Friday, December 14, 2012

Reports: 2DAY FM Jocks Get Protection

Employees at the Sydney radio station that made a hoax call to Kate Middleton’s hospital have reportedly taken extreme measurs to protect their security, in the wake of nurse Jacintha Saldanha’s body being released to undertakers.

Marieclaire.co.uk reports managers at 2Day Fm are believed to have hired bodyguards as they fear a backlash from the public after the coroner’s report on the nurse’s death. Sydney Police are also investigating death threats made against station staff including DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian who phoned King Edward VII hospital impersonating the Queen and Prince Charles.

Some reports suggest the radio hosts have been moved to safe houses for their own protection after they obtained private details about Kate Middleton’s condition while she was receiving treatment for acute morning sickness.

An inquest into Jacintha’s death held Thursday  heard that the mother-of-two was found with injuries to her wrists and three notes, two in her room at the hospital and one on her.

Detective Chief Inspector James Harman said: ‘On Friday, December 7, Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging.

‘At this time there are no suspicious circumstances.’

An investigation has been launched into whether 2Day FM broke broadcasting laws when they aired a recording of a person in conversation without their knowledge.

CC NYC Gets New VPs/Programming, Sales

In a pre-holiday move, Thea Mitchem has been named as VP/Programming at CCM+E in New York City.  The company also appointed Bernie Weiss as VP/Sales for the market cluster.

Both will report to Joe Puglise, President/Market Manager effective January 1st.

Mitchem has been CC’s President/Market Manager in The Baltimore/Washington, DC market since May of 2011.

"I'm excited to join the Clear Channel Media and Entertainment team in New York City and look forward to working with the incredible programming teams and talented people that make up some of the most iconic brands in our business," said Mitchem, who began her radio career at WPGC/Washington in the '90s.

She joined Clear Channel in 2003 as Director of Urban Programming for WUSL and WDAS-FM & AM/Philadelphia.

Mitchem will  oversee all programming for the five station cluster, which includes Top 40 WHTZ (Z100), Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3), Top 40 WKTU, AC WLTW and Urban WWPR. She will manage the strategy and execution of the stations' brands, increasing audience engagement for the market’s broadcast, digital and live entertainment operations. 

Weiss is currently GSM for the New York City cluster.  He’s been with the company since 2004 and has worked his way up from an account executive.

"Over the past few years I have seen firsthand how the company has grown and evolved," said Weiss. "I'm looking forward to building on Clear Channel New York's strength and working with one of the most talented sales teams in the country to convert more non-radio advertisers to our medium as well as our digital assets." 

Alan Furst Gets To Return To Houston

Veteran programmer Alan Furst is leaving News/Talk WIBC Indianapolis for Houston.  He’s been named new PD forRadio One’s newser KROI News 92 FM.

News 92 has been on-air for a little over a year and programming duties have been handle by Houston-based consultant Ed Shane, along with Radio One’s national programmer staff.

Furst is a former consultant with Shane Media.

"I'm thrilled to return to Houston join News 92 FM," said Furst. "Radio One has put together a great team and the energy in the building is electric. We're going to build something very big and very special that will become a force in the nation’s fourth largest city."

Radio One RVP Doug Abernathey remarked, "Alan is exactly the programming pro we've been looking for. He's got the talent, the drive, the enthusiasm, and, most importantly, a track record of success. He knows the market, he knows the format, and we are confident Alan can deliver big results."

Furst has spent over 30 years in radio with 20 in Senior VP programming management roles for companies like Clear Channel, AM/FM and Capstar.

He was also National Program Director of NewCity Communications consistently rated as one of the “Most Admired’ radio groups in the 1990s, Group Program Director for the Australian Radio Network, Sydney NSW Australia and a Programming Consultant with Shane Media Houston Texas.

Alan was instrumental in development of Capstar’s Starsystem voice tracking concept.

He programmed WLW Cincinnati, WEEP Pittsburgh, WIRE Indianapolis among others. Some of those stations even let him on the air from time to time.

Furst starts at News 92 FM January 7.


Philly Radio: Chio Leaves Wired 96.5 Morning Show

Saying his time at Wired “was over”, WRDW Morning radio personality Chio stunned his listeners Friday by resigning.


Chio told listeners of the Beasley-owned Wire 96.5 FM that he was sure what his next move will be.  He thanked his listeners saying, “We’ve been through so much together.” 



VP/GM Natalie Conner at Top40/Rhythmic Wired said, "We appreciate the contributions Chio has made to Wired 96.5, our listeners and to the community while a member of the Wired 96.5 on-air staff, and we all wish him the very best in the next phase of his successful career."

Other members of the Wired morning show, Shila and Tingle apparently will remain at the station.

Orlando Radio: WDBO’s Jim Turner Signs-Off

Joe Kelley and Jim Turner
After 40 years as a NewsTalk WDBO’s Morning News host, Jim Turner hosted his last show today. Turner had announced his plans to retire last month. See original posting.

On May 28, 1972, Turner joined the staff of then AM 580 WDBO by responding to an ad in a broadcast trade magazine.  Over 8,000 shows later, Jim Turner has celebrated a rare milestone in the broadcast business.  “It wasn’t something planned.  The years just sort of piled up on me,” Turner said.  In 2004, Turner was honored with a coveted Marconi Award for “Personality of the Year” by the National Association of Broadcasters.

After 12 years as WDBO’s afternoon host, Turner took over the morning drive time slot, and in 1985, (then) Program Director David Bernstein decided that Jim was the personality who should lead the station’s move away from music and into the information and talk format.

“Jim is a broadcast icon,” said Drew Anderssen, WDBO Program Director.  “He has been revered as one of the premier morning hosts in America for many years, a true professional, and a great man.  We stand by Jim in celebration of his 40 years of community service and dedication to Central Florida as he begins to write a new page in his life.  He will truly be missed as the daily voice of morning news in Orlando radio.”

“Jim has been WDBO’s anchor to our listeners and community,” added Susan Larkin, Cox Media Group Orlando Vice President and Market Manager.  “His talent, engagement, and sheer love of radio is to be admired.  We will miss Jim and cannot thank him enough for his part in building this brand.”

Upon Turner’s retirement, fellow CMG News Talk host, Joe Kelley, will be at the helm of Central Florida’s Morning News on NewsTalk 96.5 WDBO.

Don & Roma Wade Not Returning to Chicago’s WLS Radio

Legendary morning star Don Wade, the 30-year veteran of Chicago radio who has been battling brain cancer for the past three months, won’t be returning to WLS-AM (890).


Wade, 71, and his wife and radio partner, Roma Wade, who’ve been off the air since early September, announced Thursday that they’re stepping down from the Cumulus Media news/talk station to focus on his health and medical treatment. Their contract expires at the end of the year.

Cumulus Media, the nation's largest pure-play radio broadcaster, announced on its website Wednesday that the current WLS morning lineup will continue with Bruce Wolf and Dan Proft hosting 5a-9a followed by John Kass and Jake Hartford hosting 9a-11a.

Bruce and Dan began substituting on the "Don Wade and Roma" show three months ago when Don started on going treatment for a brain tumor. Don and Roma issued the following statement about Bruce and Dan permanently continuing in their former timeslot:
"We are pleased to pass the Morning Show gauntlet to two of our favorite WLS hosts: Dan Proft who was a regular feature on our show ("Pundit" and "Fundit") long before he ran for Governor, and crazy Bruce Wolf who brings the perfect balance to start your day on WLS. We like to think we hand-picked our great replacements. They are terrific! 
"In 1985 the Bears won the Superbowl and we did our first Don Wade and Roma show on WLS. That's 27 years ago. To us, it's been like winning the Superbowl everyday!
In September, doctors discovered a growth on Don Wade’s brain after he suffered a seizure in New York. The couple was there to attend the wedding of their daughter, Heather. Back in Chicago, neurosurgeons removed the growth that turned out to be malignant. In October, he began a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
"Daily brain storms were Don's M-O. Then suddenly, a real brain storm comes along. Even with successful surgery, recovery is long. Attitude is key. Your encouraging, loving cards, letters and emails helped us maintain what Don's doctors describe as 'the most positive optimistic attitude in the universe! Thank you for every single prayer and good wish. 
"The daily stress of rising each day at midnight to prep for our 5a show does not help the healing process. So we are choosing a different path and focusing on what's really important for us right now."
Cumulus Co-Chief Operating Officer John Dickey said:
"Don and Roma are Chicago and 27 years waking Chicago up is an amazing feat. The focus and strength it takes to do live radio every day on one of the world's biggest stages will serve Don well as he continues to heal. We wish Don and Roma the best and will always keep a mic open for them."
Bob Feder at timeoutchicago.com reports Donna Baker, vice president and market manager of Cumulus Media in Chicago, called the Wades “among the most genuine and caring people on the planet,” adding: “They are an inspiration as a couple, and will always be a part of the WLS family.”

Stacey Simms Resets Her Clock

“It was my decision. It wasn’t an easy one to make, but it’s the right decision for me,”

For a decade, Simms has been part of the team at “Charlotte’s Morning News” on WBT-AM (1110). Her alarm has been set for 3 a.m. all those years.

It worked well when her children were young. But her daughter is now 11 and her son is 7.

“As they’re getting older, it’s not working out. I can’t ask my middle-schooler to go to bed at 7:30 at night. Believe me, I’ve tried,” she tells Mark Washburn at charlotteobserver.com. Her husband, Slade Goldstein, is a partner in Rotelli restaurant.

Simms, 41, came to Charlotte in 1997 as an anchor and health reporter at WBTV (Channel 3) from upstate New York.

She began doing medical reports for WBT while at Channel 3 and would fill in on the morning news with Al Gardner. She had fun, and when invited to do it full-time in 2002, she jumped at it.

Simms is well-known for her advocacy on diabetes awareness. Her 7-year-old son, Benny, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. She wrote a cookbook, "I Can't Cook, But I Know Someone Who Can," with chefs from the area that raised more than $12,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and has served on its board.

Simms has seen a lot of changes at WBT in her decade there. Owned for decades by Jefferson Pilot and Lincoln Financial, it was sold in 2007 for $100 million at a top-of-the-market price to Greater Media, a Massachusetts-based broadcaster, along with sister station WLNK-FM (107.9).

“There’s a more corporate feel to the station, but that’s the way of the whole industry,” says Simms. “That’s what you have to do to survive.”

She’ll be signing off Dec. 14, then shutting off the alarm. She doesn’t know what her next act will be, but she wants to see what appeals.

Charlie Tuna To Wake-Up Fresno On AM

Fresno radio station KYNO 1430 AM 1430 (5kw) has been playing only music and commercials since its switch to a classic rock format in mid-November. The station will finally get an on-air voice when Charlie Tuna starts hosting a new morning show beginning Dec. 17. The show will air 6-9 a.m. weekdays.

According to fresnobee.com, the veteran on-air personality won't be in Fresno but will supply the morning talk from his base in Los Angeles where he works weekends at KRTH (FM 101.1).

"It's the syndicated show I do that runs five hours. They will be airing three hours of the show," says Tuna, whose real name is Art Ferguson. "We put the show together here, but it's customized for every station with their call letters. The show sounds really local. And because we deliver the show between 9 and 10 the night before, it's very topical."

The addition of Tuna to the lineup is another step in KYNO owner John Ostlund's move to bring back the BOSS radio format that was launched in Fresno in the early '60s.


Bill Drake, program director at KYNO 50 years ago, and owner Gene Chenault came up with the idea of taking the 40 hottest songs of the day and playing them repeatedly with limited commercials. Fresno was the testing ground for the format, which became so successful it was adopted at radio stations across the country. Tuna worked at radio stations in Oklahoma City and Los Angeles that adopted the format.

The 68-year-old on-air personality, who got his start playing records at middle and high school dances in his hometown of Kearney, Neb., was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2008.

Rick Bentley at fresnobee.com writes how Tuna got his fishy on-air name when he took the job in Oklahoma City. Tuna was told there had been some sickness at the station and the news man was forced to fill in on the weekend. Because he didn't want to ruin his journalistic credibility, he decided to use the name of the mascot for Starkist Tuna so people wouldn't know it was him. Tuna was told the show was such a hit that they wanted him to be the permanent Charlie Tuna.

Report: Trish Biondo Out At WUSN-FM Chicago

UPDATE 12/19:  Trish Biondo won’t be leaving WUSN-FM 99.5 FM  after all.

Thursday 12/19 was to have been her last day as midday personality on the CBS Radio country music station.

Her agent revealed to Robert Feder that US99 decided Tuesday to pick up the second-year option on Biondo’s contract, which allows her to broadcast part of the week from home.

Original Posting...

Trish Biondo, who’s been a mainstay of country music powerhouse WUSN-FM (99.5) for more than 25 years and one of the most popular women on Chicago radio, appears to be on her way out as midday personality.

As Robert Feder at timeoutchicago.com reported last month, the CBS Radio station chose not to pick up the second-year option on her two-year contract. Talks followed on a possible new deal, but now comes word that Biondo could be signing off by next week.

Nothing is official yet, but look for US99 to replace Biondo from 10am to 3pm weekdays with Drew Walker, who now hosts afternoons at the station. No word on who’ll take Walker’s place from 3 to 7pm weekdays.

Jeff Kapugi, who’s been program director since October 2011, reportedly objected to the practice of allowing Biondo to broadcast three days a week from home, where she looks after her two children. Although her contract provided for the arrangement, Kapugi demanded that she broadcast from the studio each day.

Feder writes it’s clear there has to be more to the story since Biondo’s ratings consistently excelled. In the latest Arbitron Portable People Meter survey, her midday show ranks eighth among adults between 25 and 54 with a 3.6 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 282,100.

The Late Ray Briem Helped Launch Reagan Era

Conservative talk radio host Ray Briem, a pioneer in the Los Angeles overnight market, has passed away at age 82, his daughter announced on Wednesday.

In a testament to his influence on talk radio, Michael Reagan — Ronald Reagan’s elder son and the former host of a nationally syndicated radio talk show — told Newsmax: “Before Rush, before Hannity, and certainly before me and other conservatives, there was the voice of Ray Briem.”

Briem was on KABC from 1967 to 1994 following seven years at KLAC.

He was mentored early in his career by firebrand conservative talk show host Joe Pyne, and at the time of his retirement commanded 15.7 percent of local radio listeners, according to Mediabistro.

“Few people know that Ronald Reagan’s first interview when he decided to run for governor of California was with Ray Briem,” Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media and a long-time friend of Briem’s, said.

Ruddy noted that Briem, using his media perch, “was a prime mover of the Reagan revolution” – and was listened to by a devoted audience that included people like Reagan, his wife Nancy, Richard Nixon, Frank Sinatra, and many other influential Californians.

Briem focused on political issues, but also featured interviews with his favorite performers from the big band era and the golden age of movies and television.

Sean Creamer New Pres/CEO At Arbitron

The Board of Directors of Arbitron Inc. has announced plans to appoint Sean R. Creamer, 48, President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2013. Upon his appointment, Mr. Creamer will succeed William T. Kerr, 71, who has announced his intention to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2013.

"The Board of Directors and I are very pleased to welcome Sean as President and CEO of Arbitron," said Philip Guarascio, Chairman of Arbitron's Board of Directors. "Sean is a seasoned media and marketing executive with years of leadership experience at Arbitron. We would like to thank Bill Kerr on behalf of everyone at Arbitron for his many contributions to the company as President and CEO."

William Kerr said: "An important priority throughout my three-year tenure as Arbitron CEO has been to build a strong team of senior executives. In his time as Chief Operating Officer, as head of U.S Media Services and as CFO, Sean has consistently demonstrated he possesses the skills, temperament and vision necessary to lead Arbitron."

Mr. Kerr will continue to serve on the Arbitron Board of Directors.

Sean Creamer has been Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, since August 2011, responsible for Arbitron core businesses--ratings, qualitative, and software--and for the execution of the Company's global cross-platform, digital, and mobile growth strategies.

Mr. Creamer was appointed to the Arbitron Board of Directors in August 2012.

In June 2010, Sean was named Executive Vice President, U.S. Media Services, responsible for the Company's radio and cross-platform services and operations.

Sean joined Arbitron in September 2005 as Executive Vice President, Finance and Planning. In November 2005, he was named Chief Financial Officer and maintained that responsibility through March 2011 and, on an interim basis, from May 2012 through August 2012.

Prior to joining Arbitron, Sean was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Laureate Education, Inc., then a NASDAQ-listed company.

A native of Rockville, Maryland, Sean is a graduate of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He currently resides in Olney, Maryland with his wife, Lisa, and their three children.

Behind The Scenes At The HuffPo

The MediabistroTV crew is invited into the New York Headquarters of AOL and The Huffington Post.

Hosted by the founding editor of The Huffington Post and president of HuffPost Live, Roy Sekoff, the crew visits the cavernous Huffington Post newsroom where hundreds of writers sit keyboard to keyboard under the watchful gaze of Arianna Huffington herself who plays the always gracious hostess by offering up some tasty Greek Christmas cookies.

After burning through the sugar high, the guys mingle with the ghosts of journalism past in the HuffPost Live newsroom where live news is served up eight hours a day by tables of writers, producers and editors who always know what time it is in Funkytown.


KKLA Personality Frank Pastore Still Critical

UPDATE 12/18/2012: Frank Pastore passed away 12/17/12. See posting, Click Here.

Posting from 12/14/12...

Popular Christian radio personality Frank Pastore remained in critical condition this week as he was transferred from a Los Angeles hospital to one in his hometown of Upland, officials said.

Pastore, 55, has remained hospitalized in critical condition since his motorcycle was struck by a car on the in Duarte Nov. 19, according to sbsun.com.

Officials Tuesday moved Pastore from Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center to an Upland hospital for continued treatment, Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center Rosa Saca said.

The radio host on KKLA 99.6 FM and former Major League Baseball pitcher, badly injured and sent into a coma after his motorcycle was sideswiped by a car in the carpool lane of the westbound 210 Freeway near Buena Vista Street, officials said.

The California Highway Patrol's investigation into the crash has been completed, CHP Officer William Bury said.

The 56-year-old Glendora woman who was driving a 2004 Hyundai Sonata that struck Pastore was not arrested or cited in connection with what was determined to be an accident, he said.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Todd Schnitt NOT Leaving 970 WFLA After All


After bit of posturing on both sides, Clear Channel Media & Entertainment Tampa today announced a new agreement with 970 WFLA’s Todd Schnitt host of The Schnitt Show.

Schnitt will continue hosting weekdays from 3-6:00 p.m., renewing and extending his relationship with the company through a new, multi-year contract.

At the end of November, Todd announced via Twitter that he leaving 970 WFLA, but would continue his national show.  He indicated his final WFLA would be December 18th.

Apparently, the ruse was part of ongoing contract negotiations.  When Schnitt announced his departure, then-WFLA Program Director Steve Versnick announced a nationwide search to find a replacement show. Versnick insisted WFLA would remain live and local in PM Drive.

However, he became of victim of Clear Channel's Reduction-in-Force last week and was dismissed.

"We are thrilled to extend our relationship with Todd Schnitt and The Schnitt Show," said Tampa TV/Programming Doug Hammand. "He is a staple of the community in Tampa Bay, broadcasting for more than 19 years with 11 of those on WFLA."

Schnitt for many years pulled double duty in Tampa.  Beside his PM Drive talk show on WFLA, he also was AM Drive host on CC-sister station CHR WFLZ, under the name of MJ Kelli In The Morning.

Schnitt started The MJ Kelli Morning Show in 1992, his first morning-drive program (6-10 am) on WOVV (Star 95.5), West Palm Beach, Florida. He was brought to Tampa, Florida to anchor the new morning show on WFLZ (The Power Pig). Schnitt was teamed up with BJ Harris, the Power Pig’s program director to form the MJ and BJ Morning Show. Harris left the show on February 7, 2001. The show was renamed The MJ Morning Show.

Laura's Back And Courtside Got Her

Talker Laura Ingraham Sets Return Date

Courtside Entertainment Group announced Thursday a new agreement to distribute The Laura Ingraham Show to her national radio audience beginning January 2, 2013. Ingraham's highly anticipated return to her more than 300 radio affiliates will offer audiences an expanded show experience and a heightened presence on new media platforms.

One of the most popular radio hosts in the United States, Ingraham returns to radio coast-to-coast, while significantly increasing her audience through Launchpad Digital Media, a division of Norm Pattiz's Courtside Entertainment Group. Launchpad will digitally stream the live three-hour program online, make it available as an on-demand podcast, and feature new original content from Ingraham's Dream in My Head Productions. The Laura Ingraham Show will be produced by Dream In My Head Productions with ad representation managed by Courtside.

"I suppose this means putting aside my xylophone and modern dance ambitions," Ingraham quipped.

"I'm thrilled to partner with Norm Pattiz, who helped guide my show after its initial launch in 2001; I am humbled by the outpouring of affection from my listeners over the past few weeks.  Courtside's commitment to our team, our audience, and stations will broaden the national reach of the Laura Ingraham Show to new radio markets.

"I look forward to resuming the conversation with the greatest audience in radio and those who have never listened before--making news, creating laughs, and talking about the things that really matter. People need more laughter and fewer lectures; more fresh insights and fewer stale talking points.  Each day the Laura Ingraham Show will drive the national conversation with humor and inspiration for a nation that sorely needs it."

"The wait is over. The most-listened-to woman in political talk is returning to the national airwaves and is making a major move into the on-demand digital space," said Norm Pattiz. 

Frank Ski, Wanda Smith Out At V-103 Atlanta


Morning host Frank Ski announced Thursday morning that he is leaving R&B/hip-hop station V-103 after 14 years. As a result, an hour later, his on-air partner Wanda Smith said she is out as well, according to Rodney Ho at ajc.com.

“We will definitely miss waking up every morning and coming into this studio and doing what we do every day,  but we know God has other plans and other things He wants us to do,” Ski said.

Ski said on air he doesn’t plan to leave Atlanta (though his Dunwoody home is now for sale for $2.2 million). He promised he will be heard again on the radio but wasn’t specific. Most personalities have a six-month “non-compete” which will keep him off the air during that time period.

Ski , 48, read a formal statement on air just past 7 a.m. today.

Signing-off: WDBO’s Jim Turner Retires Friday In Orlando

From Jamie Duupree, Cox Media’s Radio News Director based inthe Washington Bureau:

Joe Kelley photo
One of my best friends in radio is signing off the air this week, as Jim Turner, host of the WDBO-FM morning show in Orlando is hanging up his radio cleats, more than ready to hop in his pickup truck and quickly drive his way into retirement. 
"I've been trying to retire for the last couple of years," Turner likes to say with a big smile. 
Jim will be missed by many in the Central Florida area who have been listening to him since he arrived at WDBO in 1972; Turner spent 13 years doing the afternoon drive show and then took over mornings in 1985, and has been there ever since. 
Our company, Cox Media Group, bought WDBO in 1996, and I have been on the air with Jim for the past 16 years, bringing news of Washington, D.C. and national politics and developing a great working relationship and friendship along the way. 
As Jim's last day on the air approaches, and as I read more and more about his life and career, the more I shake my head at some of the similarities in how we got into the radio business. 
Our affinity for radio developed in much the same manner - growing up in Pennsylvania, Jim got a short-wave radio at age 10 as a gift from his grandmother.  I bought my short-wave radio when I was 13 with money from my paper route in Detroit. That radio opened our eyes to the world - and to the world of radio beyond. 
"I was always fascinated by radio," Turner noted, saying something that I could also say.
Four years after getting his short-wave radio, Jim took the next step and got his amateur radio license. 
Oddly enough, it also only took me four years after that first short-wave radio purchase to get my ham radio license, too. 
The interest in radio led to the idea of pursuing a job in that business; Jim and I both dabbled some in television before ending up in radio.  He spun records at times, and so did I. 
About six years ago, we accidentally found out we shared that amateur radio hobby, though Jim had packed away his radios years earlier; after a bit of prodding by me, he finally opened those boxes and got himself back on the air, outside of WDBO.

Tom’s Take: After 40-years with WDBO, we wish Jim many happy years of retirement. Turner’s replacement is Joe Kelley from KRMG Tulsa.  He starts Monday.

Chris Roth Gets New Years’ Gig In Winchester, VA

DCRTV is reporting that DC area radio veteran Chris Roth joins Centennial Broadcasting as program director for its Winchester radio cluster.

He'll oversee hot adult contemporary WINC-FM, rocker WXBN, country WZFC, and news talk WINC-AM.

Roth, who most recently had been doing overnight traffic for Hubbard's WTOP, used to be director of technical operations and programming for Red Zebra and a senior technical consultant for Arbitron.

He'd also worked for Cumulus/Citadel.

Roth starts at Centennial on January 1.

Rock’s Legends Perform At Sandy Relief Concert


Last night (December 12th) was clearly a night for the record books at Madison Square Garden, with show-stopping sets by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney -- with the surviving members of Nirvana, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, and more at the 12-12-12: A Concert For Hurricane Sandy Relief.

Also appearing were Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Coldplay's Chris Martin with a surprise appearance by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe.


In addition to the musicians, the nearly five-hour televised concert featured such celebrity appearances by Billy Crystal, Susan Sarandon, former New York Ranger Mike Richter, Whoopi Goldberg, most of the cast the cast of The Sopranos, Jon Stewart, Jamie Foxx, Quintin Tarantino, Chelsea Clinton, Steve Buscemi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Blake Lively, Jason Sudeikis, Katie Holmes, and many others.


Among the highlights of the evening was Bruce Springsteen's opening set, which included the New Jersey tribute "My City Of Ruins," originally written in the mid-'90s about Asbury Park, which went on to become and early 9/11 anthem, and last night became a symbol for the loss and devastation for the survivors on the Eastern Seaboard. Springsteen drove the point home with a chorus of the Tom Waits standard -- and E Street Band classic -- "Jersey Girls." Jon Bon Jovi joined "The Boss" for a set-closing rendition of "Born To Run," and Springsteen returned the favor by sitting in with Bon Jovi for a rousing rendition of "You Can't Go Home."

The main thread running throughout the night was the stream of guest cameos over the course of the concert, with Eddie Vedder sitting in during Roger Waters' take on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," Paul Schafer backing Adam Sandler's Sandy-centric rewriting of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and Michael Stipe joining Chris Martin on an acoustic version of "Losing My Religion."


Eric Clapton was an early highlight, tackling two Derek & The Dominos classics -- the Jimmie Cox blues nugget, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out," Clapton's Dominos original "Got To Get Better In A Little While," and finally the Robert Johnson and Cream favorite "Crossroads." The latter two songs featured Clapton backed tightly by drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Willie Weeks.


The Rolling Stones -- who were late additions to the show -- decided to save the goods for their December 15th pay-per-view show in Newark, New Jersey and performed only two numbers; the 1994 Voodoo Lounge track "You Got Me Rocking" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" -- but seemed to have been on and gone before they got properly warmed up.


Alicia Keys solo piano versions of "Brand New Me" and "No One" were sandwiched between the Stones and the Who -- who along with Billy Joel and Paul McCartney were the only acts to perform fully formed mini-sets.

From their current Quadrophenia revival tour, the Who played, among their other gems, "Bell Boy" featuring a virtual Keith Moon singing along on the screen. A good-natured Pete Townshend -- who had changed the lyrics to "Baba O'Riley" to "It's only SANDY wasteland!" -- left the stage with an order to the crowd to "have a f***ing beer!"

As he did on the Sandy telethon, Billy Joel performed his rewritten version of "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Down On Broadway)" which now touches upon the effects of Sandy on the New York community.


Paul McCartney welcomed jazz pianist -- and Elvis Costello's wife -- Diana Krall onstage to help him perform his latest single, "My Valentine," and squeezed in between his Beatles and Wings evergreens was a slightly-interesting, and noisy jam with Nirvana's Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear, on a song called "Cut Me Some Slack." The tune featured McCartney playing slide guitar on what looked like a custom made box guitar.

McCartney ended the show draped with adoring first responders as Alicia Keys, backed by members of McCartney's band performed the anthemic "Empire State Of Mind, Pt. 2."


12-12-12 Setlist:

  • Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: "Land Of Hope And Dreams," "Wrecking Ball," "My City of Ruins," and "Born To Run" with Jon Bon Jovi.

  • Roger Waters: "In The Flesh," "The Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2," "The Ballad Of Jean Charles de Menezes," "Money," "Us And Them," and "Comfortably Numb" with Eddie Vedder.

  • Adam Sandler & Paul Schafer: "Hallelujah."

  • Bon Jovi: "It's My Life," "Wanted: Dead Or Alive," "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with Bruce Springsteen, and "Living On A Prayer."

  • Eric Clapton: "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," "Got To Get Better In A Little While," and "Crossroads."

  • The Rolling Stones: "You Got Me Rocking" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

  • Alicia Keys: "Brand New Me" and "No One."

  • The Who: "Who Are You," "Bell Boy," "Pinball Wizard," "See Me Feel Me/Listening To You," "Baba O'Riley," "Love Reign O'er Me," "Tea & Theatre."

  • Kanye West: Medley: "Clique/Mercy/Power/Jesus Walks/All Of The Lights/Diamonds From Sierra Leone/Diamonds/Touch The Sky/Gold Digger/Good Life/Runaway/Stronger" (via GlideMagazine.com)

  • Billy Joel: "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)," "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "New York State Of Mind," "The River Of Dreams," "You May Be Right," and "Only The Good Die Young."

  • Chris Martin: "Viva La Vida," "Losing My Religion" with Michael Stipe, and "Us Against The World."

  • Paul McCartney: "Helter Skelter," "Let Me Roll It," "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five," "My Valentine" Diana Krall, "Blackbird," "Cut Me Some Slack" with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear, "I've Got A Feeling," and "Live And Let Die."

  • Alicia Keys: "Empire State Of Mind Pt. 2"


Police: NM Men Plotted to Kill, Castrate Justin Bieber

Investigators say two would-be hit men from Albuquerque may have had their sights set on the teen mega star; Justin Bieber.



According To KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, they had it planned down to the ties they were going to use to strangle to the pop star and three other people. A warning, the details are pretty graphic.

Justin Bieber played for a sold out house just a few weeks at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Ruane, Staake
That’s where investigators say Mark Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane planned to take down the teen sensation.

Turns out their Bieber fever started long ago, at the state prison near Las Cruces.

That’s where Staake met Dana Martin, a convicted killer serving two life sentences for raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in Vermont, in 2000.

Martin recruited Staake who in turn recruited his nephew to carry out four murders after Staake got out of prison. Cops say Martin asked the two to first go to Vermont and take out two former acquaintances.

He gave strict orders to strangle the victims with a paisley tie, the kind Martin used as his calling card, and here is where things get grisly.

Tanner Ruane was in charge of castrating the victims.

Martin told cops there was a bigger plot, the murder and castration of Bieber and his bodyguard. Turns out Martin is obsessed with Bieber and KRQE News 13 has learned he's even got a tattoo of the superstar on his leg.

Staake was arrested in Vermont.

Watchdog Investigates 2DAY FM Prank

Besieged Sydney radio station 2Day FM could be forced to break its silence over the royal prank call, with the media watchdog confirming it will investigate the scandal.

According to theage.com.au, the station could lose its right to broadcast if it is found by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to have breached a licence condition. It may also be subject to tighter restrictions and a hefty fine.

Parent company Southern Cross Austereo could be compelled to name the employees who approved the prank – something it has refused to do so far.

Among those who could be grilled by investigators are station content director Derek Bargwanna, station manager Jeremy Simpson, national content director Craig Bruce and metropolitan radio chief Guy Dobson. DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig, and producers Emily Mills and Ben Harlum, are also expected to be questioned.

On Wednesday night, Austereo denied that Bargwanna or in-house lawyer Tania Petsinis approved the broadcast of the prank call.

An ACMA spokesman said the watchdog would investigate whether 2Day FM breached its license conditions or the industry's code of practice.

It will examine whether the station breached standards of decency, invaded privacy or broke rules of consent.

Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who took the initial call, was found dead three days after she was duped by the prank. Last night, a 2Day FM spokeswoman said an internal investigation found that "all procedures and protocols were adhered to", though it has not released details of this investigation.

Southern Cross CEO Rhys Holleran claimed the station tried "at least five times" to get approval from the hospital.

The hospital denies being contacted by 2Day FM and the station has not released phone records to prove the calls were made.

Behind The Scenes: K-Love

K-LOVE is and child and Adult contemporary music|radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states.

K-LOVE reaches about 11.5 million listeners each week in cities including New York, Chicago, San Antonio and Denver. It is also the sixth most streamed station in the world.

Its studios and offices are located in Rocklin, California, near Sacramento.  The morning show broadcasts from Indianapolis, Indiana, as of November 2009. K-LOVE uses a network of satellite fed FM stations and broadcast translators to carry the signal across much of the United States.

Lisa Williams gives a tour of the K-LOVE headquarters.


Report: Ronn Owens Expected To Sign New KGO Deal

Ronn Owens, one of the most popular morning radio personalities in SF radio history, is set to sign a new deal with KGO and Cumulus, according to sources close to Rich Lieberman’s 415 Media.

Owen's old contract, which is up on Dec. 31, made him one of the highest-paid media figures in the Bay Area. He will be receiving considerably less money than he's getting under the old deal, (signed in 2006 when KGO was owned by Citadel and whose GM was Mickey Luckoff).

There has been speculation that Owens, who's been battling a myriad of health issues, was set to retire from the broadcasting business, but apparently wants one more reign in the city where's been at the KGO mic since 1975. In fact, it was Owens who told a former colleague not too long ago that "I'm probably going to retire."

KGO's ratings have taken a dramatic downward spiral since Cumulus abruptly fired its talk hosts in December of last year. Owens was the only talk host who was retained. His personal-services contract was a major reason why he stayed on.

Carl Wolfson Launching Internet Radio Show

Former KPOJ-AM 620 progressive talk host Carl Wolfson is preparing to revive his radio show—this time on the Internet.

KPOJ’s owner, Clear Channel Communications, canceled Wolfson’s three-hour morning drive-time show right after Election Day and flipped the station’s format to Fox Sports Radio, igniting a furor among Wolfson’s listeners who suspected a vast right-wing conspiracy.

Wolfson has begun raising funds to bring back his show, "Carl in the Morning," for a 90-minute Internet program that will stream live at 7 am weekdays. The show will stream on computers, tablets and phones. It will also be downloadable as a podcast, according to Willamete Week.

If the show reaches its funding goals, it will debut Jan. 21, the day of President Obama’s public swearing-in for his second term.

“The president was elected to a second term,” Wolfson tells WW. “I think we deserve one, too.”

Many of Wolfson's biggest advertiser have already pledged to follow him to a new format.

Wolfson is inviting listeners to do the same: He's started a Kickstarter page to raise $40,000 by Jan. 16. The longtime comedian is offering a ticket to a 2013 stand-up show for every $75 donation. For $750, he'll have dinner with you.

R.I.P.: L.A. Pioneer Talk Radio Host Ray Briem

LA Times photo
Ray Briem, a pioneer in Los Angeles talk radio, most notably overnights on KABC/790 AM, has died at age 82, his daughter Debbie announced Wednesday, according to Gary Lycan at ocregister.com.

Briem was on KABC from 1967-1994 following seven years at KLAC/570 AM. He was considered a conservative, but enjoyed meaningful debate with liberals.

Briem received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored by Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters in 2008.  After retiring from KABC, he did a brief afternoon talk show on KIEV-AM.

Read More Now


Briem, who had a brief stint as a nationally syndicated host, retired in 1994 after 27 years on the graveyard shift at KABC-AM, according to the LA Times.

Briem consistently drew the highest ratings of any overnight talk show in Southern California, routinely attracting about 15% of the available audience. He was a self-described protege of Joe Pryne, the legendary in-your-face host of a radio talk show.

R.I.P.: WSBS Radio Newsman ‘Tom Jay” Was 70

According to the  BerkshireEagle, Thomas P. Jaworski, who as Tom Jay served as the electronic town crier for South Berkshire, MA during his 43 years as newsman at WSBS Radio, died on Wednesday at Bay State Medical Center in Springfield after suffering a major heart attack last Thursday. He was 70.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y. --"Polish-born, pure bred," he liked to say, Jaworski lived and worked in Great Barrington for most of his adult life.

Jaworski retired from WSBS in May 2008 after serving as morning newscaster, talk-show host and intrepid field reporter who covered many of the area's major stories since the mid-1960s, notably the tornado that swept through Great Barrington and vicinity on May 29, 1995, killing three people. As a lifeline to the community that was cut off from telephone communications, he broadcast live for many hours during the aftermath.

During 43 winters, Jaworski relayed word to anxious schoolchildren and their parents about school closings and delayed openings. He devised an elaborate code system for school administrators to use when calling in, so as to block any potential hoaxers seeking to call off classes.

Jaworski, who had also served as chief engineer at WSBS and spent much of his off time on his elaborate ham-radio installation at home nearby, was continuously employed at the Great Barrington AM station, owned for 38 years by the late Donald Thurston and his family, except for a brief stint working for the State Department as a communications specialist overseas during the Vietnam War era.

From 1966 to 2004, Jaworski was partnered with Nick Diller, the WSBS dawn patrol host.


R.I.P.: Kathy Hall, WEZJ Williamsburg, KY Newscaster

A popular Southern Kentucky radio personality, and pioneer of a program created to tackle environmental problems in southern and eastern Kentucky, passed away Monday following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The newsjournal.com reports Kathy Hall, 51, of Corbin, died Monday at Baptist Regional Medical Center. Friends and family are remembering her this week as a selfless volunteer, ubiquitous community journalist, and devoted mother and wife.

Hall was perhaps best known as veteran News Director at EZ Country WEZJ 104.3-FM in Williamsburg. Her voice was an everyday fixture for tens of thousands of eastern Kentuckians who listened to her broadcasts for daily news pertinent to their lives, as well as to the station’s popular morning show format.

“Most people knew Kathy as just a voice on the radio, but they didn’t know her personally,” said David Estes, owner and general manager of WEZJ and WEKX. “You can’t separate Kathy Hall from the news on EZ Country. She will always be a part of it. There may be a different voice on there, but a little bit of her will be in everything they do.”

Hall was diagnosed with advance pancreatic cancer over the summer and initially fought the disease with aggressive chemotherapy. She knew from the outset it was terminal. Estes said she was an extraordinarily “tough individual” who never wanted to give up on her job at the radio station, regardless of how physically taxing it was for her following her diagnosis. She was on the job up until just three weeks ago.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

R.I.P.: Steven Forsyth Was Mall Shooting Victim

Steven Forsyth
A father of two, who had been an AE for Entercom Communications-Portland is one of the two people who were shot and killed during a Tuesday afternoon attack at Clackamas Town Center's food court.

Dead is 45-year-old Steven Forsyth. His wife, Carla, currently is an AE at Entercom.

Also killed in the mall shooting was 54-year-old Cindy Yuille, a Hospice nurse.  She was described as an avid outdoor enthusiast who loved hiking and cross-country skiing and rarely visited shopping malls, said her family.

She was Christmas shopping at the Clackamas Town Center Tuesday when she was shot and killed by a masked gunman, who later took his own life and has been identified as Jacob Tyler Roberts.

Forsyth currently owned a marketing agency in Portland.

Read More Now.


Family and friends of 22-year-old Jacob Tyler Roberts, the man who walked into a Portland, Oregon, mall on Tuesday (December 11th) wearing a white mask and dark clothing and began shooting, killing two people and seriously injuring another person before killing himself, were shocked by his actions.

They described him as happy and easygoing, and said he talked recently about moving.

Roberts' ex-girlfriend, Hannah Patricia Sansburn, told ABC News that he'd recently quit his job at a gyro shop in Portland and sold all of his belongings, telling her he was moving to Hawaii, he was supposed to take a flight Saturday, but told her he got drunk and missed it.

Mick Jagger: Letterman's Top 10

"Things I learned During 50-years of rock and roll."