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Current Mailbag - Mailbag Archive Index - DCRTV Front Page - Support DCRTV DCRTV Mailbag - September 7 to September 11, 2007 Latest messages listed first..... \/ September 11 Messages \/ Someone wanted to know when WXRA joined with WPIK; I'm not positive about this..but I'm going to say it was sometime in either 1973 or 1974. Another country station I used to hear a lot back then was a station in Milford, Del.; anybody remember the old "WAFL?" They were at 97.7 (where "Eagle 97 is now)..for a while, they signed off at midnight..maybe earlier than that. Tom in Denton, MD. P.S. To Joyce Conroy: you might want to try and get WHFC to put a picture of you on their site, so that those of us who want to can see if Rusty is right...he most likely is. (9/11/07) Bob Alienello, not sure of the spelling, was indeed Russ Wheeler on WEAM and one of Harry Averill's favorites...after all he lasted more than a year or two. On WCAO, he was of course Robert C. Allen III, on WFIL in Philadelphia, he was Bob Allen. On WIBG for a short time, he was the Real Tony Edwards. More recently, he did mornings as R.C Allen on the now defunct WWLG until the format change. Some years back, he actually was on the air at 1360 AM after the change from WEBB, and read employment ads on the air with another guy alternatively. Steve Miller (9/11/07) I used to listen to WPIK and WXRA in the mid to late 70's, and I don't remember them ever being 100% simulcast. In fact, I thought in those days FCC rules prohibited 100% simulcasts of AM/FM combos. As I recall, on weekends WPIK ran separate programming from WXRA, and on weekdays Ken Winter's morning show was simulcast on both stations, then at 10:00 am WPIK broke away from WXRA and had its own programming until it signed off at sunset. Bob Dupree did mid-days on WPIK in those days, but I can't remember the rest of the airstaff. (9/11/07) Dave's response: Regarding the FCC's AM/FM non-duplcation rules of the past, WPGC-AM 1580 was always a 100 percent relay of WPGC-FM 95.5 during the "top 40" days in the 1970s, right? How'd they get away with that? Correction on my last post. PLB: I meant to say that I CAN assist if R.C. Allen is the Russ Wheeler your friend is looking for. Past 8:00 p.m., my typing goes kaput. Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (9/11/07) High Definition TV. What’s happened to it on PBS stations? Apparently some corporate decision has been made both at Maryland Public Television and at WETA to not carry PBS programming in high definition. Calls and EMAILS to both stations are unanswered. An Engineering Dept suit at MPT delicately suggests via phone that a decision was made beyond his pay grade to not broadcast in h-def. At one time WETA had dazzling 1080p video… but that’s gone. During that heavily promoted era a lot of people (including me) spent large bucks on upgrading to h-def. Now, only commercial TV has h-def and even that is spotty. (The Redskins-Dolphin games started in regular TV and sometime late in the first quarter switched to a somewhat low-rez version of wide-screen semi-high resolution.) Something is going on at public TV stations. What is it? Tom Gauger (9/11/07) Dave's response: Apparently, several standard-def channels with different programming are more economically attractive to the TV station than one big fat beautiful bandwidth-hogging HDTV channel. And it's only gonna get worse as more TV (and radio) stations look to make money by leasing their digital capacity to third parties - a la home shopping and preachers..... The repeated replays of Kevin Everett's spinal injury reminds me of the Redskins-Giants game in which Joe Thiesmann’s ankle was broken. Are we as a society so misery-infatuated as to really get off on that? (9/11/07) To PLB: I believe that R.C. Allen III used the name Russ Wheeler when he was on WEAM. Not sure if this is the Russ Wheeler your friend is looking for, but I can't assist if it's R.C. Also, just wanted to pass along that the website for the Committee to Honor Buddy Deane is up and running at thecommitteetohonorbuddydeane.googlepages.com. You will find individual and group petitions to the Rock n Roll Hall and the site will also bring back some fond memories of the Buddy Deane show. My thanks to Frank Lidinsky, Bob Mathers and all of the members of the Committee to Honor Buddy Deane for assisting in this project. Rusty: Don't discount yourself my friend. That was a handsome picture of you promoting MHT. Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (9/11/07) As we remember those innocents who perished in the terrorist attacks of six years ago today, let us not forget the broadcast professionals who lost their lives in the destruction of North Tower of the World Trade Center. (9/11/07) Dave's response: We have a news item on DCRTV's NYC News page today..... When did WXRA joined WPIK??? thanks (9/11/07) Dave's response: And, if it was the same country station, why not call it WPIK-AM/FM. Or WXRA-AM/FM. OK, I'll answer that. WPIK-AM was licensed to Alexandria and WXRA-FM was licensed to Woodbridge and there used to be an FCC rule forbidding shared calls by commonly owned stations in different "cities." Well, I took a stab at it anyway..... Like so many locals, Richard Sher got his start at Maryland's carrier current, WMUC. He was part of a great crew that included Rick King, Rhody Bosley, Paul Palmer, Bill Seaby, John Dowling, Bob Duckman, John Hartge, Miss Midnight, just to name a few. (9/11/07) Paul, Yes, I could be called a “boss”, if I wanted. However, I learned long ago that you accomplish more when you work together as a team where everyone compliments the strengths of everyone else in the group. The result of course, is that everyone succeeds. For that reason, I consider myself as more of a “player/coach” despite the white shirt and tie. (On “casual Friday”, the shirt can be blue and white striped!) And, as for the other “label”, it’s usually “Stratford” (off the shelf from J.C. Penney) unless I find something I like at Costco. (Usually Haggar!) Why those stores? Because, in addition to trying to be a wise steward of the people, budgets, projects, etc., that I’m responsible for professionally, I try to be a wise steward of my own resources! Sorry for t! he obtuseness of yesterday evening. Long day…! Unsigned Corporate Suit (9/11/07) Hey my "Brother" Tom in Denton: You're probably not going to believe this. Years ago (circa ''66), when my cousin lived in Federalsburg, he played Little League Baseball for C..C. Rotary and somehow had gotten a hold of a red "Denton" ballcap with a white "D" on the front which he gave me a few years later. I still have that cap to this day! Would you happen to know if the "Service Trucking Co." is still around?. My Uncle used to work at the old "Super Chrevrolet" and volunteered at the Fire Dept. before they moved to Easton. Ciao, Rusty (9/11/07) Well, now... It looks like one of Dave's regular mailbag correspondents got themselves a webcam: www.youtube.com (9/11/07) Roddy Freeman's recitation of Richard Sher's resume missed one essential stop: Sher's first big gig while attending UMCP was PA announcer at Greenbelt Plaza's "S. Klein on the Square" department store. It's true. Richard freely acknowledges it. (9/11/07) WUSA9's search engine listing hacked/spoofed? Just stumbled across this while searching for Channel 9's website. A Google search for WUSA brings up this search result: This text comes from the "description" META tag; it doesnt show up on the owners website, but it's used as a description of the website to be displayed in search engines Looks like either they were hacked, or the web development team put this in as a joke, and forgot (or didn't!) to take it out before launching the site, and nobody from the station has noticed it. Either way, I can't imagine station management wanted this for their official description. These descriptions are usually very official-sounding. For comparison, WJLA's description tag is "WJLA ABC7 is On Your side with local news, sports and information. On Your Side."; WRC's says "Get local news, weather tv schedules and more on WRC Washington DC". Anyway, just noticed this, thought you might be interested. Keep up the great work with the site! thanks! (9/11/07) Could this be the future of WBIG? Clear Channel brings "Starbucks Radio" to Cincinnati. The article: biz.yahoo.com... The station: www.radio941.net... (9/11/07) Dave's response: Or CBS's 94.7 The Globe? Dave, Thanks for the link back to September of 2001. Bit more serious tone in the posts that week. But being the cynical bastard that I am, I must quote one comment that caught my eye. A poster wrote "After all the bashing of 94.7 for playing the Rolling Stones 10 times a day, let's give props where they're due. (September 14, 2001)". Now, 6 years later, we have "Worst Class Radio" playing the Rolling Stones 25 times a day. The more things change... Frank in Arlington (9/11/07) Re: Wookie Man Whoever said Wookie was a fat slob would have been mistaken as the pictures show. Secondly any record rep that called Wookie an Asshole wouldve been because he didnt take personal record money so adds were harder to get. I remember working at KISS when TOny Q and Matt's Dad were in a big lawsuit over some crap my former roomate Big Don said or didnt say, and i went to a club night of wooks at the old scandals on 68th street, I got stranded, and didnt want to take the bus so Wookie dropped me off in his BIG ASS GIGANTIC YELLOW HOOPDY.. after I had trashed storm bennett, steve demann and wookie all night. Wook bought all the bear when I worked at KHZ as I hardly ever had any cash Wookie is just an all out radio head. With Integrity. I remember Wookie buying rounds in Phoenix at the Billboard Convention to for me and KC O'Neil you always knew where to find wookie at conventions those days, no not looking for the scooter, looking for the big italian guy who needed no introduction cause it was me its me its albie dee... i seem to remember card games with Cagle too but thats where things get cloudy... signed... "Kyle Shannon" Sandler kyle@kylesandler.com (9/11/07) Hey Dave. Plenty of talk about "blowing up" WYSP in Philadelphia. Plenty of it is real. Top of their wish list is Elliott for mornings. Just an FYI. -- Brett (9/11/07) Dave's response: Well, if WYSP was a Clear Channel station, like DC101, I'd say that might happen. But being a CBS station, it looks like WYSP will continue with Opie and Anthony in mornings and run rock the rest of the day, like their CBS cousin in NYC, K-Rock, WXRK. I know Elliot has a lifelong desire to be syndicated, but, so far, it's only via a Clear Channel rocker in Richmond..... "Let's see if old impotent white guy radio like WMAL and WBAL cover this near-by story of racism with the same vigor they did the Duke Lacrosse Brats story." Sounds like relatives of Senator Byrd. (9/11/07) All right, I believe I’ve passed my quota for posting in 1 day. Dave is probably about to suspend me, but I do want to answer his question about Richard Sher. The answer is…yes. I remember Richie Sher from middays on WEAM but never knew he also used the Russ Wheeler name. After WEAM—and I might not have the order exactly correct—Sher did news on weekends at WCBM. Then he went to NBC-owned KNBR-AM in San Francisco as a newsman. When WBAL-FM picked up NBC’s short-lived News & Information Service, Sher joined them as one of their primary local news voices. And then it was on to WJZ-TV, where he became very popular. When I first left Baltimore in 1979, Sher was also co-hosting “People are Talking” along with Oprah Winfrey. I’m done for today. Roddy Freeman (9/11/07) ("I love hearing these righty radio talkers like Rush and Sean today blame the fact that Bill Clinton didn't nab Osama BEFORE he masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks, but neither mentions the fact that George W. Bush still hasn't nabbed Osama six years AFTER the attacks.") The difference is that the Sudanese offered Bin Laden to Clinton in 1997 and he declined. Had Clinton taken him into custody, there likely would have been no 9/11 or the need to use the military to hunt him down. (9/11/07) Dave's response: Hey, hindsight is great. If 9/11/01 had been a cloudy, rainy day (like today) things may have been different, too. Those amateur terrorists pilots wouldn't have been able to see their targets - the WTC and the Pentagon..... Quien es Donaldo y Miguelito? Meanwhile at Donnie's myspace page tinyurl.com... Won't you be his friend? Where does Charly Stuangstabalack spend his vacations? In that far away place called The Land of Make Believe? Adios, Cheryl The Big Dyke.....when your lost in the rain in Juarez...anyone seen my hinny? gang code gang code all the ladies are jealous of my fingernails and whatnot (9/11/07) Dave's response: I'm pretty sure that's not the "real" Don Geronimo's creation..... This Washington Post article will establish the date of Jim Gibbons' move to WPIK (along with longtime DC radio and TV institution Milton Q. Ford). DCMemories.com (9/11/07) Roddy's aside about those "Bury WTOP" signs posted around Arthur W. Arundel's WAVA studios in 1969 was no joke. How many folks recall that Nick Arundel, with the help of VA. Congressman Joel Broyhill, inspired an official Federal Trade Commission investigation into the legality of WaPost-owned WTOP's shift from Talk Radio to an All-News format? Read about it here: DCMemories.com... (You'll need to scroll down to the third article.) When the station switched to all-news on Monday, March 10th, 1969, resilient Eddie Gallaher was initially retained as an anchor. The overnight Music 'til Dawn show was shifted to the FM side which didn't exactly mesh with their automated "Young Sound" format. Talker WAGE bought a Post ad to shout that they would gladly welcome WTOP's old audience. (9/11/07) Okay..while we're on this "WPIK" kick, here's a few more names for ya: there was a time when a guy named Jim Fitzgerald hosted mid-days; there was also a guy named Guy Hamilton (they used to call him "Shy Guy Hamilton)..he took care of the evening shift; WPIK and WXRA had begun symolcasting at this point. And Jay Parry..I'd forgotten about him; yes..I think he was still around about the time I started becoming familiar with WPIK. Hey all you DCRTVrs..thanks for allowing me to "trip down "Memory Lane!" If there was a country station that I could pick up back then (and there wasn't a whole lot of 'em)..I'd check it out; most of them didn't come in all that well! But if the signal was such that I could listen to it, listen I would! Tom in Denton, MD (9/11/07) Let's see if old impotent white guy radio like WMAL and WBAL cover this near-by story of racism with the same vigor they did the Duke Lacrosse Brats story. www.thesmokinggun.com (9/11/07) I love hearing these righty radio talkers like Rush and Sean today blame the fact that Bill Clinton didn't nab Osama BEFORE he masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks, but neither mentions the fact that George W. Bush still hasn't nabbed Osama six years AFTER the attacks. The political blame is shared, a fact that Rush and Sean are so ignorantly blind to. - KC in DC (9/11/07) Robert C. Allen AND Richard Scher used the air name Russ Wheeler at WEAM. Scher did a shift as "Richie Scher" and another as Russ Wheeler. Perhaps someone else used the name as well. (9/11/07) Dave's response: Could you mean longtime Channel 13er Richard Sher? Wow, Ed, you mentioned another name I have to comment on. When I worked weekends at WNAV (1968-1970), Ed Hartley was the afternoon man. He didn’t have a great voice but was a really nice guy. At the time, WNAV was owned by Rau and run by Lloyd and Betty Smith. Every so often, Ed Hartley and the morning man, Al Gregg, would get angry at Betty for telling them to talk less. So they’d revolt by not saying anything except when they read commercials and the weather; outside of that, they would just segue records and commercials. Well, management either didn’t notice or wanted Ed and Gregg to think they didn’t notice. And after about 2 weeks of nothing but segueways, they’d start talking again. Ed left in the summer of 1969, when his friend Bill Parris got him into WEEL. This was at the beginning of the “Million Dollar Music Weel” format, programmed by Jack Alix. Of course, the format didn’t last long, and Ed went to WPIK. After that, he did go to WWDC, but first as Johnny Holliday’s producer, and then to overnights. A couple years ago, I was watching CNBC in primetime, and saw the name Ed Hartley in the credits with some kind of tech title. I’m guessing it’s the same guy. He was from New York, and the first radio job he had was with city-owned station WNYC-AM. Roddy Freeman (9/11/07) Roddy, you're killing me! Your memory amazes me. And, I'm known for my memory. Jay Perri had gone from afternoons to Production Director at WPIK by 1972. And, if he was cordial, it was either because his cordiality dripped off from the always cordial Ron Starr, or that your Jay was a clone. Cordial? My gosh, Jay loved to stir up trouble! One day, he screamed at the sales manager that the black stripe in the checkered tile was "The Line" between programming and sales, and that he was not allowed to cross it. Before we moved here, my sister had a teen magazine that featured "North America's Best Dee-Jay's" It showed our local favorites from CKLW, guys from CHUM and WLS and, from Washington DC, Jay Perri of WOL and The Joy Boys of WRC. We figured WOL must be the hot rocker in town and got a very rude awakening when we tuned them both in! It was a shame that WPIK dumped Dupree. The station(s) were never the same after they made the part-timer Program Director. And, I can't even remember his name! "Russ Wheeler," at last report, was still in Baltimore. He is Robert C. Allen III of WCAO, WLPL and WLG fame.- ER (9/11/07) Joe, I believe I missed your Dad at WPIK by about five minutes. As I recall, WPIK remained an Easy Listening/Semi-Classical station until sometime in 1966. Roddy, I don't recall Jim Gibbons doing mornings on WPIK; I thought he split the middays with Bob Dupree or did afternoons. He was, indeed, one of the staff members displaced by WOL's format change to Soul and, when he left WPIK, bought WFMD AM/FM (now WFMD/WFRE). Right around the time that Carl Kasell went full time at WAVA, WPIK hired Dave Hammond to do middays, so that Bob Dupree could concentrate on his duties as Program Director. (Bob was also doing a huge volume of voiceover work for area radio stations and Channel 20.) So, the scorecard now has George Brookhyser replacing Carl Kasell in mornings (until Red Shipley arrived in the summer of '72); Dave Hammond replacing PD Bob Dupree in middays (with Bob doing an hour, from Noon until 1PM, so Dave could grab lunch at the Hot Shoppes across the street or George's Villa Pizza, downstairs!). "Easy" Ed Hartley left afternoons (or, as we called it, "the signoff shift") for the overnight show on WWDC. So, "the kid" did afternoons until they could find "a grownup" to do it! lol It really rankled Production Director Jay Perri that they had "a hippie" working there so, in September, when the days got shorter, I got nervous about losing my job due to the early signoff, and crossed the river to WJMD in Bethesda. So yes, Tom in Denton, I was on the air at WPIK. We WOULD talk about the artists, but only over the intros and fades of the records. Although our presentation was very conversational, we did not blather on "out-in-the-clear" (as I'm doing here. Sorry!). While we might mention, "our old friend from Davidsonville, Roy Clark," or "a new Buck Owens discovery from Bakersfield," the older guys on WDON and WINC/WRFL would practically tell you how the artist's zip code was derived or what size hat they wore. Bob Dupree did a great job of demonstrating the "economy of words." We paid a lot of attention to how Bill Dalton's Metromedia Country station, KLAC in Los Angeles, sounded. After Mr. Hayes, our General Manager died, the owner fired Bob Dupree (dummy!) one of the part-time disc jockeys was promoted - Ed. Rodriguez (9/11/07) Hey, does anybody know where Russ Wheeler is. I have a good friend that is looking for him. He used to visit Russ at the WEAM studios back in the day. Any help will be appreciated. PLB (9/11/07) The Washington Redskins' next game will be this Monday night, when they will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. That game, which will be an ESPN production, will air on my20. Details on my20dc.com. (9/11/07) (regarding a previous post) "I remember at some point in the late ‘60s, Jim Perry did afternoon drive on WPIK." The name you're looking for is Jay Perri. He was with WPIK during its MOR days, as an air personality and then, during the country format, as Production Director. In the mid 1970s, he worked in the advertising department at Army Times Publishing Company in SW Washington DC. They also owned the Journal Newspapers, which offered various Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland editions. I also remember him as a rather unpleasant person, too. (9/11/07) Dave's response: Roddy wrote back to us saying he got Jay's name wrong..... I sent an e-mail to WJZ-TV 13 back in May asking if ESPNHD would be available on WJZ-DT when the Ravens play on Monday Night Football this season. They wrote back a few days later, saying "It's not been determined whether the ESPN games WJZ simulcast will be in HD. It's probably unlikely, because we don't have the equipment which would enable us to receive the ESPN HD signal. We can only receive CBS programming in HD". Well, they must've gotten better HD equipment over the summer, because last night, I saw the ESPNHD version of MNF on WJZ-DT. I didn't pay much attention to see how many seconds the HD feed was off from the analog feed of either WJZ or ESPN, but it couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds. -Greg in Perry Hall (9/11/07) Donde este Donaldo y Miguel esta semana? is Donaldo loco in el cabeza otra vez?!?! Está Miguel muy gordo bebido otra vez in el 'greasy spoon' él posee? "Los dioses de radio" lousy necesidad de retirarse pronto!! Si, tome a muchachos permanentes de una grasa de las vacaciones!! Gracis, El PJDJ en Herndon!! (Translation services courtesy babelfish.com) (9/11/07) I remember at some point in the late ‘60s, Jay Perry did afternoon drive on WPIK. He had been WOL’s morning man in the MOR days. In fact when I visited WPIK above the old Virginia Theater in 1969, he was on the air and, as I recall, was not very nice to my friend and me. Funny, but years later, in the 70s, when I was working at W.B. Doner Advertising in Baltimore, Perry and Ron Starr (WINX, WWDC, WRC) came into my office. They were selling ads for a small newspaper chain (possibly the Sentinel). Of course, Perry was cordial then. Roddy Freeman (9/11/07) Rush now voices ads for coffee with bacon flavoring in it. What fat bag of goo is he. (9/11/07) Look Don and Mike's old buddies www.charlieandharrigan.com (9/11/07) (However, I am just glad to see that you obviously understand that at the end of the day, even though we may not like it, this is still a business") Yeah but a business to entertain and/or inform not to produce the cheapest widget and sell for the highest price possible...unfortunately the media has been taken over by these myopic poopy heads and sadly I don't think it shall get any better.... did WGN Superstation drop "Homicide" off the schedule?...btws dcrtv dave are you selling the naming rights to Ye Olde Mailbag? "The Natty Bo DCRTV mailbag" Man ain't the beer COLD! (9/11/07) Dear Dave: Just spoke with my Dad. He says he was at WPIK from 1965 to 1969 (he said he would check his records to be sure...I could swear it was longer but the passage of years tends to erode the accuracy of memories). He also began work at WAVA in 1967, initially doing evening drive and weekends so, for a while, he was heard on two stations in the area. Eventually, he became news director there and stayed until 1977 when he left for his current gig at NPR. The thing I remember was that in spite of his working seven days a week he still managed to find time to help with homework, attend little league ball games, take me to see the Washington Senators play, and otherwise spend some quality time....oh, and get a little bit of sleep as well. Still don't know how he managed all that. Great site Dave! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (9/11/07) So last evening we've got Ravens Pre-Game shows on WBAL (4-7), a different show on WIYY (4-7), WHFS (5-7), plus the all sports stations talking football, WNST and WJFK-AM. Is there really a need for all of this in one market? And while there was discussion about audio delays, it was quite interesting last evening. On Comcast, WJZ (13) was abt 5-6 seconds ahead of the ESPN (6) feed. WBAL Radio was anywhere from 15-18 seconds ahead at some points, to being in sync w/CH 13 at others. The time difference fluctuated all evening. Anyone care to chime in and explain? I can understand a constant delay, but not the inconsistency. Doug in Bel Air (9/11/07) To be fair on the Chip Franklin bio, he doesn't list any of the radio stations he worked for. He simply states he came to San Diego from DC. That's absolutely true. He claimed he was moving to Baltimore back in 2001 in order to ingratiate himself with the masses, as Sheri's doing now, then stayed in the DC area. Howie (9/11/07) To Roddy Freeman: Could it be then..that Carl Kasel started with WPIK later than 1965? I'm fairly sure he was there in the late 60s/early 70s; that's when I remember hearing him. Seems to me that the line-up was something like this: Carl Kasel in the morning, Bob Dupree mid-days..and possibly Bob Hughes during afternoons..not a hundred percent sure..but think I'm somewhere close. To Rusty Gibson: well..you've got one up on me; you've obviously seen what the hostess of "OBP" looks like; I haven't! I'm hoping that (at some point in time)..I may get to meet her; it's a long shot..with her being in the southwestern part of Virginia..and me here in Denton (and I don't drive); would be a hell of a long walk to her house! Tom in Denton, MD (9/11/07) Clear Channel's inability to cover 9/11 was just a sign of what was to come. Most of the remaining D.C. area broadcast news operations have deteriorated since 2001 including the aforementioned channel 4. Everett W. (9/11/07) I remember 9/11 well, as it was the most tragic event to date in my life. My father was scheduled do to a job at the Pentagon that day, but was moved to Dover AFB the day before. Thank god, cause you never know what would have happened. When I go to NYC, I refrain from taking pics of Ground Zero, as most tourists do not. I remember I was working at WAMD in Aberdeen at that time, and the station flipped to 24 hour news coverage from ABC Networks, with live wall to wall local news and views during AM drive. I was driving on I-95 when it happened and remember hearing about it on the radio. An hour later while traveling through Harford County in I-95, I noticed a long convoy of black vehicles with government tags and hummers flying down the highway. At that point, it really sank in. To this day, I still get the shakes thinking about that day as it is the most tragic day for my generation. Steve C. (9/11/07) I remember sportscaster Jim Gibbons, later to own WFMD and WFRE, doing mornings on WPIK for years starting in the mid-‘60s. I remember Gibbons saying, when WPIK flipped to country, “We’ve switched to country music here at WPIK. I’ve always been a fan of country…” I seem to remember that Gibbons was one of the WOL personalities to leave after Sonderling bought the station in 1965. In 1969, Carl Kasell gave me and a friend a tour of WAVA during the station’s all-news days, so I don’t think 1966-1972 are the correct dates for his stint at WPIK. At the time, WTOP had just gone all-news, and signs throughout WAVA’s space read, “Bury WTOP.” Roddy Freeman (9/11/07) Dave: Thanks for the play back mailbag from 9/11. The thing that sticks in my mind from a broadcaster’s point of view is Clear Channel. They had eight stations covering the Nations Capital and they took the Channel 4 news feed. How that manager ever kept his job is beyond me. Wasn’t WTOP really good back then? Finally, I think I liked Jim Farley more when he was posting on the mailbag every 15 minutes and signing his name. Even though he had 10 different names at the time. (9/11/07) Just how bitter was the split between Chip Franklin and WBAL? In his new San Diego show Franklin talks about his radio past as being Washington DC. Even his bio on KOGO says he comes to San Diego via Washington, DC. It's as if he wants to wipe Baltimore and WBAL out of his history. What caused the bitter split? Why did WBAL implode to the degree that Franklin wants no mention of his work there? (9/11/07) Dave's response: Not to diss Baltimore, but it probably sounds more impressive to San Diegoians that you came from Washington DC, the capital of the free world and all that, than Baltimore, where they have good crabs. You know..... While I was originally unhappy to see Theisman get the boot, I must say after last night's game that Jaworski is far better and a great addition. Tony still sucks. (9/11/07) Dave's response: Paul Farhi, is that you? Thank you, NBC4, for showing Jon Jansen's injury video three times in slow motion during the dinner hour. Thank you also, NBC4, for showing Kevin Everett's spinal injury video in slow motion during the dinner hour. I guess if it's news, you'll show it even if it nauseates some people. I myself would rather see some actual rape or murder footage in slow motion on NBC4. Maybe they could show clips from that great series "Faces of Death". Pat Collins could narrate. Regards Biff (9/11/07) (Dave, you wrote, "Anyone got any advice for Deborah about getting a return call from area radio stations? Is radio public service promotion a thing of the past?") Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yes. Corporate radio may have been designed to be good for shareholders (though in practice, it hasn't been so hot), but for the communities these radio stations are supposed to serve, corporate ownership long ago signaled the end of service to, and involvement with, their communities. Think about it, Dave, when is the last time you heard a real local psa anywhere on DC radio? Public service literally does not exist in corporate radio. You may get some real community involvement (real psa's and real news) in the smallest markets, but major market radio could care less. (9/11/07) Hello, from Unsigned Corporate Suit… Further down the Board is the comment ”… the majority of stations outside of the top ten markets can't afford to experiment. Streaming is still cheaper, easier to install, maintain, and more effective than HD. And now with broad band wireless on the rise you can stream your favorites mobile...” There is one statement that is unfortunately true. And, alas, one that is becoming false. True, stations in smaller markets cannot afford to experiment. However, streaming (at least as we know it today) is a dying duck. At least here in the good ol U.S.A. While not completely false today, it will be given time. And big political bucks! With the recently set copyright fees (plus retroactivity), many small to medium market stations are pulling their webstream! s. Why? Because of things like RIAA and the Copyright Review Board. IMHO, what we need are more small and medium market stations with 24/7 streams! As for an MLB or NFL game, let them carry it! Ditto the spotload. Stations with webstreams should be encouraged to carry all on-air spots on their streams. Why? They are showcasing our culture to the world! In some cases, these small and medium market stations do a better job showing “the real U.S.A.” abroad than anything in English that ever came out of 330 Independence Avenue. It’s not technology that’ll cripple (if not kill) streaming by broadcasters. It’s greed plus the Copyright Review Board (and RIAA) refusing to recognize that we’re in the 21st century. (9/11/07) Dear Dave, Just to clarify, my Dad was the morning man at WPIK from 1965 to 1972. This was before he went full-time at all-news WAVA and, eventually, to his current gig at NPR. If memory serves me correctly, the late Bob Dupree (a dear friend of the family who had to rank way up there with some of the best pipes for radio) had the midday slot. I can't really comment on how much they did or didn't talk about country music (my age at that time was in the late single-digits) but I do know that artists would stop by the studios at 523 First Street in Alexandria (near where the Alexandria Roller Rink once stood) to talk about a new album. My Dad could also tell you stories about Roy Clark calling the station from his suburban Maryland home to make a song request. It was quite a different time then before ownership conglomerates came to be. Again, Dave, a great site! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (9/11/07) Dave, Grab this lest it "disappear"! -John www.wjla.com (9/11/07) The link posted below to the Eaton (WMET-TV, WOOK) file in DCMemories.com includes several articles regarding the famous WOOK “numbers game,” as a result of which the station ultimately lost its license. In my senior year at the U. of MD, I did a term paper on the case, poring through volumes of material at the FCC. For those who don’t know, preachers on WOOK airing on Sundays were quoting bible verses that were in reality lottery numbers. For example, 74 psalm and 7th verse was a lottery tip to play 747. Some of the quotes by the preachers were quite funny (well, not funny to Mr. Eaton). Complicating matters for United Broadcasting Company (WOOK’s owner) was that when FCC inspectors visited WOOK, they uncovered a slew of technical problems. A few years ago, I had a flood in my basement and lost tons of photos, term papers and other things. But the one thing that was not completely destroyed was my WOOK paper, and coincidentally I was reading it this past weekend. Roddy Freeman (9/11/07) Hey Tom in Denton, as a guy born in EMH in Easton if there is a conflict between Joyce's "OBP" and my "MHT", the choice should be should be obvious. Aside from being a drop dead gorgeous lady like Joyce is, I on the other hand have the proverbial "Face For Radio". Caio Bro. Rusty (9/11/07) Ref WMET-TV: So you're saying Channel 24 was a Dick Eaton' station? (9/11/07) To Ed Rodriguez: Where you actually on the air at WPIK? I think it actually was in late 72..possibly early 73 when I started paying more attention to that station..no..wait a minute..I used to listen some to WPIK before I graduated from high school..oh the station played good country music alright; they just didn't talk much about it! But it seems that, later on (after Red started working there)..that changed; they became more "personality" oriented; then they began cymulcasting with WXRA..so that pretty much made them a 24-hour-a day country station for the D.C. area..unless there's one that I'm forgetting about that also programmed country music 24 hours a day. Tom in Denton, MD (9/11/07) Dear Unsigned Corp. Suit, I meant what label? Is it Boss, Hilfiger, Botany 500? Paul (9/11/07) Debbie writes: ‘I have written and telephoned all of the stations you recommended more than once and none of them have responded to my requests’. This is simply shameful. OK – ya don’t want to have anything to do wit her event. That I understand. Not responding with the simple courtesy of a phone call or an e-mail I do not understand And PLEASE don’t give me the “due to the volume of requests” lecture… I’ve been there. I know about the volume of requests – and I know that when I did it I reponded to everyone who wrote or called. If you are in radio today and you don’t respond to every last person that writes or calls you then you are quite simply a fool. (9/11/07) (RE: Dave's response: Anyone got any advice for Deborah about getting a return call from area radio stations? Is radio public service promotion a thing of the past?) My advice is to contact her elected representatives to express her wish for the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to be repealed and for the reinstatement of ownership limits to be set at 8 AM's and 8 FM's. Anything short of that coming about is a waste of her time. Even that is not encouraging. Sorry Deborah. You just don't matter to the boards of directors--unless you manage the ad budget for Home Depot. Do you? (9/11/07) Christ, I just saw that Redskin Show with Larry "Ted Baxter" Michael and Braham "Baseball Sucks" Weinstein and, yes, it does indeed remind me of Garth and Wayne's presentation on the local cable access channel. Even more absurd than the 1st grade production is the fact that these two bozos are sitting down and Joe Gibbs is standing up between the two with his own microphone. And these two losers are straining their necks to look straight up at Gibbs. What producer in their right minds would have the guest have to stand up for 30 minutes through and interview while the interviewers (that is kind) sit down for 30 minutes? If I was Gibbs I'd ask that tool Michael why he was so rude not to ask him if he'd like to sit down. (9/11/07) HI Dave, (Dave's response: Anyone got any advice for Deborah about getting a return call from area radio stations? Is radio public service promotion a thing of the past?) Ask to see their PUBLIC FILE! Make the appointment, then make your PSA pitch once you see how it addresses their list of "Community Concerns". That should do it. Capt. Steve (9/11/07) Heard some radio sports dudes yesterday (not the junkies, some AM guys) say the HD problem was not Channel 9’s problem, but a national problem. They said their producer called channel 9 and was told this. (9/11/07) (Dave's response: Frankly, it gives DCRTV a 10 percent hike in weekly web traffic which is good for our advertising/revenue purposes). WOW!!! I never thought I would hear "for advertising and revenue purposes" from you. My first reaction was that you were being a little hypocritical since you often heap criticism on stations for making moves based on revenue and advertising. However, I am just glad to see that you obviously understand that at the end of the day, even though we may not like it, this is still a business. (9/11/07) /\ September 11 Messages /\ \/ September 10 Messages \/ Tom in Denton- I enjoyed your comments about WPIK/WXRA. I worked there (when I was still in vitro, no doubt) just before, and while, Red did mornings. The fellow he replaced was George Brookhyser. I think George took over from Carl Kasell or Bob Dupree, our PD. We thought we were playing Country music, too. Then, one night, with long hair and jeans on, I introduced myself to WINC/WRFL's Buddy Allen, who was doing a show at a Firemens' Carnival. He stood there, in a turquoise, sequined, Western suit, calling me out about how stations like WPIK, that followed the charts and didn't talk more about the music, were ruining Country music! It's funny how perspective changes with the smallest unit of time. And, thanks to Roddy Freeman and others for the kind words here, e-mails and calls. I should be back on the air in several big ways, shortly! - Ed. Rodriguez (9/10/07) The Discovery Channel building, and contents, in downtown Silver Spring is a major contributor to the "Silver Spring Media District." If the whole thing decamps to Hollywood, there goes the neighborhood. The unanswered question is "What can Discovery do in Hollywood that it cannot do in Silver Spring?" The proper reward for those who are big contributors to corporate coffers is NOT "Move or Leave." Do I detect an executive who has his eye on a big house in the Hills of Beverly? (9/10/07) Unsigned Corporate Suit again… Yes, I’m embarassed at my question about Jeff “The Most Powerful Man in Washington” Holtzman. And, I apologize to both him and Chris Core. I was basing my question on comments Chris made at the close of his Friday show. And, Paul, if I were to give my “label”, my ID would be a dead giveaway, alas. That is why (like several) on here, I employ a “keyboard name” rather than be totally anonymous. Sorry I can’t go into more detail than that. (9/10/07) With regard to: ""but if the engineer at Clear Channel's 1801 Rockville Pike facility doesn't want to turn off the HD signal & remind the board op to take them out of any delay, then you get what you get." Who cares. HD is done and has been done for a while. With the average cost of an HD rollout over $100,000 the majority of stations outside of the top ten markets can't afford to experiment. Streaming is still cheaper, easier to install, maintain, and more effective than HD. And now with broad band wireless on the rise you can stream your favorites mobile. (9/10/07) In regard to Red Shipley retiring: I have fond memories of hearing Red on WPIK in the early 70s; he had this neat thing he used to say..it went something like "Rise and shine..feel fine...hit it, Darlin!" There were a few variations on this; I liked the fact that..from time to time, he would tell who some of the musicians were playing on a particular record (that's important to me as I like to hear about who's playing them good licks)..that was back in the days when WPIK/WXRA was a right good little country station! Now then..somebody help me out..but before Red became the "morning man" there, didn't Carl Castle have that slot? And as best as I remember, the DJs on that station really didn't talk a lot; it was mostly music..country music..back when country music was really "country music!" Oh I could get off on a soapbox about that..but don't want to give anybody eyestrain reading this post! To Rusty Gibson: all is forgiven--smile---seriously I hope that the medical problem wasn't anything serious. Will check in next Sunday (if I don't forget)..sometimes is a toss-up between whether I should tune in to MHT..or continuing listen to the tape I made of Joyce CConroy's show from the night before! Oh..before I leave ya: I do consider myself somewhat of a bluegrass fan (more country than bluegrass)..but I recall a time when country and bluegrass were programmed kind of one in the same! Tom in Denton, MD (9/10/07) ANY radio station, not just the religious ones, should be ashamed to not try to help out the lady with an event for MS. The least they could do is provide a PSA for the event. Not even calling the woman back is disgraceful. DC radio should hang its head in shame! (9/10/07) [Someone wrote:] "..."but if the engineer at Clear Channel's 1801 Rockville Pike facility doesn't want to turn off the HD signal & remind the board op to take them out of any delay, then you get what you get." [end quote]. That is making a choice. " [Which was responded with:] Actually, it's NOT a choice, which just goes to show how much you know about radio, which is approximately nothing. The standard radio station contract with iBiquity, whose HD Radio technology is licensed not purchased, says that you CANNOT turn off or ramp down the analog delay...even for sporting events. Maybe you should try learning something about the business before you go spouting off in this here Mailbag, eh Bub? [My response:] WRONG! The iBiquity licensing agreement specifically allows running HD without the time alignment delay during sporting events...and I quote "The only issue with time alignment that cannot be overcome with some technical ingenuity is live sporting events. Stations that insist on operating unaligned during sporting events are encouraged to slowly ramp down their delay and then turn off their digital transmitter." So Bub, maybe YOU "should try learning something before you go spouting off in this here mailbag." 100.3 was not running their HD delay this during this weekends game, and since they did that I surmise the person running the board forgot to dump the 15 sec profanity delay in addition to the HD delay. Thus the feed would have only been delayed 5 secs which would be the same as Red Zebra who is most likely providing them the audio feed to begin with. Bob/Arlington (9/10/07) Does Discovery have all it's other cable tv channels based in Silver Spring? Likely they'll all move to L.A.? I still think Discovery channel is running Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs show into the ground...........I caught Zombie Cheerleader's School couple of Saturdays back, had some nice prints of Night of the Living Dead and a very nice print of White Zombie, which is hard to find. Hope she does more show's, she funny. Thats Falls Church cable tv Cox channel 12. Also love the Ghoul A Go Go marathon last week, could watch them over and over. Here's a sample of their work www.youtube.com ......it appears that Czaban quit Comcast Sports Net Redskin's Post Game Live.......as expected lil' danny has made John Riggins mind right and now Riggo glorifies all things redskin's, predicted da 'skin's would be 11-6 this season on George Michaels Redskins Report..... not only delay between tv and skin's game on WBIG but a delay between Lil' danny's red zebra collective and the broadcast on WBIG.....listening to jim gray hosted pregame show by Westwood one on WTEM this eve...boy old Jim sounds devoid of energy and hearing Coach Shula constantly shilling for nutrisystem is a drag...just noticed at 7:15 pm WTEM cut power big time/dark...i remember in old days when wtem was wrc it was a strong signal all night long....who's this brittney spears? maybe she should move back to Louisiana, get a trailer and raise them ther kids right... (9/10/07) In mid-August, DCRTV got this..... Hello - ...We are trying to outreach to all resources for (a Walk-A-Thon for multiple sclerosis) event. I noted that DCRTV lists the various radio stations in the Maryland/DC region. Could you direct me to where and how we would go about requesting a gospel station to come out to this event and sponsor a remote? This would put more emphasis on this cause to the community and would therefore reach many more people via the station advertising this event prior to their giving the remote on the date. If you could assist me in locating a station that would willingly sponsor this remote, we would appreciate it. Thank you in advance, DEBORAH S. YEADON And we responded..... Debbie, In the Washington area, stations with gospel formats include the new WPRS, Praise 104.1, which is owned by Radio One, and WPGC-AM, Heaven 1580, which is owned by CBS. Both stations have studios and offices in Lanham. In Baltimore, you could try Clear Channel's WCAO, Heaven 600. - Dave Hughes, dcrtv.com And we heard..... Hello Mr. Hughes - Thank you very much! I will check into these stations, specifically, the new 104.1 to see if they would be interested in sponsoring a remote. Take care, DEBORAH S. YEADON..... Then on 9/10 we got this..... Hello - I have written and telephoned all of the stations you recommended more than once and none of them have responded to my requests. Can you recommend another means of making contact with them, time for the event is drawing nearer and none of these stations have made themselves available. Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give in making this h appen, DEBORAH (9/10/07) Dave's response: Anyone got any advice for Deborah about getting a return call from area radio stations? Is radio public service promotion a thing of the past? Re: Britney- “I blame her agents, her cohorts in the business and the media.” Wow. What a poor, helpless victim she is. Her own decision-making is obviously not to be considered here, since, after all, she DID just have a baby. And then another one. In like, less than two years. I blame the sperm. (9/10/07) My cat just saw Larry Michaels face on TV and immediately went and OD'ed on catnip. And can someone please explain Redskins Player Club to me? Just WHAT the hell was that? My sincere condolences to Cheryl the Big Dykes family. I enjoyed her on the Don and Mike Show. Paul (9/10/07) I wonder if the Discovery Channel’s Sterling, VA-based tech center will be moving? (9/10/07) Originally from the beach, it is interesting about the latest happenings at OC104 and Magic 98. Moreover, here's an interesting idea, probably never happen but wouldn't it be ironic if JJ McKay aka ' Hitman ' took over the morning slot at OC104 and helped them get their ratings up. Back in the day when Daryl Nixon owned OC104 they tried to compete with 100KHI back when JJ was the program/music director and Dave Allen held the same position at OC104. Then JJ could hire Bill Baker to either do middays or the night time and really boost the ratings... let's face it, it would be a closer drive for JJ than Pocomoke City. I don't think JJ would want to work at Great Scott but the idea is there... stranger things have happened in radio. And as far as Wookie is concerned, sometimes it is just time to go and move on.. Remember the successes and try to rejuevenate your career elsewhere. Rich in Bmore (9/10/07) To those whom have yet to catch "The Fitz Mix" on WEBR: He airs a great show on Friday's from 1-3. Aside from being a good friend of mine, his show is not just bluegrass but is also a touch of classic rock with splash of humor (including a "JoyBoys" segment. Hey "Tom in Denton": Sorry I let you down yesterday as we had some medical issues here in the house that we had to deal with. Am I forgiven? I'll be back in the "Air Chair" next Sunday @ Noon. C U Then"MHT"Fans ! Rusty Gibson (9/10/07) A discussion of Baltimore's WMET-TV 24 wouldn't be complete without a profile of the station's rogue owner, Richard Eaton. A Harvard graduate, Eaton roamed through 1920's Europe as a newspaper correspondent, barely escaping from a Russian prison with his life. He later established a chain of French papers, only to lose them to the Nazis. Back in the States by the '40s, he worked as a Mutual Broadcasting System newsman before founding WOOK-AM in 1947. Although the articles only tell part of the story, read Washington Post accounts of Eaton's various enterprises at: DCMemories.com... (You'll need to scroll down to read each article.) Alas, the Post reported nothing specifically about Channel-24, but plenty about DC's Channel-14. If you haven't the time to read anything else, skip to the bottom of the page for the account of Richard Eaton's $50 million "tangled legacy of money and relationships". (9/10/07) Dear Unsigned Corporate Suit, what label do you where? Paul (9/10/07) With the local bluegrass radio programming disappearing to HD, I thought it would be a good time to let you know that I'm still playing an hours worth of bluegrass on The Fitz Mix on WEBR in Fairfax. Same outfit as Rusty Gibson's show. I'm on the air live Fridays from 1:00pm to 3:00pm et. I have figured out however, that many who post here are not bluegrass fans. I figured you can still pass it on that there is still BG aired locally and on the net at fcac.org. Congratulations Dave on ten years running DCRTV. It's educational and ...sometimes funny. Sorry I missed you on Rusty's show on Sept 2nd. Now I have crank up the Tivo to listen to the MHT...I'm now followed by Tom Gavin..and of course Charley. Fitz (9/10/07) To the individaul that took a shot at my "compassion for Brittany". Look stupid, the girl lives in a world of "non-reality". I blame her agents, her cohorts in the business and the media. As I said: Think of someone you know that may have struggled after giving birth Mentally..that's a tough transition, especially when you're in the bright lights and the public...and your agents and Management are chewing you up, so they can make more bank. BACK OFF already. Give her a break. (9/10/07) RE: The person who thinks we should "lay off Britney Spears." You are right. We should treat celebrities with the respect and dignity they deserve, particularly on such high class shows like the MTV Awards Show. By the way, did you see the beer gut on Britney?? Britney is two donuts short of becoming John Goodman. (9/10/07) Diana Silman........not Sillman.........thanks, Ratso (9/10/07) To the the person who sees the "Battle of the Hotties" a disgrace...get a life, moron! It's cool to have a choice every week, whether male or female. Dave's done a great service in adding a little humor to our dismal lives. I've voted since the first one and look forward to the match-up every week. Hey Dave..here's a suggestion...do one from the media "has-beens" file...that would be hysterical..keep up the great work! (9/10/07) Dave's response: Media "has-beens"? We did have Mike O'Meara in a previous Hotties battle - and he won! Ok as much as I hate to defend Ch9, yesterdays HD problem doesn't appear to have been on their end. I watched the Game on BOTH Directv, and no not the CH9 feed to them, it was the NFL Ticket, and Ch9, the same exact problems were on both, break up, pixelating, wrong audio, ect. Looks to me that it was a CBS problem that went unaddressed. (9/10/07) I'm so glad I ditched Comcast this past summer. Over the weekend, Dish Network added an HD channel version of The History Channel. This makes a total of 4 more HD channels that have been added to the lineup in the last two weeks...History Channel HD, Discovery Channel HD, TLC HD, and Animal Planet HD. This brings the total of HD channels to over 35! So I don't have Comcast SportsNet in HD, big deal, I don't want to watch an all Redskins/Soccer channel anyway. If only MASN would get its act together so I could watch the O's and the Nats in HD, it would be perfect! G.K. (9/10/07) Re: "...producer of The Spooky Movie on Falls Church Cable tv has video of the Don and Mike event Rusty Gibson speaks of...perhaps he might upload to youtube?....." The video you're thinking of aired years ago on FCCTV on a show called "Tales to Make You Say, "Goodness," and it was actually of the 1995ish "Lesbian/Star Trek" wedding (where one of the lesbians use to be a dude); most of the time is spent zoomed in on Don's bald spot. The whole thing is about 3 minutes long. Diana is seen, as is Sheri. It has not been uploaded to YouTube. In any event, just getting caught up on the DCRTV news, and it is very sad to read of Cheryl's passing. She was always a lot of fun on the air, and it sounds like she lived an incredible life. My thoughts to her family & friends. (9/10/07) Why, oh why does everyone pile on when it comes to Brittany Spears? She's one screwed up lady right now. I think it's directly connected to her baby's and birth. I think she's having really serious Post Birth Trauma, and needs help. She was a nice girl who went to the top way too fast. I for one, wish the media would back off...give her some space. I wish too, her managers would pull her off the appearance bracket, hide her somewhere for about a year and let her get the help she needs. We are WAY too judgemental when it comes to celebritys. Think of someone you know that may have struggled after giving birth..that's a tough transition, especially when you're in the bright lights of the media and the public...BACK OFF already. Give her a break. (9/10/07) Dear Jazz Fans: The big news this week is that our radio show is moving to a better time... we'll be on the radio in the DC area from 5 PM to 6 PM EST... one hour later than before and in the heart of afternoon drive time. Our internet service remains the same... great jazz music anytime and anywhere. Musically we will be featuring the artist performing at the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival... find out more right now by clicking below... jazzradiodc.com... Do check out the entire JAZZRADIODC.COM site and listen often. Thanks, Carl David (9/10/07) Battle of the Hotties - This is trash. it serves no purpose. And I can't understand, why you would trash up a good site. Why make the losers feel bad? This is stupid. (9/10/07) Dave's response: Frankly, it gives DCRTV a 10 percent hike in weekly web traffic which is good for our advertising/revenue purposes..... Back in 1999, NBC tried to expand Today an extra hour by launching Later Today with Jodi Applegate, Florence Henderson and Asha Blake. That sank like a Stone (Phillips?). Then in 2000, they gave Today a 3rd hour. Starting today, Today is four hours. Does America really need a 4th hour of Al Roker? NBC, CBS, and ABC are as barren of creativity as the movie studios, which crank our sequel after sequel. Why are they surprised that viewership is on the decline and there is a huge shift to cable stations and altermative media? (9/10/07) "Crossroads" debuting on Channel 7? Shouldn't it be "CROSSWORDS'? (9/10/07) I understood you were talking about game play by play. Perhaps, since you pay such close attn to the sound, you also noticed something called ambient or natural sound,,,aka crowd noise to those sitting at home. Perhaps your season tickets expired? Did you ever have any? Have you ever been in a stadium, in a seat, during a regular season game? Guess Not. Because if you had ever been so, you would know there tends to be those, like yourself, who have to yell "F**ng Yeah" every time the QB scratches his ass. While the FCC may not be listening in the farther reaches of Frederick, within DC, most stations won't take a chance at that getting picked up and broadcast. Thus the profanity delay is indeed used during play by play. There is no HD radio delay on Red Zebra. (9/10/07) (RE: “What is going on over at WTOP? Their website has not been updated…” Dave's response: What's going on over at The Globe? Look, I love Elvis Costello and I know it's an "eclectic weekend," but "She"?) The question was about WTOP and Dave starts bashing The Globe… LOL. You’re too much, Dave… Bob/VARTV (9/10/07) Dave's response: Ha ha ha. Loved that new "Curb Your Enthusiasm" last night..... Channel 9, get your act together. At the start of the Skin’s game, the over-air HD feed was not working. Then a banner was broadcast to announce this fact. Then the HD signal came back but it was very inconsistent the entire broadcast with drop outs and pixel noise constantly. The reason the majority of people (men) purchased HDTV’s was for football. On opening Sunday of the NFL season, you would think that a professional broadcast outfit could make sure the HD feed would be working. I just want thing to work the way they are supposed to work… that ain’t asking much! (9/10/07) After searching the dial...AM and FM, I finally came across the Maryland game against FIU Saturday night. WJFK was drifting in and out where I live in College Park. What's up with that? Is there another station that I can get that carries the Terps that has a better signal? WJFK's is terrible!! I don't know why the switch from WMAL but one thing is for sure, you could hear the games loud and clear. For as long as I can remember Johnny Holiday has been the "voice of the Terrapins", I'm guessing it's well over 20 years, and to me he's never sounded better. Hats off also to analyst Tim Strachan who really knows his Football. A tip to the PR people at Maryland, I also tried to listen to the game on the inter net but all I got was static. (9/10/07) Dave's response: You could try Baltimore's 105.7, but reception of that is probably worse than 106.7 in College Park..... in regard to an earlier post about WMET-TV. yes we did transmit color programs when we carried network shows from the big 3. this went on until the F.C.C demanded that the station install equipment to monitor the color signal. given that we had about zero money, the station decided to install a color burst filter to kill the color information. that satisfied the commission, but did not completely kill the signal 100 percent. in some cases I remember seeing a very faint bit of color on some programs. the station never even had a color TV to see the color picture. the time I worked for united broadcasting at 4340 Park heights ave. in Baltimore can easily be converted to several Sitcoms! somewhere in my collection, I still have the basic station ID slide we used on the air for years..oh yes, in very black and white. if anyone wants more info on that operation from someone that really was there, feel free to e-mail me at gmichaels@citlink.net Gary Michaels (9/10/07) "..."but if the engineer at Clear Channel's 1801 Rockville Pike facility doesn't want to turn off the HD signal & remind the board op to take them out of any delay, then you get what you get." [end quote]. That is making a choice. " Actually, it's NOT a choice, which just goes to show how much you know about radio, which is approximately nothing. The standard radio station contract with iBiquity, whose HD Radio technology is licensed not purchased, says that you CANNOT turn off or ramp down the analog delay...even for sporting events. Maybe you should try learning something about the business before you go spouting off in this here Mailbag, eh Bub? (9/10/07) Anyone know what's up at 1090 AM. No news this morning, Shari Elliker is on until 12. and no traffic reports or sports. Sounds like a format change..... Cancel that post from earlier about WBAL, apparently that was on their internet stream, and not on regular radio. Regular AM radio has their usual programming. Burt in Denton (9/10/07) As for the "delay" on WBIG, if they are running HD then the delay is required. The delay is a part of the digital system, and the analog must follow the delay so when the digital signal drops out, the radio will switch to the analog with out a noticeable different in the program. It's different with tv, since their digital is on a different channel, if you are watching analog it is in real time, but the digital has a short delay. It drives my wife crazy, the main TV is tuned to the digital, but the tuner in the kitchen is analog. Got to love HD Radio! (9/10/07) Excuse me Mr Mailbag Windbag, but did I say anything about the sports call-in shows? Reread the original poster who asked about the delay in play-by-play audio & then take the time to reread my post. It was all about the play-by-play and had nothing to do about callers and profanities. Why would there need to be sync audio with TV for a call-in show featuring "rabid fans and opinionated armchairs"? Here's a lesson for you - 1) Take your nose out of the air long enough to read the text without your bifocals getting in the way grandpa, and 2) We READ and COMPREHEND the posts here before we spout off. Otherwise go back to Craigslist you troll. I said quite clearly [quote] ..."but if the engineer at Clear Channel's 1801 Rockville Pike facility doesn't want to turn off the HD signal & remind the board op to take them out of any delay, then you get what you get." [end quote]. That is making a choice. I didn't say it was incompetence. Maybe there is a company policy that all live programming remain in delay. My main point was that the original poster seemed to think flagship radio stations & TV HAD to work together to sync radio audio to TV picture, when in most cases there are two separate rights agreements, two separate production entities, and even when both are produced by the sports team themselves, they are not bound by any mandate to sync with each other. The radio & TV outlets are competitors in almost every case, city by city, in the NFL and MLB. My "hands thrown in the air with disgust in his voice behavior" stems from the fact that we go over the same shit year after year because Mailbag Windbags like you don't READ the posts fully or COMPREHEND the association with the original posts. Now go back to your trailer down by the river and wait for the real engineers at that daytimer you mow the tower grass for to come in and have you change the air in the transmitter tubes "sparky". (9/10/07) I don't know what the pictures were like on the Cox feed of the Saturday NACAR race was like but my pictures from Comcast were unbelievable. I have never seen SD pictures jump off the screen like that did...and remember that was from Comcast! I am willing to bet that Fios had even better pictures. Steve (9/10/07) I also would like to extend my "thanks" for the poster who provided the link to "Crab TV"..I had a nice little trip down "Memory Lane"..thanks to Gary Helton's site! It's the first place I've ever seen anything written about a great "kid's bowling show" called "Pinbusters!" Loved that show! Tom in Denton, MD (9/10/07) At FedEx, today, I timed the delay between the plays on the field and when they were broadcast on WBIG. The average time was between 10-15 seconds. In other words, the play we just say live, was coming over the airwaves after the play had ended. At the same time, the CBS broadcast was tied to the play in the field. It's disgraceful that SnyderRadio, for the fans at the stadium and the fans at home, who want to listen to Sonny, Sam and the Dunce, can't get a play by play in real time. Sonny, Sam and the Clown sit next to the network broadcast guys, right? If the network doesn't work on a delay or sweat it, why should the SnyderRadio? - Bob from College Park (9/10/07) /\ September 10 Messages /\ \/ September 9 Messages \/ Look at all these jobs posted for DC, I see Baltimore needs a PD, I bet it's at Smooth Jazz as you reported.... Tom clearcareers.clearchannel.com (9/9/07) Excuse me Mr. Arm chair quarterback of engineering. There is nothing wrong, no act to get together, no engineering, technical nor operational incompetence at either Red Zebra nor 100.3 That delay, be in 6 secs or 20 secs, is EXACTLY intentional and correct, operating as desired. That is called a profanity delay. It is there because rabid fans and opinionated armchairs who call into talk shows have been known to shout vulgarities that could incur fines. Your very 'hands thrown in the air with disgust in his voice' behavior here is an indication that you possess the exact boorish loud public behavior that requires a station to have such delay. When you get you armchair act together, and develop some self discipline of the bottle and the mouth, then managment can save the tens of thousands of dollars that is spent for such delay devices. (9/9/07) Unsigned corporate suit here... Any word on what's happened to Jeff "The Most Powerful Man in Washington" Holtzman who apparently had his last day as producer for WMAL's Chris Core on Friday? My usual sources don't have a clue! Is he another victim of Citadel's pea counters? (9/9/07) How many times do we have to go over this? Radio has NO requirements to alter the timing of their broadcasts to sync with TV when it comes to play-by-play broadcasts. If anything, we prefer to stay as live as possible for the hometown crowd in the stadium or arena. The Redskins Radio Network has no incentive, agreement or reason to try to sync with the CBS Television Network or FOX. In relaying the TripleX radio feed to WBIG, I'm sure they are trying to reduce that delay as much as possible, but if the engineer at Clear Channel's 1801 Rockville Pike facility doesn't want to turn off the HD signal & remind the board op to take them out of any delay, then you get what you get. It's all in the details. The same goes for the outlying affiliates. Chances are they are getting the Redskins network feed from a satellite, which would give them about a 1.5 to 2 second delay. The Nationals have benefitted from MASN being delayed, and futher delayed on the DirectTV channels for MASN, because a large number of Nats fans listen to the almost live radio feed and turn off the highly delayed TV sound. (And personally, I say screw Angelos and let MASN die a short death. Get the TV rights back to the Lerners!) If you think listening to these teams on SatRad, when it comes to the radio feed being carried on XM (MLB) or Sirius (NFL), the satellite relay can add up to as much as 21 seconds ~ but averages about 16 to 18 seconds from flagship-to-satellite, satellite-to-XM, XM Master Control to XM Satellite Uplink, XM Satellite signal to customer receiver. Not to mention the XM path is now so compressed to make room for their Surround Sound channels and other bandwidth waste that you hear a barebones feed with less quality than an analog phone line. And MLB.com takes a phone coupler feed from each team, so Gameday Audio is only a solution for those who are out of town & can't hear their teams on terrestrial radio or want to play the game from the archives. We go through this same issue at the start of every baseball & football season. Your simple solution? Go to the game or live with the technical limitations of stations & team networks that have transmission delays beyond their control. Live is live is live. (9/9/07) My thanks to person who provided the link to Gary Helton's Crab City Kids TV for the answer on Pogo the Clown. Really appreciate it. Rusty, thanks for being such a special person, friend and radio brother. Hey 7 East Lexington Street Rat: We missed you my friend. Let me take a try at the songs: "Signs", Give My Regards to Broadway", "The Way We Were" "Black Diamond" (BTW there was a group called Blackjack except it wasn't Jack Diamond, but Michael Bolton who sang lead), and "Me and Bobby McGee". Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (9/9/07) WXTC - you are right WXTC should have never been sold at that time. rk (9/9/07) I think, since they're so open minded, and need a boost, the next subject should be Chad Dukes, or Brad Fukes, from Big O and Dukes, vs one of the Junkies, or Don Geronimo. A JFK oriented poll....Given Don and Chad's past skirmish, it might be intriguing to see the results of that.... adam (9/9/07) re: my post below...I meant Will Thomas.. not Will Morris. Regards Biff (9/9/07) Dave's response: Understood..... (Dave, In regard to comment about the Globe, It's time: Michael Hughes - keep Weasel and Cerphe and fire everyone else - in front of and behind the mic. Time to start over.....) The true problem is Michael Hughes!!! (9/9/07) In its second year Redskins Radio can’t get the delay situation resolved. The TripleX stations are about 5 seconds behind the TV over air coverage on channel 9. WBIG is at least 20 seconds behind. The network stations, WFRE-FM, WAGE, WNAV are in sync with TV. For those out of town or need to listen to Redskins via the internet, the live stream WFRE.com website is a good choice. (9/9/07) Sully Comes Up Short At His Big Fat Gay Wedding bigheaddc.com (9/9/07) Dave's response: Cute couple..... Memories, pressed against the fissures of my mind, oh, sorry-just thinking out loud again. I taxed my brain (and it went to jail rather than pay) and me thinks WBEY, Grasonville, went on the air in the late spring of 1981. I was lookin' for that home and, well, I called the station and Jack Diamond took one minute out of his busy schedule to tell me that I didn't have a snowball in hell's chance of being hired by him in the 'very modern country' format he was planning. As I recall, it was just a trifle too twangy to get upset over such a lost opportunity. I think he got his name from the KISS song, Black Diamond. John Pavlos, John Wolfe, I remember, but not the other dudes. Hey, where is Chuck DuCoty these days? A good fellow, he almost hired me when he PD'd at 98 Rock. Greetings to Sister Joyce, thank you for thinking about me, I'm alive and doin' fine. Give my regards to Broadway-and speaking of which, poor Sheri Ellicker! Imagine moving from Alexandria to Feels Pointed! Consider renting a room and keep that mansion down there-BAL may switch to a Polka format before the end of the year! Okay, name the five songs in this post and you'll be Rat of the Day! -Yours, 7 East Lexington Rat (9/9/07) What is going on over at WTOP? Their website has not been updated since Saturday morning. Everyone on vacation? (9/9/07) Dave's response: What's going on over at The Globe? Look, I love Elvis Costello and I know it's an "eclectic weekend," but "She"? Of all the cool Costello tunes you could play? That's an old Charles Aznavoir ballad that I'd expect to hear on a "Music Of Your Life" station! And then we hear that tired old Peter Gabriel dirge "Red Rain"? That might be "eclectic" for WASH or Lite FM, but not a rocker. Sheesh. And yesterday - "Love Hurts" by Nazareth? Ugh! It's time: Michael Hughes - keep Weasel and Cerphe and fire everyone else, in front of and behind the mic. Time to start over..... To Rusty Gibson: No Magical History show today? I tuned in to listen to what you had; figured you were doing a "folk/country" set, but noticed I hadn't heard you speak. Then, just now I heard (we hope you're enjoying our "folk" segment (or whatever he said)..anyhow..what gives? Hope everything's okay! Tom in Denton, MD (9/9/07) Dave's response: When I talked to Rusty on Saturday he said he was planning to do a show today..... RE: Martinsburg radio. WVEP is West Virginia Public Radio and carries NPR ‘casts and spotty West Virginia news. Almost nothing of interest to Martinsburg. Technical problems keep this transmitter off the air frequently, sometimes for days. Tom Gauger (9/9/07) I am surprised that even seasoned editors and reporters fall into the marketing trap set by iBiquity Corp. HD Radio(tm) does not mean "high definition." and never did. See notionscapital.wordpress.com... Mike Licht (9/9/07) Dave's response: From the start I've said "HD Radio" is a dopey name. They should just call it what it is - digital radio..... Any update on the wherabouts of FOX5's Lou Holder?..Or is this going to be like some of the other disappearing acts at FOX5 such as Makenda McGahee (remember her?) and the infamous Tom Sater? (9/9/07) Dave's response: We reported that Holder went to ESPNU, the college sports network not carried by most area cable systems..... WXTC-FM (107.9) was the FM sister of WANN-AM in Annapolis. It was never a rock station; the call letters might suggest that it was, but in those days the calls had no meaning. At least from the early ‘60s, WXTC just simulcast the black-oriented programming of WANN, Hoppy Adams et al. In the early ‘70s, owner Morris Blum sold WXTC to Family Media, which transformed it into WFSI. As I recall, the price tag was a mere $300,000. Unless Mr. Blum really needed money at the time, the sale seems an obviously short-sighted move. Roddy Freeman (9/9/07) Suggested Media Hotties Battle...Gene Baxter vs Bob Duckman. Or.. I'll settle for Will Morris vs Steve Villanueva. Regards Biff (9/9/07) To the kind soul who wrote ...." Expect more voicetracking on WINC-FM and WWRE/WWRT"...Now thatCentennial is pretty much in control, yes I do see more voice trackingcoming to WWRE/WWRT "Real Classic Rock" but even with Centennial coming totown I still have doubts we will see any voice tracking coming to WINC-FM........ Myself, other than their weathergirl who tends to giggle abit too much, I give TV3 Winchester a "C" for effort though I can't imaginethey have that many viewers overall. (9/8/07)" May I simply add, SHUT UPPPPPPPPPP! Thank yew. And, WXTC was only doing rock the way WHFS did at first. They people putting on the show went out and sold the ads, then paid for the time with that money. Thank yew. (9/9/07) Re: Martinsburg's radio stations: WRNR offers news and politics until Joy Brown and Dr. Laura come on in the afternoon, with political talk all night. WEPM is news and politics until noon. Then it switches to sports (Jim Rome, etc.). WEPM's news director/talk show host - Chris Strovel - recently left to work for Second Congressional District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (a former Queen Shenandoah when her dad was governor of West Virginia). The news on WEPM's web site hasn't been updated since July. In Winchester, WINC's three-man news department updates Comcast Cable 6 at least three times a day. Q102 has no news department. Comcast Cable 6 is updated at least once a day on Saturday and Sunday. (9/9/07) Dave, come on: "disguarded"? I'm no stickler, but you gotta get "discarded" right. Especially in a situation as important as the Media Hotties Battle. (9/9/07) /\ September 9 Messages /\ \/ September 8 Messages \/ Does anyone remember radio station WXTC FM from Annapolis MD, first early rock station on FM.. rk (9/8/07) Dave's response: 107.9..... Hey "Sister Joyce"; like me you are hugely nostalgia curious (and knowledgeable). I sit here looking forward to tonight's episode of "Oldies Block Party" (the world's best kept secret)! Love Ya with all my Heart Sis!, Rusty (9/8/07) Maybe it was just my feed from Cox Cable, but the analog feed of WJLA tonight of the NASCAR race looked horrible. Blurry, out of focus, and that moiré effect that certain sportjackets used to get in the 1970’s, on everything. Since everyone hates NASCAR anyway it seems, put it back on ESPN, where at least it was clear. Jerry (9/8/07) Hey...great pic of the "Wookster"...nice and pastey...and looking like a slob! I know a few record reps who even said he was a real a#*hole. And as far as the "Rumpsnaker" is concerned...good riddance...another egocentric. Maybe Cowboy can do fill-ins while they look for someone permanently. (9/8/07) ...." Expect more voicetracking on WINC-FM and WWRE/WWRT"...Now that Centennial is pretty much in control, yes I do see more voice tracking coming to WWRE/WWRT "Real Classic Rock" but even with Centennial coming to town I still have doubts we will see any voice tracking coming to WINC-FM. Over the years and from several different people I have heard the key reason why WINC-FM never joined the voice tracking/automation bandwagon is due to the fact that they ( WINC ) control the local Comcast cable channel 6 in the Winchester-Beryville areas and that per agreement between WINC-FM and Comcast that in order for WINC to remain ( and to make money ) with Comcast channel 6 then they must remain live. Of course I can't say that is indeed the case but I heard from a number of people including employees at Comcast that it is indeed the case. I can say that Since WINC-FM is more/less live 24/7 even though WINC does have their share of syndication, then WINC can update cable channel 6 as far as news and weather goes just about anytime and that makes that channel more accurate than similar channels on other systems. Years ago I had a conversation with an onwer of one of Winchester's top car dealerships ( and a major advertiser on both WINC-FM and Q102 ), he was saying that at one point in the mid 1990s then Adelphia cable were seriously considering dumping WINC from channel 6 and pick up Q102 instead, however Q102 at that point was already airing satellite programming overnights and a ton of syndicated programming on the weekends which made Adelphia fear that channel 6 wouldn't be updated, in other words updated during the week but totally forgotten on the weekends. It also didn't help that at the time Q102's AM sister station WNTW-AM 610 had a problem of of airing outdated weather forcasts on the weekend. I myself remember hearing a forecast for the Apple Blossom Festival weekend on the MEMORIAL DAY weekend. I actually called up Q102 about this but was told that "..part time employees can not update the weather on WNTW, sorry about that". Oh well !! At least with staying with WINC-FM, you wouldn't have that problem. I wonder if WINC makes much money with Comcast channel 6? Over the years I heard both " a little" and "a whole lot". With so many people in that region going the dish route I would imagine WINC doesn't make as much with tv 6 as they had but I could be wrong. On a similar note, Martinsburg's Comcast offers their local WRNR on cable there. Wonder why Adelphia/Comcast didn't pick WEPM instead? A friend of mine told me once that there was a "problem" between Adelphia and WEPM but she wouldn't go into details at exactly what this problem was. Myself would pick WEPM over WRNR even though the two stations are almost like twin brothers, hell both of them quite often airs the same local high school games though WRNR does offer a much better morning show than what WEPM has. Oh another thing, exactly how is TV3 Winchester doing since it is going on now 6 months since their debut? Like everything else I heard mixed results. That Gray Television and Shenandoah University are losing a ton of money on this yet I heard that the new channel is a huge success and they are already looking to expand their newscasts. I have friends who watch TV3 Winchester over the air in Hagerstown and Martinsburg and they actually prefer TV3 Winchester's news to that of WHAG's. Myself, other than their weathergirl who tends to giggle a bit too much, I give TV3 Winchester a "C" for effort though I can't imagine they have that many viewers overall. (9/8/07) I agree that was great information about WMET-TV. Though I don’t know if there was a Pogo the Clown, I do know there was a Frank Holston. He of course was our radio/TV professor at the Community College of Baltimore and did a weekly sports show. The set was a couch in front of a plain wall. WMET-TV’s first program director was Brian Rehak, who was also in the radio/TV curriculum at CCB. The tower mentioned still stands and holds the antenna for WERQ-FM. But the legendary Avalon is long gone. Roddy Freeman (9/8/07) The answer to Joyce Conroy's question, "Would anyone on the Mailbag know who played Pogo (the clown on WMET-TV)?" can be found at Gary Helton's excellent CrabCityKidsTV.com website, "A Fond Tribute To Some Of Baltimore's Memorable Children's Television Shows And Their Hosts... 1950 to 2000". CrabCity KidsTV.com (9/8/07) I believe C.W. Prather producer of The Spooky Movie on Falls Church Cable tv has video of the Don and Mike event Rusty Gibson speaks of...perhaps he might upload to youtube?.....I thought Diana left cause of disagreement between her gentleman friend and Don over the computer game plus she'd probably reached that line of I can't put up with is ingrate sh9t no more with the great Donaldo. imo the Don and Mike show was at it's true apex in the days in which she produced....say ain't Donnie G. and Tony K. alike? Know it alls who don't really know all that much and have grating personalities and appears both on down side of their careers... (9/8/07) Re; Diana Sillman, I only met her once. She was a nice lady that bore a striking resemblance to actress Kathleen Quinlan. This was all at a "D&M" Valentine's Day function many years ago where they were holding a contest and footing the bill for a wedding. The catch was the prospective bride had to be pregnant (and showing). The entire "D&M" crew (especially the then (Shari "Licker") seemed to be OK people surprisingly.(though I don't recall seeing Mr. Gavin there). Rusty Gibson WEBR Radio/Fairfax (9/8/07) Sorry Paul...if you remember that Wookie is a fat slob then you must REALLY have a bad memory or maybe your school hired someone claiming to be Wookie. I worked with the man for 12 years and I'd be surprised if he weighs more than 130lbs. I also did 'gigs' with him and he stayed very busy in the Salisbury/Ocean City area. Did a lot of clubs too. Here's a pic of Wook with Donnie Simpson. (9/8/07) Excellent information on WMET. WMAR had the fabulous Stu Kerr as Bozo the Clown. On WMET, wasn't there a Pogo the Clown. Would anyone on the Mailbag know who played Pogo. Also, I believe there was a music show on WMET called "Like Young". In Harford County, I had to move the UHF antenna and the TV all around the house to get the station. Have a great day. Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (9/8/07) How long will it take for Comcast Sportsnet to drop 'Redskins Radio" with Bram Weinstein and Larry Michael (AKA : Ted Baxter). God that is a bad show. (9/8/07) Ref: Hard to replace: Wooky and Bill Rumpsberger, Are you kidding me, Billy Preston said if best "Nothing from Nothing is Nothing" Jeff in Berlin, Md. (9/8/07) There is no guarantee that broadcasters will transition their output to HD ever. It is a big cash outlay for them. I don't care if the local newscast is in HD, because I avoid those marathons of mediocrity. Breaking News! indeed. But, programs from the network centers should all be distributed in HD and sent out by the stations in HD. Now. Not in 2009. Of course, the cable systems don't have the capacity to carry tons of HD. Which makes fiber-to-prem scenarios like FIOS look good, as does Direct Broadcast Satellite. Portions of the Today Show are in HD, the Tonight Show is in HD, NBC Nightly News is in HD, Jeopardy! is in HD, big time football is in HD, one HBO channel is in HD, certain PBS programs are in HD. The rest is mired in 1940s technology. Heckfire, broadcasters can avoid HD altogether and rake in revenues from brokered programming in standard def on their subordinate channels. Makes Blu-Ray and its competitive DVD format look like a viable alternative to "Dancing with the Stars" in HD. (9/8/07) re: "makes me wonder whatever happened to another former female D&M'er, Diana Sillman (sic) (Jenkins), who left D&M to produce Dick Cavatt's short-lived radio show?" Diana Silman is married again (has been remarried for a while), has two great kids, lives near Chicago and is a paramedic. Yes; a paramedic. Her husband, at least last I heard, manages the Palm in Chicago. Diana is out of the business and is reportedly glad to be so. (9/8/07) Tony K. should write for the Wash Post and stay off radio & TV. He's horrible. Wilbon is a great writer and should write for the Wash Post and stay off radio & TV. He was good and interesting but now he screams and the act is stale. Keep writing you two. That would be fine. (9/8/07) Dave's response: Tony Kornheiser WAS a great writer. He should give up the sinking Post and "MNF" and focus his energies on a nationally syndicated morning radio show and his afternoon "PTI." His "tryout" on WaPo Radio this spring showed a true spark of talent for a broader-based, more-than-sports radio show. If Tony was in his 30s or early 40s, he could be Howard Stern "big." Still - a few years of life left in the "old guy." Should definitely take the radio path..... Wookie was a dick. When I was in high school back in the day, he DJed our homecoming. The next Monday, he ripped our school for no reason on the radio. He didn't get too many gigs in Salisbury after that. If I remember Wookie was a fat slob... Paul (9/8/07) With reference to WMET-TV 24 in Baltimore: Richard Eaton and his managers had worked on getting at least one or two UHF television stations on the air for a decade or more. In Baltimore, evidence seen in the 1970's in old file cabinets in DC showed Eaton getting a permit or license for a Channel 19 station in Baltimore in the 1950's, soon after commercial UHF broadcasting started in earnest in the United States. It was not clear if the station, variously-known as WTLF or WSID-TV, ever actually operated. The allocation eventually was deleted, and in the 1960's, Eaton's United Broadcasting Company got the license for Channel 24, WMET-TV. The station had an effective radiated power of only 20,000 watts with an antenna height of somewhere around 500 to 600 feet above average terrain. Eaton and/or his advisers were wise to locate the transmitter along a ridge that runs through northwest Baltimore, not far from Television Hill but not actually on it. Legend has it that the tower Eaton used for WMET had once carried WAAM/WJZ-TV-13, and was dismantled on TV Hill and sold after the 1959 opening of the first version of the candelabra tower then (and now) shared by WBAL-11, WJZ and WMAR-2 and the FM station on 97.9 (then known as WBAL-FM, now WIYY). The studio and offices of WMET were located in the former Avalon Theatre at 4340 Park Heights Avenue, with the transmitter and tower in the back. The building also housed Eaton's radio stations WSID-1010 and WSID-FM-92.3, a daytimer/FM combo running a black ethnic R&B format. WMET was announced in local newspapers with some fanfare as the first UHF and first independent non-network station in Baltimore, in late 1966 or early 1967. However, for the first months on the air, and this was acknowledged in advance publicity, WMET simulcast the programming of Eaton's DC UHF station WOOK-TV-14. WOOK-TV came on the air in 1963 and was promoted as the first Negro-oriented television station in the United States, bolstered by Eaton's Washington R&B radio station WOOK-1340, a huge success at the time. By the time the Baltimore-Washington simulcast was underway, Channel 14 had started shifting to more non-black programming, and I do not recall WMET ever being positioned in the market as a black or ethnic station, even though ethnic shows such as a black gospel series and the Greek programs referenced by an earlier poster were aired. Locally-originated programming on WMET indeed included a weekly 'Johnny Dark Show', similar to 'American Bandstand' or the dance/music shows fronted by Buddy Deane in Baltimore or Milt Grant or Jack Alix in DC. WMET's version aired in prime time. The gospel series referred to above was also locally-produced and featured Pauline Wells Lewis, a singer who was a longtime daily personality on WSID where her midday show would sometimes outrate the 'big' stations in Baltimore. WMET also produced a daily talk show with WCBM-680 host John Sterling, who had previously done a similar TV series at WJZ which was a forerunner of the Oprah Winfrey-Richard Sher series years later. Sterling has been a play by play voice of the Yankees for years. WMET also ran a number of network series and even sporting events that were rejected by the traditional affiliates in town, mostly ABC programs spurned by WJZ, the Westinghouse station that carried Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and other programs produced or distributed by Westinghouse. Many of the ABC programs were run on kinescope, a technique still used then to distribute network shows to affiliates that were not 'interconnected' or tied by coaxial cable/microwave transmission to network lines. The use of the films (kinescopes) or tapes meant WMET's (or any other non-interconnected affiliate's) version would run from 7 to 28 days after the original network airdate, depending on the series. Richard Eaton at the time owned WMUR-9, the Manchester, New Hampshire ABC affiliate that has since become a regional powerhouse, so a relationship existed between his company and the alphabet network. Both WMET and WOOK generally signed on in the afternoon, and signed off around midnight or 1:00 am. However, for a time before WMET left the air for good in 1972, it became the only TV daytimer I have ever encountered, signing off around sunset, and as I best recall, running a schedule of almost all ABC network programs rejected by WJZ. There's been disagreement among those who followed and worked for WMET about whether or not the station regularly transmitted programs in color. I know that the steady but weak signal we received 25 miles from the transmitter using outdoor UHF antennas was always in black and white, and I had been told decades ago that the station would attempt to transmit color with unstable results. But a few years ago, a claim surfaced that WMET successfully broadcast color on a regular basis, perhaps network or syndicated programming. Eaton took both WMET and the DC station, by that time renamed WFAN-TV, off the air in 1972, and took out an ad in one of the Washington newspapers blaming government regulation that he said prevented Channel 14 from increasing its 245,000 watt 300 foot tower signal to competitive levels. Then ongoing license renewal problems with another one or two of his far-flung radio stations prevented United from selling WMET and expanding the WFAN-TV signal. (9/8/07) /\ September 8 Messages /\ \/ September 7 Messages \/ The story about Thomas Roberts is rotten. It simply stinks! To think the guy has basic sexual needs, yet he is humiliated by some jerk from the New York Post. As for manhunt.com, the site is HUGE. One can only imagine the congressman and senators that frequent it, not to mention several local DC anchors and reporters, producers and writers. (9/7/07) Thank goodness Wookie is gone, maybe OC104 will get some fresh ideas and bounce back to #1 where they belong. Very sad news to hear of Bill Baker leaving CC, a really nice guy. I hope he stays local, it'd be such a coup for him to end up at OC104! (9/7/07) Sorry, but I must inject a bit of reality into the throbbing temple of myth-making the Mailbag sometimes becomes - RE: "The dirty secret is that white conservatives go ballistic when their hot macho sports air is invaded by a popular personality who lacks traditional right wing credentials." While I am fully cognizant of white male conservative America's inability to deal with anyone different than them with anything other than contempt, on what planet is Tony Kornheiser "a popular personality?" He has basically bitched and moaned himself out of the pages of the WP and off the radio airwaves; his ESPN television screamfest with Wilbon is ranked in the network's bottom third; and his tenure on MNF has been marked by tumbling ratings and public ridicule. Once upon a time Tony The K had it going on. He had twice- or thrice-weekly columns on the WP sports page and occasional pieces in Style or the weekly rag; he had a GREAT local sports show and the guy was damn funny. Somewhere between there and here he started listening to his sycophants way too much. He came to believe some crack addict's hype about how great it would be for people to watch him and Wilbon pretend to argue about sports. Who cares? Another dopey ESPN talk show that nobody watches. Now it's replayed on the radio and--big surprise--nobody listens to it either. The guy is dead and gone and just doesn't know it yet. And as long as I'm bitchin' in the wind, let me point out that Korny isn't the only non-factor who seems to get an incredible amount of ink in this mailbag. Every single fan of Kornheiser, Bram Weinsteen, the Greaseman, WTEM and WP radio must send emails to you every day, Dave. They're almost the only topics of discussion here, but NOBODY listens to ANY of them. (9/7/07) See the following press releases below at comcastsportsnet.com: CSN First On Air With Redskins Coverage... DC United, CSN Announce Broadcast Changes... (9/7/07) Sorry to hear that Wookie's gone from OC104...but this does create an opening for Ewok, Jawa, or Stormtrooper. (9/7/07) At what point in Thursday’s call-in to Marc “Nigel” Sterne did Tony Kornheiser say he wants his name off the show? (9/7/07) DAVE, since Wookie's out @ OC104 and bill baker the rumpshaker has left CC SALISBURY If I was a bettin' man my money is on bill baker to show up cross town as the new guy @ OC104... Nothing confirmed yet but I wouldn't doubt it the way things have been going down here on DELMARVA HON'....... P.S murph still blows on the BEACH........... AMF from DELMARVA (9/7/07) Hello again Dave, I categorically deny that ANY character in my book is based on anyone I ever worked with in the past or anyone I work with now. . They are TOTALLY fictional. If you don't believe me, read the book. Hank Silverberg (9/7/07) (Hey, I slam 'em all) If you "slammed them all" you would have a scoreboard on your home page totalling WJFK and WMAL's all male/white line ups. you don't. you only have one for 3WT. hmmmm. I agree...looks like Bonneville bashing to me too. For the past couple days you have been questioned about this and you have yet to give a compelling reason as to why 3WT. -JC (9/7/07) Dave's response: Quit whining. You run radio stations in a major market, listeners have the right to verbally bash you..... I am really shocked to hear the news about Wookie. I wish him the best of luck. Wookie was a great guy who always put up with the me, "the boss's kid," when I would hang around the station as a kid and teeneager. He was a great talent who deserved more than life dealt him. I will always be thankful for all the nice things he helped me out on whether it be DJ gigs, the newest CD, or concert tickets. He should land somewhere real soon, he is too nice of a guy not to! Sincerely, Matt Nixon (9/7/07) A battle of “hotties” between WASH and WRQX? Geez…PLEASE let it be between Marilyn Thompson and Carol Parker. (9/7/07) Hey Dave, Just wanted to send you a shameless plug for my new book "News of War" which came out this week. Since its about a Washington, DC based Television newsroom I believe it's relevant to your site. But before anyone goes ballistic, the action adventure novel is TOTAL FICTION. You will not see any inside dirt in there about anyone. Should there be someone out there who wants to buy it. Well, just punch in my name at Amazon.com and it will come up. Hank Silverberg (9/7/07) Dave's response: Or use the link below and DCRTV will get a cut of the proceeds. Good luck and good sales. Are you going to be doing any book signings? Even though it is a work of "fiction," some of the characters are probably "based" on real people like Farley, Oxley, and Augenstein, and other WTOPers, right? HDTV in Washington DC - like going "Back to The Future" An absolute embarrassment compared to many other markets. One local news in DC in HD, even then, WUSA's remotes appear to be in widescreen SD for the most part, their sports highlights are also in SD even when HD content is available, and their other news shows are in SD. The other three, despite rumors here and in AVS forum, continue to stick with 20th Century technology with no schedule in sight to convert. It took until July to get WJLA to finally broadcast Wheel and Jeopardy! in HD. Fox-5 is more concerned with how many newscasts and rotating logos they can cram down our throats, and NBC4 is dead last in the list of O&Os to be upgraded, despite its proud history and location. And everything on the big four networks should be in HD by now, but isn't. Of course, this area is also home to MASN, home of blurry non-HD coverage of the Nationals, Orioles, and syndicated local simulcast talk shows. (9/7/07) Seeing all the posts about Shari Elliker makes me wonder whatever happened to another former female D&M'er, Diana Sillman (Jenkins), who left D&M to produce Dick Cavatt's short-lived radio show? Tom (9/7/07) the poster that pointed out the all male, all white line ups of WJFK and WMAL made a compelling point. Dave, in all seriousness, will you explain why you have this hard-on for the Mormons? this is certainly another example of you losing your objectivity with Bonneville. Tommy (9/7/07) Dave's response: Look, I didn't make one crack about those LDS Adoption Service promos I heard on David Burd's show this morning, now did I? Hmmm. Hey, I slam 'em all - CBS, ABC, Clear Channel, Fox, Gannett, NBC, Allbritton, and, yes, Bonneville, too. So what..... Actually, I was thinking about the annoying Rabbi that tried to pick up Elaine while explaining the "Shiksa Effect" to her. But "Shakes the Mohel" ranks up there, too, and was equally annoying (and coming originally from an Orthodox Jewish household, equally funny). GC (9/7/07) "Sports air-time" dominated by guys with Right-wing credentials? Yeah, that's me, a middle-aged white guy who exercises Jewish Neo-con Cabal Control of the Airwaves by demanding a political litmus test of the guy who gives the play-by-play on Saturday afternoon college football. Damn, I didn't know Ron Paul/Dennis Kucinich/Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson read DCRTV! Dave, you are reaching the movers and shakers!! Seriously, man, this guy's doc needs to up the medication; and you'd better, because the International Zionist Conspiracy (@2007; all rights reserved) knows where you live, so expect an O-Dark:Thirty visit from Dick Cheney (our similarly copyrighted Goyishe henchman). All kidding aside, Kornheiser is just annoying as hell, about as annoying as the caricature Rabbi on Seinfeld. He doesn't belong on radio, and neither does Kornheiser. It's not politics, it's that nobody wants to hear the DC radio equivalent of nails on chalkboard. Genghis Cohen (who's making a list and checking it twice…) (9/7/07) Dave's response: The bad-tempered rabbi doing the circumcision? That's got to be one of the funniest "Seinfeld" episodes ever..... Wow that is the story of the year on Delmarva. Wookie out as PD/Morning Host on OC-104. He is probably the most well known personality on Delmarva. He was a staple to radio down here and well respected. But I believe it was time for him to move on. The station has seen declining ratings over the years and needs some fresh blood to make it back into the power house it once was Wookie will turn up somewhere at some point, maybe with some recharged batteries....Also Clear Channel suffers a big loss with the departure of Bill Baker "The Rumpshaker." He will be hard to replace as he could do multiple formats and was a star on both Magic 98.9 and KISS-FM. Like Wookie, he has become one of the most popular talents in the area. I'm sure we have not heard the last from him! Just sorry to see him go.... (9/7/07) I enjoy reading the angry rails against Kornheiser by our local angry white males. The dirty secret is that white conservatives go ballistic when their hot macho sports air is invaded by a popular personality who lacks traditional right wing credentials. Control freaks through and through, they cannot simply change the channel; they kick and scream like petulant little school boys with the demand that Kornheiser be off the air. They can't stand references to anything beyond their sad parochial little world; Korneiser's reference to old music, literature, and cinima draw barks like a whistle in a doberman's ear (hence the constant drone about Kornheiser's age). Mad at the world malcontents are entertaining as long as their chain holds. (9/7/07) Confirmed from an inside source at Great Scott. Wookie (George Kriener) is no longer with GS and OC104. (9/7/07) I know it has been discussed here before, but please refresh my memory. What's the name of the screamer who did the unbelievably annoying "Pick up the phone... give us a call!" car ads in the '80s? A sample of his work can be seen at: www.youtube.com (9/7/07) If the Washington Nationals franchise wants to market to a diverse fanbase, maybe it should not align with a radio station that will repel most non-white listeners past 10 a.m. each weekday. Everett W. (9/7/07) Dave, not that talk radio is ultra diverse, but why the focus on 3WT? the 2 other big talkers in town don't even compare. WJFK, has 4 white guys in AM, 2 more after that, Jim Rome, don and mike, and then 2 more after them. that is 11 white guys and nothing else. WMAL has grandy and andy, core, (harvey if you want to count him), rush, hannity, levin, and plante after him. that is 8 white guys and nothing else. This continuing story of yours about 3WT just demonstrates this hard on you have for Bonneville. It would make much better "news" if you told us what Bonneville did to you that has made them your on-going focus for the past year or 2. (9/7/07) Dave's response: Oh, the "hard-on guy" again. OK, I'll admit it. Jim Farley broke into my condo last year and stole my Abba records. Including "The Name Of The Game," one of my all-time favs. And until he gives them back I'm going to savage Bonneville. Oh, about WJFK-FM, one of the Junks is secretly really a woman. "She" takes male hormones..... Let's hope that Bonneville does a better job with the Nationals now that Washington Post Radio is dead. Since most of the new programming will be less-expensive syndicated stuff, why not air "Nats at Night" rebroadcasts of the game at midnight and have a unique market product available to night owls. I never understood why Post Radio pulled "Nats at Night" in favor of bland syndicated chat. Bonneville--try embracing the Nats this time around instead of making them an after thought. How about a longer pre-game show? And give Charlie and Dave a break after the game by dumping the call-in stuff and having someone else host a genuine post-game show like on MASN. (9/7/07) more rumblings from the Eastern Shore as 20 year OC104 Man, Wookie is out. details soon. Wookie is a Great Great GUY! the artist formerly known as Kyle Shannon (9/7/07) Dave's response: Are you the guy who did the fake ESRTV way back when? In response to Alan Sawyer's question about the old WMET-TV, I remember that station back in the 60's when I was a a boy. Certainly not much of a signal then, at least in Essex. I did work with John and Nitsa Morekas at WBMD and I recall them talking about doing a show on WMET. They can be found at Kentrikon, a travel business in Greektown. Also, I believe Johnny Dark did a dance show there too, perhaps he'll comment. Best of luck with your search for the history of WMET.You came to the right place here on DCRTV, no doubt. Tom Conroy (9/7/07) Dave's response: The old Channel 24, WMET, was owned by United Broadcasting. But WMET went dark around 1970 or so and remained that way for more than a decade. Channel 24 came back to life in 1985 as WKJL, a religious-based independent station. But soon Channel 24 was sold to the Home Shopping Network and became WHSW. In early 1998 it became a UPN affiliate as WUTB..... The Orioles deal with CBS Radio is a joint venture of sorts, not a rights fee deal. The Orioles also broker the time to get their games on in DC. The real skinny is if Clear Channel offers one of their FM's to go with 980, the Nats would likely jump. Otherwise, they'll stay put. (9/7/07) For those who believe there are only a few teams in sports who receive a rights fee like the Yankees or the Redskins, you need to think again. There isn’t one NFL team that doesn’t receive a fee. Even the Redskins get $4.5 million per year from Red Zebra. In baseball, the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Cubs, Mets, Giants, Braves, Rockies, Tigers, Rangers, Cardinals, Astros and Blue Jays all receive a rights fee. In basketball, the Lakers, Knicks, Bulls, Nets, Celtics, Mavericks, Rockets, Clippers and Heat all receive a rights fee. These are the contracts that I have seen, and there are many more. What Mr. Leonsis meant to say was the NHL doesn’t have many rights deals. Who is listening to hockey on the radio? Teams like the Caps must pay around $500,000 a year to get their games on the air. It is not a bad deal, just a little over $6,000 per game. Don’t believe any one at Bonneville who tells you that they won’t strike a check for the Nats next year. The Nats have leverage because of WTEM, Triple X, WMAL, and the excitement of the new stadium. Bonneville needs to fill air time and nothing accomplishes that better than a 162 game baseball schedule heard mostly at night and on the weekends. (9/7/07) rumor has is that Bill Baker The Rump Shaker on Magic 98.9 on the Eastern Shore has quit Clear Channel Salisbury. More to come...... (9/7/07) Please tell me that someone was recording (Thursday's) Colts vs Saints game at 9:08pm. A classic John Madden line... "he was cummin' with a big load when he came!"... If someone has it, post it somewhere! Wow! (9/7/07) A farting machine made radio news in West Virginia? Why do those folks bother with a farting machine when it would be easier to just scarf down a plate of baked beans and boiled cabbage and wash it all down with a quart of milk before going to class? Signed, John Goodman (9/7/07) Hey Marshall in Silver Spring - You say that Shari Eliker (at WBAL) "can more than hold her own with the white right males that listen to BAL and they might actually learn a thing or two from her." Yup, that's what we narrow minded white males need - to be educated. Let's see, Thursday we got educated on how rough it is to stand in line at the grocery store. Golly, maybe Friday we can be educated on the trauma of driving in rush hour traffic. WBAL has gone for content-free radio from 9:00am-Noon. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. Who knows, but the idea that talk stations that focus on content driven talk that appeals to "white males" need "diversity" is a load. Is anybody calling on country music stations to play hip-hop in the name of "diversity?" Ummmm - no. Fact is that female talk has been tried, and it has failed. That's why there isn't much of it around. (9/7/07) I think someone should set Dave Ford up on a date with Kemi. Am I right? (9/7/07) Dave - I started as the new General Manager of WUTB / Baltimore in Jan '06 and have been trying to find as much as possible on the station's history. On page 30 of your history section (DCRTV Plus Photo Gallery) you have a great old promo for "New Wind Blowing" on WMET (the old channel 24) in Baltimore. Where did you get that...and, do you have anything else on the station? Thank you, Alan Sawyer (9/7/07) Dave's response: I don't recall where that image came from. I will check for more 24 memories. I might have a few things from the WKJL days when the station relaunched in the 1980s as an indie..... It looks like the Washington Nationals are trying to stick with Bonneville for next season and that both parties may be close to a deal: www.washingtonpost.com. This will make all those who feared a possible move to 980 (myself included) very happy. The article also mentions that the contracts of radio announcers Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler and MASN’s Bob Carpenter are all set to expire at the end of the current season. Personally, I think Carpenter’s okay, but I really love listening to Charlie and Dave on the radio, so I hope they’re still around next year. Brian in Fairfax (9/7/07) Has anyone seen the "Round the Water Cooler" segment on the FOX5 Midday News??..What a train wreck..Talk about annoying..The most annoying being Holly Morris. Why do they even have her in the studio?..Keep her out in the field. (9/7/07) K-ROCK 106.5 Pocomoke/Ocean City - Didn't "Mancow" replace the "Hitman" last year at The - X 106.9 Ocean City with his "Free" Morning show? Will "Hitman" come back and throw "Mancow" under the bus at K-ROCK? Stay Tuned....pay backs are a bitch....why doesn't Mr. Cow air on his friends station at WOCM? I guess some friends carry too much baggage huh? (9/7/07) /\ September 7 Messages /\ Jump to the Mailbag Archive Index.....