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Contents - Contact Us - News Tips - News Archive - Mailbag - Twitter - Rant - Support Us Station List - Classified Ads - Advertise On DCRTV - RSS - NYC - Boston - DCRTV Plus Alan Etter To Leave DC EMS - 7/3 - Alan Etter, public information officer for the District Of Columbia Fire/EMS Department, is leaving the agency after 10 years. He's joining the University Of The District Of Columbia's communications office. Etter started his career as a reporter with Richmond's WRVA-TV. In 1991, he came to DC as a reporter for WTOP radio and CBS News, covering news stories in the city and across the USA. More at dcfire.com..... B-Mitch Continues To Slam ESPN 980, Snyder - 7/3 - From Ryan O'Halloran at washingtontimes.com: Former Redskins return specialist Brian Mitchell, who was bounced by ESPN 980 earlier this year, was on Jerry Coleman's Fox 1370 radio show in Baltimore this week. As expected, B-Mitch didn't hold much back, continuing to say his removal from 980 wasn't financially related. Mitchell was honest during his time on the DC airwaves - he has no use for Vinny Cerrato as a front office chief and has also been critical of Redskins and ESPN 980 owner Dan Snyder..... WQAW To 20? - 7/3 - DCRTV hears that the DC area's low-power analog TV Azteca America affiliate, Channel 69/WQAW, has asked the FCC to allow it to move its Crofton area transmitter to UHF channel 20, to offer digital coverage improvements the DC metro. DC's MyNetworkTV affiliate, Channel 20/WDCA, now operates its digital signal on UHF channel 35. More at fcc.gov..... Post Notes Politico Scoop In "Salon" Scandal - 7/3 - In Friday's print Style section of Washington Post, Howie Kurtz tips his hat to the Politico for breaking the news yesterday about plans for a series of policy "salon" dinners at the home of Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth, to offer corporate underwriters access to Post journalists, Obama administration officials, and members of Congress in exchange for payments as high as $250,000. And how Weymouth subsequently cancelled the plans. More in DCRTV's 7/2 newsblurb..... Grandy Calls For Front Page Post Apology - 7/3 - "This is a problem that stinks at the top." So said WMAL morning co-host Fred Grandy (right), who called for a front page apology to the Washington Post's readership about the so-called "salon" controversy (above newsblurb). He said that Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth essentially passed the buck yesterday by blaming the policy to give politicos and lobbyists access to Post and government biggies for payments as high as $250,000 on an unvetted promotions flier. Added former Congressman Grandy this morning, the Post management must say: "We have compromised our journalistic integrity." Jested Grandy's radio partner Andy Parks, "They'll probably put it in the (lower circulation) Saturday edition"..... More Sports Radio Guys Heading To JFK - 7/3 - DCRTV hears that a number of local sports radio guys, including Tony Kornheiser's old producer at Bonneville's now-defunct Washington Post Radio/3WT, are heading to CBS's WJFK, which is rumored to be flipping to sports talk on 7/20. Will Tony follow? Stay tuned..... Williams Praises Williams - 7/3 - Jim Williams says University Of Maryland basketball Coach Garry Williams (no relation) is doing an "outstanding job" as a golf analyst on CSN's "Tee Time" during coverage of the AT&T National Tiger Woods tournament at Congressional Country Club. "If he ever wants to quit being a basketball coach he is a natural broadcaster." More at washingtonexaminer.com..... Kirk McEwen Talks - 7/3 - Look for a profile of Baltimore radio veteran Kirk McEwen coming soon at delmarvanow.com. It should be up by next week. We hear that he talks about his new gig at Ocean City's WOCM, the expiration of his CBS non-compete in January, and memories of his years at 98 Rock, including Mark and Lopez..... "MTP" 1st Again - 7/3 - NBC's "Meet The Press" was #1 again last weekend among Sunday DC political talkers. But the gap continues to narrow. CBS's "Face The Nation" was 2nd in total viewers, while ABC's "This Week" was 2nd in young viewers. More from TVNewser..... DCRTV's Flashback - 7/3 - Today's DCRTV Flashback: A 1980s memory from Channel 9, then WDVM (right). The high-def image is at DCRTV Plus, which is just $39 a year..... DCRTV's On Twitter & Facebook - 7/3 - Get local radio and TV news, gossip, and commentary the instant it fires on DCRTV Dave's brain synapses at twitter.com/dcrtv. Thanks to BubbaQMonkeyhed for being our 2230th "follower." Also, check us out at facebook.com/dcrtv..... Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 7/2 - DCRTV wants to thank The Sunny James Show and 3DSJ - All Request Radio for renewing their ads through September. Please support DCRTV's advertisers because they support DCRTV..... 1370 Gets Piece Of NFL Pie - 7/2 - The latest Baltimore sports media news at pressboxonline.com, including Fox 1370 landing the Sunday "NFL Game Of The Week"..... Goodbye Mike? - 7/2 - Will today be the swan song for Mike O'Meara (right) on guy talker WJFK? There are rumors-a-plenty that the CBS station is flipping to sports talk on Monday, 7/20. And, we're hearing that afternooner O'Meara was due to take a two-week vacation. And, with tomorrow, Friday, being the official federal July 4th "day off" since the 4th falls on a Saturday, might today be the last day live for O'Meara on JFK? Rumors have it that JFK's morning Junkies will survive the format flip, but no word about O'Meara, who was paired with Don Geronimo until April 2008, when Geronimo left the station. UPDATE: We're told that O'Meara's been instructed not to do a "farewell show" today on JFK. Look for hints. Also: New rumors that CBS might move O'Meara to sister WTGB, Fresh 94.7, to do mornings. Stay tuned..... USA Today's Weisman Joins Redskins PR - 7/2 - The Redskins have hired Larry Weisman of USA Today to be editorial director of the team's Media Department. We hear that he will work on "new media" public relations, involving the web, print, and TV. Asks Dave McKenna of the DC City Paper: "Does this mean Skins owner Dan Snyder cares about improving his relationship with the media? Or just one more signal that every good newspaperman's now going or already gone to PR or government? Or both?" Some may remember that Weisman coined the phrase "FedUpField" in regards to Snyder passing along expenses to ticket holders. The comment was made during a USA Today chat..... Michael Powell In Tights - 7/2 - This is former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell (right) doing a Shakespearean skit at the 2009 Ideas Festival in Aspen. Thanks to Patrick Gavin for the pic. A whole boatload of Washington politicos and celeb journos, including Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth, is attending this week's event in Colorado..... Whitney To Seattle - 7/2 - DCRTV already told you that DC101's Whitney is leaving her midday gig later this month. Now, we hear that she's heading to Seattle to do her own morning radio show at alt rocker KNDD. Whitney Knoerlin will begin the gig in August..... Cerphe To BIG? - 7/2 - Rant. Will DC rock radio legend Cerphe (left) soon be rocking out in Rockville? Haven't heard anything specific, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him land at Clear Channel's classic hits/rock WBIG when his CBS Radio contract ends. Cerphe, who does the occasional bit for CBS's resurrected alt rock WHFS on 94.7's HD2, was last heard on "regular radio" via classic rock WTGB, which flipped to chick tunes in early April. Over the years, Cerphe's worked at WHFS, WAVA (when it was rock), DC101, and WJFK (then known as WBMW). More Rants..... AlJaz Now Available 24/7 On DC TV - 7/2 - You can now watch the English language service of Arabic news network Al Jazeera on broadcast and cable TV in the DC area, thanks to Fairfax public TVer WNVC/MHz Networks. As of 7/1, it's offering AlJaz 24/7 on its 30-5 on-air digital channel from a tower in Merrifield. The signal is carried by most area cable systems, including Comcast on channel 275. WNVC/MHz also carries a nightly 10 PM AlJaz newscast on its 30-1 Worldview channel, also via Comcast 271..... Politico: WaPo Offers Lobbyists Access To Politicos For a Price - 7/2 - From Mike Allen at the Politico: For $25,000 to $250,000, the Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off the record, non-confrontational access to "those powerful few" - Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper's own reporters and editors. The astonishing offer is detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health-care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he feels it's a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its "health care reporting and editorial staff." The offer - which essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters - is a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival. And it's a turn of the times that a lobbyist is scolding the Washington Post for its ethical practices. REACTION: Top Post editor Marcus Brauchli penned this: "We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money the Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable. There is a long tradition of news organizations hosting conferences and events, and we believe the Post, including the newsroom, can do these things in ways that are consistent with our values." UPDATE: The Politico reports that Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was cancelling plans for an exclusive "salon" at her home. Washington Post Ombudsman Andy Alexander calls the "salon" plan "a public relations disaster." More at washingtonpost.com..... FNS Sues CQ - 7/2 - FishbowlDC reports that DC-based Federal News Service has filed a lawsuit against DC-based Congressional Quarterly and its parent companies alleging "a series of anti-competitive acts and practices to force FNS out of business"..... Rush: O Eyeing 3rd Term - 7/2 - Righty radio talker Rush Limbaugh, heard locally on WMAL and WCBM, is suggesting that President Barack Obama and his political operatives already are laying the groundwork for a third term. "You have to wonder if Obama is just trying to lay a foundation for not being a hypocrite when he tries to serve beyond 2016. I wouldn't be at all surprised if in the next number of years there is a move on the 22nd amendment," which limits presidents to just two terms. More at Newsmax..... WH Salaries Revealed - 7/2 - At whitehouse.gov, the White House is out with Obama administration salaries, including $172K for White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs..... Erection For Schieffer - 7/2 - Washington Whispers at usnews.com looks at the rising ratings for Bob Schieffer's "Face The Nation" on CBS..... Former VOAer Olkhovsky Dies - 7/2 - Yuri Olkhovsky, 79, a retired Sovietologist at George Washington University and a broadcaster for the Voice Of America, died of cancer on June 7 at his home in Arlington. The Washington Post has more..... Post Digital VP To FCC - 7/2 - Washington Post Digital Vice President/General Counsel Sherrese Smith will join the Federal Communications Commission as legal adviser to Chairman Julius Genachowski. More at washingtonpost.com..... Is Race A Factor In Michelle O Coverage? - 7/2 - Black reporters on the beat of Michelle Obama. Does race play a role in coverage? So wonders Howie Kurtz at wapo.com..... Notable Quotable - 7/2 - "It wouldn't be a 4th of July without a threat from North Korea." Newsman Bryan Nehman this morning on WMAL..... Post: Kate Has Martini In Rockville - 7/2 - More breaking news from those DC Post gossip gals: Kate "Jon And Kate Plus 8" Gosselin lunching with another woman at Thai Pavilion in Rockville yesterday. "Mixed vegetables with scallops, pomegranate martini"..... Mice Invade DC Times - 7/1 - DCRTV hears that the newsroom of the Washington Times is plagued by rodents. And Deputy Managing Editor Ted Agres has called in exterminators to rid the New York Avenue building of mice. He's also pleading with employees not to leave food lying around and to remove stuff from under desks that might make "very nice mice nests"..... GSM Fears Leaves MAL, Fire Sale Coming? - 7/1 - DCRTV hears that Ernie Fears, the general sales manager of of Citadel talker WMAL (630 AM), has quit. This follows the departure of Shari Gonzalez, local sales manager, who quit WMAL a month ago. Todd Freundlich, WMAL's national sales manager, was fired in the "bloodbath" of February 2008. Chris Berry quit his WMAL general manager gig last year. Assistant program director and promotions head Jerry Klein quit WMAL a few months ago. There is only one local show on the WMAL's weekday airwaves - the AM drive "Grandy And Andy" program. "Look for some big time selling of assets by Citadel very soon, including what is left of WMAL," a local radio guru tells DCRTV. "All these smart, talented people leaving tells me they know something is up"..... Czaban, Patrick, Mitchell, Koken To New Sportsy JFK? - 7/1 - Jim Williams at washingtonexaminer.com has more on the widely-rumored sports talk format flip for CBS Radio "guy talker" WJFK, 106.7 FM. "I have confirmed that a number of Washington sports personalities have had conversations with management at WJFK about doing shows. The station has also spoken to a number of local sports producers and on air update people about the possible format change. Some of the names being floated out there are LaVar Arrington, Mike Wise, and former ESPN 980AM personalities Brian Mitchell and Al Koken. A number of Washington reporters - Examiner, Post and Times - have come up as possible show hosts or as regular guests... MASN, who already has a solid relationship with CBS Radio in Baltimore and airs the Anita Marks-Scott Garceau Show, would love to have a Washington partner and WJFK might fit that bill... Presently, the station airs both University Of Maryland and University Of Virginia sports. They also are the home of Fox Sports Radio in Washington and that would give them the rights to air the Steve Czaban (right) show as well as Dan Patrick." UPDATE: DCRTV hears that Karen Peterson, who is Patrick's affiliate sales manager, denies that there has been any new talk of him going to WJFK..... Print Key To Politico's Profitability - 7/1 - Four old-media veterans may have solved the future of news with the Politico website, whose audience of six million obsessives and insiders consumes - and feeds - a real-time download of power data. The twist? Politico's print version is what's helped make it profitable. More from Michael Wolff in the August Vanity Fair..... Jen Howard Joins FCC - 7/1 - Jen Howard, who has been press director for media activist group Free Press, has joined the Federal Communications Commission as press secretary for newly-named Chairman Julius Genachowski, serving as his spokesperson and liaison with the press. B&C has more..... Billings Upped At Roll Call - 7/1 - Erin Billings has been promoted to deputy editor of Roll Call. She had been the Capitol Hill rag's senior editor for news content..... Can Post Make Money In Internet Age? - 7/1 - Can Washington Post Chief Digital Officer Vijay Ravindran and his team of technologists figure out a way to make journalism pay for itself in the internet age? The Post and its website have been losing money and dragging down the Washington Post Company's profits and stock price. Free news on the internet has undercut journalism's business model. More from Harry Jaffe at washingtonian.com..... Shales On Future Of The TV Critic - 7/1 - From Romenesko: The TV critic job "has simply and callously been abolished" at many newspapers, notes Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales. "The irony is (and there has to be an irony), a critic's informed guidance is arguably needed now more than ever - what with the 500-channel ('and nothin' on') universe having taken over, and considering the fact that Old Man Webber - you know, the 'Internut' - has exponentially multiplied viewing choices for global villagers. What's a viewer to do? Consult a critic, for one thing." More at washingtonpost.com..... Froomkin On His Firing - 7/1 - From Romenesko: "Not offending people is not a business model," says fired Washington Post political blogger Dan Froomkin. "You've got to have something to say." Regarding his dismissal: "There was of course the money issue. I was an easy line item to scratch out." More from Megan Garber at observer.com..... Notable Quotable - 7/1 - "We spend more time talking about the news than the news station does. Weird." A promo heard on talker WMAL Wednesday morning. Gee, who could they possibly be referring to? Hmmm..... Breaking: Owen Wilson Leaves DC - 7/1 - Rant. The Reliable Source gossip gals in the Washington Post tell us today that Owen Wilson and his film crew are finally heading out of town. So, does that mean we won't get any more daily updates about what the actor's eating/wearing/dating/doing? Sheesh. The RS column has mentioned Wilson at least a dozen times in the past month. More Rants..... Discovery Remembers Billy Mays - 7/1 - The Silver Spring-based Discovery Channel pays tribute to Billy Mays, who died last weekend, with a "Pitchmen" marathon all-day today. Starting at 11 AM. The season finale of "Pitchmen" airs at 10 PM..... New Advertiser Alert - 7/1 - DCRTV welcomes a new advertiser: The non-profit, non-partisan US Naval Institute - the best virtual think tank you've never heard of. A great source for journalists, bookers, and hosts seeking unfiltered sources on defense, intelligence, and homeland security. The Institute's been around since 1873. Its monthly journal Proceedings - America's fourth oldest continuously-published magazine - has been described by a Newsweek writer as "yeasty and feisty." And the group's provocative blog is a great early-warning site for developing stories on national defense..... Mid-Year Update: Thank You - 7/1 - Rant. Well, we're halfway through 2009 and DCRTV would like to thank you for making this our best year ever - so far! DCRTV is an independent, one-man site, and it depends totally on your donations and revenue from local advertisers. Our financial goal for this year was 20 percent higher than last year. And, as of 6/30, we've exceeded that goal by an additional 30 percent. That's gotta mean that most of you think this site is engaging and relevant, and fun, and a great place to reach "movers and shakers" with your ads. That's what we're here for. And thank you for making Monday, 6/29, our best traffic day of the year - so far. Onward and upward as we close our 12th big year in September, and start our "lucky" 13th. Thanks! More Rants..... Gannett To Lay Off More Than 1K - 6/30 - McLean-based media giant Gannett, which owns top-selling newspaper USA Today, is laying off more than 1,000 staff to try and combat persistent declines in revenue, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The cuts will come from the company's Community Publishing division, which groups more than 80 local dailies. The Wall Street Journal added that it was unclear precisely how many jobs will be lost, but cited the source as saying it will be under 2,000. Shares in Gannett, which posted a 60 percent drop in quarterly earnings when it reported first-quarter results in April, held steady in after-hours trade. Reuters has more..... Carson On The Outs At 107.3? Nah - 6/30 - If you check out the DJ line-up at mix1073fm.com, you'll find that evening man Tommy McFly is now listed in the 3 PM to 7 PM drivetime slot. And afternoon man Rob Carson has no time slot listed next to his name. We've heard that Carson was up for a contract renegotiation, but has Citadel decided to show him the door? Just a website glitch or the sign of a major change at WRQX? UPDATE: We hear that Carson's signed a new deal with Mix 107.3 and he's just on vacation..... Farhi On JFK Sports Flip Rumors: "True" - 6/30 - From today's "Station Break" Q&A at washingtonpost.com. "WJFK Listener: So is it true that WJFK will go all sports on 7/20?... Paul Farhi: Yes. True." And: "Silver Spring: When WJFK goes all sports where will Mike O'Meara be?... Paul Farhi: Unclear. I think CBS/WJFK has been trying to find a role for him, but that's still under discussion"..... "Forgetful" Farhi - 6/30 - Rant. Also from today's "Station Break" Q&A at wapo.com. "Falls Church radio lover: I need more details on the WJFK flip, please... Paul Farhi: Coming July 20. I would recommend Googling my story from early June ('Farhi + WJFK + Snyder + WTEM' ought to get you there)." You know, Paul, would it really have been so hard for you to recommend a visit to DCRTV for your questioner? We frequently give you credit here at DCRTV (see the above blurb), but you just can't stomach returning the favor, can you? Everyone knows that you probably get at least 50 percent of your local radio and TV story ideas from DCRTV. And, yet, you simply can't show us any respect. Nobody has covered the rumored WJFK format flip more than DCRTV has. And you know that, Paul! More Rants..... 9 To Put "Dr. Oz" At 3, Keep News At 5 - 6/30 - DCRTV hears that Gannett's Channel 9/ WUSA is not getting out of the 5 PM news race, as some had suspected. The newly-syndicated "Dr. Oz" show will land in the 3 PM slot on 9, not at 5 PM, come this fall. With the CBS network fare at 3 PM, now a soap and soon a game show, being shifted to WUSA's late mornings. "Dr. Oz" stars Dr. Mehmet Oz, a frequent guest on the "Oprah" show, and contracts for the show prohibit it from being run up against "Oprah," which airs at 4 PM on Channel 7/ WJLA. WUSA has renewed "The Doctors" for its 4 PM slot..... DCRTV Classified Ads - 6/30 - WNAV/Sajak Broadcasting in Annapolis is looking for a part-time news anchor/reporter. That's the latest DCRTV Classified Ad. Reach many thousands of local media movers and shakers for just $25..... WASH Back To 2nd In PPMs - 6/30 - Despite a frontal assault from CBS's new 94.7 Fresh FM, WTGB, for its female demos, Clear Channel's soft rock WASH, 97.1, is back up to 2nd place in the latest Portable People Meter radio ratings for DC. The second week of June, age 12+, full-week: 1) WTOP [1st in both drivetimes], 2) WASH [Loriloo 6th], 3) WHUR [Harney 2nd], 4) WAMU, 5) WIHT 5th [Kane 5th], 6) WRQX [Diamond 4th], 7) WMZQ, 8) WBIG, 9) WMMJ [Joyner 7th], 10) WGTS, 11) WWDC [Elliot 10th], 12) WETA-FM, 13) WPRS, 14) WPGC [Simpson 15th] and WKYS [Parr 14th], 16) WMAL [G&A 18th, Rush 7th, Hannity 18th], 17) WTGB, 18) WLZL, 19) WJFK [Junks 13th, O'Meara 11th], 20) WTEM, 21) WJZW [Imus 21st]. More: 24) WPFW, 27) WAVA, 29) WFED, 33) WILC, 38) WKDV and WTNT and WWGB and WZHF..... CC's DC Success, CBS's DC Failure - 6/30 - Rant. Looking at today's radio ratings for DC, we see that four of Clear Channel's five DC area FMers - WASH, WIHT, WMZQ, and WBIG - are in the top 10. With WWDC just outside, at 11th. Meanwhile, none of CBS's four DC area FMers is even near the top 10. The best CBS can do is WPGC in 14th place. Clear Channel may not produce incredibly unique stations, but it does know how to deliver ratings-generating "generic workhorses." Something that CBS just can't seem to do here in DC. More Rants..... House Sets Stage For PPM Hearings - 6/30 - The House Committee On Oversight And Government Reform has requested information from the FCC regarding the impact of Columbia MD-based Arbitron's Portable People Meter on radio listening estimates. In response, Arbitron said that it "welcomes" the opportunity to discuss the effectiveness of PPM with Congress. The electronic PPM system, which debuted in the DC market last fall, has allegedly depressed the ratings of some black and Hispanic-oriented radio stations. More from Radio Online..... 11 Gets FCC Nod To Improve DTV Sig - 6/30 - Baltimore's Channel 11/WBAL has received FCC permission to test new transmission equipment to improve coverage of its digital signal. So reports B&C..... Brian Mitchell Does Philly Fill-In Work - 6/30 - DCRTV hears that former Redskin Brian Mitchell, who recently got cut from the line-up at Redskins owner Dan Snyder's ESPN 980, WTEM, for criticizing his old team, is now doing fill-in work at CBS Radio's Philadelphia sports talk WIP. Mitchell is sidekicking for WIP afternooner Howard Eskin. Mitchell did a weekly show for WIP when he was with the Eagles, before joining the Redskins. DCRTV wonders: Might this mean that Mitchell might be doing something at CBS's WJFK when, as rumors have it, it flips to sports talk in July? Stay tuned..... Olbermann Reams Sun's Zurawik - 6/30 - Last night, Keith Olbermann blasted Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik for claiming that Olbermann's MSNBC ratings were "slumping." Check out the video humiliation at YouTube..... Genachowski Sworn In, Picks Advisors - 6/30 - Julius Genachowski (right) was sworn in Monday as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He chose Edward Lazarus as his chief of staff. Lazarus comes from the law firm Akin Gump, where he supervised the Los Angeles office of 800 employees and was the co-head of the firm's global litigation practice. Colin Crowell, a veteran telecommunications aide to Representative Ed Markey, will be a strategic advisor to the chairman, who will oversee communications, legislative, and intergovernmental affairs. The other senior advisor, Bruce Gottleib, comes from Commissioner Michael Copps' office. Gottleib will be Genachowski's senior legal advisor and will manage the agency's overall agenda and coordinate policy between the FCC's bureaus. More at washingtonpost.com..... RCN In Buying Mode - 6/30 - RCN, the Herndon-based cable system operator, has offered to purchase New York-based network services firm FiberNet Telecom for $96 million - setting off a bidding war in the process. More in the DC Post..... TOP's Segraves Seen On 7 & NC8 - 6/29 - A DCRTV source tells us: "It looks like WJLA is getting Mark Segraves back from WTOP. He was anchoring (WJLA sister) NewsChannel 8 last week, filling in on 'Newstalk.' Now, today, he's reporting for Channel 7. What gives????" Investigave reporter Segraves came to WTOP from Channel 7/WJLA a few years ago. A top TOPer tells us: "Mark is under contract to WTOP. Not going anywhere. But we have a strong alliance with ABC7 to help each other. This is a great story he broke. Strategic partnership"..... Don Brooks Dies - 6/29 - DCRTV hears that Baltimore radio veteran Don Brooks has died. He was on WCBM's airwaves in the 1970s, and later went on to be general manager of WWIN before moving to Atlantic City, where he owned several stations. More soon..... Ion To Launch Mobile DTV In DC - 6/29 - Ion Media Networks plans to launch its digital TV broadcast "Triple Play" in the DC and NYC markets. It includes the Ion network in high-def, two additional digital networks, plus Mobile DTV. MDTV allows broadcasters to use subchannels to transmit TV content to mobile devices. Ion's focus on DC is part of a broader initiative in support of the Open Mobile Video Coalition, a trade group of over 800 commercial and public television stations, working to create a showcase for MDTV in the Nation's Capital to "highlight the potential for expanding broadcast television beyond the living room to all mobile devices in the digital age." In DC, Ion owns Channel 66/WPXW, a Manassas-licensed TVer which recently moved its digital signal to a tower in northwest DC. More at earthtimes.org..... Source: JFK To Go Sports In July - 6/29 - A reliable local radio source tells DCRTV: "7/20 is the start date for WJFK sports/talk... The Junkies re-branded as the 'Sports Junkies' in the morning... Mike Wise from the Post in midday... Chad Dukes and Lavar Arrington in the afternoons." Where's Mike O'Meara? No response (no denial) this morning from WJFK General Manager Michael Hughes..... Chris Matthews Now In HD - 6/29 - After major overhauls to its 30 Rock control room and Washington DC studios, MSNBC rolls out its high-def version today. Joining cable newsers CNN and Fox News in offering 24/7 HD feeds. No word, yet, when your local cable or satellite service will be adding MSNBC-HD. More from B&C..... 5 Murrows For TOP, 3 For NPR - 6/29 - Bonneville all-newser WTOP has picked up five national Edward R. Murrow journalism awards, including "overall excellence," plus honors for JJ Green, Brennan Haselton, Chris Core's "Core Values" commentary, and "best website" for wtop.com. Also, DC-based National Public Radio has picked up three Murrows. Murrow winners are chosen by the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The statues will be presented at the RTNDA Awards Dinner in NYC in October..... Mitchell: 980 Cut Due To Skins Criticism - 6/29 - Former Redskin Brian Mitchell says he got fired from ESPN 980, WTEM, which is owned by Redskins owner Dan Snyder, for his criticism of his old team. Mitchell told Michael McCarthy of USA Today that Snyder's radio arm, Red Zebra, cut him as an analyst because he was critical of the Redskins. However, RZ executive Bruce Gilbert said the move was "100 percent driven by the economy," according to USA Today. Mitchell reportedly made $150,000 per year..... WTNT Debuts Washington Times Radio Show - 6/29 - The nationally-syndicated Washington Times morning radio show, which launched via Talk Radio Network on 6/15, got its DC debut this morning via Red Zebra talker WTNT (570 AM). John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan co-host the new "America's Morning News" from the Washington Times HQ on New York Avenue. It airs from 6 AM to 9 AM, bumping Chicago-based Mancow to the 3 PM to 6 PM slot. Also, look for WTNT to launch new imaging, and carry Washington Times newscasts during some hours, with Fox News newscasts still airing in some dayparts. The Washington Times show is reportedly airing on 20 stations around the country, but TRN won't provide a list of stations because they're probably in very small, unimpressive markets..... WashTimes Vet Mary Lou Forbes Dies - 6/29 - Mary Lou Forbes, 83, the commentary editor for the Washington Times for the past 25 years, has died after a brief battle with cancer. Forbes' career spanned more than six decades as a reporter, news chief and opinion editor, guiding hundreds of journalists from future Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein to nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, whose column debuted in the Times 25 years ago under her tutelage. More at washingtontimes.com..... Gore-y Pics - 6/29 - We've got pics of Saturday's AFI premiere of a documentary on a local TV legend Dick "Count Gore De Vol" Dyszel, "Every Other Day Is Halloween," in DCRTV's 6/29 Mailbag..... Lenders Steering CC To Bankruptcy - 6/29 - From mysanantonio.com: The signal from Clear Channel's radio empire may be fading out. When holding company CC Media Holdings announced this month it wanted to reposition debt between its radio and billboard units, lenders for last year's massive private equity acquisition of Clear Channel signaled their intention to block the move. The lenders evidently want to steer the company into bankruptcy so they can pick up the assets cheap and sell them. The lenders apparently believe that is the way to get the most amount of money back from the loans made when Boston-based firms Bain Capital Partners and THL Partners acquired the San Antonio company in one of the last big private equity deals as the credit crunch worsened. Clear Channel owns seven radio stations in the DC area and four in Baltimore..... WERQ Tops Balto Radio Heap - 6/29 - The latest late June monthly trend ratings show WERQ in the top spot in the Baltimore radio heap. WPOC takes 2nd, WWIN-FM 3rd, WLIF 4th, WWMX 5th, WCBM 6th, WIYY and WBAL-AM 7th, WQSR 9th, and WJZ-FM 10th. WZBA places 11th and WCAO 12th. More Baltimore numbers: WRBS 15th, WCHH 17th, WRNR 21st, WWIN-AM 25th, WNST 27th, WJZ-AM 31st..... 1370 Lands NFL Sunday Games - 6/29 - DCRTV hears that Baltimore sports talker WVIE, Fox 1370 Sports, will broadcast the "NFL Game Of The Week" each Sunday during the upcoming season. The "high-profile" match-ups won't conflict with Ravens games. Most will air at 4 PM. During Ravens games, Fox 1370 will carry Fox Sports programming..... Frager: Old Sports On 1300 - 6/29 - Ray Frager at sportsmediajournal.com on Baltimore sports talker WJZ-AM, 1300, which carries ESPN radio network programming: "This was at least the third time I'd noticed how the station runs taped network talk shows on Sunday afternoons. That would be only mildly annoying and perhaps sometimes not very noticeable if not for the fact that the tape job also included four-hour-old updates every 20 minutes. So after I'd already watched the end of the US-Brazil soccer game, I was hearing how the game was about to start shortly. OK, maybe not a lot of people listen on a Sunday afternoon and it's a skeleton crew at the station, but you guys surely could do better than that, couldn't you?"..... New Editor On Tap For On Tap - 6/29 - FishbowlDC tells us that Robert Fulton is no longer the editor of DC's On Tap Magazine. He is being replaced by Connie Poole, who has served as an associate and freelancer for the mag for several years..... S&P Downgrades RO Stock - 6/29 - Standard And Poor's has downgraded Lanham-based Radio One credit rating to CCC+ from B-, expressing concern that the urban radio giant might be overextend on debt. Locally, Radio One owns WKYS, WMMJ, WERQ, and WWIN. More from the BaltoBizJournal..... AlJaz To DC Airwaves - 6/29 - Forbes takes a look at the launch of Arabic news network Al Jazeera English on 7/1 via WNVC/MHz's digitally broadcast signal in the DC area..... Anschutz Profiled - 6/29 - Forbes profiles Denver-based righty media baron Philip Anschutz, the owner of the Washington Examiner who just bought the Weekly Standard..... WYRE Back To Spanish - 6/28 - DCRTV hears that the classic "top 40" format that had been airing on Annapolis's WYRE (810 AM) is no more. WYRE has returned to its former format of brokered Spanish programming, while Ocean City's WKHZ (1590 AM) is continuing the format, which had been heard on both stations. Local radio great Paul Bicknell, aka "Davy Jones," did a midday show on WYRE/WKHZ, but that has ended..... TV Pitchman Billy Mays Dies - 6/28 - Billy Mays (right), the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50. According to AP, Tampa police said Mays was found unresponsive by his wife Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead at 7:45 AM. It was not immediately clear how he died. He said he was hit on the head when an airplane he was on made a rough landing Saturday, and Mays' wife told investigators the TV personality didn't feel well before he went to bed that night. Twittered DC radio vet Don Geronimo: "I guess God had a stain he just couldn't get out"..... Post Produces MJ "Commemorative" - 6/28 - The Washington Post is out with a fake front page about Michael Jackson's death. They're calling it a "commemorative print edition." Framed copies will set you back as much as $249.95 plus tax and shipping..... Milbank & Pitney Battle Over Press Conf Query - 6/28 - This morning on CNN's "Reliable Sources," the Washington Post's Dana Milbank and Huffington Post's Nico Pitney faced off over Pitney's question last week at President Obama's news conference. More from TVNewser..... Might 9 Replace 5 PM News With "Dr. Oz"? - 6/27 - DCRTV hears that there is serious thought at Channel 9/WUSA for ditching its low-rated 5 PM news hour and replacing it with the new "Dr. Oz" show, featuring Dr. Mehmet Oz, a frequent guest on the "Oprah" show. DCRTV hears that 9 will continue carrying "The Doctors" at 4 PM, and that the contract for "Dr. Oz" prohibits it from being run up against "Oprah," which airs on Channel 7/WJLA at 4 PM. However, a source tells DCRTV that if NBC is planning a lightweight, features-oriented 5 PM show for its local stations, including Channel 4/WRC, it might be smarter for 9 to stick with news at that hour. We're told that WUSA suits are meeting next week on programming matters and possibly more budget/personnel cuts at the Gannett station. Even if 4 and 9 abandon news at 5 PM, the DC market would have two local newscast at that hour - those from 7 and Channel 5/WTTG..... Jackson Channel On Sirius XM - 6/27 - Sirius XM launched the Michael Jackson Tribute Channel at 12:01 this morning on Sirius-51 and XM-62, in place of Heart And Soul. It'll run through Monday. It features Jackson's solo work, as well as the Jackson 5..... Newsers Cover Jackson Cover Band - 6/27 - Even CNN was there to cover it. A Michael Jackson cover band from Fairfax playing the 9:30 Club on Friday night. The eerie thing is that the band was booked for the date back in March. More in the DC Post..... More Owen Wilson In Post - 6/27 - Rant. If Owen Wilson, who is in town to film a movie, does something, the DC Post will report it. Today, we learn that the actor toured the Newseum. According to wapo.com, the Post has had 22 mentions of Wilson this month. More Rants..... Old Footballers Look To TV & Radio - 6/27 - The DC Post visits an NFL "broadcast bootcamp" for aging football players..... MAL Compares Russert's & Jackson's Deaths - 6/26 - Rant. Citadel talker WMAL is running news reports today wondering whether middle-aged men will run to their doctors for check-ups after Michael Jackson's death like they did with "Meet The Press" host Tim Russert's a year ago. Look, the only thing Jackson and Russert have in common is that they're middle-aged men who both died of heart-stoppage. The tad overweight Russert died because his heart arteries became clogged with plaque, probably due to a not so healthy diet, high-ish cholesterol levels, and some heredity factors. Shared by many of WMAL's male listeners, to be sure. However, Jackson, who was almost emaciated and reportedly weighed under 100 pounds, probably sported a long-term diet involving a variety of pain medications, and most certainly had a serious drug addiction problem, which caused his heart to seize-up yesterday. OK, sure, WMAL is right to suggest that more of its listeners go get their hearts checked. But to compare Russert's death with Jackson's death is downright silly, if not completely whacky. Come on, WMAL! You can do better with that "crack" news department of yours. More Rants..... Post Didn't Have "Advance Obit" For Jackson - 6/26 - From Romenesko: The Washington Post didn't have an advance obit for Michael Jackson, so "Adam Bernstein and I began an immediate crash course in all things Michael, as the editors scrambled to figure out how to handle the huge, unexpected story," writes Matt Schudel. "The TV networks broke into regular programming, and snippets of Michael Jackson's videos are all the place, but even in the diminished state that newspapers are in, sometimes it takes ink on paper to make sense of the inexplicable in our world." More at washingtonpost.com..... Latest Local Sports Media News - 6/26 - The latest Baltimore area sports media news, including Comcast SportsNet's plans to upgrade its website, is at pressboxonline.com..... Gore-y Premiere At AFI - 6/26 - On Saturday, the AFI in Silver Spring is hosting the world premiere of a documentary on a local TV legend: Dick Dyszel - aka Bozo The Clown, aka Captain 20, aka Count Gore De Vol (right). "Every Other Day Is Halloween" also features longtime DC TV entertainment guru Arch Campbell. Director CW Prather and Dyszel will do a Q&A after the 8:20 PM screening. More at DCist..... Heldref Lays Off 45 - 6/26 - Heldref Publications, a DC-based nonprofit publisher of 40 scholarly journals and magazines, is expected in the coming weeks to sell most of its operation to a commercial publisher. Most of the 45 employees of Heldref were told last week that their positions would be eliminated by the sale. Inside Higher Ed has more..... Gregory "Threw Fit" Over "Morning Joe" Booking With Stephy - 6/26 - The NY Post reports that MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Scarborough was supposed to have been a guest on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" Sunday, until NBC's "Meet The Press" host David Gregory "allegedly threw a fit." More at TVNewser..... Protesters Hit 2 Over ABC's Obama Day - 6/26 - Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik tells us that there were protesters outside Baltimore ABC affiliate Channel 2/ WMAR on Wednesday, upset that the network was devoting its news day to President Obama and his health care plan..... More: Local Radioers Jump On Jackson Tunes - 6/26 - A Mix 107.3er tells DCRTV: "We broke the story yesterday around 5:30 that Michael had passed and started playing music right after that. We ran all Michael and the Jackson Five until 7:00. One of our salespeople was at a gas station, and someone said, 'I can't believe Michael Jackson died, and no radio station is playing his music!'" Of course, within minutes, as DCRTV reported in a 6/25 blurb, many DC radio stations started playing Jackson tunes and airing tributes to "The King Of Pop." Got local radio or TV reaction to Jackson's death? Send it to dcrtv@dcrtv.com..... Sirius XM To Honor Michael Jackson On Friday - 6/26 - Sirius XM satellite radio will commemorate the life of Michael Jackson with special programming across a wide range of its music channels on Friday. Former MTV VJs and Sirius XM hosts Alan Hunter and Nina Blackwood will host a Michael Jackson special on Sirius XM's '80s-On-8 channel at 7 PM. Listeners will also hear a live tribute of Michael Jackson hosted by '80s-On-8 host Rick Stacy from 7 AM to noon. Sirius XM's '70s-On-7 channel will feature Magic Matt Alan looking at the life of Jackson at noon. "The Morning Mash Up!" on Sirius XM Hits will play music from the iconic artist's catalog and share stories from 6 AM to noon. The Groove, Heart And Soul, and Hip-Hop Nation, will play Jackson songs at the top of each hour all day Friday. Heart And Soul will also air a Jackson tribute at 9 AM. The Groove will air "The Thriller 25th Anniversary" special, including an interview with Quincy Jones recorded in 2007, at 5 PM. DJ Premier will dedicate his entire show live from HeadQuarters on Hip-Hop Nation to Jackson at 10 PM. Sirius XM host and music journalist Dave Marsh host a tribute honoring Jackson every hour on Classic Vinyl, Classic Rewind, Alt-Nation, The Spectrum, and The Loft..... Senate Approves Genachowski Nom - 6/26 - The full Senate agreed by unanimous consent Thursday to confirm Julius Genachowski as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Also approved was the re-nomination of Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell. More from B&C..... Comcast Pulls GM Ad - 6/26 - Area cable TV giant Comcast has pulled a cable television advertisement criticizing General Motors' bankruptcy plan earlier this week after the automaker challenged the spot's claims. The DC Post has more..... Post Posts Dividend - 6/26 - The Washington Post Company declared a regular quarterly dividend of $2.15 per share. The media and education company, which publishes the Washington Post newspaper, had posted nine straight quarters of declining profits. Revenue from its education and cable TV units have bolstered the Post's earnings. However, that hasn't been enough to offset the accelerating decline in advertising income from its newspaper division. More in the Post..... DC Radioers Memorialize Jackson - 6/25 - WPGC, WKYS, 94.7 Fresh FM, WHUR, WASH, Hot 99.5, Mix 107.3, WMMJ, even rocker DC101 and Spanish El Zol were among the DC radioers that launched tributes to "The King Of Pop" at 6:30 PM today after news that Michael Jackson had died of cardiac arrest in LA at age 50. According to a Twitterer: "every1 is listening 2 WKYS... suv after suv, porche to hooptie... Loud music & everyone is silent w/blank stares." More at washingtonpost.com..... DC101 Seeks New Middayer - 6/25 - DCRTV hears that Clear Channel alt rocker DC101 is looking for a new midday personality. Where's Whitney going? DCRTV hears that Whitney will be exiting on 7/10. Did she jump or was she pushed? More soon..... Obama Names Baker To GOP Slot At FCC - 6/25 - President Obama has nominated Meredith Baker to fill the open Republican slot on the Federal Communications Commission. She succeeds Deborah Tate, who resigned earlier this year. Baker most recently led the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications And Information Administration. More from B&C..... Bob Kwesell Dies - 6/25 - Bob Kwesell, a local radio veteran who once did "call-in" talk shows at the old WRC radio and at WCBM, died on 6/20. More at devolfuneralhome.com..... DC Times Hosts "Individualized News" Confab - 6/25 - Today and tomorrow, the Washington Times is hosting a symposium on "individualized news," where consumers, via "an array of internet-driven technologies, ... can now choose their own mix of news stories, to be delivered to computer screen, palm device, or even home printer, complete with discount coupons for local merchants." Seventy news executives are attending the "Individuated News Conference," including representatives from the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Politico, and Gannett...... Interleague Play Boosts MASN's Ratings - 6/25 - DCRTV hears that the TV ratings for Orioles and Nationals games on MASN have increased during the last week of interleague play. Between 6/16 and 6/23, the Nats are averaging a 1.1 household rating in DC, while the O's are getting a 3.9 household rating in Baltimore. The Nats season-to-date rating had been a 0.6 in DC and the O's had averaged a 3.0 in Charm City. The Nats visit Camden Yards this weekend for the second "Battle Of The Beltways" of the season..... Ed Walker Nominated To Hall Of Fame - 6/25 - DCRTV hears that DC radio legend Ed Walker (right) has been nominated for induction into the national Radio Hall Of Fame in Chicago. From 1955 to 1974, Walker teamed with Willard Scott as co-hosts of the "Joy Boys" program, an improvised comedy radio show. The program began on WRC radio, moving in 1972 to WWDC. For about 20 years, Walker has hosted "The Big Broadcast," a vintage radio show that airs on WAMU on Sunday nights..... "Meet" Wins Race Despite Time Change - 6/25 - TVNewser tells us that "Meet the Press" was the most-watched Sunday DC public affairs show last week, but due to NBC Sports coverage of the US Open, the show was labeled a "special" and will not be included in the week or season-to-date Nielsen average. "MTP" aired at various times last Sunday because of the rain-delayed Open. CBS's "Face The Nation" came in first in adult age 25-54 viewers, edging "MTP"..... Comcast Spotlight Lands FIOS Deal - 6/25 - DCRTV hears that Comcast Spotlight has signed a deal to represent Verizon FIOS TV for local advertising sales in "select" markets. More at businesswire.com..... Baier's Fancy DC Digs - 6/25 - More press for Fox News DCer Brett Baier. This time, the DC Post tells us all about Baier's "new stone-and-stucco place off Foxhall Road in Northwest Washington"..... Horten Leaving CapFile - 6/25 - Lisa Horten is leaving her deputy editor gig at Capitol File magazine to move to Atlanta, where her husband will attend the business school at Emory. She took the CapFile job in February. Horten will be replaced by Christie Findlay..... Rosie Jumps To Sirius XM - 6/25 - Comic, actor, and former TV talk show host Rosie O'Donnell will host "Rosie Radio," a new daily morning radio show on Sirius XM. It'll launch this fall and air weekdays from 10 AM to noon on Sirius-102 and XM-155..... Zellner Jumps From Sirius XM To CC - 6/25 - DCRTV hears that Jon Zellner is leaving Sirius XM as the satrad firm's vice president of music programming to join Clear Channel as its senior vice president of programming. He'll work with 25 major and mid-sized markets. In the immediate DC-Baltimore area, Clear Channel owns about a dozen radioers..... Examiner Spy Blogger Charges CIA With "Harrassment" - 6/25 - Stephen Lee, a former CIA operations manager who blogs for the Washington Examiner, suspects the spy agency's censors are trying to sabotage his new career. Lee recently launched the critical "Examiner Spy" column for the Examiner newspaper chain, which has a DC daily edition. He also pens a biting cartoon for his own website, NationalSecurityDrone.com, under the name Frank Naif. "I believe I am being subjected to a campaign of low-level harrassment," Lee told CQ Politics..... Malone To Pay Fine In Discovery Merger - 6/25 - Denver media mogul John Malone will pay $1.4 million to settle a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging that he violated reporting rules. Federal authorities filed the civil lawsuit Tuesday in US District Court in Washington DC, at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. It alleged that Malone violated pre-merger reporting and waiting requirements when he acquired voting securities in what was at the time known as Discovery Holding Company, which is based in Silver Spring. The proposed $1.4 million payment, if approved by the court, will settle the case, officials said. More at bizjournals.com..... Oinounou Leaves Fox DC - 6/25 - Mosheh Oinounou jumps from his producer gig at Fox News in DC to NYC as an international editor for Bloomberg TV..... ZeniMax Buys Id - 6/25 - ZeniMax Media, the Rockville-based parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks, announced yesterday that it has acquired game development studio Id Software. Id is famous among video game fans as the Texas-based studio behind popular franchises such as "Doom" and "Quake." Bethesda Softworks, meanwhile, is known for games such as last year's blockbuster hit "Fallout 3." The DC Post has more..... Right On, Target! - 6/25 - Rant. On 6/12, my DTV started dying. Occasional grey screens evolved to grey screens almost all the time. So, on Monday, I spied a cool Vizio DTV with 1080p (not 720p like the old Insignia one) at Target and I bought it. Two days later, I visited the same Target to buy some sweat socks only to find that the same exact DTV set I had bought was now on sale for $30 cheaper. Damn! I checked with a Target suit who told me that if you buy something at Target and it goes on sale at any time within the next 14 days, you can bring in your receipt and get an "adjustment" refund for the sale price. I did that today. Target - cool store! More Rants..... Swine Flu Hits Post Newsroom - 6/24 - Washington Post staffers were notified last night that three cases of swine flu have been reported at the paper's 15th and L headquarters in DC, according to an internal memo obtained by the Politico. Usha Chaudhary, VP of finance and administration, told staffers that the three employees were asked to stay home for seven days, and that those in the building should take precautions, such as using the hand sanitizers now being left in the Post's common areas..... NOVA Mag Does DCRTV Dave - 6/24 - Rant. Take that Washingtonian! DCRTV Dave gets a write-up in the July issue of Northern Virginia magazine, page 29. Great piece by Buzz McClain. Although, the article gives the impression that your friendly webmaster is somewhat of a recluse. OK, yeah, he's not a party animal, but he's not quite thaaaaat "anti" human contact. Pick up a copy at your local newsstand, if you dare. Or subscribe at northernvirginiamag.com. More Rants..... 7's DTV Reception Complaints Have "Tapered Off" - 6/24 - From B&C: Channel 7/ WJLA continues to have some "pockets of problems" with digital reception, but the calls have tapered off and some are being addressed via asking viewers with DTV sets or DTV converter boxes to "double-scan" their local signals. That is according to Jerald Fritz, Allbritton's senior vice president, who said, "We have a few isolated things... We're taking care of them one at a time and we think the problem is dissipated." And if problems persist, he said, the station can still look to the FCC for some help. WJLA had been on a UHF temporary digital channel but moved its DTV signal back to its original VHF channel..... Source: Vance Sidelined Due To Surgery - 6/24 - DCRTV is hearing unconfirmed rumors that longtime Channel 4/WRC news anchor Jim Vance (left) will be off the air for about six weeks due to surgery he had last weekend for a medical condition. More soon. You'll recall that DCRTV recently reported that Vance's on-air NBC4 evening co-anchor, Doreen Gentzler, is taking off the summer to deal with family issues. She's slated to return in September..... ABC To Sponsor Anti-ABC Event On CapHill - 6/24 - TVNewser tells us that ABC News will be covering an event in the House Radio-TV Gallery today that was assembled to essentially criticize the network. The Media Fairness Caucus, which is made up of GOP members of Congress who are unhappy with ABC News' approach to tonight's health care special, is holding the event, which needs a "sponsor." So the MFC went to ABC and asked if they would do it. ABC News president David Westin agreed. So at least one network will cover the event, ABC, and an off-air ABC News reporter will be in attendance asking questions of the representatives..... Comcast To Offer TBS & TNT Shows On Web & VOD - 6/24 - Area cable TV giant Comcast will offer a selection of TBS and TNT shows online and via video-on-demand. Viewers will be able to watch a range of shows from the Time-Warner-owned networks, including "Saving Grace," "Meet The Browns," and "My Boys." The shows will also be available on comcast.net and fancast.com, and later on tnt.tv and tbs.com. According to B&C, the arrangement is termed a "technical trial," with other networks joining later..... MO'M: Motorcycle Man - 6/24 - WJFK afternooner Mike O'Meara on his love of motorcycles at loudouni.com..... 3 DC Sunday Talkers Trade Stories - 6/24 - CBS's Bob Schieffer, ABC's George Stephanopoulos, and NBC's David Gregory traded stories, predictions, and interviewee wish lists during a wide-ranging "Sunday Show Summit" hosted by the Center For Strategic And Interational Studies. The National Journal has more..... Stern On Absence From Satrad iPhone App - 6/24 - From Radio-Info.com: Howard Stern (left) says a "rights thing" is keeping his show off the popular new Sirus XM iPhone app. Though some suspect that the satellite radio operator may have plans to market a separate "Stern app," for an additional fee. Stern himself observes that it can't be a question of his content, since the new app gives subscribers access to the Playboy Channel. ZDNet quotes Stern saying philosophically, "So we're not on it. Maybe some day we will be." Also missing from the popular new app for iPhones and iPod touch - Major League Baseball, the NFL, and NASCAR. The Motley Fool has more..... Gannett To "Reset" Salaries Lower - 6/24 - Come 7/1, McLean-based media giant Gannett will "reset" salaries for non-contract broadcast division employees. Employees making $30,000 to $39,999, compensation is reduced 4 percent. Employees making $40,000 to $49,999, compensation is reduced 5 percent. Employees making $50,000 and higher, compensation is reduced 6 percent. According to NewsBlues, due to the slumping economy, Gannett workers have already been forced to take two weeks of unpaid furlough, the equivalent of a four-percent pay cut. The furloughs, combined with the salary "reset," means staffers earning more than $50K per year will take a combined income hit of 10 percent..... TWT Slams O For Taking HuffPost Query - 6/24 - The Washington Times is upset that President Obama took a pre-arranged news conference question from a "blogger" for the Huffington Post..... New Classified Ad - 6/23 - NewsChannel 8 is looking for a general sales manager. That's DCRTV's latest Classified Ad. Just $25 will get your ad before many thousands of local media movers and shakers..... Korny: No Interest From Local Radioers - 6/23 - Guesting on Redskins owner Dan Snyder's ESPN 980 this afternoon, Tony Kornheiser (left) said that he's had little serious interest from local radio stations about re-starting his local radio show. "I'm open for bids," he told WTEM's Kevin Sheehan. "I wanna do local radio... All I need are a couple of radio stations, three or four, to step up... Not enough, yet." Former Washington Post sports columnist Kornheiser has, in the past, done local radio shows for WTEM and the now-defunct Washington Post Radio/3WT, but has been busy with his ESPN "Monday Night Football" duties, which ended this year. While still doing ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" in afternoons, Kornheiser says he's free in mornings. However, DCRTV hears from local radio sources that Kornheiser is probably asking for too big a paycheck in the current budget-cutting radio biz environment, and would not commit to at least a three-hour drivetime show. We've heard that Kornheiser has talked to WTEM, CBS's WJFK, which has been rumored to be flipping to sports talk, and Bonneville all-newser WTOP. "I was just dumped from the Post," Kornheiser said about his departure from his longtime employer. While he took a recent buyout, he said he still had a freelance deal to write for the paper's website. "All my memories are wonderful, except the ending." More at the DC Sports Bog at wapo.com..... Post Q&Aer: DC Radio Poorly Covers Local Emergencies - 6/23 - A post in today's Station Break Q&A at washingtonpost.com. Alexandria VA: "Yesterday's Metro tragedy underscored for me how lousy radio news in DC now is. WTOP was... OK, but not great. I listened for an hour, they never reported the obvious details about whether the train was heading in to town or out of it. Yet they managed to get in a lot of questions to spokespeople that even I knew would be answered with 'we can't comment on that.' The only other news voice in town, WAMU, seemed to be locked into its regular NPR programming. Ditto WMAL and its white-male talk. And, no one else in town really has a news presence. If you need evidence of the harm broadcast deregulation has done, there it is. The 'most important city in the world' has one news station, and its reporting resources are lacking"..... TOP Tops Another PPM Week - 6/23 - Another round of those Portable People Meter radio ratings for the DC market, first week of June, age 12+, full-day: 1) WTOP [1st in both drivetimes, including a double-digit 11.6 share in mornings], 2) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 3) WASH [Loriloo 8th], 4) WAMU, 5) WBIG, 6) WRQX [Diamond 4th], 7) WIHT [Kane 5th], 8) WMZQ, 9) WMMJ [Joyner 6th] and WWDC [Elliot 12th], 11) WGTS, 12) WETA-FM and WPGC [Simpson 10th], 14) WKYS [Parr 13th], 15) WPRS, 16) WTEM, 17) WTGB, 18) WMAL [G&A 18th, Rush 11th, Hannity 18th], 19) WLZL and WJFK [Junks 14th, O'Meara 14th], 21) WBQB, 22) WJZW [Imus 21st], 23) WFRE, 24) WPFW. More: 28) WAVA, 30) WFED, 35) WILC and WTNT and WKDV, 40) WAMU's webstream and WWGB and WYCB..... Disputed DC TV News Sharing In Yesterday's Metro Crash - 6/23 - NewsBlues tells us that local DC TV news stations temporarily abandoned their a new agreement to share news footage during coverage of yesterday Metrorail crash, which killed 9 and injured 70. The Local News Service agreement, penned earlier this year, involves Channels 4, 5, and 9 sharing news footage. Channel 7 was not part of the deal. However, a local TV news source tells DCRTV: "I think NewsBlues was wrong about sharing. They may have stopped sharing ground video. But, 4 and 5 shared chopper video. 7 and 9 stayed on maps for the first 30-40 minutes while they tried to get a single. But 4 and 5 had the same chopper live shot until their ground crews arrived." Mike James of NewsBlues adds this clarification: "In January, WRC-4-NBC and WTTG-5-Fox began sharing a news chopper. In early June, NBC-owned WRC-4, Fox-owned WTTG-5, and Gannett's WUSA-9-CBS agreed to each contribute two news photogs to produce 'pool' footage of breaking news stories and news conferences. The new Local News Service cooperative is housed in the basement of WUSA's building on Wisconsin Avenue NW." More in DCRTV's 6/22 newsblurb..... Gene Weingarten Takes Post Buyout - 6/23 - Gene Weingarten, who pens the humor column "Below The Beltway" in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine, is taking a Post buyout. "Generously, the Post offered to hire me back, on contract, to do the same job I am doing now, whatever that is," he wrote in a Q&A today at washingtonpost.com. "But I'm 57, and want to start on some book and movie projects before I get even older and feebler and the DNA in my brain further deteriorates to the point that I can't even finish my own senten..." Iran Arrests Washington Times Reporter - 6/23 - An Iranian news agency reported Tuesday that the Islamic republic's government had arrested a Washington Times reporter who had been covering the disputed election in that country. The news agency Fars quoted the country's director general of foreign media at the culture ministry as saying a Times reporter "of Greek origin" had been detained but I have "no idea about his offense," according to the wire service Agence France Press. The Iranian report did not identify the reporter by name but Times Executive Editor John Solomon said the newspaper believes he is Greek-born freelance journalist Iason Athanasiadis, who had covered the election and violent aftermath for the Times and disappeared a few days ago. More at washingtontimes.com..... McCormick Replaces Zuckman At Trib - 6/23 - John McCormick will replace Jill Zuckman at the Chicago Tribune's DC bureau. Zuckman left the Trib in February to be public affairs director at the Department Of Transportation..... Movie For Matthews - 6/23 - DC's Chris "Hardball" Matthews was in NYC yesterday shooting scenes for a movie called "Morning Glory," starring Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams. Other TV news bit parts in the film are going to CBS's Bob Schieffer and Morley Safer, so reports the NY Post..... Michele Norris To Take Summer Away From NPR - 6/23 - Michele Norris, one of the hosts of DC-based National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," is taking the rest of the summer off to work on a book of essays about race in America. The Observer has more..... More CBS Cuts - 6/23 - More ad slump-related cuts coming to CBS, which owns a dozen radioers and a TVer in the DC-Baltimore area. So says Bloomberg..... Gannett Faces Debt Crisis - 6/23 - From Romenesko: McLean-based "Gannett as we know it will be lucky to last through June 2011... They painted themselves into a corner," a distressed-debt expert says of Gannett management according to TheDeal.com. "They have to raise more than $400 million between now and the middle of 2011 in a market where, frankly, many of their bondholders would rather they default"..... New Post Metro Columnist Denies "Cocoon" Charge - 6/23 - From Romenesko: New Metro section columnist Robert McCartney knocks down a Washington Post chatter's claim that he's "spent 27 years in the protective cocoon of the Post's newsroom where everyone has the same political outlooks and world view." At washingtonpost.com..... Emanuel Tough On WH Press - 6/23 - Howard Kurtz looks at Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel's "no-nonsense" relationship with the White House press. At washingtonpost.com..... Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 6/23 - DCRTV thanks "Pete And Brenda In The Morning" at peteandbrendainthemorning.com for renewing their ad through September. Before they launched their morning show in 2001, Pete and Brenda worked as radio hosts in DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, at stations like WASH, WCAO, WMZQ, WSB, WCAU, and KKBQ. Pete grew up outside of Philadelphia and headed to school in DC. Brenda was raised in Maryland and went to Goucher College. Pete and Brenda met while volunteering at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center Oncology Unit in Baltimore and were married in 1987. Pete and Brenda now make their home in Portland, Oregon..... DC TVers Cover Metro Crash - 6/22 - DC TV newsers all over the late afternoon crash of two Metro trains. A six-car Red Line train headed in the direction of Shady Grove derailed between the Takoma and Fort Totten Metrorail stations and was involved in a collision with another train at 5 PM, according to preliminary reports from Metro. More at washingtonpost.com. Also, on its website, the Washington Post was providing a live video feed of NewsChannel 8's coverage of the mishap. The national cable newsers also provided some coverage of the accident, mainly in the 5 PM hour, although CNN seemed to offer the most coverage. The local TVers were still offering live coverage in the 7 PM hour, with 4, 7, and 9 still live in the 8 PM hour..... Randi Rhodes To 1050 - 6/22 - First on DCRTV. New Air America lefty talker WZAA (1050 AM) will add Randi Rhodes to the 3 PM to 6 PM slot, starting Tuesday. Rhodes now does her nationally-syndicated show from DC..... NPR's Simon To Substitute Anchor BBC Newscast - 6/22 - National Public Radio's Scott Simon will be sitting in the anchor chair of the DC-based "BBC World News America" tonight, while regular host Matt Frei is on-assignment in Pakistan..... Sources: WAMUer Drops "F-Bomb" - 6/22 - DCRTV hears rumblings that a WAMU newscaster accidently dropped the "f-bomb" on 88.5's airwaves yesterday. And the American University station issued at least two on-air apologies for "technical difficulties." WAMU spokeswoman Kay Summers tells DCRTV: "We did air an apology to the audience on Sunday. There was human error that resulted in an off-air conversation being picked up by a live mic while 'Bob Edwards Weekend' was on-air. Matt Bush was the local host who gave the apology. The matter has been dealt with internally through discussions with those involved. Not our finest hour, to be sure, but mistakes happen"...... Sher To Resurrect "Square Off" On 2 - 6/22 - A DCRTVer tells us that Baltimore TV veteran Richard Sher (right) made his debut on Channel 2/WMAR this morning to announce the return of the local news and talk show "Square Off" this September. The show previously ran on Channel 13/WJZ for 19 years, and has been off the air for 12 years. This morning, Sher also talked about his recent Ted Yates Award, presented at this year's local Emmy ceremony, and about being the only person who knew Oprah Winfrey was going to show up at the event to everyones' surprise. Sher, who did the "People Are Talking" talk show with a pre-famous Winfrey in the 1970s at Channel 13, also said some of the old "Square Off" regulars will return to the new WMAR show. He also wants new pundits and panelists. Send your nominations to squareoff@wmar.com..... Fox Cuts Coming To DC? - 6/22 - The NY Daily News tells us that 20 employees got cut Friday at Fox's local NYC TV operation, fueling the rumors of like cuts at Fox's DC stations, Channel 5/WTTG and Channel 20/WDCA. DCRTV has already reported about cuts in 5/20's ad sales department. However, a source tells us that additional cuts at 5/20 may not be coming because of a good response to a recent buyout package. We're told: "Eleven technicians took a buyout offer from WTTG and three technicians are going to LNS (the joint 4, 5, and 9-operated Local News Service) and, so far, there are no layoffs planned because of the buyouts and LNS staffing"..... Geronimo Returns To Radio Dial Down The Shore - 6/22 - Fourteen months after leaving his longtime gig at CBS guy talker WJFK (106.7 FM), DC radio veteran Don Geronimo (right) starts a new radio show today via Rebohoth Beach talker WGMD (92.7 FM). He'll be doing the 9 AM to noon shift, leading up to Rush Limbaugh at noon. After his longtime pairing with Mike O'Meara at WJFK, Geronimo left in April 2008. Since then, he's sold his Great Falls home, relocated permanently to Ocean City, and re-married. Still under contract to CBS until October 2010, Geronimo cannot work in any market where there are CBS stations, including DC and Baltimore. There are no CBS stations in the Ocean City-Salisbury market. Geronimo did do a short-lived radio gig at Ocean City eclectic rocker WOCM (98.1 FM) last summer. DCRTV hears that Geronimo's show won't be streamed on the web and there won't be any official podcast, due to his CBS contract. However, no word about any "unofficial" podcast. In addition to WJFK, Geronimo, who grew up in Rockville, has also worked locally at WAVA and WPGC, back when both were contemporary hit outlets. More at wgmd.com..... CQ's Mark Stencel To NPR - 6/22 - DCRTV hears that Mark Stencel joins DC-based National Public Radio as managing editor for digital news, starting 7/20. After a long run with the Washington Post, Mark joined DC-based Congressional Quarterly in 2005, where he is currently executive editor and deputy publisher of Governing magazine and Governing.com. Before that, he was managing editor of CQ's newsroom..... Atlantic's Galloway To Leave - 6/22 - John Galloway, president of The Atlantic mag's parent, Atlantic Media, will be leaving his post to "reset his career in some, new field likely closer to his new home." He says he'll be heading to Pennsylvania in a few months..... Newsweek Changes - 6/22 - DC-based Newsweek announces that Devin Gordon will be editor of Newsweek.com and Bret Begun will be editor of the "Scope" features..... WaPo Quiet About NYT Abduction - 6/22 - Several dozen news organizations, including the Washington Post, agreed to remain silent about New York Times reporter David Rohde's kidnapping in Pakistan by the Taliban seven months ago. The Times went public with the story on Saturday after Rohde's release. CQ Politics has more..... MHz Benefits From DTV Switcheroo - 6/22 - In Monday's DC Post, Kim Hart looks at Fairfax-based WNVC/WNVT, the public TV station otherwise known as MHz Networks, which has benefited from the switch to digital TV by launching 10 standard-def broadcast and cablecast channels featuring mainly foreign news network relays..... FCC Appointments On Slower Track - 6/22 - The nominations of Julius Genachowski for Federal Communications Commission chairman and Robert McDowell for FCC commissioner were not among a raft of nominees approved by the Senate Friday. Sources confirm Senate Democratic leaders tried to hotline their nominations, which means by unanimous consent without debate or even an actual vote. But just one Senator can keep that from happening, and at least one did. B&C has more..... Kurtz Does Gawker - 6/22 - Howie Kurtz looks at the Gawker empire in the DC Post..... McCartney To Replace Fisher - 6/21 - With Marc Fisher giving up his Metro section column at the Washington Post, Robert McCartney steps in to take over the twice-weekly task. A 27-year veteran of the Post, McCartney's been an editor since 1992. At washingtonpost.com..... Low Expectations For RTCA Dinner - 6/20 - "The jokes may not be as good, but neither is the guest list," President Obama joked during the traditional presidential stand-up portion of the Radio And Television Correspondents Dinner last night at the Washington Convention Center. Expectations were low, with this year's event coming three months after the star-studded White House Correspondents Association Dinner. More from the Politico and the DC Post..... DC Times: ABCers Love Obama - 6/20 - As "indignation turned to outrage" Thursday among critics of an ABC News primetime special on President Obama's health care policy, the Washington Times "has learned that ABC employees gave 80 times as much money to Mr. Obama's 2008 campaign for president than to his rivals"..... Cronkite: Down But Not Yet Out - 6/20 - "He's gone downhill, but not in the last few days... I don't know whether he's going to die tomorrow, or not." So says Andy Rooney, 90, about fellow CBS Newser Walter Cronkite, 92, according to TVNewser on recent rumors that the legendary network news anchor is approaching death's door..... Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 6/20 - ABC7 is looking for a producer. That's DCRTV's latest Classified Ad. Also, DCRTV thanks Baltimore's 98 Rock, WIYY, for renewing their display ads on DCRTV through early 2010. Check out Classic 98 Rock at classic98rock.com and Indie 97.9 at indie979.com and via 97.9 FM's HD Radio digital channels. And, DCRTV welcomes DC area radio and TV great Paul Anthony as an advertiser. Check out his audio clips on the ad banner at the top of this page. Please support DCRTV's advertisers because they support DCRTV..... Garman Ends Loco Blog At Post - 6/19 - Erica Garman, who writes the Living In Loco (Loudoun County) blog for the Washington Post's Loudoun Extra web section, announced today that she is stepping down. Questions a source: "Is it possible the Wash Post is letting go of more than just one blogger?" Following yesterday's news that Dan Froomkin's White House Watch blog has gotten yanked. More at washingtonpost.com..... More Rumors Of Sports Talk On JFK - 6/19 - A few days ago, DCRTV told you that Westwood One had moved its NFL primetime pro football radio package in Baltimore from Hearst's WBAL/98 Rock to CBS's new sports talker, 105.7 The Fan, WJZ-FM. Now, we're hearing more rumblings that the WW1 deal is actually part of a national package deal that'll air on a whole batch of CBS's new FM sports talkers - not only in Baltimore, but in other cities, too. Like maybe even DC and Philadelphia. Lending more credence to the rumblings that CBS is about to flip its Washington "guy talker" WJFK, 106.7 FM, to sports talk. And maybe even struggling rocker WYSP, 94.1 FM, in Philly to sports talk, too, as maybe WIP-FM? The "orders" are not coming from the local clusters, but from CBS's NYC HQ, we're told. Stay tuned..... McGowan Returns To Discovery - 6/19 - Steve McGowan has been named senior vice president of research at Discovery Channel. The executive is returning to Silver Spring-based Discovery, a company he previously spent 13 years with. In his new position, McGowan will organize and direct all of Discovery Channel's broadcast, digital, marketing, and additional research. So reports B&C..... Cable Newsers To Cover Obama's RTCA Address - 6/19 - Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC plan to carry President Obama's remarks at about 8:40 PM at the Radio And TV Correspondents Dinner, which is being held tonight at the Washington Convention Center. DC-based C-SPAN will also provide live coverage..... Confirmed: Economist Buying CQ - 6/19 - DCRTV first reported a rumbling back on 6/8 that the Economist was planning to buy DC-based Congressional Quarterly. Now, FishbowlDC confirms that DCRTV's rumor was right-on-the-money. An announcement date and financial details about the acquisition were not disclosed but sources say that the statements and information about the sale will be made in Q3 by the London-based Economist Group, which already owns CQ's Capitol Hill rival Roll Call..... More On Post's Froomkin Axing - 6/19 - From Romenesko: Washington Post editorial page editor Fred Hiatt says with the end of the Bush administration, interest in Dan Froomkin's White House Watch blog diminished, and "his political orientation was not a factor in our decision" to kill it. Froomkin says that "from what I could tell, it was still working very well. I also thought White House Watch was a great fit with the Washington Post brand." More at wapo.com..... Comcast Offers $10 Basic For DTV-Challenged - 6/19 - Area cable TV giant Comcast is running ads offering $10 per month "limited basic" service, rate good for a year, for people having difficulty picking up area TVers since the digital switchover a week ago today. The Comcast cable tier provides access to all your local broadcast signals. Comcast is also offering a year of free "limited basic" if you sign up for phone or internet service. The offer ends 6/30..... CSN Ramps Up Website - 6/19 - With consumers shifting from newspapers and television to the internet, it is the obligation of any news organization to evolve. Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic knows this and is getting bigger, digitally speaking. The regional sports network is ramping up its web operation with a growing focus on exclusive online content and unique reports that will not appear on television. The goal of the station is to make its website, comcastsportsnet.tv, the go-to site for local sports. More from Tim Lemke in the DC Times..... More: Post's Obsession With Owen Wilson - 6/19 - Rant. I'm calling on the Washington Post's ombudsman to do an investigation of Roxanne and Amy, the authors of the gossipy Reliable Source column. Again, today, there's a mention of actor Owen Wilson (right), who is in town to film a movie. That's something like the sixth mention of Wilson and his little movie in the past week-and-a-half in their column. Either the Source gals are getting "favors" from Wilson's publicist or they have some sort of financial interest in his movie. Please take a gander, Andy Alexander. More Rants..... Genachowski Closer To FCC Top Job - 6/19 - The nominations of Julius Genachowski, to be chairman, and the renomination of Commissioner Robert McDowell to the Federal Communications Commission were approved by the Senate Commerce Committee late Thursday in an off-the-floor markup. More from B&C..... Plotkin & Nnamdi To Guest On Each Other's Shows - 6/19 - DCRTV first told you earlier this week. Now, a quick reminder. WTOP's Mark Plotkin and WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi guest on each other's shows today. Nnamdi will be the guest analyst on "The Politics Program With WTOP's Mark Plotkin" at 10 AM on WTOP radio. At noon, Plotkin will be the guest host on WAMU's "The Politics Hour," hosted by Nnamdi. Before joining WTOP, Plotkin was WAMU's political analyst and was frequently on Nnamdi's show..... No Stern On Satrad iPhone App - 6/19 - You won't be able to get baseball, football, and Howard Stern on that new Sirius XM iPhone ap that DCRTV told you about yesterday. "Laughable and pathetic," grumbled one Stern fan, in a typical complaint, posting on the iPod discussion site iLounge.com. "It's almost like Sirius is trying to fail." Orbitcast reports that yesterday's launch of the Sirius XM app was the top-rated free music app on the popular phone only 12 hours after its debut. It was also the sixth-most-downloaded app overall on Thursday on the entire iTunes service. More in the DC Post..... Cox & WASH Offer Outdoor Flicks In Fairfax - 6/19 - In Northern Virginia, some things in life are still free, thanks to Cox Communications. For five nights, from June 24 through June 28, at Van Dyck Park in Fairfax, the company hosts its annual "Cox Movies Under The Moon," a free outdoor film festival offering family-friendly entertainment under the stars. This is the seventh year that Cox has partnered with the City Of Fairfax and WASH to present this event. Attendees are invited to make donations to the Inova Fairfax Hospital For Children. Cox owns cable TV systems serving Fairfax County and Fredericksburg..... More Royalty Time For Webcasters - 6/19 - The Senate has approved a bill that gives internet radio outlets more time to negotiate with the record labels on royalty payments. The Webcasters Settlement Act Of 2009 would give both sides an additional 30 days from the date of enactment to come to terms. Radio Online has more..... WaPo Terminates Dan Froomkin - 6/18 - Politico learned today that the Washington Post has terminated its relationship with liberal columnist/blogger Dan Froomkin. Froomkin authored the "White House Watch" blog and was told today that the blog had essentially run its course..... More Bad News For Gannett - 6/18 - From Romenesko: McLean-based Gannett shares have traded down by about 10 percent since the company's Monday announcement that CEO Craig Dubow is taking time off to deal with a spine-related ailment. Also, there are rumors of more layoffs and salary cuts at the company at Gannett Blog. Locally, Gannett owns Channel 9/WUSA and USA Today..... AU "Hotbed" For Journalism - 6/18 - From Romenesko: Why has American University become a hotbed for new forms of journalism? Mark Glaser visited the School Of Communications to find out. "The answer kept coming back to a few factors," he writes. "The dean Larry Kirkman was an alchemist, a producer who brought people in from across disciplines; the student body is interested in social justice and change; and Washington DC is a great place for academics to be part of the political action." More at pbs.org..... Cronkite "Gravely Ill" - 6/18 - TVNewser has learned that legendary CBS newsman Walter Cronkite (left), 92, who once held the title of "most trusted man in America," is said to be gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources. The network began updating his obituary more than a week ago, a source adds. Cronkite anchored the "CBS Evening News" from 1962 to 1981. Recently, he's has been doing programs for the Columbia MD-based Retirement Living TV..... "MTP" Remains 1st - 6/18 - NBC's "Meet The Press" was again the top-rated DC Sunday morning political talker last Sunday. CBS's "Face The Nation" placed second, nationwide..... Man Dies In Verizon Dispute - 6/18 - WMAL is reporting that a Vienna VA man died after a Wednesday dispute with a Verizon FIOS cable TV tech. A WTOPer tells DCRTV that the man, 79, who was not satisfied with the job the FIOS installer did, tried to keep the Verizon employee from leaving by getting in front of the van. We're told that the resident then reached into the van to grab the steering wheel and died after falling to the ground. He was not run over, we're told. No charges have been filed. Verizon says it is cooperating with police during the investigation of this "tragic accident," reports wtop.com. The DC Post has more..... TOP Tops May PPMs - 6/18 - No big surprises in the monthly May Portable People Meter radio ratings for the DC market, age 12+, full-week. All-newser WTOP remains solidly in the top spot. No significant traction for CBS's new hot adult contemporary WTGB, Fresh FM, which actually places lower in the overall numbers than it did with its classic rock Globe format, which was ditched in early April. Here they are: 1) WTOP [1st in both drivetimes], 2) WHUR [Harvey 2nd], 3) WASH [Loriloo 8th], 4) WAMU, 5) WBIG, 6) WIHT [Kane 5th], 7) WMMJ [Joyner 7th], 8) WRQX [Diamond 4th], 9) WGTS, 10) WWDC [Elliot 11th] and WETA-FM, 12) WMZQ, 13) WKYS [Parr 11th], 14) WPGC [Simpson 13th], 15) WPRS, 16) WMAL [G&A 16th, Rush 11th, Hannity 18th], 17) WJFK [Junks 14th, O'Meara 15th], 18) WTEM and WLZL, 20) WTGB, 21) WJZW [Imus 21st], 22) WFRE, 23) WWEG, 24) WBQB and WPFW and WAVA. More: 33) WFED and WTNT, 36) WILC and WACA and WYCB and WKDV..... More: 105.7 To Carry NFL Games - 6/18 - The latest Baltimore sports media developments, including the news that CBS Radio's 105.7 The Fan has snagged the rights to the NFL's primetime pro football line-up for the upcoming season, including the playoffs and the Super Bowl, are at pressboxonline.com..... Kurtz To Be More Revealing About CNN Ties - 6/18 - From Romenesko: The Nation's media critic Eric Alterman recently scolded Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz for not mentioning, while defending CNN, that he collects a paycheck from network for his Sunday morning media criticism show. "That was an oversight and won't be repeated," Kurtz tells Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander at washingtonpost.com. "In the online chats, we often discuss my CNN role week after week, as readers ask about, and sometimes criticize, my program. So my impression is that the connection is well-known," Kurtz adds..... Breaking F*cking News: TOPer Finds X-Rated Highway Sign - 6/18 - WTOP reporter Kristi King snapped this pic (right) of a highway warning sign Thursday morning on the Virginia side of the Key Bridge, on the George Washington Parkway northbound. A spokeswoman from the Virginia Department Of Transportation says it's not a VDOT sign. However, WTOP reported that someone from the VDOT was heading over to turn it off. There is more from nbcwashington.com, which features a censored version of the sign..... Post: Virginia Dem Kingmaker? - 6/18 - So, did the Washington Post's repeated endorsements of Democratic candidate for Virginia Governor Creigh Deeds aid his come-from-behind victory last week in the party primary vote? According to today's Washington Post, they did. "By choosing Deeds, the one rural candidate, over two Northern Virginians, doing it on the grounds that he'd be better for Northern Virginia, repeating the endorsement several times and doing it right at the time when voters were first tuning in and trying to learn a bit about the candidates, the Post editorial board created the perfect brew to ensure the endorsement was a key to the late Deeds surge. It didn't hurt that the Deeds campaign in Northern Virginia suddenly took on a 'brought to you by the Washington Post' flavor after he snagged the editorial board's nod. By plastering the Post's banner on every sign and mail piece, the Deeds campaign made sure the column didn't get used just to wrap fish"..... Sirius XM Unveils Apple Ap - 6/18 - Sirius XM Radio today announced the availability of a free application on the Apple App Store that will allow satellite radio subscribers with iPhone and iPod touch access to Sirius XM's 120-plus channels..... Johnny Holliday Gets Buzzed For Grandson - 6/18 - In case you missed it, there's more at masnsports.com about yesterday's "buzz-a-thon" in honor of Jack Rolle, the grandson of MASN's Johnny Holliday. "Nats Extra" hosts Holliday and Ray Knight (right) got buzz cuts to raise money for the National Children's Hospital's Brain Tumor Institute..... Murdoch Sells Weekly Standard To Anschutz - 6/17 - As DCRTV has been hinting. It's official today. Righty media baron Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which owns the Fox News Channel and DC's Fox5, is selling his DC-based Weekly Standard righty political magazine to righty media baron Philip Anschutz's Clarity Media, which owns the Washington Examiner. No price announced. More at washingtonexaminer.com..... Comcast Connects Soldiers To Home - 6/17 - Comcast's Eastern Division, which includes Maryland, Virginia, and DC, has donated 7,500 cell phones to Cell Phones For Soldiers, an organization that keeps US troops serving overseas connected with family and loved ones back home. Comcast's year-long employee donation effort has yielded enough cell phones to provide 450,000 minutes of calling time in pre-paid calling cards. The donated phones will be sent to ReCellular, which pays CPFS for each donated phone. CPFS has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 pre-paid calling cards to soldiers..... 105.7 Nabs NFL Package - 6/17 - DCRTV hears that CBS Radio's Baltimore sports talker WJZ-FM, 105.7 The Fan, has signed a deal with Westwood One to carry the NFL's primetime package of pro football games this season. Including the Thursday night, Sunday night, and Monday night games, the playoffs, and the Super Bowl..... Former Sunner Maese To Post - 6/17 - DCRTV told you that some Baltimore Sun scribes, who were among the 60-plus employees cut in early April, might be landing at the Washington Post. Well, DCRTV now hears that former Sun sports reporter Rick Maese, who got the word that he was being laid off while at the Camden Yards press box covering the Orioles, joins the Post as a Redskins beat writer, starting 7/13..... Atlantic's Top Twitter DC Insiders - 6/17 - The Atlantic names "The 30 Washington Insiders You Should Follow On Twitter." Including twitter.com/westwingreport, an anonymous source of "fast, accurate, and unbiased coverage of President Obama direct from the White House press room." Who could it be? Hmmm..... Newsmax To Start DC Office, Cut Ties With DC Times - 6/17 - Florida-based Newsmax is planning a DC office within the next six months. The only organization currently listed as a "news partner" on newsmax.com is the conservative Washington Times. Expect that to change as the allegedly right-leaning Newsmax "actively pursues new partnerships and considers strategic acquisitions," says Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy via FishbowlDC..... Sirius XM To Tack On Copyright Charge - 6/17 - Starting at the end of July, Sirius XM Satellite Radio will be hitting its subscribers with a fee of up to about $2 per month to pay for music copyright fees. FMQB has more..... Newseum To Host AlJaz Panel - 6/17 - Al Jazeera will hold a panel discussion at the Newseum on 6/25 at 12:30 PM to examine the media's role in covering the US from home and abroad. Josh Rushing will moderate the panel, which will feature news legend David Frost, who now works for the Qatar-based network. Al Jazeera English's nightly newscasts are carried by Fairfax-based Channel 30/WNVC's Worldview TV at 11 PM each evening. WNVC will give AJE fulltime carriage on 7/1, when it adds it to its 30-5 digital broadcast signal via its MHz batch of foreign channel relays, replacing the Dutch BVN network..... Preset Alert: AM Talkers - 6/17 - With the re-launch, this morning, of lefty talk network Air America on the DC radio dial via WZAA 1050 AM, you may want to add it to your car radio AM presets. So, you've got 1050 lefty talk, in addition to 570 righty talk, 630 more righty talk, 1580 yet more righty talk, plus 780 Christian talk, and 1450 urban talk. And don't forget Baltimore talkers - righty and lefty 1090 and righty 680, both of which cover good chunks of the DC metro. Plus urban talk on 1010. And don't forget sports talkers on DC's 980, and Baltimore's 1570, 1300, and 1370, the latter with an OK signal into the DC area during days..... 7 & 9 Lose Viewers In DTV Change - 6/17 - Five days after the national transition to all-digital television, Channel 9/WUSA, the area's CBS affiliate, and Channel 7/WJLA, the ABC affiliate, have disappeared from screens around the region. Bill Lord, vice president of news at WJLA, said the station has received more than 350 calls from viewers who are having reception problems since Friday's transition. It is holding an online chat at noon today on wjla.com to answer questions. The sudden loss may be due to viewers trying to capture VHF signals with a UHF antenna. On 6/12, both stations moved their UHF digital signals back to their old VHF channel allocations. To receive all the available digital stations, consumers should install an antenna that can receive both UHF and VHF broadcasts. Indoor antennas should have extendable poles, or "rabbit ears," for VHF and a loop for UHF. The DC Post has more..... More DTV Bills On CapHill - 6/17 - Bills have been introduced in Congress that would put another $700 million into the digital TV transition over the next two years. Plans would fund the purchase or an indoor or outdoor antenna, including the cost of installation, and require cable and satellite systems to make a $10 package of basic broadcast service available for people who can't get adequate DTV over-the-air reception. B&C has more..... DCRTV's DTV List - 6/17 - Don't forget. DCRTV has compiled a DTV List of regional digital TV stations and their current channel allocations plus available digital subchannels..... Malloy: Goodbye Old TV - 6/17 - Courtland Malloy bids a fond farewell to his old analog TV and the old shows like "Howdy Doody," "I Love Lucy," and "The Nat King Cole Show." At washingtonpost.com..... Former ABCer Now With WH Responsible For ABC's Obama Specials? - 6/17 - From TVNewser: "It turns out the director of communications for the White House Office Of Health Reform, since last month, is former ABC News correspondent Linda Douglass, who left journalism last year to join the Obama campaign. This is leading some to wonder whether ABC News had the upper hand in landing the president (next week) for the primetime special as well as an interview on "Good Morning America" and allowing two ABC News broadcasts to originate from the White House next week. An ABC News spokesperson, however, says there's no connection between Douglass and ABC's access. The network approached the administration days after the inauguration and pitched the idea of a White House town hall meeting, says the spokesperson"..... PBS Agrees To Ban New "Sectarian" Programs - 6/17 - The Arlington-based Public Broadcasting Service agreed yesterday to ban its member stations from airing new religious TV programs, but permitted the handful of stations that already carry "sectarian" shows to continue doing so. The vote by PBS's board was a compromise from a proposed ban on all religious programming. Such a ban would have forced a few stations around the country to give up their PBS affiliation if they continued to broadcast local church services and religious lectures. The change could force a longtime local religious program to move from public TVer Channel 32/WHUT to commercial Channel 50/WDCW. The DC Post has more..... Sympathy For Dave - 6/17 - Rant. I've always been a big David Letterman fan, way back to his late late nights on NBC. I laughed and, yes, cringed at his joke last week about Sarah Palin's daughter. And I'm glad that he's apologized for it - twice. But I was more repulsed by yesterday's protesters in front of his NYC theater, some carrying signs claiming that Letterman was some sort of "sex pervert." The actions of some of Palin's supporters calling for Letterman's job and his head have made the remote chance that I'll ever vote for a presidential ticket with her on it technically nil. More Rants..... Obama FCCer Rejects FairDoc - 6/16 - Julius Genachowski (right), President Obama's nominee for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said Tuesday that he did not support reimposing the Fairness Doctrine. He was asked at his nomination hearing by ranking Senate Commerce Committee Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison to publicly state the opinion he had expressed to her in a meeting - that he did not support the doctrine, even if it were arrived at by ancillary routes like localism mandates. Genachowski said he strongly believes in the First Amendment and doesn't think the FCC should be involved in censorship based on political speech and opinion. B&C and the Washington Post have more..... Sun Redesigns Website - 6/16 - The Baltimore Sun has launched a redesign of baltimoresun.com that features a more streamlined appearance, user-friendly navigation, and an improved video player. Says Sun Editor Monty Cook: "It will be easier to provide comment on every story, easier to engage with other users and easier to scan for the latest information." Like a recent move by the Washington Post on its website, the Sun's website logo (right) is now more similar to that of the print Sun, reinforcing the close connection between the two media. Commentary tools will now be available with each article, and readers will be easily able to share stories via social sites like Digg, Reddit, and Mixx. The Sun says readership of its website is up 9 percent from last year..... Kirk McEwen To OC's WOCM - 6/16 - DCRTV hears that Baltimore radio veteran Kirk McEwen will be joining Ocean City eclectic rocker WOCM (98.1 FM) in the 7 PM to 11 PM shift, starting 6/22. Formerly part of the long-running "Kirk And Mark" radio duo, he's been sidelined since getting canned from CBS Radio's 105.7 last year, before it flipped to sports talk. Before that, Kirk and Mark had been doing mornings on Hearst's WIYY, 98 Rock..... AirAm's 1050 To Be WZAA, Launches Wednesday - 6/16 - First on DCRTV. We hear that the new call letters for the new Air America lefty political talk station on 1050 AM will be WZAA. The new moniker takes effect at midnight tonight, when Air America will take over operations. The Bonneville station, which sported the WTOP-AM calls, has been relaying all-newser WTOP, which is widely available on FM, including WTOP-FM, 103.5. Earlier this month, Bonneville signed a deal to lease the 1050 signal and studio space to Air America. With a website at airamericawashington.com, the WZAA line-up includes: Lionel at 6 AM, Montel Williams at 9 AM, Rachel Maddow at noon, Ron Kuby at 1 PM, "Live In Washington With Jack Rice" at 3 PM, Ron Reagan at 6 PM, "Hollywood Clout" at 9 PM, and more Jack Rice at 11 PM. Martin Sheehan, former Clear Channel and ESPN Radio executive, has been named station manager. "We plan to utilize our new Washington DC broadcast facilities to originate nationwide programming with our talent," said Bill Hess, senior vice president of programming of Air America Media. "Now that we're in our new DC home on Idaho Avenue (with WTOP), we're also producing regularly-scheduled local programming"..... "PC Guy" To RTCA Dinner - 6/16 - John Hodgman, who plays "the PC guy" in those Mac commercials, will be featured this Friday during the Radio Television Correspondents' Association's annual dinner. The Onion News Network and JibJab will also be at the Washington Convention Center confab..... New Chief Of Globe's DC Bureau - 6/16 - Christopher Rowland gets named head of the Boston Globe's Washington news bureau. He replaces Peter Canellos, who was named editor of the New York Times-owned Globe's editorial pages last week..... Will O'Meara Stay At Sportsy JFK? - 6/16 - From Tuesday's "Station Break" Q&A at washingtonpost.com: "Arlington VA: Hey Paul, Do you have any more scoop on what is going on with WJFK? Will Mike O'Meara and his crew be ousted when they switch over to all sports line-up next month? Maybe Mike and Robb can go work on the new Don Geronimo show if they are out of a job.... Paul Farhi: I think the station would like to keep Mike and crew around in some fashion. But what that fashion will be is still a work in progress"..... DC Times Holds Party For New AM Show - 6/16 - Even though the show's not yet on in its home market, the Washington Times last night held a launch party for its new morning radio program at Morton's in Georgetown. Including John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan, who co-host the new "America's Morning News." While about 20 stations across the country are said to be carrying the Talk Radio Network syndicated show, Red Zebra talker WTNT (570 AM) and at least one other local station, possibly CBS talker WHFS (1580 AM), are reportedly "interested" in carrying the show..... CBS: Put New HFS On 1580 - 6/16 - Rant. CBS Radio's "The Big Talker 1580" gets no ratings. Zip zero nada. It doesn't even show up in the PPM numbers with its perverse parade of second-tier syndie righty talkers. Below even Red Zebra righty talker WTNT and way below Citadel righty talker WMAL. So, the 1580 signal's already got the WHFS calls, so why doesn't CBS take the resurrected alt rock WHFS signal from 94.7's digital HD2 and also relay it on 1580? It would greatly improve the new WHFS's "cache" by having it back on the "real radio," even if it is "only" AM, and it might actually get someone to listen to poor old 1580. Come on, CBS, do it! WHFS: 94.7 HD2, hfs2.com, and 1580 AM! More Rants..... CBS Expands "Washington Unplugged" - 6/16 - CBS News expands its "Washington Unplugged" Bob Schieffer-hosted DC newsy webcast from weekly to daily. It'll "air" at 12:30 PM every weekday at cbsnews.com..... Stern Sidekick Slams HBO - 6/16 - Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange fires back at HBO after he guests - and gets slammed for being in "bad taste" - on the debut episode of "Joe Buck Live." B&C has more..... Murdoch's Wife Hates Weekly Standard - 6/16 - The Deal.com has more on why media baron Rupert Murdoch is selling his DC-based Weekly Standard. "Wendi hates it and is embarrassed by it," a top banker says of Mrs. Murdoch, nee Deng, who's about to celebrate her first decade as the third wife of News Corporation chief. "He wants to make sure it has a future should something happen to him." Murdoch's Asian-born wife isn't alone in her disdain of the Beltway bible for neocons. "Rupert knows he's its only friend in his family and his company," the banker adds. "And he's tired of hearing complaints about it"..... Where In NYC Is Vickie Burns Today? - 6/16 - The NY Daily News catches up with former WRC News Director Vickie Burns, who has just been "promoted" from ND of NBC sister NYC TVer, WNBC, to VP of content and audience development. NewsBlues tells us where NBC's local news is heading: "Instead of fires and crime, viewers will be treated to fashion and entertainment news. Because, after all, we are the world's most uninformed and pampered society, so it makes perfect sense in an NBC-Universal cross-promotional corporate culture kind of way. It's hard to cross-promote a stabbing"..... Older news goes to DCRTV's News Archive. Copyright Dave Hughes/DCRTV.....

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