Shop amazon.com via these links, pay the regular low price, and support DCRTV too: Radios - TVs - Electronics - XM Gear - Top DVDs - Radio Books

Current Mailbag - Mailbag Archive Index - DCRTV Front Page - Support DCRTV DCRTV Mailbag - February 17 to February 23, 2007 Latest messages listed first..... \/ February 23 Messages \/ Re: Donielle Flynn - I love Donielle. Her style and talent are very apparent. I love EITM. She gets slammed all the time. I was just a slip up. Why it wasn't dumped, I don't know. But prohibitive words happen all the time on EITM, and they manage to dump them. Donielle, I am sorry if you get canned. You are a great talent. (2/23/07) Please – tabloid journalism is all about white people? I got two letters for you: O.J. (wait for it) Oh (pause) he killed a white, blonde woman didn’t he? Nevermind…The other Tom Myers. (2/23/07) re: JA.Do you mean CNN,who broadcasts "the truth" instead the Bush Administration lies..i.e. Iraq,WMD, oh Yeah we're on the way to New Orleans. Terry Schiavo is really alive.JA,stopping drinking the kool-aid. CORY (2/23/07) I normally have more of a life than to respond to ignorant posts, but here goes: I find it very ironic that I bust my ass writing and performing material I know is funny (otherwise I wouldn't do it) while Kirk and Mark left a station where they had a strong listener base essentially to go to another station because of ... why?... more money! And *I'm* the hack??? I also love how people who come here and tarnish my name don't even have the balls to put their own on here? What could they possibly be afraid of? Huh? I guess I have more balls than all of these assholes put together. Then again, that's just what I think. ~TOM MYERS, the funniest guy I know :) (2/23/07) RE: DC101er Drops F-Bomb...Did nobody dump it? And am I the only one who heard Mike O. on Tuesday at 3:44 (live or memorex...who knows?) let a "shit" sneak out of his mouth in reference to picking up a dinner check in A.C.? Not that I generally listen to Don & Mike. I just happen to be flipping at the right (or wrong) time. (2/23/07) Re: "Why all the fuss about white people all the time?...." Yes, let's get back to 3 years of the O.J. trial and how about some more "wall-to-wall" Michael Jackson and his pre-pubescent pals coverage. Anna, Brittany, OJ and Mikey are all idiots, but so are you my dear. (2/23/07) Attended the FCC public forum in Harrisburg today and found this ironic: the loudest applause came when a minister complained about the lack of diversity in media ownership. It was very passionate and moving. But it was made to the FCC commissioners present: four white men and a white lady. (2/23/07) Dave's response: It's like Fox News - all the major news anchors (except Greta) are white men..... Why all the fuss about white people all the time? Case in point: Brittany Spears and Anna Nicole? If they BOTH had been African America females no one would give a hoot. I am an African American female and when I see them both on tv it do me justice to switch the channels and if I find them on all channels I just switch the tv off or turn to more “serious and educational” things. What can you learn from those two women? One who has colossal boobs and a bald-headed woman? NOTHING!! Let’s get serious folks. It’s a whole world out there besides Brittany and Anna (for real)... Joan (2/23/07) Dave, you may be on to something. I suggest VOA employ CNN, which broadcasts left-wing, anti-American socialist propaganda towards countries that would love to hear its anti-Bush programming, such as France, Canada, Venezuela, North Korea and of course, the Middle East. Oh! Don't forget Cuba. They love CNN down there. That's their kind of journalism. JA (2/23/07) Don's kidneys. Don banging his head on his car's moon roof after an accident. Don's dental stuff. Mike's heart. Mike's anxiety attack. Mike's motorcycle accident. Joe's drunken fall. Joe's high blood pressure. Buzz's mysterious illnesses. Rob's anal fissure. Now Rob's pinched nerve (theoretical heart attack). How about just doing the show from the ER? Maybe run a video simulcast on the Discovery Health Channel. (2/23/07) Perhaps I'm uninformed, but I don't think that the COL has anything to do with showing up in the Arbitron ratings. There are always DC stations at the low end of the Baltimore ratings and vice versa. There are sometimes Fredericksburg stations at the low end of the DC ratings and the Fredericksburg ratings include many DC and Richmond stations. Don't they just report what people record in their diaries without regard to where the station is located? (2/23/07) Missed Plotkin's show today; did he have anything to say about Kornheiser? Looks like this could be a real feud, not one done for show a la Jack Benny-Fred Allen. Too bad, in a way, because both of them bring a lot to the table despite their egos. -- Vincent in Triangle (2/23/07) Re: don't get all this "American Idol" shit.... I am a musician, specifically a vocalist, and enjoy watching all the train wrecks. I think most of these people have never sung any of the songs they audition with except in their cars or the shower. For me and my daughter (also a musician) its pretty good entertainment. (2/23/07) [quote] The Frederick market (rated by Arbitron every Spring and Fall) already includes Hagerstown and all of Washington County. [endquote] Um... no it isn't... Hagerstown/Washington County is inexplicably part of the Hagerstown/Chambersburg, PA/Waynesboro, PA market, which is also rated twice per year, but has those annoying two book averages requiring maximizer to decypher what actually happened in the book. One should know one's facts, or at least head on over to www.arbitron.com and find out, before one bloviates. The main studio rule, seems a far more likely candidate, don't you think? -- djmr (2/23/07) As of 12:01 AM this morning, new and existing ham radio operators no longer need to demonstrate Morse code proficiency. Hams may still use it and enjoy it, but as far as being a requirement to get a license, dit-dah-dit is dead-dead-dead. Have fun, you engineering types you. (2/23/07) Dave.. FYI Sure you already know this, but it seems the links to current Mailbag are broken, all attempts to open the mailbag from various links are getting stymied at the donation page. Regards, Ed (2/23/07) Dave's response: I've received several complaints from AOLers today that they're getting "old" pages when they attempt to access the Mailbag. Try hitting the refresh or reload button on your browser. If that doesn't work, please ditch AOL. They are using a "cache" to store "old" pages so that it looks like their internet access is "faster" than it really is..... Who got suspended at Hot for sending info to this site? Why does the DC101 website say Donielle Flynn's on the air but she's not on, sounds like it's her Dad on there. Who is that old man? (2/23/07) Dave's response: DCRTV is very very very very very very very very very protective of its news sources. And, the previous message you refer to mentioned someone (whose name I deleted) who has not (to my knowledge) been in contact with me. No idea about the "old man" filling in for Donielle..... I have Comcast and live in Alexandria, and for the past week I've had problems with the picture (freezing) and sound on my tv, particularly on NBC4 and MSNBC. I have a tv in the kitchen (not cable) and one in the living room (cable), and the sound between the two was several seconds off. It didn't occur to me that it could be a cable problem, because it wasn't affecting my upstairs cable set. Then after reading several of these posts, I guess it has to do with my Comcast box (on the living room tv only). The problem seems to have been resolved today...for the first time in a week, the sound on each set is in again coordinated. I never called Comcast to ask about the situation; in fact I was considering buying a new tv. Thanks for the information here...it helped to me know what to do next time. -- Bobbie (2/23/07) Dave's response: Sometimes the audio and video will get "out of sync" on the digital channels on my Comcast system, but it usually doesn't happen to the local broadcast channels..... The day I find out I never have to hear another word about Britanny Spears or Anna Nicole Smith, is the day I'll be willing to watch cable TV and listen to talk radio again. Jeesh, is there a missing or troubled blond white woman that the cables won't talk about incessantly? And I don't have a problem with talking about American Idol, but you'd think once a station covers it on one show, it would drop it on the others. (2/23/07) With the thinking that Danny may want to buy WMAL, has the station gone to 10,000 watts, daytime yet? (2/23/07) I’ve noticed over the past few days that the computer that inserts local ads (not necessarily local advertisers) into Arlington/Alexandria Comcast’s channels doesn’t seem to be working properly. Often it freezes-up at the end of the ad and switches back to the network a few seconds late. My daughter (in Alex) thought there was something wrong with her cable box until I told her that it is happening to me in Arlington. I can tell you if I were a media buyer (which I was in a previous life) I would be asking Comcast for some “make-goods” which actually ran correctly. (2/23/07) Kornheiser IS a pompous ass… Don in VA (2/23/07) Anyone heard that "Use Only As Directed" promo for Andy & Grandy on WMAL? Yeah, rub it "liberally" around your anus for the relief of itching and burning. (2/23/07) I'm w/you on the fascination with "American Idol", Dave. If I cared, I'd watch it, or record it. I don't need to hear about it from every station in town. I didn't particularly like hearing the worst of Idol at 5:45 am blasting out of the radio. For those of you that enjoy it, fine. Those of us who don't need not be bombarded with highlights. Same applies to "Survivor" Updates. Quick question for all you fans though: Do you think someone like the present day Wynonna, Mama Cass, Bob Dylan, or Willie Nelson would ever stand a chance on this show? (2/23/07) Dave's response: I've been listening to Kornheiser's show this week and really like it. I mean, he seems to have the same taste in film that I do. Imagine finding another guy who saw and liked "Volver." Until he starts talking about "Idol." Later, gator, as I punch up 94.7..... Rush Limbaugh made a "beaver" joke today. He must be reading the Don Geronimo jokebook, which is available (over by the Depends) at the CVS in Great Falls. (2/23/07) Fred Lowery the Mutual News overnight anchor did indeed die in 1998, of the same massive infection which felled Jim Henson. He was at his annual 5 week vacation with his family in Maine, and went from fine to sick to really sick to dead in maybe 72 hours. He anchored in stocking feet, but had his shoes on before that 6AM newscast. He filed his script before the 'cast and read off the computer. And when 6:05AM arrived, you didn't want to be between the news booth and the elevator. Most days, Fred was playing golf in Montgomery Village before 7AM (and had orange golf balls to play in the snow). Fred was one of the true gentlemen and professionals of radio news. And, at the risk of being self-serving, I happen to be DC-based and #18 on the Talkers Magazine list. Jim Bohannon, Westwood One and overnights and fill-in on Washington Post Radio, 107.7-FM and 1500-AM. (2/23/07) Dear Chris Core, You did a show recently based on the talking points titled "Air Force 3 -- A symbol of Democrat Excess" posted on the House Republican Conference website under the chairmanship of Representative Adam Putnam (R FL). The Washington Times also picked up the story early on. The website contained a summary of the accusations made by Representative Putnam against Speaker Peolsi earlier on Fox News. I heard your show and you covered the jabs from the website, including the $22,000.00 an hour cost of the plane, and the liberal use of the term “carte blanche.” As you know, Adam Putnam, when challenged by the Tampa Tribune about the veracity of these "Talking Points," backed down and admitted he had "no personal knowledge" of Speaker Pelosi requesting “carte blanche” use of a military jet, luxury or not. As the newspaper summarized, "[T]here's no evidence Pelosi requested any such thing." Tony Snow even dismissed the story, claiming it "unfair" to Speaker Pelosi. I request you stand up and acknowledge your show topic was based fake, mean-spirited, partisan fabricated news. Thank you in advance for your quick and honest fix of your abuse of the public airwaves to spread false and misleading partisan information that attempted to damage the reputation of an elected government official. You want honesty in government, we want honesty at WMAL. "Other than that you are a "Great American." (2/23/07) Dave's response: By the way, at least on Chris Core's show you don't get all this "American Idol" shit. I hate "Idol." (Am I the only one?) Must EVERY dimwitted radio personality talk about it? Even on WTOP!!! Sheesh..... Coverage of the Morning Mess in Jacksonville (www.firstcoastnews.com) (2/23/07) I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the cuts at VOA are motivated by Conservative presidential appointees who have decided that VOA does not, and cannot under law, put a Conservative spin on the news. Better not, they decided, broadcast unspun news in English, lest reality versus reality-lite entertain those, like, ummm, American citizens, who understand English. The same goes for the constant quest to cut or eliminate government funding of CPB. Here's an idea: Appoint Rupert Murdoch to program VOA. Truthiness the whole way! (2/23/07) Dave's response: Hell, why not just sell VOA to Rupert Murdoch and he could run his Fox News pro-Bush propaganda on it..... Independent short films from the 2006 Spooky Movie Film Festival (www.thespookymovie.com) will be featured tonight on "Monster Madhouse Live" (www.monstermadhouse.com) from 10:00 p.m. until midnight on Channel 12 in Falls Church. The theme of the night is zombies - "Pumpkin Zombies," "Lover from Beyond the Grave," Zombie Island," "We All Scream" and "The Blue Rhino Vs. The Zombie Caveman," and directors and actors from some of these films will be in the studio tonight. Since it's debut this past summer, "MML" (hosted by "Karlos Borloff" and "The Monsterminators") has gained local and national attention, and has become a destination for guests such as Tom Savini and regional blessing, Count Gore De Gol. In addition to being treated to some of the films from last October's film festival, tonight viewers will get a chance to win the DVD of "Land of the Dead." Channel 12 can be seen in Fairfax County and Falls Church on Cox Ch12 and Starpower Ch2, and can be seen in all of Northern Virginia on Verizon's Fios service Ch35. (2/23/07) Good Morning. Long time reader of your site, I know have my wife hooked and a friend and as well. As you had reported last month, The John Riggins show is coming to MASN... or is it... They say its coming in Feb 2007, and earlier this month, when listening to the Riggo show, they would have ads from MASN touting it. But now, I just hear ads for MASN for baseball and such and no more hype about the show being on MASN.. Has this deal hit a snag? Are we more likely to see it in Feb 2008, or 2009, or put off until football season gets underway again? I know your busy and if you dont have time to answer, I fully understand. I was just curious about this. Since the SynderSignal is as pathetic as the Redskins have been the past few years... Our only hope to hear whats going on is to actually Tivo it... will they have to adjust their signal at sun down too for the TV show to replicate real life issues with listening to the show? :-) Jeff (2/23/07) Dave's response: I hear that Riggins is still on-track to have his Triple X radio show relayed by MASN. Probably by mid-March. JFK-AM's Anita Marks will do 3-5, with Riggo on from 5-7..... Great picture. "Hey, you can't bring that stupid, filthy, smelly animal in here." "Don't talk about my pig like that." "I was talking to the pig." - - some of them never get old. EG (2/23/07) Often when a station applies for a COL change like the Eagle and WTWP have, it's done because of the FCC's main studio rules. Changing WWEG's COL to Myersville would allow Nassau to move the main studio to Frederick and combine it with Key 103's, saving money. Because Key 103's studio is just beyond 25 miles from the current COL (Hagerstown), WWEG could start broadcasting from that location now, but they'd still have to maintain a main studio in Hagerstown, staffed by at least 2 full-time employees. Moving the COL to Myersville would relieve them of that burden. WTWP's request is probably for the same reason. Although Manassas is still more than 25 miles from the studio, they may be able to get around the main studio rule if their studio is within WJFK's principal community contour. (The rule also allows you to location your main studio within the principal community contour of any station licensed to the same COL.) (2/23/07) As seen on WBFF Fox45 News at Ten last night- Jennifer Gilbert and Joy Lepola apparently participating in the new NewsFox Uniform Night: (You couldn't get away with this sort of thing at this weekend's Oscars!) (2/23/07) Dave, I believe Murdoch does not own Direct TV anymore. He sold the stake in Direct to John Malone, I’m pretty sure. Check that, though. peace (2/23/07) Dave's response: I'd heard that Rupy might sell his stake, but I didn't know that it had already happened..... "WWEG 106.9 Hagerstown has applied to change city-of-license to Myersville. They do not propose to change transmitter power, location nor height. By changing COL they will be rated by Arbitron as in the Frederick market." That doesn't make sense. The Frederick market (rated by Arbitron every Spring and Fall) already includes Hagerstown and all of Washington County. Moving doesn't change that. Perhaps the move is about moving closer to where more people live. (2/23/07) Dave's response: Also, isn't WTWP-FM asking the FCC to move its city of license from Warrenton to Manassas - a town closer to DC? Please spare us the cheap 70's era stunts from TK and Plotkin. Both of these guys have reached the level of "Radio Putz" for their incessant whining. Enough already TK. Do what you do best.....complain, irritate and generally act like a spoiled child. (2/23/07) Rusty, What a pleasure to be reminded of Fred Lowrey! I worked with him at the late, occasionally lamented Mutual Broadcasting System. A wonderful person. He is, alas, no longer with us. Fred died in 1998, I believe, while vacationing at home in his beloved Maine. It was a complete surprise. He contracted an infection and was gone soon after. I remember Fred would come in to work, sit down, slip off his shoes and do the rest of his shift in his stocking feet. Maybe, like the late Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant who sang in his bare feet, Fred thought it grounded him (which, in radio, is no bad thing!). Fred (which was actually his air name, as I recall. Maybe someone knows his real name? "Bruce" comes to mind as a possibility...) also wrote his newscasts entirely in "Fred", which was his own personal language. Woe to anyone (including editors!) who had to read his copy because it appeared on the page as, for example: "Pres no bill...Cong veto no", which Fred would miraculously translate on the air as "President Reagan has vetoed the bill. Congress doesn't appear to have the votes needed to override that veto". Thanks for sparking the memories, Rusty. Fred was a character and a good radio guy. Or, to put it in Fred: "Fred...character. R. guy good. This MBS". Sam Litzinger (2/23/07) When I first started listening to Larry King on the radio in the late 70's (back when he was with Mutual), Fred Lowry was his announcer. Anyone know if Mr. Lowry is still with us? Rusty Gibson (2/23/07) The old 100KHI "Mini-Concerts" are back, Yep 965CTG started doing them a month or so ago, 3-fer-thursday-mini-concerts at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30am - three in a row from listeners favorite artists - we're thinking about doing "daily" because they have become so popular, in fact so popular that 925Max in Pocomoke are now doing them too. That's right my old co-host Brian K. Hall is in that building...Hey wide-guy, some things are sacred dude tell Joe to knock it off...Love Ya - Mean It - JJ "Hitman" McKay (2/23/07) Regarding the WWEG city of license, how is the the rating market for a station determined? I thought it was basically determined by what listeners put in their diaries. For example, the former WHFS/current WLZL is licensed to Annapolis, MD, which is in the Baltimore DMA. Yet, for years it sold itself as a dual-market station and was rated in both cities. Late in 99.1 'HFS's life and throughout the life of WLZL, it has primarily focused on Washington and is considered by CBS radio to be a Washington market station. City of license does not seem to matter there, so what is the effect of "moving" WWEG from Hagerstown to Myersville? Fred (2/23/07) /\ February 23 Messages /\ \/ February 22 Messages \/ Insiders say the Kornblower-Plotkin row is not a stunt - the two genuinely cannot stand to be in the same room with each other. Two jumbo-sized egos with the combined maturity of a kindergartner. (2/22/07) WWEG 106.9 Hagerstown has applied to change city-of-license to Myersville. They do not propose to change transmitter power, location nor height. By changing COL they will be rated by Arbitron as in the Frederick market. The miracles of modern radio / NOT. (2/22/07) Dave's response: Hey, maybe WWEG should change their city of license to Herndon or something. I sometimes get 106.9 better in northwestern Fairfax County than I do Fairfax's 106.7 (I know, COL Manassas)..... Nice picture of the "Rachel", the bronze pig at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. Dave in Fredericksburg (former resident of the Pacific Northwest) (2/22/07) Dave's response: Fun Washington state factoid. My dad was in the Army with Tim Conway at Ft. Lewis. The story is that Tim gave me a bath as an infant when we lived in nearby Tacoma..... On the newsmax.com article--I wouldn't put any truth to anything newsmax reports. Even less to anything Tom Coburn says. I believe a few years ago Coburn ranted and raved that children shouldn't be allowed to see "Schindler's List." Holocaust denial, perhaps? Or just twitchy at the thought of modern genocide? (2/22/07) A mention of DCRTV? A call to BA (voice mail)? The old vindictive pre-7-week-break D&M are back. (2/22/07) www.newsmax.com - Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn has released a pair of bombshell reports on U.S. government broadcasting to Iran, writing to President George W. Bush that the broadcasts "undermine U.S. policy on Iran, often even supporting the propaganda of the Islamic Republic of Iran." (2/22/07) Rob lies near death in an iron lung at Fairfax Mercy Hospital (an X-Files reference) and Don and Mike just crack jokes about him. You two are evil. Evvvviiiiiiiilllllll! (2/22/07) Hey Tony Snow plays in a local rock music cover band (apparently missile man Skunk Baxter sometimes sits in) beatsworkinginvirginia.com... Wonder if they cover "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag"? Marijuana!....... Doug McKelway with banjo in hand will be appearing with Norman Wright & the Travelers at the Holy Cross church in Herndon this Sat. 24th eve www.holycrosslutheranchurch.net..... It's nice to have the Sport's Reporters back in the afternoon on wtem! ....... And Stanley of Grate Falls that was Don Geronimoe's evil twin brother you saw. I happen to know the good Don was under the Whitehurst Freeway saving another lost soul in a cardboard box at 8:20 am. Gawd Bless You Don Geronimoe!..... but Don you violated your prime directive and spoke of dcrtv....and it's 1,2,3 what are we fighting for........ (2/22/07) If Gordon Liddy made the Talkers Magazine list, surely Tony Kornheiser and David Burd should be on there next year. (2/22/07) I'm not sure, but I think the thing about seeing Don G. at CVS is supposed to be a joke -- the fact that he's buying a notebook and needs to "get back to his car by 8:30" seems to imply that Don needs to listen to something on the radio at 8:30 and write down whatever it is he's hearing. Presumably so he can steal the material and use it himself later. HIGH-LARIOUS!!! (2/22/07) Rob Spewak, get away from Destructive Don. Now! There's probably a job waiting for you at Washington Post Radio. You're only 35 and your being stressed out to the extreme. (2/22/07) Yes, how very shocking that overweight, over-50 male smokers with admitted drinking problems are having health problems. Whatever could cause that? (2/22/07) To...oh wait, you didn't sign your name...first and foremost, I did not make mention of Dons celebrity status. So you can say 'barely' as much as you want and capitalize it to prove your point, but it really has nothing to do with what I said. It would be completely different, in my eyes, if Don gave Stan the snub for just going up to him and saying 'nice work' or 'I'm a fan' or something along those lines. But he didn't. I can only picture this scene in my head. "So, uhh, what's the notebook for." Can you really blame Don for giving him the cold shoulder? And to your other points...yes, they are mean to their callers. That's their schtick. Just like how Elliott keeps dumbass callers on way too long then says 'thanks for the call, dude.' And how the Junkies give the gas face or the flush. I would much rather listen to Don and Mike go off on a caller that brings the show to a stop than have them feign civility. That's real to me because. It's entertaining to me. Sure it's dropped off over the years, but what's been around for 20+ years that hasn't? And lastly, I'm very proud of you for meeting celebrities that are that famous. You will be receiving a cookie in the mail. John, Annapolis (2/22/07) Dave enough of this Doni stuff....Sad so many people seem to hate the bas***, he's certainly NOT the nicest person you'll ever meet. In fact he's not nice to anyone including himself. Drop this CVS string and get back to broadcasting. PLB (2/22/07) Tony Kornheiser versus Mark Plotkin? Oy vey!!! I can't wait. (2/22/07) "Talkers Magazine" (www.talkers.com) has published it's annual list of the "Hot 100" talkers. (Not surprisingly, yesterday at about 8:30am both the "Junkies"/106.7 #183(?) and the "Monsters in the Morning/XM202 #73" were complaining about their relative ratings in the poll.) As for DC Metro radio, G. Gordon Liddy was the highest rated talker @ #49 (if he can be considered at all "local" any more). D&M rated #70, WMAL's Chris Core rated #87. In the un-numbered "101 to 250" positions, DC was represented by: Fred Grandy & Andy Parks (no number listed), and the Junks. One of the Junks who actually seems to care about a career in radio mentioned the 180+ placement as being bothersome, but the others didn't seem to care, after all, we get reminded that they get paid good money for working three hours and then playing on-line poker or napping on a daily basis! I'd like to see the Junks chip away at the 113 ranking deficit between themselves D&M. (IOW, it's time for a MONEY RADIO WAR with D&M to spice things up Rickies!!) The complete list is at the website above. Sure doesn't mean anything really, but it does point out how vast the national talkers community is. Oh, no mention of Ron&Fez or the XM155 Broadminded gals. The DC/R&F connection is dated, but who could be more local than the Broadminded radio/traffic gal Shari Elliker, one of the legion of ex-D&M producers? DADJPJinVA (2/22/07) Dumbass: I've seen many ratings books. Ratings Do NOT MAKE A STAR...Behaviour, presence, attitude, charisma, personal pride, treatment of co-workers and people in general, make someone a star. Geronimo fits none of those catagories. He's rude, irritating, un-funny non-communicating and he's a boar. As has been said by many...Disc Jockeys are one step above clowns, thopugh I think clows are wonderful, I don't think Geronimo comes close. There's a definition of winner in Webster's Dictionary. It certainly does not fit Geronimo. ANG (2/22/07) When Don was talking about DCRTV (Rupert's site) this afternoon, WJFK was blinking off the air. Dave, do you have pull with the power company? (2/22/07) I ran into WMAL's Mark Levin at Giant Food the other day. He was buying adult absorbent underpants. I asked him why and he said he had to go. (2/22/07) Re "I ran into Don Geronimo at the Great Falls CVS the other day. It was about 8:20 in the morning. I saw Don buying a notebook, a pocket type with the curly wire on it. I asked him why and he somewhat rudely responded that he needed to get back to his car by 8:30. I guess you're never too old to learn something new. Stanley in Great Falls" //// This has got to be a gag, as I know we ran the last of the original hillbillies out of Great Falls by the early 1980s. By the slightest chance this is true... this is all you got, Stanley? A chance brush with mediocrity, and the best you can do is ask him a Beatrice question about his curly notebook? You had a chance to step-up and provide the Mailbag a humorous moment, but failed miserably. Why not ask him if you could follow him back to his mansion for a quick pre-work threesome with his new ditz ? Or ask him the aisle where they carry the products for PRI.... the possibilities are endless. But when you see your idol, your best come-on line is asking about why he was buying a notebook ??!! What would you have asked if he was also buying a pen? Oh, never mind, I can guess. Yeah, he needed to get to his car, to GET AWAY FROM YOU! Hopefully on your next "chance" encounter you will be better prepared, as this sort of effort wont allow for permanent Mailbag membership status. On a similar note, I saw Willard Scott in a Falls Church Whole Foods store about three years ago, and got him to sign my box Detox Cleansing Teabags, he was quite polite, and asked about colon health and ancillary issues. (2/22/07) Wow! Robbay's hospitalized with a possible heart problem. Last year, Mike drove himself to the hospital with a major anxiety attack. Gee, working with Don might just be a bit stress producing, don't you think? (2/22/07) While I agree that somebody stalking Don Geronimo at CVS and then pestering him about his purchases isn’t news, I have to wonder why ANG would write: “Don Geronomo is NOT news...he's now a nobody, a fading star...a has been that never was.” …….Ever actually seen a ratings book? The guy has been a consistent winner for decades. The fact that he get’s the best ratings on a shit station only confirms the fact. And your uninformed opinion doesn’t change the facts. Dumbass. (2/22/07) If I promise to make a donation, would you promise to remove those photos of the guys in their tighty whiteys? Oh my, that is sooo disturbing… (2/22/07) Dave's response: Yes! Hey John in Annapolis---why defend Don being a dick to a random fan?? Why not just admit?? This guy is a dick. He's mean to his callers, to his fans in real life, and to anyone else in his path. He is a miserable man. And sorry--Don G is BARELY a celeb. He's BARELY recognizable and yet he's still cold to people who approach him. Dude I have met tons of people who are 1000 times the celeb Don is and they have always managed to be friendlier than this prick. I really don't understand the kind of self loathing people who call themselves D&M fans. What a weird group... (2/22/07) So Stanley runs into Doni G. at CVS and Stanley decides it's his business to ask why Doni is buying an innocuous notebook. Whyya care? In this case I think Doni has all the right in the world to be as rude as he wants, even though, to me, saying he had to be back at his car doesn't seem too rude. What did you want, Stan? Jesus. The man talks on the air for 4 hours a day about his life and what goes on around him. Did you think maybe the little notepad was for writing down NOTES?? Maybe it's not even THAT complicated. Maybe he just wanted something on which to write down his grocery list. Good thing Doni G wasn't buying a roll of toilet paper, huh Stan? "I guess you're never too old to learn something new" What'd you learn, anyways? Idiocy begets rudeness? John, Annapolis (2/22/07) Donnie G had to be back in the SUV at 8:30 for Paul Harvey. (2/22/07) Here you go again...discussing a has-beens toys...come on! Once again this is a MEDIA site. Kids in a sandbox.....golly whiz~! (2/22/07) If someone I did not know came up to me in a store and inquired as to the reason for my selections, I probably would have blown you off too. What a jerk. (2/22/07) "So he could be back home playing his PS2 by 9?? What a miserable life for a miserable person" You people are so ignorant. If you knew anything, he plays Xbox 360. Bryslock (2/22/07) I ran into Don Geronimo at Victoria’s Secret last week at 1:37 p.m. He asked me why I was buying a CD from a girl thingy store, then he gave me $208, a cup of pudding and said “good day sir” and skipped away. He was very nice to me. (2/22/07) RE: [ " Andy worked at 98 Rock as a part time weekend jock before going to Boston. The last time he was at a 98 Rock event it was Preakness and he was escorted off the property by the police for smoking pot in a porta-john. " ]................... Well I guess 98Rock has to have somebody to take Kirk's place in that regard now that he's moved to HFS 105.7. :-) (2/22/07) On a couple of matters: (a) re: Kornheiser v. Plotkin. Oh, what a battle of egos THAT will be. I particularly enjoy Plotkin when he starts talking about Virginia politics, about which he knows NOTHING, that’s NOTHING. He may be good on ANC feuds in D.C., but once he cross the Potomac, it’s all over. (b) the Globe. Is it my imagination, or (per the comments below on the “six songs” they play) have they indeed narrowed the playlist in the few DAYS since they switched formats. I got the car yesterday, turned to the Globe, and here comes “Brown-Eyed Girl”, one of the eight songs that the Arrow used to play. Sincerely, TMU (2/22/07) RE : "I ran into Don Geronimo...." Oh Don was rude to you?? Shocker. Maybe because he's generally rude to everyone. He is a horrible person to deal with on every level. I have never heard or experienced differently. He had to be back to his car by 8 30 am?? So he could be back home playing his PS2 by 9?? What a miserable life for a miserable person... (2/22/07) The dead-tree edition of this morning's Washington Post had a blurb about Radio One delaying its latest earnings report, but heck if I can find the blurb on washingtonpost.com! I did dig up this release: biz.yahoo.com - I have no idea what the release actually says -- you'll do a better job summarizing, no doubt -- but it seems to boil down to these two graphs: "As a result of the preliminary findings, on February 14, 2007, Radio One's audit committee concluded, and Radio One's full board of directors concurred with the conclusion, that Radio One's financial statements and the related reports or interim reviews of its independent registered public accounting firm, and all earnings press releases and similar communications issued by Radio One for fiscal periods commencing on or after January 1, 1999, should no longer be relied upon. Radio One has not yet determined the tax consequences that may result from these matters or whether tax consequences will give rise to monetary liabilities which may have to be satisfied in any future period. The impact of this matter on Radio One's internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures is also being evaluated by Radio One. The full impact of the restatement will be set forth in Radio One's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Radio One's management has discussed the matters described in this report with Ernst & Young, its independent registered public accounting firm." (2/22/07) (SNIP)"I ran into Don Geronomo at Great Fall CVS"...and had the audacity to ask him why he was buying a notebook..WHO CARES! Geezus, that's hot off the presses. This is a broadcast site,not a tracking and sighting site. Don Geronomo is NOT news...he's now a nobody, a fading star...a has been that never was. ANG (2/22/07) I was just really asleep today and he was not there but did Steve leave the 5am FOX news cast in mid show today? Or was he out all morning and I just thought it was him? I like the fill in Weather Man much better than Tony too. He should get replaced! (2/22/07) With Gary Thorne joing the O's TV deal on MASN, where does that leave Fred Manfra? If Thorne is splitting time with Hunter, does that mean when Thorne is on Hunter is back to radio with Manfra not working or is Hunter done with the radio side? (2/22/07) I ran into Don Geronimo at the Great Falls CVS the other day. It was about 8:20 in the morning. I saw Don buying a notebook, a pocket type with the curly wire on it. I asked him why and he somewhat rudely responded that he needed to get back to his car by 8:30. I guess you're never too old to learn something new. Stanley in Great Falls (2/22/07) Snyder Interested In MAL? Are you kidding? Have you ever heard the story about the little boy that cried wolf? Why do so many people in the DC Radio business believe these crazy rumors???. And how many rumors need to be proven untrue before this crap gets no more attention? Snyder is 10 times more likely to get out of radio completely, let alone buy WMAL! The other deals fell apart for one reason...Red Zebra realized they are losing money hand over fist and the board of directors gave the suits over there a lesson in reality...you can't spend millions until you demonstrate you can be even close to successful with the stations you have. A reminder...the layoffs at RZ continue...and for those of you that love rumors: the rumor is that there are more layoffs to come and that the next cut will start at the top... (2/22/07) Re: Don Pardo’s 89th birthday. Mr. Pardo has long exemplified professionalism and decency and I wish him continued health, happiness and success. Once when I was a young lad working at NBC News in the 1980s, I scored some tickets for Saturday Night Live and actually got to meet him – it was more thrilling than SNL itself, which then (as now) was in the doldrums. He is a class act all the way. Happy Birthday, Mr. Pardo. Paul Brandus, New York, NY (2/22/07) Regarding noise to AM from dimmer. Yes, the device creating the noise is where the filter or other correction action has to be applied in this instance. Yes, generally speaking, the law says that the holder of the device causing the noise is also responsible for getting rid of it. In PEPCO territory, they tend to be pretty aggressive in locating the source of noise and enforcing corrective action. At one time, this email address rfi@pepco.com would get you a pretty quick response. If that does not work, try this mailto:correspondence@pepco.com. Not sure about the other utilities. (2/22/07) Re: Don Pardo and the NBC-Kennedy Assassination coverage - it took seven minutes to warm up the early 1960's era videotape machines. Even the cameras of that time needed "warm-up" time, which is why most of the early moments - including CBS - were graphics. After 11/22/63, the networks installed a special "hot booth" in their newsrooms, where at least one camera was left on all the time. Al McGilvray (2/22/07) The Washington Times put this correction up on its website yesterday ... hope you clarify on your website. "Correction - The Channel Surfing column in yesterday's editions of The Washington Times incorrectly reported ratings information for local newscasts on Feb. 14." (2/22/06) “ … does anyone know the studio line to the new 94.7 The Globe?” The studio lines are the same as before: 202-432-7625 and 866-947-0947. Hope that helps. Mother Hubbard (2/22/07) Dave's response: I hear that Weasel, Schelby, and Cerphe all love taking phone calls at home from listeners at all hours of the day and night. Ha ha ha..... "I live in a condo and one of my neighbors (no idea who) has installed a dimmer or some piece of electronic equipment that makes a loud "buzzing" on my AM radio dial. You won't find a filter to correct the problem. Actually it's the responsibility of the neighbor, with the offending equipment, to correct the problem. The trick is to find where it's coming from. You can always call the power company and tell them you have a electrical interference problem that wipes out the AM band. Often times the interference emanates from power lines. Even if it doesn't, many power companies will help track down the source, even if it's from a neighbor's electronic equipment. Good luck! (2/22/07) Dave's response: Of course, you could give up listening to AM radio..... NBC announcer, Don Pardo turns 89 today! Since the 1940s, Pardo has been an in-house announcer for the NBC television network. He is the last of the "lifetime" staff announcers at NBC to still be working, following the retirement of Howard Reig ("NBC Nightly News") and the death of Fred Facey ("The Today Show"). He was also the announcer on the original "Price Is Right" from 1956 to 1963, and on the original "Jeopardy!", from 1964 to 1975. He is probably best known as the announcer on "Saturday Night Live". He's been with the show since it premiered in 1975, except for one season (1981-82). Pardo was the on-duty live booth announcer for WNBC-TV in New York and the NBC network on November 22, 1963, and it was he who first announced to NBC's viewers that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas. (His first bulletin interrupted a local WNBC-TV broadcast of "Bachelor Father" before the entire NBC network went live with the story.) Because NBC was slow to begin videotaping the assassination coverage, for decades it was believed that Pardo's historic bulletins were lost. However, almost 40 years later an audio tape of the bulletins was discovered in a private collection. Clip of Pardo in 1963, announcing the bulletin of JFK's shooting in Dallas www.golnoir.net (2/22/07) Dave's response: This morning, WMALer Fred Grandy sent birthday greetings to his good buddy Ted Kennedy. The big 75..... "Steve in Springfield" The filter would have to go on the source of the noise. You can't fix it at your end. Sorry. (2/22/07) I was wrong about The Globe when I said the station was playing the same 10 songs ad nauseam. The playlist seems to be only six songs long. Mother Hubbard (2/22/07) www.capegazette.com: Delaware 59-TV working to get on air before its license expires - The owner of what could become Delaware's only television station is struggling to get a signal on air before Saturday, May 5, the date the station's Federal Communications Commission license would expire. Meyer Gottesman, president of WRDE-Channel 59, said he is scaling back the station's transmitter power to 15 watts, down from an initially planned 500 watts. Gottesman said on Monday, Feb. 12, that reducing the station's transmitter power would also reduce its broadcast range to about 1.5 miles from the Nassau Valley Vineyards antenna just north of Five Points... (2/22/07) I live in a condo and one of my neighbors (no idea who) has installed a dimmer or some piece of electronic equipment that makes a loud "buzzing" on my AM radio dial. It's so bad that I can't even hear strong stations like WMAL any longer while at home. I have tried using a battery radio, one that's not plugged in, and it makes the only buzz slightly less annoying, but it's still there. Is there any kind of filter I can buy at Radio Shack to fix the problem? Thanks, Steve in Springfield (2/22/07) The Nats radio schedule is posted here: washington.nationals.mlb.com (2/22/07) /\ February 22 Messages /\ \/ February 21 Messages \/ Did Stan Stovall really upcheck on this morning's AM news after reading a story about a mouse in a can of Libby's green beans? (2/21/07) Looks like the new don and mike website master forgot to put up the Freda Files.............just curious, like the Frogman on the corner, has anyone ever seen someone wearing a Don and Mike t-shirt, jacket, beanies, etc. purchased through website in public....station employees and extended members of there tribe don't count (2/21/07) Dave's response: That's a really great thing about Tony Kornheiser's new show - the female point-of-view. My only problem with Tony is the time he's on. If Tony's set on doing a two-hour show, then maybe it should run from 7 AM to 9 AM to capture the huge morning drive audience (with a 9 AM to 11 AM replay, if necessary). WTWP should move the great David Burd (get well soon!) to afternoon drive with Hillary Howard or Jessica Doyle. And then reconfigure the other hosts to fill the early morning and the midday slots on WaPo Radio..... Hey Dave, it's been a while since I posted but do you or does anyone know the studio line to the new 94.7 The Globe? I have to say I'm impressed with the new format, I was flipping through channels yesterday and I kept on 94.7 and I kept it on since then. They annouce the on-air line but I keep missing it or I'm in the car driving. Thanks you CBS Radio fro a great new radio station, Weseal, Shelby, Cerphe are great. (2/21/07) (Regarding "CCHD" on Comcast:) I got this from Comcast a few days ago: February 1, 2007 Dear Valued Customer: Comcast is pleased to announce the addition of Comcast Sports HD effective Tuesday, March 6th, to our Digital Classic/High Definition Line-up on channel 254. Comcast Sports HD will feature the best of HD sports programming from Versus and The Golf Channel, including the NHL, PGA Tour, and more! Sincerely, Comcast (2/21/07) Dave's response: Thanks. Mystery solved. With the name CCHD I thought it was maybe something like Clear Channel HD. God only know what that would have been like. "The Jeff Kapugi Show"? Regarding National Geographic HD. Comcast in Montgomery County has had for about 2 weeks already. It's now my new favorite HD channel. That and 26.1 WETA. Paul (2/21/07) Dave's response: You're right. Even though I don't have an HD set, I see that the Comcast/Reston digital cable guide has NGC HD on 224. I also notice something called "CCHD" on 254. What's that? Anybody know? YOUR SUMMARY OF THE AM WEATHER RATINGS NUMBERS ... doesn't seem to match the text of the Times story. Unless I'm misreading something, it looks like WRC was first at 6AM, not WJLA. (2/21/07) Snyder Interested In MAL? I have no inside information at all. But it would make sense. It would also make sense for Snyder to get out of radio altogether (they are losing a lot of money) and just have a station or stations with big signals pay him cash for Redskins radio rights. (2/21/07) Just a word of notice, I can blow Don Don Geronimo's doors off doors off on drums any day of the year! Rusty Gibson (2/21/07) It’s 4:39 p.m. on Wednesday. I’m a long-time listener of D&M, and I would like to make this public plea to Donnie G: “Don, I’m glad you’ve found someone to share your life, and I don’t begrudge you one moment of happiness. But, for the love of God, man, keep her off the air. Her voice makes my teeth ache.” The iPod is now pumping out Springsteen’s “All That Heaven will Allow”. Sincerely, TMU (2/21/07) Hey Dave, you're right! -BRizer (2/21/07) I just received a BREAKING NEWS ALERT e-mail from Fox News channel regarding Britney Spears skipping rehab again. It's such a sad day when this is breaking news. (2/21/07) Dave's response: What is Fox News? An odd mix of righty pro-Bush propaganda and tabloid sleaze. What a bunch of pervs. Ugh..... Given that the Nationals already have radio and TV play-by-play announcers, I would expect Johnny Holliday to do fill in work and spend most of his time hosting pre- and post-game coverage, just as he helped out with the Senators on WWDC. Glad to see him on the Nats' broadcast squad. -- Vincent in Triangle (2/21/07) A D&M fan here who listens on WHFS. Since many Orioles games will start at about 7 PM, will HFS be doing a pre-game show that cuts into Don and Mike's last hour? - Harv in Towson (2/21/07) According to what I've heard, Johnny Holliday's role with MASN will be in-studio pre-game, not the actual Nats' game broadcasts. He's not the third man in the booth with Carpenter & Sutton. (2/21/07) Dave's response: Yes, I thought it was "understood" that he'll be doing pre- or post-game analysis and not play-by-play. Although he'd be good at it..... Um, is it just me but does a moderated messageboard suck? Don said you have to wait 3 or 4 hours for a post to go up...You don't have conversations on the web like that. The messageboard will be a failure. Going to that radiogods site to post on their messageboard is much easier...Why go to the D&M board to reply to a post and wait 4 hours to reply and then another 4 hours for that person to reply. Having a conversation will take weeks!!! Dumbasses. (2/21/07) Dave's response: Just a friendly reminder that DCRTV is your place for uncensored D&M posts. We haven't trashed a D&M message (pro or con) this whole fucking year, so far. In fact, we haven't trashed anything D&M since the beginning of the seven-week "hiatus" back in early November. Save for maybe one or two unnecessary Freda mentions..... Comcast near deal for RSNs, Would buy Rainbow stake in FSN Bay Area, FSN New England... By JOHN OURAND, sportsbusinessjournal.com... Comcast is in final negotiations to buy out Rainbow Media¹s stake in two regional sports networks ‹ FSN Bay Area and FSN New England ‹ a move that accelerates the cable operator¹s strategy to develop a footprint of regional sports networks across the United States. The deal, with on-and-off negotiations going on for more than a year, is still several weeks away from being completed. But both sides have agreed on the move that would have Comcast buying out Rainbow¹s 60 percent stake in FSN Bay Area and Rainbow¹s 50 percent stake in the New England RSN. Fox Sports Net owns the remaining 40 percent of the San Francisco-based channel. (2/21/07) Dave's response: Sheesh, it seems like the whole media biz is either owned by Comcast or Rupert Murdoch..... "DCRTV hears that the "Voice Of The Terps" and area radio veteran Johnny Holliday will be joining the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network's TV coverage of the Washington Nationals this season." - Hey, wouldn't it be GREAT to hear Johnny alternate between the radio and the cable coverage????!!!???? (2/21/07) "Ah, nice to know you can rely on the Post for accuracy, even on "little" things like radio formats....." I suppose you would rather have those listings correct rather than have the front-page news correct. I can't imagine why they bother to run the listings - except if they are just used as filler. (2/21/06) Dave's response: I do hear that Buddy Rizer comes to work at WTRI each morning in a Santa suit. In fact, he has a Santa suit with shorts that he wears in the summer..... “GOT OUT OF RADIO” ? Nobody “GETS OUT OF RADIO” unless they get kicked out or can’t cut it. A true radio person knows its in their blood. You, sir, are obviously the Director of the HACK Union. (2/21/07) BP Just what do you do? What job do you have that allows you to look down your nose and tell people to shut up about things they do not like. I have never been in radio but do appreciate those who are. I can not think of a job that is so important that it gives me the feeling of superiority that you have. How dare you. It is unthinkable that you think people shouldn’t complain about something unless they do that job. Think about that the next time you get really bad service at your car repair shop. You shouldn’t complain unless you have been an auto mechanic. Have you ever had something taken from you and get diddly squat in return? I’ll bet your pompous behind you have. It probably pissed you off too and you had a complaint you wanted to be heard. Would you have tolerated someone telling you to shut up because your job is dead end and insignificant? I love D&M. I have listened since day one. I will also be the first to tell you that they are slipping into the realm of harmlessness. I also loved the Junkies in the morning. I got a kick out of their show. It has been taken away and I have been given diddly squat by WHFS. It pissed me off and I have the RIGHT to complain. I may not work in radio but I do understand the industry. It is not only UN-AMERICAN but inhuman to take away something people value and expect that they will be silent about it. Who would have that kind of mind set?….Monarchies, Principalities, Dictators, People with the mind set that they are above those who work hard to survive. I will bitch on. It’s a right people have died to protect. Bite me you communistic turd. Elkridge Steve (2/21/07) RE: [ " didnít anyone noticed that Colts owner Jim Irsay looked a little like Don Geronimo? " ].......... No not really, I thought Jim Irsay looked more and more like his father than ever... a big old red-faced pumpkin head inappropriately lit up like a Christmas tree. You could plainly see they couldn't wait to yank the microphone out of his hand, fearful he was going to blurt out something embarrassing. (2/21/07) Dave, GMS/WETA, Globe, George, (Fred & Andy). Overall, my listening experience has improved 50% in the last 6 weeks. m (2/21/07) Dave's response: Classical on 90.9 is a huge improvement, signal-wise, over 104.1. I love The Globe. George is OK. Fred is cool, but I still wish they'd fire Andy. Oh, anyone see the radio station listings in today's DC Post? They still (!) have the format for WTRI, Vegas Radio, on 1520 as "Christmas/various." It's February, for Christ's sake. Ah, nice to know you can rely on the Post for accuracy, even on "little" things like radio formats..... Andy worked at 98 Rock as a part time weekend jock before going to Boston. The last time he was at a 98 Rock event it was Preakness and he was escorted off the property by the police for smoking pot in a porta-john. (2/21/07) Alex (Lawson) I took the 7+ minutes to look at your video. OUTSTANDING! Such a worthwhile cause. So many uneducated youngsters, so many sick. So much effort on your behalf. I don't know what I could do to help, I'm up in the Baltimore corridor. I co-own a full service A/V production facility. If you have any thoughts, please let me know. PLB (2/21/07) Dave's response: PLB and his aliases - all deeply caring human beings..... I don't know if you noticed this yet but The Nats site has the official radio broadcast info for the exhibition season, 8 games including the 3/2 exhibition opener on WTWP and the one game 3/3 on WFED. washington.nationals.mlb.com (2/21/07) Mr. Tony's enemies....Paul Farhi, TWP's Ombudsman and Mr. Elliot Segal. LO (2/21/07) Andy Blacksmith was a part-timer on 98 Rock back in 1999. He also did a wrestling report for the KML show at the time too. No one remember's Kirk introducing Andy "Negro-Jones" Blacksmith!? (2/21/07) BP, first of all, you seem to think ALL the people that take the time to rightfully bash D&M, KMS..Management et al have not done it themselves! Stoopid. A lot of the bashing, or evaluating performance. results, behavior and everything else is not to BASH. It's to point out the real lack of talent these people have. Many of us are now living comfortably on an EARNED pension from the Unions we performed for. Many of us are delighted with the reality that we don't have to work with these incompetent, lazy do nothing personalities and managers. We were priviledged to work with real pros, not only on the talent side, but the management side as well. WE got out before we had to tolerate the shabby, nasty overly critical talent(s) that abuse their audiences, and management that don't know anything about the industry. As for dead end, same pay jobs...most of the industry, excluding Stern, and a few others will be in these dead end same pay jobs all of their lives. So, bitch on...YOU MISERABLE LOSER!!! (2/21/07) There's a George Washington men's basketball game the afternoon of 3/3 that would figure to air on WTWP. The conflict would likely explain the Nats being bumped that afternoon to WFED. Everett W. (2/21/07) “Regarding MASN - Mediacom, another total loser cable company...” You, my friend, need DirecTV. Not a sermon, just a thought. (2/21/07) Good morning my name is Alex Lawson I work at Whitman-Walker Clinic in the District. Washington, DC has the worst HIV infection rate in the country, with an estimated 1 out of 20 folks infected with HIV ( www.dcappleseed.org) Over the past two years there have been some great strides made but they are still woefully inadequate. In one area in particular they are abysmal, condom distribution. That is why I decided to put my all into forming a coalition of service providers to set up a free condom distribution network in the hardest hit South East Washington, DC. Included in each Life Guard packet are two condoms and life saving information about the social determinants of HIV, like domestic violence and substance use. The 7 minute documentary below is an attempt to get the work that we are doing out to the people, which is also why I am writing to you. Please give me 7 minutes of your time and watch the video below. www.youtube.com... -- Alex Lawson, www.dcfightsback.org (2/21/07) DCist reviews Tony's radio return, with the graphic. (2/21/07) I am not surprised by anything Clear Channel has done or will do. They've cut their traffic network to one person doing a generic report for all of their DC stations. A generic :30 report for a market with the 3rd worst traffic in the nation. Combine that with lackluster programming for all their stations and a non-existent news dept in the nations capitol and you're left with an 8 station punchline. (2/21/07) Dave's response: The following was forwarded to DCRTV..... Dear Ladies & Gents or WTWP, could you please contact ask whoever manages the WTWP web site and ask them to update the Washington Nationals broadcast schedule? You're still showing the schedule from last September! I'm particularly interested in the pre-season games, which could be starting in a couiple of weeks. -George A. (2/21/07) Dave's response: I hear that the Nats' 3/3 spring training outing will be on WFED, 1050 AM, instead of on WaPo Radio..... Regarding MASN - Mediacom, another total loser cable company, also services a lot of Maryland residents just outside Ocean City. I called their cust service last week to see the status of them adding MASN. The rep had no clue - she was pretty sure I meant MSNBC. Best I can figure they said they have no plans to add even 1 MASN channel. This is getting old, as I lost out on the NFL Network with these guys too. Never dreamed I'd ever hark back to the good ol' days when I had Comcast. (2/21/07) Memo to Washington Post Radio - please stop referring to Tony Kornheiser as "Mr. Tony" in station promos. You make him sound like a gay hairdresser. (2/21/07) (Regarding the latest Flashback:) Why is Yoko Ono hanging out with Roman gladiators? Al McGilvray (2/21/07) Dave's response: Isn't that Yoko Stern? "XM-Sirius Merger: Why?" Because if they don't do this, both companies will go bankrupt. You can't keep losing hundreds of millions of dollars every quarter forever. (2/21/07) Is that a skinny, yuteful Mr. Geronimoe on drums? tinyurl.com ........ I'm for a seperate page for those calling for a seperate page. Come on big boys mingle with the great unwashed! (2/21/07) Re: "A.F.R.O. Show". Far from it, it was the “F.A.R.T. P.O.S.S.E. Show” which is certainly more gooder than “A.F.R.O.” and rather than homophobic, I perceived it to be neutral with a slant towards “gay”. This was some of the funniest stuff I have heard in recent months. -Fairfax Stu (2/21/07) XM-Sirius Merger: Why? by frank aherns blog.washingtonpost.com (2/21/07) Oh my. I think [a certain 99.5er] might have gotten suspended for leaking 1801 info out. (2/21/07) I think I hate BP. what an elitist tirebiter if only we could return to the days of yesteryear where slime didn't control most everything Hi hoe silver! (2/21/07) /\ February 21 Messages /\ \/ February 20 Messages \/ I agree Dave. The mailbag has always been a great place to go and talk about radio. Disliking something is one thing, but lately there's been a lot of personal attacks. People bitching about other people. Nothing but haters. Here's an idea, instead of wasting your time on these sites bashing people who are doing what you would LOVE to be doing... take all your negative energy and go out and make it happen for yourself if you think you can do a better job. Chances are, the reason why you are on here all the time bashing people like KMS, Don & Mike, PD's, VP's, etc is because you CAN'T do a better job. So, you would rather sit in that dead end same pay a year job being jealous like a bunch of dummies. These people got to where they are because they moved all over the country paying their dues, working their asses off. Most people are way to comfortable to be able to pull that off, so they'd rather bitch. Enjoy being miserable, losers. - BP (2/20/07) I really think it's funny that some idiot "baby-talks on the site and yet he's looking for a separate site for ANG. God, post something about broadcasting not about some individual that seems to at least have some opinions that are relevant to the site and some of the posters. As for Ed (Graham) and me PLB, we're comfortable enough to let you know what we think even about such a stupid post. (2/20/07) Clear Channel is at it again... www.sfgate.com... Dave would you submit a story? (2/20/07) Dave's response: Sounds like public access TV, long a staple of many cable TV systems. An interesting idea, but definitely not a replacement for a TV station's news department..... Hey Dave! Maybe you should have a seperate page, call it..."ROMPER ROOM", for all the little babies to go and they can fight, cry, poop all over themselves and each other, and leave the other discussions to the adults. ANG; ask your mommy to drop you off there after she changes your diaper. You can whine all you want, call people names, just like all the other babies! Have a hissy fit, take a nap, then get up cranky. Das a good widdle baby! Tell your fwens PBL & Mr Ed you will twy to pway nice next time. (2/20/07) I’ve watched one of the greatest AFC Championship games ever with the Colts finally beating the Patriots to earn a trip to the Super Bowl to face the Bears. I am very happy for the two coaches because not only you have two African American coaches who are great friends but all the loyalty they have for the organizations and their quarterbacks during the tough times. Anyway while watching the AFC Championship trophy presentations didn’t anyone noticed that Colts owner Jim Irsay looked a little like Don Geronimo? Reggie from Clinton (2/20/07) Is this the Bert formerly of Jack Diamond show? www.themorningmouth.com: Bert Weiss Re-Ups For Five Year At Q100 Looks like Bert Weiss, headmaster of The Bert Show Q100/Atlanta, won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The Cumulus owned station has re-signed him through 2012. Since the show first came to Atlanta in 2001, it has regularly outperformed the rest of the station. In the latest Fall book, it finished top 5 in both 18-34 and 25-54-year olds. The 4-member show consist of Bert, Jenn Hobby, Melissa Carter and Jeff Dauler (re-signed under separate contracts). (2/20/07) Dave's response: I believe it is..... More on Andy Blacksmith to 98 Rock. Andy comes from a New England regionally syndicated morning show called Greg & The Morning Buzz. He is still listed as part of the Morning Buzz team, so the new gig at 98 Rock may not be his just yet. And apparently this wouldn't be his first tour in Baltimore, as his myspace page claims he was Baltimore's Air Personality of the Year in 1999. (2/20/07) Dave's response: Really? Does anyone remember his 1999 Baltimore radio gig? If Post radio wants to fail like WTEM then by all means, hire Andy Pollin as sports program director. Surely this no-talent idiotic satrap of Kornhole can bless another station with his misreable talents. WTEM should have fired him years ago. (2/20/07) Don and Mike have said nothing about the merger form what I can tell. I figured they would be all over it... (2/20/07) Dave's response: My guess is that the new "SiriusFucksXM" will probably have to shed some of its collective talk talent, and will not be hiring any more. Also, D&M are pretty much locked in with CBS broadcast radio through the end of '08..... Ed, PLB here, I don't THINK you're crazy, I KNOW you are! LOL. As for my newest nom de plume', ummmmm to be honest he seems a bit outraged that he'd be tied into me??? How strange! You..)the paranoids out there). If you haven't noticed, I use my own name all the time now. In fact,you paranoids NEVER sign your names!!! Some folks never get a life....paranoids. PLB (2/20/07) Re: "Wonder if Opie & Anthony and Ron & Fez will survive in Howie's company?" Hell, before they even get to Stern, Ope & Ant and Ron & Fezzie will have to get the pass from Jeremy Coleman (or "J. Coleman"), their former WNEW boss now at Sirius, who they spent time last week (during an "A.F.R.O. Show" re-played all weekend) trashing with tasteless homophobic jokes. CLASSY!! Way to burn the bridges, girls! (2/20/07) On his inaugural WTWP broadcast this morning, Tony Kornheiser mentioned the three members of his old WTEM crew who couldn't join him due to contractual obligations - Andy Pollin, Gary Braun and Kevin Sheehan. Perhaps Post Radio will at least try to bring Pollin over from WTEM once his contract with Clear Channel comes up for renewal. Braun and Sheehan may be loathe to leave Triple X for a show that may only be on the air four or five months each year due to Kornheiser's Monday Night Football duties. Speaking of Dan Snyder's network, I tuned in earlier today and heard a taped blurb with George Croom referring to the Wizards 'going for their first road win of the season tonight in Detroit'. One minor problem - the Wiz play at Verizon Center against Minnesota this evening and have already won a bunch of games away from home. Sloppiness like that is unacceptable if Red Zebra wants to be taken seriously as a player on the local radio scene. There's also the matter of Braun's asinine comments about baseball on the John Riggins show last week - 'an old, arcane game that only a bunch of geezers like' - 'a dead or dying sport in America' - 'boring and slow' - 'no one under 30 cares a lick'. Yet another instance of Braun running his mouth without having the foggiest idea what he's talking about (and by the way, who appointed him the official spokesman for Generation X?). To compound the insult, Sheehan chimed in with the dazzling insight that 'most people who go to baseball games are there for the social outing and have little or no rooting interest.' What those two really need to do is attend a crucial late season Yanks-Red Sox game at either Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium - no way they could experience that frenzied atmosphere (with the most vociferous fans falling in the 18-35 age range) and continue to believe the nonsense they spouted on the air. The Nationals made a very good decision not to put their games on Triple X if that's the prevailing attitude over there. The next Redskins minicamp can't come soon enough for those bozos. Mike, Fairfax (2/20/07) Further indication that the "Mike & Mike" show has bottomed out: at the top of the first hour they announced -- you guessed it -- a "contest": Any woman (what, no men?) who would come to their studio in Rockville and totally shave their head -- live -- ala Britney Spears would "win" $1000. Now that's high brow -- albeit shaved -- humor! Top THAT Peter McDonaldsburger! (2/20/07) "Come morning, I dug my car out and got it on the road only to make it into the next parking lot and quit. Knowing I would be late for work, I started crying and walked back to the hotel." This lady (I can only assume she is a woman) sounds like my four year old who cried about getting cold while sledding yesterday, to which I said, "There's no crying about the cold and snow" to which she said, "You're right, daddy" and went back to sledding. As our Mayor for Life once said: "Get over it". (2/20/07) Get well wishes to David Burd. He's a very talented guy and he and his new partner sound great. (Dave, I think they've been together since very early January, in time for the start of the Winter Arbitron). Tony K would do well to have Dave sit in with him frequently after he returns to work. (2/20/07) Could someone have poured water on David Burd's steps overnight, which would have turned to ice early this morning when Dave was leaving for work? Could someone call Columbo in to investigate this "accident"? Should Paul Farhi be worried? (2/20/07) New design for donandmikewebsite.com today. Somewhat fitting Google content-driven ads on the top of the front page. One for a DWI attorney and another for divorce mediation. It looks like the site's new BBS is aimed at putting the aholes who run RGF.com out of business. (2/20/07) RE: MASN 2 and CSPAN 2 sharing channels.. One other thing to note - the FCC is currently "Rebanding" frequencies. Public safety radio is moving down to the lower 806-809 band, and a few of the old UHF analog channels must also be cleared for public safety use. I believe these were the original UHF analog channels between 60 and 69. (746-806MHz). The FCC mandate calls for the analog TV signals to be gone from that spectrum by 2009, but some of the broadcasters are already jostling signals in preparation for the final move. (2/20/07) RE: [ " A Comcaster told me that that "free space" isn't really free. Those former analog channels are being used to transmit digital channels and can't easily be reused for analog signals, like MASN2 on basic cable " ]....... Not true. That almost sounds as believable as one of the bullshit lines their customer service reps use every minute of every day. Congrats Dave, you've been successfully bullshitted by a Comcaster! If the "blank" channels were being used for digital, then why do they often come back months later as another analog channel? Riddle me that one Batman? Total BS. Maybe Comcast should just condense the analog dial altogether to a smaller number of channels then and give everyone a discount on their bills for less basic cable service? Nevermind, obviously that won't happen. My personal opinion is that Comcast had LOTS OF OPTIONS for MASN 2, and deliberately chose a DC-specific controversial one (DC is the home of the federal government afterall), but at the same time without attracting too much widespread attention. I think this is analogous to the spiteful way MLB managers kick dirt on home plate before being thrown out of the stadium by an umpire. Comcast lost and they are not used to losing. They are obviously bitter about it at corporate in Philly. Funny thing is the Orioles actually have somewhat of a following in the DC market. Can you imagine what hell-hole of a channel Comcast has in store for the Nats in the Baltimore market where almost no one even knows who The Nationals even are ??? It'll probably be a scrambled station half of the day or something similar just to drive people away in droves. :-) (2/20/07) Get well, David Burd! I love your morning show (even though nowm it is shorter to make room for Kornholio). (2/20/07) A quick check of the ol' Wikipedia says that in Charlottesville, Channels 19-CBS, 29-NBC, and 41-PBS (Richmond repeater) are all full-power stations. Channels 16-ABC, 27-Fox, and 50-PBS (Staunton repeater) are low-power. -- Carl in Olney (2/20/07) EFFECTIVE 3/21/07: MASN 2 will share CSPAN2 on ch. 68.* *CSPAN2 can be viewed without interruption on ch. 104 (digital converter required). Why does MASN 2 have to share space with CSPAN2 on ch 68 when there are two free spaces at ch 25 and 58? and the free space at 58 is because they took MTV2 away (only on digital cable) why I don't know? (Lee in Forestville) (2/20/07) Dave's response: A Comcaster told me that that "free space" isn't really free. Those former analog channels are being used to transmit digital channels and can't easily be reused for analog signals, like MASN2 on basic cable..... To Whom It May Concern: I am seriously interested in acquiring/leasing a radio station. I am hoping that you can give me a very definitive description of what it entails and what I need to do, to get through the preliminary stages. I am completely ignorant on the rules of broadcasting, especially from a radio stand point. I have downloaded some information, but I need to get an experts take on what I need to accomplish for this matter. I will call and or visit whomever can be of assistance at a mutually convenient time and location. Hopefully someone can assist me in this endeavor. I would like to thank everyone involved for their assistance. My contact info is the following: Robyn Jones, 3128 Berry RD NE, WDC 20018, jcrdc@yahoo.com (2/20/07) Hah... Kirk & Mark calling someone other than themselves a hack? Give me a break! Those two fat fucks wouldn't know comedy if it came as a 14 inch sub that they ate in 2 bites. I love that reference. I would rather plant my ear on Gurvir Denza’s chest than listen to them. Either way I end up listening to two boobs. Only one pair should taken seriously though. Elkridge Steve (2/20/07) Hey Dave, why no front page coverage on the child porn charges against (the man who runs an) O&A fan site? As soon as something, ANYTHING is attached to Sterns name you post it. Actually you filter out all the positive Stern news and just post the negative NY Post news on him. This child porn story is a major one and you choose to neglect it simply because thoughs douche bags read your site. (2/20/07) Dave's response: It was an NYC-area guy who was charged. I didn't see a local angle in the story..... "Is WAPO Radio streaming the replay of the Kornheiser show on the internet? I am on link now as of 10:47 a.m. and they are constantly running promos, commercials, PSAs...Larry" I heard it just fine on Windows Media.... (2/20/07) Is this WaPO Radio's last gasp? Their ratings have gone nowhere but down since their debut They are now the most-boring non-religeous station I've ever heard, and I'm a Shortwave listener who is old enough to remember Radio Moscow! True, moving WTOP to 103.5 helped WTOPs audience level, but Bonniville will have fewer than half the audience they had a year ago, before they got greedy! (2/20/07) (Dave's response: What were Tony's ratings back when he was on TEM's late mornings? Were they that great? Anybody remember?) High 2's, low 3's 25-54... The replay did as well as the original show with people time-shifting (2/20/07) I didn't "rip you off without credit." I listened to the radio show! -- Rob Capriccioso, Chief Editor, Publisher & Founder, Big Head DC, bigheadDC.com (2/20/06) Dave's response: Gracias. Oh, I didn't say you did..... I was just watching WJLA news at noon and caught the teaser on an upcoming feature on young women getting tatoos! Wow! this is news! Way to catch the trend! I expect a feature tomorrow that new dance craze the Macerena! (2/20/07) To whoever wrote: "ANG" is yet another one of the ubiquitous Paul Picknell's (aka PLB et al) nom de plumes?" I wondered about that too. In fact I asked PBL if he were ANG. I have worked with Paul a few times, and think he is one of the best DJs ever. I don't always agree with Paul, but he thinks I'm crazy also. ANG, I never agree with, and I have no idea why he defended me. In fact, he was wrong about that too. Once early on ANG said he was not in the business, but now he alludes being on the air. On another note, why don't we send Karmizan to the middle east, and let him merge those countries? I hope this merger is not approved, but if it is - - Please don't let Mel screw it up. Ed Graham (2/20/07) Is WAPO Radio streaming the replay of the Kornheiser show on the internet? I am on link now as of 10:47 a.m. and they are constantly running promos, commercials, PSAs...Larry (2/20/07) Another "here Are They Now", former WEEL jock JJ Justin. Rusty Gibson (2/20/07) From what I have heard, Sirius and XM contractually pay 8% of revenues for music royalties - the highest in the industry.. If they merge (and they will)their near duplicate music programming, I do not know if this will put them in a better negotiating position or not. Any ideas from you people in the biz? (2/20/07) (snip) Comcast reprogrammed the cable box that I rent from them. It is equipped with a Digital Video Recorder (end snip). Ditch that junk & put a free DVR in a cheap computer: www.mythtv.org or freevo.sourceforge.net. Nobody checks on your viewing habits and nobody reprograms your box in the middle of the night. (2/20/07) This blog ripped you off without credit: bigheaddc.com (2/20/07) Concerning the "Dish Network/Masn" thing: it's only speculation on my part, but my guess is..if Dish Network is sending emails saying that it's being "looked into"..then I'd venture to guess that it probably is; it was reported on DCRTV a few weeks ago that MASN was talking with Dish Network. So could it be possible that neither side can go "public" as to what's going to happen yet? I, too, want to be able to see the Orioles. But I'm willing to give Dish Net a chance to get something worked out; now..if they were to say something like, :"at this time, there are absolutely no plans for Dish Network to carry MASN"..well..that's when I really would have to take a look at switching to Direct TV (no..I don't think I'd consider Comcast!) On Tom Davis's show this past Saturday (at least this is how I took it) they indicated that something could happen in April; they may know more than they're able to say at this point! Meanwhile, I suppose all we can do (those of us who are subscribers to Dish Network) is to let our feelings be known...and see what happens! Tom in Denton, MD. (2/20/07) Dave, this just now showed up in my Inbox: Dear XM Radio Subscriber: We want to share with you some exciting news: Yesterday, in Washington DC, we announced XM Radio will be merging with Sirius Satellite Radio to form the premier digital audio service. The merger will create a satellite radio company that will provide consumers across the country with more and better premium radio programming. The combined company will be able to compete better in what has become a very complex and dynamic entertainment market. Where today our exclusive contracts mean you had to choose between baseball and football or Oprah and Martha Stewart, the new company will seek to ensure that in the future, you will be able to access both companies' programming. And, once we are fully integrated, those of you who have factory-installed satellite radio will no longer be limited to the programming provided by the exclusive satellite radio service chosen by their car manufacturer. This merger should be completed in late 2007 or early in 2008. Throughout the year, we will provide updates on how the merger is progressing and information will be available at our website, www.xmradio.com. Between today and the merger date, as well as during the period immediately after the merger date, all of your services will remain the same. The channel lineup, the customer service number, the great music technology, and the XM Radio web site will all remain unchanged and there will be no disruption to service. But, if you have questions, information will be available and maintained on our website, and you can contact our Listener Care team at 800-XMRADIO, with questions and concerns. XM Radio continues to be committed to providing you the highest quality audio entertainment and customer service available today. After the merger, our new company will be able to offer you the most exciting listening experience in radio. Sincerely, Hugh Panero CEO, XM Satellite Radio.... Forward Looking Statements - This letter contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., including potential synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof, future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "will," "should," "may," or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of SIRIUS' and XM's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to pre dict and generally beyond the control of SIRIUS and XM. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement: general business and economic conditions; the performance of financial markets and interest rates; the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the transaction on a timely basis; the failure of SIRIUS and XM shareholders to approve the transaction; the failure to realize synergies and cost-savings from the transaction or delay in realization thereof; the businesses of SIRIUS and XM may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; and operating costs and business disruption following the merger, including adverse effects on employee retention and on our business relationships with third parties, including manufacturers of radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers. Additional factors that could cause SIRIUS' and XM's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SIRIUS' and XM's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2006, June 30, 2006 and September 30, 2006 which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site www.sec.gov The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and Sirius and XM disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release. Important Additional Information Will be Filed with the SEC This communication is being made in respect of the proposed business combination involving SIRIUS and XM. In connection with the proposed transaction, SIRIUS plans to file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 containing a Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and each of SIRIUS and XM plan to file with the SEC other documents regarding the proposed transaction. The definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of SIRIUS and XM. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF SIRIUS AND XM ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by SIRIUS and XM through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Free copies of the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC can also be obtained by directing a request to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Attention: Investor Relations or by directing a request to XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., 1500 Eckington Place, NE Washington, DC 20002, Attention: Investor Relations. SIRIUS, XM and their respective directors and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding SIRIUS' directors and executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, which was filed with the SEC on March 13, 2006, and its proxy statement for its 2006 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 21, 2006, and information regarding XM's directors and executive officers is available in XM's Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2005, which was filed with the SEC on March 3, 2006 and its proxy statement for its 2006 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 25, 2006. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be c ontained in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. Please note: this is not a promotional e-mail. As an XM subscriber, you will periodically receive service notices via e-mail. These service notices are intended to provide you with helpful information that will facilitate and enhance your XM listening experience. You are receiving this email because you previously indicated that you'd like to receive email updates from XM Satellite Radio. To unsubscribe, please visit unsubscribe.xmradio.com. (2/20/07) Dave's response: Fascinating "fine print"..... Media Bistro: ReddingNewsReview.com launches podcast about The Washington Times www.mediabistro.com (2/20/07) Are they sitting shivah in SLC for Tony the K ? 8:45-9AM – B O R I N G... M (2/20/07) Dave's response: What were Tony's ratings back when he was on TEM's late mornings? Were they that great? Anybody remember? Dave's girlfriend ran out of the cemetery screaming E, E, E, that is how you remember how to spell cemetery with three E's and no I or A. (2/20/07) Dave's response: You think that's maybe why I haven't had any girlfriends since? Just one more reason why Comcast customers accept constant rate increases: Sometime in the middle of the night, Comcast reprogrammed the cable box that I rent from them. It is equipped with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR). There is a button the remote control labeled "My DVR" which, formerly, caused a list of recorded programs to be instantly displayed on the plasma video display. Now, with the "improved" software surreptitiously loaded, there is an intermediate screen of dubious utility that requires me to press a 2nd button in order to get to the same screen. Notice the carefully constructed string of English and non-English characters. These big corporations manage their revenues most excellently. Other things can take a hike. (2/20/07) WJFK leases space on both floors. Studios and sales are on first. Business, programming and others are on the 2nd. Now that D&M have left the buidling, perhaps they are consolidating space. (2/20/07) Dave's response: Aren't they putting the "Unzipped" gal and guy in D&M's old office? (Regarding today's Rant:) C-E-M-E-T-E-R-I-E-S ... Damn public schools. You needed a chip for being a truant! (2/20/07) Dave's response: That's one word I can't spell. Here in America, you say "cem-e-TARY." In England, it sounds like "cem-itry." And there's a cemetery (!) across the street from Herndon High, where I gradiated. Go fugure..... The following was forwarded to DCRTV..... Dear WTOP News staff person, Last Tuesday night, seeing that the weather was going to be so bad, I opted to stay at the Georgetown Holiday Inn. Come morning, I dug my car out and got it on the road only to make it into the next parking lot and quit. Knowing I would be late for work, I started crying and walked back to the hotel. Once in the lobby I was informed that there were no taxis or shuttles running either. It was then that two members of your staff offered to take me to work. At that point, I was so desperate I did not care that I was getting into a car with strangers. They were wonderful. Melvin drove us, but I can't remember the name of the other two people and I would like the opportunity to thank them. With all the tears, the names just slipped my mind. I just know that they said, "We're not strangers, we work for WTOP radio." They saved the day. Can you get back to me with their names, so at the very least, I can send a thank-you card. I would appreciate it. Elizabeth (2/20/07) "It's been some time since the insiders at 1801 have leaked anything good"--- From what we understand outside of the building – the good information isn’t flowing because the person responsible for most of the leaks was dismissed some time ago… Dave can you tell us if your information sources have changed? Or are they still lurking about the halls at 1801? … And will there ever be a deathbed confession as to who the CC “deep Throat” was? (2/20/07) Dave's response: Loose lips sink ships..... O&A are huge players in the satellite radio industry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.............. I guess all the writers just keep forgetting to include them in all of these huge 2 page articles about the merger. Could they be more of a non-factor? (2/20/07) "It's been some time since the insiders at 1801 have leaked anything good"---yeah, ever since they let that HR woman go, the "news" from inside CC-Rockville has been pretty stale, unless you count Toby's occasional thinly-veiled attempt to make us believe that all is well at 1801. That is more entertaining than informative. (2/20/07) Dear Dave: Regarding the announced merger between XM and Sirius...first off, I'd never thought I'd see the day where Bob Edwards and Howard Stern would be on the same payroll (HA!) Now to more practical observations. My Dad has subscriptions to both services, and I've had plenty of chances to sample both. The music programming is pretty much a wash (but is leaps and bounds beyond what terrestrial radio offers). What happens with some of the other channels? Both services have duplicate national programming (i.e. - ESPN, CNN, etc.) so that really isn't an issue. But there are others that are exclusive of one or the other (MLB, the NFL, college football and basketball, Stern, Oprah, etc). Do some or all make the jump to the new combine? Also, XM broadcasts XM Public Radio. Since Sirius carries programming from NPR will we see both on a new channel lineup? And what about the technology? XM uses satellites in geostationary orbit above the equator. Sirius uses satellites that fly in a highly elliptical orbit over the western hemisphere. This begs the question about any reception issues one might have beyond the reach of any terrestrial repeaters. Also, what about the receivers that consumers have? Will they all continue to work? Will current XM or Sirius series receivers (or both) be rendered obsolete forcing subscribers to shell out more money for a new receiver? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered about this announcement. Switching gears, my Dad was saddened to learn of the passing of John Young (as mentioned recently by Tom Gauger). John Young was the first station manager at WUNC, where my Dad and the late Charles Kuralt (another UNC alumn) were on the first broadcast heard on that station. My Dad remembers John Young very well and how he helped him refine some of his broadcasting skills. From what I've learned, he was a fixture and respected member of the faculty at Swain Hall for many years. Dave, as always, a great site! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (2/20/07) RE: "Saw a big For Lease sign in front of the location of WJFK" Nope, the space available is on the 2nd floor, not the 1st. JFK's lease runs until mid-2010. (2/20/07) I think you can be very sure that NO bandwidth will be freed up by an XM/Sirius merger. At least not for 5 or 10 years. There have to be lots of dual-system receivers on the market before they can end channel duplication. That will take a long time since none have ever been sold (unless it's a hidden feature we don't know about). XM's in-house chip design center surely has the smarts to do it and probably has done it on an experimental basis. (2/20/07) Nice item at OpEdNews.com about Thom Hartmann, who replaces Al Franken in the Noon - 3p (ET) timeslot on Air America Radio. www.opednews.com (2/20/07) It's been some time since the insiders at 1801 have leaked anything good. They can't sign major personalities. They can't keep support or sale staff. It looks like the fresh paint of coat that the new execs put on there has dried to the same dull lifeless color it was before they got there. How many more people do they have to lose before they realize there's a problem? (2/20/07) Saw a big For Lease sign in front of the location of WJFK in toothless Fairfax. Are they being consolidated wiith the other cbs stations?.......When do Don and Mike come back from there vacation that started last November? (2/20/07) Dave's response: I'm told that 106.7 is not leaving Fairfax. The sign is probably regarding other space in the building..... Regarding Verizon and install of Fios. I wanted to echo what another poster said. Not quite sure why, because they never expedited anything else including their video fiber,,,BUT, when you call for Fios service, day-ummm, Verizon kicks ass. I have seen their fiber trucks in our development even on Sundays handling installs. I suspect some of this is the 'snatch a customer from Comcast while we can' thing, but we have had a steady parade of their trucks in here for probably four weeks now. (2/20/07) www.nytimes.com - Music Labels Offer Teasers to Download, By JEFF LEEDS..... "For all the disquiet the Internet has fostered in the music business, almost every rock star and record executive is intrigued with the prospect of marketing to music fans directly instead of wrangling for exposure with radio programmers or retailers. But the expansion of the online marketplace, coupled with ever-worsening CD sales, is now all but forcing the music companies to tread on ground they once viewed as off limits"... (2/20/07) /\ February 20 Messages /\ \/ February 19 Messages \/ Hey Dave, In Charlottesville, WVIR-TV 29 AND WCAV-TV 19 are full powered stations. WHTJ, which a simulcaster of WCVE Richmond, is also a full powered station. WVAW-LP 16/ABC and WAHU-LP 27/FOX are, of course, the low-power stations. Rock on, Tybois Uphold, Editor/News Director, SVRTV-Winchester, VA (2/19/07) Dave's response: I said full-power commercial stations (not WHTJ). I stand corrected on 19..... Martin of the FCC has already said that they might approve of the XM/Sirius merger under some conditions. I've seen it suggested that NAB's "price" for the XM/Sirius merger will be removal of all radio ownership restrictions. That is after the NAB has screemed and hollered for a while. They've already sent out the first volley of letters. (2/19/07) If and when Sirius and XM merge and consolidate their duplicate and similar programming services, they will be freeing up a bunch of bandwidth for other purposes. So what do they have in mind? Even more ambitious plans for sat to car video? Something else? (2/19/07) I have Verizon Fios in Columbia (Hickory Ridge)! Recently moved, Verizon said they only install digital lines now, no longer pots or dsl. Ordered it on a Monday, Miss Utility came on Tuesday, fiber line diggers came on Wednesday, and installation came on Thursday. I got the complete package...phone, wireless internet and tv. The price is about $20 more than Comcast's Triple Play, but the picture quality is fantastic. I work in master control, and my reception at home is better than some of our monitor. And while I'm still SD at home, my TV, one of Panasonic's last big tube sets, has one of the best picture I have ever seen. We've had some problems with the set top boxes though...they've replaced one, and I'm about to call them about #2 (boxes keep getting locked on one station). Even so, Verizon customer support has been polite and excellent. My buddy has the HD box with a 37" Sharp Aquos and watching some of the Discovery's HD programs were, in a word, awsome. While I'll never spend $3,000 on a tv, it's just a matter of time before the price comes down enough to justify me [ahem, wife] retiring the tube. Interesting programming too, including botique channels like Lime, Wealth TV, Logo, Sleuth, Versus, Fuel, in basic tier. And Columbia gets both DC and Baltimore local channels. Two thumbs up! (2/19/07) Regarding the XM/Sirius merger - well I'm kind of sorry about it; I have experienced both services and I am in the tank for XM. But as long as they don't take away my favorite channels - Lucy, Ethel, Fred, Deep Tracks (and the Tom Petty and Bob Dylan shows), Bluesville, Cafe, Willie's Place, Top Tracks, The Loft, and Hear Music - I suppose it'll be ok....Donna in Ashburn (2/19/07) Charlottesville TV goes from 2 to 6 channels? Full-time standard commercial channels? I don't think so. Are we talking cable channels only? LPTV channels? (2/19/07) Dave's response: As far as I know, Charlottesville has one full-powered commercial TV station - Channel 29/WVIR, an NBC affiliate. The remainder are either low-powered or digital subchannels. But, as far as cable TV viewers are concerned, they're just another channel on the "box"..... Mergers are usually followed by layoffs. Wonder if Opie & Anthony and Ron & Fez will survive in Howie's company? What about the rest of the channels? As an XM subscriber, today's news has me concerned. MAS, San Diego (2/19/07) Dave's response: My guess is that with Sirius's Mel at the helm, the new combined satrad firm will look a lot more like Sirius than XM. Goodbye XMU? Wah..... How did spike tv mess up three stooges, what a set of dumb ass (2/19/07) Funniest thing I've heard on radio in a long, long time: When I got in my car at lunchtime today, Bram Weinstein and Larry Michael were on 94.3FM making fun of Charley Casserly's on-air ability. That's Bram Weinstein, who has never allowed an interesting phrase to pass his lips, and Larry Michael, the worst play-by-play man in the NFL (and the worst in Redskins history)--the man who got his job based exclusively on his willingness to kiss Daniel Snyer's ass--actually laughing at someone else's ability to speak on air. HEY! DUMBASS #1 and DUMBASS #2! Catch a clue! Casserly is on NETWORK TV, while you're both rotting away on a nothing radio station. The only reason I caught your stupidity was because I listen to Mike & Mike on ESPN (that's a NETWORK, dumbasses) every morning. Six million people watch Casserly every Sunday, and the only people who listen to your crap show do it by mistake. Dumbasses. (2/19/07) In the immortal words of Harvey Keitel in "Pulp Fiction", "Let's not start sucking each other's d*cks just yet, gentlemen." Seems to me that the XM/Sirius merger has a high mountain to climb to get regulatory approval. The FCC's Kevin Martin already basically said, "Forget it" a month or so ago. As Larry in Luray correctly pointed out, it would be very difficult for the Commission to approve this merger after having shot down the Dish/DirecTV merger a couple of years ago. And if they DO approve it, you can bet Dish and DirecTV will be back at the altar within weeks. Finally, the NAB, which carries significant weight with the FCC, will be fighting this tooth and nail. I imagine David Rehr is probably firing off Round 1's emails and letters as we speak. -Brian (2/19/07) Hi Dave, Please find details of my internet station based near you from Burke, VA. Listed in iTunes and also Windows Media Guide. If you can add to the Internet listings, I'd be grateful! 2NG - Two Nations Gold - Playing the best oldies from both the U.S. and the U.K, a great mix from the Sixties to the Eighties 24/7. Currently streaming in MP3 and also Windows Media. Launched by a long time broadcast veteran of both the UK and now the US, 2NG is completely consultant-free and features a rotation playlist measuring thousands, not 200! Website is www.2ngradio.com... Many thanks, Best Regards, Richard (2/19/07) Dave's response: Thanks Richard. Sounds like a very cool mix of music. I'll be updating DCRTV's local internet radio stations page real soon..... Does anybody else find it interesting that WaPo Radio has more mentions on DCRTV than they have listeners? (2/19/07) Can you tell me where The Globe broadcasts from? One source says Silver Spring, another Bethesda, and still another Landham. Which is it? Thanks. (2/19/07) Dave's response: CBS-owned and Bethesda-licensed WTGB, formerly WARW, broadcasts from studios in Silver Spring, right across the hall from Metro Traffic. However, the ad sales department for The Globe is based out of CBS's Lanham broadcast complex, which features the studios and offices for co-owned Morningside-licensed WPGC-FM/AM and Annapolis licensed WLZL. The old WARW studios in Rockville are now the studio for CBS-owned WJFK-FM's Don and Mike. But the rest of Manassas-licensed WJFK-FM's operations are in Fairfax. Got it? Yep Post and Fox right again....and did u see the 1/2 hour news hour Sunday Night? What a great new show....so refreshing to see things from the "other" side for a change, huh? (2/19/07) Dave's response: Sunday night? I was watching "24 Hour Party People" with the great Steve "Alan Partridge" Coogan on VH1 Classic..... I am a baseball fan (Orioles and Nats) who has the Dish Network. What is the latest with the MASN/Dish Negotiations? I fear I am going to be screwed out of seeing my teams this season because Dish Network isn't going to carry MASN. I hope I am wrong. Despite my right of center leanings, I love the rants and the rest of the website. It's great to have an entertaining forum free of government control. Thanks, Rusty Payne, McLean, VA (2/19/07) A while back Echostar (Dish Network) and DirecTV wanted to merge but the Feds shot it down, saying they needed to compete with each other instead of joining forces to compete with cable and over-the-air TV. I wonder if XM and Sirius would be turned down, using much the same rationale. If the Feds allow XM-Sirius to go thru then they gotta allow a Dish/DirecTV merger to happen, right? BTW I e-mailed Dish Network AGAIN about the lack of MASN and got the same generic "we'll looking into it and thank you for subscribing" reply. No MASN by early in the season = one less Dish subscriber (me). Keep up the pressure! - - - - - Larry in Luray (2/19/07) Dave, my son Google, Don Geronmo. He came up with this photo. Can this be Don? Kevin (2/19/07) The new name of the Washington redskin is the Washington deacon blues... (2/19/07) One wonders if Comcast would dare split a C-SPAN channel with MASN2 in Montgomery, where so many more of the politicos live than Prince George's (although many of their lower-level workers may live there). Tend to doubt it. -- Vincent in Triangle (eagerly awaiting where Comcast/Prince William will put MASN2). (2/19/07) So I guess all you toilet mouth know-it-alls that trashed Murdocks NYPost will be rushing apology emails to DCRTV to clear your consciences. (2/19/07) Dave's response: Hey, the NY Post has got great gossip and a good entertainment section, and the parody political coverage is worth a chortle or two..... PROGRAMMING CHANGES APLENTY FOR COMCAST OF PG COUNTY: EFFECTIVE 3/15/07: Canal 52 (ch. 652) will be removed from Digital Classic. Canal 52 can still be received with a subscription to Cable Latino. EFFECTIVE 3/21/07: MASN 2 will share CSPAN2 on ch. 68.* *CSPAN2 can be viewed without interruption on ch. 104 (digital converter required). ESPN Deportes will be seen on ch. 604. Toon Disney en Espanol will move from ch. 604 to ch. 607. Encore (E) & Encore (W), which are seen on channels 150 & 151, respectively, move from Digital Plus to Digital Classic. And last, but not least, eight Music Choice Latino channels (450-457) will be removed. (2/19/07) Dave's response: C-SPAN can't be happy with that arrangement..... "Kornheiser: Can we STOP giving this guy so much airtime????? He’s whiny and weasly. ALL he does is complain and criticize EVERYTHING. Where is the entertainment value in him?" That woud also be a fair description of Don & Mike. (2/19/07) I sense the proposed XM-Sirius merger is being done now because both companies fear a more restrictive merger atmosphere if a Democrat succeeds Bush. I only hope for Washington's sake at least some of the combined firm's operations remain in D.C. -- Vincent in Triangle (2/19/07) So XM and Sirius will merge after all. Great. Just great. I mean, look what "consolidation" has done to terrestrial radio. Now we'll have less choice again. I better make sure my subscription is not set to auto-renew. And what about that FCC announcement a few weeks ago that such a merger would not be allowed? (2/19/07) Dave's response: The winners will be the folks with XM or Sirius stock (at least in the short term), the owners/investors of both companies, and the listeners - who'll get a greater variety of music and personalities. The losers will be the grunt employees at both firms. I mean, there's going to be a lot of duplicate jobs that won't be needed. If you work over there on New York Avenue, better get your resume brushed up..... The funny thing about this Tom Myers/Kirk crap is that Tom actually is a hack. He works at a 7-11 full-time and only gets gigs on 98 Rock because he sells Mickey his coffee every morning. His other comedic appearances include libraries, nursing homes, and community college coffeehouses. Here's Tom's myspace: myspace.com... The clips on there are so bad they make Kirk and Mark sound funny. -Nick (2/19/07) re: Ondeyko, Kirk, and comedian Tom Myers, whoever that is.. *crickets chirping* /// Amen. Who wrote that waste of space, some wannabe publicist? My suggestion to the *Freelance Writer*, find a story or subject that someone may care about. Your tedious blow by blow missive about two virtual nobodies dissing a confirmed nobody was coma inducing. What was the point, to entice the nichemeisters who inhabit this forum to slap on their Melvin Purvis badges to investigate and solve this vexing mystery for you? Ok...here is a new topic for you to investigate...I am going to call you a: Hack. There, I did it! Now off you go.. investigate away and hurry back with another riveting expose. (2/19/07) Hah... Kirk & Mark calling someone other than themselves a hack? Give me a break! Those two fat fucks wouldn't know comedy if it came as a 14 inch sub that they ate in 2 bites. (2/19/07) (RE Kornheiser:) Can we STOP giving this guy so much airtime????? He’s whiny and weasly. ALL he does is complain and criticize EVERYTHING. Where is the entertainment value in him? He should just stick to writing in the Post, that he’s good at. Dave, please stop giving him so much space on the site…P L E A S E!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, sorry for the rant. peace……. (2/19/07) "Paranoi runs deep." Now my birthname is being plaguerized, I have become PLB!!!! I think not! ANG. (2/19/07) Dave, do you think they will ever pair Kornheiser and David Burd? (2/19/07) Dave's response: We hear from an Idaho Avenue source that there is some serious thought about allowing David Burd to hang out past 8:30 with Tony. "David Burd and Tony would sound great together," we're told by a WaPo Radio honcho..... Dave, who are the three people Kornheiseer wants to get even with? Care to guess? Maybe a reporter at the Post? Junior? Theisman? Wilbon? (2/19/07) Dave's response: I think it's safe to say fellow Postie Paul Farhi is numero uno, after his damning "MNF" comments of late last summer. Anyone care to guess about the other two? DirecTV. As one person mentioned, they moved from Cox to DirecTV. I did the same in 2001 or 2002. At the time, I was on Cox analog service, and I had basic plus HBO and Showtime. Cost me somewhere around $70/month. At the time, Cox was trying to "force" people onto their digital service. By that, they did three things. Increase price on analog about $5/month. Cut the number of available channels on both basic and premium offerrings. For example, when I started on Cox, I had HBO, HBO W, HBO2, HBO2 W and HBO Signature. By the time I dropped Cox, I was down to HBO and HBO2 only, but still paying the same price. Finally, they said that their old cable boxes would not work. They came around the neighborhood, but would only be there for an hour and it was sometime on Wednesday between 8 and 4 PM. Otherwise, you had to drive to their Springfield offices and swap your box out. When I got that notice, I called DirecTV and have not looked back. My pricing was still about $70/month on DirecTV, but I added Cinemax and had more basic channels, like Discovery and History added. Comparable pricing with similar number of basic channels and premiums on Cox Digital would have cost me over $110/month at the time. By the way, when you drop cable, don't buy their "you'll lose your signal every day". I lose it during heavy precipitation or power outages. These are the same times cable will lose some channels due to the fact that they receive some programs via satellite. TL (2/19/07) Ondeyko, Kirk, and comedian Tom Myers, whoever that is.. *crickets chirping* (2/19/07) It might be April, when there's no more baseball on CSN, before people start asking questions/yelling at the cable systems and DISH in large enough numbers to move the needle. Just like the survey out late last week that shows the majority of Americans do not realize analog broadcasting ends in less than two years, it will take another month or two for most of the folks to realize they cannot watch the Orioles without MASN either. A lot of people still probably expect them to show up on CSN. Charles in Winchester (2/19/07) O&A had nothing to say about the XM - Sirius thing today, for whatever reason. If this merger did take place, I would have to admit O&A are gonna get screwed somehow. They have been taking a beating lately. HooHoo and O&A under the same umbrella again? And you know Mel is behind Howie and all the money they threw at Stern. Kind of sucks to be O&A right now…(2/19/07) Dave's response: Wasn't Mel Karmazin head of CBS/Infinity Radio back in '02 when O&A got suspended for that "sex in a church" stunt? Or had he left before then? My memory's fuzzy..... Tony K was also on WTOP this morning. Sounded like he walked in unannounced on Mike and Bruce but he was very funny. Now if he can be that funny every day, he will have another hit on his hands. (2/19/07) A Done Deal? Even the NYPost doesn't buy their own story, as per the first line in the 3rd paragraph of the story: "Talks were still going on at press time and the deal could fall apart at any time." Way to commit to a story, you clowns. No wonder no one takes the stupid Post seriously. (2/19/07) Dave's response: Well, you have to hand it to the trashy Rupert Murdoch-owned NY Post. They didn't mention Anna Nichole Smith in the story..... Enough is enough...NOW I'm ANG. Someone out there is OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!!! True, Ed is a good friend of mine, that's about it. I get more mentions on this site than Elvis Sightings! PLB (2/19/07) I'm looking to ditch Comcast, but I feel like Kramer on Seinfeld saying he "wants out" of the U.S. Postal Service. I want to go with either DirecTV or Dish Network. I see that MASN will be on DirecTV, but I don't see it listed on Dish Network. Can any Dish Network customers shed some light on whether or not MASN is available on the system? And Dave, thanks for a great website! G.K. in Reisterstown (P.S. Verizon DSL and FIOS are not yet an option in my area) (2/19/07) NY Post is reporting that XM and Sirius will announce merger today.... Reasons not to buy it. It’s the NY Post. Why would they announce this on a national holiday? (2/19/07) Dave's response: Yeah, no wild XM and Sirius stock gyrations today with the markets closed for Presidents Day..... Hey, mebbe cspan will be back on Sirius! Looky here: February 19, 2007 -- Satellite radio operators Sirius and XM are expected to announce their long-awaited merger today, according to a source familiar with the deal. The two sides were locked in negotiations over the weekend trying to hammer out a final agreement with an eye toward going public with the merger today in Washington, D.C., where XM is based, this source said. Talks were still going on at press time and the deal could fall apart at any time. With antitrust issues of paramount importance, this source said lawyers for both companies were working overtime to fine-tune the language of the agreement and frame the discussion around the deal itself and not regulatory concerns... www.nypost.com... On the other hand, you astrologers know that mercury is retrograde right now, likely to stall this deal from happening or foil it entirely. (2/19/07) Dave's response: So what XM channel is Stern going to be on? To whom it may concern: I am a freelance writer in the Baltimore area and I have a story that would of be of interest to this area. It involves the "Kirk and Mark" show on HFS and a local comedian Tom Myers. I enclosed my article and a illustration I made. The picture was used from Tom's MySpace page and is therefore public domain. Please contact me with any questions. Eva Boote-Rashe, Freelance Writer, Baltimore, MD - KMS: Tom Myers a ‘hack’ comedian... By Eva Boote-Rashe, Freelance Writer... Feb 19 – A morning drive-time show in Baltimore, MD, took a shot at a local comedian. The duo of Kirk McEwen and Mark Ondayko, hosts of the new “Kirk and Mark” show on WHFS-FM had a comment to make about comic Tom Myers during their show on Friday. While McEwen and Ondayko were interviewing Marc Unger, another local comedian about comedy classes he was setting up at the Hamilton Arts Collective in Baltimore, one of the hosts made a reference to Myers’ previous shows at the same venue, referring to him as “that hack.” In August 2006, Myers headlined two comedy/music shows at Hamilton, using the opportunity to tape a DVD of his act. No definitive release date has been announced for the DVD Myers previously was a guest on KMS during its tenure on WIYY-FM, known to Baltimore listeners as “98 Rock.” During his appearance, Myers attempted to promote his shows at the Hamilton only to be met with sound effects as the hands of the radio hosts. McEwen and Ondayko left 98 Rock in October and started broadcasting their show on WHFS earlier this month. Myers has since made appearances on the new inception of the “98 Rock Morning Show” with Mickey and Amelia with newsman Josh Spiegel, who was the “S” in KMS before being replaced by Jeff Shamrock upon their move to WHFS. No explanation was given as to why Myers was characterized as a “hack.” Attempts to contact Myers as well as McEwen and Ondayko were unsuccessful. (2/19/07) A little known fact about Ralph Penza who sadly just passed away, he was brought to town to be Gordon Peterson's replacement in the early 80s. Gordon had actually held a press conference and announced he was going to Channel 4, and the Detroit Evening News people brought Penza down from New York to be the new anchor. However, a lawsuit was filed by Channel 9 to keep Gordon from leaving, which the station later won and Gordon stayed. Penza stayed as a weekend anchor for about a year and then went home to WNBC. Ralph was the model for the hard driving, aggressive news guy and was very successful back in NYC, the news business will miss guys like him. Tom in DC (2/19/07) It is right for C-SPAN to reject Sirius Satellite Radio's pre-emption terms. As Sirius subscribers quickly discover nearly half of the talk radio programming lineup and several of the Traffic and Weather stations are pre-empted for sporting events. During football this makes sense as each channel carries a game and I always found it funny to hear Redskins games on the Washington DC Traffic and Weather channel and how the feed cuts off immediately as the game ends. During NASCAR, however, these extra pre-emptable channels carry IN-CAR AUDIO for up to 10 drivers. The channels are unlistenable jibberish with radio chatter interrupted by choppy MRN turn-by-turn coverage. Worse, these channels pre-empt channels like Discovery Channel Radio, E! Entertainment Radio, and a host of other channels. Unless you're not aware, XM Satellite Radio has no such pre-emption. Busy hockey and baseball nights have no effect on any other channel on the XM platform. Anyone else still think Sirius wants XM for content? They want XM because the Sirius platform is a unpolishable turd. -Chainsman (2/19/07) “Thinking about Direct TV..For those who have it, is it worth it?..” Absolutely, DirecTV is worth it. I got sick of Adelphia’s shitty picture about 2 years ago, switched to DirecTV and have never thought about switching back to cable. Weather normally isn’t a problem, although there have been a few times when my picture has broken up momentarily during heavy precipitation, but it’s rare. I have DirecTV’s 5-LNB dish so I can get the local channels (4, 5, 7, 9 & 20) in high-def, which is tremendous. I was able to watch Nats’ games on MASN while Comcrap was still holding most of the rest of the DC area hostage. My only complaint with DirecTV is that their new HR20 DVR has had some major problems. It’s only been on the market about 6 months and they’ve already issued something like two dozen software updates to try to eliminate the bugs and improve its performance and reliability. It’s much better now than when I first got it, but it’s still got a long way to go. I wish DirecTV would just admit it’s a POS and go back to using TiVo software. -Brian (2/19/07) Is it as obvious to DCRTV readers as it is to me that "ANG" is yet another one of the ubiquitous Paul Picknell's (aka PLB et al) nom de plumes? The writing style and the frequent mentions of his close friend Ed Graham are the giveaways. (2/19/07) You....Kadishe/ANG...How trite can two foks be????? Who cares who has a sense of humor...who throws the last dart...This is a BROADCAST SITE, not a pissing contest. You're both like kids in a sandbox. G'nite. I'm now heading to the local pub for some Crab Soup...PO'd (2/19/07) /\ February 19 Messages /\ \/ February 18 Messages \/ When WTOP changed their weather forecasting service from The Weather Channel to WJLA's people I was encouraged. Not anymore. Today I was in the midst of the heavy snow squall all the while listening to Clay Anderson droning on about "a few snow showers with no accumulation". Hello Clay? Look out the window. Look at the radar. That big blue blob you see is a heavy snow squall that swept through almost the entire metro area. Your "no accumulation" is all over my car and driveway to the tune of one inch. (2/18/07) www.poynter.com - Arkin says death threats, over-the-top vile "a bit daunting" - Washington Post - Washingtonpost.com blogger William M. Arkin says he's received thousands of e-mails about his criticism of American troops. "'Mercenary' is a very strong term. If all this has been precipitated by one word, there's not a question in my mind I could have avoided this by not using that word," Arkin tells Howard Kurtz.... (Post ombudsman) Deborah Howell: "Opinions on Arkin vary among Post reporters who write about the military and national security. Some respect him; others think he harms The Post's reputation." (2/18/07) The skinny on exactly when Verizon will be bringing FiOS to your street in Columbia can only be procured from Verizon itself. However, DSLReports.com has a neat zoomable FiOS COMING SOON map which is regularly updated based on intel gathered from Average Joes like you. Check-out their "Co-operative map" at: