R.I.P.: Paul Droubay, Salt Lake City Broadcaster

Paul Droubay

Work or Own A Move-In Station? Paul Droubay made it possible.

Broadcast pioneer, sportscaster, Utah radio station owner and advertising executive Paul Droubay died Monday in Salt Lake City.

He was 86.

"He was a pioneer and an innovator," said Terry Mathis, whose family has owned a number of Utah radio stations. "He was a visionary as well."

Mathis told the Salt Lake Tribune that when Droubay owned Ogden station KDAB B101 (now known as KBER in Salt Lake City), he petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to allow him to move the station’s transmitter from Ogden to Farnsworth Peak. Before then, stations were required to have their transmitter in the city where they were licensed.

After a lengthy fight, Droubay convinced the FCC that a station should be allowed to have the most advantageous transmitter site to better serve communities and to expand coverage to nearby areas, which was a decision that changed the radio industry throughout the United States.

"There are many people like me who recognize the profound impact that Paul had on the industry," Mathis said.

Droubay was a popular on-air radio personality and was part of a group of disk jockeys known as the Fabulous Five at KLUB radio.

He began his career as a disk jockey in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls, Idaho, before becoming a sportscaster at KUTV Channel 2.

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Detroit Radio: Kevin Metheny New PD At WJR

Veteran radio programmer Kevin Metheny has a new gig.  He’s been appointed as PD at Cumulus-Talker WJR Detroit.

He starts January 16.

Most recently Metheny was interim PD at Clear Channel’s Country KMNB Buz’n 10.29 Minneapolis.  Simultaneously with the 2008 acquisition of Clear Channel by Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, Metheny left Clear Channel to become Program Director of the Tribune Company’s sole radio property, News/Talk WGN.  He worked there until November 2010.

Metheny was also head  of programming for Jacor's Cleveland area radio group, consolidating operations at their combined six Cleveland stations, WAKS, WGAR-FM, WMJI, WMMS, WMVX, and WTAM. Following Jacor's merger with Clear Channel Communications Metheny was promoted to Regional Vice President of Programming, in which role he advised local Market Managers and Program Directors of 59 Ohio radio stations.

Previous experience also includes PD at WNBC 66-AM NYC, where he was dubbed “Pig Virus” by Howard Stern. Metheny is generally acknowledged as an early implementer of consumer research in radio programming and an experienced and effective talent coach.

“I’ve long admired WJR from 90 miles across Lake Erie where I put 760 on a button the day I landed in Cleveland. The Great Voice of The Great Lakes is a gold standard collection of impossible to duplicate treasures and I’m thrilled to join the Cumulus team,” Metheny commented.

Tampa Radio: Jury Chosen For MJ vs. Bubba Case

Bubba top, MJ bottom

It was a long day two in the civil lawsuit pitting two of the Tampa Bay area's most well-known radio personalities, Todd "MJ" Schnitt and Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.  But by the end of the day, the judge did seat a jury.

According to ABC ActionNews8 in Tampa, both sides were methodological when it came to selecting a jury. On the one hand, the Schnitt camp would press to see if potential jurors had any opinions when it came to things like "name calling" and "bullying."  For their part, the Bubba camp would approach jurors almost looking to see "who gets a joke."

And that, in a nutshell, sums up both sides, and is at the root of the civil defamation case.

The Schnitt camp claims, in an effort to become the number one radio show in the market, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem went too far.

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Cox Media Settles With Schnitt

Named as a co-defendant in a civil suit, Cox Radio has agreed to a settlement with Todd "MJ" Schnitt, the Tampa radio personality who has filed a defamation lawsuit against the shock jock star of Cox-owned WHPT-FM, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.

According to media writer Eric Deggans at tampabay.com, the company agreed to the settlement Friday, before jury selection would begin this week on the lawsuit, in which Schnitt has accused Clem of “false, highly offensive and defamatory statements” about him and his wife Michelle as competition heated up between the two on morning radio. Cox and Schnitt also agreed to keep the terms confidential, declining to say if money changed hands or legal fees were paid.

But Keith Lawless, Tampa market manager for Cox Radio, said the settlement doesn't indicate a lack of support for Clem's position, noting that Cox's attorney is now helping Clem's lawyers through the trial.

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Philly Radio: Michael Tearson Toast At WMGK

Michael Tearson

There's a time honored, but not so honorable tradition in broadcasting. On-air talent  hardly ever gets to say "so-long" to listeners or viewers when they're being canned.  But yesterday, philly.com reports, the ax fell on WMGK's Michael Tearson. But will you hear the tree fall?

One of Philly's true pioneers of progressive rock radio, Tearson broke into the biz with his late 1960s years at a then student-run, all-volunteer WXPN, then moved to WDAS-FM, for many moons to  WMMR and later back, briefly  to a now professionally steered XPN.

Tearson has been holding down the fort at WMGK since April 2002 with a two hour (6 to 8 a.m.)  "Saturday Morning 60s" heritage music show that he put together with amazing first hand knowledge and a great record library from his South Jersey home studio.

But Tuesday morning, WMGK program director Charlie Lake told Tearson the party is over after this Saturday's show. And since that episode (and several more)  are already in the can, Tearson won't get to say his farewells.

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Cord-Cutting + Mobile = Less Cable News Viewing

Cable news shows may be seeing a dip in viewership among digital-savvy US consumers. According to a January survey by AYTM Market Research, 37% of internet users surveyed said they watched less cable TV news than they did five years earlier, according to emarketer.com.

The survey points to both online news sites and online video clips as drawing more attention from news seekers.

Online news reading has become a commonplace activity among US consumers, with the frequency of online news reading having passed that of cable TV news watching, according to the survey.

While 39% of respondents said they read online news every day, only 25% said they watched cable TV news every day. Moreover, a mere 4% said they never read news online, compared with nearly 20% who said they never watched cable TV news.

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Karmazin: Technology A Challenge For Old Media

Former SiriusXM CEO Mel Karmazin says new technology is a challenge for old media, including radio.

He was interviewed on CNBC.

Mel Karmazin: Job Hunting

Mel Karmazin

Former Sirius XM Radio Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin, who left last year after Liberty Media Corp. announced plans to take control of the company, said he wants to run another media organization, according to Bloomberg.com.

Karmazin, 69, is in his “second retirement” following an earlier break from corporate leadership in 2004, and he plans to have a third, he said during a CNBC interview today.

He said he’s looking for a public company with an independent board and hasn’t found an opportunity that suits him yet.

Karmazin may contact New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to offer help rebuilding the Jersey Shore from Hurricane Sandy’s damage if he can’t find another media job, he said.

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Tribune Bankruptcy: Culture Shock & Cronyism

In a lengthy article chronicling the bankruptcy of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune reporters Mike Oneal and Steve Mills write about the ill-fated attempt at changing the culture of the Tribune Company when Sam Zell took control: 

"Less than a year after Sam Zell took control, Tribune Co. filed for bankruptcy protection. Less than two years after that, Zell's hand-picked CEO, radio executive Randy Michaels, resigned amid allegations he had created a hostile and sexist work environment — his goal of turning the company into a digital powerhouse unrealized and his team's efforts to energize Tribune Co. culture widely considered a failure. 

Rather than inspiring employees to embrace a new culture, a task experts say is crucial to remaking a company, Zell and Michaels took an approach that alienated many employees and managers. Attempting to stir the company from its lethargy and instill a more creative spirit, they came off as disdainful and insulting. Instead of fostering innovation among current employees, Michaels brought in a coterie of his colleagues from the radio industry who could not deliver the innovative breakthroughs the company needed. 

In short, Zell and Michaels never bothered to understand the workplace they were trying to remake, which should be job one in corporate culture change…. 

…Michaels' hiring practices — bringing in friends and former colleagues from radio — raised fears that the meritocracy Zell pledged had dissolved into cronyism. Michaels said he saw a need to surround himself with people he could count on. But the practice put some important jobs in the hands of people without relevant experience, demoralizing staffers. 

Marc Chase, a former radio programmer and Michaels ally, was placed atop Tribune Interactive, the company's digital division, despite concerns among some of Zell's lieutenants that he had little relevant experience… 

…Rowdy behavior that later made headlines — crude jokes, sexual innuendo in front of employees, a poker party in Tribune Tower with beer and cigars — reinforced notions that an inner circle existed. To some employees, complaining seemed futile. Human resources, they observed, was run by Barb Buchwald, another hire with ties to Michaels. Her LinkedIn profile at the time noted that her "education" had been completed at "the School of Randy Michaels."

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Brent Musburger: No Apologizes

ABC/ESPN announcer Brent Musburger stands by the fire in his 73-year-old loins -- telling TMZ, he's not sorry for showering Miss Alabama USA Katherine Webb with compliments during the big game between Alabama and Notre Dame ... because he didn't do anything wrong.

Musburger was arriving at the airport in Palm Beach, Florida Tuesday when we asked if he thinks his comments about QB A.J. McCarron's GF were inappropriate -- and Musburger made it clear ... the answer is no.

BCS Announcer Brent Musburger -- I Did NOTHING Wrong By Ogling Miss Alabama - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

In fact, it was pretty obvious Brent has a beef with ESPN for issuing an apology for the whole thing -- but he still issued a pretty politically correct statement about the Worldwide Leader. 

"Individuals say what individuals say. And corporations do what corporations do," Musburger said ... adding, "Obviously, they felt it was the right thing for them to do."

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Morning Show Makes “Flu Kit” House Calls

KIFM / 98.1 Smooth FM Morning Show host, Lenny B, and the 98.1 “Flu Crew” are making “Flu Kit House Calls” to listeners who are at home sick with the flu, according to a story at sdradio.net.

With the influenza epidemic now having reached all fifty states, 98.1 Smooth FM wants to do something to help locals who are at home suffering with the flu and have nobody to take care of them.  A masked Lenny B. and the “Flu Crew” are going to listeners’ houses with cans of chicken soup, Theraflu, tea, Gatorade, cough drops, hand sanitizer, boxes of Kleenex, and more.

It all began this past Friday when a listener with the flu called in.  Lenny B. was joking around with her and she said that she was new to San Diego and had nobody to help takecare of her or pick anything up for her at the store.  Lenny decided to make a “Flu Kit Housecall” since most doctors no longer make house calls.  He assembled some of the 98.1 Smooth FM promotions team as the “Flu Crew.”

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