November 6, 2007

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer






The Writers Strike Begins
(Associated Press) Hollywood writers will strike after last-ditch talks called by a federal mediator failed. Writers and studios broke off talks late Sunday after East Coast members of the writers union declared they were officially on strike, the group representing producers said. Last-ditch negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers ended after about 11 hours. Producers said writers refused a request to "stop the clock" on a planned strike while talks continued. "It is unfortunate that they choose to take this irresponsible action," producers said in a statement. Producers said writers were not willing to compromise on their major demands. The writers union confirmed that talks had ended and that members would strike, but did not have any further comment. The guild earlier announced sweeping plans to picket every major studio in Los Angeles, along with Rockefeller Center in New York, where NBC is headquartered.


Brian Williams pulls it off
(Washington Post) Tom Shales writes: "Brian Williams neither took nor gave a pie in the face when he made history this weekend as the first network anchor to host NBC's Saturday Night Live. Williams is NBC's, too, and the gig was supposed to help loosen up and polish up his image, making him not just an anchor but a friend. While it wasn't the most hilarious "Saturday Night Live" ever done, the 'mission accomplished' banner can probably be raised insofar as Williams's image goes. He was able to keep his dignity and get laughs, too -- especially when spoofing himself and his need to keep his dignity, ironically enough."


Brian Williams new show open (from SNL)



Dan Ingram’s big laughline at the Radio Hall of Fame
(Radio-Info) Tom Taylor writes: “The only thing we have to fear…is…Fear itself? No, that was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s original line, about the courage Americans should summon to face the Great Depression in the 1930s. Saturday night, the legendary former WABC and WCBS-FM jock finished it this way: 'The only thing we have to fear is…Sumner Redstone.' The laughter about the Big Boss of CBS and Viacom was a bit nervous. But live awards dinners have great moments of uncertainty – including whether you’ll spill any food on your best dress-up (and possibly rented) clothes. The Radio Hall of Fame thing was a black-tie event. Bruce DuMont pulled it off yet again, with excellent emcee work by Sean Hannity, a radio junkie who loves this stuff. Radio-Info’s happy to support the work of the Chicago-based Radio Hall of Fame, and we hope DuMont can keep building that new home for the Museum of Broadcast Communications."


Glenn Beck signs $50 million contract
(NY Times) Brian Stelter writes: "On his daily radio talk show, Glenn Beck portrays himself as an average guy, a recovering alcoholic and a comedian who regularly injects humor into his conservative politics. This week he can add another description: very wealthy. Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, is expected to announce today that it is extending Mr. Beck’s contract. Two sources with knowledge of the deal said it was valued at $50 million over five years, through a combination of salary and profit-sharing from syndication. In signing the deal, Mr. Beck, 43, becomes the newest — and youngest — entrant into an exclusive club of highly compensated radio stars. The new contract would make Mr. Beck the third highest-paid talk radio host, surpassed only by Rush Limbaugh, the most popular terrestrial talker for two decades and whose show is also syndicated by Premiere, and Sean Hannity, whose Citadel Broadcasting show is routinely ranked second."


A full tilt on the news bias merry-go-round
(Washington Post) Great take on the media today from Howard Kurtz. He points out the strongly held views of both ends of the political spectrum, exact opposite opinions about the agenda of the news media, and when each side may be going too far. He writes: "Some think mainstream journalists are biased to the left; others view them as patsies for the Bush White House; and still others find them arrogant, celebrity-obsessed or just plain irrelevant. But are many of these folks simply viewing the news business through their own ideological lens? As the author of a new book on the network news wars, Reality Show, I got a whirlwind tour of media fault lines while making the chat-show rounds."


FCC to hold final media ownership hearing in Seattle on Friday
(Radio Online) The FCC will hold its sixth and final public hearing on media ownership issues in Seattle on Friday, November 9 from 4-11pm at the Town Hall Seattle. As with the previous meetings, the hearing is open to the public and a period for public comment will be available following panel discussions. Further details, including names of the panelists, will be released later. In a joint statement, Commissioners Copps and Adelstein said, "A hearing with only five days notice is no nirvana for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. This smells like mean spirit. Clearly, the rush is on to push media consolidation to a quick and ill-considered vote. It shows there is a preordained outcome."
VIDEO: Bill Moyers eloquently confronts media consolidation
VIDEO: Rick Kaempfer sarcastically confronts media consolidation


An interview with Todd Manley
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This past weekend I interviewed the creative director of WGN radio about his time at WGN and his previous stops along the radio dial. This coming weekend I'll interview Melissa Forman from WLIT.





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