

After the huge response abc13.com received from its tech story, KLOL fans rock the web to get station back, the Houston TV station has an update. The former rock station morning show, Walton and Johnson, will hit the Houston airwaves once again on the new Rock 97.5 February 22nd. Michael McGuff caught up with John Walton of the morning duo over email to talk with him about life in the past few months and what's ahead for the future (read more - ABC 13 Houston)

Despite the radio industry’s efforts in the last year to clean up its act—through new research and marketing, clutter reduction and advancement of electronic data interchange initiatives—advertisers and agencies still say the medium doesn’t measure up against its rivals (read more - Katy Bachman-MediaWeek)

For years, Hollywood's elite has come to Evans' intimate master suite to seek his counsel. With today's premiere of "In Bed With Robert Evans," a two-hour weekly talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio, Evans is inviting the world to do the same. The pillow talk begins at 3 p.m. PST with a topic that will surprise many: the "brilliance" of Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner (read more - LA Times)

Computer on -- check. Microphone plugged in -- check. Lava lamp going -- check. East Detroit Radio is on the air, with Craig Plesco podcasting from his "treehouse bedroom" in St. Clair Shores. A voice heavy with reverb intones: "Hello, this is Spiderman ... when I'm not off saving the world, I listen to East Detroit Radio ... " After a funky instrumental intro, Plesco plays a song by indie rockers Thirteen Black that you'll never hear on commercial radio. This is podcasting, the ultimate peer-to-peer, democratic expression. There's no FCC regulation, no station manager, no ads and no paychecks. It isn't broadcasting but narrowcasting to those who choose to download the audio file from the Internet onto their iPods. It may sound like a fringe, geek hobby, but podcasting is actually the latest way entertainment is morphing into an on-demand, Tivo style of delivery (read more - Susan Whitall-Detroit News)

You want the traffic report? Real-time traffic -- accurate, up-to-the-minute information about how fast (or slow) traffic is moving -- is here. It's seen and heard in cars, on radio, on your personal computer and right in your mobile phone. And the stage is set for rapid growth of this useful technology. How many commuters would like to dodge the grind of gridlock they face from accidents and construction on the freeway? Real-time traffic is faster, more comprehensive and more personalized than the every-10-minute radio reports heard on local radio. It can pinpoint the traffic picture for the individual route drivers want to take (read more - Mercury News)

I couldn't believe that the FCC - laughingly known as the Federal Comatose Commission by those who've wanted it to do something all these years about diversity, quality and overcommercialization by the corporate entertainment nexus controlling our airwaves - suddenly woke up and noticed that indecency is a danger to the republic. There is no doubt that there is indecency on the airwaves. May I be indecent enough to suggest that the public likes indecency? And Chairman Powell and other champions of the free market must realize that the media barons are only doing their job of giving the public what it wants (read more - Marvin Kitman-Newsday)  (read more - DelcoTimes)

From Bill Mack -- While I was writing my autobiography, BILL MACK’S MEMORIES FROM THE TRENCHES OF BROADCASTING, there was that constant feeling of inferiority. I developed a serious doubt while seated at the keyboard of my computer. When I took on the assignment of writing about myself, it was similar to staring in the mirror and noticing deformities. A tiny mole suddenly appeared larger than normal! It’s a mole that’s been near my chin since I was born, but, overnight, it became more noticeable. It appeared to be a big, ugly skin cancer! I knew it wasn’t cancerous. I’ve asked various physicians about it for years, and they all said it was a “benign mole, nothing to be concerned about.” A girl I used to date when I was in my mid-teens even went so far as to say it was a cute little mole! She loved it! (read more from www.BillMackCountry.com)

Among Achievement in Radio honors to be handed out this week will be a "Lifetime Achievement" award to the late WEMP-AM. After almost 70 years in use, the venerable call letters died when the station became sports-talk WSSP-AM (1250) + Nancy Grace is ready to tell us what she thinks. Starting tonight, she'll have a new venue for those opinions as CNN's Headline News channel launches a couple of non-headline programs, including a legal show bearing her name at 7 p.m. weeknights (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

Ron Jacobs is selling the KHJ 40th Anniversary Print for $193 plus $7 S&H. Click here to see the print online and click here to e-mail Ron for more details

It started out as a little local variety show on Minnesota public radio 30 years ago. Last week marked the 26th anniversary of its first national broadcast on Feb. 17, 1979.  “A Prairie Home Companion” is set in illusory Lake Wobegon (pronounced woe be gone), in made-up Mist County, Minn., where creator Garrison Keillor regularly assures us that: All the women are strong, All the men are good-looking and All the children are above average (read more - Fond Du Lac Reporter)  (read more - Chicago Daily Herald)

For 60 hours during the week, Ron Kelly, 43, operates a garbage truck in Paterson. But every Sunday, from 8 to 9 a.m., he is the host of "The R. Kelly Show," broadcast on William Paterson University's station, WPSC at 88.7 FM. The show gives his estimated 30,000 listeners a raw take on what is going on in the streets and the larger world (read more - North Jersey Herald News)

As George W. Bush was first moving onto the national political stage, he often turned for advice to an old friend who secretly taped some of their private conversations, creating a rare record of the future president as a politician and a personality. In the last several weeks, that friend, Doug Wead, an author and former aide to Mr. Bush's father, disclosed the tapes' existence to a reporter and played about a dozen of them. Variously earnest, confident or prickly in those conversations, Mr. Bush weighs the political risks and benefits of his religious faith, discusses campaign strategy and comments on rivals. John McCain "will wear thin," he predicted. John Ashcroft, he confided, would be a "very good Supreme Court pick" or a "fabulous" vice president. And in exchanges about his handling of questions from the news media about his past, Mr. Bush appears to have acknowledged trying marijuana (read more - NY Times)  You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Presidents’ Day combines two former observances, George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, into one Super Sized Monday Federal Holiday and Mall Shopping Adventure. The images of Washington and Lincoln are everywhere, hawking everything from mattresses to Japanese imported autos in an attempt to get us to part with more…Washingtons and Lincolns. The president I am most familiar with is Lyndon B. Johnson, having worked at KTBC-AM-FM-TV on two different occasions in the 60s and 70s. At the KTBC building in downtown Austin, there was a penthouse apartment where the Johnson family stayed when they were in town. Jack Wallace, who later became “Packer Jack,” a crusty lumberjack-type character on KTBC’s “Uncle Jay [Kiddie] Show,” first came to KTBC radio to do an overnight beautiful music program on KTBC AM. Jack was possessed of a beautifully mellifluent voice, pipes anyone in the business would have taken a first lien on his soul for. Having been at KTBC for only a short time, Jack was on the air one night when the request line rang and the caller requested that he play “The Yellow Rose of Texas” for his wife, Lady Bird. Jack said he couldn’t play that song, and the caller said, “You don’t understand. This is the Vice President of the United States calling.” Whereupon Jack said, “Yeah, and I’m the King of Siam,” and slammed the phone down. A few minutes later, a bathrobed LBJ opened the door of the control room and strode in, his left hand outstretched. As Jack’s mouth proceeded to hit the floor, his nocturnal visitor said, “Hello, I’m Lyndon Johnson; I just wanted to meet the King of Siam.” (visit Jarrott Media)

At least two TV stations will show an uncensored documentary about soldiers in Iraq, despite a warning from PBS that it can't ensure stations against FCC fines stemming from bad language. The public broadcaster is distributing "clean" and "raw" versions of next Tuesday's "Frontline" documentary about the Iraq war, titled "A Company of Soldiers." It's an example of the television industry's continued uncertainty about Federal Communications Commission standards for language and content, and a real-life echo of last fall's decision by 66 ABC affiliates not to air the movie "Saving Private Ryan." (read more - Newsday) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

Rupert Murdoch is about to launch a joint venture with China Central Television, the broadcasting arm of the Communist Party's propaganda department, according to reports from the Far East. It would be the national state broadcaster's first foreign joint production venture, under rules allowing overseas players into the market announced last year (read more - The Telegraph U.K.)

As an extension of Morning Show Boot Camp's highly popular "Battle of The Bits," where attendees battle for prizes with ideas, beginning this year, they've added the 1st Annual MSBC Entertainment Awards.* It's set for Saturday afternoon, August 6th, the last day and event of the weekend. The major difference here is that competition is no longer limited to those in attendance (read more - MorningShowBootCamp.com)

A local radio station that hosts Mayor Jerry Jennings' weekly hourlong radio show faces a choice: pull the mayor's program off the air or offer the same forum to the man who wants to unseat him (read more - Times Union)

"Do you like being handcuffed or tied up? How long do you have to know a guy before you let him experience that hot body of yours?" It's standard morning-radio sex chat. Howard Stern 101. Except this is the Cleveland jock who could be the next Stern. On the air, he's "Rover" the sex-obsessed glib gabber. Off the air, he's Shane French, likable, funny, smart. On the air, he hosts "Rover's Morning Glory" on WXTM FM/92.3, describing his date-seeking guest's attributes as "34-C creamers." And does he even have a chance in the Replacing Stern Sweepstakes? Yes. And yes (read more - Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The home of former Atlanta radio personality Porsche Foxx was heavily damaged by fire Sunday night. The large home, on Carriage Gate Trail in the Regency, a neighborhood of half-million-dollar homes off Campbellton Road, caught fire around 11:40 p.m., according to Fulton County fire dispatchers (read more - Atlanta JC)

ABC News says it didn't pay for interviews on this week's Michael Jackson special -- but some of the subjects were paid nonetheless. The news program "Michael Jackson's Secret World" contained interviews conducted for a British documentary on Jackson that aired in that country earlier this year (read more - Herald Tribune)

From George Mair -- Has not been a great time for Britney what with the Chihuahuas wars between her and Paris Hilton. Britney claims her three, - Bit Bit, Lacy Loo and Lucky, are better dressed tan Paris' Tinkerbell. You can see why Hollywood  stars are prepared to cope with the major social issues of our society*****On other major issue facing mankind, so to speak, Robert De Niro has turned down an offer to promote a certain type of male enhancing product proclaiming he is Italian and doesn't need that sort of thing (read more - George Mair's LALA Land)

It was not so long ago that reporters were seen in a more heroic light - consider the Watergate era, when two Washington Post reporters uncovered a scandal that led to a president's resignation and were portrayed in a movie by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. It was also not so long ago that reporters could sometimes find a friend in the courts, one media lawyer said. "From the public's perspective and also from a judicial perspective, there has been a backlash against the media," said Reid Cox, general counsel for the Center for Individual Freedom, an advocacy group that promotes free press issues. "In the courts now, there's any number of decisions where the media has actually lost rights that it previously had."  Over the past two decades, Cox contends, the courts have compromised the ability of journalists to do their jobs, awarding greater protections for public figures in libel cases and making it easier for plaintiffs to win invasion-of-privacy suits against news outlets (read more - Baltimore Sun)

They were on the air for 12 hours Sunday, playing Gospel music, and sending out a special message to their listeners.  Anthony Erwin of KRBA Radio in Lufkin said, "empower the Afro-American entrepreneur to encourage them that may want to go into business." (read more - Chris Cato-KTRE TV)

The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an insider-trading probe of shock jock Howard Stern's deal to join Sirius Satellite Radio. In the two weeks running up to the blockbuster announcement last October, Sirius stock soared nearly 40 percent. Even though there had been some speculation in the press that Stern might jump to satellite radio, the feds want to determine if someone who knew the deal was coming started buying up stock in anticipation of shares skyrocketing when the news got out (read more MSNBC)

One day last week, radio reporter Fran Schneidau toted her cassette tape recorder and circa-1978 microphone to Roxbury Elementary School to capture for listeners the story of head custodian John Cleri. Cleri, 43, is studying to be a teacher and Schneidau -- whose voice has filtered into tri-state cars and homes for more than a quarter century on WCBS NewsRadio 880 -- chatted with him like a friend. What did he want listeners to know about his quest? "I truly believe that teachers are the sculptors of the future," Cleri told her (read more - Stamford Advocate)

Premio Lo Nuestro, the glittery celebrity parade and music awards show that is one of the jewels in Spanish language network Univision's crown, has a new producer, a new and larger venue -- AmericanAirlines Arena -- and a people's choice style voting format. The show, which will be broadcast live on Univision from the AA Arena Thursday night, even bows towards new music with the first time inclusion of reggaeton, the hot Latin urban music (read more - Miami Herald)

Unsuspecting cellphone users may find themselves saying that more often now that cellphone jammers — illegal gizmos that interfere with signals and cut off reception — are selling like hotcakes on the streets of New York. "I use it on the bus all the time. I always zap the idiots who discuss what they want from the Chinese restaurant so that everyone can hear them. Why is that necessary?" "One time I followed this guy around for 20 minutes," he said. "I kept zapping him and zapping him, until finally he threw the phone on the floor. I couldn't stop laughing. It was so cool."  But don't expect to find jammers at the local Radio Shack — they're against Federal Communications Commission regulations because they interfere with emergency calls and the public airwaves. They are illegal to buy, sell, use, import or advertise (read more - NY Post)

A new chapter is opening for one of Minnesota's quirkier radio stations. WELY is known as End of the Road Radio, serving the small town of Ely, at the edge of the Boundary Waters. WELY was owned a few years ago by Charles Kuralt, and it's soon to be owned by a local band of Ojibwe Indians. Band officials say they'll keep the station pretty much as it is (read more - Minnesota Public Radio)

Paul Shulins turned up the radio in his Toyota sport utility vehicle and the raspy voice of Neil Young never sounded so clear. "This is digital," said Shulins, director of technical operations for five Boston radio stations owned by Greater Media Inc. All of them, including classic-hits station WROR and WBOS, which plays adult album alternative music, are among the first in the nation to use a technology called HD radio (read more - Hiawatha Bray-Boston Globe)

It was the sweltering summer of '80 when the car stereo ate my Frampton Comes Alive! eight-track and I was forced to listen to the radio. That was when I discovered the voice of KVIL-FM's boss female jock Lynne Haley. In addition to her on-air gig, she produced Ron Chapman's morning show from '94 to '99. In the last few years she's been pursuing ventures outside of radio. But to paraphrase Jimmy Fallon's Saturday Night Live DJ Joey Mack, "She's BACKKK!!!" "Lynne was eager to get back into radio, and I was eager to give her the opportunity," says KVIL program director Smokey Rivers. "She's very skilled and certainly someone who has a lot of passion." You can catch her on Sundays from 3 to 7 p.m. and doing fill-in work at other times. "I'm also helping out with the morning show," she says (read more - Alan Peppard-Dallas Morning News)

It was the middle of the 1970s. NBC lay in ruins -- sort of like now. Because NBC executives were so busy patching up cracks and potholes in the prime-time schedule, they barely noticed a freaky, feisty little show that premiered on their own network on Saturday, Oct. 11, 1975, at 11:30 p.m. And the rest is . . . gossip. Plus some history. For 30 years, but for the occasional year-long lull or two, "Saturday Night Live" has satisfied America's lust for ridicule, satire, topical and political humor, and sophisticated sophomoric jokes (read more - Tom Shales-Washington Post)

When Ray Rodríguez got a long-in-coming promotion to president and chief operating officer of Univisión Communications two weeks ago, congratulations poured in.  Wall Street applauded the news. Colleagues said it was well deserved. Industry peers noted the move finally formalized a role the 54-year-old Rodríguez, as president of Univisión's TV networks, in effect had played for years. But back in Univisión's Los Angeles boardroom, the appointment of the limelight-shunning Coral Gables resident ripped off the scab in a long festering feud among the three billionaires vying for control of the country's largest Spanish-language media company (read more - Miami Herald)

Damani Bediako has no idea of the troubles at KBEM-FM, 88.5. He has troubles of his own. Leaning his mouth close to the microphone, the 16-year-old stumbles syllable by syllable through a list of songs that just aired. Ted Allison, the station's promotions director, is shaking his head as he enters the booth. "It's Me-THEE-ny, not METH-eny," Allison says. "I've got to get you to pre-read these to me." (read more - St Paul Pioneer Press)

 Satellite radio broadcasters are paying top dollar to attract new customers. So are investors in these fledgling companies, if their stock valuations are any indication. The most optimistic forecasts call for the industry to boost subscribers as much as tenfold in the next five years. But those projections, which are largely based on estimates of how many satellite radios will be installed in new cars, could be much too rosy. The industry is new, and demand is difficult to gauge, some analysts say (read more - Reuters)

ITV is expected to rebuff Lord Alli’s attempts to persuade the commercial TV company to get involved in a break-up of SMG. The Labour peer, who is bidding to take over SMG’s Virgin Radio Group, will meet ITV, SMG’s largest shareholder, within days, to try to persuade it to sell the radio group. Alli, along with venture capitalist group 3i, had a £100m bid for the group turned down last month and is now talking to shareholders in the group to persuade them that Virgin has been under-performing in SMG’s hands (read more - The Scotsman)

When nonprofit radio station WMNF, 88.5 FM, began broadcasting 26 years ago from a house in Hyde Park, space was so tight that records were stored in a bathtub. The station's new 12,000-square- foot home is a sharp contrast from the cramped former house that served as its base since the late 1980s. The new office and studio facility, built next to the station's old headquarters, features six studios, spacious meeting and office space, and room for its burgeoning record and compact disc library (read more - Tampa Tribune)

From a chenille-slipcovered sofa in the basement of their friend Dave's mom's house at the edge of a snow-covered field, Brad and Other Brad, sock-footed pioneers in the latest technology revolution, are recording "Why Fish," their weekly show. Clutching a microphone and leaning over a laptop on the coffee table, they praise the beauty of the Red River, now frozen on the edge of town, and plug an upcoming interview with a top-ranked professional walleye fisherman. Then they sign off. Their show, mostly ad-libbed, is a podcast, a kind of recording that, thanks to a technology barely six months old, anyone can make on a computer and then post to a Web site, where it can be downloaded to an iPod or any MP3 player to be played at the listener's leisure. Some popular podcasters say they get thousands of downloads a day (read more - NY Times)

The Walt Disney Co. bought ABC so it could profit from both making and broadcasting the network's hits. Nine years later, the deal is finally paying off (read more - LA Daily News)

Karl Rove took a victory lap at an SRO lunch at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington on Thursday. So when Jeff Gannon, White House "reporter" for Talon "News," was unmasked last week, the leap to a possible Rove connection was unavoidable. Gannon says that he met Rove only once, at a White House Christmas party, and Gannon is kind of small potatoes for Rove at this point in his career (read more - Dotty Lynch-CBS News) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

The satellite radio industry, with commercial free music, pro football and baseball -- and soon, shock jock Howard Stern -- has achieved startling subscriber growth in the four years since it was launched. The hype surrounding the new subscription medium is reminiscent of the kind of euphoria that surrounded dot-coms in the late 1990s, with cadres of ferociously loyal admirers, growth projections of several hundred percent and volatile share prices on heavy volume. But some observers are beginning to wonder whether there really is that much long-term upside (read more - David B. Wilkerson-Investor's Business Daily)

An award-winning Florida TV weatherman has been sentenced to five years in prison for using the Internet to set up a sexual liaison with a 14-year-old boy. The supposed teenager turned out to be a federal agent, who arrested Bill Kamal, the Emmy-winning chief meteorologist at W-S-V-N in Fort Lauderdale. He described himself as "a cool dude who works in the media and has to be very discreet." (read more - WPVI 6)

KCBI’s Sunday Morning Host of Sounds of Sonshine, Charlie Campbell, has been selected to be inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame in July. Charlie has been at KCBI Radio for 25 years (visit KCBI)

Radio Free Nashville (WRFN) is a new100-watt low power FM (LPFM) community radio station that is about to become a reality with its newly acquired FCC license (read more - Tennessee Independent Media Center)

Television is responsible for the deaths of 20,000 Germans a year, according to a professor of psychiatry. Professor Manfred Spitzer, a neuroscientist at the University of Ulm, says he has found a direct correlation between watching excessive amounts of television and death caused by obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes (read more - The Telegraph U.K.)

One week it was there--a small logo in the corner of the masthead reading "Lerner Newspapers"--and the next week, with no fanfare or notice, it was gone. In April 2000, Lerner Communications was purchased by Hollinger International Inc., the company that owns the Sun-Times as well as the south suburban Star Publications and the 64-paper Pioneer Press chain. The only tangible loss in the switch has been the news-commentary column of former Chicago radio star Ed Schwartz, discontinued last month after a five-year run for not being "intensely local" enough, according to new editor John Ambrosia (read more - Eric Zorn - Chicago Tribune)

Liberal radio talk show host Al Franken has visited the troops.  Now conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is expected to visit Afghanistan with the top U.S. aid official to spotlight America's aid work there, officials said on Thursday. Political commentator Mary Matalin, a former White House aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, will also be on the trip. She said she was not being paid to go and would pay her own way to Dubai but she believed the U.S. government would cover the cost of her visit to Afghanistan from there. The Bush administration has come under sharp criticism for the Education Department's payment of $240,000 to conservative commentator Armstrong Williams to tout President George W. Bush's education plan (read more - Reuters)

From Kent Burkhart -- The annual John Bayliss Roast will be held in New York on March 16th. The roastee (if there is such a word) this year is Clarke Brown who is retiring as President of Jefferson Pilot. The purpose of the annual roast is to assemble broadcasters and those who have contributed to the John Bayliss Broadcasting Foundation…..and the purpose of the Foundation is to present collegiate scholarships to those who want to become broadcasters. It is very successful (read more - www.kentburkhart.com)

The program director of gospel radio station WGRB-AM (1390) was fired Thursday after her bosses uncovered evidence of a payola scheme. Sandra Robinson, who doubled as program director and afternoon talk show host at "Gospel Radio 1390" was dismissed after six years at the Clear Channel Radio station (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Radio was off to brisk start in 2005 with a 3% increase in grand total revenue in January over January of 2004. National spot dollars started the year vigorously with a 6% climb in the month compared to January of last year. Local ad sales were also healthy with a 2% jump this January over last January. The combined total local and national ad figures were up 3% for the first month of this year compared to the same month from last year. Radio's newest measured category, non-spot revenue, increased 2% this January over January of 2004 (visit RAB)

An American media giant has emerged as one of the bidders for a new radio licence in Manchester. Emmis Communications, which owns 26 radio stations in the US, has joined up with UK-based Atlantic Radio to bid against 18 other contenders (read more - Manchester U.K. Online)

Bob Neumeier’s exit from WEEI 850-AM after a monetary dispute has given rise to a picture of parent Entercom that you won’t find among the sports-gab station’s silly “No. 1 in the nation” rhetoric. Investors are turned off (as was Neumeier) because Entercom is not putting enough profits back into the product. Its stock price has fallen nearly 20 points and is hovering near a 12-month low at $32. Further, it’s anticipated that a big challenge will come not from WWZN, the troubled Sporting News station, but from Viacom, which is eying an all-sports start-up (read more - Jim Baker-Nashua Telegraph)

No sooner will Dan Rather bid viewers a final good night as anchor of the CBS Evening News than he will be back on the air to lead viewers through a retrospective of his 50 years in broadcast journalism. CBS News said on Thursday that an hour-long special, "Dan Rather: A Reporter Remembers," will be telecast on March 9, at 8 p.m. EST, within an hour of his stepping down as host and managing editor of the "Evening News." (read more - Reuters)

WXDX-AM -- now known as WDTW-AM -- is one of 22 stations owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc. that have switched to a liberal talk format in the last year. This month, KTLK-AM in Los Angeles became the latest Clear Channel station to adopt the format (read more - Detroit Free Press)

Are people willing to pay to listen to your voice? Do total strangers call your answering machine over and over again just to hear you say you're not home? Then Maxim Radio wants you! Maxim Radio, heard exclusively on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, is holding simultaneous open casting calls in New York City and Los Angeles to find the "Sexiest Voice in America" on Wednesday, March 2nd at Sirius' studio in NYC or in LA at the House of Blues. One sultry woman's or smooth-talkin' man's voice will be featured on Maxim Radio promotional spots and IDs while taking home a cool $1,000.   (read more - Sirius Radio)

Mike de la Fuente, one of the true legends of Texas Longhorns Baseball and a multi-millionaire from radio-TV-cable holdings, died earlier this month at his home in Nogales, Mexico. He was 95. In 1948, while working for an oil company, he bought two radio stations in Nogales, Mexico. The move to the city across the border from Arizona was a passage that led him to great fame and immense fortune. It was there in 1954 that he pursued an idea called cable television. He wired a street in Nogales, and then another, and then another. Cable television was born in Latin America, and Mike was the proud father. By the mid-1990s, he and his company owned 14 cable systems in northern Sonora state, and his empire included a newspaper, television stations and real estate holdings as well. He also wrote two books (read more - Texas Sports)

Radio One, Inc. reported its operating and financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2004. Net broadcast revenue was approximately $79.5 million, an increase of 3% from the same period in 2003. Operating income was approximately $38.1 million, an increase of 14% from the same period in 2003 (visit Radio One)

The New York Times Company announced that it would acquire About Inc. and its Web site, About.com, from Primedia Inc. for $410 million. Times Company officials said the acquisition would add a fast-growing, highly profitable Web site to the company's portfolio and would increase the company's revenue from the expanding online advertising business (read more - NY Times)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- I had many exciting times while working as a news anchor at KTBC television back in the early 70s, under the aegis of my friend and mentor, the late Joe Roddy. What a great guy Joe was; I’ll share more stories of him down the line. One of the most memorable days during my tenure at KTBC was the day the President died, January 22nd, 1973. The word came to us less than an hour before our 6 pm news. Joe Roddy anchored that newscast, which I produced. He was immediately called upstairs to the General Manager’s office, which became “the command center” for the next week before and during the President’s funeral. I anchored the 6 pm that night in addition to my usual 10 pm duties, and for the next week. Many Central Texans heard about the death of Lyndon Johnson from me and it was an emotional (and somewhat ad libbed) newscast to say the least. If the newscast was emotional that night, the rest of the week was all that and more—not to say hectic. We became the activity center for many visiting news organizations, chiefly CBS as we were an affiliate of that network. We never realized how small our newsroom was until we had about 100 working newspeople in there. You didn’t want to leave your typewriter (yes, we used those back then), or someone would appropriate it. Along with the somber situations during that time, there were a few lighter moments. I remember seeing one veteran CBS news reporter doing his stand-up from our studio, pulling his rather shaggy hair back behind his neck and Scotch taping it to his neck so it wouldn’t show on camera! (visit Jarrott Media)

In many communities that have lost commercial classical music stations, public radio has picked up the slack. WXEL 90.7 FM, which has a news partnership with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, has some classical music programming, but its signal has poor reach south of central Broward County. WLRN 91.3 FM, Miami's public radio station, has a stronger signal, but no inclination to air classical music, for now. The problems with classical radio have reflected the funding struggles in South Florida's arts community, where the Florida Philharmonic and other groups have either gone under or struggled to survive. The same scenario has been repeated in much of the country. However, in promoting classical radio, Cleveland tried something different, something South Florida could learn from (read more - Sun Sentinel)

There's hardly a day which passes that Ed Miller, Joe Poovey, Bill Mack, Randy Ryder, Horace Logan and the others on KPCN's fine broadcast staff don't cross my mind. Too bad Horace and Joe are no longer with us, but their memory lingers on. Randy Ryder and I had a blast. Even after I went over to WFAA-820, Randy and I kept up our communication. There was this young lady by the name of Mary who called Randy and me every day at KPCN-730. Randy and I compared notes as to what she told each of us. Funny thing about ardent radio fans is they never know that we deejays share statements which they tell each of us. These wayward souls try and make us deejays think that we are the only ones they call. When, in effect, they call all of us (read more - Jim Rose Remembers)

The Sun-Times's Robert Feder reported on January 12 that Mary June Rose, program director of WGN radio, was resigning after more than eight years on the job. On February 1 Feder reported that Mark Krieschen, the same station's vice president and general manager, was on "indefinite leave" and not expected back. Feder said "insiders" were telling him that Krieschen was believed to be in trouble "because of allegations made against him by Mary June Rose." This was a big story. On February 15 he reported the sight of a help-wanted notice for Krieschen's old job in the Tribune's classified section. Noted Feder dryly, "It was the first time the Trib had mentioned any activity in WGN's front office." True enough: the Tribune still hadn't published a word (read more - Chicago Reader)

Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh, who has struggled with addiction to painkillers without feeling the need to defend his moral lapse, could not contain himself from ranting about how bad "Million Dollar Baby" is. He bashed the movie as the product of left-wing, secular thinking. Michael Medved, another right winger who seems to think Hollywood exists only to find ever more sleazy ways to corrupt the morals of the American public, has seethed about the movie as well. And the Web sites and blogs of pro-life groups across the country are teeming with gripes that Hollywood dare promote a pro-euthanasia movie for so many Oscars (read more - Newsweek)

More than three quarters (76 percent) of Americans rely on radio during and after storms, even though battery-powered televisions are available during blackouts, according to a study released by Arbitron. A live online presentation of “Riding Out the Storm,” a brand new report on the vital role radio plays in times of crisis is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 at 9:30 AM (ET)...or...Tuesday, March 1 at 1:30 PM (ET) online.  It will be run by Bill Rose, senior vice president, Marketing, U.S. Media Services, Arbitron.  Log in to http://arbitron.colearn.com/register.asp, click on to your preferred date/time link on the front page, and complete the online registration form. After you register, you will receive confirmation e-mail with information on how to log-in.

KLSY-FM (92.5) has dropped one member of its morning show as it continues to look for a replacement for its long-running Murdock-Hunter-Alice a.m. team. Lisa Foster, who had been paired with Mitch Elliott as morning co-host, is no longer with the station (read more - Bill Virgin's Seattle Radio Beat)

Jay Marvin, former controversial talk show personality on KHOW- AM (630) Denver and WLS-AM 890 Chicago, will return to Denver radio Feb. 28 as local host on the liberal Air America network. Marvin's program, live from Boulder, will air from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays on KKZN-AM (760). A lightning-rod broadcaster on KHOW's 3 to 7 p.m. weekday slot for three years, Marvin left Denver in September 1999 to co-host a daytime talk show on WLS-AM in Chicago. Marvin, who has purchased a home in Boulder, said he "jumped at the chance" to come back to Colorado (read more - Dusty Saunders-Rocky Mountain News)

Emmis Communications voluntarily gave $1 million to tsunami relief efforts to apologize for its New York radio station's broadcast that made fun of tsunami victims and included racial slurs. The Indianapolis-based media company is unlikely to face federal penalties, despite Washington's heightened interest in holding broadcasters and entertainers to public decency limits (read more - Indy Star)

Hey, did you hear the one about the tsunami song? It's not so funny.  There's a storm brewing in the aftermath of the tsunami that left more than 300,000 dead or missing in South Asia. And in the eye of this maelstrom is an Asian-American woman who tried to do the right thing. The song, sung to the tune of "We Are the World," used cruel insults and racial slurs that were continued by disc jockeys in their on-air banter. During one broadcast, Miss Info, an Asian-American and the only non-black member of the morning show, said she found the song offensive. "Hot-97" co-hosts Miss Jones and Todd Lynn then reportedly launched into an abusive tirade. By saying three little words – "this is offensive" – Miss Info, whose real name is Minya Oh, not only stood up for herself, she galvanized Asian-Americans throughout the country.  (read more - Esther Wu-Dallas Morning News)

These days Radio and Records, a trade publication, doesn't just list what's hot on America's AM and FM stations. It also lists the Top 10 songs playing on Sirius satellite radio and the Top 10 downloads from the Internet music service iTunes.  "We have to adapt," says Roger Nadel, executive editor of the radio-industry publication in Los Angeles. "It's a significant part of the business." In fact, the radio business may be undergoing its biggest shakeup ever. So many new digital technologies are beckoning to its traditional listeners that it's hard to know what radio is anymore. It's no longer limited to the airwaves, thanks to cable TV's music offerings, the Internet, and one day, perhaps, cellphones. It's not strictly live because online "podcasters" and others let you download music to play at your convenience. About the only thing that really separates radio listening from, say, uploading music to an iPod is that on radio, someone else plays deejay (read more - Christian Science Monitor)

New Yorkers are again prominent on Talkers magazine's annual "Heavy Hundred" list of "the most important radio talk-show hosts in America." The criteria, says Talkers editor Michael Harrison, include "ratings, longevity, uniqueness, potential, social impact, service, industry recognition, recognition by other media, courage, effort and talent."
The biggest dogs are always here, while others shift on and off. The WRKS "Open Line" team of Bob Slade, James Mtume and Bob Pickett slipped off, for instance, as did WFAN's Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, WQHT's Lisa Evers and WOR's Joey Reynolds.  Satellite radio hosts are eligible, though no satellite-only hosts made it (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)

Hector Pastrama feels like he spends more time in his car than he does at home -- which can be torture without the right tunes. But last month, his trips across Maryland and Delaware taking supply orders from Hispanic-owned groceries became considerably more tolerable when 99.1 WHFS-FM ditched its alternative rock format to become "El Zol," the region's newest, most powerful Spanish-language radio station (read more - Kelly Brewington-Baltimore Sun)

Are oldies history? It's hard to imagine.  But oldies stations are dropping like panties at a Tom Jones concert. According to radio analyst Sean Ross, a "crisis" has struck oldies radio, leaving major cities such as Charlotte, N.C., Austin, Texas, and Jacksonville, Fla., without the format. Could San Diego be next? Oldies 99.3 is struggling, ranked at just 22 in the most recent ratings among listeners ages 12 and up. On average, the highest-rated music station, soft-rocker KyXy, has nearly three times as many listeners. What's going on? (read more - Randy Dotinga-North County Times)

Russia has delayed the launch of a Zenith-3SL rocket with the American-made XM3-Radio communications satellite by 24 hours, a spokesperson for the Russian mission control center's ballistic service told RIA Novosti.  XM-Radio satellites are designed to broadcast digital-music recordings every day from studios in Washington, New York and Nashville. They can relay up to 130 digital, commercial and state channels. More than 40 satellite channels broadcast sports news, talk shows, comedies, children's shows and weather forecasts (read more - Novosti)

On Jan. 10, when the 224-page report on the investigation into CBS News’ 60 Minutes Wednesday memo scandal arrived, CBS president Leslie Moonves issued a statement dwelling on the failures of the employees involved in producing the disputed segment. Five weeks later, the crisis is not yet behind Mr. Moonves. And far from resolving the problem of the network’s credibility, the independent report commissioned by CBS appears instead to be leading to a confrontation, with defenders of both the ousted CBS staffers involved in the debacle and top CBS management asserting two different truths from the same document (read more - Joe Hagan-NY Observer)

Nominations for the 2005 inductees of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame begin March 1st .  Charlie Payne, a 2004 inductee, is pictured here with his certificate of induction. (click photo for a larger view) Only inducted, instated and dues paying members of the TRHoF may nominate and vote for the 2005 inductees.  Membership details as well as lists of past inductees of "The National Hall of Fame of Texas" are online at  www.texasradiohalloffame.com 

I am very impressed with James Guckert, a k a Jeff Gannon. I was rejected for a White House press pass at the start of the Bush administration, but someone with an alias, a tax evasion problem and Internet pictures where he posed like the "Barberini Faun" is credentialed to cover a White House that won a second term by mining homophobia and preaching family values? At first when I tried to complain about not getting my pass renewed, even though I'd been covering presidents and first ladies since 1986, no one called me back. Finally, when Mr. McClellan replaced Ari Fleischer, he said he'd renew the pass - after a new Secret Service background check that would last several months. In an era when security concerns are paramount, what kind of Secret Service background check did James Guckert get so he could saunter into the West Wing every day under an assumed name while he was doing full-frontal advertising for stud services for $1,200 a weekend? He used a driver's license that said James Guckert to get into the White House, then, once inside, switched to his alter ego, asking questions as Jeff Gannon (read more - Maureen Dowd-NY Times)  (read more - The Nation)  (read more - Joe Conason) (read more - National Ledger)

Nationally Syndicated Radio Host, Mike Gallagher, asked his listeners to contribute to a fund to send Girl Scout Cookies to the troops abroad in honor of Taylor Ostergaard and Lindsey Zellitti. Gallagher was responding to the story of the two teenagers, who left cookies on their neighbors porch one night, who were told by a Colorado Magistrate to pay the neighbors $930.00 medical expenses (read more - eMediawire)

The prayers of those hoping that real television news might take its cues from Jon Stewart were finally answered on Feb. 9, 2005. A real newsman borrowed a technique from fake news to deliver real news about fake news in prime time. Let me explain. On "Countdown," a nightly news hour on MSNBC, the anchor, Keith Olbermann, led off with a classic "Daily Show"-style bit: a rapid-fire montage of sharply edited video bites illustrating the apparent idiocy of those in Washington. In this case, the eight clips stretched over a year in the White House briefing room - from February 2004 to late last month - and all featured a reporter named "Jeff." In most of them, the White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, says "Go ahead, Jeff," and "Jeff" responds with a softball question intended not to elicit information but to boost President Bush and smear his political opponents. Yet the video broadcast by Mr. Olbermann was not fake. "Jeff" was in the real White House, and he did have those exchanges with the real Mr. McClellan and the real Mr. Bush (read more - Frank Rich-NY Times)  (read more - Sidney Blumenthal-The Guardian)  (read more - Christian Science Monitor)  You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

Effective February 20, Fox Sports Houston, Texas, affiliate KBME-AM 790 will add "RaceDay on Fox" from 5 - 8 a.m. CST.  Effective March 5, WBLJ-AM 1230 in Dalton, Ga., will become an affiliate of the network. The Clear Channel station will air Fox Sports Radio on weekends (visit Fox Sports)

More Crown agencies will become subject to public scrutiny under the federal information law as part of reforms to be announced Thursday, a senior government official says. But it's expected that as many as eight Crown entities _ including the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. _ will remain beyond the ambit of the access law, said the official, who was briefed on the pending changes and spoke on condition of anonymity (read more - The National Post)

American Country Countdown Executive Producer and host Bob Kingsley, has announced the promotion of Chief Engineer Ken Halford to Producer. In his new position, Halford will work directly with Kingsley on the weekly show, his daily America’s MusicMaker and the annual, Bob Kingsley Presents holiday specials. A fifteen-year veteran of ABC Radio Networks and American Country Countdown (ACC), Halford became the primary engineer for ACC in 1992 when Kingsley produced his first all digital radio special, The Judds - from duo to Wynonna. In 1997 he was promoted to co-producer of all of KCCS’ Bob Kingsley programs (visit ACC-ABC)

Candice Michelle (from the GoDaddy.com Superbowl commercial) during an in-studio visit with ESPN Radio 710's Steve Mason & John Ireland (visit The Big Show with Mason & Ireland) (click photo for a larger view)

The president of General Motors of Canada Ltd. stepped firmly onto Ottawa's turf Wednesday, declaring that the CRTC should approve the two satellite radio proposals on its books because a third option would put auto consumers at a decided disadvantage. Michael Grimaldi said the satellite radio systems currently being considered by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission will not only allow drivers to pick up dozens of commercial-free digital radio channels, they will also lead to other potential automotive advances, including the integration of on-board technologies that will eventually bring Internet and video into vehicles. “It would be an error, I believe, on the part of the Canadian government and the CRTC not to recognize that this is a technology that has value all the way across [other automotive applications],” Mr. Grimaldi said in an interview at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto Wednesday. Satellite radio is a “natural marriage” with GM's OnStar safety system, for example, and will be linked with other communications and entertainment systems in the future, he said (read more - The Globe and Mail)

Chafing over racy broadcasts like Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill Wednesday authorizing unprecedented fines for indecency (read more - NY Times)  (read more - SF Chronicle)

The transformation of Mongolian National Television and Radio from a government-controlled entity into a public service broadcaster looked set to go ahead when the new law on Public Television and Radio was approved by parliament on January 27. However President N.Bagabandi vetoed the new law on February 14. After taking into account the opinions of experts in the media field, the president considered that the articles limit free competition within the media and obviate the creation and development of other commercial and private television channels. He said the law removes the public’s access to pluralism of information and right of choice (read more - UB Post of Mongolia)

The man considered the most trusted figure in America will narrate a 13-minute video being produced by the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. At the studio he maintains at CBS headquarters in New York City, Walter Cronkite last week recorded the voiceover narration for the video, an historic overview of the Marconi-WCC marine radio station located on Ryder’s Cove in Chathamport. The Marconi group plans to unveil the short film on April 30 at the Chatham High School auditorium (read more - Cape Cod Chronicle)

The Network Radio Research Council (NRRC) has announced that Barry Feldman, Executive Director, Marketing Research for American Urban Radio Networks, has been elected its Chair for a one-year term. In addition, Dr. Tom Evans, President, Senior Vice President of Research for ABC Radio Networks, has been elected Vice Chair. The NRRC was formally created four years ago to promote valid, reliable and effective national radio audience measurement research. In that time, many forums have been hosted with Arbitron Inc., Mediamark Research and Act 1 Systems to help improve the measurement, reporting, and tools available to national radio.

Richard Branson's Virgin empire has emerged as a significant player in the battle for control of Virgin Radio, which is under siege from the media mogul Lord Alli and the venture capital firm 3i. Virgin granted the station the right to use its name when it was bought by Chris Evans eight years ago. That agreement, which continued when SMG took over in 2000, is understood to include a change-of-control clause that may give Virgin the right to veto Lord Alli's bid. Branson's advisers, who are taking legal advice about the power they have under the radio station's brand licence, want to know how much cash will be pumped into the business if the Labour peer gets hold of Virgin Radio. Virgin Group is understood to be keen to protect the value of its brand. However, legal sources said the brand licence may give some protection for Branson's group but it would be unusual for a such a contract to preclude a deal (read more - The Guardian U.K.)

KCBI Dallas-Fort Worth is focusing on Black History all month with sweepers, web presence and special features produced by Dennis Page, KCBI News Anchor throughout the week of February 21. Johanna LIVE, a monthly talk show on KCBI, will wrap up the month of emphasis on February 25th. February 15 - February 28 KCBI will feature a song from one of our African American artists. The songs will be designated as a "Black History Month Song" (visit KCBI)

David Goodman has been named President of Marketing, Infinity Broadcasting, it was announced today by Joel Hollander, Chairman and CEO of Infinity.  In addition to developing and executing sponsorship and advertising opportunities for Infinity, Goodman works with the company's 183 individual stations to enhance their own branding and advertising campaigns and will also lead Infinity's technology and new business initiatives (visit Infinity Broadcasting)

Edward O. Fritts, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters since 1982, notified the NAB Board of Directors today of his desire to begin the succession process that leads to the selection of a new President and CEO at the broadcast industry's primary trade association. Fritts, who has a contract as president and CEO that runs until April 2006 and will continue as a consultant thereafter, told the NAB Board that "filling the top position of a major Washington, DC trade association requires a thorough review and selection process. I wanted to time this announcement to best facilitate the search committee's effort" at finding a successor (read more - NAB)  (read more - Reuters)

From Chuck Blore's Okay, Okay, I Wrote the Book -- Bob Purcell and I came out of West Side Story absolutely dazzled by what we had seen.  What we had seen ... and heard.  Bob said, “Chuck.  What if ...” I finished his thought.  “What if our jingles sounded like that music?” “Yes.  Exactly.  With that huge orchestra. And those voices.   Those powerful voices.”  I said, “Well, at least we know the kind of music we need.  But Leonard Bernstein is probably not up for doing a jingle package right now.” Bob said, “Wait here.”  He went back into the theater and a moment later reappeared with a West Side Story LP which had been on sale in the theater lobby.  “We’ll just find someone who can write music like this.”  There is a link to the first of the first which you can hear.  It is the  introduction of Color Radio to Southern California and it begins with my voice ... (read more from Chuck Blore and listen to the KFWB Channel 98 Color Radio jingles)

Broadcasters are keeping an eye on a House bill that would boost the maximum fine for indecency from $32,500 to $500,000.  It will be considered by the full House today (Wednesday) + The Star and Buc Wild morning show on WWPR (105.1 FM) needs a sportscaster, and anyone interested is invited to send a three- to five-minute videotape to the show at 1120 Sixth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10036  (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)  (read more - Newsday)

The Jeff Gannon story is still bouncing around the Internet, and now there are pictures. The X-rated twist has made for a lot of clandestine clicking in a town where Deep Throat conjures images not of a porn star but of a man in a parking garage. But it has also deepened the debate over blogging and the tactics used to drive a conservative reporter from his job as White House correspondent for two Web sites owned by a Republican activist. In most Beltway melodramas, the resignation ends the story. The problem for Gannon, whose real name is James Dale Guckert, is that he told The Washington Post and CNN's Wolf Blitzer last week that he never launched the Web sites whose provocative names he had registered, such as www.hotmilitarystud.com. But a Web designer in California said yesterday that he had designed a gay escort site for Gannon and had posted naked pictures of Gannon at the client's request. The latest developments were first reported by John Aravosis, a liberal political consultant and gay activist who has a Web site called www.americablog.org "What struck me initially was the hypocrisy angle," Aravosis said. He said he was offended by what he called Gannon's "antigay" writing (read more - Howard Kurtz-Washington Post)  (read more - The Nashua Advocate)  (read more - Raw Story) (read more - Editor and Publisher)  (read more - America Blog)  (read more - 365Gay) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

The Federal Communications Commission has shut down a pirate radio station operating in Bossier City, LA. The Spanish language F-M station was operating on a frequency of 88-point-three megahertz from a small church (read more - KLFY 10)

Clear Channel Rules the World: Take a tour around downtown Minneapolis, and at various points you're going to come across something related to Clear Channel Communications. Flip on your car radio, and you'll probably tune in one of seven radio stations it owns. That billboard on Third Street and Park Avenue by the Metrodome? That's owned by Clear Channel, along with most of the other billboards scattered around the metro. The Metrodome itself is home to the Minnesota Vikings, whose radio broadcasts are heard on two of the company's stations in town. And the team is owned by Red McCombs, a Clear Channel co-founder (read more - City Pages-Minneapolis)

The Sonoma County coroner's office has confirmed the identity of a Sebastopol man who died in a solo-vehicle crash on Friday. Sgt. Will Wallman said Richard Thyne, 59, was killed in the accident off Westside Road in the Forestville area. Thyne was a disc jockey for Sonoma County radio station KRSH-FM. The station broadcast news of Thyne's death on Saturday but the coroner's office delayed identifying Thyne as the victim until his vacationing next of kin were notified. Thyne hosted the "One World" music program and worked at more than a dozen radio stations, including WPLJ-FM in New York City and KVRE-FM (read more - KFTY News 10)

Longtime WEEI-AM (850) program director Jason Wolfe just got a fat new promotion. He's been named director of sports programming for WEEI's parent company, Entercom, one of the largest radio groups in the country (read more - Dean Johnson-Boston Herald)

Next time a tornado blows through, better hope you're watching one of the local TV stations, because you probably ain't gonna hear about it on the radio. I find it deliciously ironic that I am now writing for a newspaper, and ranting about the inadequacies of the profession in which I spent most of my adult life. But the truth is, in Door County, Wis., or Cook County, Ill., the motto at most radio stations these days is: "If it's news, it's news to us"  (read more - Peter Devlin-Green Bay News)

Lawmakers' pique over the networks' incredible shrinking news hole is prompting legislation that will both shorten the time broadcasters have between license renewals and require full commission review of 5% of all licenses. The legislation was introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Tuesday after the release of a report by the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California found evening TV newscasts contained little coverage of local political campaigns last year (read more - Reuters)

Former Channel 4 anchor/reporter Contessa Brewer got the Don Imus treatment when the MSNBC morning guy talked about her filling in this week for regular newsreader Amy Robach. "I met Contessa Brewer yesterday. She's about half a whack job it looks like to me," Imus said on his morning show. "I don't think all the bolts are tightened down. . . . I think you guys could probably say anything and we'll see what happens." (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

There's a time in the movie "Jurasic Park" when the people first hear the footsteps of Tyrannosaurus rex. In an anticipated way we can see quick shots of folks' faces as they respond to knowing something bad is coming. Yesterday Sirius and XM Satellite radio, and the broadcast industry, should have had a similar moment. Motorola introduced its soon-to-be-released cell phone capable of receiving online radio. Another less publicized story is about a German web site, MotorFM, and its bid to download programs and music to cell phones. Before this gets out of control, here's a fact: Major penetration of internet radio via cell phone is still years away. But, if broadcasters respond to this with the same lethargic movement they gave satrad and the internet, or satrad ignores this on-coming train, both will see drastic downturns. The evidence is in how youth utilize cell phones (read more - Audio Graphics)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Last Thursday I wrote about the remarkable ability that Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame) has of making you feel very important, as though he’s a close friend who really has missed talking with you. My friend Joel Block responded to that observation thus: “DJ –I had an incredible Peter Yarrow experience, too. I was working for KARMA in '74 and Peter was performing at the Kerrville Folk Festival, as always. We arranged for him to do a KRMH interview with me as host. My initial question to him was "...So Peter, how are you?" And I believe that's the last thing I said for the next 30 minutes, as he proceeded to delve into the very essence of how he was. I found that it didn't take much to trigger the man, and it made for a very pleasant interview!—JB” I’m sure many of you have had similar positive experiences with performers. Care to share? (visit Jarrott Media)

The smell of good southern cooking filled the nooks and crannies of the Selma Convention Center Tuesday night as Selma homemakers were cooking with gas. ALAGASCO Chef Clayton Sherrod performed a clinic at the Annual Homemakers Cooking School put on by WHBB and WDXX. The house was packed. "It's a big event," the radio stations' owner Mike Reynolds said. "We have way more folks than can get tickets to get in." (read more - Selma Times Journal)

"I am the last remaining muckraker in this country. ... Any major issue I've been on, the major media won't touch with a barge pole," Rafe Mair joked over lunch, in a voice that has been heard by radio listeners across British Columbia. Radio talk-show hosts in the United States preen about how they are champions of "the little guy." The irascible 73-year-old Mair is the real thing. He has spent a quarter-century as a burr in the hide of the Great White North's establishment (read more - Seattle P-I)

The chief executive of PBS has announced that she will not renew her contract when it expires in June 2006. Pat Mitchell, who joined the Public Broadcasting Service in 2000, will leave as its programs have been criticized by members of the Bush administration. A recent decision by Mitchell to withdraw “Postcards From Buster,” a children's program that featured lesbian parents, stirred attacks by left-leaning groups (read more - KC Star)

Sydney radio station 2UE has been ordered to apologise on air to gay rights activist Gary Burns for calling The Block's Gav and Waz "poofs". Late last year, the New South Wales Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled the radio station had breached the Anti Discrimination Act when talkback hosts Steve Price and John Laws objected to "a pair of poofs renovating in their knickers" during the 6.30pm time slot on Channel 9. The ADT today ruled Mr Price and Mr Laws should apologise on air and in The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph newspapers by March 31 for the comments (read more - News.com Australia)

Just days after South Florida rock fans had a big downer, they had cause to celebrate on Tuesday: a new radio station, Rock 93. In the third format change this year, WPYM-FM 93.1 Party 93 abruptly flipped from dance music to new rock late Monday. Party 93 is now Rock 93 (read more - Miami Herald)

John Monds, who's been hosting mornings at adult urban WSRB-FM (106.3) since last June, became the latest in a long line of former employees of Crawford Broadcasting stations. Monds' voluntary resignation Tuesday closely follows the ouster of his morning co-host, Bonnie DeShong. The two once hosted afternoons together at rival WVAZ-FM (102.7) (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Former WLS talk show guy, Jay Marvin, heads to the Rocky  Mountains.  He'll be doing mornings at KKZN in Boulder (visit JayMarvinOnline) (visit 760 KKZN)

During an exclusive interview with Kevin Kennedy on the first day of broadcasting for XM Satellite Radio's MLB Home Plate channel (XM Channel 175), former baseball slugger Jose Canseco claimed that both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire took steroids during their famed home-run chase in 1998.  Kennedy managed Canseco while he was a Texas Ranger (read more - XM)

Kelvin MacKenzie is refusing to increase his nil-premium takeover bid for the Wireless Group despite an apparent about-turn by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the second largest shareholder in the radio broadcaster, in its support for the offer. Mr MacKenzie, chief executive and chairman of the Wireless Group, met Mr Murdoch and investment bankers in New York last week in an attempt to tie up a buyout deal. The former Sun editor returned to London under the impression that the takeover would be accepted, but industry sources yesterday said Mr MacKenzie had underestimated his former employer (read more - The Guardian U.K.)  (read more - Media Bulletin)

Deeply buried in the Bush administration's 97-page supplemental budget request for $81.9 billion ($75 billion of it for the Pentagon), mainly to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is one sentence that expresses—more succinctly and shockingly than any official statement to date—just how little progress we've made toward making Iraq a stable nation. It's there in the section dealing with the $5.7 billion requested for the "Iraq Security Force Fund," which notes that the interim Iraqi government, with assistance from coalition nations, has already created a security force of 90 battalions, but then adds: All but one of these 90 battalions, however, are lightly equipped and armed, and have very limited mobility and sustainment capabilities. In other words, 89 of Iraq's 90 battalions essentially cannot fight. This is a far worse state of affairs than even President Bush's critics have imagined (read more - Fred Kaplan-Slate) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

The Burlington Indians bid farewell to the "Voice of the B-Tribe" this week, as radio play-by-play man Adam Pohl accepted a similiar position with the Salem (VA) Avalanche of the Carolina League. "Adam's a great broadcaster, and a fun guy to have around. We're going to miss him," said Indians General Manager Mark Cryan, "but this is a great opportunity for him." (read more - Our Sports Central)

Here's a Fox Sports Affiliate Update -- Effective February 7, XPRS-AM 1090 in San Diego, Calif., became an affiliate of the network. "The Mighty 1090" will air Fox Sports Radio late nights and weekends. They are the all-sports radio station in San Diego and the radio flagship of the San Diego Padres and San Diego State Aztecs. Effective February 14, WSFC-AM 1240 in Somerset, Ky., became an affiliate of the network. The station will air Fox Sports Radio on weekends. Effective March 7, KRXK-AM 1230 in Rexburg, Idaho, and KSEI-AM 930 in Pocatello, Idaho, will become full-time affiliates of the network. Effective March 7, WRKQ-AM 1250 in Madisonville, Tenn., will become an affiliate of the network. The station will air Fox Sports Radio evenings and weekends (visit Fox Sports)

The regulators willing, I plan to have satellite radio in my car by the end of the year. Despite initial doubts, I am ready to shell out the proposed fee of $12.99 a month to whoever gets the Canadian licence for satellite radio from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Why the enthusiasm? Because satellite radio, it turns out, lives up to the hype  (read more - Canada-Technology)

Univision Communications Inc., through its radio, television and online subsidiaries, said Tuesday it will host an exposition in Los Angeles at the end of February, "Salud, Dinero y Amor," a two day expo which will feature topics such as finances, family and health, all aimed towards Hispanic women.  (visit LA Biz Journal)

Congress “has systematically looted” billions of dollars that should have been set aside to pay future Social Security benefits, committing a sin in the eyes of millions of “people of faith” across the United States, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson asserted Tuesday. “It is sinful to rob a trust fund. A lawyer or banker who looted a trust fund would go to jail,” Robertson told a National Press Club luncheon. But lawmakers in both major parties have tapped the Social Security trust fund to offset the federal budget deficit, he said, leaving “an IOU that’s got to be paid one day by higher taxes.”  (read more - Virginian Pilot)

Last week in his Commentary, Gerry Cagle asked for feedback on better ways to bring exciting new music to radio. Victory Records head Tony Brummel took Cagle up on his request, declaring that, dwindling Rock stations notwithstanding, there is a vibrant fan base for the music - one that is being largely ignored by radio. "As the No. 1 independent rock label in 2004 in the U.S., I cannot say that Victory Records is in that position because of radio's support," he states. "This bothers me...If I am already selling a lot of records without radio's support, wouldn't radio find it easier to deem my records worthy of its airwaves? Doesn't it make more sense to spin records by artists who have a loyal, passionate and existing fan base that was built organically first, without mass exposure?" Brummel hammers home his perspective in an exclusive guest Commentary (visit www.musicbiz.com)

Wednesday’s Mike & Mike in the Morning show will originate from 590 the Fan in Toronto where co-hosts Greenberg and Golic will be taping their appearances on ESPN’s scripted drama series TILT (Thursdays at 9 p.m.). They will appear in Episode 8 on March 10 (visit ESPN)

Rush Limbaugh's divorce from third wife Marta has been signed and sealed in a Key West courthouse. Circuit Judge Sandra Taylor issued the final judgment Dec. 21 and sealed the 22-page settlement agreement, according to Monroe County Circuit Court records. The couple did not have any children. The former Mrs. Limbaugh will no longer be using the radio host's famous last name. A former aerobics instructor from Jacksonville, Marta had her maiden name of Maranda restored by the final judgment. A Palm Beach resident, Limbaugh reportedly has been dating CNN anchor Daryn Kagan since August, and media speculation has run rampant as to whether the 42-year-old will become the fourth Mrs. Limbaugh (read more - Palm Beach Daily News)

The prosecutor investigating whether Rush Limbaugh illegally purchased prescription painkillers told the Florida Supreme Court on Monday that investigators should be allowed to review the conservative radio commentator's medical records. Assistant State Attorney James Martz was responding to arguments Limbaugh and his attorneys made asking that the records remain sealed. Martz said Limbaugh's argument that he should have been notified before the records were seized by investigators is equivalent to saying ``that law enforcement is never to be trusted.'' Limbaugh and his attorney, Roy Black, had no comment on Monday (read more - Sun Sentinel)  (read more - Palm Beach Daily News)

"For years, I've had colitis, which is a disease that has a pretty high cancer risk, and Friday after I got off the air, my doctor informed me that he had found a small, cancerous lesion inside my colon," Tony Snow said on the radio yesterday. "So as soon as possible, I'm going to go in and get that sucker taken out." Doctors told Snow that his prognosis is good, but he said he might not be on the air today because he plans to seek medical attention (read more - Don Kaplan-NY Post)

After a nationwide search, WLUM-FM (102.1) assistant program director and on-air voice Kenny Neumann has been named the new program director at the rock station. He replaces Tommy Wilde, who remains at 'LUM in the midday deejay slot. Neumann stays behind the mike for afternoon drive time (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

Jonathan Schwartz loves what he hears on the Don Imus morning radio show over WFAN (660 AM). He does not love what he sees. As of last week, Imus and his sidekick-newsman, Charles McCord, moved from the small, shadowy WFAN studios in Astoria to the spacious MSNBC studio in Secaucus, which sparkles with bright colors and is lit like high noon on the beach in Rio. Imus himself has been grumbling about the move, which is designed to integrate him more into the MSNBC brand. But Imus grumbles about everything, so it's hard to tell if he's serious. Schwartz is. He doesn't like it (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)

No one is supposed to know about it, but urban-contemporary WPWX-FM (92.3) plans to drop its current morning hosts next month and replace them with Sam Sylk, who's now the afternoon personality on WGCI-FM (107.5) + Jerry Springer's new radio talk show, which debuted last month in Cincinnati, already has expanded in syndication to Detroit and Miami, with Boston on the way + Elroy Smith's phone and e-mail have been on fire since superstar Alicia Keys singled him out by name on Sunday night's Grammy Awards broadcast. She thanked the WGCI program boss for being among the first to boost "The Diary of Alicia Keys," the CD for which she won best R&B album (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Most people expect the huge telecommunications mergers recently announced to be approved in the current political climate, but the deals could prompt a considerable fine-tuning of existing rules. The consolidations, a natural outgrowth of the deregulatory agenda of the Federal Communications Commission under Michael K. Powell, will present the next chairman with a crucial opportunity to rewrite the rules governing the industry. The conditions set - or brushed aside - by regulators in deciding whether to approve each of the three big deals announced in the last few weeks will be among the most significant policy decisions for the industry since Congress rewrote telecommunications rules nine years ago (read more - NY Times)

Rob Barnett has been named President, Programming, Infinity Broadcasting, it was announced by Joel Hollander, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Infinity. He will oversee programming operations at Infinity's 183 radio stations, as well as lead initiatives for the company, including talent recruitment and development and integration of Infinity content with emerging technologies. The appointment is effective immediately. Barnett will report to Hollander (visit Infinity Broadcasting)

Both XM and Sirius have announced plans to make their services available through new and less-expensive devices.
XM has signed deals with 13 consumer electronics companies to include XM receivers in a variety of home audio and video devices, while Sirius will soon launch a lineup of new portable receivers that let you record and save programs (read more - Ric Manning-Louisville Courier-Journal)

Recently, a popular morning show called “Miss Jones in the Morning” that broadcasts on a local radio station in New York aired a song hoping to boost ratings. This song, renamed the “Tsunami Song,” used choice words to describe Asians affected by the tragedy. The song also mocked the children who were left orphaned by the disaster. Some say this is an issue of freedom of speech, and that may well be the case. But what of Jones’ moral and ethical responsibilities to her listeners? Some say that she should not be fired over “a joke.” Nothing in the Southeast Asia tsunami tragedy can be described as “a joke.” Imagine the repercussions if a radio host had aired a similar song about the Oklahoma City bombing or the tragedy of Sept. 11. Would we tolerate such actions? No, we wouldn’t. As such a prominent figure in the radio broadcast world, Miss Jones must be held accountable for her actions. The world is already full of enough tragedy and hate. Should we allow Miss Jones and Emmis Communications to continue contributing to it? We would be doing future generations a disservice by letting it pass. Emmis issued an apology, stating, “this incident in no way reflects the spirit of HOT 97.” But this is not the first time that the radio station has been in hot water for its insensitive and racist attitudes (read more - Cecile Alipio-The Daily O'Collegian)

The most buzzworthy story in the blogosphere today is . . . the blogosphere itself. In the wake of Eason Jordan's resignation at CNN, have bloggers become a new and fearless source of fact-checking and truth-telling? Or are they, in the poke-'em-in-the-eye phrase of Steve Lovelady of Columbia Journalism Review, "salivating morons" who comprise a "lynch mob"? (read more - Howard Kurtz-Washington Post)

TV historian and author Wally Podrazik has been named head writer for all exhibits at the new Museum of Broadcast Communications, opening in the Summer of 2006 at State and Kinzie in downtown Chicago. Podrazik is co-author of "Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television" and a frequent media commentator for WBEZ-FM Chicago. The announcement was made by Bruce DuMont, Founder and President of the Museum of Broadcast Communications (visit Museum of Broadcast Communications)

Local TV stations have nearly given up covering local political races and issues, researchers will report today.  In the month leading up to last Election Day, just 8% of the local evening newscasts in 11 of the nation's largest TV markets devoted time to local races and issues, researchers say. Over the same period, 55% of the newscasts included reports about the presidential race. And "eight times more coverage went to stories about accidental injuries" than to local races and issues, their report concludes ... local stations have scaled back coverage of local politics because they're trying to save money by using fewer reporters  (read more - USA Today)

"MakeThemAccountable.com" now has a Web site that lists links to archived and live online streaming un-conservative radio shows of dozens of talk show hosts (click here to visit the listening page)

The Federal Communications Commission has been cracking down on indecent content on television and radio over the past year. But there's one segment of the broadcast population that not only doesn't follow broadcast decency rules, they're broadcasting illegally. They're called pirate radio stations and there's a local one that many parents may not have noticed - but it has gained cult-like status with teens. Whether you're seeking or scanning the radio dial in Ft Myers, you may be surprised by what the DJ says on 104.5 (read more and view the news video - NBC 2)

Salem Communications Corp. is buying Christianity.com, an online provider of Christian content and ministry resources, for about $3.4 million. The parent of Nashville-based Salem Radio Network plans to leverage Christianity.com's content and name recognition (read more - Nashville Biz Journal)

Kelvin MacKenzie stands to make more than £6m if his £100m bid to take over the Wireless Group is successful. The chairman and chief executive of the TalkSport owner has a 6.4% stake in the company and has tabled a 90p-a-share offer for the company, backed by private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson, which would value the Wireless Group at £100m. The bid was confirmed by the Wireless Group yesterday. In addition to national speech station TalkSport, the Wireless Group owns 16 local radio stations such as Signal One and Wave 102 in Dundee. It recently won the licence to operate speech station Dunedin FM in Edinburgh and is bidding for licences in Manchester and Belfast (read more - The Guardian U.K.)

The party is over for listeners of WPYM 93.1 FM. The station, which adopted a dance music format in late 2001, abruptly changed to a rock music format Monday night, station general manager Michael Disney said. The move was prompted by 94.9 Zeta's change from rock to Latin music last week (read more - Sun Sentinel)

The Austin KNOW Radio lunch group meets at Razzoo's Cajun Cafe for Cajun food on Thursday February 24 at 11:30 am.  It's  across from Covert Ford on North 183 (read more - KNOW)

On March 12th, all five of the Satellite Sisters will appear in the world-famous “Un-Cabaret” theater in Hollywood. Their show, “Satellite Sisters Night Out at the Un-Cabaret” will focus on a specific theme that is a favorite topic of conversation among the Dolan Sisters: Martha Stewart. They have entitled their show, “A Celebration of Spring and Sprung,” in honor of the home design maven’s impending release from prison (visit the Satellite Sisters)

Envision Radio Networks announces Looking Up To #1, the Contemporary Christian Music Count-UP Show, is now being carried by KTSY-FM in Boise, Idaho, KIFG-AM & FM in Iowa  Falls, Iowa, WJQK-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan and WION- M in Lansing, Michigan. STAR 99.1 New York’s Morning Show Host, Program Director and Looking Up To #1’s Host, Johnny Stone, interviews the artists and counts up the Top 20 songs on the weekly Looking Up To #1 chart (visit Envision)

Omaha's KVNO Classical FM 90.7 recently scored among the top 10 percent of public radio stations from across the country in a survey conducted by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (read more - UNO Gateway)

Tampa's non-commercial WMNF (88.5 FM) has several great choices, such as the "Sunday Evening Jazz Clinic" airing from 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays and the "Pat Chamburs Show" with "jazz and jive" from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays. DJ Mike "Vinyl" Humphries jams classic jump-blues (country blues, swing jazz and boogie-woogie) on his "Route 66" program from 4 to 6 a.m. (yes, a.m.) on Fridays (read more - Dawn Scire, The Radio Babe)

Rick & Bubba will be featured as cockroaches in the upcoming animated DVD for 'Hermie & Friends' titled "A Fruitcake Christmas". Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey will provide voices for the "Ziggy" and "Iggy" characters in the next installment of Max Lucado's Hermie & Friends series coming out later this year. The Rick & Bubba Show based at Citadel's WYSF in Birmingham is syndicated to radio stations throughout the South and seen weekdays on Turnersouth

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Yesterday I mentioned that I had never had to dress up as Cupid in nearly 40 years of radio and television appearances.  But my old pal, Ed Volkman of Chicago’s B96, apparently did: “You never had to dress up like Cupid? I did! In fact, at my tenure here at B96 I've had to dress as Cupid, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, a Bee (Bee96), A Miller Lite Bottle (just this year at a Chicago Bears game), Santa Claus, a Priest (just to get the 14-year old male demo), and my crowning glory: a giant Dorito, as Jobo and I slid down a waterslide into a vat of salsa at a waterpark! ( FYI: I was "Nacho Cheesier", Jobo was "Cool Ranch").”  Well, Ed, that’s why you and Jobo get the big bucks!  What indignities have you had to endure in the name of job security? (visit Jarrott Media)

Never underestimate the value of a cash bribe. Take payola. It’s the practice of making undisclosed payments or other inducements to federally licensed radio and TV broadcast personnel in consideration for airplay and at times even that didn’t matter. The first payola court case was in 1960 when two of the country’s top DJs, former Clevelander Alan Freed and American Bandstand host Dick Clark were indicted for accepting money and other considerations. Back then, payola was not illegal but commercial bribery and tax evasion was. A smart Clark dodged the bullet the belligerent Freed caught. Freed denied taking payola, claiming a $2,500 payment from a record label was a gesture of appreciation and had no affect on airplay. Freed was fired from WINS/New York, the station he left Cleveland for, when he refused to sign a statement denying payola involvement. His career was wrecked and he drank himself dead by age 43 (read more - John Gorman)

Jose Canseco, baseball veteran and author of the new book "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big," is scheduled to appear live on XM Satellite Radio's MLB Home Plate channel (XM Channel 175) on Tuesday, February 15, at 4:00 pm ET. Canseco is scheduled to appear on the XM program "The Show" hosted by Canseco's former manager, Kevin Kennedy, and will take listener phone calls. Kennedy co-hosts "The Show" with fellow MLB veteran Rob Dibble. Tuesday marks the first day of broadcasting for MLB Home Plate, the nation's first 24-hour radio channel devoted to Major League Baseball. The MLB Home Plate channel will feature news, listener call-in shows, interviews, and rebroadcasts of classic games (visit XM Channel 175)

'Governor, your suits look so beautiful' -- Media sometimes appear starstruck by Schwarzenegger. Call off the media hounds. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- heading around the state to push his proposals on radio and TV -- knows all too well how to handle the reporter types trying to play "gotcha." (read more - Carla Marinucci-San Francisco Chronicle)

Texas Radio Hall of Famer and the Godfather of the Texas State Network, Stan Wilson, continues his remarkable recovery with speech and physical therapy following a stroke.  No phone calls yet, but friends of the former GM of KFJZ  can mail get well wishes to him in Room 232, Stonegate Nursing Center, 4201 Stonegate Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas 76109

RAJAR Ltd (Radio Joint Audience Research), the radio ratings research consortium in the UK, has announced that the Arbitron Portable People Meter (PPM) has passed its “Audiometer Validation Test” and has been selected for further fieldwork tests later this Spring. According to a RAJAR press release, the Audiometer Validation Test “…was designed in conjunction with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)… to determine how well the audiometers could identify up to 33 different radio services (both music and talk format) under as wide a variety of real life situations as possible.” (visit Arbitron)

David Brock, a former investigative reporter for conservative publications before flipping his political ideology and writing a book titled, "Blinded by the Right," said Monday that the best way for liberals to expose the current conservative influence in the media is to show how conservatives are "simply willing to lie."  (read more - Cybercast News Service)

A federal civil rights official hailed a $185,000 settlement Monday in a sexual harassment lawsuit against a Monterey Spanish-language television station. The settlement was announced last week between the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Entravision Communications Corp., a Santa Monica-based affiliate of Spanish-language global giant Univision (read more - Monterey Herald)

Ethics: Getting Back on Track” is the topic for Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association’s (BCFM) Distance Learning Seminar on Tuesday, March 8, from 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. (ET). In this session, teleconference seminar moderator Denny Faurote, a CPA and President and Founder of The Faurote Group, will help participants learn how to identify the benefits of strong ethics; recognize the personal and organizational impact of unethical behavior; identify the actions that constitute unethical behavior and lean how to use an “Ethical Action Test” to help check personal responses in difficult situations (visit BCFM)

The consortium circling Virgin Radio is considering a takeover of the parent company SMG as it steps up its bid to win control of the broadcaster. Lord Alli and venture capital group 3i, who had a £100m bid for Virgin turned down last month, are considering strengthening their consortium to bid for SMG. Lord Alli and 3i are thought to be willing to go as high as £110m for Virgin, which remains the priority, but are weighing up an offer for the whole of SMG if the Glasgow-based group continues to rebuff their advances (read more - The Guardian U.K.)

Premiere Radio Networks announced that Stewart Ellner has been promoted from controller to vice president/controller and Matthew Fern has been promoted from director of billing to vice president, business systems strategy/director of billing. Both are based in Los Angeles (read more - Premiere Radio Networks)

ESPN Radio will present complete, three-day coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend culminating with the NBA All-Star Game Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8:30 p.m. Jim Durham will describe the action, along with analyst James Worthy, on-site studio host Marc Kestecher, on-site analyst Will Perdue and courtside reporters Fred Carter and Shelley Smith (visit ESPN Radio)

SurfNet Media Group announced the relaunching of the VoiceAmerica Business Channel www.business.voiceamerica.com on its online
VoiceAmerica Network www.voiceamerica.com. The  channel will have a new name, revitalized look and design, enhanced features and functions, improved 32 bit stereo broadcast quality and  multiple platform choices, including Windows Media Player (read more- PR Newswire)

Mediabase spearheaded the monitored airplay revolution more than 17 years ago and has continually reinvented and streamlined their data delivery process for its loyal customer base of thousands. Today, Mediabase President and Premiere Radio Networks’ EVP Rich Meyer announced the company’s latest innovation – Mediabase 24/7, Version 5.0. Mediabase 24/7, Version 5.0 offers new continuous reports on more than 1,700 radio stations and 25 formats, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (read more - Premiere Radio Networks)

Mary Westphal was flabbergasted after watching the heartbreaking documentary Mayor of the Sunset Strip about KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. "I couldn’t believe no one had ever done anything for Rodney. He helped all these bands and made KROQ what it is today, and now he’s banished to a time slot that’s so late no one knows he’s on the air. I mean, why hasn’t anyone given him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Rick Dees has one and Rodney doesn’t." (read more - Seven McDonald-LA Weekly)

From Claude Hall -- The day of the big disc jockey seems to have passed. Someone might mention the name of Howard Stern, but Stern is a mere "puddy cat" compared to many that I could name from the days of yore. He's not great anything. Just knows a few four-letter words. No talent involved. He may have a fandom, but one questions their quality. The days are gone, though, when disc jockeys not only had a fandom, but also an entourage of other disc jockeys. I recall once doing a survey of 30 of the nation's leading Top 40 program directors and 30 of them thought Charlie (Art Ferguson) Tuna at KHJ in Los Angeles was the No. 1 Top 40 personality in America.  There was no coaching on this survey; I did not provide a list from which they might choose. Charlie Tuna was the peer image. These, in effect, were heavyweights paying homage to a heavyweight. When I interviewed Bill Stewart in the restaurant then atop 9000 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, he had brought along a radio personality named Paxton Mills to listen to Charlie Tuna. The later interview with Charlie Tuna, incidentally, reaped more than 250 letters and at least a hundred phone calls of  comment and those were the days when I always had seven or eight phone calls waiting at the switchboard (most, I never got to answer) so I don't know how many phone calls I might have received in regards to the interview. Prior to Charlie, Dan Ingram at WABC. Without question. Disc Jockeys flew into New York City by the ton to listen to the on-air techniques of Dan Ingram (read more - www.claudehallonline.com)

On the night when all of music bands together for one genre-busting party, Ray Charles received a fitting eulogy Sunday as his final album, "Genius Loves Company," won a leading eight Grammys (read more - NY Post)  (view Grammy photos - NY Post)  (read more - USA Today) (read more - NY Times)  (read more - The Nashville Tennessean)

About 100 people rallied Sunday at a popular French-language radio station to protest an ownership change that will end the station's popular news and talk-radio format. Listeners and retired hosts at CKAC asked fans of the station to help persuade the new owners, Corus Entertainment, to shelve the planned closure of the Montreal newsroom (read more - My Telus)  (read more - Canoe)

So who could've guessed that as Michael Powell prepared to leave office four years later, Powell's greatest legacy would be Nipplegate? Powell has sown nothing but chaos and silliness since last year's wardrobe incident at the Super Bowl, when he decided to become the 21st century's answer to Thomas Bowdler, the 18th-century English physician who published an edition of Shakespeare from which, he wrote, he had excised “every thing that could give just offence to the religious and virtuous mind.” (read more - Aaron Barnhart-KC Star)

From George Mair -- We should mention the good news that the Monty Python and the Holy Grail genius is back with a new musical labeled with a contemporary, computer world spin called "Spamalot ***** Mike Nichols directing*******It's Valentine Time and it brings thoughts of love such as love is like an hour glass.  As the heart fills up, the brain empties***** Pacifists favor making love while militarists favor making  war. Most people do both. It's called marriage (read more - George Mair's LALA Letter)

One hand's on the wheel, the other is glued to the tuner. Radio listeners, weary of the sound of a broken record, are dishing out for satellite subscriptions. Digital radio targets music buffs tired of the Top 40. A substantial increase in channels over commercial radio allows a station to devote itself to a particular genre, such as traditional or recent country songs. Satellite competitors XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio both offer extensive sports coverage and talk radio, including television news broadcasts, political shows and comedy channels (read more - Decatur Daily)

National Religious Broadcasters President Frank Wright told thousands of N-R-B members at their convention in Anaheim, California, that if equal time had to be given to opponents of the gospel, "It could be the end of Christian broadcasting as we know it." Wright also said laws against "hate speech" could make it illegal to preach or broadcast the biblical teaching that homosexual conduct is sinful (read more - KBCI 2)  (read more - Christian Post)

Lent, in much of the Christian world, is a time of reflection.
In some corners, it's also a time for deflection. Over at WTBN, 910 AM, a local Christian radio station, they aren't taking any chances anybody is going to say anything that might promote some kind of understanding between Christians and the rest of the world ... the good people at WTBN canceled an advertising contract with a Muslim group that was promoting a Christian-Muslim dialogue at the University of South Florida. That's right. This group wanted the radio station to air an ad about a meeting on campus, where Christian and Islamic experts plan to open a dialogue and just talk about things. You can see the problem (read more - Steve Otto-Tampa Tribune)

Jay Thomas, who's been a familiar face in popular television shows and films as well as a top-rated radio personality, has officially joined SIRIUS Satellite Radio as a talk show host. Thomas, widely regarded as one of the funniest people in show business, now enlightens and entertains SIRIUS subscribers weekday afternoons, exclusively on SIRIUS Talk Central, channel 148. "I'm pursuing my longtime goal of doing a talk radio show," said Thomas. "Besides, I'm fascinated by those guys who control the satellites for SIRIUS" (visit Sirius Talk Central)

XM Satellite Radio Inc. has developed technology that lets radio makers sell AM/FM home units that double as satellite receivers. And it is working to adapt the system to vehicle radios. The microprocessor and antenna technology, called Connect-and-Play, will show up in home units next month in such brands as Pioneer, Harman Kardon and Boston Acoustics. XM says Connect-and-Play will lower the price of a home satellite radio from several hundred dollars to $50 (read more - Auto Week)

Remember the rotary telephone? In a few decades, the old land-line phone system could grow just as obsolete. Future generations will wonder at the days when people made calls without the Internet. How does VoIP work? VoIP allows customers to hook their regular home telephone to their high-speed Internet, or broadband, connection and send calls at least partially over the Internet. They will dial the phone the same way and continue to hear a dial-tone and regular ring. Because it is free from the constraints of a local phone line, VoIP allows users to take their phone service with them wherever they go. Customers can select their area code, presumably the one from which they will get the most calls. VoIP has spawned companies dedicated to VoIP service, such as Vonage, one of the nation’s largest such startups. It sells the adapter technology and carries calls on its self-managed Internet network (read more - Virginian Pilot)

The event of the week as far as certain sections of the press and the folks on wonderful Radio 1 were concerned was The Return of Coxie. The Guardian last weekend had an exclusive interview with the former breakfast DJ on the day when she took up her new Saturday afternoon slot (read more - The Herald)

Q & A -- Dallas Morning News: CBS has given you the temporary assignment of manning the anchor desk for the Evening News after Dan Rather leaves and before a successor – or successors – is named. How do you feel about that?
Bob Schieffer: I was truly honored that they asked me to do this. However this all comes out, I hope this will help all of us at CBS News to step back and catch our breath. We are a great news organization; we hit a bad bump in the road and took decisive and serious steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. Now it's time to get back to work and cover the news, and I am going to help in every way that I can (read more - Dallas Morning News)

WFAN's Don Imus dropped the F-bomb on both radio and TV Friday while apparently thinking he was talking privately on an intercom. Imus, who's been complaining all week about moving to MSNBC's Secaucus, N.J. studio, went ballistic when a cue was missed. "Come on guys, goddamn it," he said, "you're f***ing killing me here." MSNBC referred calls to WFAN, which declined comment (read more - John Mainelli-NY Post)

Jim Stone, 59, spreads his passion on Saturday and Tuesday nights from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. His smooth voice sets the tone for "Big Band Swing," which plays locally on WLNZ 89.7 FM and on the Internet worldwide at WLNZ.org. He airs from the basement of his house in Lansing, in a tiny studio -the padded room - next to his cherished albums in a bookcase that fills the wall (read more - Lansing State Journal)

Jose Canseco, variously called "The Bad Boy of Baseball," or "The Godfather of Steroids," has written a much-talked-about book he calls "Juiced” that purports to tell the truth about his own use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormones, and the same about other top players in Major League Baseball. The book is already a best-seller, due to pre-orders on Amazon and elsewhere (read more - CBS 60 Minutes) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

The recent sale of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Pulitzer, Inc. to the parent company of The Southern Illinoisan has raised awareness about the ownership of media outlets in the region, both print and broadcast. The newspaper industry has not been the only media source affected by mergers and concentration in ownership, that trend has also been the rule in both television and radio. Steve Wheeler, general manager of WSIL-TV3 since 1983, said viewers are often unaware of who owns what local media resources (read more - The Southern Illinoisan)

Everybody talks about the weather. State Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, tried to do something about it. Not surprisingly, it didn't work. Last week, Truitt decided not to pursue a bill she recently introduced to the House that would have made it illegal for weather forecasters to call themselves meteorologists unless they actually were meteorologists. That is to say, they had a bachelor's degree, or an equivalent, in weather science +  several grads of Marshall's KMHT-AM/FM, Longview's KLUE-AM and KHER-FM, and Shreveport's KBCL-AM have Fort Worth-Dallas connections (WBAP/820 AM evening talker Gary McNamara is a KMHT alum). The reunion will take place at 11 a.m. Feb. 26 at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, and attendees are encouraged to bring memorabilia. For information, call Tony Bridge, (817) 731-6504, or e-mail him at tbridgejr@hotmail.com (read more - Robert Philpot-Star-Telegram)

With the resignation Friday of a top news executive from CNN, bloggers have laid claim to a prominent media career for the second time in five months. In September, conservative bloggers exposed flaws in a report by Dan Rather; he subsequently announced that on March 9 he would step down as anchor of the "CBS Evening News." On Friday, after nearly two weeks of intensifying pressure on the Internet, Eason Jordan, the chief news executive at CNN, abruptly resigned after being besieged by the online community. Morever, last week liberal bloggers forced a sketchily credentialed White House reporter to quit his post. For some bloggers - people who publish the sites known as Web logs - it was a declaration that this was just the beginning (read more Katherine Q. Seelye-NY Times) (read more - Wall Street Journal)

The Cincy Enquirer recently spent a day with the studio hosts at WSAI-AM (1360), WLW-AM (700) and WDBZ-AM (1230). This is that day - a snapshot into the working lives of the seven men whose charge it is to get the jive jukin' and the lines lit. The callers, too, are part of Cincinnati's electronic family. They are all part of ... One day on the dial (read more - Cincy Enquirer)

The U.S. government may view al-Jazeera as little more than an anti-American mouthpiece, yet the journalists who work at the satellite TV station consider it the only bastion of free press in an authoritarian Middle East. And the prospect of being sold to the highest bidder has many deeply worried (read more - CBS 2 NY)

Cupid occasionally misses his mark, so a local radio station is running a Valentine's Day contest offering a free divorce. "Everyone associates Valentine's Day with love, and diamonds, chocolate, roses. But what about those people that hate it? This is for those people," said Scott Petibone, program director at WKRL-FM, a progressive rock station (read more - CNN)

A Madison, Wis., television reporter was arrested for allegedly threatening people Friday afternoon at a Beloit radio station, police said. Beloit police responded to WGEZ radio in regard to an armed subject. The suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Joseph J. Mason, reportedly was armed with a handgun and inside the station exhibiting unusual and threatening behavior. The business was evacuated except for a radio news anchorman (read more - Rockford Register Star)

If you're sick of all the ads on the radio, you aren't alone. Demand for commercial free music is sending folks flocking to satellite radio at a rate of 347,000 subscribers a month, according to a new report by JPMorgan. The two service providers, Sirius and XM, have mainly courted car-radio listeners. Now the satellite guys are hooking up with tech firms to target home users with boom boxes, stereo tuners and handheld gadgets (aimed at iPod users). Is the gear ready for prime time? (read more - Time magazine)

XM Satellite Radio will launch the nation's first 24-hour radio channel devoted exclusively to Major League Baseball (MLB) on Tuesday, February 15. The MLB Home Plate channel will feature news, listener call-in shows, interviews, and rebroadcasts of classic games (read more - XM)

Retired Flint radio veteran Bill Lamb, 80, will sell and sign copies of his local radio memoir, "Buick, the Factory Whistle & Me!," at two area businesses this week (read more - Flint Journal)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Happy Valentine’s Day and a lovely box of chocolates to the 1000th caller! I don’t think I ever had to dress up (down?) in a Cupid costume while I was in radio, but I certainly gave away my share of [insert brand name here] chocolate candy, flowers from [sponsor name here], romantic dinners for two (alcoholic beverages and gratuity not included) at [name of restaurant we sold Valentine package to goes here], and overnight accommodations at [insert name here] hotel and resort. Yes, Valentine’s Day—a great American holiday brought to you by Hallmark. And the florists union. Don’t you love the way they mark up the price of flowers for today? Gadzooks! Yes, it’s an expensive time of year at the Jarrott household: Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14th), followed by wife’s birthday (Feb. 18th), followed by wedding anniversary (Mar. 14th)! The banks aren’t closed today are they? I may need to apply for a loan (visit Jarrott Media)

The big winners in the recently released radio ratings for fall '04? Carter Broadcasting was No. 1, with KPRS-FM sitting in its usual perch atop the slagheap with a 6.9 share of listeners 12 and older. Entercom with News Radio KMBZ 980 AM came in a close second with a 6.6, and 98.9 FM The Rock was third at 6.5. WDAF-FM came in fourth with a 6.4 share. Lagging the listening pack still were sports stations WHB-AM in 18th place with a 2.5 share and 610 Sports 19th with a 1.9 share (read more - KC Star)

What distinguishes the Greater Cincinnati market from some similarly sized ones is the amount of time dedicated to local programming. The area offers almost as much locally generated sports talk per weekday as Cleveland and Columbus combined (13 hours). "Sports talk is as strong a media vehicle in this town as it is in any city in the country," said Brennaman, who also hosts the "Reds Hot Stove League" on WLW. "I can't imagine another city in the country where sports talk creates so much conversation on the streets on a daily basis and also creates so much participation by the people who call in." That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view. Bengals defensive tackle John Thornton says "It's difficult hearing somebody talking about something they don't know about and run off with it. That's just like somebody playing you in a movie. It may seem like they got it right, but they didn't quite have it right." (read more - Kevin Kelly-Cincy Enquirer)

Eason Jordan, a senior executive at CNN who was responsible for coordinating the cable network's Iraq coverage, resigned abruptly last night, citing a journalistic tempest he touched off during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, late last month in which he appeared to suggest that United States troops had deliberately aimed at journalists, killing some  (read more - NY Times)

The company behind talkSPORT radio is set to be taken private in a £100 million deal led by its chief executive Kelvin MacKenzie, it was reported. An announcement on the future of The Wireless Group could be made as early as this week after an offer was accepted by major shareholders on Friday, according to the Sunday Times (read more - The Scotsman)

There's more competition ahead for eyes and ears in the programming arena -- Since beginning a planned decade-long fiber rollout last year, Verizon has acquired five franchise agreements. The fifth was Beaumont, Calif. Residents soon will have a new choice for TV programming: Verizon, in addition to Charter, OneSource and satellite providers. Michael Powell, who is leaving the top post at the Federal Communications Commission, noted in a recent speech that it will soon be hard to differentiate between cable and telephone companies. At the same time, Verizon made it clear that fiber was its most important initiative, staking $20 billion to $30 billion on it. SBC said it, too, would offer voice, video and Internet through fiber optics (read more - Star-Telegram)  (read more - Biz Journals)

Controversial Hot 97 morning show host Miss Jones returned to the air Friday with little fanfare and a brief apology. Miss Jones, whose real name is Tarsha Jones, had been suspended from WQHT97.1 FM for two weeks after broadcasting a song that referred to tsunami victims in racist terms. Asian community groups have protested and pressured advertisers to withdraw from the station. "Turn the music down, I need a moment," Jones said at about 6:45 a.m. Friday, then apologized "from the bottom of my heart" for broadcasting the song. She also noted, "I didn't write the tsunami [song], I didn't sing on it." (read more - Newsday) (read more - John Mainelli-NY Post)  (read more - Pace Press)

 When BBC Scotland’s head of radio Jeff Zycinski arrives flustered and slightly late for our meeting, he says it has been a hell of a morning. Flagship news show Good Morning Scotland (GMS) was off air for 15 minutes due to a freak power surge, and he inevitably got caught up in the logistics. Zycinski knows a thing or two about power surges, following his promotion to head of radio at BBC Scotland last month. Having finished his tour of the outposts explaining his intentions to the 200 or so staff, he is now ready to talk to a wider audience. Above all, he makes no apologies for Radio Scotland’s everyman style and will not squeeze it into a narrower demographic (read more - Sunday Herald)

It was out with Pearl Jam and in with Tego Calderón at WZTA 94.9 FM on Friday when Clear Channel Communications abruptly flipped its Zeta alternative rock station to a Hispanic urban format. Rebranded as ''Mega, Latino and proud,'' the station started pumping out a funky mix of reggaeton, Spanish hip-hop and dance tunes aimed at the bilingual 18-to-34 crowd (read more - Miami Herald)

Rush Limbaugh and Clint Eastwood won't have to re-enact the fight scenes from ``Million Dollar Baby'' after all.  Limbaugh was itching to talk about his alleged role in spoiling the movie's ending for political purposes. A New York Times column by Frank Rich last week quoted Eastwood as saying, ``You used to be able to disagree with people and still be friends. Now you hear these talk shows, and everyone who believes differently from you is a moron and an idiot -- both on the right and the left.'' "I'm glad you asked me about that,'' Limbaugh said Saturday. He added that he hasn't seen the movie, has no opinion on it, has never met Eastwood and was only passing along the thoughts of other critics. "So I got lumped in as the ringleader of this simply because I'm the Mr. Big of the conservative movement,'' he said.  Eastwood said he hadn't heard Limbaugh's comments, only that they were relayed to him, but added that he ``loved the column.'' (read more - John Ryan-Mercury News)

Three private radio stations in Switzerland have banned songs by pop giant Michael Jackson, who is standing trial child molestation charges in California. But other private radio stations, as well as those belonging to the public Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), have not followed suite. Jackson denies the charges. The trial, which is set to resume on Monday, is expected to last for months. If convicted he could face up to 20 years in prison. The three radio stations in question, Radio Lac, One FM and Lausanne FM, are all based in the French-speaking part of the country. They say that they have decided that Michael Jackson is too "bad" for their airwaves following feedback from their listeners (read more - NZZ)

Charlie Griggs (formerly aka Buffalo radio's Charlie Scott, Great Scott and Guy King) is undergoing radiation treatments for cancer in Fresno (read more and send a get well wish e-mail)

Radio spots promoting a $25 million reward for information leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden and another $25 million for his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, are airing in the rural mountains of northwest Pakistan for the first time this week. Television ads promising that fortune in return for bin Laden ran on two Pakistani stations last weekend, and will run regularly on Pakistan's biggest station starting Tuesday. And last month, newspaper ads appeared for the first time in the country's major cities featuring the faces of bin Laden, al-Zawahiri and other top al-Qaida lieutenants (read more - KC Star)

Clear Channel Radio is syndicating Jerry Springer on two additional stations beginning Monday, February 14^th.  The show will air live from 9:00a.m.-12noon Eastern time on stations WDTW/Detroit and WINZ/Miami (visit Clear Channel)

The Namibian branch of the Media Institute of Southern Africa has expressed sorrow and grief at the tragic death of Radio Energy's Benny Kamati. Kamati, better known as BK to his listeners, is believed to have committed suicide in Windhoek on Wednesday (read more - All Africa)

On February 13, the Fox Sports Radio Network will debut “Fox MoneyBall...the Cost of Winning,” hosted by Rick Horrow on Sunday mornings from 9-10 a.m. EST. As a sports business analyst for CNN, Horrow brings his expertise in sports and business to millions of Fox Sports Radio listeners. Topics will cover everything from the salary cap to whether public or private dollars should be used to build new stadiums. Rick will be joined by co-host Mike Goldberg, current host of Fox GameTime Saturday Warm-Up and Fox GameTime Sunday Warm-UP, both airing from 10 a.m. to noon EST (read more - Fox Sports) (visit HarrowSports.com)

Citing growth in several emerging categories as an indicator of Radio’s growth and strong future, Gary Fries, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Radio Advertising Bureau, delivered an inspiring State of the Industry speech to open RAB2005, the Radio sales, management and leadership conference in Atlanta this week. Fries began by laying out the drastic changes in today’s marketing landscape, including the shift in the metrics of marketing and the evaluation of media, plus the emergence of new media (read more - RAB)

Mike Wallace, host of 60 Minutes, will appear as a guest via telephone on ESPN Radio 710's The Big Show with Mason & Ireland on Monday, February 14th at 1:25PM to discuss his interview with baseball legend, Jose Conseco (visit The Big Show)

Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin admitted he has spoken to Steven Jobs about adding Sirius technology to Apple's iPod, has Oprah Winfrey on his talent wish list, and announced Sirius will soon ad video to its content (read more - Chicago Business)

A Christian radio station canceled its advertising contract with a Muslim organization this week on the grounds that the content ``did not serve our Christian constituency.'' The 30-second spot promoted a Saturday event at the University of South Florida - a Christian-Muslim dialogue. ``This is exactly why we need to be doing programs like this,'' said Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. ``There's a lot of misinformation about Islam, and relations are strained. Not only here, but all around the world.'' Christopher Gould Sr., general manager at Salem's WTBN, 910 AM, said Thursday that it was unfortunate a contract had been signed, but the company reserves the right to reject advertising after it reviews the content (read more - Tampa Tribune) 

From Kent Burkhart -- In 1976 I received a VERY special phone call in my Atlanta consulting office. Our receptionist told me, “there is a Dan Vallie on the phone for you”. I did not know Dan Vallie, but I have a policy of answering or returning all phone calls. It is a right policy. Good phone calls happen, and this was one of them. Dan introduced himself. He was a DJ in those days and I found out had recently moved from WSGA in Savannah (working for the legendary Jerry Rogers) to WTMA in Charleston, South Carolina. The phone conversation was very clear…Dan loved radio and wanted to move forward!! I asked him for a tape and resume. I liked what I heard and made a mental note about this fella’ Dan Vallie. We met in New Orleans a few years after that …(read more from Kent Burkhart)

I have spent more than 200 evenings of my life playing Rush Limbaugh on stage. So when Limbaugh himself appeared within a 100-mile radius of San Francisco, I had to be there. He spoke Tuesday night at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose. 
My Limbaugh journey began in 1994, when I created "Rush Limbaugh in Night School," a satiric solo show that imagines Rush dropped into a Greenwich Village world of leftists, feminists and environmentalists. I had been attracted to Limbaugh as a character by his playfulness, mischief and love of radio. I could hear in his broadcasts the 12-year-old boy inside the man, alone in his bedroom, playing radio (read more - Charlie Varon-SF Chronicle)

The morning show on new all-sports WSSP-AM (1250) has barely gotten off the ground, but morning co-host Johnny Von is already gone. "It was kind of a mutual thing," says program director Chip Ramsey. Von was trying to juggle a morning show with hopes of a career as a nightclub entertainer (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

Dan Gallo is free to devote full time to his voice production  business after 21 years at KILT FM in Houston.  Visit DanGalloProductions.com to see, hear and e-mail Dan (read more-DanGalloProductions.com) 

The broadcast networks and some Hollywood unions are discussing ways to attack the constitutional underpinnings of the nation's indecency laws, which are in the process of being tightened by the U.S. House of Representatives, sources said. While no one would talk about it officially, the telecommunications community is buzzing about a new lawsuit that will make a direct free-speech challenge to the indecency laws and their interpretation (read more - Brooks Boliek-Washington Post)

There's a lot of love in the air at WGN-AM (720): Steve King and Johnnie Putman, the husband-and-wife overnight duo, mark their 20th year on the air together at the news/talk station on Valentine's Day + Stephen Bardo, sports reporter at WBBM-Channel 2, and comedian Leon Rogers are co-hosting a new weekly sports talk show from 10 to 11 a.m. Sundays on urban contemporary WPWX-FM (92.3) (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Bowing to pressure from an Asian community group, Newsday is pulling its advertising from the controversial morning show on hip-hop radio station Hot 97. The decision was announced late Thursday after Asian Media Watchdog threatened to protest outside the paper's Manhattan offices. Hot 97 has drawn intense criticism for airing a racially offensive song that mocked tsunami victims. "Newsday condemns the use of the song by Hot 97 that made light of the terrible tragedy in South Asia," the paper said in a statement, and added, "out of deep respect for everyone who was offended by this song we have decided not to air our commercials during Hot 97's morning show while station management works toward a satisfactory resolution" (read more - Newsday)  (read more - Frank Lombardi-NY Daily News)

ABC Radio Networks’ nationally syndicated Satellite Sisters joined the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation Alexander Vershbow and his wife Lisa Vershbow for the Ninth Annual Embassies of the World Dinner and Ball in Moscow on February 5th, 2005. Serving as the Masters of Ceremony for the International Women's Club of Moscow (IWC) fundraising event, Satellite Sisters united with Moscow's most influential diplomats, business and civic leaders united for an evening of fine dining and music with all proceeds donated to IWC charity projects that provide basic services such as shelter, meals, medical treatment and education to the needy (visit Satellite Sisters)

News pro Rick Hadley reminds RDN CENTRAL to remind students at colleges and universities in Texas that receive Associated Press services, or who are interning at AP member stations, that they are eligible to apply for scholarships through the Texas AP Broadcasters. TAPB commits at least $1,000 to be given to one or more college students with a goal of entering any area of broadcast journalism after graduation. All entries must have aired during 2004.  (Spread the word and tell 'em to send entries to: TAPB -- Kevin Benz News 8 Austin 1708 Colorado St. Austin, Texas 78701 Got questions? Contact Kevin Benz at 512-531-8801)

From Jim Rose -- 50,000 watt clear channel KWKH-1130 broadcast the Louisiana Hayride. Merle Kilgore remained a regular on the Hayride for many years. After Elvis' first appearance on the Louisiana Hayride, Merle quipped, "I think they were a little scared of him at first. They thought he was going to jump off the stage or something, but when he came back out, they were more prepared for him." Elvis enjoyed hanging out with Merle, who was still a young lad, too. They spent countless hours talking about music and their musical idols. Merle said of Elvis, "He reminded me of Hank Williams. There was something about his eyes ..." (read more - Jim Rose Remembers)

Radio stations carrying The Stephanie Miller Show have charted exponential ratings increases as reported in the newly released Arbitron fall ratings reports. The report notes that one station boosted its ratings by 3,800 percent in a single quarter – a feat unheard of in the radio industry, according to the Democracy Radio/Jones Radio Networks tandem, which produces and distributes the program (visit StephanieMiller.com)

There have been two Radio Reunions, one in 1988 and one in 1998, bringing together top names from Detroit radio past and present, with some of the air talent flying in to attend from all over the country. Now there will be another Radio Reunion -- the last one, organizers stress -- on Sept. 24 at the Sheraton Detroit Hotel in Novi. "Since the 1998 event, we've lost over 30 people in the business," says one of the Reunion's organizers, Art Vuolo. "We didn't want to wait until 2008 for the next one." The Radio Reunion is also open to record company staffers who worked with Detroit radio over the years (read more - Detroit News)

McClatchey Broadcasting Company, a Raleigh based broadcasting company, announced it has closed on its acquisition of WRBZ AM “850 The Buzz” in Raleigh from Alchemy Communications. This acquisition marks McClatchey’s first purchase in the Raleigh-Durham market, and its entry into the Sports/Talk format (read more - Triangle Biz News)

A few months ago, public radio host Ira Glass decided to test the law. He turned to one of America's most popular provocateurs ---- gay humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris ---- and let him rip. In a two-minute segment on the weekly "This American Life" show, heard at 2 p.m. Sundays on KPBS-FM, Sedaris described visiting a bathroom and coming across a gigantic reminder of a previous occupant. While he didn't use a single naughty word, Sedaris hit just about every other indecency hot button. He talked about bodily functions, again and again, and he "absolutely" meant to pander and shock. "That's what makes it funny," insisted Glass, who played the bit for a Federal Communications Commission official and virtually dared listeners to file a complaint. No one did, and it helped that Glass could have defended the piece as a literary effort and commentary. Still, Glass was worried (read more - Randy Dotinga-North County Times)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Football is over, but basketball continues—isn’t basketball a year-round sport these days?  I have never been able to get interested in basketball, although the older I get the more I have a tendency to dribble.  Do radio stations still field basketball or baseball teams to play charity or promotional events with high schools?  Many of us experienced the chagrin of competing against high school jocks and their coaches in basketball games, not to mention the occasional donkey baseball game.  In Fort Worth, Mother Murray’s Mob from KXOL even lined up across from the local hockey team in a game of flag football.  I think Mother (Jack) Murray all by himself had more teeth than the entire hockey team.  While working parttime for KNOW in the mid-60s, I was asked to embarrass myself by playing on the basketball team more than once—and I was the one always chosen last in PE!  There was one guy on the team who played worse than I did: another parttimer from the news department named Greg Dean.  In an exciting game against the Hutto Hippos there was a mad scramble for the ball, which ended up sitting all by itself on the floor mid-court.  The only one who noticed this was Greg Dean; everyone else was in a Taz swirl of frenzy trying to find the damn thing.  Greg seized the moment, picked up the ball, dribbled all the way down the court as the crowd cheered and jeered.  He shot a perfect lay-up and the ball swooshed through.  Unfortunately Greg’s sense of direction was about as off as Wrong Way Corrigan’s and he scored for the Hutto Hippos and not for KNOW!  The testosterone-maxed-out John Barger taught us all several new cusswords after that one, but the crowd loved it! (visit Jarrott Media)

dMarc Broadcasting, Inc., the parent company of Scott Studios and Computer Concepts, with over 4,600 radio broadcast clients, today announced the launch of its SmartBarter(SM) initiative, enabling rated, commercial radio stations to upgrade or purchase new Scott Studios (SS32) or Maestro digital automation and studio systems for trade, in exchange for commercial inventory (read more - PR Newswire)

Entravision Communications Corp. has reached a settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations of sexual harassment, constructive discharge and retaliation. Santa Monica-based Entravision (NYSE: EVC) has agreed to remedial relief plus $185,000 in damages to videographer America Medina, news reporter Sofia Long, and other female employees who were sexually harassed by their supervisor at Entravision television station KSMS in Monterey, the EEOC says (read more - San Jose Biz Journal)

 The state Senate paid tribute yesterday to a Rhode Island broadcasting legend - the late Walter "Salty" Brine. The senators were joined by Brine's wife, Roseanna, and other members of his family. They passed a Senate resolution expressing the chamber's sympathy over Brine's recent death (read more - ABC 6)

When I originally heard about Napster To Go, I thought the concept was pretty cool. Instead of buying music on a per track basis, you instead pay a monthly fee and download as much music as you want. The kicker here of course is that since you are subscribing to the content, once you decide to end the subscription everything you downloaded goes away. It just simply doesn’t work anymore. Many have said that it just wouldn’t work, but I think that Napster may have caught on to something here. You see, I still have a hard time believing that people pay for radio (read more - Gear Live)

HDNet announces the premiere of its latest original production "Art Mann Presents," an exclusive variety program hosted and produced by the former host of E! Entertainment's "Wild On." The new half-hour weekly series airs on HDNet Monday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET, beginning with a special premiere time at 12:00 am midnight February 14th (visit HD.net)

"Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" is The Consumer Electronics and Technology Show on the air live every Sunday from 2 pm - 5 pm ET (11 am - 2 pm PT); now airing on over 100 radio stations around the country and worldwide on the American Forces Networks. Into Tomorrow is also heard on Sirius Talk Central, Channel 148, XM Ask! Channel 165 and via the web site (visit www.graveline.com)

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell warned his fellow commissioners today that they would eventually regret Thursday's FCC decision to further study intercarrier compensation reform. After reviewing the issue for the last four years, the FCC is now seeking comment on seven reform proposals submitted to the agency by various telecom industry groups and alliances. Given the FCC's rulemaking procedures, any final decision made on the proposals is probably months away at best. Powell and Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy bluntly said the time had come for action, not more study (read more - Internet News)

WIP 610-AM’s Angelo Cataldi said his television show on Comcast SportsNet is not returning in the fall after eight years on the air. Cataldi said he might be involved if his old cable show “The Great Sports Debate” returns (read more - Laura Nachman)

The Devil Rays have made many changes this winter, and the two newest members of the team are Dave Wills and Andy Freed. No, Wills and Freed don't pitch or hit the baseball. They are the Rays' new radio broadcast team. And they were hired by the Rays in a change from past years when a broadcast partner (Clear Channel Communications) would hire the announcers and the Rays would have the right to approve them (read MLB News)

Fines for broadcasting material deemed indecent would be raised to as much as $500,000 an incident under legislation that won approval Wednesday in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The measure, approved by a vote of 46 to 2, would also require the Federal Communications Commission to consider revoking a television or radio station's license if the broadcaster violated indecency rules three times (read more - NY Times)

Dr. Laura raised over $45,000 for Operation Family Fund by opening a Valentine’s Day Boutique on her website selling her hand-made necklaces. Last week, Dr. Laura urged listeners of her radio program to visit www.DrLaura.com where they could purchase one-of-a-kind necklaces with one hundred percent of the proceeds to be donated to Operation Family Fund (visit Dr. Laura)

After two weeks of controversy over his presence at White House press briefings, Talon News "reporter" Jeff Gannon abruptly resigned today, according to Media Matters for America. Media Matters for America sparked the Gannon firestorm on Jan. 26 by detailing Gannon's tendency to lob "softball" questions for White House press secretary Scott McClellan. Media Matters has also shown that Gannon's "news" stories often consist of little more than reprints of Republican talking points, and that Talon News itself is more of a partisan political organization than a news outlet (read more - US Newswire) (read more - The Conservative Voice) (AlterNet)  (read more - Editor and Publisher)  (read more - Washington Post)

The Federal Aviation Administration received repeated warnings in the months prior to Sept. 11, 2001, about al-Qaida and its desire to attack airlines, according to a previously undisclosed report by the commission that investigated the terror attacks (read more - NY Post) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

Jay Kelly has been at radio stations that were at the top of their market and those that were "putting it mildly, not on top." Now Kelly has moved from running one station that has consistently been at or near the top of the Seattle radio market -- Entercom's oldies KBSG-FM (97.3) -- to one that is considerably further back in the pack -- Clear Channel's KJR-FM (95.7) (read more - Bill Virgin's Seattle P-I Radio Beat)

The Federal Communications Commission’s big crackdown on naughty words and pictures is working. The commission got exactly what it wanted Sunday night: a truly boring Super Bowl. I know the game was good, but the commercials stunk. And that half time. Do you realize Paul McCartney sang four full songs, and I still have no idea what his nipples look like?  Point is, the FCC is scaring the pants on people (read more - Steve Hartmen-CBS News)

 iBiquity Digital Corporation announced today that it has extended its $5,000 introductory licensing discount for radio broadcasters until the end of June. On July 1, a new discounted fee schedule (see chart below) will take effect. Radio broadcasters planning to convert to digital over the next four years will continue to receive discounts on the $25,000 licensing fee (read more - iBiquity.com)

Digital programming provider XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. reported wider fourth-quarter losses on Thursday, but beat Wall Street expectations on a 66 percent boost in net subscriber additions. During the fourth quarter, XM recorded net subscriber additions of 713,101, a 66 percent increase over the 430,580 subscribers added in the 2003 period. The company cited a successful 2004 holiday shopping season, with more than 240,000 subscribers activating service during the last eight days of December, including over 50,000 on Christmas Day (read more - Forbes)  (read more - PR Newswire)

It's official: Mitch Rosen has signed on as program director of WSCR-AM (670), the Infinity Broadcasting sports talk station known as the Score, effective Feb. 22 + Oscar Guzman, sports anchor at Channel 44 and broadcast voice of Chicago Fire soccer, has joined Beto Carreto's morning show on WNTD-AM (950) as sports commentator (read more - Feder of Chicago)

The attorney for Miss Info, the lone member of the WQHT (97.1 FM) morning show to avoid suspension, said yesterday he doesn't know if she will join Miss Jones and DJ Envy on their scheduled on-air return tomorrow morning. Miss Jones and Envy were suspended for two weeks following widespread criticism of the show's "Tsunami Song" parody, which included racial slurs and joked about victims of the tragedy (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)

Adam Smasher, one of the best-known radio celebrities in Charlotte, vanished from WNKS FM ("Kiss" 95.1) Wednesday.  Executives for Infinity Broadcasting said they couldn't reach terms on a new contract after Smasher's five-year deal expired (read more - Charlotte Observer)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- On the subject of remembering people’s names and really connecting with people on a one-to-one basis—another master of that art is Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary.  I’ve had occasion to speak with Peter about 4 times over the years, and he always has made me feel as if I were the most important person in his life at that moment.  The first time we met was when I was working in Fort Worth at KXOL.  Peter came by the radio station in the morning and we chatted and did an interview together.  Later that night, he was doing a mini-concert at a party in a Dallas nightclub for a bunch of media types.  After his short set, Peter “worked the room,” but apparently ran out of time before getting to everyone—including my first wife and me.  He came over to us and said “David, I’m so sorry we haven’t had time to visit tonight.”  Mind you, I was not wearing a name tag and he had remembered my name and face from our interview much earlier that day.  Peter is a gentle, graceful man whose singing voice seems to get richer and even more melodic with age.  We should all age that well! (visit Jarrott Media)

Univision Communications  named Ray Rodriguez president and chief operating officer (read more - CBS MarketWatch)

The biggest Radio Reunion ever will be held in Detroit on Saturday, September 24, 2005 at the Sheraton Hotel in NW suburban Novi.   It will be the LAST such reunion and is expected to draw a sell-out crowd.  It's also a benefit, with proceeds going to the Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Fund.  She's the wife of Dick Purtan, Detroit's most legendary morning personality.  She has been fighting the illness for over seven years!  The event is being coordinated by Art Vuolo (Radio's Best Friend), Millie Felch (CHUM Group Ltd.), Mike Seltzer (SKM Advertising and Marketing) and Dick Kernen (Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts). If you have ever worked in Detroit, or currently do, contact Vuolo at artvuolo@aol.com to make sure you are on the invitation list.  So far, everyone contacted has said YES they will be there! (read more)

Two people vomited, two wet their pants, another suffered signs of hypothermia - all for the TV cameras - after volunteering to spend 48 hours locked up in cages and subjected to treatment allegedly like that of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. Britain's Channel 4 plans to air "The Guantánamo Guidebook," a program that the station says re-creates techniques that U.S. interrogators use at the prison for terrorism suspects. The station says it wants to make the public aware of such treatment. On the other hand, a Denmark-based rights group, the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, complained Wednesday that even airing the program would violate U.N. bans on torture (read more - Omaha World-Herald)  You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

A British journalist has been shot dead in the Somali capital by an unidentified militiaman, witnesses said. The British Broadcasting Corporation confirmed Wednesday that Kate Peyton, 39, an Africa producer for the broadcaster, was shot while accompanied by another BBC journalist who was not injured (read more - CNN)

Dennis Prager, heard weekdays on 590 KTIE-AM, The Talk of the Inland Empire, will broadcast from the station’s San Bernardino studios on Wednesday, February 23rd. KTIE advertisers will meet Dennis at a pre-broadcast breakfast, and stay on as an in-studio audience when “The Dennis Prager Show” goes live from the Inland Empire. After the show, Prager will address area business leaders at The Business Press fifth annual “Top Companies of Inland California” luncheon (visit Dennis Prager Web site)

Two directors of Marfa Public Radio (MPR) met with people in Marfa, Alpine, Fort Davis and Marathon last week.  They were conducting a fact-finding trip and spreading the word about the nonprofit FM radio station that is expected to be in operation sometime later this year (read more - Desert Mountain News)

Monster announced it received 3.3 million new and updated resumes during the month of January 2005. Monster also announced it reached new daily resume totals surpassing those received the Monday after last year's Super Bowl. Additional surges in site traffic can be accredited, in part, to Monster's January Jobs Campaign, which launched January 3^rd online and across 180 Infinity Broadcasting radio stations, which span 41 U.S. markets and serve an estimated 70 million weekly listeners and online visitors  (visit Monster)  (visit Infinity)

A Haitian radio reporter was wounded in the arm in a drive-by shooting in front of the station's studios in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Friday. Raoul Saint-Louis, a reporter with the private station Radio Megastar, has since moved from his home in fear for his life (read more - CPJ News)

The pipes still work. If you haven't heard from Bob Edwards in a while, too bad. His deep, smoky baritone hasn't faded a bit since he bolted National Public Radio last year to join XM Satellite Radio, an upstart subscription service. In fact, the voice may be even richer than it was when he hosted NPR's "Morning Edition." Listen closely and you'll hear a hint of giddiness. It's slight — this is Bob Edwards, master of the understated, after all — but it's unmistakable (read more - Chris Baker-Washington Times)

Bill Mack is lending his John Hancock to the Mid-America Trucking Show, Friday, April 1, at the Randall Publishing booth. Mack is the host of Randall Publishing’s Overdrive Top Ten Countdown, broadcast on 64 radio stations coast to coast. Mack has broadcast out of Dallas-Fort Worth since 1969. He won a Grammy in 1997 for Country Song of the Year for writing “Blue,” the song that made LeAnn Rimes a star (read more - eTrucker.com)

Harold S. Lewis has been named vice president and general manager of The Weather Channel radio and newspaper syndication business.  He will have responsibility for The Weather Channel Radio Network and weather products and services for newspapers (visit Weather.com)

For the first time in a long time -- perhaps ever -- Atlanta Braves radio will be heard in the Richmond market. Sports Radio 910 (WRNL) has the honors (read more - Richmond Times-Dispatch)

On Thursday, February 17, 2005, The Lex & Terry Morning Radio Network will be giving away a shopping cart that has been modified with over $3000 of electronic equipment and labor to an unsuspecting homeless person. In late 2004 the nationally syndicated morning radio duo of Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes decided to put their inventive spin on the idea of “Pimping” up unsuspecting people’s automobiles. Because of their regular interaction with homeless people with their radio show, Lex & Terry decided it would be great to supply a person in need with a shopping cart ‘tricked out’ with all of the latest and state of the art equipment (visit Lex and Terry)

In person, Craig Carton, the talking head accused of the verbal crime of gubernatorial-wife-bashing, is Bambi-eyed, motor-mouthed, polite and more saccharine than expected. Preconceived impressions to the contrary, he does not froth at the mouth. Or maybe he saves that for his radio broadcast. Mr. Carton reveals that his mother and his wife consider him "a slob," that on-air talk "triggers something" in him and that he thinks of himself as "a good guy." Charitable, even. If there was a calendar of comely male radio hosts, February's offering might show Mr. Carton in the guise of Mr. Misunderstood. Cue up a big sigh (read more - NY Times)

Mel Karmazin, the new CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio, said he's talked recently with Apple Computer about adding satellite radio to its popular iPod music player. "I've spoken to Steve Jobs," said Karmazin, speaking Wednesday morning at a media conference in New York. He declined to elaborate, other than to say that the "current thinking" at Apple is that "they don't need to put a satellite radio in their box." (read more - CNN/Money)  (read more - CNET-David Becker)

Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment nightmare continues - in front of a prime-time audience. That's because tonight's episode of "Law & Order" bears a striking resemblance to O'Reilly's own troubles with a former producer, which resulted in the woman walking away with a boat-load of money. "Unbelievable!" says an actress playing a bookstore worker. "The guy's being sued for sexual harassment and he has the gall to stand up and preach family values."  (read more - Richard Huff-NY Daily News)

Big tech and media companies could not have foreseen this potentially disruptive hitch to their grand strategies. But consider how easily a 20-year-old Briton, Michael Rundle, tapped into the raw power of podcasting. The Cambridge University history student on Jan. 24 began hosting a 40-minute audio program — a podcast, or online radio program — in which he introduces original songs performed by British musicians, including himself. Rundle didn't need the BBC or any PR firm to help him reach an audience. He simply posted his show on the Internet (read more - USA Today)

Preaching optimism and slamming Democrats, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was greeted like a rock star by a packed San Jose Civic Auditorium audience Tuesday night. ``We are in the midst of a seminal historic shift in this country,'' Limbaugh, 54, told a crowd that paid $40 a ticket and welcomed him with a standing ovation. ``The Democrat party and the media have lost their monopoly. They don't rule the roost anymore.'' Other than one swear word and a slightly off-color story about Sen. Ted Kennedy's sex life, his fare was largely that of his radio show -- the country's most popular with some 20 million listeners (read more - Brad Kava-San Jose Mercury News) (read more NewsMax)

Radio One Inc. chief executive Alfred C. Liggins III said yesterday that he is paying back a controversial $21.1 million loan he received from the company to buy stock in 2001. The company, which also gave smaller loans to three other top executives, announced Liggins's repayment plans yesterday. The company has called the loans an effort to retain employees who were being recruited by companies offering incentives such as stock options during the technology boom. Loans to executives to buy stock were outlawed the following year by the corporate governance law known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed as accounting scandals at Adelphia Communications Corp. and WorldCom Inc. were unfolding. Executives at both of those companies were lent hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions that were not disclosed to shareholders (read more - Washington Post)

From Chuck Blore's Okay, Okay I Wrote the Book:

WE OPEN IN TWO WEEKS
HOW THE HELLERWE GONNA DO IT?
JOX , JINGLES, LOGS, FORMATS,
NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS AND TRAFFIC.
WHAT? SCREW TRAFFIC!
YOU CAN’T SAY SCREW TRAFFIC!
SURE I CAN, I’LL WRITE A MEMO
ATTENTION ALL DEPARTMENTS: SCREW TRAFFIC.
YOU CAN’T SAY SCREW TRAFFIC! THOSE REPORTS ARE SOLD!
WRITE ANOTHER MEMO.
ATTENTION ALL DEPARTMENTS: DISREGARD SCREW TRAFFIC MEMO!
I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW TO MAKE THEM SEXY.

When I wrote that last one I was using the word “sexy” to mean easier to listen to. I was suggesting we find a way to make our traffic reports attractive to the 85% of our audience who did not happen to be in cars at that moment. Putting stuff on the air which you know 85% of your audience has no interest in, regardless of the fact that “Those reports are sold!” to me was a form of programming suicide. I went to Mr. Purcell, “Robert, you said that anything I thought would interfere with programming would not be allowed on the air.” “So I did.” “Well this memo from you ...” I put the memo on his desk and put my best, ‘I trusted you’ look on my face “... says I can’t say ‘screw traffic’ because those reports are sold.” (read more from Chuck Blore)

The Federal Communications Commission is overhauling the system it uses to process complaints about indecency on the public airwaves after struggling to deal with the flood of concerns it received last year over the content of television and radio shows. The changes come as watchdog groups and others vow to continue to police the airwaves and Congress considers raising the amount of fines that can be levied (read more - Frank Ahrens-Washington Post)

The revolving door continues spinning at Crawford Broadcasting, where Bonnie DeShong has been forced out as co-host of John Monds' morning show at WSRB-FM (106.3) + Mitch Rosen, vice president of broadcast representation at Paragon Marketing Group and former program director of WMVP-AM (1000), could be returning to Chicago sports/talk radio (read more - Feder of Chicago)  

Houston Hawk Reports -- Much has gone on in Houston radio since we last talked. BizRadio1320 signed on their air, with a wonderful daytime signal and 12 hours a day of financial talk from syndicated and local personalities. Most of the voices were heard on the stations’ previous incarnation at 650 on the dial. It went away when Infinity pulled the plug on several formats in several markets in order to clear Howard Stern. After that half-hearted attempt at appeasement, Howard announced his defection to satellite radio. The new station is operated under a time brokerage agreement. That means they buy 12 hours of time per day, and are free to program, sell and promote it any way in which they see fit (read more - Houston Hawk)

In case you missed reading the J.P. Morgan Satellite Radio Survey released earlier this week -- Some key takeaways: despite high profile new content deals, interest in subscribing to satellite radio has weakened to 35% of households — above the current 4% penetration — but below the 43% potential indicated in our first survey in May 2004.  While content exclusives are shifting share between the rivals, these deals do not appear to be expanding the overall market, which our survey indicates is driven principally by interest in commercial free music.  Along with slowing news flow, we also see a satellite radio industry that is nearing the peak in absolute subscriber growth, with our current projections that net subscriber additions will top out in 2006, when Howard Stern joins Sirius and automaker production hits its stride. Additionally, as satellite radio services become larger, absolute churn becomes larger, meaning that the services have to work harder just to keep the subscriber totals they already have (read more - Reuters)

Andy Neill checks in from below the equator --  I'm still in Fortaleza Brazil with my bride of a few months...October 29th to be exact...and her 4 year old son. Still soing VO work (visit www.andyneill.com)

Had Merle Kilgore only been a bit player in country music history — had he never co-written Ring of Fire with June Carter or managed Hank Williams Jr. to great career heights — he would still have been one of Nashville's great characters. Born Wyatt Merle Kilgore in Chickasha, Okla., Mr. Kilgore grew up in Shreveport, La. He often hung around the Louisiana Hayride radio show, where he introduced himself to numerous performers including Hank Williams. He worked as a DJ in the mid 50's with another legendary radio personality, Chuck Dunaway, in Shreveport (read more - The Tennessean)

Arbitron has appointed Scott Musgrave to senior vice president, Marketing, U.S. Media Client Software. In this newly created position, Mr. Musgrave will lead Arbitron’s customer software team to enhance existing client software, and develop new software and services for the U.S. Media Customers (visit Arbitron)

A Missoula radio station will celebrate its 20th anniversary this weekend by throwing a party for local military families.
"In the past, we'd delivered cakes to clients," Sheila Callahan, owner and general manager of KMSO-FM said. This year, she suggested to her staff that the station do something for troops involved in the Iraq war (read more - Missoulian)

Local radio station owner Ed Perry is suing the former owners of the Hanover Mall, claiming his civil rights were violated when he was arrested at the complex in Sept. 2002 while covering a potential breaking news story. Perry claims a Hanover Mall security officer and local police officer wrongfully arrested him while he tried to get details concerning a reported car-jacking at the complex on Sept. 9, 2002. "My purpose for being there was to report on an incident that had potential for impacting public safety," said Perry, who owns WATD 95.9 FM in Marshfield (read more - Pembroke Mariner)

I have a few more thoughts about budget-cutting and why it's so infuriatingly hard. You're a member of Congress. You oppose excessive government spending. You ran against waste in Washington. You voted to cut taxes. You like George W. Bush. And you want to support him on the budget (read more - Howard Kurtz-Washington Post) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

"The G. Gordon Liddy Show" officially joined the Radio America network yesterday. And to welcome the Watergate figure to his new downtown Washington studios (he previously broadcast from Silver Spring), Radio America founder and president James C. Roberts served cake — from the Watergate Bakery.  "This cake tastes as good as it did 30 years ago," Mr. Liddy quipped (read more - Inside the Beltway-Washington Times)

Reba McEntire's success after years away from the music business ignited a furor on Nashville's Music Row because her record label bought radio time to play the song. Speculation flew that McEntire's label, MCA Records, got to No. 1 through ''paid spins'' - buying advertising time on radio and then playing a song during it - to raise the total number of spins a song gets on radio. It's perfectly legal as long as the sponsorship is disclosed. The flap over paid spins comes at a time of renewed focus on the music industry. Eliot Spitzer's investigation of promotional practices has revived memories of the payola scandals of the 1950s, when radio DJs and stations were bribed to put certain songs on the air (read more - Jeanne Anne Naujeck-The Tennessean)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- There’s a teenage boy in upstate New York who has a hole in his heart today.  He lost his father Monday to cancer.  His mother is also hurting and so is his 10 year old brother.  The boy’s name is Aaron and he is my daughter’s boyfriend.  What do you say to a teenager who has just lost a parent much too soon?  What do you tell your daughter who wants to fly to his side, and yet practicality and good sense say “no,” this is not the time to burden the family with having to take care of someone else’s child?  How do you tell a 16 year old boy to remember the good times when there just weren’t enough of them?  I don’t have any of those answers; just the questions.  And I feel the empty place in his heart (visit Jarrott Media)

The media watchdog, Ofcom, yesterday clashed with the BBC over new plans to regulate the corporation.
As it delivered its long-awaited review of public service broadcasting, Ofcom argued that its powers to police competition issues across the industry should include the BBC. The move will further increase the pressure on BBC chairman Michael Grade and his board of governors following an independent review chaired by Abbey National chairman Lord Burns that recommended abolishing the board. Ofcom's chief executive Stephen Carter was at pains to insist that the move was not a land grab by the regulator. "This is not an attempt to put our tanks on the BBC's lawn - we do not have any tanks. We have been very explicit. We do not believe we have the competence or the application to have accountability over the BBC," he said (read more - The Guardian U.K.)

XM Satellite Radio is kicking off the 2005 NASCAR season this week with live, comprehensive coverage on NASCAR Radio (XM Channel 144) and a host of special events for NASCAR fans at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida (read more - XM Radio)

I've rarely seen or heard Loida Nicolas Lewis, the chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (Naffaa), get hot and bothered about anything. But when I read that Naffaa has joined in the tirade against Emmis Broadcasting’s WQHT-FM (aka HOT 97), and its morning show “Miss Jones in the Morning,” it made perfect sense. Filipino Americans needed to show some solidarity with Asian Americans and all decent human beings against a vile tsunami song parody that played on Miss Jones’ show for weeks on Hot 97. It’s a parody of a tsunami relief effort song sung to the tune of “We are the World.” I don’t live in New York, but I’ve heard it because many outraged Asian Americans sent me a link to a website that will allow you to sample this putrid bit of racist stupidity on your own. Go ahead, you be the judge and jury (read more - Emil Guillermo-Philippine News)

WEKF, Eastern Kentucky University's public radio service in Corbin, is the first public-radio station in the-commonwealth to broadcast digitally. WEKF, broadcasting at 88.5 FM, reaches all or-portions of Whitley, Laurel, Knox, McCreary, Wayne,-Lincoln, Rockcastle, Owsley and Clay counties in Kentucky, and Scott County in Tennessee. Parent station WEKU, broadcasting since 1968,-broadcasts classical music and news to more than 50,000-listeners in Central and southeastern Kentucky on WEKU 88.9 FM in Richmond and Lexington, WEKH 90.9 FM in Hazard and WEKF (read more - Lexington Herald-Leader)

Fans of Low Power FM radio say hundreds of new mini-stations are bringing localism and diversity back to America's airwaves. The service's opponents -- primarily big broadcasters -- say the stations, which can be established for less than $10,000, are amateurish and cause interference (read and listen - NPR)

Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold plan to withhold their votes on the board of directors at Walt Disney Co.'s annual meeting in Minneapolis. Both former company directors made the comments Tuesday. Both said in a statement they are waiting to see how Disney goes about selecting a successor for Michael Eisner, Disney's chief executive officer who plans to step down in 2006 (read more - LA Biz Journal)

Independent musicians - including the more than 20,000 artists represented by Indie Pool - are eagerly awaiting a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as to whether or not it will grant satellite radio licenses in Canada. "With a positive CRTC ruling, more Canadian music would be beaming across North America, money would stop pouring south across the border, Canadian artist development agencies would be cashing satellite revenue cheques, and Canadian music lovers will be investing in our future stars," said Gregg Terrence, president of Indie Pool, which represents Canada's 20,000-plus independent recording artists (read more - CNG Canada)

Twin Cities Public Television has set several March airdates for an episode of the children's show "Postcards From Buster" that features gay parents. PBS pulled an episode of the show -- in which Buster the animated bunny visits real children and their families around the country -- because it featured a young girl with two mothers. The decision came after the episode, "Sugartime," was criticized by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spelling. However, about 40 stations out of the 350 that regularly carry the program have decided to air "Sugartime." (read more - Star-Tribune)

Clear Channel Radio announced broad and early support for key elements of the company’s “Less is More” listenership and programming initiative. Two independent listenership studies confirm the value and effectiveness of fewer programming interruptions and shorter commercial breaks to listeners. “Our stations sound better now than at any other time–our shorter stop sets have created a more compelling environment for listeners and a better environment for advertisers,” said John Hogan, CEO of Clear Channel Radio. “We’re now in discussions with a number of advertisers who have never used radio before. There’s definitely an interest in the choices now offered under Less Is More. This level of interest, so early in the initiative, exceeds our expectations ... listeners love the longer programming blocks, actively noticing fewer commercials, shorter commercial breaks and more music. The studies also found that listeners are retaining advertising content better in the improved listening environment.” (read more - BusinessWire) (visit Clear Channel)

"Tony & Jen's Diamond Dip 2005" gives listeners a chance to win a beautiful diamond. Winner also get s 26-week movie pass from Blockbuster Video (read more - Lite 102.9)

Adam Sandler and Chris Rock appeared on ESPN Radio’s Dan Patrick Show in Jacksonville, Florida last Friday (part of ESPN Radio’s 75+ hours of Super Bowl coverage.) The actors are on a promotional tour for their upcoming football-themed movie, “The Longest Yard.” (click photo for larger view)

Edward L. Munson Jr., who presided over local newscasts that led the ratings for most of his 10 years as general manager of NBC affiliate WAVY, is moving up in the LIN Television Corp. He’s been named co-vice president of television, along with Scott Blumenthal, for LIN, which owns and operates 32 television stations (read more - Virginian Pilot)

According to the latest Arbitron Ratings, ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning is gaining in popularity and in numbers. In two of the largest national markets, New York and Chicago, ratings for the show have doubled in the past year. In the key demographic, men aged 25-54, New York ratings shot up from 0.8 in Fall 2003 to 1.6 in Fall 2004. In Chicago, the same demographic increased from 2.6 in Fall 2003 to 5.3 in Fall 2004 (visit ESPN Radio)

Veteran radio network executive Corinne Baldassano has been named Senior Vice President, Programming and Marketing for Take On the Day, LLC, the newly formed partnership between Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Geoff Rich.

It's no surprise that Brown Student Radio is firmly entrenched in the Providence music scene - it's had longer than any other college station to form ties with the larger community. BSR blazed airwave trails when, in 1936, it became the first student-run station in the country. Sixty-nine years of steeping in the unique culture of the city has left BSR with a strong Providence flavor. One of the three tenets of BSR's official manifesto is to further interactions between Brown students and the Providence community. The station features a blend of Providence-grown and Brown DJs and programming that focuses on the Providence scene. Approximately half of BSR's DJs are local (read more - Brown Daily Herald)

Dave Bailey, vice president/general manager of WTHI/WWVR Television and Radio in Terre Haute, Ind., has announced his retirement effective March 4, 2005. Todd Weber, currently WTHI-TV's general sales manager, will  become the television station's vice president/general manager, while James Conner, currently station manager for WTHI-FM and WWVR-FM, will become the radio stations' vice president/general manager (visit WTHI TV)

Right-wing pundit Ann Coulter referred to the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show performance featuring singers Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake as "simulated interracial sex," claimed that college professors make controversial statements to get "laid by coeds with hairy armpits who probably don't like men," and called the presence of "girls" in the military "appalling"  (read more - Media Matters)

Tribune Co. bosses have launched an urgent nationwide search for a new person to take charge of WGN-AM (720), Chicago's top-rated and top-billing radio station + Jay Marvin, former midday talk show host at WLS-AM (890), has an on-air tryout this week as morning host at KKZN-AM in Boulder, Colo (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Less than two weeks after acting New Jersey Gov. Richard J. Codey said he wanted to challenge a shock jock to a fight for insulting the state's first lady, an Assembly committee voted Monday to reprimand the radio personality. The Telecommunications and Utilities Committee voted 5-0, with two abstentions, to release a resolution denouncing radio host Craig Carton for "cruel, insensitive and highly offensive comments" made about the depression that Mary Jo Codey suffered after the birth of her son 20 years ago (read more - Newsday)  (read more - Newark Star-Ledger)

Talk, talk, talk. The political dialogue surrounding the election campaigns of President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry boosted AM radio listenership in the Denver market during the fall, according to Arbitron. So, will the continuing, often-tiresome debate over University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill produce a similar boon for talk radio in the winter report? (read more - Dusty Saunders-Rocky Mountain News)

On an investment of approximately $245,000 in 1961, George A. Crump and his wife, Marjorie, built WCMS and WCMS-FM into powerful, popular radio stations that sold for millions six years ago. Crump, who died Thursday at the age of 79, was a major force in Hampton Roads radio, said Larry Saunders, a competitor of Crump’s, both at WTAR, where Saunders was general manager, and later at WWDE-FM, which Saunders launched with Dick Lamb (read more - Virginian Pilot)

According to a report on Eonline.com, FCC spokeswoman Rosemary Kimball said both complaints were by viewers who were "bored" by McCartney's 12-minute set, during he which he sang Beatles and Wings classics. Critics seemed to agree. Daily Variety called the show "damage control for last year's Janet Jackson incident," although the Variety did say, "Sir Paul delivered." (read more - Fox Sports)

Starting February 21, The Phil Hendrie Show rolls into a new bachelor pad at XTRA Sports AM 570, leaving KFI-640. The show will continue to air live Monday through Friday from 7-10 p.m., except on Los Angeles Lakers game nights, when the show will air immediately after on a delayed basis (visit Phil Hendrie Web site)

An Indiana television station that aired an ad attacking President Bush's Social Security reform tacked on a message of its own after Republican leaders complained. The MoveOn.Org ad was amended by WNDU-TV in response to a letter from the Republican National Committee calling the ad's claims "baseless," said Jim Behling, the station's president and general manager. The ad shows older workers and notes that someone came up with the idea of the working lunch and working vacation (read more - Indy Star)

Listeners of Urban Radio format are big spenders in many significant retail categories, including automotive, sports apparel, wine and wireless, according to a new study by Scarborough Research (a company owned jointly by Arbitron Inc. and VNU). This new study found that Urban Radio listeners: - Are 52 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to plan to purchase a luxury vehicle during the next year. - Account for more than one-third (35 percent) of consumers who spend $500 or more on athletic clothing yearly. - Tend to be high-end spenders for wine and wireless services (visit Arbitron)

How can we call Winston-Salem the "City of the Arts" and accept the decision taken by Wake Forest University's radio station WFDD to change the format of its broadcasting programs, scrapping daytime classical music and replacing it with more news and tedious talking marathons? It is hilarious, to say the least, that our prestigious university has decided that talk shows and news are what people should have to improve their level of education (read more - Winston-Salem Journal)

Children’s TV presenters Dick and Dom are in trouble again after imitating “flashers” and appearing almost naked on screen. The BBC’s own programme complaints unit ruled the pair’s behaviour had “exceeded acceptable limits”. Dick and Dom – real names Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood – pulled their latest stunt in a CBBC trailer for their Saturday morning show in August last year (read more - The Scotsman)

Dan Potter continues with those taste tempting recipes in his "Dining with Dan" feature.  In the mood for some scrumptious Pumpkin Soufflé with Roasted Pecans?  Dan's got the details (visit Dan Potter at WBAP 820)

XM Satellite Radio will serve as the title sponsor of the XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 at the Phoenix International Raceway on March 19. The Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar Series event, which will air  nationwide on ABC television at 3:00 pm ET, is the second race in the series' tenth anniversary season (read more - PR Newswire)

Financial television commentator Courtney Smith was arrested on Monday on criminal charges relating to his role in a $130 million stock scheme, securities regulators and his attorney said. He also faces civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which said in its complaint that Smith accepted more than $1 million in cash and stock in exchange for fraudulently touting the stock of the now defunct marketing company GenesisIntermedia Inc. in appearances on CNBC, CNN, CNNfn and Bloomberg TV between December 1999 and April 2001 (read more - Reuters)

Monster truck fans say "bigger is better." On January 29, a monster truck sponsored by Bob and Tom debuted at the U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam in Indianapolis, Ind. at the RCA Dome. The truck won the racing event by defeating tough competition including Grave Digger, Predator, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and more. Bob and Tom attended the same event in 2004 and were excited about getting involved this year by sponsoring a monster truck of their own. Pictured above is the Bob and Tom monster truck in action at the big event.  The Bob & Tom Show is nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks and is broadcast daily from 6-10 a.m. EST on more than 150 stations (visit Bob and Tom Web site)

SIRIUS Satellite Radio and W Hotels have agreed to make SIRIUS radios available in select guest suites at the W - Times Square and the W Los Angeles - Westwood. Beginning this month, W Guests can tune into their choice of SIRIUS' 120 channels of commercial-free music, play-by-play sports from top college and pro teams, news, information and entertainment, when they check into select suites at W Hotels. The variety, selection and choice on SIRIUS are an ideal fit with W Hotels' boutique style and comprehensive business services (visit Sirius Radio)

Clear Channel Entertainment is teaming up with the Aladdin to manage the hotel-casino's theater and a planned showroom, the companies said. The agreement gives Clear Channel Entertainment, one of the world's leading producers of live entertainment, a sizable venue in which to lure top-notch performers, headliners and possibly a Broadway show (read more - KC Star)

A federal court in Georgia last month ruled that Susquehanna Radio must pay Bridge Capital Investors II $10 million. Bridge Capital Investors II sued the York-based company in July for breach of contract in regard to a radio station Susquehanna bought in Anniston, Ala., in 1997 (read more - York Daily Record)

For the fourth year in a row, BMI is sponsoring the FastStart To Radio Success Minority Scholarship Program, providing full tuition for 25 minority students to the Radio Advertising Bureau’s (RAB) Radio Training Academy in Dallas, or to the Academy’s growing Off-Campus Extension Programs (read more - RAB)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Today is Shrove Tuesday, the last day of feasting before the fasting of Lent begins tomorrow—for those who observe such practices. Whether one is Christian or not, or even religious or not, I think it’s a good idea to give something up once in awhile. I’m sure my ex-wives would agree! I thought I would never be able to give up radio, but here I am 5 years later! It’s interesting when people reinvent themselves, don’t you think? Currently I’m trying to reinvent myself as a millionaire...but the Texas Lottery isn’t cooperating! (visit Jarrott Media)

Nick Lachey sounded fed up with his wife, Jessica Simpson, when he arrived solo at the ESPN Super Bowl party in Jacksonville. Interviewed by Maxim Radio on Sirius, Lachey was asked what he thinks of Jessica's dog, Daisy. "She's spoiled and fat," Lachey snickered. "That's right, spoiled and fat . . . just like its mom!" (read more - Page Six)

Livedoor Co., a Japanese Internet company that bought 18 companies in two years, raised its stake in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. to 35 percent, challenging a $1.7 billion bid for the company by Fuji Television Network Inc (read more - Bloomberg)

Dear Radio Babe, We are winter visitors and look for oldies and jazz when we're in our car. Can you suggest any stations? Thanks so much. B.G. Dear B.G. and readers, This query comes from a pile from readers/listeners wanting "real" jazz, not the "smooth" stuff, so let's address the issue, shall we? Many jazz programs, particularly of the older variety, air on Tampa's WUSF 89.7 FM (read more - Dawn Scire - The Radio Babe-Herald Tribune)

R&B singer Houston is recovering at his Los Angeles home following an eye-gouging incident in London. In a statement, the singer's bodyguard said he found Houston in the hotel room, lying on his bed with a towel over his face.  Bodyguard Marco Powell said he removed the towel and found Houston's eye hanging out. Powell said Houston claimed he had to "get the devil off his back" and the only way he could do that was by killing the devil (read more - NBC 4 LA TV)

Chances for a Europe-wide satellite radio service gained some credibility Monday, when an official at French broadcast company TDF confirmed at an industry conference here that talks had begun between Alcatel and SES Global over a possible joint venture (read more - International Herald Tribune)

Karl Haas, 91, a radio personality who for more than half a century shared his love of classical music with listeners around the world, died Feb. 6 at William Beaumont Hospital in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. Mr. Haas's syndicated program, "Adventures in Good Music," for many years attracted the largest audience of any classical music radio program in the world and was carried by hundreds of stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Panama and on Armed Forces Radio (read more - Washington Post)

The Federal Communications Commission on Monday published a list of Web sites that the agency says transmits unwanted e-mail and text messages to cell phones. Cell phone companies submitted the domain names to the FCC, and the list deals only with sites that send spam to cell phones. Sites on the list have 30 days to stop transmitting unwanted e-mail messages (read more - San Francisco Chronicle)

Brenda Freeman has joined VH1 as the Vice President of Consumer Marketing it was announced by Nigel Cox-Hagan, Senior Vice President, Creative and Consumer Marketing, VH1. Freeman will oversee all off-channel marketing for the company. Prior to coming to VH1, Freeman was Vice President, Affiliate Marketing, Entertainment Group for MTV Networks.  She was responsible for implementing marketing strategy around affiliate efforts in brand promotion, distribution support, and local ad sales promotional support for Spike TV, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick GAS, NickToonsTV, Nick at Nite, and TVLand. Before joining MTV Networks, she was Executive Director of Marketing and
Special Events for ABC Radio Networks (visit VH1)

The music swelled, sounding the familiar first notes of the vintage charity hit "We Are the World." Then the lyrics kicked in - a torrent of bad taste, ethnic slurs and cruel insults about the killer south Asia tsunami. The "parody," aired during morning drive time on New York radio's WQHT-FM, lasted three short minutes. Nearly three long weeks later, the self-proclaimed "premier hip-hop station in America" is still reeling: one of its morning co-hosts was fired, the show's producer was dumped, and five other employees remain suspended. The "USA for Indonesia" song offended not only tens of thousands of listeners but advertisers like McDonald's. "It's a mess," said Tom Taylor, editor of the trade publication Inside Radio. "It's taken on a life of its own. Clearly, this has touched a nerve." (read more - Seattle P-I)  

SatelliteRadioTips.com has become an official member of the AnswerBlogs Network. The purpose of the blog is to offer up to the minute news on the satellite radio industry and technology (read more - SatelliteRadioTips.com)

Inside the giant factory of cool known as MTV headquarters, a crew of hip twentysomethings has been hard at work creating a two-headed monster. This beast wants to be man's new best friend. On Sunday, during the Super Bowl halftime, MTV2 relaunched with a new focus on 12-24 year-old guys -- and a new logo (read more - CNN)

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has signed a book deal with Villard Books to publish The Redneck Dictionary. The deal is in the high six figures and the book will be published in the fall of 2005. In April 1999, The Jeff Foxworthy Countdown, a three-hour weekly country hits countdown show nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, debuted. Airing on more than 200 country stations, the show features intimate conversations with country’s biggest stars, the week’s top songs and new music. Jeff received a Country Music Association nomination in 2001 for “Broadcast Personality of the Year.” (visit Jeff Foxworthy Countdown)

HDNet will provide live coverage from Tuesday's much-anticipated summit in Egypt where Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and new Palestinian President Mahmoud  Abbas are expected to announce a cease-fire, hoping to end more than four years of violence. The live and unedited 1080i high-definition coverage is scheduled to run Tuesday, February 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET (visit HD.Net)

CNBC has promoted Pamela Thomas-Graham to the  position of chairman.  Mark Hoffman is the president of the business news network (read more - Crain's NY Biz)

On February 7 and 8, After MidNite's Blair Garner can be heard on NBC's daytime soap opera Passions. Garner will lend his voice as a DJ who chronicles the story of a kidnapped baby. Passions airs weekdays on NBC. After MidNite is nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks and can be heard on nearly 250 stations from midnight to 6 a.m. (visit Carson Daly)

The Weather Channel Radio Network, in conjunction with Jones MediaAmerica, ranks as the #1 network in reaching Adults 25-54, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the most recent findings of the RADIO'S ALL-DIMENSIONAL DATA AUDIENCE RESEARCH (RADAR). According to Arbitron-owned RADAR ®83, TWCRN also ranked in the top three overall among the 46 radio networks in the survey (visit The Weather Channel)

Meredith Corporation announced that Paul Karpowicz has been named President of the Meredith Broadcasting Group, effective February 14. Karpowicz, who has 30 years of broadcasting experience, is currently Vice President Television and Director for LIN Television Corporation, where he oversees LIN's 23 properties in 14 markets (read more - ArriveNet)

iBiquity Digital Corporation, the sole developer of digital HD Radio™ technology, announced that it has licensed Continental Electronics Corporation to develop, manufacture and market HD Radio exciters for AM and FM broadcasters who are converting to digital broadcasting. In January 2005, 21 of the nation’s top broadcast groups committed to upgrading 2,000 stations to HD Radio in the next few years, bringing the number of broadcasters committed to implementing the HD Radio service to 2,500, reaching 90% of the population. Approximately 250 U.S. stations are HD Radio broadcasters today and more than 700 are expected to be broadcasting by the end of 2005 (visit iBiquity.com)

From Claude Hall -- Sometimes, especially in radio back when radio was really radio, falling in love with an idea was about the same as falling in love with a beautiful woman.  Neither one made a hell of a lot of sense. On the other hand, there wasn't much you could do about it. Pete Battistini, who obviously loves radio, fell in love also with an idea and decided to try to do something about it. And succeeded. Thus, he has just compiled and written and edited a book about "American Top 40," the radio program that featured Casey Kasem much of its life ... + e-mails from Burt Sherwood, Tom Noonan, Bud Prager, Ian Wright and others (read www.claudehallonline.com)

Satellite radio's biggest attraction is the absence of commercials, not original content like a planned show from ribald radio host Howard Stern, according to a survey released on Monday by J.P. Morgan (read more - Reuters)

Celebrities, not sex, dominated the ads during Super Bowl XXXIX. But as during past Super Bowl telecasts, the best commercials weren't the ones with the biggest stars - just the ones with celebrities who were most willing to make fun of themselves. Perhaps the fear of offending sapped the creative juices behind this year's Super Bowl commercials. There was hardly a memorable spot in the bunch (view the commercials - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)  (view even more Super Bowl commercials - Ad Age)  (read more - Sports Illustrated)

Television network Fox has decided against broadcasting 3 Miller Lite commercials it had approved for airing during the Super Bowl pregame show on Sunday, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday. The three commercials poke fun at rival Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc.'s new Budweiser Select beer, which is being heavily promoted during the football game itself. The Miller spots were approved by Fox's standards and practices committee but later vetoed by its sales department, the source said (read more - Reuters)  (read editorial - "Make the Super Bowl Interesting Again" - Tufts Daily)

In early April of 2004, Air America got into a financial flap with the owner of its local station. We may never know for sure what happened, but either Al Franken was SAP'd or KBLA went back to Spanish programming. Those who wanted some kind of balance to the gospel of Sean Hannity, Limbaugh and a few thousand other conservative talkers went back to the excitement and glamour of those wacky fun guys at NPR. But things have changed since that inauspicious stuttering start, and now liberal talk with Air America personalities syndicated with some other progressive talkers, are ready to give it another go. Recently, progressive talk radio re-began broadcasting in Los Angeles on 1150 AM, KTLK, K-Talk Radio (read more - LA Daily News)

Media International Concepts, Inc. announced that it has received an initial funding commitment to implement its previously announced plan to develop several pilot talk shows aimed at the Satellite Radio industry which includes companies such as  Sirius and XM. The funding commitment of up to $1,000,000 is non-dilutive to current shareholders and is from BERING Venture, a private placement fund based in Europe (read more - PR Newswire)

WYJB, 95.5 FM was the No. 1 station with all major age groups in Arbitron Ratings Co.'s fall survey book.  "It's a radioism that there are three Ms, and if you have all three of those you have a book like we just had," said Kevin Callahan, station manager for B-95.5 owner Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc. of Latham. "The three Ms are music, mornings and marketing." (read more - Albany Biz Journal)

Westchester County airwaves are rocking a little harder today. After a weekend of "stunting," it was announced this morning that long-time rocker WPDH from Poughkeepsie will be simulcast on WFAF ( 106.3 FM). WPDH plays rock from Led Zeppelin and Nirvana to new bands like Puddle of Mudd. Its program director of Gary Cee, formerly of WLIR on Long Island, who also does afternoon drive. The morning team is Kevin Karlson and Pete McKenzie, with Robyn Taylor 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Tigman doing evenings (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, famous for doling out advice on her nationally syndicated call-in radio talk show, shared a little of her own personal life with U.S. Army reservists. Schlessinger told some 300 people at a 425th Civil Affairs Battalion event on Saturday that her son, 19-year-old Deryk Bishop, will join the U.S. Special Forces later this year - a mission that could take him to the Middle East (read more - San Jose Mercury News)

By most accounts, American radio in the 21st century is a social and economic battlefield. Howard Stern and his on-air disciples daily entertain -- and infuriate-- millions with sexually-explicit chatter. On the AM band, right-wing talk shows rage against anything liberal. Media giants Clear Channel Communications and Infinity Broadcasting accrue more power with each station they purchase. But don't tell all that independent station operators Robert La Rue of Stockton's KSTN and Jim Bryan and Doug Wulff of Modesto's KRVR. Radio -- with an emphasis on public service and the personal -- is their passion. For Bryan and Wulff, the medium has been their life, the glue of their personal and professional relationship, since meeting as teenagers at an East Bay broadcast school. It led to a partnership that has taken them from running their own school to broadcasting on cable to operating their own station, KRVR 105.5 FM (read more - RecordNet)

His name is Jack Woods, but most people knew him as "Charlie Brown." And in the 1970s, he was better known as one half of the "Charlie and Harrigan" team on San Diego's KFMB and KCBQ radio stations.  Woods, 70 and now retired, spends most of his time at his Pauma Valley home growing grapes and making wine. But once a disc jockey, always a disc jockey. Woods was known for his on-air characters. "Sometimes when my wife gets into bed, she never knows what voice she's going to hear," he said. Woods took a break from his vineyards late last year and traveled to San Antonio where he was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame for making significant and notable contributions to Texas radio. "That was quite an honor," Woods said. "All my life I was a smart aleck, and I was able to turn it into a living." (read more - Cheryl Walker-San Diego Union-Tribune)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- The ability to remember names is an art form that has eluded me for 60 years; occasionally I forget my own name. And in those stressful situations where someone pounces upon you without warning, I have been known to forget even my closest friend's names when forced to make introductions. My wife and I have a system: I shake hands and say "How good to see you again," and just start talking away. Then she says, "Hi, I'm Elise," which forces that person to respond with his or her name; and then I apologize profusely saying, "Oh, I'm sorry I thought you knew each other." Wednesday of this week, John Holly, the Western Region Director of the Actor's Equity Association was in Austin for a meeting with local Equity members. Within the first few minutes of the social gathering, John worked the room, chatting with old friends and introducing himself to those he didn't know-like me. And he remembered all those names, at least in our presence for the rest of the meeting! Amazing. LBJ was like that. He remembered everyone's name and made them feel really special. When the President talked to you, you were the center of his attention and those eyes bore into you. I went to a social gathering once shortly after becoming an anchor on KTBC TV news, and the President grabbed me around the shoulders and propelled me across the room, shouting "Bird, here's your new newsman, David Jarrott!" At another gathering some years later at the LBJ Library, when my mother was in town visiting from Chicago, I introduced her to LBJ, saying only, "Mr. President, this is my mother, Kathleen Jarrott. Her father taught you Government at Southwest Texas." Whereupon the President grabbed her hands with both of his and said, "Doctor Tanner was one of the finest, smartest people I have ever known!" I thought I was going to have to pick my mother up off the floor! (visit Jarrott Media)

Clear Channel Radio Regional Vice President, Jake Karger, today announced the appointment of Karl Moore to Regional Director of Operations for the Boston hub of the company’s Total Traffic Network. Moore will oversee daily operations of the company’s recent initiative to provide listeners with reliable, up-to-the-minute traffic updates. Moore will be based in Boston and will report to Karger (visit Clear Channel)

There's reason to applaud the Bush administration's decision to abandon the latest drive to loosen the rules against concentrated media ownership. The Justice Department says that it won't challenge a court ruling that blocked the controversial changes the Federal Communications Commission was pushing. They would have raised the number of media operations in a given place that could be in one owner's hands. In the biggest cities, a single company would have been allowed three TV stations, eight radio stations and a cable operator (read more - Edward Wasserman-Miami Herald)

Robert Crandall, the former chief executive of American Airlines, has always been his own man, a trait appreciated by President Bush, who nominated him in 2003 to the Amtrak board of directors. But when the White House discovered late in 2004 that Crandall had contributed the maximum $2,000 to the Democratic presidential campaigns of both Howard Dean and John Kerry -- and nothing to re-elect Bush -- officials wasted no time in cutting Crandall loose. Crandall's nomination was to be voted on by the Senate at the end of the congressional term in December. But the nomination got held up by congressional bureaucracy and politics, and it died quietly. Officials do not expect it to be resubmitted. "I don't know how public this is," said Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Rail Passengers, "but I heard that he gave money to Democrats, and so it's not surprising that his nomination didn't move forward." Senate staffers knowledgeable about the nomination confirmed the decision to pull the nomination was a consequence of his political contributions (read more - Star-Telegram) You'll find this and other "Talk Bites" at RDN's sister site, www.talkradiodailynews.com

Entravision Radio announced that it began airing top-rated Spanish-language morning show, "El Cucuy de la Manana" with host Renan Almendarez Coello, on its Radio Tricolor network which includes radio stations in 13 fast growing, most densely populated U.S. Hispanic markets. Entravision Radio's syndication of "El Cucuy de la Manana," through an agreement with ABC Radio Networks, marks a significant milestone for Spanish-language radio, signifying the genre's continued maturity and the growth of recognizable, national on-air talent (visit Entravision Radio)

From the music of this year's nominees, to music experts weighing in on who might win, to exclusive updates from the parties surrounding the biggest musical event of the year, SIRIUS Satellite Radio brings the 47th annual GRAMMY® awards alive from Friday, February 11th through Monday, February 14th on many of its commercial-free music channels (visit Sirius Radio)

Back in ye olden days of the World Wide Web — the mid-1990s — Internet radio seemed full of commercial promise. Major media companies, including broadcast giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. and Viacom Inc.'s MTV, jumped into the game. The only problems: no workable business model and no way to reach listeners away from their computers. That made Internet radio, for the most part, a commercial flop. But now there are signs of a turnaround. Ratings services are beginning to take Internet radio seriously as an advertising medium, entertainment companies are investing in it again, and new technologies are promising to let it reach people whether they are in the car or on the jogging trail (read more - David Colker-LA Times)

Quoted by a media web site Thursday from remarks at The Media Institute, joint board chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters Philip Lombardo said there was an "'indecency disconnect." The CEO of Citadel Communications said, "There's never been more concern among my colleagues with respect to the government's crackdown on controversial and cutting-edged programming. Broadcasters today are living in a state of tremendous uncertainty. The FCC's inconsistent application of indecency rules coupled with concern over a small number of what some would call 'tasteless' programs has prompted unprecedented anxiety at every level of our business." In other areas, observers saw some gains during Michael Powell's FCC tenure (read more - Denver Post)

From George Mair -- Many tune in Super Bowl for the commercials *****What bothers us is everything they're selling this year is  "improved." So what junk were they passing off on us last year? ******The commercial sells "fast, fast relief!" but it takes an hour to get the cotton out of  the bottle*****Then, of course, there are all those sports talkers  ******British observer, Cliff Temple, says they tell us who would if he could, but he can't, so he tells others who already can how they should. *****Ex-Oakland Raider coach, John Madden, now a sportscaster says,"Hell, if I knew what I was going to do when I was a coach, I'd have been smart enough to be a sports writer (read more - George Mair's LALA Letter)

Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP - Vonage) has been hailed as the cure for what ails the telecommunications industry -- one that could potentially create new opportunities in a sector that has bled money and jobs since 2000. But with thousands of companies competing for VoIP business, falling prices and looming regulatory pressures, VoIP could become a financial train wreck for carriers already saddled with huge quarterly losses and billions of dollars of mounting debt. "They will have to cannibalize themselves by holding onto their circuit-switch customers while serving those who want to go for VoIP," Weiser said. "In 15 years, most consumers and businesses would have shifted to VoIP. When you calculate the balance of line losses, it presents more of a challenge than an opportunity." (read more - MSNBC)  (read more - Government Technology)

Bob McAdorey helped usher in radio's rock `n' roll era and set the musical agenda for a generation of Toronto teens. Few today realize the power that DJs like McAdorey exerted over Toronto popular culture 40 years ago, when radio ruled. It was a cozy time for music — and then CHUM entered the fray, blew the cobwebs away and ushered in the crazy days of rock broadcasting. McAdorey, 69, died Saturday at St. Catharines' Hotel Dieu hospital after a long illness (read more - Toronto Star)

Make no mistake: The end is not near in the battle over indecency, which heated up a year ago when pop singer Justin Timberlake briefly exposed Janet Jackson's right breast during a performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. The departure of Mr. Powell has opened the way for new leadership at the FCC, and the leading candidate to succeed him — FCC Commissioner Kevin J. Martin, a fellow Republican — is one of the agency's strongest critics of indecent material on television and radio (read more - Chris Baker-Washington Times)  (read more - Lexington Herald-Leader)  (read more - CBS News)

Whenever I took the long ride on Highway 280 to San Francisco, I always had the latest ``Dune'' novel or Tony Hillerman mystery to transport me to another time and place. (And I didn't get into any wrecks in the real world.) It couldn't replace curling up on the couch with a book, but it was a good supplement when my alternative was boredom in the car. And it's a great way to recover time to devote to books in an age of hectic schedules. But Books On Tape decided to end its rental program in December and focus on selling audio books for higher fees or distributing them for free through libraries. When that happened, I turned to Audible to see how it could compete. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Audible's titles were often 20 percent to 30 percent cheaper than cassettes. After all, there's little physical inventory cost with Audible since you download the book to your computer (read more - Dean Takahashi-Mercury News)

Four years ago, KUNC radio found itself in a battle for its existence. It was at that time that KUNC employees and listeners discovered that the University of Northern Colorado was working on a management agreement with Colorado Public Radio that would have turned the station's license over to the Denver-based company. That agreement would have brought an all-news format to KUNC. "We learned about the (board of trustees) meeting through the open meetings law 24 hours before the meeting where the board was to approve that agreement with CPR," said station manager Neil Best. As a result of that meeting, 2,500 supporters operating under an organization called Friends of KUNC came up with $2 million in three weeks to buy the station (read more - Greeley Tribune)

ABC News Radio will bring the glamorous sounds of the 77th Academy Awards to radio audiences around the globe with a vast array of special programming leading up to and including Hollywood’s biggest night. Beginning Thursday, February 24th through Sunday, February 27th, 2005, ABC News Radio will broadcast live from Hollywood with celebrity interviews, inside scoop, and news from the world of motion pictures (visit ABC Radio Networks)

Powerful combatants in the fight over President Bush's plan to overhaul Social Security have launched a lobbying war that's turning into the biggest since the battle over health care in 1994. Just days after Bush unveiled part of his proposal, tens of millions of dollars are being raised and spent on ads, including some that begin Monday. The battle pits business and conservative groups against seniors, organized labor and liberals (read more - USA Today)

Five days a week, Randy Julien of Sterling, Va., hops into his Chevy Blazer for his 45-minute commute, turns on the radio, and prays for a traffic jam. "I really don't care if I get where I'm going," says Julien, a computer specialist for a defense contractor. It's not that his car is so fabulous or that he dislikes his job. Julien, 49, wants to spend as much time as possible listening to XM satellite radio. After catching up with the news on CNN or NPR, he loses himself in the music of the '60s, '70s, or '80s--uninterrupted by commercials. "I never knew what I was missing before I got satellite radio," says Julien. "I didn't realize just how bad modern radio is today." (read more - US News and World Report)

You won't hear Channel 9's I-Team or Channel 5 anchor Sandra Ali anytime soon on Clear Channel's WLW-AM (700).  The city's dominant No. 1 radio station has banned any mention for TV competitors of Clear Channel's WKRC-TV (Channel 12). In a memo to staffers, WLW-AM operations director Darryl Parks says: "Let's make this short and crystal clear. All mentions of competing television media to Local 12 stops today." (read more - John Kiesewetter-Cindy Enquirer)

The new Palestinian leader has ordered a more peaceful tone in local broadcasting. Palestinian television has been ordered by new President Mahmoud Abbas to cleanse its screens of bloody imagery to align with a new mood of peace in the region. Eulogies to suicide bombers, or "martyrs" as they were previously known, have given way to "feel-good" nature programs and romantic films. Instead of referring to "martyr operations", suicide bombings are described as "explosions". The changes have been made as Israelis and Palestinians prepare for this week's summit between Mr Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Egypt. Mr Abbas summoned the TV station directors and told them to tone down aggressive programming. He also said he did not want the kind of sycophantic round-the-clock coverage of his schedule that was the norm under former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (read more - The Age-Australia)

Page Six had one important fact wrong in their item about the breakup of Elisabeth Rohm and Dan Abrams - they were never engaged. The "Law & Order" beauty and the MSNBC legal expert seemed to be happily heading in that direction when the relationship stalled. The beginning of the end came two nights before Christmas when they had a romantic, candlelit dinner with just a chef and a waiter in an empty dance studio in Dumbo (read more - Page Six)

A new Berlin radio station is hoping to revolutionize the country's music industry with a fresh format that drops commercials for legal song downloads. Once a major player at a major music label, Tim Renner at some point decided the industry couldn't be saved from within. Frustrated by Universal Music's decision to promote easily marketed and packaged international music acts at the expense of local artists, he left his well-paying job at the company's German division in 2004. Instead of fighting the industry from the inside, he and his partners at the indie label Motor are hoping to revolutionize it from the outside. Starting Feb. 1, the new Berlin radio station MotorFM broadcasts with a new format and business concept including online music downloads (read more - Deutsche Welle)

It's a frigid January afternoon, but 36 stories above Midtown, singer LeAnn Rimes is barefoot and wearing a pair of ripped jeans during a live performance for the Sirius Satellite Radio network. Her voice fills the hallways, yet the visit by one of country music's biggest stars to the company's headquarters is just a blip for the No. 2 satellite radio company. The real action is down the hall. There, Hall of Fame football player John Riggins is decked out in his signature black wool knit cap and overalls as he does his daily football show on Sirius' NFL Radio (read more - Star-Ledger)

Terry Heaton says that local television personalities and staffers are beginning to get serious in the blogosphere, and he thinks that's a good thing. I do too. Terry writes... Local TV needs to get involved in what people are talking about in their communities, and a great place to start is with bloggers. And what better way to get involved than to join the discussions by blogging? Terry played a role in John Dwyer's new blog. The sports director for WKRN-TV in Nashville, has started a blog to break what he calls the "3-minute habit," referring to the time limitations of the sports segment (read more - MicroPersuasion)

The abrupt switch from rock music to fast-paced dance songs with Spanish lyrics represented a big shift in format for the radio station WHFS-FM (99.1), one that shocked longtime listeners. But Spanish-language broadcasters and industry watchers weren't surprised that radio giant Infinity Broadcasting decided to tune in El Zol, loosely translated as "The Sun." (read more - Washington Times)

At least part of the Social Security debate focused on the 2nd Congressional District again Friday, as the Republican National Committee sent letters to local television stations asking them not to air what it calls a "false TV ad" promoted by MoveOn.org. Washington, D.C.-based MoveOn.org immediately issued a statement defending the accuracy of its ad, which began airing on local stations Tuesday and which is critical of the president's plan to revamp Social Security. The RNC letter drew a mixture of responses. One local station executive said he viewed the tone of the letter as "threatening." Another said he planned to investigate a statement in the ad and might decide to pull the spot if he found it to be misleading. The national ad, titled "Working Retirement," debuted on local stations Tuesday (read more - South Bend Tribune)

“No sooner had CBS been fined a zillion dollars when all of a sudden we had a corporate memo and a bunch of delays,” said Greg Dwyer, half of the popular Dwyer & Michaels morning show duo on radio station KCQQ-FM, or Q106.5. It is one of eight radio stations in the Quad-Cities owned or operated by Clear Channel Entertainment, the country’s largest radio company (read more - Quad City Times)

With all the talk about what the Federal Communications Commission does regulate, it has been pointed out a time or two in the past that what the FCC does not weigh in on are questions of bad taste. But the self-regulating impact of community standards is making itself felt in the case of R&B/hip-hop WQHT (Hot 97) New York (read more - Reuters)

Shawano-based Results Broadcasting, Inc. has purchased two radio stations in Antigo, bringing to nine the numbers of stations the company operates. Results Broadcasting reached an agreement last week with NewRadio Group, LLC to purchase WATK-AM and WACD-FM. The agreement is not final until the transfer of the stations' licenses is approved by the Federal Communication Commission, which should take place in the next few months (read more - Shawano Leader)

U.S. cable television prices increased at almost three times the rate of inflation in 2003 and the medium lost market share to satellite services, according to government reports issued on Friday (read more - Reuters)

After 41 years of ownership, Vern and Dorothy Garvin have sold KURY Radio to Eureka Broadcasting, another family-owned and operated radio company (read more - Curry Pilot)

Television and recorded music have been re-invented in recent years, with the advent of higher-quality digital content. Now, the radio industry is also going digital, raising the hopes of semiconductor makers, which hope to supply chips for millions of new digital radios over the coming decade. Although satellite broadcasters started beaming digital signals to US subscribers in 2001, most terrestrial radio stations have remained stubbornly analogue. That’s changing, however, with the growing acceptance of the Eureka 147 digital audio broadcasting (DAB) standard in the United Kingdom and the Federal Communications Commission’s 2002 approval of the US HD Radio digital standard (read more - Russ Arensman-Ferrett.com Australia)

After warnings, inspections and finally a raid, 90.9 FM is silent. Knoxville First Amendment Radio, or KFAR, was an unapologetic voice of unlicensed "pirate radio" activism, freewheeling conversation, alternative news and music since 2001. But Federal Communications Commission agents and U.S. marshals emptied the station's graffiti-decorated trailer — a former crack house on a hilltop near the University of Tennessee — of radio gear Sept. 14. A poster of Che Guevara, the Cuban revolutionary, remains on a control room wall (read more - 1st Amendment Center)

The Founder and Chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network, M. G. "Pat" Robertson, will speak at the National Press Club on Tuesday, February 15, about religion's evolving role in our culture. He will also present his assessment of how America's news media has largely underreported or even misreported evangelical Christians' role in the political process.  In his speech, titled "What Christians Want and the Big Story the Media Has Missed," Robertson plans to outline long-range hopes of the evangelical Christian community for public policy in the United States. He will share the story of Christian influence worldwide that he feels has been largely missed by America's news media (read more - US Newswire)

Hit the pause button, drop the remote and turn your radio down. It's time for another installment of cards and letters across the television/radio desk: Eddie Volkman: Sorry to see that "Java Joel" perceived a little bit we did as "bashing" him. We normally make it a rule not to mention other stations or personalities, no matter what kind of abuse they throw at us, but considering the almost obsessive harassment our new night show guys, "Stylz & Roman," endured from "Java," we couldn't help take a mild parting shot; a quick skit about him landing behind the microphone again -- at a fast-food drive-thru. It's ironic that a joke got him fired, yet he couldn't seem to take one from us! (read more - Feder of Chicago)

KJR-FM has been added to TKO Production's rapidly-expanding roster of affiliate radio stations across the country. TKO produces and syndicates America’s fastest-growing syndicated radio programs, including Hall of Fame Coast to Coast©, Hall of Fame Coast to Coast WEEKNIGHTS© and the newest offering, Into the 70s with Tom Kent© (visit TruckinTom.com)

From Kent Burkhart -- As all you readers know Mary Catherine is the Chief Operating Officer of Radio One. Radio One is the nation’s largest radio broadcasting company primarily targeting African American and urban listeners.  Radio One owns over sixty stations in twenty two markets across the country…including some major markets like Houston, Dallas, and DC.  Her job is to handle the operational issues for Radio One.  She is in the Top 20 of Radio Ink’s most influential women broadcasters.  Mary Catherine was born in Huntsville, Alabama, graduated from Auburn (BA in Languages and Education), and began her career as Program Director of WSM/AM and FM in Nashville (read more - www.kentburkhart.com)

Welcome to Radio Row. A circus of more than 100 radio stations have set up camp for the week in the Super Bowl  media center here, lining the corridors of a former railroad station turned convention center. WEEI in Boston, Fox Sports Radio, ESPN, WFAN in New York, Sporting News Radio, Maxim Radio and scores of others are all here yacking away (read more - Greg Gatlin-Boston Herald)

At 4'11", Jennifer Allen is packed with a personality that has become a favorite in wacky WACO and the Aggies' College Station, along with parts in between. "When some people meet me for the first time, they say, 'You sound taller on radio.' I tell them that's because I sit on a stool when I'm on the air. And they say, 'Oh, I see,'" she laughs (read more - News Democrat)

Care to know how many people in Fairfax, Virginia, were listening to Howard Stern last Wednesday? At 9:12 a.m.? At the intersection of Routes 50 and 123? Okay, neither do we, really. But radio stations and advertisers do -- and new technology is delivering the answer. Since last June, Herndon, Virginia-based Mobiltrak has logged the listening habits of 1 million commuters a month by monitoring electric radiation. Chances are, if you've driven through the Washington, DC, area recently, you've unknowingly participated in Mobiltrak's survey (read more - Fast Company)

In response to reports out of Fargo, North Dakota that dozens of citizens – including the producer of Democracy Radio’s The Ed Schultz Show and an elected city commissioner – had been banned from attending President Bush’s speech, Democracy Radio’s C.E.O. Tom Athans released the following statement: “News of the Bush blacklist of dozens of citizens from a Fargo, North Dakota speech is as frightening as it has become routine for this Administration. To blacklist a local citizen because he produces a radio program at odds with the political agenda of the White House is dangerous for Democracy  (read more - Democracy Radio)  (read more - Howard Kurtz-Washington Post) (Ed Schultz will be on CNBC's Dennis Miller Show tonight)

Orlando fans of "oldies" radio didn't know what to make of the sounds being broadcast from their favorite station this week. It was out with The Beatles and in with El Gran Combo, a legendary salsa band (read more - Orlando Sentinel)

The giant isn't standing still. New technologies like high-definition digital radio are in the works, and Clear Channel is leading the industry in an effort to reduce the number of on-air ads. "We have done a 20% across-the-board cut in our commercial inventory minutes," says Randall Mays, the company's chief financial officer. "We've done that to create a much more compelling environment for our listeners, which is also going to create a more compelling environment for our advertisers to advertise in." (read more - Jerry Cobb-Money Central)

A year after Janet Jackson's Super Bowl peep show, the news is all about the commercials that aren't running on the big game this year.  One was a spoof of that very incident, featuring a stagehand doing some last-minute work on Jackson's costume before the halftime show that shocked the universe and led to big fines. That ad can still be seen at www.budweiser.com. Milwaukee viewers will recognize the stagehand as the yodeling fan from the old Shorewest Realty ads a few years back. Budweiser got tons of free publicity from pulling the ad to avoid possible problems, including clips airing on newscasts. Anheuser-Bush may have learned a lesson from Airborne, a cold remedy that had its ad featuring Mickey Rooney's bare bottom nixed by Fox. You can find Rooney's octogenarian posterior by going to www.airbornehealth.com (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

A radio broadcaster for DWBB-AFP Radio was critically injured when an assailant planted a screwdriver on his nape in Gate 2 Cogeo, Antipolo, DZMM reported Friday. Jess Abarondo, 58 years old, was rushed to Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center with the screwdriver still stuck on the right portion of his nape. The radio broadcaster was said to have gone to Antipolo to check on complaints that Muslim vendors of pirated videos are refusing to return the money of their unsatisfied customers (read more - ABS-CNB News)

Within the next 10 days or so, we likely will know if the 49ers will keep KGO (810 AM) as their flagship station, or if the team and the station will part company after an 18-year run. That 10-day estimate comes from two men who ought to know: Mickey Luckoff, the general manager of KGO, and Tony Salvadore, the senior vice president for both KNBR (680 AM) and KTCT (1050 AM) (read more - San Francisco Chronicle)

Despite reports from listeners of several days of dead air, Keizer radio station KYKN-AM is not going off the air. Station general manager Mike Frith said the news, talk and sports broadcaster had to replace its transmitter and was back on the air with regular programming late Wednesday (read more - Statesman Journal)

Who's buying what ads at the Super Bowl (read more - Ad Age)

A milestone in the history of recorded music was marked on New Year's Eve when Quantegy, the last company in the U.S. to manufacture the magnetic tape used for studio analog recording, shut its doors (read more - Rolling Stone)

Looking around you see dozens of quaint 1920 style light posts that automatically turn on at the first hint of darkness. There are no telephone poles, no ugly electric lines or cable TV drops to ruin this picture. This is the home of Into Tomorrow. Throughout the week, the staff of Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline assembles here to produce the network radio program. Founder and program host Dave Graveline has the shortest trip of all; it's exactly 10.5 feet from his living room to his high-tech recording and broadcasting studio. Closing the two sound-proof doors behind him, he turns on the "on air" sign and can settle down to some important recording without fear of airplane noise from overhead or from an episode of "Wings" on the family big screen TV (read more - Graveline.com)

Connecticut-based Qantum Communications will take over two 50,000-watt Cape Cod radio stations later this year. Ernie Boch, Jr., son of the late and legendary Massachusetts automotive tycoon, will end his family’s 10-year venture into broadcast radio if a proposed sale of four Cape stations wins regulatory approval (read more - Barnstable Patriot)

Ernie Hernandez gets a kick from carpool pals Ethel, Squizz and Lucy. Ever since hooking up his satellite radio receiver and its curiously named free-form music channels, the Hollywood hairstylist breezes through his commute, combing through 120 channels of music, talk, news and sports. Hernandez is one of the growing number of satellite subscribers shelling out for what one listener calls "radio on steroids," a far-flung variety of talk and commercial-free music, from modern rock to classical, blues to hip-hop, and country to metal, programmed by genuine aficionados. On his daily drive, Hernandez alternates between CNN Headline News, arena-rock channel Boneyard, and Ethel, one of the network's alt-rock stations (read more - Fred Shuster-LA Daily News)

Jim Rose Remembers -- Early on I learned the most important words to any person are the words to their name. That's why it is of the utmost importance in radio to mention listeners' names in requests and contests. A deejay who mentions listeners' names endures them and the listener will never forget it. They will even go around and mention this to all their friends. Free publicity for just having fun on the radio. Simple pleasures can be treasures. One of my buddies at KPCN in Dallas in 1967 was exactly what I mean. He did everything in his power to hide his real name. Have absolutely no idea why. He was a very good friend and will respect his privacy. Will only disclose his first name - SHELBY. He used RANDY RYDER on the air. Double R was mentioned often (read more - Jim Rose Remembers)

Weird Radio co-hosts Ramsey Ramirez and Russell Dowden add their voices to the aural landscape of late night radio on Wednesdays on 1580 KIRT-AM. Ramirez and Dowden said that the difference between Weird Radio and the rest of the DJs filling night time hours with talk, opinions and music is that Weird is promoting the work of local musicians and airing opinions that skirt the paranormal (read more - McAllen Monitor)

Home improvement radio personality Tom Kraeutler will appear as a home improvement expert in CNN’s new weekend show “Open House,” which is scheduled to launch February 5 at 9:30am ET on CNN/US. Kraeutler hosts The Money Pit, a syndicated weekend home improvement radio program heard on over 120 radio stations around the nation, as well as on both XM and Sirius Satellite radio (visit The Money Pit)

A man accused of impersonating a radio station employee to lure women to his home was sentenced to 15 months to 2 1/2 years in state prison for offenses in Delaware County (read more -  KYW CBS 3)

Not too long ago, the crew at KGB's "Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw" show turned to breasts, a topic dear to many radio morning-show hosts. They discussed women who named theirs ---- one listener said she calls hers "License & Registration," because she points to them whenever she gets pulled over; another dubbed hers "Thelma & Louise." A few days later, Star 100.7's "Jeff & Jer" spent time debating the visual appeal (or lack thereof) of a certain part of the male anatomy. Meanwhile, KPRI has been airing an Alanis Morissette song with a seven-letter bad word (she uses it to describe herself) while also allowing pop-rocker Jason Mraz to make this comment about why he likes to put roosters on his album covers: "Well, I guess literally I've been told I like to rock out with my c--- out." Wow. Considering what's allowed on the air these days, it might be hard to believe that the Federal Communications Commission has spent the last year cracking down on radio indecency. Indeed, several local radio station bosses said they haven't had to change much in the 12 months since the FCC's morality police got energized by Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl. But things are different (read more - Randy Dotinga-North County Times)

Steve Dahl, the Chicago radio icon and afternoon personality at WCKG-FM (105.9), has been elected to the board of trustees of Columbia College Chicago + Jack Silver, a Chicago native and onetime program director of the former WLUP-AM, has been named operations manager of KRTH-FM in Los Angeles (read more - Feder of Chicago)

Micky Dolenz, the morning man on WCBS-FM (101.1), will be getting regular Thursday visits from Shannon Rouss of Self magazine + Paco, one of the signature deejays of the original WKTU, has left the afternoon slot at WPAT (93.1 FM) + Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, Jonathan Schwartz of WNYC (93.9 FM) and XM Satellite Radio salutes baseball (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)

Although it is still a fragmented market dominated by local media buys, Hispanic media experts say national advertisers are increasing budgets in Spanish-language radio by double digits, largely as a result of recent moves by three major Hispanic radio operations (read more - AdAge)

The bogus ads on WMYX-FM (99.1) for a fake ban on Christmas lights produced a response from readers who heard similar stunts elsewhere. Yes, indeed. This particular bit of radio comedy occurred in Atlanta, Albuquerque, N.M., and Rochester, N.Y., a year ago. And it's been re-created elsewhere this year, including last week in North Carolina, where Greensboro's WKRR-FM was behind the hoax (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

A college disc jockey who thought he set a world record for the longest continuous radio broadcast has discovered that he apparently fell 10 hours short. Dave Plotkin has been informed by officials at Guinness world records that his 110-hour, three-minute broadcast on Rollins College's WPRK-FM two weeks ago wasn't good enough for the all-time longest (read more - Miami Herald)

The University of Washington holds two licenses for radio stations: news/talk/National Public Radio powerhouse KUOW-FM (94.9) and KEXP-FM (90.3), which features a mixture of independent rock, world and niche music. Is there room, or demand, for a third? That's what the organizers of RainyDawg Radio are wondering + MobilTrak expects to roll out technology for measuring AM station listenership in the next two months (read more - Bill Virgin's Seattle Radio Beat)

There's talk that FCC Chairman Michael Powell, before announcing his decision to step down next month, was entertaining the bees swarming around the honey pot. Powell was in the midst of trying to push through deregulation of broadcast ownership, leading the fight to relax ownership rules as a favor to the president -- not to mention Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. That's not static you're hearing -- it's the Buzz around the money trail (read more - Karen Feld-Washington Examiner)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- This is not an observation about Johnny Carson. Like millions of Americans, I was saddened by the recent death of Johnny. And like millions of Americans, Johnny was so much a part of my life that I feel I can brashly call him “Johnny.” Johnny’s “Tonight Show” career roughly paralleled my broadcasting career. His first “Tonight Show” was in October, 1962; my first radio broadcast was in January, 1963. His last telecast was in May of 1992; my last radio broadcast on oldies KOOL 99 was in July of 1993. Oh, sure I came back on the air from 1997 until 2000 on Majic 95—but I should have known better; so forgive me for that! This is an observation on another great talent who recently passed away—Ray Charles. I was working at KHFI in Austin when Ray Charles came to our city for a concert and I was introducing him as well as doing a backstage interview. It was a dark and stormy night, and Ray’s private plane was turned back to Houston, and then given clearance to come back to Austin. The concert was scheduled to start at 8pm, but didn’t get underway until after 9pm. I met Ray Charles and his entourage at the stage door and talked with him on the way to his dressing room. I introduced myself and asked if I could have a few minutes of his time for an interview after the show. He said “Sure, just come back to the dressing room.” Well the show was about 3 hours long and after it was over, I went to the dressing room and knocked on the door. One of the biggest, baddest bodyguards I’ve ever seen answered the door and I said, “I’m here to interview Mr. Charles.” And that’s all I said. From across the room I heard that familiar voice say, “Oh, is that Dave Jarrott; tell him to come on in.” I had said my name to him only once, as he hurried in, late and surrounded by lots of other folks! What a great memory and what a great gesture on his part—to remember my name! But I think the some of the greatest talents are like that, and that’s why they are so great—because they make you feel important (visit Jarrott Media)

NFL and SIRIUS Satellite Radio, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, have collaborated on several activities that will enhance the Super Bowl experience for fans in Jacksonville, site of Super Bowl XXXIX, and across the country (read more - PR Newswire)

ABC News Radio will broadcast “GRAMMY Guide 2005,” a one-hour special celebrating the nominees, performers and presenters for the 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards taking place on Sunday, February 13th, 2005. The radio special will be hosted by multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban who is nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his song “You Raise Me Up.” (visit ABC News Radio)

After 2 1/2 years together, former "Law & Order" hottie Elisabeth Rohm has split with her fiancé, MSNBC legal expert Dan Abrams. "She had her things packed and moved out of his apartment last weekend," said our source. Rohm is in Los Angeles auditioning for roles and "didn't want to marry Dan," said another pal (read more - NY Post)

iBiquity Digital Corporation, the sole developer of digital HD Radio(TM) technology, announced today that Billboard Radio Monitor has named iBiquity President and CEO Bob Struble one of its five radio industry CEO's to watch in 2005. This latest recognition follows CNET's recent selection of HD  Radio as the "Next Big Thing" in Car Technology, an award that was bestowed upon the company last month at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) (read more - PR Newswire)

Comedian and political provocateur Al Franken says the re-election of President Bush was bad for the country but good for his fledgling liberal radio network, Air America, as it strives to rebound from a rocky start. Much as conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh grew in popularity as he railed for eight years against Democrat Bill Clinton, Franken sees Bush as the perfect foil in his mission to amplify the voice of the political left on daytime talk radio (read more - Reuters)

Brent Clanton, general manager of Houston’s new BizRadio1320, announced the addition of the Stevens & Cleverley Show to the station’s programming line-up. The Stevens & Cleverley Show will air from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m. beginning on Saturday, February 5th, and will broadcast from Houston’s finer restaurants and venues every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. (visit Cleverley and Stevens Web site)

The Franchise and The Zone, The Score and The Ticket, The Sports Animal and The Sports Chix. They're all in Jacksonville this week, on Radio Row at the NFL media center. More than 100 radio stations, most of them the sports-talk variety, are camped out in a busy, noisy mass of tables, chairs and microphones, sending back hours of Super Bowl talk to hometowns across the country. "It's the circus," said Chris Parker, aka the Bulldog, at WGR from Buffalo, N.Y.. "It's like a convention," said Andy Pollin of SportsTalk 980 in Washington, D.C. (read more - Philly Daily News)

Adelphia Communications Corp., the nation's fifth-largest cable TV company, will begin offering hard-core adult films on pay-per-view on Friday in its Southern California market.
The programming is being introduced in response to subscriber demands, Adelphia spokeswoman Erica Stull said Wednesday (read more - Anchorage Daily News)

In addition to hosting Carson Daly Most Requested, his nationally syndicated radio program that’s heard Monday through Friday on more than 100 stations, fans will see him this Sunday in the “Diet Pepsi Truck” commercial that will debut during the Super Bowl. Plus, he will be hosting a special edition of Total Request Live on MTV that is dedicated to tsunami relief (visit Carson Daly)

Rush Limbaugh talks with Vice President Dick Cheney on his radio program Thursday at approximately 12:35 p.m. EST on the EIB Network. The Vice President will discuss the second term agenda and the State of the Union address (visit RushLimbaugh.com)

The months-old shoplifting case against a former Miss Puerto Rico became international news this week after she was booked into the Orange County Jail. Brenda Robles' mug shot ran on the front pages of two of Puerto Rico's largest daily newspapers Tuesday, a day after her booking in Orlando. Television quickly spread the news across Latin America about how Robles, a host of Univision TV's Que Suerte! variety show, was charged last summer with stealing toys, trinkets and T-shirts from a store at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure. Robles, 29, has been suspended from the show, one of the island's most popular programs every Sunday, as a result of her arrest, the show's production company said Wednesday (read more - Orlando Sentinel)

The second market trial of the Arbitron Portable People Meter (PPM) system is under way in Houston.  There will be Arbitron Sessions at RAB 2005 called "Arbitron’s Portable People Meter: What Are Industry Leaders Saying?" and "Profiting from and Programming for the New (Virtual) Neighborhood – Your Radio Station".  They'll be held Friday, February 11, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency, Atlanta (visit http://www.rab2005.com) 

KLKN-TV personalities Natalie Faunce and Kevin Coskren have decided it's time to leave Lincoln. Both said Wednesday they do not plan to renew their contracts when they expire later this spring (read more - Lincoln Journal-Star)

Despite complaints from 60 people, Britain's advertising regulators have said there is nothing inappropriate about the genitals of an animated frog whose high-pitched squeals are sold as a mobile phone ringtone. Television adverts of the motorcycle-riding Crazy Frog, who is drawn with a broad smile and a tiny penis, run frequently on British television, amusing, baffling and annoying viewers. "While unusual for an animated model of this type to be shown with genitalia, no sexual or inappropriate references were made about its anatomy," the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said. Twenty-two people complained they were worried children might see the advertising, which also promotes screen savers and mobile videos (read more - ABC News Australia)

WBAP 820' s newsman Dan Potter continues to tantalize dinner tables and tingle taste buds with his "Dining with Dan" recipes.  How about Pork Souvlaki with Tzatziki? (visit Dan's dining room for the recipe)

Martha Stewart, who is currently serving a prison sentence for obstruction of justice, will star in a spinoff of The Apprentice, in which contestants will vie for a job at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (read more - Crain's NY Biz)

Dan Yukelson, currently senior vice president/CFO, has been promoted to executive vice president/CFO of Premiere Radio Networks. Based in Los Angeles, Yukelson will continue to oversee all financial operations and contract negotiations, as well as the network’s billing, traffic and continuity operations (visit Premiere Radio)

The Ubuy Broadcasting Company, an affiliate of Ubuy Holdings Inc.,  has entered into a one-year contract with Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. for an hourly radio show that will be aired Monday through Friday titled, "The Sun Belt Report". The programming will include such topics as retirement issues, real estate reports and updates, mortgage financing updates, home security, health, and other programming geared to issues of the day throughout the Sunbelt regions of the world. The first broadcast is scheduled to begin on February 15, 2005 at 6:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. on WWNN Radio (1470 AM). The web site is www.wwnnradio.com 

WEBG-FM became Orlando’s first and only full-market Spanish language station with the launch of “Rumba 100.3 FM.” To celebrate the launch, “Rumba 100.3” began airing 5000 songs in a row just before noon today. The station will feature music from core artists including Marc Anthony, Gilberto Santa Rosa, El Gran Combo, Tego Calderon, Olga Tanon and Victor Manuelle (visit Clear Channel) (read more - Orlando Sentinel)

Less Bach, more talk. WFDD-FM 88.5, the National Public Radio station licensed to Wake Forest University, has shifted away from its longtime classical-music format to one heavy on news and information, reflecting a broader change in public radio as a whole (read more - Winston-Salem Journal)

Arbitron has appointed Carol Hanley to senior vice president, Sales, U.S. Media Services.  In this newly created position, Ms. Hanley will head-up all sales efforts for the U.S. Media Services division, which now includes Radio, Advertiser/Agency, Outdoor and the Product/Customer Services groups. Ms. Hanley will focus on developing programs and initiatives that address Arbitron customers' growing needs (read more - Arbitron)

He's known for Yogi-isms, but Yogi Berra doesn't want to know from Yogasms. The Yankee legend has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Turner Broadcasting Systems for using his name in a "hurtful" advertisement for its "Sex and the City" reruns an ad that "created a false image of [Berra] that is both contrary to his personality, lifestyle and character as well as abhorrent to him personally." (read more - Sportsline)

Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is all but certain to be named interim anchor on The CBS Evening News when Dan Rather steps down next month, sources within CBS News say (read more - USA Today)

Approaching the first anniversary of Janet Jackson's famed wardrobe malfunction, a study released Tuesday criticized MTV for the "incessant sleaze" of steamy programming aimed at young people. During one week last March, the watchdog Parents Television Council said it counted 3,056 flashes of nudity or sexual situations and 2,881 verbal references to sex.  "MTV has clearly chosen to cater to the lowest common denominator, to offer the cheapest form of programming to entice young boys ... dangling forbidden fruit before their eyes," said Brent Bozell, PTC president and conservative activist (read more - NY Post)

From Chuck Blore's Okay, Okay I Wrote the Book -- At KELP I had managed to get unheard of rating numbers by making ‘the rules’ in Gordon McLendon’s policy book inviolable, something even Gordon himself had never bothered to do. At KFWB, my Color Radio format was made up of ‘the rules’ from Gordon’s book plus a few things I had always admired from The Storz Stations. It was an exacting format and my greatest fear was that it could get very repetitious very fast so it was essential that each deejay should bring a completely fresh approach to it. It took about a second to determine which of the guys already on the WB staff were going to be able to do “This Color Radio thing.” Four of the six, Bill Ballance, B.Mitchell Reed, Joe Yokum and ultimately Jarvis, brought such talent with them that when I asked for a fresh approach what I heard was un-heard of ... it was absolute magic. Every one of these guys was an entertainer, every one with his own idea of a fresh approach, every one of which flat-assed knocked me down. The first night after that first day was spent ... (read more from Chuck Blore)

I heard Rush Limbaugh say, "Liberals hate America." That was my fault for listening, you might be thinking, and you're right. People often call to complain about Limbaugh. "He just said that liberals like it when Americans are killed in Iraq," a caller recently said, and I answered, as I always do, "Don't listen." Why would anybody left of center listen to KMOX? For three hours a day, the station promotes hatred of liberals. If you were Jewish and the station promoted hatred of Jews, would you listen? Would you patronize their advertisers? But I do not always take my own advice, and I had the radio tuned to KMOX - blame morning host Charlie Brennan - when I got in the car last week to go home for lunch. And so I heard Limbaugh say that liberals hate America (read more - Bill McClellan-St Louis Post-Dispatch)

Over the past four decades, one law of mathematics has ruled AM hot talk radio in America: Liberal equates to loser.
Out of Fargo, N.D., however, has come the voice of a former football player named Ed Schultz, who has gone from two radio outlets to 77 just in the last year. "I'm prairie-dwelling, pro-union, pro-health care and pro-education. I hunt and fish, and I don't fly on Lear jets and I don't smoke Cuban cigars," said Schultz, in a not-too-subtle poke at the rarified tastes of such right-wing populists as Rush Limbaugh. Schultz has taken over the noon-to-3 p.m. slot on AM 1090, KPTK radio and will be on LA's KTLK today (read more - Joel Connelly-Seattle P-I)

These are the great dilemmas of our time. PC or Mac? LCD or plasma? And now, Sirius or XM? Which satellite radio service should you subscribe to? It depends on your favorite type of programming. According to a study conducted by New York's Arbitron, satellite enthusiasts spent almost one hour more listening to radio versus the general population. The study also showed that satellite radio prospects are more likely to purchase new products. Listeners in the South, which included Maryland, were more likely to be interested in satellite radio versus other regions, the study found. In the years ahead, satellite radio is expected to eventually nab 12 percent to 15 percent of the entire adult radio market, according to BIA Financial Network Inc., a Chantilly, Va.-based media advisory firm. At that point, satellite radio's popularity could take a bite out of analog radio advertising, said Mark Fratrik, a vice president at BIA. Some area broadcasters downplay satellite's effect (read more - Dean Johnson-Boston Herald)  (read more - Baltimore Biz Journal)

WQHT/Hot 97-FM and Emmis Communications announced  that they have terminated the employment of morning show producer Rick Del Gado for his role in writing, producing and airing “The Tsunami Song,” a highly insensitive parody of the 1985 single “We Are the World.” Hot 97 and Emmis also terminated morning show personality Todd Lynn for making offensive, racially insensitive comments while on the air. Both terminations are effective immediately. An internal investigation by Hot 97 and Emmis determined that the singularly egregious actions of Lynn and Del Gado warranted termination from their employment at the station. Other members of the morning show crew: Miss Jones, DJ Envy and Tasha Hightower have each been given two-week suspensions. The salaries of these individuals will be redirected to Give2Asia for the duration of their suspensions, which will end on Wednesday, February 9. Another member of the morning show crew, Miss Info, has not been suspended. “The actions of the morning show crew were socially and morally indefensible and the entire Emmis family is ashamed by this,” said Rick Cummings, President of Emmis Radio “Emmis and Hot 97 have investigated this matter thoroughly over the course of the last week. Our decision to terminate Mr. Del Gado and Mr. Lynn while suspending the other members of the morning crew sends a message that this type of insensitivity is utterly unacceptable.” (text of Emmis News Release 2-1-05) Reaction from critics was swift yesterday and not all favorable.  "Their statement is a joke," said City Councilman John Liu (D-Queens). "They need to fire Miss Jones, but even more important, they need to accept corporate responsibility."  Noting that Hot-97 pledged a million dollars to tsunami relief, Liu said, "That's a joke, too. It should be $10 million. They said employees will donate a week's pay to relief funds. Fine. So they should donate a week of corporate profits." (read more - David Hinckley-NY Daily News)  (read more - John Mainelli-NY Post)  (read more - Newsday)

ABC Radio Networks recently named Carlos A. San Jose to the newly created position of Director of Hispanic Sales for the network. Based in Chicago, San Jose will report to Donald Moore, Vice President of Multi-Cultural Sales for ABC Radio Networks (visit ABC Radio Networks)

HDNet cameras recorded cable television pioneer Ted Turner's captivating and controversial speech at the National Association for Television Programming Executive's (NATPE) annual conference in Las Vegas. HDNet will present the speech and audience Q&A, uninterrupted by commentary,
in an HDNet World Report special presentation on Sunday, February 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET. In the program entitled, "Las Vegas: Ted Turner...Candid!" the outspoken billionaire openly shares his opinions about many topics including:- Media conglomerates: "They own everything. That's why I went into the restaurant business. Either that or I'd work for a salary for one of the big jerks." - Fox News' No. 1 news ranking: "Hitler was more popular in the '30s in Germany than the people running against him...Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you're right." - The war in Iraq: "We've spent 200 billion destroying Iraq...it's obscene and stupid." - Turner Network Group's merger with Time Warner: "the biggest mistake" he ever made (visit HD.Net)

The president of Spike TV, a cable channel with professional wrestling and a focus on attracting young male viewers, has resigned because of "creative differences" with his MTV bosses, the network said (read more - WABC TV)

Dave Jarrott Observes -- Well, I saw my shadow this morning, so I guess we’ve got at least another 6 weeks of observations coming. I’ve told you before that I started my radio career at the 250-watt daytimer, KCNY in San Marcos. I was a drama student at Southwest Texas State College (as it was known back then), and late night rehearsals and performances sometimes took their toll on my morning sign-ons. At the conclusion of our run of “Death of a Salesman,” we were not only required to strike the set after the final (Saturday night) performance, but we were forced to party all night in a field out in Wimberley. I told my friends that I had to sign on the radio station Sunday morning at 6 am, and be there for The Imperial Harmonizers, Marvin Night (HEB butcher by weekday, preacher by Sunday), and several pre-recorded religious programs. About 4:30 in the morning when I was reminded that I had a duty to God and San Marcos, I think my reply was “Catch me!” Whereupon I began running through the woods—such was my dedication. Well, of course they caught me, and drove me in my car, with a few necessary stops along the way to…clear my head. We managed to make it to the station and I managed to sign KCNY on for another broadcast day. There had been a remote broadcast the day before, and I could not find the Buttercrust Bread commercial anywhere. So my listener heard me sing the Buttercrust Bread jingle! Somewhere around 7:45 am, while I was playing pre-recorded religious programs, Marvin came into the studio to prepare for his 8 am Sunday Devotional. The first thing he encountered was a motley group of theatre students sprawled all over the couches and chairs of the outer lobby sleeping, traces of grease paint still on their faces, dirt and grass stains on their clothing, and a lingering aroma of beer and cigarettes clinging to their near-lifeless forms. Marvin prayed real hard that morning! (visit Jarrott Media)

Boch Broadcasting has sold its four Cape Cod radio stations to Quantum Communications in a deal worth 21.3 million dollars. Boch Broadcasting owns WXTK, WCOD, WDVT and WTWV, all FM stations on the Cape (read more - Boston Herald)

Radio stations focusing on news or on music of the country and Christian-oriented variety had plenty to smile about in Arbitron's fall ratings period. Country music station KEEY (102.1 FM), which had seen a steady decline during the last few ratings periods, suddenly jumped to a 7.5 percent share of listeners in the highly coveted 25-to-54 age group. That's an increase of approximately 3,000 listeners over fall 2003. Christian-oriented KTIS (98.5 FM) also rose into the same heady range with a 7.4 percent share (read more - Star-Tribune)

SilkRoad technology said its TrueLook Web Cameras are enabling fans at home to view the "big game" preview activities in Jacksonville all this week over the Web. TrueLook cameras started beaming pictures of ESPN Radio's live broadcasts Monday, Jan. 31, and will continue to broadcast feeds right through Sunday's game on February 6, as well as post-game follow-up through February 8. Listeners can track events over the Web with SilkRoad at http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/index 

Sara Cox, who's back on air this weekend, says she doesn't listen to Radio One's breakfast show with Chris Moyles because her husband can't stand him (read more - The Mirror U.K.)

Nashua's longest-surviving AM radio station went silent this week. WSMN 1590-AM, which has been broadcasting from Nashua for nearly 47 years, was finally evicted from its West Hollis Street offices this week. The station shut down with virtually no fanfare at 6 p.m. Monday, as producer Bill Piacitelli announced on air that WSMN was signing off. Its departure leaves the Gate City without a destination for local news on the AM radio dial (read more - Union Leader)

With satellite radio and power outlets for an ever-expanding list of electronic gizmos, there's no denying the modern automobile can be a comfortable, convenient place to work. But you might want to answer that flurry of calls to your cellular phone later, especially if you're between 18 and 25, according to a new study from the University of Utah that says when young motorists talk on cell phones, they drive like elderly people - moving and reacting more slowly and increasing their risk of accidents (read more - Anchorage Daily News)

ARBitron numbers for Albuquerque, Baton Rouge, Charleston SC, El Paso, Greenville, Jackson, Madison and  Spokane  (read 'em)

Zeo Radio Networks announced Thursday that its radio show Monsters of Rock had just signed its 50th station. The good time, 80’s themed, hair band rock program reached its latest milestone when KMHK-FM "The Hawk" in Billings, MT became the latest market to add Monsters of Rock to its line up (visit Zeo Radio Networks)

XM Satellite Radio will be the new satellite radio home to national talk radio personalities Dr. Laura Schlesinger and G. Gordon Liddy, beginning mid- February when XM launches its new talk programming line-up. XM is the only satellite radio service to offer "The Dr. Laura Show." (visit XM Radio)  (read more - CNN/Money)

Consider it "America's Most Wanted" for parents who don't pay child support, and a Council Bluffs Police officer is in on the ground floor. Officer Jack Price recently signed an agreement with Dick Clark Productions in Burbank, Calif., to film a sales tape of a new television show that targets deadbeat parents. Price came up with the concept for the show after working with people in Child Support Recovery Services and through the department's Crime Free Multi-Housing program. In Iowa alone, roughly $200,000 is owed in child support payments, Price said (read more - Daily Nonpareil)

NextMedia Group, Inc. announced today that it has completed its previously announced purchase of five radio stations serving Wilmington, NC. The Company acquired WAZO-FM, WRQR-FM, and WMFD-AM from Ocean Broadcasting, LLC, and WKXB-FM and WSFM-FM from Sea- Comm, Inc., for a total cash consideration of $24.5 million (read more - PR Newswire)

Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley has gone under the knife — to have a third nipple removed. Jo thought she was having a large mole cut off near her boob. But she was stunned when her doctor announced it was actually a mini nipple. The 39-year-old, who is also a TV presenter, revealed her secret yesterday — the day after losing her “spare” (read more - The Sun U.K.)

dMarc Broadcasting, Inc., the parent company of Scott Studios and Computer Concepts, with over 4,600 radio broadcast clients, today announced the appointment of Chad Meisinger to Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing. Meisinger's initial focus will be concentrated on the official launch of dMarc's patent-pending media solutions, including RevenueSuite, a new service being introduced at the RAB2005 conference in Atlanta, on February 10th-13th, that dynamically accesses and converts radio stations' unsold, last-minute inventory into bottom-line revenue without manual intervention or trafficking (read more - ArriveNet)

The appointment of a new chief financial officer at Viacom following Richard Bressler's decision to step down could accelerate the media company's move towards higher leverage and a lower credit rating, analysts said on Tuesday (read more - FT)

Donna Hughes, producer of Premiere News & Prep’s Country Today service since 1996, has been promoted to senior producer of Country programming for Premiere Radio Networks. In her new position, Hughes will serve as head writer and producer of Country Today and oversee all broadcast programming elements of the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) as well as Premiere’s Nashville office operations (visit Premiere Rado)

On ABC NightLine -- One way to get things done in this town is to give people the sense of impending crisis, and the administration is certainly doing that. The president is warning about a crisis in coming decades -- pay attention all you 20-somethings -- that the system will be bankrupt if we don't do something now. So is there really a crisis? And if there is a Social Security problem, does the president's plan fix it? Tonight, correspondent Chris Bury will take a look at what the president has been saying on Social Security, and whether his claims hold up. Ted Koppel will anchor tonight and he'll talk to New York Times columnist David Brooks about the president's plan and why he's taking on the third rail (visit ABC NightLine)

Ed Gordon marked his radio debut yesterday on NPR's "News & Notes with Ed Gordon," targeting the network's African American audience. "Our sensibilities are . . . that this is a show, first and foremost, for the African- American listener, but I hope we're intriguing enough and broad-based enough that the average listener will find it interesting," says Gordon, who will continue as a corre spondent for CBS' "60 Minutes Wednesday." (read more - Michael Starr-NY Post)

If both advertising revenue and audience ratings are solidly No. 1 at WGN-AM (720), then why is the station's vice president and general manager under pressure to resign? + Megan Reed, former afternoon personality at WLIT-FM (93.9), is returning to radio as midday personality at WILV-FM (100.3), as of Feb. 8 + In a daylong tribute to Johnny Carson, WWME-Channel 23 will air a seven-hour marathon of "Carson's Comedy Classics" on Super Bowl Sunday (read more - Feder of Chicago)

The newest addition to radio’s AM dial is giving Portland radio listeners something to laugh about as the station flips to an all comedy format with the name Johnson 970, Your Comedy Club. Beginning at noon today, KCMD AM will become the 105th affiliate of All Comedy Radio, the Hollywood-based entertainment radio network (visit All Comedy Radio)

20 years. 5520 days. 200,000 programs. One eternal message. 99.5 KKLA-FM reaches a remarkable milestone, which the leading Christian teaching and talk station will celebrate with special events throughout the year. On February 1 (today), the inaugural 99.5 KKLA-FM Speaker Series event will feature best selling authors and therapists Stephen Arterburn, host of “New Life Live!” along with co-hosts Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, 7:00 p.m. at the Anaheim Vineyard, 5340 E. La Palma Avenue, Anaheim, CA. Admission is free. Christian recording artist Bryan Duncan will open the program (visit KKLA)

Verizon Wireless and Warner Music announced yesterday the first deal to sell music video downloads to mobile phone users. The deal opens up a new revenue stream for both Warner and Verizon, one they hope will grow as mobile phone technology advances in the U.S. Verizon is the first to offer the nation's consumers content on cellphones at speeds similar to high-speed Internet service on home computers. Its service for high-speed video and other content is called V Cast and will be introduced today (read more - Tim Arango-NY Post)

ABC News Radio, America’s largest radio news organization, today named Robert Garcia to the position of Washington, DC Bureau Chief, replacing long-time executive Merrilee Cox who retired earlier this year. Garcia will be based in Washington and report to Steve Jones, Vice President and General Manager, ABC News Radio (visit ABC Radio)

The way many high school students see it, government censorship of newspapers may not be a bad thing, and flag burning is hardly protected free speech.  When told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes "too far" in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories. "These results are not only disturbing; they are dangerous," said Hodding Carter III, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which sponsored the $1 million study. "Ignorance about the basics of this free society is a danger to our nation's future." The students are even more restrictive in their views than their elders, the study says. When asked whether people should be allowed to express unpopular views, 97 percent of teachers and 99 percent of school principals said yes. Only 83 percent of students did (read more - The Capital)

Radio revenues topped the $20 billion mark in 2004 with a total increase in spot and non-spot dollars of 2% over last year. Local ad sales were the most robust, growing 3% over 2003. National ad dollars remained stable, coming in flat for the year. Network ad figures grew 5% this year over last. The total combined local, national, and network ad sales revenue for 2004 was up 2% compared to 2003. Non-spot revenue climbed 11% in 2004 (read more - RAB)

Beginning today, getting and staying healthy will be the topic of conversation 24-7 on Aurora radio station WKKD-AM 1580. The station, a longtime talk-radio outlet, will convert to all health and fitness programming. Since October, WKKD has been part of the Health Radio Network, airing health-related programs Saturdays and Sundays (read more - Beacon News)

One of the rare old TV faces you didn't see everywhere during the endless wake for Johnny Carson was Tom Snyder, who cut his broadcasting teeth in his hometown of Milwaukee.  Snyder, whose old "Tomorrow" show followed Carson's "Tonight," explained his absence from what he called "the parade" at colortini.com (read more - Tim Cuprisin-Milwaukee JS)

Duke and The Doctor, the #1 health talk show in the nation, adds another top 10 market as the program blows into the Windy City this week on Healthradio 1580, WKKD. The program can be heard in Chicago weekdays 10a-12n. John Clark's CRG Media handles affiliate relations for Duke and the Doctor

Joe Buck will make history on Sunday when he calls Super Bowl XXXIX for Fox. The 35-year-old Buck will be the youngest broadcaster to call the game and the first to follow in his father's footsteps as a Super Bowl announcer on network television. The late Jack Buck called Super Bowl IV in 1970 on CBS (read more - Inside Bay Area)

The legendary Bobby Ocean has announced details of an innovative new multi-format national contest show, “Bobby Ocean’s Eleven”. On the weekly one-hour show listeners are encouraged to decode the theme for a chance to tour exotic world-class destinations. Every excursion is hosted by Bobby Ocean himself, giving affiliate station listeners a chance to interact with the infamous personality. Bobby Ocean’s Eleven is a joint partnership between Mutations Media L.L.C., Fugazi Travel and Bobby Ocean, Inc (visit Mutations Media)

KXYZ 1320 AM, known as "BizRadio1320", begins broadcasting from its studios in Houston on Tuesday, February 1. "Our station will be THE model for what a local station should be and can be," says Daniel Frishberg. "Our high quality of programming, including such financial and deep-thinking icons as Lou Dobbs, Michael Norman and Jim Cramer, as well as the addition of the extremely pop