Current Mailbag - Mailbag Archive Index - DCRTV Front Page - Support DCRTV DCRTV Mailbag - May 16 to May 25, 2009 Latest messages listed first..... \/ May 25 Messages \/ Any idea why WTOP isn't the background music on Doug Hill's Weather Now anymore? It was nice to hear it in the background, it was like having WTOP with radar; priceless. BRING IT BACK!! I wish WUSA's Doppler 9000 channel had WASH-FM playing year-round. (5/25/09) Re:: Geronimo on Memorial Day. "Pontificating & self-righteous" I am not...but let's talk about you! First, the fact that you "happen to enjoy his written observations & commentary" makes you, on the evolution chart, a member of the slug family.- slow to the point in finding some enlightenment when Sorce complains about a neighbors bongo playing? Your assertion that you can then remain "very sensitive to the plight of some of our veterans" only shows me that you do very little, if any, in your daily walk, to make a true difference in a vets life - which is exactly why I wrote my post. With only so many hours in a day, just think how much of a difference [you] and 2200 plus people can make in veterans causes in the time you waste reading his posts; a Twitter account which come at a peculiar time and that of his former WJFK associates. Sorce's Memorial Day post, which came after my submission to DCRTV, will not change who he is as a person to a lot of radio "veterans." A bad guy, not evil. Inasmuch, maybe 2200 people will make better use of their time starting now. I hold no hope out for you. (5/25/09) My thanks to the poster who mentioned the WABC rewinds..been listening to it for awhile today. Burt in Denton (5/25/09) The skinny on DC's brief fling with "Super TV" can be found at DCMemories.com... The scrambled subscription service premiered around November 1st, 1981 on then brand-new Channel 50, WCQR-TV. In just a little over four years, by January 1st, 1985, the service was gone from DC airwaves, and would only survive on Baltimore's Channel-54 for three more months. Yes, the after-11:00 pm fare was R-rated and naughty, but never as hot as you'd be led to believe by the promoters. A sampling of their "provocative late night adult entertainment" from the May 1983 Washington Post TV Channels listings shows "Wanda Whips Wall Street", "Inside The Love House", "Randy, The Electric Lady", and "The Immoral One". (5/25/09) Guess Doreen Gentzler felt that she pretty much earned the right to ask for a leave of absence..Especially since it appears that Jim Vance gets quite a bit of time off. (5/25/09) This is a little less than timely, mainly because I’m not as devoted a follower of DCRTV as I should be. Last March, someone posted a note asking how to contact me with a reference to my work on the remodeling of the White House Briefing Room. Some kind person pointed them toward iBiquity Digital Corporation, where I was hired on after ABC let me go. Unfortunately my position at iBiquity was eliminated as part of a 20% staff reduction last January. Given this is a wide open forum, let me steer you toward my page on Linkedin.com for contact info. Right now I’m currently looking for new opportunities while exploring several possibilities but would gladly answer any questions the poster might have. – Steve Densmore (5/25/09) This TV (MGM movies) is carried on a subchannel of Channel 45/WBFF Baltimore. It's also carried on Comcast Cable Howard County. (5/25/09) Dave's response: Yeah, 45 replaced its local Good TV subchannel with MGM's This TV last year. All of the Baltimore area Comcast systems carry digital 45.2..... The "wierd cartoon skit about the Lone Ranger being gay and wanting Tonta ( yes pronounced incorrectly) and a horse for 'an indescribable act'." was based on Lenny Bruce's famous "Thank You Mask Man" bit. Here at YouTube: www.youtube.com (5/25/09) The comments about Super TV and so-called "adult films", does anyone remember the rumors back in the late 1970's and early 1980's where full nudity and sex, even intercourse will be commonplace on regular TV by 1985? I can remember actually hearing from my grandfather at the time telling me he had read in the paper that WETA ( yes that WETA ) would be airing porn late at night. Same thing with WDCA too. In both cases, the stations would sign off at their usual time only to come back on the air an hour later to show adult movies til about 4 or 5am..sign off and go dark for 30 minutes and then return to the air showing their regular programming. Also back then there was another "rumor" where the networks will start showing full frontal nudity on the soaps inlcuding As The World Turns and General Hospital. Of course all this was was just that a..rumor but it didn't stop some local stations around the US to take to their own airwaves telling viewers to pay no attention to these rumors ( the Syracuse, New York stations I believe did this ). Interesting somebody had brought up the x-rated movie "Taboo". Back in 1979( Maybe it was 1980 ) CBS aired a tv movie called "Flesh & Blood". Kinda of funny looking back now, I remember watching "Flesh & Blood" but don't have a clue about what the movie was about but I do remember the "rumors" about that movie. I remember the pastor of our local baptist church at the time telling us to boycott both CBS and channel 9 because of this movie was supposed to feature such scenes as the son getting aroused at the sight of watching his mother, naked taking a shower. and the "mother" sneaking into her son's bedroom only to end up haviing sex with her son. Of course none of that was seen in the movie Flesh & Blood and the people calling for a boycott ended up with egg ontheir faces. Funny footnote to this... years later I was working at a video store in Ohio and right there among our selections of adult titles..TABOO. I took the movie home and watching those scenes like the mother in the shower while the son watched, the sneaking into the bedroom etc...funny those were exactly the scenes my old Pastor Grooms was talking about in church many years before. Have to wonder if my old pastor had actually watched that movie, perhaps maybe "feeling guity" only to pick some TV movie out of random just to start something. (5/25/09) Dave's response: I've lived in the DC area since 1972, and I have absolutely no recollection of WETA or WDCA airing porn (scrambled or unscrambled) after sign-off..... I remember a similiar service to Super TV on Channel 68 in NYC. It was the origin of what became Home Box Office (and yes, I am correct, the founder of HBO gave a nice presentation a few years back on the whole origin of HBO, its disappoint with the technology then for OTA subscription and why they invested in cable.; I know this disagrees with Wikipedia, which has a version that pretty much ignores the visionary behind HBO) and led what we now know as 'cable' to evolve from a utility style MATV service to the modern subscription based cable service. IIRC correctly, the service was even called HBO but began as something else like Home Theatre Network. HBO did carry adult material, and that had a lot to do with needing better control of the delivery system, free from OTA concerns. (5/25/09) Dave's response: My sometimes faulty memory circuits tell me that the subscription service offered on the NYC area's channels 68/67 was something called Wometco Home Theater, which then became SelecTV. Check out this entry in Wikipedia. Wasn't adult-ish kiddie show "Uncle Floyd" on 68/67 during the unscrambled hours? A question on local digital sub channels triggered by the previous post of, “[W]ill someone euthanize Weather Plus on 4.2?” I noticed in the trades months ago that the Tribune TV stations (aka ch. 50 in Washington) were going to be showing old MGM movies in one of their digital sub channels. Even the WaPo’s TV book lists this channel as 50.2, But Comcast doesn’t carry it nor can I get it when I scan the OTA digital signals. Is ch. 50 broadcasting this sub channel?? (5/25/09) Dave's response: I tried locking on to 50's digital signal via my over-the-air TV today, and all I could get was a freeze frame image of its main signal. No sign for me of "This TV"..... Debtors prison? For WHO? The people who've been fucked out of everything or the ones who did the fucking? Sure Great Idea. Lets get everyone who's lost it all concentrated in one place and let the administrators of every corporation responsible run the place. That way when theres a prison break we can all get our hands on at least SOME of the fuckers.The 'Recession' may be winding down but the shock wave has not. (5/25/09) If I remember correctly SuperTV did air porno after midnight,I think it was designed just for that purpose but disguised it with other programming. I remember a wierd cartoon skit about the Lone Ranger being gay and wanting Tonta ( yes pronounced incorrectly) and a horse for 'an indescribable act'. Wow TV sucked then too. (5/25/09) Please, will someone euthanize Weather Plus on 4.2? I surfed past it this Monday morning and saw the forcast for Saturday in Winchester. If they won't update it, drop it. Use the bits to make Universal Sports a little less macroblocked. On second thought, don't do anything. Remember when they added Universal Sports and it took about a month for everyone with Philips TVs to get the main HD feed back? NBC really needs to sell that thing and stop the death by a thousand paper cuts. Such a proud tradition. So sad. John (5/25/09) Re: The question about SuperTV... I guess it depends on your definition of "hard core". There's no doubt that "adult" films were aired (see www.youtube.com) but who knows which ones? They could "get away" with it because it wasn't available to the general public, you had to pay for access -- although that SSAVI scrambling left the picture clear enough most of the time... ~~CA in BC (5/25/09) Last night a group of us was playing poker and for some reason the subject of "Super TV" was brought up. Super TV being that long defunct suscription TV service that had aired on DC's 50 and Baltimore's 50 way back when. One of my friends was telling me last night that he can remember watching the infamous early 80's Kay Parker porno flick "Taboo" late one night on Super TV unedited even showing that infamous scene of Kay Parker "mother" in bed with her naked 20 something year old "son" saying "..it is sooooo good to hold my baby boy in my arms again". OK..so did Super TV REALLY show hardocre porn late at night? Not talking about the stuff one can see on Cinemax ( OK Skinamax) late at night but rather the hardcore films like those featuring John Holmes, Ron Jeremy and Amber Lynn for example. If they did how could had Super TV had gotten away with that? I know it was a pay-service but hardcore? (5/25/09) Dave's response: Super TV was on Baltimore's 54..... So, according to Hannity, waterboarding is not torture. Therefore, if one of our troops is ":waterboarded" over there, they were not being tortured. I am sure the those terrorists, fighting us on two fronts, that "hate America for its freedoms," got Hannity's message loud and clear. Now, Hannity sent out a disparaging press release against a retired Navy Seal? It is pellucid Hannity hates our troops. On Military Appreciation Month, WMAL should show their respect for our troops and kick this low-life American troop hater assh0le off the air in DC. If they don't, can I assume WMAL really does hate our troops, as well? (5/25/09) To the pontificating, self-righteous critic of that evil Geronimo fella, see: dongeronimo.posterious.com. I happen to enjoy his written observations and commentary AND am very sensitive to the plight of some of our veterans. (5/25/09) Dave: today's radio listings flashback was very entertaining with so many great names. It was, indeed, a little bit of history: Eddie Gallaher, Al Ross, Mac Mcgarry, Joy Boys, Johnny Wilcox, Felix Grant, Stan Karas..Wow! Took me back to some golden days of DC radio. Thanks, Bob Duckman (5/25/09) This week, the "Mouthy Little Kid Who Continues To Talk Himself Into The Corner" award goes once again to Sean Hannity: First it was Charles Grodin, then it was Keith Olbermann, now the challenge is coming from Jesse Ventura. The former Minnesota governor, TV wrestler and Navy SEAL - a man who obviously knows a thing or two about waterboarding, including having submitted to the procedure himself - has pronounced the "enhanced interrogation" tactic a definite form of torture. In a recent interview, Ventura offered Fox News Commentator Sean Hannity yet another waterboard challenge - offering to give a thousand dollars to charity if Hannity will submit himself to waterboarding by Ventura. Ventura stated, "I'll bet a thousand bucks that I could get Hannity to say 'Barack Obama is the greatest president' [while waterboarding him] -- if I get him to say it, he'll give the thousand to charity and if I can't, I'll give the money to charity." Ventura says that Hannity cut short a recent interview with him before they had a chance to discuss waterboarding because, "He's scared to death of me." Hannity responded to Ventura's challenge in a statement released by his agent: "Jesse was on radio and TV with me for a combined 30 full minutes last week - what a shame in his old age he couldn't remember to [challenge me] on air then. The truth is, Jesse has become a dull guest who's trying to recapture his former political glory and sell his recently released paperback... Clearly Jesse swallowed too much water while surfing, which is how he now spends his time." Gee, I wonder if Sean will have the guts to book Ventura on his show to discuss this tomorrow afternoon. Doubtful...Hannity proving himself to be far too big of a pussy to ever admit that once again, his mouth has written a check that he clearly lacks the "courage" to cash. (5/25/09) Fred Grandy on this morning's "Grandy and Andy" show on WMAL says he saw two movies over the weekend. He recommends the abominable "The Reader," but that's OK: Some people think high-toned Oscar bait with poorly rendered literary themes makes for great cinema. It's an understandable reaction. But then Grandy says "Rachel Getting Married," one of last year's best movies, is a movie only "a liberal" could love, and he warns viewers against it. I'm a conservative and chose "Rachel Getting Married" as the third best film of last year. I guess that makes me a "liberal." Christian (5/25/09) Dave's response: I saw "The Reader" and thought it was a very powerful film. Kate Winslet, even aged-by-makeup and uglied-up, was still "way too pretty" for her role as a former Nazi guard, I thought. Never saw "Rachel"..... Does anyone remember a kids' show in the 1960's where a boy and a girl entered the facade of a haunted house and some guy in a black cape and what looked like a devil mask offering them wrapped presents, one in each hand? The kids took the gifts and left the haunted house to see what they won. I think it was some sort of kids game show. (5/25/09) To the 2200 plus subscribers of Don Geronimo's Twitter Account and readers of DCRTV... I know a few things about radio. I know a lot more about Memorial Day from multiple military perspectives. I also know that something is bothering me today - maybe it's just symbolic of this day when America is more apt to buy a sofa or mark the change of fashion season than begin to make a difference in a vets life. For the over 2200 subscribers of Mike Sorce's twit account, it is my hope, if just for one day, you will take the time it takes you to scan his worthless comments, to visit and get to know such men as Jon Soltz at votevets.org or fisherhouse.org, supportyourvet.org, and beyondtribute.org, a new nonprofit that is encouraging merchants of all sizes today to give a percentage of sales to veteran organizations. For those of you on the east coast, pay a visit to Walter Reed or the Bethesda Navy Hospital. In closing, did you know that as of this month, about one-third of the adult homeless population has been in the armed forces. Current population estimates are that, on any given night, as many as 154,000 veterans, of both genders, are homeless, and possibly twice as many experience homelessness during the year. 97% of homeless veterans are male; the vast majority of whom are single. Homeless vets tend to be older, and far more educated than their civilian counterparts. 45% are said to suffer from some form of "mental illness," and more than half are African-American or Hispanic. Of those veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, those who return from battle with some kind of physical, or psychological disability, often fall prey to the Department of Veterans Affairs which victimizes them further by delaying their claims often for months, and sometimes for years. You would know this if you truly supported a vet and were not following such a bad guy in Sorce. Do the right thing, support a good-guy in Mike O'Meara and kick Geronimo to the online curb. You have better uses for your time. (5/25/09) So I’m watching the FOX 5 News Edge at 11 and I about lost it. Did the sports guy, Anthony Amey, really just make a reference about the movie “Friday”?! Oh yes he did! How charmingly ghetto! And that is why FOX 5 is DC’s urban station. I love it. The funniest part is that Amey addressed fellow African American Maureen Umeh when making the reference and conveniently left out the uber whitie known as Will Thomas. That is comedic gold! (5/25/09) There's more to the story about Doreen Gentzler's summer sabbatical. As provided in her new multi-year WRC/NBC contract, she'll be spending the next three months designing her new "DGDC" celebrity collection for the Scheinhardt Wig Company. (5/25/09) Dave, anyone, Do the Purple People Meters record HD channel listenership? I've been listening to BIG, DC101 and AMU's HD channels a lot more recently. And thanks to GAB in the Airless Cubicle for the report about KBC Radio. I had wondered earlier about WBCQ The Planet www.wbcq.com and had speculated about looking for a Grundig. I have learned since then that Grundigs are not too popular review wise and that Sony is the way to go. Thanks, Robert in Arlington (5/25/09) Dave's response: I do think the PPMs record HD Radio listenership. However, I've never seen an HD2 channel show up in the local numbers..... /\ May 25 Messages /\ \/ May 24 Messages \/ After WXRK 92.3 went to top 40, a new lease on life was given to WRXP. It's them plus WAXQ for the rock n' roll audience in and around New York City. The market won't allow huge ratings for them in NYC, however the numbers will get better. I can't imagine WRXP changing formats. (5/24/09) (TOM GAVIN CRAPS OUT BETTER PEOPLE THAN YOU) How...and why....do you know this, Penis? You a big fan of Tom the Tard's excrement? (5/24/09) Another good reason to be a Catholic in Gainesville: hearing Ken Beatrice as a lector. I'm still waiting for him to end a Reading with "You're next .." (5/24/09) I was pleasantly surprised last night tuning my shortwave to 6110 kHz last night at 0230 UTC and hearing KBC Radio from the Netherlands. The program sounded like the old pirate stations from Europe, which also made me think of WABC and CKLW in the 60s. There hadn't been many decent listening experiences in the last few years. Of course, I'll bet that the station loses money and is off the air in six months. Halfway-decent sounding radio involves an enthusastic and skilled staff and DJs. When have I heard that on local radio? -- GAB in the Airless Cubicle (73s, 88 to the ladies - sorry, Dave) (5/24/09) Classic airchecks alert: 12 hours from WABC from 1963 through 1976 on downloadable MP3 files. www.wabcradio.com... I'm listening to Dan Ingram from April 1, 1964 right now. Great memories. ~~CA in BC (5/24/09) I wonder why stations like 94.7 who don't seem to know what format they want to be don't just drop local production entirely and simulcast something actually worth listening to like BBC Radio 1 or NRJ Hits. They would totally kick Hot 99.5 and their poor music selection, obnoxious DJs and cheap feeling, plus it probably would cost a lot less to simply relay these stations rather than produce stuff in-house. Just saying... -Stephen in Ashburn (5/24/09) Did I Miss the News? WaPoOnline has the shuttle Atlantis landing @ Andrews AFB in CALIFORNIA. (5/24/09) Thanks to the poster with the nice comments about our format on 3DSJ.com. The person also wrote: "The only thing I'd add is a faster streaming rate. 16kbs makes it kinda sound like something being sent via shortwave. Otherwise, 3DSJ is everything I've ever heard on radio over the past 50 years - and then some"...... Actually, 3DSJ.com does broadcast multibit rate streams of 32, 20 and 16 kbs. Windows Media Player will automatically select the stream bit rate that is best depending on the quality of the listeners network connection, so my suggestion is to try listening again on a better connection. In addition to our cool programming, we get many comments on our audio. Also, please keep in mind that our format will be available in syndication this summer on a market exclusive basis for F.M. & A.M. stations. Bill Elliott (5/24/09) Wouldn't this,the weekend of most HFStivals, be the perfect time to restore 99.1WHFS to its rightful place on the airwaves? But of course CBS won't do it. Thanks CBS for helping an invasion of another sort and in making those invaders feel more welcome as our traditions are sold and walked on and laughed at. Great Americans you are. I salute you with a double gesture of defiance. (5/24/09) RE: "On Memorial Day weekend, Don Geronimo Twitters about how a guy playing a bongo in the apartment next to his is playing the bongos and driving him absolutely bonkers. Ass!" Jesus, who gives a shit. He is a has-been and you are a dork for following him and really caring on a holiday weekend. Go eat a burger, hot dog or buy a mattress like the rest of us! (5/24/09) (RE: "Dave, On May 21, you referenced Gary Edsall's return to radio after 10 years, but incorrectly identified WCEM, 106.3FM, as being in Salisbury. It's licensed to and primarily markets in Cambridge, Maryland. Bob") Bob, that was identified in the trade pub. They identify it as Salisbury because that is the market that the signal is considered to be in. (5/24/09) Hmmm, looks like WTOP is no longer the background on Doug Hill's Weather Now. Since reception is hit or miss out here, I usually hear WTOP on there, so I guess it's back to static and bleed-over. Charles in Winchester (5/24/09) Dear Washington: The "charm" in "Charm City" comes from the friendly attitude of its people, nothing like New York City or Washington, DC, where you'd have to pay someone as a tourist just for directions. Also, Bawlamorese slang terms have NEVER been considered original to Baltimore and I don't think anyone has ever claimed such. That's always been part of the charm. It's a complex mix of mostly southern phrases and a few northern phrases, so it would not surprise me if one of them used to be spoken in New York City. The difference is, I've been to New York and to Washington, DC. Nobody speaks Bawlamorese in either place, few people say these things anymore. Probably almost no one in New York says "Believe You Me" anymore, I've been there many times. Are there any TV stations like WJZ 13 where you could hear a news anchor or reporter actually still say these phrases or words? I think not, and I know several Baltimoreans who say these terms and no, not from the early 1900s, I'm talking TODAY and EVERY DAY! That's the difference and the charm. Oh, and its "Holier than Thou", NOT THOUGH and Baltimore hardly has a "holier than thou attitude." If anything, it would be an inferiority complex, you couldn't have it more wrong in fact. "Holier than thou" is more a DC thing since DC people always attack these phrases and make fun of them. Nancy Pelosi might have a street in Baltimore's Little Italy named after her, but she's not been a Baltimorean for decades, nor does anyone in Baltimore even recognize her as a Baltmorean. Pelosi couldn't do a Baltimore accent if you paid her to! So that's a very bad example there. Finally, no one in Baltimore wants to be DC or NYC. Trust me on that. By the way, this book "Believe You Me" www.blurb.com is hysterically funny regardless and it actually makes fun of Baltimore in a self deprecating way that even people in DC or NYC would enjoy, just on a different level, hehe. Love, Baltimore (5/24/09) "(Tom Gavin was absent from WEBR because he was sitting about 3 feet from the stage where Mike O'Meara was broadcasting a remote at Patriot Harley Davidson in Fairfax.) --I'm gonna hazard a guess and say that I bet this radiophile thinks he is part of the MOM Show. What a creep." --- Oh goodness, look what just walked into the DoucheTrap. Tom Gavin, YOU DOUCHE, is indeed a radiophile, and is indeed a part of the MOMS, albeit as a caller and sometime person-who-shows-at-appearances. He is kept on a short leash, but they haven't yet built an enclosure for him. TOM GAVIN CRAPS OUT BETTER PEOPLE THAN YOU IN HIS MORNING STOOL AND BESTRIDES THE RADIO LANDSCAPE LIKE A COLOSSUS. RRRROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!! --- ThePenIsMightier (5/24/09) On WMAL at 3:00 PM today, hosts Fred Grandy and Andy Parks are joined by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Joe Scarborough, Curtis Sliwa and some true American military heroes." Juxtaposing crap with "true American military heroes" is insulting to our troops. Will Sean Hannity apologize to our American military heroes for having plant callers pretend to be former Green Berets or Special Opps? Talk about "phoney soldiers," we heard them a lot on the Sean Hannity Show, and Sean was faxing or emailing them the script!! (5/24/09) Re: "Let the record show that the WRC facility on Nebraska Avenue was actually build using the recycled blueprints from a National Biscuit Company factory." So I guess that explains their cookie-cutter news. (5/24/09) Hannity promised to get waterboarded for charity (for the families of our troops); he reneged. WMAL has not apologized to our troops for Hannity's abuse of their families. As for Fisher House, how much money did WMAL donate and how much money came from the wallets of listeners? Remember when a group of American soldiers were doing a live press remote from Iraq with GWB, and our soldiers were caught giving scripted responses -answers they were clearly not comfortable giving? WMAL never asked how the troops were really doing, Hannity, Rush, and Parks all scolded the media for damaging the war effort. They proved at that point they don't really care about the troops; they just wanted to preserve the Republican party. WMAL claims they support our military, but WMAL has never called out their hosts, the Republican party, or President Bush, on their abuses of our troops. In conclusion, on this Military Appreciation Month, WMAL hates our troops. Listen to WMAL to learn how you can buy "survival seeds." (5/24/09) On Memorial Day weekend, Don Geronimo Twitters about how a guy playing a bongo in the apartment next to his is playing the bongos and driving him absolutely bonkers. Ass! (5/24/09) Just one clarification to your item on the Fairfax Times -- I think at this point it is a single edition covering, or attempting to cover, all of Fairfax County, not a number of editions targeted at specific communities. (5/24/09) Dave's response: Originally, it was zoned to particular communities in Fairfax County. I guess, as part of a budget cut, it's been reduced to one edition. Although, the edition of the Fairfax County Times for Reston does seem to contain stories about Reston. It seems like a targeted edition..... While I agree that DC lacks any of the character that defines a city, which B'more certainly has, I must correct the poster. "Believe you me" and 'anyways" are hardly native to B'more. Both were well known in the Bronx well back into the early 1900s and probably beyond that. My mother, her sisters and all the relatives from Jerome and Arthur Ave said them both often. This is the sort of 'ain't we something special" attitude that makes people outside B'more get kind of quickly fed up with B'more. Its the attitude Madam Pelosi has. Just because you have a saying or slang, and never travled anywhere else, so you never heard it anywhere else, does not mean it originated in B'more. It's what has gotten Pelosi in trouble, this holier than though attitude. B'more may be charm city, but there is nothing charming about a city thinking its all that and a bag of chips. Get over yourself. You are not NYC. (5/24/09) /\ May 24 Messages /\ \/ May 23 Messages \/ And now, a word about one of the dcrtv.com sponsors... I checked out 3DSJ and it's a pretty eclectic listening experience. Musically, the best way to describe it is "Like JACK, but with the target audience being anybody with ears that work". Interesting variety and an interesting mix of tunes to listen to. Also, fun jingles - and requests and dedications, too. The only thing I'd add is a faster streaming rate. 16kbs makes it kinda sound like something being sent via shortwave. Otherwise, 3DSJ is everything I've ever heard on radio over the past 50 years - and then some! (5/23/09) Dear Washington: "Anyways" is a classic Bawlamorese slang term. I'm certain it's in the Bawlamorese slang dictionary (an actual publication that came out many years ago). DC area people always hate Baltimore sayings and traditions because DC is largely a market of transplanted people & has virtually no traditions or accent of its own (outside of perhaps the Redskins), unlike most other older northeast markets like Philly, NYC, Boston, and Baltimore. Speaking of Baltimore oddities, there's a hysterically funny great book of Baltimore eccentricities called "Believe You Me" that just came out... www.blurb.com... Of course, the title of the book itself is a non-sensical phrase, but a classic Bawlamorese saying. Love, Baltimore. (5/23/09) To the person who "suggested" the idea of moving Barry Lee and Pam Bell's cable shows from Comcast to Gray TV's TV3 Winchester...that is good idea but there is one rather big issue of conern. By doing this, people will get the idea that TV3 Winchester is strictly a "cable only" operation that is no different that Comcast/Winchester channel 6 and that the channel is owned and operated by Comcast. Right now there are many who actually believe that.I know both Comcast and Gray have tried their best to kill that bit of "incorrect news", even going as far as having some of their anchors going on the air a few times in the past saying that Comcast has nothing to do with TV3 Winchester other than the carriage of their channel and that they aren't employees of Comcast. Now for the average Mr. & Mrs. TV viewer..who cares !! But for someone who wants to buy ads on TV3 Winchester, that can be a big problem. Some local/national business thinking they are part of Comcast getting the idea that if they buy time on TV3 then their ads ill somehow would end up on ESPN, CNN, A&E or whoever. So for TV3 Winchester to pick up Barry Lee's Cable Talk program for example, while that might be good for the local community and give Barry Lee's TV show ( and Pam Bell's ) far more viewers than what they had on Winchester's cable 6, but with both hosts being so connected to LOCAL CABLE, it really wouldn't help much in the way of business for TV3 Winchester and Gray Television if they would simply move both Lee and Bell to TV3 Winchester. (5/23/09) As an attendee of the MOMshow 2009 HAWGfest(and imo the last) the turnout seemed mighty slim. I'd say roughly a doxzen folks there during the hour I witnessed the yawnfest. Most of the pagans and satans et al seemed to be there cause of the Motorcycle dealership not cause MOM was there. Seemed like last year over a hundred or so at the MOM Hawgfest 2008 edition. Is the show on life support at this point and is MOM not able to bring this thing back to any life? I must say old Tommy Gavin's weight loss is quite impressive. I axed Mr. Gavin about his radio show and he said it was on hiatus. Could a new summer lineup at WJFK be something like this, Steve Czaban mornings till 9am, Mr. Tony from 9-noon, Dan Patrick early afternoon, The Spork Junkies from 3-7pm(come on these guys aren't really college graduates is they?) and after 7 whatever Fox Sports has got going syndication wise. Wouldn't mind Loveline continuing if Adam Carolla comes back. I could live with this lineup but I'll will always have the longin in my heart for the days of Stern and the Don and Mike show of yore. Has WCTN considered going after the Da Domenico account and maybe some of that Wolf Trap ad money? After all WCTN is only station in area that plays Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett etc. It all sucks. Good night and Good Lick (5/23/09) (Tom Gavin was absent from WEBR because he was sitting about 3 feet from the stage where Mike O'Meara was broadcasting a remote at Patriot Harley Davidson in Fairfax.) --I'm gonna hazard a guess and say that I bet this radiophile thinks he is part of the MOM Show. What a creep. (5/23/09) Dave: I listened to the Nat's game on 1500 am last night. Came in fine in Springfield, Va. The combination of 1500 am and 106.7 FM would cover all of D.C. Maryland and Va. the best. Good idea for next season for both the Nat's and Caps. Above all, I want the games to remain on 1500 am so I can pick them up when I travel. Patrick (5/23/09) Dave's response: Hmmm. Maybe CBS could buy 1500 from Bonneville and put "JFK Sports Talk" on both 1500 and 106.7..... The mailbagger who debunked the claim about the WRC building's architecture is absolutely correct. In fact, Scheinhardt Wig Company didn't acquire NBC until 1986 during GE's takeover of RCA. Let the record show that the WRC facility on Nebraska Avenue was actually build using the recycled blueprints from a National Biscuit Company factory. (5/23/09) On Friday (5/22/09) Tom Gavin was absent from WEBR because he was sitting about 3 feet from the stage where Mike O'Meara was broadcasting a remote at Patriot Harley Davidson in Fairfax. Watching Tom Gavin on a motorcycle (with assistance) was... interesting... as was his attempts to flirt with the Buzz Babes. (5/23/09) There is a very interesting story that is in today's Winchester Star about their local Comcast system and their plans in a few weeks to no longer produce local programming that appears on local Winchester cable 6. Link: www.winchesterstar.com. Among the shows being dropped by Comcast is "Cable Talk" a local talk show hosted by WINC-FM's Barry Lee. A show that has been running for almost 40 years ( 21 of those with Lee ) and Pam Bell's “Community Spotlight”. Local sports coverage will be dropped too. Reading the article, I did noticed one thing that was left out...TV3 Winchester !!! Kinda surprised that Comcast ( or Barry Lee & Pam Bell ) hasn't made some kind of an arrangement with Gray/WHSV ( owners of TV3 Winchester ) to move their shows over from channel 6 to channel 3. Right now, weekdays at 12 Noon TV3 Winchester simply airs the Harrisonburg news from the main WHSV since TV3 Winchester doesn't do local news at that time of day. To me it would make since to give that half hour ( after "The View" and before "Inside Edition" ) to Barry Lee and Pam Bell so they could do their thing. Of course "Cable Talk" would have to retitled since TV3 Wincheser does put out an OTA signal.."The Barry Lee/Pam Bell Show" perhaps? Now as far as local sports I am sure TV3 Winchester can find time on their schedule for that. Say Saturday night at 11PM, once the ABC primetime line-up on TV3 Winchester comes to an end. If TV3 Winchester wants to be more into "In Your Community" rather than just doing local Northern Valley news,this is their chance. (5/23/09) Hey, William (bill/dick) sparks ' i agree with prof Hersh on Not ONLY that Fox 1370 signal, and your NEW word, "anyways" - U truly R a JACK-ass based on your" recent posts "( how is that grammar, willy??, lol) have a great holiday wknd on your mom's sofa, watchin the dawg ,& of course bloggin here , with NO clue on sportsradio! Kellen - east b-more (5/23/09) For those of you who asked to stay in the loop and be informed. Join me this Monday Evening May 25th from 7:30pm to Midnight on "The Original Quiet Storm" as I sit in for Jeff Brown on 96.3 WHUR as we relax into the night I'll continue to keep you posted as to when I'll be on the air again... Roses, JayLang (5/23/09) www.chicagotribune.com? The good old bankrupt Tribune Company is hacking away at WGN Radio. Kathy and Judy are gone after 20 plus years entertaining Chicagoans mid days. Rumor in the Windy City says that morning man John Williams is next on the chopping block. Could the Cubs broadcasts be history? Frank K. (5/23/09) Dave: Someone in the mailbag may have been trying to hoodwink you on the story about WRC buying the blueprints to the Scheinhardt Wig Company factory. I believe Scheinhardt Wig Company is a reference to a line in the show, "30 Rock." (5/23/09) Here are some numbers inside the demos for the month of April PPM numbers for WJFK. 18-34: Junkies 8th, Big O And Dukes 15th, Mike O’Meara 14th... 25-54: Junkies 11th, Big O And Dukes 14th, Mike O’Meara 15th... Men 18-49: Junkies 8th, Big O And Dukes 13th, Mike O’Meara 14th... (5/23/09) Few folks know that the impersonal industrial design of Channel 4/WRC's asbestos-laden broadcast complex, (the current DCRTV Plus Flashback), is the result of NBC re-using the blueprints from a 1958 Scheinhardt Wig Company factory. (5/23/09) Professor Hersh in Columbia: "Billy Sparks - who do u even work for?, b/c u write like a FOOL!....TWO mistakes: ie: "I stand corrected on Fox 1370's signal strength. However, it doesn't matter because no one's listening anyways! "...WILLY climb off your mom's couch and grab a dictionary and Fox 1370's coverage map - There is no such word as "anyways"!!-" Thank you for the correction, I uh-pre-she-ate-it, dick! Correct that, and do you even work, "anyways"? Truly laughable. -Will...no BILLY SPARKS (5/23/09) This is what would have been a good idea at 94.7. I find stations like this to be pretty cool, and where i live (manassas) i can hardly pick up 102.7. Sheesh...what 94.7 is right now is a disgrace. Plus, why didn't they try smooth jazz on 94.7?? that wouldve been the best thing to do now that 104.3 in B-More has a pointless alternative rocker there. I wonder what cheap channel will do next to 104.3 if their ratings dont pick up? hmm.. (5/23/09) Dave's response: The problem with smooth jazz is that while it gets decent ratings, it doesn't "bill" well regarding advertisers. Same problem as classical, real jazz, easy listening, progressive rock, or older oldies. Too many "oldsters" that advertisers don't want to pay big bucks to reach..... Dave, On May 21, you referenced Gary Edsall's return to radio after 10 years, but incorrectly identified WCEM, 106.3FM, as being in Salisbury. It's licensed to and primarily markets in Cambridge, Maryland. Bob (5/23/09) /\ May 23 Messages /\ \/ May 22 Messages \/ ("If you didn't hear Tom, he probably wasn't there. WEBR runs an automated stream of generic pop if their DJs don't show up for their shifts.....") --Perhaps he was suspended.....again..... (5/22/09) I've seen the Pentagon Channel on the AMC 1 satellite. The raw satellite feeds of reporters cracking jokes with the crew and fixing their hair is more interesting. (5/22/09) Geez, Dave Hughes, i'm getting so much undeserved attention, hmmm, can we trademark the name "Joe in Essex" together for profit? I'll admit, I was told once by a chick that I'd look good in drag one Halloween, but I chose a different costume, but thanks for the compliment! hehe. Please Dave Hughes, at least confirm that I send you news stories all the time and sometimes you use them and I do not care to get credit for finding the story or FCC info. I just love this site, and my job has me online 24/7. Finally Dave, maybe we could have a fundraiser for charity and I'll be a right wing drag queen media blogger/pundit piñata ? I want WJZ 13's Marty Bass to hit me first though, I do deserve it there. :-) (5/22/09) I took a chance and logged in to Tom Gavin's show today...Nothing special...just sounded like a bunch of 80's pop music...Nor did I hear him.... (5/22/09) Dave's response: If you didn't hear Tom, he probably wasn't there. WEBR runs an automated stream of generic pop if their DJs don't show up for their shifts..... That waste of humanity Mancow SHOULD be waterboarded daily. Paul (5/22/09) Dave's response: Hell, everyone over at WMAL (except Grandy and Nehman, who are really libs) should get waterboarded..... I like this bit about 4, 5 and 9 pooling news footage. Seriously, how many cameras does it take to get the obligatory two-second clips of cars driving past, street signs, feet walking and unidentified passers-by staring that are the stock of local news stories? (5/22/09) "Joe in Essex posts daily 3-5 times a day on DCRTV.com, if not more. He just doesn't sign his posts mostly ..." Poor Joe apparently has as much free time on his hands as Silvie. We don't need poor Joe's signature or smiley to discern his posts. They can be easily identified. They ramble on and on and don't make any sense. And just think if he and Silvie were actually one in the same. I'd give anything to see "Joe" in drag, or "Silvie" in Margaret Cho leather. Ponderous, man. Oh: :-) (5/22/09) Speaking of Sacramento. My brother just informed me that his favorite station out there - KWOD - just got rid of their alternative format today. He said it was kinda like the old HFS. news.radio-online.com (5/22/09) Dave's response: Yeah, it's flipped to an "all-'90s" format. Also, Bonneville has yanked the plug from the adult alt rock "The Sound" in Cincinnati. I wonder how much longer Emmis will keep the lowish-rated adult alt rock WRXP in NYC running? Doesn't bode well for an HFS resurrection here in DC..... I'm not sure what a "crabby" little niche channel is, but I thought the promise of cable TV was to provide all sorts of niche channels. The reason you could cut 50% of the channels on Comcast is that all the "big" channels are just clones of each other. It's the "little" channels that still have some sense of purpose. One of the reasons I dumped Comcast for Dish Network was the availability of little niche channels, such as, yes, The Pentagon Channel and others like Classic Arts Showcase (even DirecTV doesn't carry the Pentagon Channel). Besides, what's the harm in pushing for more variety in the form of more _free_ channels? If we have something like WFED on the radio, why not The Pentagon Channel on TV? ~~CA in BC (5/22/09) Dave's response: The Pentagon Channel is free to local cable systems, and it provides news and info for military families that isn't found anywhere else. In heavily-military markets like DC, it seems like a "community service" no-brainer for carriage by Comcast and Cox via digital basic. Comcast does carry it in DC, but not in Arlington, where the Pentagon is..... Did it snow on June 10, 1981? I don't remember that. If so, somebody needs to alert The Weather Channel and Al Gore and ESPN, ABC/CBS/NBC News for showing false video of moving vans in a tragic snowstorm in Baltimore! AHAHAHAHAHAHA Too funny. Btw, my dad actually introduced me to William Donald Schaefer as a kid while this was going on, and the only thing Schaefer would say is, "Oh, I could say lots about him, but not in front of the kid!" LOL (5/22/09) Just thought that I would let you know that I heard George Michael give a talk last night. I had seen him on the TV but never met him or heard him speak. I was so impressed by him. Can't repeat anything that he said. However, after listening to him I have so much respect for him as a person and a boss. (5/22/09) I watched the Colts press conference LIVE on WJZ 13 from BWI Airport after school while in high school, where the owner practically swore on his mother's grave that The Colts weren't leaving Baltimore. Of course, his mother had already disowned him actually according to press reports later. And of course the guy was drunk as a skunk, slurring his words on live Baltimore TV on WJZ 13, but he's now deceased just like his mother he swore on, so we won't go there. And one last thing... leases are designed to be broken, that's why God invented lawyers who draft them. Good luck New Orleans on keeping your teams now that New Orleans is the smallest pro sports TV/radio market in the entire U.S.! With the right deal and new arenas, BOTH Norfolk or Baltimore could possibly steal NBA teams easily. And I do think SportsTalk 1370 will outlast at least 2 of the 4 Baltimore sports talk stations simply because of the cost situation and availability of cash to run the station and the fact that CBS will bail on a format more quickly than a local owner & let's face it WNST has to be flat broke. Why DC doesn't have a 2nd sports talk station still puzzles the hell out of me though, especially with Snyder owning the only ones. Is there a single business other than the first one Daniel Snyder made his money off of that Snyder has not run into the ground? Let's see, Johnny Rockets, Six Flags, Red Zebra, all in financial trouble. Of course, The Redskins will always be profitable by default, but successful? Hardly. (5/22/09) Sacramento powerhouse CBS sports-talk affiliate KHTK to drop Mike O'Meara Show; debuts 'Carmichael Dave Show' today from 12-4 PST. In advance of WJFK's flip to sports talk programming this summer, the long-standing 50,000 wt. Nor Cal station and stalwart of the former D&M Show are preempting today's anticipated MOM Show's Hogfest 2009 broadcast with one of their own; Carmichael Dave, the gravely voiced, two pack a day smoker & pm sports jock with limited knowledge and appeal who also doubles as one of KHTK's sales rep. Bad day for CBS programming. Bad day for MOM Show. Bad day for Sacramento listeners. (5/22/09) Dave's response: Just checked the webstream and KHTK is carrying O'Meara's show today. I can't find any confirmation of KHTK moving Carmichael Dave from his current evening slot to middays. Anybody know more, if true? Hey Dave, since you’re a JMU alum and Harrisonburg isn’t too far away, figured this might interest you. Have a great holiday weekend! www.cjr.org (5/22/09) Mancow Muller (WTNT 570) got waterboarded today. Originally thinking that waterboarding was "no big deal", he agreed to have it done to him. Varying accounts put his duration between five and eight seconds before he gasped and called it off, leaving him shaking for over an hour afterwards. Details and video at www.wlsam.com (5/22/09) Joe in Essex posts daily 3-5 times a day on DCRTV.com, if not more. He just doesn't sign his posts mostly so as to keep Dave Hughes from having to take Paxil, so you've been far more ponderous than previously imagined possible. You just didn't know it. And no, Joe in Essex and Silvie are not the same person, but imagine if they were. Now that's ponderous man, seriously ponderous man. LOL -- Joe in Essex :-) (5/22/09) We are excited, first Davy Jones is added to the line-up at KHZ and WYRE..he’s doing 10AM to 12Noon. Now we hear another top notch air personality is rumored to be joining the team. Kevin Fennessey, we hear, has been tapped for AM DRIVE. KHZTV.com is just a few days from launching and streaming. That too is exciting. I understand they are shopping for a PM driver, shhhhhhhh. There are other things happening as I type BIG things. WOW (5/22/09) In your rant you asked "How About The Pentagon Channel On All DC Area Cable Systems?" My answer - how about NOT! We really don't need another crabby niche channel among many that I'm already forced to pay for. You can go through Comcast's line up and probably cut up to 50% of their channel lineup - until ala carte cable services are available we need less not more of these god awful channels - and the Pentagon Channel? Oh boy! What fun programming that must have. - Rick the Rat (5/22/09) So far two people have said that WUSA 9 digital correspondent is leaving the station, is that true? If so, when did she announce this? This is truly a big loss for 9 News Now. (5/22/09) I want to apologize to Chainsman, not because he's right, he's more wrong than even wrong seems possible to be, but because I missed the fact that he's running a bit! Hi there Donnie G! Or is it EB himself? Or maybe some hack at WMAL just stirring the pot? Either way, funny gimmick, pretending the Junkies make as much as a McDonalds manager, you really had me going there for minute Chains-y, you're a riot. It was so funny how you think just because WJFK is lowly-rated that their talent can't be overpaid, or that Don Geronimo would've been able to afford two multi-million dollar homes and then at his choosing retire for life on 400k a year for just the past few, that makes a lot of sense. Anyway, I hate to bring the bit to an end but I've posted a clip of Don and Mike discussing their salaries on air a few months before Don left, so go over to www.filedropper.com/donadmitssalary and check that out. In the meantime, Chainsman, seriously, good bit, that whole "I'm a raving mailbag lunatic idiot" was hiliarious. - Jason (5/22/09) The Baltimore Colts DID NOT have a lease when they moved to Indianapolis June 10, 1981: The Colts signed two-year stadium lease -- their last. In February 1983, after relations between Irsay and the city of Baltimore had deteriorated significantly, Baltimore Mayor Schaefer asked the Maryland General Assembly to approve $15 million for renovation to Memorial Stadium. The legislature did not approve the request until the following spring, after the Colts' lease had expired. (5/22/09) I didn't even know the Nats were on the radio. Boy, that owner of theirs is a true marketing genius. Big Bill (5/22/09) Two comments....the city of Norfolk a few years back had planned on building a new arena for the NBA ( and even NHL )..The Smithfield Foods Center. Money in place and everything. The plans were placed on the back burner when the Hornets went to New Orleans. Now does Norfolk still have that money ( I assume they do )..well.......WCBM Baltimore's Les Kinsolving and his "gay" comments...kinda expect those since WCBM was planning on being the first radio station to air commercials for the infamous ex-gay group..Exodus International. Of course that never happened and that is a shame since I have seen magazine ads for Exodus and they were..quite interesting. Example...one ad featured two middle aged men who claimed that they were ex lovers but now they are "just best friends" saying "...there was a time when we would hit the websites like Bear411 inviting guys over for great sex...however today thanks to our wonderful brothers and sisters at Exodus International..when we visit bear411..instead we would invite guys over for coffee, fellowship and conversation..." One can only imagine what those Exdous/WCBM radio ads would had been like. (5/22/09) To CA in BC. It is possible to DX digital TV stations, but not so easily. Because most of the DTV stations are/will be on the UHF band it takes a very efficient and sensitive antenna to catch them from a long distance. For the past couple of years a guy, I believe in the Midwest somewhere, has been posting his digital TV DX reception screenshots – most from many hundreds of miles away - on a web site. He is using a 7 foot Channel Master UHF antenna, which I know neither my wife nor the condo board will approve for my home! (5/22/09) Channel 9's Kristin Fisher! When did this little hottie get on the scene? PDG Looks like she's from KATV Channel 7 in Arkansas. Here is a pic from then. (5/22/09) regarding : Rush's Anal Fixation ... I thought about Les Kinsolving, one of the geezers on WCBM. All the man talks about is sodomy, gays, same sex marriage, gays, sodomy, etc etc. And a lot about anal intercourse. So what does this tell us about the man's fixation? Marriage between Adam and STEVE, or a man and an animal. The topic comes up at least once per show. Geezer! (5/22/09) I don't wanna get off topic here, so I'll just quickly say...... The Baltimore Colts had a lease too & even announced in a public press conference that they were not leaving Baltimore. Yes I think it's quite possible Norfolk could get an NBA team before Baltimore. However, Baltimore is building a new arena regardless of having or not having an NBA team. Is Norfolk building an arena without a team? I honestly don't know. I'd say Norfolk could probably better support an NBA team simply because I think it is the largest TV/radio market without a professional sports team, & also far bigger than New Orleans. Both cities would be attractive to any NBA team looking to move, & there always seems to be one every couple years. Obviously, Baltimore will never be an NBA expansion city just like Baltimore would have never been an NFL expansion city & the same reason it was tough for DC to become an MLB expansion city, proximity to each other. But that doesn't preclude a team moving. (5/22/09) I have been blessed to have worked with some of the best in this business and NANCY YAMADA is at the top of the list."It makes me sad" to see her go but this isn`t about me,NANCY I`LL TELL YOU TO YOUR FACE........ YOUR GOD DAMN GOOD.....Ratso (5/22/09) Hey Joe, try leveling the playing field. Give the Nationals 6 home dates by mid-May against the Yankees and then check the attendance. (5/22/09) Billy Sparks - who do u even work for?, b/c u write like a FOOL!....TWO mistakes: ie: "I stand corrected on Fox 1370's signal strength. However, it doesn't matter because no one's listening anyways! "...WILLY climb off your mom's couch and grab a dictionary and Fox 1370's coverage map - There is no such word as "anyways"!!- Hersh in columbia (5/22/09) Hello colleagues and some of you that I may know from being in the media industry in the Dc metro area, Since January of 2009 I am no longer a Satellite Coordinator/Sports producer at Al Jazeera International the new English Television network where I worked starting 2006 before the network went on air. I have worked in Television for a numerous amount of years as a videographer/Editor/Producer/On air talent and more. While managing the Washington News Network on North Capitol (C-Span Building) between 2004-2006 I helped a lot of people use the facilities for minimal cost and in most cases at no cost at all. This was in return for the contribution to all who helped me while I learned the ropes working in Washington D.C in the early to mid 1990s when I came here from South Carolina and Baltimore where I worked in those TV markets. I was also able to form my company while there but I took on a new challenge at Al Jazeera instead of building my company. I have now started to devote more time to my broadcast consulting company and I am looking for some contract work. As a person who can multi task, I can come in handy for all your media needs. I have also done Radio at WPFW 89.3 for two years and even had my own horn of Africa radio show as a volunteer to the Eritrean-American community. If anyone needs a high end professional broadcast service and you have a small budget, I can consult and even produce as well as provide Satellite services, commercials or campaign videos for your website or your company just let me know. News and sports stories or even African news related issues are my specialities, I can consult and work with you by saving cost and delivering a professional product. I can also serve as a speaker and guest on TV and radio shows if you need a person who knows news/sports especially international news. For more on my services please check out my website @ www.bilenbroadcasting.com... Thanks and hope to hear from you. Michael Seium (5/22/09) Good grief, it seems like Joe in Essex has awakened from the dead. Now we have to deal with him AND Silvie at the same time. Ponderous man, just ponderous. Oops, I forgot: :-) (5/22/09) /\ May 22 Messages /\ \/ May 21 Messages \/ It appears that 97.7 WMDM has flipped formats again, its name is back to "97.7 The Rocket" but it has a CHR format. I'm not sure if its still WMDM or not. Interesting they flipped after being "Magic 97.7" with hot AC for about 2 months or so. DLP in Woodbridge (5/21/09) Best of luck to Nancy Yamada on her new life outside of WUSA! You are free, girl! Spread your wings, let your smile shine and you will rise even higher! (5/21/09) This is from All Access: After a 10-year hiatus from radio -- and a long stint as a professional chef in DC -- GARY "GE" EDSALL will return to the airwaves as the new morning guy on MTS BROADCASTING Hot AC WCEM (106.3 THE HEAT)/SALISBURY-OCEAN CITY, MD. He starts JUNE 1st. GE's resume includes stints at WZBH/GEORGETOWN, DE, WCEI/EASTON, MD, and WXZR (ROCK 103)/ANNAPOLIS, MD. "It's amazing what financial situations make people do," he said. "I swore I'd never go back to radio ... LOL!" (5/21/09) Joe in Essex, I didn't read up on NFL rumors BUT I did read up on NFL FACTS - From ESPN April 30, 2009 - The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a lease extension that will keep the NFL team playing home games in an improved Louisiana Superdome through the 2025 season. The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a lease extension that will keep the NFL team playing home games in an improved Louisiana Superdome through the 2025 season. An announcement by Saints owner Tom Benson and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at the Superdome. "With this new deal with the state, we're going to be here for a long, long time," Benson said in a video presentation to lawmakers ahead of the announcement. "I've got a lot of confidence in our city," said Benson, a New Orleans native. Benson and Jindal wanted a long-term extension in place by this spring to improve New Orleans' bid to host the 2013 Super Bowl. So much for the Super Bowl in New Orleans "meaning absolutely nothing." -KP (5/21/09) re: " If I was Coach Thompson, I would stand in-line outside Bruce Gilbert's office door this morning and ask for Doc Walker to be fired! Someone needs to tell Doc to stop pretending he knows everything and clean-up his language." Gee, I was hoping John Thompson would move on since he is pretty useless and unappealing to the point that I listen to the wind rushing through the car rather than him and his babble. And as long as we're sending people out to pasture, how about andy pollin and TK. buh bye. ~jm (5/21/09) From a previous post..."it would not necessarily be out of the realm of possibilities that Baltimore, after building its new arena, might attract an NBA team to move there.". I can see that happening as well BUT I think it would be a safe bet to say that the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area would get the NBA before Baltimore. Why? When the Hornets left Charlotte, that team's first choice as NOT New Orleans but rather...NORFOLK !!!! The reason that didn't happen and really the ONLY reason was that New Orleans already had a arena suited for the NBA and the Hornets needed to get out of Charlotte..fast. Also it needs to be mentioned that NBA Commissioner Daniel Stern at the time ( and later on ) has said that Hampton Roads & the NBA would work. Actually some years back the NBA listed three markets they would want to be in...Oklahoma City, Norfolk/Virginia Beach and Louisville. So far Oklahoma City has got the NBA so I would NOT at all be surprised to see either Norfolk or Louisville gettting the next tream that is available. Of course that is not to say the NBA would bypass Baltimore in favor of Norfolk but it would make more sense to put a team there first. After all the Norfolk/Virginia Beach metro population is close to 2 Million ( there are metro areas with far less population that has been in the pro-sports game for years ) and the NBA really would be the only pro-sport within hundreds of miles unlike Baltimore which is more/less "just down the road" from DC. Now would people outside Hampton Roads ( say Richmond or even Northern Virginia for that matter ) would they accept pro-sports in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach region? I guess one could make a debate about that one. (5/21/09) Congratulate me Dave Hughes, I managed to piss off people in BOTH DC AND Baltimore AT the SAME TIME with the SAME post & for multiple reasons! That's a new record, even for ME! Yes, the caps are included for FREE, no charge :-) There are several arena football leagues besides the AFL & the AFL is returning in 2010. Obviously we are in a recession. And the New Orleans Saints owner desperately wants to move the team to LA, you should read up on NFL rumors. Just because the SuperBowl is going to be played in New Orleans means absolutely nothing. That will be all tourists, no locals, duh. What a dumb statement. And several NBA owners have already kicked the Baltimore tires (it's been in The Baltimore Sun even), the problem has always been THE ARENA, not the market. Orioles attendance is actually quite better than Nats attendance this year even though DC is a much larger market and both teams are in last place. And yes, every year there are some troubled NBA teams or those that want new arenas. Trust me, there'll be one when Baltimore builds a new arena too. I never suggested that 4 sports talk stations would survive in Baltimore. Obviously, that's not going to happen. I just said that Fox Sports 1370 isn't spending much money and has the money to outlast at least 1 or 2 of the others. I just don't believe CBS will keep 2 sports stations going for very long, nor do I think WNST has the money to compete with 1370. Finally yes, I'll say it again for the hearing impaired, there are plenty of Redskins fans in AA county and Howard County, just like there are many Orioles & Ravens fans in same counties. Why Baltimoreans & Washingtonians get riled that there are fans in both markets, I'll never know. It's just a fact of life, deal with it, I have to deal with Redskins fans all the time. It's like an endless pissing contest with no winner! LOL -- Joe in Essex :-) (5/21/09) Dave's response: Congrats! President Barack Obama meets with Syndication One News-Talk Network's talk show host Al Sharpton, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to discuss Education plan and the "Close the Gap in Education" Rally this past Saturday at the White House Ellipse, next to the White House. The "Close the Gap in Education" Rally was broadcast live on the Syndication One News-Talk Radio Network and televised on C-Span. Speakers included: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (Duncan announced a 100-billion dollar Education investment), the Mayor of Washington DC Adrian Fenty, President of the NEA Dennis Van Roekel, President of the United Negro College fund Dr. Michael L. Lomax, surviving member of the Little Rock Nine Minnie Jean Brown, and Syndication One News-Talk Network's talk show host Rev. Al Sharpton. The adminstration for "Close the Gap in Education" Rally, announced plans to have the Education Rally in five additional cities this summer. Kirk Tanter (5/21/09) (regarding Rush & his butt talk) He is the John Harvey Kellogg of Political Discourse. (5/21/09) To the poster who said Joe in Essex did not know what he was talking about...Joe's argument about Redskins fans in Baltimore made sense. I know because I used to live there. Joe backed up his statements..unknown poster has no facts to back up his comments. Unknown poster simply has no clue! Bill in Easton (5/21/09) Joe in Essex, I stand corrected on Fox 1370's signal strength. However, it doesn't matter because no one's listening anyways! As far as the AFL...you ARE aware that the AFL has canceled their 2009 season. It's about to go the way of the XFL. As far as New Orleans being half the size it used to be, well, I guess the NFL is a dumb league, considering they just gave New Orleans the 2013 Super Bowl! The New Orleans Hornets did just fine in attendance this season, and they're not going anywhere. About the only thing the new Baltimore arena will have is the AHL, the WWE, high school basketball tournaments, etc. BTW, who cares what the Feds think? In terms of radio, it only matters what Arbitron thinks. Stop living in theory, live in REALITY! Arbitron is what the advertisers go by, right or wrong, it's reality. DC fans, Baltimore fans, whatever. In the radio world (and last I checked this site was called DC Radio TeleVision), Baltimore, DC, 2(!) seperate markets. So there are my points, Joey. -Billy Sparks (5/21/09) "As far as Chainsman, the Junkies (shockingly) DO make $250K/year a piece. What you're missing is that ratings don't mean as much as revenue (i.e. what the station is making). At the time they signed their deal, Arbitron/DC was still in diary mode, and so it looked like JFK had a strong listenership. That in turn, (along w/Stern's decade+ reign) had the revenue stream at JFK flowing. At the time, the Junks seemed like a relative bargain to CBS. PPM's changed all that." Yes, that is correct! Thanks for bringing some reality to the discussion about the Junkies and their salaries. Why can't Chainsman, and the idiot who talked about my age, realize the truth and just face the facts? D&M made more than a million each year, and the Junkies are way overpaid now and too lazy to do research before they get on the air. I just wonder how bad the ratings at WJFK have to get, before the CBS suits force Dan Mason to make some desperately needed changes.--Slaw (5/21/09) Joe in Essex: in your latest rambling, CAPS FILLED post, you claim that there are "tons of Redskins fans in the Baltimore market." Oh really? Funny, I live in Baltimore, and everyone here either hates the Redskins or pay no attention to them at all. Stick to your arcane transmitter facts and leave sports to someone who knows what they're talking about, ok? (5/21/09) (RE: I’m surprised to see the complaints about early editions of the Washington Post, given the technology expertise here. If you’re a daily subscriber, you get the e-replica edition online free..) So I'm supposed to take my laptop to the john with me? I find it more sanitary to be able to recycle or pitch the paper version when I'm done with it. And it serves a dual purpose if the roll is empty. DG (5/21/09) Channel 9's Kristin Fisher! When did this little hottie get on the scene? PDG (5/21/09) Speaking of misinformation, this just in from the wacky FCC..... fjallfoss.fcc.gov... Just laughable, but the FCC will approve it, you betcha! It's almost as good as the dog ate my homework excuse. It's been over 10 years now since WNWK AM 1260 "continues its search for a new transmitter site"!!!!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!! Earth to FCC, ummmm, they stopped looking years & years ago! They just keep flipping the license to new owners (and often some of the same people) to evade the FCC rules, almost like house flipping only they HAVE NO TRANSMITTER PROPERTY! HAha! YANK THIS LICENSE FCC. It's a clear abuse of the rules and the public's airwaves to not have licensed transmitting facilities for over TEN YEARS!!!!!! Need I say more? Ok, I will... if this station were gone, WWRC 1260 might have motivation to fix its troubled signal and expand its coverage to, ummm, ya know, like where people actually LIVE, in DC & Maryland, and someone might possibly be able to listen even. Somebody tell me who's been able to listen to WNWK for the last 10 years, probably almost nobody. Oh, maybe several hundred chickens, that's it. I know people here hate when I rant about these STA abuses, but somebody please, give me one good reason why WNWK AM 1260 should continue to have an FCC license to broadcast using the public's airwaves for free when they abused those airwaves for over TEN YEARS NOW!!!!!! Somebody got a rebuttal? Anybody? Please, somebody amuse me......................... Also, Baltimore hasn't had an NBA or NHL quality size arena for 38+ years and New Orleans is now HALF the population it used to be and significantly smaller than Baltimore and Baltimore will have a new arena soon. At the very least the AFL is coming when that gets built, if not the NBA too. And according to the Federal Government, there is such a thing as the Washington DC/Baltimore CMSA, so the Feds consider it one market despite what Arbitron or the idiots in this mailbag say. In order to qualify to be a CMSA, you have to certify at least 2 things basically... little or no undeveloped land between the 2 cities, & you have to certify X amount of workers commuting between the 2 cities. DC/Baltimore qualified for this years ago. In addition, plenty of Washington radio stations ALWAYS show up in the Baltimore ratings and several Baltimore radio stations have occasionally shown up in the DC ratings, technically WLZL is one that ALWAYS does! There are tons of Redskins fans in the Baltimore market and tons of Orioles fans in the DC market. Additionally, Fox Sports 1370 is a 50,000 watt station that has local daytime coverage even to DC and 5000 watt coverage of Baltimore at night, not too shabby really. Now you got your facts. And your point Sparky was? -- Joe in Essex :-) (5/21/09) ("it's amazing how frequently such humiliation focuses on the hind quarters".....) LOL For a second, I thought the poor chap got Rush and Mike O'Meara confused. Heck, Howard Stern has humiliated more people over their hindquarters than anyone else I know in radio. JA (5/21/09) I see in the latest PPMs that the Junks remain mired in 18th place. That's 18TH PLACE, so can we please put to rest this silly fantasy that they're each making $300-400,000 annually?!? What kind of idiot would pay that kind of money to a group of f-ups who have never been able to get even half-decent ratings?.....Oh, wait, we ARE talking about CBS, aren't we? Guess it could happen. Say, here's an idea...there are, what three Junkies? Four, you say? So that's a combined estimated salary of $1.2 mil - $1.6 million for a show that doesn't appear to make a nickel. Why not fire their sorry asses and devote that cash to a Don Geronimo show? At least the guy knows how to attract an audience and cashflow. It HAS to be better than spending eternity in 18th place. (5/21/09) Dave's response: The April PPMs continue to spell "bad news" for CBS. Their top DC market station, PGC, is 15th!!!! LZL is 17th, TGB 18th, and JFK 21st. Sure, Fresh will make a "dent" in WASH and RQX, but there's no way in its current low budget jockless form that it'll even get close to the top 10. The sacred urban "cow" of PGC desperately needs to be "Amped" with Big Tigger in mornings, JFK needs to be "sportsified" (hello Tony!) and moved to the better signal of 94.7, Spanish El Zol needs to be moved to 106.7 to better cover Hispanic Northern VA, and adult rock WHFS needs to be resurrected on 99.1..... I'm shocked to see Fresh94.7 actually working as planned!! Now logic would have it that WTGB WON'T be getting flipped to WHFS but of course I used that "L" word in reference to CBS so maybe that means nothing. I also see WLZL at 17th place after last months 17th and the month before at 17th. Maybe just maybe we'll soon have NN-NNN-nnnnnaaaaaahhhh I won't even say it. (5/21/09) There is so much misinformation and flat out lunacy on this mailbag, it has to be addressed. First of all, as far as Limbaugh and his $400 million contract, while it's true he does generate a good amount of revenue for Clear Channel, when in the process of re-signing him, Clear Channel was BIDDING AGAISNT ITSELF!!!! Did Rush deserve a raise? Yes. A 41% raise? Hell to the NO!!! No other radio company was even in the running to sign him last year. Why? Because he doesn't generate $400 million in revenue. He's got the ultimate upper hand in this deal, and for that, I applaud him. When you hear Rush do a live read, Rush gets ALL of the money, not some union fee. It's the worst deal in the history of the business...on the corporate side, and when the economy tanked, it DID lead to people in Clear Channel losing their jobs. As far as Chainsman, the Junkies (shockingly) DO make $250K/year a piece. What you're missing is that ratings don't mean as much as revenue (i.e. what the station is making). At the time they signed their deal, Arbitron/DC was still in diary mode, and so it looked like JFK had a strong listenership. That in turn, (along w/Stern's decade+ reign) had the revenue stream at JFK flowing. At the time, the Junks seemed like a relative bargain to CBS. PPM's changed all that. WJFK salespeople have their cyanide pills ready as I type this. As far as FOX 1370, the only way they can make money, is if late night and weekend talk show hosts pay for time. They don't have the stick, they don't have the stroke, and they don't have the money to compete. If they're not even showing up in the trends in Baltimore, it's proof positive there's too many sports stations in a 2 sport town. And to the poster who keeps combining DC/Baltimore, please. stop. NOW! It's not the DC/Baltimore Nats, it's not the DC/Baltimore Ravens. We are T-W-O seperate markets. And even if Baltimore does build an arena, what NBA team would move there? I'll wait.....still waiting. Baltimore was an NBA city 38 years ago! I really think the people that post this lunacy must be ultra-cons, because you're making things up, and cannot support them with ANY facts! -Billy Sparks (5/21/09) Does anybody know if another D.C. radio station is going to pick up Little Steven's Underground Garage? I can't pick up WRNR. Losing this show because of the 94.7 format change is a MUCH greater loss than losing the classic rock format itself. (5/21/09) Yeah, Craig Ferguson's humor is so understated he forgot to even state it! (drums please) Or it's borrowed jokes and stunts from Letterman or Carson from the 1970s-80s. Earth to viewers... Johnny is still dead. Elvis has still left the building. These things will not change. I've only watched the show a half dozen times myself, but anyone who's spending lots of time watching that show truly does define the word pathetic existence. FOX NEWS' RED EYE makes me laugh more. True, Leno's monologues have gone south over the years, Letterman has lost his edge since he had a kid and discovered politics and Jimmy Fallon makes me wish for the return of Craig Kilborn! How do Ferguson and Fallon get late night TV shows and not John Stewart? Somebody explain that one. The only real funny late night guys left with a wicked sense of humor are Conan O'Brien and occasionally Jimmy Kimmel and O'Brien isn't even on right now. Sure, there's the occasional skit or joke from the others, but mostly boring the rest of the time and made me realize sleep is my friend! LOL (5/21/09) (White House News Network - 5/21 - TVNewser tells us that the White House is producing its own news reports, "shutting out the press pool".....) what, the coverage from the press wasn't fawning enough? now they have to make an "official" propoganda network? (5/21/09) RE: Sports Talk radio........... With DC/Baltimore technically the 4th largest market in the country, it would not necessarily be out of the realm of possibilities that Baltimore, after building its new arena, might attract an NBA team to move there. NY, LA, & San Francisco all sort of have 2 teams in the area. Of course Abe Pollin would attempt to block it, but with Baltimore previously having an NBA team, I'm not sure how much water that argument would hold with the other NBA owners, who seem to enjoy moving their franchises quite often. In fact, if Baltimore's new arena is built, I'd expect The Wizards to want to be one of the first tenants for 4 or so games a season if not more as a preemptive strike to prevent another owner from moving there. Obviously, hockey is out of the question for Baltimore outside of the AHL or other minor leagues though. Finally, I can see FOX Sports 1370 surviving for one simple reason, is there anywhere to go but UP as far as ratings for them? 105.7 The Fan will always beat them, but in a weird way, they're not competing against each other as much as people think. CBS is looking for ratings that are comparable with its other CBS and Clear Channel stations in the market, NOT just ratings that beat FOX Sports 1370. If 105.7 The Fan isn't a Top 10 station or drops closer to 20, CBS would pull the plug in a heartbeat or move the format to AM 1300 with less money invested. I think the weakest link is WNST 1570. I know Nestor has his diehard fans, but money-wise, he's the weakest link. Mangione has tons more money and can afford to wait this out until Baltimore is just a 2 sports talk station market, which most likely it ultimately will be. What amazes me is that no 2nd station in DC has switched to sports talk yet now that everyone is pissed at Danny Snyder once again. It just boggles my mind that Baltimore has 4 (5 if you count WBAL in the evenings) sports talk stations. Is that not crazy or what ? (5/21/09) I think it's really funny that "Slaw" thinks the salary claims jocks make on-air are for real. Is there no age restriction on the Mailbag? (5/21/09) "Remember, just a few years ago, Don & Mike made $400K each on their show with much better numbers than the Junkies ever had. Your head is in your ass." - Wrong again, Chainsman!! Your numbers are WAY off. You really need to listen more closely and learn some facts before spouting such nonsense. Jason is correct--and he knows more about JFK than you ever will. Just a few years ago, Don made 2.5million and Mike made about 1.5million per year. Don himself mentioned those figures on the air about a year or so before he left the station. Being a successful afternoon drive-time radio show in DC, and in syndication at a time when ad revenue was soaring, made them both very wealthy. Mike even said so a few weeks ago on his show. Please apologize to Jason and then go ahead and get that rust off your chainbrain.--Slaw (5/21/09) I’m surprised to see the complaints about early editions of the Washington Post, given the technology expertise here. If you’re a daily subscriber, you get the e-replica edition online free (it’s literally the images of each page, including the ads and everything) and it’s always the latest edition. If you’re not a subscriber, find a friend and “borrow” their Postpoints user name and password for testing purposes. I get the paper out here in wild, wonderful Ashburn 7 days a week, but read the e-replica about half the time. It’s more convenient, and when it’s raining, I don’t have to go out in the driveway to get the paper. (5/21/09) Dave, my Wild Central Fairfax edition of the Washington Post also did not include Lisa's "American Idol" wrap, even though my Thursday edition HAS included the wrap of the other results shows this year, each of which also ended at 10 p.m. I missed last night's show and was looking forward to the feature, which I didn't read until late morning. But as to your rant about the Style section, I've never quite been able to join in with the Style critics. I can't stand Robin Givahn's stuff, but it DID win a Pulitzer Prize. So did Stephen Hunter's writing on movies. And Ann Hornaday's film criticism was short-listed for a Pulitzer last year. What does all that writing have in common? It all appears in the Style section. Now, I'm no fan of Pulitzer Prizes, which have been given out for all sorts of bad writing in the past, but Pulitzers DO matter to people in the Washington Post newsroom. I also enjoy great film writing, and count myself a fan of both Hunter and Hornaday. Much of what appears in Style is a joke, I agree, but it's home to some of the best arts writing. Therefore, I don't spend much time knocking it. Speaking of movies, I'll be seeing "Brothers Bloom" at Cinema Arts this weekend, and am looking forward to it. Christian (5/21/09) Dave's response: I was hanging out at the Reston Silver Diner this morning with a bunch of motorcycle dudes in town for Sunday's "Rolling Thunder" and found a copy of a late edition of the Style section with last night's "AI" coverage in the restaurant's "pile-o-papers"..... In Manassas we got the early edition as well. The most frustrating thing is that with fewer pages in the paper and fewer subscriber's, you'd think they would have later deadlines, rather than earlier. They use to have the results of sporting events in the print edition as long as they ended by 11 or 1130pm. Oh well, nothing like reading about it 2 days later, since I can't find the information anywhere else. Oh wait, I guess I can... DG (5/21/09) To the guy who wrote that "the CBS Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson...is so horidly bad and unfunny that all I can do is cringe everytime I watch it before turning it off! ...How that show survives amazes me to this day." I've never seen it, but it occurs to me that it may survive because there are clowns staying up until 2am watching it even though they think it is "horidly bad and unfunny." Talk about a pathetic existence. (5/21/09) "According to the just released Arbitron Quarterly Ratings, FOX 1370, ESPN Radio 1300 and WNST did NOT SHOW UP. You have to have at least 0.1 to be listed. According to the ratings, NOBODY is listening to those stations, except maybe you. And you don't make up 0.1. WJZ-FM has all the ratings. ..Again Mr Anynomous ... As howie and marshall astutely pointed out ( or is it u labrozzi?) Cbs will NOT stick with their tv sportsradio concept long-term ( just look at their shaky track record) they are NOT Generating enough revenue with that format ...Plus, AGAIN - they had a built in FM audience with UN-listenable programming ( O's included!!)- disaster! - Patrick (5/21/09) I stand by what I said. I personally know lots of people who moved into Loudon County with homebound spouses and make less than $100k. Your heads are in your asses, especially "Jason." Maybe you need to learn more about how life works. None of the Junkies makes six figures alone. The move to morning drive was a lateral move at best. Don't you remember, "Jason," that WHFS went Spanish and WJFK needed a replacement for Stern? No raise needed. Clearly you don't remember. Everything else is bullshit. Remember, just a few years ago, Don & Mike made $400K each on their show with much better numbers than the Junkies ever had. Your head is in your ass. -Chainsman (5/21/09) "Rush Limbaugh to a contract for...400 MILLION DOLLARS, and then having to blow almost 12,000 people out in the first fiscal quarter of 2009 alone" Who generates more revenue for the company, Limbaugh or those employees that were laid off???? (5/21/09) Baltimorons may hate DC, but if they want to follow (and go to) pro hockey or b-ball, they're pretty much stuck with the Caps and Wiz unless they want to go to Philly. And, as a matter of fact, it has been reported that tv ratings for the Caps in Baltimore weren't bad last season and are growing. Not everyone is as provincial as that poster. (5/21/09) The key thing to remember about 1370AM is that it isn't competing directly with WJZ-FM. As an AM it is never going to match 'JZ's audience. It can still survive as a smaller player. The fact that it isn't owned by CC or CBS is a plus for survival, IMO. Local ownership may be slower to pull the plug. Howie (5/21/09) Are our Bible-bangin' buddies at 101.7 FM still on the air in our region? I've been dialing around listening for the alleged "pirate" station that's been rebroadcasting EWTN off of Sirius channel 160, and have not had success. Are they gone, did they go mobile, or am I just not listening in the right part of town? (5/21/09) RE: "Billy Sparks. Your comment is probably the stupidest post I have seen here in a long time. And I read this site alot. What the hell does a radio station offering an outlet for job ads, that is people applying for jobs in industries outside of radio, have to do with people loosing their jobs in radio? Those radio folks were free to leave for other industries and apply for those same jobs. There is no logical connection between your points. It's the same sort of logic as those who think because Obama is half black, he will automatically support every homosexual, Muslim, minority and liberal cause. Go back to your job at 7-11, if you even qualify." My post is stupid? How are things over at 1801, because you obviously work for Clear Channel. If you can't see the hypocrisy from a company that is 400 million dollars in debt, a year after signing "Mr. Anal Fixation" Rush Limbaugh to a contract for...400 MILLION DOLLARS, and then having to blow almost 12,000 people out in the first fiscal quarter of 2009 alone, you're not just a tool, you're not even a toolbox, you're the ENTIRE shed! No logical connection between my points? How about loyalty to YOUR employees? They can put classifieds on their websites anyways. This is just Clear Channel, in light of the bad press they've received recently, trying to look like good, caring, community company. And it's clearly bullshit. Take off the kool-aid goggles my friend. -Billy Sparks (5/21/09) I see that the local ABC and CBS stations are not broadcasting the President's speech..I wonder how it's determined who will and won't broadcast those speeches. (5/21/09) To Marshall in Parkton --> According to the just released Arbitron Quarterly Ratings, FOX 1370, ESPN Radio 1300 and WNST did NOT SHOW UP. You have to have at least 0.1 to be listed. According to the ratings, NOBODY is listening to those stations, except maybe you. And you don't make up 0.1. WJZ-FM has all the ratings. At least Nestor has a sense of humor about it (His comments on stage at the Preakness where NOBODY showed up...) (5/21/09) 1) Please tell me when and where I told Dave to stop posting any message, good or bad, about Chris Plante. Pray tell. And the fact is that I was telling Dave about the duo of Chris Plante AND Jerry Klein yesterday, so I was cheerleading for both of them & everyone who knows me knows that the only man I'd leave my husband for is Jerry Klein an no one else (except maybe Chris Hansen of NBC). 2) What was up with Jennifer Davis of FOX5 Morning News this a.m. as she was interviewing Adam Lambert? Chenevey asked her to ask him a simple question which was whether or not he'd tour with Queen being the voice of the late Freddie Mercury. Jen shot back at the anchor saying that she's not going to put Adam on the spot and will not ask him that question, even though he was standing right next to her listening to the entire ridiculous exchange. What gives, Jen? -Silvie- (5/21/09) Silvie, nobody listens to Chris Plant -- and I mean, NOBODY -- and nobody knows or cares who Jerry Klein is. There's a reason this "debate" you're all wet about was broadcast on some no-ratings AM station in Fargo and there's a reason nobody -- and I mean, NOBODY -- listened to it. You live on a planet located many light years away from reality. (5/21/09) A poster writes about Tony Kornheiser “Tony the K. is one of the absolutely most arrogant self-centered creeps you could ever hope to meet… on radio, he's a royal pain in the ass not even close to being worth the trouble.” Well, welcome to Show Biz! He sounds a lot like Michael Jordan, Madonna, Donald Trump and A-Rod. Only problem is that if you’ve run out of viable programming options (uh, WJFK?) and you need someone to build your brand around, Mr. Tony IS worth the trouble. Like it or not he’s the closest thing DC has to a true mass appeal (well, wide appeal) media celebrity. I’m still betting on Bonneville to do an Extreme Makeover on the Big 1500 with Chris Core in mornings, TK in mid-days and Frank Herzog for PMD. Ka-ching! (5/21/09) Celebrating the last days of analog TV, there's some great DXing this morning. Here in southwestern Baltimore County, stations from Philly, NJ and NY are booming in. The best catches I had were WELL, a low-power station on 45 from outside Philly and WLIW-21 on Long Island. While I acknowledge the advantages of digital TV, there's a part of me that will miss this aspect of analog. But there's still FM DXing; analog radio ain't going away for a loooooong time. ~~CA in BC (5/21/09) Digital Sports (www.digitalsports.com) just laid off about half their staff earlier this week. They did have some sort of partnership with WJLA. I might feel ripped off if I was WJLA and had just signed a partnership being told DS had reporters in all the surrounding counties and then a few months later they're almost all gone. I've heard several rumors from reporters that The Connection Newspapers may not last past June. One other thing... I agree with almost everything you said about the price of records/CDs. I almost never bought records unless there were 2 or more songs I liked. I buy most of my CDs from Amazon now- or CD Cellar. I've got a thing about having the actual physical media in my hands. :) I really miss spending time in Tower Records shuffling thru the CD bins. But as a long time Depeche Mode fan, back since 1983 or so, I can tell you I had the exact same reaction the first time I heard Depeche Mode's new album. (I bought it blindly and was kinda pissed when I heard it the first time.) After giving it a second listen it grew on me and I've listened to it several times since. I'm not sure listening to it in 30 second clips online does it justice. If you like DM then think about giving it another chance. Keep up the good work. (5/21/09) RE: [Hello Dave! Just wanted to let you know that Chris Plante is going to debate Jerry Klein live on the air tomorrow morning, Thursday, 5/21 at 9:30 EST on WZFG in Fargo, ND. Here's the link to listen online: - Silvie] Given Chris Plante's current extended employment hiatus (and the fact that he will no longer be eligible to receive that sweet guv-mint unemployment check in a few short weeks), I am sure Plante deeply appreciates your impassioned cheerleading to resuscitate his feted corpse of a broadcasting career, Sil. And just think - If you can get just ONE more person to actually tune in to listen to his nonsensical ravings on the air again, you will effectively be responsible for DOUBLING his his audience for the day! Hell - Plante might even just get that last-chance stab at the bustling radio market in the up-and-coming urban metropolis known as Fargo, North Dakota! And who knows - If WZFG hires him, I'm sure every gun-toting lunatic separatist throughout the sparsely-populated woods of the upper northwest will have the dial on the A.M. radio in their Kazynski Cabin tuned in to listen to his show too! The listening audience might even number in the TENS if not the DOZENS! Good job! You go girl! Plante should be proud of ya! (5/21/09) “Idol” result was the lead story in my home-delivered paper this morning, Dave. Sorry you got the early edition, but deadlines is deadlines… (5/21/09) Dave's response: It is kinda funny that the Post can manage to get me last night's "Idol" results on a regular basis in the print edition delivered to my home - except for the big finale. Not that I care..... FOR THOSE IN FAVOR OF A “Fare/Fair” TRIAL OF GITMO POW’s. I’m not a Cartoon Artist but for just a couple of seconds close your eyes and envision a jet bomber circling over lets say Saudi Arabia at 30,000 ft. where on this plane there are no bombs but a tribunal is taking place for one of many Gitmo POW’s, At the end of the trial if/when he is found guilty would be sentenced to immediately be returned to his homeland and in this case its Saudi Arabia. You open the bombay doors he falls/jumps out and you say “Welcome Home” comrade ! Next ! The chance of him rejoining a terrorist cell and returning to the U.S. to kill Americans? None ! Now that would be C-Span must see TV, Huh? (5/21/09) Dave, I live in the Raleigh-Durham metro area(used to live in DC area), and when I was watching the Today Show, during one of our local cut-ins, Jim Russ did our traffic. Has he simply moved to NC, or has Metro outsourced our traffic to DC? He seemed to be local, because he mentioned the meteorologist by name, as well as the anchor doing the cut-in. Anyone know what's up? (5/21/09) Dave's response: Jim Russ heads the DC bureau of Metro Traffic, which now provides traffic services to stations in a whole bunch of Mid-Atlantic markets, including Richmond, Norfolk, and parts of North Carolina..... I have no respect for Geronimo. The love of my life passed away ( Truly sorry about that ) Starts talking about how he needs sex. lets us know in a lot of detail when he got sex 6-8 months after Frieda. Girl moves in ... Marries quickly. Damn, he cannot be alone can he ? While I know we all deal with grief differently NO WAY if my sig other passed away would I be THAT quick to replace her. You, Geronimo in every way are a Fraud! PL (5/21/09) Hey, Dave...you definitely get a different version of the Washington Post than I get in Alexandria. In my morning paper, not only is there a small photo of the "American Idol" winner, Kris Allen, on the front page, there's a huge article in the Style section by Lisa De Moraes, complete with five color photos. Sorry you missed it. -- Bobbie (5/21/09) Dave's response: No! Here in Wild West Fairfax we must get an edition printed at something like 6 PM the previous day. Hey, I'm not complaining. A Style section completely free of "AI" is actually a blessing..... Ref: I remember Michelle from her days at WRXS in OCMD: Yea I sure do remember Michelle I sent her from her reception desk to the upstairs on-air studios at The-X to join Skip Dixxon and She has been a star since. Michelle should never be without a full time radio on-air gig, ever. Hire her immediately, Thank You J.J. “Hitman” McKay (5/21/09) Billy Sparks. Your comment is probably the stupidest post I have seen here in a long time. And I read this site alot. What the hell does a radio station offering an outlet for job ads, that is people applying for jobs in industries outside of radio, have to do with people loosing their jobs in radio? Those radio folks were free to leave for other industries and apply for those same jobs. There is no logical connection between your points. It's the same sort of logic as those who think because Obama is half black, he will automatically support every homosexual, Muslim, minority and liberal cause. Go back to your job at 7-11, if you even qualify. (5/21/09) Yet more proof on the hypocrisy that is Clear Channel Radio: (from allaccess.com) In a move to help local listeners that will surely be met with a mixed reaction in the radio community, CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO launched a new initiative this week to help local listeners who are seeking employment to market their skills and unique features on the air to attract the attention of employers with available positions. Twenty-one CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO stations across the nation will encourage listeners seeking employment to visit their websites and submit entries via an online form. Each station will choose five entrants per week to record their own 30-second radio resume where they will provide basic personal information and qualifications, and direct interested employers to the station’s website where the entrants’ full resumes will be posted. "We realize this is a difficult time for many individuals and families and want to support our listeners who are out of work in any way we can," said Pres./CEO JOHN HOGAN. "Radio is all about community and serves as the perfect platform to connect job seekers with employers. We hope that job seeking listeners will take advantage of this special opportunity." My only question is, is this service available for the 9,000 people who lost their jobs from this very same company last month? Talk about brass balls!-Billy Sparks (5/21/09) "It will be interesting to see how long 1370 can survive. Look at the ratings, WJZ-FM has already won the battle...and the war'...HUH? Have u listened to the Garbage on CBS sports? Anita, Bruce anchorman, THE, BS "dog" ? PLEASE TELL ME, Who IS AN ENTERTAINING LISTEN THERE??... As someone who is on the road constantly , Fox 1370 has a pretty decent signal from balt- to dc... Rome, Rob Long , Czaban and Coleman -so imho- I WILL TAKE THEM EVERYTIME OVER TV fools on radio...not to mention, 1370 I believe has been on less than a yr., I think some more time is needed to judge ...But, not for that fm static, please bring back some music! Marshall, in parkton. (5/21/09) Washington Post Radio tried and tried and tried to get Mr. Tony to work 6-10A morning drive, and he would have none of it. 8AM was the absolute earliest they could drag his hard-working butt in. As a bonus, Tony the K. is one of the absolutely most arrogant self-centered creeps you could ever hope to meet. He can write a great newspaper column and PTI is often interesting (as much or more for Wilbon), but on radio, he's a royal pain in the ass not even close to being worth the trouble. (5/21/09) Rush Limbaugh likes it up the butt. www.salon.com (5/21/09) Mike (formerly 'Don Geronimo') Sorce says October 2010 is payback for CBS? Nobody will remember who he is by October 2010! Maybe he can work out a co-hosting arrangement with Rush Limbaugh. Now THAT would be good radio comedy! Two old broadcasters trying to keep their careers alive. What synergy! That'll show CBS... (5/21/09) Silvie - NOBODY on this mailbag CARES about Chris Plante except for you. Why do you continue to post what he is doing? You got upset because Dave was posting the multiple messages that criticized him and your love for him shortly after he was FIRED for his underperformance. Not a word was said about him on this mailbag for over a month which by now should have told you something. So seriously, why here? Why not stick to Free Republic or another website where a talentless talk host like him might be appreciated more? (5/21/09) /\ May 21 Messages /\ \/ May 20 Messages \/ After Don Geronimo's partial anti-CBS blog today...Rumblings around the WEBR station hallways are that he will resurect his career in 2010 by doing a weekly show there with one Thomas Alouicious Gavin....hmmmmm... (5/20/09) (RE: The funniest thing on Don Geronimo's website is that he thinks the CBS Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson is funny and ORIGINAL even!...) I guess to each his own. I love Craig Ferguson, and to me he's 1,000 percent funnier and more watchable than Jay or Dave. He has a real understated and dry sense of humor. If you want broad humor, where the host has to pretty much tell you what's funny and when to laugh, then Jay and Dave are there for you with Humor 101. But for more obscure references to current events or humorous observations, Craig is the go-to man. Plus, he has guests who are not appearing on all the other shows, because their publicists aren't promoting them with pre-scheduled, boring appearances and spouting the same, uninspired answers to the same ho-hum questions. Kathy Griffin was on Craig's show last night, and she was hilarious, and he responded in kind. She doesn't fit anyone's mold, and Craig not only recognized her entertainment value, he took it to a new level. I didn't want it to end. Jay and Dave can retire anytime now. (5/20/09) The funniest thing on Don Geronimo's website is that he thinks the CBS Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson is funny and ORIGINAL even! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (still shaking my head and giggling). If that's what the Don Geronimo of 2010 is gonna be like, God help us ALL! That show is so horidly bad and unfunny that all I can do is cringe everytime I watch it before turning it off! LOL Poor twittering Don. Liking Craig Ferguson is like saying you like to watch NBC Letterman re-runs only with some different un-funny British guy doing the stunts. Pathetic. How that show survives amazes me to this day. (5/20/09) "MSNBC should do (with Rush Limbaugh) what the Red Sox fans on the radio in the 70s' did when they hated Don Zimmer: Call him Chiang Kai Shek. Then everyone will know who the subject is without his real name being used. Shawn in DC." I'd prefer calling him "the gerbil," as Bill Lee did, although frankly I don't want to follow anything Red Sox (or Yankees) fans do. They're both evil empires. -- Vincent in Triangle (5/20/09) I know you have made mention of the Post attempting to become the Maryland Paper of Record, if there any movement in this direction. I am tired of paying full price for a "community paper" in the Sun; and if the Post will cover the Ravens and O's and Anne Arundel county I may switch my long time allegiance. (5/20/09) Dave's response: I have heard recent rumblings about that, but nothing new of late..... Hello Dave! Just wanted to let you know that Chris Plante is going to debate Jerry Klein live on the air tomorrow morning, Thursday, 5/21 at 9:30 EST on WZFG in Fargo, ND. Here's the link to listen online: www.am1100.tv. Click where it says Listen Live (at the top right). The topic will be the issue of closing GITMO. -Silvie- (5/20/09) It will be interesting to see how long 1370 can survive. Look at the ratings, WJZ-FM has already won the battle...and the war. (5/20/09) I just heard that David Futrowsky has been "reorganized" out of a job at Fox News in DC. True? False? He was like 3rd in charge of the Washington bureau and had been there from the start. (5/20/09) As far as 1370 AM goes, I actually like their product better than what's on the other stations most of the day. Anita and Scott was actually a better show without Scott and would a whole lot better now without Anita. She was mediocre in the old format and is now dreadful in her current role. Scott could probably-no, definitely-do a better show by himself, but I suspect the brains at CBS Radio think it would have too old an audience. Coleman, Ford, and the cast of guests and old Sun reporters put on a much better show in PM drive. They should give Terry the midday and get rid of that Rome clown. Since 1300AM is now strictly ESPN, 1090 is abandoning most local sports talk and 1570AM is basically a vanity/web project, there is no reason 1370 can't survive as the "other local sports voice". BTW, I recognize this is exactly the opposite of what I thought just two months ago. I was sure that one would fail and it would be 1370. Howie (5/20/09) (From DCRTV's Classified Ads:) Radio News Reporter/Anchor, Washington , DC - Metro Networks News, Westwood One company, is looking for fill-in news anchors for its Washington, DC bureau. Anchors will provide reports to affilate stations in the DC market. S/he will also write stories and gather/edit audio, as well as conduct interviews via telephone and/or in-person. The position requires demonstrated on-air experience, solid writing skills, and the ability to work under deadline pressure. Metro Networks DC is a 24-hour newsroom. The successful candidate must be able to work all shifts, including overnights/weekends. EOE. Please send resumes, writing samples, and a demo tape to: Rachel Crowson, News Director, Rachel_Crowson@metronetworks.com. (5/20/09) 1370 "in it for the long haul"? C'mon Dave! That station has NOOOO chance. Caps and Wizards games? Balshimorons HATE DC! UMBC games?..cough.....cough....I'm sorry, I nearly got beerboarded from laughing so hard. It's a noble effort, but much like the Bob Marley song, in vain. Four sports stations in a city with 2, (do the O's count?) teams? This is the problem when radio owners, GM's and PD's start thinking. They forgot the reasons they got in the business. To either get your song played, get into stuff for free, party, get laid, and get paid for it! Whatever happened to the fun? -Billy Sparks (5/20/09) Jesus In a Cheeto! No, it's not a blasphemous exclamation: video.yahoo.com (5/20/09) Wanna know how much the Junkies make?? Ask the King of WJFK, Tom Gavin...Apparently he works there now...Just look at his Myspace URL... (5/20/09) My mistake/typo: I meant the Junkies should be be pushed back to AFTER PM drivetime, not into the PM drivetime slot. Their ratings would be just as anemic in PM as they are in AM. They don't belong on prime real estate...and they wouldn't be there at any decently run station. (5/20/09) [snippy] “Titanic righty radio talker Rush Limbaugh is challenging MSNBC to go 30 days without saying his name. [end snippy] And how about that fat douchenozzle goes the same 30 days without mentioning “Obama,” “Messiah,” or “Pelosi”? Quite frankly, each of the idiots referenced above is deserving of all the criticism heaped on them, but let’s keep it “fair and balanced,” shall we?” (5/20/09) If the Junkies are pulling in anything close to $300,000 each every year, it goes a lonnnnnng way towards explaining CBS's problems. They don't bring in nearly enough revenue to warrant that kind of money. They just don't pull good numbers, and they never really have. If the above salary info is true, they need to have their paychecks cut by 70-75% and be pushed back to PM drivetime -- or overnights-- where they belong. If they don't like it, fire them. There is simply nothing going on with them that couldn't be replicated or improved upon by dozens of other jocks who would all do it for FAR less than the combined salaries of the Junks. But a word of caution, since this all seems to be based on what some WJFK jocks have said on air: if you believe everything you hear on the radio, your problem is even worse than CBS's. (5/20/09) The Junks apparently weren't getting 300k when one of them,I believe it was Lurch, bought a house in Perryville in a feux-classy development where I was working. I'm not sure which one it was since I'm not a fan,I may have even did the drywall in it but as we usually just make smiley nicey and otherwise avoid the homeowners damned if I know. I heard one of them bitching about the commute and about Clunk Turner's guys getting stuff wrong(shocker) on the show one morning while waiting for Kath to return us to our regularly scheduled HFS. As I have always considered them The Harbinger Of Death for WHFS I can only say they make alot for not knowing what the F they're talking about but Oh WAIT so do CBS Execs so I guess its par for the course. Fuck CBS. (5/20/09) Psst hey..yeah you...c'mere...you got 'fstival tickets? NOOOO You DON'T because it's the NO HFSTIVAL WEEKEND on 00.0FM!!! DON'T call the station that DOESN'T Rock DC or Baltimore!! DON'T listen for the HFS Ticket Window as we DON'T count down the top 99.1 songs for Memorial Day Weekend!!! DON'T plan on The East Coasts Biggest Party because there ISN'T any!!!! FUKtival FUKtivaalllll!!!!!!........aitch..effff.....ayyesss(?) (5/20/09) (Titanic righty radio talker Rush Limbaugh is challenging MSNBC to go 30 days without saying his name. Limbaugh says the lefty cable network is trying to "build its ratings on my back.") Okay. MSNBC should do what the Red Sox fans on the radio in the 70s' did when they hated Don Zimmer: Call him Chiang Kai Shek. Then everyone will know who the subject is without his real name being used. Shawn in DC. (5/20/09) Chainsman, what show are you listening to? The Junkies make waaaaay more than 60k, you think Lurch could be King of Ashburn, live in Ashburn, have kids in a home in Ashburn, and have a wife who refuses to work on 60k a year? You're an idiot. I wish I could find the Post (or was it Examiner?) article from a few years back where JP was asked if they are millionaires and he responded that no one of them is but all combined they are a million-dollar plus show. Any estimate between 250k and 400k is not only likely but obvious, a morning show that's been on air 10+ years in a top 10 market, lived through the radio hey-day of the Stern era, and you somehow believe they're making high school principal money? Christ, you always assume that a hot-talk WJFK audience would pull smarter listeners then your dumbed down 99.5's, but then a Chainsman shows up. - Jason (5/20/09) "Where do you guys get the idea that each of the Junkies makes $300,000 a year? You cannot possibly be serious. They've said on the air that they make somewhere north of $60K each. None of them make six figures alone. -Chainsman" - They made 60K many years ago, well before they got the morning drive slot. The information comes from WJFK itself. Chad and Oscar each make 45K, they have said so on the air, and they have only been at the station for 2 years, and now in middays. They have also said that the Junkies make six figures a year and mention how envious they are of the big money the Junkies make. A figure of about 250K for each Junkie was mentioned by one of the radio personalities on the station a couple years ago. The Junkies have been around for about 10 years, and when they eventually got Stern's morning drive slot at JFK they got a huge salary increase. You really think you can buy a huge house in Loudon county (Lurch), or a house in Kensington with a media room filled with a bunch of plasma tvs, and a Corvette sports car (EB) making 60K a year? Dream on. The Junkies probably make about 250K each year, but they also benefit from the wealth of freebies that come with being a radio personality (free meals at nice restaurants, getting to use new cars all the time, avoiding traffic tickets from sympathetic cops who listen to the show, etc.) (5/20/09) Was Chainsman joking that the Junkies only make 60k/year each? Tell me, how could Lurch afford a non-working wife, 2 kids, a 700k-plus house in a gated community, and two luxury cars? Sure he is in debt, but on 60k a year you couldn't even qualify for a 300k townhouse in Loudoun County!! (5/20/09) President Barack Obama (pictured r to l) meets with Syndication One News-Talk Network's talk show host Al Sharpton, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, along with the President's Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett to discuss Education and the "Close the Gap in Education" Rally this past Saturday at the White House Ellipse next to the White House. Driectly across the couch from Sharpton (not pictured) are New York Mayor Bloomberg and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The "Close the Gap in Education" Rally was broadcast live on the Syndication One News-Talk Radio Network and televised on C-Span. Speakers included: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (Duncan announced a 100-billion dollar Education investment), the Mayor of Washington DC Adrian Fenty, President of the NEA Dennis Van Roekel, President of the United Negro College fund Dr. Michael L. Lomax, surviving member of the Little Rock Nine Minnie Jean Brown, and Syndication One News-Talk Network's talk show host Rev. Al Sharpton. The adminstration for "Close the Gap in Education" Rally announced plans to have the Education Rally in five additional cities in the very near future. Kirk Tanter (5/20/09) There are many reasons to criticize Mr. Tony, but being lazy (as one poster claimed yesterday) and unwilling to do an early show are completely false. At one point before doing MNF he worked at five different jobs, and has always said that he can't deal with being inactive for more than a couple days, so he takes few vacations. If you were a regular listener, you'd know that TK rises extremely early each morning, as his constant stories about walking Maggie and not being able to sleep indicate. He would probably rather do a show as early in the A.M. as possible. Now, if we're talking about evening, that would conflict with his notoriously early bedtime... (5/20/09) I haven't heard a peep about CSB reopening locally. If it doesn't, oh well. But if it does, it's time for a lot of rethinking. The program by-and-of itself wasn't bad, and that students actually had hands-on experience with gear that was relevant to today's media (Pro Tools, radio automation etc). My gripe was that I considered the cost of the program about 40% too high for its worth, compared to a full-bore education with, say, the media program at any local college, 2- or 4-year. And way too much emphasis was on the radio program -- if anything, CSB should have tripled its TV capacity and concentrated much more on editing and on-camera performance. There is no future in radio for the current generation getting in, and its best to let the veterans of the biz just wind it down for now and retire. Video is the future, and a more forward-thinking Connecticut School - as well as the Columbia School and any local on-camera acting academies - should give this a HELL of a lot of thought before hoping to survive another decade. (5/20/09) Where do you guys get the idea that each of the Junkies makes $300,000 a year? You cannot possibly be serious. They've said on the air that they make somewhere north of $60K each. None of them make six figures alone. -Chainsman (5/20/09) I often see debates on here regarding the on-air products of most radio groups in dc and that's good for debate. But what is often forgotten are the people behind the scenes. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the year pans out for the mighty Clear Channel group at 1801. This year they've laid off 30+ sales, traffic, promotions, production, and business people. As a group, ratings actually have gone up but their revenue hasn't gone up with them. They should pay less attention to trying to remove the 3rd out of market GSM that is proving to be another bad decision. Treat him the same way that they've ignored the other GSM that is rumored to have used cocaine with one of their sales reps in that very same building. Focus on retaining the few people you have left. 3 reps and biz dept people resigning in the last week alone and another 5+ to leave in the next 2 weeks? They like to use percentages alot here at CC. 7+ people out of 40ish still employed? That's another 16% drop. That Reduction in Force, or RIF, as they lovingly refer to here at 1801 is not over. (5/20/09) Stick a fork in it. Sirius and XM did it wrong. The model was flawed. Should have been a music service. Channels that carried personality, news, and talk should have been leased to production companies. They wouldn't listen to me. Ed Graham (5/20/09) I wish FOX5 would STOP using Tony Perkins as an anchor. He's doing the noon news and looks so awkward and uncomfortable reading the news stories..Guess Steve Chenevey wasn't available to sub for Holly. (5/20/09) For all those who are speculating and slathering over Tonio K's return to DC radio - take a deep breath. First, fantasies of him actually getting up at 4:30 in the morning to do a radio gig are absurd. No way he does that. Mr. Tony is a diva. A really talented diva but a diva nonetheless. He ain't gettin' up at the crack of dawn. At best he'll start at 9AM. The most logical fit is 980 but Mr T's panties would be in a wad over accepting a paycheck signed by the Danny. See, Tony is a journalist and journalists must be above the fray and pure in their associations so they can objectively report back to us. (Wow, I actually wrote that with a straight face). I am sure several companies are talking with Tony's 'people' and - like it or not - he will get ratings. The question is - who will bend over the most to make sure the T-man gets his way? (5/20/09) Swell. Connecticut School of Broadcasting to reopen. Where are grads going to get jobs? Does Mr. Robinson have an answer to that? And as for Tony K, a great writer and his columns were terrific. Terrible on radio and television. If he returns to radio I'll be sure not to tune in. (5/20/09) Everyone is getting so jacked up about the possible return of Mr Tony to the DC airwaves. For what it's worth how bout teaming up Johnny Holliday with Kornheiser? I believe Johnny got Tony started in radio at WMAL doing Redskins pre game shows. It was fun to listen to and the Two of them had good chemistry. I also have heard they are very close friends with mutual respect for each other. What do you think? It just might work. Shawn, Bethesda (5/20/09) /\ May 20 Messages /\ \/ May 19 Messages \/ Thursday ought to be a fun day for all the switchboard operators at every TV station on the airwaves. www.fredericknewspost.com (5/19/09) Kornheiser, the hottest name in radio? Suuure. Just like Western Union is the hottest thing going in telegrams. (5/19/09) Tom Gavin = Radio Gold? I would have said Radio Anthrax actually... (5/19/09) Dan Hellie accident prone?? well....maybe. Here's a picture I took at RFK Stadium a couple of years ago. Must have been a chair left over from the Washington Senators' days. Steve (5/19/09) Tom Gavin is radio gold. He should be teamed with Imus. They both share about the same mental capacity. ''Stupid idiot.'' ''Waaatch it!'' Paul (5/19/09) I remember Michelle from her days at WRXS in OCMD when I was in college at Salisbury University. She is a very talented on air personality and would make a great addition to any rock station in America. Help her if you can. Thanks to all! Source: www.allaccess.com - "Michele Michaels Leaves WJGL --- Longtime COX RADIO Classic Hits WJGL/JACKSONVILLE afternoon-drive host/Web producer MICHELE MICHAELS is out due to budget cuts after 10 years with the cluster. WJGL PD ANDY MEYER takes over afternoons. Reach MICHELE at michelemichaels@bellsouth.net or (904) 759-4359." Dean in Southern Maryland (5/19/09) Amazing that the Junkies continue to keep their jobs on WJFK despite their lack of sports knowledge and disdain for those of us who earn less money than they do. According to the elitist Junkies, those of us who are plumbers, electricians, carpenters, roofers, etc. are slackers because we are not making $300,000 a year like each of the Junkies do. This morning, during a discussion of Tony K leaving MNF, one of the Junkies (probably EB) did not know that John Madden has retired from doing the Sunday night NFL games! The PD at WJFK ought to have some standards for the on-air talent, even if his judgment is completely clouded from being best buddies with the Junkies. I hope the format changes soon, and the Junkies lose those incredibly inflated salaries. Hey Junkies--stop insulting your listeners with your elitist comments! EB (a Hannity and Limbaugh wannabe) is the worst, bragging about his paycheck, sportscar and media room filled with plasma tvs. (5/19/09) This might seem like a dumb question, but..all this ranting over WMAL not mentioning our armed forces during this month. What other stations have grabbed onto this and had a high profile of promotion in reference to it? I mean, I haven’t noticed other stations banging away at it. That includes WTOP…WBAL, etc. So, are these rants being delivered by angry pro-armed forces folks or pissed of WMAL former listeners? I just have to know…inquiring minds need information. WOW (5/19/09) Saw Luke Russert today doing actual journalism work. He was at a Netanyahu photo op on Capitol Hill, exercising judgment as to whether any news was committed in the Israeli's remarks to the cameras. (5/19/09) Dave's response: I wonder if Netanyahu has ever met Matisyahu..... Featuring rare one-of-a-kind footage, and interviews with Dick Dyszel, critic Arch Campbell, writer Steve Niles (30 DAYS OF NIGHT), filmmaker Jeff Krulik (HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT), “scream-queens” Eleanor Herman and Leanna Chamish, as well as a new generation of television “horror hosts” including John Dimes (“Dr. Sarcofiguy”) and Jerry Moore II (“Karlos Borloff”), this doc’s universal appeal goes beyond the beltway to show how art can sometimes come back to re-influence itself, and how the best days will always be ahead. Mr. Prather is a Telly Award winning director and producer, who previously directed the documentaries, PUBLIC WITNESS, SHARLENE'S HOUSE and the 1995 feature THE WAVE, which premiered at the AFI Video Festival in Los Angeles and screened at the AFI National Film Theatre at the Kennedy Center. He is the director and founder of Spooky Movie: The Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival. This evening is a joint presentation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Showcase (MARS), and the Spooky Movie's Midsummer Night's Scream programs. As part of the premiere event, there will be a preview of Spooky Movie 2009 festival, which will have its opening night Wednesday, October 21 at the AFI Silver Theatre, and will feature a Q&A following the screening, led by documentary filmmaker Jeff Krulik (HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT) with panelists Mr. Prather and Mr. Dyszel. The trailer is available online... (5/19/09) "WMAL has not paid any homage or given a respectable eulogy to local soldiers that were killed in Iraq. During our Military Appreciation Month, let us all remember, WMAL couldn't care less for our troops. (5/18/09)" Let's see, now. How much over a million dollars did WMAL raise for Fisher House? Being a douche is no way to go through life, son. -- ThePenIsMightier (5/19/09) There may be a few complications associated with getting Tony Kornheiser back on WTEM's morning schedule. When Dan Snyder first launched his Triple X network back in 2006, I think the terms of his agreement with ESPN Radio required that all four hours of Mike & Mike as well as two hours of Colin Cowherd's show be carried on Red Zebra's stations. Even if that's no longer the case, Kornheiser's still on the ESPN payroll for Pardon the Interruption - the four letter network couldn't be happy about him bumping Cowherd off the air in DC (which would happen if he got the 10 to noon timeslot) and might flex its corporate muscles to try and prevent it. Another possibility is Mr. Tony returning to ESPN Radio itself instead of doing a local show, although he had a few dustups with management during his previous stint there and it's by no means certain they could find a convenient slot for him. Of course if he ended up headlining a newly launched sports talk format on 106.7 FM, none of those obstacles would exist and it could also provide an opportunity for hosts recently let go by WTEM (such as Al Koken, Brian Mitchell and Phil Wood) to get back on the radio in Washington. As far as Monday Night Football is concerned, it's not hard to conjecture that soon after Jon Gruden was fired as head coach of the Buccaneers, ESPN decided to go after him in an effort to appeal to a younger audience - so Kornheiser was pressured to come up with a plausible cover story for stepping down. What's also interesting is that the two NFL broadcasters who routinely avoid flying (Kornheiser and John Madden) are both leaving their respective gigs at the same time. Mike, Fairfax (5/19/09) I really enjoy your website. I will soon put my money were my intentions and mouth are by becoming a paid member of your site soon!!! Your timely info regarding all media (print, radio, TV, Internet and industry musings and your keen observations), remind me of an era that is all but gone in Washington media; to inform media and all media types. I am older radio broadcaster, who fondly remembers the Tuesday Radio section in the Washington Post. You keep up the great work. Lastly, after being out of broadcasting for several years, I decided to enroll at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, and I was one of the students in the 2009 graduating class at the Arlington School that got their certificates. However, after reading the info on your site, and checking out the link, that indicated that Dick Robinson, who was the original CSB founder has bought back 11 schools in several states, I was elated. However, upon further checking of the article that you included in your story, it sadly seems that so far, the DC Area Schools in Columbia and Arlington, do not seem to be part of the deal. Hence, me and some of my classmates are stuck and being forced to pay for an education that was paltry at best, and we don't have use of any studios. I hope that Mr. Robinson decides to purchase the DC Area CSB schools because it would be a travesty at best. I wanted to thank you for breaking this news FIRST. You site is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps, you could do a blurb on how the 2009 graduating class is stuck in limbo because we cannot get internships or jobs in broadcasting because we do not have access to equipment............... Kind Regards, Kevin (5/19/09) Even though Clear Channel Winchester had canned them a few weeks ago, former WFQX board-op Elwood King may be back on the airwaves soon. This morning my girlfriend was listening to Front Royal's 95.3 "The River" and they mentioned on the air about how they will be getting Elwood "soon". Yet another former Q102/WFQX employee coming to "The River". Heck, other than Lonnie Hill and Kemp Miller...I think everyone else who works out of that building on John Marshall Highway at one time of another had worked at Q102. Kinda surprised they aren't eyeing Chuck Carroll but then again there is a rumor that he too is about to return to the local airwaves. Centennial's WWRT/WWRE "Everything that rocks" perhaps? Chuck would be a perfect fit there. (5/19/09) To the anonymous writer of endless posts: I'm once again unsure why you seek to make your point by calling another poster out personally. First, my comment on the Preakness was simply that I doubted that the track officials were as upset over the results of the change as some former patrons. I neither condoned or condemned either position. In fact, if you asked me to make the decision I'd fall on the side of continuing the old policy based on tradition and personal freedom. Of course, that fact messes up your rant. No, I did not attend Saturday; I stopped being in the infield's "demographic" about 25 years ago. I also don't need to pay $60 for the privilege to drink (in my day it was about $12 if you bought the tickets at Crown gas stations). When I have attended the track since then it's in the grandstand and NOT on Preakness day. As to your point about revenues, merchandise and food declines seem likely but I would suspect that they needed more beer venders, so I'm unsure about the jobs claim. As far as tourism goes, most infield patrons are locals or college students, so the hotels and restaurants felt no impact. I bet there were a lot fewer trip to first aid stations this year as well. BTW, today's Sun suggested that some state officials might favor a return to kegs instead of cans in oreder to restore BYOB without the potential missiles. That's pretty funny since the track banned kegs back when was still attending due to a keg throwing incident. Keep well, Howie (5/19/09) Thanks JJ...you've always been an influence. I'm gearing towards that 80's style flame-throwin' type of show...radio needs more fun not just in the mornings, but overall in general. Yes, 106.3 has a limited signal which should make it easier to do because the corporate monster isn't hanging over someone's shoulder. June 1st is the launch date. Run for cover! (5/19/09) I agree with the other mailbagger who liked Kornheiser's WTEM and ESPN radio shows more than the show he did on 1500. Tony is at his best when he's doing mostly sports related radio. Even though he often didn't have much expertise on a particular topic, he was smart to call to sports writers across the country who did have the inside scoop on the topics of the day. And in this way he was also smart to avoid interviews with the players themselves who are often the worst commentators on their own sports and performances. The non-sports discussions were great as a change of pace, while at 1500 they were the norm and were boring and directionless. It was wrong to set Tony up as a generalist comedian with studio groupies who added little more than a forced laugh track. Tony's a quirky guy, but his quirks should flavor what he does, not be the entire focus of his show. (5/19/09) WNST's Aparicio Stood Up at his Own Event--The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck reported over the weekend that WNST's "Nasty" Nestor Aparicio tried to make the best of a bad situation on the Preakness infield Saturday when he hosted an "event" on one of the Infield stages. Model/actress Stacy Keibler--a Baltimore native and official "Infield Hostess"--and Charm City Devils front man John Allen were supposed to be there but apparently didn't get the memo. It's probably a just as well, as Eck reports, because if they had, there would have been more people on the stage than in front of it. Aparicio tried to his hardest to get people to pay attention, but his witty one-liners fell on deaf ears, not that there were that many ears to begin with. "This looks my audience, according to my Arbitron rating," he said, referring to the modest wattage of his all-sports station. weblogs.baltimoresun.com (5/19/09) DAVE: FYI, COMCAST DC (BASIC) CHANNEL 28 SHOULD BE CABLE NEWS CHANNEL 8,THE ALLBRITTON 24 HOUR ALL NEWS STATION. THIS MORNING I NOTICED IT WAS THE "NFL TOTAL ACCESS CHANNEL" I CHECKED, DOUBLE CHECKED, TRIPLE CHECKED, SURE ENOUGH, COMCAST MESSED-UP. I CALLED WJLA/NC8 ENGINEERING, THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE NOT TOO HAPPY. I CALLED COMCAST TWICE, FIRST I CALED THE 800 #, AND AS USUAL, THEY WERE CLUELESS AND UNHELPFUL. 100% USELES...& IGNORANT OF TE PROBLEM. I THEN TELEPHONED A LINE FOR SUPERVISORS ONLY, HE REP. WHO ANSWERED CHECKED INTO IT, ADMITTED THAT YES, THEY MIXED THINGS UP. ANY GUESS AS TO HOW LONG IT WILL AKE EM TO 'FIX' THIS ERROR?? STAY TUNED. (5/19/09) Re: Tom Gavin/Box of chocolates....No, you DO know what you are going to get...Two useless hours of meaningless crap produced by a guy whose diva-like attitude at FPA is starting to get the best of him...You're not Don Geronimo Tom...Get a grip on yourself. (5/19/09) Gavin's show, like Gump's box o'chocolates, truly is the ultimate in "you never know what you are going to get". Between songs incorrectly cued, being cut off in the middle, impromptu singalongs, playing bumps from other jocks' shows and just wondering "what can possibly top this?", the Tom Gavin show is unlike anything anywhere. It's hard to make it through two hours of it, but Tom is to radio what Wesley Willis was to pop music (you're already on the Web, just look him up). (5/19/09) To Tom and Burt in Denton and other Oldies lovers, you're invited to sample our radio station here in Dothan, Alabama. WEEL AM-FM ('The Wheel') plays more than 2,000 songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's. We stream on-line at www.oldies700.com. We even have the legendary Jack Gale doing spots and promos for us and we're all around town with appearances (lots of pictures on the website). People down here really love oldies. Thanks - Bob Mathers (5/19/09) Tony's recent show at Post radio wasn't as good as his WTEM show. If he comes back, seems to me he would reunite with Pollin at WTEM. Another old Tony sidekick Sheehan is also at WTEM and could be added. Tony was better with a cast of guys who not only laughed with him but at him as opposed to the suck-up action at Post radio. (5/19/09) Dave's response: Tony needs a producer like Andy Pollin to "guide" him into interesting topics. Tony is a very funny guy, but he has a habit of rambling on too long about stuff that the audience doesn't much care about, causing "dead spots" in his radio show. As witnessed by his shows at WaPo Radio/3WT, which were Pollin-less..... Dave: Great job ESPN!!! By firing Kornheiser, you've giving people like Steve Czaban material to talk about for hours and hours. If I was a PD at Fox Sports Radio, I would suspend Czaban for talking about the competition regarding a matter that was anticipated for months. Let's face-it, Kornheiser is a egomaniac, nasty-bitter, insecure individual who thrives-on attention. I think we're all going to agree that the "third" seat on MNF isn't a big deal anymore...it will become the guest chair. Dave, here's a reality check. If WJFK goes all-sports on 106.7, we're going to be resurrecting Earl Forsey's career and along with Bennett Zier. If CBS was smart, they should hire people who've worked in sportstalk radio and do the opposite of WTEM. By the way, If I was Coach Thompson, I would stand in-line outside Bruce Gilbert's office door this morning and ask for Doc Walker to be fired! Someone needs to tell Doc to stop pretending he knows everything and clean-up his language. This is why I can only listen to Thompson's show for only 3-minutes..Doc's street talk makes no sense and doesn't belong on the DC airwaves. (5/19/09) In response to the post about Tom Gavin's show...It, much like his personality, is dreadful. (5/19/09) Whenever I hear the plant caller on the Hannity radio show falsely and deceitfully claim he was ex-military, and that Sean was "exactly right" on whatever Sean was talking about, I always thought to myself, Hannity and WMAL must really hate our military to put this crap out. (5/19/09) Ref: It's official..."The" Edsall has come out of a ten year radio hiatus…about time we got some Good car news, nuff bout GM etc, Congrats Gary and welcome back. JJ Hitman McKay (5/19/09) What happened? Comcast in Montgomery County switched from news Channel 8 to the NFL Network on Ch. 28. Who needs off season fill when the local news station is more important. (5/19/09) Does the men’s room at WJFK have a minimum of two stalls? That’s the first step if they want TK to come aboard. Does anyone know when the Nationals’ contract with Bonneville is up? The Nats PBP, along with the Caps, would be a nice pick-up for JFK and would serves as a good foundation for a solid sports-talk station. Both teams got screwed when B’ville put WTOP on 107.7, as 1500 is non-existent in the western suburbs at night (I can’t believe the teams let this happen – was there nothing preventing such a reduction in the on-air frequencies in the contracts?). BG (5/19/09) Dave's response: The only way CBS could get TK would be to re-open the Don Geronimo Memorial Studio (the old WARW studios) in Rockville. With a private urinal for Tony. That would be the only CBS Radio broadcast facility close enough to TK's NW DC home. You think Tony's gonna get limoed all the way out to Fairfax or Lanham every morning? Come on..... RE: CD's..... As I remember it, when CDs first came out they were like close to double the cost of LPs, but the message put out was that, over time CDs would ultimately be much cheaper to produce than LPs, and therefor would ultimately come back down close to the same price. Yet, the record companies lied and stole all those profits in the 80's and 90's instead and prices never came down. Those same companies that lost money on LPs and 45s are now the same companies that are in trouble again, only consolidated in a different way and under different corporate owners. Btw, isn't the cost of producing a CD not much more than the overhead that Apple & Amazon provide? I read once that CD production costs are ridiculously minimal now with the same plants that produce DVDs also producing CDs and almost completely automated. Only thing left is packaging and few bands put out extensive packaging anymore so once again, it's hard to justify the price difference between online purchases and CDs. I have LPs with HUGE expensive full color booklets included. Consumers are ultimately smart. They don't see the value or advantage to CDs and the record companies have given them no reason to see any value or additional features to CDs. Instead the record companies raised prices and added additional copy protection methods that hassled consumers and gave them less value. Where did that get them? See, if the record companies had been smart, they'd have turned every CD released into a VIDEO CD long ago back when MTV actually still played MUSIC! Guess what? Now it's too late, ITUNES sells videos too! Go figure. If Apple shuts down iTUNES tomorrow, every single record company files for bankruptcy the following week! If it wasn't for Apple and Steve Jobs vision of iTUNES, all of these stupidly run dinosaur companies would have long since gone under completely. (5/19/09) Has anyone actually listened to Tom Gavin's public access show?? Just curious. (5/19/09) Dave's response: Yeah. He actually sometimes sings along with the music..... /\ May 19 Messages /\ \/ May 18 Messages \/ I can't help but say it... If you bought that Beatles album new for $4.99 (let's say it was 1969), that's equivalent to $29 in today's money; much more expensive than a CD is now. And a $6.98 album in 1980 was exactly as expensive as that $18 CD is today. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. ~~CA in BC (5/18/09) Ah heck, I was just joshing about O'Meara and Czarnial dating. But take a gander at them pictures from the Wash Caps game on the wonderfully creative Mike O'Meara .com. It sure looks like O'Meara is making goo goo eyes at the Czarniak. With PBS telling member stations to drop any Reliogious programming because in is not allowed by the PBS charter will the next step be the elimination of commercials on PBS member stations since PBS stations are suppose to be non-commercial entities. Yeag right, like PBS stations don't show commercials before and safter a program. Wonder if Wonderful Mr. Tony thought about asking John Madden if he could have his old bus. Especially, since the both share the fear of flight. Is Mr. Tony reallly thinking of opening a hair salon in Chevy Chase? It all sucks! Good Night and Good Lick (5/18/09) dave- you are right on the money regarding overpriced cds. as a matter of principle I wont spend more than 12 bucks. i got dépêche mode latest for 10 bucks on amazon after previewing it at rhapsody. as you well know the quality of the music is much higher on the cd, which is easily made into mp3s. but if I liked only one tune then the i-tunes model is fine. regular visitor to dcrtv, thanks, fred (5/18/09) Whether or not Tony K said it was the "fear of flying" as the real reason to leave MNF (as opposed to being pushed off the broadcast), the real question is why would any local station around here want him? Did he really do that good in the ratings while at WTEM or the short lived WaPo radio? And now that he isn't writing for the Post anymore, does anyone even care? I guess if WJFK jumped to all sports, TK makes a nice "splash" for them to kick the format off, but if the price to get to TK is to bring along Pollin, then CBS or ANY company out there would be better off saying "thanks, but no thanks Tony. You can come play, but leave your lap dog at home". Pollin is so limited these days is embarassing. If JFK does jump to all sports, I guess we know why Big O and Dukes have been without a contract (yes, we know guys, you've told us). Junkies 6-9, TK 9-noon, Dukes and a new partner noon-4, another host 4-7. PxP and Fox sports at night. Live, local and would probably do about as well as WJFK does now. But would Tony do 3 hours? And would he actually agree to let Dukes follow him in the studio? Man...thems a lot of egos (even more than now!) in one building! Might as well bring back Donnie G while they are at it! Oscar has no shot if they switch to sports. Shopping ain't a sport. I'm not saying...I'm just saying.....name withheld to protect the innocent...... (5/18/09) I'm all broken up over Kornheiser's firing. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Signed, "Joe Theisman" (5/18/09) Dave's response: You left an "n" off your name, "Joe." Hey, fire the Junks and have the "Tony And Joe Show" on JFK mormings. That'd be "fun"..... Thought you might be interested in this one. Clear Channel was sued again for breach of contract. The suit was filed against CC when Live Nation was still an official spinoff of the company. As such, they are still liable. Moreover, the Mays family still sits on the Live Nation board or directors. So, this is indeed a Clear Channel suit. www.pwnewsnow.com (5/18/09) LOVED the rant about CD's. I remember being 15 and really scrimping and saving just to buy a Beatles album from Rainbow Tree for 4.99 and thinking THAT was expensive. Anyone remember the used albums at Rainbow Tree and Penguin Feather and finding it as a gold mine of goodies? NBC's fascination with the Farrah Fawcett Death Watch is waaaaaaaay beyond creepy. Even though they'd never admit it, NBC is hoping she croaks so they can run nutty with it for a week or so. They'll even drag out Luke Russert to ''cover'' the funeral. Paul (5/18/09) It's official...Gary "GE" Edsall has come out of a ten year radio hiatus and will be returning as the morning guy at Cambridge, MD's WCEM 106.3 the Heat. Film at 11. (5/18/09) Those great Preakness ratings numbers of course are great for WRC 4 and WBAL 11 and NBC, but in stark contrast to the empty infield & sharp drop in attendance everyone saw on NBC, not to mention the loss of jobs, tourism, hotels, merchandise sales (40% down), and if they ever release the #'s, probably food sales too, we'll see. I even doubt the attendance #'s from the NBC blimp shots. Some conspiracy theories are floating around on BaltimoreSun.com too, specifically that Magna Entertainment, Pimlico's owner, deliberately sabotaged the event in order to move the race to another city. The owner of The Preakness, of course is in bankruptcy, and the state of Maryland has passed eminent domain legislation which the banktruptcy court will have to rule on. If its not in the best interest of creditors, should the Preakness be moved? Hmmm. Of course, this will all be decided in DELAWARE, of all places, which has a vested interest in the failure of The Preakness & Maryland slots. The plot thickens. There may be no conspiracy here, but this story definitely has legs, as they say and lots more interesting things will be happening soon now that this year's Preakness was a complete flop. I mean, c'mon $60 to see ZZ Top with no real view of the race + $3.50 beers? What were they thinking? Howie, did you go this year? I bet not, hehe. Btw, they do BYOB, EVEN HARD LIQUOR, at the Daytona 500 and have few problems that I saw in 2008. But, the big difference is NASCAR has tons of money, and security is everywhere. Last time I was at The Preakness infield, it was like the teacher missing from the classroom, no security, bedlam. The handle on The Preakness might be up because of the off-track betting this year and the great race, but make no mistake Howie, Pimlico and Baltimore took a bath yesterday. The Preakness doesn't just have to make money or break even, it basically is the event that keeps Maryland horse racing alive and bails out all the rest of Laurel Park & Pimlico's yearly losses! That didn't happen this year, nowhere near. The REAL #'s will come out in federal court in Delaware soon most likely through court filings. I don't trust anything The Baltimore Sun is reporting about this event since they've already published so many falsehoods in The Sun. The Sun even published that NASCAR bans BYOB. Well, guess what, The Sun is wrong, I was there in 2008 and it was orderly too compared to my last Preakness infield. I'm still waiting for The Sun's retraction of that error. NASCAR has young fans w/ a fervor & BYOB, Horse Racing has 50-70 yr olds waiting to be put down. Demographics Howie? What's wrong with this picture? (5/18/09) I just learned that Resie Williams, former part-timer at Majic 102.3 passed away last week. I saw his obit in yesterdays post. (5/18/09) Ratings are in: The NBC Sports broadcast of the Blackberry Preakness Stakes (gr. I) in which Rachel Alexandra became the first filly in 85 years to win the race, had the highest overnight rating since 2004 and the second-highest rating in nearly two decades. The race portion (6:00-6:45 p.m. ET) earned an overnight rating of 7.9 and an 18 share, a gain of 27 percent over last year's race (6.2/14) when Big Brown won to take the first two legs of the Triple Crown. The overnight rating for yesterday's race portion was the highest since 2004 (9.2/20). All of the segments of NBC Sports' broadcast yesterday showed significant ratings gains: - The total program (5-6:45) received an overnight rating of 6.3 and a share of 15, up 24 percent from last year (4.7/12), the highest since 2004 (7.2/16), and the second-highest since 1990 (7.8/20). - The Preakness Stakes special (4:30-5 p.m. ET) posted an overnight rating of 2.7 and a 7 share, up 42 percent from last year (1.9/5). - The pre-race (5-6 p.m. ET) produced a 5.1/12, up 46 percent from last year (3.5/9). - The rating peaked from 6-6:30 p.m. ET at an 8.6/19 (5/18/09) Since Korny is to sports as The Beatles were to polka music, I see no reason why WJFK needs to change formats to accomodate his show. Howie (5/18/09) The poster mentioning the "media frenzy" over this year's Preakness should note that the frenzy took place over two issues, infield rule changes prohibiting BYOB and the bankruptcy of the Canadian owners of Maryland's major tracks. On the first one, the track apparently had a higher wagering day despite the attendance dropoff and, I'm betting, sold a lot of beverages they wouldn't have sold on the infield in past years. Despite the loss of infield ticket sales, Pimlico probably sees a Preakness with the emphasis on horse racing over urinal hopping as a win both financially and image-wise. As for the second issue, the State and the bankruptcy courts are going to have to work that one out. Howie (5/18/09) GEEEEEEZ DAVE, I step away for some lunch and get some of the greatest news ever upon my return. KORNHEISER GONE!!! Thank god. It's bad enough that the SUCKSKINS are terrible and probably will blow the season again this year but after every depressing w/end watching little Danny boys failure of a team it will be nice to tune in to MNF w/out KORNHOLIO. I liked Gruden as a coach so now it's time to see if he's got the balls to travel the states unlike KORNY and Madden before him. Now if we could only get that prick Snyder to step down and replace himself we might have reason to enjoy the whole season of football this upcoming year. M in B-town. (5/18/09) This post is in reference to “Rick in Winchester”. I don’t know if you’re sleeping with MOM but you surely don’t know much about good radio, organization, humor or work ethic. MOM has none of them. He’s lazy, he’s getting more and more pompous due to his own insecurity. He’s thrashing in a sea of recent failures. I knew him when he possessed all of the above. Through being second banana to the “radio legend” he lost the edge. He allowed the “radio legend” to suck him dry. What you have now is a pale imitation of the real MOM. WOW (5/18/09) "Several months ago, DCRTV reported that the Washington Times was working on the development of a morning news show, which is set to debut on 6/1. No word, yet, if that will be carried on 1580.' Times Radio rolls out just as Tony K. becomes available. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? It's a match made in heaven! Just kidding. Christian (5/18/09) Dave's response: There is no way in Hell that Tony Kornheiser, a big lib and WaPo devotee, would ever have anything to do with the Moonie-owned righty WashTimes. No way, Jose..... Mr Tony, I got one bit of advice for you, "You gotta harvest your nuts right now man!" thiswebsitestinks.com... Hey I hope we can get Mr K back on morning radio here in DC. That was great entertainment when he was on. And Dave, thanks for your twit regarding Kenneth Branagh and Wallanger. I didn't know about it, but watched episode two last night. Reminds me, again how superb public television can be. Robert in Arlington (5/18/09) Dave's response: "Wallander" is brilliant TV. Glad MPT interrupted their non-stop weekend infomercials for it..... Hmmm, why no coverage on DCRTV of the Baltimore media frenzy over this year's Preakness or the controversy and media discussion of the changes that resulted in the lowest attendance since 1983 or worse? I seem to remember a DCRTV news blurb last year. It is, errrr, was, the state's largest media and sports event and is dominating The Sun, WBAL radio, & WBAL TV, among other Baltimore media outlets, yet not a whisper on DCRTV even though there is tons of controversy over it even today, 2 days later. Did DCRTV also forget The Preakness was last Saturday like everyone else who didn't bother to show up? LOL (5/18/09) Dave's response: I think DCRTV did a little blurb last year on 11's pre-coverage of the event. I just didn't see the declining popularity (and the new rule prohibiting folks from bringing their own booze and getting totally wasted) of the Charm City horserace as all that much of a media-related story..... Good news, the less Tony Kornheiser the better. He is an absolute abomination and when paired with Andy Pollin, a radio abortion. Hopefully he will contract Ebola. (5/18/09) Maybe all the cuts recently at WTEM were in anticipation of Tony leaving MNF, and the possibility of bringing him back. Maybe they're not as hapless as people think. (5/18/09) Dave's response: Dan Snyder ain't no dummy. It makes you wonder..... Kornheiser is out on Monday Night Football replaced by former coach Gruden, Did he jump or was he pushed? (5/18/09) Dave's response: With the announcement coming so "soon" before the football season, it's obvious that Tony was "pushed." If Tony was going to leave on his own accord, he probably would have told us sometime during the late winter..... "Where else could Kornheiser go on the local radio dial?" Several recent Washington Post chats have speculated that a new sports station is going to sprout up to compete with WTEM. Could Kornheiser have leaked such information about his negotiations, leading to the speculation in the Post chats? A sports format for 106.7 certainly seems like a good bet to me -- with a focus on Caps and Nats to counteract WTEM's Redskins obsession. Kornheiser's laziness is well known -- can't see him taking a morning drive spot. (5/18/09) Dave's response: If CBS was gonna flip 106.7 to sports talk, it would have done so by now. Honestly, Tony's ratings weren't so great during his stint two years ago on WaPo Radio and 3WT. I can't see JFK/CBS dumping the younger-skewing Junks for an older-skewing Kornheiser. Maybe JFK could put Tony in the 9 AM to 11 AM slot, and trim BO&D back to just four hours. But CBS would have to pay Korny some relatively big bucks for a non-drivetime slot. Not gonna happen in these recessionary times. I'd say the most-likely radio bet for Tony is to return to WTEM, where he could juice-up their morning ratings. Snyder's got bags of money that he could easily ship Korny's way..... I don't know that I completely buy Kornheiser's explanation but the fact that he's out of MNF is excellent news. I can handle him on PTI but could not stand the thought of him being on MNF for another season. (5/18/09) What are chances of getting the (Kornheiser) radio gang back together??? (5/18/09) “Call me naïve, but I really don’t understand the hatred and the callous remarks made about Mike O’Meara.” Not “naïve” (wow: my Outlook can actually duplicate that fancy squiggle over “naïve” automatically!) it, like O’Meara’s show isn’t, or maybe IS, is obviously meant to be friggin funny. Sheesh….stop taking all this crap so seriously: he surely does not. Gotta go cue up the DVR for the last episode of “24” now….. (5/18/09) To Burt in Denton, WZBB just brought in Comcast (we did not have access to broadband until recently). I heard that they plan on streaming after all the licensing stuff is taking care of, plus the issue of removing the required spots from the stream. It's an interesting Country format with a mix of music from the 80's thru today, with some occasional 60's and 70's. Tom (5/18/09) Kornheiser leaves MNF -- sports.espn.go.com. So, now where's the right fit for TK on the radio? You gotta think 10-noon on 980 is the simplest option. It seems as though Bonneville doesn't have a 'talk' option any more. Steve in Lanham (5/18/09) Whither Mr. Tony, now that he's off MNF? (Yes, it's true, fire up your Google machine . . . ). Given the cost-cutting/firings at Sportscrap980, are they in a position to bring him into the TTDSRN (Teeny-Tiny Danny Snyder Radio Network)? A reunion with Andy Polley? Mr. Tony was heard mumbling on Dan Levy's podcast that he might well consider a podcast if he could figure out some way to make it pay . . . . which puts him with a LARGE group of folks who would like to figure out how to make a podcast pay. Where else could he go, though? It's an easy bet, though, that he'll be back on the air/Net somewhere by the time football season rolls around. And this guy will be REAL happy about that. Sincerely, TMU (5/18/09) ESPN just announced on its First Take show that Tony Kornheiser is leaving MNF, former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden will replace him..... (5/18/09) This just in from ERSPN radio / The Colin Cowherd Show: Tony Kornheiser leaves MNF, to be replaced by John Gruden, ex-coach of Tampa Bay. Does this mean Tony’s coming back to DC radio? Hopefully so. (5/18/09) Gruden replacing Korny on MNF.. Any idea what this might mean for a possible Korny return to radio? - Justin in McLean (5/18/09) Seems like FOX5 again is giving another one of Holly Morris' assignments to another reporter ..This morning, I saw that they have sent Jennifer Davis to cover American Idol which Holly has been doing for years..They've already given her "Neighborhood News" and the "Let Me Do Your Job" (or whatever it was called) to Tony Perkins..What's up?? (5/18/09) Dave's response: Jeez, you'd think poor Holly would be ready for the straight-jacket and the "rubber room" after covering all that "Idol" crappola all these years..... Call me naïve, but I really don’t understand the hatred and the callous remarks made about Mike O’Meara. He’s just a guy with a little radio show. Does he really have enough influence to make others spew about what he does or to whom he does it? Is it jealousy, or is it too much time on one’s hand to be able to sit around and make this shit up? Those who perpetrate the lies and innuendo about O’Meara must be a pathetic bunch of radio wannabees who can’t get their fat asses off the couch long enough to enroll in the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. At least O’Meara has a degree in his chosen field. What do you have; a laptop and a hard-on for someone who actually works in the business? Jump off the band wagon ass-boys. He’s not hurting anyone. If he wants to date Czarniak… so what? At least he’s not sitting at home pulling his puud, waiting for the next opportunity to fabricate useless news about a small-town disc jockey. Rick in Winchester (5/18/09) "Union wages aren't all that high at Metro. As I recall hourly pay for a weekend on-air traffic reporter was something like $12." I think I can negotiate $12 an hour without giving AFTRA a grand plus AND a percentage of what I make. Then I get to try and pay my bills in DC on that. Talent gets screwed both ways. 7-11 and fast food joints pay about the same. (5/18/09) Read your post earlier today about your new gig, Tom Conroy. Do you expect to stream your broadcasts? Let us know so we can hear you up here on the eastern shore. Burt in Denton (5/18/09) To the poster who wondered why AFTRA would allow Gannett to gut the WUSA-TV-9 newsroom: I imagine Pat O'donnell, George Wright, and others of the AFTRA staff are a bit busy right now, putting in their very long days working for the membership, so I'll offer a thought. AFTRA salvaged all it could from those talks and the shop membership is pleased that things weren't a lot worse. To suggest that AFTRA could have prevented this is to attribute 1950's level strength to a union which, like most others today, is fighting just to hold ground. Broadcasting is a troubled industry in a troubled economy. Nothing is gained by wallowing in nostalgia. (5/18/09) WMAL does not talk about the number of troop deaths or wounded in Iraq. WMAL has never talked about hardships wounded Vets have gone through. WMAL has not paid any homage or given a respectable eulogy to local soldiers that were killed in Iraq. During our Military Appreciation Month, let us all remember, WMAL couldn't care less for our troops. (5/18/09) One thing about radio is that you move on eventually, as I did after many fantastic experiences in Baltimore radio. I loved that "Orioles Magic" growing up, and now, even down here in SW Virginia, I have rediscovered the Orioles! I was flipping thru the AM dial and surprise, an Orioles game! I found this on a FoxSports station in Martinsville. Coming from Baltimore it sure was great to hear spots for Esskay Meats, Loyola Federal, and many others. I actually felt like I was back in Baltimore, despite being about 350 miles south. Yes, the Orioles are the team of choice here, a pleasant surprise for one with roots in charm city! By the way, I love my first full time airshift at WZBB-FM. It's rare to still find locally owned stations these days, much less one that expects a good balance of personality with the basics. Small world too, that Pat Garrett does our imaging, and we worked together during my days at WCAO. Thanks, Tom Conroy (5/18/09) If I could, I would send this note AFTRA: Dear AFTRA: As a union, how could you have allowed the Gannett Corporation to symmetrically destroy the once proud newsroom of WUSA/9 Eyewitness News? What happened? George? Pat? Can either of you answer? Are you going to let this happen again to another station in town? I think we deserve some answers, even if it is NOT what we want to hear. (5/18/09) /\ May 18 Messages /\ \/ May 17 Messages \/ That Washington Post article "Slur-Filled Web Site Hurtful But Not Illegal."..maybe so but still couldn't the parents and/or students whose lives were affected by such stuff sue? I can remember back when I was in high school back in the mid 1980's, we had an incident involving two students ( a boy and a girl named "Barbara" ) in my graphic arts class. One day as a joke the boy had put together this mock ad, a take off on the then current ads for the Econo Lodge motel chain "spend a night..not a fortune" He also made copies and slipped them inside most of the lockers in school. In the boy's "ad showed a big pic of the girl saying "Barbara likes to get laid at Econo Lodge..where she can spend a nght..give a quick b****job...and not have to spend a fortune". Of course Barbara and her parents complained and the boy found himself out of school for a time. I had thought that was the end of that but years later when I attended my 5th High School reunion, I heard from many other classmates that Barbara's parents had actually field a slander/libel suit against the boy, his parents and the school district for several thousands of dollars. The suit against the school dristrict was dropped but I was told the boy and his family had to shell out $5000 to Barabara and her parents over this mock ad.. Niether Barbara or this boy ever showed up at the reunion ( or the 10th one for that matter ) so I wonder. Hmmmmmmm (5/17/09) Re: "O'Meara dating Czarniak", where the heck did THAT come from?..I've obviously missed something..Hopefully that this was a joke as I'd never picture those two together. (5/17/09) “Is O'Meara dating Czarniak?” Shouldn’t that read: “Is O’Meara dated compared to Czarniak?” as he is older than dirt, fatter than Fat Albert; dumber than Dumb & Dumber; a bigger loser than the Caps, Redskins & Caps combined; more washed up than Kathy Gifford; more lame than Larry Flynt; more bleached than Blondie; and last but not least, by his own omission, not able to get it up in the first place. He’d crush her on top and it would be like climbing Mount Everest otherwise. Oh well: there’s always doggie style if he could get on his knees, which Carla wisely thought over again &rejected. There: cry a little about that on Monday Crybaby Mike, Rob and Buzz. (5/17/09) MediaPost the other day reported, “Three McClatchy-owned papers have begun charging subscribers extra this month to receive the stand-alone TV sections that have been staples of Sunday papers for decades. In Miami, Sacramento and Tacoma, Wash., subscribers now have to "opt-in" to get the supplement and then pay a 25-cent charge.” With the WaPo now using “opt-in” for the Sunday TV book in Arlington/Alexandria, and expected to roll this out further for home-delivered copies in the metro area, it a surcharge for the TV book in the offing?? (5/17/09) How is the 94.7 HD2 sounding these days? And how will long will it take that signal to Spanish? (5/17/09) Dave's response: Generic automated alt rock..... Hi Dave, The date for the WOL ad is 1938. Tom (5/17/09) 700 AM can never go 24 hour service, owing to 700 WLW in Ohio having clear-channel status. (5/17/09) The WOL-Redskins ad on display at "DCRTV Plus" dates to August 1938. WOL (which began carrying the Redskins in the mid-'30s) increased power from to 100 watts to 1000 watts and moved its xmtr from 1111 H street, NW to Agar Road in Chillum while changing frequency from 1310 to 1230 KC. See the articles at DCmemories.com... (WOL would shift up to 1260 on the dial during the "Radio Moving Day" in March 1941.) At the time, the station was owned by the "American Broadcasting Co." which had no relationship to the ABC that would later spin off from the NBC Blue Network. (5/17/09) This might seem odd, but……..BEWARE of Hannity. He is a dangerous, dangerous talker. He has every Democrat on the planet in his sights and will go so far as destroying this country to trash the good and the bad. His sights are not on the USA, they are on promotion of Hannity at any cost. BEWARE. PS: And I’m not a Democrat, I’m an AMERICAN. My family came here, played by the rules and made a good life for me, my brother and my family. Now, we are being swallowed up by slanted media, untruths and distrust. WOW (5/17/09) SAD WE CAN NOT HEAR THE O"S RADIO AT NIGHT,SMART MOVE BUY 700AM MOVE 24 HOUR LOCATION CARRY O'S AND ESPN OR FOX AND LOCAL GAMES. FREDERICK BEING CHEATED (5/17/09) Dave's response: And how about Nats' fans in parts of Northern Virginia. They can hear the Orioles just fine on 94.3 (via WTEM) from Warrenton, but can't hear the "hometown" Nats at night..... WMAL hates our troops; they love the industrial military complex, but they hate the "boots on the ground." On this Military Appreciation Month, we should all look back and see the pure contempt towards the troops Hannity, Rush, Graham, and Parks displayed in the build up to the war. Hell, Hannity was even throwing victorious goodbye parties for them on the air. Remember, WMAL used their airwaves to call those not wanting to send the troops in harm’s way “Un-American.” . These bozos never used their airwaves to question why we were sending troops to Iraq, displaying clearly their complete indifference or hatred for the troops and their families. Over the years, WMAL displayed a love for an unnecessary war that has wounded or killed tens of thousands of our troops. Do you remember when WMAL sent Michael Graham to Iraq to report on all the progress of the contractors and ignore the rising troop casualties? On the Military Appreciation Month, let’s remember, WMAL hates our troops. (5/17/09) Did any DISH Network subscribers lose all their local channels just before the Preakness ran? I lost all my local channels minutes before the race started, but got it back long after it was over. During the outage, a message came on screen saying DISH was aware of the problem and was trying to fix it. A call to DISH revealed that the problem was local and the fault of the "service provider." What gives? (5/17/09) Dave's response: At about 5 PM yesterday, as I was preparing to watch the Preakness, Comcast decided to download a "firmware upgrade" to my HD-DVR box, causing it to shut down for about 20 minutes, followed by a reboot. If Comcast is gonna do that, why not do it at 3 AM, when they're less likely to interrupt someone's viewing, than at 5 PM? Sheesh..... /\ May 17 Messages /\ \/ May 16 Messages \/ Ok, so who in the Baltimore media is blowing more smoke up my ass regarding this year's Preakness (as we say in Bawlamore hon)? The Baltimore Sun, WBAL Radio, or WBAL-TV ??? Or should I add Governor O'Malley and The Maryland Jockey Club in there too? No matter, the votes are in, it's a dead heat! THEY ALL LIED! You could clearly see on NBC today that attendance was somewhere around 1/3rd of the usual, maybe WORSE! A complete disaster and financial bust, once again putting The Preakness and the track's future in doubt. YET WHY IS EVERY MEDIA OUTLET QUOTING THE MARYLAND JOCKEY CLUB'S "Down 10-12%" NUMBERS and "Of course we made the right decisions" BS story??? Unbelievable. People can see with their own eyes on NBC ya know? Ummm, NOBODY SHOWED UP! DUH! The people have spoken. From politicians to horse racing people to the bankruptcy, it couldn't have been a more perfect storm of complete FUCK-UPS. They have BYOB at the Daytona 500 with over 200,000 people and few fights or trouble, but it's more restricted and controled than Pimlico used to be. Why can't they have that in Baltimore? Who will buy Pimlico now that they lost money on this year's Preakness? The taxpayers? The same taxpayers who didn't show up today ??? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA This is just beyond insane! I'm waiting for all my favorite Baltimore media outlets to conjure up some stories about this instead of the phony hoopla and fancy hats and Blacked-Eyed Susan PR machine. So far ONLY NBC showed the brutal truth of the empty infield. The Sun? Where is Jill Rosen with a retraction of the other day's inaccurate story? WBAL radio? WBAL-TV? Are you there ?? Somebody ??? (5/16/09) Re: religious programming on PBS...this sounds a LOT like those emails I used to receive a few years back saying such things like how atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair was working with the FCC to ban all religious programming from all radio & TV stations. Of course that didn't happened. Gee I wonder why? O'Hair has been dead for years..since 1995 actually and yet those emails continued until just a few years ago. On the flip side, last year my wife received an email from some group claiming that Oklahoma Republican Sally Kern is trying to ban not only channels & programmings like Logo, Late-night Cinemax, Jerry Springer, even the music of Elton John from appearing on Oklahoma radio & TV. I believe Ms. Kern has since denied those emails. Then you have Colorado's Focus on the Family about how they are teaming up with the FCC to pass a rule saying how only "hetrosexual marrieds" would be allowed on the nation's airwaves in order to "protect the children and the nation's faith". As of yet Focus on the Family hasn't denied that ( I am sure they would love to see this become reality ) but none-the-less I still believe that was a hoax too. If PBS does go ahead and force stations to cut religious programming, I would not at all be surprised if one starts to hear similar rumors ( like O'Hair/Kern/Focus On the Family ) showing up on the net. (5/16/09) I think it's perfectly fine that PBS stations choose not to air religious or sectarian programming. Religion is a collection of superstitious nonsense and fairy stories. Over the centuries, religions have wreaked more havoc, death and destruction upon people than anything else I can think of. Pick your poison Judeo-Christian, Islam, whatever - it makes no real difference - it's all about the dynamic of controlling humanity via fear and social engineering. And, why add to what Fox News, Rush and the other rightwing radio ranters are already doing? (5/16/09) Is O'Meara dating Czarniak? I thought WTNT went off the air after dark. It seems many a night the station goes off the air. Is it cheaper for a tv station to run infomercials that pay them virtually nothing all night than just shutting the station off over night like in them olden days? It all sucks. Good Night and Good Lick (5/16/09) More mindless crap from the feds concerning PBS on religious programming. There is no violation of the establishment clause when PBS runs religious programming. The state is no ESTABLISHING a national religion here. The government should also ban Monty Python repeats for mocking religon too, I guess. And I'm a Monty Python nut. More idiocy from our enemies in the federal government. (5/16/09) Slumping Newsweek To Revamp, Raise Cover Price - what a sure fire winning way to increase sales on a dying product. Not! (5/16/09) I am in complete agreement with everyone this past week on WMAL concerning Pelosi and torture. The Bush Administration was pellucid and honest to Congress, the UN and The good people of the United States on all its tactics and reasons for doing what it did, every step of the way. They never equivocated; their wording was straight forward and carefully thought out so there would be no accusations of obfuscating the truth. Never had we a Presidential administration that was so methodical in clear, well-defined direct communication. The Bush Administration always listened carefully to opposition, and methodically worked on solutions or common ground. The Republican National Committee would never stoop so low as to run television commercials morphing an anti-Iraq war member of Congress' face into bin Ladin's face. Every claim the administration made about going to war with Iraq, and Iraq's connection with Osama, was fully vetted by the intelligence community, other nations like Italy and Germany, as well as the UN, and this connection was communicated clearly to everyone. When the average American hears the words "enhanced Interrogation Techniques," they always thought of "illegal torture," and "waterboarding;" no question about it. Pelosi had to understand this lucid connection completely; they were being honest and straight forward as they could with her. These truths can be heard on WMAL. On this Military Appreciation Month, we need to thank the Bush Administration for doing everything they possibly could to avoid sending our troops into Iraq; they had no other choice, and WMAL was in the forefront back then of communicating clearly the reasons for going. Pelosi should step down. Wait a minute...... (5/16/09) Let me understand this. The FCC wants to increase diversity. The FCC wants more local content. Yet, CPB/PBS which takes direction from the Fed is seeking to restrict religious programming. How is restricting local religious content a means to forward diversity? Such 'religious' programming always targets Christians and especially Roman Catholics. When Obama visited G'town U, they covered up the cross. Add in the calls for a Palestinian state and it sure sounds like the Obama admin. is trying to make a place for Islam in America. He is a Muslim. (5/16/09) I saw a list of the membership of the FCC diversity committee. Maybe I missed it, but, if this committee is about minorities, (which no longer need such governmental action), how is it that niether Cathy Hughes, Al Liggins nor the various Radio/TV/Synd One companies are on the list? Were they not invited, or did they decline. (5/16/09) Let me state up front that I have no church or religious affiliation... still, I find PBS's idea of banning all religious programming to be an amazingly bad idea--for them--but in the long run it could be good for us out here in televisionland. As the objections published in the Post article point out, the local shows that are endangered provide strong ties to the local communities. These are shows that give people the warm fuzzies about the stations that broadcast them. PBS's proposed policy raises the question, would these stations really be hurt by losing their PBS affiliation? Any gems in PBS programming have become harder and harder to find, and their kids' programming mostly falls into the category of talentless mindless crap. Not mentioned in the news story is that there are other sources for shows for these stations. Or, individual stations could very well increase their local warm fuzzy feelings by channeling the money they now send to PBS into more locally-produced programs. Sure, these would be low-budget shows, but low-budget TV is often the best TV. PBS is not the be-all and end-all, and in this area most people can currently get 7 PBS-affiliated stations: 2 from MPT, 4 from WETA, and WHUT. If WHUT should end its PBS affiliation in order to better serve the local community, whether with a greater variety of shows from other sources or more locally-originated programming, it should only benefit us viewers. Go, PBS! Adopt that hard line policy! ~~CA in BC (5/16/09) Dave's response: Maybe PBS should, instead, ban those never-ending "infomercials" - like what's on MPT yet again tonight..... The Righteous Pie comes off as elitist. Fine, but remember, elitists are near the top of the list when the revolution comes. As for his points, voice-tracking is not the only alternative to going off the air in this economy. CBS and Clear Channel, for openers, can admit they bought too much, too expensively, got too big, have tried ideas that didn't work, and finally, admit their miscalculations. This kind of thing happens every day in business. With that realization, they could cut their losses and get out of the business. After all, in a market economy, there is no such thing as metaphysical certitude, as it relates to investment returns, is there? What's more, with the knowledge this crowd has from its foray into broadcasting, it can go on to try its hand at something else, say, importing toys made in China. Ownership levels need to be pulled back to pre-Telecom Act of 1996 limits and the idea that public airwaves exist purely for the benefit of a handful of private equity firms needs to be repudiated and dismissed. I would rather have local and regional people doing radio cheaply than some nameless, faceless industrialist thousands of miles away--but this is just one man's opinion. (5/16/09) Once a week when I read through all the political crap that is posted on a “TV and Radio” website, I come across some mindless twit that has stumbled upon this site because their toothless cousin runs a Sunday morning religious show on an AM daytimer. All of a sudden, this knucklehead thinks he/she has all the answers. God knows they pay minimum wage for that advice. ALERT. The WORLD is in a recession. Another 689,000 people lost their jobs last month. ALERT. Nobody is spending money. It’s all going to savings. (That’s a good thing considering, but not now…) Car Dealers are going out of business. That’s 60% of Radio Station Revenue. If your Clear Channel Station (they suck), CBS (really stupid) or other broadcasters like WRNR have to voice track because it’s the only way NOT GO OFF THE AIR AND OUT OF BUSINESS>>>> Do it!!! So the voice track goes over the ID! So what! You still get the only decent alternative music mix in the Mid-Atlantic Area. SHUT-UP! Brush your tooth. Start a Dental Health Blog, but for the love of God, don’t say shit you don’t have no “egdeumaction” in. The Righteous Pie. (5/16/09) Hello, Can you find out why MPT is fund raising 30 weeks out of 52? Also can you find out why they repeat the same ghastly shows over and over as "viewer favorites/" If I see Susie Orman, Michelle Phillps, or Brain Fitness again, I think I'll be sick. I have contacted them and they do not respond. I am not alone in my frustration. I looked at the blog of the TV critic at the Baltimore Sun and he had many viewers commenting on MPT and it's decline in meaningful programming. For my money, if they can't do the job, they should give up the signal to someone else who can. Thank you, Stephanie, Rockville, MD (5/16/09) /\ May 16 Messages /\ Jump to the Mailbag Archive Index.....