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Current Mailbag - Mailbag Archive Index - DCRTV Front Page - Support DCRTV DCRTV Mailbag - September 24 to September 29, 2007 Latest messages listed first..... \/ September 29 Messages \/ Unsigned Corporate Suit, once again… This time, I have a question for the DX crowd out there. With all the comments about IBOC digital hash running up to 20kc either side of the center carrier, I wonder if any of the rocket-scientists at the FCC (or the State Department) thought about the foreign relations problems given that Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and even the Bahamas have their “clear” channels on frequencies adjacent to U.S. “clear” channels with stations running this crap? Yes, the “Suit” called IBOC “crap”. I’d call it what it really is, but since Dave runs a “family-friendly” board… Anyways, it reminds me so much of AM stereo it’s pitiful. Why can’t broadcasters in the respective services (AM, FM, or TV) learn to exploit the advant! ages of each given service? Or, is it really that much hard work? (9/29/07) "Some ignoramus said:"Thanks to George W. Bush, the economy is in shambles." You cant be that f'ing stupid, can you?" If you can't see that the reckless tax cut and the Iraq war had nothing to do with the economy you must be one of the 30% that are republicans that can't add and subtract. While it's true we were attacked on 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan was the right thing to do, only a f'ing stupid ignoramus would go to war in Iraq . In a country of 300 million, creating 10 of thousands of jobs doesn't cut it. I agree about the previous comment about Greenspan. (9/29/07) Dave's response: Drifting off topic here. This is a local media venue..... I too am one of those people that likes to read the PAPER every morning. It so much easier to take the sports page into the bathroom than my laptop. Rob in Ashburn (9/29/07) "Thanks to George W. Bush, the economy is in shambles. Housing prices are down. Cost of living is up" Actually you can blame Greenspan due to his reckless reduction of interest rates which artificially inflated the demand for housing. Remember though that even people living in "poverty" can still afford a color TV. Paul (9/29/07) Re: In 507 days (February 17, 2009) Millions of folks will turn on their televisions and see nothing. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. In the early 1960's, there was a chairman of the FCC named Newton Minnow. Mr. Minnow made a speech stating that television was a vast wasteland. That statement was reported for weeks and talked about on various programs. It was written about in the newspapers. We heard about it over and over. Well, let me inform you. There is much more wasteland today then back in the days of Mr. Minnow. All they give us is garbage. If we turned on our tv's tomorrow and they were blank, I think that would be a blessing. Maybe then, we would get up off our couches and do things with our families. At the least, we would read books and magazines. Maybe, even go for walks. We are sitting in front of the idiot box (as they used to call it) and getting our brains fried. JohnnyuinHanover,Pa. P.S. And I should spend good money on HDTV. For what????????????? (9/29/07) As previously reported, Cox of Northern Virginia, which runs the Fairfax County cable system, the largest in the DC area, will increase its rates in October. In fact, Cox will increase its rates this Monday, October 1st. Also, Cox will launch the much-anticipated NHL Network -- not to be confused with the NFL Network -- on October 30th. The NHL Network, which will be available on Cox's digital sports tier, will be seen on Channel 248 on Cox's Fairfax County system, and also on its Fredericksburg system. (9/29/07) Some ignoramus said:"Thanks to George W. Bush, the economy is in shambles." You cant be that f'ing stupid, can you? (9/29/07) The coverage on ESPNU on Directv was awful. They talked about everything but the game. Most of the first quarter was missed because of the Virginia Georgia Tech game overrun. Who cares about the announcer walking from the end zone back to the booth? (9/29/07) "In 507 days, on February 17, 2009, unless things change, 51% of the population could turn on their TV sets and surprisingly get nothing." Thanks to George W. Bush, the economy is in shambles. Housing prices are down. Cost of living is up. What about the people with no financial resources to buy a HDTV ? Also analog VCRs and DVRs won't work. Excellent previous post about the transition to HDTV. (9/29/07) Dear All - We're delighted to let you know The Q&A Cafe premieres this evening at 6 o'clock as an hour broadcast on News Channel 8, with a repeat Sunday night at 11. On Comcast that is Channel 28. This will be a weekly program, as it is at Nathans, and we hope you'll tune in if you can. This weekend's show features DAN RATHER. Coming up Thursday, Oct. 4, at The Q&A Cafe (at Nathans) is CONNIE SCHULTZ. She is a columnist for The Cleveland Plain Dealer, the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, as well as a Pulitzer finalist in 2003, an occasional blogger for Huffington Post, a graduate of Kent State, and author of a couple of books, the most recent being "...and His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man." It chronicles her year on the campaign trail as her husband, Ohio democrat SHERROD BROWN, waged a successful campaign for the U.S. Senate. (is CLIVE OWEN his twin?) The Pulitzer committee praised her columns for providing "a voice for the underdog and the underprivileged." We'll learn how Connie Schultz views the world around her in her column, which most recently focused on the "Jena Six." We'll also take a look at what it means to be a "Senate wife" in a new century when the concept of "wife" in general has been redefined by a decades long feminist revolution, and when among the Senate spouses is a man who could be the first male presidential spouse. Olsson's will have her new book for sale, too. As always, please make reservations through JON MOSS at 202.338.2000 during weekday business hours, 10-5, and please reconfirm existing reservations. The fee is $35, inclusive of all soft beverages, food, tax and tip. The doors open at noon and the one-hour program begins at 12:30. Coming up: fresh off the Detroit GOP prez debates, Newsweek's HOWARD FINEMAN on Wed Oct 10; Virginia Senate candidate MARK WARNER on Wed Oct 17; Wall Street Journal "wealth" columnist ROBERT FRANK on Thurs Oct 25; and author SALLY BEDELL SMITH on the Clintons' White House years on Wed Oct 31. I, of course, hope to see you at all of them. Best regards, Carol (9/29/07) (RE: No Washington Post at my doorstep by 8 AM. Second time this month. It's just not quite the same in front of the computer screen. Wah...) I feel the same way, but that's probably just "old" guys like you and me (although you are much younger). Try iGoogle... The most satisfying, customizable front page you will ever see (although I still read the print edition of the Post first thing this morning). (9/29/07) Dave's response: I used to be a really big newspaper junkie. A few years ago, I subscribed to the NY Times and the DC Post, and often picked up USA Today and the NY Post at the newsstand on a daily basis. Today, I only subscribe to the DC Post (and that may not last much longer if delivery problems continue). I will sometimes glance at the NY Times, NY Post, and USA Today on the newsstand, but rarely buy them. I simply don't have enough hours in the day to read more than one print paper. Aside from the DC Post, I get most of my news now via the internet, radio (mainly WTOP), and cable TV (love Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann), Rarely watch local TV "news" anymore. I will have to try iGoogle. Thanks..... (RE: "Ever been in a suburban high school in the last twenty years?") I'm sad when someone, like this person, is blatantly racist and doesn't understand why. Bill O'Reilly, is that you? BTW, last time I checked, this was a media site. Looking forward to the Clear Channel countdown to layoffs at Christmas this year. SMB. (9/29/07) In 507 days, on February 17, 2009, unless things change, 51% of the population could turn on their TV sets and surprisingly get nothing. That is because broadcasters, The Government, retailers, and others who could be getting the word out, are not doing so effectively. In fact, some retailers are illegally still selling analog sets from their inventory and neglecting to inform buyers that they will require a convertor box to use the set in the near future. Account Executives in some retail stores wrongly inform customers that the only way to continue receiving over-the-air television, after the transition, is to buy a new TV set. I've seen some clever ads from Comcast that inform their customers that the big transition, that the public largely is unaware of, will be invisible to subscribers, except for those with a second set that isn't cable-connected. Meanwhile, the big players in this money-making proposition refuse to take responsibility for informing the public. If the transition to color TV required a new set, you can bet the 1958 FCC would have mandated regular announcements reminding consumers to do what they need to do before the cut over date. Today, that would be a nanny state requirement of broadcast businessmen who only want to be left alone by government regulators. Meanwhile, some are worrying about a big blow-up in Congress should consumers be left clueless at the transition. See the Kim Hart story in today's Washington Post at www.washingtonpost.com. (9/29/07) I realize she's a valued DCRTV sponsor, but is Nathan's Carol Joynt coming unglued? Seriously, first the crazy teary-eyed Dan Rather phony-athon, then the crazed cry-wolf rant against Apple's phony plans to tear down historic buildings in Georgetown (which of course is nothing but 1 of thousands of nutty rumors about Apple on the Apple rumor-mongering websites that delight in the help of delusional people). And now the Nathan's website (from complaints apparently), is backing off of the story partly. If Ms. Joynt thinks a proposed rent increase is going to be bad for business, let me give her some advice: You've already done FAR WORSE on your own to ruin it with all of this craziness. Time to regroup Carol. If you can't pay a rent increase, it's time to move to a cheaper location instead of jeopardizing your restaurant's valued reputation complaining publicly about a company that CAN AFFORD the higher price. (9/29/07) To the poster who wrote that Bob Philips at CBS Baltimore handed out the usual Heavenly Ham Coupons this past holiday season... was dead wrong! There were NO coupons given out last year, just the usual pink slips! He had to cut the budget so he could get the "CBS Radio 2006 Market of the Year Award" and collect his $75,000.00 yearly bonus. I missed having to drive from Dundalk to Timonium for a $20 ham. This year will be the same. No Ham, just pink slips starting with the Sports Department, right down through Jason Kidd Way. Ho, Ho, Ho. You're fired. Somebody's got to get rich! (9/29/07) /\ September 29 Messages /\ \/ September 28 Messages \/ Poor Bob Carpenter. A professional to the end. With less than three games to go in his career in Washington he is still talking up the new stadium, knowing full well that he won't see it, and the playoff experience that the team may or may not have in the future. Just waiting until Kasten brings in all of his buddies from Atlanta. (9/28/07) Re; " see even on this site the young men are referred to as thugs and hoods yet there is never any mention on why a town has a "white's-only" tree on its school grounds , a young black man that was beat up or the rights of these black man being violated. Interesting that was not a lead story" Ever been in a suburban high school in the last twenty years? There are "black-only" tables in cafeterias and "black-only" hallways where white students don't dare sit. "A young man black man that was beat up"???? What planet have you been living on in recent months? In fact it was a white boy who was jumped from behind, hit over the head, and then stomped on and kicked until he was unconscious. Another attempt to change the facts. A shame that an entire generation of kids is going to fall for the lies of the far-left. (9/28/07) Once again this year RJ100 FM Manila Philippines was where I heard the first Christmas song of the season. Friday Morning (Filipino time) 6:35AM. Even though RJ100 is usually first with a song they never totally flip to Christmas .In fact even Christmas week they probably only play 3 or 4 Christmas songs an hour.John T. Henneman (9/28/07) I’m amazed that NBC News (Williams, Russert, et all) continue to maintain such close ties with MSNBC, which with each passing day sounds more and more like a TV version of Air America. Olbermann looks like he’s ready for a padded room right next to Rather. He has that angry scowl and is practically foaming at the mouth tonight. The way some of these guys conduct themselves and the outright hate (a story like is Bill O’Reilly Ill?) is really unbecoming a major news organization. Is it any wonder their ratings are headed down the crapper? At this rate Katie might have a chance. (9/28/07) Dave, With the help of Bob Bell aka/ “Kaptain Kidshow”, there are now 12 half hour interviews up on theWTOPTV website. They feature some of the best known Washington broadcasters of the 50’s,60’s and 70’s. Most were old WTOP folks, but several were WMAL stars. Chuck Langdon and I did the series called “Out of the Past” at channel 10 (public access) in Virginia. Our audience was limited to Fairfax County Cable, until now. For an old fogie like myself who still thinks the telephone is a miracle, the fact that the videos can now be viewed almost anywhere in the world, is simply overwhelming. The interviews feature old time engineers Buddy Belote (probably the best and most respected engineer WTOP and CBS ever had) and long time chief engineer Granville Klink whose career began in the 1930’s and lasted until the mid 90’s. “Granny” brought along some old mics with him, including one used by Franklin Roosevelt for his “Fireside Chats” during world war two. The other shows feature television director (and WTOP-TV program director ) Jim Silman, who directed the Redskins games for CBS beginning in the mid 50’s as well as the creator of the Ranger Hal show. The ranger is also interviewed as well. News guru Ed Bliss, Edward R. Murrow’s writer and editor in the 50’s (and later for Walter Cronkite’s evening news broadcast. Other local personalities featured are Don Richards, Ed Walker, David French, Bill Trumbull, Bob Raiford, Julian Barber, Wendy Reiger, and Bill Mayhugh. Chuck and I are videotaping new interviews each month, so stay tuned. -Lee (9/28/07) RE: Nats TV Booth Next Year. How come we can't get Mel Proctor back like we had in Year One? Without a doubt he is one of the 2 or 3 best announcers covering the game today. Does anyone know why he did not return? Tom (9/28/07) Regarding Media Hotties , How 'Bout " "Silvivie in Waldorf" I can't remember the last time I saw a photo of someomeone as as pretetty as she. All The Best, Rusty Gibson (9/28/07) Dave's response: Watch it Rusty..... I should have known something was going on at WTRI. About a month ago while getting my mail one morning, I looked across the street and saw Buddy Rizer get out of his car with three big bags from Taco Bell. And he was wearing a Sombrero. Signed, 'No Habla Espanol' in Brunswick (9/28/07) Music on the Rise, a 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit that preserves, celebrates and sustains the Roots Rock musical heritage of the Washington Metropolitan area is having a fund raising event that will be held at the Historic State Theatre in Falls Church VA on October 7th, 2007. See the you tube clip www.youtube.com... Home grown movies by the Langley Punks... In the late 70s and early 80s, the anti-mainstream Wax Museum, 9:30 Club, DC Space, and Biograph Theater regularly offered locally produced 16mm sci-fi and suburban situation comedy send ups by the Langley Punks and offshoot Travesty Films (“So Others Might Laugh”) as preview fare for music shows and feature films. Hosted by Mark Noone, this retrospective film compilation of Biograph “Expose Yourself” competition award winners features an introduction by David Nuttycomb and rare footage of the WankTones, Slickie Boys, Root Boy Slim and Ron Holloway, along with Langley Punk creators Pat Carroll, Larry Zabel, Bill O’Leary, Bob Young, Jim Phalen and Don Hogan in The Invasion of the Paramecium Men (1975), Insurance Salesmen from Saturn (1977), Hyattsville Holiday (1981), and The Travesty Show, including a retro-style fake commercial featuring DC’s own doowopping girl group, the Dynettes. The Hall and Monitors and Eddie Angel... Billy Hancock Show... Robert Gordon... Backed by the DC All Stars... All Stars consist of Billy Hancock... Eddie Angel ( los Straitjackets)... Ron Holloway and horns (Dizzy Gillespie, Root Boy Slim , Susan Tedeshi)... Daryl Davis ( Chuck Berry)... Dave Elliott on Drums (Danny Gatton) (9/28/07) A few things: First, FOX HD is 720p - not 1080i like CBS HD. 720p is a "recognized HDTV format" by the International Telecommunication Union. The dip in resolution is made up by the smoother motion of a progressively scanned image, as opposed to an interlaced one. There is an HD feed of FOX21 on Comcast Cable. I'm not sure if there is one anywhere else. Secondly, Salisbury is considered a part of the Ravens' market, so when CBS is showing a Ravens game, it will be on WBOC. In fact, if it's the second game in a double-header, the NFL will require WBOC to leave the early game in progress to join the Ravens for kickoff. The same thing should apply for games on FOX21, as those rules are enacted by the NFL, not by the networks. (9/28/07) According to Inside Radio, the website for Clear Channel's WLIT-FM in Chicago features a ticking "Countdown to the Holiday Lite" clock showing how many days remain til the flip to all-Christmas music. It won't be long before WASH-FM puts up the same damn thing here. (9/28/07) You know, like O'Meara or not, that was a cheap shot. He is a truly talented over egotisitical has been. But I would never wish him anything like death. Under that over pompous ego lies a terrified, insecure person. He's had many many opportunities and blown most of them. I knew him when. I have some great memories. I really respect the talent, but, I feel badly about the FALL. Personally, I wish Mike would step back and take a look at himself...rich,,,yes....happy...no....great friends, once upon a time. So Sad. (9/28/07) Pro Football Talk ( www.profootballtalk.com ) reported Thursday that ESPN and Joe Theismann have agreed on a settlement to sever their relationship. Theismann is now free to work for any other media company. Everett W. (The Theismann item is aways down the page. Sorry about that.) (9/28/07) ("Dave's response: Nothing against the GOP, but don't you think they could field one woman or maybe one black among their dozen or so presidential candidates? Where's Alan Keyes or Michael Steele these days?") Uh, Keyes announced last week that he was getting into the race. He was part of last night's GOP debate at Morgan State University, which, pathetically, the top contenders for the nomination didn't bother to participate in. Shame on them. Still, if you're going to rant about the GOP, get your facts straight first. Christian (9/28/07) Dave's response: Facts straight? I was just asking a question. Take a chill pill, huh! Pretty interesting AP story on Arbitron's Personal People Meters: www.examiner.com... "The biggest difference is that far more people listen to the radio than had previously been understood. Blaise Howard, general manager at WBEB-FM in Philadelphia, said he was 'taken aback' to discover that nearly every station in that city roughly doubled the size of their total listenership under the new ratings system. "That statistic should be music to the ears of broadcasters - but there's more: The system also shows that people tend to switch channels a lot more than was known, and that the total time listening per person is down, resulting in lower ratings at many stations." Christian (9/28/07) "no one wants to see murder, but it beats the hell out of a pond of beavers." So you would rather see dead bodies over beavers. Just twisted. So how is the pizza delivery business this time of year? (9/28/07) I want to thank you for running the short mention of my brother, Big Bill Palmer, on your blog page. I am wondering who you talked to as no one has been able to, or at least ownes up to being the one that you talked to. Please feel free to contact me by e mail or phone at 240 401 2065. Also would like to say that at his memorial service on 9/22 we had a gathering of ex W I N X employees, Gene Alim,Larry Cooley,Skip Groff plus others, some of whom spoke of times had with my brother. (9/28/07) MAILBAG Wikipedia, Mike O'Meara dead at 48... en.wikipedia.org... "Michael Sean Patrick Fitzgerald Kennedy O'Meara (born June 22, 1959, died September 27, 2007), was the co-host of the nationally syndicated Don and Mike Show... Mike died of cardiac arrhythmia on September 27, 2007. He was found on the floor of his bathroom by his pet chimpanzee, Scatter..." (9/28/07) Dave's response: Obviously, a fake article. Mike lives. Thank God..... While "Charles in Winchester" is right about Hagerstown's WHAG being a closer station to Winchester than the DC stations are, however I can see why the local Winchester Comcast cable system is considering dropping WHAG there. Really isnt all that dumb. For starters most of the businesses who advertise on WHAG ( actually 95 percent of them ) cater to a "Tri-State" audience. As in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, BUT NOT Virginia. Many Hagerstown-Chambersburg area furniture stores who spend big bucks on WHAG, while they may have no problem delievering a sofa to Harrisburg but they flat out refuse to do the same for someone who lives in Winchester. As a matter of fact my sister was going to buy a bedroom suit at a store in Hagerstown. She had the cash in hand and everything. What happened? Well they would not deliver outside "the tri-state area". They told her the best they could do is to drop off the furniture at the Food Lion in Inwood and she would have to figure out a way herself to get her furniture the rest of to way into Virginia. BTW..she lived in Clearbrook, some 5 miles south of the West Virginia state line. Ah, that is NOT a good way to do business. And Those Hagerstown-Chambersburg car delearships, again yet another group who spends a lot of bucks on WHAG, every other word in their ads is "tri-state", as a matter of fact one such ad I saw recently had "Maryland" "Pennsylvania" and "West Virginia" in big bold letters across the screen, but no "Virginia", it really does send a message to many viewers in Winchester, if there are that many to begin with that many Hagerstown area businesses really don't want business from those who live in Virginia and that hurts WHAG in Winchester. (9/28/07) Just a little FYI for about CBS Baltimore/WBAL pissing match...we know the O's and Terps went to CBS and the Ravens and Towson when to WBAL...and that CBS signed 5 Ravens players to do shows, well those players are not cheap, now due to Mr. Phillips over extending his budget by trying to stick it to WBAL, there is going to be more layoffs at CBS Baltimore (guess you showed them, huh, Bobby Boy) i would assume that would mean no raises next year for anyone at CBS Baltimore, again...gee i wonder if they will even get their coupon for ham this Christmas, you wonder why CBS Baltimore sucks, you just got your answer. (9/28/07) BFD - Russert, an employee of NBC, stiffs a local station to go to an NBC show set. As is posted in the TOP newsroom - WGAS? (If you need to know what that means, contact Farley & company.) (9/28/07) Hey Paul---it was a joke...no one wants to see murder, but it beats the hell out of a pond of beavers. Better yet, watching the ocean from my window is better than tv anyother day, so go and get stuck in traffic and i'll relax with the ocean breeze. (9/28/07) You wrote: "Farhi was heard telling O'Reilly: "Please don't repeat this... You're getting so dragged into something you don't deserve," regarding O'Reilly's latest racial controversy" Which means that Farhi knew that O'Reilly was being attacked unfairly, that what Media Matters said about him was a lie (no surprise), and he repeated it anyway. His ideology apparently trumps his commitment to the truth. Great journalism. Tim Phares (9/28/07) Apple iphones Nathan's out of existence? Another reason to hate smug Steve Jobs and his overpriced products. (9/28/07) Interesting, if you go to www.vegas-radio.com about half way down the page there's video of a local news story on the station from about a year ago. Notice how adamant Buddy and the station's co-owner are that Vegas Radio's not going away any time soon. Ay, me gusta! (9/28/07) I don't think it's technically possible for WBOC to run 2 FULL 1080 HDTV hi-def signals at the same time, at least 1 would have to be 720p if I'm not mistaken, so they're going to probably not broadcast at least one, CBS or FOX, in true HDTV, and possibly neither. 720 is NOT TRUE HDTV. So why isn't the FCC stepping in to stop this madness? The whole point of moving digital is to eventually have full 1080 HDTV. Otherwise, why are we buying these expensive TVs? This FCC policy of allowing stations to broadcast 4 or 5 crappy pictures for extra cash is bullshit and it cheapens the quality of the whole HDTV experience at the expense of the consumer who gets practically nothing in return (I can watch the weather radar on my computer, DUH!)! If this keeps up, the U.S. will have the western world's WORST TV TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY. By the way, the US already has the western world's worst cell phone transmission tech, so I guess this should be no surprise. Why aren't people in the media critical of the FCC on these obvious bad decisions? Oh that's right, they're the same media that influenced this tech mess in the first place due to the FCC being so corporate-corrupted. -- Joe in Essex (9/28/07) As stupid as the management of Comcast in the Valley appears to be, I cannot see them dropping WHAG. Hagerstown is 45 minutes from here, so it's the one place that IS closer than DC, and the station does run news stories from here on occasion, and reports on local high school sports. This would be very dumb. Of course, since we STILL don't have MASN and this whole CSN+ thing looks like another way to give us only half of the Caps' schedule, anything is possible. Charles in Winchester (9/28/07) "NBC 'Meet The Press' host Tim Russert canceled a regularly scheduled live shot on WTOP today. Staff at TOP didn't know why he wouldn't be able to make his weekly 8 AM appearance until they spotted him in the front row of (Bruce) Springsteen's concert on the 'Today' show." While he stood up WTOP, Russert could take time out for this: "BOSTON -- NBC's Tim Russert, host of "Meet the Press," will make a guest appearance on NESN as he moderates a discussion among the candidates for the President of Red Sox Nation. He will be joined by NESN's Red Sox field reporter Tina Cervasio serving as co-moderator. The show, 'Red Sox Nation: The Presidential Debate,' will be videotaped at Boston University's George Sherman Union this Thursday, September 27 at 11:30 a.m. It will air on NESN at 10:30 p.m. or immediately following NESN's post-game coverage of the Red Sox-Twins game on Friday, September 28. Russert, an avowed Red Sox fan, will swing by Boston after moderating the Democratic Presidential Debate in Hanover, NH on Wednesday evening. 'For decades, Boston has had a reputation of adoring its sports and its politics,' said Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox' President/CEO. 'We are honored that one of our top fans in Washington will moderate this discussion about baseball.' " Attention Stan Kasten: make sure this hypocrite Russert gets 'Bob Uecker' seats at the new ballpark. -- Vincent in Triangle (9/28/07) "Since then, I have watched WJZ to get news...I need my murders, homicides, etc (HA)." Maybe you should move back to Baltimore where they have plenty of murder. You have your choice: murder or boredom. It is sad that people want to see death and violence on the news. This is why you guys are called Baltimorons. Paul (9/28/07) RE: Dan Rather's forged documents. Bogus they may be, but we're still waiting for someone to step forward who remembers serving in the reserves with W. The only guy who came forward to date to say he remembered serving with him was discredited after it was discovered his dates of service did not overlap the current White House occupant. Bush was a high profile son of a VIP; it's impossible to believe he could've served completely anonymously. (9/28/07) Don't know about 'BOC and football, but it's funny to see someone take a swipe at their news product. No, they dont have murders everyday on the Eastern Shore like Baltimore. I think that's a good thing. WBOC news is solid and dependable. Their front line talent is excellent, despite what appears to be a revolving door of young reporters. When there is a big story, like last week's Del State shooting, I think they do a good job. (9/28/07) When I first moved to Delmarva, WBOC's lead story one night was the amount of beavers in a Seaford pond. At first, I thought my roomate was watching a dirty movie--but, no FLUFF NEWS. Since then, I have watched WJZ to get news...I need my murders, homicides, etc (HA). I have tried to watch WMDT, but come on now, I can't take them seriously! Media on Delmarva is horrible, at-best. (9/28/07) DB totally out of his league with Fahri. Fahri sounded smart, David did not. All rounds to Fahri. Defensive. Defensiveness is not good. "I am different. I am not a critic. I am a reporter." Important quote. - Mary in Manassas (9/28/07) There have been rumors about Chip Carey leaving the Braves TV booth for the Nationals. There just might be a mixup. Here's what Chip's dad, Skip, who we all know is a long time TBS broadcaster, told the Atlanta Journal-Contitution after not being chosen as one of four play-by-play guys for TBS' playoff coverage: "I'm mad at myself for thinking there was any loyalty left in this business. I should have known better." Sounds like Skip is a little pissed, so maybe he's the Carey -- if any -- who's coming to town. (9/28/07) Dave's response: More from Ray Frager today in the Baltimore Sun..... RE (WBOC CBS & Fox) WBOC is affiliated with CBS for their analog channel (16). This is simulcast on Digital Channel 21. The also are affiliated with Fox on the digital channel, as 21-2. Currently they run CBS in HD, while Fox is in standard def, but i was told by one of their engineer's that they will eventually purchase updated encoding equipment to feed two HD channel at the same time. As for the NFL, they since CBS carries the Ravens (AFL) those games are carried on the CBS side. Since for carries the Redskins & Ravens, they rotate if necessary. The sticky situation is when there are inter league games, and that home team decides whether its on CBS or Fox on Sundays, Ravens at home, then it's CBS, Redskins away at AFL team, it's CBS, Etc. The one thing they can't do is run the NFL Network or ESPN feeds, since they are outside the home team area. When they car feed two HD's at the same time they'll have it all for most football fans on Delmarva. By the way WHYY Wilmington's Seaford station continues to only feed one channel, their HD channel, while the parent digital has three channels. I know the local engineer, and he says there's plenty of bandwidth, it's coding problem from Philly that they don't seem to care to fix at this time. (9/28/07) Where is Alan Keyes or Michael Steele? Ask the Democrats. The Republicans are smart enough to know that in this election, while they certainly have qualified black candidates, it is the Democrats who are itching to start a riot. The radical fringe would chortle with glee at the idea of a black man running against a white woman. But the Democrats already have that, don't they? :-) (9/28/07) A Japanese Journalist who survived Iraq and Afghanistan was shot and Killed in Myanmar this week. He had been shot in Chest at close range.....his motto "Someones got to visit places that no one else will". www.abs-cbnnews.com... John T. Henneman (9/28/07) Re: "I think you might be one of the few who don't care about HD, Dave." There's not that much being done in HD. Not even all network prime-time programming is in HD, and if you add in the rest of the day there's really just a very small percentage of programming that's in HD. (And most of what is in HD is still framed for a standard screen.) WETA is the only station in both Washington and Baltimore that runs HD full time, and that signal is bit-starved to make way for 4 subchannels. The HD channels offered on Dish and Direct don't interest me. It's really hard to be enthusiastic about broadcast HD right now. The best thing an HD TV is good for now is watching DVDs. Even though regular DVDs aren't technically "HD", they look darn good and while letterboxing for a standard screen is a good idea, the eye appreciates seeing a widescreen movie on a wide screen. (9/28/07) Dave's response: Speaking of movies, just got my DVD of "Robinson Crusoe On Mars" from Amazon. I remember seeing that in the theater as a kid. Adam "Batman" West as an astronaut..... RE: [ " www.salon.com " ]....... Why didn't you just give us the link at Moveon.org? The basic fact is the documents Rather used were proven to be FORGERIES! Did you miss that part? It doesn't really matter whether the man was set up or not. Rather should have properly vetted the story and its documents. He failed at his job. So, OF COURSE CBS attempted to suppress the story! DUH! And I don't even think Bush supporters believe the man honestly served much time in the military because most people just assume that practically all politicians' sons get off easy. I just don't see how anybody with a brain could take Rather's side regardless of political affiliation. He screwed up. You don't have to be a Republican to see that. The political angles to the story by sites such as Salon.com and Moveon.org are pointless and irrelevant. What's "delusional" here is that there are actually so many people so politically motivated in their hatred of W that if he said the sun was going to rise tomorrow, they wouldn't believe it. Signed -- NOT a Bush Fan PS: According to The Sun, Alan Keyes did show up at the Baltimore debate. (9/28/07) RE: "Is WBOC going to be an affiliate of BOTH CBS AND FOX via digital subchannels, picking and choosing which HDTV signal to use one day to the next?" That's interesting. Can a station do this over-the-air? I'm thinking a station can only have ONE primary affiliation (with WBOC it's CBS) and then have several secondary affiliations (FOX, CW, MNT, etc). Cable systems, though, can run both station's HD feeds at once. Of course, it's being tested for stations to run TWO over-the-air streams at once. (9/28/07) (regarding a previous post about Dan Rather) "This guy is seriously delusional." It must be a troubling notion for right wingers, to let Dan Rather's suit go to trial and allow a jury to ultimately decide, on the basis of the evidence that is presented. At the Salon.com website, there is this article: 'Dan Rather stands by his story - His lawsuit will attempt to show that CBS tried to suppress the report on Bush's National Guard Service and the Abu Ghraib abuses'. I doubt that any Rather-bashers will take the time to read it, but here's the link for anybody who wishes to take a detailed and cogent look at the merits of the case: www.salon.com (9/28/07) RE: [ " I just got a message on my cable box that Mediacom Cable (serving the Delaware shore) will be dropping WJZ in October from it's cable line up. Does WBOC carry the Ravens? " ]....... As Salisbury/Delmarva is a non-NFL market, I would think that WBOC either has the option of the national CBS (WBOC 16) or FOX (WBOC 21) game or possibly any other. This means if you DON'T get the Baltimore Ravens game, you can at least complain to the local WBOC management, unlike in Baltimore where complaining about Redskins games gets you nowhere due to NFL rules. Delmarva is a peculiar NFL TV situation as there are fans of both the Eagles, Ravens, & Redskins in the market, and of course those dreaded SQUEALERS FANS all during the summer at the beaches. Grrrrrr. BUT...... What is WBOC going to do when the analog CBS channel 16 signal gets turned off in a little more than a year? Is WBOC going to be an affiliate of BOTH CBS AND FOX via digital subchannels, picking and choosing which HDTV signal to use one day to the next? That would certainly be a bad situation if WJZ is removed from all of Delmarva's cable systems. Look at what's happened with WMAR 2 being removed. WMDT ABC 47 doesn't even have their digital signal fully up and running yet! Geez, I fear it's gonna suck to live in Delmarva in '09. :-( (9/28/07) Simple question- Why do you believe there was a total lack of coverage of the Jena 6 story in DC and nationally. Is it because America actually believes what the La justice system did to these young men was right or is it a more sinister plan to cover-up the railroading of these blackmen in a racist backwoods town. I see even on this site the young men are referred to as thugs and hoods yet there is never any mention on why a town has a "white's-only" tree on its school grounds , a young black man that was beat up or the rights of these black man being violated. Interesting that was not a lead story I guess Ann Nicole, Brittany Spears, Michael Vick or OJ was more important than a story of blatant civil liberties violations of African-American men. I hope the media is not so stupid to think ignoring it will make us keep quiet about this injustice. (9/28/07) The one cable system in Delaware isn't the only place losing Baltimore's WJZ. A friend of mine who works for Comast in Winchester was telling me that the Winchester-Front Royal system will dropping WJZ sometime by the end of the year. He was also saying that one should look for Baltimore's WBAL, Hagerstown's WHAG & WJAL and Richmond's WTVR ( which is on the system in Front Royal ) to be dropped as well. I asked him if any of this is due with the area being moved out of the DC market into Harrisonburg's. He said he had no idea what I was talking about. Anyway say the market does move to Harrisonburg, there Charlottesville's WVIR NBC 29 is part of that market. Does that mean that NBC 29 will be availble to viewers in the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley? How would they get their signal up there? What happens to those who get the DC locals on Dish? (9/28/07) "Dave's response: Nothing against the GOP, but don't you think they could field one woman or maybe one black among their dozen or so presidential candidates? Where's Alan Keyes or Michael Steele these days?" Hey maybe you could start a GOP Presidential scorecard! (9/28/07) /\ September 28 Messages /\ \/ September 27 Messages \/ Couldn't find contact info for Jim Williams on the Examiner Page so thought I'd drop you a line. Williams line that "Caray will be doing a national game of the week on TBS next season but little else, the Examiner's Jim Williams tells us." is false and lazy reporting. Without going into all the details (although I'd be happy to if you'd like) Chip Caray is under contract with Turner for next year to do the 26 Sunday games, plus 45 regular Atlanta Braves games. The games simply won't be seen nationally. Caray's name may very well be being discussed and "thrown about," I don't deny that, but there are contractual issues, and it is unlikely he'll end up in the MASN booth w/ old partner Don Sutton. Stan Kasten did play a roll in bringing Chip back to Atlanta and is very close friends with Chip's father, Skip, but nevertheless, the statement that he's doing "little else" is simply wrong. Thanks, Andrew (9/27/07) RE DCRTV front page item about the Dan Rather interview at Nathans – Rather says “we got the truth, but we left ourselves vulnerable." This guy is seriously delusional. He is suffering from a disconnect with reality if he thinks the “evidence” of the Texas National Guard letter/memo is real. There are too many reasons to go into here about why this document was fake, and even if you believe Bush got special treatment in the Texas Guard, there is no way to dodge the reality that Rather and CBS tried to sway a presidential election with false information. He has some balls to sue CBS. He should just go away - like the Main Stream Media. TC in SS (9/27/07) Regarding "So "mwebsterva@verizon.net" if it's not on DCRTV.com is it true? MORON." Your command of the written language and ability to convey a thought clearly and concisely amazes me. I was simply stating that there is is a website run by the State of Maryland that just happens to list peoples names, addresses, and what appears to be their Social Security number. If any one in the media wants to investigate this, contact me. I will be happy to show them where to look. Most of the media person's work is done for them, by me, in this case. (9/27/07) I just got a message on my cable box that Mediacom Cable (serving the Delaware shore) will be dropping WJZ in October from it's cable line up. Does WBOC carry the Ravens? (9/27/07) Dave's response: My cable system in Northern Virginia dropped Channel 13/WJZ in 1993. And I still miss Marty Bass..... Where's Alan Keyes? To very little publicity, he's running for president again and should be at the Morgan State debate. Everett W. (9/27/07) Look, we all know what a gasbag O’Reilly is, but I just can’t bring myself to defend Fahri from anyone. This guy is the Kenny Bania of journalists, and his columns are festooned with nothing but buffoonery and half truths. He’s never displayed the tiniest shred of originality in his reporting, and suddenly he feels justified getting his dander up? Please. Chris in Alexandria (9/27/07) Dave's response: I would like to remind Farhi that referencing an FM station's wattage without its antenna height - a la his recent WGTS article - is completely irrelevent. An FM station running a few thousand watts from a 1,500-foot high antenna (like on a mountain) has a lot more coverage than a 50,000-watt station from a lower height antenna..... Dave, what do you have against complete sentences? "Heard on 3WT this afternoon." "On "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight at 8 on Fox News Channel." "Not a happy place." "According to Rob Pegoraro in the DC Post." I understand you probably want to maintain the informal feel of a blog instead of adhering to the rules of grammar that your cohorts in print media follow, but every time I read a period at the end of one of your incomplete sentences, my skin crawls. -- DM (9/27/07) Dave's response: Like 'em. Sense of immediacy. That lack of sentence shit. Like Pat Collins, News4..... re ". O'Reilly has been been on a crusade bashing Hollywood and the mainstream media culture for the racial sterotypes that blacks are nothing but hateful rappers, thugs, gangsters, and gang bangers" You are exactly right. The left-wing press will take anything out of context and turn it around because they know that many people do not read anymore and get their news from tv and the radio and by leaving out O'Reilly's admirable crusade to get the trash out of black enterntainment, when Sharpton and Jackson take the sidelines, the are just as dishonest as the ones who would make you believe that there was a "schoolyard fight" in Jena, La. (9/27/07) I keep seeing story after story (last night on WBAL 11, today in The Sun) about the Republican presidential candidates not showing up at the debate scheduled in Baltimore and not ONE major local or national news outlet has mentioned the REAL REASON few Republican candidates are showing up in Baltimore............ They simply don't want their vehicles vandalized or be subject to NAACP or Democrat party-organized disturbances, racial slurs, or public embarrassment. And they probably don't have a taste for airborne Oreo cookies either! Seriously, it's probable that no serious Republican candidate will EVER show up at Morgan State University or Baltimore EVER AGAIN after that embarrassingly disrespectful thug-life/stop-snitchin-esque display against former Maryland Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele which was televised LIVE by MPT (and yes I watched it!). Whoever came up with this Republican Baltimore debate idea is a COMPLETE MORON for thinking any serious candidates would show up! (9/27/07) Dave's response: Nothing against the GOP, but don't you think they could field one woman or maybe one black among their dozen or so presidential candidates? Where's Alan Keyes or Michael Steele these days? WTOP news is going the tabloid way of Ch. 5 news. That guy who likes his own voice, Mike Moss, had a headline this morning, I think right before 7:00, about "problems" or "problem" with the new baseball stadium. Then after CBS news comes Moss and his partner and they talk about delays on the expansion work going on at the Navy Yard Metro station. That IS NOT a problem with the stadium, folks. That IS a Metro problem and problem for fans GOING TO the stadium. NOT a stadium problem. (9/27/07) (If I were guaranteed to work long, late night hours with Lindsey Czarniak, I would gladly apply to the sports dept at WRC...) And I am sure NBC would be more than happy to hire you at $8 an hour, no overtime pay, and limited benefits. The suits at GE need bigger bonuses for 2007! (9/27/07) BOOOOOO! To WTOP. Hilary is OK and everything I like her. I remember her and liked her from her days at Fox 5 and then 9, but to do that to Diane is just plain BAD and RUDE! She was great on there! Down with you! (9/27/07) There are two issues regarding Leonsis and Snyder that people are mixing.. One is accessibility. The point was that Leonsis is outgoing and accessible to fans and the media (although Leonsis' recent, justified, criticism of Pollin, Czaban and WTEM showed he also can get aggressive with the media ) and Snyder is reclusive and paranoid. Those are personality traits, it has nothing to do with who owns what. The same traits would be present if Leonsis owned the Redskins and Snyder owned the Capitals; Ted would be working the aisles of FedEx and answering e-mails from Skins fans while Snyder would be holed up somewhere in Verizon. But don't confuse that with planned attempts to promote alternative sources of information for their team's fans. Both owners have done it for different reasons. Snyder has done it through Triple X and the team's website and by controlling access to Redskins highlights, interviews, etc. Snyder does it because he perceives inaccuracies and unfairness in traditional media coverage of his team. Leonsis has internet broadcasts of his games on the team's website and that website has won multiple awards as the NHL's best. The team also has an in-house media guy, Mike Vogel, who does a weekly podcast with player interviews, etc. As another poster pointed out, Leonsis has been more receptive to bloggers than any other sports owner by providing access to such alternative media outlets. Leonsis does all this, not because he perceives inaccuracies or unfairness, but because the team isn't covered nearly enough by traditional media. The bottom line is that Snyder has rejected traditional media because he didn't like the tenor of the coverage while Leonsis has tried to promote alternative sources of information because his team wasn't being covered enough by mainstream media. (9/27/07) So "mwebsterva@verizon.net" if it's not on DCRTV.com is it true? MORON. Oh and someone might want to check their facts, Lou Holder to ESPNU? Think again. But wait, did Drudge report it? If so then it's true, otherwise get your facts straight before "reporting" information. (9/27/07) If I were guaranteed to work long, late night hours with Lindsey Czarniak, I would gladly apply to the sports dept at WRC... (9/27/07) Sylvie looks better than most of the women in radio. WMAL should give her a slot somewhere. She'd also help even out WMAL on Dave's Diversity Scoreboard. (9/27/07) I know the website that dangerously lists certain peoples name address, social security number, and even types of cars they drive, and it IS an official Maryland state website. From the website I now know that a "James Farley" from Vienna, Virginia, at one time drove a 2001 Porsche among other information (including his middle name). Can anyone out their state with confidence this person is not the Jim DCRTVers know and love, and it isn't his social security number listed below his name? (9/27/07) Dave's response: I am pretty sure that's not WTOP's Jim Farley. I know for a fact that he's never driven a Porsche.... Enough already with the crybaby Dan "Courage" Rather: if, as he says, "He stood by his 2004 story, saying "we got the truth, but we left ourselves vulnerable." why didn't CBS News -- with YOU as Managing Editor -- then air "the truth" in a properly documented story? George Bush stopped you: hardly, THAT would have been an entirely new story in and of itself which you COULD prove. Oh Carol: you are such a bright woman, a person of integrity, hell, my late journalist father thought the world of you, so why didn't you follow up with that question, girl? Always loved Nathans: your pal, THIMMESCH! (9/27/07) Good grief is the radical left grasping for straws on O'Reilly. They'll do anything to try and "Don Imus" this man because his ratings just annihilate the kooks at MSNBC. O'Reilly has been been on a crusade bashing Hollywood and the mainstream media culture for the racial sterotypes that blacks are nothing but hateful rappers, thugs, gangsters, and gang bangers. If you'd listen to the entire radio segment in context, he then goes on to make comments using hyperbole and saracasm. His comment on blacks being like the rest of us was a sarcastic jab at the Hollywood fools that perpetuate a negative image of blacks in America. His comment really is "Wow, black folks really aren't what Hollywood and the mainstream media culture tells us they are. They are like the rest of us". If any of you clowns would even watch O'Reilly, you would know that he is sick and tired of the blacks portayed as something that they aren't. (9/27/07) I notice this morning, after reading your note about the Globe, That WHFS has removed their calls from all promos and liners. Hmmmmmmm??? (9/27/07) read the Fahri article on O'Reilly this morning. what amazed me is how can a journalist writing an article about something said on a RADIO show not mention WHERE you can hear that radio show??!!?? you would think that the Post would love to knock 3WT. But I can assure you he didn't leave this info out because he was trying to be nice. Just poor journalism. he should be embarassed. Another in a long line of poorly written radio articles by this idiot. (9/27/07) (Am I the only one who doesn't give a rat's ass about HD?) Sports looks great in HD, and you'd enjoy a lot of the HD programming Discovery has, but I think you might be one of the few who don't care about HD, Dave. But I agree with you about all the crappy programming. (9/27/07) Dave's response: My sister and my neighbors have HD and the picture looks great. And I'll get an HD set (probably a smallish LCD unit) when my old tube TV dies. But it's just not on my list of priorities at the moment. Now if they'd only release "Kath And Kim" and more "McMillan And Wife" seasons on DVD. Now, that's what I really want..... O'Reilly's latest tiff is just evidence of a guy that needs to get out more. His latest comments are more ignorant and embarrassing than blatantly racist. His on-air epiphany that black folks actually own a decent restaurant and behave while dining, without any overt thug-like behavior was comedic, in the tragic sense of the word. I am surprised he didn't admit to being toasty, due to the body armor and helmet he was wearing. As to his comments being taken out of context: "Poor You" is right, this guy has made a living by doing the same thing to others, and never apologizing when caught. Live by the sword, die by the sword, BillO. Waiter! Get me some M-effing rice and beans (9/27/07) “O'Reilly Slammed For Racial Stereotypes” When I first heard stories about this controversy, I thought what a dope. After hearing his comments in the context of the entire story, it’s not nearly what it’s being made out to be. In retrospect he might have chosen his words differently however, it’s clear there are organized groups that don’t like him or his ideas and are using any chance they can get to take him down. To me that's the scary part. (9/27/07) Dave's response: There's a whole class of radio/cable TV talker who TAKES THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT and then uses that to batter a political opponent. O'Reilly's just on the receiving end this time - and not on the "giving" end. As Liv Soprano used to say: "Poor you"..... Re: WINC...I wouldn't be surprised if Centennial decided to keep Jeff Adams in that position through attrition. Didn't you say they let a bunch of people go when they took over? What I'm wondering now is will WINC be live and local 24 hours a day or will they fall prey to the voice tracked overnights and let more people go? And the flip on Real Classic Rock is an interesting one. I heard Master of Puppets from Metallica the other morning. But as usual, their signal is spotty at best. And now that Verstandig's two classic rock stations in Harrisonburg and Hagerstown both flipped to Active Rock as well as Centennial flipping 104.9/105.5 to Active Rock and the Fox still doing Active Rock on 99.3, it makes one wonder whether someone did a research study and determined that Active Rock was the "hot new sound" for the Shenandoah Valley? At least 106.9 still plays classic rock although I wish they'd play a bit more 80's rock. Oh and Kim McKay sounds great on 106.9 too. And Jeff Adams sounds great on WINC. John R./Berryville (9/27/07) The question: "What format are stations using for music these days?" Invariably, everyone has a computerized audio storage and management system (read:automation) in place, with audio spooled off a disk drive/array. The stopdown/speedup error described earlier was typical with systems made by Enco about 6 years ago: network traffic would cause audio playout to take a back seat for a moment as more CPU brainpower was diverted to the networking task. Once clear, the playout process would "catch up" and speed thru the music for a few moments. I am unsure what system is in use where you mentioned, but the behavior is typical of a system that assigns a low priority level to audio performance compared to other processes. (9/27/07) OK. It is official. If they did not see it on the Drudge Report, it is not on Fox 5 news!. The other day, the sensational teasers leading up to the 10:00 News, stated that shockingly, the Government sent out a mailer that included the Social Security Number on the outside of the envelope or some such nonsense. I called the Fox 5 telephone number and hit number whatever for the news department. I left a message telling them to get off Drudge and call me because the State of Maryland has been publishing what appears to be SS#'s of NON residents and some residents for years. I left my number and said I would be happy to tell them exactly where. I recieved no return call. Perhaps I should alert Drudge? Then they will do the story! I am leaving it out to any legitimate news agency (other than Fox 5) who wants to investigate what appears to be peoples names, addresses and SS#'s on a official Maryland website to contact me at mwebsterva@verizon.net and I will be happy to tell you where. I sent emails to authorities in Maryland, alerted lawyers in Maryland and no one cares. Obviously, I can not verify the information is social security numbers - but someone with resources could. Dave, thank you posting this message. (9/27/07) Looks like DirecTV has added more HD channels today. And, new technology as the new HD channels are not repeated in the 70’s like the first HD channels were. When scanning, the HD channel comes up first, and if you scan up again, you get the SD channel. And, the new HD channels you get a grey screen with audio before the video kicks in. Also, the video is freeze-framed for about 500-750 mS before it starts moving. It looks fair to my eyes. Except for Smithsonian. Now, that one looks really good! Direct’s HDTV looks as good as most of their SD channels. Speaks volumes for the quality of their SD, doesn’t it? Also, I guess not too well for their HD, though… (9/27/07) Dave's response: Am I the only one who doesn't give a rat's ass about HD? I get 300+ cable channels, and, frequently, there's nothing good to watch. I want better programming - not more lines of resolution of crappy shit stuff..... George Arthur’s post about the late Frank Tollin brought back many memories. As I probably mentioned in my earlier post, Frank’s entries in the WGMS maintenance log reminded me of calligraphy. Where most of us either scribbled illegibly or block printed, Frank’s conciseness and precision would’ve put John Hancock to shame! His technical skills were beyond reproach –absolutely brilliant! Yes, he did look a lot like Frank Zappa, at least the Zappa of the 1960’s/1970’s! When Frank Tollin was with WGTB, that station was a bastion that had top talent floating thru it that was brilliant, albeit unappreciated by mainstream radio. Besides Frank, Ken Sleeman, and Jeremy Lansman immediately come to mind. As for Frank, while he might have not have been initially the sort one would associat! e with a classical music station like WGMS, his quest for perfection was congruent with that often found in the arts. Because of his “Zappa-like” appearance, Frank always stood out at hamfests! This was back when the “Gaithersburg Hamfest” was actually in Gaithersburg. One other thing about him was that anyone who was honestly curious about a particular technical subject at a hamfest, Frank was one of the most friendly and knowledgeable “Elmers” you’d ever want to meet. Unfortunately, I don’t recall if Frank ever held a ham ticket himself. Maybe Ken Sleeman can answer that question. Oh yes, besides looking like a hippie from 1969 Haight-Ashbury, Frank was also very tall and thin standing head and shoulders above most hams! Speaking of that former classical powerhouse, WGMS, it was nice to see a recent post by Paul Anthony. There are still a few of us left from either Wisconsin Ave or One Central Plaza. Although no doubt most are like me… approaching retirement! –Faithful Engineer (9/27/07) RE: [ Q&A Cafe Interview ]........ I think the fact that Dan Rather clearly admits not listening to friends, relatives, & colleagues' advice speaks volumes about his story's credibility, his firing, his lawsuit, & the man himself. Maybe friends and relatives of Rather should get power of attorney over the dottering old fool & medicate him before he destroys whatever is left of his impressive legacy as one of the very top news men of his time. It's sad really, it's like watching someone go through a slow motion career train wreck. Seriously, calling the president as a witness when his documents were clearly proven false??? Forget whether the president's military service is legit or not. At this point it's irrelevant to Rather's firing. That Rather mentioned himself that there comes a time when you need to say "it's just time to go" speaks volumes. Maybe Dan Rather should listen to his own advice and get himself out of the news. (9/27/07) If WHFS comes to 94.7, would they still brand themselves as the Globe, Or use the tired, conservative, " World Class Rock" as their brand? And is that new PD with ties to the DC area going to be someone who will really make a difference for the better? Welcome home David Einstein? (9/27/07) Dave's response: Pick up the HFS calls, phase out The Globe logo, still call it World Class Rock. Yeah, David Einstein would be cool. Damn cool..... Noticed in toda'y's Obbit'ts that that Ted Ted Leonsasa's Ma passed away a few days ago. My prayers are with his family. Rusty Gibson (9/27/07) /\ September 27 Messages /\ \/ September 26 Messages \/ Dave, the loving tribute to your mom was very moving. It is evident that DCRTV is a project from the heart and I know your mom is very honored. Happy Birthday Mrs. Hughes! I would also like to acknowledge Sylvie. Sylvie, just wish that I had a chance to hear you. For someone who has never been on the air prior to your stint at WMAL, you approached the opportunity with the utmost diligence. Getting over that first hurdle is a real challenge and obviously you handled it beautifully. I wish for you many more opportunities. Also, please do not put down your choice of outfit. I have often been on the air with mismatched socks and even grabbed my left over pink high heels from a wedding on one occasion so I would not be late. Regarding the Delaware market, congrats to Jill Quayle for landing on her feet at WJBR. Jill is another talented lady and will be a real asset to their morning show. Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (9/26/07) The day I become a "Media Hottie" is the day I get out of the business. Which, having said that--means my days in broadcasting are probably numbered. /sean hall (9/26/07) In another stupid attempt to create sensationalism Channel 4 is leading into their half hour segments by proclaiming, "Someone is Stealing From the Dead". When in fact it is someone stealing bronze vases from grave sites that belong to a certain cemetery. Not condoning it but their headline is misleading and not true. (9/26/07) Silvie, I've said this before, but after seeing your photo again, You are a MAJOR hottie (no offense intended). I would just love to hear you on the air. Best of luck! Rusty Gibson (9/26/07) I haven't read Shapiro's article regarding George Michael, but I did hear this discussed on Sportstalk 980. They were questioning why others at Comcast such as Chick Hernandez or Kelli Johnson were pretty much overlooked..Yeah, we all know that George is one of Danny's "boys", but I too wondered why Comcast chose to go with a freelance reporter vs. one of their own..I wonder how the other Comcast anchors/reporters felt about this. (9/26/07) "Leonsis has little choice other than to shmooze the media as much as possible given hockey's less than marquee status on the Washington sports scene. Last week's remote from the Caps' practice facility by WTEM's Feldman & Maloney show had to be the result of an invitation from Ted. By contrast, Snyder could cut off all access to the Redskins by local media outlets and people would still be talking about his team all the time." While I usually find myself in agreement with the esteemed Mike from Fairfax, I felt compelled to respond here. Leonsis has actually subverted the role of the mainstream media by embracing non-traditional and Web-based media like no other owner in the NHL -- and perhaps professional sports -- has done. He knows that no amount of schmoozing will elevate the Capitals over the Redskins and college sports when it comes to coverage in D.C., so he and his marketing staff have found alternative means to speak to their audience at a time when mainstream media is cutting costs and cutting back on coverage of the NHL. I'd argue that Leonsis's tactics have paid off -- he embraced bloggers and Caps fan sites, and now the Post and the Times have their own hockey blogs from beat writers. If the Capitals "cut off all access" to local media outlets, as in Mike's Redskins example above, how much less coverage would there be in comparison to the paltry space and time the team is given now? Greg (9/26/07) I'll give Don and Mike a little credit.. There are about 4-6 times during the fall season when they are actually funny, and that's when they are making fun of Daniel Snyder and the Redskins stadium/parking situation. And was it me, or did it sound like King George was throwing huge softballs at Danny? "Dan, tell me… did you think it would be this difficult to build a winning team in the NFL". Please! George should have hit him with a really good one like, "Dan, is it true you hired a towing company to move cars around in your own parking lot after the game started, so that you could squeeze a couple more cars in at $40 a pop?" That would have been good radio. (9/26/07) With the departure of Dave Gunning, who is now at Frederick's Key 103 (WAFY), Jeff Adams assumes the afternoon drive duties at WINC-FM -- at least for now. It is most likely that his duties are an interim gig, since Gunning's replacement has not yet been named. (9/26/07) I been thinking about donating for a while, but what made me do it today was your tribute to your mother. I lost my mother last December. I remember all too well the seemingly endless doctor visits. She too was able to stay in her house until almost the bitter end - 9 days in the hospital and 3 in hospice. Anyway, thanks for putting together a great site. Keep up the good work... (9/26/07) Dave's response: Many thanks! What format are stations using for music these days? CD, DAT, MP3...? I ask because I had 100.3FM on in the car at lunch today and they were playing the long version of CCR's "Suzie Q" and having some trouble. First the station went silent for a few seconds mid song, then it came back, then the song went double speed for a few seconds, then some static...this went on for several minutes. It was the sped up part that threw me for a loop. It was like the old days, when somebody would accidentally hit the switch during a 33rpm album cut and you'd hear it played at 45rpm for a few seconds. Surely there aren't still stations spinning wax, are there? (9/26/07) I think you should put Ira Mellman up against Sean Hall for media hotties. JOKE! I love them both. It would be interesting to see how many votes they get. Seriously, Ira against someone would be fun, because he is kind of like a big teddy bear... (9/26/07) For the poster who inquired about 9 news: Tracey Neale is on extended leave after adopting1-2? children several weeks ago. I've also noticed Jennifer Ryan co-anchoring with Derek McGinity at 7 since the beginning of September, so only assume WUSA's news management wanted to bring Derek's newscast in line with the others having co-anchors. The uniqueness of Derek's 7 pm newscast was scrapped sometime ago, eliminating his one-on-one interviews, and special reports. The only thing that remains is McGinity's mailbag. David in Hyattsville (9/26/07) Now we have the photographic proof... Silvie and Savannah share clothes! (And, might I add, they BOTH look FINE.) (9/26/07) Re: Joe Krebs... I believe he said that he is having rotator cuff surgery and will be recuperating for 4 weeks. Regards Biff (9/26/07) I heard Dave Feldman of Fox News 5 mention last week that Lou Holder no longer works for the station. Does anyone there know anything about this. I don't recall seeing anything on DCRTV.com, but I could have missed it if it happened in mid-August when I was out of town. Thanks, Willie Abney (9/26/07) Dave's response: We reported that he went to ESPNU, the college sports network run by ESPN..... please check your math - if Shawn Yancy went from being down 70-30 versus Wendy Reiger to being down 60-40, this is an increase of 33 1/3% for Shawn, not a 10% increase. (9/26/07) Dave's response: Now you know why I'm a writer and not a mathematician.... it would be great to have HFS back on the air, in some form of rock music. the only problem is the coverage area in md. here in annapolis i can't get anything more than static from 94.7, they need to bump up the wattage on that tower! (9/26/07) Dave's response: I don't think the station on 94.7 in Dover, Delaware would like that..... From the WMAL home page: Silvie From Waldorf's "Great Adventure"! "Golden Leaves, Psychotic Dictators, and WMAL Studios"... (Plus Other Stories On How I Spent The First Day Of Autumn)... By Silvie A., Waldorf, MD... Waking up on the morning of Sunday, September 23rd was not as agonizing as it is every single day of the week for me, simply because it was an entirely sleepless night. Thus, there was no “waking up” ritual. I glanced at my face in the mirror and realized that I would not have enough concealer to apply under my enormous and darkened Hefty bag-like eyes, so my mood switched from indifference to panic. To make matters worse, while holding my remote control on one hand and my coffee mug on the other, my first e-mail of the day popped up. “Topic Change!!!”, it read. At this point, I just wanted to hide in the bathtub. The story starts a week prior, when 630 WMAL’s Jerry Klein contacted me about filling-in for Chris Plante on “The Chris Plante & Jerry Klein Show” on this, the first day of autumn. I’ve been a WMAL fan for years, and am familiar with its hosts and format, so when Jerry called to propose his idea to me, I thought he’d made a mistake, and had contacted the wrong person – given that I’m just a suburban mother with absolutely no radio experience. While he explained his idea, I just kept thinking, “He’s asking me to sub for Chris Plante! What on Earth is he on?” Assuring me that it was no mistake, I accepted the invitation and spent the rest of the week in “obsessive-compulsive mode,” thinking about what I would say on-air (if, in fact, Jerry didn’t come back to his senses and realize the gravity of his mistake and thus call me back to cancel the whole thing). Days passed and no calls. This is for real! Jerry’s Sunday early morning e-mail had sent me over the edge. We had been discussing various topics over the week and I had finally garnered enough confidence to talk about those issues. But, a rambling and egomaniacal dictator (no, I’m not referring to WMAL General Manager Chris Berry -- I kid!) took over the top of the news chain on Sunday morning, and I only had a few hours to familiarize myself with one Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. I had to learn everything from what he had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and in between. Setting out for my drive to Northwest Washington from Waldorf, I kept changing radio stations in the hopes of finding the latest news on the Iranian leader. “What does Jerry Klein expect from me? I’m not a news pro, I’m a news consumer,!” is what I kept wrapping around my brain. Stumbling on the sidewalk at Jennifer & 44th Streets, N.W., wearing 4-inch stiletto heels and a leopard-print silk blouse (looking more like a stripper than perhaps a future radio personality), I was met at WMAL studios for the very first time by the soft-spoken man with whom I’d exchanged so many e-mails over the years. Meeting Jerry gave me an instant sense of warmth and calmness. After a tour of the beautiful offices and studio and a discussion/debate/research on the Iranian tyrant, he introduced me to a few of the faces I had only heard of - Michael Piercey, Sheldon Williams and Marti Gray. These very talented and young individuals helped me a lot during my visit, and I am so grateful! Since it was Sunday, the station was nearly deserted, but I was impressed with the thought-process, decision-making and research that takes place before a show goes on the air. Minutes before the show, Jerry told me that he did not expect me to be a “professor” on this debate, and to just be myself. All I was interested in was to make sure that I did a fairly good job in filling-in for Plante, whose shoes are too big to fill. Looking straight into my co-host’s eyes during the show gave me a sense of satisfaction and control. He taught me how to be analytical and how to process information before it comes out of my mouth. The hour passed so quickly that I was not looking forward to leaving anytime soon. Life is all about “Live & Learn.” The hours I spent at WMAL on Sunday were a learning experience that I will not soon forget. Thank you, Jerry Klein, the big time “pet liberal” at WMAL, for your warmth, generosity and sense of humor. If laughter is the best medicine, then you are the prescription I want, my friend! (9/26/07) "Contrast [the reclusive, paranoid Dan Snyder] to Ted Leonsis, the Capitals' owner, who is about as media friendly as it gets, even writing his own blog and answering fan e-mails to him at washingtoncaps@aol.com." Leonsis has little choice other than to shmooze the media as much as possible given hockey's less than marquee status on the Washington sports scene. Last week's remote from the Caps' practice facility by WTEM's Feldman & Maloney show had to be the result of an invitation from Ted. By contrast, Snyder could cut off all access to the Redskins by local media outlets and people would still be talking about his team all the time. As far as criticism of the Skins by Kevin Sheehan and Bram Weinstein on Triple X is concerned, it's good that they're not waving pom-poms but there's a tendency to latch on to one or two things that happen in a game and act like nothing else factored in the outcome. Sure - the fiasco at the end of Sunday's game was a big deal, but so was the failure of the offense to make a first down for most of the second half and the inability of the defense to prevent the Giants from driving down the field for three straight touchdowns. Both John Riggins (on Triple X) and Trevor Matich (a guest on F&M) have provided convincing explanations of why the Skins' failure to score the tying TD in the final minute was attributable more to poor execution by the players than poor play calling or clock management by the coaches - yet Sheehan, Weinstein and Andy Pollin (on WTEM) keep right on bitching about Clinton Portis not being in the game and the coaching staff being 'panicked'. I tend to put more stock in what former players like Riggins, Matich, Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell have to say than career sports radio types who don't have the same experience base to draw from. Not only that, but the ex-Redskins seem to be the only ones willing to give any credit to the other team. Mike, Fairfax (9/26/07) Dave, someone calling himself ‘Faithful Engineer’ posted a mail message back on December 10, 2006 about WGMS, and in it asked ‘Does anyone remember Frank Tollin?’ Hell, yes, I remember Frank Tollin. Frank was the chief engineer of WGTB-FM up to its last days, and he was definitely one of the most complex, talented, troubled individuals I’ve ever met. Frank distained the WGTB studio equipment and refused to maintain it. I vividly remember a cart machine freezing in mid-spot because the bearing in the capstan snubbing roller ran dry. Most of the studio equipment was junk anyway, castoffs from other stations, but mostly Frank could not bear to deal with how carelessly the all-volunteer air staff treated it. His transmitter site at AU, on the other hand, in the words of colleague Mike Cullen, was ‘like the bridge of the Enterprise’. It was absolutely pristine, with all cables perfectly led and eleven-tenths maintenance performed on every component. It was like a shrine. Frank was a perfectionist, and perhaps that was part of his undoing. I would check in with Frank periodically just to see what was up. The world of a guy who was a dead ringer for Frank Zappa was always an interesting place. It was with great sadness that I learned that – at least, this was what I was told – he had taken his own life. This was back around 1982. Perhaps other readers or GTB alumni can supply more details about what actually happened and why. -George Arthur (9/26/07) Dave, Funny you should bring up the WHFS call letters because I have heard during the Ravens Pre-Game show and at other times the name 'Baltimore's FM Talk 105-7' being used with no mention of the calls afterward. So I would not be surprised if CBS did move back the calls to DC where they belong. Bob Phillips cared nothing about the heritage of those calls, he just cared about the fact people knew the WHFS calls to help with 105-7 no matter what format they put on that frequency...Think about it, they have had so many names for that frequency-Live 105-7, The Legendary HFS-Live on 105-7, 105-7 WHFS, 105-7 HFS, Free-FM 105-7 HFS, 105-7 HFS-Free-FM, the list goes on... (9/26/07) Dave's response: CBS/DC flipped classic rock WARW to alt rock-ish WTGB, The Globe, in early 2007. Just about the same time that CBS/Baltimore was annoucing its Orioles radio deal for 105.7 WHFS. OK, I could see how CBS/Baltimore wouldn't want to change the calls on 105.7 just as the O's deal was being announced. But now that we've got another (pathetic) O's season almost done, why doesn't CBS/Baltimore send the calls to CBS/DC, which wants 'em for 94.7, where they would really stand for something - a great musical heritage. CBS/Baltimore can easily brand 105.7 as a talker without that particular set of calls. If it put new calls on 105.7 this fall, they could be easily worked into the O's radio campaign for 2008. In fact, why doesn't CBS/Baltimore kill two "birds" with one stone (pardon the pun) and rebrand WJFK-AM while they're at it. I got it a brilliant idea - "105.7 WJZ-FM, and 1300 WJZ-AM, Baltimore's Sports Talk Duo - And More." Do a big marketing campaign with CBS's Channel 13, WJZ-TV. Come on, Dave Labrozzi, give DC back its heritage WHFS calls. Pleeeeese..... Fantastic tribute to your Mom, Dave. It's wonderful to see that years after her passing, she continues to inspire. Similarly, a year after my Dad's passing, he continues to inspire my online endeavor ( vinyldistrict.blogspot.com ). We're of the same generation, so you might find plenty to like there. Cheers to you and Ma! (9/26/07) That link to Washington Post Radio is still at the bottom of the washingtonpost.com home page. When you click, it takes you to the underwhelming old Post Radio site and links to listen live. But when you click on the streaming audio links, all you get is silence on your player. Somebody somewhere knew enough to pull that plug. (9/26/07) A poster wrote "Unlike his hero, George Steinbrenner, Snyder has never learned how to play the media. Snyder is a man without a backbone." Luckily, Snyder doesn't need a backbone, as he's only 4 foot 3. (9/26/07) Dave's response: Dan Snyder is as tall as Mike O'Meara is wide..... Hello, Dave, The actual interview that Juan Williams did with Bush is in my column here: www.maynardije.org... I also reported then (Monday night) that NPR thought Williams was inappropriate for the interview. www.maynardije.org... Best, Richard Prince (9/26/07) story for you money.cnn.com Ford to Make HD Digital Radio Available Across Nearly All Product Lines (9/26/07) Just outside the zone: "Contract dispute leads to billboards urging WITF boycott Labor official accuses public broadcasting station of trying to get rid of union.... lancasteronline.com.... LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - A union local that's embroiled in a contract dispute with the area's public broadcasting station is firing public broadsides at the station's management. In the latest salvo aimed at WITF, the union last week put up five billboards in Lancaster County calling for a boycott. "Everything they've given us (in contract proposals) indicates they want to get rid of the union, no matter what they say," said union leader Joe Grazan Jr. on Monday. Grazan is president of Local 213 of the National Association of Broadcast Employees & Technicians, part of the Communications Workers of America, which represents 20 of the station's estimated 100 employees. Local 213's membership includes some engineers, announcers and reporters for WITF-FM, and some videographers, directors, engineers, audio technicians and other professionals for WITF-TV." (9/26/07) did you see this from patrick gavin on katie last night at the press club: Couric took Rather to task for his reporting. “There were things in there that were quite egregious in terms of how it was reported,” she said. “And sloppy work is sloppy work…They did not dot their I’s and cross their T’s when it came to that story…And our job is to get right.” (9/26/07) What a beautiful tribute to your Ma. Honestly, it brought a tear to my eyes. She was blessed to have been so loved. ~Prairie Robin (9/26/07) Dave, Read your Rant regarding your mom and when you talk about radio and how much she enjoyed it, it brought back memories of my dad, who passed a year ago this past August. It's probably very therapeutic to talk about loved ones who have died, but it is still difficult for me to put it into words. A few wrote into you on this board and talked about my dad and his influence on their careers in radio, as he spent about 25 years in the business, either on air or engineer. He loved the business, he loved being the "ham" on the air, but he knew, as I do now, that in the end, it's just radio. My mom got a call this last week from a man who worked with dad back when he was a teen...dad ran the switchboard at Potomac Edison in Cumberland...said that dad used to re-wire the board so that they could call out and call girls. Yep! I believe that's what lead him to radio! The chance to meet girls! Anyway, celebrations all around for your mom. Maybe your mom and my dad??? I'm sure the conversation is quite lively! (9/26/07) So, how long will it be before we hear reports of the new Jerry's Subs radio spot being deemed offensive to Asians? Let's not forget that doing the stereotypical Asian voice was considered a no-no a few months back.... (9/26/07) Dear "Legally Laughing in Largo": First of all, when someone at Bonneville or any major broadcaster is terminated without cause they are rarely given a reason. People are are told that this is there last day and explained the details of the severance package. Then, Human Resources takes over the process. In addition, I am looking at the general release used by two major broadcasters and it clearly states the following...."Employee and Company agree that they will not make any disparaging statements about Employee's employment with Company, work product, employees, the termination details or any other dealings of any kind between Employee and Company, to any third party, specifically including, without limitation, any past, present or prospective employee of Company, or any representative of any media." Of course people can make a positive comment, but most lawyers would advise against any public comment. It is much easier to terminate someone "without cause" th en "with cause". Companies simply pay out contracts or offer a healthy severance package with the promise of a positive reference. You couldn't be more wrong about your comments. I hope you are not a lawyer. Signed, "Someone who has sat thru over a hundred of these terrible meetings" (9/26/07) Does anyone know why Joe Krebs has been off the morning news on Channel 4 for the past couple of weeks? This morning I heard Barbara Harrison say that he's getting better and will be back soon, but I never heard her say the reason why he hasn't been there. -- Bobbie (9/26/07) Dave, it's 4am in Toronto and I fought back some tears after reading your tribute to your beloved mom. You know something? Keminications, VARTV, PBRTV etc would not be here without your "mom." You and her inspired us all to start this "fangled" web thing. Happy birthday Mrs Hughes wherever you are........ Kemi Joshua, Toronto, Canada (9/26/07) Dave's response: I'm sure mom and former Texas Governor Ann Richards are up there in Heaven having a good old time with a few beers telling Bush jokes..... What 3WT needs to save them is a revolutionary personality... Someone once appointed by an unknown armchair as WJFK's "savior" years ago... 3WT needs... Pam Stone. :D (9/26/07) Dave, As someone who has lost a parent (my father) it is always tough to handle. You "rant" today was beautiful and most all heartfelt. I am sure that your mother would be proud and that I know that she is still a very big part of you as my father is too me. You do good work and it is not hard to see that you had great parents. Cheers, Jim (9/26/07) Watching the Comcast SportsNet George Michael / Danny Snyder interview was like a throwback to ancient times when court jesters entertained & danced before their kings and everyone fains enjoyment. It's also the clearest example yet of why WRC NBC 4 doesn't need George Michael anymore. Comcast can have him! And I haven't heard much controversy in the media about Snyder hinting that him and his friends talk about moving the Redskins out of Landover, Maryland. Keep in mind, Snyder did NOT deny the softball question nor the follow-up softball question, he only stated the obvious, The Redskins are obligated by a signed contract with the State of Maryland to play at FedEX Field and that he didn't have anything to do with it. Very cleverly worded Art Modelesque answer if you ask me. Poor Comcast Sportsnet, all they did was infuriate Redskins fans with that entire suck-up interview. The only secret revealed is that is that Joe Gibbs is up until 4AM in the morning working. My dad has that same situation, doctors call it a prostate issue, not a prescription for NFL success. (9/26/07) Dave's response: My friend Rusty says that they should make his lover, Melody (sister of the famous Betty gals), the coach of the Redskins. She's a big fan of the team and would whip the guys into winning shape in two seconds flat..... I'm not sure, and maybe someone else can back me up, but I thought I heard Clinton Portis drop the "F" bomb on the John Thompson show today (Tuesday). He had a testy little exchange with Brian Mitchell about why he wasn't on the field on the final series at the end of Sunday's game. To paraphrase, it was something along the line of "if they give me the ball, I'll carry the f***ing ball!" Afterwards, no mention of Clinton's potty-mouth on the Thompson Show, or the Sports Reporters, at least that I heard. Class act that Clinton. Dan in MD (9/26/07) RE:WTRI I was a bit chagrined to hear that VegasRadio will be leaving 1520 khz on 1 October. If the airwave hiatus is only temporary for the standards format as they say, I hope Buddy & company can find another station soon. FWIW, my suggestion (should the station be on AM) would be to try to find a signal that would cover the metro area (specifically the B-W corridor) with a decent daytime signal. My suggestions would include: 730, 860, 1190, 1370. I understand Rizer's plans to consult WHAT in Philly. I wish him luck, but feel that the station being a class 'C' (or class IV) operation in a major metropolitan area will have its strikes against it. All in all though, one has to wonder with so many spanish language stations on the air, why do we need another? (9/26/07) We ain't spose to infer from Mr. Rizer's comment about getting an offer he couldn't refuse that the Mexican Mafioso's paid him a visit...? Hey but i keed! I don't understand he will consult with a nostalgia music station in Phillie when the one he had here couldn't make a go of it? Put your dreams away for another day baby...Christine Brennan was a mediocre beat reporter with a chip on her broad shoulders at le WaPo and she's still a mediocre agender driven writer for mcpaper...you ain't saying King George is auntie broad are youse, between Georgie and his wife didn't they bend over backwards to get broads invovled in the sport's department and the sport's machine even if their sport's knowledge was practically nil....didn't Wilbon on last Saturday's Redskin Report admit as much that Lord Kornholio really doesn't know football?!...how much are Kornholio's comments on MNF, gawd i hate the effing camera work of espn on mnf, are prepared ?...man King Don Geronimo's ipod library sounded pretty pedistrian, not even The Jam (9/26/07) /\ September 26 Messages /\ \/ September 25 Messages \/ Unsigned Corporate Suit once again… I must say that of the many "occasional" responsibilities I’ve had over the years, terminations are the most unpleasant. Anybody who thinks "suits" look at this gleefully are hopefully hopelessly misinformed or mistaken. If there is a "suit" who takes joy in terminating anyone’s employment, they haven’t either the heart or courage to be truly successful in this business. I say that because many of us "suits" have gotten the ax ourselves at least once! And, I will tell you that having been involved with more terminations than I care to remember, even the "with cause" ones are difficult. Whether it’s an "employee", a manager, or even an executive, every termination tears out your guts when you and someone from H.R. take that person into an office and deliver the "news". It hurts. It really truly hurts. When it’s budgetary, it’s all the more painful because it is often a matter of the "the good of the one (or two, etc.) vs. t! he good of the many". That’s why I feel Messrs. Oxley & Farley are possibly getting some cheap shots about the recent dismissals at WTOP being a matter of protecting their individual bonuses. It could quite possibly be a matter of saving jobs. But, thanks to legal protections and confidentiality clauses, only the parties directly involved know exactly what happened. And, that’s how it should be! Let me tell you, being a radio (or TV) GM is likely one of the most thankless careers one can pick. Not only do you occasionally have to terminate an employee or manager, but you constantly face the possibility of it yourself for any number of reasons. I’m not defending what’s wrong with Bonneville’s D.C. cluster, nor the responsibilities that Jim Farley and Joel Oxley share in getting things to where they are now. However, give these guys a break and spare them the personal attacks. They no doubt have had enough sleepless nights as it is. Not just for what has happene! d, but for what may be next. Sometimes knowledge of the future is an u npleasant responsibility of being a "suit". I’m sure there will be a lot of flames about this. But, keep in mind that there are three sides to every story, the "truth", the "truth", and what really happened. (9/25/07) George Michael DID rip into Chrintine Brennan on a regular basis. That was because she a hack reporter who made up so many axes to grind against so many people on that team and in the front office! She wrote mercilessly cruel personal attacks about Dexter Manley at a time when he was dealing with substance abuse issues and facing his own illiteracy. (He has not only learned to read, he went through school and is now working as a paralegal!) She tried tirelessly to bait Bobby Beathard and Joe Gibbs into sparring matches and, when they failed to take the bait, opened up on Beathard alone. I'm glad somebody finally threw that witch down the toilet! Thanks, George. The Squire (9/25/07) It sure does appear that Danny Boy Snyder is not only a recluse, but that he's paranoid to boot. Contrast him to Ted Leonsis, the Capitals' owner, who is about as media friendly as it gets, even writing his own blog and answering fan e-mails to him at washingtoncaps@aol.com. Couldn't have two more opposite sports owners locally. (9/25/07) What is up at WUSA? Is Tracey Neal gone? Lesli Foster has been “filling in” for several weeks now. And has Jennifer Ryan been moved from the evening weekend newscasts to the 7 p.m. show with Derek McGinty? She has been co-anchoring with him all this week. In the past he has anchored the 7 p.m. news solo? (9/25/07) Re: "It is important to point out why Ira and Diane can't say what they really think of last weeks cold dismissal by WTOP." Another idiot poster leaves his slimy trail. A clause that prevents disparaging comments by either party is usually with employees who leave for embarrassing, dark reasons they'd rather not have disclosed if they ever hope to work somewhere else in the field. Additionally, there is no part of any severance agreement, that I know of, that calls for the employee to say something nice from time to time. Legally laughing in Largo. (9/25/07) To Lee Shepherd: I've never had the privilege of meeting you (Chuck Langdon I've met once). I just wanted to say I enjoyed the "Out Of The Past" clips. Rusty Gibson WEBR Radio/Fairfax (9/25/07) bigheaddc.com: With Washington-based MSNBCers being forced to abandon their old 400 N. Capitol building in favor of Tim Russert’s Meet the Press studios on New York Ave., it’s no secret that some staffers are grumbling. Logistically, the new studio is farther away from the Capitol, making it more difficult to lure lawmakers in for quickie interviews. Plus, Hardball’s Chris Matthews was not happy to have to give up his autonomy and bow to Russert’s control. He even made futile complaints to MSNBC honchos. And now some physical limitations of the new space are becoming clear. Thus, you’ve got news reporter David Shuster sharing office space with a political pundit Pat Buchanan. These types of news/opinion syntheses had always tried to be avoided in the past. However, the new space, we hear, just can’t allow for that traditional boundary to remain. (9/25/07) What really was sad, but not at all surprising was George Michael blasting the media for being out to get poor little Danny and for being against the Redskins. I guess George thinks that if a reporter does not take the Redskins money and parrot the official Redskins line that constitutes being out to get them. But George has been the Redskins spokesperson for 20+ years. Len Shapiro had one example today and there are many others. When Christine Brennan was the Post’s Redskins beat reporter in the mid-80’s, good ol George would come on the news every night and attack her stories. George should stay retired and ditch the outrage at the media routine. (9/25/07) As predicted…Snyder grants an interview to one of his “partners” and has George Michael lob softball questions for and hour. Snyder likes to play the tough guy but he is terrified of the media. Unlike his hero, George Steinbrenner, Snyder has never learned how to play the media. Snyder is a man without a backbone. Sad. Really sad. (9/25/07) That Bill O'Reilly is one intellectual son of a gun, ain't he? (9/25/07) Nice to see Paul Anthony dropping in on the ol' DCRTV Mailbag ... lends a bit of (much-needed?) class to the proceedings. I hear him every week welcoming viewers to Washington Week, which he says is broadcast "live from the nation's capital." But, uh, doesn't the show originate from channel 26 studios in Shirlington? Did someone move the capital to Arlington and not inform us? Just wonderin' here.... (9/25/07) Dave, take a look at the playlist on 947 the globe between 4-6am yesterday. Seems like they are mixing a bit of country in - what's is your take? www.yes.com (9/25/07) Dave's response: That's gotta be a mistake..... They removed the logo for Washington Post Radio at the bottom of the washingtonpost.com home page but just above there is still this selection of links: "Ways You Can Get Us: RRS/Newsletters/Mobile/Podcasts/Widgets/Washington Post Radio". (9/25/07) Mike in Fairfax's "Kevin Sheehan's starting to sound like a broken record on his Redskins postgame and Monday morning radio shows, constantly harping on perceived poor clock management by the coaching staff at the end of halves and games. While he may have a point, enough is enough and there are plenty of other things to talk about" is missing the key point. Sheehan's frank and more often accurate analysis of the Redskins is completetly refreshing when compared to his cohort Larry Michael's burgandy and gold flag-waving puff. Sheehan and Bram Weinstein seem to be the only Triple X'ers willing to call it correct rather than comfortable. Danny-boy may not like it but it gives that station the credibility that Michael doesn't. (9/25/07) "Is anyone else creeped out by the radio ads Lurch reads for novaattorneys.com?" ----Yup...I am creeped out as well at that read....and I also get the douche chills anytime any of those 4 asswipes read an ad for ANYTHING....None of the four can fluidly read a copy...Want a great example? Listen to the current Lurch read for Chrysler Seabring...f**king horrendous.... (9/25/07) Whatever your feelings when our elected officials give millions in tax credits to a corporation like Radio One, you have to smile at the irony of Cathy Hughes' about-face. In 1978, as the new GM of WYCB (We're Your Community Broadcasters), she was beaming with pride at being part of an effort that successfully brought radio back to the people. DCMemories.com... The canary had truly swallowed the cat as WYCB grabbed Richard Eaton's WOOK-AM license with a promise that "whatever we broadcast will have a philosophical message -- which is not 'Let's meet up at the disco.'" Now... thirty-years after she and her associates had stuck it to "The Man"... Cathy Hughes IS "The Man", and she plays all of the corporate welfare angles to her advantage. Somewhere, I'm sure Richard Eaton is smiling. (9/25/07) RE: DAVID from RICHMOND, david the guy you heard on westwood one doing the football V.O is another david. DAVID LEE. He's been doing westwood one football since he was heard on the DON&MIKE show in Ocean City MD years ago.. He's also the V.O. guy for WOSC 96ROCK SALISBURY and was the long time V.O. guy on WIYY 98/ROCK baltimore for many years before they got the ass clown from DC101.. AMF FROM DELMARVA...... (9/25/07) Thom Lovero of the Washington Times covers WNST's "Free the Birds" rally last night, and reports that "The Baltimore Orioles have gotten so bad even the protestors don't care anymore." washingtontimes.com. Last year's rally reportedly saw over 1,000 people. But according to Loverro, "yesterday for 'Free the Birds 2,' about 120 people sat in the upper deck, some wearing old T-shirts and others carrying old protest signs about the Orioles' owner", Peter Angelos. The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck also mentions it in his column this morning: www.baltimoresun.com (9/25/07) Is anyone else creeped out by the radio ads Lurch reads for novaattorneys.com? Apparently they think Junkies listeners fit their target market (drunk drivers)... but Lurch saying "go to AND BOOKMARK novaattorneys.com"??? Of all the ads for web sites I've seen/heard, I can never remember someone telling me to BOOKMARK their site... and these clowns want me to bookmark THEIR site? Hell, why don't I just make it my HOME PAGE, so I can have their information readily available after my daily DUI arrests. Sheesh. (9/25/07) I'm no Bonneville apologist, but I fail to see what all the criticism is about when they locked two fired employees out of the network. In all my previous jobs, in and out of radio this has been the status quo . If someone is let go, they are locked out of the system to protect the company and the data from loss, and frankly the employee from themselves. Even good people sometimes do stupid stuff when they are faced with bad news and every employer I have ever been associated with follows this practice. What did you want Bonneville to do, fire them then throw them a party? If that is their practice for someone in sales, then they need to be consistent and follow the same course of dismissal with a trusted news personality too. I think it stinks they chose those two to fire. They were great for the station and I think Bonneville erred by letting them go, but the criticism of HOW they did it seems a little like piling on to me. (9/25/07) The question begs... Didn't Radio One & Cathy Hughes, on at least 1 or several occasions, get public financing in the past in Maryland, if not even for the current HQ that they have in Maryland, and wouldn't this be a bad deal for Washington DC considering the company's troubled financial status? And my memory is a bit fuzzy on this (so please correct me if I'm wrong), but didn't Cathy Hughes also once get tons of money from the state of Maryland to build some kind of public information radio network that never ever got off the ground? It's so funny how corporate welfare like this often goes completely under the radar of most local media, so thank you Washington Post. Not that it'll do any good, I remember the similar Baltimore Sun story about Cathy Hughes seeking public grants and even that story didn't stop the idiotic State of Maryland DO-NOTHING DEMS Legislature from throwing money down that drain hole. So, I fully expect DC to fall into the same trap. A few years from now, Radio One Inc. will be bust, Cathy Hughes will be retired in a rich estate in Florida, and the taxpayers of MD & DC will be left holding the bag. Wonderful. Gee, I hope it's a nice new HQ. NOT! :-( (9/25/07) Dave in Waldorf and other AM band DXers discussing HD. What kind of radio are you using? Last night, I was able to pick up WHO, WBZ, KDKA, WINS, WMVP without too much problem. I use a GE SupeRadio 3, and while the "hiss/white noise" is certainly noticeable in some areas of the dial , it doesn't interfere with the stronger signals. BTW, for the Dashboard DX Society folks, I picked up 100.5 "Max-FM" from Hampton Roads this morning all the way up in Bel Air. 2nd time that's happened in the past 2 weeks. Funny that 100.7 "The Bay" hardly came in. Doug in Bel Air (9/25/07) There was a nice recorded plug for Nats Talk Live on "Washington Post Radio" during Monday night's Nats victory over the Mets. (9/25/07) Dave, Check out the Clear Channel story in the business section of the Boston Globe. www.boston.com (9/25/07) If you haven't already voted for DC "evening news babe", see Savannah smile and see Savannah swap shop talk with the late Julian Barber (and host Chuck Langdon) on an "Out of the Past" program (recorded in 1994) at www.veoh.com. And see more "Out of the Past" videos at Lee Shephard's blog: lookoutlee.blogspot.com. (9/25/07) Chiam, thanks for the 4-1-1! Cheney is tied to Halliburton? 14 of the hijackers were Saudis? Dave's a righty lapdog? Keep the news tidbits coming! Here's one for you -- this afternoon, the sun, in spite of the best efforts of the Bush administration, the religious right and the military-industrial complex, will set in the West! --copter (9/25/07) Dave's response: Hey "copter," go see "The Hunting Party" with Richard Gere..... (Diane K. and Ira M. are still on TOP's web site. Maybe that's a good omen.) Bonneville just hasn't notified the webmaster... in Bangalore. (9/25/07) It is important to point out why Ira and Diane can't say what they really think of last weeks cold dismissal by WTOP. Every severance agreement includes a clause which prevents either party from sharing disparaging statements. If you want to keep the severance payments coming, and receive a positive reference, you don't say anything negative. By the way, nobody ever said that Bonneville is any worse than CBS or Clear Channel. Sadly, they are the same. If you think this is bad, just wait until Citadel begins to thin out the herd. (9/25/07) "Apparently, it would have cost WTOP more to get rid of them than Diane and Ira." No, in terms of shattered reputation, and diminished perception of class, trust, mutual respect and integrity, they have wound up paying much, much more. It'll cost Bonneville an awful lot to get those things back. Managing your reputation is as important as managing the numbers. Too bad Bonneville will have to learn this expensive lesson the hard way. (9/25/07) "When will Dan Snyder buy the [3WT] signals and give us a true all-sports station? Don't Washington sports fans finally deserve that?" For all the criticism Bonneville has received of late, much of it justified, I'd rather have it operate an all-sports station than Danny Boy. And if it keeps the Nationals to complement the Capitals, perhaps sports is what Bonneville will turn to if the talk format doesn't work out. -- Vincent in Triangle (9/25/07) Kyle from Elliot in the Morning defends his title on Tuesday night in the Smell My Face Harness Race. DC 101 and EITM team will out at Rosecroft live tomorrow night. The first race is at 5:35 and you can watch all the action on CBSSPORTSLINE.COM uner horse racing and choose live racing Rosecroft will be an option on the left of the screen. It was a huge promotion last year looking forward again to seeing Elliot and the crew.....Pete Medhurst (9/25/07) After reading Dave's rant (9/23) on 3WT, I had to agree that there is not much to listen to. Canned syndicated programming mostly fits lower powered stations who don't have the resources for local programming. I think 107.7 and 1500 should relay 103.5 except be allowed to break away for local play by plays and local call in shows. E.E. (9/25/07) Just to bring a slightly different perspective to all this... I think it says an awful lot that even people who have been laid off at Bonneville -- even Ira Mellman -- come to this board to defend a former employer. That says an awful lot, and more than just how classy an individual and professional Mr. Mellman is. You don't see people who have been sacked by Clear Channel or CBS coming here to defend their former employer, and for good reason. Hey, even in the best run companies people make mistakes. The people who run WTOP have been taking their licks here, as well they should have, for how things turned out last Friday. I'll bet if they could do it again, it might have been handled differently and better. But it happened. I actually feel for the folks who do still have jobs there, I hear from a friend that there are a lot of raw feelings among the staff for how this was (mis)handled. But when it comes to this mailbag, and the naysayers who enjoy bashing and negativity as a contact sport, all I can do right now is to turn to one of my favorite passages from the New Testament: 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.' I'm sure its pointless to ask, but I wish we could just move on. - Just Call Me 'Legs' (9/25/07) Dave, FYI..... on Sept. 14 1030 AM WBZ in Boston introduced HD (with a bleeding signal!), knocking out 1020 AM in Pittsburgh and 1040 AM in Des Moines. Because of HD it has created 'white noise' reception overnight. I had been an avid listener of Gary Dickson of KDKA 'After Midnight' show. Steve LeVeille of Boston obviously speaks highly of the HD signal, but admits it is 'tragic' if HD means the end of DXing. Unfortunately, there is no good live overnight talk radio in D.C./Balt....Unless you prefer syndicated crap. Luckily, 720 WGN in Chicago still comes in clearly, with a highly talented overnight lineup every night of the week. Thanks! Dave in Waldorf, MD (9/25/07) Dave, once again with your "rants", you show how easy it is for someone with no radio experience and a website to profess to be some kind of radio expert. Your comments at times lack credibility from someone who has "never played the game". It's tough enough for radio stations and radio perfomers to survive in this day and age without you and others being a "doubting Thomas" and casting doom and gloom. Too many people treat your site as the gospel. An outlet for people's opinions o.k. but get a life, OR try getting a radio job. Ken/Bethesda (9/25/07) Dave's response: Ken, as I've said before, I don't want to work in radio. I like writing about it. I've been a radio freak since childhood, so I think I may know a thing or two about the business. Sorry I don't wear a suit and collect a big fat paycheck from a corporate radio firm. I guess that doesn't make me an "expert" in your book..... Re: "Bonneville's cruel behavior". I agree that cutting off the computer of a valued 10-year employee, giving her a few minutes to announce her own execution to others before hustling her out of the building like yesterday's trash is a low-class move. It's cheap, tawdry, intentionally humiliating and sends the message to others that Bonneville deep down really doesn't trust or respect its employees. If I were working there I wouldn't believe a word anyone in management has to say about anything from now on. (9/25/07) The O's are putting the finishing touches on their 10th consecutive losing season. Tired of your team being the laughing stock of Major League Baseball? Put your money where your mouth is and join the "Free the Birds 2" rally at Camden Yards tonight! (9/25/07) Dave, I read with interest the piece about Don Richards record breaking run doing Rosenthal. I actually replaced him for two years as spokesman about 20 years ago. But that's another story not to take away from his tenure. I real reason I'm writing is to let you know that while I can't claim a 34 year run as a commercial spokesman, I did celebrate my *40th year *as the announcer on what began as "Washington Week in Review" and the title of which has since been shortened to "Washington Week." I began doing the announce when I was a staff announcer at WETA. Below is a blurb from the "Washington Week" website. "*Washington Week* is the longest-running public affairs program on PBS. The show first aired locally on WETA on February 23, 1967. A few months later it began broadcasting over Eastern Educational Network, a group of 14 stations located between Washington, D.C. and Maine. In January 1969, it became the first local program to air on the new Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)." Just wanted to say Dave that after I check my e-mail everyday the very next stop is the DCRTV website.... All the best. Paul Anthony (9/25/07) Dave's response: Cool! Good to hear from you, Paul. Let me just say that a Channel 26/WETA pledge break is not a real pledge break unless you're hosting it...... /\ September 25 Messages /\ \/ September 24 Messages \/ WMAL uses play-by-play from out-of-town games involving Washington sports teams on a regular basis. Just last week, they used the Phillies broadcasters to describe a play in a Nationals game. They also used the Cleveland Cavaliers network in their playoff series with the Wizards last season. Now, I guess, they will have to use opponents of Maryland to get the action from those games. How ironic! On the subject of WTOP, it appears that Bob Kur and Hillary Howard have personal services contracts (television folks have those things). Apparently, it would have cost WTOP more to get rid of them than Diane and Ira. (9/24/07) I was driving up from Richmound Va. tonight. Had the monday night football game on. Can someone tell me who is the voice with Westwood one radio ... It is real low!!!! Is it real? Man he has got a voice. David (9/24/07) I too noticed all the Washington Post Radio ads at RFK over the weekend. I guess they didn’t feel like changing them just for the last few games. But hey…even the folks at Bonneville must not be aware WP Radio is no more, because the RDS display on my car radio still reads “Washington Post Radio” as of today. Brian in Fairfax (9/24/07) According to Mike, Fairfax: "Kevin Sheehan's starting to sound like a broken record on his Redskins postgame and Monday morning radio shows, constantly harping on perceived poor clock management by the coaching staff at the end of halves and games. While he may have a point, enough is enough and there are plenty of other things to talk about." That cracks me up. This coming from a guy who criticizes WTEM over and over again about its lack of baseball coverage. Yes, 980 sucks and they don't talk baseball. We get it. They never will, so it's time to move on. Listening to that station may be bad to your health. (9/24/07) RE: To the fan of left wing radical nutjob Randi Rhodes - Her crazed yelling and screaming will last about a few months on 3WT. If male listeners want to be nauseated by a whining windbag, they already have their own wives/// Larry Craig checking in for the last time before he checks out. (9/24/07) Think there's something familiar about that new Honda Accord commercial voiced by Kevin Spacey? There is. New life for ELO's "Hold On Tight"; last used to pitch caffeine in this 1980's ad that very quickly became a parody on SNL: www.youtube.com (9/24/07) George Michael - Is he now only on for "Redskins" stuff. He had a 5 min segment on at 5:53 this evening. I did not watch the normal sports report. (9/24/07) Hey Dave, This headline look familiar: "CT Sportscaster Found Head In Home: Its on your Philly – NY page of DCRTV... Thought you like to check it out and fix it Rick (9/24/07) Dave's response: Found "dead" in home. I'll have to fire my proofreader, Joe Ardinger..... Hey SR, I think you misunderstood the sentiment of my previous message. As gratifying as it may be for you to work on a webcast that nobody is ever going to hear, the reality is your station has changed formats. People who were on air today will not be there tomorrow. I was simply expressing my dissapointment in another station bartering out their air time instead of doing something unique and competative. As usual, you made it all about you - and managed to weave in a few more untrue details about your shady work history. Since you brought it up, Clear Channel was not your most recent termination, it was Radio Free Asia, and before that Radio America, and before that World Space. No offense, as losing a job here and there truly is part of the game. But stop acting like doing work for Al Jazeera and running a slide projector at the FCC are mainstream gigs. You're totally off the radar and out of the game, and have been for the last decade. Thanks, Alice (9/24/07) To Burt In Denton (and anyone else interested) I checked out the audio stream at 92.1 (the wave)..hope I don't come off sounding too much like a "whiner" here (there may be some folks who'll understand computer technology to know what I'm talking about: unfortunately, 92.1's website isn't all that accessible to us who rely on screenreaders to let us know what's going on (I have something on my computer called "Jaws"..it works pretty good for the most part. But if a website doesn't have it's links tagged right, Jaws (or any other screenreader) won't pick them up correctly, thus, making it impossible for blind (or visually impaired users) to access everything; this is the problem with the Oldies station "92.1" I tried to access the audio stream (I got lucky)..as I do have a very limited amount of vision, I just so happen to be able to (using the mouse) click the right thing..and the audio stream did pop up! However..as I said..I got lucky; if I try to do this, using the screenreader, it just doesn't work! So if there's any DCRTVrs who have anything to do with web design for various radio stations, you may want to keep this in mind: links _must_ be tagged correctly so that the various screenreaders (Jaws, Window-eyes..whatever) can pick them up! I've found that a lot of the stations owned by CC usually are the hardest to work with! Tom in Denton, MD (9/24/07) Any chance Kornheiser will replace Dan Patrick or has that bridge been burned. I like the local show better. (9/24/07) To the fan of left wing radical nutjob Randi Rhodes - Her crazed yelling and screaming will last about a few months on 3WT. If male listeners want to be nauseated by a whining windbag, they already have their own wives. (9/24/07) I know you guys don't like WSMJ or the Smooth Jazz format...but could you try to be somewhat accurate next time when reporting 104.3 may change formats? For the second time within a year you were completely wrong about them going Hot Adult Contemporary with Whoopi...their announcement this morning at 10 AM was for a Smooth Jazz Christmas concert...they are NOT flipping anytime soon. Jeff M. Reisterstown (9/24/07) Dave's response: Personally, I like smooth jazz. I listen to it whenever I'm stuck in traffic. Hey, we just report what we hear. Some key advertisers in the Baltimore area tell DCRTV that they hear there's a move afoot to change the format at WSMJ. That's what we reported. Maybe CC changed its mind after the advance word got out..... Dave, I agree with your rant about WWWT, except for one thing. There is nothing worth listening to BEFORE 10 a.m. either. WaPo Radio was boring, but at least had occasional content. I have no idea what the concept of their morning show is now. When will Dan Snyder buy the signals and give us a true all-sports station? Don't Washington sports fans finally deserve that? (9/24/07) Read Post piece about Bradlee/Quinn house. My guess is that WJLA should be salivating that one of their reporters has new found access to some powerbrokers. Anyone surprised if Pam Brown starts breaking some big stories on tips from "anonymous" sources? Very shrewd move by a young D.C. reporter. (9/24/07) Dear Dave, Nice to see that Posion Quinn is still exerting her influence at the Post. ... I am startinig to get impressed with Pamela Brown. I've been seen her in action now three times at press conferences, solid work each time in dealing with her. No complaints on her A.M news reports from what I've seen on 7/8.... I know she is an easy target, but maybe time to give her some credit? What reporter in this town would not want to have a personal line to Ben Bradlee. She's come a long way. -Mighty Bruce (9/24/07) re: Battle of the Media Hotties: In their bios why do you refer to Shawn Yancy by her first name and Wendy Reiger by her last name? Curious.... (9/24/07) Dave's response: Both bios are straight from the respective stations' websites. I make it a point not to alter the descriptions in any way - in the interest of total fairness..... Diane K. and Ira M. are still on TOP's web site. Maybe that's a good omen. (9/24/07) Hey Ax Grinder...sorry to put the pin in your party balloon but I haven't lost either gig you mentioned. I'm continuing to work with Buddy on the Vegas Radio webcast & actually doing most of the graphics work and layout for the site that will replace the splash page you see there now. As for the Nats Radio Network, we continue to go forward with plans for next year, renewing an agreement with the Nationals team to continue to voice their promotional campaigns...and as I write this I'm headed out the door for a production meeting for Capitals hockey on 3WT. Bonneville = 4 1/2 years, Vegas Radio = 2+ years, and for the record the last time I was given a pink slip it was with Clear Channel 5 years ago...and gladly. Nice to see some people can't let it go. There's no screwjob involved here and Buddy continues to make Vegas Radio work for the community with this fully staffed online effort, quite frankly giving us a platform to make the format available to other stations around the country. The poster below is a perfect example of the kind of rumormongering that has to be seen for what it is. A thinly veiled attempt to take a potshot at one individual. Now go back to Craigslist and troll away. - SR (9/24/07) Dear Dave, You guys in the nations capitol are so intimidated by the current administration in the white house and the right wing that you didn't notice this. Florida Legend Randi Rhodes who is number one in her time slot 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM in Ft Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach on 50,000 watt 94 Winz Miami and Wjno 1290 West Palm Beach that you failed to mention that she is now on 3WT Radio AM 1500 and FM 107.7 and 820 AM with 50,000 watts at 1500 and 43,000 watts on FM. Perhaps now that Randi Rhodes can be heard in the Nations Capitol, Virginia and Maryland maybe now the truth about the crooked Bush Administration, Dick Cheney's ties to Haliburton and the no bid contracts and the last two rigged elections and the fact that we were attacked by Saudi Arabia and not Iraq. Contrary to the Bush administrations belief and the rest of the Republican Party, we have free speech in this country and people need to hear the other points of view. Perhaps if this country stood up to Bush and Chaney, this war with Iraq never would have occurred as it was Saudia Arabia and their 14 Hijackers that attacked us on 9/11 Saudi Arabia funds Terrorism and Haliburton is owned by Kuwait who also funded 9/11 and now controls our ports. Did you ever ask yourself why George Bush let the entire Ben Lauden Family fly home the night of 9/11 when no other plains were allowed to fly. Well maybe if the DC metro area is allowed to hear Randi Rhodes, then they might realize what is going on. The truth will be heard with Randi at a 50,000 watt signal. The program director at 1260 Wwrc tried to salience her by putting her on at 9:00 PM Now she can be heard clearly and now the truth can be heard. So instead of picking on 3WT Radio, you should have mentioned Randi Rhodes from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and done some good for this DC market. Thanks, Chiam (9/24/07) Dave's response: First, DCRTV has reported that Randi Rhodes is part of the new 3WT lineup. And, second, I may get a lot of criticism as webmaster of this site, but you're the first to suggested that I am "intimidated" by the Bush administration and therefore spout righty propaganda. Just check out my Rant page sometime..... (Washington Post) Ombudsman Howell has obliterated lines of journalistic ethics in her past by stating "facts" that didn't exist, refusing to admit she made a mistake (she said she was "technically" right), not addressing legitimate complaints from readers on the identification of featured opinion writers, and defending the Outlook section for jury tampering. She has done "a heck of a job" in the past year and a half. (9/24/07) I'm sorry to hear of the end of Vegas Radio. There'll be one less reason to turn on the radio... there's less than a handful of r