January 2009 to Present

Latest items listed first.....

---

June 15, 2009
Marc Clarke Resurfaces On 24
6/15 - Baltimore radio veteran Marc Clarke (left) will be kicking-off his new morning TV show on Charm City's Channel 24/WUTB on Monday at 7 AM. "The Marc Clarke TV Show," which we've rumored would be coming, marks the return to the Baltimore airwaves of Clarke since he got dumped by Radio One's urban WERQ (92.3 FM) last fall in favor of a cheaper syndicated AM show. We also hear that Channel 45/ WBFF's "Tabloid Tuesday" reporter Brandi Proctor is leaving Fox45 for Clarke's entertainment-based TV show. She will host a segment called "The Gossip Grapevine." Also, DCRTV hears that Clarke's former 92Q co-host Troy Johnson will be on the WUTB show. Clarke is married to longtime Channel 5/WTTGer Allison Seymour.

June 11, 2009
New Shore Radio Gig For Geronimo
DC radio veteran Don Geronimo (right) will be joining the airstaff of Rehoboth Beach talker WGMD (92.7 FM) to do the 9 AM-to-noon shift, starting 6/22. Now based in Ocean City, Geronimo is forbidden from working in any market where CBS Radio has a presence until his CBS contract expires in October 2010. Geronimo left CBS DC area guy talker WJFK (106.7 FM) in April 2008. There are no CBS stations in the Salisbury/Ocean City radio market. Geronimo did a short-lived music-based stint last summer at eclectic rocker WOCM (98.1 FM) in Ocean City.

June 10, 2009
CBS Launches New HFS
"This is not a nostalgia trip," so said DC rock radio veteran Cerphe Colwell at noon's relaunch of "WHFS" on the HD2 signal of CBS Radio's WTGB, 94.7 FM. He said the digitally broadcast progressive rock station, with a webstream coming to hfs2.com soon, plans to "look forward" as much or more than looking back. First song: "Like A Stone" by Audioslave, from a live perfornance at a previous HFStival. Streaming at whfs2.com. A number of HFS alumni will be doing shifts, including Weasel. Next up: Pat Ferrise. Then Oscar Santana. Still no plans to put the WHFS calls on 94.7, WTGB, which airs the female-oriented Fresh FM on its main signal. The heritage calls remain "parked" on 1580 AM, a CBS talker. WHFS lived on Bethesda's 102.3 until 1983, when it moved to Annapolis's 99.1 until 2005, when it moved again to Baltimore's 105.7.

June 5, 2009
Tony Dill Dies
Tony Dill has passed away. When NBC started its News And Information Service radio network in 1975, Dill was hired from WTOP. At NIS, we're told that Dill worked with a young Jim Farley, one of the original NIS producers, who moved over from NYC all-newser WINS. Anthony P. Dill, 56, of Pasadena CA, died on 5/24. He worked in broadcast journalism as a network news producer for NBC for 28 years.

June 3, 2009
Bonneville Leases 1050 To Air America
Bonneville has signed a deal to lease the signal of 1050 AM, currently a relay of all-newser WTOP (and currently sporting the WTOP-AM calls), to political lefty talk radio network Air America. "We are looking forward to bringing all-new, progressive news/talk programming to 1050 AM and actively engaging listeners across the most politically-influential radio market in the United States," says AA's CEO Bennett Zier, a former DC radio suit. "This agreement and our full-time entry into the Washington DC market are an integral part of Air America's strategy to expand our listening audience." The station's new call letters, on-air launch date, and programming line-up will be announced shortly, says AA's head of programming Bill Hess, also a former DC radio suit. AA's been without a DC outlet since Red Zebra's WWRC, 1260 AM, flipped from "progressive talk" to business news last year. "It's a good deal for both sides," says Joel Oxley, head of Bonneville's DC radio cluster. AA "will be using the old WFED studio space on the first floor as well as some of the office space adjacent to those studios. The sports play-by-play programming that is on 1050 AM will continue to run on the station." The 1050 signal had relayed Federal News Radio, WFED, before its move to the more powerful 1500 AM last year. AA's line-up includes Rachel Maddow, Montel Williams, Lionel, and Ron Reagan.

June 1, 2009
Don Dillard Dies
Don Dillard, 74, a freewheeling deejay who helped introduce rock-and-roll to the DC area from his tiny Wheaton station, WDON, died on 5/28 at his home in Annapolis after an apparent heart attack. Writes Ben Stein on Dillard at American Spectator: "He was my disc jockey... He was one of us. When I was 12, he was only 23. If you think of Wolfman Jack, only with no bad attitude and totally accessible to us listeners, that's Don Dillard. He would offer 45s to the first person who got to the station - a storefront on Georgia Avenue - and once in a while I got one. Usually Don was the only guy there. My next door neighbor and pal, Carl Bernstein, was also a fanatical fan... This loss of Don Dillard. The day the music died. The day youth itself died." Dillard, whose parents owned WDON in the 1960s and 1970s, was a DJ on the "top 40" pop and, later, country station.

June 1, 2009
WERQ Tops Baltimore Radio Heap
The latest Arbitron monthly radio ratings for Baltimore, out 6/1: 1) WERQ, 2) WPOC, 3) WWIN-FM, 4) WLIF, 5) WWMX, 6) WBAL-AM, 7) WCBM, 8) WIYY, 9) WQSR, 10) WJZ-FM, 11) WCAO, 12) WZBA, 13) WCHH and WHUR, 15) WTOP, 16) WRBS, 17) WIHT, 18) WWDC, 19) WKYS and WPGC, 21) WASH and WRQX, 23) WRNR.

May 29, 2009
Ken Dermota Dies
Ken Dermota, 53, a journalist and former union organizer who specialized in issues involving Latin America, died on 5/11 of cancer at Washington Hospital Center. For 10 years, Dermota was an organizer for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union in New York before moving to Colombia in 1990 to work as a freelance journalist. He wrote for Business Week, the Christian Science Monitor, Le Monde, the Boston Globe, and the Toronto Globe And Mail, and reported for National Public Radio and NBC Radio.

May 28, 2009
Clarke Courier Calls It Quits
The Clarke Courier, a weekly covering Clarke County VA (between Leesburg and Winchester), printed its last edition Wednesday. The 140-year-old newspaper was purchased nine months ago by the Winchester Evening Star from the Arundel family's Times Community Newspapers chain. Courier Publisher Thomas Byrd stated in this week's edition that struggling ad sales was the culprit. Just last week, Times Community Newspapers announced the sale of its Fairfax County Times weekly to the Washington Post-owned Gazette Newspapers chain.

May 28, 2009
Morgan & McCaslin To Host DC Times Morning Radio Show
The Washington Times announces that Melanie Morgan and John McCaslin have been selected as co-hosts for its new nationally syndicated morning drive radio show, which will originate from a "state-of-the-art broadcast facility" at the Times' New York Avenue complex. The show, set to debut on 6/15, will be carried by Talk Radio Network. Morgan worked for 23 years as a correspondent and host on ABC television and radio in San Francisco, including 14 years as morning driver on righty radio talker KSFO. McCaslin, whose work in radio includes serving as an occasional substitute host for righty radio talker Rush Limbaugh, has been a reporter and editor at the Washington Times for 25 years. No word yet if the new show will be carried in the DC area. The Washington Times' new radio newscast service is being carried by CBS righty talker WHFS, 1580 AM. A CBS source tells DCRTV that 1580 will continue carrying the Philadelphia-based Michael Smerconish in mornings.

May 27, 2009
Felix Grant's Widow Dies
June Deeds Grant, 87, the wife of late WMAL jazz show host Felix Grant, died on 5/11 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital near Rockville. Felix died in 1993 after an almost 50-year-long local radio career.

May 27, 2009
Gladstone & Levine Gone From 45
Channel 45/WBFF morning news anchor Jennifer Gladstone is gone. A victim of a Sinclair-owned Fox45 budget cut. Gladstone joined the morning news in April 2006 after three years as primary news anchor on Sinclair's national NewsCentral operation in Hunt Valley. For now, Patrice Harris is anchoring solo on Fox45's morning news. Also, we're hearing that WBFF investigative reporter Steve Levine has been "transferred" to a Sinclair TVer in Columbus, Ohio.

May 27, 2009
Another News Director Change At 2
After just one year on the job as news director of Scripps-owned Channel 2/WMAR in Baltimore, Peggy Phillip is moving to Scripps sister station KSHB-TV in Kansas City. The move, she says, will allow her to be closer to her parents in South Dakota. Phillip will be replaced at 2 by Assistant News Director Kelly Groff, a longtime employee who has worked her way up from producer. ABC affiliate WMAR continues to suffer from low TV news ratings, frequently in third place behind WBAL and WJZ.

May 23, 2009
Gentzler To Spend Summer Away From 4
Doreen Gentzler, co-anchor of Channel 4/WRC's top-rated weekday newscasts, will take a leave of absence from the station and will be off the air until after Labor Day. Gentzler, who has teamed with Jim Vance on News4 at 6 PM and 11 PM for nearly 20 years, last month signed a new long-term contract with the NBC-owned station. She said that the leave was included in her new contract and that she intended to spend more time with her family during the summer months. A WRC spokesman said the station hasn't finalized its plans, but that Gentzler probably will be replaced during her absence by Wendy Rieger.

May 23, 2009
Arthur Gladstone Dies
Arthur Gladstone, 97, a retired lawyer with the Federal Communications Commission who helped shape a number of telecommunications regulations and rulings, died May 8 at his home in Reno, Nevada, after a heart attack. He was a former Alexandria resident.

May 22, 2009
Post's Gazette Buys Fairfax County Times
Times Community News, which owns the Loudoun Times-Mirror and other Northern Virginia weekly newspapers, has sold the Fairfax County Times group of weeklies to the Maryland-based Gazette newspaper group. The Gazette chain of local papers is part of the Community Newspaper Group of Post-Newsweek, a division of the Washington Post Company. The sale goes into effect June 1. TCN Publisher Peter Arundel said he has no plans to sell the Times-Mirror or any of the company's other four Northern Virginia newspapers. The Fairfax County Times, which originated with the Reston Times, which dates back to the 1960s and was purchased in the 1970s by Peter's father, Arthur Arundel, who owned WAVA radio in the 1960s and 1970s.

May 21, 2009
4, 5 & 9 To "Pool" News Footage
Three DC TV stations will create a common newsgathering operation that will share daily news footage, in another sign that the financially pressured industry is moving swiftly to reduce costs. Channel 4/WRC, Channel 5/WTTG, and Channel 9/WUSA said they will begin operation of the local TV news service next month. Each station will contribute two news videographers to produce "pool" footage of breaking news stories and press conferences. The stations will then be free to use the commonly produced footage on their newscasts, which will continue to maintain their own separate newsgathering operations. No reporters or anchors from each of the stations will be involved in the cooperative. Channel 7/WJLA, which has the largest newsroom among local TV stations, is not participating in the pool service. The operation, which will be called Local News Service, will be housed in WUSA's building.

May 21, 2009
TOP Tops April PPMs
The Portable People Meter radio ratings April "book" for DC, age 12+, full week: 1) WTOP [1st in both drivetimes], 2) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 3) WAMU, 4) WASH [Loriloo 8th], 5) WRQX [Diamond 4th] and WIHT [Kane 5th], 7) WBIG, 8) WETA-FM, 9) WWDC [Elliot 9th] and WGTS, 11) WMMJ [Joyner 7th], 12) WKYS [Parr 13th], 13) WMZQ, 14) WPRS, 15) WPGC [Simpson 13th], 16) WMAL [G&A 13th, Rush 9th, Hannity 16th], 17) WLZL, 18) WTGB, 19) WJZW [Imus 23rd] and WTEM, 21) WJFK [Junks 18th, O'Meara 20th], 22) WFRE, 23) WAVA, 24) WPFW. More: 32) WACA and WTNT and WMET and WFED. Although the monthly PPMs don't show much of a gain for CBS Radio's new female-oriented 94.7 Fresh FM via WTGB, company suits say the replacement for classic rock is showing a healthy trend upward among its target demos. We're told that WTGB jumped from 18th to 8th in middays with women aged 25-54 since the early April launch of Fresh. The hot adult contemporary station is now skewing 60 percent female, exactly the opposite of 60 percent male when it was classic rock. The new Fresh format is also showing a big jump among women aged 25-34 and women aged 35-44, and even beats chick tune rivals WASH, WRQX, and WIHT among women aged 25-34 in middays, we're told.

May 18, 2009
Kornheiser Gone From "MNF"
Former Washington Post superstar sports columnist Tony Kornheiser is out as the color commentator on ESPN's "Monday Night Football." He'll be replaced by Jon Gruden, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach. According to ESPN, Kornheiser "decided to step down after three years" on the Monday football show. "I am totally grateful for the 'MNF' opportunity that I truly enjoyed the last three seasons," Kornheiser said. "I feel we got better each year. My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would've frequently moved me from the bus to the air. I kept looking at the schedule the past month and wanted to find a way to quietly extricate myself." Kornheiser, who recently left his longtime gig at the Post, will continue do the weekday late afternoon "Pardon The Interruption" show for ESPN. Commented longtime Postie and media commentator Howard Kurtz in his Q&A at washingtonpost.com: "Tony was very popular as a Washington radio host (and very good at it, I say as someone who was a guest a few times). He basically gave it up because of the travel required for 'Monday Night Football,' and I think he could make a deal for another DC or national radio show in a second if that's what he wants to do. I never thought 'MNF' was the perfect fit for Kornheiser, but he certainly got better at it."

May 18, 2009
WashTimes To Do News For CBS's 1580
The Washington Times debuts its new Washington Times Radio News service today on CBS righty talker WHFS (1580 AM). According to the Times, the deal features "hourly newscasts plus 30-second features that showcase exclusive content and original, investigative reporting from the Times' newsroom. The segments will feature the voices of more than a half-dozen Times staffers." Dubbed "The Big Talker 1580," the former gospel WPGC-AM flipped to syndicated talk late last year with Michael Smerconish, Fred Thompson, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, and Dr. Laura. It has yet to even show up in the DC area radio ratings. 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.

May 13, 2009
Jean Fangboner Dies
Jean Hatton Fangboner, 91, an assistant to radio commentator Fulton Lewis in the 1930s and 1940s and a volunteer with many organizations in the Washington area, died of cancer on May 2 at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney. She was a resident of Leisure World in Silver Spring and had lived in the area for nearly 75 years.

May 9, 2009
980 Moves Walker To Replace Mitchell
Brian Mitchell gets the boot from Red Zebra's ESPN 980, WTEM. Now, Rick "Doc" Walker will replace Mitchell and the recently-cut Al Koken on John Thompson's 2 PM show. Both Mitchell and Koken are contract non-renewals, we're told. Kevin Sheehan, who had hosted with Walker, will now do the noon "Locker Room" show solo. Redskins owner Dan Snyder's RZ is cutting staff and its personnel budget due to the sluggish ad market and due to WTEM's sluggish ratings - 20th place in the latest PPM numbers.

May 7, 2009
Bill Ashley Dies
DC area radio engineering veteran Bill Ashley, 66, died this morning at his home in Warrenton, after a battle with cancer, which was diagnosed just weeks after his retirement from Frederick's Bradley Broadcast/Pro Audio in February 2008. Ashley began his career in 1957 at the age of 15 at a small station in North Carolina doing "top 40." In 1968, he became the chief engineer of Arlington's WAVA, reportedly the first all-news radio station in the nation. After 16 years with WAVA, he joined the Mutual Radio Network. And, from 1988 to 2008, Ashley had been a sales representative with Bradley Broadcast/Pro Audio.

May 1, 2009
WaPo Reports Q1 Loss
The Washington Post Company reported a loss for the first quarter Friday, dragged down by hefty impairment and restructuring costs and a 33 percent decline in ad sales at its namesake newspaper. The company, whose properties also include Newsweek magazine and Kaplan education services, lost $19.2 million, compared with a profit of $38.8 million in the year-ago quarter. The Post's Monday-to-Friday print circulation during the first quarter of this year rose 0.7 percent, bolstered by strong home-delivery and inauguration sales, despite an increase in the cover price to 75-cents. Average Sunday circulation, however, dropped 1.7 percent.

April 29, 2009
60 Cut At Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun has laid off 60 people in its newsroom, including veteran editors and managers, columnists, photographers, and designers. A spokeswoman for the newspaper says managerial-level employees were laid off at the end of the day Tuesday, and union-represented employees were informed Wednesday afternoon. The Sun did not disclose how many people lost their jobs, but the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild says 37 people were let go Wednesday. Staffers who were laid off Tuesday say about 21 managers were let go. Maryland's largest newspaper is owned by bankrupt Tribune Company.

April 29, 2009
MHz Adds Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera English joins MHz Networks' international channel line-up. As with the Fairfax-based non-commercial broadcaster's other international network relays, AJE programming will be added in two forms. Beginning 4/29, DC area viewers will be able to watch an evening newscast, anchored from AJE's DC news bureau, at 10 PM on MHz's primary local channel known as MHz Networks 1/MHz Worldview DC. It's broadcast locally on WNVT, digital channel 30. Then, beginning on 7/1, AJE will be broadcast fulltime as MHz Networks 5, joining nine other international networks that MHz broadcasts and cablecasts in the region. "It was important for us to broaden the range of world news that we bring to Washington DC," says Frederick Thomas, chief executive of MHz. "AJE also fits perfectly inside of our mission and I think viewers are going to find it a reliable and top-quality source for news." Al Jazeera English launched in 2006 as the world's first English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. The network has broadcast centers in Kuala Lumpur, Doha, London, and Washington, and nearly 70 bureaus around the world. After two years on the air, the channel is available in more than 140 million households worldwide in more than 100 countries. The MHz channels are available on most DC area cable systems, including Comcast channels 271-280. Worldview is on Comcast channel 271. In July, AJE will replace the Dutch BVN network on Comcast channel 275.

April 28, 2009
Clear Channel Makes More Cuts
More on those Clear Channel cuts today. Hitting DC. At WBIG: "Assistant PD and afternoon drive guy Scott Struber," we're told. As well as at least one weekend WBIG on-air personality. "Part-time engineer Ed Cole is out as well." Also: "Longtime DC101 commercial production guy Shock is out. (And) part-time WASH DJ Trish Mahoney." CC axed 600 nationwide today. We're told: "The rumor around Winchester is that Clear Channel has cut 10 there but nobody is saying exactly who got the ax." More: Longtimers Elwood King and Chuck Carroll pink-slipped at country WUSQ, Q102. One of our Eastern Shore radio sources tells us of some serious pink-slipping going on today at CC's Salisbury cluster. Including Rich Drake "PD/MD of WOSC/96 Rock and the PD/MD of Kiss 105.5... Also let go were Greg Fentress, PD of WQHQ/Q105, Kemosabi Joe PD/morning of WLBW/The Wave... JJ Roth, morning co-host of 96 Rock..." Plus "an office person."

April 27, 2009
Olivia Fox Awaits Kidney Transplant
DC radio veteran Olivia Fox (left) suffers from end-stage renal failure and pursues a life-saving transplant. And she launches "Hope For A K," a "docu-series" that will include celebrity appearances, community outreach information, and "unfiltered conversations" with some of the 80,000 people awaiting a kidney transplant. "If we can inspire people to turn up in record numbers at the voting booth, then we can also inspire people to help raise awareness about chronic kidney disease and save lives," states Fox, who was initially diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in 1996, and remission of the disease had started after 10 years of treatment. In 2007, Olivia became very ill and was hospitalized for two weeks because her kidneys began to shut down due to scars and minor damage from a virus. Fox, who does middays on WMMJ, has been on and off dialysis treatment for the past two years and still has some functionality of her kidneys, but eventually, she will need the "gift of life."

April 23, 2009
TEM Cuts Koken
Sports radio veteran Al Koken has been pink-slipped by Red Zebra sports talker WTEM, ESPN 980. Contract non-renewal, we're told. And boy is WTEMer Rick "Doc" Walker pissed. Koken, a Comcast SportsNet regular, was most recently co-hosting the 2 PM WTEM show with John Thompson and Brian Mitchell.

April 23, 2009
TOP Tops DC Radio Heap
The Portable People Meter radio ratings March monthly "book" is out for DC, age 12+, full-day: 1) WTOP [1st in both drivetimes], 2) WASH [Loriloo 6th], 3) WAMU, 4) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 5) WRQX [Diamond 4th], 6) WIHT [Kane 5th], 7) WETA-FM, 8) WWDC [Elliot 10th], 9) WMMJ [Joyner 7th], 10) WBIG, 11) WPRS and WGTS, 13) WPGC [Simpson 9th], 14) WMZQ, 15) WKYS [Parr 14th], 16) WMAL [G&A 11th, Rush 5th, Hannity 15th], 17) WLZL, 18) WTGB, 19) WJZW [Imus 23rd], 20) WJFK [Junks 12th, O'Meara 21st] and WTEM, 22) WFRE, 23) WAVA. More: 25) WPFW, 30) WTNT, 35) WACA and WMET and WILC and WFED and WYCB.

April 15, 2009
NBC's Les Kretman To Retire
Les Kretman (right), a producer for NBC's DC news bureau, is leaving after 30 years. He'll be retiring at the end of April. Kretman has been producing NBC's White House news reports for the past eight years. Before that, he was NBC newsman Bob Hager's producer. Also, Kretman was deputy bureau chief in the 1980s. Before joining NBC, Kretman worked in Boston as assistant news director for WBZ-TV, and was executive producer at WHDH-TV and WCVB-TV. DCRTV's Tricia Barba talks to Kretman as he prepares to leave 4001 Nebraska Avenue for the last time.

April 15, 2009
Mike Handley Dies
DC area freelance announcer Mike Handley died in Sacramento last Friday of undisclosed causes. Now in his 60s, he worked at the easy-listening WGAY in the late-1960s and 1970s. And later at the like-formatted WEZR.

April 14, 2009
Comcast Adds MPT-HD In DC, Shuffles Public TV Subchannels
If you live in the DC area and subscribe to Comcast cable's digital service, you can now get Maryland Public Television in high-def on channel 219. Until today, the area cable giant carried only the standard-def signal of the Annapolis area's Channel 22/WMPT on its basic services in the DC area. As of today, that's been replaced with a SD digital feed of WMPT, so, if you don't already have one, you'll need a digital box to continue watching 22 on Comcast. Also, Comcast adds WMPT's two digital subchannels, MPT2 on channel 268 and Spanish v-me on channel 269. Also today, Comcast reshuffles the digital subchannels of two other public TV outlets - WETA's Create, Kids, and TV26, and WNVC's nine MHz international network relays - to the 265-280 channel range in the DC area. In addition to its changes in the DC area, today Comcast adds the high-def channel of DC's public TV outlet, WETA, on its Baltimore area systems. Via channel 219. And it's making the basic cable standard-def signal of Channel 26/WETA digital-only. Also, Comcast is adding WETA's three digital subchannels to the digital basic service of its Baltimore area systems.

April 13, 2009
Dance Format Coming To 87.7 In DC Area
It looks like DC will be getting a dance-formatted "radio" station. Mega Media says it's signed a "multi-year air lease agreement" with Signal Above, the firm which runs a low-power TV station on Channel 6 in Arlington. That current Spanish outlet will be rebranded as WDCN, Pulse 87.7, and feature a dance music format like a similar Channel 6, Pulse 87.7 operation in the NYC area. The Channel 6 audio carrier is on 87.7 FM, and receivable by most FM radios. WDCN will start broadcasting during the 2nd quarter of 2009, according to Mega. "The diversity of the Washington DC market will work well for our unique lifestyle music format," says Mega Media CEO Alex Shvarts. Unlike full-power TVers, which will be going digital in June, low-power TVers can stay in analog.

April 13, 2009
Phillies Broadcasters Collapses At Nats Stadium, Dies
Just hours before the Phillies played in the Nationals' home opener in DC on Monday afternoon, legendary Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas died. He was 73. Kalas collapsed in the press box at Nationals Park and was found at about 12:30 PM by Rob Brooks, the Phillies' director of broadcasting. Emergency medical personnel were called and took Kalas to George Washington University Hospital. The Phillies contacted the White House and said they are not going to visit with the president tomorrow. The 3 PM game continued as scheduled, with a moment of silence for Kalas.

April 13, 2009
TOP 6th Top Radio Money-Maker In '08
Bonneville all-newser WTOP surges from 10th to 6th place among the "top 10" revenue billing stations in the country. With $51.75 million in ad revenue last year, according to BIAfn, the Chantilly-based media research firm that collects and analyzes financial data. WTOP ranks among nine other stations in the nation's top two radio markets, NYC and LA. What makes WTOP's 6th place ranking even more amazing is that DC is the 9th largest radio market. WTOP beat stations in many other markets larger than DC, like San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Boston. More DC stations: 2) WPGC at $23.7 million, 3) WRQX at $19.1 million, 4) WHUR at $19 million, 5) WMMJ at $18.3 million, 6) WKYS at $16.4 million, 7) WJFK at $15.6 million, 8) WASH at $14.5 million, 9) WMZQ at $12.5 million, 10) WIHT at $12.4 million, 11) WWDC at $12 million, 12) WTEM at $11.9 million, 13) WMAL at $11.5 million, 14) WBIG at $11.4 million, and 15) WLZL at $11.2 million. In Baltimore, WERQ was top-biller with $15.3 million in 2008, for a national ranking of 124th. More Charm City: 2) WPOC at $15.1 million, 3) WLIF at $14 million, 4) WBAL at $13.1 million, 5) WWIN-FM at $12.8 million, 6) WIYY at $10.8 million, 7) WWMX at $9.1 million, 8) WQSR at $8.6 million, 9) WCHH at $7.1 million, and 10) WZBA at $5.8 million.

April 9, 2009
TOP Cuts 2 Due To Bad Economy
The sour economy is even affecting top-rated and top-billing all-newser WTOP. DCRTV hears that the Bonneville station is letting go Web Managing Editor Steve Dolge and New Media Reporter Markette Smith for what WTOP Senior VP Joel Oxley calls "economic reasons." In a memo to staff, Oxley says: "Unfortunately due to changing business conditions in this very difficult economy I felt I had to make this decision. Steve Dolge has been in the building for the last 15 years and has made innumerable outstanding contributions in many different ways for WTOP and I sincerely thank him for that. His work on our website has helped make wtop.com world class. I also appreciate and want to thank Markette for all her work as well." Adds WTOP VP/News And Programming Jim Farley: "Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that every radio and TV station in town as well as across the country has had layoffs and/or pay cuts. What irony that Steve and Markette are leaving us on the same day they scored yet another Murrow (award). But times are tough and hard decisions have to be made."

April 7, 2009
WCBM Veteran Harold Deutsch Dies
Harold Deutsch, the vice president and general manager of then full-service middle-of-the-road WCBM (680 AM) in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was owned by Metromedia, has died at age 84 of complications from liver cancer. "Hal gave many Baltimore broadcasters their first big breaks, including me," says Baltimore radio great Ken Merson. More soon.

April 7, 2009
Classic Country "Earl" To 1520
WTRI (1520 AM) in Brunswick MD (halfway between Frederick and Leesburg) becomes classic country "Radio Earl" with a website at radioearl.com. The station, which is owned by former DC101 and 98 Rock personality Buddy Rizer and his radio partner Marty Sheehan, had been airing brokered Spanish language programming. Before that, it was nostalgic Vegas Radio. Radio Earl will air country tunes from the 1950s through the 1980s by artists like George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and Johnny Cash, plus more current tunes by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, and the Judds. And, pioneers of American country music, including Hank Williams and the Carter Family. With some bluegrass. Station manager and afternoon host Ray Dinterman says: "We want the local community to see that this is their station... I've known Buddy Rizer for over 30 years. We even got our Eagle Scout awards together." Rizer will do the "Earl Lee Rizer Show" on weekday mornings. Plans include a gospel show.....

April 6, 2009
WAMD Now Relaying WAVA
Salem has replaced the locally-based oldies, talk, and sports format on Aberdeen MD's WAMD, 970 AM, with a relay of Salem's DC area Christian talker WAVA, 105.1 FM. Salem purchased the AM station northeast of Baltimore in order to tweak its signal to improve the nighttime coverage of a station it owns on the same frequency in Northern New Jersey.

April 6, 2009
CBS Launches Fresh On 94.7
CBS Radio pulled the plug on the classic rock format, and the airstaff, on WTGB 94.7 at midnight 4/6 with "Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley. It's now hot adult contemporary 94.7 Fresh FM. Artists like Finger Eleven, Matchbox Twenty, Oasis, Nelly Furtado. Calls still WTGB. Jockless, so far. The alt rock continues on 94.7's HD2. Fresh 94.7's studios are now at CBS Radio's DC broadcast complex in Lanham, with urban WPGC, Latino WLZL, and talker WHFS. Joining the management and sales staffs of all four stations. For many years, 94.7 had been studioed in Silver Spring, across the hall from Metro Traffic. And before that in Rockville. The new Fresh 94.7, WTGB, is still running jockless, and there is no immediate word of the new airstaff. The only DC area CBS radioer not in Lanham is guy talker WJFK, which is studioed and officed in Fairfax. And there are no plans to move that station to Lanham.

April 5, 2009
4 Again Claims DC TV News Lead
DC TV longtime new ratings leader, NBC's Channel 4/WRC, is declaring itself the winner of March ratings "sweeps" for DC, with its newscasts top-rated at 6 AM (WTTG 2nd, WJLA 3rd, WUSA 4th), 5 PM (WJLA 2nd, WTTG 3rd, WUSA 4th), 6 PM (WJLA 2nd, WTTG 3rd, WUSA 4th), and at 11 PM (WJLA 2nd, WUSA 3rd, WTTG 4th).

April 4, 2009
Tom Braden Dies
Tom Braden, the creator and co-host of CNN's "Crossfire," which pioneered the talk show format that pitted a conservative against a liberal, died Friday of natural causes at age 92. In 1977, he was co-hosting a Washington radio show on WRC (980 AM) called "Confrontation" with conservative columnist Pat Buchanan. The radio show jumped to late-night TV as "After Hours" on the old Channel 9/WDVM with Gordon Peterson as moderator. In 1982, Braden took what became "Crossfire" to CNN and served as the program's host "from the left" until 1989. In 1975, he wrote the best-selling book, "Eight Is Enough," about his eight children, which was made into an ABC television series.

April 4, 2009
WMAL Yanks Plante For Scarborough & Brezeninski
Citadel news talker WMAL (630 AM) has axed the locally-based Chris Plante show at 9 AM, and will start carrying the nationally-syndicated Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzeninski radio show from 10 AM to noon starting Monday, 4/6. Scarborough's "Morning Joe" TV show airs on MSNBC. Also, the Fred Grandy and Andy Parks "Grandy And Andy" WMAL morning show will now run from 5 AM to 10 AM, instead of ending at 9 AM. Also out at MAL: Plante's producer Geoff Holtzman.

April 3, 2009
ZGS Founder To Telemundo
Ronald Gordon, who helped turn ZGS Communications in Arlington into a major player in the Spanish-language broadcast market, is leaving later this month to become president of the Telemundo Station Group. In addition to Arlington-based Channel 25/WZDC and Laurel-based WILC (900 AM), ZGS operates 12 TV stations affiliated with the Telemundo network and three radio stations. Gordon, 54, who was born in Lima, Peru, moved to Northern Virginia with his family when he was 16. Later, he established ZGS with business partner Eduardo Zavala.

April 2, 2009
11 Claims Charm City TV News Crown
Channel 11/WBAL is bragging that it continues its news lead in the Baltimore television market, "garnering stellar ratings wins throughout the broadcast day." WBAL says its local newscasts are "the most watched in Maryland," delivering the most homes at 5 AM, 6 AM, 5 PM, 6 PM, and at 11 PM. Plus, NBC's "Today" show and "Nightly News" also won their Charm City time slots in March, WBAL boasts.

April 2, 2009
NBC's Vic Vissari Dies
Vic Vissari, a longtime editor for DC's NBC News, passed away on 4/2 at Holy Cross Hospital. He'd been suffering from cancer. "Vic was one of the great editors at NBC News. Also, a truly wonderful man who was a friend to all who knew him," says fellow NBCer Cory Haber. Vissari, who often worked mornings for the "Today" show, also served as treasurer of the local NABET chapter.

April 2, 2009
New PD At ZBA
Harvey Kojan joins Baltimore classic rocker WZBA, The Bay, 100.7 FM, as its new program director. He replaces Cruze, who used to program DC rocker DC101. Kojan used to program WNOR, before he was downsized in January, after 16 years at the Norfolk rocker.

March 31, 2009
Laura Torres Dies
Laura Torres, 47, lost her fight against cancer on 3/30. Before being diagnosed in 2007, she worked at WFLS in Fredericksburg, and, before that, at the DC area's WMZQ and WAVA.

March 26, 2009
TOP Tops Feb Ratings
None of CBS's four major DC FMers (WPGC, WTGB, WLZL, WJFK) made the "top 10." Bonneville's WTOP stays on top. Clear Channel's WASH stays strong, tied for 2nd with American U's WAMU. The February Portable People Meter radio ratings "book" for DC, full-week, age 12+: 1) WTOP [1st in both drivetimes], 2) WASH [Loriloo 7th] and WAMU, 4) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 5) WIHT [Kane 5th], 6) WRQX [Diamond 4th], 7) WWDC [Elliot 8th], 8) WMMJ [Joyner 5th], 9) WETA-FM, 10) WPRS, 11) WKYS [Parr 12th] and WGTS and WBIG, 14) WPGC [Simpson 11th], 15) WMAL [G&A 8th, Rush 3rd, Hannity 15th], 16) WMZQ, 17) WLZL, 18) WTGB, 19) WJZW [Imus 22nd], 20) WTEM and WJFK [Junks 17th, O'Meara 21st], 22) WAVA, 23) WBQB and WPFW. More: 31) WTNT [Mancow 30th], 34) WFED and WILC and WACA and WYCB.....

March 24, 2009
NBC4's Miguel Almaguer To NBC News
DCRTV hears that Miguel Almaguer (right) has been named NBC News correspondent. Effective on 4/2, Almaguer will be based in Burbank and will contribute to all NBC News properties, including "NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams," "Today," and MSNBC programs. Almaguer has been a general assignment reporter specializing in breaking news coverage at Channel 4/WRC since 2006. Prior to joining WRC, he worked for TV stations in Sacramento and Salinas, both California.....

March 23, 2009
Washington Times To Launch National Morning Radio Show
The Washington Times will launch a syndicated radio show later this spring, dedicated to the newsroom's "investigative reporting" and "accountability journalism," Executive Editor John Solomon said Sunday. The three-hour morning show will feature investigations by the Times, interviews with national newsmakers, and discussions with reporters from the Times newsroom. "I think the goal here is to take what we've done so successfully in print and translate it to radio," Solomon said. "The concept is that when you tune in in the morning, it's not going to be yesterday's news." Talk Radio Network, home to such nationally syndicated talkers as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, will carry the show. The show will air live from 6 AM to 9 AM. Solomon said he plans to announce a host for the show in about a month.

March 18, 2009
Balto Voice TV Roberts Dies
Baltimore area voiceover talent TJ Roberts (right) has died. He suffered a blood clot after surgery to remove two fingers from his left hand. He'd been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Roberts did voice work for a large stable of regional and national clients, including Comcast, the Baltimore Ravens, the Ravens Radio Network, the Baltimore Sun, Fox45, XM Satellite Radio, and CBS/Baltimore's radio stations, including Mix 106.5, WHFS, and WJFK-AM. Among many other clients.

March 17, 2009
7 Voice Betsy Ames Dies
Betsy Ames, 66, a radio and TV voice-over narrator who sought to convince voters that "Tom Daschle has changed," that Al Gore exaggerated his accomplishments, and that George W. Bush deserved the support of independent female voters, died of cancer on 3/14 at her home in Oxford MD. Ms. Ames, who billed herself as "The Best Damn Voice In The Business," was an actress and voice-over narrator for more than 40 years. In addition to her political work, she was the exclusive female announcer at Channel 7/WJLA, the promotional voice of Discovery Channel, and was also heard on Channel 26/WETA, and was the narrator for a number of National Geographic specials.

March 16, 2009
Loudoun Media Figure Frank Raflo Dies
Longtime Loudoun County community leader and journalist Frank Raflo died Sunday afternoon. Raflo was a Leesburg business owner, newspaper publisher, editor, and columnist. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he hosted a political talk show on Leesburg's WAGE (1200 AM) called "Frank Talk." He was also featured during WAGE's morning drive with short segments called "Country Stories." Additionally, Raflo worked for Leesburg Today, the Loudoun Times Mirror, and Channel 3/Loudoun TV. In political life, he served as mayor of Leesburg and as chairman of the Loudoun County Board Of Supervisors.

March 13, 2009
Mo'Nique Leaving Radio
Mo'Nique is leaving her Radio One Syndication One radio show, which was heard locally on WMMJ (102.3 FM) and in a smattering of other cities, including Philadelphia and Charlotte. The former "The Parkers" comedian will soon be taking her stage show to DC and other cities. She's also appeared on "Nip/Tuck," "The View," and has hosted the BET awards. Her last show on radio will be on 3/18. She's already been scrubbed from the WMMJ website.

March 13, 2009
Post Shrinkage: Biz To Be Merged Into "A:
The Washington Post will fold its daily business section into the main "A" news section, further shrinking the newpaper, which has seen falling circulation and ad revenue numbers, like many other rags around the country. Also, come 3/30, the print Post will no longer run full listings of daily stock-price movements Tuesday through Saturday. Also, some changes to the print Style section: Only prime-time TV listings. And some comics will get moved to the website.

March 12, 2009
Dory Leaves 2
Channel 2/WMAR news anchor Denise Dory is gone from the Scripps station. We're told that the DC native's contract was up and wasn't renewed by Baltimore's ABC affiliate.

March 12, 2009
WTTG Namesake Dies
Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr., one of the last important figures from the old DuMont television network, has died at the age of 99. DC's Channel 5/ WTTG, once part of the DuMont network, is named from Goldsmith's initials. He was the chief of research for DuMont. Over the years, WTTG was owned by Metromedia and later Fox. The call letters were never changed.

March 10, 2009
Kay Schattner Dies
Kay Schattner (left), 89, a Washington area fashion model, radio commentator, newspaper columnist, and public relations official, died on 3/9 at Potomac Valley nursing home in Rockville after a stroke. She was a resident of Bethesda. Mrs. Schattner, who for much of her career was known as Kay Ferrell, did modeling early in her career at Garfinckel's department stores, a Washington institution that defined the city's elegant fashion tastes. She came to prominence locally as a radio personality on WFAX (1220 AM) in the 1950s. She hosted "Kay's Korner," a news and community service program that featured fashion and beauty tips as well as interviews with politicians and entertainers passing through town, including singer Johnny Mathis and comic actor Ray Bolger.

March 9, 2009
PW's N&M Printing To Richmond, Close W'bridge Office
Budget-strapped Media General has transferred printing and packaging of Prince William County's News And Messenger newspaper to the sister Richmond Times-Dispatch's production facility in suburban Richmond's Hanover County. With Monday's closure of its production operation, the N&M will put its Woodbridge office up for sale and consolidate its remaining employees into one office. Staffers in news, advertising, circulation, and the business office currently work out of the Woodbridge office, on Smoketown Road, as well as an office on Church Street in downtown Manassas. The production move is effective immediately and results in the layoff of 10 full-time and 12 part-time employees. The employees have been offered severance packages and are eligible to apply for other job openings within Media General. N&M Publisher Bruce Potter said the move is necessary because the newspaper would have had to spend several million dollars over the next few years to maintain and upgrade equipment in the 30-year-old Woodbridge plant.

March 9, 2009
Arbitron To Move HQ To Columbia
Radio ratings firm Arbitron, which has its main research facility in Columbia MD, will move its headquarters to Columbia from NYC. "I want to live and work where the operational core of our business resides," Arbitron President/CEO Michael Skarzynski says. "Columbia is home to Arbitron's state-of-the-art research campus and it's important for me and our executives to work in the same location as the teams who are creating new solutions for our current customers and new services for our expanding markets." Arbitron opened its Columbia facility in 1994, where about 770 full-time and 270 part-time employees are now based. The NYC location will remain open and continue to operate as a sales office. Arbitron operates other offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, LA, Birmingham AL, and in Kochi, India.

March 9, 2009
Casey Willett Gone From NST
Casey Willett, who had worked at sports talker WNST (1570 AM) for five years, apparently was fired by the station Friday. In a posting on Facebook, Willett said, in part: "I was let go of by WNST this afternoon. I will not get into all of the details, but was told the company wanted to go in a different direction. It was 5 of the best years of my life. There are friendships, memories, events, and times, that I will remember for the rest of my life. I made some friends that I will remain friends with forever and will be forever thankful for that." Willett joins Rob Long and the Fighting Ungers among recent departures from WNST.

March 6, 2009
DC's Metro Traffic Adds Baltimore, Richmond, More
Metro Traffic's DC office in Silver Spring will become the Mid-Atlantic "hub," as it adds traffic reports and news updates for TV and radio stations in Baltimore, Richmond, Norfolk, and Greensboro. We hear that'll put Channel 5/WTTG traffic diva and Norfolk area native Julie Wright back on the radio station that launched her career, Norfolk's Z104.

March 5, 2009
Wayne Gruehn Dies
Wayne Gruehn passed away on 2/23. He was a longtime announcer on Channel 2/WMAR, and was also heard on Baltimore radio stations WFBR and WWLG, and on many commercials. Gruehn, 75, had lived in Arnold MD.

March 3, 2009
Bunyan Gives Up 11 PM Anchor Duties At 7
Longtime DC TV news anchor Maureen Bunyan (left) will step down from her duties on Channel 7/WJLA's 11 PM newscast. She will continue to co-anchor the 6 PM newscast with longtime colleague Gordon Peterson, and will serve as substitute anchor on 7's 5 PM and 11 PM newscasts. Leon Harris will anchor the 11 PM newscast by himself "for the immediate future," according to an ABC7 statement. The move coincides with Bunyan's 10th anniversary at WJLA. "The flexibility in the new schedule will allow me more time to devote to community service and other interests." said Bunyan, who worked with Peterson at Channel 9, then WTOP/WDVM, now WUSA, since the 1970s.

March 3, 2009
Post Top Hire Sub-Reporter "Community Journalists"
The Washington Post is planning to create a new type of position to expand its local coverage: a "community journalist." According to the letter that Jay Kennedy, VP of labor at the Post, sent the Post's guild, the "primary focus of this position will be to report on stories of local and community interest for the Extras and to perform multimedia work; employees in this position may also report for the daily paper." In addition, the letter says, community journalists should not be expected to be promoted to "reporter," and the base salary would start at $653 per week, or $34,000 a year. The Post Guild says that this position "sounds a lot like the positions we already have... for a lower wage." Currently, according to the Guild, no reporters earn less than $40,000.

February 26, 2009
TOP Tops January DC Radio Ratings
The Portable People Meter radio ratings January monthly "book" for DC. Full-week, age 12+ numbers: 1) WTOP [1st in AM and PM drives], 2) WAMU, 3) WASH [Lori Loo 8th], 4) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 5) WIHT [Kane 6th], 6) WETA-FM, 7) WRQX [Diamond 4th], 8) WWDC [Elliot 11th], 9) WPRS, 10) WMMJ [Joyner 6th], 11) WGTS and WKYS [Parr 12th], 13) WMZQ, 14) WBIG and WPGC [Simpson 14th], 16) WMAL [G&A 13th, Rush 7th, Hannity 17th], 17) WLZL, 18) WTGB, 19) WJZW [Imus 20th], 20) WTEM, 21) WJFK [Junks 17th, O'Meara 19th], 22) WAVA, 23) WBQB, 24) WPFW. More: 31) WYCB and WTNT and WACA, 38) WWRC and WILC, 40) WFED. Even though the overall 12+ PPM numbers aren't too favorable for "guy talker" WJFK, which has been rumored to be a possible format change candidate, we hear that both the morning Junkies and afternooner Mike O'Meara ranked 4th in men, age 25-54. JFK ranked 11th in that demo, full-week.

February 26, 2009
Cuts At WETA
WETA President/CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller announced that the DC public radio and TV broadcaster will cut 13 percent of its workforce in addition to other cost-cutting measures resulting in a more than $2.5 million net reduction in annual expenses. "Like most of our fellow public broadcasting institutions, we are facing increased competition for our audiences, decreases in membership contributions and corporate underwriting, escalating capital costs and negative returns on investments," Rockefeller said. "However, with the cost reductions announced today, WETA can and will emerge a stronger institution. Our core mission remains vital, and audiences demonstrate the deep value they place on our content on our public radio and television stations." The reduction of 29 full- and part-time positions will eliminate 15 currently filled positions, and 14 vacancies will remain unfilled. The station also plans to slow capital expenditures, and compensation for senior managers has been cut by 13-15 percent.

February 25, 2009
Earnings & Circ Down At Post
The Washington Post Company's earnings fell 77 percent in the fourth quarter of last year compared with the same period in 2007, as a large impairment charge drove down net income. The Post's newspaper division - including the Post, Newsweek, Slate, washingtonpost.com, and the Express - continued to suffer declining circulation and advertising spending, as the recession added to the declines in print advertising and readers fleeing to the internet. Excluding the impairment charges, the newspaper division reported a $24.9 million operating loss for 2008. Print advertising revenue at the Post dropped 17 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. Daily circulation dropped 2.6 percent in 2008 and now stands at 633,100. On Sundays, a 3.3 percent decline puts circulation at 872,500.

February 25, 2009
4 Intercepts Skins' Preseason
Channel 4/WRC has signed a three-year deal to carry the Redskins' preseason games, replacing Channel 9/WUSA. WRC will also provide pre- and postgame programs, plus a series of Redskins shows to air on weekends. However, the coverage will no longer be hosted by longtime anchor George Michael, who is no longer with the NBC station. He'll be replaced by Lindsay Czarniak and Dan Hellie and NBC4ers. Like last year, Comcast SportsNet will carry the preseason games on cable.

February 24, 2009
11 Fires Sanders For Gibson "Scrotum" Prank
Reporter John Sanders (left) is no longer employed at Channel 11/WBAL following a scandal that stemmed from a Fox News video he is said to have doctored. A recent report on Fox News about a monkey that escaped from a Seattle zoo described the primate's "bright blue scrotum" in an effort to help residents identify the escapee. Sanders edited another Fox clip, involving reporter John Gibson, to make it appear as though Gibson is referring to Attorney General Eric Holder's "bright blue scrotum." According to WBAL, Sanders posted his video on a "personal YouTube page" without the consent of anyone at the station. Sanders said that he meant the clip as a joke, to be distributed among friends. He claims he included annotation in the clip describing it as a spoof and making it clear that Gibson never used those words in discussing Holder. WBAL refers to Sanders as "a former WBAL-TV employee" in a statement, and stresses that he was fooling around on his own, not on behalf of the Hearst-owned Baltimore NBC affiliate. Sanders had been WBAL's technology reporter.

February 23, 2009
TMD Launches HD2 For Local Balto Musicians
Towson University's adult alternative rock WTMD (89.7 FM) launches "The Baltimore Channel" on its digital "HD Radio" HD2 subchannel. As the name suggests, it'll feature Baltimore-based musicians 24/7. You can stream the new channel at wtmd.org. WTMD says its site hosts "the largest video archive of Baltimore-based band performances."

February 19, 2009
Nostalgia On 950
Potomac MD's WCTN (950 AM) is dropping its Korean religious format for adult nostalgic standards, a la Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. And, we also hear rumblings that the "new" format will be heard soon in Annapolis on WYRE (810 AM) and in Ocean City on WKHZ (1590 AM).

February 18, 2009
Heart Scare For BAL's Ron Smith
In his Baltimore Sun column, WBAL radio afternoon host Ron Smith (right) tells us that he had a heart scare on Valentine's Day. Waking up with a tightness in his chest, he got rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where docs diagnosed arterial blockage in his heart and then inserted a stent into his right coronary artery. "I'm grateful to the staff at St. Joe's, to the doctors, nurses, and supervisors for the excellent care they provided me," Smith writes.....

February 18, 2009
Kevin Klose Names UMD Journalism Dean
Kevin Klose, president emeritus of DC-based National Public Radio, has been appointed dean of the University Of Maryland's Philip Merrill College Of Journalism. Effective mid-April. Klose is a journalist - with 25 years at the Washington Post, as well as a broadcast executive, author, and lecturer. He most recently served as president of NPR, a member of its corporate board, and trustee of the NPR Foundation.

February 18, 2009
Jason Kidd Moves To WWMX Morning Show
News from CBS's Baltimore radio cluster. Jason Kidd, currently program director/morning man on adult hits WQSR (102.7 FM), will join Jenn Marino in afternoons on hot adult contemporary WWMX (106.5 FM). Marino's old co-host Fast Jimi moves to afternoons on adult contemporary WLIF (101.9 FM). Kidd will continue doing his gig with QSR for the time being until the station is swapped to Clear Channel as part of a deal announced back in December.

February 17, 2009
Empire Re-Takes RNR
Grasonville Broadcasting has terminated its lease deal with Empire Broadcasting and returned operations of Annapolis area adult alternative rock WRNR (103.1 FM) to its previous operator. Grasonville, partnered with Nassau Holdings, continues to maintain its lawsuit to recover all monies previously paid to Empire, as well as other compensatory and punitive damages. Louis Mercatanti, president of Grasonville said: "Notwithstanding over 10 months of negotiations and litigation, Grasonville was unable to complete a successful renegotiation with Empire of the LMA fees and the ultimate purchase price contained in Grasonville's option to purchase the WRNR station assets from Empire." Empire fires back that it "denies any material misrepresentations regarding expenses and revenues and wonders if (Grasonville/Nassau's) cause isn't more a matter of the today's economic environment and their inability to secure financing to comply with the terms and conditions of the (lease agreement)." No word on any changes to WRNR's format.

February 16, 2009
Examiner Publishes Last Balto Edition
The Baltimore Examiner has published its last issue. The free tabloid that launched less than three years ago as the city's second daily newspaper printed its last issue on Sunday. Clarity Media, the paper's Denver-based parent company, blamed slower-than-expected ad sales when it announced the closure last month. Clarity said about 90 people would lose their jobs. According to AP, the front page of the last issue featured a photograph of Baltimore's Inner Harbor with the Examiner building in the background with the headlines: "Goodbye Baltimore," and "Thanks for reading." DCRTV's already told you that Clarity will continue to publish the Washington Examiner, which will focus more heavily on the politics of Capitol Hill.

February 13, 2009
4's Sherwood To Be WAMU's Politics Expert
Channel 4/WRC DC politics reporter Tom Sherwood is now also the "official resident political analyst" on WAMU's Friday "Politics Hour" program hosted by Kojo Nnamdi. The 88.5 FM show has been using rotating political experts since Jonetta Rose Barras left over a pay dispute last May.

February 13, 2009
MASN Launching 24/7 HD Net
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will launch its fulltime high-def network on or about 4/1. Look for 210 baseball games, with 105 from the Orioles and 105 from the Nationals, to be televised in HD. That's up from about 80 HD games last year on the "per event" MASN-HD network. MASN's got committments from all area TV providers - including Comcast, Verizon, DirecTV, and Cox - to carry MASN-HD. Except Dish Network. Non-HD baseball games will air on the standard-def version of MASN or MASN2. New this year: Look for MASN's Orioles and Nationals pre- and post-game shows to be done live from their respective stadiums for home games. Approximately 20 Orioles games will be simulcasted on Channel 13/WJZ, with 20 Nationals games on Channel 50/WDCW.

February 12, 2009
Sun To Shutter Suburban Bureaus
In the latest sign of trouble for Tribune Company's cash-strapped newspapers, the Baltimore Sun is moving its suburban bureau employees to its downtown office and also plans another round of staff reductions, a union leader said. Sun Editor J. Montgomery "Monty" Cook announced the moves in a staff meeting this afternoon, said Brent Jones, a Sun reporter and a unit chair with the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild. The Sun is ending lease agreements for its office space in Anne Arundel, Howard, and Baltimore counties, Jones said. About 15 reporters and editors will move into the newspaper's downtown office and will continue to cover their suburban beats, he said.

February 12, 2009
5's Dave Benz To SF
Channel 5/WTTG weekend sports anchor and reporter Dave Benz is heading to San Francisco to join Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

February 11, 2009
Sinclair Curs 200 Nationwide
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is headquartered in Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore, said today that it has eliminated 200 jobs, or 7 percent of its work force, and suspended its quarterly dividend to cut costs as it expects falling advertising revenues this year amid a recession. Besides layoffs, Sinclair is cutting back on capital expenditures, freezing salaries, lowering promotional spending, and travel. Such moves are expected to save the company $19 million, but it is not enough to offset the decline in advertising, particularly in a non-election year, Sinclair said. This comes as the firm, which owns Baltimore's Channel 45/WBFF and operates Channel 54/WNUV among about 60 TV stations around the country, reported flat fourth quarter 2008 station revenue.

February 11, 2009
JFK On Digital 94.7
CBS Radio is now carrying guy talker WJFK, 106.7 FM, on the digital HD3 subchannel of classic rock WTGB, 94.7 FM. For those with an HD Radio, that'll improve WJFK's coverage, including University Of Maryland sports, to DC's northeastern suburbs, including College Park, where the Virginia-based 106.7 signal battles the 106.5 signal of Baltimore's WWMX, also a CBS station.

February 10, 2009
WDMV's Birach Accuses Son Of Misrepresentation
Inside Radio reports that talker WDMV (700 AM) owner "Sima Birach says his company's a victim of stolen identity - by his own son. More than a year of mistaken identities, misrepresentations, and potentially criminal behavior has the 20-year owner of Birach Broadcasting speaking out. Birach alleges his son, Sima Birach Jr., and attorney George LeRoy created a Virginia-based company called Birach Broadcasting Corporation without his knowledge. From there they allegedly raised capital, hired staff, and built a company with people believing they were dealing with the 23-station group." IR adds: "Making matters worse, he says a BIA Financial appraisal combined the two entities and was used by his son to misrepresent the company. Birach Sr. says his Detroit-based group has since been named in several lawsuits by companies with which he's never had contact. When his attorneys approached his son to stop using the name, he refused. Police reports have been filed in Michigan and Virginia, where Birach Sr. has asked regulators to void the registration."

February 8, 2009
Tantum To Produce Thompson
Greg Tantum, program director for Red Zebra talkers WTNT and WWRC, is moving to Westwood One to produce Fred Thompson's new DC-based radio show. Before joining RZ, Tantum programmed Bonneville's Washington Post Radio and talker 3WT, both of which are now defunct. Previously, Tantum's worked at several legendary news talkers, like San Francisco's KGO, LA's KFWB, and Philadelphia's WCAU (now WPHT).

February 8, 2009
105.9 Mixes Oldies With Imus
We had several DCRTVers tell us that Citadel oldies WJZW (105.9 FM) is running a promo: "The True Oldies Channel with music in the morning. Check it out Monday on your way to work." Well, it appears that WJZW is now mixing oldies tunes with talk segments from syndicated morning man Don Imus. Instead of running Imus's uninterrupted blab straight through from 6 AM to 9 AM. We're told that Citadel is doing the same music mix thing on its Imus and oldies outlet in Atlanta. Imus's NYC-based show never gained ratings traction since getting added to WJZW last March.

February 8, 2009
Post To Drop TV Week For Some Subscribers
The budget-cutting Washington Post has informed its print subscribers in the Arlington-Alexandria area that, as of March, they will no longer get the TV Week section in their Sunday paper - unless they submit an "opt-in" request by 2/23. Subscribers can mail a coupon or call 202-334-9335 to request that their Sunday paper continue to feature the weekly TV listings. So far, the Post has only instituted the TV Week "opt-in" requirement in the Arlington-Alexandria area. However, it will probably be offered in other Post delivery regions in the weeks to come.

February 7, 2009
Nicholas Blatchford Dies
Nicholas Blatchford, 89, a Washington journalist who was considered a master chronicler of local residents whose names seldom were in the news, except when awful events changed their lives, died on 2/1 at his home in Fairfax County. He had heart and lung disease. Blatchford spent much of his career at the Washington Daily News, which the onetime Harvard oarsman joined as a copy boy in 1940. He advanced to feature writer and held top executive positions in the newsroom at the tabloid, which was swallowed by the Washington Star in 1972. He then was the "Our Town" columnist for the Star before that paper went defunct in 1981.

February 2, 2009
Jack Eden Dies
Jack Eden, 79, who, for two decades, provided gardening tips and hosted "Garden Of Eden" on WTOP radio, died on 1/17. He had colon cancer. Eden also wrote a gardening column for the Washington Post and the Washington Times. His gardening reports were heard on radio stations across the country. Also, Eden hosted a TV program on gardening in the 1990s. Since 2000, he'd taught consumer horticulture at the College Of William And Mary in Williamsburg.

February 2, 2009
WWRC Drops Lefty Talk For Biz News
Washington will be losing its only lefty political radio talker. Redskins owner Dan Snyder's Red Zebra-owned WWRC, recently dubbed "Obama 1260," will be flipping to business news. The station, which features shows from Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, and Bill Press, frequently doesn't even show in the local radio ratings. Program Director Greg Tantum tells the Washington Post that he thought the station could work because of enthusiasm over Obama, but that ratings collapsed to a level that could not be measured after the election. But the low-ish ratings nearly doubled, he says, at Snyder's right-leaning station, WTNT, 570 AM, which features Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, and Bill Bennett. Tantum said he will move Schultz to WTNT to give him another shot. WWRC has coverage problems, and is difficult to hear in Northern Virginia at night. Back when it was owned by Clear Channel, WWRC did feature a business news format for a time, which delivered little ratings traction.

January 31, 2009
5 Launches HD Local News
Channel 5/WTTG launched its high-def local newscasts with the 6 PM Saturday show. "Everything appeared to go smoothly. The set and new HD weather graphics looked terrific. There is a slight video pop in and out of commerical breaks as the picture goes from SD to HD," we're told. Fox5 is the third major DC TVer to feature HD local newscasts. Channel 4/WRC has yet to offer them.

January 31, 2009
ZBA Cuts Randy "Rock" Johnson
Wednesday night's show was the last from Randy "Rock" Johnson, aka Jim Pitaro, on Baltimore classic rocker WZBA (100.7 FM), The Bay. Another budget cut at the Shamrock station. "This guy not only oozed classic rock, but he had the pipes to soothe the savage listener," a friend tells us. Johnson's worked at a number of stations in the central Pennsylvania region, including Gettysburg's WGTY and Harrisburg's WTPA, plus Metro Traffic. No word on his plans.

January 30, 2009
Austin Hill Loses WMAL Evening Gig
Starting 2/2 WMAL host Austin Hill will lose his evening slot on the Citadel talker. Hill, who has been at WMAL since 2006, will make way for Mark Levin's new third hour. Levin, who does his national show from a studio in his Northern Virginia home and is syndicated by Citadel's WABC radio in NYC, will air on WMAL from 6 PM to 9 PM, followed by the NYC-based Curtis Sliwa, from 9 PM to midnight. "Coast To Coast AM" will now run from midnight to 5 AM. Hill will continue working in a part-time, fill-in capacity at WMAL and will be contributing to the station's website.

January 30, 2009
TV News Vet Pat McGrath Retires
Today is longtime DC TV news reporter Patrick McGrath's (left) last day at Channel 5/WTTG. The Fox station is airing a Brian Bolter-produced tribute to the retiring McGrath and his four decades as a local TV news reporter. McGrath joined WTTG in January 1983 and, for 10 years, was the White House correspondent for Fox5 and all local Fox TV stations. McGrath launched his career in journalism in 1964 as a newspaper reporter for the Milwaukee Sentinel. He's also worked for Channel 9/WTOP (now WUSA), Channel 2/ WMAR, and Channel 11/WBAL. McGrath has received two Emmys and is a recipient of the Silver Circle Award, in recognition of more than 25 years of reporting in the Washington-Baltimore area. He has also won a Murrow Award from the Radio And Television News Directors Association and reporting awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, and Ohio State University. McGrath has been honored by the Broadcast Pioneers Of The Washington Area with its Distinguished Broadcaster Award, and the DC chapter of the Society Of Professional Journalists has inducted him into its Hall Of Fame. His daughter, Megan, is a reporter for NBC's Channel 4/WRC.

January 30, 2009
Sun Cutting Daily Delivery To Montgomery & PG
The Baltimore Sun is eliminating its "state edition" and is informing readers in Baltimore's "fringe" counties, such as Montgomery and Prince George's, that they will no longer get home delivery Monday-through-Saturday. They can, however, continue to get delivery of the Sunday paper plus access to a website that displays the newspaper's daily pages. Also, the width of the paper is going to shrink another inch in February - to save newsprint costs. Plus, we're told that the Sun's national and world news pages will be produced by the sister Chicago Tribune and "shipped" to Baltimore.

January 29, 2009
Examiner To Cut Baltimore Edition
The Baltimore Examiner newspaper will be closing after several months of looking for a buyer. The sister Washington Examiner will continue publication. The last issue of the Baltimore Examiner, which is distributed free to homes and through boxes and hawkers on street corners, will be delivered on Sunday, 2/15. The Baltimore Examiner's website will cease publication, as well. The paper's Denver-based owner, Clarity Media, expected to earn money when launching the Baltimore Examiner by packaging advertising with the Washington Examiner. "Unfortunately, those additional revenues did not materialize to the levels we had projected," Clarity CEO Ryan McKibben said in a news release. Last year, the paper scaled back its six-day-a-week home delivery of its print edition to two-days in Baltimore city plus Howard, Harford, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore counties. The Baltimore Examiner also scaled back the number of papers printed by 80 percent, distributing 335,000 Sunday papers and 256,000 Thursday papers but only 50,000 on the remaining days. The Examiner was up against "b," a rival free tabloid published by the Sun.

January 29, 2009
Former 5er Tim Medina Dies
Tim Medina, who did sign language for the deaf on Channel 5/WTTG's newscasts in the 1970s and 1980s, died on 12/24 of ALS in Springfield, Ohio. He was 62. A 1972 graduate of DC's Gallaudet University, Medina also taught sign language for Gallaudet, the National Association Of The Deaf, and the Secret Service.

January 28, 2009
Christmas WASH Tops "Holiday" Ratings
The new Portable People Meter ratings feature a 13th "month" - called "Holiday." And we get to see the final "Holiday book" age 12+ full-day numbers for DC, which includes the Christmas period. Adult contemporary WASH, which featured Christmas tunes for much of the period, took 1st place, with all-news WTOP 2nd. However, WTOP placed 1st in morning drive, and took the top spot in many demos, including the age 25-54 group. Public news talker WAMU was 3rd, with adult urban WHUR 4th, contemporary hit WIHT 5th, classical WETA-FM 6th, rocker WWDC 7th, gospel WPRS and hot adult contemporary WRQX were tied for 8th, with adult urban WMMJ, urban WKYS, and Christian contemporary WGTS tied for 10th. DCRTV had reported about a technical glitch that could be responsible for a slight dip in GTS's PPM numbers. Urban WPGC was 13th, classic hits WBIG 14th, country WMZQ 15th, talker WMAL 16th, with Spanish contemporary WLZL, classic rock WTGB, and sports talk WTEM tied for 17th. Oldies WJZW was 20th, talker WJFK 21st, and adult contemporary WAFY 22nd.

January 27, 2009
Dibble To Replace Sutton As Nats' Color Commentator
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network has named Rob Dibble as the new color commentator for the Washington Nationals. He will replace Don Sutton in the TV broadcast booth. Sutton, who had two years to go in his TV deal with MASN, is being released from his contract to go back to Atlanta to join the Braves' radio team. Dibble is a two-time All Star and MVP of the 1990 NLCS with the Cincinnati Reds. He was part of the "Nasty Boys" bullpen which helped Cincinnati win the 1990 World Series. Dibble's broadcasting career includes stints at ESPN, Fox, and FoxSports.com. DCRTV reported last week that Sutton might be heading back to Atlanta. Veteran baseball player Sutton started his broadcasting career in 1989 with the Braves on TBS, a position that he held through 2006.

January 27, 2009
TC Joins Donnie Simpson Show
DC radio personality TC (left) has been tapped for "The Donnie Simpson Morning Show" on CBS Radio's WPGC (95.5 FM). Monday, she came onboard with her brand of woman-targeted commentaries to be heard each morning on Simpson's show. Most recently, TC was seen on the DC Office Of Cable Television's Channel 13, hosting various productions with the city council. "As a native Washingtonian, I'm ecstatic to work with DC's legendary Donnie Simpson, and I'm excited to be a part of DC's only local, urban adult morning show. No doubt, Donnie is DC's morning man!" TC is, perhaps, best known as co-host of WHUR's morning show until it was replaced by Steve Harvey's syndicated show in 2006.

January 27, 2009
50 To Start Carrying MGM Network
Tribune has signed to carry the new MGM movie and entertainment network, This TV. Which means it will soon show up on a digital subchannel of DC's Channel 50/WDCW. The network just launched via a digital subchannel of Baltimore's Sinclair-owned Channel 45/WBFF. WDCW's digital subchannel has been dark since the 2007 demise of The Tube music video network.

January 26, 2009
BAL Radio Cuts Steve Davis
WBAL radio's sports talk host, Steve Davis, was laid off. "We done some realigning because of the economy," WBAL VP and Station Manager Jeff Beauchamp said. "This was an economic move" unrelated to Davis' performance. For the time being, Baltimore Sun columnist Peter Schmuck will fill some of the talk hours in the evening, Beauchamp said.

January 24, 2009
Mike Walter Leaving 9
Morning news anchor Mike Walter (left) is leaving Channel 9/WUSA in mid-February. No word on his plans. Said WUSA News Director Lane Michaelsen in a Friday station memo: "I have known Mike for 10 years and he is a hardworking professional who cares." And, a WUSA source tells DCRTV: "I know some people aren't fans of him on-air, but behind the scenes, you won't find anyone who won't say Mike Walter is one of the most honest, friendly, funny coworkers with an enviable amount of journalistic integrity. He will be a huge loss to the mornings at 9." Another source tells DCRTV: "Mike Walter is leaving because he was offered a 60 percent pay cut to be an MMJ (a shoot and report multimedia journalist). Everyone at 9 that makes money is being offered the same deal as their contract windows come up. Weekend anchor Jennifer Ryan is expected to be next out the door." Gannett-owned WUSA recently replaced its weekend morning newscasts with infomercials and syndicated non-news programming.

January 23, 2009
Allbritton Cuts 30 At 7
Allbritton handed out a batch of pink slips at its Channel 7/WJLA and NewsChannel 8 broadcast complex in Rosslyn this morning. We're told that at least 30 workers got cut - many in the back office, but also as many as seven on-air personalities. Including longtime reporter Andrea McCarren. Also among the cut: Weekend anchor and reporter Alisa Parenti, weekend sports anchor Greg Toland, and reporters Sarah Lee, Jennifer Donelan, and Emily Schmidt. "Some of the WJLA people will still appear on the air until their contracts run out, they have just been told they're not being renewed," we're told. Also, last year's raises are being rolled-back. "The stations are doing well in ratings, but economy is in the tank. Ad sales have fallen off a cliff," we hear. Allbritton suits expect a bad economy for three years. We're told that the cuts were designed to save as many jobs as possible. Allbritton stations across the country are also taking the hits, including 15 jobs eliminated at Harrisburg PA's WHTM-TV, 40 job cuts at its WBMA-TV in Birmingham AL, and yet more cuts at WCIV-TV in Charleston SC. Plus there are big pay cuts at the corporate office. The company will start negotiations with NABET immediately - expect either pay cuts or big layoffs and job reassignments with the union. "Some guys who have been comfortable editing for years are not going to be too happy about carrying a camera around in the cold," a source tells us. While Allbritton's Politico political news website and newspaper continues to expand, it has also cut back on other expenses - travel and some salary re-negotiations. However, another source tells us that there are no trimmings at the Politico, which is the only Allbritton division ahead of budget, we hear. "The cuts would have been deeper if Politico was not here," a source adds.

January 23, 2009
More Anita Marks On 105.7
Anita Marks is staying on the air in Baltimore for another year. She signed a new one-year contract to remain in afternoon drive with Scott Garceau at CBS Radio sports talker WJZ-FM, 105.7 The Fan, even though she had an offer to return to her native Miami area for a radio job. "I had some other offers, but after it was all said and done, CBS Radio made it clear they wanted me to be part of the future," Marks told the Sun's Ray Frager. "They made me feel very wanted, very needed. That was probably the one thing that put me over the top."

January 22, 2009
Michael Copps Names Acting FCC Head
President Barack Obama has named Michael Copps as acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Copps, an opponent of big media consolidation, has served as a commissioner on the five-member agency since 2001. Kevin Martin, the Republican FCC chairman under former President George Bush, stepped down on Tuesday, leaving the commission with two Democrats and one Republican, due to a Republican vacancy. Democratic sources say that technology executive Julius Genachowski will be named to head the commission, although it is unclear when it will be announced, or when Senate confirmation hearings will occur.

January 21, 2009
Laura Ingraham To BAL
Talk Radio Network announces that the DC-based Laura Ingraham adds Baltimore news talker WBAL (1090 AM). TRN says that Ingraham has recently picked up 20 new affiliates and it will offer a daily refeed of Ingraham's late morning show from noon to 3 PM, up against righty talk titan Rush Limbaugh. WBAL started running Ingraham on 1/5 in the 10 PM to 1 AM slot, but might there be plans to move her to a daytime slot, either live at 9 AM or in the new noon refeed slot against Limbaugh on news talk rival WCBM (680 AM)? "No, not being considered," a top BALer tells DCRTV. "We're committed to staying local for morning, midday, and afternoon drive. It was one of the reasons Limbaugh was dropped."

January 21, 2009
Beauty Queen Joins 4
Channel 45/WBFF has selected Kristen Berset, 27, as its new sports anchor. According to, she's a Miss Florida and Miss USA beauty queen who has, most-recently, been an anchor and producer at WJHC-TV in Panama City, Florida.

January 20, 2009
Clear Channel Makes Local Radio Cuts
Expected 9 percent across-the-board cuts at radio giant Clear Channel today. Getting pink-slips locally: Brian Graber, who was the producer for Jon Ballard's morning show on WBIG, DC101 General Sales Manager Colin Campbell, and WMZQ's "Ben And Jenni" morning show producer Bryce Johnson. WBIG General Sales Manager Eric Johnson and Local Sales Manager Bobby Wright were also handed their walking papers. Plus, at least 15 more DC sales people and all part-time promotions positions were axed. It looks like the sales departments of WASH and WBIG will merge. In Baltimore, we hear that at least six people were let go today, as well as the part-time promotions staff. Four sales reps and the local sales managers of WPOC and WCAO were among the cuts. On the Eastern Shore, Sandra Lee, who did middays WWFG, is also out. Also, DCRTV hears that Randall Bloomquist has been cut from CC's Atlanta talker WGST. Bloomquist used to be PD at DC talker WMAL. About 1,850 Clear Channel employees across the country lost their jobs today. The San Antonio-based company, which owns more than 1,000 US radio stations, is performing a complete "realignment" of its ad sales departments.

January 16, 2009
Jury Rules For McCarren In Excessive For Charge Against PG Cops
A Prince George's County jury has reached a verdict in the case of a reporter who sued the county. A jury has found Prince George's County Police used excessive force when they detained Channel 7/WJLA investigative reporter Andrea McCarren. In April 2005, police ordered McCarren and her cameraman, Pete Hakel, out of their car at gunpoint during a traffic stop (left). McCarren, an award-winning investigative reporter, was working on a tip that Cpl. Danon Ashton, the county police liaison to the Prince George's County Chief Administrator Jacqueline Brown, was driving Brown on personal trips rather than for business. When Ashton noticed that he was being followed by McCarren and Hakel, he called for back up. Video of the incident captured by Hakel's camera shows at least seven police officers surrounded McCarren's car, several with their weapons drawn. On Friday, a jury awarded McCarren $5,000 - far less than the $500,000 she was seeking. The two sides had been close to a settlement, but could not come to terms on a confidentiality agreement. The jury did not find that the officers violated McCarren's rights as a journalist.

January 16, 2009
60 Years For 9
Sixty years ago - January 16, 1949 - Channel 9, "Washington's Eye On The World", began regular television service as the new CBS affiliate. The station signed on at 7 PM as WOIC ("Oh I See!") with an inaugural program titled "The Nine Muses," featuring a variety of local and network talent. Veteran Washington showman Art Brown told the audience about the new "WOIC Amateur Hour" and sportscaster Bill Brundige outlined his plans for a nightly 15-minute sports roundup. CBS stars Morey Amsterdam, Ed Sullivan, and Arthur Godfrey showed clips from their shows and CBS News Anchorman Douglas Edwards added his greetings to the new station. Hundreds of congratulatory calls and wires were received during the program. The WOIC call letters lasted only one year, changing to WTOP-TV in 1950 when the station was sold to the Washington Post. Channel 9 became WDVM ("District, Virginia, Maryland") in 1978 when the station was exchanged to the Detroit News. Today's call letters of WUSA arrived when Gannett purchased the station in 1986.

January 15, 2009
Fire Knocks WJAL Off Air
A "total loss" fire last night in the transmitter building for the Hagerstown area's Channel 68/WJAL has knocked the station off the air. The blaze happened on the top of a mountain in Peters Township, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries. More than 40 firefighters responded, but the icy conditions of the road created a serious obstacle, according to Hagerstown's WHAG-TV. Once firefighters arrived and found a running water source, it took about 20 minutes to put out the flames. The initial cause is unknown, but officials say it's related to an electrical malfunction. WJAL is off-air and there is no word on how long its signal will be down. WJAL carries a large amount of syndicated and infomercial fare. It's offered to some satellite TV subscribers in the DC area.

January 14, 2009
Sarah Booth Conroy Dies
Sarah Booth Conroy, 81, who chronicled the homes, history, and changing personalities of the Washington elite as a Washington Post reporter, editor, and columnist for more than three decades, died on 1/12 at ManorCare Potomac nursing facility. She had Alzheimer's disease. Mrs. Conroy, who wrote more than 2,800 articles for the Post, was known for her adept reporting on the city's diplomatic circuit and for her long-running "Chronicles" column about the city's history.

January 13, 2009
WERQ Tops Baltimore Radio Heap
Urban WERQ topped the fall radio ratings "book" for Baltimore, with country WPOC in 2nd, urban adult WWIN-FM 3rd, adult contemporary WLIF 4th, news talk WBAL-AM 5th, news talk WCBM 6th, hot adult contemporary WWMX 7th, rocker WIYY 8th, gospel WCAO 9th, and classic hits WQSR 10th. Religious WRBS was 13th, classic rock WZBA 14th, new sports talk WJZ-FM 15th, and new alt rocker WCHH 21st, tied with adult alternative WRNR. While country WAYZ is probably tops in the Hagerstown radio ratings, because the station's owner doesn't subscribe to the Arbitron numbers, hot adult contemporary WIKZ is listed as first. Country WFRE is tops in Frederick, and country WUSQ leads in Winchester in the fall radio ratings "book."

January 13, 2009
Genachowski To Head FCC
President-elect Barack Obama intends to nominate his technology adviser, Julius Genachowski (right), to head the Federal Communications Commission, a Democratic source close to the Obama transition team said, according to the Wall Street Journal. Genachowski, 46, is a former Harvard Law School classmate of Obama. He worked at the FCC during the Clinton administration. More recently, he co-founded LaunchBox Digital, a DC-based venture capital firm. He worked at Barry Diller's IAC/InterActive in various executive positions for eight years after leaving the FCC. During the campaign, Genachowski served as the top technology adviser to Obama, putting together a technology and innovation plan that expressed support for open internet or "net neutrality" protections, media-ownership rules that encourage more diversity, and expansion of affordable broadband access across the country.

January 12, 2009
Cameron Gray To NRA
DC radio veteran Cameron Gray has joined the Fairfax-based National Rifle Association's "NRANews" team as an executive producer. Most recently, Gray served as executive producer of XM Satellite Radio's POTUS '08 presidential campaign channel. Previously, he's been executive producer with the Redskins at Red Zebra broadcasting, and has served as operations director and producer at CBS Radio's WJFK and with its former Redskins broadcasts. Cameron, along with fellow executive producer John Popp, will oversee "NRANews Updates" and "The Daily News," which run on NRANews.com, as well as "Cam And Company," which is heard on the NRA website and on Sirius Satellite Radio.

January 12, 2009
Long Moves To Late Mornings On 1370
Rob Long has left his afternoon gig at Baltimore sports talker WNST, 1570 AM. He resigned after his show last Friday. Long will be moving cross-town to WVIE, Fox 1370 Sports Radio, to do late mornings, 9 AM to noon, starting Monday, 1/19. WNST owner Nestor Aparacio will now be doing afternoons on 1570. No word if that's permanent.

January 12, 2009
Nats Jump From 20 To 50
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and the Nationals have a new over-the-air TV partner - Channel 50/WDCW. Under the multi-year deal, which includes a MASN-sponsored marketing package, Tribune's DC50 will carry a simulcast of 20 Nats' professional baseball games each season, which will also appear on MASN. The Nationals' TV broadcast partner had been Fox-owned Channel 20/WDCA.

January 12, 2009
WDMV Operator Files For Bankruptcy
National Radio Corporation, also known as "WDMV Radio," has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, according to a listing in the Washington Post. Liabilities: $100,000 to $1 million. Largest unsecured creditor: $70,633. The Fairfax-based company operates WDMV, a brokered talk station on 700 AM, from a transmitter near Frederick.

January 8, 2009
Phillips' "Metro Talk" Loses Radio Outlet
DC radio veteran Jerry Phillips and his longtime "Metro Talk" local interview show got cut by Bonneville's Federal News Radio, WFED, as of the end of 2008. It had aired on a variety of stations since 1988, including WTEM, WBIG, WTWP, and WWWT. Over the years, "Metro Talk" featured hundreds of interviews with area city, state, and county leaders, plus career and consumer professionals, as well as everyday folks. No word if the program will get picked up by another station.

January 7, 2009
Kris Gamble Heads Back To DC
After 20 years in the industry, eight of them with co-host Mark Kaye (left), Kris Gamble (right) has had enough. "I just can't take it anymore!" She screams as she flees the Cox radio complex in Jacksonville. Kaye and Gamble began their partnership in 2000 at Nassau's B98.5 on the Jersey Shore. The pair quickly moved to DC, where they were the inaugural morning team on Clear Channel's Hot 99.5. In 2006, they moved to Jacksonville, where they have held down the AM slot at WAPE-FM for the last two years. Says Gamble: "Being part of the 'Morning Mess' for the past eight years has been an incredible experience, but I've ridden Mark's coattails long enough. It's time I start fending for myself. This is something I've been thinking about for awhile and the time has come for me to move on. I am planning on going home to DC to pursue opportunities outside of the broadcast industry." Adds Kaye: "I love Kris like a much older sister. It will be difficult not seeing her everyday. She is one of the most talented women I've ever known and she and her implants will be missed." Gamble's last day on-the-air will be 1/30. With Kaye to be paired with a WAPE producer.

January 6, 2009
MAL's Chris Berry To LA
Chris Berry, who left Citadel-owned talker WMAL's general manager position yesterday, is heading out west. To be general manager and VP of ESPN sports talker KSPN in Los Angeles. The AMer is owned by the ESPN Radio Station Group, which is a subsidiary of Disney/ABC. Berry came to then-ABC-owned news talker WMAL in 2002 from ABC News.

January 6, 2009
9 Cutting Weekend Morning News
Channel 9/WUSA will be axing its low-rated weekend morning newscasts. Last one: 1/18. The replacement: Mainly revenue-generating infomercials. In a staff memo, WUSA President/General Manager Allan Horlick writes: "Effective January 24th, we have decided to utilize the Saturday and Sunday morning time periods where we have traditionally produced our weekend morning newscasts, as the launch pad for a variety of new initiatives which we will now be free to develop. Some of this content may be produced under the direction of our Information Center and some by other departments in the station... These time periods will be used to directly generate sales revenue through outside productions."

January 4, 2009
11 Launches HD Local News
Channel 11/WBAL has become the second TVer in Baltimore and fourth TVer in the DC-Baltimore region to launch high-def local news. On 1/3, it also unveiled a new news set and graphics package. Baltimore's Channel 45/WBFF and DC's Channel 7/WJLA launched HD local news in 2008, with DC's Channel 9/WUSA running it several years.

---

For older news items, going all the way back to 1997, visit our News Archive Index.....

All original material on this website is copyright by Dave Hughes/DCRTV.