Previously on The Front Page...Jul/Aug/Sep 2007

09-30-07 I've widened the scope of the Political Forum ... at the STLMedia Message Board, including all political party candidates, and global warming and IslamoFascist issues. Remember to only respond to the message rather than defame the messenger. Otherwise, have a big time. I've also added a Cooking & Cookware forum; that's something that's been my avocation for many years (I've taught cooking skills and even marketed a line of spices) and I invite you to jump in with your recipe ideas, comments and reviews.
09-29-07 One more day and we'll be through ... Cards and Pirates tomorrow afternoon (on KTRS/AM550). Then the boys clean out their lockers and head off to wherever overpaid, underachieving game players go in the offseason after a sub-.500 season.
   However, here's a little thing you may want to download and listen to until Spring. The 2006 World Series notwithstanding, It's the single most requested audio ever presented here at STLMedia. Thanks to Casey Van Allen for the creation, and Terry Fox and Terry Weatherford for the curation and preservation. And to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon for, well, for just being.
09-28-07 Here's some audio history you need to hear ...
   From TwinCitiesRadioAirchecks: The History of Radio in 10 Minutes.
   Jay Philpott (who provided the link) says: It was recorded before 1965 because you can hear comments by Todd Storz about 10 minutes into this 11:30 long recording. You will also hear Chuck Blore comment about Color Radio. This takes you back to the beginning and bring you up to Top 40 radio.
   This tape was found at WDGY's basement at the old studio at the Bloomington transmitter site before the 9 tower array was removed and replaced by housing. This recording is relevant to us here in St. Louis since KXOK was a sister station to WDGY in the Storz era.
   Comment here.
09-28-07 FCC Chairman Kevin Martin ... says Yes and No.
   Martin says No to public interest obligations, that he's against requiring more public service from radio (that's one Obama issue I agree with; stations should not only provide more but document it within their license renewals).
   Martin says, "I'm not a fan of additional quantifiable public interest obligations for either radio or TV."
    Instead, he's asking the NAB and state broadcaster organizations to step up their efforts to report statistics on what radio is doing. Sorry, but the industry hasn't the cultural memory to know how to do that. Radio and tv MUST have guidance and regulation.
   Martin unbelievably says YES to more freedom of language and content. While the FCC wants to “protect families from indecent language on television and radio when children are likely to be in the audience” Martin says that government standards are too vague on what constitutes indecency. Not so.
   As I've said many times before, radio and tv content comes down to simply being polite and respectful. You don't need to say on broadcasts anything you wouldn't say to your Mother. Cable and satellite? Yup, a different story.
   Comment here.
09-28-07 AirAmerica offers free airtime to candidates ... this is something I've encouraged here and elsewhere for years.
   The NYDaily News reports that AirAmerica's NYC afilliate has offered an hour of free airtime to all presidential candidates.
   The "Presidential Project" was conceived by 8-10p host Richard Greene to help reduce the pressure of money in election campaigns. All eight major Democratic candidates have accepted, says Greene, and the invitation has been extended to Republicans.
   Those who accept the offer, which must be cashed in during the first two weeks of October, can either host an hour on Greene's show or submit a prerecorded two to five-minute statement that will run several times during the week.
   If AA was serious about this, they'd wait until the conventions made the final nominations next Summer. This is just showboating and chews up airtime that AA cannot sell.
   Your station should keep this tactic in mind next year, though. If enough radio and TV stations refused to sell political ad time to anyone, and only offered a limited amount of free time, we'd be quickly done with the hate and negative ads.
   But, no...stations are all too willing to take the easy income from political money rather than actually work for ad income.
   Because of this, broadcasters contribute to the bullroar and confusion that seem to be part and parcel of 21st Century politics.
   Comment here.
09-28-07 Holiday reality show ... from Worldscreen:
   In December, NBC will air Clash of the Choirs, following five celebrity singers back to their hometowns to assemble an amateur singing group made up of everyday people from all walks of life.
   Once the best of the best have been selected and the choirs have been assembled, they will compete live in studio. Musical genres will range from current hits to holiday classics and the choir hopefuls will be judged each night by viewers watching at home.
   The winning choir, along with the celebrity that selected them, will receive the opportunity to pick a prize to help their hometown and give back to their community—anything from renovating a school gym to an auditorium to a new neighborhood park.
   Comment here.
09-27-07 Former 60 Minutes Producer Don Hewitt on Dan Rather ... From the NYPost: "What Dan Rather is incensed about is, CBS has done to him what he did to Walter Cronkite." Comment here.
09-26-07 Bill Clevlen Live now online ... video from last weekend's show at the History Museum is up and running at his YouTube page.
09-26-07 Clear Channel's been sold ... for a thousand bazillion gazillion dollars. The company is now in the hands of the money changers and who knows what the hell this means except that there will be even more personnel blood-letting at every level as the new owners seek to justify their acquisition. The Mays family is wealthy now beyond anyone's wildest dreams. They might as well be Saudi royalty. Closing is expected by the end of 2007. This whole deal makes me puke. Comment here.
09-26-07 MetroTraffic responds ... to a piece we published yesterday (scroll down to read it). From Metro Ops Director Bill Bowen:
   Mike, I'm responding to a story reported on your website this morning regarding Metro Networks making up traffic reports. Metro Networks does not make up traffic reports.
   In fact, we err on the side of caution when reporting traffic incidents. We don't rely solely on DOT traffic cameras or road sensors for traffic information.
   Metro has a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft flying traffic patrols, weather permitting, in the mornings and afternoons. No other traffic service in St. Louis can say that.
   My apologies if Secret Squirrel misstated the fact of the day, but it was me who said that there is no wizardry, cameras, road sensors, accidents and aircraft notwithstanding, to reporting traffic flow.
   I stand by my premise that anyone who's traveled the roads 'round here for more than a week or two could tell you precisely when and where any particular route will be slow. This is one more instance where technology is overkill.
   Comment here.
09-26-07 KTRS' Hadley in auto accident ... I hadn't heard anything about this until last evening: Hadley was injured, apparently seriously, in an auto accident on 9/13. If you have further word on his condition, please let us know. My thanks to the regular reader who passed this along and our best wishes to John for a full recovery. Comment here.
09-26-07 If you don't like the NSA, you'll hate this ... From the NYT:
   Pudding Media, a start-up based in San Jose, Calif., is introducing an Internet phone service today that will be supported by advertising related to what people are talking about in their calls. The Web-based phone service is similar to Skype’s online service — consumers plug a headset and a microphone into their computers, dial any phone number and chat away. But unlike Internet phone services that charge by the length of the calls, Pudding Media offers calling without any toll charges.
   The trade-off is that Pudding Media is eavesdropping on phone calls in order to display ads on the screen that are related to the conversation. Voice recognition software monitors the calls, selects ads based on what it hears and pushes the ads to the subscriber’s computer screen while he or she is still talking.
   Comment here.
09-25-07 Get your kicks on KMOX ... This Saturday evening, KMOX debuts a new weekend show, Route 66 On KMOX. From the station:
   Route 66, the iconic highway memorialized in song, winds across the United States, through St. Louis, down through Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico & beyond.
   KMOX, the iconic radio station established in 1925, blasts its 50,000 watt signal across the vast stretch of Route 66.
   Now KMOX debuts a new Saturday night show titled “ROUTE 66.” ROUTE 66 is hosted by St. Louis radio veteran Randy Raley.
   ROUTE 66 on KMOX is a hip, retro slice of life, featuring the music heard on AM radios in the Chevys, Buicks, and Fords driving across this exciting American Highway. On ROUTE 66, you’ll also hear historic moments from the huge KMOX audio vault. ROUTE 66 returns radio to its American roots.
   So whether you’re out on the road this Saturday night, or relaxing at home, please enjoy ROUTE 66 on KMOX.
   Comment here.
09-25-07 Big voiced guys get the chicks ... Anybody who's been in radio for more than a half-hour knows this is an indisputable fact. And now there's even a scientific study that proves it.
   Studies conducted by David Feinberg of McMaster University in Canada have shown that women are more attracted to men with deeper voices, judging them to be older, healthier and more masculine than their higher-pitched rivals.
   Unfortunately, big-voiced guys are usually about as physically attractive as the chicks who call in to talk with them.
   Not that I have any personal experience in this, just sayin'...
   I mean, I've always been married. But I could have written this study years ago. Let's not talk about the necessary research, okay?
   I think I'm in trouble with Mrs. A. In fact, I'm probably a dead man.
   Comment here.
09-25-07 Mid-America Emmy nominations are online ... check 'em here.
09-25-07 A service provider wouldn't lie to us, would they? ... from Secret Squirrel's mailbox: Metro Traffic was making up traffic reports Monday morning. The Illinois Department of Transportation cameras didn't work until 8:20am. They were reporting traffic getting heavy. How would they know?
   And how would we know? Really, how different, excluding accidents, is traffic flow day to day? I haven't been on the air in the morning in a lot of years, but I bet I could produce a pretty accurate report from memory and recent experience. Sounds like that's exactly what Metro did on Monday...
   Comment here.
09-25-07 TV clutter has suddenly become an issue ... from TVWatch (RR):
   Think "snipes," "crawls," and "bugs" -- that's the on-air marketing pollution that goes on while a show goes on. Get ready for even more inundated viewers this season: They will be reminded, while watching one TV show, that there are other shows to watch on the network as well.
   One day it'll all backfire. Viewers will look at those marketing tricks and be convinced. Right then and there they'll decide the network is right; they'll shut off the show they are watching, gaze into space, and wait for the other show to start.
   ABC has even been working on commercials that start during a show on, say, a fictional family's living room TV.
   Comment here.
09-25-07 Was a time in the early 1970's ... when AM radio stations thought their best defense against the encroaching FM enemy was a good offense: play the long (album) versions of the hits and throw in a few non-hit LP cuts for tasty hippieness. And, of course, name the album, name the album ad nauseum.
   Needless to say, this didn't work too awfully well.
   The magic was in the stereo (or at least in the little red light that told us it was stereo, whether it was or not), the lower commercial load on FM, and the hypeless delivery of the non-pro-sounding DJ's. AM Top 40's all over the country took this tack; here's how KXOK aired it in 1972.
   In this 9:04 aircheck, KXOK's Lou Kirby does his hip thang, gettin' it on, layin' it back, bro, playin' the heavy hits and still running the CashCall contest, jingles, timechecks and spots overly produced for a "progressive" station. Note, too, that the station's reverb is still in place. Pretty hip, huh?
   Thanks to Bob Walsh, who liberated this bit of radio history from his Father's cassette collection. Thanks, Bob, for making me feel older than I am.
   FYI, in 1972 I was working at WIFI/Philadelphia, a Top 40 FM, playing the hits in three-song segues with a low energy presentation. My PD was this guy, who eventually got into the trade mag biz. He did okay for himself.
   Comment here.
09-24-07 Thanks to Jim Leach ... for directing me to this article from RadioInk on former KMOX PD and current WGN/Chicago GM Tom Langmyer, in which Tom speaks to the upcoming cross-ownership rule hearings. WGN is one of the few radio stations, in any market of any size, that's truly the heart and soul of their community of license. Langmyer has worked hard to maintain and grow that position; if the FCC decides that their grandfathered protection is null upon the Tribune Co. going private, all bets are off and that would be a damned shame.
09-24-07 Nice article over the weekend ... on KMOX' Jon Grayson in the Belleville News-Democrat. Now we know that Grayson drives a Chrysler Sebring convertible. Danged AM TJ show off!
09-23-07 Art imitates radio ...
   Promo maven Judy Martin writes: Wash U is putting on an old-timey radio play October 5th-14th that I thought some of your readers might like to attend.
   From the website: Set against the backdrop of World War II, The 1940s Radio Hour follows a group of broadcast has-beens and wannabes as they attempt to make it big on the "Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade."
   The play's structure mimics that of an actual radio broadcast, with backstage hands, musicians and performers straggling in, preparing for broadcast and, at the top of the hour, going live.
   The production features nearly two dozen classic songs, including "Blue Moon," "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Old Black Magic," as well as comedy segments, radio plays, period commercials and prominent "On the Air" and "Applause" signs, which the audience is prompted to follow.
   Mike says: Shows like this ought to be mandatory for all youngbloods and radio pups. Old dogs'll enjoy it too. Hey, $9. Go crazy. You'll have enough left over for a feast at Taco Bell on the way home...

09-23-07 ABC fires Amanda Congdon ...and nobody at the network knows why she was even hired there in the first place. Right.    Congdon was hired away from Rocketboom about a year ago.     No one knows exactly what it was she did there, or at ABC, except to smile and move various body parts.    That was considered sufficient for employment at both nets. Bet FNC is next in her career.    Okay by me. I like FNC. /sexist mode off

09-23-07 There's been a search raised industry wide ... to find the current status of legendary radio programmer Russell "Buzz" Bennett.
   Last I heard, Buzz was scheduled to fly into Memphis in the late 1970's to work with the Tanner Company on developing a new-concept jingle package. Bought him a ticket, but he wasn't on the plane.
   Since then rumors abide and facts subside.
   In recent years, Buzz has been spotted working on Hairspray on Broadway; living with his Mom in Florida or in residence in Louisiana in an assisted-living home; unemployed and "looking bad" in a Dallas airport as recently as 1999; and maybe he's even passed away within the past few years, with an Orlando obit that nobody can source.
   I'd hate to think he wound up as a John Doe, buried in an unmarked pauper's grave.
   Buzz was a tortured soul but he sure made his mark on radio in just a few years. Today, nobody knows for sure what happened to the guy.
   Let me know if you do
09-23-07 Think your SatTV reception is bad? ... One of my Israeli readers/correspondents sends this along: Monday night the TV (1 year old) began to flicker between normal color and Martian green, and figures began to flicker. We thought it was celebrating the day after guarantee expiration. In this morning's newspaper was an article about the Israel satellite surveillance of Iran and Syria disturbing TV reception. Not something you usually consider. Comment here.
09-23-07 Youth-targeted TVNet CW ... is taking product placement to a whole new level. From the WSJ:
   When the CW network (KPLR/11 in STL) launched this time last year, it experimented with a new kind of commercial break designed to look like a minishow built around products. The so-called content wraps were such a hit with marketers that the network is going one better this fall, with a half-hour weekly series in which it will promote sponsors' products.
   "CW Now," which debuts Sunday, is a newsmagazine-style program aimed at young adults, dishing out segments on what is hot in the worlds of fashion, music, entertainment and technology. The program won't break for commercials.
    Comment here.
09-23-07 Absolutely nothing to do with STLMedia ... but here's a PDF of the Dan Rather v. CBS complaint. Ol' Dan's got hisself one hell of a loquacious lawyer, huh? My bet is that CBS will choose to settle instead of litigate. May not be cheaper, but since their E&O insurance policy's checkbook is already wide open after the Imus settlement, it'd just be easier. Think of all they money they saved by by the way they unconscionably savaged General Westmoreland in that lawsuit... Comment here.
09-22-07 Secret Squirrel is positive ... that recently annointed broadcast sales person Randy Raley is going to assume some undefined additional duties, at some radio station, at some time during some upcoming weekend or weekends. It may or may not involve music of an unknown vintage. On the other hand, Secret Squirrel may have been just a bit out of his sweet spot, having spent most of his day today at what he reported to me as "A Drink of St. Louis." Comment here.
09-22-07 You already know what I think of HDRadio ... Media prof Jerry Del Colliano has skinned the beast alive and is looking for lighter fluid and matches to finish the job:
    "Here's what iBiquity says, 'All a consumer needs is a new HD Radio receiver; the content is free. The radios are priced for everyone from under $100 from major mass-market retailers across the U.S. Virtually everyone can experience the crystal-clear digital sound on AM and FM as well as the broadcast-exclusive new FM channels'.
   Those under $100 models must really sound good. iBiquity seems to have left out the expensive $400 models. Just an oversight, I guess."
   And that's the part where he's being nice.
   Comment here.
09-22-07 Lotsa rumors about this ... but it looks like the controversial Bill O'Reilly radio show, heard in STL on KFTK, will be heard for at least one more year via syndicator Westwood One. His show has recently been picked up in San Francisco, Denver and Washington, DC and he's said to have signed a one-year extension rather than a wholly new contract. There have been some business problems rumored at WW1 and word is that O'Reilly's show would have just moved to FoxRadio if WW1 had actually bailed. Comment here.
09-22-07 From the desk of Mark Edwards ... new Y-guys (well, Y-gals, but that doesn't rhyme):
   It's my great pleasure to welcome two new part time Air Personalities to the staff of Y98.
   Elaine Everett joins us as part of her distinguished career, most notably over four years co-hosting mornings at WIL. After a stint in Columbus, Ohio, Elaine is back home and will make a great addition to the Y98 family.
   Jennifer Sparks has recovered from working with a certain high profile morning personality in town and is ready to take to the airwaves, and we are very fortunate that she'll be doing it at Y98. Like Elaine, Jennifer is known to St. Louis listeners and I know she will sound incredible and relateable to the Y98 audience.
   We have been very fortunate to attract high profile personalities like Elaine and Jennifer for Y98, as well as David Craig and Maria Keena on KEZK. All of these people, as well as our existing part timers, are important members of the team and will make our stations sound great on the weekends or when full timers are off.
   Elaine and Jennifer will be in the station to train over the next week or so and should be on the air by October 1. You're going to love listening to them!
   Mark Edwards, Director Of Programming
   Soft Rock 102.5 KEZK -- KYKY, Y98
   CBS Radio St. Louis
   Comment here.
09-21-07 Dan Rather on Larry King Thursday evening ... Dan's suing his former employer, CBS, for $70million for what amounts to wrongful dismissal, and CNN's star softball pitcher allowed him the airtime to make his case.
   Rather says that "Big Corporations" screwed him out of his gig as CBS anchorman after he presented arguably phony documents regarding President Bush's military record as truth.
   Even when presented with co-worker's statements (Mike Wallace, for example, saying he should have resigned then and there), Rather continued to be defensive about his work.
   The rest of the journalistic world has moved on, accepting the fact that Rather was let go at the end of his contract. There's no employer responsibility to renew a deal and so Mr. Rather was simply let go at the end of his term after an embarassing episode.
   It's not personal, it's just business.
   Dan, 75, just looked sad and confused during the King interview. This was an unhappy cap to his career. Whoever allowed or suggested he make this appearance should be taken out back and beaten unmercifully.
   Even Larry King seemed to view Rather's position as questionable.
   Comment here.
09-21-07 Regarding Laura Ingraham ... the syndicated talk show hostette and best-selling author will bring her national Power To The People book-signing tour to the Kemp Auto Museum on Moday, September 24th. The book is currently #1 on the NYT bestseller list. Her appearance is sponsored by Emmis' KFTK.
09-21-07 What's wrong with this picture? ... An unproven technology with glaring faults is being used by a consolidator that has no idea of what radio is about to "improve" the product and radio and advertising trades are talking about it.
   Unfortunately, the trades are looking at this development in the worst possible wrong way.
   As part of its developing PPM strategy, Clear Channel Radio/Houston’s five FM stations has trimmed the number of commercial stop sets they do each hour from three to two "to increase our PPM numbers even more."
   Less Is More inventory minute limits remain in place, but stopsets will grow from a maximum of four minutes to five.
   So, no fewer spots, just more of them in a row. Haven't we been through this Purgatory before? Has no one given any thought to the fact that it might be the quality of the content between the tunes that gets listeners? Like air talent that have something relateable to say?
   Here's part of the memo (note the incomplete sentences):
   "Effective immediately, Clear Channel Houston Radio is moving from 3 stop sets per hour to 2 stop sets per hour. In order to increase our PPM numbers even more. Below are more specifics. The great thing about PPM is we will see the benefits of this much more quickly than we were able with the old diary method.
   * PPM changes have brought on new opportunities for ratings growth. In order to get better ratings.
   * We are programming longer music sweeps and moving from 3 breaks to 2 per hour.
   * We are not adding minutes or units to any hour.
   * Research with PPM shows us that people are listening through the commercial breaks.
   * AM drive is not included in the changes -- it will remain the same.
   * It's only one more minute per break (was 4 min. max now 5 min. max).
   * Typically the stop set won't make it to 5 minutes, closer to 4.5.
   * We are reducing station promos to one minute per hour -- this means one more minute of content added to ALL dayparts.
   * This change takes place immediately on all 5 FM stations. The AM stations are not affected."
   Once again, the blind are leading the blind. It's sad when cousins marry and the offspring go on to manage radio stations. Comment here.
09-21-07 Broadcast radio seems to be doing just fine ... at least according to a study performed by American Media Services: 63% of adults listen to the radio one or more times a day; 74% say they turn on the radio when they get into their car; listening was strongest within the key age group of 25-34; only 11% say they listen to satellite radio; more music and fewer commercials would get people to listen to more radio. I have no idea who commissioned this study nor have I seen the questionnaire. Their website says they're an engineering and sales brokerage company and it hasn't been updated since 2006. Comment here.
09-21-07 Confusing sales presentations can work well ... Well, duh! This article, while it refers mostly to pitches made for consumer products, is also easily transferrable to pitches made to ad clients. Pay attention when they refer to the DTR technique. Caveat emptor, as those Roman kids say. But don't say it too loudly. Comment here.
09-20-07 Mel's whining again ... from Inside Radio:
   Mel tells labels - If terrestrial doesn't pay, neither should we
    Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin is locked in a tough royalty negotiation with the record labels' collection agency, SoundExchange, over its royalties. Karmazin says "terrestrial radio doesn't pay anything, and our view is we compete with terrestrial radio and we shouldn't have to pay [them] any money either." The current estimate is that satellite radio pays 2% to 3% of its revenues to the record industry.
   SatRad should pay EXACTLY the same fees to the relevant rights and copyright authorities as TerRad. They established themselves as the then-primary competitors to broadcast radio, right? Why shouldn't they play on the same field and by the same rules? Comment here.
09-20-07 Speaking of Don Wolff's Jazz Show ... (as we did below) after a number of conversations with insiders and outsiders at KMOX, I think I've got a pretty good idea of what the replacement program will be...and who might be hosting it. The new show is likely as not going to also involve a "specialty" music format and will include a familiar music radio name. We'll see in a week and change, huh?
09-20-07 Will KTRS ever replace ... the two towers they lost in that storm a couple years ago? My guess is that they'll continue to extend the waiver they got for the altered night-time signal as long as they continue to air the Cardinal games. And why not? The two-tower signal is vastly better on the East Side than the four-tower directional array allowed; with most games broadcast at night, the revenue vs. legal fees to keep the waiver in place vs. potential fines is probably worth the gamble. Comment here.
09-20-07 Damn, damn, damn ... my outboard HD for the Main System shot craps a few days back. It contained all my data files, all my client work and billing, and all the backup multimedia files. That's why some stories have been delayed here and there's been no newsletter update in a couple days. It's now in the hands of God and our computer Wizard for data recovery.
09-20-07 Don Wolff to HEC-TV ... STLToday's Deb Peterson says that Wolff's I Love Jazz show, scheduled to end its long KMOX tenure at the end of the month, will resurface on cable, taped live in St. Louis jazz clubs. The show will also be streamed live on www.HECTV.org. There's no premiere date as yet. Comment here.
09-20-07 A while back we made the point ... here and on the STLMedia MB that the traditional 25-54 and 35-64 demographics were not realistic and hadn't been for years. Now along comes Bridge Ratings with a study that backs up our original point, but with a better set of new demos:
   Boomers: 1946-1964/ages 43-6
   Gen X: 1964-1976/ages 31-43
   Echo Boomers/Gen Y: 1989-1993/ages 13-21 and 22-31
   After all, what's the sense in marketing a product to a demo that includes not only me and Mrs. A, but our children as well? While we have a lot more in common with them than just DNA, our product and lifestyle preferences diverge substantially. Read the article and carefully view the charts; they say a lot of things that should be considered by sales and programming types.
   Comment here.
09-20-07 Best sales idea of the year ... 2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the Kirkwood-Webster Groves Thanksgiving football matchup, and KMOX is going to air it as their STL Superbowl, giving it the full promotional Monty. The station has locked in both schools and I understand that Costas and Buck were both approached for play-by-play, but had other, national, commitments. This is local radio service at it's very best...how did the local "sports" stations manage to miss this opportunity? Comment here.
09-20-07 Great STLMedia Monthly Meeting at Reynolds ... some old friends, some new friends, and some who "weren't there." We'll do it again, third Thursday in October.
09-20-07 Bill Clevlen in auto accident ... it happened earlier this week, Bill's okay but shaken. He says he'll be just fine for his Variety Show this weekend at the History Museum.
09-19-07 Summer '07 Phase 2 12+ ... posted on the STLMedia MB. Read 'em and comment here.
09-18-07 The least liked woman ever in STLRadio ... has to have been Francene Cucinello.
    An avowed man-hater with a voice like fingernails on a chalkboard, she annoyed everyone who ever heard her on the air. Francene managed, while she was here, to ruin the careers of several of her male co-workers with baseless accusations and helped drive Darrell Ankarlo, who helped get her to STL, out of town.
   These days, she's holding listeners of ClearChannel's WHAS/Louisville hostage, probably because CC's too afraid of what she might bring to pass if they tried to get rid of her. I'd rather that they be stuck with her than us; my biggest memory of this chick was when I spent an afternoon taking photos of her for the station website.
   After I asked her to stop touching me (and you know I'm no prize), I mentioned that I was not a fan of some female singer. She snottily said that I must not like strong women.
   I told her that she must never have met Mrs. A, who could kick her butt back to the Stone Age, physically and intellectually. Shut right up, she did.
   Here's her latest net appearance, and it's no surprise that she's still trolling for a man and still showing off her cleavage.
   Comment here.
09-18-07 Unlicensed stations haven't been much of a problem in STLRadio ... and I don't understand why there haven't been more reports of pirates, or even of a few legal Part 15 low-powers. What with the burgeoning Bosnian and Latino populations here, I'm truly surprised that some enterprising immigrant or group hasn't spent the few grand necessary to play their music and talk their talk, splattered across three or four adjacent channels, engineered as badly as most self-respecting/law-flouting pirates would. Heard one? Report them to the FCC here and/or add to the Message Board merriment: comment here.
09-18-07 A coupla sales-assistant-type gigs up for grabs ... with NationalCableCommunications: One is for a sales coordinator, and the other is for a planner/management coordinator. Interested? Resumes to susan_krakow@spotcable.com right now.
09-17-07 I wish this was not happening ... and personal politics and relationships notwithstanding, K-HITS/Fox2's JC Corcoran's on-air screed and email exchange with an STL Battalion Fire Chief about whether or not we should discontinue rememberances of the 9/11 attack was way out of line.
   I've been forwarded copies of the relevant emails and it seems to me that the attitude and language of Corcoran's response was, to say the least, excessive. I didn't hear his on-air response, although that has been described to me as "over the top."
   After reading the email exchange, that's the least I can say about it.
   I've known Corcoran for more than thirty years and he's always been "edgy"...but this is an unforgiveable transgression.
   The tragedy of 9/11 can never be dismissed, nor can the cost in human lives, just as you would never dismiss the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
   That day will always live as The Day Of Infamy. 9/11 joins it historically.
   Corcoran owes the Fire Chief and all of us an apology. But I don't think we'll get it.
   And neither John Beck nor Rick Balis have the balls or inclination to force an apology from him. Neither of these two wusses understand the concept of market service.
   Which is why my dog can herd cattle and neither of them can play poker without a cheat sheet. Asshats.
   Comment here.
09-15-07 State of the STLMedia Dogs, 2007 ... Read it (photos of Tasha coming) and then, if you care, comment here.
09-15-07 Why HDRadio is a failure in the US ... Simply put, "it's the content, stupid!" All those extra FM channels could be loaded with compelling, interesting, audience-grabbing content. But they're not. The BBC seems to be doing it right, and digital radio sales in Britain are hitting nearly 6 million as a result. In the US? A few hundred thousand. The other side of the issue, of course, is that this is a technology that nobody asked for and nobody really wants. Maybe they would if there was something good to listen to on it. Probably, it's too late. Comment here.
09-15-07 FCC complicit in destroying small businesses ... from MediaPost:
   FCC Digital Rules May Shut Down Small Cable Companies
   The American Cable Association, which represents small cable operators, said the FCC's recent decision ruling that cable systems carry all broadcasters' digital and analog signals means "some very small systems will have no choice but to shut down. Their small subscriber bases cannot support the costly equipment mandated by this order," according to a statement by Matthew Polka, president and CEO of the ACA.
   The ACA said the extra labor costs and equipment could exceed $150,000 for systems. All that would mean a decrease--if not abandonment--of the growing broadband, video and voice services cable needed to be competitive.
   Comment here.
09-14-07 Dingo descendant now in residence at STLMedia HQ ...
   Mrs. A (on vacation) and I spent part of Wednesday and Thursday on the "Add-a-dog-to-the-Andersons'-Home" project. It appears success has been achieved, thanks to these guys at Boone's Crossing.
   Her name is Tasha, she's 2 1/2 years old, part Australian Cattle Dog (the rest came from a very good family), and doesn't bark.
   I can see the sign on the fence now: Beware of the dingo...she may eat your babies!
   Yes, our dogs are always interesting (but they never hardly ever eat babies); story and photos over the weekend.
09-14-07 AM radio went HD 24/7 at 12M 09-13 ... from InsideRadio:
   When the clock strikes 12 midnight the FCC will allow AM stations across the country to turn on their HD signals after dark. Until now the 226 AM stations broadcasting in HD have had to switch back to analog at night. Also starting tonight are new rules requiring FM HD-2 multicasts to begin airing EAS alerts.
   Does this mean that iBiquity's genius engineers have found a way to made directional AM's HD? I can't find anything that confirms this...
   It also means that AM dx'ing is over, what with the diminished signals that HDRadio creates. Thanks, iBiquity, for destroying it all.
   Comment here.
09-14-07 Secret Squirrel has been covering for me ... while Mrs. A and I did the new dog happy dance and quietly celebrated my 59th 29th birthday for the 30th time. SS found this nugget in R&R: Eric Schmidt moves across the hall -- and to the other side of the clock -- as he goes from nights at Bonneville Adult Hits WARH (106.5 The Arch)/St. Louis to co-host mornings at Rhythmic AC clustercousin WMVN (MOViN 101.1) alongside Steph Duran. Back at The Arch, overnight dude Chuck Dee temporarily moves into Schmidt's old night shift, while weekend overnight jock Andrew Eads is filling in on overnights. Comment here.
09-13-07 From the email ...
   A friend of mine is inquiring about the Glenn Frey “The Heat Is On” song that had St. Louis Cardinals “bites” in it. Do you have any idea where I could obtain a clean copy of it? Mp3 format is perfectly fine.
   If memory serves me correctly, this was produced by Casey Van Allen, who visits here occasionally. Casey, if you'd email me a copy "in the clear" I'd be happy to forward it.
   UPDATE: Within 12 hours of posting this I forwarded a copy to the requestor. You guys rock!
09-13-07 From the email ...
   Hi, Mike...There is an event in the works for a reunion of KCOU staff members who were at Mizzou in the 70's. Basically, a group of us have contacted the station and are planning a "take over" on Saturday, October 27 at KCOU in Columbia.
   We are going to play actual vinyl records on turntables and show the kids how radio should be done There will be round table discussions involving those of us who were there in the 70's and lots of reminiscing and tall tales.
   We want to get as many people involved as possible who were there during the "glory days".
   Sincerely...Sherri Schott Volkerding
09-12-07 CBS still dragging legal feet ...
   from The HollywoodReporter:
   The broadcaster is challenging a $550,000 fine issued by the FCC. The two sides offered arguments before three federal appeals judges who must decide whether the brief glimpse of Jackson's barely covered breast was indecent, or merely a fleeting and accidental glitch that shouldn't be punished.
   From InsideRadio: CBS argues the FCC has hurt creativity
   "The FCC's new zero-tolerance policy has already had a chilling effect on the broadcast industry" CBS attorney Robert Corn-Revere argued Tuesday before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
    Good grief. This happened, when, in 1865? Pay the fine and get on with it, CBS. And a chilling effect on creativity because the net allowed (and you know they did; it was no accident) a nipple to show or some moron to drop the f-bomb on an award show? Horsehockey. That hasn't been considered "creative" since Lenny Bruce.
   Pay it or I'll sic my dingo (see above) on you!
   Comment here.
09-11-07 Secret Squirrel says this makes him raff ...
   Big rumor around KMOV/4 is that Deanne Lane is coming over to replace Donna Savarese. Why she'd want to do that is anyone's guess...but it's a pretty strong rumor (from management).
   No disrespect to Ms. Savarese, but I've never really considered her more than a second-stringer on KMOV/4. She was okay on the air there, but not ever Big Talent. Elsewhere she might be a star.
   It's hard to imagine that Deanne would be tapped as her replacement. But KSDK/5 unceremoniously kicked Karen Foss to the curb and maybe Ms. Lane sees the writing on the wall.
   Contract renewal coming up? There's certainly going to be a non-compete involved and Deanne wouldn't be on KMOV/4 until 2008.
   As Omar Khayam said, "The moving finger writes and, having given the finger, moves on." Or something like that. Comment here.
09-11-07 Terry Fox's 9/11 mix ... Foxman took news sound bites (remember when we called them "actualities"?) and mixed them with a LeAnn Rimes song; it's a moving and very emotional piece of work. Download it here.
   Play it as often as you can; if your PD complains, tell him/her I think he/she's a damned commie and that I haven't killed anyone since 1969 but I would be willing to break my streak of non-violence. That should work.
09-10-07 The 9/11 6th Anniversary ... is tomorow. If you're planning a look back at that awful day, here's a page worth of show prep.
09-10-07 That whole Web2.0 freebie thing ... Ismael Ghalimi, the organizer of the Office 2.0 conference, is serious about living the Web 2.0 dream, except for a browser. Here are the browser-dependent online apps he uses day in and day out. Hey, free is good. Let us know how this works out for you. Comment here.
09-10-07 A world without Bruce Williams ... I can only hope, having hosted him for a personal appearance in the '80's. What an embarassing evening that was! Williams hasn't been heard in STL for years.
   From InsideRadio:
   Bruce Williams has the longest-running show in radio - 27 years. But his contract with TalkRadio Network ends 10/17 and the two sides have yet to agree on a new deal.
   Williams says "I don't want it to end - I want to continue doing this." TRN says it's confident they'll come to an agreement and keep Williams on the air "for as many years as he wishes to continue to broadcast." Comment here.
09-09-07 But no radio or TV ads ... yet: a federal court has ruled that Nevada's licensed bordellos can advertise in counties such as Clark and Washoe, where prostitution is illegal. Earlier this summer, U.S. District Judge James Mahan ruled that state laws barring such ads were "overly broad"...now, that's comedy gold! Comment here.
09-09-07 Great Plains Radio Symposium ... Friday, 21 September in the K-State Union, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS. Presentations by Richard Fatherley, Ted Cramer, Dr. Mark Smith, Frank Absher, Dr. David McFarland and others. All interested are welcome to attend. Email Dr. McFarland for info.
09-09-07 Old dog hero alert ... Last Wednesday's Tonight Show Jaywalking episode featured Leno knocking on doors asking folks to imitate videos of hit songs. According to AllAccess, one of the doors was answered by legendary RKO Radio VP/Programming Paul Drew.
   Joel Denver writes: The segment was drop-dead hilarious for those in the industry who were lucky enough to catch him mimicking MIMS "This Is Why I'm Hot." If you know Paul, then you know it was way out of character for him, but he pulled it off like the pro that he is.
09-09-07 Media vet John Gorman ... one of the few remaining truly wise men in the business, has a lot to say about the role the NAB should have been playing as an advocate for member stations for all these years...and has not. Can you say betrayal? Comment here.
09-09-07 iBiquity is so freakin' eager ... to make their HDRadio fraud a hit that they've insinuated themselves into the iPod/music download deal, making it unnecessarily complicated.
   From InsideRadio: After 18 months of behind-the-scenes development, iBiquity and Apple have connected radio to the iPod. It comes as Polk Audio releases the next generation of its I-Sonic and the JBL iHD receivers.
   With this device, listeners can "tag" songs they hear then buy the song via iTunes. Several groups have already struck licensing deals with Apple. Is this the technology breakthrough radio has been looking for?
   Of course, iBiquity has already announced that HDRadio clients who want to make this happen will have to include a new piece of gear into their existing audio chain or upgrade existing software; the cost for this has not yet been fully explained.
   I call a resounding shenanigans here.
   If Steve Jobs had wanted HDRadio to truly be an iPod element, it would have been included as a radio receiver in the new generation of iPod players. You HDRadio guys are gonna get hosed again, at a whole new level, and I do not understand why you don't just give it up and write off the whole HD thing as a failed experiment.
   Until one point it'll be tax deductible as a loss; but eventually it'll be tough to write off stupidity on your corporate return.
   How many Christmases do you have to wait through to understand that listeners don't want this? Comment here.
09-09-07 Network news wars ... on 8/27, MSNBC slammed CNN's three-part special God's Warriors, saying that Christine Amanpour "avoided getting bogged down in objectivity." Friday, ABC took on NBC's Dateline sexual predator series. Whew! There goes the gentlemen's agreement that has held such commenting at bay for fifty years. What could this lead to? Comment here.
09-09-07 The 13th annual Bill Clevlen Variety Show ... is comin' up Saturday, 22 September, 7:30PM at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. Tickets are available free of charge while they last at the MO History Musuem Box Office. This years guests include: Cliff St. James (aka Corky The Clown), and jazz musician Tim Cunningham.
09-08-07 As if that wasn't enough grief for one day ... Friday morning about 10AM there was a sudden, loud crack out back.
   Cable went out and I presumed a random hit of lightning or an accident had done some damage somewehere. No wind, no rain, no sirens...but in the backyard, an enormous chunk of oak tree lay on the patio, having missed the house by maybe two feet.
   It had to have been thirty feet long, two or three 5-6" main branches that had rotted at the trunk and brought lots of foilage along for the ride.
   The cleanup guys said it was probably 350-400 pounds of lumber and fell from about 40 feet up. If it'd hit the house it would have taken out the kitchen.
   I'm hoping this weekend's weirdness is finished.
09-08-07 Our sincerest thanks ... to the "pack" of friends and readers who've sent notes of consolation about our family's loss yesterday. Thanks so much...your kind words make all of this easier for me and Mrs A.

09-07-07 Today our beloved BoyDog went to his Rest ... He was 14 and had been part of our family since his adoption in 2000. When Lucy died in April, I made a promise to Boy that he'd be the "only dog" here for the rest of his life (Lucy bossed Boy around unmercifully). Tonight there will be no dog sleeping at the foot of our bed for the first time in 21 years. And, yes, I'm a wreck.

09-06-07 Joe Sonderman's Yesterday St. Louis ... is available exclusively here. Joe's a long-time STL radio personality, historian and a published author. Use the info he's researched on everything St. Louis day-by-day to enhance your content...for free! Or maybe with just a little thanks...
09-05-07 Matt Drudge's Sunday KFTK show ends 9/30 ... Trades, including Tom Taylor and Brian Maloney's RadioEqualizer, are saying that the show, which landed at Premiere after a fitful start at ABC, will be replaced by Bill Cunningham, on WLW/Cincinnati since 1983. Cunningham's weekday show on WLW will continue, as will his criminal law practice. Comment here.
09-05-07 They're not only watching Pentagon computers ... from OnlineMediaDaily:
    Authorities in Beijing announced that two virtual police officers would soon begin visible patrols on Chinese Web sites--avatars will pop up every half hour to remind surfers that their online activities are being watched.
   According to the China Daily newspaper, the 'Beijing Internet Police' will look out for Web sites and Internet activities that "incite secession, promote superstition, gambling, fraud and pornography." The cyber cops will appear on sites hosted by 13 Beijing-based major Web portals, with expansion to all city Internet sites by the end of the year.
   The avatars (named "Jing" and "Cha," after the two characters that make up the Chinese word for "police") first appeared on portals based out of the southern city of Shenzhen last year, according to the newspaper.
   Comment here.
09-05-07 Gardner Advertising's last gasps ... from MediaDailyNews: In what appears to be the end of a media buying era, Omnicom has closed the St. Louis offices of PHD, once the largest media buying shop in the market, and the home of one of Madison Avenue's best known media services organizations, Advanswers, which bought Gardner in 1989. Comment here.
09-05-07 Newspaper Q2 revenues ... from MediaDailyNews:
   Newspapers reported an 8.6% decline in overall advertising revenue to $11.3 billion. Online revenues were a bright spot, posting 19.3% growth for a total $796 million. But it couldn't offset a 10.2% decline in print ad revenue, to $10.5 billion. Biggest hits were in classified, which sank 16.4% compared to the same quarter in 2006. Classifieds account for about one-third of total revenues.
   By category, real estate fell 20.7%, to $966.8 million; automotive fell 19.3%, to $756.2 million; and job recruitment fell 18.5%, to $995.4 million.
   Comment here.

09-04-07 RadioBill ...    Here's a locally programmed internet music and talk channel run by someone who doesn't care about industry awards, trade magazine accolades or jamming up employees.    Imagine that!

09-04-07 Jonnie King's website officially debuts ...
   Longtime STLRadio personality Jonnie King has launched an impressive multi-media website at www.thewwbc.net.
   The site includes interviews with some custom car greats and a tasty audio snack in Jonnie's Breakfast Serial area.
   In addition, King celebrates his 40th anniversary in broadcasting (10 September 2007) by announcing his participation in "Young" Bill Clevlen's recently launched internet channel.
   From Jonnie: "As I celebrate my 40th Anniversary in broadcasting, I sincerely thank each and everyone that has made my "dream come true". Without you being there to listen, there would have been no need for me...and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
   Comment here.
09-03-07 The World's Largest Non-scheduled Airline ... that was the comic name given to the STL-based Ozark Airlines, for their pilots' occasional decisions to not fly into or through bad weather. Works for me. Ozark was sold to TWA in 1986 and the regional brand became history. The annual reunion of former Ozark employees happens this year on 8 September (next Saturday) at Smartt Field in St. Charles County. The public is invited.
09-03-07 Thanks to Frank Absher ...for sending this along from ClaudeHall.com:
   Bill Mouzis, Los Angeles, KHJ engineer, now 85 years old, still has copies to sell of a two-CD highlights version of the historic 48-hour "History of Rock and Roll" special produced by Ron Jacobs and narrated by the late Robert W. Morgan. Proceeds go to charity. Copies of the CD set are still available here. Or call 808-247-9090.
   Minimum donation of $40...it's worth it for a two-and-a-half-hour sampler! If you've never heard it, this work, along with Fantasy Park, was one of the two greatest syndicated shows ever. I've ordered mine, and I can't wait.
   And, by the way, why has there not been a new Fantasy Park? Whatever happened to imagination?
09-03-07 Fred Thompson for President ...may be causing problems (RR) for cable affiliates:
   TV stations that air "Law & Order" reruns - or any episodes in the "L&O" franchise that Thompson appeared in -- would need to keep a time track of his on-air appearances. They would have to give his competitors equal time -- and, according to FCC rules on TV political advertising, at the lowest possible price. That could create a gold rush for other candidates looking for their comparable spotlight.
   Comment here.
09-03-07 Ruh-roh ... them danged InterTubes is costing you money! From MediaDailyNews: INTERNET AD REVENUES ARE SET to pass radio's for the first time, according to eMarketer, a firm that tracks and analyzes spending trends across various media. EMarketer is pegging Internet ad spending at $21.7 billion, compared to $20.4 billion for radio. Comment here.
08-31-07 Who makes a million bucks a year? ... RadioInfo's Tom Taylor has some guesses on local radio salaries nationwide, but misses the local boy who really earns the loot by a mile:
    Angelo Cataldi at WIP Philadelphia
    Boomer Esiason at WFAN NYC
    Scott Shannon at WPLJ NYC
    Ryan Seacrest at KIIS-FM LA
    John Lander at WBMX Boston
    Kevin & Bean at KROQ-FM LA
    Dick Purtan at WOMC Detroit
    Eddie and Jobo at B96 Chicago
    Spike O'Dell at WGN Chicago
    Eric Ferguson at WTMX Chicago
    Jonathan Brandmeier at WLUP Chicago
    Mike North at WSCR at Chicago
    Steve Dahl at WCKG at Chicago
    Roe Conn at WLS at Chicago
08-31-07 Clicker killer ... I know it's a ManThing, using a remote to move quickly from one media event to another, but while I was testing the new audio on the Back System last evening, using Randy Raley's Top40 Jukebox as a subject, I discovered something interesting.
   I never listen to all of a song, just enough to go "Yeah!" and then I move on (and that drives Mrs. A nuts when we're in the RedRide).
   Randy's site lets me do that for a few songs but then tells me I have to listen to at least one all the way through. Female software? Or is Mr. Raley just too damned sensitive? He is now in sales, after all...
08-31-07 The NFL tries to repair their bad-news image ... from the NYT:
   The past year has brought plenty for the league to want to neutralize. The news coverage of professional football has read more like a police blotter. This week, Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge of conspiracy stemming from a dog-fighting kennel, while Lance Briggs of the Chicago Bears was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after crashing his Lamborghini sports car.
    Sports in general has had a rough time in the past few years in the US. The word "thuggery" is applied to many player activities on and off the field.
   There's the NBA ref charged with making calls to benefit gamblers, the obvious use of performance enhancing drugs across the board (including the deaths of dozens of "pro" wrestlers and the shamefully drug-enhanced run at Hank Aaron's HR record by Barry Bonds), and now come accusations of cheating in golf and tennis, the two most whitebread sports of all.
    Games. We're talking about games here. Two things come to mind: the education (both scholastically and morally) of the players coming into the Games, and Gambling.
   Neither could exist without one twisting within the other.
   We'll never get rid of Gambling; we can, though, change the educational and moral requirements for both student and professional players, and it's about damned time to get that underway. Comment here.
08-31-07 Amazing ... A news agency reports on a news agency dumping a news agency. Bloomberg reports that CNN drops Reuters, ostensibly to cut costs and reinvest the loot in their own network. Might it have anything to do with the fact that Reuters is no longer reliable as source to Western news agencies? Just sayin'... Comment here.
08-31-07 NPR loves commercial radio ... well, of course they do. The less attention commercial radio stations pay to their local markets, especially the news they once were required to report, the more's the opportunity for NPR stations to pick up local listeners.
   From InsideRadio: NPR chief says commercial radio helps them
   Ken Stern says "part of public radio's success in the last decade" comes from the fact NPR stations are "getting better" at news and "commercial radio has vacated that space." He says "NPR's one of the few national news organizations still investing in news." Stern tells the Seattle Post-Intelligencer they do share a common issue with for-profit radio - they're trying to figure out the best way to use HD Radio to reach younger listeners.
   That last statement is their biggest mistake: younger listeners don't care about radio, HD or otherwise. When will broadcasters get that?
   Comment here.
08-31-07 Is it just my imagination ... or have more folks been taking their Summer vacation in August in the past few years? I really don't remember business news in any industry being as dead as it's been in this month in recent years. Granted, Mrs. A and I don't take official vacations, grabbing time off as we can, because, even at our advanced ages, we still really enjoy working. But still...isn't August the official month off for France? Is there some international thing going on here that I'm missing?
   Comment here.
08-30-07 I once had plans of setting up a small audio studio ... here in the office. Bought mics and stands, cables, a mixer, amps, etc., the whole shebang.
    Frankly, time outran my skill and patience and all of the gear has been placed for sale on the STL CraigsList. More electronics will go up as I get it set up for sale. Check in there for some pretty good bargains...I even deliver!
   I can still do high-quality voice recording as required by clients, but what I'm now concentrating on is transferring my remaining LP's to MP3 files, using the Ion USB TT. (I've had it in the office for months and just got around to plugging it in...works like a champ.)
    I've added a Logitech Z-4I speaker system to the Toshiba laptop on the back desk to monitor, along with a Belkin 7-port USB hub because there'll be a lot going on back there. I guess that's why they call it Labor Day.
    We'll catch up with you next Tuesday, unless something important crosses our email before then.
08-29-07 This is the last STLCounty Fair & Air Show ... how do we know? Mark Edwards told us!
    Email to the KEZK/Y98 Staff from Mark Edwards:
    Sometimes information that is meant for you is NOT meant for our listeners. Any information that you might have seen or heard about the future of the County Fair And Air Show is for YOUR use and NOT for public consumption. It was clearly presented to you that way in the past, but evidently one or more of our Air Personalities have mentioned it on the air, causing a great deal of distress amongst the people who run the event.
    UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO MENTION THAT THIS IS THE LAST COUNTY FAIR AND AIR SHOW. THAT INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED AS BACKGROUND FOR YOU AND NOT FOR YOU TO USE ON THE AIR. WHEN REFERRING TO THIS EVENT, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT BEING THE LAST SHOW, THE LAST CHANCE TO SEE THE BLUE ANGLES, NOTHING ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE SHOW.
    The actions of one (and maybe more) Air Personality has put both our stations' relationship with this event in jeopardy and I now have to work with the organizers to repair the damage. Please do all of us a favor and not mention anything about the show other than what's in the studio for you to use and what you know about how much fun the show is for the whole family.
    I think I've made myself clear, but if you have any questions, please see me.
Mark Edwards, Director Of Programming
CBS Radio St. Louis
Soft Rock 102.5 KEZK KYKY, Y98
3100 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63103
(personal contact info redacted)
   Comment here.
08-29-07 Bruce Springsteen hates you ... and your little radio station, too.
   DeelyStan sends us this: Bruce Springsteen's first single from his new album "Magic" is called "Radio Nowhere". It is to radio what "57 Channels and Nothing On" was to TV. He seems to attack satellite radio as bland, pines for the days of DXing, decries voice tracking, asking if there is "anybody alive out there" and even seems to make reference to the train wreck in Minot ("searching for a mystery train") that was so badly handled by radio in that market.
   Attack radio and expect ANY airplay for that track or ANY other? Yeah Boss, lemme know how that's workin' for ya.
    You can download a good marginal quality mp3 (ymmv) at 128k here for one week (until 9/3) or here thereafter. Clearly, you shouldn't BUY it and support this kind of blasphemy.
   Comment here.
08-26-07 Dead trees, dinosaurs and Ozzie print ... A thirty-something Australian journalist reflects on the slowly dying print media there. From The Age: It is strange for me to be not quite 40 and already have memories and language that apply to working worlds that no longer exist (the afternoon newspaper being one example, seeing unsuccessful stories I'd written being thrust onto a metal spike is another.) Older journalists...must feel this disjuncture even more acutely. Comment here.
08-26-07 Former KTRS'er George Woods ... who is one of the busiest Old Dogs I know, has restarted Radio George, but this time with a twist. He's using the facilities of FineTune (as has Randy Railey on his blog) to develop a half-dozen music stations in formats George has found lacking in Kansas City. Woods, ever the entrepeneur, has even figured out a way to "monetize" the music! As George says: "Like my father used to say, 'Work with what ya got!'" Comment here.
08-26-07 We've all known this was coming for a while ... but here's Fox2's GM Spencer Koch's official KTVI Intranet note (abridged version):
"News Edge" at 10 PM, beginning Sunday, September 9th.
    Over the years, we recognized that viewers need to be served in many different areas, time being one of them. Our 9 PM News is serving the viewer who wants an earlier newscast. However, we also recognize that St. Louis viewers provide one of the highest viewing levels of prime time in the U.S. between 9 & 10 PM. In addition, a market like St. Louis deserves more than 2 stations providing news at 10 PM.
    In fact in the fall, the only station that has provided a 10 PM News on Sunday night is KMOV since KSDK has Sunday Night Football. For these reasons, we will be providing viewers with FOX 2 "News Edge". The "Edge" will be anchored by our current 6 PM Anchor, Sandy Miller.
    Sandy has great experience in anchoring Prime newscasts both here and at KPLR. She is well respected and well reflects the strong effort that will be provided to our viewers at 10 PM.
    John Brown will be anchoring our Friday Night 10 PM "News Edge". John is a native St. Louisan, most recently working at the Daily Buzz, a syndicated Morning Show since '04, and before that as an anchor at KSPR in Springfield, Missouri. John is an enthusiastic and engaging communicator and we are looking forward to having him join us.
    The tone of the newscast will center on hard news, news that viewers should know. Charles Jaco will be delivering strong, topical stories that will add to the "Edge". Dave and Martin will do weather and sports.
    The goal of the "Edge" is to give the viewers what they need and why they need it. It will serve as a strong counter to what is being seen on the competition.
    In addition the station will air "TMZ", an entertainment magazine based on the highly popular website. The growth of this site has been phenomenal and given the hunger for entertainment news it could be an interesting half hour.
    With FOX 2 "News Edge" at 10 PM and "TMZ" at 10:30 PM, we will be changing our viewers' sitcom habits. It will be challenging and, hopefully, rewarding to again offer first run programming in a highly competitive time period.
    Comment here.
08-26-07 Web Users Ignore Ads (and Newspaper Users Don't?) ... by Henry Blodget, from AlleyInsider:
   Jakob Nielsen offers another eye-tracking analysis (via Don Day at Lost Remote) that confirms what most people have long assumed: web users gravitate toward content, not ads. Thus, to make your ads more effective, make them look more like content, etc.
   Such findings are usually cast as bad news for the online advertising industry--proof, finally, that it's just a sham, that the Internet is a terrible medium for advertising, that advertisers will soon come to their senses and rush back to...well, that's just it, where will they rush back to, exactly?
   What is less often mentioned in "web ads are ineffective" reports are the results of comparable eye-tracking studies for, say, newspapers.
   Comment here.
08-26-07 See Spot. See Spot run. ... Those damned political spots had better run! From the WaPo: The presidential election is 14 months away and with as many as 17 candidates now running, U.S. television and radio broadcasters are elated at the prospect of billions more in advertising dollars. Comment here.

08-25-07 Hey, Rocky... Watch me pull a carbon credit out of my butt!    From DerSpiegel:    Norway's Moose Population is in Trouble for Belching    Researchers in Norway claim that a grown moose can produce 2,100 kilos of carbon dioxide a year -- equivalent to the CO2 output resulting from a 13,000 kilometer car journey. Norway is concerned that its national animal, the moose, is harming the climate by emitting an estimated 2,100 kilos of carbon dioxide a year through its belching and farting.

08-25-07 Jules Riley named one of Bonneville's Best ... Jules programs The Arch and Movin'101 and has recently been honored by the company. Comment here.
08-25-07 Got a resume on Monster? Uh-oh... from Reuters:
   Monster.com waited five days to tell its users about a security breach that resulted in the theft of confidential information from some 1.3 million job seekers. Hackers broke into the U.S. online recruitment site's password-protected resume library using credentials that Monster Worldwide Inc said were stolen from its clients, in one of the biggest Internet security breaches in recent memory.
   This surely sucks. Comment here.
08-25-07 Katie Couric to the CBS Evening News was a bad idea ... But wait, that's not as bad as it gets! There's more! The KidNation thing seems to be an even worse problem; accusations of child abuse and general stupidity are involving the CBS Board. Would someone please provide Mr. Moonves a rope with which to hang himself? Comment here.

08-25-07 Something's been berry, berry good to Sumner...    Sumner Redstone, the 84-year old CBS chairman shows no signs of slowing down or relinquishing control of the company.    He credits an elixir with a cult-like following called MonaVie, made from the Brazilian açai berry.    Redstone tells Fortune:    "It's a miracle drug, I feel great. I know I look a lot younger than I am - I feel like I'm 40 years old."    He's even looked at investing in the company.    I'm buyin' me some o' dem berries and a 40 o' dat juice, yo.

08-24-07 Getting some whispers in the wind about a regional middle-management-type... using his/her moderate "disabilties" as an ADA-style excuse and shield for his/her bad behavior. The whispers seem to indicate that HR, management and ownership may be close to finding a way to resolve the problems with a promotion that will take him/her out of the direct people management loop. I'll keep ya posted.
08-24-07 A while back I wrote a brief opinion piece... that appeared, I believe, only on the MB, regarding the inanity of the 25-54 demographic. My contention was that the demo should really be split somewhere about 45; now, Bridge Ratings has presented the results of a nationwide survey of nearly 2600 Boomers that says essentially the same thing, but with a lot more words and pretty pictures. See how much wisdom you get here for free? Read it here and comment here.
08-24-07 Summer numbers Phase 1 published a couple days ago...
Comment here.

08-24-07 All Bran makes you poop ... and now we know that this is a good and funny thing.

08-23-07 The Man On Market Street has made some new hires ... and may have some more on the way. Secret Squirrel sniffed this out: David Craig and Maria Keena join KEZK to give the station "bench strength". We've seen some real interesting people coming through for interviews lately. Word is a couple of Y98 additions will be announced soon. Comment here.
08-23-07 T-shirt of the week ... From the email: Not fond of the color scheme, but a great message all the same! Thanks to "Joe Greenlight" for the link to this page...just $24, too! Cheap at twice the price!
08-23-07 I know that at least Matt Gordon will enjoy this ...

08-22-07 Sci-Fi fans ... I'm trying to track down a 70's or earlier story, probably a short story or a novella, that had humans as a purposely dying species, no solid food allowed, vitamin pills and water only. No more building, no brush trimming, no technology allowed. Very prescient. I believe I read it in a single-volume collection, one of those "best of the year" volumes. Any leads? Help me!
08-22-07 Wolff out at KMOX ... From Deb Petersen, STLToday:
   The latest ornament to fall off the KMOX radio family tree? Don Wolff. Wolff has been hosting the five-hour, Saturday night "I Love Jazz" show for nearly 15 years. The tradition of broadcasting jazz at the station on Saturday nights goes back 30 years. When contacted about the change, Wolff said, "I have enjoyed my long association with KMOX and I'm sad to be leaving." The last broadcast of the show is scheduled for Sept. 29. Wolff's two-hour program "Justice for All," which airs on Sunday evenings is slated to have its last airing on Sept. 30. Tim Dorsey of KTRS radio, are you reading this?
   And why shouldn't Dorsey go for it? After all, for the past ten-plus years, he's copied everything else KMOX has ever done.
   Comment here.
08-21-07 Newspaper front page PDF's ... Thanks to new friend Mike Kern for passing along this link that provides a look at newspaper front pages in the USA and around the world.
08-21-07 Yay for us! ... Here are the STL nominees for the R&R Convention 2007 Industry Achievement Awards:
   Country Personality/Show of the Year: Billy Greenwood, The Bull
   Alternative PD/OM of the Year: Tommy Mattern, The Point
   AC Station of the Year (Markets 1-25): KEZK
   AC PD/OM of the Year: Mark Edwards, KEZK
   Rock Station of the Year (Markets 1-50): KSHE
   Rock PD/OM of the Year: Rick Balis, KSHE
   Rock Personality/Show of the Year: John Ulett, KSHE
   Urban Personality/Show of the Year: Tony Scott, KMJM
   Comment here.
08-21-07 Fer God's sake ... When Don Imus made his "nappy headed ho's" comment, I said that he's likely as not done and ought to just fade away. Looks like, though, he's coming back, and now Al Sharpton has some advice for him, and some new rules to work by. Like Reverend Sharpton has never stepped across the line... Comment here.
08-21-07 Destroying the Corvair wasn't enough? ... Radio trades are reporting that Ralph Nader thinks lending cars to radio personalities is cheating.
   From InsideRadio: The consumer advocate says the FCC should investigate a national endorsement campaign using radio personalities. Nader says "it appears that content of the broadcasts may violate the sponsorship identification rules." The ad campaign features dozens of national and local personalities talking up General Motors cars and trucks. GM says it is "confident" they are not violating FCC rules.
   Well, no, it wouldn't be the manufacturer violating FCC rules, it'd be the owners/licensees of the stations. But why would a radio trade know that simple fact?
   The law is pretty simple: say that the car is loaned by (whomever) for promotional consideration and you're free and clear. How tough is that to understand?
   What, you've never driven a dealer car? Comment here.
08-20-07 Beginning in late September or early October ...STLMedia will offer daily downloads of published writer and market vet Joe Sonderman's STLHistory, in PDF format. Joe's been putting together STL history into a remarkable, one of a kind, day-by-day compilation for years, publishing two books along the way. Sonderman's agreed to make his entire collection of daily local history available exclusively at STLMedia.net.
08-20-07 STLRadio HOF Ballots ... If you're a voting member, you probably received your's midweek, last week. HOF admin Frank Absher asks that you vote and return your ballots soonest. Frank's overwhelmed with classwork and other issues. Your promptness is appreciated.
08-20-07 It's not just me ... check out this video...

08-20-07 On weather forecasting ...
    Meteorologists have, typically, a BS degree. And that alone should mean something.
    Most TV weatherpeople couldn't find the high temp for tomorrow with both hands tied behind them (to mix metaphors). But that's because the science is inexact and no pile of expensive electronic gear is going to make it any more exact.
    We've shown here in the last couple years, with commentary from viewers and real-time "blogging," just how inexact it can be: cold fronts roaring thru, unexpected snow, ice and thunderstorms.
    Even Hurricane Dean was off in the Jamaica prediction. As of Sunday morning, the eye was predicted to hit the island square on and it passed South. Yes, the storm caused great havoc, but not near what could have been. They'll be back in business by next week.
    There are simply too many variables for even the most educated, using the most sophisticated gear, to predict weather behavior accurately.
    Best they can do is yell, "Hey, there's a storm coming...maybe!"
    Do weatherpeople and resources/channels use scare tactics?
    You bet they do. Scary sells ads and they need the money. That's why the Weather Channel, for example, has signed on to the Anthropomorphic Global Climate Change issue.
    It gets viewers, and viewers mean money. They hired Heidi Cullen specifically for that reason and allowed her to go on with her "discredit all who do not believe" rant.
    Why do you think that nearly no weather forecasters in Red states advance Global Climate Change theories? Maybe because they know that their viewers are suspect of the issues?
    Ad dollars, kids...it's all about the ad dollars! And, yes, I'm a professional cynic. Do not try this at home.
    Now, back to your regularly scheduled hurricane watch...
   Comment here.
08-19-07 Why I had to kill a MB feature ... I sent this to Greg Render because he/she'd abused the MB:
   It would be a good idea to lay off the exalt/smite feature for a while. You're getting perilously close to abusing it and I'd hate to have to suspend you and/or drop the feature. Thanks for your cooperation.
   Greg Render responded:
   I heard you were a control freak, and that seems to be the case. By the time you've read this reply, I will have already deleted my account. Just keep telling yourself how important you are in "stlmedia" because you were a bit player on a show 10 years ago, and because of your recent prominent "media" role in shilling for a funeral home.
   I haven't read a funeral home spot in years. And it's been 15 years since I've been a radio "bit" player. Mr./Ms. Render is such a loser.
   Comment here.
08-19-07 Isn't this interesting ... dead-tree media and websites (blogs from the Wizards, tech newsletters, newspaper columns, magazine articles) are writing less and less about HDRadio and SatRad and more and more about the "sudden" availablity of devices that make it possible for you to connect to and distribute within your living space (we used to call them "homes") audio from the internet, including streams from your local radio stations...
   I've been telling you that this is the way of the future for years.
   America, here's your future: analog broadcast stations will remain in place and on the air and provide locally originated music, talk and emergency resources (keep those pesky old radios around, just like flashlights, with plenty of batteries for emergencies); most cars and homes will be listening to WiMax-originated streams. If the WiMax power goes out, drop the tech back to Analog AM and FM and stay in touch.
   Presuming you trust the station's local programming.
   Analog-WiMax radios will automatically make this transition, with no need for satellites or special radio frequency access, except for one...WiMax.
   Now, if those idiots at the RIAA/Copyright Board could only understand what a good deal they'll screw up by insisting on digital payments for such an arrangement... Comment here.
08-18-07 Lotta folks using Wikipedia as the ultimate reference ... and it looks like that might not be the best idea. Unauthorized changes may violate Wikipedia's conflict-of-interest guidelines, a spokeswoman for the site said on Thursday.
    Virgil has an interesting page of FAQ's. And, yes, he has a personal agenda, as well he should: he created the program.
    WikiScanner, developed by Virgil Griffith of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico, allows users to track the source of computers used to make changes to the popular Internet encyclopedia where anyone can submit and edit entries.
   I've said for a long time that Wikipedia offers valid info on most non-controversial topics.
   But the best part of the wikibeast is that it's updateable, and that's a good thing for, probably, most entries.
   Unfortunately, it's also possible for almost anyone who wants to alter any page to achieve an agenda-driven result to do so.
   Not so good. Now you can see where corrections and alterations came from.
   WikiScanner makes this possible.
   Comment here.
08-18-07 Not too many university broadcasting programs ... have turned out as many grads (and non-grads) in respectable media positions as SIU-Carbondale. And they're about to celebrate the program's 50th anniversary during the week of 1 October 2007. They've set up a special email account for questions and registration. Or you can call 618-453-6950.
08-17-07 Thanks to friends and readers, old and new ... who showed up for the STLMedia August Morning Meeting yesterday. We'll do it again, on 13 September. Same time, same place (unless you have a better suggestion). Check back here for details.
08-16-07 Hard to believe that it was 30 years ago today ... that it was The Day Elvis Died. Bet you know where you were. I was doing afternoons at WTRX/Flint. My newsguy hurried the AP clip into the studio and I just looked at it, not believing what I read.
   A minute later I turned the station all-Elvis, took phone calls and we did the best memorial we could on the fly.
   Years later, when I was at KIX104, FOP, Terry Dailey and I did our morning show from the little strip mall across EP Boulevard from Graceland in horrible Memphis August heat and humidity. On our way out of town, we each recorded Teddy Bear in the EP Studio; you'll never hear my version.
   Comment here.
08-16-07 Is it just me ... or am I imagining things? It seems that network and newsnet weatherpeople are almost all cheering for hurricanes to hit the US coast. We've got a Tropical Storm coming in along the TX coast and another developing into a possible hurricane in the Carribean. Weathercasters seem almost breathless in their storm lust.
   Comment here.
08-15-07 St. Louis Black Talk Radio Is Disappearing ... STLRadio historian Frank Absher writes:
   Within weeks of each other, changes were announced at two St. Louis radio stations that will directly impact the area’s African-American listeners. WGNU, which provides several talk shows aimed at the minority audience, is being sold to BJD Enterprises, which also owns KXEN in St. Louis. WESL, which has served the minority audience for decades, has faded into the history books, with management renaming the station WFFX and plugging it in to the Fox Sports radio feed.
   Read it all and comment here.
08-15-07 106 degrees today ...even the grass was trying to get inside to cool off. I've done nothing for two days, and I'm not apologetic at all. Just thinking about one-hundred plus temps wears me out. Playing catchup now.
08-15-07 Radio One's WHHL/HOT104.1 ... has signed on to air The Rickey Smiley Show beginning August 27th. An actor and comedian, Smiley's show originates from sister Top-40/Rhythmic KBFB/Dallas.
   Please tell me that the graphic that says "I'm paying your child support" is a joke and not a real contest. DJ's Kaos and Silly AZ are now on 6-10PM. Comment here.
08-15-07 Ian the Peon ... board op, producer and long-running character on Frank O. Pinion's LMSITA on KTRS/AM550 has turned 30 and has launched his very own Message Board. Logon and comment here.
08-15-07 Lisa Marie sings with her Dad ... A new video of Lisa Marie Presley singing "In the Ghetto," accompanied by her late father, Elvis, will be posted Friday at Spinner. To mark the 30th anniversary of her father's death, her voice was added to the original version of Elvis' 1969 hit. Proceeds from the new song and video will be used to help build temporary housing for the homeless in New Orleans. Natalie Cole and Hank Williams Jr. have also done this "dead duet" thing, and, in my humble opinion, the audio was cool but the video results were kinda creepy. Comment here.
08-15-07 Radio format perf