Christopher Walken's Natalie Wood Interview on ESPN 980 turns out to have been a Hoax (read more - Reuters)

From Ron Jacobs -- Playing while in the big leagues of corporate radio I always had access to someone who could "take dictation”-- the best of whom was my administrative assistant, Mrs. Shelly Morgan, when she was Shelley Gordon -  someone every bit as responsible for the success of 93 KHJ Boss Radio as any of those more publicized players.  So here I sit looking like millions of folks wearing a headset with microphone attached just like your basic customer service rep, phone operator or someone dictating orders about where and when the next drone strike should occur (read more - Ron Jacobs)

From George Johns - Radio may be Wall Street’s bitch but that doesn’t change the fact that listeners and clients are still it’s only consumers and need our undivided attention  (read more - www.georgejohns.com)

Friday November 18, 2011

Remember Ted Williams, the man with the golden voice who kept sabotaging his own career comeback chances? + Lisa May, sidekick to KROQ/106.7 FM's Kevin & Bean in morning drive, is recovering from a recent car accident + Thanksgiving is days away, and the thought was to tell you about the gift that would keep on giving – Jim Ladd on The Sound. But, alas, at this writing that has not happened. The two sides have talked  (read more - Gary Lycan - Orange County Register)

The RAB says radio industry saw revenue increases 2 percent in the third quarter to more than $4.5 billion - the seventh consecutive quarter of growth (read more - RAB)

Bill O’Reilly’s book, "Killing Lincoln", has faced increasing criticism from historians across the country for a spate of errors that O’Reilly attributes to the handiwork of “nitpickers.” One of the bigger mistakes in his 325-page book is a reference to Lincoln doing business in the Oval Office when in fact no such room existed in the White House until almost a half century after he was shot.   (read more - Dave McKinney - Chicago Sun-Times)

Joe Gracey, a seminal figure in the development of Austin's eclectic music scene, died Thursday in Houston, finally succumbing to the disease that took his voice decades ago - He worked in Top 40 radio from 1965 to 1972 in Fort Worth and Austin and began making his mark in Austin in the 1970s as a young radio disc jockey with a preternaturally deep voice who took a new format called progressive country music and ran with it (read more - Brenda Bell - Austin American-Statesman)

Chris J. Witting - the host of two syndicated radio shows: The Success Journal and InfoTrak - says "Years from now, I believe media experts will look back at the present era and call it the ‘Golden Age of Syndication’ -- As I explain in the book, now may be the best time ever for anyone to get their content in front of audiences nationwide. My hope is that the book will open the door for those who have the dream of being nationally syndicated.” He's written "Syndication Nation" (softcover, 282 pages) which is available online at www.SyndicationBook.com and at www.Amazon.com  

ODJA Trivia -- What’s the title of the instrumental that was #1 for three weeks in 1962 by the British surf-rock quintet, the Tornadoes, a tune that was named for the world’s first active communications satellite launched that year?  (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's App of the Day - Text for Free (read more - download the app - Komando.com)

News Burps
** Occupy Twilight. Fans gathered at movie theaters nationwide last night for Midnight screenings of Breaking Dawn, Part 1. All they needed was popcorn, soda…and a life.
** In the film’s most shocking twist, Taylor Lautner buys a shirt.
** 15-year-old Astro displayed a horrible attitude on The X Factor Thursday night. I've got two words that can fix that attitude: Joe Jackson.
** Tim Tebow led the Broncos to another last-minute miracle finish against the Jets. A few more miracles and they’ll have to trade him to the Saints. Tebow only completed 9 passes. Jet QB Mark Sanchez makes that many passes walking through a Manhattan bar.
** Demi Moore Dumps Ashton…Right Into a Hot Tub of Naked Babes.
** Natalie Wood’s death investigation being reopened. The screen beauty drowned in 1981. Investigators want to prove Natalie is NOT the only wood that can’t float.
** Cher’s Girl-Who’s-Now-A-Boy Chaz Bono called a “misogynist” by Warren Beatty's girl-who's-now-a-boy. As if we haven't done THAT story a million times.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

“I’m not looking to buy spots from you. I’m looking to buy an idea, and we’ll use the commercials to support the idea. What I want from you is to use the special relationship you have with your audience to introduce them to us as a partner and friend” (read more - Tracy Johnson Media)

Here are a few suggestions I’ve poached to help you and I on those days when the creative juices just aren’t flowing  (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

Music Industry Does An End-Around On Radio  (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)  

Google opens a digital music store (read more - Ben Sisario - NY Times)

8 Great Radio Predictions  (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)  

Dave Graveline and the "Into Tomorrow" Team talk about the latest info on the newest - and most wanted - gadgets and gizmos:  - On-air and online this weekend, including Consumer Reports a feature from Consumer Reports which made headlines last year by uncovering a now notorious reception flaw in the iPhone 4. Senior Editor Mike Gikas tell what they think about its successor – the iPhone 4S

Thursday November 17, 2011

CBS RADIO will be launching an all-news format in January 2012 on 99.1 FM in Washington, D.C. as a result of an agreement to acquire 107.9 FM from Family Stations, Inc. which will serve as the home for “El Zol,” CBS RADIO’s thriving Spanish-language station (read more - Paul Farhi - Washington Post)

Friday at 10 a.m., after hosting his last ever edition of “Live! with Regis & Kelly,” Philbin walks away from that vibe -- and, after 281/2 years, daily morning television . Philbin is leaving “Live!,” a nationally syndicated series that started as a local show on WABC 7, but doesn’t know where he goes from here. for where, he does not know (read more - Richard Huff - NY Daily News)  (read more - David Hinckley - NY Daily News)

Rush Limbaugh is causing quite a stir in Memphis. For the second time in a week he used a national platform to hammer the Bluff City. The first time, he essentially described Memphians as fat and lazy. Rush's rant revolves around a new meal program at Memphis City Schools  (read more - Jackie Orozco  - ABC 24)

102.9 LiteFM CBS Minneapolis Goes Continuous Christmas Music 

Joy Behar is leaving HLN after just over two years (read more - Rodney Ho - Atlanta JC)

Another debate is brewing over a different side of online privacy: what Facebook is learning about those who visit its website. Facebook officials are now acknowledging that the social media giant has been able to create a running log of the web pages that each of its 800 million or so members has visited during the previous 90 days  (read more - Byron Acohido  - USA Today)

The Power of Great Radio Stations (read more - Maria Rodale - HuffPost)

ODJA Trivia -- Continuing with the theme of #1 instrumentals: what’s the title of the instrumental interweaving two melodies that was #1 for three weeks in 1956 by Morris Stoloff and featured in a William Holden-Kim Novak movie?  (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day - What do you do if you want to preserve a Web page as is? You might want to read it later without Internet access, for example. You could print the page, but that uses expensive printer ink. Plus, paper can get ruined or lost. Most browsers have an option to save the page, but that doesn't always get everything. Instead, turn the page into a PDF file using PDFCrowd (check it out - Komando.com)

News Burps
** President Obama is featured in a new Benetton Ad kissing Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. “But,” Obama assured America, “I didn’t let him get to second base.”
** South Park has been renewed at least through its 20th season. Like they say, “Once you’ve had chocolate salty balls you never go back.”
** Occupy Wall Street protester vows “You’re going to see what a Molotov cocktail can do to Macy’s.” Replied Macy’s pitchwoman Jessica Simpson, “I can’t drink one of them. I’m pregnant.”
** Rebecca Black has released a third video for a song called Person of Interest. Consider yourself duly warned.
** Salvation Army Red Kettles to get credit card capability. You can hear it now: “Sorry. BofA has instituted a $5 charitable donation fee.”
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

An FM Chip in a Mobile Phone isn’t “Me” (read more - Mark Ramsey Media)

The Movement To Standardize Data Tagging (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views) 

My Tacos Got Stolen a.k.a Remember to K.I.S.S. Facebook (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

How do you define your brand? (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

The Winner of the CBS-WTOP All-News Fight + Updated Firing Timetable (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)  

Wednesday November 16, 2011 

The man arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a ten-year-old boy was revealed to have been a pirate radio DJ at Powerhouse Radio. Michael Jackson, a 49-year-old father of one, was still being quizzed by detectives last night. The boy was found naked in an empty flat where he was tied to a radiator and bound by a sheet (read more - Andy Dolan - Daily Mail)

The so-called ‘Satanic’ teenager John Katahis, who once wore “Prince of Darkness” scrawled on the sides of his shoes when he appeared in court, has been convicted of murder. Jurors deliberated for only a day in the retrial of the kid who killed WABC radio host George Weber on Henry Street in 2009  (read more - Ryan Thompson - Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

Scott Mann, from WAVE Radio 104.1, is living in front of the Visitor's Center at Broadway at the Beach, and he's not going home until he fills a trailer with non-perishable food (read more - WMBF TV)

Christmas music may still be a few days away on WLTW (106.7 FM), the most-listened-to holiday station in America, but it’s already here for those willing to take a short step outside the traditional radio box. Sirius XM satellite radio already has two 24/7 holiday music stations rolling, with five more to come (read more - David Hinckley - NY Daily News)

With the return this week of Peabody Award winner Katy Smyser as one of two new investigative producers, WMAQ-Channel 5 signaled a renaissance of Unit 5, its once nationally recognized brand for first-rate local reporting  (read more - Robert Feder - Time)

Delilah has doubled her mobile VIP club in the last year and renewed her contract with long-time partner Hipcricket. Delilah continues to use Hipcricket's platform to engage with fans and provide mobile sponsorship opportunities to national brands including Keri Lotion, AT&T, Chase Bank, Nutro Cat Care, Marzetti Caramel Dips and Honey Baked Ham  (read more - MarketWatch)

ODJA Trivia -- Although there were vocal renditions of it that charted by Al Martino and Claudine Longet, what’s the title of the instrumental version of this tune by Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra that was #1 for five weeks in early 1968? (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's App of the Day - Need a quick price comparison while you're in the store? Make sure you have RedLaser on your smartphone. It can scan any product barcode using your smartphone's camera (download it - Komando.com)

News Burps
** Ratings for Rock Center with Brian Williams jumped dramatically thanks to the interview Jerry Sandusky. There's big business in pedophilia. Just ask Michael Jackson's Estate.
** Conrad Murray is on a suicide watch after telling several people he wanted to kill himself. I’m guessing, “So who’s stopping you?” isn’t the response he was expecting.
** Patti LaBelle has been accused in a new lawsuit of throwing water at a toddler during a dispute with the kid’s mother. Not true,” said Patti, “I was merely ‘performing an aggressive baptism.’
** The Compton school district still insists they didn’t know Sasha Grey was a porn star when they had her read to school children. Several parents complained. Correction…Several mothers complained.
** President Obama complained that America has gotten “lazy” in drawing businesses to our shores. And all this from a guy who’s idea of a hard day at the office is playing 36 holes.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

More Internet Ad Gains Forecast For 2012 (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)

Cumulus Takes Off The Gloves + RIAA Threatens Reselling Digital Music (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)

Radio stations, advertisers and musicians share a goal of getting people to notice; in two words, the solution for their problem is "being found"  (read more - Ken Dardis - Audio Graphics)

So much about what we read in the news these days about personalities tends to be reputation-based, whether you’re looking at Jerry Sandusky or Herman Cain (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

What Makes Radio Matter (read more - Mark Ramsey Media)

Is a hit song just an algorithm?  (read more - Richard Harker - Radio InSights)

Tuesday November 15, 2011

Is there a place for humour on the radio?  It seems a crazy question to ask, but two Montreal radio veterans -
Paul Zakaib – a.k.a. Tasso Patsikakis – and Patrick Henry Charles - whose specialty is being funny on the air say they no longer fit in corporate radio, which is why they’ve taken up jobs as afternoon hosts at low-rated ethnic station Mike FM  (read more - Steve Faguy - Montreal Gazette)

Leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, radio station US 96.3 Country is coordinating its third annual “Stuff The Bus” Food Drive to benefit the Mississippi Food Network  (read more - Clarion-Ledger)

Cumulus Media has reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30  (read the numbers - BusinessWire)

The smooth jazz station The Wave goes to an all-holiday music format, getting the jump on rival KOST  (read more - Gary Lycan - Orange County Register)

ODJA Trivia -- What’s the title of the instrumental by Percy Faith & His Orchestra that was #1 for nine weeks in early 1960 and came from a movie that starred Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee? (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day - Visit FlightAware. It offers live flight tracking for all major carriers. There is also tracking for some smaller air services (read more - Komando.com)

Sunny 106 WJPT-FM Fort Myers-Naples started broadcasting all holiday-themed music on Saturday November 12

News Burps
** NYPD moved to clean out Zuccotti Park early this morning. The old “Last One Out’s a Rotten Egg” tactic was only marginally successful.
** Michael Moore was tweeting from the scene. Apparently his multimillion lake home in Michigan is being refinished.
** Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky denied being a pedophile on NBC last night. We told you that because nobody actually watches NBC.
** Last night was the big Breaking Dawn premiere party. Of course, if you gave a damn you’d be in line for tickets.
** Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones insisted that he is through with drink and drugs. Ronnie Wood was immediately kicked out of the Rolling Stones.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

How to Build an Authentically Great Radio Brand  (read more - Mark Ramsey Media)

AM/FM Radio Is Number One In Music Discovery (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)

Cumulus Firings May Come in 3 Waves (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)  

Summit-time, Summit-time, Sum Sum Summit-time (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

Facebook versus Radio. Which is More Important?  (read more - Richard Harker - Radio InSights)

Monday November 14, 2011

South Florida radio veterans trade airwaves for streams - Alan Michaels said America's new way of listening to radio has helped him find new homes for several now-defunct radio stations, including 103.5 SHE and Zeta-4 (read more - Ihosvani Rodriguez - Sun-Sentinel)

Regis faces life after ‘Live!’ . . . just as everything was finally going RIGHT! (read more - Maureen Callahan - NY Post)

Local radio legend Ric Mitchell - the host of Star 101.3 FM’s weekday morning show - signed off the air Friday morning after 41 years in radio, 38 of them in the Capital Region  (read more - Suzanna Lourie - The Saratogian)

Hate speech targeting US immigrants is on the rise in American Radio talk shows, a new study by University of California reports. The study analyzed the content of three conservative talk shows, including Lou Dobb's radio program, Michael Savage's The Savage Nation and the John and Ken Show (read more - New America Media)  (read more - view the video - PressTV)

A casino company served a lawsuit notice on its former executive while he was hosting a live radio talk show because it couldn't find him anywhere else, a lawyer for the company said Friday - MTR Gaming Group sued former executive Edson "Ted" Arneault in September, claiming Arneault violated the noncompetition clause in his contract (read more - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) has consolidated its Membership, Professional Development and Services units into one group under the leadership of Erica Farber, Executive Vice President, beginning January 1 + Ron Ruth will shift to a consulting role for the RAB

In much of the Western world, the days of children gathering around radios, as Roger Taylor wrote in the hit Queen song “Radio Ga Ga” are long gone. In an age of iPods, iPhones and SiriusXM, antenna radio’s once strong signal is fading rapidly - Staff Sgt. Brad Ruffin, 42, served in the Marines before joining the Army. This soldier is ready for battle. Yet while deployed to the Iraqi capital, one of his most important jobs has been entertaining U.S. troops and Iraqi citizens on American Forces Network-Iraq’s Freedom Radio (read more - Tom Sileo - Centre Daily Times)

ODJA Trivia -- Who’s the jazz guitarist and singer from Pittsburgh that enjoyed great album and single success in the late 1970s/early 1980s beginning with a Top 10 hit in 1976 of a song written by Leon Russell? (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Download of the Day - Desktops is the free virtual desktop program from Microsoft. It lets you create up to four virtual desktops. You can switch between desktops using icons in the system tray (download it - Komando.com)

Learn about radio’s vitality and its role in the lives of consumers in Radio Today by the Numbers.  In the downloadable Fall edition, you’ll discover how radio reaches nearly every American of every age and ethnicity for hours every day and billions of hours every month. You’ll also find a portrait of the tech-savvy consumers who embrace radio and learn when shoppers are tuning in (read more - download 'em - Arbitron)

The prospect of Oprah Winfrey’s best friend, Gayle King, teaming up with Charlie Rose to rescue The Early Show on CBS may be just what it takes to rouse WBBM-Channel 2’s local morning newscast from its self-induced stupor  (read more - Robert Feder - Time Out Chicago)

KSTX reports that long-time public radio host Jim Leonard,61, has died following complications from a heart transplant he received last September.  Leonard was a daily companion for San Antonio listeners for 17 years and served as local host of NPR's "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition" until he retired in 2010  (read more - KENS 5 TV)

From Claude Hall -- An hour and seven minutes of B. Mitchell Reed – in high gear -- on his last day on WMCA in New York City, March 20,1965. One of the early spots is about a Murray the K show at the Fox Theatre in Brooklyn on LP. Then a Schafter Beer spot live, with echo, by B. Mitch. Will someone out there tell me why radio stations carried so much echo. Funny that I didn’t notice it at the time. But now? Marvin Gaye. A Detroit amidst tons of Brill Building products. Some of it excellent and polished, but overwhelming after a bit. Funny, too, to hear a big band style jingle. “Out in the Streets” by the Shangri-Las. “Good Guy land.” Hammered in spots…like virtually three in a row. Hey, maybe it was a good thing to have Bill Drake come along. Reed’s going “back to the sunshine” and evidently on the air there the next Thursday  (read more - www.ClaudeHallOnline.com) 

From Tommy Kramer - Seeing the brilliant work of impressionist and actor Jim Meskiman recently on a You Tube video made me think back to the very best impressions I’ve heard over the years—and an odd thought occurred to me (read more - www.TommyKramer.net) 

Every time you open the microphone, or start a new song, or play a promo, or air a commercial, there is a short window of opportunity to earn the audience’s attention  (read more - Tracy Johnson Media)

From aMinuteMore.com -- Topic: Juan Calle has great news for folks who can't purchase a ".com" domain name. There's another dot domain name way - with Dot CO - .co  (click here to listen to and download the audio for on-air programming content or Webcast use - www.aMinuteMore.com)

Sam Zell & Emmis Are About To Say "I Do" (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)

Clear Channel Selling #1 Station Ads For $20 a Pop + Tricks Competitors Are Playing on Clear Channel  (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media) 

“What's the third one?” (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

Jim Gaffigan, Craig Ferguson and other Comics Who Get Twitter (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

Is Radio a Content-Creator or a Distribution Channel? (read more - Mark Ramsey Media)

You've noticed. The radio industry is going through change. Whether or not radio will benefit from the changes is up for discussion. For a different perspective, let's not dive into "what is happening in radio" but "if the way it's happening matters"  (read more - Ken Dardis - Audio Graphics)

Friday November 11, 2011

Dave FM, which has gone through five morning shows since its inception in 2004, is now looking for its sixth after letting Jimmy Baron and Yvonne Monet go this morning - Steve Craig to be interim morning host (read more - Rodney Ho - Atlanta JC)

Emmis Communications Corporation today announced that it signed agreements with certain holders of its 6.25% Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock to purchase their shares of Preferred Stock and that it signed an agreement with Zell Credit Opportunities Master Fund, L.P. to finance the purchases. Emmis may enter into additional transactions to purchase its Preferred Stock in the future  (read more - Emmis)

While we wait to hear if all the talk of Jim Ladd possibly joining KSWD 100.3 FM is more a reality than a dream, The Sound is making some noise all on its own + Mark Austin Thomas was let go as part of the reorganization at KABC 790 AM. Larry Van Nuys is handling news duties in morning drive  (read more - Gary Lycan - Orange County Register)

Where does it go from here? Radio contests asking listeners to eat dog food, live in prize vehicles or plan a dream wedding are being pushed aside in favour of new offerings that delve into morally grey areas, say Calgary personalities and industry observers (read more - Jeremy Nolais - Metro)

Nick Cannon: Radio Stunt Was a Joke, "I Love Dogs!" (read more - US Magazine)

Jeffrey L. Blake was indicted by a federal grand jury in Wichita on charges he knocked KKOW off the air by cutting copper wiring from the transmitter tower. He is charged with one count of attempted damage to a communications system and one count of attempted damage to an energy facility, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said  (read more - Rick Plumlee - Wichita Eagle)

Howard Stern is said to be on the list to replace Piers Morgan on "American's Got Talent" (read more - Access Hollywood)  (read more - LA Times)

Coming soon to CBS: Charlie Rose, Gayle King and a complete makeover of “The Early Show,” the network’s low-rated morning television show  (read more - Brian Stelter - NY Times)

Lisa Parker, the veteran investigative reporter and weekend news anchor at WMAQ-Channel 5, still remembers the day she interviewed Diane Pathieu for an internship at the NBC-owned station  (read more - Robert Feder - Time Out Chicago)

As part of a celebration of the 30th anniversary of public radio station WUFT-FM, veteran broadcaster and radio personality Carl Kasell spoke at the University of Florida expressing his devotion to public radio and speaking with confidence about the future of public broadcasting  (read more - Elise De Los Santos - Gainesville Sun)

The late Crash Collins, along with Pat Fant, who was recently inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, developed the free-form, no-playlist format that set KLOL apart from other radio stations in the area. Collins and the other djs were the first in the area to stop playing hits and start playing deep cuts from albums - A benefit for the Collins family is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 pm - 8 p.m. at the Concert Pub Galleria (read more - William Michael Smith - Houston Press)

ODJA Trivia -- Who’s the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who began her career in 1983 with a Patsy Cline tribute band, then had half a dozen country hits in the late ‘80s before transitioning to mainstream pop music?(find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Download of the Day - Is your desktop monitor covered in reminder notes? For many people, it's the easiest way to work; just jot something down for later. Now you can do the same thing on your smartphone (download it - Komando.com)

News Burps
** It’s 11-11-11. Numerologists say it’s an unlucky day to get married. Then again, if the bride is a Kardashian, EVERY day is an unlucky day.
** Brad Pitt defended Occupy Wall Street, saying "People are feeling screwed." True. And usually by some stranger who snuck into their tent.
** Rick Perry made the TV rounds Thursday trying to laugh away Wednesday’ 53 second debate brain freeze. He did everything but sing Forget You on The X Factor.
** 53 seconds. Or as Justin Bieber calls it, “two backstage sexual encounters.”
** Michael Jackson peed in his bed, claims Conrad Murray in a documentary airing tonight on MSNBC. And if he were alive to hear what you’re doing to him now he’d pee in his pants.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

What's Radio's Future? That's the Wrong Question (read more - Mark Ramsey Media)

Ad Pull-Back Is Hitting Radio Hard (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)

Has Digital Been SNL’s Savior? (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

5 Mistakes That Can Kill Your Blog or Your Show (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

The 8 Dirtiest Firing Tricks (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)

Dave Graveline and the "Into Tomorrow" Team talk about the latest info on the newest - and most wanted - gadgets and gizmos:  - On-air and online this weekend -- Dave and the team are in New York City this week reporting from the CES Unveiled Press Preview, getting a peek at several new products and technologies

Hal Bruno, former ABC News political director, radio host and firefighter, has died (read more - Washington Post)

Thursday November 10, 2011

WFLA radio personality Tedd Webb recalls an April Fools' stunt in 1976 that got a disc jockey fired - Stories such as this are going to be swapped along with some lies, memories, tears and a few beers at the fourth annual Tampa Bay Radio Reunion on Saturday afternoon at Pappas Ranch Steakhouse & Bar in Clearwater.  More than 100 Tampa radio veterans are expected to attend, including another longtime Tampa radio icon, Jack Harris, Webb's partner on a WFLA (970 AM) morning show (read more - Walt Belcher - Tampa Tribune)

For AM stations, future may be on the FM band: WBZ’s strength, WEEI’s sports programs have delayed the change in Boston, but younger listeners are mostly ignoring the older system (read more - Johnny Diaz - Boston Globe)

Fox News owner News Corp. Deputy Chief Operating Officer James Murdoch told Parliament that he wishes the company had been more aggressive about investigating allegations of phone hacking at the News of the World tabloid - The scandal has taken center stage in Britain. Both Sky News and the BBC are carrying live coverage of the hearings as is C-SPAN 2 and Bloomberg Television in the United States (read more - Joe Flint - LA Times)

A former stockbroker - Harvey Morrow - was convicted of murder for financial gain in the 2006 shooting death of a popular Denver radio host - Steven Bailey Williams - whose body was found in the waters off Santa Catalina Island (read more - Andrew Blankstein - LA Times)

Jeff Olsen from KOOL 108 is going for the bell ringing record outside Cub Foods in St. Louis Park  (read more - view the video - Michael Rose - St Louis Park Patch)

The Rev. T.J. Graham, 50, the revolutionary WVOL disc jockey who wildly and, at times, bafflingly veered between firebrand conservative and old-school liberal during his thought-provoking afternoon talk show died Monday of an undisclosed cause (read more - William Williams - Nashville City Paper)

John Tesh is just as many radio listens likely imagine he is -- friendly, gracious, amusing and funny - I like having a voice. Being on the radio, I get to connect with people. So I stay focused on that. I get to work out of the house. I had an ‘emergency’ studio built and it’s always an emergency for me (read more - Sandra Okamoto - Ledger-Enquirer)

News Burps
** Coach Joe Paterno was FIRED by Penn State Wednesday night. Ain’t that like heaven firing God?
** A group of Penn State students rioted when they heard the news. That news being it’s now fashionable for students to riot whenever they want to.
** Rick Perry completely blanked during last night’s debate. Embarrassed? Like Herman Cain at a National Restaurant Association reunion.
** Hank Williams, Jr. was greeted with a standing ovation at the CMA Awards last night. That’s Nashville’s polite way of telling “Monday Night Football” to go “boink” themselves.
** Eddie Murphy has quit as this year’s Oscar host. And STILL he did a better job hosting than James Franco.
** White House drops new Christmas Tree Tax. The Administration was hoping to use the money to improve the image of Christmas Trees -- by looking idiotic in comparison.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

ODJA Trivia -- Who’s the vocalist that first recorded in the mid-1950s, sang with Count Basie for four years in the ‘60s, whose biggest solo hit reached #2 on the charts in 1968 and won its composer a Best Song Grammy? (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day - Is your email compromised? Just enter your email address or a username you use online. The site will search all the email lists that hackers released after the data breaches. It will see if your information appears in those lists (find out more - Komando.com)

While the conversation in radio often revolves around consolidation and fewer executives and owners controlling more and more media outlets, Glass sees the opportunity to create content through a different point of view. And distribution has never been easier (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

Hammertime! The Cautionary Tale of M.C. Hammer (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

EAS Test System Is Outdated  (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)

Shakeup Coming At Merlin (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)  

Leo Baldwin Has Been Named Program Director of Radio One's WHHH-FM and WNOU-FM in Indianapolis  (read more - PR Newswire)

From aMinuteMore.com -- Topic:  Dr. Clyde Yancy of the American Heart Association says that Americans need to get moving and start walking to stay heart healthy  (click here to listen to and download the audio for on-air programming content or Webcast use - www.aMinuteMore.com)

What started out as a small discussion of radio history is quickly turning into a KDNT employee reunion - The KDNT Symposium this Saturday in Denton to explore the history of Denton's first radio station, play some audio clips, offer several guest speakers sharing stories of covering major news events, display old photos and artifacts (read more - KDNT Library)

Wednesday November 9, 2011

Saying he’s been “reborn as a rock ’n’ roll DJ,” the legendary John Records Landecker this week converted his weekday afternoon talk show to The John Landecker Music Explosion + Sharon Bialek, the woman who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment Monday, had connections to three Chicago radio stations. She worked as a sales account executive at Tribune Co.-owned WGN-AM (720) from 2001 to 2004, followed by a stint as nontraditional revenue director at CBS Radio’s former WCKG - WIND afternoon host Steve Cochran, who was a close friend of Bialek at WGN, said he believes she’s telling the truth  (read more - Robert Feder - Time Out Chicago)

There are millions of reasons why radio stations in your area drill Burl Ives' Have A Holly Jolly Christmas into your head dozens of times per hour and are making Christmas come a bit earlier each year (read more - Jason Notte - The Street)

If you're watching TV or listening to the radio at 1 p.m. today - Wednesday, get ready for that big national test of the Emergency Alert System  (read more - Tim Cuprisin - OnMilwaukee)

A Dakota County jury has awarded a holistic healer from Hudson, Wis., $1 million in compensatory damages from KSTP-TV for a March 2009 story it aired about her treatment of a patient  (read more - Heron Marquez Estrada - Star-Tribune)

ODJA Trivia -- Who’s the Scandinavian-born movie and Broadway star nominated for Academy, Emmy and Grammy Awards, married for 44 years to a former TV star and had a Top 20 hit in the summer of 1961? (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Download of the Day - Everyone likes to save money. This app lets you save a bundle with store coupons. You don't even have to wait to find the one you want in a newspaper or magazine (download it - Komando.com)

Photos and audio introductions from the 2011 Texas Radio Hall of Fame Induction Celebration are ready to view and hear (visit www.trhof.com)

News Burps
** A sweet and gracious Nancy Grace departs Dancing with the Stars. She doesn’t even know that in another world she’s an evil, nasty fire-breathing dragon.
** Herman Cain denies even remembering the face, the name, or the voice of the woman who says he grabbed her genitals. “But that Brazilian Wax job I’d remember anywhere.”
** His accuser Sharon Bialek made the rounds of all the morning shows. Given how happy she looked that must have been some fondle.
** The Federal Government is taking over America’s airways for thirty seconds at 2 PM Eastern Wednesday to test of the Emergency Alert System. Had this been an actual emergency you would have been instructed how screwed you were.
** Bill Clinton thinks Presidents should be able to serve three terms…but only after taking some time off. Say 12 years. ‘By then,” said Clinton, “There’s a whole new crop of interns to break in.”
** Conrad Murray is NOT on a suicide watch, despite reports. Said a prison official, “We don’t care what the heck he does to himself.”
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

Radio Is Headed For A Blue Christmas  (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)

I feel like I say it over and over again; the best way to build listener loyalty is to provide content they can’t find anywhere else  (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

Cutbacks Spreading to Other Groups + Clear Channel's Angry Birds (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)  

As we watch the recent staffing cutbacks by both Clear Channel and Cumulus, it has to send out a message that in spite of all the rampant consolidation, something must have gone very wrong (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

What impact is FM having on Sports-Talk? So far, in a positive way but less than you might think  (read more - Richard Harker - Radio InSights)

I was at KGB-San Diego in 1972 and “Mr. Pipes,” Michael C. Gwynne and I were stonily speculating about things, specifically radio. I said, not for the first time, that one major head hassle with the medium that bothered me was that once one’s jock shift was over, there was nothing to show for it!  (read more - Ron Jacobs)

Morning Shows The NFL Way (read more - Tracy Johnson Media)

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Dave Levy, 43, confirmed he was among those (K.C. Stuart, Rudy, Bill Bravo) laid off from WFKX 103.1 FM and said he was caught off guard. "I didn't see it coming. They slashed jobs all over the country, and my name and number were up," he said. Levy had worked for Clear Channel for about 15 years  (read more - David Goodhue - Miami Herald)

580 KIDO's Kevin Miller, a Boise radio talk show host, checked himself into the River of Life Men's Shelter to see what it's really like to be homeless. "We see people on the streets, but until you actually experience it and live it you have no comprehension," he said (read more - Maggie O'Mara - KTVB 7 TV)

Sirius Trouble: Is Satellite Radio Headed for a Fall?  (read more - Rick Munarriz Aristotle - Motley Fool)

A Conroe radio personality had a day to call his own Monday as the city of Conroe honored him for his induction Sunday into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Conroe Mayor Webb Melder presented the K-STAR radio personality with a proclamation from the city naming Monday as “Larry Galla Day.” “This is the top honor in our business,” Galla said of his Hall of Fame induction. “I’m equally honored for the recognition by the mayor. This is special” (read more - Montgomery County Courier)

Microsoft on Monday took its turn driving down the purchase price of a smartphone by unveiling the $50 Samsung Focus Flash as part of a publicity event in New York City  (read more - Byron Acohido - USA Today)

This week Ginger Zee officially starts working for ABC’s Good Morning America as weekend meteorologist and weekday contributor.  It’s a huge step up for the former farm girl and high school homecoming queen who'd been a star attraction at WMAQ-Channel 5 until she signed off last month  (read more - Robert Feder - Time Out Chicago)

The Conclave is set to launch a series of ambitious webinars targeting those who have lost their jobs within the radio industry during recent budget cutting moves. WHAT'S NEXT? A JOB SEARCH WEBINAR SERIES FOR RADIO PROFESSIONALS will launch Wednesday, November 16 at 1:00 p.m. CST (read more - The Conclave)

Research shows that for the first time in history Radio 1's average listener is actually 32, according to research, up from 29 three years ago. And the audience for the breakfast show presented by 37-year-old Chris Moyles is even older, at an average age of 33  (read more - Daily Mail)

BCCA, the media industry’s credit association, today announced the sessions and presenters headlining its BCCA Media Credit Seminar, which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15 at The McGraw-Hill Building in Manhattan (1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th floor) - The full-day event will focus on credit-related issues for the media industry, including its magazine, newspaper, television, radio, cable, outdoor and emerging media segments (read more - BCCA)

“Dancing With the Stars” host and former MAGIC 106.7 On Air Personality Tom Bergeron will return to Boston to emcee the Rogerson Communities' Welcome Home! event honoring Greater Media Chairman and CEO Peter Smyth on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston

ODJA Trivia -- Who’s the Scottish singer-songwriter that had five Top 50 hits in the last half of the 1970s, including two that made it to the Top 10 – the first of which was written about British comedian, Tony Hancock?(find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day - Maintaining a budget is an important part of sound financial health. Otherwise you can overspend and create all sorts of financial hassles. Nobody wants that - Spendful could be the answer. It's a quick way to create one or more budgets. Signing up for a free account takes a few seconds. Then you can access your account from any computer (get it now - Komando.com)

News Burps
** Dr. Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Or man-boyslaughter. Or man-womanslaughter.
** Kim Kardashian returned to LA from her husband’s family home Minnesota. No wonder she didn't want to move to Minnesota. If she freezes her ass off there goes her most valuable commodity.
** Lindsay Lohan reported to jail early Monday morning to serve her 30-day sentence. She was out in 4-and-a-half hours. And three of those were for the de-lousing.
** Herman Cain vehemently denies a Chicago woman’s claim he felt her up when she was meeting with him to discuss a job. Cain told Kimmel, “I merely lost my keys up her dress.”
** The woman spoke at a press conference with Gloria Allred. The most surprising part? Allred let her speak.
** Boxing legend Joe Frazier has died at the age of 67. Only three men on the planet could take Frazier: Mohammed Ali, George Foreman…and God.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

Cox Steps Up the Cutbacks + Mel Sticks It To The Record Industry (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media) 

Searching the Matrix, Or Why Siri Wouldn’t Make A Good Airtalent (read more - Mike Stern - Talent Mechanic)

Huffington Post is unabashedly going after Boomers in a style that radio should adopt. As Rita Wilson noted, “The future for Boomers is different. Our parents were winding down at middle age; we are winding up” (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

Radio's Strength In Ad Campaigns  (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)  

From George Johns -- After having had a nice long run with WIBC, WNAP, KVIL, WVBF, WIBG, WJNO and WRMF I decided to leave it all behind and move to sunny San Diego which had been a dream of mine since I was a teenager  (read more - www.georgejohns.com)

Monday November 7, 2011

Jan Black's broadcast debut was at age 4, on "Romper Room" in Albuquerque. By 18, she was on air at KGO, alongside Jim Dunbar, Ted Wygant and Peter Cleaveland ... As a child, the late Chet Casselman, future KSFO newscaster, fashioned a microphone out of a broomstick with an orange juice can on top, said host David F. Jackson, "and he started interviewing people" ... Laurie Roberts of KUFX (Kfox) worked at a station in Chico set in a canyon. It had no plumbing, just an outhouse  (read more - Ben Fong-Torres - SF Chronicle)

95.7 FM drops country.  To simulcast KOGO-AM starting Monday. KOGO FM was previously in Temecula. Roger Hedgecock confirmed to be moving to KFMB; Rick Roberts slated to exit 760 KFMB (10 News San Diego) (read more - SDRadio.net)

When people speak with nostalgia for a bygone era of rock radio they're often referring to a time when the airwaves were populated by personalities - DJs like 2010 Texas Radio Hall of Famer "Crash" Collins, 68, a legendary figure in Houston radio who died of complications from prostate cancer Sunday.  Ironically, hundreds of the Texas radio family learned of his death during the 2011 induction awards program that was being held in NW Houston on Sunday - With his laid-back and twangy delivery, which ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons called "his instantly recognizable voice," Collins was a key voice at KLOL through the 1970s and into the '80s, beloved for his free-form playlists - There is a benefit for Collin's family - www.bashforcrash.org - November 13 at Concert Pub Galleria (read more - William Michael Smith - Houston Press) (read more - ABC 13 TV) (read more - Andrew Dansby - Houston Chronicle)

Dallas-Fort Worth air personalities Ken Barnett, Mitch Carr, Ira Lipson and Cuzzin Linnie were inducted on Sunday at the sold-out, "I shoulda been there" - "I coulda been there"  Texas Radio Hall of Fame induction Celebration in NW Houston (read more - Robert Philpot - DFW.com)

Perry Marshall, longtime late-night radio personality on KDKA-AM, died Saturday because of heart complications from lung disease and pneumonia (read more - Molly Born - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Don Barrett's LARadio.com reports that Don Hinson, veteran personality at KDAY (1969-70), KFOX (1972), KLAC (1979-84), KBBQ (1991) and KLAC (1991-93), died at his home in Branson, Missouri, where he has lived for the last 13 years

Longtime CBS commentator Andy Rooney is dead at 92 (read more - CBS News)

KEZK (Fresh 102.5 FM) in St. Louis is now playing continuous Christmas Music Programming

Longtime DFW radio fans know of Bill Mack as the "Midnight Cowboy" who broadcast a late-night country show for Truckers for more than 30 years on WBAP 820, before leaving in 2001 to host an XM Satellite Radio channel for nearly a decade. ut Mack also wrote "Blue", the song that turned a teen-age LeAnn Rimes into a big country star  (read more - Robert Philpot - Star-Telegram)

Today is Bill Kurtis Day in Chicago + Unless an underwriter can be secured in the next few days, Roger Ebert said he and his wife, Chaz, will be pulling the plug on Ebert Presents at the Movies  (read more - Robert Feder - Time Out Chicago)

ODJA Trivia -- Who’s the pianist/composer/arranger/conductor that won 20 Grammys and four Oscars but might be best remembered for his composition that accompanies a cartoon character in a series of movies? (find the answer - Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac) 

Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day - It can be hard to sort through all our travel choices, but Hipmunk makes things easier. Enter the usual destination and date information. It gives you a slick chart with all the important flight information available at a glance (check it out - Komando.com)

Clear Channel's WDTW-FM (106.7) has been rebranded from The Beat to The D and will broadcast a modern spin on the classic rock music format (read more - BJ Hammerstein - Detroit Free Press)

Veteran rock radio DJ Jim Ladd says of his layoff from KLOS-FM: "I'll come through this, but it still hits you in the gut"  (read more - Randy Lewis - LA Times)  (read more - Richard Wagoner - LA Daily News)

Karmazin Cuts Out Middle Man (read more - Mel Phillips - Radio Views)  

Sales Couldn't Sell “The Simpsons” (read more - Fred - Jacobs Media)

Latest Cumulus Firings More Brutal Than Expected  (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)

News Burps
** Kim Kardashian returned to LA Friday and a frenzy paparazzi. She announced her intentions to re-cast the role of "My loving husband" as soon as possible.
** But first, Kim flew to Minnesota to meet face-to-face with her dumped hubby Kris Humphries. Or more accurately, given his height, face-to-belly button.
** I would have said face-to-crotch, but we’re talking her husband, not her sex tape partner.
** Kyle Busch was “parked” by NASCAR for Sunday’s race after deliberately running another driver into the wall during a race Friday night. Said Busch, “Well, it looks so cool when they do it in the movies.”
** Three arrested for selling crack at Occupy Boston. Apparently not all capitalism sucks.
** Oklahoma hit with 5.6 earthquake, the biggest in state history. No one was seriously injured, but the cows were so shaken up they squirted egg-nog.
Hollywood’s All Comedy Radio has been providing long-form, short-form and website content for over 9 years. We offer your AM, FM or HD station compelling All Comedy programming for weekends, dayparts or 24/7/365. We can also provide your station website a constantly updated news crawl of Comedy News Burps. Go to allcomedyradio.com for more info, or contact Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com. Ask Al about the “Laugh Box”!

From Claude Hall -- I am engulfed by hard tech. Sort of. Because I have this defense mechanism these days. I turn off. I have been able to turn off for quite a few years and as years pass will probably do even more of this: Not facing the world that goes on around me. Ignoring reality. Paying it little or no attention. We talk of radio and where it’s at. We, of course, remember better and bigger days. The glory days of Top 40 radio. The wonderful growth of FM stereo. But the truth is that a lot of people don’t care so much about old radio anymore and some of the newer radio isn’t worth bothering about. Thus, the people have, in effect, turned off. They have gone on. To their own thing. People are wrapped in their own news, music, weather, social sources. Provided by Internet. On computer, on Blackberry, iPad, something  (read more - www.ClaudeHallOnline.com) 

From Tommy Kramer - An extremely successful station I work with stunned me the other day when one of the air talents told me that they don’t have an iPhone app. Amazing. In 2011, they don’t have an App! This is like a house being built this weekend with no electrical outlets, or with a dirt floor (read more - www.TommyKramer.net)