Current Mailbag - Mailbag Archive Index - DCRTV Front Page - Support DCRTV DCRTV Mailbag - November 17 to November 21, 2008 Latest messages listed first..... \/ November 21 Messages \/ "I'm not sure who has the ax to grind with Ron Riley, but I'd certainly take a staff with Johnny Dark, Randy Daniels, Bob Bartel and Ron Riley over RCA, Joe Pachino, Terry Troyeau, and Jack Edwards." The staffs at the time were...WCAO Riley, Joe Pachino, J.D. Bob Bartel etc. WCBM...Randy Daniels off and on, Lee Case, Joe Knight, Dennis Murray who left CBM when Case & Knight split from the morning show and Joe did mid-days..Elliott, Jack Edwards... Merson Person...class act. (11/21/08) Didn't we hear that right-wing talk shows were fostering terrorism after the Oklahoma City bombing? Didn't President Clinton have to back down? President-elect Obama is getting death threats because he's the President-elect and there are cranks out there who don't listen to Rush... they go to WWCR and listen to the "super-patriots." -- GAB in the Airless Cubicle. (11/21/08) Quote: "Listeners to rightwing talk radio are in complete denial about the connection between what these hosts are saying about Obama and the Secret Service reports of a dramatic increase in threats against him." And this is the sort of unfounded hysteria that's going to get the Fairness Doctrine re-implemented come next Congress. Unless there's a USSS special agent replying on this site or elsewhere to this crap, I don't want to hear your hypothetical bile. -Silvie- (11/21/08) NBC Universal made the first of potentially several rounds of staffing cuts at The Weather Channel (TWC) on Wednesday, axing the entire staff of the "Forecast Earth" environmental program during the middle of NBC's "Green Week", as well as several on-camera meteorologists. The layoffs totaled about 10 percent of the workforce, and are the first major changes made since NBC completed its purchase of the venerable weather network in September. For the rest of the story see: voices.washingtonpost.com (11/21/08) The Ravens get on DC TV much more than the Redskins get on in Baltimore. The NFL has gone so far as to require WUSA-9 to carry Ravens road games directly against Redskins home games on WTTG-5 because of DC being a "secondary market" of the Ravens. That would be fine if the NFL would be equally as insistent in making WBFF-45 carry Redskins road games against Ravens home games since Baltimore is a secondary market of the Redskins. Watch next Sunday (11/30) -- Giants at Redskins will be on Ch. 5 at 1:00, as will Ravens at Bengals on Ch. 9. The "primary market" rule says the Redskins home game is supposed to be unopposed in the DC market. The NFL -- the only place where secondary is greater than primary. Steve in Lanham (11/21/08) If Bill Hazzard indeed got the boot from VOA, it is indeed a sad day on Constitution Avenue. I had the privilege of working with Bill on the overnight shift for several years -- one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and a man who truly enjoyed life. You knew the night shift would be a good one when Bill would call up Al's Gourmet Pizza to order the greasiest, artery-clogging pie he could find on the menu. Editor Victor Beattie, who would forever try to encourage Bill to walk around the building to get the blood moving, would just shake his head, but would end up grabbing a slice nonetheless. As Steve noted, Bill always maintained a good attitude, even after his health scares and the constant travel to and from Harrisburg (we were always encouraging him to get an apartment near work, but he just wouldn't do it). Bill, if you are reading this, hold your head up high! VOA's loss is your gain! JD (11/21/08) QUOTE: "By the way, Levin and Silwa did compare Obama to Hitler; do you want to challenge that one as well?" Not to worry, Silvie will come on here and say something to the effect that it's all just a little harmless fun, you can't take 'em seriously, blah blah blah. Oh, and btw, in case anyone is interested... tomorrow just happens to be the 45th 'anniversary' of the last murder of a sitting US President - wondering if those 'lovable fuzzball' types on WMAL are gonna make little harmless jokes about that as well, hmmm. But I digress. Two other items - Dave, please, kill that pic of the so-called 'model'. Completely unsexy. It's enough to make me retch. Second item: With the recent posts about the low-power TV6 in Arlington, here's a Q for the techie audience: why is it that the audio comes blasting in on the radio at my location whereas there isn't a damn thing on the TV when tuned to channel 6? What gives? I'm curious to know what is actually being broadcast by W06CJ. Mike in Manassas (11/21/08) "The “up tick” in threats to Obama's life, according to the US Secret Service, was reported in Newsweek magazine." Thank you. 'Nuff said. My trash collector has more news source legitimacy than that rag. Happy Weekend. -Silvie- (11/21/08) I'm not sure who has the ax to grind with Ron Riley, but I'd certainly take a staff with Johnny Dark, Randy Daniels, Bob Bartel and Ron Riley over RCA, Joe Pachino, Terry Troyeau, and Jack Edwards. The only bright spot about WCBM in those years was the great Ken Merson. (11/21/08) Listeners to rightwing talk radio are in complete denial about the connection between what these hosts are saying about Obama and the Secret Service reports of a dramatic increase in threats against him. Think it through, people! Are we to believe that these hosts are being paid multiple millions of dollars each year to provide commentary that is without effect? Obviously these hosts attract listeners (and advertisers) because their programs are engaging and effective - hence the big bucks. They apparently get listeners to respond to their commercial pitches, for goods and services. How can it be that the non-commercial portions of these shows would not cause listeners to engage in the same kind of anti-Obama rhetoric/speech/threats or, even worse - in the case of some - to engage in hateful or violent action?!? (11/21/08) “Sirius” damage is being done to XM Radio. I’ve never heard more inane failed broadcasters trying to act like DJ’s as there are on the two remaining classical channels. Production is screwed up quite often with gaping moments of silence, overloud image liners and pointless banter. Can’t they just play the music? The one good thing is that on weekends the Decades channel for the 1960’s still has radio dj bits and music complete with PAMS (and other) jingles from the period. Maybe we’ll hear Johnny Holliday on KYA one weekend. Tom Gauger (11/21/08) Silvie, the “up tick” in threats to Obama's life, according to the US Secret Service, was reported in Newsweek magazine. Do you consider Newsweek a legitimate news outlet? Connect the dots. It is well documented that Rush, Hannity, Levin, and Bill Kristol, were all talking about Obama’s “terrorist” connection, and when they advised Palin to do the same (documented on the air, and in print), she soon began using the rhetoric “without the campaign’s permission or knowledge” (according to Newsweek). Then, the talk radio nuts started backing Palin up with even more continuous “terrorist” rhetoric (even you remember that). Rush yelled “Home Run” and “Grand Slam” every time he played Palin’s “paling around” statement. Hannity kept saying “Blew up,” this, and “blew up” that. “He’s Not One of Us, Ladies and Gentlemen,” Rush said on several occasions, praising Sarah Palin’s condemning of Obama. The up tick in threats, according to the US Secret Service, began right after Sarah Palin started that rhetoric, as reported in Newsweek. As we all know, her rhetoric was copied and encouraged by talk radio propagandists who proudly patted their own backs, taking credit for Palin’s new talking points. I made it very clear Sarah Palin was part of that propaganda smearing. So to answer your question again, the up tick in threats to Obama’s life was reported in Newsweek magazine. Do you only get your information only from WMAL, Silvie? By the way, Levin and Silwa did compare Obama to Hitler; do you want to challenge that one as well? (11/21/08) Disgusting. Diamanti Damons has enough silicon in there to make 200 laptop computers. (11/21/08) "Diamanti Damons has been selected as Miss Howard TV for the month of December for Howard Stern’s Howard TV On Demand...." What does this press release have to do with local media and why is it in the mailbag? www.icyhotstuntaz.com is more relevant. Paulie G. (11/21/08) Dave's response: Stern is a DC radio alum..... That still frame at DCRTV Plus of Don Richards sitting behind "The ESSO Reporter" desk originated from the WTOP Broadcast House Opening on Tuesday, February 10, 1954. You can view that entire 30-minute program on line at: www.truveo.com (11/21/08) XMAS music on the glob. NO! Yuck! There is no war on Xmas. What a load of crap. People are free to celebrate any holiday in their home. PS. I wish you had posted my news tip about abusive guardianships. I know it's your board and I respect your decision. Les in Adelphi (11/21/08) Dave's response: You think CBS Radio is gonna listen to me? No way. Hell, if they did they might have a station or two in the "top 10" of the DC radio ratings. Ha ha ha..... Diamanti Damons has been selected as Miss Howard TV for the month of December for Howard Stern’s Howard TV On Demand. Damons, born and raised in Toronto, will soon be moving to a Philadelphia suburb. A former insurance industry analyst who worked on litigating claims, Damons left her corporate life and became an exotic dancer (she had previously taught choreography). When appearing on air for her Howard TV On Demand interview, she and Stern spoke quite explicitly about her adventurous sexual appetites and that the dirtier the sex, the more of a turn-on it is for her. The interview can be currently seen on Howard TV On Demand. Miss Howard TV spokes-models are interviewed on “The Howard Stern Show” and then featured on Howard TV On Demand where they introduce and give an overview of the monthly programming on the channel. Diamanti and previous spokes-models are also profiled on www.howardtv.com. (11/21/08) Jack Edwards, professional as he is, apparently couldn't do the 7-12 p.m. at CAO and had to leave after several years doing all night. He lands at WCBM with Bruce Holberg, obviously a great judge of talent, and becomes a big hit at 68 WCBM. Alan Field and Bob Allan, both experienced pros, are both let go...not good enough for 60, and yet they are able to remain in the market and continue working in radio over the years. Bernie Millenson was the GM and Ron Riley the Operations Manager (PD). Bernie, who I knew personally, met an untimely death and a new GM was brought in. Any corrections? (11/21/08) Listening to ESPN 980 today, is a prime example of why this radio station consistently fails. Forget Mike and Mike. Forget the banal "In the Red Zone" show. Let's even put aside "Byrd & Clay's, f/doc walker and kevin sheehan, Locker Room". Today on "The John Thompson Show", we have a situation. Coach is on assignment, Al Koken is on assignment, and Brian Mitchell is at Disney World. Well, why not run a best of. Ooops! That's an oxymoron. Well, how about giving some young, up and coming talent a chance to shine for 2 hours on a Friday? Nah, cancel that! How about bringing in RONNY Thompson to be the co-host with BMitch! This man's only qualifications for being a broadcaster on a top 10 market radio show is he's the host's son! I don't begrudge the man being an analyst on college basketball games, and the Ball State situation was unfortunate. But c'mon! The show is already poor as is. At best, he's as capable as his father. At worst...well the worst it could be at this point is dead air! My point is, the last new talent honed and groomed at ESPN 980 was Steve Czaban. They keep recycling the played out "sports people" in this town. Bram Weinstein got so frustrated, he went to ESPN-TV. Boy, he must suck! There's a lot of talent that either was, or is, in that building. They get no opportunities, except to be an update anchor, and God forbid if you're a woman! I don't think it's just me, the old Arbitron diaries speak to it, as well as the PPM's. How can the only all-sports station in town have so little game?-He Hate Me (11/21/08) Dave, Today's column looks at a couple of key things. Maryland has two primetime TV shots Friday for basketball and Saturday night for football. And sources tell me that IF both the Redskins and Ravens win this Sunday then it would be a big win for WRC and WBAL as their December 7th Sunday night game will be moved to primetime on NBC. Not god news for FOX 5 or 45...but they have to win first....details, details.... www.dcexaminer.com... Cheers, Jim (11/21/08) Well, as long as WASH and WLIF have now gone full-tilt for the holidays, I guess "Christmas Time Is Here Again." Sing it Paul! www.youtube.com (Okay. So his impression of Paul isn't perfect, but his Lennon is undeniably spot-on.) (11/21/08) Quote: "The US Secret Service has already reported an “alarming and disturbing up tick” in threats on Obama’s life since talk radio clowns like Levin, Hannity, Rush, and Silwa, released their factually challenged venom on Obama" Please show us your USSS credentials or unclassified paperwork from said agency that actually correlates these threats with these talk show hosts. Legitimate paperwork, not some internet news article. DCRTV Dave, you must place and ad for discounted prescription drugs for mailbaggers suffering from hallucinations or incredulous imaginations. Happy Weekend! ;-) Silvie (11/21/08) Regarding the question about wage1190.com: I put the site up as a test (I wrote the page, my hosting plan lets me put up multiple sites for the same page so it didn’t cost me anything) and emailed a few friends and former colleagues to get their feedback. I didn’t expect many to see it, and I didn’t imagine it would be on the front page of DCRTV within 8 hours of putting it up. It stayed up for three days, got about 50 votes, and several emails. The advice from my friends was that it was a waste of time, and some said it looked like I had some bad feelings for the former owners of WAGE, which wasn’t the case. So I took it down. I bought the name for a whopping $8 about a year ago, and still plan to give it to them when they officially go to 1190. It was a nice experiment in learning how to write a page with poll questions on it, and I hope they’ll consider local content in the future. There were no cease and desist letters, no threats, nothing. Just a marketing experiment…I wish Jim and Alan the very best with their station…Dave (11/21/08) On the air, Silwa and Mark Levin have compared Obama to Hitler. Mark Levin can deny it all he wants, but there are tapes and transcripts easily available. For this fact alone, Silwa and Mark Levin should not be allowed by ABC Citadel to broadcast in Washington DC after January 19, 2009. It is too close to home (the US Secret Service Headquarters, and FBI Headquarters). The US Secret Service has already reported an “alarming and disturbing up tick” in threats on Obama’s life since talk radio clowns like Levin, Hannity, Rush, and Silwa, released their factually challenged venom on Obama (joined, of course, by Sarah Palin). We don’t need in Washington, DC a national tragedy because some nut believes the lies, misinformation, false accusations, and false associations, disseminated by these talk radio propagandists in the hunt for better name recognition and higher than dismal ratings. ABC Citadel, come late January, is it worth having the FBI or Secret Service show up at your door with handcuffs over incendiary statements made by either of these two clowns on the air concerning the Commander and Chief? (11/21/08) I wonder about the credibility of the VOA story. When I worked there, anchoring overnight news for two years, there was frequently only one anchor (me) and an editor who went home at 3 or 4 a.m. I hope to God that the person fired was not Bill Hazzard who commuted in from Harrisburg four days a week. Bill has been through more health issues than I have and is a truly good guy. Of course, the Bush administration (and, to a lesser extent, the Clinton gang) has been trying to shut down the English radio news division for years. Managers were convinced that more people across the world would be better served by their television product. How many tribes in Africa or Afghanistan have TVs? Sprawl and Crawl Steve (11/21/08) WRC's main digital signal was black screen and silent from about 11:30 to 11:35 a.m. WRC's analog version remained as normal. Everett W. (11/21/08) Smiley Riley - we love you, man. We had a few conversations a couple of years back, and it was so neat to hear some of his old stories - both about working in Chicago and also at Channel 11. Obviously, I never got the chance to work for him, but I enjoyed hearing the sound the he was responsible for. Enjoy the attached from the Solid Gold WCAO album (sorry about the bad photo...) (11/21/08) Glad to see WGTB playing a zillion Zeppelin records, but is it possible for this station to do ANYTHING without coming across like used car salesmen? In introducing one tune this morning they said "Jimmy Page told 94.7...." and then played a tape of Page that was obviously recorded in the late 1970s, when John Bonham was still alive and Weasel was still doing his show on the real WHFS. Who on earth thinks you gain credibility by telling bold faced lies? ...Other than George W. Bush, I mean? (11/21/08) Correction: It is noon, and WLIF is NOW all Christmas...and not a second before the snow started falling and sticking! (11/21/08) I'd be interested in hearing from Johnny Dark in the mailbag during the Ron Riley period at CAO, and what was happening in Baltimore radio at the time. Like when Paul Rogers left for CBM and they were beginning to overtake the Big 60, who basically had no competition after WITH changed format approximately 1966. (11/21/08) Regarding WAGE1190.com: My best guess would be, since they have FCC approval already, BINGO, end of game. Sure, they could keep it for awhile legally, but most likely an easy Cease and Desist threat letter there to the internet service provider who would immediately know that eventually that name is being sought by ummm, lets just say, a HIGHER PAYING CLIENT! Either that or the loser paid for the webpage for only ONE MONTH! LOL (11/21/08) It's is Noon and WLIF is not all Christmas music--and not a second before the snow started falling heavy! (11/21/08) Congratulations to one of the truly class acts in Washington and Baltimore broadcasting, Ron Riley. He bought class to everything he did no matter where he worked. I enjoyed watching Ron host "Bowling for Dollars" in Baltimore and Johnny Holliday hosting the same show here in DC. I believe Johnny and Ron worked together on WHK in Cleveland back in the 60's.or it may have been WLS in Chicago. Ron Riley, Johnny Holliday, Ed Walker, Johnny Dark, Gordon Peterson, Willard Scott, all exceptional talent's as well as legendary broadcasters. Shawn, Bethesda (11/21/08) It just came back on, but NBC 4 out of DC was off the air for several minutes (within the last 20 min).. any idea why? (11/21/08) Man, is anybody listening to this Led Zeppelin A to Z thing on the Globe? I can't tell you the last time I heard "In My Time of Dying" or "Hats Off to Roy Harper" on the dial.......maybe NEVER. Thanks 94.7, you ave made my day a very happy one. (11/21/08) Dave's response: Cool. No AC/DC..... Congrats to Ron Riley on his retirement! My retired mom was once on Bowling for Dollars on WBAL TV 11 so I briefly met him as a child and he couldn't have been more gracious to my mom, possibly the world's worst duckpin bowler, who I think lofted 3 gutter balls in a row, a new record for the show I think at the time. I was amazed she didn't hit someone in the audience to be honest. I even got a brief glimpse of the ACTION NEWS team, imagine that, Ron Smith & Mike Hambrick near the AP WIRE MACHINE in a glass enclosed room! How amazing to a child back then to go to TELEVISION HILL! When Ron Riley asked my Mom what she did for a living, she said, "I'm a domestic engineer" to an uproar of laughter. Imagine hearing that phrase on TV today without outrage being vented on The VIEW, hehe. -- Joe in Essex :-) (11/21/08) Dave; Great work as usual. On Nov 19 I think you had over 15 items, newsworthy items. Worked with Ron Riley at WCAO while I was intern under Ron Matz, Ellen Beth Levvitt Jerry Sheard, Bob Bartell, etc. Ron is one of the class acts in this industry and I have worked at virtually every radio & TV station in this market. Can count on ONE HAND the number of respectable, real people, in the biz. Ron is one, Johnny Dark, another, Jack & Susan W. Bowden (can I count them as one??!) the numbers are dwindling. Good Luck RON! - BC (11/21/08) A few weeks ago someone launched a website (wage1190.com) asking to keep WAGE 1200 AM in Loudoun County a local radio station. The station recently received FCC approval to go to 50k watts during the daytime. The recently launched site included a survey as to listeners preferences regarding local and syndicated programming. The site is no longer available, it now says Welcome to the Future Home of www.wage1190.com. Does anyone know what happened? (11/21/08) If you want to talk about a quality guy, then let's talk about Johnny Dark. Johnny could have gone to just about any market in this country, and chose to stay in Baltimore and area. Not only a great jock, but a great person and mentor. Johnny represented stability in radio, where there was always a lot of movement and change. Johnny's last show on WCAO when it was country and changing format to gospel, was probably one of the most memorable ever heard! (11/21/08) Dave's response: If oldies JZW wanted to get ratings it would put Johnny Dark in afternoon drive..... (snip) Sliwa To MAL Evenings - It'll launch on 12/1.....(end snip) Never in my 56 years have I had a better excuse to get drunk on New Year's Eve. (11/21/08) Dave's response: Ahhh, 12/1 is a full month before New Years Eve..... ...and, like Ron and Bill, you were great, Johnny! Thanks for the correction and clarification... ER (11/21/08) Chad Ocho Cinco (nee Johnson) did legally change his last name to Ochocinco. The Bengals organization were going to allow him to change his jersey, but he chose to wore C. Johnson for the rest of the year due to his endoresement contract with Reebox. He will change the jersey next season. Most sports websites (ESPN.com, Foxsprts.com) put his name in print as Chad Ocho Cinco. Although not a fan of ESPN980, they are correct that his name is now Chad Ocho Cinco. The NFL, and its network, will refuse to acknowledge it until next season when he puts in his formal request. The NFL claimed he did not meet the deadline for the Reebok production of the jersey for this season. They would only allow the change if he paid Reebok for the unsold jersey. Amazing that such a self-important, greedy, me-me-me athlete would back down when it would hit his pocketbook. Since I've sullied myself and wasted 2 minutes of my life writing about this buffoon, I'm going to go hit mself in the head with a 2x4 and take a shower. (11/21/08) A correction to the Ed Rodriguez post concerning Ron Riley. Ron was never GM. He was Operations Manager at WCAO. Joe Cahill was the GM. Like Bill Worthington, I was there at the time....Johnny Dark (11/21/08) Re: Mike in Fairfax--Chad Ocho Cinco is referred to as such, as he legally registered his name change through the courts. It was not merely a nameplate stunt. As insane as it may seem, Chad Ocho Cinco is his legal name, as of August of this year. So if WTEM is referring to him as such, they are not in the wrong--even if it is patently ridiculous. As to the "dustup" over whether the market of Baltimore is "forced" to watch the Redskins on Sunday: the same argument can be made for D.C. residents being "forced" to watch Baltimore play the Eagles on Sunday, and perhaps with more of a grain of truth. Frager shouldn't go down that road, for if he lived anyhwere south of Baltimore, he'd be arguing that the Washington, D.C. market should "cater to Ravens fans" in that market. You can't have it both ways. (11/21/08) The "forced" viewing of the Ravens in DC and the Redskins in Baltimore is something we go through and read about every season. Supporters of both teams get upset about it, but the unfortunate truth is that when two markets overlap as much as these two do-so much so that some call it one-the presence of the other city's team on your telly probably results in higher viewership for the station involved than for a game with two out-of-town teams. Of course, every year there are one or two exceptions when a prime game which would draw a lot of interest gets bumped. The bottom line is that the teams like the set up the way it is, as do the stations. The fans this bothers are, as usual, out of luck. Howie (11/21/08) Something for you Dan Snyder haters. While you all complain about and struggle to hear Redskin Broadcasts in this area, the lowly, and poorly run Bengals were available last night on both WLW (700) and WCKY (1530. Both home broadcasts, not the Westwood One feed, and both 50,000 watt stations. (11/21/08) For some reason, ESPN980 keeps referring to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson as "Chad Ocho Cinco" during its sports updates. Although Ocho Cinco's the nickname he uses, clearly his attempt to make it 'official' went absolutely nowhere - the NFL Network announcers called him Chad Johnson throughout last night's Bengals-Steelers telecast while ESPN, CBS and Fox always do so as well. In fact WTEM's the only media outlet where I've ever heard "Chad Ocho Cinco" and frankly it sounds ridiculous - the station needs to correct this mistake before embarrassing itself any further. Mike, Fairfax (11/21/08) Changing the analog shutdown deadline would only create more confusion in the transition, that much seems obvious. I'm not convinced though that all the needed information is out there or easily accessible. The fact that some viewers will need to radically alter their antenna setups to pull in these DTV signals hasn't been communicated well at all. Outer suburban and rural broadcast television viewers could be hit very hard. Everett W. (11/21/08) Dave's response: Anybody wanna bet that we'll still be watching analog broadcast television on Memorial Day 2009? I tried and tried to find the right words to answer the fool who posted a jab at Ron Riley. Then, Bill Worthington said it more eloquently than I ever could have. As a kid who would string a bent up coat hangar to the window frame to listen to Ron while I did (or, said I was doing) my homework, I have to say that it would be hard to find as inventive or quick-witted a talent as he was at WLS. Ron had been a bit more of a format jock at WHK Cleveland, WJJD Chicago and WOKY Milwaukee before he arrived at "Mid-America's Friendly Giant." He had HUGE shoes to fill. Art Roberts had been bumped to 9 o'clock after the mysterious departure of local legend Dick Biondi. But, when Ron introduced us to characters like "Bruce Lovely" and got embroiled in fake feud with all-night jock Clark Weber, he made his own history. When he arrived at WCAO, he moved a station that had been stuck in the 1960's into the present with new jingles, fresh formatics and some air talent adjustments. He was so successful that he rose to General Manager. How often do you hear of GM's in radio coming from Programming and Production? (It should happen more often, as it does in television, but that's another topic for another time.) Ron's television career speaks for itself. The proof is in the warm, friendly person who makes it look so easy. Ron Riley has earned his props and, in my unimportant opinion, a place in the Museum of Radio and Television and in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ron, you rock... always have and always will! Thanks for the years of entertainment and inspiration. - Ed. Rodriguez (11/21/08) An interesting post in the Citypaper's "Citydesk" titled "Giant Boobs, Dead Radio Shows, Guinea Pigs:" www.washingtoncitypaper.com (11/21/08) The Senate passes a bill messing with the analog TV shutdown--and thereby keeping stations like WNVC off the air and keeping a LOT of stations from moving to their post-transition channels, and so basically making a mess of the whole transition. OMG, they've even come up with a cutesy-poo name for it: The SAFER Act. Excuse me while I puke. What we really need is for both houses of Congress to go home and stay home and stop passing stupid bills written out of total ignorance. "No TV viewer left behind"? Like someone's going to die if they miss an episode of Survivor? The DTV information has been out there. Anyone who's not ready doesn't want to be ready and won't be ready no matter how long they screw with the transition. ~~CA in BC (11/21/08) From today's Gannett blog: The newspaper division executive in charge of circulation is retiring, according to a memo that offers at least one clue about that secret management shuffle in McLean, Va. From the memo Vice President Rob Althaus just sent to publishers and other top bosses: "It is with sadness but with great zeal and enthusiasm that I tell you that effective 1/2/2009 I will be retiring from Gannett. It has been my pleasure to work with such a terrific group of Gannett professionals for the past 18 years and for that I thank all of you. I have enjoyed every day of being a circulator for the past 37 years and I will miss the hard work, camaraderie and the friendships. However, I sincerely look forward to the next chapter. Best wishes to all and thanks again for all that you have done for me." (11/21/08) /\ November 21 Messages /\ \/ November 20 Messages \/ For the unsigned poster who wrote of Ron Riley, saying, “he's not that great,” Ron does not need me to defend him, but I'm going to anyway. As you no doubt do, recognize what you wrote is your opinion, but also acknowledge that the burden of proof is really on you. The indisputable fact that a man can work steadily in this business for the better part of five decades, including time at one of the seminal radio stations of all time, WLS, with a fan base that stretched across 30-some states and a few Canadian provinces speaks more of his accomplishments than your 2-cent opinion. Feel what you want. As for credentials, any one of us could only hope to work as long and as successfully as Ron Riley has. By the way, I was at WCAO when he left. There was no party. Bill Worthington (11/20/08) Congratulations to Ron Riley! This man has worked hard for NC-8 over the years and I hope they give him a nice party. All the best, Ron! You'll be missed and remembered kindly. (11/20/08) Have you gotten any names of recently fired 980/Red Zebra employees? (11/20/08) Dave's response: Heard a couple of names, no major on-air talent. Still trying to confirm..... The WNUV 54 HDTV stuttering & skipping problem is definitely not a problem with my setup. It's brand new and I'm getting all the other DTV channels just fine. I'm also getting WNUV via cable so it could in fact be a COMCAST problem, in which case the FCC should ALSO consider fines. Oh, thats right they already ARE! HAha! At any rate, the FCC has clearly F'd up the DTV switch in a big way by letting the market decide again instead of setting very clear guidelines for both broadcast and cable stations and their DTV signals and a more extensive must carry rule for HD cable networks. There's just no valid reason Verizon and Comcast should be allowed to force digital boxes into every room of everyone's house at extra cost when they clearly can transmit these signals via the QAM band as they are now to some extent. Who the hell wants a digital cable box mounted on their damn kitchen cabinet just to have a kitchen TV? People are buying all of these new HDTV sets with the clear understanding that these sets don't NEED CONVERTERS! DUH! GEEZ, it's starting to look like there are going to be a LOT of unhappy basic cable subscribers come next February and only the FCC is to blame for lack of clear guidance and rules. (11/20/08) Ron Riley retiring? Interesting...you recently reported CN8 is shutting down at year's end. So if that's true, he's outta there anyway. And by the way, he's not that great. He went from Chicago, and let's not forget he spent time in Jacksonville, FL before coming to Baltimore and running CAO into the ground where they were headed anyway. And I believe the staff at CAO partied...after he left. (11/20/08) Dave's response: Repeat after me - CN8 is not NC8. Comcast's CN8 is being shut down at the end of the year. Not Allbritton's NC8. Got it? No one else is complaining about WNUV-DT because the problem ONLY happens during primetime for the couple hours when they are broadcasting 720p, NOT when Family Guy and other sitcoms are running in SD all the rest of the day. So no one is complaining probably because no one ACTUALLY WATCHES The CW Network! LOL (11/20/08) "I did manage to get 95.5's HD after fiddling with the antenna." Dave, time to do an update of your HD Radio page. Has 103.5 HD2 has become Asian programming, as planned? Have previously lost HD stations returned? (11/20/08) Dave's response: WTOP's 103.5 HD2 is still indie rock iChannel, with HD3 traffic and weather. Oh, DC101 has restored the wonderful erockster on its HD2..... If Chris Plante found a cure for cancer I would be pleasantly surprised that he was actually good for something after all. (11/20/08) It's good to see I'm not the only one that's tired to death of the #17 Junks and their "we are soooo rich, we do soooo little for our fabulous money" mantra. But I don't blame the Junks, who after all, owe luck and timing to thier JFK morning promotion, not merit and talent. If merit and talent were rewarded, Don and Mike might still be the am drive show on JFK. C.K., Junks "producer" and alleged radio "professional" is responsible for allowing the boyz to dwell in a directionless, reptetive, self-absorbed mess of a radio show. The Junks demonstrate talk radio can't work without at least one talented voice to lead a "team". Each of the Junks seems to have an equal voice, and in that group no one has the ambition or talent to step up to the plate and lead (well maybe E.B....). Every successful ensemble radio show has a leader: Opie/Greg Hughes (OnA), Ron Bennington (R&F), Russ Rollins (Monsters), Howard (Howard). Thin the heard C.K., Lurch and JP can go, they don't act like they want to be there anyway, let Brett and other, younger local voices fill in, including "Sacktown" Mike or whatever his name is, he never fails to hit it out of the park whenever he's on the show. (11/20/08) Settle down, Francis. I wasn't attacking you and I never SAID you mentioned any topics on Limbaugh's or Ingraham's propagandafests. I simply made it clear that I think they're both shills for the Failed Ultra-Right. But I have to say that the fact that you (A) tried to put words in my mouth, (B) responded with a profanity and (C) told me to shut up sure makes it seem like you are EXACTLY the kind of angry reactionary that they so love to indoctrinate. Have a nice day. If that's possible. (11/20/08) I like the new HD-only stuff at 95.5. The 1580 relay might encourage me enough to finally get an HD Radio. Dave, maybe you could pick up 95.5's HD signal if you fool around with the antenna some, but it shouldn't be that tough to pick up. Over at my place, 99.1 generally has more stable reception than 95.5, even though 95.5 is closer. Sincerely, Mike in Kensington. P.S. Dave, can you get a 99.1 HD signal (11/20/08) Dave's response: I did manage to get 95.5's HD after fiddling with the antenna. Can't get 99.1's HD, though..... Dave in Sterling: I'm a Puerto Rican girl - we don't drink decaf. But maybe the strong coffee I do drink contributes to my lack of sense of humor. Whoever asked if Katie Couric reads DCRTV: Heh, nothing would surprise me... although my gut feeling tells me it's "Hell, No!" (Um, DCRTV Dave: I promise this will be my last post for the day! Ugh!) -Silvie- (11/20/08) Wow, Silvie -- way to prove the guy's point ("To the jackass who makes no sense... Shut up.") They make decaf for a reason, pal. Dave in Sterling (11/20/08) Dave, Do you know how many potential listeners "Elliot In The Morning" has (being that he is in DC, Richmond, and Baltimore)? If CC pulls the plug on WCHH how many listeners could he lose? (11/20/08) Dave's response: Anyone know what Elliot's ratings are on 104.3? Do you think Katie Couric reads DCRTV? (11/20/08) It's likely I'm missing something here, but what TV station anywhere would be playing "better, more rock-pop songs than that giddy-up stuff on El Zol", UNLESS they knew that folks were tuning them in as a "radio" station? (11/20/08) I was told a few days ago that Clear Channel isn't expected to make many cuts in DC with this year's budget. This surprised me greatly. But the way it was explained to me was that what CBS and Citadel are going through now with the cuts is what CC had done a while ago. The other companies just follow suit. Of course that fact scares the hell out of me. Inevitably, CC's vision is to have EXACTLY the same stations in each market. Kinda like McDonalds. If you eat at one here in DC and then travel to Wyoming the menu is the same. I'm talking total syndication. I call it "McRadio". But that is a ways off. Although you can see that the company is moving in that direction. In the short-term 1801 (and the rest of CC) should see a relatively uneventful layoff season. Ho ho ho. (11/20/08) To the jackass who makes no sense: Did I mention Limbaugh in my post? No. Did I mention any topic(s) that Ingraham was discussing when she was interrupted by the Hokies game? No. Shut up. (Oh God how I wish Howard Stern was still on terrestrial radio!!!) -Silvie- (11/20/08) "Junks, somewhere along the line, you lost the ability to relate to your audience." Exactly! I changed the station as soon as I heard EB defending the auto executives for flying in their Lear jets to DC. The Junks, especially EB and Jason, have become apologists for the wealthy. Even their coworker Chad Dukes agrees; he just mentioned it on air. It seems like every time I tune in, Jason and especially EB are bragging about how many plasma tvs and luxury cars they own. WJFK/CBS should cut the salaries of each of the Junks (except Cakes) in half and then distribute that money to Drab, Oscar, and Chad--the hardest workers at the station and the most fun to listen to. (11/20/08) Yup, that's Robb Spewack as a youth in this YouTube video. Now we know why he is like he is. (11/20/08) First off, I'm a liberal who gives Chris Plant several minutes a day. He's a smart guy. I tend to re-examine my thoughts and figure out things when he's on. This is as opposed to Chris Core who became a right wing tool. Second off, this is coming from a person who has severely suffered a downturn thanks to that Bush guy. I am a very dedicated employee who has been downsized by both right, left, and in between management. A wall full of awards means nothing right now. It's a scramble. (11/20/08) Dave's response: You know what's funny? DCRTV has seen a nice revenue rise this year via ads and donations. But the increase is almost exactly the same dollar amount as what my IRA has lost so far this year. Talk about "running in place"..... Jack, I understand your observations on the Junkies. See, we're the small, yet (well, trying to be) loyal listeners that they are alienating with their I"M RICH BITCH persona. Think about the P4's who tune in for 30 seconds, hear this unprofessional nonsense, and turn to WTOP, Kane, or Jack Diamond (!). They would rather hear depressing stock market news, canned Top 40 bunk, or (we used to be) cool banter, than the drivel the Junkies are producing these days. Junks, somewhere along the line, you lost the ability to relate to your audience. The only tolerable one is Cakes, and he's NOT a solo act. EB, I don't know how you're going to put that masters to work being the Bill O'Reilly of child therapists. JP, just go work for the D.A., everybody hates them anyways, you'll fit right in. Lurch, since the NBA career never got off the ground, get some investers, buy Bonefish, and be the Sam Malone of Ass-burn. Who knows, in a few years, you could run for mayor, take over, and then REALLY be King Lurch the First of Ass-burn! Good luck Junkies! Nah, I don't mean that. I"M A HATER, fresh off of HATECATION drinking HATER-ADE! In the words of Steve Spurrier, "Sun shines on the HATERS!" -He Hate Me (11/20/08) (RE: Rant - 11/19 - If you tuned into Citadel's WMAL this morning, you got the feeling that it was going to be President Biden come January, with all the hype about Barack Obama's allegedly doctored birth certification...) It really seems that a lot of Obamanites are uncomfortable (to put it mildly) that he hasn’t truly resolved the questions regarding his allegedly natural-born status. They probably have a lingering dread that someday full disclosure of the circumstances of his birth will be revealed, tainting him and invalidating his presidency. His actions (inactions) make it clear to me that he has something to hide. What a shame – and he’s such a smooth talking fella… (11/20/08) Hi Dave, You may not want to report on this because it doesn’t involve local media, but I thought you would find it interesting. This opinion piece from the Boston Phoenix talks about the possible reenactment of the Fairness Doctrine and its potential link to Net Neutrality (which I’d bet your for). I think that your might be particularly interested in page 2 of this piece. thephoenix.com (11/20/08) In the western parts of Fairfax County, we pick up another spanish-language FM station, 87.7. It has better, more rock-pop songs than that giddy-up stuff on El Zol. I don't see it on your station list. More info please. Thanks. RM. (11/20/08) Dave's response: That's the audio frequency for TV channel 6. And there's a low-power Spanish language TV station broadcasting from Arlington..... here's an interview with Robert Samuelson, his new book, and the economy: washingtonian.com... As the top financial columnist for Newsweek, Robert Samuelson is on the front lines of the economic wars. His new book, out this month, is a project more than four years in the making. It's called The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence, and it couldn't be more timely. Samuelson, who has lived in Washington since graduating from college, was first hired by Ben Bradlee as a Metro reporter at the Washington Post but was switched to the Business desk as soon as he started—and he's been covering it ever since. (11/20/08) Silvie, you might be in a better mood if you stopped listening to hate mongering propagandists like Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh. If you feed your mind with nothing but bile and unsubstantiated rumor, that's pretty much all it can produce. Y'know? On the other hand, every AM station on the planet carries Ingraham's show 23.5 hours a day, so all you have to do is spin the dial and you'll find her again. I understand her topic for the day (as always) is "Anyone Who Disagrees With Me On Any Topic Hates America." (11/20/08) Poor Plante can't catch a break with you guys. If he'd backed the bailout then you'd have said he's a shill for the automakers because he doesn't dare bite the hand that feeds him. When he goes off against them instead of saying Plante's independent for daring to criticize an advertiser he's a hypocrite? To lefties, someone they hate (Rush, Plante etc) could find a cure for cancer and they would STILL find a way to bitch and whine about it. (11/20/08) Re: "The Newseum is a bargain, and anyone reluctant to spend $20 for a ticket probably does not have much interest in the news-related displays." No, I have plenty of interest, but there is NOTHING in the Newseum that can't be found elsewhere for free. Nothing. And anybody who thinks I'm going to drop $100 just to get my family in the door of that building is sadly mistaken. When the Newseum decided to close its doors for SIX YEARS to move into its new building I figured they were not particularly bright; when they announced that they would have a $20 entrance fee in a town already crowded with free museums, my thinking was confirmed. Maybe all those donors should have thought of the wants and needs of potential museum-goers and kept the entrance fee reasonable instead of blowing $450 million on a mind-numbingly ugly building. (11/20/08) "The Laura Ingraham Show" on 570 WTNT was interrupted (or pre-empted, or whatever!) this morning at 10:30 for Virginia Tech basketball!!! WTH?!?! That's it! I'm asking my husband for satellite radio this Christmas! Signed, Silvie "not-in-a-good-mood-since-11/5" from Waldorf. (11/20/08) I have heard the Newseum is very good, and that one can spend a long time perusing the various displays, exhibits, movies, etc. Most message boards and opinion sites have mixed opinions about the cost vs. value. My comments were made in part due to the DCRTV Frontpage news blurb, which indicated possible financial issues at the Newseum. No matter how the Newseum is funded compared to the Smithsonian, it still operates in the marketplace, right ? What works for one or two people on a museum jaunt, may not work for four or five. With the latter being the case for me personally, in a tough economy, and knowing I can spend a month touring free museums a stone throw away it's an easy decision. Btw...the Smithsonian National Museum of American History reopens tomorrow after a 2+ year hiatus, with numerous new exhibits along with some old staples. FREE vs $100 bucks, it's an easy decision for me in today's environment. (11/20/08) Auto Dealer commercials aside, under the present economy, what do you think the future holds for radio in 2009 as far as sales? After all of the jewelry ads run out after Christmas, and if GEICO, Progressive, Verizon (FIOS/Wireless), and BGE (Utility/HOME) dramatically scale back on the advertising budget, what 's left that brings in substantial dollars? Factor in Toyota, the primary auto mfg. advertiser, and it accounts for probably a good 40% of what's heard in the Baltimore Market. (11/20/08) A couple of WJFK observations: The PPM issue appears to be affecting the Poor Ole Junks. It's called Karma. When Lerch whines about the easy grand for a commercial *read* he missed out on, it's hard to feel sympathy. When he wrecked his friend's expensive car and had to write a check for several grand, it's hard to sympathize. When EB brags about all of *his* cars, electronics etc., it's hard for people to relate. I've never gotten why a show (on auto-pilot) about gambling addictions and bragging about wealth has lasted so long. Anyway, I hope they enjoyed the ride. The second is about the "Mike O'Meara Show." When are they going to re-name this the "Rob and Mike Show?" The single most annoying person on local radio may now be Mr. Spiwack (apologies to Eliot and his wonderful cackle). He doesn't just talk over his guests and other co-workers...he talks over Mike! Mike literally has to tell him to shut it several times a show. Rob is apparently so enamored with himself he feels the need to verbalize every thought that runs through his head. Don had it right: keep him on the periphery, and control his mic. --Jack (11/20/08) Wow. How hard is it to look up stuff on the FCC's web sites? The coordinates for WLZL's old site are 38 degrees, 59 minutes, 46 seconds N latitude, 76 degrees, 39 minutes, 26 seconds W longitude. The coordinates of their new site are 39 degrees, 1 minute, 48 seconds N latitude, 76 degrees, 44 minutes, 25 seconds W longitude - undoubtedly northwest of the old site. Regards, Dave Loudin (11/20/08) Why do you refer Katie Couric as DC media pixie. It is so tired just say her name. (11/20/08) (snip) former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele...will launch..."Morning In America,"... (end snip). I may be wrong, but I think Bill Bennett beat him to the punch. Isn't Bill Bennett's show called "Morning in America?" It airs on WINC AM 1400 in Winchester. Al McGilvray (11/20/08) Michael Steele - Does this mean Bill Bennett is out on Fridays?? (11/20/08) (RE: Will the FCC be fining stations like Sinclair's WNUV-DT for not operating a watchable DTV signal? WNUV is already licensed as its supposed to be in Feb '09 I believe but it's already in violation of FCC requirements because it's HDTV signal skips, freezes, and is totally unwatchable and this is via CABLE.) Is that channel 54? Sorry you're having trouble, but I get it okay over the air here in New Carrollton with my rooftop antenna aimed towards Baltimore. Maybe your cable company should be notified. Now what's on 54 that is worth watching? Family Guy reruns? I do have a worry about the DTV change with regard to PBS. Even with our antenna aimed to DC we have a devil of a time getting WETA-26 to come in consistently. 32 will work reliably, but 26 has a whole lot more content on their three or four digital subchannels. (11/20/08) Dave, Thank you for posting the picture of Tom Sater and his two babies. They are so cute. Scott in Alexandria (11/20/08) To the sole person who complains (repeatedly) about WNUV: Why are you *imagining* how bad it is over the air? Why are you imagining FCC violations? Why don't you notice that no one else is complaining about the station and imagine that maybe something is wrong with *your* setup? I get WNUV-DT over the air and I have never seen the problems you go on about all the time. (11/20/08) On Dave's rant about Plante giving a live reading of an Onstar spot one minute and dissing the automakers the next. One of every three commercials on radio are from auto dealers, manufacturers, or supporting industries. Bring down Detroit and you lose half of those advertisers. Then you lose your job. Good luck as a Wal-Mart greeter, Chris! (11/20/08) There should be a fairness doctrine so Obama can address the following issues made by Mark Levin; A:) Despite what Mark Levin says, Obama is not a Muslim. B) Despite what Mark Levin says, Obama was born in the USA, not Kenya. C) Despite what Mark Levin says, Obama is not like Hitler (a very disturbing comparison, and if Mark Levin believes it I got a few history books that Mark should be required to read). D) Despite what Mark Levin says, Ayers was never a mentor for Obama. Or, Mark Levin should stop telling lies. Memo to Chris Berry, we all know Hannity and Levin's ratings have been spiraling downward all over the country. On your station the Hannity/Levin block places WMAL in the high teens, at best, according to Arbitron. We all know the people meter will display a more dire scenario for these propagandists (see above for justification on using the word "propagandists"). Perhaps going back to a local talker on local issues for the PM drive would be a way to get better ratings. (11/20/08) (snip) Not to be anal about things, but the old WLZL tower is to the southeast, not the northeast, of the new one. Also, the new tower is just northeast of the Patuxent River, and therefore technically not in PG County. It's in Anne Arundel County. See maps.google.com. (end snip) I'm 99% sure you have them backwards...the one on the map appears to be the old one, west of 3 but east of the river. Go into Crofton up 3 from Bowie , turn left at 424, straight through the stop sign, and it's all the way at the end on the left just before the railroad tracks. BSU is on the west side of the river. (11/20/08) No one ever answered my question regarding the Feb '09 DTV switch....... Will the FCC be fining stations like Sinclair's WNUV-DT for not operating a watchable DTV signal? WNUV is already licensed as its supposed to be in Feb '09 I believe but it's already in violation of FCC requirements because it's HDTV signal skips, freezes, and is totally unwatchable and this is via CABLE. I can only imagine how bad it is over the air and people forget that the ANALOG signal is ALSO gone to COMCAST too in Feb '09! Will the FCC be fining such companies? I ask because I see complete and utter chaos in the making here regardless of all these phony DTV Progress reports they're filing with the FCC. (11/20/08) When 99.1 becomes adult alternative, and 94.7 goes talk, what will become of the 106.7 signal? (11/20/08) Dave's response: Salem will buy it and flip it to Christian contemporary. Hey, if noncomm WGTS is a PPM top 10er with the format, somebody's gonna have to do an ad-supported version in the market. Hell, maybe CBS will do it..... The Newseum is a bargain, and anyone reluctant to spend $20 for a ticket probably does not have much interest in the news-related displays. Unlike the subsidized Smithsonian and other federally-run museums around DC, the Newseum operates as a non-profit organization. Its funding does not come from the government and ticket revenue is combined with support from media benefactors and individuals. The collection is specialized, and compares well to the International Spy Museum, where tickets are $18. However, at the Spy museum, the guided tour is rather rigid, with timed entry and a one-hour limit. For your Newseum ticket you can spend all day, and frankly that's not long enough to see all that's there. (11/20/08) /\ November 20 Messages /\ \/ November 19 Messages \/ On planning an upcoming holiday traipse around Washington, the Newseum was and has been a place of interest, but the price.... In this economy, at 20 bucks a pop, with no discounts available, it doesn't work for me and my family. With the Smithsonian museums a couple of miles away offering a plethora of free world class and ever changing exhibits, I can put my curiosity about the Newseum on an indefinite hold, especially in the current economic climate. (11/19/08) I don't know if it's been mentioned on here yet, and I'm certain that almost nobody's listening, but 1580 WHFS is now being relayed on 95.5 WPGC HD3. -jason (11/19/08) Dave's response: I can't get PGC's HD tonight. But I'm hearing Virginia basketball on the Globe tonight..... (Request) Could someone please tell me the name and composer of the background music to this NIKE SUPER BOWL1991 FINISH LINE commercial? (end) Can't be totally sure, but a possibility is John Zorn who, in 1990, composed and recorded music for a series of ten Nike commercials and this may have been one of them. There is something about the chord changes and suspensions that led me to believe this was a modern piece and not a classical or romantic piano piece. Granted I may be miles off-base, but at least its a starting point to find out more. Good luck. (11/19/08) Could someone please tell me the name and composer of the background music to this NIKE SUPER BOWL1991 FINISH LINE commercial? www.youtube.com... I cant find any info and its driving me nuts (11/19/08) "Maybe El Zol moves to 1580....." Dave, I remember going to the Wheaton El Pollo Rico before the immigration scandal shut it down. While I was waiting in line, I noticed that 99.1 was on their radio. It would have been impossible to pick up 1580 there at that time, because it was dark outside. After dark, it's also all but impossible to pick up 1580 in most of Fairfax Co. For that reason alone, I'm not convinced that El Zol would be a viable format on 1580. I do remember the Mega oldies station on 730 did somewhat well, but that station was geared for older people. Younger people that El Zol caters to would be less willing to deal with AM audio quality. Sincerely, Mike in Kensington. P.S. Speaking of El Zol, does anybody with an HD Radio get 99.1 in HD? I know they used to do an HD1 and HD2, but I don't know if either are on now with the tower relocation. (If an HD signal is on, I'm unconvinced that the cash used to operate it is well-spent.) (11/19/08) From Aftra Sag; Heery Casting is casting for "Law Abiding Citizen", the new film starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, being directed by F. Gary Gray ("The Negotiator") Right now, they are looking for MEN, age range 25-50, all ethnicities - who are BIG, SCARY, THUG types to play prisoners. This will be a SAG principal performer contract. Shooting will begin in mid-December through February in Philadelphia. Please only submit if you fit the above specifications. Information on other roles will be posted at a later time. E-mail a picture/resume to: lawabidingcasting@gmail.com If you have body art, branding or piercings, please send a picture showing it. All pictures must be in jpg format. Don't forget your PHONE Number! (11/19/08) Dave's response: I've heard Mike O'Meara wants to be in the movies, but he's pushing 50. Oh, nevermind..... I’m sure the recession is affecting the Newseum, but what about those ticket prices? If they’re going to charge 20 bucks, they should put in some bumper cars. Chris in Alexandria (11/19/08) Not to be anal about things, but the old WLZL tower is to the southeast, not the northeast, of the new one. Also, the new tower is just northeast of the Patuxent River, and therefore technically not in PG County. It's in Anne Arundel County. See maps.google.com. (11/19/08) The following got forwarded to DCRTV: Please be advised that DC101 and HOT 99.5 are in immediate need of part-time jocks for weekend shifts and fill-in shifts. If you or anyone you know is interested, please have them contact Greg Roche for DC101 at roche@dc101.com (preferably by Friday) or Toby Knapp for HOT 99.5 at tk@hot995.com. (11/19/08) "I listen to every sports talk show in Baltimore. The only two guys currently on the air who aren't afraid to speak their mind (and both are in hot water with teams in town because of it) are Jerry Coleman and Drew Forrester. Everyone else, practically, is on the take except for those two. They are both opinionated and willing to take on the big boys in Owings Mills and Oriole Park." Opinionated? Sure. Smart, well-informed? Not particularly, unless you consider folks who are big on fantasy stats as the end-all of sports knowledge. Simply being willing to say something outrageous doesn't make one a good host. D'ya think that either one of those guys will ever be more than what they are now, plucked away by a bigger market or a network? Don't hold your breath. In Baltimore, however, mediocrity in the local media has been embraced for decades, and I don't expect that's going to change anytime soon. (11/19/08) [snippy] We haven’t even had our annual Mr. Carlson Thanksgiving quote for God’s sake. [end snippy]. "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." Arthur Carlson, General Manager, WKRP-AM, Cincinnati, OH. Which of course was preceded by…. "Oh, they're plunging to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just went through the windshield of a parked car! Oh, the humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! Not since the Hindenburg tragedy has there been anything like this!” Les Nessman, News Director, WKRP-AM, Cincinnati, OH. Glad I could help. Merry Kwanzaa. Signed, Norman Vincent Peale. (11/19/08) Hey Dave, Any update of the reported cuts at WTEM? (11/19/08) Dave's response: No names. Just a few behind-the-scenes assistant producer types. Anybody know more? Well, according to the FCC, it's official... CBS has moved WLZL 99.1 to a 463 foot tower just northeast of Bowie State University. Expect a stronger 99.1 signal in places like Reston, Burke all the way up to Germantown, places it was previously weak. Surprisingly, the signal will also be better north and northwest of Baltimore in places like Hunt Valley and Owings Mills, well, except that no one will be listening to notice the difference, hehe. Anyone know who's tower CBS is using or if it's a brand new one? I can't think of any pre-existing radio tower of that height in that location off the top of my head, although it does show on Google Maps, so i would think it's been there for awhile. Dave Hughes, this is the closest thing to that mythical Laurel tower farm you've often mentioned, hehe. Oh, coincidently, WZBA 100.7 also recently moved to the new taller WMPB 67 tower in Owings Mills, but probably not much change in their signal as a result. (11/19/08) Who cares if they're aren't any blacks in the top 10 (hottest TV news anchors). Did you ever think that the panel simply didn't feel any blacks were hot enough to make the top 10? Loose the entitlement thinking man. There is no agenda here. Just a dumb hot list. Jesus! (11/19/08) Dave's response: I just find it hard to believe that not one black female news anchor is hot enough for the "top 10" hottest news anchors list. Or maybe just one white chick with curly hair. They all look like Roger Ailes' Robo Anchor Clones..... From the Where Are They Now file- here's a photo of Tom Sater and his kids posted on facebook. He looks well! (11/19/08) Dave's response: Awwwww. The "almost beard" looks great, Tom! Re: WJFK main studio in Lanham. It appears the CBS Lanham facility is within the principal community contour of WPXW-TV. Since WPXW and WJFK are both licensed to Manassas, this means WJFK can locate the main studio in Lanham. The rule is 73.1125(a)(2) (11/19/08) We are happy to provide the following link - video.yahoo.com. Please enjoy responsibly. (11/19/08) Dave, re: your rant: You are correct about the Obama birth certificate issue. To those covering this issue: "It's over. Let it go." I was one who had been kicking & screaming for the past year 'til I turned blue in the face in reference to this issue. I e-mailed lots of conservative talk show hosts about this over & over and no one would touch it with a ten-foot poll back then except for Austin Hill, who dedicated a full hour to the issue (even having a reporter from the NBC affiliate in Hawaii on-air explaining the matter in detail). So then, after realizing that it was a non-topic on other shows, I said "screw it, then" and dropped it. If the country elected Obama, then let it be. Move on.... -Silvie- (11/19/08) Actually, the best quote isn't from Linus, but rather from Lucy: " Look, Charlie, let's face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It's run by a big eastern syndicate, you know." According to ABC, the 2008 airings of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" are Monday Dec. 8th and Tues Dec. 16th. abc.go.com. (11/19/08) I will not tolerate The War on Christmas being on DCRTV. We haven’t even had our annual Mr. Carlson Thanksgiving quote for God’s sake. If you want to get the truth on The War on Christmas go to Hannity and O’Reilly on Fox News and on the radio the Monday after turkey day. Please leave news on The War on Christmas and the commentaries about The War on Christmas to those ethical and objective journalists, Hannity and O’Reilly. The War on Christmas Starts Monday December 1, 2008, on Fox News and on WMAL radio. I can’t wait to get mad at the liberals trying to destroy Christmas with their “Happy Holidays” cards, and their not letting Santa march in parades. Speaking of Christmas, Get your Freedom Concert gift package at Hannity.com, and we will see you this summer rockin' out to Charlie Danniels and Oliver North, live in Concert. And by the way, I heard on WMAL Obama's birth certificate is fake. And Obama is like that bad German dude. (11/19/08) Please join Kate Headline and CNN at a memorial service... To celebrate the life of William Headline - Monday, December 8, 2008, 6:30pm, at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001, Conference Center, 7th Floor... Reception to follow *** Guests should enter through the 6th Street Freedom Forum entrance. Parking is limited, particularly so close to the holidays, so consider taking public transportation. Colonial Parking, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW... For questions, contact lisa.dallos@freud.com (11/19/08) OK, OK. Before everyone gets in a snit a la the elections, just take a moment and relax. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and just savor the fact that in a mere two days, with a flip of the switch, WASH FM will bestow upon you: Christmas Shoes, Christmas in Washington, Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, Same Old Lang Syne, and What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?). And I, for one, have gotten over my bitterness to Dave who was so cruel to me last year. Remember Dave? Last Christmas I gave you my heart, But the very next day, you gave it away... This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special... (11/19/08) Dave's response: Huh? I do not recall..... RE: Dave's response: Amen! Look, there's almost no "Christ" in Christmas any longer. It's pretty much little more than a celebration of capitalism. Sad, but true..... Sorry you feel that way. I do not decide my values based on how others act, or act according to other peoples' values. For those of us who cherish Christmas, there will always be a "Christ" in Christmas. And I will celebrate accordingly. Merry Christmas! (11/19/08) Dave's response: For me, there will always be a "Chris" in "Christmas" - Chris Plante. Oh, nevermind..... Dear Dave: You write "Amen! Look, there's almost no "Christ" in Christmas any longer. It's pretty much little more than a celebration of capitalism. Sad, but true....." You just made me think of that Stan Freberg classic "Green Christmas" which, as I understand, radio advertisers were afraid of having their ads precede or follow its airplay when it was released in 1958. When I listen to it, part of me makes me smile in appreciation of the biting satire of that piece of work. Another part of me (my Catholic upbringing) makes me sad as well about the fact that the holiday has become, as you said, "a celebration of capitalism..." Great site Dave! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (11/19/08) The stupidity and ignorance of some people are absolutely astonishing sometimes. This may have little to do with broadcasting, but I'm going to mention the upcoming Christmas (or Xmas) Music to be played on WLIF and WASH to make my point. There is nothing offensive about using the term Xmas instead of Christmas. As a matter of fact, the first letter of the Greek word "Christ" (which is the language that originated that term) is "chi", the symbol for "chi" which can't be easily replicated in this format, looks very similar to the letter "X" that we use today. THE "X" IN CHRISTMAS IS AN EXACT ABBREVIATION OF THE WORD "CHRIST". It is NOT used to block Christ's name, it is not used to "take the 'Christ' out of Christmas" To me, using the term Holiday when you are obviously referring to Christmas is more offensive than Xmas...pick up a book and read something sometime instead of overreacting to an abbreviation that has been used for over two millenia (that's 2,000 years for those of you who can't figure that out either). GK in Timonium (11/19/08) Well, from a DC TV standpoint, A Charlie Brown Christmas was a staple on channel 2 and 9 (the CBS affiliates) in my youth. In retrospect, how ironic that the special originally had Coca Cola cans in it (which Linus lands on after being flung from the ice) and every commercial break had a Peter Paul Cadbury ad and was sponsored by both corporations. (11/19/08) RE: Dave's response: Amen! Look, there's almost no "Christ" in Christmas any longer. It's pretty much little more than a celebration of capitalism. Sad, but true..... Anymore? Hello! The great philosophers Charlie Brown and Linus Van Pelt made us all publicly aware of this in 1965. And I quoute: Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. [moves toward the center of the stage] Linus Van Pelt: Lights, please. [a spotlight shines on Linus] Linus Van Pelt: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'" [Linus picks up his blanket and walks back towards Charlie Brown] Linus Van Pelt: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. (11/19/08) Dave's response: Hey, this is a radio/TV board, not a meaning-of-Christmas venue. Ha ha ha. Can't wait for "Loo Katz's Christmas" on 97.1 come Friday..... Dave's response: XMAS, XMAS, XMAS! So there..... You're both wrong. It's Chri$tma$. (11/19/08) Dave's response: Amen! Look, there's almost no "Christ" in Christmas any longer. It's pretty much little more than a celebration of capitalism. Sad, but true..... I listen to every sports talk show in Baltimore. The only two guys currently on the air who aren't afraid to speak their mind (and both are in hot water with teams in town because of it) are Jerry Coleman and Drew Forrester. Everyone else, practically, is on the take except for those two. They are both opinionated and willing to take on the big boys in Owings Mills and Oriole Park. (11/19/08) Dave's response: You listen to "every sports talk show in Baltimore" and your sanity's intact? Amazing..... Don't say Xmas. It's Christmas. We don't say Xgiving or Xeaster or Xident Obama or the Xer Bowl game. Can't you afford 6 more letters? Thanks. (11/19/08) Dave's response: XMAS, XMAS, XMAS! So there..... "When I hear the Junkies talking about their limo travels,the latest big ticket indulgence, or joking about their lack of preparation....maybe the chickens are coming home to roost, boys. It's clear these guys are making a lot of coin for pretty weak ratings. My guess is the next contract won't be as lucrative as the last." Agreed. Hopefully CBS/WJFK and the advertisers will wise up and realize this. EB is the worst; he loves to flaunt his wealth and put down those of us who aren't rich. Lots of us work hard, but don't make tons of money. His arrogance and disdain for regular folks is sickening. (11/19/08) Regarding Baltimore Sports Talk Radio, it will never be overly successful as it currently exists. 1300 is all ESPN, 1370 mostly all Fox. You can get one or the other, or both in any small market USA. Then look at 105.7. As a station, they're tied into the Orioles. Think they'd be overly critical of the Orioles? Not in the least. Remember how Gerry Sandusky suddenly was "too busy" with his TV duties when WBAL was the O's rights holder? He was pretty critical of the team, and thus lost his show, even though 'Bal denied that was the reason. Moving on, Bruce Cunningham is the P.A. announcer at Ravens Games. Going to be critical of the Ravens? Yeah, right. Back to WBAL, Steve Davis hosts a show with Ravens coach John Harbaugh (pretty sure it originates from the Ravens Complex). . Gonna be critical of the coach?? WNST had their collective noses so far up Brian Billick's butt for so many years that they can't recover from being deemed in the pocket of the Ravens. Look, there is no WFAN in Baltimore, and no potential for that to happen, unless 1370 spends some money and gets some real talent that is not afraid of repercussions from the teams, and it's doubtful that will happen. WFAN isn't perfect, but they are successful enough that staff and management aren't afraid of any team. It's obvious that the theme in Baltimore is not to tick anyone off, so that we all are blessed to hear sound bites and interviews with those associated with the Orioles and Ravens, but that's not really important to me. I'd rather be listening to unbiased hosts, and interesting shows. Dream on (11/19/08) Hey Albie! It’s MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORNNG!!!!!!!! Do your thing brother. Signed: MIXED BAG. (11/19/08) Dave's response: Come on, Albie, lock yourself in the studio and crank up Beyonce. You know better than those friggin' CBS programmers..... Maybe the Junks should realize that the whole ''guy talk'' format is running out of steam and getting old and tired? Maybe instead of blaming PPM's ''haters'' and faulty equipment you take a hard look at the crappy product you put on the air every morning? I listened to them the other morning while I was trying to get my Sirius/XM subscription reactivated [long story] and I was literally in pain and made me miss Howard Stern even more. When Howard walked away from regular radio he took the whole ''guy talk'' format with him. Everyone else just seems like pale imitations now. Despite how ''good'' or ''bad'' his show is now, he's still 100 times better than anything on radio. Paul (11/19/08) from Tom Taylor's radio-info email "...(And late yesterday, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin refused Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein's request to investigate the PPM, on the grounds that the agency lacks jurisdiction.)..." Go figure. (11/19/08) Dave's response: Martin does have a point. The FCC does not regulate or license radio ratings firms. What could it do other than hold hearings? I've been reading the back and forth regarding Batimore and it's 4(!) sports stations. This is just another example of the obviously insane people who shockingly (or maybe not), are running radio stations...into the ground. I mean did I miss something, or does Baltimore only have two pro sports teams? The University of Maryland College Park is more DC/Metro, than Baltimore. Are the Skipjacks still around? How about the Blast? Why in the world does Baltimore have 4 sports stations. AND, much like ESPN 980, they ALL suck! Who green lights these things? THIS is what's wrong with the radio business! What a FUSTERCLUCK! (11/19/08) I'm giving the new morning show on 94.7 The Globe a fair shot, but it sounds to me like Albie has to find the pocket. Ive always considered low-voiced rock-jocks should have something of a restrained intensity to their delivery, just waiting to pounce (think Jim Morrison in full "poet" mode); instead, Albie is coming across with bored detachment ("...so, uh, stay tuned for that...") and vocal articulation that is a little *too* laid back to the point of sounding half-pickled. On the tech side, he might benefit from some re-tuned mic processing that puts said voice right in the front of the mix - right now its a little too thin when heard on both car speakers and kitchen radios (not everyone listens to morning radio on $3K active monitors). I'm not saying this won't work - I've heard A.D. since his Hartford days and actually have worked with him here and there, so I know he's capable of anything - but he's going to be scrutinized by a critical and fanatical audience that loves its rock, and I'm sure CBS is tired of hearing "18th place" every time the book comes out. Here's hoping for great things to come. (11/18/08) Dave's response: I mean, how can you not have "bored detachment" when having to play all that well-worn classic rock crud. Poor Albie can't flip over to DC101 like the rest of us when one of three tired old AC/DC tunes gets played. Sheesh. Memo to Dan Mason: Classic rock doesn't have to be deadly dull! Sheesh, again. I hope that CBS is merely "parking" Weasel in his Maryland apartment, in preparation of moving him back to 99.1 when it resurrects the "real" HFS. Can't wait..... The following exchange was forwarded to DCRTV: Hey JP: I’m a lover not a fighter/hater & an appreciative fan. What is “PPM”: another female malady? Just stay the fuck on the air, fellas. Besides, that Dave gay, er, ah, guy, from DCRTV lives with his mother in her basement according to a well placed Source. From: JunksMail@aol.com - We can't worry about the haters. The bottom line is that the station has taken a hit in the PPM ... hopefully it is partially because we have been operating on a backup transmitter just as this new ratings system has come in and our signal stinks. That said, hopefully everything will be all right. Thanks for listening. Remember to check out Junkiesradio.com for the latest on appearances, guests and more. And check out HornyforZorny.com too. It's finally up and running! Spread the word! JUNKS - JP (11/19/08) Dave's response: FYI. My mother passed away four years ago tomorrow, 11/20/04. Ma's old house was sold in 2005. And, it's "Sorce" not "Source"..... So, anybody know who specifically got cut from WBAL ? (11/19/08) Between 1975 and 1977, there was a newspaper published in DC whose name I am trying to find. It was a "tabloid" sized paper and in color. As I recall, it only lasted a year or so. It wasn't a radical sheet or "underground" paper, so that rules out "The Washington Free Press" or "Quicksilver Times". This paper was around, long after those two. (And, it wasn't the "Liberty Lobby" newspaper, which I think was called "The Spotlight") I believe it came out weekly, but it may have been out every other week. It was available at newsstands and in coin boxes all around DC. About all I remember about it is that it was a politically "left" alternative newspaper. I know this is a long shot, but maybe somebody out in dcrtv-land will remember it and help me fill in the blanks. (11/19/08) I've been giving some thought to why WMAL hasn't had an election bounce like WTOP and WAMU. The reason I've come up with is very simple: The listener potential for AM has reached its apex. It's all but impossible to get younger people who haven't yet tuned to the AM band, to tune there now, no matter what's over there. Today's 25-54 isn't going to be tomorrow's 25-54. AM is becoming commercially unviable, and the FM band is becoming the prime band for news talk. It's something to think about at Citadel, who should simulcast WMAL on 105.9. It's also something to think about at CBS Radio/1580 AM. For its talk format to make good money long-term, it will have to move to FM. So, where to put the Big Talker? 94.7 has preliminarily gotten better ratings with the PPMs. Eliminating WPGC 95.5 would make WKYS a hip-hop powerhouse in the remnants of outrage that would make WHFS's flip to El Zol look tame. 106.7 has high-profile (and expensive) talent already there. By process of elimination, that leaves 99.1. Even if the PPM doesn't make the El Zol format financially unviable compared to news talk, remember that given the proposed 106.7/1580 to 105.1 flip, allowing the WJFK studios to move to Lanham, any additional El Zol profits would be more than wiped out by the burdensome costs to operate the Fairfax studios. In addition, if El Zol is flipped to Big Talker 99.1, its current studio space could be repurposed for WJFK. Everything is coming together to create the basis for a deal that Salem would be willing to complete, and it's a deal which makes sense: CBS would get a prime FMer to put WJFK on, plus be able to move out of Fairfax once and for all. Salem would get a more than powerful enough FMer for their purposes, plus a spare AMer with a 50kw daytime signal (cue the "two signals for the price of one" deals with religious broadcasters in the face of the economic crisis). Even if no money changes hands, both CBS and Salem would win in such a deal, and I wholeheartedly support it. Sincerely, Mike in Kensington (11/19/08) Dave's response: CBS's decision to move 94.7's studios from Silver Spring to Lanham signifies that something's "up" in a big way format-wise. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see 94.7 go to political talk, and maybe eventually to news, too. If CBS is going to do that format it's gonna wanna do it on an "inside-the-Beltway" stick to compete with TOP. With Crofton-transmittered 99.1 likely going back to heritage rock HFS - for both DC and Baltimore - if El Zol continues to get battered by the PPMs. Maybe El Zol moves to 1580..... I don't know what is more painful to watch, radio people being interviewed on TV (see week long series on Channel 4), or watching the dreadful Channel 4 field reporter attempting to do light banter . . . (11/19/08) RE: "My "TOP 4" DC anchor "HOTTY" list: JC Hayward, Susan Kidd, Phyllis Armstrong and Maureen Umeh. Pure beauty. Redefined." In my best Michael Buffer: "AND NOW AT AN AGGREGATE AGE OF 275 YEARS OLD, AND WEIGHING IN AT A COMBINED WEIGHT OF 1,168 LBS, IT'S THE FEMALE OVER THE HILL GANG! LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUMMMMBLE.....AND THEN EAT!" (11/19/08) I'm sorry, but I've had it with these PPM whiners and can't take it anymore. And I hope Andrew Cuomo's entire career goes down the drain for his phony grandstanding fight against Arbitron for it. The DC radio market is NOT overwhelmingly African American, nor is it overwhelmingly MALE or Hispanic! This phony notion that that #s need to be tweaked or the #s "cooked" is patently false and ridiculous and should not be attempted in my opinion. And the #s also shouldn't represent "DC proper" (largely African American) EITHER! DUH! Unless you just want phony #s for the DC radio market like you've been getting for decades apparently. Advertisers are just going to have to learn the value of niche advertising and the marketing people are going to have a tough job educating them, but what's better? To LIE about the true ratings? GEEZ. It reminds me of the schools that no longer give ABCDF grades anymore to prevent self esteem issues. When I purchased advertising many years ago for a local company, I purchased from the big stations somewhat, but I also bought from niche stations like WRBS, Heaven 600, & Legends 1370, & the then brand new WBAL TV Saturday morning news, NONE of which ever showed up back then in the Arbitrons or Nielsens. I knew they worked NOT because the Arbitron #s said they did, but because I had people in my business asking where the sales calls were coming from and I knew the demographic I was looking to hit for the money I had to spend. So, no it doesn't surprise me that some urban and male centric stations are taking a beating in this new ratings system to some extent. I mean, c'mon, who ever believed WJFK's #s anyway? You CAN'T EVEN GET THE FRIKKIN STATION in College Park, MD or just outside the District line very well because MIX 106.5 is broadcasting from a 1400 foot tower! DUH! Those were always phony #s by rabid D&M fanboys. And it always shocked me that no Baltimore radio stations ever showed in the DC Arbitrons too with the monster signals that several stations have. Now we know they do actually get listened to a bit. And finally, sorry, but the truth hurts, women actually generate more ratings than men. Now we know. And MEN are complaining about it. Deal with it and put on your big boy pants men damnit! :-) (11/19/08) "105.7, due to it's FM signal and having the Orioles, will make it. WNST, because it's a station not built on ratings but on the fervent support of a few listeners and sponsors, will also survive. I doubt 1370 ever gets traction. The local show on that station has been Jerry Coleman, hardly a guy with a following. We'll see if the Ungers help any. WJZ-AM 1300 might as well go dark. I suspect they won't even appear in the next book. Howie " ....well, NICE WORK HOWIE , you certainly proved you have NEVER worked in radio with that "assessment...err, opinion " The orioles DO NOT equate to ratings or any $! Eleven yrs of losing will do that. So I would not bank on 105.7; WNST has 1/10 the signal of FOX 1370 SPORTS, so why would they outlast, NST??? Wnst- Wjz am BOTH provide un-listenable 3rd rate content - which is why I prefer a mix of Local AND National in Baltimore. I am willing to give 1370am- and even the new 980 espn- some more time to settle in while 105.7 changes format again in 6 months !- Jeff Colby, Columbia (11/19/08) /\ November 19 Messages /\ \/ November 18 Messages \/ Ed Graham is correct. After the methodology of PPM's are tweaked, we will be able to factually measure what people listen to. So let the tweaking begin, because there's NO WAY, Jack Diamond has the #3 morning show 12+! The Washington DC/Metropolitan area is too diverse, and in DC proper too black and latin, for this to be possible. WASH and Mix are interchangeable, thus, you would think they cancel each other out, paving the way for a WWDC, WIHT, or perhaps even WHUR or WMMJ. However, judging from the higher rated stations on the PPM, what I wouldn't give to hear a rhythmic AC/CHR in this town! How about it WJZW? Imus and the Scott Shannon Science Project isn't making you jack squat! Ask your sales staff...what's left of them! As far as the poster who said: "When I hear the Junkies talking about their limo travels, the latest big ticket indulgence, or joking about their lack of preparation....maybe the chickens are coming home to roost.", well said. The last thing I want to hear in an economy like this is about some prick's media room, gambling with $10,000 cash, freebies from sponsors, and they don't even have the decency to respect their audience with a little professionalism! That lack of professionalism couldn't ride on an interenet radio show, which btw, they may find themselves on soon. (11/18/08) Dave, your comment about weatherman Doug Hill sitting out on a non-compete when he made the switch from WUSA to WJLA, even if there wasn't such a thing as a non-cpmpete, I still think Hill would have sit out those six months anyway. Usually when one person leaves a job for another a lot of times people want to take that "vacation" between jobs to think about the past and future or whatever. And besides it really would be the right thing to do to sit out. Let the viewers see channel 9 without Doug Hill. Actually leaving one station on a Friday and start working at a new station on a Monday, well that could cause a backlash. I believe this happened to an anchor down in Hampton Roads several years ago. The viewers thought it was in poor taste.But going back to the contracts themselves of all the stations I worked at ( 13 total ) only one had me sign a contract and that was just a page stating how much my salary would be. No non-compete, no so-called morals code/clause or whatever. Amazing how many people I have met over the years who will not work at a radio/TV station unless they are "under contract". I never did get that logic. Kinda like those who believe "..you are not really in radio unless you have been fired several times". I actually knew a few who were so serious about that line that they even got themselves fired on purpose.. becuase "..my time was up". Odd !! On another site I visit the topic of contracts was discussed there recently only in their case it was those "moral clauses". One guy from Stephens City, VA posted a message saying how important those things are for radio employees because it not only protects the image of the radio & TV station but gives the station to right to fire. Excuse me..but isn't that the purpose of "employment at will"? The right to fire someone anytime, anyplace and for any reason. If its already law why have it in a contract anyway? (11/18/08) It seems with the implementation of every new technology there are winners and losers. I think the problem with the "Hot" talk format, is that it's just not that hot. Luke warm at best. The Junkies and the others are riding over roads already well worn, add to that the talent deficit and the onerous FCC rules and it's hard to emulate the past on any level. Seriously, when I want hot talk, I listen to Howard Stern, still heads and shoulders above what terrestrial radio offers. Junkies, BO&D, O'Meara....I think as the PPM indicate, very easy to turn the dial from the same old shtick. When I hear the Junkies talking about their limo travels,the latest big ticket indulgence, or joking about their lack of preparation....maybe the chickens are coming home to roost, boys. It's clear these guys are making a lot of coin for pretty weak ratings. My guess is the next contract won't be as lucrative as the last. (11/18/08) My "TOP 4" DC anchor "HOTTY" list: JC Hayward, Susan Kidd, Phyllis Armstrong and Maureen Umeh. Pure beauty. Redefined. (11/18/08) RE: Dead Zebra's 20th place finish.. again! Is it any wonder "stone hands" Snyder has bought another clunker? Maybe he can run American Bandstand re-runs instead of 8 hours of Mike and Mike and Colin "Nasal" Cowherd? Noon to 4 is a wasteland in terms of both entertainment, energy, and chemistry. Only the Sports Reporters saves the lineup, and now that it's dark at 4:45, good luck hearing the show when you are... hellooo... DRIVING home in your car. I say move Andy and Czabe to mid-days so you can at least hear them during Redskins season. As for JFK, good GRIEF! When O'Meara is re-inviting guests on his show that Big Zero and Duh have already had on theirs, you know it's time to just fold it all up. Don and Mike were always very self-indulgent in their schtick, elevating the most mundane intra-office squabbles into hour-long chucklefest that left the listener with no ability to relate. Now their "topic radar" is so skewed toward the niche, stupid, and hopelessly young (yep.. MMA and Poker = ratings losers!) There are probably two dozen good LOCAL topics EVERY DAY that entertaining, intelligent, smarmy men could really take apart that relate to the DC market. Why talk about stuff in the paper or news, that people have opinions on? Nah, just talk about why the water fountain doesn't work in the office, and what the annoying sales guy nobody knows said in a meeting. (11/18/08) I hear WASH-FM 97.1 will start playing Christmas/holiday music on Friday, a week before Thanksgiving (11/18/08) Just one small correction to the back and forth on WNST. WNST is 5000 watts daytime, just like 1300. It powers down at night to 237. The two stations do have very different broadcast patterns. (11/18/08) I totally disagree with the earlier poster about Big O and Dukes Show. I do not think they are a Junkies ripoff at all. While they do go off a little too much on video games and MMA, I find them to be very entertaining. Those two do fantastic interviews with all kinds of people and make them interesting. Just this morning when they were interviewing Alonzo Mourning (sp?) he seemed like he was not too into it but Chad asked him a question and Alonzo lit up and began really interacting with them like he was enjoying it. They don't talk about women all the time, who is hot, who they would "do"...that gets old and is why I do not enjoy the Junkies. I always tune in to O&D but they are in a tough time slot and I have to listen online, I am sure that would not get them any PPM points if I had one. (11/18/08) A very insightful observation from Paul Fahri on the PPM's: "Paul Farhi: WTEM, like WJFK, is an interesting case. I'm not sure what the problem is with men, and young men, but they appear not to be very loyal listeners of anything. And if WTEM can't make its numbers during Redskins season, then yikes!, the entire basis for Dan Snyder's radio empire needs to be reevaluated". (11/18/08) "Former DC TV news anchor Amy Robach, now with MSNBC, makes this year's Maxim list of "10 Hottest News Anchors." Not a single African American in the bunch....." Well Dave, are there any hot black female news anchors? It's not about race, it's about hotness. Unlike most things in the DC area, Maxim doesn't have a racial quota. I don't think there were any lesbians on the list either. Paulie G. (11/18/08) Dave's response: I'm pretty sure that there are at least two lesbians on the list. Obviously, the guy who picked the 10 "hottest anchors" likes white chicks who all look pretty much alike. It makes me wonder - did Roger Ailes do the picking? www.marketwatch.com... Westwood One to Stop Trading on NYSE (11/18/08) So... Harvey is whining that "all this particular site does is 'diss people.'" Well, perhaps Mr.Fischer should quit being so thin-skinned and start singing Nils Lofgren's famous anthem: www.youtube.com (11/18/08) The big losers of the 4 Baltimore sports talkers are going to be 1370, 1570 and maybe even 1300. 1300's plain ESPN syndicated format is only going to hold down 105.7 a tad bit but anyone who wants to hear non-local sports would probably tune to 1300, but that may be a super small number. 1570's signal stinks bottom line but may have had a better product than the old 1300. Why doesn't Nestor buy an FM translator or sell 1570 and buy an FM signal? 1370's best incarnation was Oldies WWLG, since WCBM is on the move way up in the ratings put the oldies on 1370 and give it a full attempt, not half-a$$ed like the last time. Get Merson & Bob Worthington to Voicetrack, and put Johnny Dark on the evenings. Feature 64-79 music & most importantly advertise it. Not one person is willing to take on the biggest void of all in the Baltimore market with the Classic Hits/Oldies format. Come on you have guys like Steve Rouse, Ken Merson, Kathy Whiteside, Johnny Dark, Big Don O Brien, etc, etc. to carry a such formatted station and yet there's not a place for it on the FM dial. Unbelieveable! Corporate radio blows! (11/18/08) Thanks, LOL, for bringing a reasonable voice to the Bmore sports discussion. I was just venting over the fact that I was personally called out over something that I don't even care about that much. 105.7, due to it's FM signal and having the Orioles, will make it. WNST, because it's a station not built on ratings but on the fervent support of a few listeners and sponsors, will also survive. I doubt 1370 ever gets traction. The local show on that station has been Jerry Coleman, hardly a guy with a following. We'll see if the Ungers help any. WJZ-AM 1300 might as well go dark. I suspect they won't even appear in the next book. Howie (11/18/08) Could someone in 'DCRTV Land' please explains to me how we can SHUT-UP/SABOTAGE/END this whole "Chris Matthews Senate Pennsylvania 2010" thing?!?! (11/18/08) Dave's response: Pray that Chris wins the Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Then he'll be too busy to be on TV two hours a day..... I'm not defending Nasty Nestor or WNST 1570, but anytime a 237 watt station beats a CBS owned 5000 watt station like AM 1300, even if just by a little, I'd consider it a huge win. Hell, I'm not even that far away from WNST and I'm supposed to be in their local coverage area and I can barely get them at night! And WJFK 1300 had plenty of local talk on during that ratings period. Obviously, WNST's gonna get their asses kicked by the new 105.7 The Fan, but it'll be interesting to see if this new Fox Sports 1370 ever even shows up in the ratings. I wouldn't be surprised if they never do. One of the 4 is certainly doomed. I wonder what the Vegas odds are! LOL (11/18/08) Sorry, Scottie, but your dog(in 25th place)don't hunt. 0.7 is pathetic. 0.5 is pathetic. And in the BALTIMORE book stations which aren't even a part of the actual market drubbed both of them (a perfectly fair statement). More listeners IN BALTIMORE listened to WTOP than to those two combined. For one quarter WNST (in 25th place)had one listener more than the very lame WJFK. They are/were BOTH horrible unlistenable stations. Disdain for the Cult of Nestor you belong to doesn't mean I like WJFK. And that extra 0.2 (and 25th place) doesn't make Nestor any less of a fraud. Ed Graham is right, there's a LOT of bad radio in DC and Baltimore. And where you got the idea I work for CBS, I have no idea. I'm a civilian (never in the business at all) who spends most of my listening time parked on 89.7. If WNST (in 25th place)ever does something good I'll be here. 0.7 (in 25th place)just isn't it. Now the REAL news in the current book is the complete and utter collapse of the 50,000 watt blowtorch-WBAL. It's time for Big and Semi-Big Boss to both walk the plank. But it'll probably be Shari and C4. Howie (11/18/08) Was Jack (Cash and) Diamond(s) really whining about a certain website? Here's what you can do to avoid being "dissed". Grab that check you get every 15th and 30th, take all the money on it, and donate it to DCRTV! Stop crying crook! And while you're at it, sell Barbara Harrison's house Mr. Real Estate agent! Isn't right up the street from one of yours? We love you Mr. Diamond, and get that JACK! $$$$ (11/18/08) Dave's response: You know, even though they're not supposed to, I do hear from a lot of local radio personalities. E-mails, phone calls, USPS letters. In fact, just last week, one even bought me lunch. If you did the same, Jack, I promise I would never tell those fascist bastards at Citadel. My lips are sealed! Don't be such a stranger, Jack..... More than just the White House is changing, but that too was a sign of bigger generational changes in America. To over simplify, nobody reads the newspapers, commercial radio is losing its mystique, broadcast TV is becoming an old medium, and the young people can no longer be controlled by those who want to censor for the sake of keeping things "the way they were." I love it. Most people over 40 hate it. In 1994, Americans read the newspaper 19 minutes a day, in 2006 they read it 15 minutes a day (Pew Research Center July, 2006). I think the drop off continues. Try to tell an advertiser that readers will find their 2" ad on page 37. PPM will actually measure what people listen to, after the methodology is tweaked a little. Broadcasters are not ready to deal with the fact that people don't listen as long (TSL) as they thought, and don't really know how to deal with it. In band on channel (IBOC) was the dumbest decision the FCC made that year. Digital radio should have replaced AM and FM like DTV. Broadcast TV is still afraid of Janet Jackson and the FCC and nobody cares. The viewers can hit a button on their remote and see more than a partially obscured nipple - - and they don't turn to stone. Around the world, people think we are uptight prudes. For some that is true, but we are changing, and radio, TV, and newspapers are way behind the curve. I have said many times, radio has to program for the 2000s. It hasn't happened yet, and the only innovation I've seen is programming sports talk on as many stations as possible. Sports talk is a format that will only work on one station in a market, and it has to be a special station, with special people who are more interesting than the sports they cover. God, some of the stations I hear in DC and Baltimore are incredibly horrible. Please try putting something on the air that people want to hear. Fight the NAB, FCC, and Focus on the Family. Grow some...Ed Graham (11/18/08) hey Dave--lots of good stuff in the 'Bag today...re: the globe and the demise of commercial radio as we knew it and loved it. But the biggest surprise to me was the post that began "..my girlfriend read on another site.." whaaaaaaa?? someone on this site has a GIRLfriend?? now that is a sign of the apocalypse! (11/18/08) Well it's official on WTFX AM 610, Clear Channel filed the FCC app fjallfoss.fcc.gov... Of interest is that CC didn't just turn in the license and darken the station. Instead, they claim they are looking for a new transmitter site. That can mean any # of things from, yes, CC is really looking for a new transmitter site to a more likely reason... they want to warehouse the frequency just because they can and the FCC routinely lets companies warehouse AM signals for no public good. If the FCC got tougher on companies warehousing AM signals and instituted a USE IT OR LOSE IT policy, maybe the AM dial could be cleaned up and sound a little better with stronger signals in big markets as Dave Hughes suggested. But instead the FCC routinely lets stations like WNWK AM 1260 in Delaware to not have a permanent transmission site for 10 yrs+! C'mon, seriously, if you can't find abandoned chicken shack land in Delaware for 10 years to put up a tower, are you really even making an effort at all? PuhLEASE! As with everything the FCC does, I just don't see the FCC doing anything and they'll allow CC to warehouse the AM 610 frequency probably indefinitely, just like the FCC has allowed HD Radio to fail and botched the DTV transition. This is what happens when you have nothing but empty suit corporate hack government lawyers running the FCC. Oh, and don't expect big change with Obama either at the FCC. It'll just be different lawyers with different special interests. Same old same old. It's no wonder the rest of the world has so much better radio and TV and cell phone technology while the U.S. languishes in 3rd world tech. I really do hope Pres. Obama makes big changes at the FCC, but I'm skeptical it'll really happen. I hope I'm proven wrong. (11/18/08) Dave's response: You know, if CC "warehouses" 610 in Winchester, they could maybe get some dough from CBS, which owns sports talker WIP in Philly, also on 610, to "unwarehouse" it so that WIP could improve its night signal. CC's suits may not be angels, but they ain't dummies..... That's OK, Howie. Now, now. Just take your medicine like a man. You were always the first one to bring up the ratings whenever AM1300 beat WNST. You have to take this one like a big boy. Comparing Wash station to Baltimore is a little unfair, isn't it? When Anita goes to 980, are you going to use her to compare against 105.7? Of course not, they're different markets. I'm just having some fun with you How'zer. It's always funny to read and hear the anti-WNST sentiment and then hear *crickets* anytime they do something good. Nothing wrong with exposing you a little. Hope you aren't part of the next series of upcoming cuts at CBS. Scott, Timonium MD (11/18/08) That's OK, Howie. Now, now. Just take your medicine like a man. You were always the first one to bring up the ratings whenever AM1300 beat WNST. You have to take this one like a big boy. Comparing Wash station to Baltimore is a little unfair, isn't it? When Anita goes to 980, are you going to use her to compare against 105.7? Of course not, they're different markets. I'm just having some fun with you How'zer. It's always funny to read and hear the anti-WNST sentiment and then hear *crickets* anytime they do something good. Nothing wrong with exposing you a little. Hope you aren't part of the next series of upcoming cuts at CBS. Scott, Timonium MD (11/18/08) I thought you would like to see the videos of our Baltimore Colts - Celebrate '58 event featuring an interview with Raymond Berry - there is some great footage of a true legend!! Click here: www.pressboxonline.com (11/18/08) jesus-h-christ...? What-The-Fuck is the deal with MSNBC = "power of change" PROPAGANDA ADS? I have not seen anything like this since 'Germany 1936' =/= 'USA 2008'...! (sometype of new leader...?) AND WHY WILL THE "MEDIA" COMPARE THIS??? ~kinky-neo-con (11/18/08) Will WJLA change the "TV" part of the sign on the top of the tower in Rosslyn to "DT" in February? Or will they still be "TV." I am a bit confused if "TV" will still be used. (11/18/08) Of COURSE Cerphe voicetracks. He spends most of his off air time cleaning his loafers. Did you know that he has close to 200 pairs and not 1 pair of socks? Paul (11/18/08) OMG! I just looked at the ratings. The 'NST groupie calling me out is bragging over a 0.7! Really? There are several DC stations with double to almost triple that rating on the Baltimore list. And I'm betting that NST beats WJZ-AM in every book from now on since 'JZ-AM is simply syndicated ESPN junk. OK, I'm done now. Howie (11/18/08) Forget the Recession and the Bailout…the fact that Jack Diamond is number 3 in Washington DC radio is a greater cause for concern! Another sign that the apocalypse is upon us. (11/18/08) Dave's response: Should Russ Parr be worried? Rickey Smiley on 93.9? Good ratings didn't help Marc Clarke..... All this talk about merging channels at XM and Sirius but I have heard nothing about changes in the traffic operations and that would seem to be a huge expense because it is so labor intensive. I know that XM had its own operation in DC that fed to other cities and that Sirius was using the Westwood One, Metro Traffic, Shadow Traffic people. It would seem to me that cutting staff in house and utilizing the outside group would be Mel's way of doing things. Does anyone know the status of all those traffic people off New York and Florida Avenues? (11/18/08) "Just wondering where Howie and all the other WNST haters are now that WNST has outranked the vaunted ESPN1300 in Baltimore? " Still here, I posted earlier today. I'm not sure why you think I'm the ringleader against the Amway of talk radio. All I've ever done is stated my opinion in response to other postings on that dreary subject, as this board was intended to allow me to do. I've never started one thread on the station ever. Suffice it to say that if I'm not listening to your little 25 watter, I don't think I have anything to add. I don't listen to 1300 much either to be honest. Way to hang on to your weekend talent, BTW. Oh, and it's nice to hear from you again, Drew. Howie (11/18/08) Anita Marks at ESPN 980? Where? The locker room? Hmmm....she'll probably fit right in! What's a good nickname Doc could give her? Oh I know! THAT'S A MAN BABY!!!! (11/18/08) Just wondering if any of the radio experts know how much I could get an hour of airtime on a station in DC (one that has more power than a light-bulb) on a weekend morning or afternoon to play with an oldies show. Thanks (11/18/08) Just wondering where Howie and all the other WNST haters are now that WNST has outranked the vaunted ESPN1300 in Baltimore? Funny how those numbers come out and show 'NST ahead of 'JFK and no one says a peep about it. Also, think those Red Zebra firings are paving the way for Ms. Marks to take a hike from 105.7 and take her act to the Nation's Capital? (11/18/08) Dave's response: My sources do tell me that Anita could end up at RZ's ESPN 980..... RE: "Taking a look at the latest radio ratings, I'm quite puzzled how Red Zebra and Bruce Gilbert can be pleased with another near 20th placing by ESPN980." Red Zebra? How about Radio One? CBS? Citadel? These companies have made the incompetent goofs at Clear Channel look like genius' in comparison. Lets break it down: "The Locker Room" on 980, awful. Everyone on "The John Thompson Show", should be arrested for poor broadcasting, and burglary. But in a way, I can't blame them. If given a license to steal (i.e., Thompson's "lifetime" contract), then give me a withdrawal slip from WATM er...WTEM! Then the disgrace that is Radio (W)one, or Radio Lost. Ms. Hughes and Mr. Liggins, I understand nepotism. However I do not understand blatant incompetence. You bought too many stations too soon, you overpay your 15 different VP's of Sales and Programing, you've driven the stock price underneath the sewage, and you've killed the morale of a great number of people who (until working for you), love the business. Nice job! For our friends at the "eye", good thing it's not an ear, because no one knows what you guys are listening to! WPGC, a once powerhouse radio station (10 share 12+!), now according to the PPM's, 13th place. Donnie's been mailing it in for years, and why not? He's got his $15 million! The rest of the day is Michel Wright and her endless references to "fam-lee", Tigger's afternoon soapbox drivel, FLEXXX AND RAINE SCREAMING AT YOU EVERY NIGHT, and I have no idea who does "Love Talk and Slow Jams", (isn't this 2008, not 1978?) Over on WJFK, The Junkies don't realize that they have a small, but very dedicated base of listeners and callers. But most people in their target cume, don't care about poker, Sac-town Mike, EB's rants, JP's complete lack of a personality, BDK's "movie reviews", and Lurch's lack of libido! Furthermore, Big O and Dukes need to stop being a Junkie's spinoff. What's the difference in their shows, two less guys? Shared guests, shared ideas, with a little bit of gaming crap. The minute they talk that, I get an electrcity surge in my house, from people turning off JFK. As far as Citadel, four words for you: Scott Shannon's science project. One more word: Imus. Enough said. You disaster of radio companies make Clear Channel look intelligent. I however know this to NOT be true, having been employed by them. It is tragic what corporations, empty sales suits, and talentless hacks have done to this business. Hopefully as the PPM's advance, there will be no other options except to start all over. Radio is one business that can't go "green". NO MORE RECYCLING! New people, good people, fresh ideas, and the mastering of digital technology. Who gives a shit about HD radio, when it's the same crap on the main station? What's so special about that? This business is not dead. It just needs time, not to re-invent itself, but to be re-invented! (11/18/08) I'm curious. I check your page daily and sometimes see individual posts I'd like to either link to (I've a small blog and circle of friends in metro dc who read it) or email to friends, but you choose not to set up each item with a permalink. How come? As I said, just curious (and selfish). Thanks for your site. (11/18/08) Dave's response: I like people to visit the whole Front Page - and view the ads of the fine firms who support DCRTV - and not just visit/link to individual news items. Call me old-fashioned. Call me insane. So there..... (Hey, didn't I long ago call for 105.7 to go sports talk with the WJZ calls?) We won’t hold that against you Dave. It’s a shame you also didn’t tell them how to produce it. What a god-awful mess! (11/18/08) Dave's response; And didn't I say that two fat queens should host middays on JFK! Loved that pompous surfer dude's hang-up today on BO&D. Damn good show, despite what those fucking PPMs indicate..... Let's see here... WSMJ dumps its format and dies in the ratings. WJZW dumps its format and dies as well. WASH is now the #1 at-work station in DC. I wonder... What could this say that people are looking for on the radio? Could it be they want more "cock rock for 12 year olds" and sports talk on every other signal? Or could it be they want something else...? Seriously, the first person to wake up and add a good "smooth" format is going to clean up. If they're brave enough to take it a step further and do a good all-instrumental format (and there are plenty of current instrumentals), they'll be lauded as a radio genius. How long will we have to wait and watch the ratings fall through the floor before someone realizes that if people are not coming back to your station it's time (and not really risky at all) to do something different? ~~CA in BC (11/18/08) Dave's response: I betcha that some of us here in the Mailbag could better program area radio stations than some of these highly-paid corporate suits? Whaddya think? Hey, didn't I long ago call for 105.7 to go sports talk with the WJZ calls? And didn't I call for Albie Dee to be moved to mornings on 94.7? And didn't I say that 104.3 doing alt rock wouldn't work? Hmmm..... neilsen getting into radio is great and they will use diaries they ran arbitron out of the tv ratings and tv market rankings business (1980's) years ago maybe they will do the same with radio. More companies unhappy with the ppms will switch too neilsen look out for it. (11/18/08) Dave's response: Davetron Radio Ratings - Where Your Station's Always First In Some Obscure Demo (TM)! Is it me or does anyone else think that Cerphe is voicetracking? (11/18/08) I understand Greg in Reisterstown's concern even if the Anon poster doesn't. Greg has DISH. DISH's owner Charlie Ergen is really slow to add services, especially sports. DISH is not giving subscribers any indication that it will ever pick up MASN HD. Greg wants to find out if other services in his area will carry MASN HD so he can switch and watch the Orioles and Nats in HD this year. It isn't that hard to figure out. Howie (11/18/08) Re: SM and Severance. I think the DC law on non-competes in broadcasting restricts what may be in a personal services contract -- they can’t have a post-employment non-compete as a condition of employment. However, the law does not prohibit a non-compete in exchange for severance pay. Since XM was non-union, they had no collectively bargained right to severance pay. Carlos in Reston (11/18/08) Dave's response: You mixed up "XM" and "SM." I wonder what Dr. Freud would say about that? Hmmm..... Taking a look at the latest radio ratings, I'm quite puzzled how Red Zebra and Bruce Gilbert can be pleased with another near 20th placing by ESPN980. Obviously, something's wrong but what's even more amazing is very little has changed in the past five years...excluding the fact Dan Snyder bought the Clear Channel cluster of stations and now owns 980. Same high-priced administration, same boring and phony, politically correct{Koken} talent and same ratings finish. What Snyer should have done was purchased one of the Baltimore area sportstalk stations and combined programming to give him a Redskins presence in Charm City. It would be pretty cool to have Pollin and Czaban in Baltimore, given the fact they know more about the city's sports teams than the existing talent at both sportstalk stations. (11/18/08) Dave's response: What's even stranger is how CBS's Michael Hughes can praise the new PPMs for showing rises in the Globe's male demographics, and, at the same time, dismiss the PPMs for showing a fall in JFK's male demographics. Whatever..... ...because I'm thinking of switching to FIOS now that my contract with Dish Network is up and the only thing keeping me from going over to FIOS is whether or not they will carry MASN HD if it's any of your business. Greg in Reisterstown. (11/18/08) If anyone thinks that getting rid of the PD at the Globe will change things, they better think again. The ex PD was just programming the way Michael Hughes wanted him to program, and Hughes was just following programming orders from Dan Mason. Such is life in radio in 2008. Unless companies like CBS, Clear Channel and Citadel wake up, and realize that the problems lie in the corporate offices, not the with managers at the station level, they will never get better. The corporate VP's at those companies won't take any chances, and risk losing their high paying jobs. All of the pressure is at the station level and those managers don't get to make any decisions regarding how they structure their programming, sales, or marketing efforts. This is the recipe for failure. Public radio companies desperately wanted to build a commodity. Congratulations, they have succeeded. (11/18/08) "HD Radio" is bogus; it should not be taken to mean high-definition, according to the company's own website. Says: The ‘HD’ in ‘HD Radio’ is part of iBiquity Digital’s brand name for its digital AM and FM radio technology. It does not mean either hybrid digital or high definition, it is simply the branding language for this new technology. (11/18/08) Doug Hill sat out before the DC law was on the books. I bet most of not all of the employees of XM are covered by the current legislation banning non-competes. (11/18/08) Regarding "Sirius XM Asks Laid-Off Workers To Sign Non-Competes" - I don't know if this is going on or not.....but I know for certain that non-competes are illegal in the District of Columbia. So even if someone signs one, he or she is free to work anywhere. I testified before the DC City Council as part of AFTRA's successful effort to kill non-compete clauses in broadcast contracts in DC. (11/18/08) Dave's response: The problem is that it's still a gray area legally. And the recently-discharged radio/TV personality might have to spend many thousands in legal fees and a protracted court battle with big media corporations with sharkish lawyers to eventually find out that his/her non-compete isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Might just be easier and cheaper to just sit it out. Doug Hill had to sit out six months of a non-compete when he left DC-based WUSA for WJLA several years ago..... On the WMAL tower site and the info on the SDAT site...if you look down the page, it was the result of the sale and the price assigned to the property. It wasn't a reassessment. There's also an error on there; I think it says 74.8 acres and from the air it looks more like 7.8 or so. Even so, I expect that it would bring close to twice the assessed value if it was subdivided for development based on what's around it. I don't know what to tell you on the ownership data, but the state is notoriously slow in updating things so it may or may not mean anything. About the only way to be sure is to go to the land records office in Monkey County and look it up. On the 610 AM site in Winchester, the air photos on Google are old. It is just west of 37 on 50, and everything between the tower site and the 37 interchange has been developed in the last few years. There is a new shopping center just east of there on 50 with a Wal-Mart and some other things. That area has really taken off. (11/18/08) Well, at least they got rid of Lorrin Paligi. What's next for the clusterf*ck that is 94.7? (11/18/08) Dave's response: The Big Talker 94.7? I still think CBS could have had a winner with the alt-ish rock Globe if it hadn't made so many missteps since its launch in early 2007. And I still think that a heritage WHFS-branded progressive/adult rocker would work in the DC market - back on 99.1. And I think CBS still thinks so, or why would they be "parking" the legendary calls on 1580? I was down in southwestern Virginia last week and I noticed that Roanoke’s WDBJ has joined WSLS in broadcasting local news in HD. How the hell does Roanoke have two stations with HD newscasts when DC only has one? Also, I saw that longtime WSLS anchor John Carlin is leaving to take another position outside of TV. That station has gone downhill, as I also noticed the weekend news anchor on the Sunday newscast also did the sports (and it was pretty bad). If they cut the position of weekend sportscaster in NASCAR/Hokie country, that’s some pretty serious budget cutting. Maybe they, much like WUSA, spent so much money on a fancy HD set and graphics that they can’t afford real talent anymore. Speaking of talent, KUSA in Denver (owned by WUSA’s parent company Gannett) has an airborne traffic reporter named Amelia Earhart. I thought that it was a hoax at first, but I’m not making this up: www.9news.com. Judging by her photo, I wouldn’t mind if Gannett decided to transfer her to DC to replace Angie Goff (well, I can always dream, right?). (11/18/08) Dave's response: Well, we heard lotsa rumblings that Channel 5/WTTG was getting ready to pull the local news HD switch last spring. And it never happened. I guess station owner Rupert Murdoch decided to funnel the funds instead to the GOP..... You have to be kidding me about Chip Franklin. If he's finding success at KOGO, it's just because that market has grown tired of the same old, same old. I tried listening to his show on line once, and it was a re-hash of what he did at WBAL. "Arrested Intelligence" and "The Week Gone By" are nothing more than what he did in Baltimore, and I even think some of the bits were the same ones he used on the air in Baltimore. His guest line-up is exactly the same as Baltimore, including the never funny Wes Johnson. How does Johnson get gigs? One more Sean Connery impression and I'll puke. Not funny on WBAL with Chip, not funny on KOGO and still not funny with Elliker on WBAL. The folks in San Diego either aren't as smart as the folks in Baltimore, or they just haven't caught on yet. Chip Franklin made O'Malley look smart, and how many people can do that? (11/18/08) /\ November 18 Messages /\ \/ November 17 Messages \/ My girlfriend read on another site tonight something quite interesting about Winchester's WHPL AM 610. It seems WHPL was the first station in America to announce the death of country music legend..Patsy Cline. Thats kinda ironic since WINC was the first station in America to feature the voice of Patsy while WEPM actually had her on their airstaff at one time ( Bill Peer & Patsy Cline with the WEPM Melody Boys ) and it was WHPL who announced her death first. I also seem to recall hearing years back that WHPL was the first station in America to launch a "weatherphone" as in dial a number to hear the local weather. And WHPL I beieve was one of the first stations in the US ( maybe the first ) to play Debbie Boone's 1977 hit "You Light Up My Life", OK that is not exactly something to brag about but still.... Sadly and not really a surprise I didn't see anything on the Winchester Star website about AM 610 going dark. Not really a surprise there since the Star when it comes to radio it was always about WINC. Maybe they still hold a grudge against the Clear Channel stations stemming from those Benchmark Communications days. I still remember those anti-Benchmark letters that appeared in the Star back in the 90s . I have a hunch they wouldn't have been published had they been about WINC. Oddly nothing on TV3 Winchester's site either and they are tied in with Q102. One would think AM 610 going dark would be mentioned on there.But it wasn't. (11/17/08) If this continues, you will not be seeing much more of The Junkies. In the 18-34 demo they are now ranked 10th place and in the 25-54 demo they are tied for 17th place. Ouch! Can you even name 17 other morning shows? CBS is losing so much money that they will not continue to spend over a million dollars for that. There is some good news for the Junkies though, compared to Big O And Dukes, they have big ratings. (11/17/08) "Salem makes the huge raft of money that they make precisely because they have the signal they have." 106.7 is a very potent signal in monoaural, which these religious broadcasters broadcast in. 106.5's splatter starts to interfere towards Laurel and Bowie, so that's where the 1580 signal comes in for any religious broadcaster who'd be skiddish by the move. WAVA doesn't appear in the Baltimore book at all, so any signal loss in Anne Arundel and Howard counties would be moot. In short, these religious broadcasters would pay for access to the 106.7 signal as much as they do for the 105.1 signal. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to make the offer; Salem would have more use for 1580's signal than CBS after 99.1 goes talk, and let's face it, in the face of the PPM, El Zol will make less money than a talk format on 99.1. In fact, El Zol bills so disproportionately to the DC area, it would make more sense to put a "remnant" format (like Smooth Jazz 105.9 HD2) on 95.5 HD2 than 99.1 HD2, so reception would be easier in heavily Latino areas of suburban VA. Sincerely, Mike in Kensington (11/17/08) Greg In Reisterstown: Why are you so worried about whether or not FIOS will have MASN in HD or not? You've posted several times that you have satellite. Why are you so concerned about the other services and this one specific channel? (11/17/08) I just "flew over" the tower site for 610 AM in Winchester (courtesy of maps.live.com). Except for what appears to be an adjacent tree farm or orchard, I dont see much of anything out there. Tearing out an AM transmission site is a pretty selective bit of demolition, given how wide open things are out there on Rt 50. (11/17/08) To the poster regarding WCAO-FM...102.7 was WCAO-FM with a classical music format. It later became WXYV with Tim Watts and an urban format and an AC format after that before becoming WQSR (when CBS moved its frequency from 105.7) and of course it is now Jack FM. (11/17/08) I'm just wondering how much longer WBAL is going to wait before making some moves, what with their ratings slipping quickly and WCBM overtaking them. With a large overhead and 98 Rock slipping also, is it time to move BAL to FM? Ad dollars are shrinking and their programming is just fair. Guess it all depends on how patient Hearst is gonna be! (11/17/08) To Vincent in Triange, re: SportsTalk 610/1550 - it's Clear Channel; it's not supposed to make sense. (11/17/08) Wow, thanks for the detailed response on WNVC & the goalpost tower, Dave. It's appreciated. Is the tower also used by VDOT for their communications as well? Because the tower itself is in the gated-off area next to the studios and from the birds-eye view there's salt containers & utility trucks in the area. (11/17/08) Dave's response: As with any tall tower, there are probably many non-broadcast clients leasing space on it..... Something has to be wrong for urban stations to rank lower in DC PPM? Not necessarily: 1. That's not just DC but the suburbs as well, and DC is barely 10-15% of the metro area. 2. Never forget that, til now, we've had GUESTIMATES of who is listening when to what. Now, we KNOW. Ask any program director who's ever seen the sausage factory that is Arbitron what gets counted/not counted in the raw diaries. 3. Arbitron exists to the extent that it's credible. To cook the book is just the long way of committing corporate suicide. 4. Does anybody really think Arbitron has made PPM meters which deliberately leave out certain dialects, music, or foreign languages? 5. NY AG Andy Cuomo and a few others are just sucking up to special interest groups. I'll believe his is a serious complaint when he starts defending the ratings of, say, country music, whose constituents are much less likely to vote for him. Face it: A lot of folks have been lying on diaries, usually because they just don't pay attention to what they're really hearing. The truth hurts. (11/17/08) What happens when UVa plays Maryland in basketball? Who gets to be on which signal? Maybe the Maryland broadcast could go to 94.7 which can actually be heard in and around College Park unlike 106.7. Fear The Turtle... even if you can't Hear The Turtle. Tom In MoCo (11/17/08) To Pam Bell: WHPL was my first job in the radio business back in 1980. The pic of the logo on this page brought a big grin to my mug this afternoon! Your father hired me right out of broadcasting school and let me try pretty much anything I cared to attempt while at the station...and that included doing basketball play-by-play at the Christian Academy right around the corner. By the way...I need to confess. I told your father I had done PBP in the past to convince him to let me do it at 'HPL. That may not have actually been the case...but I REALLY thought I was a sports radio star in waiting...and I was dying to take a shot! I remember you...and appreciated how kind you always were to everyone. Winchester is a beautiful spot...and it was good being there. For me...it was the start of career that just marked 29 years. For that...I will always be grateful! R.I.P. WHPL... Eric in Arlington (11/17/08) Dave's response: DCRTV's primary mission - bringing people together..... So let me get this straight: Winchester's sports talk on 610 AM -- whose programming includes Frederick County (Va.) high school and University of Virginia events -- is moving to 1550 AM in Charles Town, W.Va., a station whose nighttime signal apparently can't even reach the Virginia state line. And Clear Channel is expecting listeners who can't pick up the action on their radios to tune in the programming online...or that people around Charles Town will follow Handley, James Wood and U.Va. instead of Jefferson County, Musselman and WVU. What doesn't make sense here? Everything! -- Vincent in Triangle (11/17/08) Other than WJFK-FM & WJZW-FM, does anyone else know who else uses the "Goalpost" tower in Merrifield? (11/17/08) Dave's response: The tower is owned by WNVC-TV, whose studios are at the base. WNVC is off the air and is due to re-emerge digitally on channel 24 (after Baltimore's analog WUTB signs off of 24) in early 2009. WNVC also operates the MHz Networks international channel relays on DC area cable TV systems and WNVT-TV, which broadcasts some of the MHz signals digitally on channel 30 from Independent Hill in Prince William County..... WCHH Channel 104.3, yeah, that rings a bell... NOT! I realize WKTK and WBSB are taken, but isn't that like the lamest branding you've heard since WJFK Baltimore? Maybe they should have tried, hmmmm, WLPL maybe for a Baltimore rock station ??? Wasn't that like Baltimore's FIRST rock station before 98Rock in the 70's? The whole Channel 104.3 branding is just plain dumb from the start, not to mention they're moving the transmitter to TV Hill and closer to sister rock station DC 101. I do like the music and do listen often, but even I think it will fail. I can listen to Elliot most places around Baltimore whenever I want since DC101 has such a great signal compared to practically every other DC radio station towards Baltimore. Cloning HOT 99.5 would have been a better idea since there is only urban competition to that format in Baltimore and DC's 99.5 doesn't come in well up here. Or even Gospel since that format pulls such great numbers on WCAO. It could be WCAO-FM! (I think there was once a WCAO-FM actually, hmmm, I'm too young to remember though if there was, hehe.) But then again, AM 600 would probably end up another Baltimore sports talk station! DOH! HAha! :-) (11/17/08) To my eyes, the most interesting piece of data about WMAL’s transmitter parcel can be found if you click on the link leading to the Maryland Real Property website. At the time of the last property assessment by the state, the value jumped from a base of roughly $11 million to the current figure of roughly $45 million. WOW! As a homeowner whose own property assessment jumped 300% on the last go-around, I can empathize with Disney and their 400% increase. That's got to be a shock to their pocketbook unless they are well sheltered from paying taxes. (And I wonder if their taxes would be worse if the transmitter weren't zoned "residential"?). (11/17/08) First, Weasel needs to get back to a station playing some interesting music. "Weasel playing the CLLAASSICC ROCKK!!" just doesn't cut it. Second, I'm not one who knows if Fox Sports 1370 can make it or not. I do know that the problem that station has is that sports fans know that all those other stations exist and have no idea that there even is a 1370 AM in Baltimore. 1370 is starting from a huge deficit. This city just isn't big enough for all these sports stations. Howie (11/17/08) To Mike in Kensington: your "benefits" to Salem are not really benefits. Salem makes the huge raft of money that they make precisely because they have the signal they have. They make over 90% of their money from the ministries that pay premiums to be on that station. They don't care about ratings. Never have, never will. They don't even subscribe to the book. The few spots they sell are icing on their ministry cake. (11/17/08) The Weekly Poll on WTGB’s website is “Are you happy with our new President?” Ahem, we don’t have a “new President” and will not have one until January, 2009. We have a “current President” that has been in office almost eight years. That is not “new.” They wonder why commercial radio does so poorly in marketing themselves. Today we have Dianne Rehm on WAMU doing a very good show on the possible automaker bailout with two economists, and at the same time on commercial WMAL we have Chris Plante ranting at the Democrats for how harshly they treated misunderstood Joe Lieberman. Then we have Hannity’s obsession with William Ayers, an obsession, by the way, that no one else has. Does anyone think Ayers will involve himself or anyone around him in nefarious activities moving forward? Now, we have 94.7 thinking Obama is our “new President.” What’s next, Mark Levin having on air conversations comparing Obama to Hitler and then denying it? Oh, yes, he already denied he ever compared Obama to Hitler. Well Mark, here is the transcript. If you and Silwa weren’t talking about Hitler, who were you referring too "in 1938?" LEVIN: Let me ask you something. By the way, my buddy Curtis Sliwa on WABC in the mornings and also being syndicated throughout the country. Curtis Sliwa, you know, since Barack Obama made a comparison, I will make less of a vicious comparison, but -- I'm getting feedback in my ears, boys -- but, he's really into these big German-like events that he creates in this country, isn't he? SLIWA: Oh -- LEVIN: Have you noticed that? SLIWA: I am telling you -- and he comes out and it's almost as if the crowd stands in unison, and I'm saying to myself, "Oh my God, the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, 1938." LEVIN: Yeah, we've seen this. SLIWA: Yes. LEVIN: It's scary. SLIWA: And the only thing missing is he's not standing up in an open car. He's basically trotting out, you know, on the tarmac that leads right to the main stage. But he -- he's loving every second of it. He wants love from the audience. And they give it to him. LEVIN: Well, he's trying to create the impression that he's bigger than life, that he is the messiah, that he's already our leader, and that this election is just sort of an administrative step to the inevitable. (11/17/08) Dave's response: The pot calling the kettle black? Regarding the business address of the owner of WMAL’s transmitter site, 500 S. BUENA VISTA STREET, BURBANK CA 91521-0001 is the address of the ABC/Disney Studios. Didn’t ABC retain 49% ownership of the radio stations they sold? (11/17/08) It's good to see that Tom Conroy and Dave are thinking about what should happen with the AM band. I hope that the new FCC commissioner has some thoughts. It's obvious that the owners don't have a clue. AM is melting faster than the North Pole. The only thing funnier is Sports Talk on 5 or 6 stations in a market. Sorry, I'm still depressed about the Raven's game. When my despair subsides, I'll try to contribute to the AM discussion. Ed Graham (11/17/08) Dave's response: Each major American market should have four 50,000-watt omni-directional fulltime AMers. Really big markets like NYC and LA could have a few more. And that's it. DC's four would be 570, 630, 980, and 1500. Baltimore's four would be 600, 680, 1090, and 1300. Nothing else on AM..... Are you sure it wasn't Weasel IN the box? I've seen Weasel and the term ''muscle tone'' doesn't come to mind. Paul (11/17/08) It appears to me that Disney (500 S BUENA VISTA STREET, BURBANK CA 91521-0001), not Citadel owns the Greentree Road property where the WMAL array resides. If that's the case, Farid doesn't have any say on the disposition of the land other than to hope that Disney doesn't sell the land out from under WMAL. It is also likely that Citadel has a lengthy lease on that property. (11/17/08) CBS Radio Top Tip: In the spirit of Oprah's cashless transaction (details at www.usatoday.com for those that don't know), here's a moneysaving tip: Sell 106.7 and 1580, and all their transmitting equipment (including HD Radio-related studio equipment), to Salem, in exchange for 105.1 and its transmitting equipment. This would hopefully be a cashless transaction. Benefits to Salem: 1. Those two signals will be powerful enough to bring in their current (and loyal) ~1 share without issues. 2. WAVA's ratings might go up, because 106.7 provides a better signal to the heavily-populated, relatively wealthy, and Christian western suburbs of town than even 105.1. 3. Salem could choose to put separate programming on 1580, or sell 1580, if they feel that 106.7 would be enough to bring in 105.1's current audience. 4. Salem would get all of 106.7's HD Radio equipment (which Salem doesn't have on 105.1), providing them multicasting opportunities. Three benefits for CBS: 1. A generally more potent FM signal. 2. The ability to consolidate the Fairfax studios to Silver Spring and/or Lanham, since Arlington is within the 25-mile radius of those two studios, and Manassas is not. That will save CBS a lot of money. (In fact, if Salem won't take the deal at first, perhaps the Fairfax studio space could be thrown in to sweeten the deal?) 3. 105.1 would generally get a much better sale price than 106.7, something Salem won't particularly care about, considering their religious-based mission. In any case, since the PPM debacle won't help El Zol, if this deal goes through, 1580's talk (and the WHFS callsign) would preferably go onto 99.1. Sincerely, Mike in Kensington (11/17/08) RE: [ " Dave's response: With its current gospel format, WCAO is probably pretty satisfied to blanket Baltimore city. Why spend bucks to cover Westminster at night? " ]....... I was thinking more along the lines of PG county & DC proper where WCAO's signal is not so great, not Westminster and I don't think it would involve much bucks either. CC is already losing some revenue from turning the iights off at AM 610. Tweaking the WCAO signal a little more towards DC could possibly generate just enough revenue to offset the loss of AM 610 revenue. With all these rumors of Baltimore FMs moving closer to DC and WAGE stealing away a Baltimore area AM signal, nothing would surprise me anymore. The ad money is just so much more in DC. The Baltimore ad market is tight and constrained more than most markets by geography and always has been. With the bad ecomomy looming, I think a lot of Baltimore TV/radio stations are going to be looking as far and wide as possible, sorta the way WMAL just flipped the switch on the transmitter and BINGO, 10kw, new territory, new advertisers. I'm simplifying of course. Obviously there was lots of engineering work & studies done on WMAL that cost money, but essentially, no new transmitter or towers were built making it extremely cost effective and increasing the value of the station. I'm not an engineer nor do I play one on TV, and as always, please no wagering, but it doesn't seem like a stretch to me for WCAO to tweak it's signal to 10kw and more towards DC in a similar WMAL manner, thus increasing the value of the station, even if its just for re-sale. Who knows? The shut-down of a CC owned station in the fringes of the DC market, for whatever reason, just seems very curious to me. (11/17/08) "There is a major problem with the system when an urban station doesn't show up in the Top 5 in DC. " No, there's not, Steve. The problem was the diary system that simply measured what people remembered or recalled listening to, and estimating how much time they THOUGHT they listened to a station. PPM measures actual radio listening and it is clear now that the urbans in DC were not getting near as many hours of listening as the diaries mis-represented. Besides, in the important 25-54 Sales numbers when you take out the non-commercial stations that are really an apples to oranges comparison, WHUR ranked 5th, WPGC ranked 8th, WMMJ 9th. 3 urbans in the top 10 and 1 in the top 5. (11/17/08) Steve in Iowa - Selling "like we used to" - where was that, Steve? KCJJ? DC is a major market, and without those numbers from Arbitron no agency will even talk to you. Do you really think that an AE from WPGC is going to walk into Lexus of Waldorf and do a cold call? C'mon! Dream on, pal. (11/17/08) I don't think the PPM is the death of hot male talk. It is the death of the Junkies and Big O & Dukes who have niche interests. A small amount of the population is interested in poker, an even smaller amount of listeners care abour MMA. Throw in video games and too many movie reviews and your shows are stale and exclude most male listeners. Unfortunately for O'Meara, being the old man ofthe group, he has fallen into the trap set by the Junks and O & Dukes that the male demo he is seeking is interested in poker, MMA and Guitar Hero. Mike, go back to the stuff you were doing prior to the arrival of these radio hacks. (11/17/08) This is Pam Bell. It’s good to hear there are still folks around who remember WHPL 610 AM. The question was asked what I think of the station going dark. I am very sad. It’s like losing a part of my life, especially when the towers are taken down. I grew up at the station and have many fond memories of small town broadcasting. From news accounts, I figured the retirement center was going on or near the station property. I hope the development has lots of money for excavation because the property is full of limestone outcroppings and 500 miles of cable that connected the four towers. My dad, Johnny Bell, built and managed WHPL and WEFG-FM. My mom was office manager, my brother Mike was morning man and my claim to fame was being Pam the Pixie, reading children’s letters to Santa during the Christmas season. My parents are both deceased and Mike is in Miami Beach. After Shenval Broadcasting was sold in 1982, my parents retired and I went to work for the Northern Virginia Daily newspaper in Strasburg and have been there 25 years. I run into former jocks who worked for us from time to time ... Jim McCoy, Keith Lupton, John Shreiner, Phil Roby,...and there’s been talk of a reunion. Maybe we should do it now. (11/17/08) Awaiting a professional's analysis, here's the skinny on the WMAL Transmitter property; courtesy of public records at: sdatcert3.resiusa.org: Owner Name: DC RADIO ASSETS LLC ... Use: RESIDENTIAL ... Principal Residence: NO ... Mailing Address: 500 S BUENA VISTA STREET, BURBANK CA 91521-0001 ... Deed Reference: 1) /34166/ 342 ... Premises Address: 7115 GREENTREE RD, BETHESDA 20817 ... Legal Description: PARCEL A WMAL PROPERTY ... Primary Structure Built: 1941 ... Enclosed Area: 2,739 SF ... Property Land Area: 74.83 AC ... Stories: 1 ... Basement: YES ... Type: STANDARD UNIT ... Exterior: BRICK .. Value As Of 01/01/2007: $45,332,720 ... (Land: $44,898,000 ... Improvements: $434,720) ... Transfer Information: Seller: WMAL INC ... Date: 04/18/2007 ... Price: $0 ... Type: NOT ARMS-LENGTH (11/17/08) Dave's response: So, MAL bills about $15M a year (before all of its expenses). And its transmitter site is worth $45M? Do the math, Farid..... There is a major problem with the system when an urban station doesn't show up in the Top 5 in DC. The radio industry is being led around by MORONS. Those proposing PPM and those that will blindly follow it. Instead of cutting your staff, why not invest the money you spend on Arbitron in your sales and air product? Which are the real numbers....the old diary method or this one? Arbitron needs some competition and stations need to send out real bodies into businesses to sell based on trust and results...like we used to. Steve in Iowa (11/17/08) Since Clear Channel's Channel 104.3, has now "crashed to a disappointing 19th" how long before CC pulls the plug? Any salvaging at this point? (11/17/08) Dave's response: All CC has to do is plug the 104.3 transmitter into Hot 99.5's audio feed. Problem solved - and cheap, too..... Could the loss of Winchester's AM 610 allow CC to expand Baltimore's WCAO 600 signal further into the DC market? Right now, WCAO is severely constrained with several nulls towards DC. Obviously there is no wiggle room to the northeast with Philly's powerful WIP 610, but WCAO already has a pretty darn good signal over all of Baltimore and even up into south central PA, but certainly not towards DC where obviously there is more money to be had. Hmmmmm, I wonder. (11/17/08) Dave's response: With its current gospel format, WCAO is probably pretty satisfied to blanket Baltimore city. Why spend bucks to cover Westminster at night? The Radio and TV Museum is looking for Docents. Currently, we have openings for individuals looking to volunteer at least one Friday, Saturday or Sunday per month. No real technical knowledge required only a love of radio and Television. The Museum will train applicants and hours are flexible. For more information contact the Museum at 301-390-1020 and leave a message. You may also contact Ms. Pam Williams of the City of Bowie Museums on 301-809-3089 to learn more. The Museum is located at 2608 Mitchellville Road in Bowie Maryland. The hours are Friday 10am to 5pm and Weekends 1 to 5 pm. (11/17/08) I'm sure there's some rational explanation for this, but maybe not... Over the last week or so, nearly all of WBAL-TV 11's locally-originating commercials, as well as many of their newsbreaks, news promos, and morning updates are being broadcast with a very unusual picture ratio. Stretched into a sort of wide-screen format, but not shown in a wide-screen presentation. So that sentences across the screen can't be read completely, and people appear to be a foot wider than normal. My TV is not a wide-screen set, and my signal comes over Dish Network. And no, WJZ and WMAR are not having this happen, and WBAL's feed from NBC looks normal when they go back to it. Why would 11 be doing this, and how could they not know that it's making the local programming so unwatchable? (11/17/08) I just looked on 94.7' The Globe's website and Weasel is no longer listed. Could be the change that Dave hinted at last week? hmmmmmmmmmmmm (11/17/08) Re-Dave's 11/17 Rant: Reading some of the Mailbag posts about the decision to silence WTFX/Winchester due to the loss of its tower site, it appears that CC does not OWN the land, rather, it leases the site and, therefore, it wasn't CC's decision to sell the property. Could the same thing be true for WMAL? Did the sale of the ABC/Disney-owned stations to Citadel also include the real estate or was the transfer limited to the licenses and intellectual property (formats) while ABC/Disney still holds the deed to the Greentree Road land? Also, don't forget that when the Rales brothers bought WTEM, then on 570, they moved the transmitter site to Germantown from Potomac-Cabin John in the 1990s, and put a residential development on the old site. The 570 signal has never been the same. (11/17/08) "Here's one to chew-on...if the Baltimore people were smart, they would simulcast WTEM's "The Sports Reporters" and have Andy and Steve make their show into a combo Washington-Baltimore effort while making a few extra dollars." That'll never happen - on more than one occasion, Pollin and Czaban have made it clear that they're not interested in talking about the Baltimore teams. Even in the years prior to DC getting baseball, they rarely if ever discussed the Orioles to any depth. Besides, I doubt any station in Charm City would give serious consideration to simulcasting a show produced by Dan Snyder's radio property. As far as Chuck Booms is concerned, I think Fox Sports Radio picked up the afternoon drive program he hosted with Kevin Kiley after WTEM cancelled it some years ago - but he's definitely no longer on FSR's staff (Kiley's now co-hosting a show with Cowboys legend Michael Irvin on a sports talk station in Dallas). Over on the TV side, the early minutes of Channel 4's newscast following last night's Redskins loss to Dallas really seemed discombobulated. An unintentionally funny moment occurred when the anchor threw it to Darcy Spencer outside FedEx Field and she referred to the 'somber mood' of people leaving the stadium - while the fans right near her were whooping, hollering and mugging for the camera. Why TV stations feel obligated to do these fan reaction pieces after every significant local sporting event is beyond me, because they serve no informational purpose whatsoever. Mike, Fairfax (11/17/08) Re: WTFX 610. It is interesting to speculate about who could benefit from removal of the 610 Winchester signal. But remember, Clear Channel will exploit this for their own economic or competitive benefit. If any benefit to other stations is possible, expect one or more upgrade applications filed contingent with surrender of the WTFX license. The applications will be for Clear Channel stations, or stations that have paid Clear Channel. (11/17/08) It is doubly sad to see Winchester’s 610 go dark because in its 47-year history it was always an undeveloped gem. During AM’s heyday it was the Winchester region’s best signal but was never well programmed. In more recent years it still held great potential but never received the required investment from a company that viewed the possible ROI as too small to screw with. One shouldn’t be terribly surprised to see this as the first of many Clear Channel AM kills where the value of the land far exceeds the value of the station. (11/17/08) The shut down of AM 610 in Winchester has been a long time in coming. I worked for AM 610/Q102 back in the 90's, and I remember the PD telling me that the AM 610 towers were on leased land, and that the landowner's long term plan was to wait until Winchester expanded westward out towards the tower site, then to build a shopping center on the land. The PD's assumption back then was that once the landowner chose not to renew the lease, AM 610 would go dark, because it wouldn't make financial sense to rebuild the station at another location. Unfortunately, the future has arrived. (11/17/08) Your 2008 DUMBEST POST OF THE YEAR !: "So---looks like the new FOX Sports 1370 is really making a splash...and did not EVEN show up in the 12+ numbers. Anyone know how they did in their demo....WOW--way to go Petit--take a 50,000 watt signal and drop it right of the map!" MORON, FOX 1370 SPORTS has been on the air for what ? 10 weeks!, LOL? -- name one other station on for 10 weeks that shows in the ratings with a NEW FORMAT !!!?? WHEN YOU LEARN HOW RADIO WORKS THEN POST something intelligent , GEEEZ! And based on their "competition" I think Fox 1370 is going to Kick ass! ...Czabe, Rome (just a TAD better than the junk CBS, and nasty put on-that is, when you can get their weak ass signal) and Coleman delivers with great interviews ( while Anita makes faces, at her co-host :) . Give 1370 another book , then judge! (11/17/08) speaks to your Rant this morning www.businessweek.com (11/17/08) So Cheap Channel takes a long-established AM signal dark and puts the Winchester-oriented (allegedly) programming on a blowtorch 15 miles away pumping out 6 watts at night. 6 WATTS? CC could hire someone to yell out the window and it would reach more people! And they wonder why over-the-air radio is losing audience - - - - - Larry in Luray (11/17/08) The AM band has always been magical to me, with its ability to travel great distances. Also magical is the occasional low-budget station still trying to produce its own programming. But I must agree that the current state of the AM band makes it nearly unusable. It's a shame to read about 610 going dark, but 610 is irrelevant to my life because I live in the digital splatter from WCAO--it wouldn't matter how good a radio I got, the digital mess allows WCAO to fully occupy 590, 600, and 610 as well as make life difficult for 580 and 620. Digital signals simply cannot be shoehorned into existing analog channels. And then there's the insanity of allowing almost everyone to broadcast at night--even 6 watts raises the noise floor and harms the stations that are supposed to be protected (and I'm darn glad WBMD still goes off at night because of those "damned Canadians" on AM740). Your idea about reworking the AM band is a good one, but it needs to be coupled with a new band for digital radio. Existing stations should be guaranteed a spot in the new digital band, and the AM band then scrapped and re-started, with properly protected signals and no one allowed to own more than one station in the new/old AM band, nationwide. ~~CA in BC (11/17/08) Hi Dave, Great site; long-time reader, first time emailer here. It seems that Mark Patrick and Buck Martinez are gone from XM's Baseball this Morning. I turned the show on this morning and heard Ed Randall hosting. He's also listed as the host on the website with no mention of Mark or Buck. Anyway, I thought I'd pass this along; I'll really miss Mark and Buck. - Steve (11/17/08) WCHH does look like a complete failure, all you need to see is that DC101 gets better ratings. I personally liked WCHH and listened to it quite a bit before they added the Voice tracked idiots especially Klinger, now I really don't listen to them at all. Get real local personalities or none at all! How about 98Rock and their declining ratings over the past year, starting at 3.7 and now down to 2.8. Maybe the train wreck of stupidity morning show is starting to kill the entire station! WCHH should go true CHR much like Hot 99.5 and WLAN to the north in Lancaster, PA. Yes it's the same 20 songs over and over, but the format works and I think it'd take a chomp out of Mix 106-5, but they can not make it a simulcast of Hot 99.5 with Kane in the morning. Mainly the morning show must be local. Maybe steal Tobey Knapp from 99.5 and add someone new along side of him. I know way back when he was on WLAN-Lancaster in the morning and had a pretty darn good morning show, and it wasn't the same after he left. 98Rock might want to consider bringing back K&M, because though they seem to be has-beens the ratings have dwindled down since they left too. Maybe at 98Rock they can be better than they were on 105.7, and bring back a little bit of ratings to 98Rock. (11/17/08) I read an article on engadgethd.com that Verizon FIOS will be carrying the MLB Network beginning January 1, 2009. Has anyone heard if Verizon FIOS is going to carry the new MASN-HD channel when it begins in March? MASN's website still mentions "TBD" under Verizon for HD, just as it has for the past year. Just want to know if FIOS will carry MASN HD. Greg in Reisterstown, MD (11/17/08) Re: 610 in Winchester: Does anybody know if 610 still broadcasts from “Tower Park” or “Studio Park” as its known to some, on Rt. 50, west of Winchester? I know their studios, etc. are not there, but was just wondering. I remember WHPL -"Where Happy People Listen", and as a kid (early-mid 60s) riding from Winchester to Ocean City, MD listening to 610 all the way! Incredible amount of radio came out of those orchards in the 60’s and 70’s. My personal favorite was Craven Edwards. Lots of live spots back in those days, and Craven would supplement his income by selling a local brand of corn meal during his shift. I don’t remember the brand of corn meal, but do remember the way Edwards would shout, “biscuits so good, they’ll make your tongue slap your brains out”!!! A great country and western DJ, and a great local personality. (11/17/08) I guess I am a bit of an old fart and still have some AM loyalty left, I don't like to see a local community lose an AM station. Regarding the 610 frequency, why not turn over the frequency for LPAM use to non-comms, much like LPFM, take the tax write-off. Of course, communication laws would probably need to be rewritten to allow for LPAM of 100 watts or so. There are new short low profile antennas that would do a good job for omni operation. At the same time, I understand the reasoning for selling the land, considering the amount of value to developers. Tom Conroy (11/17/08) Dave's response: I think the FCC should start a plan to reduce the tremendous amount of clutter on the AM band. The only future of that band is for a handful of super-power signals. The Commission should encourage stations of less than 5,000-watts or daytime-only outlets of any power to turn in their licenses and go dark. And work on a plan to improve the signals of stronger AM stations on a less-populated band..... Chopper 4 has been gone for weeks now... It may return? SkyFox supplies the video for NBC4. (11/17/08) Dave, Re: Marc Clarke being let go from the Radio One Dynasty. Kudos to Marc for being so successful in his gig. Strange, is it not, that mere months ago we heard on your site that Commander Alfred Liggins would be receiving a long-overdue 'bonus' for his excellent performance at said company. It was about $800,000, give or take. My word, that fellow was so ridiculously underpaid! Probably enough to operate the former morning show for about 4 years. I hope that Marc lands a better gig soon,along with good wishes to all of the other 'reduced' employees out there in radioland. (11/17/08) FYI, Just one opinion. From Laurel, MD... Just acquired converter box and hooked it up. Bad news. I am central to both Washington and Baltimore and receive analog broadcast signals from both over “rabbit ears”: If Cable is “excellent”, here’s how I rate broadcast (“very good” is the best it can get). Now, I have gotten digital signal that appears it could be an improvement over analog, but I can’t keep a strong signal long enough for it to qualify above good. Analog: Baltimore... Channel/Quality of signal... 2 Unintelligible to Poor / fair audio... 11 Good to very good... 13 Good to very good... 26 Fair to good... 45 Good to very good... 54 Good to very good... Washington... Channel/Quality of signal... 4 Good... 7 Good to very good... 9 Good to very good... 20 Fair to good... 22 Good to very good / intermittent... 50 Good... Digital: Baltimore... Channel/Quality of signal... 2 Unintelligible /complete pixilation / no audio / Signal loss... 11 Good Picture / poor consistency of Signal / Intermittent but consistent Pixilation... 13 Fair to good / generally consistent signal... 26 No signal... 45 Good Picture / poor consistency of Signal / Intermittent but consistent Pixilation / Audio loss... 54 Good Picture / generally consistent signal... Washington... Channel/Quality of signal... 4 Poor to Fair / consistent intermittent Signal degradation / some intermittent minor pixilation... 7 Fair to Good / generally consistent signal... 9 No signal... 20 Poor to fair / intermittent signal degradation... 22 Poor to Fair / intermittent signal degradation / Pixilation / audio loss... 50 No Signal... (11/17/08) You know what really sucks? The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis on WJFK 106.7 FM on Sunday evenings. Just the phrase "I'm getting a little cherry" told me all I needed to know as a listener. Whoever decided this abortion should be served up to to the DC listening audience (it's a Los Angeles show) should be fired by whoever runs WJFK -- The Penismightier. (11/17/08) Not local TV - its Brazilian: www.youtube.com... But now I know I want some radio-control parts for Christmas. (11/17/08) I have to wonder what is Pam Bell's take on Winchester's AM 610 going dark since after all her dad John Bell did build that station ( and 102.5 as well ) and since Pam still lives in the Winchester I am sure she knows about this. And speaking of the Bells, FOR YEARS I have heard this story about Johnny Bell coming really close to moving WHPL-AM 610's AC ( well Top 40 actually ) format to 102.5 back in the late 70's and moving the relgious format at the time on 102.5 ( then WEFG ) to 610. At the time both WHPL and WINC were pretty much neck to neck ratings wise and had Bell did do this not only would that really hurt WINC but could also seriously damage Martinsburg's WRNR & Front Royal's WFTR as well. Of course none of this never did happen and from what I have been told over the years the decision NOT to move WHPL to 102.5 came down to one person..the late Rev. Donald Scruggs. Scruggs just did not want to move to AM ( though he did YEARS later but by then he was in such ill health I guess he just didn't care anymore ). I guess at the time with all the money Scruggs was spending on 102.5 I can see why that move never did happen and besides it would be a bit odd hearing say KISS or Abba right beside Scruggs playing "Jesus..This is Jimmy" and talking about the Lord..But still imagine how the Winchester-Martinsburg radio scene would have been like only if Scriggs was willing to move to AM 610 back then? Chances are it would be Q102 playing the pop hits while country music would remain on 92.5 ( Country Wink ?? ) and who knows what the other stations in the region would ended up be doing....Interesting comments about Martinsburg's WRNR and WEPM. And this brings up this question..has Martinsburg's Prettyman Broadcasting ever tried to get their hands on WRNR? If not I am quite surprised they never did. True WRNR has won many awards over the years like for their sports coverage for example but then again so did WEPM for that matter. Being an AM only station I would imagine it wouldn't cost that much for Prettyman ( WEPM ) to buy WRNR anyway and with Prettyman already having their hands on WICL 95.9, to merge those two AM stations together and then move it all to 95.9, anyway all of that could be only a benefit to Martinsburg as it really would be a case of "the best of both"..and besides the ratings for WICL have never been much to brag about over the years anyway with 95.9 airing Scott Shannon's True Oldies satellite feed and with WJZW''s already airing the same thing ( and they can be heard in that region too ), I don't think the oldies on 95.9 would be missed . Why not put WEPM news & sports on 95.9 ?? (11/17/08) /\ November 17 Messages /\ Jump to the Mailbag Archive Index.....