 Contents - Contact Us - News Tips - News Archive - Mailbag - Rant - Support DCRTV NYC/Philadelphia - Boston/Hartford/Providence - Richmond/Norfolk/Salisbury - Capitol Hill Facebook - YouTube - Twitter - Stations - Job Ads - Advertise - Dave TV - DCRTV Plus Clifton Brown Is New "Ravens Insider" For CSN - 5/22 - Clifton Brown is the new "Ravens Insider" for Comcast SportsNet. He will lead coverage of the Baltimore Ravens for the Bethesda-based network's digital media platforms. Brown has been covering the NFL for the Sporting News for more than five years. Prior to that, he spent 19 years at the New York Times, most recently as an NFL writer. During his tenure at the Times, he also served as the national golf writer, national NBA writer, and as a beat reporter covering the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets. He also spent five years in the sports department at the Detroit Free Press, including time as beat reporter for the Detroit Pistons..... Baker Does "Soul Train Scratcher" Ad - 5/22 - Bowie-based voiceman Matt K. Baker is keeping busy with a batch of recent projects, including an ad for the DC Lottery, for its "Soul Train Scratcher" promotion. He's also working on a series called "Gangster Empire" for LionHeart Filmworks, and continues to be heard on "Coast Guard Alaska" and "Coast Guard Florida," which are seen on the Weather Channel. More at mattspeaking.com..... Dave TV: Carson, Ryan, Burbank, O'Meara, More - 5/22 -  Rob Carson gets booted out of Mix 107.3, WRQX. And what does this latest cut at Cumulus's DC radio complex mean for WRQX and sister WMAL? Also, I look at Bob Ryan's final days at Channel 7/WJLA. And, the latest DC radio ratings trends. Plus, I preview my Sadly Lacking Radio podcast interview on the controversy surrounding Buzz Burbank's departure from Mike O'Meara's podcast and radio show. And, more in today's "Dave TV" at DCRTV's Dave TV page.....Mix 107.3 Cuts Carson - 5/22 - DCRTV hears that midday man Rob Carson is the latest to get cut from Cumulus hot adult contemporary WRQX, Mix 107.3. He has gone missing from the station's website. Before doing middays, Carson had been doing the WRQX afternoon shift, but was replaced by Marco last year. Carson had also been doing a weekend shift on sister news talker WMAL. More soon..... SPJ Honors 4 - 5/22 - NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell, Washington Post sports columnist Thomas Boswell, political journalist Haynes Johnson, and New York Times, CBS News, and PBS correspondent Terence Smith will get inducted into the Hall Of Fame of the DC Chapter of the Society Of Professional Journalists on June 11th at the National Press Club..... Sun Sale To Koch Protested - 5/22 - About a dozen people showed up at the Baltimore Sun to protest the possibility that the right-leaning Koch brothers might buy the Tribune company's newspapers. With a petition featuring 6,500 signatures. More at baltimorebrew.com..... Balto Ranks 1st For Preakness - 5/22 - Baltimore sported the top TV ratings for Saturday's Preakness, which took place in Baltimore. Where the NBC telecast achieved a 15.7 rating and a 32 share. The DC market ranked 8th nationwide, with an 8.9 rating and a 21 share. Nationally, the 2013 Preakness saw a 9% ratings hike compared to 2012..... DCRTV's $5K Spring Fundraising Goal - 5/22 -   DCRTV is an independent website that's been here almost 16 years thanks to donations. Nobody else reports about what's happening on the news and gossip front and preserves the rich heritage of DC and Baltimore area radio, TV, and media like DCRTV does. And no one gives you a "voice" like you have with the Mailbag. Ads are great, but a chunk of our operating revenue comes from donations. Please help us make our $5,000 spring fundraising goal! No donation is too small or large - $5, $10, $50, $100, $500. Visit our Support page. Make your donation $29 or more and get a year of local radio and TV memory-packed DCRTV Plus, with 500+ nostalgic pictures, including today's Flashback, a 1960s memory of Baltimore's WITH radio (right).....ABC's "This Week" To Leave Newseum - 5/21 - ABC will be moving its Sunday "This Week" studio back to the Washington bureau from the Newseum, and Al Jazeera America will be moving into ABC's old digs there. More at broadcastingcable.com..... WERQ Tops Balto Radio Ratings - 5/21 - The Baltimore market radio ratings for the "first week" of May, full-day, age 12+: 1) WERQ, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WPOC, 4) WLIF, 5) WWMX, 6) WJZ-FM and WZFT, 8) WBAL-AM and WIYY, 10) WRBS-FM and WZBA, 12) WQSR, 13) WYPR, 14) WCBM and WHUR, 16) WKYS, 17) WWDC and WTOP, 19) WCAO, 20) WRQX and WPGC, 22) WBJC, 23) WAMU, 24) WBIG, 25) WLZL and WASH, 27) WIHT and WMZQ, 29) WXCY and WNEW and 975HFS..... WTOP, WAMU, Hot 99.5 Top DC Radio Ratings - 5/21 -  The DC market radio ratings for the "first week" of May, full-day, age 6+: 1) WTOP and WAMU, 3) WIHT, 4) WASH, 5) WHUR, 6) WMMJ, 7) WKYS, 8) WWDC, 9) WBIG, 10) WMZQ, 11) WRQX, 12) WGTS, 13) WMAL and WPRS, 15) WPGC and WIAD, 17) WETA-FM, 18) WLZL, 19) WJFK-FM, 20) WTEM and WFRE, 22) WBQB, 23) WNEW, 24) WDCN, 25) WINC-FM and WQSR, 27) WERQ, 28) WFLS and WIYY and WPFW. Age 25-54: 1) WIHT, 2) WAMU, 3) WTOP, 4) WASH, 5) WHUR, 6) WWDC, 7) WMMJ, 8) WBIG and WKYS, 10) WRQX, 11) WLZL and WGTS, 13) WIAD, 14) WMZQ and WPRS, 16) WJFK-FM, 17) WPGC, 18) WTEM, 19) WMAL, 20) WDCN, 21) WETA-FM, 22) WINC-FM, 23) WQSR and WERQ, 25) WIYY, 26) WNEW, 27) WKDV and WBQB, 29) WFRE and WRBS-FM.....Connolly On Tap For FCC Spot - 5/21 - Senate Republicans continue to search for their preferred GOP nominee to the Federal Communications Commission - and lawmakers may be looking seriously at Michelle Connolly, a top professor at Duke University. Four industry sources confirmed to Politico that she's considered a strong candidate to win Republicans' blessings for the empty seat once held by Commissioner Robert McDowell, who left the agency on Friday..... Clyburn Becomes Acting FCC Head - 5/21 - FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn officially became acting Federal Communications Commission chairman over the weekend, becoming the first woman to head the agency. The FCC, with the departure of Chairman Julius Genachowski and member Robert McDowell, will likely have three members until early next month or later. That's the earliest time the Senate Commerce Committee will be able to hold a hearing on the nomination of Tom Wheeler as the FCC's new chairman. Radio Online has more..... Washingtonian Wins Honors - 5/21 - At the City And Regional Magazine Awards Monday night in Atlanta, Washingtonian won big. Its website won top honors for "online excellence" and the magazine won the "general excellence" award, according to editor Carol Joynt. More at caroljoynt.com..... Allan Sherman Bio Author To Appear At NCRTV - 5/21 - For the 50th anniversary of Allan Sherman's Grammy Award-winning summer of 1963 hit, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh," the National Capital Radio And TV Museum in Bowie will host a talk and book signing by the author of the first biography of the song parodist. In "Overweight Sensation: The Life And Comedy Of Allan Sherman," author Mark Cohen presents Sherman as a manic, bacchanalian, and hugely creative artist whose explosively funny parodies of classic songs marked a turning point in American cultural history. The event begins at 2 PM on June 2. Q&A and book signing to follow. More at ncrtv.org..... Confirmed: Ryan's Swan Song At 7 To Be Wednesday - 5/20 -  DCRTV tipped you Sunday. And now we hear that longtime DC TV weatherman Bob Ryan's (right) last day on Channel 7/WJLA will be Wednesday, May 22nd. WJLA announced early Monday that it will use the 11 PM newscasts on May 20th, 21st, and 22nd to honor Ryan and "his commitment to forecasting weather for the Washington region." Says WJLA General Manager Bill Lord: "His career accomplishments are unmatched in the television industry and we have been greatly honored to have him on our team." During the late newscasts, the station will air "memorable vignettes about Ryan as well as broadcast messages from DC metro notables and former and current colleagues. Including Katie Couric, Alison Starling, Arch Campbell, Doug Hill, and more. Plus, a tribute sung by Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski. "I have really enjoyed the work and I love that people appreciate what I do. I don't see myself stepping back completely and just watching the sunset," Ryan says. "But I do look forward to spending more time with my family particularly, my partner throughout my career, my wife, and our almost one-year-old grandson." DC Mayor Vincent Gray has named named May 22nd as "Bob Ryan Day." Ryan been seen on DC TV since 1980, when he joined Channel 4/WRC, where he worked until jumping to WJLA in 2010. Ryan announced May 8th that he was planning to retire from WJLA, which is being sold by parent Allbritton.....WJZ Tops Balto Sports Radio Ratings, More - 5/20 - WJZ-FM, 105.7 The Fan, tops the Baltimore sports radio ratings for April. Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik slams Channel 11/WBAL's coverage of the Preakness. Ray Rice does an NFL promo for the USA Network. And more in today's sports media column at Baltimore's PressBox..... Burbank Says Adios To O'Meara Again - 5/20 -  DCRTV hears that longtime DC radio personality Buzz Burbank (right) has announced that he's leaving the Mike O'Meara podcast. Again. The radio "newsman" left the show about a year ago but did return. Burbank, whose real name is Mike Elston, has been with O'Meara and Don Geronimo since their days at WJFK in the early 1990s. In Monday's edition of the podcast at mikeomearashow.com, O'Meara informs us that Burbank, now 60, wants to do something new with his career.....Wedding Bells For Brenda Carl - 5/20 - DCRTV hears that Baltimore radio veteran and WCBMer Brenda Carl is getting married on Saturday, May 25th, to Doug Suthers, a patent examiner with the Commerce Department and electrical engineer "who finally explained to me how the funny little sounds come out of the AM radio box," Carl tells us. "He's from Madison, Wisconsin. We've been together five years! Looking forward to the honeymoon, then, the Packers coming to play the Ravens in the fall. Should be a good game"..... Radio Ink Names WTOP Top News-Talker - 5/20 - Radio trade publication and website Radio Ink is out with its top 20 commercial news-talk radio stations of 2013. And DC's WTOP takes the top spot. No other locals made the list. Sorry WBAL-AM, WCBM, and WMAL..... 13 Changes: Mark Viviano Engaged, Adam May Leaving - 5/20 - DCRTV hears that Mike Viviano, sports director and anchor at Channel 13/WJZ, has announced his engagement to WJZ news producer Megan Walburn. Also, we hear that WJZ reporter Adam May is leaving the CBS-owned station to be a national correspondent for the Washington bureau of Al Jazeera America, which will soon replace Current TV...... MD Gov's Wife Loves RNR - 5/20 - Maryland First Lady Katie O'Malley tells Baltimore's Style magazine that she's a big fan of Annapolis adult alternative rocker WRNR-FM, 103.1..... GWU Hires 3 Media Profs - 5/20 - George Washington University's School Of Media And Public Affairs hires three faculty members: Cheryl Thompson, an investigative reporter from the Washington Post; Imani Cheers, a former "PBS Newshour" executive; and Emily Thorson, who taught communications and political science at the University Of Pennsylvania..... WaPo "Crummy" Restaurant Critic Dies - 5/20 - Donovan Kelly, a former chief spokesman for the US Geological Survey who found acclaim in his second career, moonlighting as a critic of "crummy-but-good" restaurants for the Washington Post, died May 2 of a heart attack at his home in Loudoun County community of Hamilton. He was 71. From 1997 to 1999, Kelly penned more than 50 reviews for his restaurant review series in the Post, in which he humorously reviewed local, hole-in-the-wall, down-home restaurants that offered good eats and company despite their shabby exteriors. More at washingtonpost.com..... BET Founder Launches YouTube Channels - 5/20 - DC media magnate Robert Johnson, who founded Black Entertainment Television more than 30 years ago, has introduced two paid channels on YouTube. His RLJ Entertainment will offer movies, documentaries, and other programming targeted to African American and urban audiences for $1.99 a month via an OnCue channel. And another, Acorn TV, which specializes in British drama and mysteries, for a monthly fee of $4.99. More at washingtonpost.com..... PBS Adds Weekend Rose Show - 5/20 - Arlington-based PBS will launch a new Charlie Rose show in July. "Charlie Rose Weekend" will cull the best of his late-night weekdaily program, which has been seen on PBS for two decades. Rose will continue doing his morning show hosting duties with CBS. More at nytimes.com..... Alvin Jones Does HUR Afternoons This Week - 5/20 - "Planet Vehicle" host Alvin Jones teams this week with DC radio veteran Nikki Strong as the latest candidates for Howard University adult urban contemporary WHUR's "Washington's Next Big Voice" competition for the afternoon drive slot. "Planet Vehicle" is a weekly "reality show about automobiles" that runs locally on NewsChannel 8. It's also seen in the Norfolk and Richmond markets. Strong was a WHUR "Big Voice" candidate back in April. Cast your vote at whur.com..... Kevin Baron To Defense One - 5/20 - Kevin Baron leaves Foreign Policy for Atlantic Media's new Defense One. Where he'll be executive editor..... Koch Cancels Public TV Donation - 5/20 - David Koch, half of the right-leaning Koch brothers who are negotiating to buy Tribune's newspapers, including the Baltimore Sun, has canceled a large donation to public TV because of the "Park Avenue" documentary. At newyorker.com..... DOJ Probe Targets Fox's Rosen - 5/20 - A Department Of Justice leak probe targeting Fox News DC correspondent James Rosen is examined at washingtonpost.com..... Dave TV: Parks, Farhi, Wemple, More Bad MAL, More - 5/20 - I get a love letter from WMAL's Larry O'Connor. In Monday's "Dave TV." And, I look at what's up with DC radio veteran Andy Parks leaving the Washington Times' afternoon radio show, which will no longer be heard on WTNT. Plus, more of my rantings about WMAL, which has political talk bordering on the pathological. Also, I get some more laughs at FishbowlDC's expense. And, I again wonder why the Washington Post doesn't ditch Paul Farhi for the much more talented Erik Wemple regarding media coverage. In Saturday's "Dave TV." Both editions are at DCRTV's Dave TV page.....Source: Ryan's Swan Song At 7 To Be Wednesday - 5/19 - DCRTV hears from a reliable Channel 7/WJLA source that longtime DC TV weatherman Bob Ryan's (right) final day at the Allbritton station will be Wednesday, May 22nd. There was some talk when Ryan announced his impending retirement from WJLA on May 8th that he might remain with DC's ABC affiliate until early or mid-June. Currently, WJLA is running a batch of farewell promos for Ryan. Allbritton recently announced that it will be selling WJLA and its other TV properties by the end of the year. We're told that other WJLA personalities could be leaving before the station is sold. Ryan joined WJLA in 2010, after three decades with NBC-owned Channel 4/WRC.....DC Is Cable TV HQ - 5/19 - In Sunday's Washington Post, Emily Yahr looks at all the cable TV networks, including Discovery, BET, the Smithsonian Channel, TV One, and National Geographic, that are based in the DC area..... Z: 11's Preakness Coverage "Dippy" - 5/19 - While praising NBC's coverage of Baltimore's Preakness on Saturday, Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik dismisses local NBC affiliate Channel 11/WBAL's "dippy tone" of the event. "Gerry Sandusky and Donna Hamilton sitting in chairs, acting as phony as a couple from a 1950s family sitcom, is almost too much to bear," he writes at baltimoresun.com..... Andy Parks Off WashTimes Afternoon Radio Show - 5/18 -  Sources tell DCRTV that Andy Parks (right) announced on Friday that this was his last Washington Times show in afternoon drive on WTNT, 730 AM/102.9 FM. He also said that within a few weeks the Times would have an announcement of a new program, which would involve him. More: WTNT's website lists the "Tea Party News Network" as airing in afternoon drive, starting Monday. Apparently, the Times has decided to no longer pay for the 3 PM to 6 PM time slot on Fairfax-based WTNT. Parks was heard on WMAL several decades, before starting his Times show 18 months ago.....McCaffrey Fundraises For Civil War Doc - 5/18 - Frank McCaffrey, a former Fox News Channel producer who is now anchoring the Hagerstown Herald-Mail's HMTV 6 cable TV and internet local news operation, has launched a Kickstarter fundraiser for a Civil War documentary he's planning on "The Battle Of Antietam And Beyond." He wants to raise $1,500 by June..... Buckhantz To Host Golf Tourney - 5/18 - DC radio and TV sports veteran Steve Buckhantz tells us that he's hosting his annual golf tournament May 20th to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This will be its 18th year and, to date, more than $2.4 million have been raised. It will be held this year at Trump National in Loudoun County. More at stjude.org..... More "Security" Issues With TOP's Site - 5/17 -  Updated. We're hearing that the wtop.com website of Hubbard all-newser WTOP is again experiencing "security certificate" issues with a variety of browsers, including Google's Chrome. Last week, the station's website suffered a cyber attack that prohibited users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer from accessing it. More. A WTOP source tells us: "We experienced a fairly common SSL deployment issue. It occurred as we continue to enhance security on wtop.com in response to the recent malicious attack. The SSL deployment issue has been fixed. It poses no threat whatsoever to our users." We're also told that daily traffic to wtop.com and sister WFED's federalnewsradio.com is back to levels seen before the attack. "We are grateful to our user community, and we will continue to do all we can to ensure they have the information they need in a secure online environment," we hear.....Fredericks & WashTimes To Cover VA GOP Confab - 5/17 - "The John Fredericks Show" and the Washington Times are teaming up to provide live gavel-to-gavel coverage from the floor of the 2013 Republican Party Of Virginia nominating convention at the Richmond Coliseum on Saturday, May 18th. Which is expected to make Ken Cuccinelli the official GOP candidate for Virginia governor. Fredericks, who does the weekday morning show on a network of talkers across the state, including the DC area's WTNT, 730 AM/102.9 FM, will host the program, which can be heard online from 10 AM to 6 PM at washingtontimes.com/listen..... WaPo Slams Politico Promo - 5/17 - Washington Post media blogger Erik Wemple claims that rival Politico's "I Am A Politico" promotion has backfired. At washingtonpost.com..... FTC OKs Sinclair's Fisher Buy - 5/17 - The Federal Trade Commission says it has no antitrust issues with Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcasting's pending purchase of 20 TV stations from Fisher Communications for $373.3 million. More at broadcastingcable.com..... McDowell Leaves FCC - 5/17 - From NewsBlues: "Robert McDowell, who you have probably never heard of, signs off today after seven years as an obstructionist Republican Federal Communications Commission commissioner. He accomplished little and takes no credit for it." Politico has more..... DC Cable TV Office Gets Emmy Nom - 5/17 - The DC Office Of Cable Television has received a local Emmy nomination for its production of "The Sound 'Tribute To Chuck Brown'" in the category of arts/entertainment program/special. The Grammy-nominated "go go" musician passed away one year ago this week. The Emmy award winners will be announced at a June 15th ceremony in Baltimore. You can view the program at YouTube..... Paul Drew Dies - 5/17 - DCRTV hears that Paul Drew has died at age 78. He was a programmer with the old RKO radio division in the 1970s, which was flipping many of its stations to a high-energy "top 40" format, something that almost happened to the company's classical WGMS-AM, 570. The change didn't materialize because of complaints from many of the station's influential, politically-connected listeners. WGMS was also heard on 103.5 FM..... Frankel Returns To DC Area To Write - 5/16 - Former Washington Post reporter Glenn Frankel, who has been director of the journalism school at the University Of Texas at Austin since 2010, is heading back to the DC area to become a fulltime book author. More at dailytexanonline.com..... WAMU's Di Caro To Moderate GMU Panel - 5/16 - DCRTV hears that Martin Di Caro, who covers local transportation issues for WAMU, will moderate a panel discussion on the future of transportation policy for George Mason University's School Of Public Policy on May 30th. The panel on "Transportation's Radical Future" will include representatives of Transurban North America, SpacEX, NASA, Metrobike, Uber, and Flexcar..... WaPo To Start Wine Club - 5/16 - The Washington Post will be launching the Washington Post Wine Club. Which will have "quarterly shipments of great wines sourced from authentic domestic and international wineries." More at washingtoncitypaper.com..... Reliant Adds WGMD - 5/16 - Reliant Broadcasting, the DC area firm that provides traffic and news reports for radio stations across the nation, adds Rehoboth Beach's WGMD, 92.7 FM, as a traffic client. Starting Monday, Reliant will provide "beach" traffic reports for the Ocean City area talk outlet, with Alexander Piela and Marc Raven as primary traffic anchors. Both have been working for Reliant since 2008. The traffic reports will continue to air through the rest of the spring and summer, Reliant head Zoom Moonchild tells us..... Craig Heist Ponders Post-TOP Future - 5/16 - Sports reporter Craig Heist considers his next move after leaving all-newser WTOP. Including a profile of the Maryland native. In the May issue of PressBox..... Raven Rice In USA Net Promo - 5/16 - Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be the first player featured during the upcoming season in USA Network's "NFL Characters Unite" campaign. More at baltimoresun.com..... Bob Ryan & Chilli Amar Join Arch - 5/16 -  Longtime DC TV weatherman Bob Ryan, who is retiring soon from Channel 7/WJLA, guests with Arch Campbell (right) this week. "He and I became friends 33 years ago in 1980 when he came to Channel 4 to replace Williard," Campbell tells us. "For 25 years there I finished the 11:00 news with Bob standing by my side - laughing off camera. He and I have had many adventures together off screen and we will reveal some of them tonight." Also: DC radio veteran Chilli Amar, who just moved to WASH, and comic Ryann Schutt.
"The Arch Campbell Show" airs on NewsChannel 8 at 8:30 PM Thursday and Friday, and 9 PM Saturday.....Dave TV: Bert Shows Up At 107.3 & Deals With Angry Listeners, More - 5/16 - Bert Weiss takes calls from Mix 107.3 listeners disappointed that Jack Diamond suddenly went missing a few weeks ago. And, I get socks from Channel 50 in a promotion for Arsenio Hall's new show, which starts this fall. Also, I get the Washington Post to cut my subscription price by more than 50% after doing the same type of negotiations with Verizon and Comcast. In today's "Dave TV" at DCRTV's Dave TV page.....Bert Calms Angry 107.3 Callers - 5/16 - Bert Weiss did his first live show this morning on Cumulus hot adult contemporary Mix 107.3, WRQX. In somewhat of a damage control mode, he addressed numerous callers who were upset that longtime morning man Jack Diamond was abruptly removed from the airwaves last month after his contract was not renewed. Weiss, whose show is normally based in Atlanta, was here in DC repeatedly apologizing for the lack of transition, while admitting that Diamond was offered the opportunity to do a friendly hand-off. DCRTV did previously report that Diamond was offered a "six figure" bonus to do a week or two of farewell shows with Weiss, who was once his sidekick at WRQX. One caller equated Diamond to an "armoire" that she was fond of. While another thought it was a bad move to run "Bert Show" repeats for three days before his live debut today. Weiss also addressed a number of complaints, mainly from older women, that his show is not as "family friendly" as Diamond's was. Weiss did admit that his show is "less mature" and more "edgy" than his predecessor's..... 40 Interested In Trib's Rags - 5/16 - Some 40 parties have expressed interest in acquiring some or all of the Tribune Company's newspapers, which include the Baltimore Sun. The Chicago-based media company hired investment bankers in February to manage inquiries for its eight daily newspapers. More at chicagotribune.com..... WaPo Vet Donna Mackie Dies - 5/16 - Donna Mackie, who worked for the Washington Post for more than three decades, including 17 years as assistant to then-Executive Editor Benjamin Bradlee, died May 13 at a hospital in Oklahoma City. She was 75. More at washingtonpost.com..... WaPo's Gazette Ends Frederick Editions - 5/15 - The Washington Post-owned Gazette will end its its Frederick County editions. In an announcement Wednesday afternoon, the chief executive of the Gazette's parent company called the decision regrettable but necessary. Karen Acton, who took over as chief executive of Post-Newsweek Media in January 2012, said the company will continue to publish community weeklies via the Gazette brand in Montgomery and Prince George's counties and via the Times brand in Fairfax County, where the business models are strong. While the local revenue stream in Frederick was strong and growing, the saturation of the market with various competitors did not allow for a profitable business model in Frederick County, according to today's farewell article in the Gazette. More: 18 fulltime and 12 parttime employees will be pink-slipped. More at gazette.net..... Buzz Burbank Speaks - 5/15 - DC radio great Buzz Burbank, the "newsman" for many years on WJFK's "Don And Mike Show," and later with Mike O'Meara's internet show, spills his guts to the Sadly Lacking Radio podcast at sadlylackingradio.podbean.com..... Matea Gold To WaPo - 5/15 - Reporter Matea Gold of the Los Angeles Times' Washington bureau is moving to the Washington Post where she will cover business and politics. More at laobserved.com..... O'Malley Visits "Cards" Set - 5/15 - Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley headed to Harford County Tuesday to visit the set of "House Of Cards," the $100 million Netflix political thriller starring Kevin Spacey. The reason for the visit as the cast and crew settles in to film season two was to highlight the success of a state film incentives program backed by O'Malley that has brought such award-winning productions as HBO's "Game Change" and "VEEP" as well as "House Of Cards" to Maryland. It's also brought thousands of jobs the last three years to what was a decimated TV and film production comunity once HBO's "The Wire" ended in 2007. So reports the Baltimore Sun..... Justice Targets AP Reporters Over CIA Story - 5/14 - Associated Press Washington bureau chief Sally Buzbee was among the journalists targeted in the Justice Department's sweeping seizure of phone records that has drawn widespread condemnation from members of the media and free speech advocates, an AP spokeswoman confirmed to the Huffington Post. On Monday, the AP's story on the matter revealed the names of five reporters and an editor targeted, all of whom worked on a May 7, 2012 story reporting that the CIA thwarted a terrorist plot in Yemen. Those named were: Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Kimberly Dozier, Eileen Sullivan, Alan Fram, and Ted Bridis. The AP reported that 20 phone lines were targeted, including the AP's main switchboard..... Dave TV: DC April Radio Ratings Analysis, More - 5/14 - I analyze the April radio ratings for the DC market. More good news for WAMU, Hot 99.5, WTOP, WASH, WHUR, and WMMJ. And some not so good news for WMAL, WNEW, and WPGC. Plus, I meet Washington Post great Mike Musgrove at Starbucks. I take a look at the shrinking Washington Times. In today's "Dave TV" at DCRTV's Dave TV page.....9 & 45 Lead Emmy Noms - 5/14 -  From examiner.com: Channel 9/WUSA led the pack among DC TV stations with 17 local Emmy nominations that were announced Monday night at Public Bar in Tenleytown. On hand to reveal the nominees were a trio of DC TV news anchors - Lesli Foster of WUSA, Laura Evans of Channel 5/WTTG, and Wendy Rieger of Channel 4/WRC. In the National Capital Chesapeake Bay region, WJLA received 10 nominations, WRC 9, Channel 50/WDCW 6, WTTG 3, and Channel 26/WETA 1. In the Baltimore TV market, Channel 45/WBFF was the leader with 17 nominations, followed by Maryland Public Television with 14, Channel 2/WMAR 8, Channel 11/ WBAL 4, and Channel 13/WJZ 1. Ted Leonsis' new Monumental Sports Network received 6 nominations, coming close to Comcast SportsNet's 7. The local Emmys will be handed out at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel on June 15th. A complete list of the 2012 nominees is at capitalemmys.tv.....WAMU Tops April Radio Ratings For DC - 5/14 - The April monthly radio ratings for the DC market, full-day, age 6+ demo: 1) WAMU, 2) WTOP, 3) WIHT, 4) WMMJ, 5) WHUR, 6) WASH, 7) WKYS, 8) WBIG, 9) WMZQ, 10) WPRS and WWDC and WPGC, 13) WIAD, 14) WRQX, 15) WGTS, 16) WMAL, 17) WETA-FM, 18) WLZL, 19) WJFK-FM, 20) WTEM, 21) WFRE, 22) WNEW and WDCN, 24) WBQB. Age 25-54 demo: 1) WAMU, 2) WIHT, 3) WTOP, 4) WHUR, 5) WMMJ, 6) WASH, 7) WBIG, 8) WKYS, 9) WWDC, 10) WRQX, 11) WIAD and WPRS, 13) WMZQ and WLZL, 15) WGTS, 16) WJFK-FM, 17) WPGC, 18) WMAL and WTEM, 20) WDCN, 21) WETA-FM and WINC-FM and WERQ, 24) WQSR, 25) WNEW, 26) WKDV and WIYY..... WERQ Tops April Radio Ratings For Balto - 5/14 - The April monthly radio ratings for the Baltimore market, full-day, age 12+ demo: 1) WERQ, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WPOC, 4) WLIF, 5) WWMX, 6) WBAL-AM, 7) WZFT and WRBS-FM, 9) WIYY, 10) WJZ-FM, 11) WZBA, 12) WQSR, 13) WYPR, 14) WBJC, 16) WCAO, 17) WCBM. Age 25-54 demo: 1) WERQ, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WPOC, 4) WIYY, 5) WWMX, 6) WLIF, 7) WQSR, 8) WZFT, 9) WJZ-FM, 10) WRBS-FM, 11) WBAL-AM, 12) WZBA, 13) WYPR, 14) 975HFS, 15) WCAO, 16) WBJC, 17) WCBM..... Swearing Rookie News Anchor Tending Bar In DE - 5/14 - A.J. Clemente, the rookie anchor who started his career last month at Bismarck ND's KFYR-TV with the expletives "f*ckin' sh*t," has found work again. According to RumorFix, he's now a bartender at the Table And Taproom in Dewey Beach DE. The widely-distributed video of Clemente's first and last day at KFYR is at YouTube..... Atlantic Launches Defense One - 5/14 - Six months after launching digital business site Quartz, Atlantic Media is preparing to roll out Defense One, a news and information site for the national security community. Set for a mid-summer launch. Atlantic Media already serves some 60,000 senior-level subscribers in the Department Of Defense through its Government Executive and National Journal brands. Adweek has more..... John Waters Does One-Man Show - 5/14 - Baltimore film legend John Waters does a one-man, spoken-word lecture entitled "This Filthy World," which tackles his artistic influences, fascination with true crime, exploitation films, and much more at 8 PM Wednesday, May 15th, at the Howard Theatre, 620 T Street NW, DC. More at thehowardtheatre.com..... 5's Yancy To Emcee - 5/14 - Channel 5/WTTG news anchor Shawn Yancy will emcee the May 18th Women Veterans Awards Brunch and silent auction at B. Smith's Restaurant at Union Station, to raise awareness and fund raising for Homeless Women Veteran Programs. Five women will be recognized and receive the Honorary Woman Veteran Award for their efforts in supporting women veterans and their families..... Justice Department Spied On AP - 5/13 - The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for the Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news. According to AP, the records obtained by the Justice Department listed outgoing calls for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, for general AP office numbers in Washington, NYC, and Hartford, and for the main number for the AP in the House Of Representatives press gallery. More at washingtonpost.com..... Confirmed: Tati To Join Pablo At PGC - 5/13 -  DCRTV tipped you two weeks ago. Now, we get confirmation that Tati (right) is the new sidekick for morning man Blaine "Pablo" Sato at CBS's urban contemporary WPGC, 95.5 FM. She comes from Pablo's old station, San Diego/Tijuana's urban contemporary Z90.3, XHTZ. Since starting in mid-2012, Pablo's show has been struggling in the ratings. He was paired with Free. She was replaced with Sunni in February. Tati joins Guy Lambert and DJ Heat on the PGC morning show. Says WPGC Program Director Jason Kidd: "Tati is the perfect fit as we continue to grow mornings here at PGC. She actually worked with Pablo in San Diego, so the two of them already have a strong chemistry. As the morning show is increasing its morning ratings, Tati will enhance this already solid and extremely local morning show. She is the final piece of the puzzle and I am excited for her to start".....Newseum Has Hamas Controversy - 5/13 - The DC-based Newseum has announced that it will "re-evaluate" its controversial decision to include two cameramen from Hamas-run al-Aqsa TV in its tribute to journalists who died in 2012. More at politico.com..... Bert Debuts On 107.3 - 5/13 -  "The Bert Show" debuted today in mornings on Cumulus hot adult contemporary Mix 107.3, WRQX. It "was painful to listen too at the 5:30 AM hour," a listener tells us. With "a canned bit about 'what is your redneck score' without any obvious call ins from DC area? Yeah, that fits our demographics. Here's hoping it gets better." As DCRTV has told you, Atlanta-based Bert Weiss (left) replaces longtime WRQX morning man Jack Diamond, whose contract was not renewed in April. Weiss, who was on Diamond's morning show team years ago, will be in town to host the show later this week. More at mix1073fm.com.....Olivia Fox WHUR's Next "Big Voice" Candidate - 5/13 - DCRTV hears that DC radio veteran Olivia Fox is the "Washington's Next Big Voice" candidate on Howard University's udult urban contemporaty WHUR, 96.3 FM, this week. The former WKYS and WMMJ personality will be heard in the 3 PM to 7 PM slot, as the station searches for a new afternoon drive personality. Cast your vote at whur.com..... Ramsey Does Newman's Show - 5/13 - Charles Ramsey, the Cleveland dishwasher-turned-media darling, guested on Saturday's Rock Newman We Act Radio show, heard on WPWC, 1480 AM. More at rocknewmanshow.net..... John Wilcox Retires - 5/13 - DCRTV is told that John Wilcox, the longtime announcer for CBS's DC-based Sunday morning political talker "Face The Nation," has retired. In the 1960s, we're told, he was on WMAL radio. He was also on the old WRC radio in the 1970s..... WTOP Site Back Up After Cyber Attack - 5/13 - The news websites WTOP.com and FederalNewsRadio.com are accessible to all internet users following resolution of a cyber attack. Last week, Hubbard, which owns all-newser WTOP and Federal news and talk WFED, blocked access for those using Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "Getting the websites back up and running safely for all users has been our top priority," said Joel Oxley, senior vice president and general manager of both stations. When the attacks were discovered, an investigation was launched, the malicious code was removed, additional security measures were installed, and federal law enforcement officials were notified, according to a statement at wtop.com. The website also gives advice for those who've become infected from possible viruses and malware. Full access to the websites was restored Saturday evening, after a review by cyber security firm Mandiant. "We have found and eliminated the vulnerabilities that were exploited," said John Spaulding, director of information systems for Hubbard's DC radio cluster..... Dave TV: Ryan, Peterson, Hill, Bunyan, More - 5/13 - I take another look at longtime DC TV weatherman Bob Ryan's retirement with more memories from WRC and WJLA - including Doug Hill, Gordon Peterson, and Maureen Bunyan - and Boston's WCVB. Plus, I wonder why DC doesn't have a cool 1980s-based oldies station. Someone should buy Salem's 105.1 and flip it to "Cool Oldies." In today's "Dave TV" at DCRTV's Dave TV.....Robert Adams Dies - 5/12 - Robert Adams, 81, a former delivery truck driver for the old Washington Star newspaper who later owned and operated the Prince George's Shoppers Guide tabloid, died of pneumonia April 30 at a hospital in West Palm Beach FL. More at washingtonpost.com..... DCRTV Job Ads - 5/11 -  The Educational And EB5 Television Cable Network in Washington
DC, to be launched in the fall of 2013, seeks a variety of positions, including executive producers, editorial staff, on-air anchors, senior producers, production assistants, graphic
producers, and many other positions. Delmarva Broadcasting is looking for midday talent for central Delaware's Cool 101.3. Northern Virginia's WTNT has a sales position open.
The DC area's WGTS is looking for traffic reporting and on-air talent. Baltimore's WZBA is looking for parttime air staff. Comcast Spotlight is looking for a local sales director in Herndon. Manning Broadcasting has sales and digital sales positions open in Frederick/Hagerstown. Those are the latest DCRTV Job Ads, where you can reach thousands of movers and shakers at a great price.....Tyler LaPorte Leaving WTMD - 5/10 - Tyler LaPorte plans to leave his music director gig at Towson University's adult alternative WTMD, 89.7 FM, some radio trade pubs are reporting. No word on his future plans..... Genachowski Sets Final Day At FCC - 5/10 - Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski's last day on the job will be Friday, May 17th. As previously reported, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will serve as interim chair until Tom Wheeler is officially confirmed on Capitol Hill as the commission's new head..... WFRE's 94.3 Relay To Montgomery - 5/10 - Clear Channel wants to move its 94.3 FM low-power simulcast of Frederick country outlet WFRE, 99.9 FM, from southern Frederick County into Montgomery County's Germantown. With a 99-watt power level, according to a recent FCC filing. Years ago, Clear Channel put WFRE into its Aloha Trust, with the station rumored to be up-for-sale. WFRE frequently ranks about 20th in the DC market radio ratings, often even beating locals like WJFK, WAVA, WPFW, and WNEW..... New 96.7 For Balto - 5/10 - A DCRTV Charm City source tells us that the Federal Communications Commission is going to approve another 96.7 FM for Baltimore, with a power level of 1-watt or so. But it will probably be up on the tall WLIF tower and have fairly decent city-wide coverage. No word on the format. Over the years, the Baltimore area has had several low-power stations on that frequency..... Cynne Leaving 7? - 5/10 - A tipster tells us that news anchor Cynne Simpson's contract with Allbritton's up-for-sale Channel 7/WJLA recently expired. And there's still no official word about renewal. More: A station source tells us that "we are negotiating with her to stay"..... Chilli Amar Expecting - 5/10 - DC radio veteran Chilli Amar, who recently jumped from Mix 107.3 afternoons to WASH's morning show, announces at washfm.com that she's pregnant..... More On Ryan's Retirement - 5/10 - Mike Madden at washingtoncitypaper.com looks at weatherman Bob Ryan's decision to retire from Channel 7/WJLA: "Along with Jim Vance and Doreen Gentzler and the late George Michael, Ryan had been part of what turned (Channel 4/WRC) into an unstoppable force in local TV news. But his retirement, announced (Wednesday), showed that Ryan, even at 70, still isn't one to rest on his laurels; part of the reason, he told the Washington Post, was disappointment over the failure of TBD and the end of WJLA's experiment in digital news"..... Politico Tests Paywall - 5/9 - Politico will start testing a paywall for web visitors from six states and internationally. For at least six months, readers in places like Iowa, North Dakota, Vermont, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Wyoming will be required to pay for content after consuming a set number of pages on the website. Politico will test different price points and page limits "to find the sweet spot for our readership." So far, no plans to charge for Politico access in its home market, including DC, Maryland, and Virginia. More from Politico..... Radio One Revenue Up - 5/9 - Urban radio giant Radio One reports a 4.9% rise in revenue for the first quarter of 2013, with DC (up 2.3%) and Baltimore (up 6.8%) among its best-performing markets. National revenue for the Silver Spring-based firm was up 13.5%, while local revenue was up 2.1%. Radio Ink has more. Radio One's local outlets include WKYS, WMMJ, and WERQ..... J. Brooks Joins WTOP - 5/9 - DCRTV hears that J. Brooks joins Hubbard's all-news WTOP, where he'll do sports news reports. He comes from CBS sports talker WJFK and CBS all-newser WNEW. He's also worked SiriusXM and Westwood One. He remains the play-by-play voice of Salisbury University football for Delmarva Broadcasting..... Politico Debuts Sponsored News Content - 5/9 - Politico joins the Washington Post and starts offering sponsored editorial content on its website. So reports Post media watcher Erik Wemple at washingtonpost.com..... Craig Wilson Says Farewll To USA Today - 5/9 - Longtime USA Today columnist Craig Wilson pens his final "Final Word" column. "Some of you were offended by the fact I wrote so openly about my longtime partner, Jack. I have no regrets. It was my little contribution to the cause," writes Wilson is his last piece for the McLean-based national newspaper. More at usatoday.com. More: Wilson and his column were often lampooned by former DC radio personality Don Geronimo, when he had an afternoon show with Mike O'Meara on WJFK..... Battling Cancer, Tucker Echols To Do Fundraiser Run - 5/9 - Tucker Echols, the Washington Business Journal's reporter normally heard on all-news WTOP every morning, is battling diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer that was discovered after he found a lump on his neck. After consulting with his oncologist, and despite the side effects that often accompany his treatment, Echols is preparing for the EagleMan Triathlon competition, a 70.3-mile race held in Cambridge MD on June 9. More at wtop.com..... Dave TV: Ryan, Farhi, de Moraes, Joe & Mrs. Joe, More - 5/9 - More ranting about why the Washington Post's Style section sucks, including the latest pieces by Paul Farhi and Lisa de Moraes. Plus, I pay tribute to longtime DC TV weathercaster Bob Ryan with the big news that he's planning to retire from WJLA. He won't be the last big DC TV name to leave 7 before the station is sold. And why I think we have the best crop of DC TV weathercasters right now. Also, I listen to WMAL's new "crazy couple" - "Joe and Mrs. Joe." And more in today's "Dave TV" at DCRTV's Dave TV page.....Bob Ryan To Retire - 5/8 -  DCRTV hears that longtime DC TV weatherman Bob Ryan (right) will retire after the May "sweeps" TV ratings period, probably over the summer. He currently does weather reports for Allbritton-owned Channel 7/WJLA's late newscasts. Ryan, 70, joined NBC-owned Channel 4/WRC in 1980, where he spent three decades before jumping to WJLA in 2010. He began his TV weather career at Boston's WCVB-TV. In 1978, Ryan became the first meteorologist to regularly appear on NBC's "Today" show. "I made the decision [to retire] before the new owner gets here," he tells washingtonpost.com. Last week, Allbritton announced that it will sell WJLA by the end of 2013. More on Ryan's departure is at wjla.com.....Cumulus CEO: WMAL Slump Ending - 5/8 -  In 2012, Cumulus singled out 10 major market news talk stations, including DC's WMAL, that the company says were responsible for more than 100% of its negative revenue growth. However, Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey now includes WMAL with several of his company's other big city news talkers as being in recovery mode. So reports Radio Ink. "All are growing. We've adapted to ad market changes. We're posting revenue growth," Dickey said. Although improving, these stations would still continue to impact results in early 2013. "This group of 10 stations will be negative in Q1, flat in Q2, and rebound in the back half of the year. We are a little ahead of that schedule," Dickey added.....WTNT To Get 97.5 Booster In Bethesda - 5/8 - Vienna-based Metro Radio has acquired a low-power FM translator on 97.7 in Alexandria from Positive Alternative Radio for $130,000, according to Radio Insight. Currently licensed with just 2-watts, the translator has a pending application with the FCC to relocate to Bethesda where it will move to 97.5 with 250-watts. Metro Radio is expected to use the new signal to simulcast talker WTNT, which is also on AM 730 and another low-power FMer in Chantilly, on 102.9. Positive Alternative Radio programs a Christian contemporary format on the Warrenton area's WPER, 89.9 FM, and Fredericksburg's WJYJ, 90.5 FM. Metro Radio recently started a low-power FM simulcast of its Spanish contemporary "La Ley" WKDV, 1460 AM, in Manassas on 106.3..... WaPo Polls Employees About Relocation - 5/8 - Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth is looking for a "cheap" building to move her paper, but apparently price isn't the only thing she's considering. In a survey emailed Tuesday, the Post polled its employees about their work habits to help decide on a new office location. So reports washingtoncitypaper.com..... More Greta At Fox - 5/8 - DC-based Greta Van Susteren gets her contract renewed by Fox News. More at nytimes.com..... Farhi Does Attkisson - 5/8 - At washingtonpost.com, Paul Farhi profiles CBS DC-based reporter Sharyl Attkisson, who has been a hero of righty media lately for her reports on the Obama admistration's handling of the September attack on the US compound in Libya. More: Dylan Byers at politico.com says Farhi left out a major element - that CBS News executives see Attkisson wading dangerously close to advocacy on the issue..... Cumulus CEO Blames Rush For Revenue Slump - 5/7 - Cumulus Media today reported a $2.4 million first-quarter decline in revenue related to talk programming, a loss that CEO Lew Dickey attributed, indirectly, to Rush Limbaugh's controversial remarks about Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke. "We've had a tough go of it the last year," Dickey said. "The facts are indisputable regarding the impact certain things have had on ad dollars." The earnings call came one day after Politico reported that Limbaugh was considering ending his affiliation agreement with Cumulus because he was frustrated with Dickey for blaming him for advertising losses. Cumulus owns DC news talker WMAL, which carries Limbaugh's show..... Chili Missing From DC101's Chili Cook-Off - 5/7 - Some concert-goers are upset that DC101's Chili Cook-Off annual multi-band rock concert at RFK Stadium didn't feature chili among the food items on sale during this year's event. More at washingtonpost.com..... Listeners Tune To WTOP For Boston Bombing News - 5/7 - We get a look at the DC market radio ratings for the "third week" of April, actually April 11th through 17th, including coverage of the April 15th Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent investigation. And it appears that Hubbard all-newser WTOP saw a ratings spike when it comes to its "cume" rating, which represents the total number of different persons who tune to a radio station during the course of a daypart for at least five minutes. In the "money demo" of age 25-54, WTOP sported a cume increase of 90,000 during the period, good enough for third place overall. However, American University public radio news talker actually saw a drop of 44,000 listeners in their cume rating for the week, but still good enough for first place. Cumulus news talker WMAL saw its cume audience increase by 34,600 for 18th place, while CBS all-newser WNEW actually saw a 300 drop in its cume number, for 24th place.....Dave TV: Rush Off MAL? Pablo's New PGC Pal? 7's Gordo Retiring? More - 5/7 -  I look at the strong possibility that Rush Limbaugh will soon no longer be heard on WMAL. And where could he end up in the DC market? Plus, a new sidekick for Pablo at WPGC. Also, more speculation about who will buy Channel 7/WJLA, which Allbritton is planning to sell. The most likelies: ABC, CBS, and Hubbard. And, rumblings that WJLA will end "Inside Washington." Does this mean that DC news anchor legend Gordon Peterson is close to retirement? In today's "Dave TV" at DCRTV's Dave TV page.....Older news goes to DCRTV's News Archive. Older gossip and commentary items can be found on DCRTV's Rant page. Copyright Dave Hughes/DCRTV.....  |
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