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DCRTV Mailbag - July 17 to July 20, 2007
Latest messages listed first.....
\/ July 20 Messages \/
Hey "Tom in Denton", as one Eastern Shore guy to another, I'm sorry you never had a chance to catch my "Magical History Tour" shows as it was a 5 year year labour of love! Stay tuned to DCRTV for my next gig. All the best, Rusty Gibson (7/20/07)
Dave's response: DCRTV Radio - 107.7 FM and 1500 AM. Stay tuned.....
Could this be any more wrong about DC Sports Talkers? sports.espn.go.com (7/20/07)
Greetings from the AFTRA National Convention in Philadelphia, where earlier this afternoon, WUSA-TV was honored with the Belva Davis Award at the AFTRA American Scene Awards Ceremony. The American Scene Awards are presented by AFTRA to stations, programs and producers whose work reflects the diversity that is America today, including ethnic minorities, gays, lesbians, the transgendered, and the physically-challenged. Belva Davis was the first African-American television journalist in the western US. Nine News Now anchorwoman JC Hayward accepted the award on behalf of WUSA-TV. I'm sure AFTRA will issue a press release on the American Scene Awards in the near future. But I wanted to give you the scoop. Be well. (7/20/07)
RE: [ " WBAL Radio is proud to have broadcast all of the significant milestones of Cal Ripken's career " ].......... Wishful thinking maybe? If I'm not mistaken, Cal Ripken's final catch in the O's last World Series win was on WFBR AM 1300, not WBAL. Similarly, Cal's first at bat & rookie season also would not have been broadcast by WBAL. And weren't the O's also on WCBM for 1 season around that time too? By the way, I still side with WBAL on this copyright fight. What is it with MLB that they insist on enforcing copyright in a fashion that is similar to lopping off an arm to save a finger? What are they thinking? And wouldn't it be great if old AM 1300 were callled WFBR and could replay those highlights as well? Instead it's named after a Washington Talk station, WJFK! MLB is on a decline and it's dickheads like Labrozzi, Philips, Angelos, & Selig that will put the final stake in MLB & their awful sports talk stations. I wouldn't be surprised if Beckham's 5 minutes of play for the LA Galaxy this week gets higher ratings than the D-Rays or half of the other MLB teams. Meanwhile Angelos's kids & grandkids sit around counting their impending inherited fortune. Let's just hope they're greedier bastards than Angelos and sell the team REAL QUICK! Finally, I can't wait to see how many people show up at a music festival called The Jack-Fest promoted by a radio station with no live DJs or personalities. How will people know for sure its REO-Speedwagon and not just hot gay porn? :-) Rant over. (7/20/07)
No more "Rusty Gibson" on WEBR?..and I never got to hear one show! I'd either forget about it..or not be able to find it..or something! Am sure he did a good job; am sorry I missed out on that one! Tom in Denton, MD (7/20/07)
Dave, you must have a really big h*rd-on for Bonneville since almost all your rants are about them. I enjoy most of your rants but I dasgree on David Burd. I think he and his crew are doing a great job subbing for Mr. Tiny. (7/20/07)
Dave's response: Hey, I like David Burd. But I think this week's shows as subbing for Mr. Tony have not been his best. But every radio personality hits bad patches and I'm sure Dave will recover - hopefully before they pull the plug on the station.....
Clear Channel has to change it's ways regarding airing independent bands, according to the Front Page--Good. It's too bad that the conglomeration of radio stations was allowed to happen in the first place. Too much cookie-cutter radio becaiuse of it. I suppose it's unrealistic to think that the government will bust up these huge media conglomerations in the future. JOHN IN STAFFORD (7/20/07)
In the Twin Cities, WCAL had been operating for decades out of St. Olaf’s College in suburban Northfield (yes, the one Betty White went to on “The Golden Girls”). WCAL was classical, with a broader playlist picked by its announcers and a big commitment to sacred music and broadcasts of church and chapel services, as one might expect with a Lutheran college. MPR’s classical station KSJN, which pre-programs the 500 Greatest Classical Pieces for High-Class Muzak format that most classical stations do these days, commercial or non-com (at least during the day), was kicking its butt in the ratings. St. Olaf decided for financial reasons to sell the station, waved off a higher bid from EMF and gave it to MPR, which turned it into the Current. Although the station has bigger listeners and support as the Current than it ever had as WCAL, a group of hardcore sacred classical music lovers, many of them St. Olaf’s alums, have continued to fight the changeover and are taking St. Olaf to court, claiming that a charitable trust was established for WCAL’s operation and has been violated. Although their full plans are clouded somewhat, the “SaveWCAL” name of their blog would indicate that they want the court to pull the station away from Kling and back to St. Olaf and back as classical. I would think that St. Olaf would put it up for sale again, but I guess that’s their hope. And it looks like some of the SaveWCAL people may get involved with the WGTS matter just to go after Kling, who’s made it clear over the years that he would prefer a virtual monopoly of Minnesota non-com radio (MPR’s not a state agency, like most state pubcasting networks). Personally, outside of station loyalties, I don’t think the CCM audience in DC is going to get shafted, since Salem would probably flip WAVA to The Fish in a minute if WGTS got sold. As I said, Kling doesn’t always win (after getting an LMA from Pasadena City Colleges to run KPCC in LA as N/T, he tried for an LMA for UC-Long Beach’s jazz KKJZ, forced the college to open up the bidding process and made the previous LMA holder compete with others—neither MPR or the other LMA won, the station’s now LMAd to another company that’s kept it jazz), but he wins most of the time. He’ll probably win with WGTS, too. (7/20/07)
Here is an idea for MPR/APR when they take over WGTS You want an instant audience with "a proven track record"? ( Don't mean to get commercial radio consultant on your ass) How about a hybrid MPR News Talk from 6:00AM - 8:00PM or so, weekdays. Then MPR's AAA "The Current" on from 8:00PM-overnight weekdays, and The Current on most of the weekend. A combination of KNOW and KCMP. I would be very confident that there is a large audience for both those kinds of programming in DC. Someone forward this to the decision makers... (7/20/07)
Don't know if this qualifies, but Anderson Cooper previews the CNN/YouTube debate on Monday night. blog.washingtonpost.com... Also Dave, I've always wondered: Why dont' DC-area TV stations paint the sides of their satellite trucks like in other markets? Is it a "taste" thing since this is nation's capital? or are there restrictions on them doing so? Just seems odd. I live in Tenleytown and see the trucks everywhere and always wonder. Love the site, Ed (7/20/07)
Dave's response: I've heard that stations often want their vans to go unnoticed because vehicles branded with logos often attract vandals and other "trouble makers." You know, libs might throw their Starbucks lattes at any vehicle with "Fox Anything" on it.....
Some people like the music on WGTS, some don't. Fine, that's personal preference. But they interact and have built a relationship with a large number of people in this area. That kind of local radio seems to be disappearing and I find it hard to believe that MPR is going to do much interaction with us locals on a personal level. If I wanted news and more talking heads commentary I've got other places to tune to. (7/20/07)
Ah, good to see newsbabe Wendy Rieger in the mailbag again! Check out her video bio on the NBC4 website. (It’s unnavigable, so best to search for “Rieger”) as Dave is no doubt going to clip this link into just the homepage instead of sending you directly to Wendy (www.nbc4.com). The other anchors have video bios, too, but who’s cuter than the newsbabe? Happy 20th year, Wendy! Hope they don’t can you like they did all the others. (7/20/07)
Another day with the Junkies, another death-trap interview – today, it’s not a poker player, it’s a stripper/porn star. Great fun for the Junks; not so much fun for the listeners. Over to the iPod. Sincerely, TMU. Oh, and before the inevitable “so don’t listen” posts come back – the show’s good sometimes; that why I tune in. But they really lose track of the fact that people are listening, not watching. (7/20/07)
Food Experts including Oprah Magazine's Food Editor Celia Barbour and
iVillage's Rori Trovato decided the winner of the 2nd Annual ChickChat Radio
Flag Cake Smackdown:
And The Chicks awarded that person with a rhinestone ChickChat tshirt:
Yes, all guy..this is his wife...
Huh, and some programmers think ChickChat Radio won't fit on their
male-oriented station...???
Cheers!
ChickChat Radio www.chickchatradio.com
Girls' Night Out, Every Day! (7/20/07)What clip of George Michael and Jim Vance ended up on Attack of the Show? (7/20/07)
RE...Regarding Vincent's mailbag question about acts not from this area who had minor hits nationally but big hits here: there are many examples//// How about the Hangmen, do they qualify ? And if so...do I wait on hold to get my prize ? (7/20/07)
A non-commerical progressive music format on the local FM band would make a huge difference for the local music scene. Stations like KEXP, The Current, KCRW, WXPN, WYEP, even commercial stations like Indie 103 and WRNR can talk up local concerts, play local acts, create some semblance of actual community among local music fans. No iPod can do this. DC is likely the largest city in the country with no station like this, even a college station. (7/20/07)
There already is a great Alt Rock, Indie, AAA station on the air in DC. WTMD on WAMU's HD Channel is sweet. Love Altered Fridays! Get an HD radio and stop complaining. (7/20/07)
Hey Vincent in Triangle, I also purchased the Rhino Girl Group Sounds. What a great collection! I love the packaging and the CD holders that look like compact mirrors. My favorite song is the "Egyptian Shumba" by the Tammys, who sang backup for Lou Christie on several of his hits. If memory serves, I can remember reading in the "Young World" section of the newspaper (back in the late 60's) that Peggy Lipton's version of "Stoney End" did quite well in Baltimore and the song was very popular in Harford County based on record sales. Also, I recall Bob Mathers telling me that the Supremes early hit "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" did much better on the Baltimore charts. I believe the same holds true for Mark Lindsay's "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind". Love the song and any picture of Mark Lindsay on a record sleeve was always an added bonus. Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (7/20/07)
I still think there should be a more adventurous younger-leaning alternative rock format on DC FM -- a la Indie 103.1, KCRW, WFNX, KEXP, WNRN, etc. I realize the actual likelihood is next to nil since that would imply independent ownership of a DC FM station which seems an impossibility in view of the dynamics of the market. It's bad too one of the local universities (i.e. U of Md) wasn't prepared to make a move for WGTS...too expensive and risky I suppose, particularly when the students are all listening to iPods anyway. (7/20/07)
I took my first trepid steps into HD radio. The biggest plus. WMAL sounded great in HD. Perhaps some of the low dial position big coverage AM's could actuall make it as music stations with HD. I actually listened to MAL for the commercials not the programming. The worst: Big ratings winner WMMJ does not delay their analog signal. Thus as the radio switches from analog to digital; there is an 8 second delay in the audio. Depending on which way the radio is switching you either miss 8 seconds of programming or you are privledged to hear it twice. Come on. Do it right guys!!!!!! BTW. Where is the "adult standards" on WASH-HD? I will stick with XM for the moment. Thanks (7/20/07)
Dave, I think Faux News has hit a new low, besides overplaying the possible WSJ buyout by Darth Rupert. This morning the Emmy's were announced and the three dolts along with a TV reporter talked all the way through it, as my girlfriend told me after it went off the air, those people need to grow up and act like adults. Dan (7/20/07)
What do you mean a younger format won't work in Ocean City? Of course it will, CHR will work. It did with WKHI in the 80's and early 90's. It just wouldn't work on AM. When WKHZ was news/talk it actually had some advertisers and listeners. Something the CHR format of that station has never had. You are right though, Oldies would be good for that station. Oldies with Orioles could be a decent combination. (7/20/07)
Hiya! I know you were quoting the Post, but the proper medical term is "dysrhythmia," meaning a heartbeat abnormality. "Arrhythmia" means "no heart rhythm;" naturally if you have no heartbeat, you by definition are dead. (It's similar to saying someone died of cardiac arrest. It's undoubtedly correct, but doesn't give any additional information. In the end we all die when our heart stops beating.) Of course, the post also called Mr. Terrell an "American African." Maybe they were just trying to save the hyphen in "African-American" ! Yours for Better Grammar (when it's convenient), Arthur Laurent (7/20/07)
Looks like the Orioles continue their stupid, vindictive ways. Why would they do something to deprive radio listeners the chance to hear Cal's "historic highlights? "WBAL (1090 AM) has been running a series of "The Road to Cooperstown" vignettes leading up to next weekend's Hall of Fame induction. But this week, the station has added a disclaimer to each one. As printed at WBAL's Web site, the message reads, in part: "WBAL Radio is proud to have broadcast all of the significant milestones of Cal Ripken's career. ... We wanted you to hear those moments, which originally aired on WBAL, once again. But the Baltimore Orioles and Major League Baseball have prohibited us from letting you relive those historic highlights." Even though the original broadcasts went out over its airwaves, WBAL doesn't own the rights to game accounts, according to Major League Baseball rules, and so MLB - at the Orioles' request - advised WBAL to stop using the archival snippets. (You might have heard those clips on the Ripken countdown feature on ESPN Radio 1300 AM, but that station is owned by Orioles rights-holder CBS Radio and thus is entitled to use the audio.) MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said: "WBAL would have had to make a request" to use the clips and the Orioles would have had to approve. According to MLB's rules, WBAL also would be prohibited from using the audio if the segments were sponsored, but station management said only about a quarter of them had sponsorship." (7/20/07)
/\ July 20 Messages /\
\/ July 19 Messages \/
Not that anyone cares, but congratulations go out to George Michael and Jim Vance for making the #1 spot on the "Around The Net" segment on today's "Attack of the Show" program over on the G4 Cable Network. Now America got a chance to see how hilarious those two were together. If only more TV news teams had quite the chemistry that this one shared, maybe the local news would be something I would watch more often. (7/19/07)
Regarding Vincent's mailbag question about acts not from this area who had minor hits nationally but big hits here: there are many examples. But I'd suggest there may have been many more in Baltimore than in DC - due partly to more aggressive catering to local tastes (e.g. Motown) and even more to label "influence" (say, anything on Columbia). So make a list of unusual local hits that would include everything from "Yakety Sax" to "My Boomarang Won't Come Back." But be careful, since listing a song in a station's Top Ten did not necessarily mean it was heard much on the air. Like, what about the release Vincent cited - "Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me)" by the Chiffons? I was a pretty big consumer of WPGC in 1965...but I don't recall hearing it. What about some of our Good Guys Radio vets...was I just on vacation during the few weeks you all played that one? (7/19/07)
"Dave: The rumor on DC-101 turned out to be wrong........." Not so fast -- Chappelle is currently in the area. There was a sighting this morning @ the White House. Ed Henry wrote about it in his blog. politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com... Understand that there are planes flying coast to coast and he is a wealthy man, but there is a lot of anecdotal info that puts him here that seems to be far more trustworthy than a publicist or TRS girls. Bottom line is, that the people who compile the Reliable Source column don't do much more than cherry pick items off of the various gossip websites and put a Washington Post bow on it. You have to look no further than the bit they ran about Lindsay Lohan and her ankle bracelet for an example. TRS has become a shadow, if even that -- it is a joke. If I want gossip fix, I don't go there, my first stop is www.eitmonline.com. It is typically fresh, witty AND, AND they credit their sources. Peace and Gossip Grease. LO (7/19/07)
Regarding Vincent's post, I can't really remember other national artists having regional hits, but I do remember a regional hit that never made it nationally by Bob Brady and the Concords called "More More More of your love." It had a true Miracles feel and was a huge hit in both DC and Baltimore in the 60's. I believe Bob Brady went on to become a local record promoter. (7/19/07)
A question for people here more familiar with local Top 40 history than I am: Can you think of records by acts not from this area that were minor hits nationally but big hits here? I bring this up because I was recently doing research on the Rhino "Girl Group Sounds" box set (the one shaped like a '60s-style hat box), and I discovered that one of the tracks, the Chiffons' brilliant "Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me)," only made #49 on the Billboard charts, but cracked the top 10 on WPGC in July 1965. Any other examples? -- Vincent in Triangle (7/19/07)
I’ve got no particular issues with Minnesota Public Radio, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if the sale of WGTS actually resulted in a decent non-commercial alt-rock format (such as what you still hear on the station filing with the FCC to obstruct the sale, WNRN/Charlottesville) actually coming to DC airwaves? Oh well, I suppose the price tag’s way too high for anything exciting like that to happen, and why not add another useless endlessly boring talk station to the 12 or so useless endlessly boring talk stations that are already present in the DC market? Back to my iPod , HD and satellite…this is more proof that there’s no point in having one of those old-fashioned AM/FM radios anymore. Mark O. (7/19/07)
News4@5... Wendy Reiger questions why baby flamingoes are not the same color as their parents. Wendy, how about doing the research and tell the public why baby flamingoes do not have the same coloring as their parents? J101 (7/19/07)
Re: "Can somebody, anybody tell me why Fox 5 News at Noon comes on @ 11:00 am?" How about telling us why they call it "news?" Te seem to have ditched the news in favor of gab and stunts when they moved to 11:00. Diane in PG (7/19/07)
Tom Cruise is playing someone who tried to kill Adolph Hitler in a new movie - breitbart.com. Is this the first project in his new deal with Redskins and Triple X ESPN Radio owner Dan Snyder? (7/19/07)More on this KHZ place. I know that Bill was responsible for Top 40 on WINX 1600 in DC in the late 90s. He then brought top 40 to OC on WKHZ, when he bought it (it was WETT). Now, since then he attepmted to LMA it to Sajack, which went to News Talk. They lost thier ass. News Talk doesn't work at the beach, a music format will, but not a younger format. I'd keep the O's, grab the Terps and toss the CHR and put on Oldies. I know that the WAVE carries Oldies, but who knows how long the WAVE will be around. I'd focus heavy on late 60s, 70s and 80s. That music has a more of a beach feel and mass appeal which could be sellable on AM. Top 40 isn't. (7/19/07)
Re: "Jeff Wyatt leaves Red Zebra." - I simply MUST register my regret and insult at your comparison of Jeff Wyatt and Al Bundy. Bundy could NEVER, in a million, zillion years, be as [a series of not-so-nice adjectives] as Wyatt. In fact, I was about to compare him to Mr. Hankey of South Park, but it would be wrong to insult [a not so nice noun]. - Signed, A Proud 1801 "Survivor"... yes... SOME of us made it out! But, we will NEVER erase the numbers tattooed on our beleaguered 401k's... NEVER! (7/19/07)
"WTEM COULD become a good sports station if someone really took charge and cleaned out the dead wood." It has improved with Phil Wood returning. It could also improve by making the main show Al Koken, Doc and B-Mitch. I loved the old "Timeout with Thompson" segment because Coach has good insights, but he can NOT carry a three-hour show. Doc is okay, but I miss the banter between him and Al. I will miss Bram's show this summer, because he understands that the "E" in ESPN stands for entertainment. Does anyone know what will go in Dan Patrick's timeslot? A local show or the regular ESPN fare? (7/19/07)
WKHZ's signal barely reaches Ocean City at night. The only reason anyone would turn on that channel is to hear the Orioles and at night it doesn't get really far. A weak AM like that should either be News/Talk or Nostalgia, that is the only way you will get anyone to listen. As far as remotes go, no local business is going to buy them on AM. Especially for a station trying to play CHR music. How can you blast it on an AM frequency? Sounds horrible. And speaking of their format, I heard a Beatles song on there the other day. Who plays the Beatles in a CHR format? (7/19/07)
"WGN 720 Chicago is ALL LOCAL TALK. Get your facts straight, you lying idiot!" My bad, what I MEANT to write was that WGN has almost no POLITICAL talk. I'm not a lying idiot, just a mistyping one. WGN is all live and local and one of my favorite stations. (7/19/07)
"Jeff Wyatt leaves Red Zebra".This guy has been sliding down the scale from LA to Philly to DC. Some rumors say he will be working at the Buster Brown store selling shoes with Al Bundy where he belongs. Others say he is probably on his way to work with his partner in crime BZ to complete the Dynamic DoDo's. Either way if you want to tank your business hire Jeff Wyatt he can apply methods from the 80's that will certainly apply to today's world. (7/19/07)
Dave's response: Well, we've reported that Bennett Zier is going to be starting a Tysons Corner-based media/PR firm. I wonder how many guys from the old Clear Channel/DC gang, all now also former Red Zebraers - he'll get to join him? Hmmm.....
To the Parris "Basher". Guess you're one of the casualties from one of his operations. How many stations do you own/operate? ANG (7/19/07)
Dave: The rumor on DC-101 turned out to be wrong, according to many, many media reports. A misinformed, unsubstantiated, inaccurate rumor does NOT merit "credit" on a follow-up item. The Reliable Source is a great column, and does a great job, and the column prides itself on CONFIRMING rumors and stories and tips, as in, practicing real journalism. So give the column credit for practicing journalism, tracking down the story, righting a wrong, talking to Chappelle's rep, and reporting what is apparently the real story--that Chappelle did NOT go to a D.C.-area hospital and instead went to a hospital in California--at least, according to Chappell'es spokesman. Remember that The Reliable Source, unlike other newspaper gossip columns, verifies and confirms the tips it receives, and the column does not run "blind" items. This is an important quality that makes the column distinctive and worth-reading. (7/19/07)
Gotta disagree with Bob in Fairfax regarding the proposed purchase of WGTS by Minnesota Public Radio and the presumed news/talk operation it portends. MPR/APR is a first-class outfit, and the brand of radio they’ll bring to DC is likely to find a very large, very appreciative audience. Think WTWP with brains. Or NPR with guts. You’d rather have another niche music station for you and the other 5 people who like those tunes? C’mon, man—that’s what iPods are for. (7/19/07)
"I agree that the Caps ought to do something to honor Fay, but they probably won't." Be sure to read Ted's comment to Mike Vogel's excellent piece on Fay (dumpnchase.wordpress.com ) "We will honor his memory at games and on our websites next season.Let's also keep his seat open at all times in the press box."..... "[The Capitals] treated Ron Weber horribly when he left and they still haven't properly recognized all he did for hockey in this area." Ron was let go under the management of Abe Polin and Susan O'Malley. This past season Ron was frequently sitting in the press box. I believe the Capitals are starting to rebuild bridges that may have been burned by the old management. This is also evidenced by the inclusion of Mike Gartner in the draft day / uniform unveiling party. This was his first visit since being traded by the Caps. (7/19/07)
Re: Numbers on WKHZ. No Ocean City station really gets numbers anyway. As for programming, the station is designed as a promotional engine, and a local entity. Remotes, Orioles and what ever else outside of music programming is what is going to drive income with that place. WKHZ does not exist for ratings, it never has or never will. Books don't go to OC anyway. As for the music, I don't think that Modern Top 40 is the best music choice, I would go with Oldies (60s, 70s 80s) or even EPSN Radio. As for the signal, I know that I picked up the station in Salisbury and Bethany. (7/19/07)
All Access is reporting that Jeff Wyatt is out of Red Zebra… not too much of a surprise there. (7/19/07)
Can somebody, anybody tell me why Fox 5 News at Noon comes on @ 11:00 am? (7/19/07)
Dave's response: 11 AM in DC is noon in Nova Scotia.....
Extremely saddened to see this unfortunate item concerning former MIX 1065 morning talent Kenny Campbell in this morning's allaccess.com. - Thursday, July 19, 2007 - CBS Radio/Denver Staff Shakeup... Some changes are in store at CBS Radio/DENVER Oldies KXKL (KOOL 105) and Hot AC KIMN (Mix 100). MICHAEL GIFFORD returns to KOOL as APD/MD and morning co-host with MELANIE GARRETT (once she returns from maternity leave). Moving to middays on MONDAY (JULY 23) will be DAN MITCHELL. Exiting the station are KENNY CAMPBELL, AARON DAVIS and RANDY JAY. (7/19/07)
Just a clarification on the Chappelle story in Reliable Source: Liz Kelly's Celebritology blog on washingtonpost.com reported the story yesterday, before the Sourcers did. See here: blog.washingtonpost.com... She cited the AP story, which also did not credit Elliot in the Morning or Perez Hilton. So the Post was not alone in not sourcing Perez. But it's worth noting that Kelly's blog had the story a full day before the paper did. (7/19/07)
You could call the effect Bonneville has had on the DC radio area as the "Big Radio Love" effect. Charlie (with just one wife thank you) / Springfield (7/19/07)
Dave's response: The "Big Lovers" make it a point to point out that they're NOT Mormon.....
When the ratings next week show that the most boring station in the nation WBIG is continuing to flounder as a classic hit/classic rock hybrid, will the mindless suits there follow suit with WCBS-FM and admit they made a big mistake when they dumped oldies? With the reaction to the return of CBS-FM and the continued success of WOGL in Philly (especially with the advent of the people meters for ratings) now would be a good time to put the fun back into horribly dull DC radio, by bringing back folks like Johnny Dark, Goldie and Tom Kent and let them play 60's, 70's and 80's hits with personality. Andy in Reston (7/19/07)
Yes, the passing of Dave Fay is a great loss. He seemed to be a throwback to the sportswriters of old. I agree that the Caps ought to do something to honor Fay, but they probably won't. They treated Ron Weber horribly when he left and they still haven't properly recognized all he did for hockey in this area. On another point, I agree with Mike in Fairfax that WTEM's two hour show on the Capitals last week went very well. Several good interviews, plenty of Caps phone calls and, best of all, no sophomoric and ignorant jokes about the sport of the Pollin/Czaban variety. It is frustrating because there are signs that WTEM COULD become a good sports station if someone really took charge and cleaned out the dead wood. (7/19/07)
RE: WKHZ 1590 Ocean City...... Maybe call letters don't mean as much today as they used to, but if they were smart they'd go back to the old call letters WETT. Still to this day, I remember as a child that that was the place to listen to Orioles games when at the beach and even back then we knew there was virtually nothing to listen to on the AM dial on the beach in OC, at least not local, other than that station. The O's were AM 1300 in Baltimore & AM 1600 in OC back then (of course it's 1590, but that's how they always promoted it I believe). That childhood memory is probably the only reason I ever think to check out OC's AM 1590 when I'm at the beach. Oh, and they're operating on STA low power. That's why your arm reaches farther. That and the fact that the Ocean City Council continually votes down proposals to beautify OC by putting power lines underground (which currently make the AM dial in OC a complete BUZZ) in favor of tax credits to wealthy property owners. As it stands now, the land their transmitter site was on is probably worth more than the radio station itself! Here's hoping that money is going into upgrading the station. It would be sad for Ocean City to lose its ONLY AM radio station. (7/19/07)
With Joe Lee and Damien Einstein's plans for live music Monday-Thursday nights at the El Salvadoran joint next to the record store wonder what's happened to plans for a second Birchmere in Silver Spring? If the proposed Birchmere in Silver Spring is a 500 seater like the one in Alexandria and El Vacaqueron is 500 seater and the State Theater in Falls Church is a 500 seater and I don't know capacity of the fairly new Rock 'n' Roll Hotel but are there enough acts these days to make all these clubs financially viable plus just getting people out of their house's on a weeknight to hear music is another factor. And the Barns of Wolftrap is another 500 seater and what about The Black Rock Center in Germantown? Malls are full just like movie theaters but music just ain't that important too most folks these days, which imo sucks.......I think it's wonderful that channel 9 won a diversity award. What other station in town can claim to have so many hobbitts on their staff?........Does Uncle Floyd still have a show on in the NYC/N.J. area? And ain't he a brother of guitar player in the Max Weinberg 7? Don't get me started on how I think Conan O'Brien has turned into one repetitious bore. When Andy Ricther left and several of the key writers also exited, remember the gaseous weiner, the funny pretty much evaporated. Hell I can stand Jay Leano more these days. (7/19/07)
Dave, Don't know if you are interested in this. Howard Lester, one of the inventors of Color Television at RCA has passed away. More info is below: www.arrl.org... Regards, Jeff Embry, K3OQ (7/19/07)
RE: Nathans and sources. Dave: What do you mean sources? You know & we know that Carol Joynt is your "source" on that item. She tries to hype herself on DCRTV as much as possible. Why not write something like: "We have learned...?" You break so many "real" TV strories; don't look bush league when writing about a "talk show" that may make it to News Channel 8. Good luck Carol! (7/19/07)
Dave, do you EVER Rant about anybody other than Bonneville and WMAL? You clearly have a hard-on for Bonneville and a love-hate relationship with WMAL. There ARE other radio and TV stations in DC. Really. And while I enjoy your Rants, you left me wondering today: what was the point??? (7/19/07)
("Just scanned WLIF and WWMX. They're both up and running. Too bad! I was so hoping I had finally heard the last of tired-sounding Greg Carpenter and Slow Jimi Roberts. FYI - WLIF was playing Blondie's "Call Me." Now that's what I call a LITE favorite from yesterday - NOT!!!!! These are two of the worst radio stations on the Baltimore dial. Wonder when CBS is going top dump the jocks (especially on WLIF) and automate the two to save even more money.") Ken.. you need to worry more about your .8 share in Memphis. (7/19/07)
I can't beleieve CBS RADIO in Baltimore landed a weekly show with Ray Lewis! How did WBAL let this happen?? It seems that ESPN 1300 and HFS have more Ravens shows from the players then the flagship station. So much for where the pro's play! Wait.. BAL does have some purple passion show about the cheerleaders.. that's good radio. Alex in Columbia (7/19/07)
RE:I'm not sure why so many people are calling for "Jack" to flip to Classic Hits / Classic Rock." You're mistaking one format for another. "Classic Hits" is the term du jour for what used to be call "Oldies." It now includes some 80s songs but - with few exceptions - nothing before 1964. "Classic Rock" concentrates on late 60s - 80s album hits and some. (7/19/07)
Wow, what a terrific loss with the passing of Dave Fay. I had the opportunity to work with the Capitals for a couple of seasons and Dave was such a tremendous help to me. He was a great pro and someone that I truly enjoyed being around. The Capitals should do something to honor Dave and all that he has done to promote hockey in DC. When you think of hockey media in this town the names that come to mind first and foremost are Dave Fay, Ron Weber, Joe B. and Craig on TV, and Steve Kolbe. Rest in peace, my friend. Matt N. (7/19/07)
Interesting but largely unimportant move of WJZ’s (13) producer to WMAR (2). In my experience, a single producer change alone won’t make any difference in ratings, especially when stations are too conservative, risk adverse and frugal to make accompanying on-air changes. In my view, one of the best ways to fire up a flagging news department is to give decent raises to the poorly paid and always overlooked off air non-union members who work so hard to make the on air, union members shine. Salary increases to assignment editors, writers and producers could really make them feel part of the department and make the product gleam. If management was really bold, performance bonuses tied to increases in the book wouldn’t hurt. Bob in Pikesville (7/19/07)
Page 32 (DCRTV Plus) Photo Memories - Dave: Maureen Bunyon in his early days... Typo, or subtle hint... Bill (7/19/07)
Dave's response: Definitely a typo. It's been fixed.....
Ref: WKHZ reach.....are you joking? my left hand has more reach give me a break.....and numbers....the only number an AM station will get in OC, MD are what they bring to the smoke fest. No Joke Good Luck "Parris" (7/19/07)
Hi Dave.... Despite living 720 miles away from Chicago, I am a huge fan of the overnight 'Steve & Johnnie Show', which comes in with relative ease to the Washington, D.C. area.... and beats the pants off any overnight talk radio here. Anyway; tomorrow they're doing a fundraiser, including auctions we can take advantage of to raise money for Chicago's neediest kids. Thought you might check out their website at www.wgnradio.com and give it a plug on www.dcrtv.com . All The Best, Dave , Waldorf, MD (7/19/07)
/\ July 19 Messages /\
\/ July 18 Messages \/
I'm not sure why so many people are calling for "Jack" to flip to Classic Hits / Classic Rock. Baltimore already has that station on 100.7 "The Bay" and "Jack" usually beats them in their key demos or at least ties them. It's true that they do a pretty boring presentation of the tired tunes, but even as a not-so-great station, they have the bases covered. "Jack" should either stay what it is, flip to alternativeish rock (nothing in B-more doing that now), or go back to oldies like WCBS in NY, but not classic rock/hits. That would be a step backward to a format that seems to get kicked to the curb in Baltimore every few years anyway. (7/18/07)
See Vance and Michaels lose it on this Break-dot-com clip: www.break.com (7/18/07)
Idle thoughts… who else is suddenly nostalgic for “THIS is the WTOP radio network” at the top of the hour? How many times in the last, oh, two years, has Pat Garrett had to recut the top of the hour IDs for the people outside the Glass Enclosed Nerve Center? Over on WJFK, Big O and the Dukes is far and away more listenable than Unzipped, anywhere any time. As for the Junkies, they’re my fall back in the morning since Imus went away, but EB had me practically screaming at the radio yesterday when he kept interrupting Lurch while the Tall One was trying to tell a story. Oh, yes, and they need to go back to Interviewing 101, when they ask a guest a questions, SHUT UP and let the guest ANSWER the question! Don and Mike are still the best in town in the afternoon, I can’t figure out why all the hate on this board, if you don’t like the show, don’t aggravate yourself and DON’T LISTEN. (7/18/07)
I totally agree with the poster who calls the possibility of another talk station on 91.9 "a shame". There are entire major categories of music completely unrepresented on the area's airwaves, not to mention the claustrophobic playlists on the music stations we do have. Another load of yak means another preset button goes unused... (7/18/07)
In responce to the JUNKIE bashing, I must add to the conversation. Overall, I like their show. I used to like it more than I do now because they have lost some of that chemistry that growing up together used to provide. I like parts of the show but find myself changing the channel more and more, and for longer each time. They are best when they banter between themselves but at times EB can be very annoying. To a lesser extent, JP can be as well, but for different reasons. Some of the personality traits that got them to where they are, are getting stale to me at times now. As for Don and Mike being possibly disgusted by having to share the call letters with the Junks, how do you think Don feels now that duke is back. My guess is, ol Donnie will never plug that trainwreck.-peace (7/18/07)
Who dresses Barbara Harrison in the morning? Why does she wear a skirt when she knows she is going on a pedal boat with an underprivileged kid? (7/18/07)
Any word on Stacey Binn Williams, formally of Mix 107.3? (7/18/07)
I saw Brian Bolters wife last week in OCMD...SMOKIN' HOT! Anyone know her? Is she cool? (7/18/07)
What a shame that Washington will get another Pubic Radio News Talk Station. That is just what we need. What a waste of spectrum space. The Washington music community misses a chance to get a WXPN type station here. Good thing I have Sirius Satellite Radio and a computer to get my music. Bob, Fairfax (7/18/07)
Near the end of this story in the Washington Post, 'Hummer Owner Gets Angry Message', www.washingtonpost.com it mentions he: "works in marketing for a local radio station". I wonder which one it is? (7/18/07)
"bash the Junkies today...if you don't like it...go stick it sideways". Los Junkies are tough hombres, I doubt my comments will make Papa Lurch's next FREE DINNER at the Bonefish Grill/Ashburn any less tasty!! Your boys pride themselves on delivering an amateurish, sloppy, ill-prepared, indulgent radio show. For totally achieving those goals - I say Los Junkies, are: (ready?) MAS DINERO!! elpjdjnuncaenloudonoherndonva (7/18/07)
"Elliot Segal's immensely popular DC101 morning radio show". maybe this describtion was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but...........I would say that it might be fair to describe Elliot's show as "popular", but "immensely popular"??? do you research this stuff. Sounds like in this case, you might not have. I took 2 seconds to pull up the numbers. over the last 4 books, Elliot has the 5th ranked AMD show 25-54. 6th ranked 12+. Maybe you are referring to the fact he is "immensely popular" with Men. however, if you were, that would be a stretch since he is 4th ranked M25-54 and 3rd ranked M12+. anyway you slice it, there are a handful of more "popular" AMD shows. Just thought I would set the record straight... JC (7/18/07)
Lots of people coming out to bash the Junkies today. The saying "If you don't like it change the channel..." is used too much, so if you don't like it...go stick it sideways. (7/18/07)
Re: funny blog about levan reid and the senate www.wusa9.com (7/18/07)
TMU, I agree with you on today's show about the Junkies. I listened for over an hour, and they had the same guest, or just a different poker player. It got really boring. Normally, I find them entertaining, but not today. Hopefully they will make up for it by busting BDK's chops on Friday for his movie reviews. They love to make jokes about him and his girl. Mike in Waldorf (7/18/07)
"Jim Rome is ... even by the standards of ESPN radio, a flop." Rome's radio show isn't on ESPN - it's syndicated by Premier Radio Networks. The confusion may arise from the fact that he does a daily TV show for the four letter network. Speaking of ESPN Radio, I was listening to the Mike & Mike show this morning and heard Greenberg admit that he might be bringing some degree of bias to discussion of yesterday's indictment of Falcons QB Michael Vick on dog fighting charges because 'six years ago, we flew him up here to film a commercial and he seemed like a nice guy.' That remark underscores why ESPN can't be taken seriously from a journalistic standpoint - too many endorsement and cross-promotion deals with various athletes whose games are carried on the network. Over at WTEM, I understand that the John Thompson show got favorable feedback from listeners for devoting a full two hours to the Capitals last Thursday (part of a week when all four major pro teams in Washington were put under the microscope). Of course Al Koken - one of the few at that station who knows hockey - was running the show with Brian Mitchell in Thompson's absence. Nonetheless, certain hosts on 980 who routinely treat the Caps like an insignificant blip on the local sports radar (most notably the guys in afternoon drive) may be surprised to learn that the phone lines didn't exactly go dead when Koken and Mitchell asked for calls from hockey fans. Mike, Fairfax (7/18/07)
Regarding WMAL, WABC, WLS, KABC, WJR, WRKO, WBAP, WSB, KTRH & their host of clones nationwide, the reliance on network programming in major markets is a valid indicator of the strip-down devolution of the radio business at its highest levels. They gather at the NAB conventions and parrot their local/local/local jive, then return home and slap syndicated crap on their heritage signals. Profitability is a good thing. But, like anything else, when cash flow becomes the sole objective—as it has for these outfits—the valued concept of corporate responsibility to the community is trashed. No, WMAL does not deserve such a national honor as “news/talk station of the year.” The very fact that WMAL would even be considered is, at best, a joke and, at worst, an outrage. (7/18/07)
"Good Lord, the Junkies are awful..." I hear you my brother, I hear you. I thought that worsening train wreck had a "Producer" - "CK", who is also the "Program Director" at JFK. What a joke on both counts. There's no one "producing" a mess like today's Vegas show. Since when is listeing to a bunch of hung-over (or is it drunk?) slobs scream at each other about how much money they won/lost in Las Vegas "entertainment" CK? I guess the "entertainment" is the daily reminders we get from the Disposable Junkie (Papa Lurch) that he lays out "zippy coin" at his daily visit to the trough at some advertiser's eatery. We get it Lurch - you're a **COOL GUY**!! Oh wait! The "entertainment" has to be the Vegas Tahiti Village infomercial!! I used to think D&M were the bottom of the barrel in DC talk radio - now I have a little sympathy for Da Donnie G - he's got to be embarassed to be on the same station with the Junkies amateur hour. dapjdjnvasezno!2jfk (7/18/07)
Good Lord, the Junkies are awful. This show is getting WORSE, not better. Some of the regular-guy charm that these guys used to have has been pushed out, replaced by bad interviews and a constant obsession with gambling issues. Here they are in Vegas again, so all they can talk about is gambling. It’s 9:34; I just tuned in, and they’re going on ENDLESSLY about cashing in some chips in a Vegas casino. It couldn’t be duller. WJFK continues to circle the drain; time for the iPod. Sincerely, TMU (7/18/07)
RE: "To the guy who said he scanned WLIF and WWMX and heard “Slow Jimi Roberts” is full of crap. Fast Jimi is on Vacation this week. You didn’t hear him. Why do you have a beef with MIX and WLIF? If WLIF sucks so much…why are they #3 12+?" - Good lord!!! Please get a grip, grow some thicker skin, get your vision tested, think about adjusting your daily meds and by all means start using a laxative. No one said that Slow Jimi was on yesterday. It was stated that MIX (and LIF) were both up and running which means that - regardless of who was doing it - the Slow Jimi Show was on at its regular time. (7/18/07)
“Why is sportstalk 980 all blacks and Jew?” In the famous words of Les Nessman, “I don’t know if you noticed, but there are a lot of blacks in sports.” (7/18/07)
Add WBZ/Boston to the list of mostly local news/talk stations. And a damn good job they do. Ross in Orange (7/18/07)
There may be problems with Good Radio.TV purchase of Clear Channel stations including the Salisbury Group. By the way, two of those station have been placed under a Trustee (92.1 & 105.5). My understanding is that Good Radio.TV could only purchase 4 FM's and the 2 AM's. Though those stations have different formats now, they used to be both running the Oldies format. (7/18/07)
HELLO! #2 from WJZ... img.viacomlocalnetworks.com... Maybe WJZ feels Marty Bass has the cajones of 4-5 men? :-) (7/18/07)
Various posters have stated that WQSR aka JACK-FM makes money and that's all well and good. I suppose that's what happens when you don't employ a staff that receives wages and benefits Others contend that Baltimore wants some form of Classic Rock or Oldies back on the air. WQSR's abrupt switch to JACK and the ill will it caused still upsets some of this to this day. One wonders how long it will be before Dan Mason reviews his Baltimore stations and determines that market heritage has value too. Even if WQSR morphed back into a more vintaged music format, resurrecting the Rouse and Company Show isn't going to be the great salve that heals the hurt. Has anyone ever considered that it was Rouse's show that hastened WQSR's demise? Listening to Rouse and Company the last three years or so that it was on WQSR was painful. Everything centered around Steve Rouse who sounded disinterested and distracted while merely going through the motions while his cast of regulars giggled at anything he said. It seemed like he no longer care about the show or his listeners and was there to collect a weekly check. Adding to WQSR's misery was the ill-conceived but thankfully short-lived return of Brian and O'Brien. Whoever came up with that idea was an idiot. Today Rouse sounds tepid at best on WLIF's morning show. Despite all of the promotion, press and push he got, Rouse wasn't WQSR's heart and soul or raison d'etre. What saved WQSR from being just another radio station were great entertainers like The Merson Person, Bob Worthington, Johnny Dark et al. These great entertainers communicated their love and passion for the music and the town they lived in. They never said anything to offend me, they'd took my phone calls and requests and were more than friendly to me whenever I saw them at promo appearances. They possessed the magic that kept me listening. What a crime it is that I can't turn on a radio and hear any of them any more. I miss each and every one of them. (7/18/07)
Quote: "Dave's response: If it means no more Andy Parks on 630, I'm for it..." Um, I think your wishes will not come true now that Fred & Andy have been nominated in the "Major Market Personality of the Year" category. Happy Summer! -Silvie- (7/18/07)
To the guy who said he scanned WLIF and WWMX and heard “Slow Jimi Roberts” is full of crap. Fast Jimi is on Vacation this week. You didn’t hear him. Why do you have a beef with MIX and WLIF? If WLIF sucks so much…why are they #3 12+? (7/18/07)
Enough with the talk about Oldies in Baltimore. It's not going to happen. Jack is here, and it makes CBS Money. They will never move the O's to just AM 1300- as the signal sucks. The whole reason the Birds are happy there is that they have the O's programming on two stations, something Hearst would not do with a loosing team. If 1370 had any sense, they would scrap the Titanic of WVIE and go back to Oldies, which was a good idea, but count of the screw ups there to mess up a network format. I would love to see one of the area AMs take Oldies, like 1370, 1590 or 810 in the market. Hell, AM 970 has Oldies, but no one can hear the station. (7/18/07)
"Why is sportstalk 980 all blacks and Jew?" Is there supposed to be a punchline or is it just a thought? (7/18/07)
With reports everywhere that Don Imus will return to radio in September, the question is what station in DC will pick him up? He was on WTNT, will they bring him back? I'm guessing CBS will bring him back to WFAN, wouldn't they want him on a DC outlet too? (7/18/07)
WGN 720 Chicago is ALL LOCAL TALK. Get your facts straight, you lying idiot! (7/18/07)
"Why is sportstalk 980 all blacks and Jew?" I wish I even had a comment for this but I don't. You must really have very little time on your hands to come to this conclusion. What about WPGC? Any conclusions there? What if someone is half black or is Russian Orthodox? What then? Maybe the station is all black and Jew is the blacks work for less and the Jews own the station. Hey Dave, is the original poster from Boston? Bryslock (7/18/07)
/\ July 18 Messages /\
\/ July 17 Messages \/
What I like about WGTS over the other religious station is the focus on music. They stay out of denominational differences that split so many groups these days. I enjoy listening in the car. It takes away some the stress of Northern Virginia traffic and I wish them well in their efforts to save the format. Patti in Springfield (7/17/07)
I've been listening to 101.1 WCBS online and must say that so far the station sounds great. It would be really cool if Baltimore get's WQSR back in this form at some point within the next few months. Jack is not a terrible station but Baltimore needs it's oldies station back more than having Jack-FM. Just some thought's of somethings that might make Baltimore radio a bit better. How about dumping 105.7 WHFS, move Jack to 105.7 and put Classic hits WQSR on 102.7 a la 101.1 WCBS, or do it the other way around with Jack staying on 102.7 and Classic Hits WQSR to 105.7. Then move the orioles and talk to 1300AM and make it some sort of WJZ-AM to compete with WBAL-AM with New's from 5-9am, move Ed Norris to afternoons 2pm-7pm, bring Allan Prell back to Baltimore and find a local talker for the other time slot. Then move KMS to Jack in the morning. Give Rouse his company back on what would be the new WQSR, which would give Lite-FM listener's man Greg Carpenter back in the mornings. Move Jo-Jo, and Fast Jimi from 106.5 to either 101.9 or WQSR leaving Reagan and Sarah on Mix 106.5 with less talk and more music in the morning, and get Albie Dee or KT Harris for afternoons on 106.5. It would be a lot of shaking up but in the end it would pay off, and it would give Baltimore a fresh look on the radio dial. CHR will work well in Baltimore if done right, take a good look at Clear Channels CHR's, cheap and they get ratings. Classic Hits will work well in Baltimore if given a chance, see York, PA's 96.1, Philly's WOGL, or WCBS. Some say things that work well in some markets don't work well in others. But both CHR/Top 40 and Oldies are extremely popular everywhere and anyone who knows anything about music, and radio knows it. (7/17/07)
Hello Dave, I’d like to comment on John Martin replacing KT Harris. Basically I say BUMMER!! KT is lively, spunky, entertaining, witty and great to listen to all day long. What is Kenny Thinking? Didn’t he replace Mike Kaufman a couple years ago with Carson because Carson had a personality amongst other things? He would have been better off to put Cindy Maguire on Mid-Days with her great voice and personality if he was being pressured to make a change. But John Martin, OMG, bad move. John Martin may be a nice guy and has been in the business a long time, but ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!! Borriiiinnnnggggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!! His personality on the air is tiring. He should be down the hall at Smooth Jazz, not during mid-day on 1073FM with lively music. Kenny has totally lost it and I would not be surprised if in the not-too distant future Citadel replaces him. Neal (7/17/07)
I'll be hosting a 50's and 60's oldies show tonight from 8 PM to 11 PM ET on www.topshelfoldies.com. I invite you to tune in and to log into the chat room. Top Shelf Oldies features different deejays every evening, with rare recordings, live interviews, and requests. This program will be simulcast and rebroadcast on www.wgay.fm. -Ken Carpenter (7/17/07)
I love when WBAL runs Fox Sports and someone from Baltimore calls in and the station gets identified as WNST by the Fox host. This happens a lot. Really nice of the Champ doing that for Nestor. (7/17/07)
Here's how Chris Berry could save some bucks and be more honest about the format: Change the call from WMAL to WABC/R! After all, a ham radio repeater is allowed to ID in Morse code with it's trustee's callsign with a /R or /RPT after it! And, face it, for all intents and purposes, WMAL has degenerated into a high in/low out repeater for WABC! When in non-repeater mode, just call the thing "Newstalk 630", and just run the Morse ID under WABC's at the top of the hour. Just think of the advantage the sales folks would have, 'The impact of legendary WABC at the rate card of a Washington station!" Don't laugh. It could happen! Or, at the very least, ID in voice as "WABC New York, WMAL, Washington"... (7/17/07)
Dave's response: If it means no more Andy Parks on 630, I'm for it.....
The WGTS sale should go through even with the " Save WGTS " movement. I hope that Minnesota Public Radio or whoever does buy it adds something to the Washington DC radio landscape that isn't already there such as "Family Friendly radio"... Aren't the 50, 000 Watt WAVA 105.1 and WFSI 107.9 stations good enough, or do you have to take over the entire dial. Jesus, put something interesting on the dial already! There, that's my "prayer" for today. (7/17/07)
Why is sportstalk 980 all blacks and Jew? (7/17/07)
Just scanned WLIF and WWMX. They're both up and running. Too bad! I was so hoping I had finally heard the last of tired-sounding Greg Carpenter and Slow Jimi Roberts. FYI - WLIF was playing Blondie's "Call Me." Now that's what I call a LITE favorite from yesterday - NOT!!!!! These are two of the worst radio stations on the Baltimore dial. Wonder when CBS is going top dump the jocks (especially on WLIF) and automate the two to save even more money. (7/17/07)
RE: "Just before 5 PM, Baltimore's WQSR, 102.7, was running a silent carrier. Anyone know what's up? Seems like the same thing with WLIF, 101.9. Problems at CBS Radio/Charm City? - DCRTV Dave" - It can only mean one thing - those two freakin' village idiots Philips and LaBrozzi have finally jettisoned the entire staff to make budget. (7/17/07)
Dave's response: Usually Baltimore's 101.9 and 102.7 come booming in at the DCRTV World HQ overlooking the Hirst-Brault Expressway in Wild West Fairfax. But not today. Either they're on low power, that Marlton NJ church is testing some new Northern Virginia translators on Charm City frequencies, or the nearby CIA is doing some FM band "blanking" experiment. Hmmm.....
RE: WKHZ. I think the station has a good idea running Orioles and what ever they can to be local. I'd drop the younger format and go after an older cash demo, perhaps Oldies or Nostaliga. The signal isn't too bad-it does reach to all of the resort areas, OC, BB, RB (7/17/07)
According to Don of Mike and Mike, the only reason he, Don of Mike and Mike, ever wrote on his web site's blog was to trash DCRTV: since then the blog has been barren and has disappeared from their site. (7/17/07)
Dave's response: Yes, I have saved Don's short-lived blog entries about DCRTV. Maybe one day I'll repost them on DCRTV Plus. Lotsa fine humor there.....
Funniest Mailbag Line of the Month: "Rome is a stealth educator." Puh-leaze. Jim Rome is a half-assed carny, a world class bonehead and, even by the standards of ESPN radio, a flop. He knows how to insult from a distance, kiss ass when in close quarters, and not much else. I agree with the wiseacre who said Jim Rome is to brains what Andy Rooney is to cleavage. To clarify: Jim Rome is an idiot. Period. (7/17/07)
Dave...Just for the record for your rant, WABC does EXACTLY the same amount of local programming each day as WMAL. Mornings 5-Noon, then 8-10 at night.KGO is a much better example. (7/17/07)
Dave's response: Yeah but Hannity and Levin can be classified as "local" WABC shows, even though Levin is a paid GOP hack who does his show from his Northern Virginia home.....
Just before 5 PM, WQSR, 102.7, sounded like it was running a silent carrier. Anyone know what's up? Seems like the same thing with WLIF, 101.9. Problems at CBS Radio/Charm City? Maybe running on low power and temporarily not receivable here in Northern Virginia? - DCRTV Dave (7/17/07)
Thanks for posting the info about WGTS. I enjoy the station and wandered what was going on. I enjoy your blog. I know you are probably a liberal but I appreciate you posting this info. Thanks, Peter King (7/17/07)
Dave's response: Regardless of my political/spiritual leanings, I think WGTS does a very nice job with the Christian contemporary music format. And if the station does get sold to Minnesota Public Radio, it would make a lot of sense for some other station (WAVA?) to pick up the format. Perhaps Christian contemporary WPER out of Culpeper could find a way to relay its 89.9/90.5 signal into the DC area. Maybe they could buy WCSP, 90.1. Hmmm.....
Frank: My problem with Rome is this: he rips everybody like some kind of tough guy, yet when he has a guest, he gushes all over them. If you're gonna be a tough guy, be a tough guy ALL the time. Don't remind me about the Jim Everett thing, either...that was 15 years ago. (7/17/07)
"Maybe they should learn forced fake laughter from Mike O'Meara. When O'Meara does it, it isn't as bad." Those two need a lot of help to learn how to do a radio show, but the only thing you can learn from O'Meara is how to do crappy impressions, drink until you are almost dead, boat etiquette for women, and how to use cash to seduce young girls. (7/17/07)
Dave's response: For the record, by "young girls" you mean 18-years-old and older.....
Dave, Thanks for a great site. I lived in Reston for three years (98-01), and found your site when I moved back home to Cleveland. I visit dcrtv.com daily, and it helps me keep in touch with what’s going on back in DC. I thought that you would like to see some old video of Doreen Gentzler from when she was the main female anchor at the local NBC Affiliate in Cleveland. These were put up by their news director in his blog a couple of weeks ago, and it caught my eye as something that you may like. Very “Ron Burgandy”-esque. www.wkyc.com... Thanks again for a great site! Ryan (7/17/07)
I thought I was the only one who noticed the dilution of good alternative and progressive rock radio over the past 15 years. On a positive note, 101.9 The End in SLC has a New Music Channel that is playing a lot of cool new music. www.futureofmusic.org (7/17/07)
'This American Life' Technology Breakdown bigheaddc.com (7/17/07)
Dave, Happy Tuesday to you and all. I finally have a reason to turn on the usually hideous 106.7: Jim Rome is back. Get over the ponderous pauses, people; this is good radio. In case you haven't noticed, when it comes to racism, sexism, homophobia, and ilk, Rome is a stealth educator. Give it a chance. Today's show had me guffawing iced tea over my keyboard by 1:15. It's time to bang the monkey and get rid of whatever the fuck that is that airs in the 12:00 slot. God, what excrement. Do people REALLY listen to stuff like that? WTEM is stellar programming compared to that junk. Thanks, Frank in Arlington (7/17/07)
To say that Johnny Holiday is one of the finest sports anchors in the country is a VAST understatement as I had the great pleasure of having Johnny on my show last fall. I can only say, there not enough adjectives in the dictionary for the love and respect that I have to describe this wonderful man. Rusty Gibson, WEBR/Radio/Fairfax (7/17/07)
WLW Cincinnati is live and local 24/7 - well, almost. Midday host Mike McConnell (9-noon) is now syndicated to a few stations, though he remains at WLW and his show is mostly unchanged. His "Weekend with Mike McConnell" show, which is much more widely syndicated, is heard on delay on WLW in weekend evenings, depending on the sports schedule. And who could forget KGO in San Francisco? Live and local nearly 24/7. They run ABC (now Citadel) host Bob Brinker and Moneytalk on weekends, and Dr. Dean Edell is technically a syndicated show (Premiere), though he's based in SF and started the show at KGO. But other than that - KGO airs even live overnight local talk 7 days a week! Ray Taliaferro does the late night honors weekdays, and John Rothmann on weekends. (7/17/07)
Dave, you’re not giving WMAL enough credit. Only 62 percent of their daily programming is plug-n-play. That’s not even two-thirds! And why shouldn’t a station running 62 percent network programming be named “Station of the Year?” Picking out those network shows is a real talent. Sort of like watching “American Idol” is a talent. Not everybody can pick out top-rated shows and then turn the receiver on properly. In the case of WMAL, an executive either here or in New York had to pick the program, another employee had to turn the receiver on, and another had to make the coffee needed to stay awake for the 15 hours a day when nothing’s happening on the DC end of the feed. You just don’t appreciate all that goes into creating a great radio station! (7/17/07)
Hi Dave, You can add 99.9 WFRE HD2 to your list. The format is rockin’ country. Thanks, Lisa Allen, Program Director, WFRE (7/17/07)
Dave's response: I get 99.9 real good but I just can't snag your HD signal at my location in Reston. I've just added the info to DCRTV's HD Radio page. Thanks.....
Greg in Reisterstown: You win nothing! But thank you for playing, and please try again. (he-he). WBAL carries "Fox Sports", "Dr. Dean Edell", and "Brian and the Judge". It's only 5 hours of syndicated stuff overnight. Hey, 19 hours of local programming is fantastic. While "Sports Talk", WFAN is all local, as far as I know, now that Imus is gone. Doug in Bel Air (Survivor of the over-hyped Great Storm of 07/16/07) (7/17/07)
C'mon why is WKHZ still on the air? It is very wise of them to run the Orioles, so that is a great business move...But Top 40/Hot AC?..,It'll never work. It didn't work 6 years ago when it was originally put on the air and won't work now. They have had so many people go in and out of there over that time too. 1590 is the worst signal on Delmarva AM or FM. It has no coverage area. And younger listeners aren't going to put on a weak AM, they don't even know what AM is. FM's have trouble getting them to listen and fill out diaries, much less an AM. Why not go back to Pat Sajak's format of all NEWS? That seemed to draq some people to listen. (7/17/07)
Some of your arguments concerning WMAL are valid... They do have quite a bit of syndicated programming, albeit the two biggest syndicated programs in radio in Rush and Sean. However, your argument about WMAL being all-white is questionable. What conservative talk station in America ISN'T nearly all-white male? Why wouldn't you hold WHUR or any other urban station to the same standard? What radio station in any major market, aside from an all-newser, is going for anything beyond a narrow niche these days? And finally - the National Association of Broadcasters is a business trade organization. The Marconi awards stations based as much on their business model as much as anything else. And whether you like their politics or not, it's hard to argue that WMAL is failing as a money-making radio station. (7/17/07)
Cincinnati’s 700/WLW—The Big One—is completely local talk & news, 24/7 (including the overnight truckin’ show, which does play some tunes). Boston’s 1030/WBZ is fully local, with drive segments in All-News mode and non-drive talk. No truckin’ tunes on WBZ. (7/17/07)
I'm very curious to know how many DCRTVers have tried listening to HD radio and more specifically, what kind of reception did you get? I ask this because I see in the latest HD listings that there are quite a number of stations in the Baltimore/DC area that have HD signals, but wonder how well they cover the area. Here in the Los Angeles area, I'm a bit miffed that even though I live in line-of-sight to Mt. Wilson, where most of the LA transmitters are, with antenna pointed right at Mt. Wilson, I cannot get all of the available HD2 signals, and even then, some of them go in and out randomly. If I'm line-of-sight and I can't get all the signals in, how the heck do we expect HD2 to get much of an audience? And then what about the actual audio quality of the HD signals? From my own listening experience, I can tell you that yes there is some sonic improvement in FM HD, though it's still compressed and not quite CD quality. But the AM signals in HD are a different story. It is quite strange, for example, to hear KFWB news radio 980 with real clarity, without the usual "birdy" that's always been in the signal, and even to hear stereo commercials. Radio Disney, something I normally wouldn't waste any time on just because it's related to Disney if nothing else, does sound cool in stereo on 1110, the former home of KRLA of years gone by. Even so, there's not enough out here on AM to make it worth buying a new radio. Sadly, I'm taking the HD radio back to the store. Maybe another radio down the road will prove better, and maybe getting an outdoor antenna would also help, but thus far I see more problems than I care to deal with for HD Radio. Bill Powers, L.A. (7/17/07)
Dave's response: Honestly, I don't hear any difference between a standard analog FM signal and an HD digital FM signal. The main benefit of FM HD is the availability of HD2 and HD3 additional program streams, although these often have a compressed "tinny" sound. There's a huge improvement in AM signals with HD, but you have to be in a location that already receives a strong, interference-free AM signal to receive the HD signal. Here in Wild West Fairfax, about 15 miles west of DC, I can receive all of DC's FM HD signals (although sometimes I have to fiddle with the antenna to minimize dropouts) but only one DC AMer's HD signal (WMAL). I am about 50 miles southwest of Baltimore and cannot receive any of that city's HD signals - FM or AM.....
Looks like, with the exception of Limbaugh and CBS Net stuff, KMOX has a nearly all-local lineup www.kmox.com (7/17/07)
WOR-710 New York is very much local programming, almost 24 hours/day. Though there is a WOR Network that syndicates their programs, WOR is the source of almost all of them. Looking at their schedule, the only non-local programs are Dr. Joy Browne, Bill O'Reilly and Michael Savage. And that's only from noon to 4PM and 6 to 9 PM, 7 of the 24 hours of weekday programming. Everyone else is not only local, including during morning and much of the afternoon drive time, but each show has its very own style and type of topics discussed, just the way so many stations (including WMAL) used to be. The only other stations that I know of like that are WBZ-1030 in Boston after the news goes off at 8 PM, WBAL during weekdays, and CFRB-1010 in Toronto, which of course, is in our neighbor to the north. WAIT: THIS JUST IN: KGO-810 San Francisco may be the last of the almost all local talk stations in the country. (It's a shame I have to work so hard to find a couple of local-produced tal k stations.) -- Carl in Olney (7/17/07)
WBAL in Baltimore does not run any syndicated programming. Dave Durian, Chip Franklin, Rob Douglas, Ron Smith...it is all local talk...what do I win? Greg in Reisterstown (7/17/07)
I'm spending some quality time in OC with the fam and scanning the dial, I found a Hot AC at 1590. I listened to a bit and heard the ID WKHZ. Is this the same station that Bill Parris owned/owns? I heard a strong mix of 80s, early 90s and some new stuff too. (7/17/07)
Will Thomas may not be gay, but has anyone watched WJZ Channel 13 on the weekends recently?
Hello! (7/17/07)RE the rant: "As for the station's [WMAL] on-air personalities and line-up, it's almost all male and almost all white - in a heavily black city!" WMAL serves the WHOLE area, not just the District of Columbia. The metro area as a WHOLE is not 'heavily black'. You, Dave, complain about poor coverage of the suburbs by stations licensed to DC. Be consistent. Either they should program just for DC proper and ignore you in a suburb, or they should try to cover the whole area and program for it. That said, I've long wondered why 1260 doesn't program for the area where they actually have a fairly good signal - DC proper and the southeastern suburbs. It seems a no-brainer. Perhaps they are fools enough to think that audience is "beneath" them. (7/17/07)
"Here's a challenge to all mailbaggers. How many TALK stations can you name in major markets that are NOT carrying syndicated programming for a good portion of their weekday programming? I'm having trouble thinking of any that have local programming 24/7." WGN-Chicago. Even overnight. And almost none of it is local talk and they are consistently a top three biller in the nation. (7/17/07)
John Martin Replaces KT Harris On 107.3, this goes to show ya Kenny shouldn't be programming. Rick in DC (7/17/07)
RE: Rant of the day. Here's a challenge to all mailbaggers. How many TALK stations can you name in major markets that are NOT carrying syndicated programming for a good portion of their weekday programming? I'm having trouble thinking of any that have local programming 24/7. (7/17/07)
I started my morning commute early today (2am) and thought I'd catch the latest sports on WJFK. Imagine my surprise when Bill O'Reilly was on instead. Unless this was some kind of mistake, I have to assume WJFK is now much less a sports station. This guy must have pictures of somebody at WJFK. (7/17/07)
Dave, according to the logic in your rant, which I agree with, WHUR isn't deserving of their nomination either. Both of their drive time shows (Harvey and Baisden)are not local, but syndicated. (7/17/07)
Dave's response: You've definitely got a point there. I would think that locally-produced programming should be an important component if you're going to strive for "best station" in any format. If all you do is plug into a satellite feed, do you really deserve an award for your "effort"?
It took Atlanta's Project 9-6-1 and program director Chris Williams seven months to find a morning host. His name? "Giant" Brian Carothers, a sidekick and producer for the classic rock station 102.9 WMGK-FM morning show in Philadelphia led by John DeBella. Brian also worked at WJFK as the producer for The Ron and Fez Show a few years ago. The Giant Show is tentatively set to debut on PROJECT 9-6-1 on Aug 6, 2007. (7/17/07)
Another reason for MPR to want a station in DC: WAMU's Diane Rehm has gotta retire SOMEDAY. And when she does, MPR desperately wants the 100+ public radio stations that carry the Rehm Show to replace it with an MPR-produced program. As of 3 years ago, I know for a fact that MPR was planning to produce a 2-hour talk show to air in that timeslot. And having a station in DC, they'd have access to the same quality of guests that Rehm currently has... folks that won't go to St. Paul just to be on a public radio show. Plus, MPR is NOTORIOUS in the pubcasting world for stealing ideas and talent from other organizations. Without Diane herself at the helm, it's doubtful that the anemic/enemic WAMU could retain Rehm's producers and create a new show of national caliber. But MPR could. (7/17/07)
John Martin is an EXCELLENT broadcaster. Listen to him long enough, and you'll hear the occaisonal killer one-liner. Also, mind you, he's a great music jock that's perfect for middays, where the focus is the music. To anyone who is slamming him, are you just upset that you didn't get the job? Also, I'd trust Mix's OM/PD who hired him into the position. I would figure a fair amount of research was put into the position. KT Harris is an excellent jock, but not for a hot AC station in middays...she's got too much energy - you can hear her CHR-style delivery that is perfect for Hot 99-5. She should replace Vibegrrrrrll....what a crock of a jock she is! She is so teeny-weeny, I can't stand listening to her. As for mix - ideally Amy Paige should come back. (7/17/07)
I listened to Big O and Dukes to give them a fair shot. They did nothing but "force funny". I don't know who is who yet...But I will tell you...The one with the annoying, fake, forced laugh needs to stop that sh*t. I will give them a few more listens, but I have a feeling that the fake laughter will drive me away forever. It's funny though...Maybe they should learn forced fake laughter from Mike O'Meara. When O'Meara does it, it isn't as bad. Oh, speaking of O'Meara, play the O'Meara drinking game. Take a shot everytime he says "fantastic". hahahahaha (7/17/07)
I totally agree with your mention of WOR-AM (in today's Rant). It is the model of a tight all-talk format, with genuinely local loving hosts and topics. It shouts NY. If only we did have something like that in Washington, but sadly we don't come close. - Carol (7/17/07)
This night owl(oh for the days of Mayhugh and Krebs) heard Bill O'Rightly on WJFK after 2 am. I baled on the premiere of Big O and Duke show but I assume Loveline has been moved back to 11pm on WJFK. Frankly, since Carolla left Loveline ain't even close to what it was even if Dr. Drew didn't like Carolla.......this is ancient history but who was the executive who decided to make a severe right turn of WMAL's programming? How long was WMAL an ABC owned station?.....is it my imagination or is channel 5 news doing more and more stories that one might say are more Baltimore related than D.C.? Here in toothless fairfax we lost the Baltimore stations on the Cox cable many years ago but is channel 5 WTTG carried by cable tv companies in Baltimore?....saw Christianne Klein co hosting ABC Overnite news last night....When does Allison Starling sleep? (7/17/07)
Dave's response: I think WMAL-TV, then owned by the Washington Star newspaper, sold WMAL radio (630 and 107.3) to ABC in the 1970s. The birth of the great "top 40" Q107 was done under ABC's umbrella.....
This was a very smart move for Mix. I mean, what do you do when the numbers get better with every book? You replace the jock, so the numbers get back to where they were. Just ask Kapugi and his "chiki-bang-chiki-bang-bang" morning show. It hasn't been on longer than a year, but already pissed off more people, than Mark Kaye and Julian put together. KT Harris - you are great, best of luck to you, I am sorry that those tools in charge do not see this. P.S. Hi Vibegirl, you are terrible. I am sure KT will do fine. She still works for XM doesn't she? Word is Julian's doing very well, who did he piss off? Mark Kaye pissing people off is no surprise. Good Luck! (7/17/07)
RE: [ " As explained to me, the "move" of WTWP-FM from Warrenton to Manassas is all about saving money. With Maanassas as city-of-license, the studios on Idaho Ave lie _just_ within the magic 25 miles. Warrenton is beyond that distance and they had to maintain a "main studio" at Warrenton or at least within 25 miles of Warrenton. " ]........ Now that the CITY OF LICENSE for WTWP is officially Manassas, doesn't that make it a LOT easier to get the FCC to approve a transmitter move that is much closer to DC, thus enhancing the 107.7 signal substantially from it's current nearly beyond rim-shot status? (7/17/07)
I just have seen it over the years going back to the early to mid 60's. The radio station listings and formats (and at one time hours of operation, I believe) have ALWAYS been shot-full-of-holes when it comes to any kind of correctness. It always irritated me, but I guess I figured long ago the Post doesn't give a rat's ass about radio dial listings. Then it was, to me, just ignorance and laziness. Now I'm sure it has to do with the fact they evidently operate with very few human beings so any attention bestowed on Washington area radio at all is just amazing - amazing that they publish it at all, in fact. (7/17/07)
Bill O'Reilly wasn't really cut out for the WJFK demographic. He'd be more at home on WMAL or WTNT. It's too bad WMET canceled its old talk shows for the stuff they have now. Mr. O would probably have a home. (7/17/07)
Why is John Martin doing middays on MIX? It's simple, really. Citadel is not about to pay for an off air imaging/production director. They have already started to "Citadel" the ABC chain. (7/17/07)
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