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January 2010 to Present

By Dave Hughes
  • For news items from the past two weeks or so, visit DCRTV's Front Page.....
  • For news items from before January 2010, visit DCRTV's News Archive Index.....
  • Latest items listed first.....
    August 9, 2010
    Allbritton Launches TBD
    Allbritton's new local news operation TBD launched on August 9. It replaces the wjla.com site of co-owned Channel 7/WJLA and the news8.net site of co-owned NewsChannel 8. NewsChannel 8 is to become TBD-TV. It now sports both logos.

    August 6, 2010
    WaPo Circ Continues Slump, Parent Earnings Up
    Despite continued circulation drops at its Washington newspaper, second-quarter earnings at the Washington Post Company rose nearly eight-fold compared with the same period of 2009. As profits soared at Kaplan, the Post company's education division, and advertising rebounded at the Post company's six television stations. However, daily circulation at the Post during the first six months of this year declined 10.7 percent, while Sunday circulation was down 9.5 percent. Daily average circulation now stands at 556,300, with Sunday at 776,900. The Post newspaper would have swung back to profitability in the second quarter were it not for the anticipated $17.7 million cost of withdrawing from a multi-employer pension plan. Newspaper division revenue was up 2 percent for the quarter, though print ad revenue at the Post was down 6 percent. Online newspaper ad revenue was up 14 percent. The Post company sold its money-losing Newsweek last week and took an $8.5 million loss from its discontinued operations in the quarter.

    August 2, 2010
    Washington Jewish Week Sold
    The Washington Jewish Week has been acquired by WJW Group, which is owned by David Butler, Allan Fox, Michael Gelman, Stuart Kurlander, and Louis Mayberg. All of the new owners have been active in the Washington area Jewish community. Craig Burke, a former publisher of the Washington Jewish Week, has been hired to serve as the chief operating officer, and will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the paper.

    August 2, 2010
    RZ's Bruce Gilbert To Dallas
    Bruce Gilbert, CEO of Red Zebra Broadcasting, is jumping to CBS Radio in Dallas, where he'll be VP of news, talk, and sports, including the firm's WRLD-FM, a sports talker. Red Zebra, which is owned by Redskins owner Dan Snyder, owns DC sports talker WTEM, ESPN 980. Before joining Red Zebra, Gilbert worked for Dallas sports talker KTCK.

    August 2, 2010
    Ravens Sever Relationship With MASN
    The Baltimore-based Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will no longer be the "official cable network" for the Ravens. The regional cable network and the Ravens were unable to reach an agreement, which ends a partnership that began in 2006, Ravens president Dick Cass confirmed Monday. "We've tried to work an arrangement with MASN along the lines with the arrangement we have had for the past four years and we're unable to work it out," Cass told the Baltimore Sun. "So, we're pursuing alternatives." MASN spokesman Todd Webster said the split was amicable. "MASN remains a strong supporter of the Ravens' organization," he said. "We look forward to seeing them making another run to the playoffs."

    August 2, 2010
    WAMU Renames HD3 "Intersection"
    American University public radioer WAMU (88.5 FM) renames its digital HD Radio HD3 news/talk/music channel "Intersection." According to a WAMU statement: "The new name reflects the multicast station's intersection of sound-rich, innovative programs like 'Radiolab,' inventive story-telling programs like 'Snap Judgment,' issue-driven talk shows like 'The Michael Eric Dyson Show,' and eclectic music like 'Retro Cocktail Hour' and 'World Café'." And WAMU is making a batch of schedule changes to its HD3 as well as Bluegrass Country on its HD2, come August 14.

    July 26, 2010
    Former WRCer Leah Siegel Dies
    Leah Siegel, an ESPN producer and Dallas mother of three whose two-year struggle with breast cancer inspired many thousands, died on July 26. She was 43. Siegel grew up in Washington DC, attending Maret High School, was graduated from the University Of Maryland. She began her career at Channel 4/WRC. We're told that she's the daughter of long-time sportswriter Mo Siegel.

    July 23, 2010
    McKelway Off JLA, NC8
    A source tells DCRTV that news anchor Doug McKelway (left) has been pulled off Channel 7/WJLA and sister NewsChannel 8. We're told that he made some personal comments on-air yesterday regarding a local protest about the Gulf Of Mexico BP oil spill that didn't sit well with the Allbritton stations' management, as well as some e-mails he allegedly sent to other WJLA-NC8 employees after Thursday's dust-up. DCRTV gets confirmation that McKelway had been taken off the air after incorporating some comments in the WJLA report about the spill's impact on US energy policy legislation. And that led to a coverage dispute with WJLA station manager Bill Lord, who is in charge of the ABC affiliate's news output. Allbritton also owns the Politico Capitol Hill newspaper/website, which is heavily dependent on advertising from energy policy lobbying groups.

    July 23, 2010
    Daniel Schorr Dies
    Daniel Schorr, a combative broadcast reporter who over six decades broke major national stories while also provoking presidents, foreign leaders, the KGB, CIA, and his bosses at both CBS and CNN, died Friday morning at Georgetown University Hospital. He was 93. No specific cause of death was reported. Mr. Schorr, a senior news analyst with National Public Radio for the past 25 years, was one of only a handful of reporters with firsthand knowledge of newsmakers from the 1950s through the 2000s. Recruited to CBS by the legendary Edward Murrow in 1953, he had the first televised interview with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and won three Emmy Awards for his coverage of the Watergate scandal.

    July 23, 2010
    Edwards & Dark Join WTTR
    Oldies WTTR (1470 AM) in Westminster adds local radio veteran Jack Edwards for the 9 AM to noon shift. He started on July 19th. With another vet, Johnny Dark, to handle the noon to 3 PM shift. He'll start on August 2. Both Edwards and Dark rose to prominence in the 1960s at legendary Baltimore "top 40" outlet Big 60, WCAO. Saturdays now feature Betsy Santos from 6 AM to 10 AM. She's followed by Joe Evelius from 10 AM to 3 PM. The former Saturday morning shows get moved to Sunday mornings. WTTR is owned by "Wheel Of Fortune" host Pat Sajak.

    July 20, 2010
    CSN Launches Baltimore Sports Site
    Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic launches CSNbaltimore.com. The new site provides exclusive Baltimore-area sports coverage featuring the Ravens, Orioles, and the University Of Maryland Terrapins. Newly-hired CSNbaltimore.com lead writer John Eisenberg, a veteran Baltimore sportswriter, serves as the site's "Ravens Insider," while also contributing to coverage of the Orioles and other local teams. Eisenberg is an award-winning former columnist for the Baltimore Sun. Through an exclusive content-development partnership with PressBox, the Baltimore-based sports media company, CSNbaltimore.com features original content from a variety of local sports experts. PressBox's local writers who will regularly contribute to the site include Stan Charles, Joe Platania, and Pete Kerzel. Plus, video content from Comcast SportsNet Baltimore correspondent and area native Brent Harris.

    July 20, 2010
    David Dick Dies
    David Dick, a former CBS News correspondent who worked in Washington in the 1960s and 1970s, died of prostate cancer on July 16 at the age of 80. He won an Emmy in 1972 for his coverage of the attempted assassination of Alabama Governor George Wallace in Laurel, Maryland. He retired from CBS in 1985 and became a professor at the University Of Kentucky and at Cumberland College.

    July 15, 2010
    TOP & POC Dominates June Ratings
    The monthly June Portable People Meter radio ratings for the Washington market, full-week, age 12+: 1) WTOP [1st in all dayparts], 2) WIHT [Kane 3rd], 3) WMMJ [Joyner 6th], 4) WHUR [Harvey 2nd], 5) WASH [L&L 8th], 6) WAMU, 7) WPGC [BT 10th] and WBIG and WETA-FM, 10) WPRS, 11) WRQX [Diamond 8th], 12) WKYS [Parr 12th], 13) WWDC [Elliot 11th] and WLZL [Biagi 14th] and WMZQ, 16) WMAL [GG 13th, Rush 9th, Hannity 18th], 17) WIAD, 18) WVRX, 19) WTEM [M&M 18th, Korny 17th, Czaban 19th] and WGTS, 21) WJFK [Junks 14th, Wise 21st, Arrington 20th], 22) WBQB, 23) WINC-FM and WPFW, 25) WFRE and WFLS and WAVA-FM, 28) WWEG and WDCN and WFED, 31) WERQ and WIYY and WACA, 34) WILC and WQSR and WJYJ and WKDV and WKIK, 39) WPOC and WBJC and WTNT and WMMJ STREAM and WGRQ and WGRX and WAFY and WRNR-FM and WLIF. The Baltimore Portable People Meter radio ratings for the month of June, full-week, age 12+: 1) WPOC, 2) WWIN-FM and WLIF, 4) WERQ, 5) WWMX, 6) WZFT, 7) WIYY, 8) WBAL-AM, 9) WRBS-FM, 10) WQSR, 11) WYPR, 12) WZBA and WCBM, 14) WJZ-FM, 15) WPGC, 16) WWDC, 17) WKYS, 18) WAMU and WCAO, 20) WRQX and WBJC and WTOP-FM, 23) WBIG and WIHT and WASH and WHUR, 27) WEAA, 28) WMZQ and WLZL and WMAL and WTEM, 32) WGTS and WTMD, 34) WJZ-AM and WRNR-FM and WFRE, 37) WXCY, 38) WWIN-AM and WLIF STREAM and WIAD, 41) WTTR and WMMJ and WOLB, 44) WETA-FM and WVRX and WRBS-AM, 47) WVIE and WWEG and WAVA-FM and WNST and WYSP and WSTW and WFED and WVBV.

    July 12, 2010
    Baltimore Radio & TV Pioneer Jack Wells Dies
    Jack Wells, a pioneering broadcaster who hosted Baltimore's first morning TV show, died June 27 from complications of a stroke at a Los Angeles nursing home. He was 86. Wells decided to go into radio during World War II, when he served in Europe as an Army radio operator with Chuck Thompson, who went on the become a legendary Baltimore Orioles announcer. In 1948, Wells originated the nation's second radio talk show, one that was broadcast from 1 AM to 4 AM from a nightclub called the Copa. Because the technology for a two-way conversation on the air didn't exist at the time, Wells repeated the caller's words to listeners, he told the Baltimore Evening Sun in a 1977 interview. In 1950, Wells began a seven-year stint as the host of TV's "Dialing For Dollars," which was adapted from radio. After moving to the West Coast in 1963, Wells had his own show at KABC-AM Los Angeles, and he created and hosted another show on LA TV station KHJ, "The Age Of Aquarius." Wells also did voice-overs and guest starred on shows such as "Days Of Our Lives," "The Young And The Restless," and "General Hospital."

    July 11, 2010
    Tom Sater To 9
    Former Channel 5/WTTG weatherman Tom Sater will be doing the weather on Channel 9/WUSA. He will be doing weekend freelance forecasts during the summer to cover vacationing 9ers. Devon Lucie will work weekdays on 9 when Howard Bernstein or Topper Shutt is on vacation, with Sater picking up the weekend weathercasts. The husband of WTTG morning news anchor Gurvir Dhindsa, Sater got the axe from 5 a few years ago. He's since been working as a salesman at a tractor and farm implements supply store in Warrenton.

    July 9, 2010
    WMAL Morning Producer Leaves
    Ann Wog, the producer of WMAL's "Grandy Group" morning show, is leaving the Citadel news talker for a producer job at Boston talker WTKK. She's been with WMAL for several incarnations of its morning show, including the previous pairing of Fred Grandy with Andy Parks.

    July 6, 2010
    Jackie Bradford Named GM Of 4
    Jackie Bradford, who heads the NBC-owned TVer in San Diego, KNSD, has been named the new general manager of NBC-owned Channel 4/WRC in DC. Bradford succeeds Michael Jack, who last month became head of NBC-owned WNBC-TV in NYC. This is a return to WRC for Bradford, who was the station's finance director from 2000 to 2008. Before that, she worked for NBC parent GE's Capital Real Estate Services for two years. She was also finance manager for NBC News and a financial analyst for NBC's "Today" show. Bradford began her career working on Capitol Hill for Nevada Senator Richard Bryan. She's a graduate of the University Of Virginia.

    July 6, 2010
    Steve Davis To 105.7 Mornings
    Steve Davis (left), former sports anchor for Channel 45/WBFF and WBAL radio, gets paired with Ed Norris to give mornings on Baltimore sports talker WJZ-FM, 105.7 The Fan, more of a sports feel, with the new "Norris And Davis In The Morning" show. Norris, a former Baltimore city top cop, frequently talks politics and other non-sports topics, and CBS suits in Charm City and at the HQ in NYC want more sports topics on the show. Also, Ken Wienman is gone from the 105.7 morning show and is being sent back to nights. Norris's producer and sidekick, Maynard Edwards, was given his pink slip back in early June. WJZ-FM flipped to sports talk in late 2008 and its ratings have been sagging of late.

    July 1, 2010
    O'Meara To 105.9, Paired With McEwen For Mornings
    Washington radio veteran Mike O'Meara will be joining Citadel classic rocker 105.9 The Edge, WVRX, for mornings. He'll be partnered with another local radio veteran, Kirk McEwen, who currently does afternoons at the station. The show will debut on July 7 and run from 5 AM to 9 AM daily. "For the first time in my career, my favorite music will be on the same station with my favorite personality, me," said O'Meara in a Citadel announcement. Joining McEwen and O'Meara is DC and Baltimore veteran radio producer Jeff Shamrock. It'll be called "The Kirk McEwen And Mike O'Meara Morning Show." Says Kenny King, operations manager of 105.9: "Kirk and Mike are two extremely popular radio personalities that each have an incredible DC and Baltimore fan base, and it's so exciting to be able to put them together on the Edge." O'Meara had been heard on CBS's WJFK until last summer, when the station flipped from guy talk to sports talk. In December 2009, O'Meara launched an internet-based podcast. At the time, DCRTV reported that he was in-line for the morning slot at 105.9, but the station's owner, Citadel, was entering several months of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and was not hiring. O'Meara's longtime radio partners, Buzz Burbank and Robb Spewak, will not be regulars on the new 105.9 morning show. However, we hear that O'Meara will continue his podcast with Buzz and Robb. According to O'Meara's podcast business manager, Marc Ronick: "The (105.9) morning show will not affect or interfere with the podcast, KCJJ Iowa, or any of our future affiliates. This is a wonderful opportunity for all involved and we look forward to it." For many years, McEwen did the "Kirk And Mark" morning show at Baltimore's 98 Rock, and later at cross-town talker 105.7. He once worked at DC rocker DC101. Citadel launched 105.9 The Edge in August 2009.

    July 1, 2010
    BAL Radio Starts PM News Block
    Baltimore news talker WBAL (1090 AM) unveils the name of its new afternoon drive news block - "Afternoon News Journal With Shari Elliker." The Hearst station will be moving afternoon talk host Ron Smith to the 9 AM to noon slot, starting 7/5. With Elliker moving from late mornings to the new afternoon drive news show, which will run from 3 PM to 6 PM. It will feature CBS News at the top of the hour, traffic and weather "on the 5s," sports twice an hour, as well as business news reports. The start of the "Afternoon News Journal " follows last year's move by WBAL radio to launch an all-news morning drive show, "Maryland's Morning News," hosted by Dave Durian.

    June 28, 2010
    WorldSpace Gets Sold To CEO's Firm
    WorldSpace has closed a deal to sell its assets to Yazmi USA, a company owned by WorldSpace Chief Executive Officer Noah Samara. The Silver Spring-based international satellite radio provider filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008. Yazmi paid a reported $5.5 million for WorldSpace's assets. Liberty Media had been interested in acquiring WorldSpace at one point, which could have combined its reach with that of Sirius XM, but such a deal never materialized. WorldSpace offers satellite radio programming overseas.

    June 28, 2010
    WAMU Starts OC Relay
    American University's WAMU, 88.5 FM, launched its Ocean City relay, WRAU, 88.3 FM, on Friday. We're told that it's broadcasting from the WQHQ tower in Whaylesville. "We know that many Washingtonians take advantage of the beautiful beaches and relaxing atmosphere of the Delmarva peninsula when the weather warms up," said WAMU General Manager Caryn Mathes. "Our audience has long expressed a desire to 'take us across the bridge' with them, and 88.3 Ocean City allows them to do just that." WAMU also broadcasts its three digital HD Radio channels via the 88.3 relay, including Bluegrass Country on its HD2. WAMU is not the only out-of-market public radioer to serve the resort town. In 2007, Baltimore's WYPR started an OC area relay via WYPO on 106.9 FM.

    June 24, 2010
    La Mera Mera Debuts On 1050
    Bonneville's 1050 AM has flipped to Spanish. United Media Group has leased the outlet, which had been running a relay of all-news WTOP since lefty talk network Air America folded in January. The new WBQH, La Mera Mera, will target the Mexican component of the DC and Baltimore's Hispanic market. Homero Huerta will be general manager and Jose Angel will be news director. The syndicated Eddie Sotelo show will air in mornings, and Gina Layva will do afternoons. The station will air "regional Mexican" music by artists like Vicente Fernandez, Horoscopos De Durango, Jenny Rivera, and Conjunto Primavera.

    June 23, 2010
    MMJ Fires Airstaff
    Radio One is making some big changes at adult urban contemporary WMMJ, Majic 102.3. With the exception of the syndicated Tom Joyner in mornings, it's going "all music all the time." All of the local jocks have been let go, including Olivia Fox, Suge, Mike Chase, Alvin John Waples, as well as music director and morning show producer Chris Harris. Weekenders gone, too. The news came down at a 10 AM meeting at WMMJ's Lanham studios. A local radio source tells DCRTV that the station, which recently ranked 2nd in the DC market PPMs, saw a ratings spike when it cut back DJ banter. "So the ax came calling," we're told. WMMJ has undergone a batch of recent management changes. Michelle Williams exited her general manager gig in April, soon followed by Kathy Brown leaving her program director position. In May, Jammillah Muhammad was named program director of WMMJ and Radio One's sister gospel outlet, WPRS, Praise 104.1.

    June 22, 2010
    USA Today Veteran Don Collins Dies
    Don Collins, whose 30-year journalism career took him from Western Kentucky's student newspaper, the College Heights Herald, to McLean-based USA Today, died at his home in Herndon late Sunday night, June 13, after a long battle with cancer. He was 57. Collins was a member of the founding staff of USA Today. Collins played for the Metropolitan Media Softball League.

    June 21, 2010
    Steve Eldridge Dies
    DC radio veteran Steve Eldridge lost his long battle with cancer over the weekend. Eldridge worked at Westwood One's Metro Networks and at Bonneville all-newser WTOP. "He faced his final adversity with determination and bravery, and somehow persevered through tremendously difficult circumstances," a colleage tells DCRTV.

    June 21, 2010
    Jack Neff Dies
    Jack Neff, who once was an engineer at DC radio station WOL, died on June 6 at age 87. He was one of the founders of broadcast equipment firm Broadcast Electronics and later bought Dataworld. He sold the firm in 1993.

    June 18, 2010
    "Mayor Of Capitol Hill" Tom Kelly Dies
    Tom Kelly (right), 86, died of a heart attack at George Washington Hospital. The Washington journalist was so rooted in the Nation's Capital he was often called "The Mayor of Capitol Hill." Kelly, whose career spanned five newspapers including the old Washington Daily News, made a name for himself as a feature writer, an investigative reporter, and a media critic, for which he won a number of awards and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize three times. Kelly also authored two books. A Gonzaga graduate, he began as a copyboy on the Washington Post in 1939 while still in high school. Kelly joined the Washington Daily News in 1954 and soon became its star reporter. In 1969, he became a freelancer, writing and editing the magazine Canada Today for many years, as well as pieces for the New York Times, People, Nation, and Washingtonian. Kelly later worked as a feature writer for the Washington Times. He is the father of famed Washington Post journalist Michael Kelly, who was killed during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

    June 16, 2010
    Two Loudoun Rags To Merge Ops
    Peter Arundel, president and chief executive officer of Times Community News, announced that Loudoun County's two largest newspapers - the Loudoun-Times Mirror and the Loudoun Independent - are merging their online and print operations to create a "unique multimedia offering." The agreement was announced by privately-owned ArCom Publishing, which owns Times Community News. The Times-Mirror is one of more than a dozen publications across Northern Virginia that is owned and operated by TCN. The Independent is owned by MC Dean of Dulles, an engineering firm. As part of the agreement between ArCom and Dean, William Dean, president and CEO of the company, will become an investor in ArCom and will hold a seat on its board. Arundel also announced that Nicholas Graham has been appointed as executive editor for both the Times-Mirror and the Independent. Amy Burns will continue in her role as publisher of the Independent, which was founded in 2005. Not long ago, TCN sold the Reston-based Fairfax County Times to the Washington Post Company.

    June 16, 2010
    WTOP, WPOC, WLIF Tops May PPMs
    The May monthly Portable People Meter radio ratings for the DC market, full-week, age 12+: 1) WTOP [1st in all dayparts], 2) WHUR [Harvey 2nd], 3) WIHT [Kane 4th], 4) WMMJ [Joyner 5th], 5) WASH [L&L 6th], 6) WAMU, 7) WETA-FM, 8) WRQX [Diamond 8th], 9) WWDC [Elliot 10th], 10) WMZQ and WKYS [Parr 13th] and WPGC [BT 9th] and WBIG, 14) WLZL [Biagi 15th], 15) WPRS, 16) WMAL [GG 11th, Rush 10th, Hannity 18th], 17) WIAD, 18) WVRX, 19) WTEM [M&M 16th, Korny 17th, Czaban 19th], 20) WGTS, 21) WJFK [Junks 17th, Wise 21st, Arrington 21st], 22) WBQB, 23) WWEG and WFRE and WINC-FM, 26) WPFW and WFLS and WACA and WAVA-FM, 30) WDCN and WFED and WERQ, 33) WIYY, 34) WBJC and WWMX and WJYJ and WPOC and WKDV and WQSR, 40) WAMU-HD2 [Bluegrass Country] and WLIF and WGRQ and WILC and WTNT and WRNR-FM and WKIK and WGRX and WMMJ-STREAM and WAFY. The May monthly Portable People Meter radio ratings for Baltimore, full-week, age 12+: 1) WPOC and WLIF, 3) WWIN-FM, 4) WERQ, 5) WWMX, 6) WZFT, 7) WBAL-AM, 8) WQSR, 9) WIYY, 10) WYPR, 11) WRBS-FM, 12) WZBA, 13) WCBM, 14) WJZ-FM, 15) WPGC, 16) WWDC, 17) WBJC, 18) WRQX, 19) WHUR, 20) WAMU and WKYS and WBIG and WCAO and WTOP-FM, 25) WIHT, 26) WASH, 27) WEAA and WLZL, 29) WTMD and WMAL and WTEM and WMZQ and WFRE, 34) WGTS, 35) WXCY and WRNR-FM, 37) WJZ-AM, 38) WIAD and WTTR and WOLB and WETA-FM and WMMJ and WWIN-AM, 44) WAVA-FM and WRBS-AM and WVRX and WWEG, 48) WVBV and WFED and WVIE and WNST.

    June 15, 2010
    John Morekas Dies
    John Morekas (right), a retired Baltimore businessman who hosted the "Greek-American Hour" on WBMD (750 AM) for more than 50 years, died June 8 of Parkinson's disease at Gilchrist Hospice Care. He was 81. Mr. Morekas is the uncle of former WCBM and WNST sports talk host Spiro Morekas.

    June 14, 2010
    Sausage King & DC TV Veteran Jimmy Dean Dies
    Jimmy Dean (right), 81, the country musician and founder of the sausage company that bears his name, died Sunday. He lived in Varina, near Richmond. We're told that Dean started at DC's WTOP-TV, Channel 9, in the early 1950s, and then hosted a filmed syndicated show called "Town And Country Time," which produced by DC radio and TV great Connie B. Gay. It aired on DC's WMAL-TV, Channel 7. After that, Dean had a daytime CBS show from 1957 to 1959 that started at Channel 9 and moved to NYC. His 1961 hit "Big Bad John" soared to number one and earned him a Grammy. Dean was a regular headliner in Las Vegas and Reno in the 1960s, and even had a part in the James Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever." He was later frequenty featured as a TV ad pitchman for his sausages.

    June 13, 2010
    Warrenton's WPRZ Airs Via 88.1
    Warrenton-based WPRZ radio, which sold its 1250 AM radio license in 2007, is now back on the air at 88.1 FM with a 10,000-watt signal. According to the Culpeper Star-Exponent, the station has broadcasted over the internet and recently began simulcasting programming over WKDL, 1250 AM, through a lease agreement with the station's new owner. WPRZ is owned and operated by Praise Communications, a Warrenton-based Christian ministry founded by Steve and Sally Buchanan. Praise Communications operated WPRZ on 1250 AM from the early 1980s until its sale in 2007. The new station's programming will remain a mix of news, talk, and Christian music. Bible-teaching programs and news talk shows will also be featured.

    June 13, 2010
    VOA's Maureen Shannon Dies
    Maureen Shannon, 60, who retired in 2006 as a coordinator at Voice Of America's office of program evaluation, died of cardiac arrest June 1 at a hospital in Lancaster PA. She was a longtime Alexandria and Falls Church resident before retiring to Pennsylvania. Ms. Shannon moved to the Washington area in the late 1960s and began working at VOA as a secretary. After taking time off to raise two daughters during the 1980s, she returned to VOA in the early 1990s as the lead coordinator in the program evaluation office.

    June 10, 2010
    Delia Gonçalves Heads From 2 To 9
    Channel 9/WUSA hires Delia Gonçalves (right) as a reporter and multi-media journalist. For the past four years, she's worked at Channel 2/WMAR in Baltimore as a nightside reporter and fill-in anchor. Baltimore magazine named Delia "Best TV Reporter" for 2009. Before Baltimore, she worked at WPRI-TV in Providence and at WGGB-TV in Springfield, Massachusetts. After graduating from Emerson College in Boston, she was a legislative intern at the US Senate Radio-Television Gallery. Her first job in the business was as a production assistant for "NBC Nightly News" in Washington.

    June 10, 2010
    MASN To Carry Riggo's Radio Show
    In April, Redskins great John Riggins began doing a radio show via the HD Radio digital HD2 channel of all-news WTOP. Now, we hear that the Mid-Atlantic Sports network will carry Riggins' afternoon show at 4 PM come July. Back when he was on the old Triple X sports talker - before its owner, Redskins owner Dan Snyder, bought WTEM - Riggins' radio show was carried on MASN from 2006 to 2008.

    June 9, 2010
    Herndon Observer Closes
    The Herndon-based Observer newspaper has printed its last edition, closing up shop after more than three decades. The Washington Business Journal reports that Christopher Moore, the weekly paper's publisher and co-owner, said that print advertising revenue simply couldn't keep up with the publication's overhead - a two-suite office at 1043 Sterling Road. The paper had only three fulltime staff by the time of the June 4 final edition - Moore and his wife Katie, the co-owners, and a sales manager. The Moores have owned the paper since 2003, though the Observer chain launched in the mid-1970s. The Observer used to offer three papers catering to Loudoun County, Reston, and Herndon, and at one point it circulated more than 100,000 free papers a week. But the Loudoun edition was axed in 2007 and the Reston and Herndon editions were merged in early 2009. Moore is moving on to AOL's Patch.com project, a community-specific news and information site, where he'll resurrect local news coverage in the Herndon/Reston/Sterling area. DCRTV adds: The Observer, as well as the the Northern Virginia Connection newspapers, have been struggling lately, going up against the refurbished Reston-based Fairfax County Times, which was recently purchased by an arm of the Washington Post Company.

    June 8, 2010
    Blue Mornings For Z104.3
    Clear Channel's contemporary hit Z104.3, WZFT, in Baltimore picks Jackson Blue for morning drive duty. He comes from afternoons at Kiss FM, KHKS, in Dallas. He will also serve as assistant program director for the Baltimore station. Says Z104.3 Program Director Mick Lee: "He's creative, energetic... exactly what we needed to make some noise in AM drive."

    June 7, 2010
    Kammerer To Be 4's New Head Weatherman
    Doug Kammerer (left) is the new chief meteorologist at NBC's Channel 4/WRC. He comes from CBS's Channel 3/KYW in Philadelphia, where he's been doing morning weather duties. Kammerer grew up in Fairfax County. He's been at KYW since 2007, and worked at NBC's Channel 10/WCAU in Philadelphia since 2003. He replaces Bob Ryan at WRC, who recently joined Channel 7/WJLA. Kammerer will start at WRC in August.

    June 7, 2010
    4's GM Michael Jack To NYC NBCer
    Michael Jack, president and general manager of NBC's DC station, Channel 4/WRC, is moving to NYC to run WNBC-TV, with the same titles. A replacement for Jack at WRC will be announced shortly. Prior to joining WRC as GM in 2002, Jack was GM of WCMH-TV Columbus, Ohio, from 1999 to 2002, and as VP of sales of KNBC-TV Los Angeles for three years. Prior to NBC, Jack spent 19 years at Capital Cities/ABC.

    June 7, 2010
    Gail Huff To JLA
    Gail Huff joins Channel 7/WJLA as a part-time special project reporter. She's the wife of Scott Brown, the newly-elected Republican senator from Massachusetts. Huff will do medical, consumer, and investigative stories, but will steer clear of politics. She has been working at Boston's WCVB-TV for 17 years. Huff starts at WJLA in September.

    June 4, 2010
    WRC, WWDC Vet Phil Gaines Dies
    Marion "Phil" Gaines, 87, a staff announcer at Channel 4/WRC from 1963 to 1979, died on May 23 at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in St. Mary's County of complications from an aortic abdominal aneurysm. After leaving WRC, Mr. Gaines worked as a freelance announcer, narrator, and spokesman for various companies and government agencies. He hosted the classical music program the "One To Six Show" on WWDC and worked for Voice Of America.

    May 28, 2010
    4 Leads DC TV News Battle
    Channel 4/WRC again holds the lead in almost all time periods for its newscasts, despite NBC getting poor primetime ratings in the Washington market. Here are the DC TV news viewership numbers for the May "sweeps," P2+ numbers. At 4:30 AM: WRC 29,000, WUSA 26,000, WTTG 23,000, WJLA 15,000 (non-news). At 5 AM: WRC: 57,000 (up 49% year-to-year), WTTG 42,000, WUSA 31,000, WJLA 26,000. At 6 AM: WRC 114,000 (up 28% year-to-year), WTTG 73,000, WJLA 42,000, WUSA 25,000. At 5 PM: WRC 107,000 (up 9% year-to-year), WJLA 78,000, WTTG 63,000, WUSA 36,000. At 6 PM: WRC 145,000 (up 7% year-to-year), WJLA 86,000, WTTG 57,000, WUSA 43,000. At 11 PM: WRC 157,000, WTTG 152,000 (10 PM news), WJLA 100,000, WUSA 95,000, WTTG 81,000 (11 PM news). The primetime average nightly viewership numbers for May: WTTG/Fox 194,000, WJLA/ABC 180,000, WUSA/CBS 164,000, WRC/NBC 125,000.

    May 25, 2010
    Nathan Roberts Says Adios To WTOP
    DCRTV hears that DC TV and radio news veteran Nathan Roberts (left) is leaving his news anchoring gig at WTOP radio. In the past, he's worked at NewsChannel 8 and Channel 5/WTTG. A source tells DCRTV that Roberts wants to move back to his native California because he's getting close to retirement age and wants to be closer to his family. "Right after Nathan Roberts signed off for the last time on WTOP at 2 PM, he walked out of the Glass Enclosed Nerve Center to a heartfelt round of applause from the crowd gathered in the newsroom. It was a well deserved ovation," a WTOPer tells DCRTV.

    May 22, 2010
    BAL To Move Ron Smith To Late Mornings, Launch Afternoon News Block
    Baltimore news talker WBAL (1090 AM) is making some weekday changes, come July. Afternoon talker Ron Smith will be moved to the 9 AM to noon slot, which will allow the Hearst station to launch an afternoon drive news block, a la the recently-launched morning news block with Dave Durian. We're told that Shari Elliker, who currently hosts the 9 AM to noon talk slot, will be part of the afternoon news block - and she's not happy about the move.

    May 21, 2010
    Barnes Leaving 9
    Channel 9/WUSA is losing another veteran reporter. Audrey Barnes (right) has accepted a severance package and will be leaving the Gannett CBS affiliate in early June. "After 27 years of television broadcasting, I'm ready to make my personal dreams come true," Barnes says. She's launched a media consulting and talent coaching business, Audrey Barnes Media at audreybarnesmedia.com.

    May 19, 2010
    Statter To Leave 9
    A longtime Channel 9/WUSA reporter says adios. From Dave Statter (right) at statter911.com: "I have informed the management at Channel 9 today that I will be exercising an option in our union's 2008 collective bargaining agreement and will be taking what is essentially a buyout in early June. It has been a great 25 years in television, but it is time to move on." He will continue his statter911.com website, which provides fire, police, and emergency services news around the region, and hints that he'll have an announcement about a new gig in the not too distant future. Statter's wife, Hillary Howard, is an afternoon news anchor on WTOP radio.

    May 19, 2010
    WTOP & WLIF Top April Radio Heap
    The Washington market Portable People Meter radio ratings for the month of April, full-week, age 12+: 1) WTOP [1st in all dayparts], 2) WHUR [Harvey 2nd], 3) WIHT [Kane 4th], 4) WAMU, 5) WASH [L&L 5th], 6) WMMJ [Joyner 5th], 7) WETA-FM, 8) WBIG, 9) WKYS [Parr 9th] and WWDC [Elliot 11th], 11) WRQX [Diamond 8th], 12) WPGC [BT 14th], 13) WPRS, 14) WMZQ, 15) WMAL [G&A 10th, Rush 9th, Hannity 18th], 16) WLZL, 17) WIAD, 18) WVRX, 19) WJFK [Junks 13th, Wise 20th, Arrington 18th] and WTEM [M&M 20th, Korny 18th, Czaban 17th], 21) WGTS, 22) WFRE, 23) WAVA-FM and WACA and WWEG and WINC-FM, 27) WBQB and WFLS and WPFW, 30) WFED, 31) WDCN and WPOC, 33) WKDV and WBJC and WFRE and WJYJ and WIYY and WTNT, 38) WAFY and WYCB and WQSR and WGRX and WILC and WGRQ and WLIF. The Baltimore Portable People Meter radio ratings, full-week, age 12+: 1) WLIF, 2) WWIN-FM 3) WPOC, 4) WERQ, 5) WWMX, 6) WZFT, 7) WBAL-AM, 8) WIYY and WQSR, 10) WRBS-FM, 11) WZBA, 12) WCBM, 13) WYPR, 14) WJZ-FM, 15) WPGC, 16) WBJC, 17) WCAO, 18) WBIG, 19) WKYS and WWDC, 21) WAMU and WTOP, 23) WRQX and WHUR, 25) WASH, 26) WIHT, 27) WEAA and WTEM, 29) WLZL and WGTS and WTMD, 32) WMAL, 33) WMZQ and WFRE and WXCY, 36) WMMJ and WJZ-AM and WIAD, 40) WLIF stream and WWIN-AM and WETA-FM, 43) WRBS-AM and WVIE and WAVA-FM and WTTR and WOLB and WVRX and WAFY, 50) WWEG and WVBV and WNST.

    May 17, 2010
    Ryan To 7, Plus Martucci To 4
    Channel 7/WJLA officially announced on the 11 PM Sunday newscast that Bob Ryan will be working there. As widely rumored. They had a pic of Bob and Doug Hill together. Ryan, who left Channel 4/WRC in February, will be doing 7's 11 PM newscast's weathercast, teaming with Hill during weather emergencies, and contributing to station owner's new TBD local news website. Also, Kim Martucci, who left Channel 9/WUSA at the end of December when her contract was not renewed, announced on her Facebook page that she will be doing some freelance weather work at Channel 4/WRC soon. "They have a great team and I am excited to be working with some incredibly talented people who have been here a long time. See you on the air very soon," she writes.

    May 17, 2010
    Salem Flips 1260 To Righty Talk
    Salem takes over 1260 AM, WWRC, from Red Zebra and flips it from business talk to right-leaning political talk, doing a direct challenge to Citadel's WMAL, RZ's WTNT, and CBS's WHFS-AM. With Salem Radio Network's Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and Hugh Hewitt. Says Salem news/talk VP Tom Tradeup: "Obviously, we are thrilled to extend SRN's 'footprint' in our nation's capital... and look forward the shaking up the radio market in the exciting days ahead." Salem also owns Christian talker WAVA-FM/AM.

    May 13, 2010
    Former WRC Radio GM Frank Scott Dies
    Frank Scott (right), who was once general manager of NBC's WRC radio and then-sister WKYS-FM, died Tuesday at age 77. Mr. Scott ran WRC radio, AM 980, in the mid-1970s when it was all-news with NBC's News And Information Service. He'd been at a retirement home in Silver Spring, after suffering from dementia. Early on, the Nebraska native pursued an acting career in New York and Hollywood, leading to a role in a John Wayne movie, and then worked at KVOA-TV in Houston and KBON radio in Omaha. He was a vice president of Welcome Radio and general manager of KTLK radio in Denver, before moving to Washington. After his WRC/WKYS position, Mr. Scott moved on to head the Voice Of America's European operations.

    May 11, 2010
    Winneker Leaves Pentagon Channel
    Michael Winneker is leaving the Arlington-based Pentagon Channel, which provides programming for and about US military members and the defense community. He's moving to Philadelphia to be director of distribution operations for the new RightNetwork conservative talk channel. Winneker been doing the same thing for the Pentagon Channel for the past five years. During his term, he's seen the Pentagon Channel added by most of the cable TV systems in the Washington area. He's still waiting for Comcast to add it in Arlington, where the Pentagon is located.

    May 11, 2010
    PD Paul Duckworth Out At WMAL
    Paul Duckworth is out as program director at Citadel news talker WMAL (630 AM). He's being replaced by Drew Hayes, the program director and operations manager at Citadel sister news talker WLS-AM in Chicago. Hayes will continue his WLS duties and program WMAL from the Windy City. WMAL is in the midst of turmoil regarding its morning show. Both Andy Parks and Fred Grandy were recently jettisoned, replaced by Chris Plante.

    May 8, 2010
    WaPo Book World Vet Nina King Dies
    Nina King, who was editor of the Washington Post's Book World section from 1988 to 1999 and often reviewed fiction and wrote about her far-flung travels, died May 6 at the Washington House, a nursing facility in Alexandria. A cousin, Nancy Dupree, said she died of complications from Parkinson's disease one day before her 69th birthday.

    May 6, 2010
    Ismail Joins Ravens Radio Team
    Former Ravens wide receiver Qadry Ismail has been named the new color commentator for the Ravens radio broadcasts, which are heard on news talker WBAL and 98 Rock, WIYY. Ismail will continue his work with WBAL radio's weekday evening "Sportsline" show with Brett Hollander.

    May 6, 2010
    Morris To Replace Norris At WFED
    Amy Morris will be replacing co-host Jane Norris in mornings on Federal News Radio, WFED (1500/820 AM). As DCRTV told you in mid-April, Norris will become the public relations manager at global consulting firm Deloitte's federal sector. Norris has been with FNR since 2006. Her last day at WFED is Friday. Morris's move from afternoons is a return to the morning drive slot on the Bonneville station. Chris Dorobek will now solo anchor the afternoon "Daily Debrief" show.

    May 6, 2010
    Terry Owens To MTA
    Former Channel 2/WMAR reporter and anchor Terry Owens has been hired as spokesman by the MTA, Maryland Transit Administration.

    May 1, 2010
    Morris Jones To Revamped NC8
    Some upcoming changes to Allbritton's NewsChannel 8, with the upcoming launch of the firm's new TBD.com local news website. Local anchor veteran Morris Jones, who once worked at DC's Channel 5/WTTG and Baltimore's Sinclair News Central, is joining the to-be-rebranded NC8 as its new weekday evening anchor. We also hear that Katherine Amenta, current evening anchor at Channel 47/WMDT in Salisbury, will also be joining the revamped NC8 as a morning co-anchor.

    April 30, 2010
    WashTimes Sale Rumors Confirmed
    There have been rumors. Now we get confirmation that the Washington Times is up for sale. Nicholas Chiaia, a member of the Times' two-man board of directors and president of the Unification Church-owned United Press International wire service, confirmed that the paper is actively on the market: "We recently entered into discussions with a number of parties interested in either purchasing or partnering with the Washington Times," he said in a statement to the Washington Post. The negotiations follow months of turmoil at both the 28-year-old conservative daily and the business empire founded by church founder Sun Myung Moon, 90, whose children are jostling for control over the church's enterprises, which range from fisheries to arms manufacturing.

    April 29, 2010
    13's Viviano Assaulted In Park
    Channel 13/WJZ Sports Director Mark Viviano was assaulted by teens as he jogged through Baltimore's Druid Hill Park on Tuesday afternoon, police said. Viviano was wearing headphones as he ran through the park and past three teens when one struck him in the head from behind, the Baltimore Sun reports. Viviano said he did not hear the teens come up behind him about 1 PM. He said a second teen tried to hit him but missed. He said they exchanged words, but Viviano continued to run, while the teens ran the other way. Viviano said he was not injured. After the incident, he flagged down a police officer in the park, he said.

    April 26, 2010
    DC Agenda To Resurrect Blade Moniker
    DCRTV tipped you a few months ago that the owners of DC's gay newspaper, DC Agenda, had purchased the name of their old employer, the Washington Blade. Now, the DC Agenda will re-christen itself as the Blade with its Friday edition, along with a resurrection of the old washblade.com website. The Blade went belly-up last November when its parent, Window Media, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. Its former staff formed the DC Agenda, and got out its first edition within a week. The DC Agenda name will live on as an editorial section of the new Blade.

    April 21, 2010
    TOP & LIF Top March PPMs
    All-news WTOP continues it dominance of the Washington market radio ratings. The monthly March Portable People Meter numbers, age 12+, full-week: 1) WTOP [1st in all dayparts], 2) WIHT [Kane 2nd], 3) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 4) WAMU, 5) WASH [L&L 5th], 6) WMMJ [Joyner 6th], 7) WKYS [Parr 8th] and WETA-FM, 9) WRQX [Diamond 9th], 10) WBIG, 11) WWDC [Elliot 13th], 12) WPGC [BT 11th], 13) WPRS, 14) WMAL [G&A 11th, Rush 7th, Hannity 14th], 15) WMZQ, 16) WIAD, 17) WLZL, 18) WTEM [M&M 20th, Korny 15th, Czaban 17th], 19) WVRX and WGTS, 21) WJFK [Junks 14th, Wise 21st, Arrington 20th], 22) WINC-FM, 23) WFLS, 24) WAVA-FM and WBQB and WACA, 27) WDCN and WPFW and WFRE, 30) WWEG and WERQ and WAFY, 33) WIYY and WYCB and WFMD and WKDV and WTNT and WILC, 39) WRBS-FM and WQSR and WGRX and WGRQ and WPOC and WBJC and WJYJ and WFED, 47) WZBA and WWMX and WLIF and WZFT and WWGB. CBS's adult contemporary WLIF, Lite FM 101.9, takes the top spot in the monthly March Portable People Meter radio ratings for the Baltimore market. Full-week, age 12+: 1) WLIF, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WPOC, 4) WERQ, 5) WWMX, 6) WQSR, 7) WBAL-AM, 8) WIYY, 9) WZFT, 10) WRBS-FM, 11) WCBM and WYPR, 13) WZBA, 14) WJZ-FM, 15) WPGC and WBJC, 17) WCAO, 18) WBIG and WWDC and WASH, 21) WKYS and WAMU and WIHT and WTOP-FM, 25) WHUR and WRQX, 27) WLZL and WEAA, 29) WMAL and WXCY and WTEM, 32) WGTS and WTMD and WRNR-FM and WFRE, 36) WOLB and WMZQ, 38) WJZ-AM, 39) WWIN-AM and WIAD and WETA-FM and WAFY, 43) WLIF stream and WMMJ and WNST and WWEG and WTTR and WVBV and WVRX and WVIE and WAVA-FM, 52) WPFW and WFED.

    April 21, 2010
    New PD For TMD
    Towson University's adult alternative WTMD (89.7 FM) hires Scott Mullins as program director. Mullins most-recently served as music director and interim program director at rock/urban hybrid free-form non-commercial WYMS in Milwaukee. Mullins has also worked at WFPK in his native Louisville KY, where he developed the "Dirty Soul Party," a program combining the blues, soul, funk, R&B, zydeco, and roots rock.

    April 16, 2010
    Jane Norris Leaves FNR
    Jane Norris leaves Bonneville's Federal News Radio, heard via WFED, to become public relations manager at global consulting firm Deloitte's federal sector. Norris has been with FNR since 2006, where she helped launch the morning show. Before that, she co-hosted the morning show at WMAL with Bill Press and Andy Parks.

    April 16, 2010
    Red Zebra Sells 1260 To Salem
    Salem, which owns Christian talker WAVA, 105.1 FM and 780 AM, is buying business talker WWRC, 1260 AM, from Redskins owner Dan Snyder's Red Zebra. The California-based broadcaster will put its national talk format, with the likes of Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, and Michael Medved, on its new DC signal. The sale, rumored price of about $3 million, will leave RZ with five local signals - sports talker WTEM on 980 AM, plus 92.7 FM and 94.3 FM, Spanish sports talker WXTR on 730 AM, and talker WTNT on 570 AM.

    April 14, 2010
    WMAL Veteran Eileen Gallant Dies
    Eileen Gallant, 60, who served as a producer and program director at WMAL radio from 1976 through 1989, died on 4/2 of complications from pancreatic cancer. She was a patient at the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford. Her production of special event coverage such as the January 1982 crash of Air Florida flight 90 into the Potomac River and the March 1981 assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan won several awards for outstanding news coverage.

    April 10, 2010
    Gershon Fishbein Dies
    Gershon Fishbein, 88, a former Washington Post assistant city editor who started an independent newsletter publishing company that he ran for more than 25 years, died March 29 of a heart attack at his home in Bethesda. Mr. Fishbein's journalism career spanned more than 50 years and began when he was hired at age 16 to cover sports part time for the Post. He served two other stints at the Post, as a full-time reporter from 1939 to 1941 and as assistant city editor from 1949 to the mid-1950s.

    March 24, 2010
    WTOP & WLIF Lead February Ratings
    All that snow created a blizzard of ratings for all-news WTOP radio in February, as the monthly Portable People Meter radio numbers show. Full-day, age 12+: 1) WTOP [1st in all dayparts], 2) WIHT [Kane 3rd], 3) WAMU, 4) WHUR [Harvey 2nd], 5) WASH [L&L 7th], 6) WMMJ [Joyner 6th], 7) WETA-FM, 8) WRQX [Diamond 8th], 9) WBIG and WWDC [Elliot 10th], 11) WMAL [G&A 9th, Rush 3rd, Hannity 11th], 12) WKYS [Parr 10th], 13) WPRS, 14) WPGC [post Simpson 13th], 15) WGTS, 16) WIAD, 17) WMZQ, 18) WTEM [M&M 19th, Korny 13th, Czaban 15th], 19) WLZL, 20) WVRX, 21) WJFK [Junks 14th, Wise 21st, Arrington 21st], 22) WINC-FM, 23) WAVA-FM and WBQB and WFLS and WDCN, 27) WFRE and WWEG and WPFW, 30) WTNT [AMN 32nd] and WAFY and WERQ, 33) WYCB and WQSR and WFMD and WPOC, 37) WILC and WLIF and WJYJ and WRBS-FM and WOL and WIYY and WACA and WBJC and WFED, 46) WWMX and WGRX and WZBA and WGRQ. The Baltimore Portable People Meter radio ratings for the month of February. Full-day, age 12+: 1) WLIF, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WPOC, 4) WERQ, 5) WWMX, 6) WQSR, 7) WBAL-AM, 8) WRBS-FM, 9) WZFT, 10) WIYY, 11) WYPR, 12) WCBM, 13) WZBA, 14) WJZ-FM, 15) WPGC and WTOP, 17) WBJC, 18) WCAO, 19) WBIG and WWDC and WAMU, 22) WKYS, 23) WRQX and WHUR, 25) WIHT, 26) WLZL and WFRE, 28) WEAA and WASH and WMAL and WTMD, 32) WTEM and WXCY, 34) WRNR-FM and WGTS, 36) WMZQ, 37) WWIN-AM and WIAD and WJZ-AM and WOLB, 41) WETA-FM and WMMJ, 43) WAFY and WAVA-FM, 45) WTTR and WWEG and WVIE and WNST and WPFW.

    March 23, 2010
    Cook To Leave Sun
    Top editor J. Montgomery Cook (right), who last year oversaw a reorganization of the Baltimore Sun's newsroom to merge print and online operations, is leaving the Tribune-owned newspaper in April for a job at his alma mater, the University Of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will head an experimental digital news and audience research effort at the university's journalism school. Cook was promoted to the Sun editor job in January 2009, when Timothy Franklin left to launch a sports journalism center at Indiana University, his alma mater. Cook joined the Sun six years ago as deputy managing editor, launching the free daily b, and overseeing digital news efforts. The newsroom faced 61 layoffs during his tenure. Mary Corey, head of print, will work as interim editor while the Sun searches for a permanent replacement, Sun Publisher Tim Ryan said.

    March 22, 2010
    WMET To Air Guadalupe Network
    DCRTV recently reported the sale of Gaithersburg's WMET (1160 AM), but we had no clue as to the possible new format of the brokered ethnic station. Now, we hear that the station will soon be airing Catholic religious programming via the Guadalupe Radio Network. Last month, WMET was sold to Huffines Media for $4 million.

    March 22, 2010
    Big Tigger Debuts In PGC Mornings
    CBS Radio and Big Tigger must have come to some deal on his financial compensation because the former WPGC afternoon man starts his new morning gig today. Replacing longtime morning man Donnie Simpson, who left the station under pressure in late January. CBS suits are looking for younger demos to better battle Clear Channel's Hot 99.5, WIHT, which sports Kane in the mornings. That station has been 2nd overall and 3rd in mornings lately, while PGC, with Simpson, had frequently been outside the top 10. While Hot 99.5 is contemporary hits, it looks like PGC will remain rhythmic/urban contemporary - for now. No Amp or Now moniker - yet. Big Tigger's show staff includes former BETer Donela and comedian Donell Rawlings, formerly of WWPR radio in NYC.

    March 22, 2010
    DC AP Veteran Roy Steinfort Dies
    Roy Steinfort, former vice president of Associated Press, died Sunday of cancer in Leesburg. He was 88. Steinfort held a variety of positions with AP and eventually oversaw the expansion of its radio news operations and established a Washington broadcast center. He retired in 1986.

    March 19, 2010
    Chick Lang Dies
    Chick Lang passed away Thursday afternoon at a medical care center in Easton after battling lengthy multiple illnesses. He was 83. Lang was WBAL radio's racing analyst. He ran Pimlico Race Course for 27 years, holding the positions of director of racing, vice president, and general manager.

    March 18, 2010
    JFK's Arrington & Dukes To Do Sports Show For 50
    WJFK, 106.7 The Fan's afternoon drive team of LaVar Arrington and Chad Dukes will be doing a Sunday sports show on Channel 50/WDCW. "SportsWeek With Arrington And Dukes" will premiere on 4/11 at noon, although the normal air time will be 12:30 PM, immediately preceding the Washington Nationals pre-game show. Nationals games on DC50 will air on Sundays, usually beginning at 1:30 PM. The first 12-weeks of "SportsWeek" will be shot at Icons Sports Bar in Alexandria. It'll feature interviews with local and national sports figures and cover professional, college, and high school sports.

    March 17, 2010
    WTOP Places 2nd Nationally In Radio Revenue
    Bonneville's WTOP was the 2nd highest ad revenue billing radio station in the whole country, according to 2009 stats just-out from Chantilly's BIA Financial. WTOP billed $51 million, second only to one station, LA's KIIS. Keep in mind that the numbers are not station profits, and all-news WTOP is a very expensive operation. Rounding out the top 10: NYC's WCBS-AM was 3rd, NYC's WINS 4th, LA's KROQ 5th, NYC's WLTW 6th, LA's KFI 7th, Chicago's WBBM-AM 8th, NYC's WHTZ 9th, and Chicago's WGN-AM 10th. CBS's WPGC was the 2nd highest biller in the DC market with $18 million. Citadel's WRQX was 3rd at $15.7 million, Howard U's WHUR 4th with $15.3 million, and Radio One's WKYS was 5th with $14.3 million. The top Baltimore station was Radio One's WERQ, which placed 113th nationally, at $12.9 million. More local stations: WTEM $12.6 million, WLIF $12.2 million, WMMJ $11.6 million, WASH $11.5 million, WPOC $11.4 million, WWIN-FM $10.6 million, WJFK $10.2 million, WMZQ $10.1 million, WIHT $10.0 million, WWDC $9.7 million, WBIG $9.2 million, WLZL $9.0 million, WWMX $9.0 million, WBAL-AM $8.9 million, WMAL $8.8 million, WIYY $8.3 million, WQSR $7.0 million, WAVA-FM $6.9 million, WVRX $6.5 million, WIAD $6.2 million.

    March 15, 2010
    WaPo To Launch Biz Pub
    The Washington Post is launching a missile directly at the Washington Business Journal and starting a weekly local business publication. Dan Beyers will be editor of Capital Business, and Arnie Applebaum will be general manager. It launches on April 19, with the first free editions delivered to full-week Post subscribers. Come mid-May, it'll cost $49 for 52 issues and be available only to Post subscribers. The Post elimiated its stand-alone weekday Business news section in late 2008.

    March 14, 2010
    Jazz Musician Harold Kaufman Dies, Hosted MAL Talk Show
    Harold Kaufman, who was trained as a lawyer, then became a psychiatrist and college professor while moonlighting as a jazz musician and nightclub owner, died March 10 at age 77 of heart disease at his home in Washington. He was an accomplished jazz pianist who, during the 1970s, owned Harold's Rogue And Jar Club at Dupont Circle, which became an intimate gathering spot for the city's jazz lovers. DCRTV hears that, in the mid-1970s, Mr. Kaufman hosted one of the first call-in talk shows offered by WMAL, then a full-service middle-of-the-road music station.

    March 12, 2010
    WJZ-FM News: Conn To Join Garceau, Royle To Cover O's
    CBS Radio Baltimore sports talker, 105.7 The Fan, WJZ-FM has picked Jeremy Conn to be the top contributor to its afternoon drive show with Scott Garceau. Conn replaces Anita Marks, whose contract with the station was not renewed earlier this year. Conn has been hosting the evening "Playmakers" show on WJZ-FM. He's also a radio producer and fill-in for 105.7 morning man Ed Norris as well as Garceau. Dave Labrozzi, who heads CBS Radio's Baltimore cluster, tells DCRTV that it'll still be called "The Scott Garceau Show." Also, Labrozzi tells us that he's hired Jen Royle from NYC's YES sports network to be the Orioles beat reporter for 105.7. She will also contribute to WJZ-FM's shows.

    March 9, 2010
    Win Clearwater Dies
    Fans of DC's now-defunct commercial classical WGMS will be saddened to learn of the passing of Winfield "Win" Clearwater (left) on February 28th at age 83. He was a resident of Bowie. Before joining WGMS, Mr. Clearwater was the first Saturday night anchorperson for Channel 9, then WTOP-TV's "Newsnight" broadcast in December 1962.

    March 9, 2010
    Frank Herzog To Retire
    Veteran DC TV and radio personality Frank Herzog (right), 65, says he'll be retiring from his current gig as a WTOP radio morning news anchor. The longtime radio voice of the Redskins, who also served as a sports reporter and sports anchor for Channels 7 and 9, and who has been a frequent bit-part actor in movies filmed in Washington, announced his decision in a memo to WTOP staff on Monday. He says he wants to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren. Herzog is ending a 40-plus-year career that both started and ended at WTOP radio. He'd also called Bullets games during his career. DCRTV hears that Herzog will do a special one-hour "Ask Frank" call-in show with WTOP's Mark Segraves on 3/22. Herzog's last day at WTOP will be 3/31.

    March 9, 2010
    NBC4 Wins DC TV News Race For February
    The ratings are in for the February TV "book" and NBC4 continues to be Washington's local news leader. Helped by impressive Olympics ratings, Channel 4/WRC produced commanding wins over the competition. Even with the loss of weatherman Bob Ryan, numbers remained steady. While morning show viewership was slightly down compared to the previous book, Channel 7/WJLA's morning product continues a dramatic downward trend, with key demos in last place. Noticeable gains for Channel 9/WUSA at 11 PM thanks to stronger CBS primetime programming. At 5 AM: NBC4 (1.8), Fox5 (1.5), CBS9 (1.0), ABC7 (0.8). At 6 AM: NBC4 (3.9), Fox5 (3.0), ABC7 (1.4), CBS9 (1.2). At 5 PM: NBC4 (3.6), Fox5 (2.7), ABC7 (2.1), CBS9 (2.1). At 6 PM: NBC4 (5.1), ABC7 (3.4), Fox5 (2.4), CBS9 (2.1). At 11 PM: NBC4 (5.5), CBS9 (3.3), ABC7 (3.2), Fox5 (2.5).

    March 8, 2010
    CBS Puts Balto, NYC, Philly Sportsers On 106.7's HD Radio Sigs
    CBS Radio sports talker WJFK, 106.7 The Fan, starts relays of three CBS sister sports talkers on the digital HD Radio subschannels of 106.7. You can hear Baltimore's 105.7 The Fan, WJZ-FM, on 106.7's HD2, NYC's WFAN on 106.7's HD3, and Philadelphia's WIP on 106.7's HD4. Says WJFK afternoon host Lavar Arrington: "Having spent many years of my football career in New York and Pennsylvania I'm very familiar with WFAN and WIP and know they put out great programming - even if I didn't always agree with what they were saying. Hopefully they'll be kind to me now that they are broadcasting in my hometown." Adds CBS Radio VP/Programming Chris Oliviero: "Washington DC is home to a diverse range of sports fans, many originally from other parts of the Northeast, making WJFK an ideal home for this breakthrough quadcast. We're thrilled to offer local audiences various opinions and insights from the best sports stations up and down the East Coast."

    March 8, 2010
    Kane Gets National Show
    Clear Channel's syndication arm, Premiere, will launch "Club Kane" on contemporary hit stations around the country come March 28. The Sunday evening 7-to-midnight music show will be hosted by Kane, who does mornings on Clear Channel's Hot 99.5, WIHT, in DC. According to a press release, Kane "will play chart-topping songs, debut new music, and take requests as he welcomes listeners to his on-air party. Broadcasting live from Washington DC, he'll also discuss pop culture, music, and entertainment, and feature candid conversations with music artists and celebrities."

    March 8, 2010
    Phil Wood Joins WFED's Nats Team
    Washington Examiner sports columnist and DC sports radio veteran Phil Wood joins WFED's coverage of the Washington Nationals. During the regular season, Slowes and Jageler will once again co-host "Nats On Deck," which, new this year, will feature a Manager's show with Jim Riggleman. The post-game show, "Nats Talk Live," will be hosted primarily by Wood.

    March 3, 2010
    Mick Lee Gets PD Gig At Z104.3
    Clear Channel names Mick Lee program director and on-air personality at its new contemporary hit outlet in Baltimore, Z104.3, WZFT. He comes from CC's contemporary hit KKRZ in Portland, Oregon. DCRTV hears that Lee worked at CC's DC contemporary hit Hot 99.5, WIHT, for several weeks as program director before getting canned. He replaced local radio veteran Albie Dee.

    March 3, 2010
    VivaLaVoce To 90.9's HD2
    Classical music-formatted WETA-FM is launching VivaLaVoce, a radio service featuring classical vocal music - including choral, opera, and art song - on the HD2 digital HD Radio signal of 90.9 FM and via vivalavoce.org. Look for "Opera At 8" each evening as well as a "Vocal CD Pick Of The Week," drawn from recent classical vocal releases. VivaLaVoce is hosted by WETA-FM announcers David Ginder, Marilyn Cooley, John Chester, Nicole Lacroix, and Deb Lamberton. A similar classical vocal service was offered for a time by the old commercial classical WGMS, before it left the airwaves several years ago.

    March 3, 2010
    Bob Mathers Joins WTTR
    Sajak Broadcasting hires Bob Mathers as station manager, program director, and morning host of Westminster's WTTR (1470 AM). After recent stints as owner/operator of an Alabama station, and as news anchor/editor at KOMO in Seattle, Mathers returns home to the Baltimore area. Mathers spent most of his career working for Baltimore area stations, including WPOC, WSBA, WAMD, WQSR, and WITH. "Wheel Of Fortune" host and Maryland resident Pat Sajak owns Sajak Broadcasting, which also owns WNAV (1430 AM) in Annapolis.

    March 3, 2010
    TEM Names Galdi Skins Reporter
    Al Galdi gets named Redskins beat reporter at Redskins owner Dan Snyder's ESPN 980, WTEM. He's the station's morning drive sports news anchor and hosts the Redskins post-game show.

    February 26, 2010
    WWDC Veteran Donald Rice Dies
    Donald Rice, 82, a radio engineer with WWDC and the Voice Of America, died of congestive heart failure February 18 at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney. He lived in Silver Spring. Mr. Rice, a native of Brunswick MD, joined WWDC radio in 1949, where he worked for the next 19 years, becoming operations manager. He then moved to the VOA as a radio engineer, working there until he retired in 1987. In addition, Mr. Rice co-owned and operated M&D Audio, in which he worked as an engineer for visiting sportscasters covering games involving the Redskins, Capitals, and Bullets. He sold the business in the 1990s.

    February 25, 2010
    Radio One Cancels DC Move
    Radio One has cancelled the planned move of its HQ and DC area radio studio facilities from Lanham, in Maryland's Prince George's County, to DC's Shaw neighborhood. The decision has dealt a major blow to an already long-delayed mixed-use project backed by the city. The company, owner of 53 urban and gospel-formatted radio stations in 16 markets nationwide, had planned to return to the city where it was founded by Catherine Hughes more than 20 years ago, with Hughes herself testifying before the DC Council about her desire to return to DC. Radio One would have been the anchor tenant in Broadcast Center One, a project that was slated to bring 103,000 square feet of office space and 25,000 square feet of retail directly atop an entrance to the Shaw-Howard University Metro station, financed by $30 million in subsidies. In the DC market, Radio One owns WKYS, WMMJ, WPRS, WOL, and WYCB.

    February 25, 2010
    WMET Sold
    CTM Media Holdings is selling brokered WMET (1160 AM) in Gaithersburg to Huffines Media for $4 million - $1.3 million in cash and the remainder in a promissory note or cash at closing. "WMET has not been profitable for CTM and we believe that this sale is in the best interest of the company and our shareholders," says CEO Marc Knoller. Under previous owner IDT, WMET moved from 1150 to 1160 with a 50,000-watt daytime signal and attempted a political talk format with a DC-based studio and Doug "Greaseman" Tracht doing mornings. But the station, which continues to have a weak night signal, could not get any ratings traction. Since then, WMET has been selling its time slots and running mainly ethnic programming.

    February 24, 2010
    Bob Ryan Leaving 4
    Channel 4/WRC has issued an official memo today confirming that weatherman Bob Ryan's (right) last day at the NBC station will be Friday. "No mention of going to 7, but he is definitely leaving as of Friday," a source tells DCRTV. Earlier today, a reliable 4 insider told DCRTV that Ryan is jumping from 4, after 31 years there, to Channel 7/WJLA, with his last day at 4 being Friday. However, a spokesperson for 7 tells DCRTV: "We emphatically deny there is any deal between Mr. Ryan and WJLA-TV." A few weeks ago, DCRTV reported rumblings that Ryan might be making the jump. The word is that Ryan would do ABC7's 11 PM weathercasts, freeing up Doug Hill to concentrate on the 5 PM and 6 PM weathercasts and spend more time with his family in evenings.

    February 24, 2010
    WTOP Takes Top In Pre-Blizzard January Numbers
    All-news WTOP takes the top of the January monthly Portable People Meter radio ratings heap for DC. The ratings period ended 2/3, before DC's two mammoth snowstorms. So, expect WTOP to get even bigger numbers in the February book, with its wall-to-wall coverage of the storms that caused power outages for many. Full-day, age 12+: 1) WTOP [1st in all dayparts], 2) WAMU, 3) WIHT [Kane 4th], 4) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 5) WASH [L&L 7th], 6) WETA-FM, 7) WMMJ [Joyner 6th], 8) WRQX [Diamond 8th], 9) WBIG, 10) WPGC [Simpson 8th], 11) WMAL [G&A 14th, Rush 4th, Hannity 12th], 12) WWDC [Elliot 13th], 13) WGTS, 14) WPRS and WKYS [Parr 11th], 16) WMZQ, 17) WIAD, 18) WTEM [M&M 18th, Korny 14th, Czaban 14th], 19) WLZL, 20) WVRX, 21) WJFK [Junks 17th, Wise 21st, Arrington 19th], 22) WINC-FM and WBQB, 24) WDCN, 25) WFLS and WPFW and WAVA-FM, 28) WWEG and WKDV and WERQ and WYCB and WAFY and WTNT and WFRE and WACA, 36) WQSR and WIYY, 38) WFMD and WILC and WBJC and WGRQ and WPOC and WGRX and WLIF and WJYJ, 46) WFED and WZFT and WWGB and WWMX and WZBA and WRBS and WKCW. The monthly January Portable People Meter radio ratings for Baltimore, full-week, age 12+: 1) WLIF, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WPOC, 4) WERQ, 5) WWMX, 6) WQSR, 7) WIYY, 8) WRBS-FM, 9) WBAL-AM, 10) WZFT, 11) WYPR, 12) WZBA, 13) WJZ-FM, 14) WCBM, 15) WBJC, 16) WPGC, 17) WWDC, 18) WAMU, 19) WTOP and WHUR and WCAO, 22) WKYS, 23) WBIG and WIHT, 25) WRQX, 26) WFRE, 27) WASH and WXCY, 29) WGTS and WTEM and WMAL, 32) WLZL and WTMD and WRNR-FM, 35) WIAD and WEAA, 37) WJZ-AM, 38) WMZQ and WMMJ, 40) WWIN-AM and WAVA-FM and WETA-FM, 43) WOLB and WNST and WRBS-AM, 46) WPRS and WAFY and WVIE and WPFW.

    February 24, 2010
    LeRoy Tillman Dies
    LeRoy W. Tillman Jr., 54, a media spokesman and veteran news reporter and editor for the Associated Press, who had a passion for District politics and breaking news, died February 17 at his home in the District. He had a heart ailment. Mr. Tillman began his journalism career in the early 1980s as a producer for WMAL-AM, where he worked on the Ken Beatrice morning show and other programs for more than two years. In 1984 he moved to WTOP-AM, where he worked as an editor until he was hired by AP.

    February 24, 2010
    Walter Crawford Dies
    Walter Charles Crawford, 61, a photojournalist who had worked for Washington's Channel 7 (then WMAL, now WJLA) since 1982, who died of cancer February 14 at Reston Hospital Center. Mr. Crawford received multiple awards from the White House News Photographers Association, one last year for his work on flooding in Prince William County and another last week for lighting. He was also a still photographer and received honors for his work at the League Of Reston Artists show last year.

    February 20, 2010
    Donnie Radcliffe Dies
    Donnie Radcliffe, 80, a Washington Post journalist who chronicled first ladies and high society from the Watergate era to the Clinton administration, died February 19 at her home in South Acworth, New Hampshire. She had cancer. During her 22-year career at the Post, Mrs. Radcliffe covered six White Houses and wrote biographies of first ladies Barbara Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

    February 19, 2010
    Longtime 7 Engineer Clyde Roller Dies
    Clyde Roller, 85, a broadcast engineer who specialized in sound work for acclaimed news documentaries, died February 10 at Laurel Regional Hospital from complications of an intestinal blockage. He was a Silver Spring resident. Mr. Roller spent his career at Channel 7, then WMAL-TV, and retired around 1990. He was best known for teaming with the husband-wife filmmaking team of Paul and Holly Fine for award-winning documentaries, including "Until We Say Goodbye," a film about the hospice movement, and "The Saving Of The President," about the medical efforts to save President Ronald Reagan's life after an assassination attempt in 1981. Mr. Roller won several Emmys and was recognized for excellence in sound by the White House News Photographers Association.

    February 17, 2010
    C-SPAN Bus Drives Mike Connors Dies
    Mike Connors, the first driver of the iconic C-SPAN Bus, died on February 13 at age 61, the cable industry-funded public affairs network said. Connors worked at the DC-based network for 17 years, starting as the bus's first driver in 1993. C-SPAN launched the bus program to bring the world of public affairs into schools and communities nationwide. Working with cable industry partners throughout the country, the two C-SPAN buses have visited students, teachers and citizens in all 50 states, to discuss media, public affairs, and C-SPAN's programming and free educational resources. Connors logged more than half-a-million miles over that span, C-SPAN said.

    February 17, 2010
    7 Veteran Walt Crawford Dies
    Walt Crawford, who had worked for Channel 7/WJLA for the past 28 years, died on 2/14. The cause of death was not reported, but he had been on medical leave. "His death is shocking nonetheless," said station manager Bill Lord in a statement, adding that Crawford left behind "countless friends." Lord said Crawford had just received an award from the White House News Photographers Association. The association had posted an "In Memoriam" note on its blog at press time pointing out that Crawford had just received a first place award for lighting. Writes former WJLA reporter Andrea McCarren on her Facebook page: "A true gentleman, a great colleague and one of the kindest, most talented people I've met. He asked me to teach him how to say in Spanish 'Don't shoot me, I'm just the photog...' before we went to El Salvador. I'll miss you, Walt."

    February 16, 2010
    Metro Radio Sells WKCW & WKDL
    Vienna VA-based Metro Radio is selling brokered Spanish "Radio La Ley" WKCW (1420 AM) and brokered/classic country WKDL (1250 AM), both Warrenton VA, to Radio Companion for $2.7 million.

    February 12, 2010
    NBC DC Vet Bill Gebhardt Retires
    Bill Gebhardt has taken his retirement from NBC Washington after 38 years. He was best known for his leadership and command of NBC's White House Division, where he spent most of his time as the lead cameraman since 2000, we're told. "We all wish Bill a happy retirement and await to see if anyone is capable of filling his shoes," a colleague tells DCRTV.

    February 12, 2010
    CBS, CNN DC Vet Janet Moore Dies
    Janet Moore, 66, a television news producer and reporter who covered Capitol Hill for the "CBS Evening News" and for CNN, died on February 8 at Capital Hospice in Arlington. She suffered from a neurological disorder. Then known as Janet Westmoreland, she joined CBS in 1977 as a gofer to evening news anchor Walter Cronkite. In the late-1990s, she joined CNN, covering the US Senate as a producer-reporter.

    February 9, 2010
    Sun Sports Veteran Bill Free Dies
    William K. "Bill" Free, a retired Baltimore Sun sportswriter and sports car enthusiast, died Friday of a perforated bowel at his Reisterstown home. He was 66. Mr. Free served in the Army as a sportswriter and then went to work as a newspaper reporter for the Gettysburg Times, Waynesboro Record, and Harrisburg Patriot-News before beginning his 39-year career with the Baltimore Sun's sports department in 1969.

    February 4, 2010
    Riggo To Do PM Drive Show For TOP's HD3
    Bonneville all-newser WTOP radio has signed a "multi-year broadcasting partnership" with NFL Hall Of Famer and Redskins great John Riggins (right). "The John Riggins Show" will return to the air via WTOP's digital HD Radio HD3 channel via 103.5 FM from 4 PM to 7 PM weekdays starting in March. Riggins did an afternoon drive show for Redskins owner Dan Snyder's now defunct Triple X ESPN Radio, but that ended in mid-2008 when Snyder bought sports talker WTEM and shut down Triple X. Also, Riggins will host WTOP pre-game and post-game shows during the NFL season. "Riggo" just completed his first year of providing analysis and commentary for WTOP during the Redskins' season and will continue in that role during the 2010 NFL season. Riggins will also host one-hour "Ask Riggo" late morning WTOP specials throughout the year.

    February 4, 2010
    Comcast To Launch Xfinity Brand
    Comcast plans to rebrand its cable TV, internet, and phone services as Xfinity TV, Xfinity Internet, and Xfinity Voice in 11 markets, including DC and Baltimore, starting next week. Comcast will remain the name of the parent company. A Comcast spokesman said that last year's switch from analog to digital cable laid the groundwork for the switch to Xfinity by freeing up bandwidth for new services, including 100 megabit-per-second broadband, additional high-def channels, and a larger On-Demand catalog. Comcast has switched some, but not all, of its DC and Baltimore area cable TV systems to mostly digital. However, some systems, like Arlington, Reston, Howard, and Baltimore city, await equipment that won't be available until spring.

    January 30, 2010
    Parshall Leaves Salem For Moody
    Janet Parshall, a syndicated talk-show host and the nation's pre-eminent female Christian broadcaster, is leaving the Salem Radio Network to start a new show with the Chicago-based Moody Broadcasting Network. The last day for "Janet Parshall's America" was a Friday rerun. Parshall, who lives near Front Royal VA, recorded her last live show Monday, when she announced she was leaving. Locally, Parshall is heard on Salem's Christian talk WAVA (105.1 FM) and attracted 0.9 percent of the local audience, one-third that of rival Christian contemporary WGTS (91.9 FM). In 1998, Parshall's show ran four hours a day on WAVA. Her time has since been reduced to one hour at 3 PM.

    January 29, 2010
    Donnie Simpson's Last Day At PGC
    "This is not a retirement, I will be back," Donnie Simpson said on urban contemporary WPGC's airwaves at 6:13 AM Friday, 1/29. He confirmed that it's his last day at the CBS Radio station, but not his last day on the radio in DC. He jested that he was late this morning because he had to "get some boxes from the basement" to pack up his things. "I brought my own box. Usually they put it in a box for you." DCRTV has told you that CBS was negotiating an early contractual "out" with the longtime morning personality in order to cut costs and to attract more younger listeners to DC's 95.5. Simpson's first tribute caller was Robert Johnson, the founder of BET, where Simpson once worked. Said Steve Harvey, who's heard mornings on PGC rival WHUR: "You cannot let a legend go and replace him," in a slam to "PGC or PEC, whatever it's called." Stressed Simpson: "This is my decision, bro, I don't want to point a finger... The option to stay was there... There's no animosity to management or anything like that... I leave happy... and with integrity." Russ Parr, morning man on rival WKYS, also called Simpson. More call-ins: Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Tavis Smiley, Bootsy Collins, Frankie Beverly, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, DL Hughley, and DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Channel 5/WTTG and Tony Perkins (left with Simpson in pic at right), who worked at WKYS with Simpson before Simpson jumped to PGC in 1992, streamed the PGC farewell during its Friday morning newscast at myfoxdc.com. According to the Washington Post, the station forbade Simpson to reminisce on the air with two former sidekicks, Chris Paul and Huggy Lowdown, who now work for rival programs. While Simpson was tight-lipped about what he will do next, he hinted that he could be heading back to TV. And still no official word about who will replace Simpson in the PGC morning slot, but DCRTV has reported rumors that Big Tigger could be moved over from afternoons.

    January 29, 2010
    Al Colby Dies
    Al Colby, 66, a retired CBS News Washington Bureau cameraman, died on January 29. Colby joined CBS in the late 1960s.

    January 29, 2010
    Bob Windsor Dies
    Bob Windsor, who worked for ABC News in TV and radio in the 1960s, and again in the late 1970s and early 1980s, died on January 25 of cancer at his DC area home. He was 73. He originally worked as a radio and television news correspondent for WTOP, and then joined ABC News in DC and later became one of the voices of ABC Radio Network/Information.

    January 28, 2010
    WASH & WLIF Top Radio Ratings
    The monthly "Holiday" Portable People Meter radio ratings for DC, full-day, age 12+:) 1) WASH [L&L 4th], 2) WTOP [AM drive 1st, PM drive 2nd], 3) WAMU, 4) WIHT [Kane 6th], 5) WHUR [Harvey 3rd], 6) WMMJ [Joyner 7th], 7) WETA-FM, 8) WBIG, 9) WPGC [Simpson 9th], 10) WKYS [Parr 10th] and WWDC [Elliot 11th], 12) WRQX [Diamond 11th], 13) WMZQ, 14) WTGB, 15) WMAL [G&A 17th, Rush 8th, Hannity 15th], 16) WGTS, 17) WPRS, 18) WLZL, 19) WTEM [M&M 18th, Korny 14th, Czaban 17th], 20) WJFK [Junks 14th, Wise 19th, Arrington 20th], 21) WVRX, 22) WDCN, 23) WBQB, 24) WPFW, 25) WINC-FM and WFLS and WAVA. Baltimore: 1) WLIF, 2) WWIN-FM, 3) WERQ, 4) WPOC, 5) WWMX, 6) WQSR, 7) WIYY and WRBS-FM, 9) WBAL-AM, 10) WYPR, 11) WJZ-FM, 12) WZFT, 13) WZBA, 14) WCBM, 15) WBJC. More: 19) WCAO, 30) WEAA, 32) WRNR-FM and WTMD, 38) WJZ-AM, 41) WWIN-AM, 44) WNST and WVIE.

    January 25, 2010
    Anita Marks Out At 105.7
    After over a month of working on a new contract, Anita Marks (right) and CBS Radio's Baltimore sports talker, WJZ-FM, 105.7 The Fan, will be parting ways after four years. The two sides could not craft an agreement that would give Marks the freedom to explore other national TV options while working for CBS. "I had a great run in Baltimore but in the end I had to do what is best for my career, so it is time to move on," Marks says. It is not clear yet what CBS will do to replace Marks on the popular "Scott Garceau And Anita Marks Show" afternoons on WJZ-FM.

    January 25, 2010
    Former 2er Ken Matz Dies
    Ken Matz, who used to work at Channel 2/WMAR, has died of throat cancer in Florida. Matz, who was also known as "Gary Smith," also worked at TV stations in Philadelphia and Miami, and at radio stations across Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg's WFEC and Philadelphia's WIBG and KYW.

    January 24, 2010
    WaPo Print Plant Vet Dies
    Jerre George Lowe, 80, an engraving foreman at the Washington Post's printing plants from 1953 until he retired in 1989, died after a heart attack on January 22 at Inova Loudoun Hospital. A former resident of Falls Church, he had lived in Loudoun County since 1992.

    January 24, 2010
    FCC Veteran Jim Quello Dies
    Federal Communications Commission commissioner Jim Quello died on January 24 at his Alexandria home. He was 95. "A helluva career as both broadcaster and common-sense regulator during his 24 years on the FCC," says Tom Taylor of Radio-Info.com. "Also, an avid tennis player in the DC area, well into his 80s." Quello joined the FCC after a broadcasting career that included stints at local television stations in Detroit. He was the winner of the National Association Of Broadcaster's Distinguished Service Award in 1994.

    January 22, 2010
    4 Cameraman Harry Davis Dies
    Longtime NBC-DC and Channel 4/WRC cameraman Harry Davis (left, with son at right), 62, died Thursday from a heart attack in North Carolina. Davis was an award-winning news photographer at NBC4 for 28 years, before he retired a few years ago. According to nbcwashington.com, Davis traveled the country supporting his son Marc's dream to drive racing cars. Marc was a driver for the Joe Gibbs racing team. At WRC, Davis founded Teen TV, a program that mentored inner city kids and taught them all about TV production. His other project, the Broadcast Factory, also offered opportunities to DC area kids.

    January 21, 2010
    Air America Shuts Down
    Lefty talk radio Air America is shutting down. Company Chairman Charlie Kireker notified staffers today that the company will be filing for bankruptcy and terminating programming. "Our painstaking search for new investors has come close several times right up into this week, but ultimately fell short of success," Kireker says. The politically liberal network was heard on the DC area on WZAA (1050 AM). All current employees will be paid through today. A severance package will be offered tomorrow to fulltime current employees with more than six months of tenure. Air America's chief executive is Bennett Zier (right), who founded and previously headed Redskins owner Daniel Snyder's broadcasting company, Red Zebra, and was the top executive of Clear Channel's DC radio cluster. The company's programming director, Bill Hess, was also once a Clear Channel DC radio executive. Since last summer, Air America has been heard in the Washington area on WZAA. Its audience has been so small that Arbitron, which compiles radio ratings, was unable to detect any listeners for WZAA during several weeks in December.

    January 21, 2010
    Former 7 Reporter Charles Powers Dies
    When Charles Powers, a public relations practitioner who died on January 3, was a reporter for Channel 7, then WMAL-TV, in 1974, he helped break the infamous Tidal Basin story by his knowledge of a congressman's cranium. Early in the morning of October 9, 1974, US Park Police stopped a Lincoln Continental, driven by an intoxicated Representative Wilbur Mills. An exotic dancer named Fanne Foxe jumped out of the congressman's car and jumped into the Tidal Basin. Powers, 64, died of cancer at Inova Alexandria Hospital.

    January 14, 2010
    Andres New Sports Anchor At ZDC
    DCRTV hears that DC's Telemundo TVer, WZDC, has dismissed longtime sports anchor Gustavo Cherquis. He'll be replaced with Jorge Andres (right), who is currently a radio show host and Spanish play-by-play anchor for the Redskins on Dan Snyder-owned Red Zebra's ESPN Deportes, WXTR (730 AM). Andres will continue his hosting and play-by-play duties for WXTR, but will step down as director of operations at the radioer.

    January 11, 2010
    Gary Froseth Dies
    DCRTV hears that longtime WTOP news anchor and editor Gary Froseth (right) has died. Froseth has been a member of the WTOP news team for 16 years. Recently, he battled health problems that affected his voice, causing him to work off the air. During his long news career, he's worked for KFI and KFWB radio in Los Angeles, KYW radio in Philadelphia, and was news director of WOWO radio in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and at KDKA radio in Pittsburgh. According to WTOP, Froseth passed away in Managua, Nicaragua. He was in Managua as part of a delegation from his hometown of Gettysburg PA. He is believed to have suffered a heart attack. His wife of 32 years, Paulette, was with him. A service will be held in Gettysburg.

    January 11, 2010
    Harold Willard Dies
    Harold Willard, 82, a former Washington Post reporter and editor, died on 12/24 of sepsis at Gilcrist Center Hospice Care in Towson. From 1956 to 1977, under the byline of Hal Willard, he covered Montgomery County politics. After leaving the Post, he was a copy editor for the Baltimore Evening Sun and taught journalism at Loyola University.

    January 7, 2010
    PGC PD Scorpio Out, Saunders To Replace
    Robert Scorpio is out as program director at urban contemporary WPGC, and Michael Saunders has been named operations manager for CBS Radio's cluster of five stations in the DC market. Saunders will oversee both programming and operations for WPGC, WLZL, WIAD, WJFK, and WHFS-AM. Also, Saunders will focus his day-to-day attention on programming WPGC. Saunders comes from radio management gigs in Charlotte, LA, Detroit, NYC, and, most recently, at CBS Radio in Orlando. In addition to working with the staff at WPGC, Saunders will work closely with the program directors at Spanish WLZL, sports talk WJFK, hot adult contemporary WIAD, and talker WHFS, according to a CBS statement.

    January 5, 2010
    Marcia Slacum Greene Dies
    Marcia Slacum Greene, a Washington Post reporter and editor for more than 20 years who was active in the National Association Of Black Journalists, has died after a year fight with pancreatic cancer. Greene was named city editor in 2006, after her many years of covering DC politics and government.

    January 4, 2010
    Morgan Resigns From WashTimes Radio Show
    Melanie Morgan, one of the co-hosts of the Washington Times' morning radio show, "America's Morning News," is gone. "I have resigned from 'America's Morning News' with a tremendous amount of sadness," Morgan writes at melaniemorgan.com. "I have some health issues that I need to attend to and that's the reason why I am leaving Washington DC and returning to California where my family and friends can help me get through this challenging time."

    January 4, 2010
    Washington Times Relaunches
    Following months of turbulence, the Washington Times has relaunched as a two-section local paper with a sharpened focus around politics, national security, and investigative reporting, along with the paper's conservative editorial page. In gearing up for the relaunch, the Times let go of about 40 percent of the staff last week, including the entire sports department, while fine-tuning the management team until shortly before the new edition hits the streets. On Sunday night, the Times announced several new appointments. Veteran national security reporter Bill Gertz becomes geopolitics editor and Sol Sanders takes oversee international business editor. Investigative editor Jerry Seper will oversee an expanded staff of investigative reporters. Also, Robert Morton - who previously served as managing editor of the Times National Weekly - becomes associate publisher. The new local edition, according to a press release, "will consist of an A section providing political, national security and investigative coverage from the nation's capital, geostrategic coverage from around the world, sports and local news features, and a hard-hitting B section featuring editorials, opinion, and cultural coverage."

    January 2, 2010
    Former WaPo Ombud Dies
    Deborah Howell, the former ombudsman for the Washington Post, died Saturday after being struck by a car while vacationing in New Zealand. She was 68 and was a resident of Glen Echo.

    January 1, 2010
    4 Yanks Harrison Off Early AM News
    Barbara Harrison is moving out of her familiar early-morning anchor spot on Channel 4/WRC, but will continue to co-anchor the midday news and special segments for the NBC-owned station. Harrison, who has been with WRC for 28 years and recently signed a new multiyear contract, has teamed with Joe Krebs on the station's 5 to 7 AM newscast and brief local-news segments during "The Today Show." The duo have been co-anchors since 1994. Eun Yang will take over Harrison's early-morning duties. Harrison will continue with Krebs on WRC's broadcast following "Today" at 11 AM.

    January 1, 2010
    WAMD Going Away
    WAMD (970 AM) in Aberdeen MD is going off the air on 1/10. The station, which had served Harford County for many years with talk, news, sports, and oldies music, was recently purchased by WAVA-owner Salem. It's been speculated that Salem wants the signal removed to improve the night coverage of WNYM, a talker it owns in the NYC market on the same frequency.

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