Saturday's Aircheck: Boston's WBZ Blizzard of '78

WBZ 1030 AM radio in Boston broadcasting on the morning of the 2nd day of the Blizzard of 1978. Voices of Larry Glick and Gary Lapiere.

Bubba Producer Says Todd Schnitt Now After Him

Brent Hatley

There continues to be more fallout in the aftermath of a defamation lawsuit between rival radio show hosts.

Brent Hatley, executive producer for the Bubba the Love Sponge Show, announced on-air Wednesday morning that he received a certified letter from Todd "MJ" Schnitt.

Brent told WTSP 10 News that  the letter from MJ outlines the intent to "sue him in the foreseeable future."

READ: Letter sent to Brent Hatley (PDF), Click Here.

Att. Campbell

When 10 News asked what the lawsuit was about, Brent said it over over attorney Charles Campbell's DUI arrest.

Campell, an attorney for Schnitt, was arrested for DUI during the high-profile trial after drinking at Malio's with legal assistant, Melissa Personius, who works for the law firm representing Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. 

Clem's legal team was then accused of orchestrating a honeypot scheme to entice Campbell into drinking and then driving while Tampa police waited outside.

Read More Now.  

Todd Schnitt Considers Filing For A Retrial

Todd 'MJ' Schnitt

It was a three-week trial filled with trash talking, a DUI scandal, and a possible setup that included an attorney and a paralegal pleading the Fifth. Could we end up doing it all over again?

Sources tell Tampa's FOX 13 that Todd 'MJ' Schnitt's legal team is gearing up for another dramatic fight in court. They will file a motion soon asking for a whole new trial.

Tampa attorney Anthony Rickman says to expect several reasons to be given for a new trial. For starters, attorney misconduct associated with the allegations of a DUI setup by the Diaco law firm, which represented Bubba 'the Love Sponge' Clem.

"If an attorney did something that detrimentally affected the other party, that committed some sort of violation that affected the jury decision," said Rickman.

Kristy Craig was the jury forewoman in the MJ-Bubba trial. She thinks a do-over is a bad idea.

Read More Now.

WKRP: Once A Giant Lizard Ravaged The East Coast

NE Blizzard To Impact Millions Of Radio Listeners

UPDATE 1PM FRIDAY: The governor has declared a state of emergency in the Bay State and has ordered all cars off the roads by 4 p.m. as a mammoth storm marches across the border from Connecticut, on target to hit metro Boston area within the next couple of hours, reports The Boston Herald.

Between lunchtime and the evening commute is when the snow intensity will get “really bad,” particularly along the I-95 corridor, said National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Sipprell, with whiteout conditions and wind gusts of around 40 mph to 50 mph expected.

These conditions will continue from 5 p.m. to about 8 a.m. tomorrow. At times, snow will most likely fall at a rate of two to three inches an hour, with total accumulation in the range of 24 to 30 inches for the Hub, Sipprell said.

Track the blizzard live on radar: ow.ly/hyhvy
— AccuWeather.com (@breakingweather) February 8, 2013

In Connecticut, state officials are warning residents to stay home. For those who must report to work, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy urged people to try to leave as early as possible – before it’s too late. The governor, speaking in a news briefing on Friday, said that the roads could be closed at any time after noon. If drivers were not already on their way home, he said, “You should be.”

Earlier Posting...

"We're talking about some fierce forces coming together," The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore reported from Boston Thursday night, as Winter Storm Nemo prepared to take aim at the Northeast and New England.

 The worst of the storm is forecast to begin mid-day Friday. Meteorologists are warning everyone to get home by lunch, because heavy, blinding snowfall is likely to make travel impossible once the storm begins.

Blizzard Warnings are posted for a massive swath of cities including both New York and Boston.

The website Flight Aware says nearly 2600 flights originally scheduled for Friday had already been cancelled.

  Click-On Station Logo

Allentown, PA

NJ

New York City

Albany, NY:

Hartford:

Providence:

Manchester, NH:

Boston:

Arbitron Sends Stations Storm Advice

Arbitron Thursday eMailed station engineers in the path of the pending blizzard reminders about their PPM encoders.

The goal to make sure stations get the credit they deserve while providing news and information to listeners.

To: Station engineers at PPM encoded radio stations in Northeast markets 

Like millions of Americans, we at Arbitron have been monitoring the progress of the major winter storm headed your way. As your station provides critical programming to your communities, we are providing you with this checklist that will help to ensure your PPM encoders and monitors will remain operational. 

Storm Preparation Suggestions for Station Engineers:

• Check all encoders to confirm that there are no alarms and no error messages displayed.
• Check all backup encoders and failover (emergency) paths for proper encoding.
• Check your encoding monitors and verify each monitor’s green light is on.
• Confirm that all appropriate personnel have access to the Arbitron 24-hour encoding support hotline number: (866) 767‑7212.

If you need any type of assistance, please call an Arbitron engineer any time at (866) 767‑7212. 

Arbitron joins the residents of your markets in thanking you for being there when radio is needed most. 

Sincerely,
 Arbitron Encoding Operations

Judge: Ryan Haney Can’t Work For Cox For Now

Ryan Haney

A federal judge ruled Thursday afternoon that former WJOX 94.5 FM Birmingham, AL program director Ryan Haney cannot work for rival sports-talk station WZNN ESPN 97.3 The Zone until more evidence is heard in a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by his former employer, Citadel Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Cumulus Meida..

U.S. District Court Judge David Proctor set a March 4 date for that hearing, according to The Birmingham News.

Until then, Haney is prohibited from working for the Cox Media Group, which owns 97.3 The Zone, and from providing any services to the company or communicating with its employees or agents.

Proctor's order also prohibits Haney from "communicating with and/or soliciting any of Citadel's customers, content providers, advertisers or employees (and from) disclosing or sharing any confidential information of Citadel."

Haney, who had been with WJOX since 1998 and had been its program director since 2004, left the station on Jan. 21, and began working at 97.3 The Zone as its program director a week later.

The breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Citadel claims that Haney had a no-compete clause in his contract with the company that prohibits him from working for another radio station in the Birmingham market for a year after leaving WJOX.

Also, Citadel argues that, under the contract, Haney could not enter into a new contract with a competing radio station within six months of leaving WJOX without first giving Citadel a chance to match the offer.

Haney's last contract with Citadel ended Dec. 31, 2010, according to court documents. But Citadel's lawsuit states that since that date, under the terms of the old contract, Haney has worked as an at-will employee and all obligations under that contract continued.

Read More Now.

Cumulus’ Lew Dickey Talks NashFM, Radio Outlook

Lewis Dickey, chief executive officer of Cumulus Media Inc., talks to Bloomberg about the launch of Nash 94.7, a new country music radio station in New York, the firm's programming and growth strategy and the outlook for the radio industry.

Dickey speaks with Betty Liu on Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop."

Columbia Radio: Country WWNQ Rebrands as ‘The Dude’

WWNQ 94.3 FM in Columbia, SC has rebranded as ‘The Dude’ abandoning its previous ‘Carolina Country’ brand.

THE DUDE LISTEN-LINE: Click Here.

The station is attempting to make a full-frontal attack on CCM+E’s WCOS 97.5 FM in Columbia.  WCOS is the heritage country brand.  In the recently-release Fall ’12 book.  WCOS had an 8.3 share 12+, good for #2.  WWNQ has a 1.9.

The Dude has picked-up the standard-bearer as ‘local radio’ promising no voice tracking by ‘out-of-towners’.  A slap at WCOS, which brands as Columbia’s Country station.

WCOS LISTEN-LINE: Click Here.

It should be noted  WWNQ's has a power output of 2550 watts. vs. WCOS' 100 kw.

WWNQ 60 dBu Coverage area

The following message to listeners appears on The Dude’s website:

Julianne Hough Plays Pong In Ryan Seacrest’s Studio

Report: Pandora Pauses

Pandora's growth flattened out in January, but Internet radio will continue to grow in 2013 and beyond.

Pandora, the most popular Internet radio service in the U.S., saw its listener hours remain at 1.39 billion for the second straight month, while its number of active listeners dropped to 65.6 million from 67.1 in December. Billboard.com reports Pandora's monthly active listener growth had stalled once before -- it fell from 1.1 billion to 1.08 billion in June 2012 but rebounded to 1.16 billion the following month.

The entire Internet radio market got a favorable forecast in a new report by eMarketer (See earlier posting, Click Here) . The research house projects U.S. monthly Internet radio listeners will rise from 132.6 million in 2012 to 176.5 in 2016. That will mean by 2016 nearly 54% of the U.S. population and more than 67% of Internet users will be listening to personalized Internet radio or an online simulcast of a broadcast radio station.

Read More Now

CBS, Kevin Weatherly Extend Contract

Kevin Weatherly

Kevin Weatherly, a 21 year CBS and KROQ vet in La, has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain SVP of Programming for CBS Radio.

He will continue to serve as VP of Programming for CBS Radio-Los Angeles and PD of KROQ, KAMP 97.1 Amp Radio and KCBS 93.1 Jack FM.  

Weatherly will also have an active role in the launch of new music stations and the evolution of established brands within CBS Radio.

"I’m thrilled to renew our commitment to Kevin who has been an integral part of CBS Radio for the last two decades," said Dan Mason, President/CEO of CBS Radio.

"It goes without saying that he is one of the most influential and respected programmers in the music industry today. Kevin has guided virtually every station he has worked with to winning levels because of his instinct and willingness to take risks."

"During his time with CBS Radio, Kevin has transformed the landscape of music radio in the Los Angeles market," said Steve Carver, SVP/Market Manager, CBS Radio-Los Angeles.

 "He has the uncanny ability to cultivate and grow a station into a market leader, as evidenced by his work with KROQ, KAMP and KCBS. I continue to be impressed with Kevin’s attention to detail, his undying passion for music and loyalty to our audiences."

CBS Set Wardrobe Rules for Grammy Night

CBS Standard and Practice group sent emails to everyone scheduled to attend Sunday's Grammy Awards Show requesting that anyone set to appear on camera adhere to a set of wardrobe guidelines. The network is trying to avoid any unplanned flashes of nudity or exposed flesh that might offend viewers.

Deadline.com acquired a copy of the note which states, "Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible "puffy" bare skin exposure."

The note also says that audience members, presenters, and performers should avoid clothing with branding, foreign language that would need to be cleared ahead of time, as well as the names of any organized causes that may be visibly written on clothing or pins.

CBS was the network that aired the infamous Super Bowl halftime show where Janet Jackson's breast was exposed on national television.

NPR Tests Ad Campaign

It may not carry much advertising, but that doesn’t mean NPR is against the idea. The highbrow radio organization is launching its first advertising campaign in four markets this month. It hopes to increase visibility and attract more listeners for both its broadcast and online programming.

According to mediapost.com, the campaign, which is scheduled to last three months, includes TV, billboards, rail transit, print and digital advertising. It will promote the local public radio station carrying NPR in each market, including KERA in Dallas-Fort Worth, WFYI in Indianapolis, WMFE in Orlando, and KPBS in San Diego.

Created by Baltimore-based branding and communications agency Planit, the campaign targets adults ages 25-44 with at least some college education and is being funded by a $750,000 grant from the Ford Foundation.

While it doesn’t rely on advertising revenue for support, NPR faces the same kind of competition from online audio as big commercial broadcast radio groups.

Read More Now.

Know Your Listener: Millennials Are Stressed

Stress levels for Americans have taken a decidedly downward turn across the USA — except for young adults, whose stress is higher than the national norm, says a survey to be released Thursday.

USA Today reports those ages 18-33 — the Millennial generation — are plenty stressed, and it's not letting up: 39% say their stress has increased in the past year; 52% say stress has kept them awake at night in the past month. And more than any other age group, they report being told by a health care provider that they have either depression or an anxiety disorder.

The online survey of 2,020 U.S. adults 18 and older, conducted in August by Harris Interactive for the American Psychological Association, has been taking the stress pulse of Americans since 2007.

On a 10-point scale, where 1 means "little or no stress" and 10 means "a great deal of stress," the 2012 average is 4.9.

But for Millennials, it's 5.4.

"Younger people do tend to be more stressed than older people do. It may be they are more willing to admit to it. It may be a phase of life. They just don't know where they're going in life," says Mike Hais of Arcadia, Calif., a market researcher and co-author of two books on that generation, including 2011's Millennial Momentum.

But for this group, there is more cause for worry, Hais says.

"Millennials are growing up at a tough time. They were sheltered in many ways, with a lot of high expectations for what they should achieve. Individual failure is difficult to accept when confronted with a sense you're an important person and expected to achieve. Even though, in most instances, it's not their fault — the economy collapsed just as many of them were getting out of college and coming of age — that does lead to a greater sense of stress," he says.

Read More Now.

Tom's Take: Another reason for stress could be they're continuously connected to their devices.

FCC Commissioner To Address Future Of AM Radio

Ajit V. Pai

The National Association of Broadcasters announced today that FCC Commissioner Ajit V. Pai will lead a session on AM radio revitalization at the NAB Show in Las Vegas on Monday, April 8.

Broadcasters are exploring the challenges and opportunities related to revitalizing AM radio while continuing to provide the popular, local programming that millions of listeners rely on daily. This session, held within the Broadcast Management Conference, will address possible options for sustaining and enhancing AM radio as a unique entertainment medium. Commissioner Pai, who has expressed special interest in the future of AM radio, will moderate a panel of AM radio leaders, engineers and policy experts.

Pai joined the FCC as Commissioner in May 2012 and is focusing on creating a regulatory environment in which competition and innovation can flourish, for the benefit of American consumers. Between 2007 and 2011, Pai held several positions in the FCC’s Office of General Counsel, including Deputy General Counsel.

NAB Show, held April 6-11 in Las Vegas.

'So God Made A DJ': The Video

During the Super Bowl 47 Dodge aired a great commercial using the late great radio legend Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer" sermon as a kickoff for their Year of the Farmer campaign.

Dodge hopes to raise money for the Future Farmers of America.

Acting quickly on the popularity of that commercial another Norfolk radio legend, Rick Rumble released his "So God Made a DJ" sermon. Since its first airing earlier this week during Rumble in the Morning on WNOR FM99, the "So God Made a DJ" sermon has gone viral getting air play all over the country.

Detroit Radio: CCM+E Rehiring Frankie Darcell

Darcell (News Photo)

Frankie Darcell is returning to WMXD-FM Mix 92.3 next month, reps from Clear Channel Radio Detroit confirmed Wednesday. The popular radio personality was unexpectedly let go from her long-running “Afternoon Mix” radio show two months ago.

But when Darcell returns to the Detroit airwaves on March 4, she’ll also be working as the afternoon-drive host on Philadelphia’s WDAS-FM.

She said the format for her new simulcast show is still being worked out, but she plans to address topics of interest in Detroit and Philadelphia, as well as national issues.

“I hope that I’ve played a part in Detroit’s renaissance, and I plan to keep playing that role,” she told the Free Press. “There’s a lot going on in Michigan, and I’m going to be engaged in that conversation.”

Tony Travatto, vice president of programming for Clear Channel in Detroit, said in an e-mail: “Frankie is an engaging on-air personality who had many fans within the Detroit community, and we are very pleased to have her on air in both cities.”

She departed the airwaves two months ago amid a wave of layoffs at Clear Channel radio stations around the country. In Detroit, the broadcasting giant owns WMXD, WDFN-AM (1130), WDTW-FM (106.7), WJLB-FM (97.9), WKQI-FM (95.5) and WNIC-FM (100.3).

Darcell said the relationships she built with listeners played a role in bringing her back to radio.

Read More Now.

Houston Radio: Sam Malone Plans Return

Sam Malone

Longtime Houston radio talk show host Sam Malone said Wednesday he will return to the air this year with a show that will air on Phonoscope Cable and on a radio station to be revealed next week.

Malone, who has worked for KRBE (104.1 FM), KHMX (96.5 FM) and KSEV (700 FM), told The Houston Chronicle the new show will originate from Phonoscope’s studios in southwest Houston. Audio will air on a Houston radio station, and video and audio will air on the station’s website.

Malone said he will reveal the identity of his new radio outlet next week. He said it will be a station for which he has not previously worked.

Read More Now

Springfield, MO's Power 96.5 Fires PD For Lying

A Springfield, MO radio station has fired its program director for allegedly lying about serving in the military.

KOLR 10News reports KSPW Power 96.5, which is owned by Journal Broadcast Group, posted the following statement online Wednesday about Program Director/DJ Simon Nytes:

"We are disappointed that our employee misrepresented himself as someone who had served in the military. It is unacceptable behavior."

According to Nytes' Facebook page, he'd been with Power 96.5 since October 2007, but worked for Journal Broadcast since the mid-1990's.

"Journal Broadcast Group is committed to ethical relationships with our listeners, clients and community," the online post reads. "Specifically regarding the unacceptable behavior, that employee has been terminated. Finally, we value and are grateful for the service of our military personnel across all branches, and have the utmost respect for the sacrifices made by so many of our military personnel and their families."

Nytes was Power 96.5's afternoon DJ, and also served as program director. His biography has since been removed from Power 96.5's website and his Twitter account has also been deactivated.

Reached by phone Thursday morning by the Springfield News-Leader, Rex Hansen, Vice President of Springfield-based Journal Broadcast Group, confirmed that the post referenced Simon, who had been on air in the late afternoon. Hansen also confirmed that the situation came to the station’s attention after a YouTube video was posted by a service member who had met Simon.

In the video, Bryan Hood, who says he has been in the Army for 20 years, describes going to the radio station for a meeting. Hood says that he was told by several station employees that his military service gave him something in common with Simon, who the employees apparently believed had served in the special forces.

In talking with Simon, however, Hood could clearly tell that was not true, he says in the video.

Read More Now.

SLCity Radio: Jon Carter Reflects On 32-Years As Personality

After 32 years in the business, radio personality Jon Carter is still the voice of Utah's classic rock-in-roll.

Perhaps better known as "Jumpin' JC," Carter is in his comfort zone every morning on KRSP 103.5 The Arrow and has been with Utah listeners for four decades. He's been an entertainer, a shoulder to cry on, and he occasionally plays the role of a therapist for his listeners — all in his 5:30 a.m. slot.

"It's been a long journey, a long migration." Carter told KSL.com. "But it's been a great ride and it's been a lot of fun. I'm still going, still going."

Carter has a long history with radio and music. He has been on the air as a full-time disc jockey since he was 13. He found his niche in Utah, where he's been on air since 1980.

When asked what he thought of his role as an entertainer and sometimes radio therapist, Carter said his listeners are the true entertainers and they help keep the show going.

Even after all the years and success he's had in radio, Carter still gets nervous sometimes before his shows. But at the end of the day, he said he appreciates his Utah listeners for waking up early with him to tune into his show.

Read More Now.

San Diego Radio: Rich Brother Robbins Returns

Rich 'Bro'

XHPRS 105.7 The Walrus – San Diego’s station for Good Times, Greatest Hits is pleased to announce the addition of Rich “Brother” Robbin to its line-up. Rich will join the station for a daily 2-7pm air shift beginning Monday, according to Chris Carmichael at sdsradio.com.

Rich's career spans many decades and many markets including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Detroit, Portland, Nashville, Memphis and Tucson, but he is best-known and remembered for his work in San Diego at KGB and KCBQ ("back in the good ol'days") and more recently at KBZT-FM and KCBQ-FM, and B-100.

BCA’s Programming-Operations Manager, Mike Shepard says, “Robbin will be a perfect fit for the Walrus’ fun, upbeat presentation. Rich was one of the legendary disc jockeys who inspired me to get into radio, and we had the great fortune of working together to make K-BEST 95 a dominant station in San Diego in the 90s. I’m thrilled to have him back; his energy, enthusiasm and ‘fun-factor’ will make a great addition to The Walrus drive home.”

Robbin explains, "There I was, sitting at the beach with my website and three old classic cars, safely retired (or so I thought) minding my own business and here came this wonderful opportunity to return to the air on 105.7 The Walrus which I just couldn't refuse...and it's even more fun today!”

Read More Now.

SiriusXM Expected To Launch Pandora-Like Service

Sirius XM subscribers will soon get a Pandora-like listening option in addition to the satellite radio service.

CEO Jim Meyer Tuesday gave an overview on the overdue Internet radio service that previous CEO Mel Karmazin first announced last year.

Called MySXM, the service will allow users to create personalized versions of existing Sirius XM music stations. Subscribers can start with channels they already enjoy and fine-tune the music using "unique slider controls."

Billboard.com reports MySXM will be available on all platforms, such as iOS, Android and the web. Meyer did not offer a timeline for its launch, saying MySXM is "upcoming" and is now in consumer beta.

Sirius XM is intent on keeping the customers it has. Meyer believes the service will keep the customer engaged in the home and will be a "defensive play" in the automobile, where Sirius XM satellite radio competes with Pandora and Clear Channel's iHeartRadio Internet radio services. Meyer doesn't think two services would be overkill.

He added that Sirius XM believes it can deliver a better experience with lower churn in a true connected car.

Read More Now

Internet Radio's Audience Turns Marketer Heads

Despite small audience, internet radio ads have a special appeal to marketers

The internet radio audience is growing thanks to shifts in consumer listening behavior from terrestrial radio to streaming stations, according to a new eMarketer report, “Internet Radio: Marketers Move In.”

Users are embracing internet radio on a growing range of devices, from PCs, smartphones and tablets to automobiles, connected-home appliances and other gadgets.

Internet radio is monetized primarily by advertising, but the industry is a small player within the digital advertising ecosystem. Growth forecasts for internet radio advertising, though positive, are more modest than for other categories of digital ad spending.

Still, advertisers are eager to attach their brands to internet broadcasting and other music-streaming properties. There are several reasons for this, among them: the appeal of associating a brand with a particular genre or artist; the extent to which internet radio is driven primarily by ads; and the appeal of in-steam audio ads, which are harder to avoid or skip than other forms of digital advertising.

In 2013, the number of US internet radio listeners will grow by 11.1% to 147.3 million. Expansion will continue for the next several years, though rates will taper off to single-digit percentages.

Read More Now

Copper Theft Knocks KWWK Rochester, MN Off-Air

Programming at Quick Country KWWK 96.5 FM  was disrupted briefly early Monday morning after someone broke into the transmitter area..

According to the sheriff's report, the station's transmission stopped about 4 a.m.; when an engineer investigated, he discovered the break-in at the Cumulus station tower site.

Stolen were 4-inch copper couplers and a 1-HP GE motor, according to the police report. Also damaged was about 80 feet of chain link fence; the total estimate of damage and loss is about $800.

The station is back on-air.

Backtalk: Consultant Shares Comments About Bobby Bones

Jaye Albright

Following her original Breakfast Blog about The Bobby Bones Show going country and moving from Austin to WSIX studios in Nashville, country consultant Jaye Albright now provides a sampling of the many thought-provoking comments in response:

(See original 'No Bones About It' posting, Click Here)

• This is spot on.
• Sorry, but I disagree. If radio needs Bobby Bones to succeed, then radio has already failed. Radio needs LOCAL programming - serving the public for the community good - like it was originally licensed to provide. Radio needs a country Ryan Seacrest like it needs a hole in the head. As someone who was "let go" by big corporate radio, I feel sorry for all the new insurance salesmen, car salesmen, freelance writers, social media marketers, Wal-Mart door greeters, and unemployment check-cashers who will have nothing left but memories of how good radio USED to be.
• I've always loved how you set the tone for those who generally tend to see the worst in things. This article is a great example, good marching orders from radio's supreme 'General'.
• Good radio is great for the business, and Bobby Bones apparently does good radio, (I've never heard him) but CC's back is against the financial wall. So if you're inside CC, you have to find a way 'make lemonade', and Bones will hopefully protect the product, maybe even advance it where possible. (at WSIX?) I think Jaye is happy because it's in nobody's best interest for CC to fail. Radio need good content, wherever it originates from. We'd all love to see it coming from local studios, no doubt. But this is all the more reason for those competing against CC to be re-energized and raise their game a little.  It's an opportunity. The business is changing because the customer/listener is changing. Hard to fight that kind of thing, but nobody's giving up. There is TONS of opportunity around us. By the way, I only voice 3 CC stations (down from 35 at their peak, about half my roster), but the ones I still voice have ballsy PDs who fight to keep an imaging budget, instead of taking it inside. I like that, and while it may cost them a few hundred bucks a month, CC is lucky to have those guys. Most of my business comes from smaller companies these days, who are operating mostly live, local operations. Vive la local radio!
• As someone who is working at a live, local station competing against CC, tying and besting them in many demos and dayparts...I think what they're doing is great. only thing better is more of it. Hey billy bones, billy greenwood...I'll see ya at the next fundraiser I do for the SPCA...or the next Christmas parade, or lawn party, or fair our station is at...oops! I forgot you've got Facebook and a blog for that. So CC..great work!!!  
• I completely agree with you. My first thought, upon hearing the news. Here we go, let's raise the level of OUR show. I am eager to up my game. I am extremely motivated. Why?? I love what I do and love where I love, couldn't ask for anything more (well, more money maybe - LOL).
• It's not just about be local. It's about being entertaining, it's about caring about your community, you fellow man and it's about making a difference. If you can make the audience laugh and cry, that is indeed something special. I have learned, being local isn't good enough - being good sometimes isn't good enough... Striving for excellence is our goal each day!
• After reading your column and watching Booby's press conference, one thought came to mind... No one will work harder than me to keep growing, learning and trying new things and new ways to get better each day.
• Well done. You look at it in a way not a ton of industry folks would.
• From being familiar with his team from looking at them for my CC CHR station, I could not agree more that Bobby will make a great transition to country.  Also, he will have a good talent coach. WSIX PD Michael Bryan is a good guy and a solid, solid programmer. He and Bones come from a similar background. I look forward to hearing the product they create together.  It's a great time to be Country radio.

Jaye adds: 

My favorite suggestion among a very long list great ones: for what should have been the headline to my original post, given Clear Channel's huge financial pressures:  "Bare Bones."

Internet Radio Reaches Out to Fort Hood Community

In less than two weeks, FortHoodRadio.com will sign on with a new live morning show. Staff Sgt. Julie Wallace-Myles will host the morning show, set to air weekday mornings from 9 a.m.- noon on the installation’s internet-based radio station beginning Feb. 19.

“We’re trying to reach out to our Soldiers and Family members in the Fort Hood community,” John Miller, broadcast operations officer, III Corps and Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, said. “Radio, even through the internet, works because we can reach out through mobile devices like a smartphone or tablets. Internet radio may not be in your car, but it’s in your pocket.”

The Fort Hood Sentinel story reports Miller saw his broadcast section shrink from a high-water mark in the summer of 2009 of nine broadcasters down to three full-time staff members today. Despite staffing challenges, the radio station’s biggest challenge remains building an audience.

That target audience is young troops and their Families in Central Texas.

“Our primary demographic is 30 and under,” Miller said. “We’re playing what’s popular now. We’re not programming for folks like me. I’m 46, and when I listen to the radio, it’s generally talk radio and some old school stuff. That doesn’t resonate, normally, with a younger audience.”

James Tapin

To reach out to a younger crowd, Fort Hood Radio has changed its overall sound since August 2012, when Wallace-Myles and Staff Sgt. James Tapin joined the staff, replacing temporary civilian hires who founded the effort.

Tapin, the station’s noncommissioned officer-in-charge, implemented a shift – and not a subtle one – in music programming.

“We went from playing anything you could imagine to starting to focus on a unique opportunity: bringing the newest music to our listeners first,” Tapin said. “When I say first, I mean that we’re generally a couple of months ahead of mainstream radio stations.”

The shift from a complete music mix – which included pop, urban, country and rock – also paired down the music genres highlighted by the station.

LISTEN LINE, Click Here.

“Our focus has switched to a more rock and urban playlist,” Tapin said, though he noted that other music genres, like country, are programmed throughout the day in a block format. “With that being said, if you tune in at the top of each hour, you’ll hear the newest music on the market.”

The music is the vehicle to draw listeners, but the goal of the station is to provide timely, accurate command information to the Fort Hood community.

Read More Now.

Tom's Take:  Happy to hear about this..I was section chief of the Fort Hood Radio/TV department 'back in the day'.

PPM Gets MRC Accreditation In Four More Markets

Arbitron has long vowed to win accreditation from the Media Rating Council for its Portable People Meter radio ratings system in every market where it is used. That promise came closer to fulfillment with Tuesday’s announcement that the MRC has granted accreditation to PPM in four more markets, bringing the total number of markets with MRC accreditation to 18, according to mediapost.com.

According to Arbitron, PPM has been granted MRC accreditation in Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego and the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill metropolitan area in North Carolina.

These join 14 previously accredited markets, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee-Racine, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Riverside-San Bernardino, San Antonio, St. Louis, and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.

Gregg Lindner, Arbitron’s executive vice president for service innovation and chief research officer, stated: “We remain focused on our efforts to maintain the MRC double checkmarks in our currently accredited PPM markets and to achieve service-wide accreditation for all PPM markets.”

Arbitron still has a ways to go toward getting MRC accreditation in every market, as PPM remains unaccredited in 30 other markets where it is already in use.

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NashFM 94-7 Is Having A Country Concert Bash

New York’s new country radio station, NashFM 94-7, is having a coming out party.

The station is having what it calls a Nash-Bash featuring a number of country music’s biggest stars.  The concert will be held three days Feb 18, 19 and 20^th at the Roseland Ball Room, on West 52^nd Street in NYC.

The line-up was announced on-air Tuesday and directed listeners to the station's website.

All concert tickets will be given-away via the website. Listeners are invited to register and all winners will be notified by a return phone call.

The Nash-Bash concert was unveiled 17-years to the day that WYNY 103.6 FM ended it's country format.  Last song played..The Dance by Garth Brooks.

Birmingham: No Rulings In Haney Non-Compete Hearing

Ryan Haney

A federal judge in Birmingham has continued a hearing that was begun Tuesday morning to help him decide whether to issue a temporary restraining order against former WJOX 94.5 FM sports talk radio general manager Ryan Haney to prevent him from working for rival station WZNN 97.3 FM The Zone.

After more than an hour of hearing arguments between attorneys for WJOX owner Citadel Broadcasting, Haney, and The Zone owner Cox Media Group, U.S. District Court Judge David Proctor issued an order continuing the hearing to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a story at al.com

Citadel, a subsidiary of Cumulus Media,  on Monday filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Haney, claiming he had violated terms of his contract by going to work for a competing radio station in Birmingham. Citadel asked for today's emergency hearing in order to get a temporary restraining order to prevent Haney from working for Cox.

Haney left WJOX on Jan. 21 and began work for Cox on Jan. 28.

At times the hearing was contentious.

Citadel attorneys wanted the hearing to be closed to the public and to Cox officials in order to discuss proprietary business information in its attempt to show that during his career at WJOX Haney had access to documents, strategies, and client information they don't want disclosed to Cox.

Mitchell argued Cox is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. He told the judge they had asked for today's court hearing only to consider Haney's contract and its restrictive covenants that remained in place after he left WJOX.

Attorneys for Haney and Cox Media Group, however, said that Cox is an "indispensable party" to the court action because it has a 3-year contract with Haney and Cox wants to keep him there.

Proctor gave both sides a chance to meet individually and then together for about 20 minutes before convening in the judge's office for a private meeting late this morning.

Before going into the private meetings Proctor had suggested the possibility of ordering a two-day temporary restraining order preventing Haney from working for Cox until the hearing could be continued after both sides filed legal briefs.

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Birmingham Sports Host Paul Finebaum Remains Unsigned

Paul Finebaum

Radio fans of Paul Finebaum's enormously popular afternoon radio show in Birmingham likely will have to wait three months before they get their next Finebaum fix.

Finebaum's contract with Birmingham sports-talk station WJOX-FM and its owner, Cumulus Media, expired January 21, and the two parties did not agree on a new deal.

WJOX has removed any reference to Finebaum from its website, and al.com reports Cumulus has shut down "The Paul Finebaum Radio Network" website.

Meanwhile, the Cox Media Group, which owns rival sports station WZNN ESPN 97.3 The Zone, has made it loud and clear for well over a year now that it wants Finebaum on its team.

However, Cumulus has 90 days to match any deal that Cox or anybody else would offer Finebaum, and if it were to so, he would have to remain at WJOX. After that 90-day window closes, though, Finebaum is essentially a free agent and may go wherever he chooses.

In addition to Cox, Finebaum has other, national suitors, including discussions with ESPN that include both television and radio (and would allow Finebaum to appear on 97.3 The Zone), and talks with SiriusXM Satellite Radio about being the exclusive provider of "The Paul Finebaum Radio Network." SiriusXM had simulcast Finebaum's show when it was on WJOX.

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