Orlando TV Pubcaster Sells For Just $3-Million

WMFE-TV: Pledges will be refunded

If you gave money to Channel 24, WMFE the PBS in Orlando,  in the last pledge drive and want it back, ask for it, according to Hal Boedeker, The TV Guy at The Orlando Sentinel.

WMFE announced on Friday that it is selling its television station to concentrate on 90.7 FM.

Over the weekend, Boedeker put more questions to WMFE about the sale, which the public broadcaster answered today.

Pending FCC approval, WMFE is selling Channel 24 to Dallas-based religious broadcaster Daystar. According to the filing with the Federal Communications Commission, the price is $3 million. You can see the filing here.

Yet WMFE said today that the actual money will come to $3.5 million over five years. The extra money comes from the sublease of the building space and the tower. The purchaser is listed as Community Educators of Orlando Inc., but Daystar is behind that name.

Here are some questions from Boedeker and WMFE’s answers about the sale:

What if people want the money back they pledged in the last drive? Could they get it?

Absolutely.  To request a refund from the Spring 2011 fund drive, viewers should mail their request to WMFE, 11510 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida 32817 or call us during normal business hours, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday at 407-273-2300, ext 175.

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Sizzling TV Anchor Antics Revealed in Lawsuit

A bitter lawsuit involving two fired high-profile TV news anchors from Philadelphia features salacious details of their alleged make-out sessions and lovey-dovey on-air texting and a toy frog dressed like a prince.

In a story by Reuven Fenton and Dan Mangamn at nypost.com, a bitter lawsuit involving two fired high-profile TV news anchors from Philadelphia features salacious details of their alleged make-out sessions and lovey-dovey on-air texting and a toy frog dressed like a prince.

On one side is journalist Alycia Lane, 38, a Long Island-born stunner and drama magnet whose troubles include a dustup with a New York City cop.

On the other is her ex-employer, CBS Broadcasting, and her ex-co-anchor, Larry Mendte, who is now a contributor at New York City's WPIX-TV.

Lane is suing both for damaging her reputation, and the case is set to play out in a Philadelphia courtroom next month.

She had been a star anchor at CBS's KYW station in Philly when controversy struck.

First, it was revealed that Lane had e-mailed bikini photos of herself to NFL Network anchorman Rich Eisen.

Then she was busted Dec. 16, 2007, in Chelsea for allegedly smacking a female cop's face in a drunken rage and yelling: "I am a reporter, you f - - king dyke bitch!"

Citing the "series of incidents resulting from judgments she has made," Lane's bosses at KYW fired her in January 2008. The charges against her in the cop case were eventually dropped.

Mendte was fired five months later -- just before he pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for illegally accessing Lane's computer and leaking material about her to gossip columnists.

The married Mendte says that he and Lane once enjoyed a steamy relationship -- a claim that Lane denies

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Disney Destination eMails Obtained by Hacker

Millions of e-mail addresses in a Disney Destination marketing database have been hacked.

The hackers did not get into Disney's computer system. Instead, they hacked into the system of its e-mail service provider Epsilon, Disney officials said.

According to a story by Gary Taylor at the Orlando Sentinel, Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said Disney officials are "disappointed" that someone was able to get access to some of their guests' e-mail addresses.

Epsilon released a statement saying it detected the problem Wednesday. Some of its clients' customer data was exposed by an unauthorized entry into Epsilon's e-mail system, the release said, adding the information obtained was limited to e-mail addresses and/or customer names.

Epsilon spokeswoman Jessica Simon would provide no other information Sunday night, other than to say the company is cooperating with authorities.

Epsilon sent e-mails on behalf of Disney Destination notifying them of problem and warning them to be careful in opening e-mails.

Read more


Media Confidential was able to obtain a copy of the Disney eMail:

Dear Guest,

We have been informed by one of our email service providers, Epsilon,
that your email address was exposed by an unauthorized entry into that
provider's computer system.  We use our email service providers to
help us manage the large number of email communications with our
guests.  Our email service providers send emails on our behalf to
guests who have chosen to receive email communications from us.

We regret that this incident has occurred and any inconvenience this
incident may cause you.  We take your privacy very seriously, and we
will continue to work diligently to protect your personal information.
We want to assure you that your email address was the only personal
information we have regarding you that was compromised in this
incident.

As a result of this incident, it is possible that you may receive spam
email messages, emails that contain links containing computer viruses
or other types of computer malware, or emails that seek to deceive you
into providing personal or credit card information.  As a result, you
should be extremely cautious before opening links or attachments from
unknown third parties or providing a credit card number or other
sensitive information in response to any email.

If you have any questions regarding this incident, please contact us
at (407) 560-2547 during the hours of 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (Eastern Time)
Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am through 5:00 pm (Eastern Time)
Saturday and Sunday.

Sincerely,
Disney Destinations

'Katie Era' Expected to End At CBS

CBS News soon will announce a transition from Katie Couric, who plans to launch a syndicated daytime talk show in the fall of 2012, according to industry sources.

According to Mike Allen at Politico, Scott Pelley is her most likely successor; another internal candidate is Harry Smith. CBS remains hopeful that Katie will continue contributing to CBS News, including "60 Minutes," in conjunction with a syndication deal. She has discussed a similar dual role with NBC.

• Her contract as anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News" ends June 4, although she could depart sooner, or agree to a brief extension. She's headed to London to cover the royal wedding at the end of the month. Couric has chosen to move on because of the great opportunities being presented for her to do this syndicated show while still maintaining presence/visibility on various news platforms. Ultimately, Couric felt that the 22-minute format was confining. She recognized the importance of making her intentions clear so that CBS could take the necessary steps to begin the transition. This highlights the professionalism and lack of conflict. Katie's new book, "The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives," will be out April 12.

• Pelley, 53, has spent 22 years at CBS, covering everything from the Branch Davidians to Iraqi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, and has conducted six presidential interviews. He has been a "60 Minutes" correspondent since 2004, and has been a correspondent for "60 Minutes II," chief White House correspondent, and a Dallas-based correspondent. Katie returns from vacation today, and will be in the chair tonight for the "CBS Evening News." Then she leaves on a "60 Minutes" reporting trip with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Tom's Take:  Katie can thank Oprah for the daytime talk show op.

2nd Show: Sheen's Extreme Makeover in Chicago

Charlie Sheen's life has been lived, at times, as if he were starring in his own reality show, part "Celebrity Rehab," part "Cribs," part "Howard Stern Show," part "The Girls Next Door."

If we accept that premise, then Sunday at the Chicago Theatre was the makeover episode, according to a story by Steve Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

Instead of the disjointed exercise in hero worship he had presented on night one of his theatrical tour in Detroit Saturday, Sheen mostly sat and fielded an interviewer's questions, bantering with the crowd, dropping the F-word, and actually seeming to satisfy, if not amaze, concertgoers.

Gone was the dime-store Hunter S. Thompson manifesto he had recited, losing much of the Detroit crowd in his first half-hour on stage. Gone was the raucous banging bass and the videos cobbled together from old movies and YouTube clips about Sheen.

And gone, almost entirely, were the boos for the embattled, family-troubled, recently fired, oft-interviewed sitcom star.

Read more.

Also See:

MEDIA CONFIDENTIAL: Sheen Tour Bombs in Detroit

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:  Dr. Drew: Charlie Has Lost His Sheen

Taylor Swift Wins Top Prize At ACMs

Steve Marcus photo

Taylor Swift took the top prize at the Academy of Country Music Awards for the first time on Sunday after being overshadowed at the Las Vegas ceremony by multiple winners Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, according to a Reuters story.

The 21-year-old starlet was named entertainer of the year and was clearly stunned to hear her name called for the final award at the 46th annual event.

Leading nominee Lambert had already won four prizes and seemed poised to add a fifth to her collection. But entertainer of the year is decided by fans on the Internet and the enthusiastic young girls in Team Swift evidently took their voting duties more seriously.

"This is the first time that I've ever won this and I'm just losing my mind," said a tearful Swift, fresh from a tour of Europe and Asia. "The fact that this is from the fans makes it so beautiful ... You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ever."

Swift, with four nominations in three categories, earlier premiered her new song "Mean," a defiant tune that labels as "pathetic" critics of her occasionally wayward vocal stylings.

Lambert was named top female vocalist for a second year, once again beating Swift. Her wistful tune "The House That Built Me" was honored for single, song and video of the year.

Read more.

THE WINNERS:

SONG OF THE YEAR: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
TOP NEW VOCAL DUO: The Band Perry
TOP NEW SOLO VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Eric Church
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR: “The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
TOP NEW ARTIST: The Band Perry
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
TOP VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Lady Antebellum
TOP VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR: Sugarland
TOP MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Brad Paisley
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Miranda Lambert
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Taylor Swift


The shocker -- and perhaps the most exciting performance of the evening -- came when Aerosmith's Steven Tyler showed up onstage to help Carrie Underwood sing her edgy single, "Undo It." Dressed in a white, floor-length coat, Tyler underscored his reputation as one of rock music's most charismatic performers while prompting Underwood to put some additional fire in her already-soaring vocals. They followed it up with Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."

Opening Night: Sheen Tour Bombs In Detroit

Geraldo Caught In Lybian Firefight

Nashville: George Plaster's Future Is Up In The Air

Merger reunites Plaster, Cumulus

The last time Cumulus Media purchased a radio station that employed George Plaster, the popular sports radio personality pulled the plug on his contract and went to work at a competing station.

In the ensuing eight years, Plaster helped build 104.5 The Zone (WGFX-FM) into one of Nashville's most popular radio stations, according to a story by Nate Rau at The Tennessean.

At the same time, Plaster played a prominent role in the push to keep the Nashville Predators from leaving town and in developing Nashville SportsFest, an annual convention promoting sports in Music City.

Last month, Cumulus Media purchased the Zone's parent company, Citadel Broadcasting Corp., leading observers to question what will become of Plaster and Nashville's highest-rated sports station.

Plaster said he was proud of what The Zone had accomplished since he joined the station in 2003, but he directed questions about his relationship with Cumulus Media to his attorney.

"I represented George in the dissolution of his previous relationship with Cumulus," attorney Jack Waddey said. "This is an interesting event in light of that history. We will be monitoring closely how this merger gets implemented."

The purchase of Citadel, which came with a reported price tag of $1.7 billion, gave Cumulus Media seven stations in the Nashville market. The Federal Communications Commission limits companies to five stations in a given market.

Read more.

Must Read Next Story.....

2 Nashville Radio Stations To Be Sold

Cumulus must divest if deal is approved

Willy Daunic, The Zone

At least two Nashville radio stations are about to go on the sales block as a result of the pending $1.7 billion purchase of Citadel Broadcasting by Cumulus Broadcasting, the No. 2-ranked radio chain in the country.

According to a story by Anita Wadhwami at The Tennessean, which stations get sold, to whom and what other format shifts or on-air personnel changes occur won't be decided until the Cumulus-Citadel deal is finalized later this year.

Among other things, the uncertain prospects affect the city's top-rated sports radio station — 104.5 The Zone, WGFX-FM, which broadcasts Tennessee Titans football games among its programming.

Cumulus, which owns five stations in this market, will pick up two more here when it buys Citadel.

The catch is that Federal Communications Commission rules for a market this size put one company's ownership limit at five outlets.

"We will be divesting two stations in Nashville," said John Dickey, Cumulus' Atlanta-based chief operating officer. "Ultimately, we'll have the same number of stations in Nashville as we do now — five. The mix of those stations might change."

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Suspicious Fire Forces Little Rock Non-Com Off Air

According to a posting at the station's website, non-com 89.1 KAUR-FM Little Rock was back on-air at restored power Sunday after being knocked off air by a fire at the transmitter site.

KUAR went off the air around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The station’s engineer was called and he went to the transmitter site on Shinall Mountain in Little Rock. When he got to the site, the engineer discovered smoke coming out of the building. He tried to go into the building, but the lock that was supposed to be on the door was gone and had been replaced with a new lock. The engineer was unable to open the door.

The Little Rock Fire Department arrived at the scene and broke open the new lock. The fire did not take long to put out but did do a significant amount of damage while it was burning.  The transmitter, which was purchased in 2007, was severely damaged. KUAR General Manager Ben Fry says it’s uncertain at this point whether the equipment can be salvaged.  Fry says the equipment was insured.

Considering the suspicious nature of the fire and the amount of damage, a fire marshall was called out to investigate.

At the scene, officials also discovered part of the fence around the transmitter building had been pulled back and that copper from the tower was missing. The fire department continues to investigate the incident and will file a report in the next few days with its conclusions.

“These are very odd circumstances. We don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it seems pretty suspicious,” says Fry.

Fry says there have been no threats made on the station.

KUAR was slated to move to a new tower site soon.

The station is also urging listeners, to catch the website stream.

Read more.

Another Copper Theft, This Time Daytona Beach

Radio station WNDB 1150 AM was off the air for more than eight hours this week after someone ripped two copper straps off the station's pair of 200-foot towers, causing an estimated $10,000 in damage and another $10,000 in lost ad revenue.

The stolen copper, a station engineer estimated, was worth a few dollars as scrap, according to a story by Andrew Gant at The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

"Radio stations all over the country get hit," said Bobby Gray, the engineer for Black Crow Broadcasting who discovered the late-night or early morning theft. "They probably made $30 at the scrap yard."

Daytona Beach police are investigating the case but did not identify any suspects.

Photos by Bobby Gray

Gray awoke to a remote alarm about 5:40 a.m. Wednesday, alerting him the station was off-air. He eventually found the copper, which is at the base of each tower off LPGA Boulevard to protect the transmitters from lightning strikes, was gone.

The station, home of the Marc Bernier Show and other talk shows, was dead until just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, Gray said.

Gray told Media Confidential the station is now on the air with a replacement tower connection made of Home Depot refrigerator copper line. The missing strap is the station's lightning protection.

Read more.

Born of Pirate Radio, Seeking a Spot on British Dial

From Jennifer Mascia,  The New York Times

Blair Munyan, a former United States Navy officer who served aboard a submarine off the coast of England in 1965, was reading an article about abandoned sea forts recently when he was flooded with memories of Radio Caroline, the offshore pirate radio movement known for breaking the British government’s stranglehold on radio.

At the dawn of the rock ’n’ roll era, when the government-approved soundtrack in Britain consisted of big bands and barbershop quartets, Radio Caroline played “the Beatles, Humble Pie, Uriah Heep — deep cuts” not often heard on the radio, he said.

“They went against the norm, against the establishment,” recalled Mr. Munyan, 63, now the head engineer at a sheet-metal fabricating company in Groton, Conn. “These guys were rebels.”

Since first taking to the air from a makeshift studio on an offshore ship in 1964, Radio Caroline has endured government raids, shipwrecks and a decade of radio silence before finding a land-based studio in the southeastern county of Kent. From there, a cast of volunteer disc jockeys has transmitted album-oriented rock to a global audience over satellite radio and the Internet since 1999.

But to station managment, that global reach isn’t enough. In an age when many prefer to listen to music over the Web or by satellite, Radio Caroline would like to be rewarded for its contribution to British popular culture in the most modest of ways: an AM radio designation in the southeast of England, where it was conceived.

Read more.

Also:

Radio Caroline at Sea in the '60s

WBAL Radio Rides News, Orioles Back To Its Roots

From David Zurawik, Baltimore Sun:

When 1090 AM WBAL Radio broadcasts the Baltimore Orioles home opener Monday, it will mark more than just the official reunion of two major Maryland institutions that had been synonymous for most of six decades.

The return of Orioles baseball to WBAL after four years on the FM dial is also part of a larger move by the 50,000-watt station. It's re-emphasizing its news-and-sports roots after more than a decade featuring highly political talk with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Chip Franklin.

"They certainly went talk-heavy for a little while," says Mike Skandalis, who analyzes radio ratings trends for the Baltimore advertising agency MGH. "And the station became very opinionated."

But Ed Kiernan, WBAL's general manager, describes the station's identity today as "news and information" featuring "news with a capital 'N.'"

And longtime WBAL news director Mark Miller defines the WBAL Radio brand as "local, local, local, local, local news."

While the station still has two daily talk shows hosted by Ron Smith and Clarence Mitchell IV, it has gone to all-news in its most important time periods — morning and afternoon rush hours.

In the past year with that format, the station has increased its audience overall by a third and moved locally from eighth place to fourth with listeners 18 years and older.

WBAL made the change to all-news during morning drive in August 2009. And its "Maryland Morning News" show is now No. 1 with adult listeners in its 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. period. The audience accounts for 9.1 percent of all radio listening in Baltimore during that time.

While the Hearst-owned broadcaster has been doing all-news in afternoon drive-time only since July, its audience was up by 23,500 adults or 18 percent in January over its average monthly audience in 2010.

And those ratings increases are in line with what all-news and news/talk formats are doing in cities across the country — particularly on established, big-watt stations in big cities that have large newsrooms. WBAL's 19 newsroom employees make it the largest radio news operation in the state by far.

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The Sunday Funny

Rodney Dangerfield on The Tonight Show.