Front Page - Mailbag - News - Rants 2005 - Rants 2006 - Rants 2007 - Support DCRTV By Dave Hughes dcrtv@dcrtv.com 5/7 - The DC Post's Style section. I'd like to apologize to "Reliable Source" gossip columnists Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts for calling them "hacks" and "rewrite queens." In my eyes, they have more than proved their journalistic mettle with their investigative piece today about Huffington Post editor Arianna Huffington's visit to DC. And how she managed to not drop pizza crap on her white pantsuit while dining at a DC dive. Imagine the jealousy at TMZ and Page Six for missing out on the Huffington scoop. Man!..... 5/7 - We asked you yesterday what should the alleged alt rock Globe be playing instead of Joe Cocker and Paul Simon. And you told us: Flaming Lips, Gorillaz, Old 97s, Rachael Yamagata, Matthew Ryan, Rhett Miller, the Waterboys, Wire Train, the White Animals, Jason And The Scorchers, Editors, Embrace, Hard-Fi, Kaiser Chiefs, the Kooks, Safety Suit, Monster In The Machine, Ryan Cabbera, Bjork, the Smiths, Big Audio Dynamite, Flamin' Groovies, Big Star, Let's Active, dBs, Spoon, Sloan, and King Crimson. Today, we make another suggestion (right). Send us your suggestions for cool Globe tunes at dcrtv@dcrtv.com..... 5/6 - We're just trying to help CBS Radio make the alt rockish Globe (94.7 FM) a better station. So, we're launching a new feature: "Music The Globe Should Be Playing." Check out our first candidate video at the top of the right column of this page. Tired of Joe Cocker and Paul Simon on 94.7? Send us your suggestions for cool Globe tunes at dcrtv@dcrtv.com..... 5/5 - Speaking of radio meltdowns, do you think that Bonneville could erect some sort of 3WT feed to the 107.7 FM transmitter in Warrenton that didn't cause repeated "hiccups." Obviously caused by some sort of internet buffering. Day after day after day, it never goes away. Once again this morning, during Tony Kornheiser's show, it sounded like the legendary sports columnist was having diaphramatic spasms. This is supposed to be a "real" radio station, right? Sheesh..... 5/1 - We expect it from a screwed-up Clear Channel talker like WTNT. But on Bonneville's all-news WTOP? Running two audio sources at once? A CBS news background audio feed, with lots of beeps, underneath news headlines, traffic reports, even ads at about 10:30 this morning. Oooookay. UPDATE: We got this from Mitchell Miller, assistant news director at WTOP. "We determined the problem stemmed from the audio routing system that WTOP relies on. That caused audio from a CBS newsfeed to bleed through on-air. Initially, the anchor was unable to stop that from occurring because the controls on the board could not stop the feed from coming through. Engineers quickly corrected the problem"..... 5/1 - Mother's Day is coming and why not get mom a full-body health scan! So shilled WMAL morning man Andy Parks the other day. Yeah, maybe mom should have a full-body health scan, but don't give it to her as a Mother's Day gift. That's like giving your wife a vacuum cleaner or a toaster on her birthday. Clearly Parks is just as clueless on human relations as is he is with politics. Sheesh..... 4/30 - CBS guy talker still ain't back to where it was a few years ago, with Howard Stern in mornings, Don Geronimo in afternoons, and the Redskins on weekends. But, after a number of years in limbo, the station is slowly working its way out of the swamp. The morning Junkies are getting fatter and older - and better. The four guys, who used to be the Sports Junkies, are actually finding their way through relationship and political topics, and are good at it. And, surprisingly, they're a lot smarter than the bombastic righty clods you hear on stations like WMAL and WTNT. The midday Big O and Dukes are also on the upswing. Yesterday's talk about how they have to kiss their crazy fans' arses, the same listeners who stalk them at men's rooms at concerts and sports events, was priceless. Despite their slacker attitude, the show touches on a lot of heavy topics. And then there's Mike O'Meara. No, he doesn't have Geronimo's "edge," but you actually feel that he's enjoying his job as afternoon "zoo" host. Something that Don, in all his greatness, did not seem to have the past few years - and quite understandably. With Buzz, Robb, and Joe still there, and BA back, the revamped show is off to a running start. Now, JFK PD Chris Kinard has got to turn his attention to evenings. The syndicated Jim Rome ain't working. A return of El Jefe and J-Dubs or Ron and Fez would be most welcome. And the weekends, which are full of infomercials and reruns, continue to be a disaster. Just thinking: Maybe music to fill the overnights and weekends. Kind of a harder-edge alt rock sound? That would be cheap and better than what's there now. In any case, it's nice to see JFK going live and local from 5 AM-ish to 7 PM-ish every weekday. Something you don't get on the DC area's other major talkers - WMAL, WTNT, or 3WT..... 4/29 - Just before 10 AM today, heard the WTOP news anchors doing funny banter on ice creamer Ben and Jerry's and their new ringtones. Gee? Was it an ad or a humorous news item? What is certain is that the all-newser credibility took a hit, at least in my mind. Bonneville works so hard to build the respectibility of WTOP's journalism, so why blow it for a couple extra ad dollars? Sheesh. UPDATE: I'm told it was not, repeat not, a paid ad. Good..... Oh, gotta love them Big O and Dukes on JFK-FM. Very funny today talking about how some of their "fans" want to stalk and kill them. Damn good radio. Nice to have some cool talk to listen to between Kornheiser and Limbaugh..... 4/28 - DCRTV held a pre-White House Correspondents' Association dinner picnic/pool party on Saturday afternoon. And there were celebs-a-plenty. Here are some pics of the fun..... L-to-R: Paul Bicknell, Fred Grandy, Bennett Zier, Dave Pugh L-to-R: Julie Wright, Lisa Baden, Gurvir Dhindsa L-to-R: Michael Hughes, Jim Farley, Joel Oxley, Chris Berry L-to-R: Gordon Liddy, Buzz Burbank, Dave Durian, Ron Smith 4/28 - Hey, WMAL "newsman" Bryan Nehman, it's the Democratic National Committee, not the "Democrat National Commitee" like you said on Monday morning. Get it "right," as in correct. The name is the Democratic Party, not the Democrat Party. You don't call it the Republic National Committee, do you? Sheesh..... 4/26 - The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Tonight, many of the "elite" Washington press corps will schmooze with members of the administration of one of the most unpopular presidents in history. However, on Sunday morning they'll awaken with a hangover to the rapidly changing world of "journalism." One which merges "news" and "entertainment", exemplified by a platoon of goonish carnival barkers from the likes of Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, and Bill O'Reilly to Rush Limbaugh, Geraldo Rivera, and Katie Couric. One which is donimated by a handful of ultra-rich media barons who manipulate their "organs" to snuggle up to the power brokers "inside the Beltway" to obtain political and business favors to extend their corporate tentacles. All while there are declining ad revenue and ratings/circulation - and increasing viewer/reader distrust - for both the print and broadcast varieties of so-called "news." Add to that an internet which features an endless cyber-army of Drudge-like linkers who depend on a endless cyber-army of gossip blog whores, made even more goofy by legitimate news organizations, like the Washington Post, trying to get in on this silly "game." Serious journalism ain't dead, but it's seriously ill. And getting sicker by the moment. Party hardy, you beautiful "journalists." Pride cometh before a fall..... 4/24 - This morning, WMAL's Grandy and Andy were discussing businesses that want to discourage loitering by using a device that transmits a very high-pitched noice that is audible by those with superior hearing, usually kids snd teens. Hey, if these businesses want to teens to leave, why not just play WMAL's righty talk on those speakers. A few minutes listening to Old Man Andy Parks' goofy rants and nobody, even many older folks, will be loitering..... 4/22 - 3WTer and Wash Postie Tony Kornheiser said he hopes that the Caps go all-the-way this season because team owner Ted Leonsis made a promise to him. "I get a Stanley Cup ring. It's all about me," he said on the radio this morning. However, Kornheiser revealed that he'll still watch "American Idol" if it's on at the same time as a Caps' playoff game. It kind of makes you wonder, though. In his DC mansion, does Kornheiser, who turns 60 this year, have a locked spare bedroom plastered with posters of past and current "Idol" contestants? Creepy, huh..... 4/20 - Happy Earth Day From The Washington Post. From a DCRTVer: "I received the nicest promotional item in the Post today... a single sheet of Brawny paper towel (that's right; ONE SHEET) wrapped in a transparent plastic package. No doubt, they want to me to try and buy Brawny paper towels. So let's see... one sheet of paper, excessive plastic packaging, all multiplied by the number of subscriber households; the gasoline it took for the Brawny to arrive at the Post's assembly facility, the gasoline it took to deliver my paper... HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYBODY!"..... 4/18 - DC City Paper is out with a "best of" issue. And it confirms that the weekly rag is pretty cluelessly brain dead about local TV and radio. The editors pick low-powered other-worldly Channel 49/WWTD as best local TV channel, Fox5 with best weathercasts, and WTEM's Phil Wood as best radio show. Not that there's anything wrong with those picks - but that's it?!?! Frank Herzog was selected as best Redskins annnouncer, even though he hasn't called a game in four years. The rag's readers pick 4's Jim Vance as best local TV personality, with 4's Wendy Rieger and 4's Lindsay Czarniak as runner-ups. Guess CP readers only get 4 on their TVs. Whatever..... 4/17 - A correction in Thursday's Washington Post: "The chart of primetime Nielsen television ratings in the April 16 Style section was from a week in November. The correct chart for last week's ratings appears today on page C7." The Post didn't mention that yesterday's chart was from a week in November 2005..... 4/15 - My first impression of the new Mike O'Meara show. He works better with a partner. Maybe he should make Beth Ann McBride his new co-host instead of returning show producer. Look, I love Robb Spewak and Buzz Burbank, but they don't interface all that great with Mike in that magical way they did with Don Geronimo. Perhaps it's that they don't fear Mike the way they did with Don. With Don, Buzz and Robb projected a fatherly respect, trepidation. With Mike, they project nothing. Mike's just a schlub to them. The substitute teacher. Plus, it seems kind of too obvious that Buzz and Robb don't like other. Maybe a masterful Mike could use that tension on the show and make it work. That's what made the Don and Mike show great - Don's dark side, his demons. His unpredictability. Howard Stern had that, too. A Stern or Geronimo "meltdown" was blindingly brilliant. Yeah, it's unfair to judge the new Mike show after one outing. It's going to take a few weeks or months to get the balance right. The seeds are there. Let's hope the vines grow in weird and unpredictable ways and make some great radio..... 4/14 - "Our ratings stink, but more people are listening." Tony Kornheiser this morning, jesting about the effect of podcasts on his 3WT radio ratings..... 4/13 - DCRTV hears that Bonneville talker 3WT is in no big rush to replace its departing program director, Greg Tantum, who is heading back to California after being brought to DC in 2006 to run 3WT predecessor Washington Post Radio. For the time being, look for 3WT to split its talk and sports programming duties among current in-house personnel, with Jim Farley, who programs Bonneville sister all-newser WTOP, keeping a watchful eye on things..... 4/10 - DCRTV already told you that CBS Radio talker WHFS (105.7 FM) in Baltimore will air Friday's Don Geronimo farewell at 3 PM, even though it has just moved Ed Norris to the PM drive slot. However, we hear that the last hour of the show - from 6 PM to 7 PM - won't get aired live in Charm City because of Orioles pre-game coverage. WHFS plans to air the full finale on tape from noon to 4 PM on Saturday. The live four-hour finale can be heard on Geronimo's home CBS station, the DC area's WJFK-FM (106.7)..... 4/9 - "Not only am I stupid... I look a fright. I'm scaring the children." So jested soon-to-be-gone 3WTer Tony Kornheiser (right) on today's show. "I know I'm not handsome, but I don't want to be scary." The Washington Post/ ESPN sports commentator was talking about his plans for a facelift, particularly the area under his eyes..... 4/7 - CBS Radio's suits in Baltimore will pre-empt Ed Norris in his new afternoon drive slot on Friday to air the final live Don and Mike show, via WHFS (105.7 FM). Norris is scheduled to move from middays to afternoons on Wednesday. "We are planning to run the final Don and Mike show on Friday as our way of saying 'thank you' to a true radio icon, Don Geronimo," says CBS Radio's Baltimore Vice President Of Programming Dave LaBrozzi in a Monday afternoon e-mail to a listener. More in today's Rant. DCRTV reported last week that Don Geronimo moved up his retirement date from late May to 4/11. The show, which is based at the DC area's WJFK-FM (106.7), is running classic bits today through Thursday..... 4/7 - Like him or not, Don Geronimo is a local radio legend. In an era of fake and phoney, you know what you'll get from Geronimo - real radio. Sometimes angry, sometimes silly, sometimes outrageous, sometimes petty, sometimes irreverent, frequently funny. But always entertaining. And after a lifetime in the radio biz, first as a top "top 40" DJ and, for the past 20-ish years, partnered with Mike O'Meara as a top radio comedy team, Geronimo will be doing his last radio show this Friday. So, how does his employer, CBS, pay tribute? Well, in Baltimore they're not running his last week of classic shows plus the live farewell Friday. Instead, talker WHFS is debuting its new line-up this week, with Ed Norris in afternoon drive. We realize that Geronimo's decision to retire this Friday, instead of in late May, came only last week. But would it have been all that difficult for WHFS to delay its new line-up a week, until next Monday, and air D&M's final week of shows? Shame on CBS Baltimore. UPDATE: As of late on 4/7, CBS Baltimore announced that it will air Geronimo's last show on Friday..... 4/4 - If you're part of that diminishing crowd reading the print Washington Post, perhaps you've noticed those mysterious display ads featuring an old VW bug, a microphone, and a witty saying. Something like: "The people want less spam in their e-mail." Or: "The people want less reliance on oil." OK, I do get that the old VW bug was Hitler's "car for the people." That's what the word "Volkswagen" means. But, at the very least, the Post should identify the "ads" as "ads." If that's what they are. Most of the time, it's not necessary to ID ads because it's easy to tell if an ad is an ad. The sponsor's name is right up there. Not so in this case. Once again, the Post wrestles with a journalistic ethics issue and comes up on the wrong side..... 4/1 - Our April Fool's joke..... D&M To Admit Gay Relationship - 4/1 - DCRTV hears that DC "radio gods" Don and Mike (right) will "come out of the closet" on today's show and admit a sexual relationship between the two. "Look, we spend a lot of time together," Mike O'Meara told DCRTV. "I'm not ashamed of that. I'm not really gay, but sometimes I prefer guys. Don is a studly stud." We hear that the two were planning to make the announcement on Monday's show, but an unspecified spat caused the show to be in rerun mode. "It's not an easy revelation to make on the air, but I want to be true to our listeners," says Don Geronimo, who still plans to marry his girlfriend. "I want to retire from the show in May and not carry any secrets. Our listeners deserve to know." DCRTV also hears that a major reason Geronimo moved the show from WJFK-FM's Fairfax studios to its own studio in Rockville was privacy, so the two could "hook up" without being noticed by other station personnel. "When we were at JFK, Mike and I would meet at those cheap motels on Route 50," Geronimo adds. "I love Mike, I really do." Oh, happy April Fool's Day..... 3/28 - According to a poll on the trueoldies1059.com website of Citadel's True Oldies 105.9, 67 percent of the 1,278 voters as of early Friday were not happy to have Don Imus back on the air in DC. Just 33 percent were. In early March, NYC-based Imus was piped-in for mornings on the station, which flipped from smooth jazz to oldies in late February. In another poll on the site, 28 percent said they wanted more '60s tunes on the station, while just 15 percent wanted more '70s tunes..... 3/28 - Nice to hear Tony Kornheiser come out of his "Idol coma" today and chat some funny shit with 3WT show sidekick, and fake Brit, Marc "Nigel" Sterne, who did a walk from RFK to the Nats' new stadium with about 50 (probably all) of 3WT's listeners. Tony was absolutely stupified that Nigel's trek was uneventful, other than being joined by a few homeless people. Oh, Nigel won't be camping out at the stadium until tomorrow night's first game - an exhibition outing with the O's - as promised. Bummer. Hey, Tony, cut back on the "Idol" crap and keep thinking: "What would Andy Pollin do?" Never forget your former WTEM producer. That'll at least get this radio trainwreck hobbling along through June and your departure at MNF Station. Oh, nice to hear the recant about your hatred of David Bowie. I almost believed you..... 3/24 - In my view, this isn't a merger. This is a satellite radio takeover. Mel Karmazin's NYC-based Sirius has gobbled up DC's XM. Yeah, consumer interest in a national satellite radio service isn't intense enough to support two competing firms. There's no debate about that, as witnessed by the fact that neither firm has yet to make a profit. One of these days, one would have probably pulled the plug, anyway. With XM being assimilated into Sirius, radio vet Karmazin will now have to tackle his real rival - consumers' lack of demand for the medium. Look, they've got iPods and iTunes, cable/satellite TV, HDTV, internet streaming and downloading, video games, DVDs, HD Radio (ha ha ha), and regular radio - all vying for their limited time. And in most major metro areas, you can easily get between 30 and 50 over-the-air "old fashioned" radio stations. Plenty enough choice for most folks. The big losers here are the hundreds of talented workers who trek to New York Avenue and toil for XM, most not for much dough. I can't imagine why Karmazin will need a DC branch that's largely duplicating his NYC operations. And so it goes..... 3/20 - Call it the Dan Snyder DC Radio Rule: You need a solid signal before you even think about programming. A la his Triple X sports talker on three weak stations. But the rule should also be applied to Bonneville talker 3WT. Twice, when I've been listening in the past two days, the 107.7 signal from Warrenton has suffered outage "hiccups." Obviously, the transmitter is fed via some internet feed which frequently goes into rebuffering mode, resulting in silence and a chirping sound that can last for 15 or 20 minutes, like it's doing right now as I write this, during Tony Kornheiser's show at 9:15 AM on Thursday. It's an effective way of getting listeners to tune elsewhere. Even more effective than the Globe playing old Paul Simon..... 3/19 - DCRTV hears that media baron Rupert Murdoch plans to make a big deal of it this spring when he launches high-def local newscasts on his Fox5. DC's Channel 5/WTTG will be used as an HD showcase for Fox's local newscasts, which Murdoch plans to also unveil on his other big-market stations, we're told. DCRTV first told you in February about Fox5's plans to launch HD newscasts. Currently, only Gannett's Channel 9/ WUSA offers HD newscasts in the DC market. Also, we're told, don't look for HD newscasts any time soon on budget-strapped NBC's Channel 4/WRC. However, we do hear that Allbritton's Channel 7/WJLA is about halfway through its HD conversion. All cameras, decks, and graphics have been converted to HD, but they're being used in standard-def mode..... 3/19 - DCRTV hears that Redskins owner Dan Snyder really wants Elliot Segal. You've read right here about rumors that Snyder, who also owns the poor-signaled Triple X ESPN sports talker, wants to pick up Clear Channel's DC AM talkers, especially SportsTalk 980, but we're also hearing more rumblings that he wants FM rocker DC101, too. He'd keep the rock format, but put the Skins on 101.1's killer signal. While CC - which is currently in the throes of a Wall Street buyout, and with CC's DC honcho Dave Pugh gone to Frisco and no replacement yet named - is looking at ditching its ratings-starved DC AMers, it remains to be seen if it would let one of its cash cow local FMers go. And its top local radio personality..... 3/17 - Last week, your friendly webmaster suggested that Tony Kornheiser needed the guidance of Andy Pollin, his former sidekick/producer on his old SportsTalk 980 show, to help steer his frequently meandering 3WT show. Well, it was nice to hear Tony, this morning, actively wondering "what would Andy Pollie do" regarding his show topics. (Hmmm. Andy would have probably suggested that Tony not do that hurtful rant on Bing Crosby.) You know, maybe there's some slim "hope" for Tony's radio show, yet. Oh, don't forget, we here at DCRTV told you first that Tony will be leaving his 3WT show in June for "Monday Night Football"..... 3/13 - Today's Washington Post. "Rocket Attack Kills 3 US Soliders In Iraq": 15 paragraphs on A12. "We Won't See More Of David H., On 'Idol' Anyway": 23 paragraphs on C1..... 3/11 - "That's the stupid thing we're forced to do against our will." That's Tony Kornheiser this morning on 3WT, apparently jesting about the Channel 4 sports show that he's a regular guest on. "Full Court Press," hosted by former WRC-TV sports anchor George Michael, airs Saturdays at 7 PM..... 3/10 - You guys and gals are the best! On Saturday, our trusty old XP computer that's been DCRTV's backbone for the past five years suffered cardiac arrest. We had to shell out $600 for a new Vista system on Sunday morning. I wrote about this on Sunday afternoon, saying that we are an independent site and don't have something like Mediabistro or Gawker to buy us new gear when the old stuff goes bad. And how now would be a great time to support DCRTV. Guess what? We got $300 in donations by Monday morning - enough to cover half the purchase. And then another $300 on Monday afternoon - enough to cover it all! Many thanks to DCRTV's wonderful readers. Thanks so much..... 3/9 - From Page A7 of Sunday's Washington Post (right). Apparently, someone at the Post doesn't know that the Post's radio operation, Washington Post Radio, ended operations last fall..... 3/8 - We hear from a reliable local sports source that Washington Post superstar sports columnist Tony Kornheiser "will make it official" this month that he'll be returning to his broadcast booth gig at ESPN's "Monday Night Football." We're told: "That will end his 3WT career," where he hosts an 8 AM radio show. Most likely, like last year, Kornheiser will leave his local radio gig in June to free-up more time for his "MNF" duties. Kornheiser will continue with his afternoon "Pardon The Interruption" TV show for ESPN. DCRTV also hears that Kornheiser will likely return to the DC area's radio dial early next year, after the 2008 "MNF" season, but it won't be via Bonneville talker 3WT, which had expected him to be on its airwaves for a full year. Kornheiser could return via his old radio haunt of Clear Channel's SportsTalk 980, or somewhere else, we hear. But not 3WT..... 3/6 - "Over-zealous dumping issues" got WJFK-FM afternooners Don and Mike removed from the airwaves on Thursday. That's according to a 5:52 PM announcement from show sidekick Robb Spewak. A DCRTVer tells us that at 3:39 PM, "D&M (got) in a hot discussion with an 'older' lady about her sex life and the questions were getting more and more explicit when the 'technical difficulties' tape was played, then straight into commercials." After the ad break, D&M returned in rerun mode. "The show was not pulled," a top JFKer tells DCRTV. Technical issues with the show's delay or "dumping" system, which aids in the removal of questionable program content and language, were the culprit, we hear..... 3/6 - Judging by yesterday's monthly trend radio ratings, Redskins owner Dan Snyder's Triple X ESPN sports talker could go off the air and literally no one would notice. The three-station operation didn't even show up in the ratings. In metro DC, there are more people listening to either of two stations in Fredericksburg, 50 miles south of the city. Also, the numbers don't bode well for 3WT, Bonneville's new talker. It continues to trend down, even after the demise of low-rated Washington Post Radio last fall. The damn DC radio dial already has too much talk on it, and people obviously don't want more. Plus, Bonneville has painted itself into a sticky little corner. Since half of 3WT's signal is an AMer - 1500, it really can't flip the station over to a cheaper music format. I mean, who listens to music on AM any more? Or, better put, who listens to AM in DC any more? Except for a few MALers, almost no one. Anyone want to buy Bonneville's 107.7 FMer in Warrenton? I thought not. What a mess..... 3/6 - A source tells DCRTV that all of Clear Channel's construction to move its three AMers to new studios at its 1801 Rockville Pike DC area headquarters has come to a halt. This would fuel speculation that CC is about to sell sports talker WTEM (980) and talkers WTNT (570) and WWRC (1260) to Redskins owner Dan Snyder, as DCRTV has rumored, or perhaps someone else. Outgoing CC DC head Dave Pugh wanted the three AMers and five FMers on the upper floors at 1801, we're told. The AMers are now on the lower floors. Stay tuned..... 3/5 - We hear that there's a "groundswell" movement afoot at Channel 2/WMAR to get former longtime reporter Andy Barth (left) considered for the news director job. As DCRTV told you, WMAR ND David Silverstein is no longer with the Scripps ABC affiliate. Barth left 2 a few years back in an unsuccessful run for US Congress as a Democrat in the Baltimore area. We hear that he's now teaching in Mississippi but still maintains a home in Baltimore..... 3/4 - Woke up this morning to find that I now get CNN in HD! Plus Food, HGTV, USA, TLC, SciFi, Animal Planet, Discovery, and History got added overnight. In addition to the already offered A&E, Nat'l Geo, Discovery Theater, Mojo, Music, TBS, TNT, HBO, Max, Showtime, Starz, ESPN, ESPN2, CSN, Universal, TLC, NFL, and Versus/Golf. Plus 4, 5, 7, 9, 20, 26, and 50. And an HD VOD channel. From Comcast. Cool..... 3/4 - Howard Kurtz and Marc Fisher "could have saved Washington Post Radio if they weren't so selfish." So jested Tony Kornheiser on his 3WT show this morning. Superstar Post sports columnist Kornheiser was talking about how superstar Post columnists Kurtz and Fisher allegedly refused to host shows for 3WT's predecessor, the now-defunct Washington Post Radio. Kurtz hosts a weekend show for CNN. Kornheiser was the only Postie to host a daily show for Washington Post Radio, which got its plug pulled last fall due to low ratings..... 3/3 - If Citadel's suits were smart, they would have debuted radio bad boy Don Imus this morning on new oldies outlet 105.9. An oldie talker on an oldies station. But they didn't. As of 3/3, the I-Man's new show still hasn't surfaced in the DC market, despite rampant rumors, since he got fired for that "ho" jab last spring. His old DC radio haunt, Clear Channel's WTNT, is still running low-rated business news in mornings. Boring..... 3/3 - The dippy gossip column in the dippy Style section in the dippy Washington Post informs us this morning that comedian Dave Chappelle was seen in casual dress at a Georgetown eatery. Not the first time the Post has reported a local siting of Chappelle, accompanied by news of what he's wearing. Ah, if a celeb who lives around here is seen around here, again and again, that's news? Hmmm. Time for Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts to go. They simply suck! Also in today's dippy Style section, another rerunning of the Post's frequently inaccurate local radio listings, which continue to claim that 1160 WMET's format is "Greaseman" - when when the Grease left the station last fall..... 3/1 - Rant. If Don Imus (right) is going to return to the DC radio dial, Monday would be a good day for it to happen. Imus, who resumed his radio show for Citadel talker WABC in NYC in December, after getting canned by CBS Radio last spring for that now-infamous "ho" comment about the Rutgers' female basketball team, was supposed to get added in January to Clear Channel's DC talker WTNT, his old DC radio haunt. But that never happened. You know, Imus has been recently touting a big announcement about his carriage in the Nation's Capital. So, it looks increasingly likely that Citadel has plans for Imus on either talker WMAL or, more likely, new oldies outlet WJZW. During yesterday's DC radio bloodbath, Citadel did not make any changes to its Fred Grandy and Andy Parks morning show on WMAL. But DCRTV did hear rumblings that a new morning show would be coming to WJZW. Imus on a pretty good-signaled FMer in the DC market would be a very smart move. Putting him up against Elliot Segal on DC101, the Junkies on WJFK-FM, and Tony Kornheiser on 3WT would be a no-risk action. But, replacing the popular - and money-making - Grandy and Andy on WMAL would no doubt raise a lot of listener anger against Citadel. So, will we hear Imus on 105.9 come Monday morning? It wouldn't surprise me one damn bit..... 2/28 - Carol Joynt, who owns the Nathan's Of Georgetown restaurant, recently signed a deal with NewsChannel 8 to carry her weekly "Q&A Cafe" series of interviews on the weekends. However, she writes on her nathansgeorgetown.com website that NC8 won't be running today's interview with Channel 4/ WRC weatherman Bob Ryan on this weekend's NC8 schedule. Why? Because NC8 is owned by Allbritton, which also owns Channel 7/WJLA. And Allbritton considers Ryan's station, WRC, a rival and it doesn't want to bolster the competition..... 2/28 - Marc "Nigel" Sterne, who is an on-air sidekick and producer on 3WT, won Wednesday night's third annual Funniest Sports Celebrity Contest at the DC Improv. Sterne, a Brit, is a past successful participant in the event. The runner-up was Monica Livingston, a retired DC Divas running back. Sportstalk 980's Frank Hanrahan and Channel 9's Levan Reid, both making their stand-up comedy debuts, made positive impressions on the DC Improv crowd and the judges, but could not overtake Sterne and Livingston, we're told. The judges included Channel 4's Lindsay Czarniak and Dan Hellie, Washington Post sports blogger Dan Steinberg, and SportsTalk 980's Holly Fantaskey. Net proceeds benefit Funniest Celebrity Charities..... 2/27 - You've probably heard that Washington Post's superstar sports columnist Tony Kornheiser, who hosts the 8 AM to 10 AM show on new talker 3WT, has been raging against "bloggers" (including, maybe, this site) of late. But, we hear, it could very well be misdirected angst against his own station's management at Bonneville. We're hearing that the core issue is whether Tony will do his show for the full-year or return to "Monday Night Football" in June, like he did last year. And since it's already almost March, and Tony's refusing to say anything in public, many theorize that it's increasingly likely that he'll be returning to the ESPN football gig, while continuing to do "PTI" for ESPN in afternoons. We hear that Bonneville's suits were under the distinct impression, when they launched 3WT from the remains of Washington Post Radio last fall, that Tony was going to do a full-year of radio in 2008. Also, we're hearing that if Tony does slink away from 3WT in June, he probably won't be back next year after his "MNF" gig ends in December. Yeah, Tony could always return to his old radio haunt at Clear Channel's SportsTalk 980, but that gig could be in jeopardy if Redskins owner Dan Snyder buys the station, as is rumored. The Post's ethics guidelines prohibit its employees from working for the owner of a team that the rag's reporters cover. Anyhow, it looks increasingly likely that David Burd and Jessica Doyle's 5:30 AM to 8 AM show on 3WT, with Victoria Jones and Marc "Nigel" Sterne as permanent cast members, would be expanded to 9 AM or 10 AM come Tony's possible June departure. There won't be any Burd-permanently-subtituting-for-Kornheiser fiasco like last year, we're told..... 2/25 - The inside scoop at the two FMers on Jenifer Street is that management isn't handling the transition from ABC to Citadel very well. And is "crumbling under the pressure," we hear from a source. The ad sales teams at hot adult contemporary WRQX and smooth jazz WJZW are "uneasy," with plunging morale. Look for some departures to other DC area radio firms, we're told. Heck, Citadel's DC FM sales force recently lost four top account execs to competitors. Also, DCRTV wonders, could this mean there'll be some big on-air personnel and even format changes at 107.3 and 105.9? However, we're told that Citadel's problem does not cross the hall to its DC AMer, talker WMAL. Old 630 is "keeping it together and (has) a solid sales team and atmosphere"..... 2/25 - DCRTV hears that Channel 5/WTTG has installed high-def cameras at their 5151 Wisconsin Avenue studios, and is preparing for a May sweeps launch of HD newscasts. When it happens, Fox5 will join Channel 9/WUSA in offering widescreen local news broadcasts in the DC market..... 2/25 - "I am not quote-unquote 'a Republican.' I may be registered that way but that's not how I think." Rush Limbaugh, heard via WMAL today. The right-leaning national radio talk titan has been feuding of late with John McCain, the Republican Party's leading presidential candidate..... 2/24 - I am a huge movie buff and saw four of the five "best picture" Oscar nominationed pics (except "Atonement") and really liked them all. Each was great its own way. So, I really don't care which wins. I'd probably give the edge to either "There Will Be Blood" or "No Country For Old Men" and the Coen Brothers as best director. Best actor: Daniel Day Lewis in "Blood." Best acress: Julie Christie in "Away From Her." Both utterly magnificent performances. My only big difference with the Academy is its ignorance of "Sunshine," which I thought was quite cool. But sci-fi films have never fared well with the Oscars. Tonight, I'll probably skip the Oscar telecast, since award shows like this are usually about 97 percent PR sludge. More of my favorite films are at Daveland..... 2/20 - There's a new rumor in addition to the one floating around that Redskins owner Dan Snyder might buy Clear Channel AMer WTEM, SportsTalk 980, and possibly its other two AMers, talkers WTNT and WWRC. Now we're hearing that Snyder also wants to pick up one of CC's FMers, too. CC owns five of 'em in the DC market, but Snyder's rumored to be kicking the tires of classic hits WBIG and rocker DC101, we're told. He's even talked-up DC101 morning man Elliot Segal, we hear. Snyder already owns three area weakish signals for his Triple X sports talker. More as we hear it..... 2/19 - DCRTV first reported rumors in early January that Redskins owner Dan Snyder might be buying Clear Channel's SportsTalk 980, WTEM. Now, we're hearing more rumblings. "I was told by a CC exec in another city that Dan was the leading candidate to buy at least one of the local DC AM stations and perhaps as many as two. He wants to keep a strong relationship with (CC's) WBIG and DC101 so that he will always a AM/FM combo for the Redskins games," we're told. Snyder already owns the DC area's Triple X sports talker, but needs a better inside-the-Beltway signal for it. In addition to WTEM, Clear Channel owns two other DC area AMers - talkers WTNT and WWRC. More as we hear it..... 2/19 - A few thoughts on Tony Kornheiser's return to his morning radio show after a half-a-year away, doing "Monday Night Football." Honestly, it sounds as though Tony's aged six years, not the six months since leaving Washington Post Radio last June, which became 3WT during his absense. The 8 AM show, resurrected in January, reminds me of a visit to Leisure World to visit gramps. It can be a rather pleasant and nostalgic experience, but not something I'd care to do every morning. Last year, it was "old guy radio." And, this year, it sounds like "older guy radio." Bonneville's 3WT is a mystery. It needs a coherent, logical morning show. Dividing time between David Burd and Jessica Doyle's under-promoted 5:30 AM show and Kornheiser's 8 AM heavily-hyped show makes no sense. Especially with the strong possibility that Kornheiser will be gone again for "MNF" come June. And to have no live and local afternoon drive show? How about Tucker Carlson or Paul Harris or Mike O'Meara! It's kind of sad to see the ratings geniuses behind all-news sister WTOP continuing to drive new talker 3WT into that muddy ditch..... 2/18 - From the Fairfax Connection: "Early on Monday morning, February 4, a woman called the DC101 radio show 'Elliot In The Morning' and identified herself as Amber Lynn Koger. Elliot Segal, the morning host told the Connection Newspapers that she sounded hysterical. She said that she had been living separately from her husband and the police had come to see her and her two children to be sure they were safe, Segal related. She said police told her they had gone to the Oak Hill home and found that someone, presumably (her husband Jeffrey) Koger, had shot up the walls and burned personal effects. Segal said that law enforcement officers and lawyers... had sought to obtain transcripts of the exchange, which was broadcast on the radio." According to the Connection, Jeffrey Koger is suspected of embezzling up to $2.2 million in funds from local homeowners' association accounts via his family's management firm and being involved in a 2/2 shootout with police..... 2/18 - Spent part of Saturday at Fair Oaks Mall. And guess what I saw? WMAL talker Chris Core wearing a goofy pink t-shirt and big fluffy yellow slippers. He was doing a personal appearance at a bed/mattress store..... 2/14 - I was driving around Fairfax today in my Volkswagen, when I noticed a dashboard indicator that a turn signal was out. I stopped by Rosenthal's Fairfax VW, where I bought the car less than two years ago. The service advisor told me that they couldn't take the five minutes to replace my turn signal bulb and he told me to make a service appointment and bring back my car at a later date. No big deal, I'll just take it to a service station instead. But - if you hear a Fairfax VW ad on the radio, remember how they didn't have a few minutes to spare for a loyal customer..... 2/14 - I watched Channel 9's 5 PM Frightcast yesterday. After scaring viewers about the horrid ice storm, which was pretty standard for DC during a typical winter, they tried to scare us about the nasty snow we would get last night and the killer high winds to follow, which could topple more trees and powerlines. Oh my God! Of course, this morning dawned to no snow and a light breeze. Man, local TV news sucks..... 2/12 - A DCRTVer tells us: "Monday afternoon, monitoring 87.9 MHz while inbound to DC on New York Avenue near XM, suddenly there appeared a very excited voice announcing that 'WSQT Squat Radio' was on the air to serve 'occupied DC.' Then a taped piece about Japenese whaling was played. A search of the internet shows some mentions of this pirate station going back to 2005. They have appeared on AM at 1680 and 1700 and on FM at 87.9. Seems they like to go on the air when there are protests like during World Bank meetings"..... 2/12 - Rant. When The Globe launched in February 2007, CBS Radio's DC honcho Michael Hughes came on the air and promised the dawning of a cool new era in rock radio, one that would utilize the fundamentals of Washington's legendary alt rock WHFS in the 1980s, which played bold new music and was programmed by folks who loved what they were playing. And a station that would promote environmentally-friendly themes. A year later and what do we have on 94.7? Basically, a slightly harder version of what we already hear on Citadel's Mix 107.3. The best description of The Globe would be "rockish hot adult contemporary." Mainly safe, well-worn stuff. Stones, Police, Talking Heads. Not a terrible station, but not a great one, either. There's the occasional reminder to use energy-saving light bulbs. OK. Yeah, the station has seen some minor gains in key demos from its old classic rock days as The Arrow, WARW. But the overall ratings show The Globe pretty much "treading water" in the 16th-to-18th ranking of all local stations. It's a station that sounds like it's programmed for advertisers, with listeners free to come along for the ride, if they so choose. Over the past year, I have offered many possible "fixes" for the station, and I will not repeat them here. But I can speak for many DC area adults desireous of a rock station that plays cool progressive, alternative, and classic rock - stuff that hasn't already been overplayed. And a station that isn't afraid to play and advocate a diverse variety of cool, new stuff, too. Kind of quoting U2's Bono: "We still haven't found what we're looking for"..... 2/8 - We hear that the New York Daily News is planning to launch regional editions of the tabloid rag targeted to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and south Florida. There will be a home delivery special for $1.99 per week. The Daily News, which is owned by Mort Zuckerman, apparently belives that the Baltimore Sun is under-serving the potential print readership base. "It's going to be an absolute slam against the Sun," we're told by a local media observer. The Sun is owned by Zuckerman rival Sam Zell, who now heads the Tribune Company..... 2/8 - Channel 9/WUSA meteorologist Howard Bernstein (left) "got busted in the face - walking into a door while on a live shot," a 9er tells DCRTV. It happened Thursday during a remote Bernstein was doing from the new Newseum. He wrote about it in his blog at wusa9.com. "Needless to say, his crew and everyone at Broadcast House got a really good laugh at this. Bernstein definitely got a chuckle, too, at his own expense"..... 2/8 - Yesterday, we learned that CBS Radio is making a boatload of cuts. Many program directors across the country are getting the boot due to sluggish ad revenue and ratings. OK. I've got a suggestion for CBS Radio President Dan Mason. Why not get rid of The Globe's PD? The alt rockish station launched last February and didn't have a PD until fall. And, since then, I have noticed not the slightest change in the station's somewhat frustrating "mix" of classic rock, classic alt rock, and hot adult contemporary crap like 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry." The Globe's PD is pretty much getting paid and getting a reserved parking space for doing what seems like absolutely nothing, at least to my ears. Get rid of him. Easy call..... 2/8 - OK, so righty talker WMAL is suggesting this morning that Republican voters in Virginia, which doesn't have party registration, pick up a Democratic Party primary ballot on Tuesday and vote for the weaker of the two candidates - Obama or Clinton. Since McCain has pretty much locked up the GOP nomination. OK. That's fine. But I've got a suggestion for the Democrats - and I know there are quite a few who listen to WMAL. If you get a radio ratings "ballot," write down rival WTOP even though you listen to WMAL. Give the those smart asses at WMAL a taste of their own "medicine." Remember: If you listen to WMAL, write down WTOP. I'll say it again: If you listen to WMAL, write down WTOP. Got it? Good..... 2/7 - Rush Limbaugh's private jet touched down at Dulles yesterday, as the titanic righty radio talker was limoed into DC to meet with bigtime righties who are in town for the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. There are rumblings that Limbaugh had a private meeting with presidential candidate John McCain, who is slated to address the confab today. The two have been feuding lately, with Limbaugh claiming that McCain is not a true conservative. On his Thursday show, Rush mentioned the DC visit but denied meeting McCain. Limbaugh, heard locally on WMAL, WCBM, and WFMD, just happened to tone-down his criticism of McCain on his Thursday show. Hmmm..... 2/6 - A major NYC station yesterday dropped smooth jazz for rock. After 20 years playing Sade and friends. And a Philly station did the same a few months back. Looks like the relaxing format, while it gets pretty good ratings, is kind of like classical. It fails to deliver the pairs of young ears that advertisers crave. Make you wonder just how much longer Citadel is going to nurse along DC's Smooth Jazz 105.9, WJZW. With veteran DC radio programmer Steve Allan now in charge, might we be seeing a 105.9 flip to something more "youthful"? With all that debt acquired from its recent purchase of ABC's radio stations, it's a good bet we'll be seeing something new on 105.9 before too long as Citadel looks to maximize its stations' ad earnings. Also, those rumors just won't die about Baltimore's smooth jazz outlet, Clear Channel's WSMJ 104.3, doing something "new." Perhaps adult urban or rhythmic contemporary? Stay tuned..... 2/4 - We hear from a local 106.7 radio source that you can expect to see Mike O'Meara (right) work his "O'Meara's" Irish pub/restaurant more into his new post-Don Geronimo show come June. Previously, WJFK-FM management restricted O'Meara's ability to discuss the restaurant by name, citing it as free advertising and threatening to charge him advertising dollars for mentioning it, we're told. Hence the code words "Hank's Look-Around Cafe." However, we also hear from a source who tells us that CBS Radio management didn't put any limitations on the mention of O'Meara's eatery, and the "Hank's" references were merely a comedy bit. Also, we're told that O'Meara has sought greater freedom to do remote broadcasts from his Manassas restaurant and bring celebrity guests in as part of the show. However, other sources deny that, too. Also, expect to see O'Meara move the show back to JFK's Fairfax studios and patch up an alleged show feud with the Junkies, we hear. Geronimo had moved the show to WARW's old studios in Rockville to, in part, distance himself from JFK's morning team, we're told. Although still other station sources deny there even being a feud, one JFKer calls it more of a "complete separation" between the two shows..... 2/2 - In a Washington Post article about internet giant Microsoft trying to buy internet giant Yahoo, we see a quote from Joseph Turow, professor at the University Of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School For Communication. He says: "If you look behind the scenes, a few companies are aggregating their power in order to make the web into a marketing business. People's activities will be tracked and shaped by a very small number of companies who care far more about surveillance and targeted advertising than the public interest." Oh, so the internet will become just like the radio business. How else can you explain the fact that corporate giant Clear Channel owns eight radio stations in the DC market, and attracts about one-quarter of the 8th largest market's radio listeners, and yet employs not one news person..... 1/31 - In his "DC Sports Bog" at washingtonpost.com, Dan Steinberg tells us that Channel 4/WRC sports anchor Dan Hellie received 14 stitches for a wound near his left eye (right) after being "headbutted yesterday while playing pick-up hoops in Bethesda." And yes, Hellie will fight through the injury to still provide Super Bowl coverage all weekend..... 1/31 - You've seen them all over the local media - print, radio, and TV - those ads for Tony Kornheiser's 8 AM to 10 AM show on new Bonneville talker 3WT. Good ads. But why doesn't the station also mention the other "half" of its locally-produced morning drivetime - David Burd and Jessica Doyle - in the ad blitz? Burd and Doyle air from 5:30 AM to 8 AM. You know, Tony has not announced that he's leaving "Monday Night Football" in 2008, which almost certainly means he'll be returning to ESPN come June. And whatever Tony-related gains 3WT makes in the winter and spring ratings "books" will be lost in the summer and fall unless it works to promote the other occupants of its morning drive. I don't know how many dollars Bonneville is spending for its Tony campaign, but it's not getting the most 3WT ratings "bang" for the promotional "buck" - that's for sure..... 1/28 - "We're not the biggest planet, are we?" So wondered 3WT's Tony Kornheiser this morning. Hey, how about Fox starting a new show: "Are You Smarter Than A Superstar Washington Post Sports Columnist?" Oh, Tony, any second-grader could tell you that Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus are also far bigger than Earth..... 1/28 - Imagine if you heard this on the radio: "My husband went to So-And-So Hospital Center for cancer surgery. And while the doctors did all they could, the cancer was advanced. He was in a lot of pain and later died." Do you get tired of all these hospital ads in which a patient with some nasty disease quitely and oh so tastefully praises a particular hospital or prescription medication for providing his or her good outcome? Usually to a background of a sappy but tasteful solo piano score. You know what would be more honest? If they got one of those Used Car Dealer Announcers screaming: "If you go to our hospital - you'll live. If you go to 'Hospital X' - you'll die. And this week only, surgeries are discounted 30 percent and you'll get a coupon for a free liposuction or an HD Radio." Sheesh..... 1/24 - I've always thought that John Gibson, the 5 PM anchor on Fox News, is a worthless piece of crap. And now TVNewser confirms my feelings..... 1/23 - Has Lanham-based urban radio giant Radio One shopped its LA FMer, KRBV (formerly KKBT), but found no takers? That's what Tom Taylor at radio-info.com is reporting. The urban giant was allegedly asking $100 million for the urban formatted outlet, its sole station in Southern California. And, Taylor wonders, what should Radio One head Alfred Liggins do in this slumping economy? "At what point is the pain bad enough that you're willing to lop off a problem asset and just quit losing money, and sell it for less? Or do you just hang on for dear life and maybe change formats?" But wait there's more. If, as the above newsblurb indicates, Radio One is having difficulty raising cash, how's the firm going to pay Bonneville for 104.1 in the DC area? Last spring, Radio One launched gospel Praise 104.1, WPRS, on the signal, under a rental deal that was supposed to become a purchase in late 2007 or early 2008. Will the lease agreement continue through 2008 or will Bonneville take back the Waldorf-based "stick." Stay tuned..... 1/22 - Washington Post superstar sports columnist Tony Kornheiser reminded his 3WT listeners this morning that he's so rich that he doesn't have to worry about news that the stock market had plunged more than 400 points at its Tuesday opening. Kornheiser pointed out that he's got mucho income from his Washington Post print gig, his ESPN TV gig, and, now, his new Bonneville radio gig, too. Congrats, Tony..... 1/22 - I don't know. I often wonder about subliminal messages in the media. I just caught an "open doors" ad for Towson University on MSNBC. And, at the end, there's a shot of a flagpole flying no flag (right). Could that have been a carefully calculated message from the school near Baltimore? Or maybe the pole just happened to sport no flag on the day the ad was being filmed. For some reason, the flag-less flagpole just stuck in my head. How odd. Hmmm..... 1/18 - In reporting the news - a day after DCRTV, by the way - that Opie and Anthony are getting canned from WJFK-FM, trade pub Radio And Records reports that WJFK-FM General Manager Michael Hughes "quashes rumors of troubled contract negotiations with Mike O'Meara from the Don and Mike show." And they direct quote Hughes as saying that both hosts are "on the air and doing great shows." Rumors? Um, I guess that the frequently-scooped "journalists" at R&R don't actually listen to the D&M show, because that's exactly what Don Geronimo said in quite plain terms on Wednesday's show. Like we here at DCRTV just made it up? Wow..... 1/18 - DCRTV hears more rumblings about the negotiations to get Don Imus a DC radio perch. It seems that Clear Channel talker WTNT is still the most-likely candidate. "They definitely want him - just trying to work out the business side," we're told. Still: "Despite the mistaken belief that Imus is a Washington insider type, he never had an audience in Washington. That will be the biggest problem that he has in landing a DC affiliate." The sources we talked to say that Citadel talker WMAL wants to do as much locally-based chat as possible, and that NYC-based Imus wouldn't fit the "business model." We're told that Bonneville was thinking about adding Imus to its new 3WT talker - had Tony Kornheiser not come back. But "the suits in Salt Lake thought he was too hot to handle"..... 1/17 - According to the DC Post, Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican Virginia state senator from Fairfax, has introduced a proposal that would allow a boss to fire employees who don't have a proper command of English in the workplace. The measure is obviously aimed at immigrants, mainly Spanish-speaking ones. But, I'd like to see the new law applied to local radio and TV personalities who also have a poor command of English. You know, those who can't pronounce simple words like "nuclear" and "ambulance." Those who mumble and verbally stumble on the air. (A certain Channel 4 anchor comes to mind.) And those who get place names wrong, like calling McLean "McClean." Face it, Mr. Cuccinelli, there are many native-born Americans, including those on TV and radio, who can't speak proper English either. Maybe you can help fix that..... 1/17 - The scuttlebutt about what CBS man talker WJFK-FM might sound like in a post-Geronimo era: The Junkies could get moved from morning drive to afternoon drive. "It pays better and no 4 AM wake-up call," we're told by a Fairfax station source. Big O and Dukes from evenings to middays. The return of El Jefe and J-Dubs to evenings. And maybe a Mike O'Meara-hosted show for mornings? Or something "new"? Goodbye Opie and Anthony and Jim Rome? Stay tuned..... 1/16 - Apparent contract negotiations with CBS Radio kept Mike O'Meara off the Don and Mike show on WJFK-FM today. According to Don Geronimo's on-air comments on Wednesday, the management at CBS isn't allocating appropriate value for O'Meara come June 2008. DCRTV has previously reported that Geronimo is leaving the show at the end of May 2008. There's been no word about what WJFK-FM will air after Geronimo's exit - keeping Geronimo's current crew intact, with O'Meara at the helm, or running something different in the afternoon drive slot. On Wednesday's show, Geronimo said that he's protesting the treatment of his radio partner by doing a "best of O'Meara" show. And Geronimo said that he may not show up for Thursday's show. No comment from CBS Radio DC honcho and WJFK-FM General Manager Michael Hughes. UPDATE: It sounds like CBS pulled Geronimo off the air after the 3:45 PM ad break Wednesday, flipping to a standard "best of" show. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: DCRTV hears that O'Meara, if he becomes top banana of the WJFK-FM afternoon show after Geronimo leaves, wants a salary comparable to Geronimo's. O'Meara makes a lot, we're told, but not nearly what Geronimo makes. Plus, we also hear that there's a battle between show "newsman" Buzz Burbank and defacto show producer Robb Spewak about who will be the "number two" on a post-Geronimo show. Stay tuned..... 1/15 - Regarding DCRTV's "wild rumor" yesterday that Clear Channel may be selling some or all of its DC radio stations, including SportsTalk 980 to Redskins owner Dan Snyder, we hear from another source who can "confirm" that CC "is in talks - and nearing a deal - to sell all three AM stations to Snyder." Including talkers WTNT and WWRC. Snyder already owns three weakish area stations, which broadcast his Triple X sports talker. Also, we hear that the general sales manager of all three CC AMers was "re-assigned" as the local sales manager for CC's DC101. More soon..... 1/14 - DCRTV has a very well-placed source who tells us that Clear Channel is giving very serious thought to unloading some or all eight of its DC radio stations. And the first to go could be SportsTalk 980, WTEM, probably to Redskins-owner Dan Snyder, whose Red Zebra broadcasting arm owns Triple X ESPN Radio. San Antonio-based Clear Channel, currently in the midst of a buyout to take it private, has been selling stations in small markets. If true, the DC sale, in radio market number eight, would be the radio giant's largest market to be sold-off. "It just does not sound right to me," says a veteran DC radio honcho at a competing firm. Clear Channel owns five FMers here - WWDC, WASH, WMZQ, WBIG, and WIHT. And three AMers - WTNT, WWRC, and WTEM. More as we hear it..... 1/8 - This morning, WMAL's morning macho men Andy Parks and Bryan Nehman (Fred Grandy was away) speculated about how the current crop of presidential candidates would look shirtless. Both practically gagged at viewing Hillary Clinton, the only woman in the race, in that state. But both, more-or-less, verbally lusted after the men in the race. Yeah, Mike Huckabee would probably look pretty good after losing all that weight, commented Parks. Mitt Romney "looks pretty buff, don't you think," remarked Nehman. Not that there's anything wrong with that..... 1/7 - Sources tell DCRTV that Redskins owner Dan Snyder did try to unload the signals of his Triple X ESPN sports talker in 2007. But the prices he could get for the three signals - an Alexandria AMer (730) with a light bulb-ish night power, and two FMers (92.7 and 94.3), each about 20 miles outside the Beltway - were way below the prices he paid for them a few years back. Snyder reportedly paid $33 million for the three signals in 2005. The word is that he could sell the stations for $15 to 18 million today. We're told that, in late 2006 and early 2007, Snyder did try to buy WAVA's 105.1 FM signal from Salem and the 104.1/103.9 FM signals from Bonneville, but neither deal materialized..... 1/6 - One of the nice things about living in the planned community of Reston is the hundreds of miles of pathways. And you see lots of stuff while walking and running along the town's roads and through the woods. Why just yesterday, I just happened to run into Cerphe, the legendary DC rock radio DJ. He was decked out in fitness gear, with what looked like a micro iPod on his lapel, accompanied by his lovely wife. Now, how cool is that..... 1/3 - We already knew it. But now we hear it from the horse's mouth. Kind of. Washington Post superstar sports columnist Tony Kornheiser confirmed that he will return to the radio on "the 17th or 21st... whatever that Monday is..." The Washington Post "bailed out" on its old radio station, said Kornheiser, who did admit that you'll be able to hear him "on 1500" AM. No mention of the station's name - 3WT - and that his 8 AM show can also be heard on 107.7 FM and 820 AM..... Jump to Rants 2007, Rants 2006, Rants 2005, Rants 2004, Rants 2003-C, Rants 2003-B, Rants 2003-A, Rants 2002-B, or Rants 2002-A. All original material on this website is copyright by Dave Hughes/DCRTV.

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