dcrtv.com - Mailbag - June 14 to June 23, 2010

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DCRTV Mailbag - June 14 to June 23, 2010

Latest messages listed first.....
\/ June 23 Messages \/

Doesn't it seem kind of funny the entire staff of WMMJ gets blown out almost a week after it was announced that Radio One had it's debt refinanced? It's almost unheard of for a station that was just elevated to 2nd place to have it's entire on air staff let go. And for what? No jock patter means higher numbers? That must have been the first excuse that popped into their heads. While I'm thinking about it what's Olivia Foxx doing with a producer and she was working mid days on a music station??? She couldn't find songs like "Tears of a Clown" by herself? Talk about a waste of good money! If she were working for me back in the old days she would be outside getting "base current" readings at sunset! Now that's getting the extra bang for your buck! Long live those old AM transmitters! (6/23/10)

On Hannity's crappy radio show today, John Voight said Obama admitted to a Saudi Government official to being a Muslim. Perhaps Mrs. Fred should leave Gopher for Joe Buck. (6/23/10)

Heard all four hours of Geronimo today via stream. He has got his groove back. -BW (6/23/10)

I have an idea which sounds really good on paper. If possible, I think it would be extremely valuable to periodically remind drivers in the morning during hot weather to check their back seat for children before they shut the car up in their work or shopping parking lot. It may save the life of a small child. Even one would make it worth it. Thank you for considering this idea. Brian (6/23/10)

Tuesday at 5:45pm PBS’s spokesman Stanley Brown walked out of negotiations with NABET-CWA for a successor contract to replace the one that is set to expire on June 30th, 2010. During negotiations that began on June 2nd, and have been held at the PBS facilities in both Crystal City and Springfield, VA, the parties had been discussing Company proposals to cut the vacations (limited to 2 weeks at a time, and not allowing vacation to carry over for new employees); eliminate in-unit Supervisors; change the established shift selection process; eliminate differential payment for maintenance engineer; combination of Satellite and Technical Operations workgroups; establish new paradigm of editors. Wages, in-hire rates which have been stagnant since 2003, have not yet been resolved. The Union proposed to increase those rates in accordance with the cost-of-living in the intervening years. PBS compared the wages of the highly network trained technicians with those of people working at cable companies around the country, saying that since employees had not experienced a high turn-over, they must not need a wage increase. Comparing synthesized “Market Data Technicians” at $72,800 to the Median Salaries of current employees at $79, 326 PBS proposed no raise for Technicians. These rates are between $14,000 and $17,000 LESS per year than comparable network rates. Apparently, PBS’ outside counsel (one of 3-4 lawyers on their team) was offended at members attending the bargaining sessions and observing the negotiations, and wearing their CWA solidarity Red color in mobilization for a fair contract. He announced that he was leaving the bargaining table, would not agree to return without a Federal Mediator being present, and took the position that it was illegal for the Union to have any say in adding a mediator to the bargaining. The talks are not scheduled to resume at this time, the members of the Union Bargaining Committee will return to their regular jobs for PBS on Wednesday June 23rd. Members are reminded to wear their Solidarity Red, enjoy their vacations (of whatever scheduled length, even those longer than 2 weeks); and to continue to ask questions of the management, even the hard ones. Sincerely your NABET-CWA Bargaining Committee (6/23/10)

The action by the radio one management of WMMJ makes me sick! (6/23/10)

"..............I won a prize pack from Rusty's show about a year ago.............." I'm still waiting for my prizepack from this Friday. (6/23/10)

"Unfortunatly", was that your intended message Lame Brain? The coupon's expiration of 1989 was intententional in anticipation of yours. Love, Jim Gentile (6/23/10)

"WEBR:we don't care! Go get jobs in real broadcasting and then maybe, but c'mon!" -As Dave likes to say...Hmmmmm...There used to be an old DJ that hung out here that said this very same thing a few times....His name escapes me at the moment....Brick....Dick...Dicknell! That's it! (6/23/10)

Why is so much time spent discussing an internet radio station? WEBR:we don't care! Go get jobs in real broadcasting and then maybe, but c'mon! (6/23/10)

Eliot Spitzer for Campbell Brown? Are you sure that’s not an Onion story? Perhaps CNN should just shutter the place now. (6/23/10)

Dave's response: Hey, it could have been worse. They could have picked Rod Blagojevich. Or, better yet, they could have rotating disgraced politicans hosting the 8 PM hour.....

I won a prize pack from Rusty's show about a year ago. Great stuff. In it was a lock of red hair, a sticky Gus Triandos baseball card signed by Rusty himself, and a coupon good for 25 cents off any size Slurpee. Unfortunatly, it expired in 1989. (6/23/10)

Is Rusty Gibson paying for the ad blitz in the DCRTV mailbag? He must have a mighty fine sales team. Did they use to work at WJFK? Gosh I hope this doesn't translate into higher ad rates on WEBR, home of the TOM GAVIN SHOW. Watch It! All the changes at channel 7? Prey tell this doesn't forebode the end of Pamela Brown in the D.C. news spectrum does it. Sadly my infatuation has waned a bit because she doesn't seem to be on as much and I sure as hell ain't sitting thru a couple hours of pseudo local news crap on channel 7. I'm sure she'll be fine no doubt being the KFC heiress. Anybody had that new cardiac arrest sandwhich at KFC where the bread is replaced by chicken filets? Think the new Suzanne Malveux, beautiful but tough as nails but not nearly as good a journalist as she thinks she is. Can we all agree under Ms. Weymouth the WaPo has gotten even crappier? I think LoveLine is fine for a sports talker. Can't the game of love be a non- contact and contact sport? Thing is I think that Dr. Drew is one big effing whore. Did I hear Don Geronimo crumbling paper on his radio show. Word, Ah-ha (6/23/10)

Isn’t the CNN move so much shuffling of deck chairs on the Titanic? OTOH, Campbell Brown is much better looking than Eliot Spitzer, I’ll give her that. (6/23/10)

"Prize Packs" won on my show are generally mailed within a couple of days after the air date. Thanks and keep tuning in to us. Ciao 4 now, Rusty (6/23/10)

Another AM'er goes Spanish, huh? How many does this make? Radiolocator.net shows that 31 AM stations can be heard in DC with varying levels of clarity, and I count about 11 now airing Spanish programming. That's 35% of all AM signals in DC. How do they all manage to stay lit? (6/23/10)

Ah, something Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly can agree on (assuming they can't stop laughing). Eliot Spitzer? ELIOT SPITZER? What happened, CNN -- wasn't Rod Blagoyevich available? Or John Edwards? Unless CNN believes viewers will check in strictly out of curiosity to what will be, for all intents and purposes, a freak show, I simply can't see any way this is going to work. Believe me, soon CNN will be yearning for the halcyon days of Paula Zahn at 8 Eastern. -- Vincent in Lynchburg (6/23/10)

Hey Dave! You are doing great work as always. I just checked Majic 102.3's website and under the DJ section, only Tom Joyner's name is featured. That's amazing stuff. (6/23/10)

"Speaking of Rusty Gibson, how often do you mail out prize packs Rusty? I enjoy the show." -You must be listening on the TV then...'cause no one ever listens on the Internet. AHHHH (6/23/10)

Rusty, you are correct. I attended the fair on that Friday night and can confirm it was "The Other Guys Show" that followed you. They really looked like they were having fun and the crowd around the booth seemed to really dig them. Quality show. I was also fortunate to catch some of Fitzgrass' show while walking around that night. -Andy Delmore in Chantilly (6/23/10)

Speaking of Rusty Gibson, how often do you mail out prize packs Rusty? I enjoy the show. (6/23/10)

Carl mentioned back on the 19th that he heard Latin music on 1050 during the day. I've heard the same in the days since. As of yesterday, 1050 Silver Spring sports the WBQH calls, and there's no mention anymore of 1050 on the WTOP call sign cavalcade. Regards, Dave Loudin (6/23/10)

Thanks for the kind words Mr. Howe. My show is called "Rusty Gibson's Magical History Tour". The gig from "Celebrate Fairfax" was fun (amid the heat). Though time slots were granted via an in-house lottery (I normally air on Fridays from 5 - 6), meaning all of us aired shows different from the regular schedule. As I recall, the show that followed me was John Collings' "The Other Guys Show". At WEBR, all of us offer what I feel are unique and emtertaining programs. Again, thanks for your kind words. Rusty Gibson, WEBR RadioFairfax (6/23/10)

This just in! Radio One DC, in Lanham Md has just fired all on-air staff at it AC station Majic 102.3...... This includes Midday Host Olivia Fox, her producer Suge, Afternoon drive DJ Alvin John Waples and Nights host Mike Chase...... Also Producer for the Tom Joyner Morning show Chris Harris.... This happend in a meeting at 9am this morning.... Please make sure you post this...I work for radio one and the changes happend this morning.... (6/23/10)

Dave's response: Just got the Front Page blurb up.....

What was up with AM 1050 this morning? Did it flip to Spanish or were they stunting in honor of the World Cup? - Tom in Wheaton (6/23/10)

Dave, Good morning, I wanted to send you a few tidbits about your story on Wizards say good-bye to Heilbronner. As Kevin and I have been great friends for the better part of 14yrs the crappy thing about this is that everything Teddy has taken over he has released Kevin from his contract. How crappy is that. Teddy took over the Caps, next season, Heilbronner is gone, same thing with the Mystics and now the Wizards. He is one of the best voices around and I think it is a huge injustice what he has done and I don't know how much you have followed the releases by Teddy, but you can confirm that by looking at the off-seasons in which he has taken over and then boom, gone is Heilbronner. I just think it is utter crap. No one wants to listen to a rambling supposed Hip Hop voice with no rhythm as to announcing during the Wiz Games. Someone needs to help Kevin out here. He has been a great employee to all the Washington Franchises and Wash Sports and Entertainment and this is how he is treated. Crap, Crap, Crap I tell you! Thank you. (6/23/10)

Rusty Gibson - I wanted to write in and commend you on your broadcast a few weeks ago from the Fairfax Fair. Your song selection is what is missing from terrestrial radio. Question, sir. What show followed yours at the Fair? I found it quite entertaining and topical, but did not seem to catch it's name. The crowd seemed to like it as well. Thanks, Mr. Gibson. -Mark Howe (6/23/10)

If The Greaseman can do his show from his home why can't Mr. Geronimo do the same? But Mr. Geronmo needs 6 months to move to Sacremento? Is that different prep time than if he'd taken the Detroit job? And geez think if he'd gone to Detroit at this point in the radio career path sure seemed like a nosedive. Mr. Geronimo must have had some slim pickens out there in radio land. But he is more entertaining than the drivel that TMOS serves up, sorry dcrtv dave. I did find the endless text reading by Donnie G. on Toosday show quite ponderous. I seem to recall he had that same crutch in the waning days of Don and Mike show. I think he should turn the text macheen off, way too distracting to his Big Brain. Over at ESPN 980, how about this let the very unfunny(imo) Kevin Sheehan join the Kornholio show permanently and have Scott Linn and Tom Laverro do a show together. I think better dynamics between those two than with Sheehan who dominates all conversations. Like the psychedelic picture on the DCRTV front page. Adios ahhh ha ha (6/23/10)

So nice that the Baltimore Sun is adding new sections. Now if they only had some NEWS in the rag. And their coverage of the media is really lacking. The more I read Z on TV, the more I conclude it's written by someone who really doesn't know much about the TV industry, TV news, or broadcasting. The Sun should hire a boradcaster / former broadcaster to cover that beat. Some new blood there would offer a welcomed and fresh perspective we don't get now. Their lack of coverage only enhances the reputation of your site Dave, for media news. (6/23/10)

Do you love old broadcast gear? I mean really LOVE and MISS the stuff? Then this vid is for you: www.youtube.com (6/23/10)

KHTK radio in Sacramento has also added Lovelines, so I think Dave's mini rant about Don's show including more sports should be re thought. Also many promos on air stating the station is now more than sports. Seems like that they may have brought Donny in, as they tweek the format. -BW (6/23/10)

Dave's response: I just think that if you're doing a show primarily for a sports talker, you should talk some sports. Tony Kornheiser on WTEM and the Junks on WJFK do talk lotsa other stuff, but when a sports story breaks, they do talk sports. I have not listened to all of Don's four-hour KHTK show each day, so he may be mixing some sports into the mix. But I haven't heard any sports when I'm listening. Perhaps he will when the football season starts. Lots to talk about Sacramento's pro football team. Ha ha ha. "Loveline" on a sports talker? That is pathetic.....

"And remember, "Your mileage may vary"" -That joke had about as much humor as a toaster oven. AHHHHH (6/23/10)

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\/ June 22 Messages \/

Where's Wendy Rieger? -- Bobbie (6/22/10)

For the curious individual asking of my e-mail address..."Here 'Tis": RadioJockRusty@aol.com. Use it at your own risk. And remember, "Your mileage may vary". Thanx, Rusty Gibson, WEBR RadioFairfax (6/22/10)

I would like to add my support to those who think the "O" thing during the National Anthem is very disrespectful and low class. There is a reason that the Capitals PA announcer asks fans to sing the Anthem "respectfully" and the reason is the low lives who do the yelling. (6/22/10)

Does anyone know the e mail for Rusty Gibson? I can't find it at FCAC. (6/22/10)

Dave: This one of these days where I had no internet and my portable radio only received 980. One thing I have to say about Mike Wise, he knows the English language. That 12n-2p slot on 980 was too painful to listen that 88.5 would have worked. I can't blame Sheehan because he has absolutely no clue about things...only that he's from the area and a Redskins fan. It was very nice of Sheehan to make Doc a walking expert on the Redskins and NFL in general. However, 980's talent is so below par with WJFK it's not funny. Second and this shows that there's no one steering the boat, how can you let Czaban do a commercial and let him use the word, sucks. Yes, I know we're talking about a sportstalk audience but how about some professionalism. (6/22/10)

“Technically speaking”, about team names in the national anthem, it is the Stars…. Rockets – Nope, because it’s “rocket’s” in the lyrics and Braves? Nope because it’s “brave” not Braves.. Technically speaking….. Sorry to hear about Kevin Heilbronner.. Wonder if Mr. Wes Johnson will be in the mix now?.. Good to hear Wes on a number of radio commercials these days.. His cameo in “The Wire” was one of the longer ones among the numerous local actors who appeared on one of HBO’s best series ever. (6/22/10)

Ouch...Geronimo's second day on KHTK was building up some steam until he brought his Bizzaro World wife on the air. A laugh like Woody Woodpecker, a whine like Richard Simmons and boring like nobody's business. My advice for Don? Stay married if you must, but keep that show killer away from the microphone. (6/22/10)

Dave's response: My advice to Don is to get the show physically to Sacramento ASAP, and talk more sports. It doesn't have to be all-sports, but the show is being done primarily for a sports talker. These aren't the bygonne days of KHTK simply picking up the old syndicated D&M show from JFK. Can the old dog learn a few new tricks? Let's hope so. And keep the new wife off the show. That's some advice WMAL's Fred Grandy should also take.....

RE: [BTW, name the only pro team whose nickname is mentioned within the lyrics of the national anthem] Technically speaking, there are several...the (NBA) Huston Rockets (red glare...) and the (MLB) Atlanta Braves (as in "home of the...") Do you also want to count the (NHL) Dallas Stars (spangled banner)? (6/22/10)

Yes, there are folks who have tried to say that the "O" is for Ovechkin, and before that they tried to say it was for "Olie" as in Olaf Kolzig. I have been going to Caps games since 1987, however, and early on I asked what the deal was. It is most certainly because of the Orioles, who were the region's only baseball team, and only a few years removed from having won their third World Series title. I'm sure people were doing it before 1987. As for people doing it at other sporting events, yes, if your frame of reference is only in Maryland and the D.C. suburbs. One of the reasons I enjoy Hershey Bears games is the people DON'T yell out "O" during the national anthem. Growing up in Richmond, NEVER heard it down there either. When I'm somewhere out of the area and there's like three people who scream "O," the other 8,000 or 10,000 wonder what the hell they are doing. Since this is a radio/TV board, just to bring it back to something resembling the subject, I appreciated CSN picking up the Bears games this spring and wish they'd look into showing a few minor league games that are already being broadcast by their affiliates, such as CSS. Anything live is better than poker and reruns of the countdowns from the canceled "Best Damn Sports Show." Charles in Winchester (6/22/10)

3:12 - Tom Gavin calls into Geronimo's new show. TG: Good show, Don. DG: Coming from you that means dick. (6/22/10)

For those those who posted that Caps fans are saying "O" during the national anthem are doing it for "Ovie", then please tell us why they were doing it before he was even drafted? I've been to EVERY Caps home game since the 1991-92 season and it's a direct lift from the Baltimore crowds. Please don't insult our intelligence. As the previous poster says, "just sing the song".. We don't need a "shout out" for an individual when we're honoring our nation and those who have fallen for our freedom.... It's so low-class and beneath any logical DC sports fan.. BTW, name the only pro team whose nickname is mentioned within the lyrics of the national anthem... (6/22/10)

RE: [Don't much care why the nitwits yell "O" at Capitals games during the National Anthem. It is ridiculously disrespectful to the Anthem and the Nation regardless of the reason. Totally low class. Just sing the damn song. Or if you can't do that, shut the hell up.] "AND OME MORE THING...I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU KIDS TO STAY OFF MY LAWN!" Oh for Pete's sake, lighten up Abe Simpson...we are only talking one little friggin' syllable. It IS a word in the song and it gets people to stand up, pay attention and sing. You don't like it? Good for you - don't yell it - but don't rain on other people's fun. Trying to label it "ridiculously disrespectful to the Anthem and the Nation" sounds a little prissy "Drama Queen" over the top, dont'cha think? Or shall I fetch you the fainting couch and smelling salts before the next Orioles game? (6/22/10)

Last night about an hour before showtime, the power went out at the theater in Hollywood where the "Jimmy Kimmel Show" is taped. No juice to the control room, tape ops area or transmission. Accounts differ on what was working, but they agree that Kimmel grabbed his MacBook and recorded the show using the webcam in the laptop. The show's publicist says "Guests Seth Rogen, John Henson and country artist Dierks Bentley were very accommodating in 'going with what happened.'" The show airs tonight (actually 12:05a Wed. morning in many markets) So a few questions: If this ABC show is a union affair, did Jimmy have to get someone with a NABET/CWA finger to push the virtual record button on his MacBook? If this level of quality is acceptable to viewers... do you suppose some starving station or net will begin programming content from YouTube 24/7? (By Ted Langdell) (6/22/10)

Not exactly broadcast news but I’m sure it will pique some interest from those who are on the air…. Longtime Washington Wizards public address announcer Kevin Heilbronner is out after 12 seasons. He was told this week that his annual contract would not be renewed. With the change in ownership comes a new voice for the Wizards. Heilbronner also spent the last 12 seasons as PA announcer for the Washington Mystics (WNBA), two seasons with the Washington Capitals (1998-2000), all three seasons with the original Washington Freedom (now-defunct WUSA), one season with the Washington Power (Major League Lacrosse), several seasons as fill-in with DC United, and 10+ season with GMU women’s hoops PA announcer. Kevin can be reached at dcvoice67@hotmail.com if needed. (6/22/10)

Frankly, I'm tired of all of the whining about Comcast. I've already switched over to Kabletown. A helpful young man, (I think he said his name was Kenneth), took my order and said he would run right over to connect me to the grid. Learn more here: www.kabletown.com... Now, if you'll excuse me, "MILF Island" is coming on. (6/22/10)

What's up with WUSA broadcasting informercials right after the noon news?..I've seen one for a dental implants and just now for some diabetes clinic?..Thought they only showed those in the wee hours of the morning. (6/22/10)

Don't much care why the nitwits yell "O" at Capitals games during the National Anthem. It is ridiculously disrespectful to the Anthem and the Nation regardless of the reason. Totally low class. Just sing the damn song. Or if you can't do that, shut the hell up. (6/22/10)

Re:The "morons at the Capitals games who scream 'O' during the national anthem" are screaming "O" for Ovechkin. Moron, this isn't done JUST at Capitals games. It's also done at other sports events. (6/22/10)

There's been a whole lot in the mailbag about Comcast recently. I worked for Comcast for about 12 and a half years and have recently retired from Comcast. I can tell you that morale among employees in the call center where I worked in very low. The reason no one knows what is happening is the fact that there is really a communication problem between management and front-line employees. I wanted to work one more year at Comcast but really became so burned out with my job that I decided to retire one year early. I have no regrets over doing this because other colleagues have told me that morale is still at an all-time low. When I was hired by Comcast I had the job of troubleshooting internet problems and I loved the job. Unfortunately management really went out of its way to sour my job and I just became disillusioned and had to get out before it got the best of me. It really was sad for me because I really liked the management people at my location and was able to express my dismay to them without any fear of reprisal. Unfortunately little of what I said made any impact of change. In the years of my employment I saw many changes at Comcast and do not like the direction it appears to be heading. Fortunately for me I got out while the getting out was good for me. I do have sympathy for my former co-workers and hope that someone somewhere will wake up and feel compassion for the front-line employees who really feel overwhelmed at this time. (6/22/10)

Verizon to Offer FiOS Without Contract wsj.com (6/22/10)

To the very sweet person who called someone else a moron and "thinks" the O in the National Anthem is for Ovechkin.....Sure, youre a Caps fan, I get it and I can certainly see how that makes sense, but really if youre actually a local, you know thats a tradition that comes from Baltimore Orioles games, so yeah, no need to get all huffy and insulting. This isnt Craigslist. We're all having fun here. (6/22/10)

Dear Dave: I wanted to contribute my thoughts on the passing of Peter Brunette, which was noted on your site yesterday. One of the first classes I took as a freshman at George Mason University in 1979 was a writing class that he taught. In teaching about style, grammar, punctuation, and content, he allowed each member of his class to write about subjects they knew. I remember on the first day how he had each of us hand to him a written biography of ourselves. He used this information to hand back to each of us an index card with the subject of the first paper he wanted us to write. I'll never forget reading on my card "In several paragraphs, please describe a baseball." I still have that paper somewhere in the attic, along with others from that class with his notes and suggestions. I also remember his description of a good paper as being "like a good skirt: long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep it interesting." It was a class that required some work (and rework as needed), but it was a class that I still remember well to this day, which is a testament to Professor Brunette's impact upon me as a young and confused freshman. After finishing that class I would see him from time to time on campus during my time at GMU, where he would greet me with a smile and a handshake. He was a good teacher and a good person. I was very sorry to learn of his passing. Great site Dave! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (6/22/10)

Re: Tivoli Songbook Radio - - Man, that's some ugly shit. Ed Graham (6/22/10)

Recent music industry headlines have been overwhelmingly predicting the death of the music industry, which as they report, may only have months to live. Nick Neyland of Prefix Magazine, among others, reports that Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke, has predicted that the music industry has months rather than years to live. Glenn Peoples, Billboard.biz, goes on to state that even with some upward movement this past quarter, there is an “overall falling [of] physical recorded music revenues.” Digital Music News additionally reports in “Worse Than Worst Ever? Tommy Boy Starts Number Crunching Again…” that the last week of May saw the worst album sales in decades. clicks.skem1.com (6/22/10)

Has anyone noticed an issue with the sound quality sometimes on Turner Classic Movies? The films themselves seem to be fine, but the audio on the "Coming Next" bumpers and some of the promos is fuzzy - that is, there is sibilance in the voices. This was even a problem on a segment about the restoration of "A Star Is Born". If it was happening all the time and in all of the programming, I would assume the problem is on my end at home or with my TV provider (ATT U-Verse) but it only occurs in the ways I've mentioned. I don't notice this sound issue on other channels and it's been happening on TCM for several weeks. (6/22/10)

Dave's response: I don't notice any problem with TCM's audio. Comcast recently added TCM-HD on channel 890 and both the widescreen video and audio are great. In fact, I notice that the audio on the HD channel is significantly better than the audio on the plain old standard-def TCM on 51. I always thought that was a local cable issue, but maybe there is a problem with audio on the standard-def TCM channel.....

The family has announced details of the arrangements for Steve Eldridge. The viewing will be Wednesday, June 23, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm; and the funeral service will be Thursday, June 24 at 11:00am. Both will be held at: DeVol Funeral Home, 10 E. Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877... 301-948-6800 (6/22/10)

Dave, I agree on Doni with you. It will work. How well, we will see. I am in upstate NY with spotty coverage here although I am down loading MOS and Mr. Tony now before going deep into the Adirondacks. I will do so in am as much as I can before I head north. Doni is a great broadcaster, Period. But, his relationships and interactions with those so closely really made his show local and real. One, I believe, almost ended a marriage. It also ruined three colons… I will try to hear it hear tonight before I go to sleep but will cherish my MOS and Mr. Tony shows till canoes and tents take over…..OOBBEE (6/22/10)

I worked with Steve Eldridge at his final job, preparing NBC Radio newscasts in the evening, and I saw firsthand Steve's courage and good spirits despite incredible suffering. We should all hope to meet our end with half the grace. Jim Bohannon, Westwood One. (6/22/10)

The "morons at the Capitals games who scream 'O' during the national anthem" are screaming "O" for Ovechkin. Moron. (6/22/10)

To Unsigned Corporate Suit: You have it all wrong. The Orioles have no say whatsoever regarding radio affiliates. Indeed, from day one the Nationals have had an affiliate in the Charlottesville area, but not many others in Virginia. And the inability of MASN to be carried on cable systems in many parts of Virginia hurts the Orioles every bit as much as it hurts the Nats. -- Vincent in Lynchburg (6/22/10)

Where is Jerry Doyle, WTNT's 3 to 5 host? Every guest host he's had for the last week or so keeps saying that Jerry will be returning soon, but no day is mentioned. (6/22/10)

("Dave, are you sure Ch. 5 would be in on the chopper sharing deal? I would be surprised if WTTG decided to forgo having their own helo. They were using their own as recently as June 8th when I saw it providing live video of a group of biplanes on a flight from Manassas to National airport.") That was the pool helicopter. 4 & 5 have been sharing for quite a while. It never did belong to 5; it was leased from a company that specializes in that type of operation. 9 joined in some months back when they parted company with Metro Networks. 7 jumped on the bandwagon as of the end of last week. (6/22/10)

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\/ June 21 Messages \/

You can add another name on the list of those who want to have their own TV show on Oprah's new network....Gloria Neal. Even though she is at Denver's KCNC CBS 4 now for some reason I seem to recall her being at WTTG channel 5 a long time ago. (6/21/10)

A bit of a bumpy ride on approach to Dulles tonight. But, I have to comment on the probable reason there are no Nats affiliates outside of the immediate D.C. area. When MLB established "Exclusive Marketing Territories" for teams, D.C. didn't have a team. It didn't matter that D.C. "had" a team. Anything the Nats do in terms of marketing which could possibly cross into the Baltimore team's "Exclusive Marketing Area" must have the prior consent of that team. And, it'll likely remain that way until either MLB's antitrust exemption is revoked or somebody sympathetic to D.C. buys the Baltimore team. -Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/21/10)

Regarding Orioles vs. Nationals ratings -- there can be no doubt that since their arrival in 2005, the Nats have done a dreadful job of marketing in the immediate territory, much less the outlying areas. They should have nailed down radio affiliates throughout Virginia in their first or second season in town, but failed to do so. Hard to believe they don't have an affiliate in the Winchester/Front Royal area, Lynchburg/Roanoke or Harrisonburg. I would bet all three of those markets were covered by the original Senators, and perhaps to a lesser extent by the expansion version. I would hope Nats officials can parlay the Strasburg excitement towards getting the team more radio and TV exposure in 2011. Oh, and one more thing:.as stated before, I'd like to see how Orioles and Nationals ratings compare when games against the Yankees and Red Sox (both of whom have legions of fans in metro D.C.) are taken out of the equation. -- Vincent in Lynchburg (6/21/10)

I heard Geronimo today, and thought he was good. Bet he has a great run there. I think Mike needs Don more than vice versa, but think it's cool they both are available online again in Baltimore. How come no one ever comments on current DC/Balt personalities? -BW (6/21/10)

Well...looks what's posted on the MIX website: "Responsibilities: On-air weekday talent for The Jack Diamond Morning Show 5a-10am. Responsible for traffic/news and daily contribution of entertaining lifestyle content for a 25-34/25-54 female target audience. Must have excellent interview skills, a strong desire and ability to broadcast from remote locations, ability to gather/write/edit/produce content for on air and web. Must live a contemporary lifestyle and not be afraid to share it on air. The ideal talent will be willing to attend evening events and bring that relatable experience to the audience in a brief yet compelling manner. A friendly, exciting and engaging personality a must. Must be able to represent the station and show at community and charitable events... Required Qualifications: Education: High school... Work Experience: 3-5 years on-air experience... Technical Skills: Knowledge and ability to operate digital studio... equipment which range from ENCO to EAS equipment, control board, remote equipment... Non-technical Skills: Experience in working with ensemble cast... Desired Qualifications: Education: College degree in communications... Work Experience: 5 years on-air experience in morning show in a medium to large/major market..." What exactly is a contemporary lifestyle? (6/21/10)

Dave's response: A "contemporary lifestyle"? Maybe husband-wife swap parties? Hmmm.....

Neeeeeever thought I'd say this but the first 2 hours of Don's debut on KHTK were tough to listen to. Weirdly echoing, badly produced. Awkward and amateurish. I know it's been mentioned that Don is Don, and that is why I stuck with it. But it was disappointing. His "BP" parody/apology for his absence from radio was painful as an opener. (6/21/10)

Listening to his show on KHTK and it is painful to listen to... As of the first 2 1/2 hours of the show, I have not laughed once... Too many sound effects... Things might have passed old Don by... (6/21/10)

Dave's response: Look, Don is Don. It's him and he's fine. It's just kinda sad that Mike and Robb and Joe and Buzz and Gavin and even BA aren't there with him. The "soul" of the show is missing.....

Dave i do not want to turn this into a political debate but i agree with you about Obama except i will vote for him again because the other party really has some bad candidates in my opinion. Iam middle of the road politically. He is soft and not very aggressive which has been his downfall and he has some clowns working for him his staff is incompetent. I call him Jimmy Carter JR he will most likely be a one term president unless he can find some footing in the next two years. His first mistake was the health care debate i believe that really americans were happy with things the way that they were. Why every time someone takes on this issue they get killed it happens time and time again. He should have addressed the economy and slashed and cut everything in sight. His spending,health care,and tax hikes are going to cost him. As well as the NBC/Comcast merger remember consolidation happened under Clinton to me that has killed radio. You have three companies in control of most of the u.s. radio stations. The 1996 tel-com act is why now most radio formats are controlled in New York or San Antonio not locally. That was passed under the the Clinton admin. (6/21/10)

I'm watching FOX5 news and have noticed that with every single newscast about the oil leak, they show what is obviously the obligatory picture of oil shooting out of the busted pipe in the Gulf?..And not only that, FOX 5 (and probably every other station and website) has a link where you can watch the oil shooting out of the pipe in real time..Why the heck would I want to watch that?.. (6/21/10)

My condolences to Steve Eldridge's family and friends on his passing. As we remember Steve's professional accomplishments, let's not forget that he also started the "Sprawl and Crawl" series of reports on Bonneville's WTOP. Godspeed, Steve, for you are now where there is indeed sprawl, but no crawl. -Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/21/10)

Re: “Looking for some advice. Can anyone recommend a portable radio (AC & battery) with digital tuner display and collapsible antennae?" The Tivoli Audio SongBook is a really good receiver and the audio quality is magnificent… www.tivoliaudio.com (6/21/10)

Boy oh boy, at the risk of being flamed, let me wade into the Nats and Orioles thing. The Orioles have been around these parts since 1954, and had the market to themselves for more than 30 years, so they have a whole generation of fans, maybe even two generations, in the mid-Atlantic. I’m sure that the Birds are getting better ratings in Washington and Northern Virginia than the Nats are getting in Baltimore simply because the folks in Baltimore have NO REAL REASON to care about Washington’s baseball team. We still have morons at the Capitals games who scream “O” during the national anthem, which makes nearly as much sense as if I screamed “WHOSE” like they do at University of Virginia football games (different sport, not the team you are supporting that night). And there are still lots of Braves fans downstate, so that’s not helping the Nats right now either. Right in this mailbag we saw that Roanoke took the Red Sox game over the Nats on Saturday. It’s not going to happen overnight, or in five years apparently, but if the Orioles continue to play as poorly as they are, the Nats have a chance to cut a lot deeper into that lead. Still, the fact that a lot of people adopt one baseball team for their lifetime will be something the Orioles can trade off of for years to come. Charles (Go Phillies) in Winchester (6/21/10)

Hi Dave, I looked through your website and didn’t find the answer to this problem but you seem like you might know. We’ve already invested about 2 hours on the phone with 5 different Customer Service reps from Comcast without solving the problem. My father lives in a Condo in the Lake Anne area of Reston where he gets Comcast cable on a group account with other property owners. He has 3 T.V.s that the cable is plugged directly into. The newer T.V. works on all the lines in the house and gets all the standard channels offered. As of sometime in the last month, the 2 older T.V.s only get up to Channel 30. Reprogramming the T.V.s as Comcast suggested doesn’t solve the problem. Several service reps said we needed to get a digital conversion box but one said that we don’t because Digital signals are not yet in place in Reston. Do you know if something has changed with the Comcast signal that my father’s older T.V.s wouldn’t get a signal for other channels? Thanks for any help! Carol (6/21/10)

Dave's response: Comcast has made the digital conversion in Reston. He will need a digital converter box for those older sets. A number of basic cable channels are now digital-only, like WMPT 22 and WHUT 32, and old fashioned non-digital, analog sets won't get them anymore. It's funny how some of Comcast's phone reps don't have any idea which of their systems have switched to all-digital status and which haven't. Maaaaaaan.....

"Looking for some advice. Can anyone recommend a portable radio (AC & battery) with digital tuner display and collapsible antennae?" Check out www.ccrane.com for quite a few like that. (6/21/10)

Let the Donnie G. haters hate; some of them might actually have a good reason, because Don has never been the easiest guy in the world to get along with. But I will bet that Donnie pulls some pretty serious ratings in Sacramento. And I'll be listening today (via the CBS Radio app for iPhone), because Don is funnier READING THE PHONE BOOK than 99% of radio yakkers would be if you gave them a year to prepare. And he's a darned sight funnier than his ex-sidekick. Sincerely, TMU (6/21/10)

Re: "RANT--Dave went a entire week without mentioning the has beens Don and Mike. I guess that was more than he could bear. Can he do it for two, maybe three, or God forbid a whole month? Stay tuned only time will tell. Who knows, maybe it is a plot and Don and Mike pay Dave for his constant postings?" And yet you felt the need to once again post about Don & Mike. So who's really obsessed with them? (6/21/10)

Just wanted to pass along a sad note about the passing of film historian, critic, author, and professor Peter Brunette. Peter died of an apparent heart attack while attending a film festival in Italy. He was the DC moderator and artistic director for the Cinema Club (Formerly known as the Key Sunday Cinema Club) for many years. He also taught for many years at George Mason University and was most recently a film studies professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. www.thecinemaclub.com (6/21/10)

It is with extreme sadness that I must tell you our friend and colleague Steve Eldridge lost his very courageous battle with cancer over the weekend. Steve was a dedicated and loyal employee at Westwood One, and a long time employee of Metro Networks. He faced his final adversity with determination and bravery, and somehow persevered through tremendously difficult circumstances. Please join me in offering condolences to Steve’s family. They are working on details of the arrangements, I will let you know when they are complete. (6/21/10)

Hi Dave, I worked at four Northern Caliornia stations in '79--KPLS in Santa Rosa and KRVE in Los Gatos and KUIC in Vacaville and KNBA in Vallejo. I know Northern California radio and I know how Don is going to do in Sacramento: Very well. There, a little levity and balance to anyone who just knows otherwise. Give it a rest. It is radio and Don is a pesonality and you give the dial a spin and see what happens. Good luck, Don, and good afternoon. Robb de Capitol Heights (6/21/10)

Looking for some advice. Can anyone recommend a portable radio (AC & battery) with digital tuner display and collapsible antennae? (6/21/10)

Dave's response: I have a Sony ICF-SC7600GR but it's also got complete shortwave/longwave coverage, too. I think I paid about $150 a few years ago. Nice little radio, although a bit tinny in the audio fidelity department.....

The COMCAST/NBC merger will put a RIGHT WING company in control of NBC/MSNBC/Universal. I don't think this has even been considered that COMCAST is a right wing company and will immediately change the direction of the company after approval. Don't you think Dave? (6/21/10)

Dave's response: I totally agree. And there will be a bloodbath of layoffs at NBC properties, including its TV stations. NBC News will be the broadcast version of Fox Newz, under Comcast. Absolutely. That's why I would have to imagine that Obama will do everything to quash the merger. But he's proving to be an inept president, so I don't know if he'll be able to do it.....

RANT--Dave went a entire week without mentioning the has beens Don and Mike. I guess that was more than he could bear. Can he do it for two, maybe three, or God forbid a whole month? Stay tuned only time will tell. Who knows, maybe it is a plot and Don and Mike pay Dave for his constant postings? (6/21/10)

Dave's response: Damn, you're good.....

At the very least, Don could do his debut week of shows from Sacramento. The fact that he's going to be doing a phone-inner at his own radio party tells me that he's not all that serious about the new gig - or maybe CBS isn't. If Don was really serious about the KHTK job, he'd be at least taking up residence in a local Homestead Suites in the California capital for a few weeks while looking for a short term lease on a luxury apartment in Rio Linda. It's a complete lame excuse that he has to do the show from OC. He can always hold on to the Ocean City place as a vacation home, unless he's broke. (6/21/10)

Dave, are you sure Ch. 5 would be in on the chopper sharing deal? I would be surprised if WTTG decided to forgo having their own helo. They were using their own as recently as June 8th when I saw it providing live video of a group of biplanes on a flight from Manassas to National airport. (6/21/10)

Interesting that the worst team in MLB, The Baltimore Orioles still have better TV ratings than the Washington Nationals even with the Strasburg phenomenon. I know DC people will scream that MASN & Angelos are screwing over the Nats, but the games are divided up equal, 50/50 between MASN and MASN 2, so that's a hard argument to make. Possibly the Orioles having WJZ 13 showing the games could be an impact that affects ratings, but that's about the only difference I can see. Maybe the Nats need to recruit one of the network affiliates to show some weekend games. I know that's rare in most big markets, but WJZ is CBS owned, so obviously they got the clearance. So couldn't WUSA 9 possibly air the Nats on weekends? And finally, the Nats have a bad radio deal, good signal up and down the east coast at night, but bad radio deal that doesn't fully promote the team in the right way. They need to be on a sports talk station where talk show hosts are talking about the team 24/7, not a government policy wonk radio station that nobody listens to and doesn't even show up in the ratings. Most people in Baltimore hate Peter Angelos as do I, but I'll give him credit for one thing and one thing only... he's made good radio and marketing deals that are keeping MLB's worst team afloat with better ratings than The Washington Nationals in a city twice the size of Baltimore. What's wrong with this picture? Baltimore Orioles Radio Network vs. Washington Nationals Radio Network... The Orioles have 4X the # of affiliates! And the Orioles are still beating the Nationals in attendance too! Not to mention, there's not even a single Nats affiliate in PA, DE, or near the beach this summer. That really sucks if you're a Nats fan since AM 1500 doesn't hit Dewey Beach or OC very well at night. You're more likely to pick up the game in New England! (6/21/10)

RE: Don Geronimo... There is a legendary sign on the Route 50 bridge as you leave Ocean City Maryland that says 3000+ miles to Sacramento, California. Legend has it that the mayor of Ocean City contacted Sacramento, CA and requested a similar sign at the other end of Route 50, but Sacramento, CA declined to put up such a sign. How ironic that Don Geronimo is doing his show at the exact opposite end of Route 50. By the way, just for trivia purposes, I believe New York Ave in DC is part of Route 50 and it passes through many cities across the country like that on the way to California. So Don can just say on air, "I'm right on Route 50. Only 3000 miles down the road! Stop by!" Too funny. (6/21/10)

Dave, Donni G will do great in CA, It's an Area that was addicted to the D&M show for years much like the crank issues out there. Strange hook up; but Donni has always been, well, Donni. Funniest bit of all on the MOS bonus podcast this week was when Mike explained the fact that three them that were on the old show had major intestinal (Almost killing one) illness. To funny. Work with Donni, have bloody stools.... How is the new wife??? OOBBEE (6/21/10)

Interesting article in the NY Times, about the proposed NBC-Comcast merger. It notes that Comcast honcho, Brian Roberts, and NBC honcho, Jeff Zucker, have assured lawmakers that the merger will benefit consumers. I don't know anything about Roberts, but I'd have to take Zucker's statement with a grain of salt. Given NBC's treatment of its own employees, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, I have no doubt that NBC-Comcast is quite willing to screw the public, first chance it gets! www.nytimes.com (6/21/10)

Dave's response: I've been talking to a lot of cable subscribers lately and nobody likes Comcast. The service is poor, and the rates are high and keep rising. Even many of Comcast's own employees don't like the company, a la low salaries and bad morale.....

First of all: F*** "Don Geronimo" (Mike Sorce). He was passed it when he quit the D&M Show. His attempts at returning to radio in OC has been abysmal. He's been off the radio more or less for 2 years. The rust must be unbearable. What does he know about Sacramento? How can he relate to the people there? He can't! The people there will not put up with his BS. He is nothing without Mike, Buzz and the rest. A has-been can't make a comeback at age 51 in radio (except maybe Larry King and he has a deal with the devil). The "Greaseman" (Doug Tracht) tried and he has much more talent than Mike Sorce. This is a disaster waiting to happen. It's sad to see someone trying to hold on when they are already finished. Sorce could have re-oriented himself to other areas of show business for his remaining work years. Or, he could just have stayed retired and travelled and chilled out. He has the money to retire comfortably unless he blew it somehow. Sad, just sad. (6/21/10)

Re: your rant about Don Geronimo. Dave, do you realize that the "Don & Mike Show" had better ratings in Sacramento than it did in the DC area throughout its run? Don is incredibly popular in northern California and Nevada, and his show will kick butt in that market from the start. Steve, Reno (6/21/10)

donny g jumped the shark a long time ago........time for the glue factory. (6/21/10)

A wise earlier poster: "Market size really means nothing, just who is willing to spend the big bucks for such a thing as a news chopper." This is not limited to aircraft or other "toys", as I like to call such, but to anything in this business. There are markets much smaller than D.C. with stations which look and sound better than those here. All because you have visionary ownerships and managers willing to invest and spend money. You're more likely to see this in a place like Sanford, NC (one of my early markets) than in a so-called "major" like D.C. Don't be surprised when you see and hear creativity and professionalism at a higher level in a "small market" compared to what's here. Likewise, there's small market "talent" here which should've never left places like Greensboro, NC... -Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/21/10)

Do you think Fred gets pissed off at his wife when she buys "Food Insurance," "Survival Seeds," and gold coins found in Europe? Fred must really love his wife after she spent several hundred dollars naming a star for everyone in the family (and the record is kept in book form at the Library of Congress)? No wonder Fred has to keep working! (6/21/10)

Ken - Good luck on your retirement. Thanks for letting me help out now and again at Z-104's old Court House studios when things were lean and times were tough. -Al Peterson (6/21/10)

dave - dc cable has put up a link to the salahi q&a. unfortunately they don't have embed codes: www.octt.dc.gov (6/21/10)

/\ June 21 Messages /\

\/ June 20 Messages \/

I'm sorry, I appear to have stumbled upon a Sacramento radio and TV site. And one where the administrator/author has an unhealthy obsession with an old, overweight, once great but now has been DJ . . . (6/20/10)

RE: [ " In the down economy, helicopters are too expensive for each station to maintain separately " ]... Yet Baltimore's WBAL 11 and WJZ 13 maintain separate choppers at Martin State Airport, and Baltimore is a significantly much smaller market than DC......ah the Norfolk/Virginia Beach TV market which is smaller than Baltimore, they have two local stations ( WVEC channel 13 and WAVY-TV channel 10/ FOX 43 WVBT ) that still use choppers for news and traffic. Then all the way down the list you got "little ole" Salisbury, MD's WBOC channel 16...even they have a chopper. On the flip side many markets like Denver, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio I believe all had stations with choppers dating way back into the middle 1970's, long before any station around here was even interested even though both DC and Baltimore are/were bigger. Market size really means nothing, just who is willing to spend the big bucks for such a thing as a news chopper. (6/20/10)

It is time to put all the questions about where Obama was born. During the primary season, when Hilary was running for the Democrat nomination against Obama, you can be sure she and her husband, would have found out if Obama wasn't born in the USA. That would have guaranteed her the nomination. (6/20/10)

Dave's response: Exactly.....

Looks like Fred Grandy's nutjob wife has been hanging out in South Carolina lately. www.washingtonpost.com (6/20/10)

Dave, After 46 years in broadcasting, most of them good, I have retired from the business at the ripe old age of 39. My first job was at “The Mighty 1600”, WINX, in September 1964. In the 21st century, I worked as an engineer at WTOP and at Arbitron. Some industry insiders may have heard of these companies. On occasion, I will come out of retirement to be the underpaid roadie for my wife’s band, “Luisa & the Reverbs”. Attached is a recent photo of me. Ken “Carpenter” Sleeman, Rockville, MD (6/20/10)

RE: [We found a story, true or not and we will repeat it again and again and agian until enough people will know about it and wonder, and say, so, if its a lie, why doesn't he show us the certified copy and put it to rest?] The President does not need to put this silly question to rest because, quite frankly, it already HAS been addressed. It has been addressed repeatedly, by multiple sources and to the clear satisfaction of all but the wackiest 0.1% of the nutcases. This "where's the birth certificate?" bullshit is little more than the xenophobic and racist equivalent of the old standard gotcha question, "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?". The simple fact is, no matter what proof is provided, it will NEVER satisfy those who are still asking the question. Even if the "holy grail" of birther evidence - this so called "long-form, original, vaulted & sequenced birth certificate" (which is a string of unrelated terms that are an invention of their twisted imagination) were ever to surface, it would still never satisfy the ultra-right-wing knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers that have whipped this non-existant-issue into a delusional frenzy. How would they react? Simple: They would simply declare IT to be a forgery too. Chasing this conspiracy is the same as a dog chasing its tail. There is no way to "win" other than not to play. The political rule is, never swing at a pitch in the dirt, because it will only prompt many more. By ignoring things that are clearly this ignorant, the White House takes the moral high ground, and the birthers just keep digging their insane hole deeper and deeper into the mud. (6/20/10)

Now available! WEBR's Rusty Gibson on "Out Of The Past" with Lee Shephard and Chuck Langdon... (6/20/10)

I think its pretty darn funny some posters are wetting their pants over WMAL and Mrs Grandy's comments. Don't you see? We know what will make you apoplectic! We took it from your playbook, stupid! We found a story, true or not and we will repeat it again and again and agian until enough people will know about it and wonder, and say, so, if its a lie, why doesn't he show us the certified copy and put it to rest? (6/20/10)

RE: "The FCC needs to just CAN HD-Radio and come up with an all-digital solution for AM and FM, just like with TV." - What an imbecilic proposal! The main reason the shift to all-digital TV worked was that the majority of U-S viewers receive TV via satellite or cable. These users weren't required to buy/install converters. That's not the case with radio. A shift to all-digital radio would render every analog radio useless, whether it be in your home or your car, just as it did with analog TVs unless a digital converter was installed. What makes you think people would spend the money to replace all their radios? Now put on your dunce cap and sit in the corner until the short bus comes to take you home. (6/20/10)

While I can't get decent reception of the new 10,000-watt religious 88.1 FMer from Warrenton here in Reston, the new signal is now causing serious disruption to Baltimore WYPR's Frederick relay, WYPF 88.1, here in my neck of Wild West Fairfax. First started noticing it today. I've always enjoyed listening to NPR shows on 88.1 when WAMU 88.5 is running something I don't like. I can still pick up spotty reception of the WV Public Radio NPR relay on 88.9 from the Panhandle. - DCRTV Dave (6/20/10)

As long as the Reister's Towne Festival is one of their bigger promotional events of the year - WZBA can hire a dozen new sales people - they'll always be the radio equivalent of a lemonade stand (6/20/10)

I totally agree that Drew Hayes needs to step up to the plate and do the right thing, or be fired from WMAL. This is your test, Mr. Hayes; you will set yourself apart and as Dale Carnegie says "when you are wrong, admit it quickly,” or you will become another Randal Bloomquist or Paul Duckworth and have you name synonymous with "crap" in this market. You are given 48 business hours from the original offense, Mr. Hayes, so, I trust you will call Mrs. Fred to the studio by Tuesday and have her retract her lies and slander and set the WMAL record straight. If you chose to do nothing, than we can conclude you do not care about the seriousness of the offense, the truth according to WMAL is irrelevant, and WMAL, by your inactions, is a cesspool of misinformation. (6/20/10)

Quote: "Dave - can we now get back to radio and put the politics away?" Um, No. Thou protest too much. Mailbaggers were ripping Mrs. Fred of WMAL's The Grandy Group to shreds, and I was merely replying back with actual facts. Now that the heat has reached the kitchen, y'all wanna run away? Typical. In other news - sports related this time - Paraguay has made it to the second-round in World Cup soccer! YEEE-HAAAA!!! -Silvie- (6/20/10)

Well, technically speaking, Paraguay is in a very good position to pass on to the second round. Who is the Scottsman or Irishman on 730AM ESPN Radio during the matches? Can't understand a word he says. And, what happened to the ESPN Deportes radio guys that were transmitting the games during Germany 2006? -Silvie- (6/20/10)

Someone commented that they hadn’t seen any photos of Obama at the Nats game? Uh, photos were EVERYWHERE. I saw them in the WP; they were on Yahoo; maybe you should open your eyes, OK? (6/20/10)

As we all know, politicians love the spotlight and Obama is no exception. Why then, such a blanket thrown over his visit to the Nationals game Friday? I haven't seen a single photo or video or him there. Could it be that the White House didn't think it would be wise for Obama to be seen in his baseball gear munching on a dog at a game while the oil spill continues unabated? A one term president if ever there was one. (6/20/10)

Dave's response: Hey, if Obama's FCC approves that Comcast-NBC merger, I ain't voting for him for a second term. That's my litmus test.....

If Drew Hayes doesn't have Mrs. Fred apologize and set the record straight by Tuesday, then we can easily conclude Mr. Hayes is a bad manager and a birther. (6/20/10)

Drew Hayes doesn't answer his phone when the call is about the clowns at WMAL. Drew Hayes doesn't return voice mails when the messages are about the clowns at WMAL. Drew Hayes hasn't put any standards at WMAL allowing Mrs. Fred to spew out crap as facts. Drew Hayes hasn't given the Citadel DC receptionist any legitimate guidance about who to designate complaint calls too. At least Duckworth took phone calls about the crap disseminated at WMAL. If Mr. Hayes doesn't require Mrs. Fred to apologize, during the 8:00 AM hour, Monday or Tuesday, and have her set the record straight about the President being born in the USA and not attending a madrassa, then Mr. Hayes needs to be, because he is more incompetent than the let go Duckworth, fired. (6/20/10)

RE: [ " In the down economy, helicopters are too expensive for each station to maintain separately " ]... Yet Baltimore's WBAL 11 and WJZ 13 maintain separate choppers at Martin State Airport, and Baltimore is a significantly much smaller market than DC. In fact WJZ got a new one after an accident at the airport and WBAL upgraded theirs to HD video. Although I believe there are news sharing deals with all the DC stations from both, but still. Go figure. Baltimore is a much smaller market yet has 2 choppers. Also, WMAR also uses the 4,5,7,9 chopper so make that the 2,4,5,7,9 CHOPPER! LOL I don't know what WBFF FOX 45 uses. Maybe Jeff Barnd's hair flies around and takes video when not on his head. :-) (6/20/10)

Carl in Olney nailed it on the head... the 105.5 translator is exactly the reason the WAMU bluegrass channel came in at #47 on the PPMs. There are not enough HD Radios out there for any HD Radio station to show up in the ratings nor can the people who actually have HD radios even get the stations half the time! The FCC needs to just CAN HD-Radio and come up with an all-digital solution for AM and FM, just like with TV. But the FCC is run by lawyers, so don't expect that to happen any time soon. And if they do all digital radio, expect them to screw it up just like with TV because they are LAWYERS! (6/20/10)

/\ June 20 Messages /\

\/ June 19 Messages \/

The Washington Nationals should be ticked off at Fox today for its coverage of their game with the White Sox. The Fox affiliate in Roanoke is carrying the Dodgers-Red Sox game; could you imagine it passing up a Redskins game in the fall? It's bad enough that some area cable systems (such as Comcast in Lynchburg) don't carry MASN, forcing Nats fans to get DirecTV, but this? The only argument I could see is that the Bosox have a Single-A affiliate in Salem, but that agreement is only in its second year and I doubt any of its alumni have made the big club. Another insult to Nats fans. P.S. I wonder if this would have been any different were Strasburg scheduled to pitch today? It really shouldn't make a difference. -- Vincent in Lynchburg (formerly in Triangle) (6/19/10)

All this talk about WMAL is pointless. While listening to Chris Houseplant Friday, a lady was on the phone with him and said as a school teacher, she has standards she must live up to. Then she said "just as you, as am employee of your radio station, have standards..." The houseplant was quick to reply "I don;t know what they are." Anyone listening heard his confession. WMAL has NO standards, or at least has not effectively communicated the standards to their employee. Great Job Drew Hayes! (6/19/10)

Sky9, Chopper 4, and Skyfox are one and the same chopper. That is the LNS chopper which was the old Skyfox. It was repainted with no logos and put into service with a new 16:9 wide camera for 4,5, and 9. WJLA had their own contract with a helicopter service which they dropped and signed a deal with MetroTraffic once 9 joined LNS. The old 7 chopper is the blue one seen in their promos. That helicopter has not been used in some time. The MetroTraffic chopper was actually the old WBAL chopper which was sold by to Metro Traffic several years ago. WUSA used this chopper before LNS, after which WJLA used it. Now WJLA has bought into the LNS Chopper Service only, they are not a part of the whole LNS service. So now no matter what chyron is on the screen it is one chopper, the old Skyfox. In the down economy, helicopters are too expensive for each station to maintain separately. Many markets around the country are now going through helicopter consolidation in the same way. (6/19/10)

Silvie - pretty sure you proved my point with your email - and responses to others. I was just letting you know what the deal with Jerry Doyle was. I didn't want you to bite your nails. Frankly, I don't give a fuck what you do in your free time. Yes, those people I mentioned are friends of mine. We drink brandy together in the first class quarters, while they rearrange the deck chairs upstairs. I truly hope you get a PPM (that isn't something hateful - I don't want you to think that is something awful - google it) so the boys can get credit for all of your supposed listening to the station "where all is said and done". Dave - can we now get back to radio and put the politics away? (6/19/10)

RE: [It would all go away and he would save himself a lot of money if he just presents the long-form, original, vaulted & sequenced birth certificate from the State of Hawaii. No problem. -Silvie-] Silvie, I'm confused...looking at Article II of the Constitution, I simply cannot find the part where it states that an "original vaulted and sequenced long form birth certificate" is a prerequisite to satisfy the requirement of natural-born citizenship, much less presentation of any element of the callous and unprecedented evidentiary standard that would be necessary to reach the satisfaction of the conspiracy theories of you, Mrs. Fred and all of the other birthers. In fact, I am fairly sure that if documentary film footage was discovered showing Barack Obama exiting the birth canal on the summit of Diamond Head with Don Ho singing "Tiny Bubbles" in the background, it would still not be sufficient proof for you and those like you to drop this silly bullshit and accept that Obama is, was and has always been an American citizen, and rightfully, is YOUR President too. Look Silvie, more than ninety-nine out of every one hundred Americans considered this stupid bullshit settled on January 20, 2009...why isn't that good enough for you and those like you? At this point, even if you and those like you were allowed to see, fondle and even lick this hallowed "holy grail" of your paranoid fantasy, do you really think it would be enough to shut you up? I don't - so what is the point of addressing this stupid bullshit in the first place? - Jeff in (Why are we even treating these whack-a-doodles like they are "sane"?) Bowie (6/19/10)

Tuning by yesterday and today I continue to hear Spanish language music on AM-1050 WTOP, no longer simulcasting WTOP-FM news. I hear ID's between the songs but my Spanish is "muy malo" so I'm not sure a specific format, slogan or whose leasing the signal now. (6/19/10)

Yes, it's that time again. In preparation for the first day of summer, DCRTV.com offers Silvie and all other gals a free Brazilian wax. (Oh, what the Hell; you guys too!) (6/19/10)

Brazilian Waxing by www.DCRTV.com.

An earlier poster said: "You gotta “love” Comcast. And, have pity on anybody who hires their castoffs. (Yes, even Verizon…)" And, DCRTV Dave's latest rant about Comcast was on the money. However, there's always something poitive to be said of anyone or even any company. And, I'll say it about Comcast: They are consistent. They suck everywhere they operate. Abd, as for what could be called the "Comcastoffs", they must be really bad for Comcast to lay them off. Especially their managemnt types and above. I would think that any company which would hire "Comcastoffs" at that level would be sowing the seeds of thier own "Comcastration". Comcast is proving the business school adage of "You can choose to be the biggest or to be the best. But you cannot be both." Rather than applying to the Feds for approval ro bulk-up yet again by buying NBC/U, Comcast should be defending itself from a federally-mandated downsizing. (6/19/10)

Dave's response: Heck, I think that BP is more qualified to take over NBC.....

So the Chris Matthew mailbagger thinks he didnt go far enough. Keep remembering that Bill Press says all the "toxic talk" is coming from the conservatives as you read this guys crap. (6/19/10)

(regarding a previous post) "Silvie: Per your claim that the President has "spent millions of dollars challenging the various court cases." Please document that charge and not by using a right wing hate site." Here's the deal with the Birthers: They're the same as those who claimed that the Clintons murdered Vince Foster. Whenever these idiots are out of power, they are willing to say or do anything to discredit the current administration. Failing that, they'll use any sleazy tactic they can to impede the president's progress. God help us all if they win in 2012! (6/19/10)

Silvie: Per your claim that the President has "spent millions of dollars challenging the various court cases." Please document that charge and not by using a right wing hate site. www.snopes.com... ACH (6/19/10)

The Cari and Rob Show, co-hosted by former WBAL Host Rob Douglas, will add a second affiliate next week after less than 3 months of weekday operation. The show will now be carried by both 55 Country (KRAI AM 550) in Craig, Colorado and KVEL AM 920 in Vernal, Utah. The show is available to potential affiliates via Citadel Media on the Starguide III and XDS receivers. (6/19/10)

Get those oldies on 1300. Look at all the frequencies that are veing wasted. Entertain us for once. Instead of all that depressing talk radio. WAKE UP YOU RADIO PEOPLE (6/19/10)

I tuned into 1050 AM right here in good old Laurel (near work) and heard Tejano music. And at 6:xx PM, the Nationals' baseball broadcast started up just as always. So now it's WTOP only on FM complete with their sound signals pushed to the max. Except for the music at :00 and :30, AM just sounds better to me for news. Oh, and as for WAMU's Bluegrass coming in at #47 in the ratings, I am just speculating here, but I bet that it's 95% because of the LP transmitter at 105.5, not the HD2 signal. Just idle speculation. And no matter what the Post says, Mrs. Olney and I thought "Hot in Cleveland" was pretty funny, just a nice old-fashioned situation comedy complete with the same laugh tracks they've been using since 1951. We had no complaints; and Betty White and my mother could be twins now, same hair, same outfits, same look, same attitude. Apparently, my mother has moved from being like Gayle Storm to Ann Sothern (you could look them up) to Doris Roberts to Betty White. Happy 95th, mom!-- Carl in Olney (6/19/10)

(regarding the item on the News Page) Those whiney tri-corner-hat-wearing ass clowns who are bitching about Chris Matthews' recent documentary, "Rise Of The New Right," should just shut up! Personally, I think Matthews went too easy on these moronic TeaBaggers. Their display of class and race hatred are even worse than what we saw in 1968, back when Alabama Gov. George Wallace ran for president. (6/19/10)

100.7 The Bay - It may have some spikes in ratings, but the fact is that they can't sell the thing. TSL stinks, branding is terrible, the air-staff almost non existent, and they are up against the big dogs. Shamrock is a small market company that just happens to own a potentially big market station - potentially. They are being out billed by stations way out in the nowhere lands and that is purely based on product and branding, which "The Bay" has neither. The recent up-ticks in PPMs is only because 98 Rock is stuck with a few years of lackluster new bands, so classics are just more friendly to the ear right now. That won't last, since "The Bay" only plays the hits and that will get tired fast. Even with bad new releases, 98 Rock still has the brand and 100.7 The Bay has a long way to go. The sales manager is not at fault for the billing not rising to the PPM's - it's still an inferior product with little to no brand recognition. You can't polish a turd. (6/19/10)

RE: WJZ-AM If ESPN 1300 is really going bye-bye, I suggest the follwoing options: - a "Timeless Cool" affiliate or something similar... - a blend of smooth jazz, traditional jazz and/or standards... - Full-service lighter (softer than Lite-FM) AC, maybe similar to that of Gettysburg's WGET or Albany, NY's WROW... (for the aforementioned formats, utilize the handle "JZ-13" or "JZ-1300" - I like the former)... - R&B Oldies, maybe blend with pre-British "graffiti gold", "surf rock", Carolina "beach music" and/or something similar... (6/19/10)

So the president attends the Nationals game tonight and the Post reports it in at least two online articles. Meantime I watch the entire game on MASN and not once do the tv guys mention the president's presence. Was this some kind of embargo imposed by the White House - Secret Service? (6/19/10)

/\ June 19 Messages /\

\/ June 18 Messages \/

Quote: "I'm glad I was not listening to WMAL when Mrs. Grandy blurted the misinformation about Obama’s birth certificate". Misinformation about what? You admittedly were not even listening to The Grandy Group. She was bringing up points leading to the fact that the original, sequenced and vaulted long-form of the President's birth certificate has not yet been seen by anyone (except perhaps by the head of Hawaii's Vital Stats Dept., or something like that.) What sort of "misinformation" are you referring to and why is it that there are so many court cases, at the state and federal level, challenging President Obama on this? The President has spent millions of dollars challenging the various court cases. It would all go away and he would save himself a lot of money if he just presents the long-form, original, vaulted & sequenced birth certificate from the State of Hawaii. No problem. -Silvie- (6/18/10)

Well, it looks like a poster struck a raw nerve on the mailbag dimwit and crazyshit: Silvie. If you stoke her false ego, you'll only get her to post more. Just let her get back to sucking on Chris Plante's toes and listening to the most race-baiting, hateful radio on the face of the planet, viz., conservative talk radio. On second thought, who gives a fuck about Silvie? (6/18/10)

Tune in to “SportsWeek with Arrington & Dukes” this Sunday, June 20th at 7:00PM, on WDCW-TV, DC50. Special guest Washington Post columnist Dan Steinberg talks local sports with Arrington & Dukes this Sunday only on DC50! (6/18/10)

The Steve Davis to 105.7 report sounded all too familiar to someone else who was on the air CBS Baltimore. Maybe Big O & Dukes? Norris can't do sports he loves talking righty politics & Baltimore crime too much. It's only a matter of time before his show becomes The Steve Davis Show w/ Ed Norris then just The Steve Davis show. That's just how CBS Baltimore rolls, no matter what 105.7 the fan will still stink! Just as much as the first day it hit the airwaves. (6/18/10)

Nicholas Kralev, former Diplomatic Correspondent for The Washington Times recently left his position at TWT to start a business focusing on travel seminars for people who travel internationally, want to save money, and still travel in comfort and luxury. He’s using the experience he gained from the 1.5 million miles he’s wracked up covering four Secretaries of State and sharing it with interested folks in seminars on June 25th and 26th for a minor fee – kind of a Frequent Flier 101. He was recently written up in USA Today and will be doing a spot on WTOP Radio this evening at 7:20 PM with Dmitri Sotis. travel.usatoday.com... ontheflyseminars.com (6/18/10)

Lavar butchering multi-syllabic words? Knock me over with a feather. Bill Handel has "Handelisms"; let's start "Lavarisms"...I'll go first. "Simular" when attempting to say "similar". Next? (6/18/10)

Dear Dave, I live up in Bristol, Connecticut and COMCAST sucks up here too. Yesterday I was watching The Golden Girls on The Hallmark Channel and the station kept blacking out. Also several channels are duplicated - New England Cable News on 24 and 171, TRU-TV on 37 and 182, Hallmark Channel on 38 and 137, ShopNBC on 89 and 280, and Jewelry TV on 90 (Leased Access), 157, and 171. My box only lists programming a few hours in advance. To Be Announced is listed instead. And the rare listings that are show more than a few hours in advance have no description listed. When I first got cable in April '09 my box was configured for the wrong Comcast System even though the installer told me it would fix itself. (It didn't and I had to contact their customer service on their CHAT). I pay $121.45 for Cable and Internet. A lot of the channels I want aren't even included in that. Furthermore I was told if I wanted to downgrade and just get basic cable CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, CW, MY Network TV, ION, 2 PBS, Telemundo, Univision, EWTN, CSPAN, The PEG Channels, CTN, and HSN, I would have to call them to make an appointment for them to come pick up my BOX. - Why can't they downgrade my service and let me drop off the box at their Customer Service office in the plaza with the Big Y Supermarket? Did you know that COX is better? When my parents moved in 2008 they canceled their service and all they had to do is drop their boxes off at their Customer Service Office in Meriden. No technician needed to come out to their house. Plus with COX you can still get all their channels - basic and expanded basic without needed a box. Channels 2-61 plus 70 plus 96. Sincerely, Marc B (6/18/10)

I'm glad I was not listening to WMAL when Mrs. Grandy blurted the misinformation about Obama’s birth certificate and schooling in Indonesia because if I had, my head would have exploded. Unless WMAL issues a formal retraction/apology, this so called radio station should have their licence pulled! This kind of stupid reactionary/racist crap is intolerable. Just so all know where I am coming from, I am a solid Republican, but want to win elections on the basis of issues/ideas, not the type wing nut garbage that is played for 16 solid hours on 630 (18 if you count that stupid "truckers" show that is aired from 3 to 5 am - but my problem w/that show is subject to a separate rant)! (6/18/10)

100.7 The Bay fired the Local Sales Manager today, and now they only have 3 salespeople! (6/18/10)

Won’t someone at NBC4 please, PLEASE move Veronica Johnson away from evening local news. She’s not prime time and doesn’t fit the mix of an otherwise dynamite team.. Drop Tom Keirine or Topper Schutt into the mix. Maybe they could get the very good Janet down from NBC New York, although Chuck Scarborough and Sue would probably howl at the idea. (6/18/10)

HA! Did anyone check to see if ZBA kicked off with Another One Bites The Dust this morning? I guess management will have to rely on the sales staff to pick up the slack. According to people I know in Baltimore mangement has been relying on one sales staffer for quite some time, if you know what I mean. (6/18/10)

please, please stop Lavar Arrington from using big words he does not know how to pronounce. If you are on the air and you are talking to ( thousands ???? ) learn to speak correctly. It is as bad as if a cook burned everything. PL (6/18/10)

Quote: "Silvie... You are a crazy ball of wax... For the sake of my friends Jeff, Drew, and Christopher - I hope and pray to all of the Christs that exist that you wind up with a PPM one day so Farid can bless each of them with a fine bonus." And you think that your 'name-dropping' is going to make me flinch and bite my nails? Oh so they are your friends -- how very nice. Who the f*%k cares? -Silvie- (6/18/10)

So, I call WMAL to ask who do I talk to about Mrs. Grandy’s misinformation about Obama’s birth certificate and schooling in Indonesia, and setting the record straight. After I asked the receptionist who do I talk to about WMAL airing a correction, and setting the record straight, I was put on hold for two minutes and my call was forwarded to Fred Grandy’s voice mail where I heard “anything you say here could be put on the air.” I guess after outrage and hundreds of phone calls they received concerning “Hitler is in the White House,” (and their lackadaisical reaction to the callers that ultimately got Paul Duckworth fired), they are just not taking complaint calls anymore. (6/18/10)

"The big switch to WAMU was told to me by an (at that time) Mobitrak executive, named Paul." Try pulling out your Maximi$er reports from 2001.....WAMU did NOT beat WTOP AM and FM combined. Not even close. Folks forget how clueless NPR was during the first 40 minutes after the towers were hit on that terrible day. (6/18/10)

(Who is WJFK Mole? Anyone can claim they work there. More important, 'Mole, spill who NYCSuit is if you know.) Back to the point, did Dukes go off on another personality? Between his twitter obsession and extra podkasts, it's weird he fired off that shot on the afternoon show. He and the Junks are the only remains of a once proud station! (6/18/10)

Silvie - i've been meaning to say this for quite some time. You are a crazy ball of wax. WTNT needs to get their act together?? The station actually sounds like it is being run correctly for once, but there is nothing they can do about who is on the national network they use. Jerry Doyle had a heart issue. Various hosts have been filling in. Savage has had vocal issues, and various hosts have filled in. That includes Kuhner, from the local station. Kuhner is batshit crazy, but at least he is local - in a world of syndicated shit - and is something different to listen to, instead of Hannity or Levin. Silvie - For the sake of my friends Jeff, Drew, and Christopher - I hope and pray to all of the Christs that exist that you wind up with a PPM one day so Farid can bless each of them with a fine bonus. (6/18/10)

Dear Dave, It is too bad that the owner of the 9:30 club is mounting an eleventh hour attempt to torpedo years worth of work to rekindle the economic recovery for Downtown Silver Spring. Through out the later stages of the process to build a music hall in Silver Spring, the 9:30 club has made numerous attempts to jam up the effort. The troubling issue here is that years ago when the Montgomery County government and the developers were negotiating with a different and much smaller company to open a music hall at the old JC Penney site, the folks at the 9:30 Club really didn’t seem to care. It wasn’t until a much larger company, Live Nation, became the partner in the deal that the 9:30 Club suddenly took notice and started to do all it could to block the Fillmore from opening. People have told me that the owners of the 9:30 Club have a history of behaving this way to keep big competition out of the market. I’m told they followed the same pattern when another club was set to open in DC. Silver Spring needs the music hall as part of the economic redevelopment of the downtown area. In a horrible economy, the music hall will stimulate business, attract new growth, create new jobs and increase the tax base. It is a smart investment, and a great example of what can happen when the private sector and government work together, as the developers and the Montgomery County government have done here. This law suit serves only the owners of the 9:30 Club, and not the community. If anything, the Fillmore opening in Silver Spring will make both the 9:30 Club, and the Fillmore better places to go to listen to first class music. A little competition is a good thing. (6/18/10)

(re:WJFK mole) I believe if you are writing to DCRTV it would in fact bely your insecurity Mr. Mole. Please give "everyone" my regards. I thought Sam Rogers policy was for no WJFK employees to post here. I guess thats not the case. -NYC Suit (uncovered) (6/18/10)

CC: of an email I sent to WBAL this morning…. Mr. Durian, I’ve enjoyed listening to you deliver the morning news for years now. I have to say though that I was very disappointed in some of your commentary this morning regarding the South African man who was beaten to death by his family. You and your co-host sounded like you were delivering a joke as you described the incident and I even heard a joke about a red card along with some hearty laughs. I have to say that it was terribly disappointing to hear you belittle a man’s life like that and that I have lost some of the respect I used to have for you. (6/18/10)

Mrs. Fred proved this morning to be an unhinged Glenn Beck brand Kool Ade drinker, and an idiot. She said she didn’t believe Obama was born in this country, and that he was educated in a madrassa in Indonesia. He was born in this country, and he attended both Catholic and public schools in Indonesia. The Associated Press in 2008 visited the school in question and confirmed it was NOT a madrassa, and never was one. On both points no one questioned Mrs. Fred's falsehoods. Here we are in 2010 and WMAL is still pulling this crap? Also, get you Freedom Concert" tickets at Hannity.com and support Hannity's love of flying all over the country in private jets. (6/18/10)

How sad is it that comcast sucks so bad I can't watch any fucking sporting event in HD in Baltimore? what the fuck am I payin for? (6/18/10)

That's what radio needs...another unhinged, fat, under achieving, 21rst ranked, untalented, in therapy personality, who owns a bunch of guns...ah, just like the old days... (6/18/10)

To NYC Suit, Everyone knows who you are. Stop before you embarrass yourself more. Stop texting the other shows, stop emailing DCRTV to make others look bad and cover for your insecurities. Maybe worry about yourself... WJFK Mole (6/18/10)

Interesting DX here in Frederick around 8 pm this evening--KCCD 90.3 and KCCM 91.1 both from Moorehead, MN/Fargo, ND with coverage of the tornado outbreak in Minnesota. Kind of threw me for a loop when I heard them advising everyone to take immediate cover, before I realized it wasn't local. -Mike in Bartonsville (6/18/10)

Is PPM leading to bad decisions? Citadel CEO Farid Suleman thinks that could be case. He says, “PPM is forcing you to move toward music intensive formats and if you go too far you’re going to hurt your business.” That’s because listeners want radio to be engaging. Not a jukebox." Could this guy be anymore disconnected from the game? Why do you think iPods are so popular? Plus what people mean by engaging is LOCAL topics, not a regurgitation about last night's "Dancing with the Ducks or Who Want's to Kill a Milionaire". National news is a dime a dozen with today's social networks and talking about TV on radio used to be a mortal sin. How about telling us about the new hot bands in town. Or actually reporting local news? PPM is an objective tally off what people are tuned into whether you like it or not. It reports talk and music the same. (6/18/10)

Count me in as another listener to the Jerry Doyle show. (6/18/10)

Dave, I'm now a limited WTNT listener, simply because that station doesn't really give a flying f*%k about the listener (aside from the fact that since The Planteman was moved back to 9-Noon on WMAL, I don't listen to Laura Ingraham as much either.) Not only did they mess up Jerry Doyle at 3-6pm (at this point, Hannity's show has been reduced to repetitive rants & mumbles -- it's imperative that Drew Hayes or the powers-that-be at WMAL replace or move Hannity's show immediately to perhaps an overnight time slot and bring back Austin Hill, or someone like that, in its place) -- but WTNT has also been screwing around with Jeff Cooner's show (sp?), originally airing from Noon-3pm. Although I listen to Rush at Noon, I sometimes switched back & forth to Cooner, until he was replaced by a financial guru-type show with someone named Ray Lucia. I still catch Michael Savage as much as I can, but he's always taking off -- and his sub is none other than Jeff Cooner. These musical chairs make me dizzy and WTNT needs to get their act together. -Silvie- (6/18/10)

Someone asked a few days ago how do you get CBS stations on an Internet radio, i.e. without the CBS player wrapper. Here are some addresses: I can't even remember exactly where I found them, but some site had a large list: 5203.live.streamtheworld.com:80/WCBSAMCMP3, 4553.live.streamtheworld.com:80/KCBSAMCMP3, 1331.live.streamtheworld.com:80/KNXAMCMP3! Good Luck!!!! -- Carl in Olney (6/18/10)

/\ June 18 Messages /\

\/ June 17 Messages \/

Which on air personality did oChad Dukes attack and in which segment did it happen? If it did happen. I checked the last couple days with no luck. Has it's been removed? Hit us with a link! (6/17/10)

WZBA Sales Manager Beth Colon was let go today. Effective immediately. (6/17/10)

Dave: You know it's been difficult to list to 980 these days but today really demonstrated how there need to be some changes. I'm far from a Czaban fan but Steve did a pretty good job holding back some anger. Pollin actually thought Pebble Beach was in San Diego. Czaban did the right thing and paused...then calmly asked Pollin was he serious? and yes, Pollin didn't know where Pebble Beach was located!! Whoever's running Snyder's broadcasting arm needs to cut some of those high-end salaries and finally make some changes. Furthermore, Doc really had the street talk going today and I really had a hard time following the conversation. At least I don't need that street talk dictionary to follow sportstalk on WJFK. (6/17/10)

Dave, yeah I'm one of the 5. I listen to WTNT for Jerry Doyle's show and Handel on the Law on weekends (GREAT show by the way...sometime I'll go off on a rant about Bill Handel and a great station, KFI in L.A.) I should qualify that I listen to WTNT unless I'm under power lines or an overpass. (6/17/10)

Dave, which Comcast “suit” does your friend know to get a service move done in only 10 days! I’ve had to wait longer than that for a f---king service call. And, I’ve had periods of degraded or no service at all for as long as a month. In addition, a friend of mine in the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon says that in Augusta, GA, Comcast now offers 100 mbps internet while here in Reston, we only get a max of 20. I guess whomever said that D.C. isn’t a “major market” may be on to something. But Augusta, GA??? What level market is that? Perspiring minds want to know! You gotta “love” Comcast. And, have pity on anybody who hires their castoffs. (Yes, even Verizon…) (6/17/10)

Dave's response: Just talked to a friend who is moving to a new apartment at the end of June and Comcast won't give her service until she produces a $500 deposit via a certified check. Wow, Comcast is getting really mean. She's going with Dish Network.....

Why do radio shows not give a sh*t about their listeners? I'm one of the three people in this area that likes and listens to the Jerry Doyle show. JD's been off for a while. I've e-mailed them asking when Jerry's going to be back. Not a peep back. Nothing on the show website. Reminds me of when D&M would be out with no explanation. 3:06 I tune in, hear Murdoch then tune out. (6/17/10)

Dave's response: Oh, so you're one of the five people who listen to WTNT. You, Silvie, and three others.....

To the poster asking why Dish Network advertises local channels..yet Salisbury can't have WBOC..I have a link that may answer (in part)..why this is! I have my own opinion on this but..I post; you decide! Link follows: www.delmarvanow.com... Tom in Denton, MD. P.S. The sad part of this is..because of where I am, I doubt that, even if WBOC agreed to be carried by Dish Network..that we'd be eligible to get the Salisbury channels on Dish Network! Therefore..we'll just get our local channels with that big ole antenna on the pole as we've been doing; we get Baltimore and Salisbury; sometimes Washington, D.C.; this is more than we'd get if we got the local channels from Dish! (6/17/10)

What was the Chad Dukes attack of another air talent? Can you provide details or let us what segment it could be? (6/17/10)

"Dave, even folks from WV are loudly protesting against loud commercials: www.journal-news.net "...I guess that is better than the usual" Journal-Junction" media complaints such as how bad WRNR 740 news had become lately, morning guy Tom Tucker's weight problem, why WRNR should hire former WEPM sportsguy Rob Mario..lets see here thats THREE...about the total number of listeners Martinsburg's WRNR has in any given day anyway. (6/17/10)

Dave, even folks from WV are loudly protesting against loud commercials: www.journal-news.net (6/17/10)

Arianna Huffington on the radio? Not quite the voice that I want to hear coming out of my speakers. She looks okay, but that Zsa Zsa accent is enough to make me leave radio forever. (6/17/10)

Many may not like him but they respected his ability to change direction after the flip from "guy talk" to sports talk. However Chad Dukes' rant yesterdayduring his show regarding another on air talent at the station was classless and unprofessional to say the least. Many people were made aware of it today and others at that same station have been made to issue an on air apology for much much less. Not sure what sparked his tirade but calling another on air talent racist and a failure knocked him down quite a bit in my book. I really hope he chooses to do the right thing or someone else will. You are better than that Chad, so I thought. - NYC Suit (6/17/10)

Lawdy lawdy me... Paw, come look at whut they've done to that there Datin' Game teevee show: washingtondc.craigslist.org (6/17/10)

Heard on the news this morning that Gary Shider, of George Clinton/Funkadelic fame, passed away yesterday..RIP. (6/17/10)

Mr Dave: The Downs Syndrome post is tasteless. Not about Lisa Baden's hair do, but because of the fact that Downs is not a laughing matter. A close relative of mine has it, and lives a full and wonderful life. Those type of jokes make my blood boil. Not what I expect from DCRTV -BW (6/17/10)

Lisa Baden needs a stylist to help her get rid of her Downs Syndrome haircut. (6/17/10)

Wow… An HD stream on WAMU makes it to #47 in the PPM ratings. Just imagine where WAMU would be if it either ran bluegrass 24/7 on its main signal or ditched the government propaganda from NPR and became a “real college radio station”. Hey, why not a 21st century version of the WGTB I remember? (RIP, my good friend Frank Tollin…) –Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/17/10)

In response to your WAMU's Bluegrass Country post Dave, I was glad to see that they are ranking. It's sure that bluegrass will not take over the music world but at least some folks enjoy it. And it appears to be on the increase. I'll continue to hold up my end on the bluegrass front on Fitzgrass. Katy Daley and Ray Davis both do very good bluegrass shows on WAMU's Bluegrass Country and I'd like to think that I pitch in pretty well on a different medium (cable TV and internet) on fridays. As you can guess, promoting and playing bluegrass on the radio sometimes appears to be futile, but it's actually not. Some people dig it. Mike Fitzgerald DJ of Fitzgrass on WEBR (6/17/10)

Sunny James, A Small Voice in the Nation’s Capital, has had a multi-faceted career in film and video production, broadcast news, broadcast regulation, commercial, cable and public broadcasting. Quite simply, she is fascinated by the potential that each medium, whether radio, television, cable, print and now the internet brings to the public—the potential to inform, captivate and educate. Now Sunny has an opportunity to live out her dream. She is competing for her own show on Oprah Winfrey's new OWN Network. You've listened to her "rants, raves and social commentary" on her self-titled podcast since 2005. She has questioned and provoked listeners to "read more about it" and change their news and information paradigm. Oprah Winfrey, in partnership with Mark Burnett, is providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for a talented host to have their own show. Won't you help bring Sunny to prime-time? Click on this link myown.oprah.com and vote to bring Sunny James to Oprah's OWN Network. Thank You (6/17/10)

/\ June 17 Messages /\

\/ June 16 Messages \/

That's excellent news about Arianna Huffington and Mary Matalin having a radio gig together, but it's almost tragic that they only get to do it for one hour a week, and on a Saturday! C'mon! Useless Trivia: Did y'all know that Arianna is the voice of the character of the same name on "The Cleveland Show"? (Cleveland's neighbor) -Silvie- (6/16/10)

"Buckhantz To Wed - 6/16 - Engaged: Steve Buckhantz, 54, to Shelley Lawrence, 43, after a three-year courtship. He's the Wizards' play-by-play announcer." Joe Gibbs read the wedding announcement in Playboy and laughed. (6/16/10)

FYI. "The Murray Awards" were named after the great local Minneapolis newswriter Murray Slaughter. (6/16/10)

Before a spot hits the air on any of our stations, a manager reviews it. Even if it’s from an established and respected client. Why? Because there’s always the potential of someone "going over the line”. If a spot is questionable, it goes to the station manager or even the cluster VP/GM who has the final say. Since 9/11, we’ve been especially mindful of the responsibility we have as broadcasters when it comes to advertising content. And, there are spots that we’ve had to refund on because we’ve rejected the spot. Yes, this has cost us clients. Spots are also rejected should they disparage without documented evidence a client or a client sector. There is a spot airing now on perhaps the most respected broadcaster in the D.C. market from a local university which, while illustrating the potential vulnerability of our financial sector to a cyberattack, does so in such a sensationalistic manner as to insinuate a reason to lose confidence and/or trust in banks to such a degree as to possibly dissuade people from savings and checking accounts in banks (the example in the spot), which is something the financial services industry does not need. The rash of bank failures already this year (including one in the D.C. metro area) has added to the crippling damper on savings activity. The spot (which does not carry a “commercial announcement” intro and outro) is more drama than salesmanship. The broadcaster that is airing this spot should know better. They should know that concomitant with credibility and respect comes responsibility. Since that spot is running in rotation with at least one other in the campaign, the smart thing to do would be to add the “CA” intro/outro and notify the client, while running the other spot unchanged. You could also suggest just running what one could call the “adventure” spot. Otherwise, tell the client to take their business to the station that had the respect (and ratings) you now enjoy. As Dave would say, “Not a sermon, just a thought” from someone whose time in this business spans the eras from crystal to digital. –Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/16/10)

Tick-Tock, indeed! Soon we will post a clock that shows how long before Paul posts his Geronimo-to-Scaramento clock. Time's a-wastin'! AHHHHmen (6/16/10)

I'm with Dave on this one: ABC's Wednesday night comedies are humorous and well-written. Much better than the tripe on CBS and NComBC. (6/16/10)

WJFK still just ahead of virtually every shadow market out side of DC! Way to go guys! You know WJFK used to be one of those stations that you could call "my favorite radio station" because it was unique. Now it's just a day of programming rehashing the same 3 topics per day, all day. Listen to the Junks and you've got the content, plus some laughs in there. Oh and NOW 5, count 'em FIVE hours of Lavar! I'm sure it won't be long until Chad puts a bullet in his head, having signed that contract...What a waste... (6/16/10)

Ironic timing of that Boz Scaggs clip in the mailbag two days ago; The Steve Miller Band has just released his first album in 17 years, and he don't sound half bad for a 66-year-old geezer! (6/16/10)

Hey Dave: I saw your postings on the Murrow Award winners and just wanted to point out that the DC-Based Associated Press Online Video Network swept the new category of Online News Organization--National, winning all 6 awards. www.rtnda.org (6/16/10)

I agree with the comments about Morris Jones on Channel 8. He didn't look good, but I felt sorry for him. There's no shame in aging...trying to look younger and failing is sad. He's a good news anchor...I hope someone will help him with his image. -- Bobbie (6/16/10)

Got a chance to see the PPM demos for WJFK for the month of May. 18-34: Junkies 10th place / Lavar & Dukes 16th place... 25-54: Junkies 11th place / Lavar & Dukes 18th place... (6/16/10)

Dave, Are you getting the The Middle and Modern Family confused with one another? Puhhhllease tell me you are :-) (6/16/10)

Dave's response: All three of ABC's Wednesday comedies are great, including "Cougar Town," too.....

A sudden jump in the value of Washington Post Company shares Wednesday afternoon triggered a new circuit breaker on the NYSE, temporarily halting trading of the stock (www.reuters.com). To me the most fascinating thing about the story is the realization that WP shares regularly sell for about $450. What the hell! (6/16/10)

I do not like the Grandy Group. I like my Republican BS as much as the next guy, but you have Grandy saying some Republican crap, and Brian pretty much agreeing with him. Before, you had Parks saying some batsh&t nuts Michelle Bachmann-like crap, Fred countering it with some right of center crap, and Brian mediating, while complaining about his kids. Then you would get to the office, do a google on the subject they were talking about, and find out they left out half the story, stifled facts, and misrepresented quotes by playing edited tapes. With this new knowledge, you would conclude they used wrong analogies, came to the wrong conclusion, and they were trying to fool you into thinking conservatives had your best interest in mind. In other words, Grandy & Andy made you do your homework. Now, it appears you just have Grandy saying he doesn’t agree with the President, Brian agreeing with him, and Bozos like George Allen or Newt Gingrich calling in with only half the facts, and agreeing with Brian. Ho-Hum. I get better Republican crap from callers to C-SPAN from the state of Alabama. (6/16/10)

Hey Dave - Your mention of "Through The Wormhole" on the Discovery Science Channel got me thinking... Am I the only one completely disappointed by the "25th Anniversary Special" on Discovery? I was expecting a REAL look back at 25 years of what was once the best channel on cable (in some ways it still is)... what I got was (for the most part) a promo for the current hit series on the air... Mythbusters, Mike Rowe, "Deadliest" watermen, Bear Grylls etc. It also touched on a couple of the more memorable documentaries... Life and the James Cameron Titanic special. But, there was no real mention of anything more than about 10 years old... I didnt really expect them to touch on some of the lowlights (like the Bear Grylls "scandal"/ fraud, or the short-lived "Pitch Men" tragedy), but I DID expect highlights older than a good bottle of Scotch! If your gonna call it a "25th Anniversary Special", at least acknowledge the first 15 years! I also noticed that they highlighted some stars from other channels ("Survivorman" Les Stroud (on Science Channel), and the guys from "Orange County Choppers" (on TLC)), but no mention that those channels existed. Just some observations... and I'll be watching "Through the Wormhole" tonight as well... and wishing they would re-dub "Life" with Morgan Freeman instead of Oprah!! (or at least let us hear the original David Attenborough narration)... ... coastraven (6/16/10)

Pulling out the old Arbitron books, I confirmed in the Fall of 2001 there was an all news WTOP-FM. The big switch to WAMU was told to me by an (at that time) Mobitrak executive, named Paul. (6/16/10)

Regarding the XM signal problems: Last week, I had two or three days of sporadic issues. I'd either lose the signal completely or it would fade in and out, as if someone were playing with the volume control, turning it up and then all the way down to silence -- this would last a few seconds at a time and would be accompanied by an echoing tone sound. This happened once before -- right before the Obama inauguration -- and I wondered whether it was something to do with radio interference associated with that event (and all the satellite trucks, etc. in the region). The weird thing this time is that it was limited to just a few channels. For instance, I could listen to E Street Radio's Springsteen tunes with no interference or problems, while Radio Margaritaville and Home Plate baseball talk were affected. But if I turned everything off and let it sit for an hour (my unit is installed in my car), it would cycle back to regular reception. And I thought I was the only one ... (6/16/10)

Anyone know what company is producing the Huffington & Matalin radio show, or if it is a self-syndicated effort? (6/16/10)

Oh great, Shari Elicker will be a part of the PM news block. So, here comes the giggles and lack of information. Please, seperate her from that annoying traffic lady too. Does this mean that C-4 is getting yanked? THANK GOD (6/16/10)

Is it possible you can find out why Dish Network advertises 100% local TV coverage; however, no deal is done for the Salisbury, MD market? The Dish network has one station available for Salisbury (WHAG NBC). It is impossible to get through to anyone at WBOC... Thanks a daily reader and supporter of your website... (6/16/10)

Dave, I hate to sound like president of the He Man Woman Haters Club but PLEASE no Carol added to the Gopher Group. That show, after the Plante experiment, is coming together VERY nicely. Much as I miss Andy and his bus, Nehman is doing an admirable job filling those shoes. He and Fred have great chemistry. While it would get you off their back about adding a woman to WMAL, I think it would throw off the rhythm of their show. (6/16/10)

Another WJLA fund-raiser, disgused as a news special will be on tonight again pre-empting ABC programming. This is two Wednesdays in a row. I am sure the crappy old movies will be coming soon as well. But they did win a "Murray" award! (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Robert Allbritton should rot in Hell for pre-empting "The Middle," one of the best new shows out there. What an evil station.....

Does WJZ-FM air Dan Patrick at anytime other than really early in the morning? (6/16/10)

(On 9-11, those boxes showed an immediate shift toward WAMU, not WTOP, when the news broke of the first tower being hit. Once the news was reported on other stations, people switched in droves to WAMU.) There's nothing in the article you posted to support that claim. (6/16/10)

Dave: Have you heard any updates about WBAL going to its all-news bloc in the afternoon? In your previous post you said that Sherry Elicker would be a part of the afternoon news bloc but she was very unhappy about that and that Ron Smith would be moving to mornings 9 - 12. Do you have any updates about if and when this would actually happen. Thanks Marshall (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Starts 7/5. Front Page blurb just up.....

Did Maynard from the Norris show get fired? (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Sure sounds like it.....

Go ahead and knock Bravo's programming.. Can't say I blame you... I will not watch anything featuring those media whoring Salahis - - even the local news, which is feeding right into the hype.. But I challenge all of you DCRTV mailbaggers to sit through the entire hour of "Toddlers & Tiaras" tonight on TLC @ 10 pm.. Did we not learn anything from Jon Benet Ramsey?.. BTW, it's now into its fourth season which just goes to show you, a lot of folks are watching this garbage....No, I do not work for TLC or any of its affiliated Discovery brethren.. (6/16/10)

Dave's response: At 10 PM tonight I will be watching Morgan Freeman's brilliant "Through The Wormhole" on Discovery's Science Channel.....

“perhaps "reality" shows aren't just exaggerations of the unpleasant personalities of the participants where they play to the cameras, but entirely scripted in advance with actors recruited to play certain stereotypes.” Change “Cameras” to “audiences’ ignorance, paranoia, and preconceptions” and you have a perfect description of the call in segments for the Sean Hannity radio show. Now, I can produce the “Real Housewives of Chuck County,” but I need some blocking and scheduling information to lens the first episode; Silvie, now that Plante is back to his 9 AM-12 PM shift at the mighty WMAL, what’s your weekly wednesday nooner's rescheduled day and time? (6/16/10)

Not to be outdown by Channel 4, WJLA wins National Murray award for it's coverage of the June 22 Metro crash www.wjla.com (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Murray award? Ha ha ha.....

"the idea I had is for Bravo to showcase women who are housewives and moms - and supposedly religious - yet they're bigtime whores, totally self-centered and outdoing each other..." Here's my lone foray into conspiracy theories - perhaps "reality" shows aren't just exaggerations of the unpleasant personalities of the participants where they play to the cameras, but entirely scripted in advance with actors recruited to play certain stereotypes. Imagine the casting call: "Okay, Erica, let's see your Spoiled Bitch...Now, how about your Man-Stealing Whore?" It might be just like daytime soaps with an additional level of pretense. (6/16/10)

I think I receive my XM signal from the tower on Moravia Road. From my antenna in the window, I lost the signal most of the weekend. It was back on Monday. But it seems to be out again on Tuesday. Rob (6/16/10)

Dave's response: I just did an informal check of my XM reception, and some channels, like Howard 100, are just fine. But others, like First Wave 44, give me occasional drop outs. Doesn't XM use two satellites and two sets of repeaters? Hmmm. The reception at 10 AM seems to be better than what I was getting at 8 AM. Go figure.....

(Re: Coming soon - "Real Housewives Of Charles County." They all meet in the parking lot of a local strip mall and crank up WTNT while hoisting a few brewskis.....) Dave, I’d like to think I’d be insulted by this since I grew up in Charles County (Indian Head) but I’m not. Frankly, you’re spot on. I will always remember it as a beautiful, rural agriculturally rich region…not one of strip mall after strip mall on Rt. 301. (While I normally think Silvie is drinking the juice…she’s right about the church ladies. That would be good reality tv.) (6/16/10)

Someone asked about Scott Brady. Not sure if he's still with WNAV but he is working for Metro Traffic in Silver Spring and doing reports for the CBS stations in Baltimore, WRNR and The Point in Norfolk/Va Beach. He took over when Joanna Campbell left. I think he's just filling in because he's also been on the Radio One Stations when Robert Altmann takes a day off. (6/16/10)

Did Morris Jones work in Baltimore years ago? I seem to remember him on channel 45? And a question for our host, dcrtv Dave: Which team has the more affiliates in their radio network, Ravens or Redskins? I think it's the Ravens, didn't Redskins lose affiliates when Carolina came on the scene and then lose more when the Ravens relocated to Baltimore? Love the site, I am finding more info here daily. Keep DCRTV alive it is a one of a kind operation for any media coverage in Baltimore! -BW (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Yes, Morris worked at Sinclair's now defunct News Central, which provided "local" newscasts for the company's 40-ish TVers around the country, including Baltimore's 45.....

Once again Channel 9 and Gannett Broadcasting excel at communications. The 9 newsroom read of the new hyper local website on dcrtv. Has anyone taken the time to tell staff internally? One guess and it begins with 'n'! (6/16/10)

Yes Dave, you're absolutely right to be paranoid about the proposed Comcast-NBC Unviersal Merger. Comcast absolutely positively could jerk other broadcasters around in markets like Washington DC as you describe because we all know that Comcast has zero competitors in the cable television provider field. And even if on the off chance Comcast does have competitor like Verizon FiOS or Direct TV to deal with, Comcast's award winning customer service compared to these other companies would be the deciding factor in keeping their customers signed up in spite of Comcast pulling power plays with their competing local networks. (6/16/10)

I was just about to post about Morris Jones when I saw that someone already did! Wow, he looks like he belongs on the Adams family. Someone needs to tell him that you NEVER dye hair black at his age. Even if his hair was black, experts always say to lighten it up once you get older or you look like a corpse. He does look like the walking dead. Nice guy, good anchor but someone needs to help him come into 2010! (6/16/10)

I am a long-time reader of your site. I live in Baltimore and have a Sirius XM subscription. Recently (as of last Friday) I've had difficulty receiving a signal. It's actually impossible in my home, where I used to be able to receive the signal on my Pioneer Enno with or without hooking it up to the window antenna that came with it. I can now only receive any signal at all if I take the unit outside. Other friends of mine in the city are having the same difficulty. XM tech Support claimed that no repeaters are down in the city and tried to sell me a new radio or a new antenna. However, with at least three other people I know having similar experiences, all of whom formerly had no reception problems, I'm not buying it. None of us use XM in our cars; we are all blind and don't drive. Perhaps since so many Sirius XM subs are drivers, they have not noticed a problem yet or it hasn't been reported. Or perhaps the company has made a change that they don't yet want to acknowledge. But something is clearly wrong. Just thought I would let you know in case you feel the urge to investigate. Thanks, Chris (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Anyone else in Baltimore having trouble with XM reception? I have XM in my home office and I'm noticing weaker land-based repeater signals here in Reston, too. A lot more signal dropout than in the past.....

How about the "Real Housewives of Danville, VA", where spouses are also brother n' sister? (eww-ww...) (6/16/10)

Dave's response: How about the "Real Housewives Of Dupont Circle".....

Dave said: "Coming soon - "Real Housewives Of Charles County." They all meet in the parking lot of a local strip mall and crank up WTNT while hoisting a few brewskis." It's the church parking lot, Dave (plus, we don't get the Michael Savage signal anymore, so we have to settle for Mark Levin.) You know, it's not a bad idea - but the idea I had is for Bravo to showcase women who are housewives and moms - and supposedly religious - yet they're bigtime whores, totally self-centered and outdoing each other. I know a few of these women: very family- and church-oriented and who talk about God incessantly, yet they've been around the ringer a few times. I guess blame it on conservative talk radio? Heehee.... -Silvie- (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Heck, I'd like to see Bravo do "The REAL Housewives Of DC" - including one of those married chicks with with three kids in her mini-van or SUV constantly talking on her cell phone who practically runs over you in the Reston Target parking lot, a crackhead mom from Southeast DC battling her ex for child support, a divorced MILF from Alexandria who spends her days on Facebook and at Starbucks, and an anonymous permanently single woman in a conservative suit who rides Metro every day to a bureaucratic job in Federal Triangle.....

WHAT THE FUCK happened to Morris Jones?!??! The former channnel 5 anchor has resurfaced on NewsChannel 8 and looks like a fucking fool! Total hair weave....fucked up plastic surgery.....he looks like he's been in a casket since he left channel 5. He is totally scary and creepy looking. (6/16/10)

Oh grow up, people. Aren't you all the same ones who scream to "change the channel" if you don't like to watch or listen to certain programming? The Real Housewives series is so bad and its 'celebrities' are such Hot Messes that it makes real housewives like me look like the perfect June Cleaver. Being a housewife is being able to multi-talk and deal with a host of husband/kids' issues & problems on a daily basis, and it also entails to -GASP! - do some actual housework! I watch these shows because they make me realize that my life ain't so bad. Looking forward to the D.C. Housewives Hot Messes in August! -Silvie- (6/16/10)

Dave's response: Coming soon - "Real Housewives Of Charles County." They all meet in the parking lot of a local strip mall and crank up WTNT while hoisting a few brewskis.....

Very sad news about John Morekas. In radio, many of us paid our dues behind the scenes engineering various ethnic radio programs. I had the pleasure of handling many of his programs on WBMD covering at least 15 years.(He had over 50 years on air as I recall) John Morekas was really a gentleman, he was one who respected his board-ops, and never lost his temper. The ethnic hosts really went out of their way to make you feel like part of the community, that made going to work so much fun, if you want to call it work. I did the Greek shows, Polish, German, and others. These show hosts also loved what they did, and it showed. It was a real loss when stations like WBMD, which had a long history of opening their studios to brokered programs, eventually was sold. Now, it's only a satellite dish at the transmitter site. John Morekas was indeed a real gentleman, one who left me with some very fond memories of Baltimore. Tom Conroy, WZBB-FM (6/16/10)

/\ June 16 Messages /\

\/ June 15 Messages \/

The Mobiltrak box out in front of the car dealership could not have shown an immediate listener shift to WAMU instead of WTOP during 9/11. Mobiltrak could never grab AM signals. (6/15/10)

RE; WTOP/WDVM, the story goes that back in September 1983 for some unknown reason the creator of the Peanuts comic strip Charles M. Schulz was in Washington. While in his hotel room he had turned on channel 9 hoping to catch the debut of his new CBS Saturday morning cartoon show "Charlie Brown & Snoopy". Not only was channel 9 NOT airing Schulz's cartoon but they were airing instead a show about teen age sex ( I am thinking "In Our Lives"? ). Schulz not at all happy of course calls up channel 9 to ask why the programming change on to get the response "well sir..the CBS Saturday morning line-up sucks". It was about a week later when channel 9, well the person who had answered that phone had discovered he/she was talking to Schulz. Come to think of it not long after Schulz I believe Richard Pryor, whose CBS kids show wasn't cleared by channel 9 either, I seem to remember reading about this in the Post at the time where Pryor himself had contacted WDVM asking them to air his show since the man had many DC area fans but despite the "pleas" by both Charles Schulz and Richard Pryor, I don't think it worked as I don't recall ever seeing either show on Saturday morning on.."the one and only TV 9 !!". (6/15/10)

Jimmy Dean in Arlington Va. (6/15/10)

Dear "Unsigned Corporate Suit", thanks for your input regarding local reception of DC television signals. Now I have a question for you. I lived at Fort Belvoir from 1958 to 1961, are you telling me the average height of some of the TV towers were 170 feet? Wow, talk about saving money on the most important part of the equation! When we moved to Kansas City in August of 1961 I quickly found out the average tower height of the TV towers in that town were a thousand feet above average terrain. Because of the many hills there, people were often complaining about bad reception in some parts of the city. Thanks again for your input. When I make my next pilgrimage to DC/NOVA I'll make sure to do some quick shortwave dxing just to see the difference a body of water can make! Thanks again!!!! Signed, A Former Halicrafters S-120 (now using a Sony ICF 2010) user! (6/15/10)

This is not photoshopped. Mike O, why???!!??? Oh, why???!!???? ha ha ha as DCRTV Dave could say! BW (6/15/10)

As for Fort Belvoir and broadcast reception, in looking at its location, it’s easy to see why it would be a decent site especially for the D.C. stations. Depending on where you are, you’ve not only got all that water from the Potomac to enhance things, but for VHF/UHF reception, you’ve got a near-unobstructed shot towards Tenleytown. I bet in the 1970’s and earlier, it was even more unobstructed. Regarding how important proximity to a body of water is, ask anybody who has “DX’ed” the AM band from the Outer Banks. Short-wave can be impressive down there as well. Even during the day. Where the “first four” of D.C. TV’s had reception problems was from tower height. The WTOP-TV antenna was supposedly only 170’ AGL (but with a fair AMSL height) while WRC-TV was about the best when it moved to the Washington color Plant. Those first stations were optimized for in-city reception (not to mention a structure height limitation in D.C.), as the suburbs were rather sparsely populated. In discussing WTOP-TV not clearing the network, I remember when WDCA carried “Medical Center” and “Hawaii Five-O” on Saturday afternoons because of WTOP-TV pre-emption. It was kind of funny seeing the spots in the local avails being of the typical WDCA ROS fare while the network spots were of the usual CBS quality. In other words, no “Kitchen Magician”, “Nu-Vinyl”, etc. –Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/15/10)

Good for you Mike Sorce! Bravo just announced that Don Geronimo & his bride Janet will be featured in the new Housewives of Sacramento series. Right along side the Farmer in the Dell, his wife and the crackwhore couple from Rio Linda....ahhhh, now as Terry Bradshaw would say "that's funny." (6/15/10)

To whomever posted the reply and pictures: I stand corrected. But Roy Clark and Billy Grammer sure did look alike when they were kids. We didn't move here til 1958. My father, Jim Hall, and Jackson Weaver were two of the Jimmy Dean show booth announcers at Channel 7 before it went to the network. I don't think my dad did it that often; whenever Jack couldn't do it or whatever. I was, like, five then. And I think there were a couple others who also did booth. Jack did go on-camera but I don't think Jim did. Here's a story: 1988, I think. Might have been 89 but that's age catching up with me. Anyway: Children's Cancer Foundation tournament at Indian Springs. I used to play in lots of celebrity tournaments every year; this one no exception. But Jimmy Dean Sausage was a major sponsor that year. Didn't think much about it til the dinner and auction that night...and there was Jimmy Dean. His Nudie-esque suit probably cost ten grand. He was wearing a lot of money. He was being cordial to probably 10-15 people who just wanted to shake his hand and say something like, "I'll bet you don't remember me..." I managed to work my way up the queue and introduced myself. I asked if he remembered Jim. Frankly, I wasn't prepared for the answer. Still shaking my hand, Jimmy, very slowly, said, "how...is...Jim?" I said he was still around but not doing all that well, health-wise. "Can you give me his phone number?" Jimmy said. "I'd really like to say hi." I wrote it on the back of one of my cards and gave it to him, told him it was nice to finally meet him and we went our separate ways to dinner. I got home about midnight; I was living in Columbia, then. Answering machine blinking. It's Mom. "Did you know Jimmy Dean called here tonight? Call me back." I did. Apparently, they talked for almost an hour after the dinner was over. So Jimmy had to have been at a pay phone or an office phone at the club; cell phones weren't a big thing then. Bottom line was my dad was in tears after hearing from Jimmy Dean. See, back in the day, it wasn't about stardom. Everyone made scale, if that. They knew each other "when" and that's what mattered. But I will always remember that kind gesture that, after probably 30 years, Jimmy Dean would take the time to call...not when he felt like it, but that night. So, when he died the other day, that was really sad for me. Jimmy Dean didn't owe anybody anything. He could have thrown that card in the trash and nothing more would have been said. But, he didn't--and that's what I'll remember. Class act, far as I'm concerned. sean hall (6/15/10)

About nine years ago each Lindsey car dealership had one of those shoeboxes mounted out front to track what radio stations people driving by were listening too. On 9-11, those boxes showed an immediate shift toward WAMU, not WTOP, when the news broke of the first tower being hit. Once the news was reported on other stations, people switched in droves to WAMU. Here is a Washington Post Article about Mobiltrak, the designer and seller of the system. www.washingtonpost.com... I don't know if they are still around or not. (6/15/10)

Dave, re: your comment about being about to purchase t.v. channels a la carte, wasn't there some sort of push at one time to do just that? (6/15/10)

Dave's response: There is so much wrong with the cable TV industry, and having to buy expensive packages of channels, most of which you don't want in order to get the few channels you do, is a huge fraud. And, yes, the FCC does occasionally hold hearings on stuff like that, but it never does anything because the folks who the run the FCC are "on loan" from the big media companies. As I said, it'll only get worse when Comcast takes over the FCC, er, NBC.....

"......CBS-TV would've pulled the plug on WTOP-TV with the likely result being WTOP-TV going indpendent"....Flash forward to the early 80's wasn't this the game plan for then WDVM-TV 9? Back in those days I can recall WDVM pre-empting a BUNCH of CBS programming and if they weren't doing that WDVM would air it on a time delayed basis. Not talking about low rated shows that 9 would pre-empt but the big CBS hits at the time such as The Jeffersons, Alice, Archie Bunker's Place, and even Dallas. Granted it didn't happened every week but WDVM did the practice at least once every other month it seemed and it always seemed to be the choice by 9 to air was "That's Hollywood". Once 9 pre-empted a first run episode Murder, She Wrote in favor of some docu about the history of Nome, Alaska only to get slammed by the morning team at Q107 for doing it too. For a time The Price is Right was pre-mpted on 9 I can recall for "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Roots", while 9 never did aired the 10am CBS game show block including Press Your Luck. Saturday mornings..I still have the old CBS Saturday morning ad from TV Guide..out of 11 shows in the ad, only TWO was to had aired on WDVM 9. Late nights was messed up on 9 in the early 80's due to some show called "Couples". I don't believe WDVM ever did say why they at the time pre-empted so much of CBS but I do remember the rumor at the time was that WDVM had wanted to ditch CBS in favor of being an indie. Kinda makes sense, piss off CBS, pre-empt a chunk of their line-up and they will take their business elsewhere...shades of WMAR circa 1981. (6/15/10)

(clip) ALL of those Housewives shows ... are nothing but trash (end clip). Of course they are. Nobody would air a show with five REAL housewives lying around saying, "Here's a recipe my mom taught me" or "Did you wipe your feet". Well, PAX TV might have. (6/15/10)

(Earlier message) A radio guy told me years ago before sat rad and HD, that there were receivers that picked up the heterodyne signals from passing cars to determine what stations were on (end quote) Actually this is true. A small highly directional antenna can be pointed at an automobile and pick up an Intermediate Frequency product (lotsa math & science junk goes here), and from the frequency it detects, the station the receiver is set for can be extracted. To say it could work on "passing" cars is a little optimistic -- the signal is extremely feeble, so the antenna has to be in very close proximity to the vehicle. One of those sensing receivers was in use at a parking lot/car wash driveway here in DC about a decade ago. (6/15/10)

Sean Hall: No question that Roy Clark and Billy Grammer looked like brothers. But Roy was already gone from the Texas Wildcats when those Channel-7 photos were taken and was appearing at the Dixie Pig. (There's further evidence that isn't visible on the web page; two of those Channel-7 group photos have Billy's autograph on the back, not Roy's.) Roy DID appear on Connie B. Gay's "Country Style" TV show at 7:45 am M-F following "The Jimmy Dean Show" on CBS from April '57 until that show was canceled in August '57. And not long after, Roy did join WMAL-TV's Town and Country Time until that show left the air in March of '58, but Elton Britt had become the host. (6/15/10)

Just heard on Fox 1370...Anita Marks to go to work for WFAN covering the Giants..and doing some work on the air (6/15/10)

ALL of those Housewives shows on Bravo: New Jersey, Atlanta, etc. are nothing but trash..Just continuous gossipy, backstabbing women trying to grab the spotlight..And from what we've seen of the Salhi's, I don't expect the D.C. show to be any different..And the title of Housewives of D.C. is a total misnomer because like you said, how many of these women actually LIVE in D.C...But guess I shouldn't be surprised since so many people claim D.C. as their hometown when in fact they live in the suburbs.. (6/15/10)

Dave's response: I pay upwards of $80 a month for a package of close to 200 channels from Comcast. Yet I regularly watch maybe 20 or 30 channels. Wouldn't it be great if I could just get those couple dozen channels a la carte and not have to pay for all the "trash" that I never watch, like what Bravo runs.....

A DCRTVer scribed: “I heard a Scott Brady doing traffic this morning on Mix 1065 in Baltimore. Does anyone know if that's the same Scott Brady who worked at Mix in the late 80s and later at WASH-FM? It sounds like the same guy.” The Scott Brady you are referring to from MIX is the same Scott Brady who is now a Sales Rep and occasional air talent at WNAV-AM in Annapolis. (6/15/10)

RE:Regarding counting who's listening to what in cars. That technology dates back to the sixties. I once heard a story about one radio guy who found out where one of those receivers were and he repeatedly drove his car past it so his station would get a "bump" in it's numbers. Those receivers were generally placed in high traffic areas. Now if they are still being used today in a "PPM" world? Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, I'll bet in markets that still use Arbitron diaries they are still out there doing their job! (6/15/10)

The following was forwarded to DCRTV regarding the new "Real Housewives Of DC".....

Of course, these bubble-world, pampered blue-bloods (well, one is really a poseur blue-blood alleged con artist with at least a dozen criminal and civil lawsuits filed against her) are not "real" housewives in any real sense at all, and they are so far removed from 99.9 percent of real, actual housewives in the D.C. area, in the United States, and across the world, the title of this farce is just laughable. These shows are stupid, moronic, terrible, and continually represent the very worst in popular entertainment. Bravo runs some of the worst trash television in the medium's history, along with most of the other basic cable channels. It's past the time for these shows to end their horrible existences. Bravo and all involved with this crap should hang their heads in shame, utter shame, for participating in this stinking pile of manure. (6/15/10)

Dave's response: Amen.....

RE: WMAL and WTOP signal problems: I would be real curious as to what part of the DC metro (VA/MD/DC) area are you referring to when it comes to signal problems from WMAL-TV and WTOP-TV. Back in those days when I was a "young'un" living on the post at Fort Belvoir, we had absolutely no problems receiving those channels using "rabbit ears (I'm talking about the kind with that danged ole switch on them)". The only channels that came in "snowy" at Fort Belvoir were the Baltimore TV stations. (6/15/10)

Regarding counting who's listening to what in cars... A radio guy told me years ago before sat rad and HD, that there were receivers that picked up the heterodyne signals from passing cars to determine what stations were on, AM and FM. Is this true? And does standard FM use heterodyne processing? Robert, Arlington (6/15/10)

I heard a Scott Brady doing traffic this morning on Mix 1065 in Baltimore. Does anyone know if that's the same Scott Brady who worked at Mix in the late 80s and later at WASH-FM? It sounds like the same guy. (6/15/10)

HG. You may not care if Big Brother is watching what you listen to but you can be sure many will. The key to more accurate ratings in a PPM world is simple - dramatically increase the sample size. That won't happen for one big reason. money. When Arbitron forced markets into PPM they also dramatically increased their fees. To increase sample size Arbitron would need to pass that cost along to radio and radio will not do that. Even they're not that stupid. As for HD radio. Most HD signals are encoded but they don't show up because no one listens to HD (That's a whole nother rant). Satellite is not measured because they chose not to encode their signals (6/15/10)

More on the MASN2 HD debate. While some say pay per view and premium movie channels are worth more in revenue, sports in HD is worth a huge amount in promotion which invites new subscribers. One of the selling points for HD is being able to watch sports in HD. While it may not actually translate into increased viewers on sports channels, just the idea of being able to see your favorite action in High Def is an promotion opportunity. Having sports in HD is worth money – even if people watch more movies it gets subscribers to sign up. MASN 2 HD is important to Verizon Fios because it brings in new business. A win-win for Verizon, MASN, (unfortunately Peter Angelos) and the Nationals. I also don’t buy the “we don’t have enough bandwidth” argument. That’s what fiber optics is for, plenty of bandwidth. It’s all about fees between the cable network and Verizon. (6/15/10)

Dave's response: Maybe Comcast is threatening to pull NBC4 off of Verizon Fios's DC systems if Fios adds a second MASN channel, which is a rival to Comcast SportsNet. Fios only carries one fulltime CSN channel in the DC/Balto area. Why two MASN channels? Oh what a tangled web will be weaved if this Comcast-NBC merger goes through. Comcast/NBC will be the communications equivalent of Germany in the early 1940s, minus all the anti-Semitic stuff.....

(re: To further clarify my PPM comments) Putting a PPM in every car was actually a joke, but caring if someone knew my listening preference would be the last thing I would care about Arbitron or Big Brother knowing. It's not like porn or Rush Linbaugh is being secretly listened to while Im driving with the the highest grade of tint on all the windows in my Prius. I could care less about prior benefits of the urban stations, but would like to see all stations across the board have a fair assessment of what population in their market is giving them what share. P.S. With Satellite and HD radio in existence, do you not think there's a way they know how many subscribers are listening. Welcome to 2010- HG (6/15/10)

Looking at all those old shots of Jimmy Dean and friends: I believe the guitar player is a young Roy Clark, not Billy Grammer. To think what that Les Paul is worth today... sean hall (6/15/10)

I find the timing of Sara Lee's CEO's decision to announce that she suffered a stroke several weeks ago quite suspicious. Positioning themselves against negative feedback for firing Jimmy Dean as the spokesman which has been mentioned several times lately along with Mr Deans obituary perhaps?SOMEbody didn't like Sara Lee. Typical corporate "NYAA NYAA" (6/15/10)

Joe Kasell has a great idea. Vote for his dad, Carl, in the network active category of the Radio Hall of Fame, and vote for Tony Roberts in the network retired category. Get a DC two-fer at www.radiohof.org (6/15/10)

Dave's response: It seems silly. Why should there be a public vote about who gets into the Radio Hall Of Fame? The board should decide who to induct and that should be that. It's got to be needlessly heartbreaking to those who get nominated by the board and get put on the "ballot" but don't manage to get going a successful vote campaign.....

Re: Geronimooooooo. Sacramento, CA>Pasadena, MD, Paul! (6/15/10)

"I still think Mike Wise is a woman" That's insulting to women. Neither sex would claim him. (6/15/10)

When "The Jimmy Dean Show" was on ABC-TV primetime, he often made mention of WMAL-TV when he'd have a guest on with whom he'd worked at WMAL-TV. Also, IIRC, Jackson Weaver guested at least once on the Dean show. Then again, Weaver also guested in several ABC-TV series in the 1960's. The "Big Valley" was one. Why? In spite of having a less than desireable signal, and not being in a major market, WMAL-TV was one of ABC-TV's better producing affiliates and one it was scared to lose for quite a while. To who? Don't forget that WMAL-TV was originally the CBS-TV affiliate for D.C. ABC-TV was only a secondaty affiliation until WOIC came along. And, until 1972, WTOP-TV had a worse signal than WMAL-TV. It was in part WMAL-TV's signal and their failing to clear some ABC-TV primetime stuff (Billy Graham Crusades were usually on WMAL-TV) that caused ABC-TV to court WTTG in the 1970's when Metromedia owned it. As I remember the plan, had ABC-TV gone to WTTG, CBS-TV would've pulled the plug on WTOP-TV with the likely result being WTOP-TV going indpendent. Or, being sold at a bargain price to GWETA in a move not unlike the Post giving WTOP-FM to Howard University, and replacing 26 which would've likely either gone dark or sold to a suburb. (6/15/10)

Re "why not put Oldies on that stick" --- what is the present industry definition of an Oldie? Is it a standard genre that encompasses '60s, '70s and early '80s material (say up to "Rock Me Amadeus")? Once upon a time, an "oldie" was defined as a song 15 years or older. Using that definition, that would make Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" an Oldie. God help us all... (6/15/10)

/\ June 15 Messages /\

\/ June 14 Messages \/

Natasha Barrett Discovers The Strasburger www.washingtoncitypaper.com (6/14/10)

Alright, listen up. Here is the breakdown on Jimmy Dean's broadcasting career in the DC area. In the early '50s, after Dean left the service, Connie B. Gay signed Jimmy and the Texas Wildcats to a real tight contract. They first appeared on Gay's WARL-780AM radio shows, did a lot of live gigs and some supermarket openings and recorded PSA-type radio transcriptions. But their first TV regular appearances were on the Town and Country Time syndicated shows, filmed in 1954 at Byron Studios on Wisc. Avenue in Georgetown and distributed on 16mm black and white prints by Official Films. Then, in January 1955, WMAL-TV7 debuted a new live Town and County Time show for the 5:30 to 6:00 pm M-F strip. In October 1955, a Saturday night three-hour live lollapalooza from Turner Arena was added to Channel-7's schedule, entitled Town and Country Jamboree; sponsored by Guenther Beer. CBS was looking for a viable competitor for the NBC Today Show and in March of 1957 made a deal with Connie B. Gay to hijack Jimmy and company for the 7:00 to 7:45 am M-F strip on the CBS network, originating from WTOP-TV 9 Broadcast House. Gay also produced the 7:45 to 9:00 am show that followed Dean every weekday on the net. (CBG's Town and Country Time and the Town and Country Jamboree continued on WMAL-TV for a while with replacement hosts, which included Grandpa Jones and Roy Clark.) However, Jimmy's CBS morning show only lasted until December 1957, although a one-hour Saturday noon show continued through the following summer. In July of '58, CBS bought out Jimmy's contract from Connie B. Gay and moved him to the Big Apple. A polished half-hour Jimmy Dean Show for housewives aired at 2:00 pm M-F on the CBS network from September '58 until running out of steam the following June. Details and a load of photos can be found at DCMemories.com (6/14/10)

Audio: A Salute to the Sausage King - Chris Core wtop.com (6/14/10)

Re: Jimmy Dean: Thanks to whoever posted that piece of the "Town And Country Time" film! Have always wished I had been old enough to have seen that old show as I used to hear my father make reference to it now and then! Is too bad that most of that stuff is apparently "lost forever!" RIP Jimmy Dean! Tom in Denton, MD (6/14/10)

From a previous post "... As to the DTV subchannel option, I seriously doubt CBS or ABC would allow 2 other networks on a station in a market..."..actually this sort of thing is quite common around the country as the networks do NOT care as long as one of those subchannels carry their programming, in other words as long as WBOC provides CBS on the main DTV channel. CBS doesn't care if WBOC would offer FOX, NBC, a 24/7 LIVE shot of Ocean City, a photo of Dave Hughes, whatever on the other channels..as long as they provide CBS with their own channel. Another example of this sort of thing is in Charlottesville where the local ABC affiliate is on one subchannel while CBS is on the other while in West Virginia I believe there a few NBC and CBS affiliatesin that state that offers ABC ( and FOX ) on their subchannels as well. Its quite common. (6/14/10)

(regarding the Blandings Dream House) According to this article www.sumnerweb.com the house is at Brookeway and Wood. (6/14/10)

To you guys recalling "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse", you may or may not know that there's a copy of that house here in the Sumner neighborhood of Bethesda. It was built as part of a contest that was part of the movie's promotion way back when. It is on the NE corner of one of Brookeway's intersections, probably Overlea. P of the AW (6/14/10)

Former GMA host Charlie Gibson worked the stage crew for "Town and Country"... (6/14/10)

A sidebar to the many posts about the passing of Jimmy Dean: He was guest on the WMZQ morning show when Mary Ball and I were hosting it in the 80s. We asked him about the inspiration for his monster hit song "Big Bad John." It seems he was settling into his seat aboard an airliner while a very tall, very skinny man was making his way down the aisle. A friend recognized the man, looked up and greeted him with, "Big John." Mr. Dean started writing and by the time they landed, the tall, skinny guy on the airplane had morphed into the brawny coal miner. Had Jimmy Dean been able to predict what a huge crossover hit record "Big Bad John" was to become, he might have had the story take place in a gold mine. R.I.P.--Jim London (6/14/10)

WJZ AM. I would not be surprised if WJZ went back to a music format, but not oldies. They tried it already. What about a full service AC that calls upon some of the people from channel 13? You could run local news, weather, traffic and sports every hour and really become the station Baltimore comes too when tv is not available. (6/14/10)

To further clarify my PPM comments. I said the meter accurately records how people USE radio. I did NOT say it accurately reflected how many use a particular station. Re-read my post and you will see that I said the sample size is woefully inadequate. The extrapolations from the small sample size - while technically within the bounds of statistics - are a leap of faith. Now, as to the Urban argument. Please - do not go there. For years the Urban stations in this town were the beneficiaries of the diary methodology. Because diary research is recall it ended up being a voting process. So, someone would say they listened to WHUR all day from 9A to 5P. Reality suggests that could not ever happen. NO ONE listens non-stop to any radio station for 8 hours. With PPM the box is showing actual listening patterns (with an extremely small sample base). For years, the DC ratings showed Urban radio as the dominant force - usually capturing the top 4 spots every time. That format reaped HUGE benefits - at the expense of other stations. Now, we see that listening patterns are different. I am not an Arbitron apologist. I think they have major holes in their product and operation but are too arrogant to fix them. And the radio industry is too scared to stand up to them. As for putting a PPM in every radio - good luck with that. Seriously, do you want someone watching your media usage patterns without your permission? (6/14/10)

Not that it matters, but here are my thoughts on a few things: Don't look for ESPN 1300 (WJZ-AM) to be around much longer, in a local aspect. I mean, their website now points to 105.7 The Fan's site (try www.espn1300.com). My thoughts, why not put Oldies on that stick. CBS already does that in Sacramento, why not in Baltimore. They could get away with an Oldies or Urban Oldies. We know that CBS will not commit to a news format on radio in Baltimore. As for WZBA, they are climbing because people are finding that 98 Rock is becoming more and more stale. As for WQSR, they are #1 with men 25-54, followed by WIYY, WWIN-FM and then WERQ. Any wishers of WZBA going Classic Hits might as well kiss that wish goodbye. (6/14/10)

Dave since WJFK is adding an hour to compete against the TEM, why not add Parker & Parker to the Wise show. Maximize your non sports talk with nonsensical chatter about nothing. Place Chad Dukes with Bill Rohland to hear endless guffaws & words not used elsewhere in the sports world to make themselves seem more knowledgeable while they could argue with Holden Kushner on who will hang up on the caller the quickest. Then some how you place Lavar Arrington & Brian Mitchell at the end of all that daily stinkery where ratings are bad anyway. You are left with Danny the "comedian", Kevin and Rock , Chris Russell & about 400 sports updaters to fill in as well as do weekends where it appears the real new talent resides anyway. Can that be any worse than the way things are set up to fail now? It's a shame Fans of "The Fan" have only 6 - 10am weekdays & then have to wait until the weekends to hear entertaining, insightful radio. TEM wins this battle, but who wins the war? - HG (6/14/10)

Re: Jimmy Dean. Google for Mark Opsasnick. He is quoted often on the history of rock and country music in the DC-area in the 50s and 60s. For example: Nightwatch -- Live Hosted by Eric Brace Washington Post Nightwatch columnist Friday, August 23, 2002; 1 p.m. EDT... duscuss.washingtonpost.com... ----- Washington, DC: Hi Mark & Eric, Currently at the Washingtoniana Division of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, we have an exhibit of Elvis photographs from the Washington Star collection. One of them is a posed studio shot of Elvis on the set of "Town and Country Jubilee" with Jimmy Dean, taken at the WMAL television studio on Conn. Ave. on March 14, 1955. Do you know if there are any surviving Kinetiscopes of that broadcast? Jerry A. McCoy, Librarian, Washingtoniana Division..... Mark Opsasnick: I had a number of people search for such material and we could find absolutely nothing. That posed shot of Elvis is a mystery in itself, as the person who took the photo could never be determined. I wish we had the video technology of today back in the golden era of the 50s - 60s... (6/14/10)

Geronimooooooo: So Mike Sorce, when do the moving trucks arrive? Stay tuned, the Don Geronimo Countdown Clock to Sacramento & seperate Poll are under development. Is he a liar? Do you think he will move? Ahhhh, we'll find out. (6/14/10)

I think Verizon understands they need to add MASN2 HD, but they just don’t have the capacity at this time. They know it looks bad to be the #1 sponsor of MASN’s baseball coverage and to be the only cable system in the DC area that doesn’t carry all the Nats and O’s games in HD. However, I think they have focused much of their HD capacity on carrying as many PPV movies and events as possible because they are revenue generators. Adding MASN2 HD will make many customers happy, but it won’t bring in additional revenue. This isn’t the fault of MASN or Peter Angelos. This is all Verizon’s doing. A few months ago, Verizon was saying they had no plans to add MASN2 HD, but now they are saying it’s several weeks away. All the publicity on the internet and The Post is helping! Dave (6/14/10)

Dave's response: Comcast only offers the HD signal of one of each premium channel, a la just HBO's main channel. While Verizon's Fios offers the HD signals of several of each premium channel's multiplexes. That means that Fios literally has no more bandwidth for MASN2 HD, which is a repeat feed of ESPNews HD most of the time. And Fios already carries that in HD. I think Fios is going to have to eliminate some of those HD premium multiplexes in order to find "room" for MASN2-HD.....

To be fair, on Don G's ipod when WOLD came up, he laughed and said it was fucking ironic. If he thought it to be so cosmically charged, he would not have chose to post it. To those who think they are getting one over on Don G or any others by reposting videos theyhave posted is just giving them more views. Metheenks that Don saw the humor in that selection, ot did he pre select it?!?!? DCRTV Dave will you join our Ravens Roost? Do you have a rooting interest in either the Skins or Ravens? Inquiring minds want 2 know which sports teams U root for.... (6/14/10)

Dave's response: My dad was always a die-hard Eagles fan. And when we moved down here from the Philly area in 1972, I immediately became a Redskins fan just to kind of show my family independence. And I've always rooted for the Skins since then. I like the Ravens, but the Redskins will always be first in my football heart, desite the team's owner.....

The first random iPod tune that popped up on Don Geronimo's video today via a previous Mailbag post - Harry Chapin's "WOLD," about a has-been, washed up radio DJ. Is someone "out there" in the universe trying to tell Don something? Ponderous, man, ponderous. (6/14/10)

Jimmy Dean formed his Texas Wildcats group while stationed at Bolling AFB. Local hillbilly music impresario Connie B. Gay signed a long-term contract with JD and the group, plugging them hard on his "Town and Country Time" radio show at WARL 780AM. By 1954, Gay got funding to film the act for a nationally-syndicated series distributed by Official Films. It wasn't until January 1955 that "Town & Country Time" became a live 5:30 pm weekday show from the studios of WMAL-TV 7. The success of the weekday show led to a three-hour live weekly "Town and County Jamboree" on Saturday nights from Turner Arena (a.k.a. Capitol Arena) 14th and W Sts, NW, debuting in October 1955. Here's a sample of the filmed series. No footage of either of the two live series on Channel 7 is known to exist. (You can buy DVDs of a few of the surviving film shows from Kinevideo.net) (6/14/10)

"Stephen Strasburg vs. MASN2 HD round 2. In his second outing Sunday afternoon viewers of Verizon Fios had to once again settle for watching the Nats new superstar in fuzzy analog on channel 1. The game was carried on MASN2 which is not broadcast in HD on Fios. Unreal! Everyone says the blame is with Verizon and not MASN or the Nationals. Hard to believe. Verizon has everything to gain here, but a bit of pressure from the team and the cable network can go a long way. TV ratings are worth huge bucks for everyone." I've got FiOS too but Sunday's game in addition to being on MASN2 was also on Channel 50 in glorious HD (channel 503 on FiOS). (6/14/10)

Dave, I heard Mike OMeara on 98 Rock this week and have to say he should realise his calling is as someone's partner or as much as he dreads the word sidekick. Any chance 98Rock gets Mike & Buzz & Rob & Oscar to their afternoon slot? And will WBAL go 24 hours a day news? Your thoughts on The Bay, please as they are coming up in ARbitrons. And as far as Don G goes, I hope his show will be aired in Baltimore. I like that you keep talk on D&M going for us die hards. MORE BALTIMORE TALK ON DCRTV!!! -RavensFan since day 2 (6/14/10)

Dave's response: It would very smart for 98 Rock to put Mike and company in afternoon drive. I also think that WBAL would probably love to become the WTOP of Baltimore, but there's some question as to whether Baltimore would support a 24/7 all-newser and old 1090 is easing into it. Yeah, classic rock seems to be a very powerful format these days for nabbing middle-aged men as the rising ratings for Baltimore's WZBA and DC's WVRX seem to indicate. And, I can't see any Baltimore sports talker picking up Geronimo's new Sacramento sportsd talk show - unless he talked a lot about Baltimore teams, which I don't think he will. Baltimore sports talkers like WJZ-FM, WNST, and WVIE are stressing their local line-ups these days. And WJZ-AM is pretty much committed to ESPN's national output of talkers.....

When I was in Rehoboth last summer I was able to pick up WMGM 40 with an Eye TV digital tuner plugged into my Mac and connected to an indoor Winegard antenna. I was on the second floor with windows to the south and west near the beach. The signal did have some dropout. I would think an antenna on the roof or even indoors with an east window would work near the coast. Bob Fairfax (6/14/10)

Jimmy Dean actually started out at Channel 9 in the early 50s, then hosted a filmed syndicated show called Town And Country Time produced by Connie B. Gay that aired on Channel 7. After that he had a daytime CBS show from 57-59 that started out at Channel 9, then was moved to New York. Attached are two shots from that show, Jimmy and the WTOP-TV crew, and a trade ad when the show moved to New York. (6/14/10)

You never sausage mourning over one guy... Will somebody please pass the biscuits?! Well, I'll be doggoned. There ain't a biscuit left. JD (6/14/10)

If someone is suggesting that the PPMs are a clear and more accurate standing of true listenership. I would love to sell you some undiscovered land in DC. Ask the Urban stations if they feel they are truly getting an accurate assessment on how they are competing against one another. Then see if the Sports Talk medium is getting a true reflection of the new Urban audience they have in the last year +. Just rig the cars with PPM Devices or pass them out at the Radio Events for each station and you will see a telling difference in the accuracy.- HG (6/14/10)

(To Fox Morning News: KEEP the new traffic ''reporter''!!! PLEASE!) I'll second that, emotion, Smokey! This one doesn't seem to be lusting over everyone else on the program. (6/14/10)

Stephen Strasburg vs. MASN2 HD round 2. In his second outing Sunday afternoon viewers of Verizon Fios had to once again settle for watching the Nats new superstar in fuzzy analog on channel 1. The game was carried on MASN2 which is not broadcast in HD on Fios. Unreal! Everyone says the blame is with Verizon and not MASN or the Nationals. Hard to believe. Verizon has everything to gain here, but a bit of pressure from the team and the cable network can go a long way. TV ratings are worth huge bucks for everyone. (6/14/10)

Soon after that WMAL-FM ad was published, FM107 was also spinning a red hot tune collection by this lanky Texas lad. (Crank it UP!) (6/14/10)

I saw on tedstake.com that Ted Leonsis said that his new company "Monumental Sports and Entertainment" would make a great name for a "broadcast, cable, or online network." Is he plotting to create his own sports network to replace CSN and/or MASN one day? Lerner is a minority stakeholder in this company. (6/14/10)

Dave's response: Ted Stake? Oh, Ted's Take. Nevermind.....

Dear Dave: I want to throw in a mention to your readers to cast your vote for my Dad for the National Radio Hall of Fame at www.radiohof.org. He's had a long career that began in high school at Goldsboro's WGBR, saw him help (with fellow Tar Heel alum Charles Kuralt) launch WUNC, work many years in local radio at WPIK and WAVA, and then move on to NPR as a newscaster where he continues today as official judge and scorekeeper for "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me" as well as a roving ambassador for the network. Yes, I'm biased, but why shouldn't I be? I'm very proud of him. Great site Dave! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (6/14/10)

RIP Jimmy Dean, and thanks for one of the best laffs I had as a 7-year-old lad watching TV: "Rowlf the Dog" of the Muppets was a regular on the old Jimmy Dean network TV show. Jimmy had him running in place "lickety-split" in one comedy scene, and kept repeating "lickety-split" several times. Rowlf then yelped in pain, Jimmy asked what was wrong and Rowlf replied, "I think I split my lickety". As a nonsensical word, it was very funny to a second-grader. Later in my teenage years when I heard the gag again, it was at a newer and bluer level and a lot funnier. Thanks for making the world a little more interesting, Jimmy. (6/14/10)

Sorry to hear about Jimmy Dean. Besides Big Bad John, he recorded the mother's day "classic" I.O. U.....Didn't he also perform at the Ol' Dixie Pig at Peace Cross in Bladensburg? (6/14/10)

Jimmy Dean, I'm sure, was a nice enough guy, but in 1994 he said on a TNN or CMT talk show that he was giving five-cents for each package of sausage he sold, to Oliver North's campaign for U.S. Senator from Virginia. It was his right to do that, of course, just as it was my right to stop buying an admittedly excellent breakfast product. (6/14/10)

I have a question for "Lauren" who was doing the Fox 5 traffic this morning; WHOW! Are those real? (6/14/10)

To Fox Morning News: KEEP the new traffic ''reporter''!!! PLEASE! Paul (6/14/10)

Yesterday Dave mentioned the Post ombudsman's column about too many anonymous sources. It apparently had no effect. Today they have a story on Maryland Trooper Brown's murder that includes no less than TEN references to unnamed sources. It reads more like a gossip column than a news story. I can understand possibly protecting the identity of a citizen witness, but this "news" article even relies on anonymous sources to tell us "that detectives and prosecutors are waiting to review footage from a security camera..." and to report where bullets hit the trooper. IF THOSE STATEMENTS ARE TRUE, why would the Post feel it necessary to hide the identity of the sources? Person of interest might be shooter of Maryland trooper, source says. Diane in PG (6/14/10)

Beginning today, you can vote for Tony Roberts for the Radio Hall of Fame. The former voice of Notre Dame Football, Senators Baseball, Bullets Basketball, Navy Football, WWDC and WRC radio sports, and Mutual Westwood One sports, is up for a vote at www.radiohof.org (6/14/10)

Dave's response: He was great in "Annie Hall".....

Is he gonna last on KHTK until Labor Day? From his Twitter page: Outside, Inside. What's On My ipod shuffle? How many til a stinker? (6/14/10)

Dave, I’m a bit surprised you missed an obit with last night’s passing of former C&W star turned sausage-maker, Jimmy Dean, who got his start in my younger days at the old WMAL-TV in D.C. He passed away at the age of 81. –Unsigned Corporate Suit (6/14/10)

Dave's response: Wow! Wasn't he also in the James Bond flick "Diamonds Are Forever"?

I still think Mike Wise is a woman (6/14/10)

Dave's response: I agree.....

Wonder if ESPN 980 has considered expanding "The Sports Reporters" to 4 hours starting at 3 pm. I guess thats a problem for John Thompson. Also wonder why ESPN 980 doesn't use Scott Linn as the guest for the Sports Reporters instead of doing updates. I kind of think Gordon Peterson enjoys what he's doing. Hope he continues with the political roundtable discussion show he does(senior moment forget the name) if he does eventually give up the anchor chair. (6/14/10)

"Maynard's gone/cut from 105.7 and the Ed Norris Show...? GOOD RIDDANCE!" Well it's good to get the one "Listener" out of the way. It was sure to come. By the way DCRTV Dave, Maynard was "Let Go" on Monday of last week. It's not "Breaking News" to us on Friday. We have respect for our fellow employees at CBS Baltimore. If they want it published, so be it. If they don't, in Maynard's case, it wasn't. I put Maynard on the air while I was filling in for Rouse & Co. He was just a 17 year promotions old intern. Little did they know, that he's one on the most talented individuals I have ever met, mentored and worked with in my 37 year radio career. Not only is he the funniest person I have ever met, he is one of BEST musicians I have ever played with during our 15 years with Steve Rouse's "Stevie & The Satellites". If Mike O'Meara wants to get his ass back on the radio, his first call should be to Maynard. His second call should to be Westwood One. It a WIN WIN WIN WIN ! Steve Drepperd (6/14/10)

1) I've totally enjoyed Craig Melvin's weekend broadcasts on NBC4. He's so different from the rest of the group - I like his style. Don't pay attention to those you criticize you all the time, Craig - screw 'em! You're doing great. 2) Dave, was the Strasburg poster coming out today as an insert from the WaPo? I looked EVERYWHERE for it here in So. Md., and couldn't find one! What's going on? -Silvie- (6/14/10)

So Maynard is from North East(ern?) Maryland huh? Go figure. I'd probably have heard that on the show if I hadn't given up completely on 105.7 when HFS left. By the way not all of us in northeastern Maryland (and I don't pronounce it Mayyrlin) are Deliverance hillbillys....we have the average GeorgAbamaLina rednecks,the TeneTexiana rednecks AND the CecilPennsyTucky rednecks.....then we have some grand and great grandchildren of watermen who can't afford to live on the waterfront because of all the Artist/Writers who have bought it all up. Not many actual Hillbillys here anymore. Of course after I post this I'll be watching my street for Ford pickups with just the foglights on......Donnie from Havre de Grace (6/14/10)

Love the PPM rant! When Arbitron says that people do not consume radio they way they used to they are - once again - showing their ignorance of the medium. People are using radio in the same way they always have. The new methodology of the PPM is technically more accurate so it gives a truer picture of radio usage. Throw aside the problem that the sample size is woefully inadequate. Woefully. The fact is that PPM shows how people use the radio. They change stations. They pick what they listen to based on their mood, need, time of day, location - whatever. Much of the new information gleaned from PPM supports what we already knew (like people change when a commercial comes on). But, sometimes people change because they want a fast song and the station is playing a slow one. Radio IDs are supposed to remind the folks who are not paying attention who they are listening to. Unfortunately, since most radio is bland and unemotional people need those constant reminders. After all, you could hear the same song on WASH, Fresh and Mix. Without looking at the dial you'd have no idea which station it is. In the old diary method you would write down what you thought you heard because of what you usually listen to. Now, the little black box knows exactly what the frequency is, Kenneth. There could be a whole long rant based on Arbitron's methods and attitudes. The fact is - the PPM exists as it does today because radio rolled over and accepted it. But for them to say that people have changed how they use radio is a great example of Arbitron's lack of understanding of the medium. They are a research company. They can tell you what the numbers say but not necessarily what they mean. What you generally find is that most Arbitron reps and 'experts' are failed programmers. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. (6/14/10)

Dear Dave, Checked out your FaceBook and saw your movie prefs - I can recommend this one... Mr.Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse... Michael (6/14/10)

Dave's response: One of my favorite Cary Grant flicks. I actually remember the first time I saw it. I was sick with the flu in the 1970s, and was home from school. It was a very a rainy day and it was the afternoon flick on Channel 13/WJZ.....

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