Chelsea Handler to Piers Morgan: “Suck My A**!”

To mark the second anniversary of Piers' show for CNN, the Brit TV star joined Chelsea on her hit programme Chelsea Lately last night (January 30). Despite being on the other side for once it was clear Piers still wanted to be the star!

The former newspaper editor spent his entire slot insulting his rival host, who eventually ended up losing her cool and telling him: "You can suck my a**."

Piers' digs included the charming "Either you've had plastic surgery or a makeover as you look really hot today."

Clearly not impressed with his cheeky comment, the 37-year-old comedienne replied: "You are so annoying, you are so obnoxious and you wonder why everyone hates you. I specifically covered up so you couldn't look at me and undress me with your molester eyes."

Katherine Webb Tells Ryan Seacrest She Wanted To Do DWTS

Miss Alabama Katherine Webb, better known as 73-year-old ESPN announcer Brent Musburger‘s crush during the BCS Bowl, revealed to “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” although she’s set to take a dive on ABC’s upcoming Splash, she totally would have done Dancing With the Stars.

Oh, and sorry fellas, but Katherine could soon be Mrs. AJ McCarron!

When asked about the DWTS rejection rumors, Katherine shared: “If I were to do any show it would have been Dancing With the Stars just because I love dancing…I don’t know the technicalities on that, but I know that I was on the list I think, but I had a secured spot for celebrity diving so I went ahead with diving.”

So why did the gorgeous beauty queen choose Splash? “It’s something I never imagined myself doing and at the same time, you know, it’s such like out of the norm idea that people will have to watch it.”

On another note, is Katherine Webb ready to become Mrs. AJ McCarron?!

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Orlando Radio: Brooke Hogan Defends Hulk Over Leg Photo

Brooke Hogan is ready to put a piledriver on anyone who dares criticize her famous wrestler dad.

The 24-year-old daughter of Hulk Hogan leapt to the defense of her father after he got some heat in the Twitterverse for posting a photo of her lounging in a chair with the caption, “Brooke’s legs.”

According to the nydailynews.com, some critics were quick to call out the 59-year-old former WWE icon as “creepy” and “perv.”

A dad can't even be proud of his daughter without sickos makin it something it's not. Really?? Go back to your farm animals. #ignorant
— Brooke Hogan (@MizzHogan) January 28, 2013

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In an exclusive interview with The Buckethead Show on WTKS Real Radio 104.,1 FM Orlando, Brooke Hogan defended controversial photos of herself, including the 'leg photo' and the 'suntan lotion on her backside' photo.  (About 3:50 in)

Bubba Talks To Juror During Show

Bubba the Love Sponge Clem pounded his chest in victory on WHPT 102.5 The Bone on Thursday, spending most of his morning show on the Bubba Radio Network talking about the civil defamation trial he's spent five years fighting.

 On Wednesday, a jury of six sided with the Bubba, agreeing he did not defame the characters of his radio rival Todd "MJ" Schnitt and Schnitt's wife. Bubba hailed it as a victory, not just for himself, but the First Amendment.

  

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Tampa Jury Rules Schnitts Were Not Defamed

A jury has sided with Bubba the Love Sponge Clem in the defamation trial between two Tampa-based radio shock jocks.

WTSP 10News reports jurors found comments Clem made on-air about his radio rival Todd "MJ" Schnitt and Schnitt's wife Michelle did not defame them and no financial damages were awarded.

Attorneys for Schnitt told jurors Wednesday that Clem defamed Schnitt "out of sheer hatred." Clem's lawyer countered by saying that "context is everything."

The jury deliberated for about three hours on whether Clem's on-air statements about Schnitt and his wife, Michelle, were injurious before coming back with a not guilty verdict on all 24 counts.

Schnitt filed the suit, claiming Clem and his Bubba Radio Network defamed the Schnitts and incited Clem's fans, known as the "Bubba Army," to harass the family.

Schnitt didn't speak with reporters after the verdict, but did write on his Twitter page: "My wife & I were protecting our reputations & also standing up for so many others who have been defamed, but didn't have the means to fight."

My wife & I were protecting our reputations & also standing up for so many others who have been defamed, but didn't have the means to fight.
— Todd Schnitt (@toddschnitt) January 30, 2013

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Bubba Vows ‘MJ Funeral In The Streets”

Todd MJ Schnitt was seeking damages of $18,000. He said he paid for a security system of that amount after the egging incident.

But the jury declined to award him a single cent. An alternate juror -- excused from deliberations and free to talk -- told FOX 13 that she thought MJ's team failed to make much of a case.

In fact, Alana Wilshire said the trial had been "absolutely" a waste of time and expense.

"I think anybody that runs and cries and hides in their house because someone called them a name kind of needs to grow up," she said. "Develop a thicker skin. Especially if you're in the public eye."

After the verdict Wednesday, Clem apologized for what a "great waste of taxpayer dollars" that he characterized as a "name-calling, fifth-grade bully-fest." But he didn't miss the opportunity to take one more jab at his rival.

"I can tell you this," he vowed, "we're going to have an MJ funeral in the streets soon, I'll tell you that."

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Bubba Could Go After MJ For Attorney Fees

Bubba hugs attorney after verdict

Now that the defamation trial against radio shock jock Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem is over, resulting in a not guilty verdict, his attorneys say they are now looking into going after Todd "MJ Kelli" Schnitt for attorney fees.

"We'll have to tabulate all our hours and figure out what the bills are," Clem attorney Joseph Diaco Jr. told WTSP 10News.

He made the statement moments after the jury found that Bubba did not maliciously defame "MJ" during a radio rivalry that played out over the airwaves for years.

"None of it was malice ... none of it was intended to hurt. It was classic radio war," said Clem outside the courtroom after the Wednesday afternoon verdict.

Schnitt was seeking $18,000 in damages, money used to pay for a security system at his home after it was egged and a note was found attributing the attack to a member of the "Bubba Army."

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Meet 'Only Person Working Full Time At Programming HD”

Radio Rich

St. Louis radio listeners wondering what happened to "Radio Rich" Dalton, who had been running the 10-2 midday shift at KHTS FM-96 (KIHT), he still is working at Emmis Communications.

He's just programming for the future — which he hopes will sound like the past.

Dalton has been asked by station management to work full-time on running KSHE's HD radio operation, known as KSHE II.

"It's been operating for six years, since December 2006," Dalton tells Joe Holleman at stltoday.com. "But now, I may be the only person in the U.S. working full-time at programming HD radio."

Dalton started his jock career in 1971 with KADI, which rivaled KSHE in the revered "album-oriented rock" format of the late 1960s and 1970s — the days when FM rock stations operated without market studies and computer-generated playlists, when disc jockeys picked their own selections.

Dalton's old shift at K-HITS is now manned by Todd Morgan.

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Jamaica Supports Controversial Pre-Super Bowl Ad

Jamaica has come out in support of an online, pre-game Super Bowl ad for Volkswagen that's taken some flak for showing a white office worker from the Midwest feigning a Jamaican accent to show a cheerful, upbeat outlook.

Some critics have charged that the ad, which debuted Monday (January 28th), is offensive and culturally insensitive, portraying it as referencing segregation-era "blackface" depictions of white people posing as happy-go-lucky blacks.

But in Jamaica, which is predominantly black, but also has white, Asian, Middle Eastern and mixed-race minorities, they've been puzzled by the reaction.

The Jamaican government has endorsed the commercial, which shows the office worker trying to cheer up his colleagues, including by paraphrasing Bob Marley lyrics by saying, "No worries, mon.  Everything will be all right."

Jamaica's tourism minister called the ad, quote, "a very creative commercial which truly taps into the tremendous appeal that brand Jamaica and its hospitable people have globally." Volkswagen has no plans to pull the spot.

Don't Mess With Jess

WKMG Local6 reporter Jessica Sanchez effectively uses wit with a walk-in, live-shot crasher in New Orleans. Sanchez was doing a live report for the Orlando station covering Super Bowl activities.

 

KMVQ Super Bowl Song Soars

Hands down, the most requested song on San Francisco's 99.7-FM KMVQ (NOW!) is the station's own ode to the 49ers -- "Win the Bowl (Go Niners Go)."

"It's No. 1," "Jazzy" Jim Archer, the assistant program and music director for KMVQ tells Jim Harrington at mercurynews.com.
.
The idea for the track was hatched right after the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 20, thus earning the team's sixth trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Shan Clark, the assistant producer for the station's morning show, organized the recording, even adding her own vocals to the mix.

The result is a poppy rap/sung diddy with such playful lyrics as "Forget about Tebow, we out here Kaepernicking..."

And the chorus?

"We gonna win the bowl
Only got one more game to go
Yes, we all cravin'
For us to beat the Ravens
Go, Niners, Go."


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Jury Rules In Favor Of Bubba, Schnitt Loses Case

Todd Clem wins

The jury reached their verdict in about three hours. The jury, mostly women, ruled in favor of Todd 'Bubba The Love Sponge' Clem.

They agreed with Bubba's attorny, no defamation took place.

The verdict mean noo financial damages were to be awarded.

Attorneys for Schnitt told jurors Wednesday that Clem defamed Schnitt "out of sheer hatred." Clem's lawyer countered by saying that "context is everything."

Alt. Juror To Schnitt: ‘Put Your Big Girl Panties On!’

During jury deliberations, a dismissed alternate juror talked with reporters. Alana Wilshire spoke at length with the media.

"I think MJ should put on his big girl panties and get over it," she told WTSP 10 News. "This is a waste of taxpayer money.  I would rule in favor of Bubba.  I wouldn't give MJ a dime!" 

Alana, along with other jurors, are prohibited from speaking to one another about the case as it's happening.  When we asked her if other jurors felt the same she said, "I don't know. We can't talk about it. I've been dying to voice my opinion."

Alana said this case has been a waste of time and pointed out that even she has been called names in the past.  "MJ should get over it.  When Bubba called MJ's wife a whore, it wasn't meant about Michelle, it was a way to get back at MJ. It was aimed at him."

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Attorneys Finish Closing Arguments

Highlights of Closing Arguments In Defamation Trial

Report: Todd Schnitt Has Sued A Rival Previously

Schnitt Called 'Spoiled Little Boy'

Long before his radio fight with Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, Todd "MJ" Schnitt sparred over the airwaves with a rival radio personality in Virginia Beach.

In 1988, MJ worked nights at WNVZ-FM Z104 while Roy Jaynes, known on the air as "D.B. Cooper," worked nearby at WGH-FM 97-Star.

See Also: Both sides rest their case in MJ vs. Bubba trial

Eventually MJ filed a $3 million slander suit, claiming Jaynes called him names on the air.

Howard Stern Voices Support for Bubba

Howard Stern voiced his support for Bubba the Love Sponge on Monday morning, after a caller brought up the Tampa based radio host's current defamation trial, according to examiner.com.

Bubba, who was featured on Howard Stern's secondary Sirius XM channel Howard 101 for years, is being sued by fellow Tampa radio host MJ Schnitt. In addition to calling Schnitt's wife Michelle a "wh**e" on air, MJ claims that Bubba's statements incited his fan club known as "Bubba Army" to harass them in both public and private settings. Stern said that he has been attempting to follow the case, but the crux of the case is still eluding him.

"I have gone online and read about it," said Stern. "But I don’t even understand what I’m reading…It seems like one DJ’s upset because Bubba made fun of him...I didn’t hear the broadcast, but it sounds like a lot of nonsense. It sounds like a free speech issue...Listen: I’m biased towards Bubba. He’s a friend of mine. I like him very much. I don’t know this other DJ, but things can get heated in these radio wars. It’s sort of not a big deal. I think it sounds like the type of thing that on free speech you can get away with and I think Bubba will be OK and I’m hoping Bubba comes out all right. I’m a Bubba guy. So what am I supposed to do?”

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CCM+E Wins MLB Indians Broadcast Rights

Games To Air On Iconic WMMS FM

The Cleveland Indians and Clear Channel have reached an agreement on a five-year contract that will allow the long-time flagship station of the team to carry games through 2017.

Newsradio WTAM 1100 will continue to be your home for the Cleveland Indians for at least the next five years.  However WMMS 100.7 FM— the flagship station of the Cleveland Browns — will reportedly simulcast 144 games over the course of each season, leaving any mid-day broadcasts to air solely on AM station.  

As recent as this past October, Clear Channel was in a bidding war for the Indians’ broadcast rights as CBS’ upstart sports talk station 92.3 The Fan was reportedly making a hard push.

Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus will remain as announcers. This will be Hamilton’s 24th season with the team.

Mindy McCready Denies Shooting Boyfriend

The past few years haven't been easy for Mindy McCready; the country singer has dealt with drug addiction and jail, plus a protracted custody battle over her son with Billy McKnight. But Jan. 13, the day her boyfriend David Wilson died of a gunshot wound, was likely her lowest point in recent memory, as she told NBC's Andrea Canning on ‘Today’ Tuesday.

CNN Shuffles Chairs

Jeff Zucker

Many of CNN’s top talents were being moved around like chess pieces Tuesday.

After new CNN honcho Jeff Zucker hired Chris Cuomo from ABC, he dismissed pundits James Carville, Mary Matalin and Bill Bennett. CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker resigned, and Anderson Cooper learned his show will no longer be repeated in prime time.

Cuomo is expected to be joined by Erin Burnett on a new morning show. The NYPost’s Page Six reported Dec. 10 that Zucker wanted to move Burnett from her prime-time slot “to revive the cabler’s moribund morning ratings.” She is, however, contracted to prime time, and a source says, “They’ll have to throw a bucket of money at her to go to the morning.”

And Soledad O’Brien has been promised a role in prime time.

Zucker has been taking an active role in all departments of CNN, not just human resources. “He is all over everyone at the network,” said one source. “He is e-mailing everyone, around the clock, the anchors, the control rooms, he has inserted himself into everything. It is great for the network.”

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Personality Accused Of Mocking Woman With Disability

Q92's Mo

The family of Kellie Baker of Strasburg, Ohio hopes to raise awareness of bullying of people with disabilities after she was mocked by the host of a show on an Alliance radio station.

On Jan. 21, Baker, who has Down’s syndrome was trying to call a friend whom she hadn’t seen for a while. The 30-year-old said she found a piece of paper with a telephone number on it, so she dialed it, thinking it was her friend’s number. Instead, she dialed the number of Q92 in Alliance.

The host of “The Mo Show” answered the phone. “She thought she was speaking with her friend’s dad,” the woman's mother explained.

The radio host kept Baker on the phone for several minutes, and then played a recording of their conversation on the air. Near the end, Mo asked her if she knew who he was. Baker answered, “No.”

“OK, so I can laugh at you and you won’t know who to call and say you’re offended,” Mo said, and then laughed. “Very good.”

Contacted Tuesday by Jon Baker with timesreporter.com, the radio station issued a statement through its attorney, Amanda M. Paar Conroy of Tzangas, Plakas and Mannos of Canton:

“Q92 and ‘The Mo Show’ would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm its support of efforts to raise awareness regarding the challenges faced by those with developmental disabilities.

Specifically, the station wishes to sincerely apologize again for any actions or comments that could be construed as making light of the challenges faced by persons that are developmentally disabled or casting those persons in any humorous light.

The station’s policy is to treat our callers and listeners with the utmost respect, professionalism, and sensitivity.”

This isn’t the first time Q92 has come under fire for ridiculing individuals with disabilities. In 2006, numerous area advocacy groups, including The Arc of Ohio, urged the radio station to stop airing a bit dubbed “Name that Tune with Mongoloid Mike.” The bit invited listeners to “name that tune” after a character voiced lyrics to a popular song as if sung by a person with a disability.

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Facebook Provides Accurate NFL Fandom Map

Facebook's Data Science team has combed the more than 35 million users who have "liked" a team's fan page, and put it into graphic form, down to the county level.

Barry Petchesky at deadspin.com writes Click the overall fandom map above to enlarge.

Tampa Trial: Testimony Ends, Jury Gets Case Wednesday

Radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge Clem's attorneys rested their case late Tuesday morning.

Clem is fighting a defamation lawsuit brought by Clem's former radio rival, Todd "MJ" Schnitt, who is asserting Clem has made "false, highly offensive and defamatory statements" about him and his wife.

Tampabay.com is reporting Circuit Judge James Arnold denied the defense's motion Tuesday afternoon that the judge throw out the remaining defamation charges. Arnold also denied the plaintiff's motion for a directed verdict.

Court adjourned at about 2:30 p.m., and the decision will likely be in the jury's hands Wednesday, after closing statements.

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Huge Bear Wanders Onto TV Commercial Set

Check out this "cool" video. On an advertising shoot for washing machines in Canada to show off the cold wash performance, the Samsung crew are surprised when a bear wanders into the shoot location.

Thunder Rumbles Again In Tampa Bay

Clear Channel’s simulcast of N/T WFLA 970 AM on two translators has ended with the relaunching of Classic Rocker Thunder in the Tampa market.

W290BJ 105.9FM 60dBu Coverage Map

Two translators, W290BJ 105.9 FM in West Tampa on the Tampa side of the bay and W233AV 94.5 FM in Gulfport on west wide of the bay, are rebroadcasting WMTX-HD2 at 100.7 FM.  Both were simulcasting N/T WFLA.

W233AV 94.5 FM 60dBu Coverage Map

Tampa Bay’s Thunder last aired under the WTBT call letters and was Jacor’s classic rock Thunder 105.5 when it went on the air in 1995. Clear Channel bought out Jacor in 1999 and WTBT moved to 103.5 in a frequency swap with Bradenton’s WDUV. It also upgraded power from 3,000 watts to 100,000 watts and moved its tower, which changed the city of license to Gulfport.

Thunder was the #1 station 25-54 in the Tampa market in 2001.

However, in 2005 Clear Channel traded WTBT’s rock’n’roll shoes for a pair of country boots and flipped the station to WFUS West Florida’s US 103.5, setting up a showdown with Infinity’s heritage WQYK.

  

ThunderTampaBay.com has been registered by Clear Channel, but is now redirecting to iHeart Radio.

Testimony Concludes In ‘MJ’ vs. Bubba Defamation Trial

Kim 'Jabberjaw' Collelo

With witness testimony apparently complete, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem's attorneys asked a judge again to throw out a defamation lawsuit filed by radio rival Todd "MJ" Schnitt.

The request came today after the jury was dismissed for lunch, according to tbo.com.   Before that, they heard testimony from Kimberly Collelo, known as "Jabberjaw" on air when working as a producer, first for Schnitt and later Clem. She now works for a law firm.

Closing statements could come next in the high-profile trial. In the suit, Schnitt claims Clem defamed Schnitt and his wife in a ratings battle and incited Clem's fans, known as "Bubba's Army," to harass the Schnitts.

Today, Clem's attorney, Greg Hearing, argued that other parts of the suit should not go to the jury, based on testimony given during trial. Five of the defamation counts were dismissed Monday.

The judge did not rule on the request before attorneys were sent out for lunch.

Collelo worked for Schnitt's show in the mid-2000s. She also did babysitting work for the Schnitts during that time. She later worked for Clem's show about 2½ years, until 2011.

In an on-air 2008 conversation with Clem, Collelo said a "reliable source" accused Schnitt of fixing ratings books. She also accused Schnitt of receiving "plug-ola" money for personal sponsorships. "There's no doubt in mind," she said in the recording playedin court.

Under cross-examination, Collelo denied having direct knowledge of either allegation.

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Tempers Flare in Bubba vs. MJ Trial

Monday was an emotional day in court for both sides in the MJ vs. Bubba trial as it entered week three. In fact, this is the first day the jury was brought back into the courtroom since last Wednesday.

According to WTSP10News, the day began with Bubba's team asking for a mistrial, saying that the intense media coverage would not allow their client to get a fair shot. In addition, there was the soap opera saga from last week, where MJ's attorney, Phil Campbell, was arrested for DUI after drinking at Malio's with a pretty legal assistant from the same law firm representing Bubba. He then reportedly left his all-important briefcase behind, with legal documents inside.

Was that flirty encounter a setup? Could it be grounds for a mistrial?

RADIO DISCUSSIONS MESSAGE BOARD, Click Here.

Tempers flared from attorneys on both sides Monday. The tension was visible by legal counsel from each team.

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Atlanta Radio Cumulus Taps Perry As Newser WYAY PD

Former WGST 640 AM anchor Jennifer Perry has been named program director at eight-month-old WYAY All News 106.7 FM, according to Rodney Ho at ajc.com.

She takes over for Marshall Adams, who left last fall after just five months on the job.

Perry, according to her LinkedIn page, worked as an anchor and reporter at what was N/T WGST from 2004 until the station's demise in September, 2012. The station is now EPSN Hispanic sports talk.

She was also Rusty Humphries' news sidekick for his local afternoon show, which died along with the format last fall.

All News has drawn relatively modest ratings, averaging a 1.3 share the past few months.

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Arbitron: Younger Men Respond To Sports Talk On FM

From Jenny Tsoa, Arbitron, Programming & OperationsManager:

Spoken-word formats moving to FM is one of the major storylines recently in the radio industry. It seems that every week we open the trades to find another broadcaster launching an FM simulcast or replacing an underperforming music format with news, talk, or sports programming. 

Today I’ll share with you some interesting stats I discovered in the upcoming 2012 report about sports on FM: 

Between Fall 2010 and Fall 2011 (which compose Radio Today 2012), the All-Sports format added 15 new stations, going from 693 stations to 708. 

That may not seem like a big number, until you consider that 14 of the 15 were FM. There were119 FM sports stations in Fall 2010 and 133 in Fall 2011. 

Moving spoken-word programming and sports broadcasts onto the FM band has many upsides such as better signal coverage and more potential audience. But does it fundamentally change the way listeners consume the station? Does it lead to more tune-ins and improved P1 engagement or a higher percentage of female audience? 

To answer these questions, I recently dug into the PPM markets and examined 45 sports formats, splitting them into two groups: AM stations and FM standalone or FM simulcast stations. 

The data come from the first quarter of 2012 (Jan-Feb-Mar average) using a Monday-Friday 6AM-7PM daypart.

Read More Now.  

NYC Radio: Yankees, Kay Extend Deal

Kay Twitter

FishbowlNY notes Yankees fans will be hearing a lot more “See Ya!”. Michael Kay has signed a multi-year extension to remain the Yankees lead broadcaster on the YES Network.  Kay is an afternoon radio personality on WEPN ESPN 98.7 FM.

In December, Radio Ink magazine named his the second-most influential local sports talk show in America.

“I could not be happier,” Kay says. “Continuing to live a childhood dream as the TV voice of the Yankees while working with the best group of people in the business on the country’s best regional sports network is as good as it gets. I can’t wait to start another season.”

Thrilled to announce I have extended my contract at YES. Here is the release: yesnet.me/MKYES
— Michael Kay (@RealMichaelKay) January 28, 2013

“We are pleased that Michael will continue to play a vital role here at YES,” John Filippelli, president of production and programming at the YES Network, says. “For the past decade on YES, Michael has been the voice of the Yankees deftly capturing the drama, intensity, and passion associated with the greatest franchise in sports. He is one of the pre-eminent play-by-play announcers in baseball and is a first-rate interviewer as well, as evidenced by his stellar CenterStage.”

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Chicago Radio: WLS-AM Adds Sports Talk Hour

Lou Canellis, top sports anchor at Fox32 in Chicago, has signed as a permanent contributor to the WLS-AM 890 afternoon show hosted by Conn and Richard Roeper.

Starting this week, Canellis joins Roe & Roeper for a full hour of sports talk at 5pm Monday through Friday on the Cumulus Media news/talk station.

In announcing the change to his listeners Friday, Conn called the new feature “a mix of sports and entertainment — a different way of looking at the world.” The show’s signature Top 5 at 5 feature, a rundown of the day’s top five news stories, will move to 5:36pm and become “sports themed.”

“Driven by the explosion of sports stories and by the appetite our listeners have for them, we are excited to launch the 89 WLS Sports Pregame Show on Monday at 5pm,” Tracy Slutzkin, program director of WLS, said in a statement.

“It’s a natural expansion of our brand of timely, exciting, talk about the biggest stories on 89 WLS. We are thrilled to have Fox 32’s Lou Canellis join Roe and Roeper every day.”

Robert Feder at timeoutchicago, com notes Canellis, a native of south suburban Oak Lawn, first gained widespread notice in the '90s as part of the Bulls broadcast team, delivering memorable courtside interviews with Michael Jordan. He also has worked for a variety of local broadcast outlets and served as a regular contributor to 190 North, the weekly magazine show on ABC 7. He was promoted to main sports anchor at Fox 32 in 2010.

NBC Sports Radio Adds Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb

Dial Global and the NBC Sports Group have announced that recently retired NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb will join the NBC Sports Radio lineup as a contributor, starting Super Bowl week.

Six-time Pro Bowl quarterback McNabb, who established his storied career with the Philadelphia Eagles, will serve as an NFL lead analyst for NBC Sports Radio shows throughout the week and will also call in weekly to affiliated stations. He will be part of NBC Sports Radio's lineup of programming features on Super Bowl Radio Row this week in New Orleans. In addition, McNabb will play a big part in a soon-to-be-announced daily Monday-Friday talk show that will debut April 1, as the network expands its programming lineup.

As a player, McNabb posted one of the best records in the NFL, averaging 10 wins per season over his 13-year career.

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WFAN’s Mike Francesa Denies Police Escort To The Super Bowl

Mike Francesa

Social media was buzzing Monday with the rumor that NYC WFAN sports radio talk show host Mike Francesa had a police escort to New York’s LaGuardia Airport  for his flight to the Super Bowl.

Based on Francesa’s self-important track record, a lot of people apparently bought into it, according to inquisitor.com. But Francesa took five minutes at the beginning of his week-long remote from New Orleans (which is simulcast on the YES television network) to call BS on the claim of a police escort.

Francesa, who famously denied falling asleep on the air last September (see video posting, Click Here), also categorically denied that he had a police escort yesterday and noted in fact that he had to wait on the security line just like everyone else. Moreover, Mike said he received no preferential treatment — just the opposite. The talk host was subject to an extremely invasive pat-down by the TSA because his artificial knee set off the machines (what Francesa called “the metal check”).

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All CableTV Viewers Pay to Keep Sports Fans Happy

Per-subscriber fees for sports networks keep going up: ESPN, the granddaddy of them all, passed the $5-a-month mark last year.

Brian Stetler at nytimes.com writes the eye-popping price tags have restarted debate about a topic near and dear to sports fans, fairness: many TV customers never watch the mightily expensive channels at all, yet almost all must pay. There was a shudder in the industry when John Malone, the business tycoon who helped create the modern-day cable system, said in November that “runaway sports rights” costs amounted to “a high tax on a lot of households that don’t have a lot of interest in sports.” The only short-term fix, he said, was government intervention.

The price increases reflect the leverage big sports leagues have as distributors like Time Warner Cable and programmers like ESPN desperately try to hang onto live programming in the age of the digital video recorder and the Internet.

Sports are the television industry’s bulwark against rapid technological change: while the companies fear cord-cutting by customers who can cobble together a diet of TV on the Internet, they rest a little easier knowing that former customers would be hard-pressed to find their favorite teams live online.

Pretty much everybody in the business agrees that the overall costs are outrageous. Nobody has an easy solution.

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Bloomberg Security Hassles Radio Reporter

In an explosive exchange outside the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C., security guards for billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg accosted senior Talk Radio Network investigative reporter Jason Mattera when he asked the mayor about his strong support for gun control.

NBC Airs Ann Curry On Tape

Ann Curry, Matt Lauer in happier times

Former “Today” show co-host Ann Curry is being further marginalized by NBC by not being allowed to appear live on the network, sources tell the NY Post’s Page Six.

After being canned by “Today” last summer, Curry was named NBC News national and international correspondent/anchor and “Today” anchor-at-large.

But although she’s been filing reports for NBC News programs including “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” sources said she’s been barred from doing live interviews.

One source said, “There’s growing friction because she’s been pushing for live interviews, but NBC will only air her taped interviews, presumably so they can edit them.”

Curry’s relationship with NBC has been uncomfortable after her demotion last summer. Page Six hears she has been trying to get out of her contract, as new Cable News Network head honcho Jeff Zucker, a longtime friend and supporter since he was the executive producer of “Today,” has been courting her to join the network.

A rep for NBC said, “Ann Curry has a multi-year contract with NBC News. The rest of this gossip is nonsense.”

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Kroft: CBS Doesn’t Do ‘Gotcha’ With Obama

Steve Kroft paid a visit to Piers Morgan on Monday night to discuss his 60 Minutes interview with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Having covered Obama for several years, Kroft offered his take on the interview as well as Clinton's tenure and future. "Why do you think he keeps coming to you?" Morgan asked Kroft of Obama. According to Kroft  Obama simply likes 60 Minutes.

"We have a format that suits him. It's long, we can do 12 minutes or 24 minutes," Kroft replied according to a story atmediaite.com. "We do a good job of editing."

Adding that he's covered Obama since his candidacy, Kroft noted it's a "question of fairness." Obama "knows that we're not going to play 'gotcha' with him, that we're not going to go out of our way to make him look bad or stupid. Though we'll let him answer the questions."

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Chicago Radio: WBEZ-FM To Ask Listeners To 'Go Make Babies’

In one of the most clever and witty marketing campaigns in recent memory, Chicagoradioand media.com reports Chicago Public Media's WBEZ-FM 91.1  will be asking its listeners to make more listeners.

In what is being called the "2032 Membership Drive," the station wants its supporters to "Go Make Babies" to create the next generation of listeners.

On this Friday, February 1st, WBEZ-FM will unveil its first new marketing campaign in ten years. Chicago Public Media hired local agency Xi Chicago, a digital marketing division of the Proximity Worldwide/BBDO network, to come up with a creative new advertising campaign.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the new marketing campaign asks "interesting" people to make a love connection with other interesting people, thus creating a new batch of interesting newborns, who will grow up to be interesting people themselves.

Calling WBEZ-FM "Radio for the Curious Class," the ad campaign will ask people to visit the website GoMakeBabies.com, which leads to a Facebook page and app. There, visitors can take an "Interesting Assessment." That "test" will then provide links to current WBEZ-FM content based on their tastes, as well as trying to connect them with others who share similar tastes. The Facebook app also allows people to upload pictures of their interesting child/future listener. For doing so, the person posting the picture can receive a baby onesie with the words "Future Curious Class Member" on it.

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LIVE: Testimony Resumes Tuesday In MJ vs. Bubba Trial

Randy Michaels Testifies At Schnitt/Bubba Trial

Randy Michaels

Some defamation counts dismissed

After the jury was re-seated around 10:45a this morning, Clem's attorney brought to the stand it's first witness, Benjamin Homel, aka Randy Michaels. Michaels was CEO of Clear Channel Communications at the time of the Clem trial for the hog killing. Michael said CC continued to back Clem during that trial.

He noted that Clem's background was in professional wrestling with a tradition of goading opponents, and the two radio personalities would often take verbal shots at each other which needed some mediation by the radio station management.

At the end of the morning testimony, Michaels told the jury he never heard Bubba Clem give a call to action to any listeners, know as 'Bubba's Army' to do anything physical to Todd Schnitt or his wife Michelle.

The trial is now in lunch recess and will resume at 1:30p Tampa time.

Earlier this morning, the judge in the radio shock trial civil case dismissed several counts of defamation against Bubba the Love Sponge Clem but said the rest of the Todd Schnitt's lawsuit can proceed.

The decision came after Clem's lawyer argued for a directed verdict, according to tbo.com.

Schnitt's lawsuit accuses Clem of making defamatory remarks about him and his wife, Michelle. The suit says Clem incited his listeners, known as "Bubba's Army," to harass the Schnitts in a "radio war" that turned personal.

Schnitt's attorneys rested their case today. Clem's attorneys then argued to have the case dismissed, saying Schnitt's team did not prove the accusations. The judge agreed to dismiss some of the counts and let the jury decide the others.

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Judge Denies Bubba's Request for Mistrial

Attorneys for Bubba the Love Sponge Clem – who is accused of defamation by his radio rival Todd "MJ" Schnitt – asked for the mistrial Monday morning.

R.I.P.: Ohio Players Frontman Leroy Bonner Was 69

Leroy Bonner

Funk legend Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner has died, according to the Dayton Daily News.

“He was a great person with a lot of wisdom not just in music, but in life,” said Keith Harrison of the bands FAZE-O and the Dazz Band.

Bonner, 69, who helped make Dayton the Land of Funk, died Saturday following a battle with cancer, according to an “Official Family Annoucement” posted Sunday on his Facebook page.

Bonner, whose career spanned 56 years, died just shy of his 70th birthday, according to the post. “While his family, friends, colleagues, and fans mourn his passing they celebrate fondly his memory, music and legacy,” the posting stated.

The Hamilton, Ohio native was the lead singer and guitarist of the Ohio Players since he joined the band in 1971.

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NYC Radio: Fox5 Tours NashFM 94-7 Studios

WNYW Fox5 Entertainment Reporter Jill Nicolini gives a look at NashFM 94.7 ‘vacant’ studio.

Report: Schnitt vs. Bubba Trial A ‘Circus’

Jurors Sent Home Early Friday

Personius w/attorney

The defamation jury trial of Todd "MJ" Schnitt vs. Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem has taken more of a turn into the circus tent Friday according to swflorida.blogspot.com, as plaintiff's attorney ask for a mistrial, jurors were sent home Friday early, and testimony proceeded from witnesses to the events surrounding Schnitt's attorney Charles Philip Campbell's arrest Wednesday night for driving under the influence and his missing briefcase.

Attorney Steven Diaco had been subpoenaed for an appearance, but an objection was placed by his attorney who had advised Diaco to plead his 5th Amendment rights to not answer certain questions.

Melissa Personius, a paralegal for Bubba Clem's lawyer Joseph Diaco's firm for five years was part of the drama Wednesday night, allegedly with Phil Campbell in a bit of drinking. She invoked her 5th Amendment right against self incrimination and chose to not answer questions about that evening.

She would not answer any questions about her cell phone which she said she did not bring to court.

Campbell's team is trying to accuse Clem's lawyers of setting Campbell up for the Wednesday DUI arrest.

Bubba Attorney Steve Diaco said, under oath, he didn't recall whether he had instructed anyone to call the Tampa Police Department regarding Campbell's drinking and driving Wednesday night, for which Campbell was put in jail.

ALSO READ: Todd Schnitt's Wife Testifies She Felt 'Unsafe' In Own Home, Click Here.

Sgt. Raymond Fernandez, Tampa Police Officer testified he received a call at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday from an attorney with Diaco's office with a description of Campbell and his car and later made the traffic stop on Campbell about 10 p.m..

Allegedly he was asked to "move" Personius' vehicle which led to his arrest. Personious "plead the 5th" regarding whether she went to the bar to get Campbell to drink and to be arrested driving. It was argued further that one of Diaco's attorneys called a friend at the police department to "stalk" Campbell for the DUI arrest.

Defense, for Bubba Clem argued that the trial has not been affected as the jury doesn't know anything about the missing briefcase and DUI arrest and said there's nothing wrong with a citizen notifying the police of a possible impaired driver, and denied anyone was "set up."

Court will resume at 9 a.m. Monday.

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