“Shark” Surfaces On Long Island

Starting at noon Friday , WIGX 94.3 FM – known as 94-3 The Shark -- began its run as L.I.’s newest rock station with its first song, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

According to a story by Kevin Amorin at newsday.com, the station’s positioner, “Everything That Rocks,” is reflected in a playlist that includes: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Sublime, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Van Halen and Foo Fighters.

“The radio listeners of Long Island have spoken - they want more variety and a rock station that isn’t boring,” David Bevins, chief operating officer of The Shark’s owner -- Connoisseur Media -- said in a statement. “The Shark will provide listeners with the energy and attitude that can’t be found on any other local Long Island rock station.”

LISTEN! Click Here.

Connoisseur Media also owns KJOY/98.3 FM, B103/103.1 FM and AM adult standards WHLI/1100.

The new station takes over what used to be the New 94X, which debuted in 2010 and played songs aimed at Generation X. The Shark is going after male listeners aged 18 to 49, a departure from the more inclusive Gen X demographic.

Read More Here.

Tom’s Take: Love Bevin’s statement “the radio listeners…have spoken”!  What a load of BS

Cumulus Gets TV Coverage of Job Fair in Dallas

Radio and TV personality Geraldo Rivera hosted his radio show Wednesday from a North Texas job expo.

More than 5,000 people attended the Put Texans Back to Work Expo at the Irving Convention Center.

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

Rivera said he just got back from a similar expo in New York last week and is heading to Los Angeles next week to do it again.

The job expo was hosted by Cumulus Media Dallas. Cumulus Media Networks distributes Rivera's talk show.

Is Howard Stern Ready To Leave SiriusXM?

The Daily.com is reporting Howard Stern is inching closer and closer out the doors of SiriusXM.

The King Of All Media  a big pay cut last year when he reduced his workload to just three live shows a week, and his shows, which used to run about five hours, were cut down to about three hours. “That’s why he took the job as a judge on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ ” according to a source quoted by The Daily.

“During the month of July, Stern was live on the satellite for just nine hours total,” the insider said. “He’s fed up with Sirius, and has already decided he'll be gone at the end of his contract.”

The 58-year-old Stern has been suing SiriusXM over bonuses he claims he is due because of the increased number of subscribers in the merger of the two satellite radio providers. And Stern’s longtime friend, Mel Karmazin, is being pushed out as the SiriusXM CEO with the takeover of the company by Liberty Media's John Malone.

Read More Here.

Report: How TV's Dish Nation Is Put Together

Dish Nation is a new TMZ-inspired TV show in which popular DJs in five different markets riff on entertainment news and the latest foibles of the Kardashians, various Real Housewives, run-amok performers, misbehaving royals and other celebrity clowns.

According to Kevin Downey at tvnewscheck.com, the half-hour strip from Twentieth Television, which debuted on Monday, rapidly cycles through clips of the DJs recorded during their live radio shows. The gab and laughter — lots of laughter — are enhanced with images of the targets of the DJs' barbs.

For the premiere season that began this week, the participating radio shows are Scott & Todd (Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill) on WPLJ-FM New York, DJ Laz on WRMA-FM Miami, Kidd Kraddick on KISS-FM Dallas, Rickey Smiley on WHTA-FM Atlanta and Blaine & Allyson (Blaine Fowler and Allyson Martinek) on WDVD-FM Detroit.

The show is cleared on stations reaching 95% of the country, including the Fox O&Os in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Pulling it all together is Studio City, a production company in Hollywood. It's a remarkable technical and organizational feat.

Read More Here.

WBAL Baltimore Names Bryan Nehman To AM Drive

Nehman

Bryan Nehman, co-host of the "Brian and Bryan Show" on Washington's WMAL 630 AM radio, has been hired by Baltimore's WBAL 1090 AM to replace Dave Durian during morning drive time, according to David Zurawik at the baltimoresun.com.

Nehman previously anchored morning news on the politically conservative talk and news station in the nation's capital from 2001 to 2011. He's been at the station 12 years.

He started as a street reporter, and "was put in the news anchor chair right after 9/11," Nehman said Thursday.

"Bryan is one of the brightest young men that I've met, and he is the guy who's going to lead WBAL into the next 20 years of broadcasting," Dave Hill, program director at the station said.

Durian

Nehman said the chance to anchor the morning news on a station known for its commitment to news and information was one of several factors involved in him leaving the larger market of Washington for the Baltimore job.

"Number one, it's a great station, and I love the fact that they're local, local, local," he said. "It's very hard to find that in radio these days. Almost everywhere you go, it's syndicated in radio. The company [Hearst] is fantastic from everything I heard. And then, there's the city. I'm a Maryland boy through and through."

Read More Here.

The Brian Phelps & Jill Whelan Podcasts Start

 

Brian Phelps and Jill Whelan (remember TV's Love Boat?) made their podcast debut this week at www.brianandjillshow.com. Each podcast is averaging about 50 minutes. The former KLOS-FM morning personality and the actress-comedian are doing their daily show from studios in Burbank.

Social media rules the day, according Gary Lycan at theocregister.com.   When they began their new podcast, they didn't need a press release. They tweeted and promoted using social media. "It's been a whirlwind, with lots of plates in the air," said their agent Eliot Ephraim. It apparently is paying off. It's a funny show, and people are responding to it via Facebook, Twitter, and www.brianandjillshow.com.

The shows vary in length but average about 50 minutes each. Right now, it's podcast only and available on their website, Stitcher, iTunes, etc. Show one featured Brian talking about his vacation and what they've learned about podcasting. Show two was a plea for someone to call in and talk about sports.

Listen here for "the Rules", click here.

Raleigh TV Demo-Tests Mobile-EAS

On Thursday, WRAL became the first commercial television station in the nation to demonstrate a new technology called the Mobile Emergency Alert System.

According to a story at wral.com, once it is fully developed and deployed, M-EAS will offer emergency responders and the media a new way to communicate with the public in a crisis. It could save lives.

When a natural disaster or terrorist attack occurs, millions of people turn first to their cellphone – to find out what is going on and to check on loved ones. All those calls, text messages and web searches have been shown to clog cellphone networks. That’s what happened after an earthquake rocked the eastern seaboard in 2011. People in Raleigh reported outages of 30 minutes or more.

“It’s a fragile system. It can get clogged. It can be overwhelmed,” said Sam Matheny, vice president, Policy & Innovation at Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc., the parent of WRAL-TV.

Matheny says M-EAS would be a better way to share important information during emergencies, like hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.

Instead of using the Internet or cell phone networks, broadcasters can use a special digital TV signal to send alerts to your smart phone or other mobile device.

Read More Here.

Report: Roy Wood Jr. Show “Canceled” In Birmingham

UPDATE:  The door has opened for a return.  (See Tom's Take below original posting.  I still smell a ratings stunt...CYA: both sides are looking for save face).

al.com is reporting Friday evening that Wood released a "statement" Friday confirming what he says is  the cancellation of his morning radio show.

 "I will comply with management's decision to end the Roy Wood Jr. Morning Show," he said "I hope I have entertained you. I hope I educated you. I hope I brought us all closer, because that is the true purpose of all media. It was a pleasure!"

Kori White, operations manager for Cox Media Group in Birmingham, says not so fast.

The show has not been cancelled, according to White.

 "We hope that we're able to get Roy Wood Jr. back in Birmingham to do his show on 95.7 Jamz," he said.

Wood's morning show on FM-95.7 JAMZ ended abruptly Thursday after a disagreement between his co-hosts and Cox Media Group over an email saying the organization may take the show in a different direction.

A few supporters gathered outside of 3000 Bar in Five Points South Friday at a rally to save the show. The bar is owned by co-host Brian Hedrick, known as B. Money (Tom: Now isn't that a coincidence!).

Stay tuned....


Original posting Friday morning....

95.7 Jamz morning radio show cancellation reportedly blind sides hosts

FOX6 News in Birmingham is reporting the Roy Wood, Jr. Show on WBHJ / 95.7 Jamz has been canceled by Cox Media.

Thursday, the hosts of the radio show told  FOX6 News that they didn't know they'd been let go until they checked Facebook and Twitter.

Wood spoke with Fox6 News via Skype from L.A. The new of the cancellation came as a shock to him. He wasn't on his show Thursday morning and woke up to phone calls and tweets about what had happened.

According to Fox, Wood started on 95.7 Jamz co-hosting another morning show in 2001 and in 2010 he took over as the host. He says the ratings have been good and he can only speculate on the reason for the cancellation.

"I suspect with the station being up for sale maybe they're doing this to cut salary and make it more lucrative to a potential buyer," Wood told Fox6 News.

His morning show co-hosts Nu York and B-Money are just as surprised. B-Money says he accidentally found out about the news through an email from management that he wasn't supposed to receive.

B-Money says listeners flooded the phone lines Thursday morning, upset about the news. Listeners have started a "Save the Jamz Morning Show" Facebook page and Twitter is abuzz with opinions.

Tom’s Take: I smell a  stunt here. Talent notified via a “leaked” eMail and via FB and Twitter would be a first.  Also, it’s interesting to note the show is still listed on the station’s website (how often does that happened) and the FB Save page has none of the usual nasty comments from digruntled listeners. And by the way, Thursday just happened to be  the first day of the Fall Survey.  You decide.  

But more importantly, will Jamz listeners (and Fox6 News) feel used if this turns out to really be nothing more than a “bit”.

Paul McCartney Tops Richest Singer’s List

Paul McCartney is the richest lead singer with a fortune estimated at $800 million, according to a list of the Top 50 Richest Lead Singers in the World on CelebrityNetWorth.com. Coming in second is U2 frontman, Bono, who is reportedly worth a whopping $600 million, with the king of casual, Jimmy Buffett rounding out the Top Three with a cool $400 million.

At a reported $3.5 million per gig, Paul McCartney is one of the top paid entertainers in history. He admits that he's constantly amazed at how much time the press spends analyzing his net worth.

The Top 25 Richest Lead Singers according to CelebrityNetWorth.com:

1. Paul McCartney: $800 Million

2. Bono: $600 Million

3. Jimmy Buffett: $400 Million

4. Elton John: $320 Million

5. Mick Jagger: $305 Million

6. Gene Simmons: $300 million

7. Sting: $290 Million

8. Phil Collins: $250 Million

9. Dave Matthews: $250 Million

10. Prince: $250 Million

11. Dave Grohl: $225 Million

12. Rod Stewart: $220 Million

13. David Bowie: $215 Million

14. Bruce Springsteen: $200 Million

15. Don Henley: $200 Million

16. James Hetfield: $175 Million

17. Axl Rose: $150 Million

18. Roger Waters: $145 Million

19. David Gilmour: $130 Million

20. Steven Tyler: $130 Million

21. Jon Bon Jovi: $125 Million

22. Anthony Kiedis: $120 Million

23. Sammy Hagar: $120 Million

24. Robert Plant: $120 Million

25. Bruce Dickinson: $115 Million

'USA Today' Relaunches Today

USA TODAY is launching a dramatic redesign of its print and digital products, as well as the introduction of a dynamic new logo.  The redesign marks the 30th anniversary of USA Today.

ALSO READ:  “USA Today Is Turning 30, in Danger of ‘Marking 30’” From Editor&Publisher.

Meat Processor Sues ABC News Over ‘Pink Slime'

ABC News was hit with a $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit on Thursday by a South Dakota meat processor

that accused it of misleading viewers into believing that a product that critics have dubbed "pink slime"

was unsafe, according to a Reuters story.

Beef Products Inc sued over ABC reports aired in March and April about the company and its "lean finely textured beef."

In court papers, the company said ABC falsely told viewers that the beef product was not safe, not healthy, and not even meat, an d that the reports have cost it much of its business and hundreds of millions of dollars in profit.

"The lawsuit is without merit," Jeffrey Schneider, senior vice president of ABC News, a unit of Walt Disney Co, said in a statement. "We will contest it vigorously."

Six individuals were also sued, including ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, and the reporters Jim Avila and David Kerley.

Another defendant is Gerald Zirnstein, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture microbiologist credited with coining the term "pink slime," and who appeared in ABC's reports. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Read More Here.

RIP: Dallas Newsman Alex Burton

Alex Burton, longtime Dallas-Ft. Worth radio and television newsman, died Thursday of complications of prostate cancer at Treemont Healthcare & Rehab Center in Dallas, according to a story by Joe Simnacher at dallasnews.com. He was 80.

An adaptable survivor of ever-changing radio and television formats, Mr. Burton had a long and diverse career as a broadcast reporter, narrator, pundit and general observer of the human condition.

“I’ve always believed if you can’t be better, you’d better be different–and he was different,” said longtime friend and former coworker Bob Shaw of Dallas.

Mr. Burton seemed to have a nose for opportunity. His public persona was forged when he added a $5 a night stint to his duties at WBAP-TV, now KXAS-TV, (Channel 5.)

“The midnight news was the thing that made my name,” he said. “By the time the midnight news came around, I was pretty well bored and I tried to perk it up a bit.”

By chance, a plant — a prop left on the set from a commercial — became his sidekick. He named the plant Arthur.

“The floor man was going to take him away, and I said ‘Ah, just leave him there,’” he recalled. “I didn’t think there was anybody out there anyway.”

Mr. Burton developed a following reading the news to Arthur.

“I never checked, but I always suspected they paid Arthur more,” he said in 1983.

Mr. Burton worked in radio in Canada before taking a broadcasting job in Corpus Christi in 1961. He lost his first job in Texas radio after reporting the lack of sanitary restroom facilities at the station. Sulfurous water interfered with bacteria in the station’s septic tank, which often backed up into the facilities.

“The station fixed the restroom, opened it up and fired me,” he said. “As a going away present, the employees presented me the golden plunger award. I was very proud of the honor and still hold it dear.”

Read More Here.

CC-Greenville Flips Shine96.7 to Classic Rock

WROO 967TheRoad hit the air in Greenville, SC Thursday morning and is branding as “Greenville’s Classic Rock”.  The move brings competition to Entercom’s Classic WROQ ‘Rock 101’.

That site is branded as “Greenville’s Classic Rock” which would place the station in direct competition with Entercom’s “Rock 101” WROQ.

It promises to be another 'Davey & Goliath' battle piting WROO's 700 watts against flamethrower WROQ's 100,000.

Wednesday, WROO was spinning the wheel of formats as CHR, AC and 60s/70s Oldies.

For a time Wednesday, the following message was posted on the the Shine96.7 website:

"For the past 5 years, Shine 96.7 has been invited into your homes, your cars, your churches and spent time with your family. We are truly blessed to have been part of your lives. 

As of today at noon, Shine 96.7 will no longer be on the air as Positive Hits. We hope we have been able to bring a positive message to your life during our time on the air but there will soon be a new sound to the radio station. 

To continue enjoying your favorite Christian Artists, we encourage you to try His Radio 89.3 or with your iheartradio app on your smartphone, Christian Hits. 

Again, Thank you for your support of Shine 96.7, its staff and clients."

NYC WFAN's Mike Francesa Catches Some ZZZZZs

Mike Francesa is fading faster than the Boston Red Sox. Not even Sweeny Murti's upbeat Yankee report Tuesday could revive the corpulent talk show host.

It's happened to the best of us!

Beck: ‘Negligent Media’, ‘American-Hating Animals’ To Blame

Reacting to the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Libya that left four Americans dead, Glenn Beck on his show Wednesday called the media “negligent” for attempting to blame a YouTube clip for the killings instead of understanding and reporting on the threat of radical Islam in the unstable Middle East.

The media has suggested repeatedly that an anti-Muslim movie clip posted on YouTube enraged a mob of radical Islamists to the point that they killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in a fiery attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on Tuesday. Stevens became the first U.S. diplomat to die in the line of duty since 1979, Beck pointed out.

Beck explained the attack was planned and coordinated, not a spur of the moment attack based on a YouTube video — a statement that lines up with various news reports released Wednesday.

After ‘Today’ Criticism, NBC News Chief Apologies to Affiliates

From Bill Carter at NYTimes Decoder:

As it promised, NBC did not apologize on the air Wednesday for its decision not to observe a moment of silence during the “Today” show on Sept. 11. 

But Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, did send out a message to the managers of NBC’s affiliated stations Wednesday, which acknowledged that they had been hit with a storm of criticism from their viewers over the decision – and apologized for putting the stations through that. 

The incident received wide coverage Tuesday, mainly because “Today” was the only one of the three network morning shows not to participate in the moment of silence in memory of those who died on 9/11, but also because “Today” happened to be in the midst of a segment that seemed to invite ridicule: an interview with Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the tabloid-darling Kardashian clan, who was discussing her breast augmentation. 

Mr. Capus sent his memo to NBC Affiliate Corporation Group executives, and began by citing the extensive coverage “Today” provided Wednesday to the attacks on the American embassies in Libya and Egypt. Then he added: “Yesterday, we made an editorial call resulting in the September 11 moment of silence not being seen. While we dedicated a substantial amount of airtime to anniversary events, we still touched a nerve with many of your viewers…and for that we apologize.”

Read More Here.

WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon Raises $658,000+

This year’s 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon raised over $658,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The two day radiothon highlighted WOGL’s commitment of giving back to the community. The generous donations of listeners will allow the dedicated people at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to continue their mission of saving and improving kids’ lives.

'Today': Al Roker Babbles During Local Weather Insert

Al Roker seems to be a happy camper on the "Today" show ... despite the alleged tension between himself and Matt Lauer ... and the proof lies in an audio clip the public wasn't supposed to hear.

According to TMZ.com, Roker was doing his usual weather thing Wednesday morning ... when he tossed to the local anchors for the local weather report. For some reason, WNBC in New York didn't cut away from the "Today" feed ... and continued to air audio that Al, Matt and the rest of the unsuspecting gang didn't think was being broadcasted.

During the rare behind-the-scenes moment, Al was pretty funny ... happily babbling to himself while Matt and Natalie Morales had a friendly exchange over how to pronounce the name of Amanda Knox's former boyfriend.

Read More Here.

Report: RIP Sharon McGhee, WVON-AM Chicago

Chicagoradioand media.com is reporting former longtime WVON-AM staffer Sharon McGhee has passed away from cancer late Tuesday night at the age of 54. For 12 years, McGhee was well known locally as the News Director, news anchor, and show host at WVON-AM -- at both AM 1450 and 1690.

Sharon McGhee was a native of St. Louis, MO. Prior to coming to Chicago, she hosted a top-rated morning show "Good Morning St. Louis," for five years on KATZ-AM radio in her hometown. There, she won an Achievement In Radio (AIR) Award on for a news series she did on the death of Emmett Till. Her radio station was sold to Clear Channel in 1997, who changed to the format from talk to music, releasing the majority of the staff, including McGhee. She then wished to move to a major radio market and sought employment in Chicago. In January 1998, she began as News Director for WVON-AM.

While News Director, she also served as a news anchor, hosted shows including "First Light," and launched WVON-AM's first book club, "Between the Covers." Sharon McGhee earned a second prestigious AIR Award for a five-part series on breast cancer she did for WVON-AM. In October 2005, McGhee stepped down as News Director, but stayed with the station as a news anchor. By the end of 2010, McGhee exited WVON-AM to focus on her health struggles and some of her other ventures.

Read More Here.

TV Anchor: Dead Man Expected 'To Pull Through'

Watch as a Houston anchor/newsreader confidently informs her audience that a man who's been killed is "in his early twenties and expected to pull through".

KTAR, Tom & Willy To Start Content Deal

KTAR and longtime Arizona radio personalities Tim and Willy have announced a partnership that will include the development of original digital content to be distributed at KTAR.com, TimandWilly.com and through social media channels.

"We've always admired Tim and Willy's commitment to this market," said Ryan Hatch, Bonneville Media Vice President of News and Sports Content. "At KTAR.com, they'll now have a large, locally engaged audience to share their stories, songs and humor with their loyal following.

"They will also be introducing their unique style of local entertainment to the KTAR audience."

Known primarily as music radio personalities, Tim and Willy say the KTAR partnership will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge, insights and interests in local news and sports, with their trademark wit and musical parody chops on full display.

"Although we've been off the air for three months, the Tim and Willy show has continued every day online," stated Tim. "We're thrilled to join KTAR.com to give our fans better access to our content than ever before!"

Content from TimandWilly.com will begin to appear on KTAR.com on Wednesday, September 19.

Glenn Beck’s On-Line TheBlazeTV Does Dish Deal

Continuing on an upward trajectory, Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of TheBlazeTV– formerly GBTV — with a significant expansion into the world of satellite television. Partnering with DISH Network, Glenn Beck’s online 24-hour news, information and entertainment network will now be available on television exclusively on DISH, joining a host of channels including MSNBC, BBC America, CNN, Current, Comedy Central and FOX News.

After launching exactly one year ago, TheBlazeTV rapidly grew into one of the world’s most subscribed-to online streaming networks. TheBlazeTV will be available to DISH viewers on channel 212 as part of DISH’s America’s Top 250 package or a la carte for $5 a month. The channel launches on Wednesday, September 12, at 5 p.m. EDT.

TheBlaze and its host of established and emerging talent including Andrew Wilkow, S.E. Cupp, Buck Sexton and Will Cain, will offer its programming as a free preview for all DISH customers through Sept. 26.

Of course, TheBlazeTV will continue to be available online at TheBlaze.com, where on-demand programs can be accessed with the click of a mouse.

“After being phenomenally successful with his online streaming network, we’re pleased to host Glenn Beck’s return to broadcast TV, especially during this exciting and important political season,” said DISH CEO and President Joseph Clayton in an official press release. “With Glenn’s return, DISH is truly the one stop for news, opinion and perspective across the full political spectrum.”

Excited for the future, Beck added, “TheBlaze has helped revolutionize television over the Internet and now we are excited to bring the revolution back to traditional television.”

HD Radio Gets Boost From Automakers

The Federal Communications Commission, fearful that new multiple digital stations would interfere with existing analog stations, limited their signal strength to a mere 1 percent of that of the analog station, according to Stephen Baldacci, spokesman for iBiquity Digital Corporation, the company that promotes HD radio.  One percent!

It is a wonder we could pick up the stations at all.  Fortunately, after a few years of experience showing that the HD stations did not knock out the analog ones, the FCC has boldly upped HD power to a whopping 10 percent of the analog signal.

While this still sounds pathetically weak, digital stations don’t require as much power, so at 10 percent the signal could be as strong as an analog broadcast.  “At full strength, you’d be able to hear an HD signal in Moscow,” Baldacci joked to Dan Carney for a story at nbcnews.com.

The receivers are improving too.  The Sony radio in the Ford Focus has a tuner that is optimized for HD reception and it showed solid reception of many HD stations in the Washington, D.C., area.

Many current models’ radios have two annoying problems that make HD radio difficult-to-impossible to listen to.  On the station’s main channel, as the radio picks up the HD signal it switches to that, and then when it loses it, it switches back to analog.  This is good for demonstrating the superiority of HD sound, but bad for listening when the signal switches constantly, because it sounds like someone alternately stuffing socks into the speakers and then removing them.

New radios, Baldacci explained, are designed so that they switch between the two less abruptly, so the change isn’t annoyingly noticeable.

Read More Here.

Zuckerberg Talk Drives Facebook Stock Up

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s talk with TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington drove up Facebook stock 4.58% in after-hours trading Tuesday.

Zuckerberg spoke energetically and candidly about the company’s stock, mobile strategy, and shortcomings, among other things.

For more coverage, click here.

'The Butler': Fonda, Rickman Spooky as the Reagans

"The Butler" is a new movie from director Lee Daniels ("The Paperboy," "Precious") that chronicles the life of Eugene Allen (played by Forest Whitaker), a butler in the White House for three decades and eight U.S. presidents.

According to Andrea Reiher at Zap2It.com, the movie has gotten a star-studded cast to play the former POTUSes and their wives -- Robin Williams and Melissa Leo as the Eisenhowers, James Marsden and Minka Kelly as the Kennedys, Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, John Cusack as Richard Nixon and Jane Fonda and Alan Rickman as the Reagans.

"The Butler" is slated for a 2013 release.

Read More Here.

Radio’s Rush, Hannity Rip Biden's 'Bittersweet' Remark

Conservative radio hosts Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh on Tuesday each took to the airwaves to slam Vice President Joe Biden for calling the 9/11 anniversary a “bittersweet moment” at a Flight 93 memorial event.

According to Mackenzie Weinger at politico.com, Hannity blasted Biden as either “callous” or “ignorant beyond belief” for using the word “bittersweet” to discuss the 9/11 anniversary, and Limbaugh told his listeners that “with 9/11, it’s all bitter.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Biden addressed a crowd at the United Airlines Flight 93 memorial and said it was a “genuine honor” to be there.

“But like all of the families, we wish we weren’t here. We wish we didn’t have to be here. We wish we didn’t have to commemorate any of this. And it’s a bittersweet moment for the entire nation, for all of the country, but particularly for those family members gathered here today,” Biden said in Shanksville, Pa.

With the “bittersweet” remark, Hannity said that the “vice president buffoon is at it again.”

“Does he even know what the word bittersweet means? What on earth is bittersweet about what happened on 9/11? Explain the sweet part, Mr. Vice President,” Hannity said.

“What happened on 9/11 was unmitigated evil,” he added after playing a clip from Biden’s 9/11 speech. “I don’t see describing it bittersweet. It either means you’re just callous or you’re just ignorant beyond belief and don’t know the meaning of what the term bittersweet is.”

Limbaugh, meanwhile, also told listeners he took offense at Biden’s comment, asking, “What is bittersweet about 9/11?”

“Clint Eastwood was right. This guy is the intellect of the Democrat Party. What is bittersweet about 9/11? … What does he think it is? With 9/11, it’s all bitter. What’s bittersweet? ‘Oh, Rush, that’s just Joe. That’s just Joe.’ The networks will tell you, the media. ‘It’s just Joe. It’s just Joe. His intentions, he really means well. He’s got a big heart. Really cares.’ Oh, okay. Okay. Fine,” Limbaugh said, according to a transcript on his site.

Read More Here.

President Obama Chats with 'Pimp with the Limp' DJ Laz

President Obama continues reaching out to non-traditional media to spread the campaign word, appearing in a pre-recorded interview that aired  Tuesday  morning on  Spanish WRMA 106.7 FM with DJ Laz AKA “the pimp with the limp.”

President Obama also found time to call WPYO / POWER 95.3 in Orlando this week.

He talked with The Obie & Lil' Shawn Show.

To Listen, click here.

Your Career: Lessons From Snooki

How to Revamp Your Personal Brand

From Heather Huhman for personalbrandingblog.com

Some noteworthy examples of such transformations are evident in no stranger a place than reality television, the boundary between real life and pop culture where regular people are elevated to the level of superstardom seemingly overnight.

Enter Nicole Polizzi aka Snooki.

One of the controversial stars of MTV’s reality mega-hit “The Jersey Shore.” From episode, her drunken antics, animal-print accouterments, fuzzy slipper obsession, quarrels with housemates and adherence to the gym-tan-laundry (GTL) lifestyle garnered her much attention from the media and public at large. Despite negative commentary, Snooki capitalized on her role in the show’s success, making countless public appearances and creating a product line named after her signature hairstyle, Poof Nation. Offerings included Snooki-approved products such as house slippers and over-sized sunglasses. 

Critics of the Snooki way of life who thought an end to her 15 minutes of fame was long overdue had a field day when photos of a publicly intoxicated Snooki emerged. The public at large and even her own father urged that she enter a rehab facility 

News of the one who seemed to have built a reputation around being an outrageous, pint-sized party girl being paid an exorbitant dividend for delivering a commencement speech to Rutger’s University graduating class of 2011 spread like wildfire. She seemed to be an inescapable force: Snooki and a female Jersey Shore castmate announced that they’d be starring in an MTV spinoff, then the blogosphere went into overdrive when Snooki confirmed reports that she was indeed pregnant with her first child. 

Then a metamorphosis occurred. Almost overnight, the once loud and opinionated mom-to-be took on a calmer, family friendly persona. 

Snooki’s transformation from club hopper to mother was not an easy one and has implications for professionals in every career field who could benefit from a personal brand overhaul. 

Take It From Snooki: Three Tips For Revamping Your Personal Brand, click here.

The Rise & Fall (& Rise) Of The Fabulous Sports Babe

Nanci Donnellan, better known as the Fabulous Sports Babe, walked slowly one afternoon this past April to a table at a gelato shop on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg. She wore white Easy Spirit sneakers and a pink T-shirt and baggy rainbow-striped shorts. Her hands shook slightly.

"I'm the Babe," she told Michael Kruse at Grantland.com.

Donnellan once was a sports-talk radio phenomenon, loud, brash, and 5-foot-2 and 300-plus pounds. She quickly became one of the top personalities on ESPN Radio when she debuted in the summer of 1994. She was the first woman ever to host a nationally syndicated sports show, and many in the industry consider her a trailblazer not just because of her gender but also because of her caustic, entertainment-first, sports-second style. She was the first person to have her sports radio show translated to TV. She signed a lucrative book deal with ReganBooks, the same publisher who turned Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern into best-selling authors. She was a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. She was written about in Newsweek.

It was a long way down. She got sick. Shows got canceled. She went mostly silent. This past January, she was in her fourth year doing a local show in a midday slot on the second-tier AM sports station in the Tampa Bay market, near her home, when she disappeared. The station said she had health problems. It was hard to know when or if she would return. She was replaced in late February.

In April, at the gelato shop, she sat at the table and took off her sunglasses.

"On January 22, I had a stroke," she said. "You're the first person I've told that to."

But now she was better, she said, or at least getting better, and going to a speech pathologist. At times, she spoke sort of deliberately, but her diction was unmuddled. She thought she was ready to be back on the air.

The Babe wanted to work again, Nanci said. "I'd go anywhere at all."

Read More here.

Mark & Mo Gone From WEBN Cincy

Mark Smith (left) and Maurice “Mo” Jovan and 102.7 FM WEBN Cincinnati apparently have parted ways today.  The duo are no longer listed on the station’s website.  They were hired Feb. 7^th of this year. They replaced “Dawn Patrol” talent Wildman Walker and Bob Berry, who were let go a year ago this month.  The party comes just 10 days after the duo hosted the Cincinnati Bell/WEBN-FM fireworks.

Mark and Mo previously hosted the morning show in Columbus on WRKZ-FM (99.7) The Blitz. Mark is a lifetime Ohio resident and previously worked at WXLE and WRZR in Columbus. Mo, a stand-up comic and entertainer, started his radio career at WYNF in Tampa, Fla. He also co-hosted the morning show at 98 Rock WIYY in Baltimore, Md.

There’s also a report that WEBN Casey Krukowski is also out. Krukowski was hired in May 2011. 

He was previously at Clear Channel’s alternative Rock station WRXL in Richmond for ten years.

'Today' Skips 9/11 M-O-S For Kardashian Mom Interview

At 8:46 AM, in New York City and at the White House in Washington DC, there was a moment of silence to remember when the first plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In New York, the NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority Police and the families of the victims were present, while in Washington the President and the First Lady led the moment.

According to Alex Weprin at TV Newser, the cable networks all carried it, with ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning” carrying it as well. The only national general news program to not carry the moment of silence was NBC’s ‘Today,” which, in an odd bit of counter-programming, opted to air an interview with “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star Kris Jenner, who talked about the new season of the reality show, and her breast implants.

Read More Here.

A “Today” rep defended the network’s bone-headed decision reports the NYDailyNews.

“The `Today’ show dedicated a considerable amount of time to September 11th coverage this morning throughout the entire show,” said NBC News spokeswoman, Megan Kopf.

Earlier during show, “Today” aired a lengthy segment about 9/11.

But the callous decision to ignore the moment of silence left “Today” rivals in shock — especially at “Good Morning America” which is engaged in a fierce battle for viewers but still managed to carry the somber ceremony.

“It’s so typical,” sniffed a “GMA” insider. “Obviously they are more concerned about their ratings then anything else, but this just takes it to a whole new low.”

Read More Here.

TV Anchor Recalls Covering Shanksville Crash

When Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001, WNEP's Jon Meyer was the first reporter on scene, according to a story by Bob Kalinowski in the Citizens Voice.

Jon Meyer 9/11/01

A rookie reporter for WJAC-TV in nearby Johnstown, PA  Meyer crept close to the deep smoking crater and flaming debris before delivering the first news reports from where the doomed airliner crashed down in a remote field.

"My first words were, 'The only way to describe this scene is haunting,'" Meyer recalled Monday. "I could hear it in my voice all these years later, knowing I stood right next to where so many people died."

The National Park Service, which is creating a permanent memorial at the site, invited Meyer to speak at a ceremony this past Saturday to mark 11 years since that fateful day. Meyer spoke about his role in covering the historic story and clips from his first broadcasts were played to a large crowd that included families of the victims.

"It was crazy to see this 24-year-old kid doing such an important story. I can't believe how young I was back then - to be dealing with such a big story," said Meyer, who joined WNEP (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA) in the summer of 2003. "My adrenaline was going. It was obviously going to be one of the biggest national stories in history."

Meyer said he and his photographer were at the crash scene within 25 minutes, as emergency crews were still arriving. Police stopped his photographer about 100 yards away, but he managed to get within feet of the impact zone to absorb the enormity of what occurred and see the distraught faces of first responders. Later in the day, after the national press arrived and the FBI held a news conference, reporters learned a passenger uprising on the plane had forced it down to avoid a catastrophic terrorist act in Washington, D.C., he said.

Read More Here.

Are Media Buyers Getting Cash Back?

From Jack Neff, Advertising Age

Rebates, or, as they are sometimes more colorfully termed, "agency volume bonification" (based on the word bonus), are loosely defined as an agency's receipt of a volume discount or compensation from media buys that is not necessarily passed on to the client. But even some critics of rebates say they are a natural outgrowth of marketers' efforts to squeeze agency costs.

They say that marketers' efforts to pare costs, eliminate commissions that reward the most expensive media plans and create agency incentives for media performance could ironically be boxing agencies into the kind of cost-plus deals and tightly constrained margins that lead to creative deal structures.

That's bunk, declares Judy Beaudry, a former Procter & Gamble Co. media executive who is now VP-media at Kao USA. "I understand everybody wanting to ensure maximum revenue," Ms. Beaudry said. "Times are tough. But you've got to respect what the business relationship is at its core. And agencies, especially some of the big holding companies, have seen their revenues increase a whole lot faster than their clients.

"It's just wrong. I don't mean the rate of increase; I mean taking these kinds of things on the side. It's not like their houses are burning down and they've got to find a way to keep the place open," she added.

"I have never understood agencies getting a benefit off of clients' dollars," she said. "It just rubs me the wrong way. It's a fiduciary responsibility. They're supposed to be helping me spend my money best. And that's best for me, not best for them."

Read More Here.

WBLS' Dillard Excited About Ratings Turnaround

From Jerry Barmash at mediabistro.com

It’s been one year since WBLS/107.5 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The result of which led to YMF Media taking majority control from original owner, Inner City Broadcasting. 

 However, a confluence of events has resulted in WBLS scoring its best achievement since debuting almost 40 years ago. 

In April, Disney acquired the FM signal from KISS FM/WRKS, meaning black music for listeners wedged between hip-hop and Jazz was down to just one station.  At the same time, ‘BLS was struggling to keep its playlist fresh and revenue streaming. 

With ESPN moving to 98.7 FM, WBLS smartly took advantage of the situation. Within days, WBLS had become a de facto merger with KISS. Air personality Shaila Scott resumed middays, while popular Kissing After Dark host Lenny Green was back in his familiar daypart as well.

“This definitely helped former WRKS P1′s to feel more comfortable switching over and, these talents bring a lot to the table.” WBLS operations manager, Skip Dillard tells FishbowlNY. “They were all chosen [based on] talent and recognition in the community.”

Read More Here.

"My Year At Chicago's FM News 101"

From Brendan Greeley for the Steve Dahl Network

I’d never been in a conference room quite like that.  It was on the 54th floor of the building at 330 N. LaSalle.  The main offices of GTCR showcased more marble than the Taj Mahal.  I guess that’s the kind of presentation you need to have when your company manages $8 billion in investments.  I was blown away by the view.  I could see Lake Michigan unobstructed, turn and see Union Station and the Sears(OK, fine…Willis) Tower to my right and then pivot back left and gaze all the way up north to Evanston. 

It was a bonus that Potbelly’s sandwiches and Cokes were being provided.  Given how easily impressed I am by a free lunch, it’s not surprising it was my first time in this type of power meeting environment. 

I took a spot at the enormous square table with my plate and drink alongside three other news writers.  We were the first four hires among the writing staff and seemed to be the focal point of this particular gathering.  The remaining seats were filled with editors, anchors, reporters and managers that had been assembling all week.  My former WBBM-AM co-worker Belinda Babinec had called me a few weeks prior and told me that a man named Andy Friedman was ready to hire me on her recommendation without an interview.  So, this day marked the first time I’d actually be meeting the boss.  Friedman thanked us all for coming and began to launch into exactly what we were all doing here. He reiterated one point, again and again: A strict ‘No Asshole’ policy.  He wasn’t hiring anyone with an ego.  It was going to be a team effort with a strong sense of individuality and humanity. I sensed a rush of excitement and energy in the room as he told us how democratically and uniquely this business would be run compared to our previous job experiences.

Read More Here.

GoDaddy Down, Anonymous Claims Responsibility

GoDaddy, the domain registrar and Web hosting company, is down, perhaps taking millions of websites down as a result, according to a story at CBSNews.com.

"Status Alert: Hey, all. We're aware of the trouble people are having with our site. We're working on it," @GoDaddy tweeted Monday.

A quick call to the company's customer service line resulted in this voice message:

"If you are having a problem with your email, we are aware of the problem."

TechCrunch reports that GoDaddy email addresses are down, as well. The blog suggests customers concerned with that their site has been affected can check online status at Down For Everyone Or Just Me.

Twitter accounts claiming to be associated with the hacking group Anonymous claimed responsibility for the attack.

Read More Here.

Another Death Hoax: Morgan Freeman Is Alive & Well

Popular actor Morgan Freeman was reported as dead earlier this week, causing concern among thousands of his fans and moviegoers across the world. However, the September 2012 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports, according to a story  by  Daniel  Blake, writing for the Christian Post.

The fake death report was made by a specially created Facebook group earlier this week saying that the actor had passed away. Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented actor was dead.

The Facebook group has been liked by more than 60,000 people, which is an extremely high amount compared to other similar group pages set up in the past to spark death rumors about other celebrities. Some are saying this shows Freeman's extreme popularity among fans across the globe.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Freeman's stature would be major news across networks.

Read more here.

Also Read:  Tom Kenny "Dead Tweet' Not True,  click here.

Emma Watson Is Most Dangerous Celeb To Search

Emma Watson has taken over the #1 spot from Heidi Klum as the most dangerous celebrity to search for on the Web. Best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movie series, this British actress has grown up in the spotlight and her actions are followed by the press. Searches for the latest Emma Watson pictures and free downloads have more than a 12% chance to land on a malicious site that has tested positive for spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses or other malicious stuff.

This year marks the first time that the entire Top 10 list is comprised of all women, and Latin women and singers pose a bigger risk than most. Amazingly, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson were all absent from this year’s list despite the publicity surrounding the Cruise-Holmes divorce and the Stewart-Pattinson cheating scandal.

Cybercriminals often use the names of popular celebrities to tempt viewers to visit websites that are actually laden with malicious software. Anyone looking for the latest videos or pictures could end up with a malware-ridden computer instead of the trendy content they were expecting.