Media Notebook

So long, everyone

2008-12-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

Media Notebook will not be returning in 2009.

I will continue to cover Chicago media at Chicago Radio Spotlight, however.

Thanks for reading it over these past few years. I've enjoyed doing it.

Taking some time off

2008-11-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

Media Notebook is off for the holidays.

November 25, 2008

2008-11-25T00:02:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

John Williams gets the morning show at WGN
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "John Williams, a onetime WGN-AM 720 intern who has been game for just about anything the station ever asked of him, has landed its biggest on-air job. WGN has chosen Williams to succeed retiring morning man Spike O'Dell in what historically has been one of Chicago radio's most listened-to slots, dating back to Wally Phillips in the 1960s, through Bob Collins and O'Dell, who took over after Collins' death in 2000...O'Dell's last day will be Dec. 12, with Williams taking over on the 15th. A successor for Williams' 1-to-4 p.m. weekday and 9 a.m.-to-noon Saturday shifts will be named in a few weeks. "Spike, Bob and Wally left big shoes," Langmyer said in his memo. "I have no doubt that John will wear them well and with great pride and dedication. "

Amanpour to get own CNN show
(NY Times) Elizabeth Jensen writes: "In her 25 years at CNN, Christiane Amanpour has hopscotched the world, the very model of a foreign correspondent, turning up at seemingly every war, genocide, famine and natural disaster, slipping through previously closed borders and interviewing even the most recalcitrant of foreign leaders. But there is one thing she has never done: anchored her own daily news show That will change next year, when she starts a nightly program on CNN International, which is retooling its lineup. An edited version of Ms. Amanpour’s show is expected to be shown on the weekends on CNN’s United States channel."

Is Jay Leno going to take Jimmy Kimmel's Job?
(ABC) Jay Leno appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's show this week and the discussion turned to the potentially awkward next step for Leno. It might just be taking the timeslot away from Jimmy Kimmel at ABC. Click on the link to watch the video.

NY Post interviews Jerry Springer
(NY Post) Adam Buckman writes: "He can't play baseball like Lou Gehrig (or do much of anything else, as he readily admits), but Jerry Springer says he feels like the luckiest man on the face of the earth. 'God's truth, I don't have any talent,' the host of TV's wildest daytime show (and "America's Got Talent" on NBC) said in a wide-ranging interview during a recent visit to The Post. 'I think I'm nice, and I'm smart, but I'm not talented. I'm a lawyer, I'm a businessman. That's where my skills are. They're not in show business or entertainment, and yet I've made a success and that's pure luck. I'm aware of it every day.'"

CLICK HERE

Hannity & Colmes is losing Colmes
(Huffington Post) Isn't about time they rid of the pretense of covering both sides altogether? Apparently Colmes agrees: "Fox News host Alan Colmes will leave his role as co-host of "Hannity & Colmes" at the end of the year, the network announced Monday. Colmes, who has co-hosted the program with Sean Hannity for 12 years, will remain with the network as a liberal commentator and will develop a weekend program, in addition to his radio show. "I approached Bill Shine (FNC's Senior Vice President of Programming) earlier this year about wanting to move on after 12 years to develop new and challenging ways to contribute to the growth of the network," Colmes said. "Although it's bittersweet to leave one of the longest marriages on cable news, I'm proud that both Sean (Hannity) and I remained unharmed after sitting side by side, night after night for so many years." Hannity added, "Not only has Alan been a remarkable co-host, he's been a great friend which is rare in this industry -- I'll genuinely miss sparring with such a skillful debate partner."

Supreme Court may hear Janet Jackson case
(Radio Ink) The FCC, with the Department of Justice, has applied for a writ of certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to look at a July 2008 Circuit Court decision that overturned the FCC's $550,000 fine against the CBS TV network. The fine was levied against 20 CBS stations after Janet Jackson's bare breast was momentarily revealed during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. The "wardrobe malfunction" -- so named in a press release from the other party to the incident, Justin Timberlake -- led the FCC to issue the forfeiture order in September of '04. The commission rejected CBS's appeal, and CBS then brought the case to the Third Circuit Court in Philadelphia, which threw out the fine, calling it "arbitrary and capricious." CBS said in a statement, "We hope the Supreme Court will recognize there are rare instances, particularly during live programming, when it may not be possible to block unfortunate fleeting material, despite best efforts. Doing so would help to restore the policy of restrained indecency enforcement the FCC followed for decades."

CLICK HERE

John Gehron leaves Harpo Radio
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "John Gehron, an esteemed radio veteran of more than 35 years who helped get Oprah Winfrey's "Oprah & Friends" XM Radio operation up and running a couple years ago, has told friends he's leaving as general manager of Harpo Radio. Lisa Halliday, chief spokeswoman for Harpo Inc., said Gehron's exit at the end of the week 'as part of Harpo Radio's restructuring. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to him for helping us establish a new division of the company and for creating a foundation that we will build upon in the future. His dedication over the past few years is to be commended and we thank him for his work.'"

Brandmeier gets another TV show
(Chicago Sun Times) Lewis Lazarre writes: "Brandmeier will test the waters with a couple of (very) late-evening 30-minute "Almost Live" specials on NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5. One will air at 1:05 a.m. Dec. 5 and at 1:05 a.m. Dec. 12. It's no coincidence Brandmeier reached out to WMAQ when he decided to pursue this new television venture. Larry Wert, president and general manager of WMAQ, was the GM for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s at classic rock WLUP-FM, where Brandmeier has been a fixture -- on and off -- for a very long while. So Wert, who has stayed friendly with the WLUP star, was more than happy to help with the TV specials, which were shot on a studio set without a live audience. As described to us, the shows' content will be a real hodgepodge, including audience call-in, famous and not-so-famous guests and some video clips, among other things. The shows were designed, apparently, to spotlight Brandmeier's comedic spontaneity. Wert said nothing is planned beyond the two specials, but if they pull in large audiences, Wert suggested Brandmeier could go further with the concept."

B-96 fires Eddie, Jobo & Erica
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Hours after dismissing Eddie Volkman, Joe "Jobo" Bohannon and Erica Cobb after their WBBM-FM 96.3 Friday morning show and quickly scrubbing them from the station's Web site late last week, B-96 posted a farewell note of thanks to the trio. By all accounts, the parting was amicable -- and not just because Volkman and Bohannon continue to be paid under a seven-figure contract that runs into next summer. Volkman said he and Jobo got to keep their office keycards and can even attend CBS Radio's Chicago holiday party if they want. 'We weren't led away in handcuffs, like last time,' Volkman said, referring to the radio team of 20 years' earlier B-96 exit in 1994, which forced them into purgatory -- Philadelphia -- before returning to the station in 1996."
Read my previous interview with Eddie here

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Koz
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WTMX afternoon man, Koz. He talks about his Chicago roots and influences, his show on WTMX, and his incurable illness (Cubs fan).

November 20, 2008

2008-11-20T00:03:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

The Corpulent News Network
(NY Observer) Felix Gillette writes about the huge amount of money CNN spent during this election season..."All you had to do was tune in to the network’s wildly successful and, at times, overly rich election coverage. For much of the 2008 election, going-as-over-the-top-as-you-possibly-can might as well have served as the organization’s mission statement. Along the way, CNN sponsored seven debates (by contrast, CBS, the Tiffany network, threw exactly none). In the run-up to the election, it piled up a roster of all-star political pundits, in a free-agent signing frenzy that would make George Steinbrenner blush. Throughout the campaign, it unleashed an array of new audio-visual technology, some of it culled from the world of military defense contractors."

I thought this was brilliant...

Stephen Colbert previews his Christmas special on GMA
(Huffington Post) Watch the clip at the link and tell me that you're not going to Tivo this show on Sunday. It looks hilarious.

CLICK HERE

The post-election news flash
(Gelf) Adam Conor-Simons writes: "Several election stories surfaced after the votes were counted, thanks to confidentiality agreements between reporters and campaigns. But does a journalist have an obligation to report newsworthy information promptly? It might seem strange that the weekly news magazine would put off publishing such salacious bits as the real amount spent on Sarah Palin's wardrobe or Bill Clinton's reaction to Hillary losing Iowa, but that was all part of the deal. In a special arrangement, a group of Newsweek reporters received privileged access from the campaigns under the condition that they not publish anything until after the election."

Economic downturn could get ugly for media companies
(Press-Gazette) The outgoing chairman of News Corp’s European business, Marty Pompadur, has warned that the economic downturn will have a "very, very ugly" effect on the media – and could force some companies to put themselves up for sale. Pompadur, who resigned from the News Corp board last week after more than 10 years as one of Rupert Murdoch’s closest lieutenants, told the European Media Leaders Summit in London that the impending recession would be "pretty deep and pretty long. "As I look at what's going on globally, in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, it's very, very ugly,” he said. "It's not good out there. They're talking about a recession - I hope they're not talking about something worse than that." As stock values tumble, Pompadur predicted that a small number of media companies would change hands. "If a company has a lot of debt they're in trouble,” he said.

CBS/Viacom stock downgraded
(Marketwatch) David Wilkerson writes: "Wunderlich Securities analyst Martin Pyykkonen downgraded shares of CBS and Viacom to neutral from buy on Monday, citing a rapidly weakening"' advertising market. A meltdown of global financial markets since September, fueled by the subprime mortgage crisis, has dealt a crushing blow to media companies, as consumer confidence has spiraled, leading to lower revenues and cuts in spending by major advertisers. CBS shares have fallen more than 60% since the beginning of September, while Viacom's value has been nearly cut in half. Pyykkonen pointed out that CBS has more exposure to the deteriorating ad market than most of its peers, with a wide array of television, radio and outdoor display units."

CLICK HERE

Don & Roma sign new contract to stay at WLS
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Don and Roma Wade have agreed to continue doing weekday mornings for Citadel Broadcasting's WLS-AM 890 for the next four years. Financial terms of the renewal, negotiated by agent-attorney Eliot Ephraim of Ephraim & Associates, were not immediately available. Paperwork was still being finalized late Monday. 'They've been a huge part of the radio station and will continue to be for the foreseeable future,' WLS-AM President and General Manager Mike Fowler said. 'I love having them start off the mornings on WLS.' The Wades, who will mark their 30th wedding anniversary next year, have been on WLS-AM since December 1985. They shifted to mornings in the summer of 1989 after the station changed its formats, moving from music to talk. The couple's value has only surged of late, as Arbitron's recent switch from diaries to Portable People Meters to determine ratings in the Chicago market has shown them to be among the city's top draws."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Jeff Schwartz
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WBBM, WLUP, WCKG, WSCR, and ESPN Radio veteran Jeff Schwartz about his 35 year radio career, including his involvement in Disco Demolition, and his role in creating The Score. Coming this weekend: WTMX afternoon man, Koz.

November 18, 2008

2008-11-18T00:03:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Dan Rather's Lawsuit shows role of GOP in inquiry
(NY Times) Jacques Steinberg writes: "When Dan Rather filed suit against CBS 14 months ago — claiming, among other things, that his former employer had commissioned a politically biased investigation into his work on a “60 Minutes” segment about President Bush’s National Guard service — the network predicted the quick and favorable dismissal of the case, which it derided as “old news.” So far, Mr. Rather has spent more than $2 million of his own money on the suit. And according to documents filed recently in court, he may be getting something for his money. Using tools unavailable to him as a reporter — including the power of subpoena and the threat of punishment against witnesses who lie under oath — he has unearthed evidence that would seem to support his assertion that CBS intended its investigation, at least in part, to quell Republican criticism of the network."

What now for CNN after election?
(Marketwatch) Jon Friedman writes: " Now, the election is over and life has gone on. The central question is: Can CNN maintain its momentum at a time when the public's interest in politics is likely to wane? Yes, we should all care about the identity of the next Treasury Secretary or Secretary of State. And we should hang on every utterance of President-elect Barack Obama, of course. But it's inevitable. Despite the gravity of the Cabinet appointments or any other White House initiatives, nothing is likely to seem more exciting or newsy than the outcome of the presidential election."

Redstone: "I won't sell Viacom or CBS"
(Bloomberg) Sumner Redstone said he has no plans to sell more stock in Viacom Inc. or CBS Corp., and that talks to restructure debt at his National Amusements Inc. ``are proceeding in a smooth and constructive manner.'' Redstone's closely held company, based in Dedham, Massachusetts, owns controlling stakes in Viacom and CBS. Yesterday, the media companies closed below levels of Oct. 10, when a drop in their value forced National Amusements to sell $233 million of non-voting stock to satisfy lenders.

Time Warner playing fast and loose with figures
(Bloomberg) Jonathan Weil writes: "At $8.61 a share, Time Warner has a stock-market value of $30.9 billion. Yet according to the balance sheet Time Warner released last week, just one of its assets, goodwill, by itself was worth $42.5 billion as of Sept. 30. The company, which owns CNN, also showed $52.1 billion of other intangible assets, mostly cable-television franchise rights. The market knows those asset values can't be right. Time Warner executives just won't admit it. Meanwhile, Time Warner said its net income last quarter was $1.1 billion, down slightly from a year earlier. The stock, down 48 percent this year, now trades for about half the company's official book value, or assets minus liabilities."

CLICK HERE

Stephen Colbert roasted by incoming White House Chief of Staff
(Alternet) Rahm Emanuel said..."I'm scared of Stephen Colbert. I'm not alone. My colleagues in Congress, political operatives, the top minds in Washington, even some of the people in this room -- we're all scared of Stephen Colbert... We're scared of Stephen Colbert in the same way Sarah Palin is scared of a geography bee. We're scared of him the same way that John Edwards is scared of the National Enquirer. Mary Matalin is scared of Stephen, and she's seen Carville naked! ... Even Hillary Clinton is scared of Colbert, and this makes no sense to me -- she is a woman who braved sniper fire at the Battle of Bosnia's Airport. We're frightened of Colbert, but we know that deep down, underneath the Republican character you see on TV, there's still a good man, there's still hope for him. It's the same way we feel about Joe Lieberman."

Barack's a lock for Time's Person of the Year
(Portfolio) Jeff Bercovici writes: "Time hosted its annual discussion about who ought to be its person of the year this afternoon, and, as expected, it wasn't much of a contest. "I think we have but one choice," said NBC anchor and reliable panelist Brian Williams. That, of course, would be "the game-changer, the history-maker," Barack Obama. No one really bothered to disagree, although Elizabeth Edwards (who, for the record, was wearing her wedding ring) did qualify the choice. "It may be early to say it's the man and everything he stands for as opposed to him as a symbol," she said. "It's almost like I'd want a picture of him from behind with the people who were so inspired by him and energized by him."

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Twenty years of WVAZ
(Chicago Tribune) William Hageman writes: "Two decades ago, Barry Mayo reconfigured America's radio landscape when he introduced the adult urban contemporary format to the dial. He took WBMX-FM 102.7 and transformed it into WVAZ-V103. The rest, as they say, is history. On the recent occasion of the station's 20th anniversary, some of those responsible for the station's success—on-air personalities Herb Kent, Troi Tyler and Ramonski Luv, program director Derrick Brown and Scott "Smokin' " Silz, production and imaging director—gathered in a studio and talked about life at V103, then, now and down the road."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Jeff Schwartz
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WBBM, WLUP, WCKG, WSCR, and ESPN Radio veteran Jeff Schwartz about his 35 year radio career, including his involvement in Disco Demolition, and his role in creating The Score.

November 13, 2008

2008-11-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

National Association of Broadcasters schmooze President-Elect
(Radio-online.com) NAB President/CEO David K. Rehr wrote to President-Elect Barack Obama on Monday, congratulating the newly-elected leader and highlighting the role played by America's local radio and television broadcasters. "There are more than 15,000 local radio and television stations in the United States, employing nearly 250,000 hard working Americans," wrote Rehr. "These stations serve their communities through public service, local news, entertaining programming and vital community information -- such as emergency warnings, traffic information and severe weather alerts." Rehr also referenced the pending transition to digital television, noting that NAB has undertaken "massive consumer education efforts" to ensure that no American is left behind in the switch to DTV.

NY Times Exec resigns to run NPR
(NY Times) Richard Perez Pena writes: "Vivian Schiller, who heads the online operations of The New York Times, will leave the paper to become the president and chief executive of National Public Radio, the network announced on Tuesday. Ms. Schiller, 47, will take over NPR on Jan. 5, heading a nonprofit corporation with a budget of more than $150 million and an endowment of more than $240 million. It provides news and entertainment programming to more than 800 public radio stations around the country and claims an audience of 26 million people."

Keith Olbermann signs new 4-year contract with MSNBC
(Huffington Post) MSNBC has voted for four more years of Keith Olbermann and the top-rated "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," it was announced today by Phil Griffin, President, MSNBC. The new four-year agreement calls for Olbermann to continue as host of "Countdown;" additionally, Olbermann will play a prominent role in MSNBC's coverage of all major news events. He will also continue to co-host NBC's "Football Night in America" studio show. "Keith Olbermann is at the core of MSNBC's current success," said Griffin. "'Countdown' is our signature program and I'm thrilled that we're going to be able to bring it to Keith's loyal viewers for another four year term."

Joe Scarborough put on tape-delay after dropping f-bomb
(Broadcasting & Cable) John Eggerton writes: "MSNBC has instituted a seven-second delay for morning show, Morning Joe, a spokeswoman for that show confirmed Tuesday evening. Spokeswoman Alana Russo confirmed the delay was instituted after a slip Monday morning when show host Joe Scarborough accidentally dropped an f-bomb, then apologized, seemingly unaware that it had slipped out. Russo had no further comment about the delay beyond acknowledging it was prompted by the f-bomb. Cable operators are not under the same FCC indecency enforcement regulations as broadcasters, and even broadcasters get more leeway when it is a live news program."

CLICK HERE

Ted Turner goes to town on Time Warner
(Portfolio) Jeff Bercovici writes: "It's safe to say Ted Turner holds a grudge. Interviewed this morning at the Time/Life Building by Time magazine's Josh Tyrangiel, the swashbuckling CNN founder took every opportunity to bash his former company over the head, blasting Gerald Levin and Dick Parsons, excoriating Time and CNN, and comparing the merger of Time Warner and AOL to the development of the atomic bomb in its tragic impact. (Parts of the interview, which was timed to promote Turner's autobiography, will appear in next week's issue of Time and on the magazine's website; it will be awfully interesting to see just which parts.) Afterward, talking to a group of Time Inc. employees, he said, "It gave me a chance to get a few things off my chest." No kidding. Turner, who has lost the vast majority of his fortune and given away most of the rest, said he intends to make fresh billions by investing in clean energy. And what will he do with it? "I might buy Time [Warner] back, because it might be two dollars a share by then. When I left it was eighteen."

Sirius/XM loses some serious cash: $4.8 billion
(Reuters) One thing you can be sure of--it's never Mel Karmazin's fault. Right, Mel? Franklin Paul writes: "Sirius XM Radio Inc posted a $4.8 billion write-down of goodwill related to its acquisition of satellite radio rival XM, and said the auto industry's "dramatic" woes have hurt subscriber growth. The company blamed the write-down, which added to its operational losses in the third quarter, on the significant decline in its share price from February 2007, when the merger was first announced. At that time, Sirius traded at about $3.79, compared with 27 cents at the close on Monday. Chief Executive Mel Karmazin defended the company, saying that while it provides a radio service that subscribers enjoy, it is powerless to fix the economic troubles that have beset the auto industry -- its biggest source of new subscribers. "We think the environment sucks," he said on a conference call with analysts. "It is not like we're doing something wrong. It is that, unfortunately, we do not have a whole lot of control over what cars are getting sold. We do our best."

Emmis won’t talk to analysts on a quarterly call
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "Here’s the message on the website: “Emmis is discontinuing its conference call on quarterly earnings.” That’s too bad. Jeff Smulyan is an ambassador for the industry and an executive the analysts and investors have learned from, over the years. That will no doubt continue in one-on-ones and at industry events (which I hope Jeff will continue to address). But it’s dismaying that he won’t make himself available for Q&A on the quarterly call. (Certainly the calls aren’t fun when the results are suffering along with the stock price.) Emmis has also gotten extra publicity for those calls because of its unusual fiscal year, which Jeff set up to even out radio’s usual big fourth-quarter results by adding in some of the New Year. Emmis will release its next quarterly results on January 9, but won’t talk to the analysts about them. We’ve already got Clear Channel avoiding a call, by releasing just the numbers with no chance for Q&A – but at least Clear Channel can say it’s no longer a publicly-traded company."

CLICK HERE

The Jerry Springer interview
(Chicagoist) Karl Klockers writes: "Jerry Springer’s infamous television sideshow may not have the cultural zeitgeist that it had a decade ago, but he and his crew still plugs away, day after day, getting close to twenty years later. If you haven’t seen the Springer show lately, it’s still the show that drove preachers and moralists nuts in the late 90’s, nudity and violence and all. It's also still the show that made a star out of a former newscaster and semi-disgraced politician out of Ohio. (Semi-disgraced, because many people don’t realize that after his sex n’ checks scandal, he was actually re-elected to office.) Jerry Springer has been more associated with Chicago than Ohio since the show spread across the globe, and might be one of the city's most famous residents (after that Oprah lady)."

Melissa Foreman giving up afternoons on WLIT
(Chicago Sun Times) Lewis Lazarre writes: "Adult contemporary WLIT-FM (93.9) is making adjustments in its daytime talent lineup, effective today (Monday). After a year of doing double duty as morning and afternoon host, Melissa Forman now will be given a breather and allowed to concentrate on her morning show from 5:30 to 9 a.m. Robin Rock then will host a show from 9 to 2 p.m. Rock will be followed from 2 to 7 by newcomer Kevin Gossett, a Phoenix-based programming director and on-air talent at KEZ-FM, which, like WLIT, is owned and operated by Clear Channel. Gossett will tape his Chicago-specific WLIT show in Phoenix, but a Clear Channel Chicago spokeswoman said Gossett intends to visit Chicago and familiarize himself with the market. Delilah continues in her 7 to midnight slot at WLIT, which is expected to shift to its popular holiday music format within the next 10 days."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Mancow
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with the new midday host at WLS Radio; Mancow. We talked about his new show, his inability to get along with others, and much more. Coming this weekend: Former WBBM, WLUP, WCKG, WSCR, and ESPN Radio veteran Jeff Schwartz.

November 11, 2008

2008-11-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Right wing media feeds post election anger
(LA Times) James Rainey writes: "Many on the losing end of last week's election want to hold on to their anger. And there are those in the media -- led by the likes of Limbaugh and Hannity -- only too ready to feed that animus, along with their own ratings. 'The Obama recession is in full swing, ladies and gentlemen,' Limbaugh told his radio audience of 15 million to 20 million on Thursday. 'Stocks are dying, which is a precursor of things to come. This is an Obama recession. Might turn into a depression.' Apparently the tanking of the real estate market, record losses in the auto industry, and massive failures in the banking and investment industry have very little to do with our problems. The economic system is collapsing, Rush wants us to know, because it anticipates the tax increases Obama has pledged on capital gains and for the highest income earners."

Media Giants to sell off radio stations
(Wall Street Journal) Sarah McBride writes: "Mounting debt and a sharp drop in advertising at many of the nation's radio broadcasters have led to a slashing of their valuations to fire-sale levels and intense competition with other media for ad dollars. 'It's grim,' says Farid Suleman, chief executive of Citadel Broadcasting Corp., owner of a radio network and more than 200 radio stations in many of the nation's largest markets. He describes current conditions as 'absolutely the worst I've seen.'"

Court allows nephew's suit against Sumner Redstone
(Associated Press) Massachusetts' high court has revived a claim by a nephew of Sumner Redstone that the entertainment mogul and his brother cheated the younger Redstone. But the Supreme Judicial Court on Friday backed a lower court's ruling that it was too late for a separate and potentially more lucrative claim of wrongdoing in a 1984 transaction. Michael Redstone claims the brothers cheated him out of shares of National Amusements Inc. in a 1972 transaction. He claims the mogul bought out his father, Edward, partially with shares that belonged to Michael and his sister. National Amusements is a holding company that owns and operates theaters and holds Sumner Redstone's interests in CBS and Viacom. Sumner Redstone is chairman of both companies.

Under Obama, web could be the way
(Washington Post) Shailagh Murray and Matthew Mosk write: "Armed with millions of e-mail addresses and a political operation that harnessed the Internet like no campaign before it, Barack Obama will enter the White House with the opportunity to create the first truly "wired" presidency. Obama aides and allies are preparing a major expansion of the White House communications operation, enabling them to reach out directly to the supporters they have collected over 21 months without having to go through the mainstream media."

CLICK HERE

Obama's FCC comes into focus
(Melphillipsnowandthen.com) Mel Phillips writes: "The new FCC transition team will be headed by former agency member Henry Rivera, a partner at communications law firm Wiley, Rein, the same firm Kevin Martin worked at. Martin, the current FCC Chairman can only leave voluntarily. His term doesn’t end until June 30, 2011 but he will be replaced as chairman by either Rivera or FCC member Michael Copps - both Democrats. In addition to Martin, the only other Republican at the agency is Robert McDowell. The third Republican, Deborah Taylor Tate is required to leave the agency no later than the first week of January. Jonathan Adelstein, a Democrat will likely stay at the FCC…"

HBO acquires rights to Obama documentary
(Hollywood Reporter) Greg Goldstein writes: "HBO has closed a seven-figure deal for U.S. rights to an untitled Barack Obama documentary from producer Edward Norton. Norton's Class 5 Films approached the Obama campaign in early 2006 about a doc chronicling the new president elect's history in politics. Directors Amy Rice and Alicia Sams were granted extensive access to film Obama before he launched his presidential run in 2007 and have continued their shoot through his historic victory this week. HBO, which has been pursuing rights for several months, plans to air the feature-length docu next year. The footage, culled from 2 1/2 years of filming, includes interviews with Obama, his senior campaign staff, family, friends and volunteers."

Palin lies low as interview requests pile up
(Associated Press) Gov. Sarah Palin hadn't been back home in Alaska for a full day and her staff had begun fielding requests Thursday for postelection interviews, including from Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Larry King and others. Palin had been expected at her office in Anchorage but later notified her staff that she wouldn't show up after all. She remained at her home in Wasilla, located 40 miles to the north, but was expected in her office on Friday, spokesman Bill McAllister said. "The intensity of all the interest is amazing. Everyone wants to talk to her," he said.

CLICK HERE

Dobson inducted into Radio Hall of Fame, Protesters march
(Radio Ink) : A group called "Dump Dobson" marched for two hours Saturday night in front of the Renaissance Chicago Hotel to protest the Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family was named to the hall in the program category. The group, organized primarily by gay-rights organizations Truth Wins Out and Gay Liberation Network, began protesting FOTF's nomination back in July, calling Dobson an "anti-gay bigot" and "an ideologue who has built his radio empire on anti-gay hatred and discrimination." When Dobson's show was named among the inductees, the group vowed to protest the ceremony if the induction was not rescinded. "If you advocate the taking away of rights for a whole group of people, you may be a Christian, you may be any number of other things, but one thing you certainly are is you are a hater, and you are a bigot," Gay Liberation Network's Andy Thayer told ABC-7/Chicago Saturday night. "James Dobson is a bigot." Radio Hall of Fame Chairman Bruce DuMont told Radio Ink that there were about 250 demonstrators outside the hotel, and there was no disturbance inside or during the event. He said, "They were chanting, they carried signs, they were orderly, and they were exercising their right of free expression, which is wonderful."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Mancow
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with the new midday host at WLS Radio; Mancow. We talked about his new show, his inability to get along with others, and much more.

November 6, 2008

2008-11-06T00:03:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Obama to fight media mergers
(Bloomberg) Hallelujah! "President-elect Barack Obama will try to use his office to hinder media concentration and to increase local TV news coverage, objectives that have stirred resistance from industry groups. The Illinois Democrat, who will succeed George W. Bush on Jan. 20, `is going to push for a more open, more diverse media,' Gloria Tristani, a former Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, said in an interview."

Why even Rush Limbaugh shouldn't fear the Fairness Doctrine
(Huffington Post) A liberal writer at a liberal website with an essay that should calm all conservatives. He's right on the money. "The Fairness Doctrine was a longstanding, if seldom enforced, regulation that required broadcasters using the public airwaves to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues. It was taken off the books by the Reagan administration in 1987 -- a move that is often credited/criticized for sparking the rise of right-wing radio. Now it seems that anytime the GOP dips in the polls, up pops news of a secret plot to "drive political talk radio off the dial," to quote the Post. It's red meat for the right-wing base. But here's the truth: The Fairness Doctrine is never, ever coming back. And that's a good thing."

A star is reborn
(New York Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "Not long ago, the suggestion was put about that time was not on Ms. Couric’s side at CBS. According to various news reports back in April, CBS, disappointed with her performance but unwilling to pay the ghastly sum the premature termination of her contract would entail, was letting her run out the clock and then planning to cut her loose. Or it was she, frustrated with the network’s handling of her and her show, who was planning to cut the cord at the earliest possible moment. But against the odds—she wasn’t allowed the opportunity, for instance, to anchor a single presidential or vice presidential debate for CBS—Ms. Couric has used the 2008 presidential elections to make herself a commodity again. Not the too expensive piece of furniture the Tiffany network had bought and regretted, but the game-changing political journalist she aspired to be when she first took the Evening News. Hers was the most memorable interview of the 2008 election. Über political blogger Mark Halperin named her one of the five most important people in politics not running for president."

How to waste time online now that the election is over
(Slate) I was going to write this column before Farhad Manjoo beat me to it..."The election's over, and you're bored. You're not really elated that your guy won or dismayed that he got crushed—really, you just wish you knew what to do with yourself. Over the last few months, you've spent hours each day poring over polls and reading every pundit. Now all that is done, and the Web seems so ... empty. Politico is full of stories about the transition team and RealClearPolitics is focused on 2012, but it's just not the same. I'm here to help because I'm pretty much in the same boat. Now that the election's over, I've got several spare hours a day."

CLICK HERE

FCC Expands Use of Airwaves
(Washington Post) Cecilia Kang writes: "Preachers on the pulpit, Guns N' Roses and others who fear their wireless microphones would be disrupted by widespread public access to certain unused airwaves were drowned out by high-tech titans Google and Microsoft in a federal ruling yesterday. The Federal Communications Commission approved a plan that would allow those airwaves, called white spaces, to be used by gadgets such as cellphones and laptops connected to the Internet once that spectrum becomes available after the national transition from analog to digital television in February."

Supreme Court debates expletives
(Chicago Tribune) Tell me this doesn't sound like an SNL skit. Jerry Markon writes: "It's not every day that a top lawyer for the Bush administration, standing before the black-robed justices of the Supreme Court, invokes the specter of "Big Bird dropping the F-bomb on Sesame Street." Justices on Tuesday heard arguments on a new government policy that can punish television networks for a one-time, or "fleeting" expletive, as opposed to a stream of profanities. The case came about after singer Cher dismissed her critics with an expletive during a live 2002 awards show, and celebrity Nicole Richie used some in 2003. The argument began with the typically sober discussion of weighty legal issues. But the lawyers were soon jumping through verbal hoops to avoid saying the words at issue, trying everything from "these words" to expletives, swearing, the F-word, the F-bomb and "freaking." Chief Justice John Roberts debated with a lawyer for Fox network, which aired the Cher and Richie remarks, whether such words inherently denote offensive "sexual or excretory activities" — the definition the Federal Communications Commission's used to cite Fox for broadcasting indecent material. Roberts asked, "Why do you think the F-word has" such power? "... Because it's associated with sexual or excretory activity. That's what gives it its force."

Obama’s win won’t immediately change the FCC
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "Chairman Kevin Martin now shows signs of wanting to hang around longer than expected, and it could be a while before the new Democratic Administration gets its ducks in a row to nominate a new Chairman and new Commissioners (both Dem and GOP). Would Martin accept a demotion to just-plain-Commissioner, since his term’s not up yet? That’s almost never happened, historians tell me. And if Martin really does want to rev up a political run back in North Carolina (for Sue Myrick’s House seat in 2010?), he’d want to get going pretty soon. An Obama presidency might be interested in elevating Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to Chairman, and he’d be a good consensus builder. If that happens, expect fellow Democrat Michael Copps to turn a deep shade of green - for jealousy. But Obama could well look for a fresh face to run the FCC, and if that’s his wish, Martin could be around the 8th floor for quite a while."

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The Loop cuts loose two Chicago radio veterans
(Radio Online) When a station cuts loose real radio pros like Bill Klaproth and Tommy King, it's a sign that they aren't even trying anymore. Or, as the company puts it..."Emmis Radio said on Friday that it had "instituted a series of steps to better position it for success" with a 4% reduction in its workforce nationwide. 29 fulltime staffers and six parttimers were affected at its clusters in New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis. The company also announced a 3% salary reduction for Emmis Radio and corporate employees earning more than $50,000. Last week, PD Bill Klaproth and marketing director Tommy King exited Classic Rock WLUP-FM (The Loop)/Chicago after ten years."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Spike O'Dell
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WGN morning host Spike O'Dell. We talked about his upcoming retirement and looked back at his impressive 30-plus-year career in broadcasting. Coming this weekend: Mancow.

November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Happy Election Day...Don't forget to vote.

Which channel is right? Tight election (Fox) or A Democratic surge (MSNBC)
(New York Times) It was a lousy day to be Senator John McCain, Keith Olbermann informed his viewers on MSNBC on Thursday. Senator Barack Obama’s surge in the polls was so strong he was competitive in Mr. McCain’s home state, Arizona. The everyman hero of Mr. McCain’s campaign, “Joe the Plumber,” failed to make an expected appearance at a morning rally in Defiance, Ohio, and the senator’s efforts to highlight Mr. Obama’s association with a professor tied to the P.L.O. were amounting to nothing. Wait a minute ... not so fast. Click. Things were looking up for Mr. McCain, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren told their viewers on Fox News Channel on Thursday. He got a boost at an afternoon rally in Sandusky, Ohio, from none other than Joe the Plumber, who announced his intention to vote for “a real American, John McCain”; he was gaining new ground in ever-tightening polls, despite the overwhelming bias against him in the mainstream news media; and Mr. Obama’s association with a professor sympathetic to the P.L.O. was now at “the center of the election.” On any given night, there are two distinctly, even extremely, different views of the presidential campaign offered on two of the three big cable news networks, Fox News Channel and MSNBC, a dual reality that is reflected on the Internet as well.

Dirty words get hearing at Supreme Court
(AP via USA Today) The Election isn't the only thing happening today..."When Cher invoked a four-letter expletive during her acceptance speech at a televised awards show, federal regulators deemed it indecent. So too when NYPD Blue detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) used dirty words. Yet in the TV broadcast of the movie Saving Private Ryan, expletives were allowed because, regulators said, they contributed to the work's power and realism. A U.S. appeals court took issue with such distinctions. It sided last year with Fox Television Stations, which aired the Cher outburst, and ruled against the Federal Communications Commission's new ban on "fleeting expletives." The court declared the FCC policy arbitrary and said the agency failed to justify its departure from a relatively relaxed earlier policy on the one-time use of expletives on TV. The Supreme Court will hear the FCC's appeal of that ruling on Tuesday in one of the most closely watched cases of the term. The consequences for viewers could be significant."

A new President, a new FCC
(Melphillipsnowandthen) Veteran broadcaster Mel Phillips analyzes what will happen to the FCC after we get a new president..."Election Day not only will give us a new president but it brings a new FCC too. Should the pundits be as accurate as polls have shown, a Democratic sweep will put the FCC in that party’s column and it could have an effect on the Internet as well. Realistic or not, the fear in the Web world is that a regulated Internet will follow. Obama takes the side of net neutrality backers, who say ISPs should not be able to discriminate against certain types of Internet traffic requiring more bandwidth, such as the downloading of movies or block certain content altogether. McCain opposes net neutrality… Obama is supported by Google which backs a law on neutrality while McCain takes the side of AT&T and telecom companies. If the Democrats improve their majorities in Congress as expected, major changes are expected in the leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees communications issues. Cable companies like Comcast fear a McCain presidency. McCain has pushed for “a la carte” programming choices for subscribers. In reality, what’s likely to happen under a new president with FCC, Internet, Communications, etc. is less radical than what everyone anticipates. It will probably fall somewhere between the worst fears and highest hopes of all concerned…"

CLICK HERE

Media Moguls hemorrhage billions
(Vanity Fair) Peter Newcomb writes: "With the stock market in an unsteady downward spiral, members of Vanity Fair’s New Establishment—our list of the 100 influential (and very rich) leaders of the Information Age—have watched their net worth vaporize along with the rest of us. Only their losses include many more zeros. As a group, the V.F. 100 has fared a bit worse than the broader stock market, having suffered a loss of 48 percent versus the S&P 500’s 39 percent decline in the past year. The dollar amounts themselves paint an even uglier picture. The people occupying five of the top 10 slots on the list have lost a combined total of $43 billion. Rupert Murdoch (No. 2) shed $4.2 billion; Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt of Google (No. 3) are down $14.7 billion; No. 4 Steve Jobs saw his shares in Apple and Disney shrink by $2.2 billion; Jeff Bezos (No. 6) of Amazon lost $4 billion; and Warren Buffett (No. 5) has given up a whopping $18 billion—the most of anyone on the list. (Fortunately, the Oracle of Omaha still has another $48 billion left to play with.)"

Sarah Palin gets crank-call from Canadian radio duo
(Toronto Star) The audio is available at the link too..."The Quebec comedians responsible for pranking Sarah Palin are getting the star treatment from the international media. The duo known as "The Masked Avengers" was being courted by U.S. news networks Sunday after their prank call to the Republican vice-presidential nominee took the Internet by storm. The Avengers – Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel – managed to get Palin on the phone, conning her into thinking she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "We're flying to New York in a couple of hours to do the CBS morning show – oh, my God," a breathless Audette said Sunday. The two say they're surprised at the impact of the gag, which has garnered global headlines after it surfaced almost instantly on blogs and websites around the world. "We're doing it for fun – as comedians, that's our job," Audette said. "We had no idea it would have such a big impact in the United States and the rest of the world. It's the same in France and Britain – it's everywhere."

CLICK HERE

The Loop cuts loose two Chicago radio veterans
(Radio Online) When a station cuts loose real radio pros like Bill Klaproth and Tommy King, it's a sign that they aren't even trying anymore. Or, as the company puts it..."Emmis Radio said on Friday that it had "instituted a series of steps to better position it for success" with a 4% reduction in its workforce nationwide. 29 fulltime staffers and six parttimers were affected at its clusters in New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis. The company also announced a 3% salary reduction for Emmis Radio and corporate employees earning more than $50,000. Last week, PD Bill Klaproth and marketing director Tommy King exited Classic Rock WLUP-FM (The Loop)/Chicago after ten years."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Spike O'Dell
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WGN morning host Spike O'Dell. We talked about his upcoming retirement and looked back at his impressive 30-plus-year career in broadcasting.

October 30, 2008

2008-10-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Obama's record setting fundraising fails to benefit TV station owners
(Bloomberg) Television stations are finding as political campaigns end that Democrat Barack Obama's record $600 million fundraising isn't turning into an advertising bonanza. A lack of competitive big-state Senate races, falling interest-group outlays and Republican John McCain's decision to accept campaign spending limits have led to a shortfall.

Hollywood may not be recession proof this time
(Los Angeles Times) Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James write: "Worried by the worsening economy, Kristen Olson decided she'd better start saving money. She tallied her expenses and was walloped by sticker shock: She and her roommates were spending $900 a year for cable TV. 'I'm not watching $900 worth of cable,' said the 25-year-old advertising account coordinator, who lives in North Hollywood. She's trying to persuade her roommates to drop the service. 'You can watch so many shows online for free; most of them are on Hulu now,' Olson added, referring to the year-old video site that makes available at the click of a mouse more than 1,000 shows, including her favorites, 'Ugly Betty' and 'House.' Such changes in consumer behavior signal trouble for media companies. For decades, entertainment executives have boasted that Hollywood is 'recession-proof.' No matter how dire the economy, the argument goes, consumers will always be willing to spend on entertainment to escape."

The 6 factors that merged to tame wild morning radio
(Chicago Tribune) I thought this was a very well done piece. Patrick Kampert writes: "Derrick Brown, program director at WVAZ-FM 102.7, says the use of the portable, electronic people meter instead of Arbitron paper diaries is one reason Muller and other radio personalities are reinventing themselves. 'I don't think the shtick he did would play today, especially in the era of electronic measurement,' Brown said. 'The diaries were all about remembering a brand name and writing it down. Now, you're going to be judged by your content. Brand names aren't good enough anymore.' The size of the morning shows has shrunk too, Brown added. 'Large morning shows have become very expensive. We have to judge: Is it worth the expense to have a crew of 12, or can we get the job done with two, or one?' Radio observers see six reasons for the disappearance of the in-your-face deejay."
(The 6 reasons are: FCC fines, jocks have matured, advertisers don't like it, what's so shocking?, absence of Stern, and the tenor of the times)

Time Inc planning layoff of 600
(New York Times) Tim Arango writes: "Time Inc., the world’s largest magazine publisher, plans to cut 6 percent of its work force — more than 600 positions — and will revamp the organization in a way that could radically alter the culture at the company. The company outlined the overhaul on Tuesday evening in a memorandum to employees after The New York Times revealed the cuts on its Web site. The layoffs will begin in about two weeks. No magazines are scheduled to close, but some are likely to be severely cut back. Ann S. Moore, Time Inc.’s chairman and chief executive, was already planning an overhaul because of the upheavals in print media, but she was forced to speed up those efforts amid the financial crisis and looming recession."

Gannett will cut 10% of newspaper jobs
(Reuters) Gannett Co Inc, the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, is planning to cut about 10 percent of jobs at its local papers as it fights advertising declines made worse by the global financial crisis. It is the second round of layoffs that Gannett has planned in the past two months. In August, Gannett said it would eliminate 1,000 newspaper jobs, with 600 being laid off. The latest round will be all layoffs, according to a memo sent to staff by Newspaper Division President Robert Dickey on Tuesday.

CLICK HERE

John Hodgman 'verifies' the facts of his life
(Chicago Tribune) Kevin Pang writes: "John Hodgman— Daily Show contributor, 'I'm a PC' wonk — is in the business of fabricating untruths and serving them up for public consumption under the guise of 'fact.' He did so with his first book, "The Areas of My Expertise," a Poor Richard's Almanack for the tragically misinformed. For instance, Hodgman's first book includes a prediction that 'Roving cocktail gangs will ravage American cities in search of vermouth.' In his new book, 'More Information Than You Require,' Hodgman continues to lie through his teeth."

The paperless paper is now reality
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "The original opening of the TV show "Lou Grant" began with a bird in a tree, the tree chopped down, the wood turned to paper, paper delivered to a publishing plant. Newspapers came off the presses, were delivered, read and then used to line a bird's cage. That was 31 years ago. If it seemed quaintly inefficient then, it still is, only more so--last night's stories put in your hands this morning at great effort and expense, then disposed of shortly thereafter. So the Christian Science Monitor's announcement Tuesday that it is largely abandoning print for the Internet in April--giving up daily press runs in favor of a beefed-up Web site, complemented by daily e-mail editions and a weekly print magazine--is intriguing."

Court Rejects Arbitron Bid To Block PPM Suit
(Radio Ink) The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted a motion by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to dismiss Arbitron's bid in federal court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Cuomo's office, in favor of the state proceeding filed against Arbitron by Cuomo on October 10.

CLICK HERE

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Robert Murphy
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Robert Murphy, famed host of "Murphy in the Morning." We talked about his very successful stint at Q-101, his other morning shows in Chicago (on WXXY and WLS-FM), and what it would take for him to return to the radio. Coming this weekend: WGN morning host Spike O'Dell.

October 28, 2008

2008-10-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Landslide for TV
(TV Week) Ira Teinowitz writes: "The 2008 race for the presidency has been memorable for many reasons, not the least of which is the jaw-dropping effect it has had on the television industry. The campaign brought to media companies a record $750 million in advertising revenue—of which local stations and the broadcast and cable networks reaped 90%, helping offset a precipitous drop in other types of TV ad buys as the economy stumbled toward recession. And it also reinvigorated cable news channels, helped fuel ratings records for politically incorrect comedy shows and dramatically raised the profile of some TV stars. While the fat lady has not even begun to sing yet, what soon may get dubbed “The Great Campaign of 2008” can be summed up as a race of record-smashing, eye-popping impact. "

In E-mail, ABC News President Tells Staff No Holiday Parties This Year; All Print Subs Canceled; Execs Must Stay at 'B' Hotels
(New York Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "This morning David Westin, president of ABC News, sent out an e-mail to staffers warning that ABC News is not 'immune from the downturn,' and that the division (along with the rest of Disney's Media Networks Group) will be implementing new 'guidelines' to 'reduce administrative costs.' As part of the cost-cutting measures, ABC News will be canceling all of its magazine and newspaper subscriptions, will not be throwing any holiday parties, and will be scaling back on travel accommodations for executives."
(Read the entire e-mail at the link)

Selling Newspapers
(Forbes.com) James Erik Abel writes: "There's nothing like bad news to sell newspapers. Unless there are no newspapers left to sell. Many people are wondering if this may soon be a reality. Revenues were in free-fall last week at many of the country's largest newspaper companies. 'The only hope is that as we get through the spring, the rate of [the advertising] decline starts to ease up,' says newspaper analyst Edward Atorino of The Benchmark Co."

Full listings of newspaper endorsements
(Editor & Publisher) Greg Mitchell writes: "The Obama-Biden ticket maintains its strong lead in the race for daily newspaper endorsements, by 170 to 69, an almost 3-1 margin and an even wider spread in the circulation of those papers. Obama's lopsided margin, including most of the major papers that have decided so far, is in stark contrast to John Kerry barely edging George W. Bush in endorsements in 2004 by 213 to 205."
(Click on the link to see the full list)

CLICK HERE

Amy Poehler gives birth
(Huffington Post) Seth Myers sat alone at the SNL Weekend Update anchor desk saying, "I'm Seth Myers. Amy Poehler is not here because she is having a baby," to wild applause. Update later ended with Maya Rudolph and Keenan Thompson singing a special duet version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" with lyrics like, "We love you Amy" instead of "Oh pretty baby." Poehler's rep released a statement saying the baby's name is Archie Arnett and weighed in at 8 lbs, 1 oz.

The Great Hannity-Olbermann divide
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "On Fox News last week, Sean Hannity said he was tempted to ask Barack Obama: "Where did you buy your cocaine, how much cocaine? How much cocaine did you use? How often did you use it? When did you stop?" On the same Monday night, Keith Olbermann said on MSNBC that John McCain had a responsibility 'to say 'enough' to Republican smears without end' and not be 'party to a campaign that devolves into hatred and prejudice and divisiveness.' Are these guys watching the same presidential race, or even living in the same country?"

D.L. Hughley debuts on CNN
(NY Times) Dave Itzkoff writes: "At the start of his stand-up set in the 2000 film “The Original Kings of Comedy,” D. L. Hughley mocked audience members who had to suffer the rigors of a daily grind. Now he’s getting his comeuppance. For the last week Mr. Hughley, 45, has had to arrive every morning at his office at CNN in Manhattan at the ungodly (for a comedian) hour of 11 a.m. to digest reams of information from newspapers, Web sites, television and talk radio. He has no time to goof off during the 8-to-12-hour days; only the occasional moment to glance at his new profile in the CNN company directory that lists him as an anchor. 'I’m like, ‘Come on, man,’ an incredulous Mr. Hughley said in a recent interview. 'I barely even know how to read. I’ve got a G.E.D.' Just 10 days ago CNN announced that Mr. Hughley would be the host of a new comedy-news show, 'D. L. Hughley Breaks the News,' which has its premiere Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern time."

CLICK HERE

Interep bankrupt, liquidated
(Radio Online) My wife used to work for this company..."It appears the end is near for troubled independent rep firm Interep, after Vice Chairman/CEO David Kennedy reportedly told management today that the company plans to close its doors in the "near term," after a judge reclassified its bankruptcy proceeding from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7, or liquidation. The company had been operating under Chapter 11 for several years.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Robert Murphy
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Robert Murphy, famed host of "Murphy in the Morning." We talked about his very successful stint at Q-101, his other morning shows in Chicago (on WXXY and WLS-FM), and what it would take for him to return to the radio.

October 23, 2008

2008-10-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Sumner Redstone files for divorce
(Reuters) I wonder how his wife of 50+ years (that he dumped to marry this one) feels today. Dean Goodman writes: "Media mogul Sumner Redstone, the irascible billionaire whose fortunes have been battered by the financial crisis, has filed for divorce from his second wife after five years of marriage, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The 85-year-old executive chairman of both Viacom Inc and CBS Corp cited "irreconcilable differences" with Paula Fortunato Redstone, a former school teacher who is almost 40 years his junior. The couple, who live in a gated community overlooking Beverly Hills, have no children together. They had entered into a 'marital settlement agreement' covering their assets, said the papers filed on Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court."

Controlling Media Members face new scrutiny on Wall Street
(Smart Money) Nat Worden writes: "The global financial crisis threatens some of the media's elite controlling shareholders after a decade of disappointing investment returns, a rise in investor activism and a chaotic industry transition to the digital age. Media moguls who rose to prominence while keeping a tight grip on control of their empires have lost some cachet on Wall Street in recent years, as public shareholders increasingly view their family relationships and resistance to change as a barrier to stock performance. Now, the outbreak of a historic financial meltdown has sparked massive sell-offs in media stocks in expectation of an economic slowdown that could force structural changes to an industry already struggling to adapt to the Internet. This prospect could loosen the grip of controlling shareholders on their family businesses like never before. 'Conflicts of interest aren't felt during good times,' said Nell Minnow with the Corporate Library, a corporate governance advisory firm. 'But they can be felt strongly in bad times.' Those particularly seeing extra scrutiny are Sumner Redstone, controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. ; the Dolan family, owners of Cablevision Systems Corp.; and the Ochs-Sulzbergers, who control New York Times Co."

CLICK HERE

O'Reilly: You still have me to kick around
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "Bill O'Reilly has signed up for another tour of duty at Fox News, saying that he decided 'to put myself through all the attacks and smears' for several more years. The pugnacious pundit said that he signed the contract despite what he sees as a constant assault on his reputation. 'I couldn't care less whether the establishment media respect me,' he said yesterday in an interview. 'I feel they're corrupt. They, I'm sure, resent me feeling that way.' Fox is expected to formally announce the four-year deal today, and the decision by O'Reilly -- who will be paid more than $10 million a year -- was not unexpected. After re-signing Sean Hannity and luring Glenn Beck from CNN's Headline News in the past two weeks, Fox has solidified a right-leaning lineup."

Fox President: FCC needs to stop regulating speech
(Broadcasting & Cable) John Eggerton writes: "It is time for the government to get out of the business of regulating indecent speech. That was the message from News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin to media executives and others gathered in Washington for The Media Institute’s annual awards dinner. Chernin argues that it is not too many steps from censoring unpopular entertainment to doing the same to unpopular political content. Chernin weighed in on the issue in a speech accepting the Freedom of Speech award from the institute, whose trustees include major media companies. Chernin was teeing up Fox’s arguments before the Supreme Court, which is hearing the FCC's challenge to a lower-court smackdown of the FCC's fleeting profanity ruling against Fox's Billboard awards broadcast. That hearing will be Nov. 4, Election Day."

CLICK HERE

Saunders readying for final signoff
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "WMAQ-Ch. 5 lead newscaster Warner Saunders, who's been part of Chicago's television landscape for 40 years, expects to leave the station he has called home since 1980, retiring at the end of May from the 10 p.m. newscast he has co-anchored for 11 1/2 years. Although WMAQ has yet to make any formal announcement, Saunders, who turns 74 in January, said by e-mail that he signed a brief contract extension that smooths out the transition for the NBC-owned station's newscasts. Saunders intends to move off the station's 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts with the new year, while remaining on Channel 5's marquee 10 p.m. broadcast alongside Allison Rosati for another five months. Barring something unexpected, Saunders indicated he looks to retire June 1. Nothing is set in stone, but Channel 5 4:30 p.m. anchor Bob Sirott, the former CBS News correspondent and "Chicago Tonight" host who doubles as host of a noon show for Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.'s WGN-AM 720, is expected to land in Saunders' spot on the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. programs. If all goes well with Sirott's on-air reunion alongside Rosati, with whom he long ago co-anchored WMAQ's "First Thing in the Morning," he's front-runner for the 10 p.m. program, too, once Saunders assumes his next challenge."

Mancow replaces Jerry Agar at WLS
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Erich "Mancow" Muller, who lost his last full-time Chicago radio job 27 months ago, has signed a letter of intent to host a weekday talk show for Citadel Broadcasting's WLS-AM 890. Mike Fowler, WLS-AM's president and general manager, confirmed that Muller will replace Jerry Agar in the 9 a.m.-to-11 a.m. slot, beginning Monday. For his first week, he will be paired with Pat Cassidy, who joined WLS from WBBM-AM 780 this summer. "It's going to bring a lot of energy to the station," Fowler said. "It's a younger version of Rush [Limbaugh], with some Roe Conn thrown in." Muller, who will continue to do a separate syndicated morning program, did not return a call for comment.

Mini Interview: Shelli Harmon
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: Shelli Harmon from from Sunny 101.5 in South Bend.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Marc Silverman
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with the co-host of ESPN Radio's "Waddle and Silvy," Marc Silverman. Silvy talked about his early radio influences, his highs and lows, and his current broadcast partner, former Bear Tom Waddle. Coming this weekend: Robert Murphy.

October 21, 2008

2008-10-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Sumner Redfaced
(New York Post) It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Hey, Sumner, thanks for helping destroy the media business while you were in it. Peter Lauria writes: "Media mogul Sumner Redstone, caught in the vise-like grip of the credit crunch, may be forced to sell his prized Viacom Inc., home of MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Studios. A sale of Viacom, or any piece of the company, would be a tremendous setback to the 85-year-old Redstone, as he has spent the better part of his professional life pulling together the crown jewel of his investment portfolio. Sources close to Redstone and Viacom say the executive's current cash situation is so dire that selling Viacom or CBS - which he also controls - is now a real possibility."

Generosity Index
(Portfolio) Duff McDonald writes: "In the upper tier of philanthropy, it’s not just about the cause and the gift. It’s about outdoing the other guy. Here is Condé Nast Portfolio’s look at which billionaires are giving the most, relative to their wealth; which are giving the least; and who is refusing to say."
(Hint: #1 is Warren Buffett. Last place is Rupert Murdoch)

Rupert Murdoch ready for spending spree
(Financial Times) News Corporation has a $5bn “war chest”, Rupert Murdoch said on Friday, as he highlighted his appetite for acquisitions while more indebted rivals struggle. “We are as well positioned as we can be to face what may well turn into a prolonged economic downturn,” he told the media group’s annual meeting in New York, pointing to a 22-year average debt maturity. News Corp was forced this week to abandon its attempt to sell News Outdoor, a Russian billboard business, to JCDecaux, and its auction of free-to-air television businesses in Bulgaria, Latvia and Serbia has stalled. However, the group chairman highlighted eastern Europe as one of three regions, with India and the broader Asian market, in which he would seek to expand.

NBC Universal cutting $500 million
(LA Times) Dawn C. Chmielewski writes: "NBC Universal is planning to slash spending across the board next year as it braces for a sharp drop in consumer spending on entertainment. In a memo, NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker said the cuts would amount to $500 million, or 3% of what would be a $16.7-billion annual budget. He called on division heads to make cuts in staffing, promotional expenses and discretionary spending on travel, entertainment and outside consultants."

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The endorsements
(Associated Press) The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, two of the most influential US newspapers, backed Barack Obama on Friday to become the next US president, praising his leadership abilities despite his relative inexperience. Obama also picked up hometown support from the Chicago Tribune -- marking the first time since its founding in 1847 that it has come out for a Democratic candidate. Their editorials took to 51 the number of US newspapers endorsing Obama so far in the November 4 election, against 16 for McCain, according to a tally by the Editor and Publisher trade journal...The biggest newspaper to come out for McCain so far has been the New York Post, a part of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's empire that also includes the conservative Fox News channel.

Palin draws big ratings
(Associated Press) Sarah is big...but not quite as big as Nancy Kerrigan. "The entertainment summit of the season — Sarah Palin and her impersonator, Tina Fey — earned "Saturday Night Live" its best ratings in 14 years. But if you blinked, you might have missed it. Fey was answering questions at a news conference, something Palin hasn't done yet as the Republican vice presidential nominee, when Palin walked on the stage. Fey beat a hasty retreat in the opening segment, walking past the real Palin with a barely perceptible nod. If anyone was hoping for a side-by-side photo of the identically dressed women, they were out of luck. Palin's guest shot, widely anticipated since Fey began imitating her a month ago, led "Saturday Night Live" to its highest mark in overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings since March 1994, when assaulted skater Nancy Kerrigan was guest host."

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Robert Feder's farewell
(Chicago Sun Times) You get the feeling that the Sun-Times has no idea what they'll be missing? Robert Feder writes: "Yes, this is it. I'm stepping down today after 28 years of daily coverage of radio and television for the Sun-Times. But in the words of Sonny & Cher, the beat goes on. Although I won't be here to report them, here are some predictions I'm willing to bet will occur in the coming months and beyond:" (Click on the link to read his predictions about Channel 5, Richard Roeper, Steve Cochran, Steve Dahl, and Mancow among others)

Nine-FM's farewell
As of Monday, Nine-FM--the "We play anything" station is no longer on the air. They wrote a letter to their listeners on their website. Click the link to read what they have to say, including recommendations for other stations.

Mini Interview: Steve Zana & Laura Waluszko
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. Last week: Steve Zana & Laura Waluszko from Indiana 105 in Valpo.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Marc Silverman
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with the co-host of ESPN Radio's "Waddle and Silvy," Marc Silverman. Silvy talked about his early radio influences, his highs and lows, and his current broadcast partner, former Bear Tom Waddle.

October 16, 2008

2008-10-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Redstone family in dispute over stock sale
(Los Angeles Times) When the stock price is literally the only thing you care about in life, bad things happen when the stock price goes down. Claudia Eller writes: "The bitter feud between billionaire Sumner Redstone and his daughter, Shari, erupted again Tuesday over the murky circumstances surrounding the sale of $233 million in non-voting Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. shares by the family's privately held National Amusements Inc."

Kathleen Parker talks about Sarah Palin

Feds want time to decide on Super Bowl Reveal appeal
(Broadcasting & Cable) John Eggerton writes: "Government lawyers say they need more time to decide whether to seek Supreme Court review of the indecency fine against CBS stations over the fleeting nudity in the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl half-time show. That's according to Media Access Project, which was served notice of the request. MAP was a party to the lower court challenge. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals last July threw out the fine, concluding the FCC's decision had been arbitrary and capricious and an unjustified departure from prior precedent. The deadline was Oct. 19 for filing a cert petition with the Supreme Court--essentially a request to hear an appeal of a lower court decision. The Solicitor General said it would need until Nov. 18."

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Christopher Buckley leaves National Review after Obama endorsement
(The Daily Beast) Christopher Buckley writes: "I had gone out of my way in my Beast endorsement to say that I was not doing it in the pages of National Review, where I write the back-page column, because of the experience of my colleague, the lovely Kathleen Parker. Kathleen had written in NRO that she felt Sarah Palin was an embarrassment. (Hardly an alarmist view.) This brought 12,000 livid emails, among them a real charmer suggesting that Kathleen’s mother ought to have aborted her and tossed the fetus into a dumpster. I didn’t want to put NR in an awkward position. Since my Obama endorsement, Kathleen and I have become BFFs and now trade incoming hate-mails. No one has yet suggested my dear old Mum should have aborted me, but it’s pretty darned angry out there in Right Wing Land...Within hours of my endorsement appearing in The Daily Beast it became clear that National Review had a serious problem on its hands. So the next morning, I thought the only decent thing to do would be to offer to resign my column there. This offer was accepted—rather briskly!—by Rich Lowry, NR’s editor, and its publisher, the superb and able and fine Jack Fowler. I retain the fondest feelings for the magazine that my father founded, but I will admit to a certain sadness that an act of publishing a reasoned argument for the opposition should result in acrimony and disavowal...So, I have been effectively fatwahed (is that how you spell it?) by the conservative movement, and the magazine that my father founded must now distance itself from me."

Lorne Michaels: All the candidates will probably appear on SNL
(Chicago Tribune) Maureen Ryan writes: "Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of Saturday Night Live, predicts that the presidential and vice presidential candidates will stop by the comedy show before the election. He also said in a phone interview Tuesday that Tina Fey will return to play Gov. Sarah Palin. 'I think sooner or later, everyone will come through,' Michaels said of the candidates. He declined to give dates as to when Saturday Night Live viewers might see Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, as well as their running mates, Sen. Joseph Biden and Gov. Palin."

CLICK HERE

Joe Ahern fired from Channel 2
(Chicago Sun Times) Wednesday's column is a pointed reminder of why this market will sorely miss Robert Feder. He takes a parting shot at the recently fired Joe Ahern, a man that was roundly despised by those who worked for him. It's a doozy: "In the end, there was no one else to blame and no one else to fire. Joe Ahern had six years, two months, two days and -- for much of that time -- a virtually unlimited budget to turn around the fortunes of WBBM-Channel 2. But in all that time and with all those resources, he left the CBS-owned station arguably worse off than he found it. He didn't just fail. He failed utterly. Miserably." (Don't worry, there's more. Click on the link to read the whole thing.)

Mini Interview: Steve Zana & Laura Waluszko
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: Steve Zana & Laura Waluszko from Indiana 105 in Valpo.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Geoff Pinkus
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with the host of Living Large on WIND, Geoff Pinkus. We talked about his late entry into the radio business, his co-hostess Amy Jacobson, and how his show fits into the conservative WIND lineup. Coming this weekend: ESPN Radio's Marc Silverman.

October 14, 2008

2008-10-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

CBS stock drops well below $10, and even CBS/Viacom boss Sumner Redstone is selling
(Radio-Info.com) I think I can now officially kiss my stock options (CBS at something like $48 a share) goodbye. Tom Taylor writes: "He got caught with too much debt when the market turned and is forced to announce that he’ll sell off $400 million of his controlling National Amusements’ stake in both CBS and Viacom – diluting his net worth, though not his voting control. That’s a selloff of about 20% of the Redstone family’s holdings in CBS and Viacom...Once again, you wonder if Redstone would like to rewind the tape to three years ago, when he decided to split up Viacom into CBS (radio, TV, other “slow growth” businesses) and a new, smaller Viacom (MTV and other cable assets, movies). You want agita? Think about stock in “CBS” falling $2.04 on Friday, to a historic new low of $8.10 a share. And the volume was ferocious – six times the normal trading levels. Since New Year’s Day, CBS stock has lost about 70% of its value, and it was only 15 months ago that “CBS” was hanging comfortably around $35."

NY Attorney General Cuomo files suit against Arbitron
(Radio Online) New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Friday that his office had filed a lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court against Arbitron. The suit accuses the ratings giant of "deceptively claiming" that its Portable People Meter (PPM) system is valid, fair and representative of diverse radio markets. It also charges Arbitron with failing to disclose flaws in the PPM methodology including the accuracy of its African-Americans and Latinos samples. "Arbitron's rush to commercialize the PPM system without curing known flaws in the service distorts the marketplace, and threatens to drive minority broadcasters out of business. Arbitron must refrain from using this flawed product in New York until it is truly a reliable and fair service," said Cuomo.

McCain reschedules Letterman appearance
(Washington Post) Scott Butterworth writes: "McCain and Letterman, together again at last. Sen. John McCain will be on David Letterman's late-night talk show on Thursday, nearly a month after he canceled an appearance at the last minute, pleading a need to return urgently to Washington to address the economic crisis. Letterman learned during the taping of that Sept. 24 show that the Republican presidential nominee had not, in fact, left New York but intended to stick around until the next morning. Thus was born a made-for-TV feud. The talk-show host was clearly irritated by McCain's excuse once he learned the truth, and he used an in-house video feed, showing McCain getting makeup applied to his face before an interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, to mock him during the Sept. 24 show. 'Now, he doesn't seem to be racing back to the airport, does he?' Letterman commented, adding, 'It's like we caught him getting a manicure.'"

CLICK HERE

Where is 30 Rock?
(NY Times) Bill Carter writes: "With her three Emmy Awards, her ubiquitous American Express commercials, and especially her must-see Sarah Palin impersonations, Tina Fey is not just the hottest star on NBC; she is about the hottest star in show business at the moment. So where is “30 Rock?” The hugely praised but ratings-challenged comedy has yet to return to NBC even as interest in its creator and star, Ms. Fey, has exploded. Several executives inside NBC asked last week why NBC’s entertainment division was waiting until Oct. 30 to get “30 Rock” back on the air. Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, said, “If we knew then what we know today about how hot Tina was going to be, would we do it differently? Maybe,” he said."

Christopher Hitchens endorses Obama
(Slate Magazine) Journalist/Author/Writer Christopher Hitchens was a big supporter of the Iraq war, but still endorses Obama over McCain. Here's why: "On 'the issues' in these closing weeks, there really isn't a very sharp or highly noticeable distinction to be made between the two nominees, and their 'debates' have been cramped and boring affairs as a result. But the difference in character and temperament has become plainer by the day, and there is no decent way of avoiding the fact. Last week's so-called town-hall event showed Sen. John McCain to be someone suffering from an increasingly obvious and embarrassing deficit, both cognitive and physical. And the only public events that have so far featured his absurd choice of running mate have shown her to be a deceiving and unscrupulous woman utterly unversed in any of the needful political discourses but easily trained to utter preposterous lies and to appeal to the basest element of her audience. McCain occasionally remembers to stress matters like honor and to disown innuendoes and slanders, but this only makes him look both more senile and more cynical, since it cannot (can it?) be other than his wish and design that he has engaged a deputy who does the innuendoes and slanders for him."

CLICK HERE

Robert Feder looks back
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "As my days at the Sun-Times are winding down, I've been reflecting on all we've shared over the years. With just a little while to go, here are personal thoughts, memories and, as I used to call them in my junior high school newspaper, Robservations.
(This is a must read if you're interested in Chicago media. Click on the link.)

Mini Interview: Len O'Kelly
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. Last week: WFGR Radio's Len O'Kelly.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Geoff Pinkus
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with the host of Living Large on WIND, Geoff Pinkus. We talked about his late entry into the radio business, his co-hostess Amy Jacobson, and how his show fits into the conservative WIND lineup.

October 9, 2008

2008-10-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Experts predict horrible upcoming year for the media
(Wall Street Journal) There is no immunity for the media business. Shrinking ad budgets and a weakened economic outlook will take a dramatic toll on all sectors of the media business in 2008 and 2009 -- including the fast-growing digital sector, according to a series of revised ad forecasts released Tuesday.

Media giants hit new low as market plunges
(Marketwatch) David Wilkerson writes: "Time Warner Inc. and other diversified media conglomerates hit fresh lows, as a broad global selloff was touched off by renewed fears over the spread of the credit crisis. With several potential deals now in limbo thanks to the credit dilemma, no signs of a short-term lift in advertising revenues, and uncertainty about consumer spending casting a pall over subscription-based media, entertainment stocks remained trapped in a downward spiral."

Lawyer: CBS' "fraud" hurt Dan Rather's income
(Associated Press) Dan Rather could have made millions of dollars more per year if CBS had not defrauded him before firing him, his lawyer said Tuesday. Martin Gold discussed the finances after a hearing on Rather's ongoing $70 million breach-of-contract lawsuit. Rather says he was removed from the evening news anchor chair and given little to do after a disputed September 2004 60 Minutes II story about President Bush's military service. CBS' lawyers say Rather was paid everything he was owed and the network used his talents as the contract required. Gold said the network was supposed to use Rather on other news shows or pay him and let him go. Gold said CBS held on to the 77-year-old newsman and denied him a chance to take a $4 million-a-year job at another network."

CLICK HERE

Obama’s Personal Ties Are Subject of Program on Fox News Channel
(New York Times) Jim Rutenberg writes: "During a weekend of Republican attacks on Senator Barack Obama’s personal associations, Fox News Channel ran a program Sunday that made provocative assertions about similar connections, called “Obama & Friends: The History of Radicalism.” Sean Hannity, the conservative radio and television host, was the host of the hour-long program, which raised, among other things, unsubstantiated accusations that Mr. Obama’s work as a community organizer in Chicago was “training for a radical overthrow of the government.” The statement came from Andy Martin, a conservative writer and frequent political candidate who is credited as being among the first — if not the first — to assert in a chain e-mail message that Mr. Obama was secretly a Muslim."
(Sadly for Mr. Hannity, he hadn't looked into the previous statements of that "guest," a devout anti-Semite. That led to the confrontation below...)

What happens when Sean Hannity gets Hannity-ed?
(Salon) Glen Greenwald has an excellent analysis about this Fox special (see above story), and what inspired Obama spokesperson Robert Gibbs to "Hannity" Sean Hannity. The two men engaged in a "Guilt-by-association-off" on Tuesday night regarding the guest who accused Obama of being a terrorist-sympathizer. It's not a pretty story, and Sean Hannity should be ashamed. Watch the video at the end of this piece and decide for yourself if he is ashamed or not.

Media gives Palin a pass
(Realclearpolitics.com) Richard Cohen writes: "In effect, columnists, bloggers, talk-show hosts and digital lamplighters everywhere have adopted the ethic of the political consultant: what works, works. It did not matter what Palin said. It only mattered how she said it -- all those doggones, references to her working-class status (net worth in excess of $2 million), promiscuous use of the word "maverick," repeated mentions of "greed and corruption on Wall Street" (Who? Be specific. Give examples. Didn't anyone here go to school?) and, of course, that manic good cheer. Palin knows that the standard is not right or wrong, truth or lie, but the graph that ran under both debaters on CNN, measuring approval, disapproval or, maybe, the blood sugar levels of certain people in their focus group. Things have changed. Might used to make right. Now a wink does."

CLICK HERE

New book celebrates WLS
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "Just the cover photo alone -- showing an incredibly young Bob Sirott and Larry Lujack -- is well worth the price of a new book about WLS-AM (890). Due out Oct. 20 by Arcadia Publishing, Chicago's WLS Radio is Scott Childers' long-awaited history of the 50,000-watt giant from its founding in 1923 by Sears-Roebuck (inspiring the call letters for "World's Largest Store") to its current identity as a Citadel Broadcasting news/talk station. While the book pays proper homage to Herb Morrison's Hindenburg broadcast ("Oh, the humanity!") and the "National Barn Dance" days of the old Prairie Farmer station, the real emotional draw is to the Top 40 heyday of WLS as "The Rock of Chicago." Childers is one of millions who grew up transfixed by "The Big 89." But in his case, he turned his interest into vocations as a Chicago radio personality and the unofficial historian of the station. His WLSHistory.com Web site led directly to his writing the book. Enhancing hundreds of rare and riveting photos are Childers' authoritative captions. It includes an introduction by Jeff Davis, the longtime WLS jock and voice of the station."
I previously interviewed Scott about this

Mini Interview: Len O'Kelly
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WFGR Radio's Len O'Kelly.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Jack Landreth
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WLS & WLUP producer and current program director Jack Landreth. We talked about his days producing for Don & Roma, Kevin Matthews and Paul Harvey, plus his current job which included a stint producing the Penn Jillette show. He's got some great stories. Coming this weekend: the host of Living Large on WIND, Geoff Pinkus.

October 7, 2008

2008-10-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

SNL rides high on campaign satire
(Wall Street Journal) Rebecca Dana writes: "NBC's "Saturday Night Live" drew another crush of viewers this weekend, with approximately 10 million tuning in to watch comedian Tina Fey's latest sendup of GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. That rating, based on preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research, is 42% higher than the same show last year and 23% higher than last week's episode. Comedian Tina Fey's impersonation of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has helped drive SNL's high ratings this political year. Interest was fueled by last Thursday night's vice-presidential debate, which drew 69.9 million viewers to become the most-watched VP matchup ever."

SNL Ratings still going strong
(Hollywood Reporter) Paul J. Gough writes: "The politics-fueled ratings train of "Saturday Night Live" keeps rolling along -- and it seems to be getting stronger. SNL averaged a 7.4 household rating/18 share in the metered market overnights, Nielsen Media Research said Sunday afternoon. That's within a tenth of a rating point of its Sept. 13 premiere, which itself was the highest-rated show since Dec. 14, 2002, when Al Gore and Phish appeared. And, as expected, Saturday's show was heavy on the politics. It marked the third appearance this season by Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, along with surprise guest Queen Latifah sitting in as moderator Gwen Ifill and regular cast member Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden. The 11-minute opening number drew rave reviews not only in the ratings but also the blogosphere, where the clip -- and Fey-as-Palin saying the GOP ticket would be all "mavericky" -- gained wide traction overnight."

Gwen Ifill on the VP Debate

Press may own share of financial mess
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "The stakes are enormous in a fast-moving crisis where the traditional concern about journalists causing a run on the bank is hardly a theoretical danger. But as news organizations chase exclusives about the Wall Street meltdown, they also are grappling with a troubling question: Why didn't they see this coming?"

CLICK HERE

Campbell Brown's new voice
(NY Times) Jacques Steinberg writes: "After often laboring in relative obscurity since she began hosting “Election Center” in March, Ms. Brown said she was less concerned by any blowback than she was elated at finding a voice and identity for her program — and a means to be heard over the cacophony of prime-time cable news. While her program has benefited from heightened interest in the presidential race, the theme she has fashioned for “Election Center” — she calls her mission to hold politicians and others accountable “No bias, no bull” — seems to have found more resonance with viewers than previous CNN efforts at 8 p.m."

Don't call her a mini Bill O'Reilly, though. This is a mini Bill O Reilly...

http://view.break.com/581294 - Watch more free videos

The many lives of Arianna Huffington
(New Yorker) Lauren Collins writes: "Although Huffington was known as a conservative for most of her life, the Huffington Post is a kind of liberal foil to the Drudge Report. According to Nielsen Online, in February it drew 3.7 million unique visitors, surpassing Drudge for the first time. Its advertisers have included Starbucks, Volkswagen, Home Depot, and the Times. In August, the site logged 5.1 million unique visitors. This election season, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama—whom Huffington supported over Clinton, in part because of his opposition to the war in Iraq—attempted to harness the voting power of its impassioned readership, with Clinton contributing posts about child poverty and the Bush Administration’s threats to reproductive rights, and Obama justifying his position on the FISA bill and clarifying his relationship to the Reverend Jeremiah Wright."

TV's new Odd Couple: Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan
(Associated Press via Huffington Post) David Bauder writes: "If Olbermann's show has a drumbeat that drives it, Maddow's 'got a little bit of a symphony,' he said. She also doesn't back down from a fight. Olbermann's Countdown is well-written and meticulous, but he relies on guests who rarely disagree with him. Maddow frequently brings on guests to argue with her, none more so than Buchanan. He can exasperate her, and vice versa. To date, it hasn't become nasty. To a certain extent, Maddow credits Buchanan with giving her television career a push. A few years ago when Buchanan hosted a show at MSNBC, he remembered her and sought her out for work. 'I like debating things with Pat,' Maddow said. 'He's funny and quick and intellectually coherent, even when his views are totally toxic.'"

CLICK HERE

Mini Interview: Wendy Snyder
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. Last week: WLS Radio's Wendy Snyder.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Jack Landreth
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WLS & WLUP producer and current program director Jack Landreth. We talked about his days producing for Don & Roma, Kevin Matthews and Paul Harvey, plus his current job which included a stint producing the Penn Jillette show. He's got some great stories.

October 2, 2008

2008-10-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Broken ankle won't keep Ifill out of the debate
(TV Newser) PBS' Gwen Ifill has broken her ankle after tripping and falling down stairs at her home, a NewsHour insider tells TVNewser. We're told Ifill had been walking up a staircase, carrying research related to her moderating duties at Thursday's Vice Presidential debate in St. Louis, when she took a wrong step. The show will go on: Ifill is planning to travel to Missouri for the big event.

Will the anti-media campaign work for McCain?
(New York Observer) Jason Horowitz writes: "Ever since Sarah Palin crinkled her nose and dismissed the media and “all those reporters and commentators” during her speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, the media strategy of John McCain’s presidential campaign has been to assault it as biased, inaccurate and elitist. It doesn’t seem to be working out so great. Not only have the refs, by and large, declined to be gamed—the coverage in The New York Times has often been harshly critical and, by Times standards, remarkably unequivocal—but the media-hating public has reacted, more or less, with indifference. After holding a brief, post-convention lead in national polls, Mr. McCain now trails Barack Obama by about five percentage points. As a matter of fact, at this point, some McCain sympathizers sound as if they’re no longer sure what to make of what the campaign is doing at all."

Letterman YouTube clip outdraws CBS clip
(Advertising Age) Sen. John McCain's snub of David Letterman last week may have deprived the "Late Show" host of some needed star power last week, but it's given him a hit on the web. So far, video of Mr. Letterman's tirade against Mr. McCain, who bowed out the day of the telecast, has generated more than 3.5 million views on YouTube. One problem: CBS is barely making a dime from the clip. That's because the vast majority of the views -- 3.2 million -- are attributed to pirated versions of the "Late Show," according to tracking firm TubeMogul.

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“The ‘pouncers’ are indeed out.”
(Radio-Info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "A dealmaker picks up my word for the choosy deal-pickers who are waiting to pounce on lower station prices (when arrive), and says 'I heard from two of them just today.' He also says 'The credit meltdown is changing lenders into owners' – which will ultimately be good for those coiled-and-ready pouncers, since the goal of the lender-owners is to get their money and get the heck out. Like a predator on one of those National Geographic Channel wild-animal documentaries, these pouncers are just waiting for the right conditions, and then they’ll strike. One exec at a rumored-to-be-threatened group emails T-R-I to say that the reality of the situation isn’t what the rumor-spreaders suggest. That he 'and the other numerous mid-cap broadcasters who are having discussions with their lenders' right now aren’t going to be toppled as automatically as the Rumor Mill suggests. Meanwhile, T-R-I hears that one such company recently retained bankruptcy counsel. Stay tuned."

The worst media stock? CBS
(Associated Press) The worst-performing stock among major companies in the sector was CBS Corp., which dropped 25.2 percent to $14.58, largely because its radio and TV stations and outdoor billboards are considered particularly susceptible to a weak economy. DiClemente said that among its peers, CBS is "the most vulnerable to the softer advertising trends anticipated to continue into 2009."
(Rick's note: I think I can officially kiss those stock options goodbye.)

CLICK HERE

Mini Interview: Wendy Snyder
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WLS Radio's Wendy Snyder.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Brian Noonan
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WGN radio's overnight host Brian Noonan. He talks about his career in comedy and his favorite moments at WGN. Coming this weekend: former WLS & WLUP producer and current program director Jack Landreth.

September 30, 2008

2008-09-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Media companies have worst year since 2001
(Advertising Age) Bradley Johnson writes: "The nation's top 100 media companies saw a 4.6% revenue boost in 2007, their slowest growth since the recession year of 2001. Media's tempered growth mirrors that of the economy: GDP last year recorded its most tepid growth (2%) since 2002 amid signs the economy was heading into recession. Media's biggest winner is no surprise: digital, with revenue up 10.8%. Cable-network growth was close behind, at 10.6%. The biggest loser: newspapers, down 6.8%."

What is the role of Andrea Mitchell (Mrs. Alan Greenspan) in reporting bailout?
(New York Post) Don Kaplan writes: "'There is an excessively large elephant in the [NBC] control room,'" the Columbia Journalism Review said. 'Its name is Alan Greenspan.' NBC execs concede they have been walking a fine line by keeping Mitchell - whose reporting has never been seriously challenged - on the air. 'We see a distinction between pure analysis of the bailout - such as the conditions that led to the crisis, which we've decided to keep her away from - and coverage of the politics related to it,' says NBC Washington Bureau chief Mark Whitaker. 'Beyond that we don't think there is an issue,' he says. 'It's not a classic question of a conflict of interest because he [Greenspan] no longer has that job.'"

CEOs who lose millions in minutes
(Forbes) The fortune of 77-year-old media tycoon and News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch declined $2 billion to $6.8 billion. News Corp.'s stock price fell 34% over the last 12 months despite the robustness of the Fox brand and its purchase of Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Murdoch lost $1,000 every 15.78 seconds, or $63.38 per second. That's about $1.5 million an hour.

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Another Sarah Palin SNL moment

I thought this was even funnier

CLICK HERE

Spike O'Dell departure from WGN is now official
(Radio & Records) Mike Stern writes: "General manager Tom Langmyer confirms that Tribune talk WGN/Chicago morning host Spike O'Dell is definitely leaving the station at the end of this year. Rumors of his departure started in July with sources saying O'Dell was likely to leave at the end of his current contract."

Mini Interview: Bobby Skafish
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. Last week: WDRV's Bobby Skafish. Coming later this week: Wendy Snyder.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Brian Noonan
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with WGN radio's overnight host Brian Noonan. He talks about his career in comedy and his favorite moments at WGN.

September 25, 2008

2008-09-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Robert Feder leaves the Sun Times
(Sun Times) This is a shocker, and it's a BIG deal to the Chicago media community. Robert Feder writes: "For close to three decades now, I've been telling you about the comings and goings of media people in Chicago. It's been quite a parade. Today I have some news to share about myself: I'll be leaving the Sun-Times in the next few weeks. There's still some paperwork to be completed and a final date to be determined, but I wanted you to hear it from me first, and I wanted to explain my decision in my own words. Thanks to a deal worked out between the Sun-Times and the union representing newsroom employees, those of us who've been here 25 years or more were offered the option to step down with a full year's pay and benefits. The more I thought about it, the more I came to see it as a great opportunity. After devoting all of my energy to covering the same beat for 28 years, I'll be able to take a break, step back and think about what else I want to do. Maybe I'll continue in journalism or maybe I'll pursue something completely different. I have no idea what's next. But I'm excited about having the luxury to take my time and see what's out there."
His readers respond to the shocking news
Chicagoland Radio & Media pays tribute
The Infinite Dial pays tribute
(Rick's note: This is not a good thing for Chicago's media community. He covered the radio and television business as a legitimate beat. I suspect he may not be replaced, and radio and television in Chicago will take one more step down in prestige. For me personally, I'm just going to miss reading him every day--which is what I e-mailed him to say.)

More on Feder's Departure
(Radio-Info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "Today’s column explains to his readers and the industry why he’s taking advantage of a buyout offer from the company, and leaving after 28 years of being the must-read TV/Radio columnist. Just think about that "28 years" for a second, because it’s literally many generations of TV and radio executives, performers and other staffers who’ve been welcomed to town and/or to their jobs, evaluated along the way, sometimes skewered when Feder (“feeder”) felt it was appropriate, and always (I think) given their due. Same for formats and strategies. The buyout allows Feder to see what other opportunities lie ahead for a superb writer and journalist. His institutional memory of the market and professionalism will be missed...The radio industry is all the poorer for losing folks like that, as newspapers try to survive in a falling media economy - but risk losing the things that make them special and 'must-have.' Doesn’t radio face the same dilemma?"

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National Press and McCain campaign have major blow up
(TV Newser) This all happened on Tuesday. The McCain campaign didn't want any coverage of Palin's meeting with the Afghan president, insisting it was strictly a wordless photo op. When the press said "fine, we won't take pictures either," the campaign relented. TV Newser has the play by play of the day. Has there ever been a presidential campaign that didn't think it had to deal with the press before? Like it or not, the press represents us. If you don't answer their questions, you aren't answering ours. If you think it's right for the nation to decide whether or not to vote for someone we didn't even know a month ago (Palin) without subjecting her to questions from the press, then you don't deserve a vote. It's as simple as that. If she can't handle the press, she can't handle the job.
Watch Campbell Brown of CNN unload on McCain's sexist "protection" of Palin

Major Media Outlets fight FCC on ads
(Variety) William Triplett writes: "The MPAA, the parent companies of the Big Four nets and other biz heavyweights have told the Federal Communications Commission that there’s no need for new disclosure rules regarding product placement on the smallscreen. In a joint filing responding to a recent FCC request for public comments on the issue, 18 major media concerns argued that existing disclosure requirements, which have been in place for decades, are sufficient and well established. The group’s filing asserted that product placement has a long history in TV and that, if anything, more product placement is needed to allow nets to offset declining profit margins."

Les Moonves wants to put newspapers out of business
(Wired) Meghan Keane writes: "Leslie Moonves says the purchase of CNET instantly made CBS a major player in the digital realm -- and delights in his company's contribution to the death of the daily newspaper. CBS aims to leverage its purchase of the technology network to shift the company away from being an old media company: 'We could build over the course of a decade, or buy CNET and become instantaneously a major player,' the CBS president and CEO told an audience at MIXX 2.8, The Interactive Advertising Bureau's annnual advertising conference. The CBS CEO plans to position his company as a one stop shop for news and information, potentially eliminating the need for dead tree media. 'One of the advantages of the Internet is we’re taking money away from the newspapers,' he said gleefully."

Judge rules Dan Rather can sue CBS
(Bloomberg) Patricia Hurtado writes: "Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather can proceed with a $70 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against his former employer for firing him, a New York judge ruled. New York Supreme Court Justice Ira Gammerman in Manhattan said today that Rather can sue over claims the network damaged his reputation when it fired him as managing editor of the CBS Evening News. Gammerman ruled that Rather can't sue CBS Corp. for fraud, or the broadcaster and one-time parent Viacom Inc. on claims they interfered with his contract. 'I think the breach-of-contract claim is essentially a slam dunk, there's no defense to that,' Rather's lawyer, Martin Gold, said outside the courtroom. 'They had fiduciary obligations to Dan and they breached them.'"

Lehrer ready for the debate
(Baltimore Sun) David Zurawick writes: "One of the happiest developments in this increasingly partisan and hotly contested election is the fact that PBS' Jim Lehrer, the most trusted anchorperson on TV, will moderate the first presidential debate Friday night in Oxford, Miss. If there is anyone in TV news who serves as a model for checking your ego at the dressing room door and trying to serve the public first when you are onstage, it's the 74-year-old newsman who will be at the helm of his 10th presidential debate when he stands between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain. In an interview this week with The Baltimore Sun, Lehrer was crystal clear in his goals as moderator. He also talked about his health and concerns he has about journalists presenting ideologically charged commentary instead of verified facts and information to viewers -- especially during this once-in-a-lifetime election. 'The goal in the debate is to be a catalyst, really,' Lehrer says. 'It's about the candidates. It isn't about the moderator. It isn't about pressing the candidates. It's to make it possible for the people who are running for president to exchange their ideas rather than to bounce off mine.'"

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Mini Interview: Bobby Skafish
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WDRV's Bobby Skafish

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Alan Cox
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the former "Morning Fix" co-host, Alan Cox. We talked about his noble experiment (The Morning Fix), and his plans for the future. Coming this weekend: WGN's Brian Noonan.

September 23, 2008

2008-09-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Congress looking into PPM controversy
(Radio Ink) Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) have written to Arbitron Chairman/President/CEO Steve Morris to express their concern about Arbitron's plan to expand the commercialization of the Portable People Meter. They write, "We encourage you to take all steps available, prior to rolling out the PPM system in additional markets, to ensure that the system accurately measures the listening behavior in a market and no station is unfairly harmed."
(Rick's note: This is all about the poor performance of minority radio stations using the new measuring technique. But what if the new system is more accurate, and it turns out that minority stations have been getting inflated ratings for the past twenty years? I hate to say it, but it looks like that may be the case.)

Billoreilly.com is hacked
(Wired) Kim Zetter writes: "A hacker claims to have cracked the web site of Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly and purloined a list of subscribers to the site, which includes their names, e-mail addresses, city and state, and the password they use for their registration to the site. The attack was retaliation for comments that O'Reilly made on the air this week about web sites that published e-mails obtained from the Yahoo account of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, according to a press release distributed by WikiLeaks late Friday. The hacker sent WikiLeaks a screenshot of O'Reilly's subscriber list as proof of the deed, which WikiLeaks has posted online."

The 2008 Emmy Awards: "Embarrassing"
(Chicago Tribune) Maureen Ryan writes: "Someone thought it would be a good idea for five – count 'em, five – different reality-TV hosts to come out at the start of Sunday's Emmy broadcast on ABC and talk about how they didn’t have anything to say. Whoever thought that was a good idea should be fired. Not that the winners weren’t deserving – the worthy 30 Rock, Damages and Mad Men won big, while (thank goodness) Boston Legal won nothing – but much of the rest of the ceremony was embarrassing, terrible or both. And now Rob Lowe can finally consider his 19-year-old Snow White Oscar duet forgotten. TV has a new train wreck to make fun of, in the form of the 2008 Emmy broadcast that aired on Sunday."
Although...this was a highlight

CLICK HERE

Fox "interviews" the Palins
(LA Times) James Rainey writes: "Fox News tough guy Sean Hannity assured us this week he would press Sarah Palin for real answers -- no going easy on the woman who could be the next vice president of the United States. 'No topic,' Hannity intoned, 'is off limits.' A couple of nights earlier, Fox's hard-talking lawyer, Greta Van Susteren, promised to take us to unknown places in her exclusive interview with Alaska's so-called First Dude, Todd Palin. 'You will see this,' Greta declared, 'nowhere else!' No, you won't. And mercifully so. Because Hannity and Van Susteren produced three nights of infotainment so frothy, slanted and off-point that they challenged even their cable network's low standards."

Colbert Report to get an Internet makeover
(Worldscreen) Kristen Brzoznowski writes: "ColbertNation.com, a website dedicated to Comedy Central’s hit political series The Colbert Report, will now feature more than 2,800 videos dating back to 2005, a complete show history, an online community and more. The refreshed site will also feature links to all Colbert-related gossip online, providing up-to-date news and buzz about the show. On the home page, users can find information about upcoming guests, special events and on-air stunts. There is also an area called “State of the Nation,” which showcases recent site activities as well as updates on everything happening with Colbert on and off the show. The video archive features four seasons of The Colbert Report, with extensive tagging features, new tools for discovering video clips and community features. All clips are available to be viewed in full screen, embedded on blogs and shared with friends. The most recent episodes will be available in their original on-air form with limited commercial interruptions."

The CBS Radio auction
(New York Post) Peter Lauria writes: "CBS' strategy in selling the stations is to slim down its radio unit to focus on the nation's Top 20 markets. But there are some who think CBS would be better off jettisoning the entire radio division in one shot rather than selling some stations now and deciding what to do with the others later. 'The radio business is a melting ice cube,' said RBC Capital Markets' David Bank. 'While the cash flow is valuable, CBS would be better off selling the [whole] asset today instead of waiting a couple of years and selling the rest for less.'"

CLICK HERE

Mini Interview: Leslie Keiling
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WGN's Leslie Keiling.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Alan Cox
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the former "Morning Fix" co-host, Alan Cox. We talked about his noble experiment (The Morning Fix), and his plans for the future.

September 18, 2008

2008-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Couric to interview Palin
(TV Newser) TVNewser writes: "Katie Couric will interview Republican VP nominee Gov. Sarah Palin next week on the campaign trail, days before the first presidential debate. We hear the interview will air on the CBS Evening News and on all CBS News platforms. It will also include something the previous two interviews did not — time with Sen. John McCain and Palin together. The interview takes place Sunday (the 28th) and Monday."

More Comedy Gold...

Are real journalists jealous of Jon Stewart?
(Alternet) Norman Soloman writes: "Absent from the fawning media coverage of The Daily Show is evident self-awareness that the elaborate praise is a tacit form of convoluted self-loathing -- in professional terms anyway -- among the likes of, say, Times journalists. Their own media institution is so circumscribed and so lumbering in its daily incarnation that they're apt to be amazed and envious at the incisively documented presentations on The Daily Show. That's the way it goes in medialand. What isn't conspicuous is apt to be insidious. The tick-tock of U.S. media hypnosis may be passably good at looking back -- reexamining some aspects of propaganda for the Iraq invasion, for instance, years after it occurs -- while now helping to mesmerize the country into escalation of the war in Afghanistan. But let's not quibble. Everybody has a job to do."

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When the only thing you care about is stock price, what happens to your industry when the stock price tanks? Exhibits A & B below...

Bumpy road for radio staffers
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "The idiots who've ruined radio are up to their old tricks again. This time around, the loss of jobs and destruction of localism has hit Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, thanks to sweeping cutbacks by parent company Westwood One. In Chicago, at least five on-air staffers were cut in the first wave of layoffs meant to reduce the company's overall work force by 15 percent -- or 300 jobs. Among Friday's casualties were news bureau chief Perry Williams, reporter/editor Tom Gaines (known on the air as Tom Kelly), and reporters Jill Urchak, Bill Souronis and Dan Levy. Most had been there a decade or more. Westwood One bosses say they plan to consolidate Metro Networks' 60 operation centers into 13 regional hubs. Even as they plan to slash $30 million from their annual budget, they're claiming service will improve. "Though we regret the need to reduce staff, these initiatives will help ensure that Westwood One retains its industry leadership position," CEO Tom Beusse said in a statement. What makes these job losses especially galling is that so many local radio stations rationalized the elimination of their own news operations in the first place by outsourcing those functions to bare bones Metro/Shadow."

Emmis cuts salary for its 64 most highly compensated employees
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "A while back, founder/CEO Jeff Smulyan announced he’d be reducing his own salary to $1 (though there were still bonuses and his take as a major shareholder – something that’s worth much less at current stock prices). But the action Emmis just informed the SEC about is more than a symbolic $1 salary – these “mostly highly compensated employees” are having their salaries cut way back to $15,000 for a very clear reason: “to increase defined consolidated operating cash flow” under the company’s November 2, 2006 “revolver”, or revolving credit agreement. Less money paid out to executives goes right to the bottom line and helps with lenders...Emmis will make up the shortfall between the 15 grand and their usual salary in quarterly bonuses taken from the proceeds of the sale of the last Emmis TV property, WVUE. But only if “certain performance targets from a prior quarter are hit.” Otherwise they’ll get stock, not cash."

Meanwhile, the newspaper business is in deep doo-doo too...

McClatchy cuts jobs; Star Ledger may shut
(Wall Street Journal) The malaise afflicting the newspaper industry worsened Tuesday as McClatchy Co. announced its second major staff reduction in three months and the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., took a possible step toward closure. The developments indicate the industry's fortunes may be falling further and faster than previously thought. McClatchy's latest round of cuts, which will trim 10% of its work force, follows a 10% reduction announced in June. Meanwhile, the owners of the Star-Ledger appear resigned to the darkest of the paper's possible fates despite deep pockets and a firm hold on an affluent market.

Tribune, Zell named in employee's lawsuit
(Wall Street Journal) Ovide and Koppel write: "One current and five former Tribune Co. employees accused the company and Chief Executive Sam Zell in a lawsuit Tuesday of mismanaging the newspaper-and-television concern, the latest sign of worker protest against Mr. Zell's oversight. The lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles federal court, alleges Tribune and Mr. Zell have failed to uphold their fiduciary duty to the company's employee stock-ownership plan, Tribune's majority owner. The lawsuit also claims Mr. Zell and other Tribune officials have improperly raided worker pension funds. 'Zell and his accessories threaten to destroy the Tribune Company and its assets,' the lawsuit says."

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Building Teamwork with Talent
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This week I reprinted a piece I wrote earlier this year for The Robinson Report, an industry publication. It was also reprinted in All Access. It contains my three tips for dealing with talent.

Mini Interview: Leslie Keiling
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WGN's Leslie Keiling.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Kevin Robinson
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the former program director of WJMK and The Fish, Kevin Robinson, about his time in Chicago, and his current consulting job. Coming this weekend, former "Morning Fix" co-host, Alan Cox.

September 16, 2008

2008-09-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Comedy gold...

Reviewing the Sarah Palin interview
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz reviews the interview thusly: "Anyone who said that Charlie Gibson might go easy on Sarah Palin might want to quickly delete those comments. What the ABC newsman conducted was a serious, professional interview that went right at the heart of what we want and need to know about the governor: Could she be president? Does she understand the nuances of international affairs? Does she have a world view? He was all business, respectful but persistent."

An anchor lets down her hair
(NY Times) David Carr writes: "The election season has been very good to a woman who seems to be benefiting from her status as an outsider in terms of gender and history. That would be Katie Couric, the anchor of the CBS Evening News. Sure, Gov. Sarah Palin makes headlines while Ms. Couric just reads them. And Ms. Couric has yet to prove that all of the lucre and attention lavished on her debut an anchor almost exactly two years ago was a smart business bet. Early efforts at innovation fell flat in the ratings, and a subsequent return to the evening news template left the impression that Ms. Couric was starring in her own hostage video...But once she left the anchor desk, she was everywhere at the conventions — soliciting people in a video on Digg about what questions to ask as a reporter for a nightly Webcast (cbsnews.com), seeking out the kind of conversations that made “Today” such a monster in the ratings. There was no convention bump in the ratings for Ms. Couric, and CBS and she remain a long way from precious bragging rights. But the odd anchor out has been in the middle of things for the last few weeks."

Facebook political ads test limits
(Wall Street Journal) Emily Steele writes: "Clicking on the ads takes visitors straight to a story on the Web sites of those publications. People who click on the ad that reads "WSJ Says: Palin Lied," for instance, are directed to a story on The Wall Street Journal Web site about the contradictions in Gov. Palin's record regarding the "Bridge to Nowhere." But none of the publications cited in the ads bought them -- or even was aware of them. The buyer -- though never identified anywhere on the ads or on the pages that you land on after clicking on them -- is the liberal group MoveOn.org. It's the latest example of fuzziness about who's behind what when it comes to political ads online."

CLICK HERE

John McCain's toughest interview yet: The View
(Huffington Post) See video excerpts of the interview here. Among the highlights, he is asked why his ads are lying about Obama's record, about the ridiculous "lipstick on a pig" non-controversy and more.

Anderson Cooper Off Camera
(USA Weekend) Monica Collins writes: "In April, Cooper casually relayed how a stalker had shown up at his apartment that morning with suitcases. Because of incidents like this, a guard, hired by CNN, now escorts Cooper home each night after he finishes anchoring Anderson Cooper 360. The need for protection complicates the life of this anchor who, for the most part, attempts to live without pretension. 'He doesn't want an entourage,' says Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S. He comes into the building in his T-shirt and knapsack." Details magazine editor Dan Peres, who has known Cooper for nearly a decade, seconds this notion. 'You seldom meet him at a big, fancy restaurant,' Peres says. 'He doesn't care. If anything, he wants to fly as far under the radar as he possibly can.'"

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Building Teamwork with Talent
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This week I reprinted a piece I wrote earlier this year for The Robinson Report, an industry publication. It was also reprinted in All Access. It contains my three tips for dealing with talent.

Mini Interview: Melissa McGurren
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. Last week: WTMX's Melissa McGurren. Coming this Wednesday: Leslie Keiling.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Kevin Robinson
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the former program director of WJMK and The Fish, Kevin Robinson, about his time in Chicago, and his current consulting job.

September 11, 2008

2008-09-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

What your cable news network says about you
(Christian Science Monitor) Dante Chinni writes: "The past two weeks of the presidential campaign were about the candidates and parties defining who and what they are – or at least who and what they would like to be. The conventions in Denver and the Twin Cities tried to craft images and messages for the final two months of the campaign...How you see Sen. Barack Obama (change agent or inexperienced youth) or Sen. John McCain (maverick Republican or President Bush’s heir) may depend on where you go for news. There are points and counterpoints on the Web and on the radio, as well as on cable news – where the approaches and viewpoints are becoming increasingly different. CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC may argue that they do not push any clear views in their coverage, but there are clear differences in their audiences. Consider that the night of Senator Obama’s acceptance speech, 8.1 million viewers tuned in on CNN, while 4.2 million watched Fox, according to Nielsen data. The next Thursday, the numbers were flipped: Senator McCain’s speech brought in 9.2 million viewers on Fox and 4.8 million on CNN. MSNBC had 4.1 million viewers for Obama and 2.5 million for McCain. One possible conclusion: Democrats seem to be turning more to CNN and MSNBC in 2008, while Republicans seem to watching Fox."

What really happened at NBC?
(New York Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "So how did it happen, according to Phil Griffin? The 'beauty of my job,' he said, was that nobody from GE had ever big-footed his domain. He said he dealt purely with NBC Universal’s president and CEO, Jeff Zucker, and NBC News’ president, Steve Capus. He had come to this decision, he said, after consulting first with Mr. Olbermann and later with Mr. Matthews. He said they had been having a philosophical debate on the subject for months. 'I think what came to a head this time is that our guys don’t want to be restrained,' said Mr. Griffin. 'That was it. … If you move a chair over, you can say what you really think.' It had indeed been a months-long debate, and a philosophical one. That it never saw any practical results until the convention is probably as much a matter of circumstance as anything else. But the circumstances build a case that has not looked good for Mr. Griffin and his people."

Moonves backs Couric after conventions
(Broadcasting & Cable) Marisa Guthrie writes: "CBS News was a consistent third behind NBC and ABC during coverage of the political conventions, although some nights it was very close to overtaking ABC. 'We all wish the ratings were better,' Moonves acknowledged. 'I think the conventions accentuated what a phenomenal talent she is. She is great on her feet. She is a great interviewer. She’s great at passing the ball around. I think she did an extraordinary job, and I was extremely proud of her and our entire CBS News team during the conventions. I think we showed how good we were. I really do. Ratings notwithstanding, we’re doing a terrific job.'"

CLICK HERE

Microsoft's Zune introduces FM radio tagging technology
(Radio Online) Nine radio broadcast companies have committed song tagging technology that will let users of Microsoft's Zune mp3 player tag songs and buy music directly from FM radio, in a campaign called "Buy From FM," beginning September 16. Additionally, every Zune player will let consumers automatically download or stream their tagged songs when they reach a wireless hot spot...The song tagging uses RDS technology and will become available on on most FM radio outlets operated by Beasley, Bonneville, CBS Radio, Citadel, Clear Channel, Cox Radio, Emmis, Entercom and Greater Media. In all, listeners will be able to purchase music heard on over 450 radio stations.
(Rick's note: In Chicago that would include nearly every station on the dial.)

NY attorney general investigating new ratings system
(Radio Ink) New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has launched an investigation into Arbitron's Portable People Meter, the New York Daily News reports. The decision to investigate follows months of complaints about the PPM methodology by Hispanic and Urban broadcasting groups, including NABOB and the Spanish Radio Association. Cuomo wrote in a letter to Arbitron, "A significant and improper decline in ratings under the PPM methodology could cause minority stations to suffer drastic reductions in advertising revenue." The letter continues, "A full investigation of Arbitron's deployment of the PPM methodology is warranted before these sudden -- and possibly irreversible consequences -- are imposed on minority radio stations." Cuomo wants all PPM-related records dating back to 2003, the Daily News reports. Arbitron has maintained that the PPM fairly measures all communities and is more accurate than the diary.

Vin Scully signs on for 60th season
(Radio Ink) Dodgers play-by-play man Vin Scully will stay with the team for at least one more year, making his tenure with the club exactly six decades. Scully -- who's been in the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1982 -- said his wife, Sandy, gave her OK for him to go ahead for the '09 season. But the 80-year-old broadcaster said he doesn't have plans to sign beyond that; he told the Los Angeles Times, "There's a beginning, a middle, and an end for all of us. I know that I have a lot more yesterdays than I have tomorrows." Scully, 80, will continue to cover Dodgers home games and road games as far east as Colorado.

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Chicago radio stars take the Comcast Challenge
(CBS radio) CBS Radio in Chicago and Comcast have teamed up to do "Comcast Challenge" commercials. You can see the likes of Steve Dahl, Ray Stevens, Jeff Joniak and others doing their versions of the Comcast challenge (You know, "would you rather give up your comcast for a day or...).

Mini Interview: Melissa McGurren
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WTMX's Melissa McGurren.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Eddie Volkman
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the co-host of the Eddie & JoBo show, Eddie Volkman. We talked about his long relationship with JoBo, including some of the highlights and lowlights of their show.

September 9, 2008

2008-09-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

A McCain Administration FCC might loosen up the ownership rules
(Radio-Info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "Not immediately, though. Even if a President McCain elevated current Commissioner Robert McDowell to Chairman, chances are that for the first part of 2009, there would be a 2-1 Democratic majority on the 8th Floor. That’s assuming that current Chairman Kevin Martin leaves to pursue a future in the private world (or politics) and that current Commissioner Debi Tate doesn’t win renomination. And re-stocking the Federal Communications Commission will rank low on the priority list of either President McCain or President Obama. But eventually – a Republican administration will try again on media ownership rules, and I know one dealmaker who says “that’s the only thing that can save the industry, if there’s more consolidation allowed, like in 1996.” Others may feel that 1996 was the turning point that led to less local ownership and more disconnect with the community."
(Rick's note: Count me among "others")

MSNBC drops Matthews, Olbermann as news anchors
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "MSNBC is removing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as the anchors of live political events, bowing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the heat of the presidential campaign. David Gregory, the NBC newsman and White House correspondent who also hosts a program on MSNBC, will take over during such events as this fall's presidential and vice presidential debates and election night. The move, confirmed by spokesmen for both networks, follows increasingly loud complaints about Olbermann's anchor role at the Democratic and Republican conventions. Olbermann, who regularly assails President Bush and GOP nominee John McCain on his "Countdown" program, was effusive in praising the acceptance speech of Democratic nominee Barack Obama."

First Sarah Palin interview goes to Charlie Gibson
(USA Today) David Bauder writes: "Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has agreed to sit down with ABC's Charles Gibson later this week for her first television interview since John McCain chose her as his running mate more than a week ago. Palin will sit down for multiple interviews with Gibson in Alaska over two days, most likely Thursday and Friday, said McCain adviser Mark Salter. The interview with Palin was confirmed Friday, ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said. The first-term Alaska governor has given speeches alongside McCain since becoming his surprise pick on Aug. 29. But Democrats have already begun to question why Palin has not been put before reporters to answer questions. McCain, who appeared on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday, said he expected Palin to start doing interviews 'in the next few days.'"

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Stephen Colbert to have his DNA sent to space
(Newsweek) Should this world ever cease to exist, Stephen Colbert will live on. The comedian's DNA will be digitized and sent to the International Space Station, Comedy Central was to announce Monday. In October, video game designer Richard Garriott will travel to the station and deposit Colbert's genes for an Immortality Drive. "I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001," Colbert said in a statement, referring to the 1968 landmark science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

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Mini Interview: John Jurkovic
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. Last week: John Jurkovic from ESPN Radio. Coming on Wednesday: Melissa McGurren.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Eddie Volkman
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with the co-host of the Eddie & JoBo show, Eddie Volkman. We talked about his long relationship with JoBo, including some of the highlights and lowlights of their show.

September 4, 2008

2008-09-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

The conventions belong to Cable News
(LA Times) Scott Collins writes: "A record total of 38.3 million viewers watched Obama's acceptance speech Thursday, according to Nielsen Media Research. An average of 8 million watched on CNN alone, easily besting the broadcast competition on ABC, CBS and NBC. Of course, nobody on the Republican side approaches the media star power of Obama; McCain himself takes potshots at his own speaking skills. But last week, the three news cable networks each posted average prime-time gains of more than 50% compared with the '04 convention; those gains are unlikely to fade away entirely in Minnesota. The conventions are making it clearer than ever before that the broadcast networks have, for better or worse, permanently ceded to the cable outlets their role as the nation's political prognosticators. That was the historic role that NBC first carved out more than 50 years ago for anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley."

John McCain cancels CNN appearance because of previous tough interview
(Broadcasting & Cable) John Eggerton writes: "According to CNN, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) pulled out of a scheduled interview with the network after a segment with Campbell Brown and a top McCain spokesman Monday night in which Brown asked for examples of a foreign-policy decision made by Republican vice president pick Sarah Palin. McCain was scheduled to appear on Larry King Live, but CNN's Wolf Blitzer said Tuesday that the campaign told the news network they thought Brown's interview with spokesman Tucker Bounds was 'over the line.' CNN said it disagreed and it is committed to covering both sides of issues."
(Video of the "over the line" interview at the link)

AP issues talking points over Fournier
(Politico) Michael Calderone writes: "AP Washington bureau chief Ron Fournier has been targeted by MoveOn, Media Matters and many liberal blogs this campaign cycle for what they consider light treatment of John McCain at the expense of other candidates — especially Barack Obama. In July, I reported that Fournier had discussions with the McCain campaign in late 2006 — while not at the AP — about taking a senior level communications job with the campaign. Fournier spoke with Mark Salter, Rick Davis, John Weaver and other campaign staffers, but did not take the job. He returned to the AP in March 2007. So with the blogosphere enraged over Fournier, FishbowlDC writes today that Ellen Hale, the AP’s vice president for corporate communications, has e-mailed talking points to managers on how to deal with questions about the wire's D.C. bureau chief. But the contents of the memo were not yet revealed. I’ve now obtained the full talking points..."(click on the link to read it)

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"In a world" announcer dead at 68
(National Post) You may not recognize the name Don LaFontaine but you definitely know the voice. LaFontaine, who passed away Monday at the age of 68, was THE voice of movie trailers for almost 30 years. The Minnesota-born LaFontaine reportedly voiced over 5,000 trailers and almost 350,000 commercials. He's responsible for the ubiquitous trailer-opening phrase "In a world..."

Obama had secret meeting with Fox News executives
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "At a secret meeting with Barack Obama three months ago, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes says, he tried to clear the air with the Democratic senator by saying that his organization was determined to be fair but would not be "in the tank" for Obama's campaign. During the sit-down in a Waldorf-Astoria hotel suite in Manhattan that included Rupert Murdoch, the network's owner, Obama expressed concern about the way Fox was covering him. 'I just wanted to know if I'm going to get a fair shake from Fox News Channel,' Ailes recalled him saying."

Mr. Rogers dumped by PBS
(Chicago Tribune) Steve Schmadake writes: "Seven years have passed since new episodes of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" were taped and five since the show's iconic, sweater-clad host died. But news that, starting Monday, "Mister Rogers" will disappear from the schedules of many PBS stations—including WTTW-Ch. 11 in Chicago, as well as stations in Los Angeles and apparently New York—has legions of parents and other fans lamenting what they see as a timeless show's end. They are wondering, as Mr. Rogers himself might say: What do you do with the mad that you feel?"

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Mike North returns...on a restaurant website
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Perhaps the only person outrageous enough to suggest that former WSCR-AM 670 mainstay Mike North has anything in common with Barry Manilow would be North himself, and guess who's tryin' to get the feeling again. 'What Rich Melman is paying me to do is what the Las Vegas Hilton pays Barry Manilow to do,' the hot-dog-man-turned-sports-talker explained Tuesday, in announcing his latest venture, a two-hour, five-day-a-week Internet program that will stream on the Lettuce Entertain You Web site of Melman's Wildfire restaurants, starting Monday. 'He wants people to visit the Wildfire Web site.' This experiment in Internet radio is innovation born out of necessity for North, a signature voice for The Score since its launch 16 years ago. When he left the all-sports station in late June after contract talks with CBS Radio broke down, a non-compete clause was supposed to keep him from taking a TV or radio job for six months. Out of sight and out of mind diminishes one's value in the marketplace, the theory goes."

Letterman baffled by NBC's treatment of Leno
(New York Times) Brian Stelter writes: "David Letterman, the CBS host who has competed with Jay Leno every weeknight for 15 years, now feels empathy for his late-night challenger. In an interview with Rolling Stone on newsstands this week, Mr. Letterman, the longtime Late Show host, expresses bewilderment about NBC’s decision, first announced four years ago, to replace Mr. Leno next year with Conan O’Brien, the current host of Late Night. 'Unless I’m misunderstanding something, I don’t know why, after the job Jay has done for them, why they would relinquish that,' Mr. Letterman said in the interview. 'I guess they thought it was a less messy way to handle what happened to me at NBC. I don’t know.'”

Mini Interview: John Jurkovic
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: John Jurkovic from ESPN Radio. Coming this weekend--a full interview with Eddie Volkman of B-96.

Happy Labor Day

2008-09-01T21:15:00.001-07:00

Media Notebook will return on Thursday, September 4.

August 28, 2008

2008-08-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Jay Mariotti quits the Chicago Sun Times
(Chicago Sports/Chicago Tribune) Jim Kirk writes: "The highly-paid Mariotti quits after just signing a three-year contract extension in June. At that time, Cooke said that Mariotti was a focal point of the Sun-Times sports section, praising his pull no punches approach. Commenting on his 17 years at the paper, Mariotti said he loved every minute of it. But he said that with the troubled times newspapers face, it was time to consider a new future. 'I'm a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn't compete,' he said. 'Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers. I think probably the days of high stakes competition in Chicago are over. To see what's happened in this business...I don't want to go down with it.'"

Trib to start calling itself Trib
(Editor & Publisher) Joe Strupp writes: "The Chicago Tribune has long been nicknamed "The Trib." But if a redesign prototype being passed around the Web becomes the final choice, that nickname will be a formal part of the paper. A prototype obtained by E&P offers a radical change to the Tribune's legendary flag, with the older "Chicago Tribune" title placed in small letters at the top and a blown-up "trib" (in lower case type) set in white against a black background."

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Brawling anchors on MSNBC
(NY Post) Richard Johnson writes: "At a forum on Sunday, when Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell called MSNBC 'the official network of the Obama campaign,' Tom Brokaw said, 'I think Keith has gone too far. I think Chris has gone too far.' Insiders say Olbermann is pushing to have Brokaw banned from the network and is also refusing to have centrist Time magazine columnist Mike Murphy on his show. 'The idea of anyone trying to ban Tom Brokaw is ludicrous,' said one MSNBC-er. Brokaw was on MSNBC for an hour yesterday afternoon. Murphy, who was bumped from Olbermann's show on Monday night, told us, 'They told me technical problems and I have no reason not to believe them.'"

2008 Olympics: Most viewed TV event ever
(NY Times) Brian Stelter writes: "The Beijing Olympics will be remembered by media executives as the most-viewed event in United States television history. The Summer Games of 2008 were seen by a cumulative audience of 211 million Americans through Saturday, one day shy of Sunday’s closing ceremonies, according to Nielsen Media Research. That number surpassed the 209 million who watched part of the Summer Games in Atlanta 12 years ago, NBC said on Sunday. The cumulative figure counts any viewer who watched the Olympics on one of NBC’s networks for six minutes or more. It amounts to more than two-thirds of the total United States population."

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Mini Interview: The Manno Brothers
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: The Manno Brothers from Q-101.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Mark Edwards
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WLIT and current St. Louis program director Mark Edwards about his years in Chicago, his current gig, the future of radio, and his beloved Cubs.

August 25, 2008

2008-08-25T13:39:00.001-07:00

Media Notebook will return on Thursday, August 28th.

August 21, 2008

2008-08-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Rachel Maddow to replace Dan Abrams
(New York Times) Bill Carter writes: "Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host –- and one-time general manager of the network — Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel. The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams’s last program on Thursday. After MSNBC’s extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8."

Obama's Wide Web
(Washington Post) Jose Antonio Vargas writes: "Amid the cramped, crowded cubicles inside Sen. Barack Obama's campaign headquarters here, sandals are as ubiquitous as iPods. Two young guys in shorts and T-shirts throw a football around. An electoral college map (California 55, Texas 34, etc.) is taped to the wall in the men's bathroom. A BlackBerrying staffer sneezes and blurts out, "Whew! I think I'm allergic to hope!" This is Triple O -- Obama's online operation...This year's primary season, spanning six months, proved that online buzz and activity can translate to offline, on-the-ground results. Indeed, the Web has been crucial to how Obama raises money, communicates his message and, most important, recruits, energizes and turns out his supporters. With less than three months to go before the election, Triple O is the envy of strategists in both parties, redefining the role that an online team can play within a campaign."

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Minority Journalists hit hard in Trib Layoffs
(Maynard Institute) Richard Prince writes: "The Chicago Tribune laid off more than 40 newsroom employees on Friday, including a disproportionate number of journalists of color, according to newsroom employees there. 'Coupled with last week's voluntary exit of more than 30 journalists,' the additional cutback 'means the paper has cut 80 people from its editorial staff as part of cost-cutting campaign at all of parent Tribune Co.'s newspapers,' Phil Rosenthal wrote on the Tribune's Web site. Among those called in Friday and told their jobs were eliminated was Ray Quintanilla, a 14-year Tribune veteran. 'It's sad because if you look at the list, it's heavily minority. It looks bad,' he told Journal-isms. He said his marching orders came a day after he challenged a powerful white Tribune columnist who for the fifth time had hired a white assistant, asking the columnist if he had considered any people of color. He recalled that owner Sam Zell had told employees to question authority. Quintanilla said the columnist publicly challenged him to a fight, and said he has filed a complaint with the Tribune's human relations department. The reporter said he could not prove his layoff was related to the Thursday incident, but said, 'It just smells bad to me.'"

Rupert Murdoch: Stock down 29%, salary down 14%
(LA Times) Media company News Corp., whose stock fell 29% in fiscal 2008, reported compensation of $27.5 million for Chairman Rupert Murdoch during the period. Murdoch's compensation for the fiscal year that ended June 30 was 14% lower than in 2007, New York-based News Corp. said in a regulatory filing Tuesday. The base salary was $8.1 million. The company allocated $17.5 million in cash bonuses to Murdoch, and also reported stock awards and other compensation. News Corp. shares fell the most since April 2003 on Aug. 6 after analysts cut profit estimates, citing weak local television and newspaper advertising sales.

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Mini Interview: Bionce Foxx
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Every week I'm featuring excerpts from my SHORE Magazine article about 14 local radio voices. This week: WGCI's Bionce Foxx.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Dan McNeil
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with ESPN Radio's Dan McNeil. It's the third time I've written about Dan, but the first time for Chicago Radio Spotlight. We talked about his relationships with his co-hosts (Jurko & Harry), his former feuds, and much more. Coming this weekend; an interview with former WLIT programmer Mark Edwards.

August 19, 2008

2008-08-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Is Jon Stewart the most trusted man in America?
(New York Times) Michiko Kakutani writes: "When Americans were asked in a 2007 poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press to name the journalist they most admired, Mr. Stewart, the fake news anchor, came in at No. 4, tied with the real news anchors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw of NBC, Dan Rather of CBS and Anderson Cooper of CNN. And a study this year from the center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism concluded that “‘The Daily Show’ is clearly impacting American dialogue” and “getting people to think critically about the public square.” While the show scrambled in its early years to book high-profile politicians, it has since become what Newsweek calls “the coolest pit stop on television,” with presidential candidates, former presidents, world leaders and administration officials signing on as guests. One of the program’s signature techniques — using video montages to show politicians contradicting themselves — has been widely imitated by “real” news shows, while Mr. Stewart’s interviews with serious authors like Thomas Ricks, George Packer, Seymour Hersh, Michael Beschloss and Reza Aslan have helped them and their books win a far wider audience than they otherwise might have had."

John McCain protests press coverage
(Politico) Mike Allen writes: "The campaign is objecting to a statement by NBC's Andrea Mitchell on "Meet the Press" questioning whether McCain might have gotten a heads-up on some of the questions that were asked of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who was the first candidate to be interviewed Saturday night by Pastor Rick Warren at a presidential forum on faith. Warren told the audience that McCain was being held in "a cone of silence" so he wouldn't hear the questions, which were similar for both candidates. Warren referred again to "the cone of silence" when McCain came onstage, and the senator joked: "I was trying to hear through the wall." Mitchell reported that some "Obama people" were suggesting "that McCain may not have been in the cone of silence and may have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama. He seemed so well prepared." A McCain aide said that is not the case: "Senator McCain was in a motorcade led by the United States Secret Service and held in a green room with no broadcast feed." Mitchell made the comment in the context of saying McCain did better, and that the Obama camp was defensive. In response to the campaign's letter, she pointed out that journalists get criticism from both sides. "I wasn't expressing an opinion," Mitchell said. "I was reporting what they were saying."

Billion Dollar Boy Band
(Portfolio) Sophia Banay writes: "Don't know who they are? You're obviously not a woman between the ages of three and 30, the parent of a teenage girl, or someone with regular access to any form of mainstream media. The Jonas Brothers are a budding tween franchise with dark locks, bright hooks, and the ability to actually play their instruments. They're currently busy invading Manhattan. Click here for the numbers behind the Jonas Brothers. The trio appeared at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square at midnight Monday to celebrate the release of their new album with several thousand frenzied fans. The album, A Little Bit Longer, is their second for Walt Disney Co.'s Hollywood Records label, and it immediately went platinum. The next day it was iTunes's most-downloaded album. The band hosted MTV's Total Request Live this week, and is making the rounds of other programs: 20/20, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live With Regis and Kelly, and the Teen Choice Awards, where the brothers won six awards."

CLICK HERE

47% favor government mandated 'balance' in the media
(Radio-online) Nearly half of Americans (47%) believe the government should require all radio and TV outlets to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary, while 39% say they don't want the government mandating political "balance" in broadcast media. At the same time, 71% say it is already possible for just about any political view to be heard in today's media, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey. 57% say the government should not require web sites and blog sites that offer political commentary to present opposing viewpoints. But 31% believe the web sites should be forced to balance their commentary. In a July, 2007 survey, Americans were evenly divided on whether or not the government should require political balance.

Harry Shearer mines gold with "off-air" videos
(Huffington Post) Shearer's "Found Objects," a semi-regular feature of the "My Damn Channel" Web site, is a place where news personalities don't want to find themselves. His videos capture them in that television netherworld: on set or on location but before (they might think) the cameras are rolling. It's the time that obsessions about hairstyles or worries that they've done their homework surface _ or when real personalities bubble through the makeup. If anyone should realize that the camera is never really off, it's the people who make their living in front of it. When they forget, Shearer has his material."

CLICK HERE

Chicago Tribune completes newsroom layoffs
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "The Chicago Tribune shed more than 40 newsroom employees today, which, coupled with last week's voluntary exit of more than 30 journalists, means the paper has cut 80 people from its editorial staff as part of cost-cutting campaign at all of parent Tribune Co.'s newspapers. 'Endings are never easy,' Tribune editor Gerould W. Kern said in a note to staff, adding that 'with the departure of 80 individuals through today, the editorial staff of the Chicago Tribune stands at 480, the largest news organization in Chicago by a wide margin and one of the largest and most accomplished in the United States. ... While painful, these staff reductions are necessary to establish the foundation for a sustainable future.' The latest round of cutbacks is the paper's fourth since late 2005, when the newsroom was said to have had 670 positions. Other departments at the paper have been making cuts, as well."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Dan McNeil
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with ESPN Radio's Dan McNeil. It's the third time I've written about Dan, but the first time for Chicago Radio Spotlight. We talked about his relationships with his co-hosts (Jurko & Harry), his former feuds, and much more.

August 14, 2008

2008-08-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

The FBI spied on reporters
(NY Times) Eric Lichtblau writes: "Two leading senators said Monday that they were troubled by the F.B.I.’s collection of the phone records of four reporters at The New York Times and The Washington Post and that the episode showed a “pressing need” for legislation pending in the Senate that would provide greater legal protection for journalists. Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation disclosed to the two newspapers that it had improperly obtained the phone records of reporters in their Indonesian bureaus in 2004 by using emergency records demands from telephone providers as part of an investigation. Robert S. Mueller III, the director of the bureau, made personal calls to Bill Keller, executive editor of The Times, and Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of The Post, to apologize. But the ranking senators on the Judiciary Committee, Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, and Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said that was not enough."

Newspapers cutting back on convention coverage
(Forbes) Wingfield and Zumbrun write: "Forget April. For bean counters at financially troubled newspapers, August is the cruelest month. Their budget-stretching began with coverage of the Beijing Olympics, which ends Aug. 24. A day later, the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Denver, and the Republican National Convention begins Sept. 1 in St. Paul, Minn. The result is predictable. 'Almost every large news bureau, with maybe a few exceptions, is cutting back,' says Jerry Gallegos, superintendent of the House of Representatives' daily press gallery, which is handling newspapers' convention credentials. In some cases, though he won't say which ones, papers have reduced their staffing 'by as much as 20%.'"

Olympics scoring huge ratings for NBC
(New York Times) Benjamin Toff writes: "NBC continued to steamroller its competitors on Monday, with its coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics attracting an average of 30 million viewers during prime time, according to Nielsen’s estimates."

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Facebook: #1 Globally
(Business Week) Catherine Holahan writes: "When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to illustrate the impact of his social network, he tells a story about several young religious militants from Lebanon who changed their view of Western culture through Facebook friendships. The subtext to the tale is that free expression of ideas, enabled by the Web, bridges deep cultural divides. But we knew that: It's one of the central concepts behind the Olympics, after all. What we didn't know is that Facebook is in Lebanon."

Chicago gets it's own Huffpo site
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "By midday Thursday, The Huffington Post Chicago—a local amalgam of news, commentary, features and personal reflections that's part media outlet, part salon in the fashion of The Huffington Post—should be linked and loaded, ready for viewing off thehuffingtonpost.com. 'I just got a great blog post from John Cusack,' Huffington said. 'People who are from Chicago have all these amazing warm feeling and memories of Chicago. … It is tribal. John is in Bangkok making a movie, and he was kind of emotional with this ode to Chicago.' Chicago-raised actress Jami Gertz is working on a submission, as is Fred Armisen of 'Saturday Night Live.' On tap are such familiar bylines as Jonathan Alter, Lynn Sweet, Cornelia Grumman, Lee Bey and Esther Cepeda. Others, such as environmentalist Howard Lerner and chef Gale Gand, bring a particular expertise to the party."

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Peterson leaves WUSN & WCFS
(Radio Online) Mike Peterson is leaving CBS Radio's Country WUSN-FM (US 99)/Chicago as Program Director to operate a family business in Oregon. Peterson also served as PD of co-owned AC WCFS-FM (Fresh 105.9). Prior to joining US 99 in June, 2004, he was PD and afternoon talent at then sister KSKS-FM (Kiss Country 93.7)/Fresno, coming from APD/MD duties at KYPT-FM/Seattle. In a memo to the staff, VP/GM Dave Robbins said, "While the decision to leave was very hard for Mike and we will miss him greatly, the combination of this business potential and a return home to Oregon were simply too powerful to ignore." Peterson's last day will be Friday, August 29.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Clark Weber
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with radio legend Clark Weber about his new book; "Clark Weber's Rock and Roll Radio: 1955-1975, The Fun Years." As always, Clark has some great stories about early rock and roll stars, and the radio people who helped make them famous. Coming this weekend: An interview with ESPN Radio's Dan McNeil.

August 12, 2008

2008-08-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Reticence of Main Stream Media to cover John Edwards controversy is a story in itself
(NY Times) Carter and Perez-Pena write: "For almost 10 months, the story of John Edwards’s affair remained the nearly exclusive province of the National Enquirer — through reports, denials, news of a pregnancy, questions about paternity and, finally, a slapstick chase through a hotel in Beverly Hills. Political blogs, some cable networks and a few newspapers reported on it — or, more accurately, reported on The Enquirer reporting on it. Jay Leno and David Letterman made Mr. Edwards the butt of jokes on their late-night shows, but their own networks declined to report on the rumors surrounding him on the evening news. Why?"

The FCC’s war on indecency is “a Victorian crusade.”
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "That’s not my phrase (though it fits) but a quote from the first paragraph in a powerful brief just filed at the Supreme Court by some very influential people – two former FCC Chairmen, Mark Fowler and Newton Minow (he once labeled TV “a vast wasteland”), and respected former Commissioner and interim Chairman Jim Quello. It’s also signed by several former top-level legal and policy minds at the FCC, and these aren’t wild-eyed throw-open-the-gates guys – two of the ex-Commissioners signed the FCC’s original Pacifica George Carlin decision...Bottom line: the FCC’s indecency standards have never really been tested at the Supreme Court. It’s apparently going to take a bunch of TV broadcasters – Fox plus the other TV networks – to get it there. While radio watches from the bleachers. Of course there’s the little matter of the Congressionally-mandated $325,000 fines for indecency."

Part of the Olympic Opening Ceremony was faked
(Telegraph) Richard Spencer writes: "As the ceremony got under way with a dramatic, drummed countdown, viewers watching at home and on giant screens inside the Bird's Nest National Stadium watched as a series of giant footprints outlined in fireworks processed gloriously above the city from Tiananmen Square. What they did not realise was that what they were watching was in fact computer graphics, meticulously created over a period of months and inserted into the coverage electronically at exactly the right moment. The fireworks were there for real, outside the stadium. But those responsible for filming the extravaganza decided in advance it would be impossible to capture all 29 footprints from the air. As a result, only the last, visible from the camera stands inside the Bird's Nest was captured on film. The trick was revealed in a local Chinese newspaper, the Beijing Times, at the weekend."

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Mel Karmazin warns Viacom CEO about Sumner Redstone
(NY Post) Peter Lauria writes: "Sirius XM Radio CEO Mel Karmazin has some advice for Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman: put some distance between yourself and Sumner Redstone. Karmazin, after all, knows all too well that once inside Redstone's inner circle, it's only a matter of time before the Viacom chairman starts looking for ways to push you out. "Philippe is very close to Sumner," said Karmazin in an interview from a conference room at Sirius' Midtown headquarters. "There was a time when Sumner was very close to a lot of people. The only thing that's certain is that if Sumner is close to you now, he won't be close to you in the future because that's been his track record, including with family members...When [Redstone] would talk to me about Freston, who I think is a great executive, he used to talk like he was his son," Karmazin said. "Then the stock goes down for two days and he fired him."

Mel Karmazin: "We're going to be bigger than Clear Channel"
(New York Post) Peter Lauria writes: "Mel Karmazin is on a mission. Now that the creation of Sirius XM is official, terrestrial radio's formerly brightest star is after nothing short of total domination of his old medium. "We're going to be the most successful company in radio," Karmazin said in an interview with The Post. "We're going to be bigger than Clear Channel because we're growing and they're going the other way."

Nightline at risk if Leno jumps to ABC
(LA Times) Meg James writes: "This should be a new dawn for "Nightline." Instead, it could be good night. After years of lagging behind dueling late-night talk shows, the ABC news program is winning attention with a series of high-profile scoops and closing the viewer gap against "Late Show With David Letterman." But instead of celebrating, "Nightline" staffers are anxious. Six years ago, Walt Disney Co. tried to lure Letterman to its ABC network, a move that backfired and frayed relations with the news division. Now, the company seems interested in courting Letterman's nemesis -- NBC's Jay Leno. If Leno landed at ABC, it would probably spell the end of the nearly 29-year-old program, which launched in 1979 as a late-night report called "The Iran Crisis -- America Held Hostage" during the occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran."

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An interview with Clear Channel Chicago's Darren Davis
(Chicago Tribune) Anne Therese Palmer writes: "Working in his dad's bakery opened Darren Davis's eyes to a radio career. "As a reward, when my dad delivered doughnuts for disc jockeys at the local radio station, he'd let me go with him," said Davis. "That's where I fell in love with radio—the magic behind the mike." Now 35, Davis is Chicago-based senior vice president of programming for Clear Channel Radio's 148 mid-major-market stations."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Clark Weber
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with radio legend Clark Weber about his new book; "Clark Weber's Rock and Roll Radio: 1955-1975, The Fun Years." As always, Clark has some great stories about early rock and roll stars, and the radio people who helped make them famous.

August 7, 2008

2008-08-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Presidential Debate Moderators Set
(Huffington Post) PBS will host two of the four debates this presidential cycle, with Jim Lehrer hosting the first Presidential debate and Gwen Ifill hosting the only Vice Presidential debate, it was announced Tuesday. NBC's Tom Brokaw and CBS' Bob Schieffer will host the remaining two Presidential debates. ABC News is noticeably left without a debate, perhaps a response to what many perceived as a "Gotcha!"-style debate hosted by Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.

Does Rupert Murdoch's WSJ have a problem with women?
(Portfolio) Jeff Bercovici writes: "Some at the paper have begun to say so, albeit quietly, in the weeks since managing editor Robert Thomson put his leadership team in place...As that shuffle was going on, Laurie Hays, the deputy managing editor in charge of investigations, was leaving for a job at Bloomberg. Her departure -- said to be at least partly the result of marginalization from above -- left the paper with only two women among its nine deputy m.e.'s, neither of them with a news job: Alix Freedman, the editor in charge of standards and ethics, and Cathy Panagoulias, who oversees staffing. And then there was the recent buyout of Carol Hymowitz, the management columnist who doubles as the paper's point person on women's workplace issues...Put it all together and you have, if not the makings of a clear pattern, then at least a confluence worthy of comment -- especially in light of the questionable sexual politics at other Murdoch-owned outlets. At Fox News, it's an all-but-official rule that women must show their legs, while at the New York Post, political correctness exists only to be mocked."

Circuit City apologizes to Mad Magazine
(Consumerist) After a thin-skinned Circuit City exec ordered stores carrying Mad Magazine to search and destroy all copies of a recent issue featuring a 4-page parody of "Sucker City," someone with a brain stopped the madness. (The entire apology letter to Mad Magazine is at the link)

CLICK HERE

Why aren't cable talk shows covering the John Edwards story?
(TV Newser) Since the John Edwards National Enquirer story broke more than a week ago, the cablers have largely ignored it. There are various theories as to why that's the case. But as time goes on, producers are finding creative ways to work the story in. Fox News Channel has covered the story the most, although still only four times. Hannity & Colmes aired a segment on the story July 25, the day Foxnews.com advanced the details first reported in the Enquirer. Bill O'Reilly mentioned the story on Thursday's show, saying, "The Factor's trying to decide exactly how to cover the story responsibly, and it is not easy," before playing a Jay Leno clip. Then, during Friday's Special Report, Bret Baier reported a different angle to the story, about the Charlotte Observer obtaining the birth certificate of the child in question. MSNBC used a late night talk show to bring up the story as well. Its only two mentions came on Thursday by playing part of a David Letterman's Top 10 list, in which the top answer to "Signs Barack Obama is Overconfident," was: "Been cruising for chicks with John Edwards." CNN has not covered the story yet.

Dana Milbank leaves Countdown for CNN
(Daily Kos) Keith Olbermann writes about Milbank's decision in the Daily Kos thusly: "Dana Milbank of The Washington Post, who notified us today that after four years appearing with us, he had accepted another television offer. This saved your crack Countdown staff an increasingly difficult decision. For nearly a week we'd been waiting for him to offer a correction or an explanation for his column from last week in which he apparently reported an Obama quote without a full context turned the meaning of the quote inside-out. Then he called criticisms of his column "whines" even though the dispute was over whether Obama said the self-deprecating: "It has become increasingly clear in my travel, the campaign -- that the crowds, the enthusiasm, 200,000 people in Berlin, is not about me at all. It's about America. I have just become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions" -- or only the part about "I have just become a symbol..." We had decided not to have Dana on this news-hour again until this was cleared up, and, sadly after some very happy years, he's apparently chosen to make that cloud permanent. Good luck, Dana."

The rich get richer
(Mel Phillips) Mel writes: "Under the chapter ”The Rich Get Richer” comes word that Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius XM Radio Inc. was not content owning a measly 6.5 million shares of the company he runs so he went out and bought 2 million more shares. Karmazin now owns $11.8 million in stock and an additional 33,800 shares through a retirement plan. Yikes! I mean does anyone need that much wealth? The Sirius all-stock takeover of XM was worth $2.76 billion and Mel is on his way to buying enough stock to eventually reach that figure."

CLICK HERE

Clark Weber interview
(Chicago Sun Times) Rob Feder beat me to a Clark Weber interview about his new book. His interview is excellent. You can read it at the link above. Mine will be posted this Sunday at Chicago Radio Spotlight.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with KC Lupp
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Actor/Broadcaster KC Lupp. When he worked in Chicago radio he was known as KC White; so named because he was only white guy on the WGCI Morning show. He's currently in town performing in The Full Monty, and we talked about that too. Coming this weekend: Radio legend Clark Weber talks about his new book.

August 5, 2008

2008-08-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Skip Caray dead at 69
(MLB.com) Mark Bowman writes: "The Braves family lost one of its most beloved members on Sunday, when Skip Caray passed away at his Atlanta-area home. Caray, who would have celebrated his 69th birthday on Aug. 12, went to take a nap Sunday afternoon and didn't awaken. He is survived by his wife, Paula, two sons, Chip and Josh, two daughters, Shayelyn and Cindy, and seven grandchildren. 'Our baseball community has lost a legend today,' said Braves president John Schuerholz. 'The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children.' The two sons will carry on the family's rich broadcasting tradition, which began with Skip's father, Harry Caray, a Hall of Fame announcer who remains one of the most popular figures in baseball history."

CBS plans to sell radio stations
(Radio Online) CBS Radio announced Thursday that it would divest 50 mid-size market radio outlets so the company can focus on its major market stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. The company sold 40 stations in several smaller markets in 2007. During its a conference call to discuss earnings, CFO Fred Reynolds said CBS has already had "preliminary discussions with strategic buyers." "We continue to see proof that focusing on better content in our largest radio markets is working," said CEO Les Moonves during the call. "The 15 major market stations that have been reformatted have dramatically improved their profits, underscoring radio's potential."
(This is good news for smaller markets)

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Luke Russert hired by NBC News
(NY Times) Brian Stelter writes: "The late “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert’s imprint will remain with NBC News for some time to come: his son Luke will serve as a correspondent at large for the network. The elder Mr. Russert, 58, died of a heart attack on June 13. He frequently mentioned Luke, his only son, in television appearances. The younger Mr. Russert’s first assignment will be at the Democratic National Convention in Denver at the end of August and at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul at the beginning of September. A 2008 Boston College graduate, he will focus on youth issues for NBC."

Network and Cable Ratings getting closer
(LA Times) Scott Collins writes: "AND THEN, the audience parted. Here's what has happened to TV viewing this summer: People who want reality shows have stuck with the broadcast networks. Viewers who prefer scripted series have migrated to the cable channels. And in terms of ratings, the once-vast gap between the two worlds is shrinking like never before."

BBC fined for faking contests
(Independent) Sherna Noah writes: "The BBC has been fined £400,000 by Ofcom, the media regulator, for faking winners and misleading audiences in viewer and listener competitions. The penalty, for flagship TV shows such as Comic Relief, Sport Relief and Children in Need as well as the Jo Whiley and Russell Brand radio shows, is a record for the corporation. Comic Relief and Sport Relief were each fined £45,000, Children in Need £35,000, and the children's show TMi £50,000."

CLICK HERE

Morning Fix fired at Q-101
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes; "Alan Cox and Jim Lynam's "The Morning Fix" has been bounced from Emmis Communication's WKQX-FM's 101.1, with afternoon hosts Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle set to take over in morning drive, effective Aug. 11, the station said August 1. WKQX Program Director Marc Young plans to hire a new afternoon personality for a new program, heavy on Alternative Rock music.Cox and Lynam were the only survivors last November when WKQX ditched its original "Morning Fix," a bold but flawed 14-month experiment with ensemble comedy in morning drive after the 2006 ouster of Erich "Mancow" Muller. In the last eight months, the "Fix" was more focused on music with Cox as host and Lynam handling headlines, sports and traffic."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with KC Lupp
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Actor/Broadcaster KC Lupp. When he worked in Chicago radio he was known as KC White; so named because he was only white guy on the WGCI Morning show. He's currently in town performing in The Full Monty, and we talked about that too.

July 31, 2008

2008-07-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

AP Bureau Chief Considered Job with McCain Campaign
(Politico) Michael Calderone writes: "Before Ron Fournier returned to The Associated Press in March 2007, the veteran political reporter had another professional suitor: John McCain’s presidential campaign. In October 2006, the McCain team approached Fournier about joining the fledgling operation, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. In the months that followed, said a source, Fournier spoke about the job possibility with members of McCain’s inner circle, including political aides Mark Salter, John Weaver and Rick Davis. Salter, who remains a top McCain adviser, said in an e-mail to Politico that Fournier was considered for “a senior advisory role” in communications."

Where did McCain's playmates go?
(New York Observer) Benson & Gillette write: "The McCain campaign’s response to the quantifiable imbalance in volume-of-coverage—a function, depending on whom you ask, of the fact that the press loves the Barack Obama story or that John McCain is the Republican nominee for president—has been a petulant cry of foul for the kind of infraction gentlemen are supposed to ignore. “It’s difficult not to see McCain’s point that Obama has generally been getting not only more positive press but quantitatively more press, period,” said Jake Tapper, the senior national correspondent for ABC News who, as a reporter for Salon in 2000, was famously instrumental in cementing the image of Mr. McCain as a straight-talking renegade and an improbable hero of the left. “That just seems empirically true. But it is a bit like Britney Spears complaining that Miley Cyrus gets more publicity than her talent warrants. True, but haven’t you been there yourself?”

China plunges into controversy with Internet backflip
(AFP) The Beijing Olympics were plunged into another controversy on Wednesday as China announced a backflip on Internet freedoms for the thousands of foreign reporters covering the Games. China's decision to reverse a pledge on allowing unfettered web access proved an embarrassment for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which had repeatedly said foreign press would not face any Internet curbs in Beijing. It was also the latest in a long line of issues to have tarnished the run-up to the Olympics, which start on August 8, following controversies over pollution, human rights and terrorism threats. Beijing Olympic organising committee spokesman Sun Weide triggered the latest public relations flare-up when he confirmed foreign reporters would not have access to some sites deemed sensitive by China's communist rulers. "During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," Sun said. However "sufficient access" falls short of the complete Internet freedoms for foreign reporters that China had promised in the run-up to the Games.

CLICK HERE

Details about the new Sirius/XM
(Radio Ink) The two satcasters are now one, as Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio complete the merger that got the blessing of the FCC on Friday. The new company is known as Sirius XM Radio Inc., with the stock trading under Sirius' former symbol, SIRI, and XM shareholders will receive 4.6 shares of Sirius stock for each share of XM. XMSR stock ceased trading at the end of the day Monday. "I am delighted to announce the completion of this exciting merger between Sirius and XM," said Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin. "We have worked diligently to close this transaction, and we look forward to integrating our best-in-class management teams and operations so we can begin delivering on our promise of more choices and lower prices for subscribers."
(Mmmm Hmmm. Remember, Mel would never lie to us...again.)

Clear Channel deal closes
(Inside Radio) Bain Capital and THL Partners closed their $17.9 billion buyout of Clear Channel this morning, taking radio's largest group private. Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays says "Today is a great day for our loyal and patient shareholders." THL Partners co-president Scott Sperling adds "We look forward to working with our management partners to continue building this great company." Clear Channel's stock stopped trading at the end of the day Wednesday.
(A great day for shareholders...but is it a great day for radio listeners? Time will tell.)

CLICK HERE

A preview of the "W" movie
(The Hollywood Reporter) After all the casting announcements, Drudge links and general Oliver Stone-ish handwringing, there's finally some footage to go along with the speculation about the upcoming "W." extravaganza. Lionsgate has released a trailer -- a mix of Bush behaving badly and quick shots of actors doing their best impersonations of administration figures -- and while it's hard to get a full read on the movie, there's certainly some tonal inferences about Stone's sardonic take on the commander-in-chief (and a bonus Kennedy joke!) Here's the trailer so you can be amused/closely study it yourself. (Click on the link above)

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Bill Leff
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WLS funny man Bill Leff about his long and interesting radio career, from his earliest days just off the stand up comedy tour to his current stint as part of the Roe Conn Show. Coming this weekend: Actor/Broadcaster KC Lupp.

July 29, 2008

2008-07-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

A three-fer about my (cough) favorite government agency, the FCC

FCC to Rule Comcast Can't Block Web Videos
(Wall Street Journal) Amy Schatz writes: "Federal regulators are set to announce this week that Comcast Corp. wrongly slowed some of its customers' Internet traffic, in a victory for consumer groups and high-tech companies that have fought to keep Web traffic free from interference. The Federal Communications Commission will rule that the cable giant violated federal policy by deliberately preventing some customers from sharing videos online via file-sharing services like BitTorrent, agency officials said. The company has acknowledged it slowed some traffic, but said it was necessary to prevent a few heavy users from overburdening its network. The decision, expected Friday, would set an important precedent in the continuing fight about how far phone and cable companies can go to make more money from their Internet networks."

The end of the church lady era at the FCC?
(Advertising Age) Simon Dumenco writes: "Watching the "Church Lady" legacy of the FCC get slowly dismantled should be more fun than it is. Instead, it's just reminding me how much time we've all wasted thinking about it over the past few years. That's time we'll never get back. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals last week dismissed the $550,000 indecency fine against CBS in the wake of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl. The judges rightly ruled that the FCC had acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in fining CBS. Easy enough to laugh off, right? Not really. Because the thing is, the FCC's holy war against Janet Jackson's breast was always something of a red herring meant to distract us from ... well, the FCC's larger holy war. It was about using a tacky moment on live TV (accidental or not) to attempt to not only block future glimpses of ungodly human flesh from broadcast TV, but to infantilize us all with a vastly expanded censorship system."

FCC Approves $13B Sirius-XM Satellite Radio Merger
(RADIO ONLINE) The FCC approved, 3-2, the pending merger of Sirius and XM Satellite Radio Friday evening. After considering a new draft proposal, the 5-member panel signed-off on the deal along party lines. "The merger is in the public interest and will provide consumers with greater flexibility and choices," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said in a statement. "Consumers will enjoy a variety of programming at reduced prices and more diversified programming choices. It will also spur innovation and advance the development and use of interoperable radios, bringing more flexible programming options to all subscribers."

CLICK HERE

Study says media is being tougher on Obama than McCain
(LA Times) James Rainey writes: "The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign. You read it right: tougher on the Democrat. During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative. Network reporting also tilted against McCain, but far less dramatically, with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center."

The Left's answer to Limbaugh
(NY Times) Jim Rutenberg writes: "Warren Ballentine, one of black talk radio’s new stars, was on a tear against Senator John McCain as he broadcast from the Greenbriar Mall here last week, blithely dismissing Mr. McCain’s kind words about Senator Barack Obama at the recent N.A.A.C.P. national convention. “He came out talking about how good of a race Barack Obama was running, and how proud he was of Barack,” Mr. Ballentine said. “You know he went back home and said, ‘I can’t believe I spoke in front of all those Negroes today!’ He was pandering to the crowd, talking about how he felt when Martin Luther King Jr. died. However, he didn’t vote for the holiday of Martin Luther King Jr.” Rush Limbaugh, meet your black liberal counterprogramming. Mr. Ballentine is one of the many African-American radio hosts and commentators who are aggressively advocating for Mr. Obama’s election on black-oriented radio stations daily."

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Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Bill Leff
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WLS funny man Bill Leff about his long and interesting radio career, from his earliest days just off the stand up comedy tour to his current stint as part of the Roe Conn Show.

July 24, 2008

2008-07-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Spring Book Chicago Radio Ratings Released by Arbitron
(Chicago Tribune) Patrick Kampert writes: "WGN-AM 720 and WGCI-FM 107.5 pulled away from the pack as the No. 1 and No. 2 radio stations in the Chicago market in the spring Arbitron ratings released Tuesday, while Jonathon Brandmeier and the revitalized Loop (WLUP-FM 97.9) made a strong comeback with male listeners in the 25-54 age group. Among listeners 12 and older, WGN grew to a 6.3 share, with WGCI not far behind at 6.0. The spring ratings marked the farewell to radio diaries that are filled out by local listeners. After months of delay, the portable people meter, an electronic measuring system, will gauge radio audiences from this point forward."
(Rick's note: It should be interesting to see how dramatically this new system changes the ratings in the future)

European Press LOVES Obama
(Politico) Michael Calderone writes: "Last week, a Pew Global Attitudes study on “Obamamania Abroad” found that while the Middle East remains skeptical — including Jordan, the candidate’s first stop there — Europe is another story altogether. Toby Harnden, U.S. editor of the Daily Telegraph, told Politico that it’s almost as if the overwhelmingly popular Obama had been “designed by a committee of Europeans” with the goal of creating their ideal American presidential candidate. On the surface, there’s an obvious contrast in style between Obama and President Bush, who’s had low opinion numbers across the pond long before that trend hit U.S. shores. As a result of the electorate’s disapproval of Bush, Europeans largely view Obama as a shoo-in. Wishful thinking has become conventional wisdom."

Is Press Actually Being Too Easy on McCain?
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "We interrupt the nonstop coverage of Barack Obama's overseas trip to bring you some breaking whispers about John McCain. He has been making a series of verbal slips -- invariably described as "gaffes" -- that are starting to ricochet from liberal blogs to the mainstream media. And fairly or not, some critics are suggesting the 71-year-old Republican candidate is showing his age. McCain referred to the "Iraq-Pakistan border" in a "Good Morning America" interview; since there is no such border, he must have meant Afghanistan-Pakistan. He has twice referred to Czechoslovakia, a country that ceased to exist in 1993; mixed up Sunnis and Shiites; and identified Vladimir Putin as president of Germany. There is a counter-narrative, which has taken root on the left, that McCain is the one being treated with journalistic kid gloves. In this view, Obama's every utterance is scrutinized, while McCain, who enjoyed warm relations with reporters during his 2000 White House campaign, pays little price for blunders."

CLICK HERE

Disney names new hosts of "At the Movies"
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "One day after Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper signed off as hosts of "At the Movies," Disney ABC Domestic Television announced their replacements along with a new format for the Chicago-based syndicated movie-review show. Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz were named Tuesday as co-hosts of show when its new season begins Sept. 6. Lyons, the son of film critic Jeffrey Lyons and grandson of columnist Leonard Lyons, reported on movies for E! Entertainment. Mankiewicz, the grandson of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz and great-nephew of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, was a host for Turner Classic Movies and Sirius Satellite Radio."

Is David Gregory NBC's Lame Duck?
(New York Observer) To me the most shocking revelation in this article is that David Gregory is only 37 years old. Felix Gillette writes: "From the moment the show kicked off on March 17, things looked grim. The format was essentially a high-tech version of, say, The McLaughlin Group, with various journalists sitting around debating topics of Mr. Gregory’s choosing. There was one innovation: Instead of sitting around a table, the heads of the various guests appeared in boxes. An unfavorable review of the show in The New Republic promptly described the look as “intergalactic Nancy Grace.”

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Michael Savage goes way over the line with autism slam
(MSNBC.com) Look, any parent that has a kid with autism or one that is on the autism spectrum has heard idiotic comments like this from ignorant relatives or acquaintances who have no idea what they're talking about. Walk a mile in our shoes, a**hole, and then give us your excellent "advice." He is rightfully getting hammered for it. Here's what he said:
“Now you want me to tell you my opinion on autism since I’m not talking about autism … a fraud, a racket. What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don’t have a father around to tell them don’t act like a moron, you’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up! Act like a man! Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’”

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Jimmy "Mac" McInerney
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WERV production director Jimmy McInerney about his long radio career, including his stints with Brandmeier and Kevin Matthews, and the story about how he met his wife (fellow radio broadcaster) Wendy Snyder. Coming this weekend: WLS afternoon co-host Bill Leff.

July 22, 2008

2008-07-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Ebert & Roeper soon to be without Ebert and Roeper
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper said in a statement late Sunday that he will leave television's "At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper" next month after eight years, having failed to reach agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television on a new contract. Spokespeople for Disney were unavailable for comment. Also unavailable were Roeper and Chicago Tribune reviewer Michael Phillips, a regular fill-in lately for Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert, who has been sidelined the last two years because of health issues that have robbed him of his voice. Industry sources say Disney is contemplating a reinvention of the nationally syndicated movie review program with more of a Hollywood focus, along the lines of CBS Television Distribution's 'Entertainment Tonight.'"

Court tosses FCC wardrobe malfunction fine
(Associated Press) A federal appeals court on Monday threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp. for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction." The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity. The 90 million people watching the Super Bowl, many of them children, heard Justin Timberlake sing, "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," as he reached for Jackson's bustier. The court found that the FCC deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining indecent broadcast programming only when it was so "pervasive as to amount to 'shock treatment' for the audience. Like any agency, the FCC may change its policies without judicial second-guessing," the court said. "But it cannot change a well-established course of action without supplying notice of and a reasoned explanation for its policy departure."

Sumner Redstone must speak in Dan Rather trial
(NY Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "Dan Rather and his lawyers were back in a Lower Manhattan courthouse late Wednesday afternoon for yet another round in Mr. Rather's ongoing $70 million civil lawsuit against his former employers. Over the course of a 45-minute hearing in front of Justice Ira Gammerman, tempers occasionally flared as the lawyers for both sides argued over a number of issues, ranging from the scheduling of depositions to the transparency of the discovery process. On the latter issue, Mr. Rather and his lawyers petitioned the justice to release a number of key documents turned up in discovery. Mr. Rather's lead attorney, Marty Gold, suggested to Justice Gammerman that the documents, if released, would help refute CBS's repeated, public characterization of Mr. Rather's claims in the suit as a fantasy. He said that of the thousands of documents handed over by CBS, Mr. Rather would like to give the public access to roughly 10."

Citadel teams with Premiere for Sean Hannity deal
(Radio Online) ABC Radio talk host Sean Hannity will be distributed through both the Citadel-owned networks and Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks, reports The Wall Street Journal. ABC will continue to distribute the show to Citadel's stations -- but starting in December, Premiere will handle syndication for the show everywhere else. 'It's an unusual deal, but it's a deal for the times,' said Citadel Chairman/CEO Farid Suleman. 'It hopefully sets the stage for more deals like that, sharing with another party to try to limit the risks.' Starting in 2009, Premiere will control most of the network advertising and major national sponsors. Hannity will remain on Citadel outlets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Sources told WSJ that Hannity's deal is in the neighborhood of $100 million over five years. Plus, he gets a piece of the show's earnings.

CLICK HERE

FCC's Adelstein to accept XM/Sirius merger with conditions
(Radio Online) OK, now it's a done deal. "In what might be called a major blow to those seeking to deny the proposed merger of Sirius-XM Satellite Radio, Democratic FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein has thrown his support if the two satcasters agree to tougher conditions. Adelstein wants the companies to cap prices for six years and make 25% of their spectrum available for minority programming. Adelstein's conditions exceed what Sirius and XM have already agreed to -- a 3-year price freeze and a total of 24 channels to minority-controlled programming. But, he says, if the satcasters agreed to the tougher conditions, he will vote for the deal."

CBS scores first Obama interview abroad
(Politico) Mike Allen writes: "Lara Logan, chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News, has landed the coveted first interview with Barack Obama while he’s abroad, according to sources familiar with the arrangements. Logan is to interview Obama on Sunday in Afghanistan, where he landed Saturday and then visited U.S. troops in three locations. Parts of the interview will be seen on “Face the Nation” if the conversation occurs in time, then on “Evening News” on Sunday, and “The Early Show” and the “CBS Evening News” on Monday. Logan’s official biography notes that she has reported extensively from the front lines of Afghanistan and has followed the Green Berets as they search for Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. In addition, Katie Couric will interview Obama on Tuesday in a country that the campaign does not want named for security reasons, then will anchor “Evening News” from there."

Fallon will start "Late Night" on the web
(New York Times) Bill Carter writes: "With a new round of shake-ups in late-night television set to begin next year, Lorne Michaels has decided to try to get a jump on things by starting NBC’s next edition of “Late Night,” with its new host Jimmy Fallon, as a nightly entry on the Internet. Mr. Fallon has been named as the replacement for Conan O’Brien when Mr. O’Brien takes over the “Tonight” show from Jay Leno next year, and Mr. Michaels, the long-time boss of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” who also serves as executive producer of “Late Night,” told television reporters here Sunday that he wants Mr. Fallon to work out as many of the rough spots in his presentation as possible in performances on a website."

CLICK HERE

2008 Emmy nominees announced
(Entertainment Weekly) Mike Bruno writes: "NBC's 30 Rock and AMC's Mad Men led all series at the 60th annual Primetime Emmy nominations, announced this morning by Pushing Daisies' Kristin Chenoweth and How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris (both Emmy nominees themselves this year). Men's 16 nominations led all drama series and included nods for outstanding drama series and a best actor nod for John Hamm, while 30 Rock led all comedies with 17 nominations, including outstanding comedy series and actor nods for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Meanwhile, HBO's historical miniseries John Adams led all nominees with a total of 23 nods, including a best actor nomination for Paul Giamatti."

Radio Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
(National Radio Hall of Fame) The Class of 2008 includes former Coast to Coast host Art Bell, the late Bob Collins (of WGN fame), the late Jess Cain (morning legend in Boston), Howie Carr (also from Boston), Mickey Luckoff (GM of the powerhouse KGO in San Francisco), legendary L.A. DJ Charlie Tuna, the late Dick Whittinghill (another legend in Los Angeles), and Focus on the Family (founded by James Dopson).

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Jim McInerney
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WERV production director Jimmy McInerney about his long radio career, including his stints with Brandmeier and Kevin Matthews, and the story about how he met his wife (fellow radio broadcaster) Wendy Snyder.

July 17, 2008

2008-07-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Departing Tribune Editor: "It's a Complicated Time"
(Editor & Publisher) Joe Strupp writes: "Chicago Tribune Editor Ann Marie Lipinski says her decision to leave the job she has had for seven years -- and the paper where she has worked for 30 -- 'had been building' for at least several months. She told E&P last night that the latest round of planned layoffs (expected to cut 80 newsroom positions) and a decision to reduce news pages did not directly trigger her decision announced Monday. 'There is no one moment, no one day,' she said. 'It has been a growing desire to do something different.' Lipinski, 52, says she made the decision last Wednesday, then informing Tribune Publishing Executive Vice President Bob Gremillion that she would depart. Asked how much of her decision had been forced by Tribune officials, she declared: 'zero pushing, quite the contrary. They had hoped this would turn out differently. I have never had anything but support and admiration and a desire for me to stay.'"
The Beachwood Reporter had the very best coverage of her departure with lots of inside scoops.

Larry King signs deal to write autobiography
(Variety) Sam Thielman writes: "Larry King will tell all, again: Weinstein Books will publish the oft-chronicled 74-year-old interviewer's autobiography 'What Am I Doing Here?' on Father's Day 2009. The book, which will distributed by Hachette, will be written with assistance from Esquire writer Cal Fussman. King spoke highly of the pub and said that his "life story could not be in better hands."
Everyone in the business has a Larry King story, including me

SNL's Poehler lined up for "Office" spinoff
(TV Week) Joseph Adalian writes: "'Saturday Night Live' regular Amy Poehler is in advance negotiations with NBC to star in the network's upcoming spinoff of 'The Office,' according to network and talent agency sources. Creator Greg Daniels has been keeping details of his new series under wraps. So far, he and NBC have only confirmed the casting of Aziz Ansari in what's believed to a relatively minor role on the show. If Ms. Poehler finalizes a deal for the show, she will join SNL alum Tina Fey on NBC's Thursday night lineup. Ms. Fey, who stars in NBC's '30 Rock,' teamed with Ms. Poehler for the spring feature hit 'Baby Mama.' 'The Office' spinoff is scheduled to join NBC's Thursday roster in February, following a post-Super Bowl premiere. Ms. Poehler's departure from Saturday Night Live has been the subject of industry speculation for several months now. In addition to co-anchoring "Update," Ms. Poehler's best known character on SNL in recent months has been that of Hillary Rodham Clinton."

CLICK HERE

Mike Huckabee in talks for own Fox show
(Politico) Kenneth P. Vogel writes: "Less than one month after signing on as a Fox News commentator, Mike Huckabee is working aggressively to expand his media presence. This week, Huckabee is meeting with Fox officials about plans to host his own show on the network. Plus, he’s subbing for Paul Harvey on ABC Radio Network and appearing on a number of existing Fox shows. A former Arkansas governor who upended the Republican presidential race with his upset victory in the Iowa caucuses, Huckabee continued campaigning for the nomination after it became mathematically impossible for him to catch John McCain in the delegate race. That prompted speculation that Huckabee was more interested in boosting his profile than in a future in politics, though his name is still bandied about as a possible running mate for McCain. Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, worked in local radio as a teenager. And, on the campaign trail, he won raves for his quick wit and folksy delivery."

Fox News defends hiring Karl Rove as analyst
(Broadcasting & Cable) Marissa Guthrie writes: "The messy debate about media bias that has permeated coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign was given a thorough -- and, at times, combative -- airing at a Television Critics Association Q&A with Fox News Channel personalities Monday. Appearing with Karl Rove and Howard Wolfson -- former advisor to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and the network’s newest liberal voice -- Fox News host Chris Wallace took critics to task for repeatedly questioning Karl Rove’s credibility for refusing a subpoena by a House Committee investigating Rove’s role in the conviction of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman on bribery, conspiracy and mail fraud. 'I’m struck by what I think is a double standard in the questions that particularly Karl is being asked here,' Wallace said. 'I don’t understand why it is that if Congress and the White House are having a fight over executive power, that should any way constrain an independent news organization’s decision about whom to have on its payroll. I question whether if it were a conservative Congress that had subpoenaed James Carville, let's say, whether you’d be asking CNN why they’re [employing] James Carville.'"

Brit Hume to step down after election
(NY Times) Brian Stelter writes: "Brit Hume, the pre-eminent political anchor on the Fox News Channel, intends to step down from his nightly newscast after the presidential election, three people close to him said this week. Mr. Hume, 65, has expressed an interest in 'reducing his role' but will likely remain with Fox News as a panelist on 'Fox News Sunday,' two of the people said. The people requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of his contract negotiations, which are ongoing. Mr. Hume’s departure from 'Special Report' would represent one of the most dramatic changes to Fox’s powerhouse schedule since the channel’s inception nearly 12 years ago."

CLICK HERE

WLS changing lanes
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "In what's being billed as a momentous alliance among Chicago radio stations, Clear Channel Radio's traffic division has signed up two local outlets owned by Citadel Broadcasting. Starting Oct. 1, Total Traffic Network will provide traffic to Citadel's news/talk WLS-AM (890) and oldies WLS-FM (94.7). The two stations have been clients of Metro Networks/ Shadow Broadcast Services for three decades. 'It's a great deal and a great partnership for both of us,' said Mike Fowler, president and general manager of WLS, who made the agreement with Earl Jones, president and market manager of Clear Channel Radio Chicago. In addition to serving Clear Channel's stations here, Total Traffic Network also reports for Univision Radio Chicago and Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Cisco Cotto
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Cisco Cotto, who along with Big John Howell, co-hosts the morning show at WIND-AM 560. We talked about his reporting days, conservative vs. liberal talk radio, and the origin of his nickname "The Reverend." Coming this weekend; an interview with WERV Production Director Jimmy "Mac" McInerney.

July 15, 2008

2008-07-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Media Moguls are meeting in Idaho again
(Reuters) One of the comments I get from readers of my novel "$everance" is: "It's a little unbelievable that these fiercely competitive media moguls that hate each other's guts would gather to discuss their business every year." But it's not a figment of my imagination. This actually happens every single year, and the topics discussed behind closed doors used to be stricly off the record. The last few years, however, as the new media companies gained power, and the old media companies declined, they have been talking to the reporters who gather outside the meetings. The link above is from Reuters. This year one of the topics of discussion appears to be--who will be the next President. The moguls' choice according to this article? Barack Obama.

High Wattage at Sun Valley, But No Deals
(NY Times) David Carr is there this week, and he writes: "There are a few givens at Allen & Company’s rarefied annual summit for media moguls in Sun Valley, Idaho. Titans arrive in a conga line of private jets, attend some gold-plated panels followed by cocktails, and occasionally head out to the paths of the Sun Valley Resort for a little speed-dating. The guest list is always incandescent — hey, there’s Bill Gates! Tony Blair! Rupert Murdoch! — and the air is thick with rumors of deals."

CLICK HERE

Tony Snow dies at 53
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "Snow, who died Saturday at 53, had the knack of making people like him, even those he would slap around as a commentator, television host or presidential press secretary. He once told CNN's Ed Henry to 'zip it' during a tense exchange over the war, but would later flash that smile and let you know he could separate the personal from the political. CBS's Jim Axelrod had a phrase for it, saying Snow knew how to play the "affability card."

Obama slams New Yorker portrayal
(Politico) Mike Allen writes: "The Obama campaign is condemning as 'tasteless and offensive' a New Yorker magazine cover that depicts Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in a turban, fist-bumping his gun-slinging wife. An American flag burns in their fireplace. The New Yorker says it's satire. It certainly will be candy for cable news.”

How Joe Scarborough transformed himself into liberals favorite talk show host
(New York Magazine) Despite his complaints about the hours, Scarborough lobbied hard for this job, which opened up in April 2007 when Don Imus made his ill-advised foray into color commentary of women’s college basketball. 'Not to dance on anyone’s grave,' says Scarborough, 'but the second I heard about Imus, I told my wife, ‘Honey, it’s gonna be a busy weekend.’ For the previous four years, he had been unmemorably hosting Scarborough Country, an evening show on MSNBC in which he came off as a B-team O’Reilly impersonator. But he’d always been convinced the format was the problem. 'All of my executive producers had always told me the same thing: ‘We’ve got to get you off the prompter more—you’re best when you’re just talking off the top of your head,’ he says. Imus’s morning slot seemed like the perfect opportunity."

CLICK HERE

Is Paul Harvey’s show just quietly fading away?
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "It’s been nearly 2-1/2 months since the death of his beloved wife and professional colleague Angel. I believe Paul was just recovering from his own medical situation and preparing to come back to the mic when that sad event hit him on May 3. Since then – the Harvey clan’s been very quiet. While Ron Chapman seems happy as a clam, doing the fill-ins for old friend Farid Suleman at Citadel and ABC Radio Networks. Some affiliates suspect things are just going to go on and on…toward the horizon. That depends on Paul’s own health, state of mind – and, from listening to recent recorded commercials for Bose and others – the condition of his peerless vocal instrument. You can find theories of all kinds on the News/Talk board of Radio-Info.com, including the prediction from talk consultant Holland Cooke that Harvey will return for one last goodbye. From my own chats with folks at ABC over the years, they know there’s not a “next Paul Harvey”

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Cisco Cotto
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Cisco Cotto, who along with Big John Howell, co-hosts the morning show at WIND-AM 560. We talked about his reporting days, conservative vs. liberal talk radio, and the origin of his nickname "The Reverend."

July 10, 2008

2008-07-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Chicago Tribune to cut 80 newsroom jobs
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "The Chicago Tribune began informing staff Tuesday it will eliminate around 80 of its current 578 newsroom positions by the end of August and reduce the number of pages it publishes by 13 percent to 14 percent each week. There also will be a reduction of jobs in other Chicago Tribune departments, but that number was not immediately available. A paper spokesman declined comment. Because some newsroom jobs have been left unfilled in recent months, the actual number of staffers to exit the paper is expected to be between 55 and 58."

Irena Briganti: The Most Vindictive Flack in the Media World
(Gawker) Briganti is Fox's VP of media relations, and #2 in the PR command structure under Brian Lewis. But if Lewis sets the tone, Briganti is the one who carries out the executions. Here's a very abbreviated list of her all time hits:
***When Anderson Cooper chided Fox for running with a false report of Obama going to a Muslim school, Briganti responded with, "Yet another cry for attention by the Paris Hilton of television news, Anderson Cooper.”
***Briganti attributed Keith Olbermann's attacks on Bill O'Reilly to his "personal demons, and said "In the meantime, we hope he enjoys his paranoid view from the bottom of the ratings ladder and wish him well on his inevitable trip to oblivion.”
***When Christiane Amanpour said CNN and Fox were intimidated by the Bush administration and practiced self-censorship in the run-up to the Iraq war, Briganti responded, "Given the choice, it's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than a spokeswoman for al-Qaeda."

CLICK HERE

Lara Logan: Back from Iraq, into the tabloids
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "As CBS's chief foreign affairs correspondent, she regularly risked her life by accompanying American forces in combat. But there were more personal strains as well: Her mother had died after a lengthy coma, she and her husband had long ago agreed to a separation, and, last November, she broke off an intense relationship with another journalist in Baghdad. Soon afterward, Logan started dating Joseph Burkett, a federal contractor stationed in Iraq who was separated from his wife back in Texas. Now, having just moved to Washington with an expanded portfolio for the network, Logan finds her romantic life reduced to tabloid fodder. And there is a new complication: She recently discovered that she is pregnant."

Mark Suppelsa goes to Channel 9
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "Chicago television's news wars heated up Monday with official word of a key talent hire and major expansion plans at WGN-Channel 9. Confirming a report here last month, bosses of the Tribune Co.-owned station announced the hiring of Mark Suppelsa as principal news anchor. Starting later this month, he will succeed Steve Sanders as 9 p.m. weekday anchor alongside Allison Payne. Suppelsa and Payne also will anchor a new half-hour newscast at 5:30 p.m. weekdays, starting in September. Terms of Suppelsa's six-year, no-cut deal, negotiated by agents Todd and Brian Musburger, were not disclosed."

Amy Jacobsen sues Channel 2
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "It took a year, but Amy Jacobson has gone from swimsuit to lawsuit. The former WMAQ-Ch. 5 reporter is seeking more than $1 million in damages from WBBM-Ch. 2 parent CBS, Channel 2 boss Joe Ahern and others, complaining that a tape it aired of her in bathing attire at the home of a potential news source in July 2007 subjected Jacobson to 'enormous public humiliation and disgrace.' Jacobson wound up losing her TV job and, eventually, her home, according to the suit filed Monday in Cook County by attorney Kathleen Zellner on behalf of Jacobson, husband Jaime Anglada and their two children, all of whom alleged to have 'suffered from observing the devastating effects on the person they love most.' Jacobson's suit, which states 'some would say' she was 'the best in the business' before the July 5, 2007, incident was recorded by Channel 2, alleges the station never should have shot the video, should never have aired it and should not have edited it the way it did."

CLICK HERE

Spike O'Dell's plan to retire prompts talk about his successor
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "Let the guessing game begin about who'll take over the biggest radio job in town. With six months to go on his deal as morning personality at news/talk WGN-AM (720), Spike O'Dell is getting ready to call it quits from the top-rated Tribune Co.-owned station. Although he could choose to work past December, sources said O'Dell already has told his bosses that he plans to retire from his $1 million a year gig at the end of the year."

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Tomano & Touhy
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Tomano & Touhy, the morning drive team at WKAN in Kankakee. They talked about their roller coaster career ride, which has included several firings--including once while they were live on the air. Next weekend: WIND morning co-host Cisco Cotto.

July 8, 2008

2008-07-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

The $400 Million Man
(New York Times) This is probably the best and most thorough piece I've seen about the man who just signed a deal for $400 million. Zev Chavets writes: "Limbaugh’s show emanates from a nondescript office building on a boulevard lined with tall palms. There isn’t even a security guard in the lobby. The elevator opens directly onto a pristine anteroom furnished in corporate glass and leather. An American flag stands in the corner. Only a small, framed picture of Limbaugh, bearing the caption 'America’s Anchorman,' reveals that this is the headquarters of one of the country’s most admired and reviled figures. The anteroom was empty when I stepped off the elevator one afternoon in mid-February. Limbaugh receives very few visitors at work, and no journalists from the hated 'mainstream media.' When I was buzzed into the control room, I was met by Bo Snerdly — a very large man in a Huey Newton beret — who glared at me. 'Are you the guy who’s here to do the hit job on us?' he demanded in a deep voice. 'Absolutely,' I said."

The $200 million man?
(Reuters) Clear Channel's Premiere is in advanced talks with another conservative talk radio host Sean Hannity to try to sign him for an eight-year contract worth about $200 million, The Wall Street Journal said, citing a person familiar with the situation. Clear Channel was not immediately available to comment.

Clear Channel CEO signs gigantic 5-year deal
(Radio Ink) Clear Channel Communications CEO Mark Mays informed company employees that Clear Channel Radio CEO John Hogan has completed an agreement that will keep him in the radio group's top spot for another five years. In a memo, Mays said, "As we move toward the closing of our merger, I want to share with you an important additional piece of news. It's my pleasure to let you know that John Hogan has signed a five-year contract with the company."

When Fox News Is The Story
(New York Times) David Carr writes: "Like most working journalists, whenever I type seven letters — Fox News — a series of alarms begins to whoop in my head: Danger. Warning. Much mayhem ahead. Once the public relations apparatus at Fox News is engaged, there will be the calls to my editors, keening (and sometimes threatening) e-mail messages, and my requests for interviews will quickly turn into depositions about my intent or who else I am talking to. And if all that stuff doesn’t slow me down and I actually end up writing something, there might be a large hangover: Phone calls full of rebuke for a dependent clause in the third to the last paragraph, a ritual spanking in the blogs with anonymous quotes that sound very familiar, and — if I really hit the jackpot — the specter of my ungainly headshot appearing on one of Fox News’s shows along with some stern copy about what an idiot I am."

CLICK HERE

The Murdoch Lifer Who Runs Dow Jones
(Ad Age) Nat Ives writes: "It's already been eight months since Rupert Murdoch plucked Les Hinton from London to run Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, and Mr. Hinton does not like to dawdle. 'In media and media-executive jobs, the ponderous do not survive,' he told Advertising Age. But to appreciate his moves -- not to mention his relationship with Mr. Murdoch, whose $5.6 billion acquisition of Dow Jones last December shook the industry -- we have to go back to 1959."

Egos keep newspaper presses rolling in New York
(Crain's New York) Matthew Flamm writes: "Across the country, the newspaper industry is going through arguably the darkest period in its history, with publishers slashing newsroom staff and giants like Tribune Co. standing on shaky ground. Things are different in New York. The Daily News is investing in new color presses. The Wall Street Journal is launching a weekend magazine. The New York Times, despite cutting 100 newsroom jobs, has not cut back on coverage. The New York Post and the New York Sun continue to publish in the face of unending trails of red ink. Most remarkable of all, four dailies—eight counting the Journal, Long Island's Newsday and freebies amNew York and Metro—fight for attention at a time when most cities can barely support one. The troubled economy and competition from the Internet—the two forces hammering the industry—are taking a toll here, too. But thanks to the giant egos of wealthy media barons, including Rupert Murdoch, Mort Zuckerman and newspaper newcomers the Dolans of Cablevision, the ordinary rules don't apply."

The nation's indecency czar: FCC Chief Martin
(Philadlephia Inquirer) Bob Fernandez writes: "Martin has solid Republican credentials. He was a top 2000 campaign official for President Bush, and his wife, Catherine, is the former chief spokeswoman for Vice President Cheney. One of the youngest FCC chairmen in history, he has presided at the agency during a time of tumultuous changes in media and technology."

CLICK HERE

An interview with Clear Channel Chicago's Darren Davis
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder interviewed Clear Channel's Darren Davis last week, and there were several memorable moments in the interview. They talked about Chicago radio, Melissa Forman, Christmas music, and Davis' constant cheerfulness. (Read the entire interview at the link).

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Tomano & Touhy
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Tomano & Touhy, the morning drive team at WKAN in Kankakee. They talked about their roller coaster career ride, which has included several firings--including once while they were live on the air. Next weekend: WIND morning co-host Cisco Cotto.

July 3, 2008

2008-07-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

RIP: Sandy Stahl
Robert Feder wrote about her in his column on Tuesday: "Radio colleagues are mourning the passing of Sandy Stahl, who headed marketing and promotion at classic rock WLUP-FM (97.9) for more than a decade under Evergreen Media Corp. ownership. Ms. Stahl, who was 58, died Friday in Seattle, where she lived with her husband, former WCKG and WMET morning host John Fisher. She had been in a coma after a number of strokes related to endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart valves cause by a bacterial infection."

Rob is correct when he says radio colleagues are mourning her loss. I started getting e-mails from my former Loop buddies as early as 4:00 AM on Tuesday. We are devastated by this news.

In a cutthroat business of huge egos and oversized personalities, Sandy Stahl was a kind and generous woman who genuinely cared about people. Without her, I never would have had a career in Chicago radio. I know that nearly everyone who met her has a story about something she did to help them. Here's my story.

In 1986 I was a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, and a four year radio veteran (in Champaign) trying to break into the big bad Chicago market. I tried every station on the dial, except one--The Loop. I figured it was just too big and popular at the time.

For those of you who are too young or just don't remember those days, the Loop was the pinacle of 1980s radio in Chicago. The morning show was hosted by Johnny B and he was at the height of his popularity. The afternoon show was hosted by Steve & Garry and they were at the height of their popularity. The rest of the dayparts were filled with radio icons like Bob Stroud, Bobby Skafish, and Patty Haze, and they had just hired an unknown guy from St. Louis named Kevin Matthews to do overnights.

I don't know what made me do it, but I finally called up the Loop switchboard and asked for the name of the promotion director. I figured maybe they were so big they could use a little help in that department. The name they gave me was Sandy Stahl. I wrote her a letter saying that it was my dream to work in Chicago radio, and I would be willing to do anything at all to help out. I didn't expect to hear back from anyone. After all, I had tried a similar approach at nearly every other station in town.

My heart almost stopped when I saw the Loop logo on an envelope in my mailbox. It was a personal letter from Sandy Stahl saying that my letter had touched her. In her letter she asked if I would be willing to come into the station for an interview. Are you kidding me?

When I met her I was immediately taken in by her warmth. There was something about her that made people feel comfortable. She told me she didn't have any jobs available, but I was welcome to come to station events and meet the other people on staff. Sandy said she would make sure that my name was known by all of them so that when something came up, they would think of me.

"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked.

"I can just tell that you would fit in here," she said.

For the next few months I came to every event. I even went to Poplar Creek for the big Johnny B/Steve & Garry show. That's where I met the people who worked for Steve & Garry--and they asked if I would help out with their fan club.

"Sure, I'd love to," I said. "But why me?"

"Sandy Stahl speaks very highly of you," they said.

Within a year I was producing Steve and Garry's show. Within a year after that, I had my own air shift on the biggest station in Chicago. She was right--I did fit right in.

I never forgot what she did for me and I was willing to do anything at all to help her. I even helped book hotel rooms for the guests coming to Chicago for her wedding to John Fisher. When I got an invitation to that wedding I told her it wasn't necessary to invite me.

"I want you to be there," she said.

A few years later when I bought an engagement ring for my wife Bridget, I showed the ring to Sandy before I even showed it to Bridget.

"You better invite me to the wedding," she said.

"Of course. I want you to be there."

She was there, dancing to the German polka band.

When the Steve and Garry show experience got to be a little too much for me a few years later, I talked to Sandy in the Loop hallways, trying to figure out what was next for me.

"You're a wonderful writer," she said. "You should pursue that."

"I don't have the slightest idea where to start."

"I'll make a phone call," she said.

The next week I had my own radio column in a publication called "Chicago Advertising & Media," and I've been writing ever since.

Sandy and John moved to Seattle shortly after that. I was heartbroken that she was leaving (as was everyone else on the staff), but we knew that the opportunity in Seattle was too good to pass up. I gave her a coffee table book with photos of Chicago so that she would always be able to see the city she loved so much.

The last time I saw her in person was about five years ago. She looked exactly the same as she did the day I met her in 1986. I gave her a big hug and told her I missed her.

"I think about you often," she said. "We still have that book you gave us and it reminds us of the good times we had here."

There are only a handful of people in my life that were as influential to me as Sandy Stahl. I will always appreciate everything she did for me, and I will never forget her warm smile and her huge loving heart.

Rest in peace, Sandy. We all loved you very much.

Media Notebook...

2008-06-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Will return on July 3rd.

June 19, 2008

2008-06-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Thousands join President in mourning Russert
(Associated Press) Thousands of friends, colleagues and strangers joined President Bush and his wife, Laura, in paying respects on Tuesday to Tim Russert. Several hundred people were in line more than an hour before the early afternoon start of the wake at St. Albans School, an elite private boys school on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral in Northwest Washington. Many had never met the host of the Sunday-morning talk show "Meet the Press."

LinkedIn is worth $1 billion
(Financial Times) OK, if you say so. I'm a member, but I don't really get the value. Then again, isn't Bain Capital the moronic group that overpaid for Clear Channel? Richard Waters writes: "The biggest online social network intended for professional use has been valued at more than $1bn, putting it among a small group of private internet companies to have crossed that threshold before going public. LinkedIn, whose members use the site to do things such as making professional contacts, recruiting staff or finding new jobs, said it had raised $53m from a group of venture capitalists led by Bain Capital, taking the total raised to $80m in all. The latest investment, for about 5 per cent of the company, gives LinkedIn a “pre-money” valuation of $1.015bn, said Dan Nye, chief executive.

Hulu is kicking YouTube's ass
(Blog Maverick) Mark Cuban writes on his blog: "It is coming up on 2 years post my declaration that only a moron would buy Youtube and that Google was crazy for actually going through with it. In that period of time, while Youtube traffic has skyrocketed, they have been steadfast in their admission that they haven't been able to monetize Youtube's traffic in a profitable manner. Youtube has become the poster child for the old saying "we are losing money on every sale, but we will make it up in volume". To the Youtube fan club, its inconceivable that any website with so much traffic and marketshare could be in anything but an enviable position. The fan boys would be increasingly wrong. The Youtube business model is broken and there is no light at the end of the tunnel as they are currently constructed. The reason is Hulu. Hulu doesn't serve up more videos than Youtube. They aren't even remotely close in number of total users or videos served. But there is one area in which Hulu is just stomping up and down Youtube, and another in which Hulu is laughing at Youtube all the way to bank."

CLICK HERE

After 74 years, FCC starting to flex muscles
(NY Sun) Harold Furchtgott-Roth writes: "June 19th marks the 74th anniversary of the Communications Act of 1934, the legal framework for federal regulation of all manner of communications through the Federal Communications Commission. After 74 years, most Americans have more yesterdays than tomorrows. Does the same hold for the FCC? By many accounts, the FCC is just beginning to flex its muscles. During its first 60 years, the FCC was one of the more obscure federal agencies. In recent years, however, editorial pages — some with praise, some with a tut-tut, and some with uncontrolled hysterics — have commented frequently on FCC decisions, or lack thereof."

House Subcommittee votes to block ownership changes
(Radio Online) A House subcommittee voted Tuesday to block the FCC's actions in December that loosened the 30-year-old broadcast/newspaper cross-ownership ban in the top 20 markets. The provision is part of a spending bill that funds the FCC and would deny the Commission funding to implement the rule. In May, the Senate passed a "resolution of disapproval" introduced by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND).

Karmazin’s frustration over the XM+Sirius hangup is palpable
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "He thought he made sufficient concessions to the right people to get the merger done – so he can run the combined satellite company – but tough players like the Congressional Black Caucus still aren’t satisfied. Neither is FCC Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps. Interestingly, American Public Media’s Bill Kling has his own strong view, according to the Washington Post: He wants spectrum out of the merged companies dedicated to “education, discussion, news, debate and public affairs programming” – just as the FCC once reserved the lower part of the FM band for non-commercial stations. I’ve said before that Mel may look back on this tortured deal and deem it the most challenging business proposition of his entire career – harder than Westinghouse/CBS, or CBS/Viacom, or anything else he’s been involved in."
(Rick's note: It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.)

ABC Renews Jimmy Kimmel
(Variety) Michael Schneider writes: "ABC is extending its option with latenight host Jimmy Kimmel by another year, keeping him at the network through at least 2010. Decision to exercise an early extension comes as Kimmel has received positive attention for his "Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night" series of post-NBA Finals specials, which included a now-famous fist bump Sunday with presidential candidate Barack Obama. Rival candidate John McCain was scheduled to appear on Kimmel's show following Tuesday's NBA game. Those "Game Night" specials have averaged 3 million viewers, giving the show a bit more exposure than its usual aud."

CLICK HERE

Chicago Tribune faces default risk
(Bloomberg) Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune controlling investor Sam Zell may be unable to stop the loss of advertising revenue leading him and other U.S. newspaper publishers closer to default on billions of dollars in debt. Zell's Tribune Co., even with attempts to shore up the company's cash by selling assets and debt, could face default by the end of the year, Standard & Poor's analyst Emile Courtney said on June 13 in New York.

Chicago Sun-Times contemplates going private
(Chicago Sun Times) David Roeder writes; "The parent company of the Chicago Sun-Times has enough cash for two to three years of operations despite ongoing declines in advertising revenue, its chief executive officer said Tuesday. Cyrus Freidheim Jr. said at the annual meeting of Sun-Times Media Group Inc. that it is reviewing offers from potential buyers and would consider a transaction that takes the publicly traded company private. Such a deal could be structured so that some major shareholders retain an ownership stake. Freidheim noted that the company has some financial advantages compared with other media operations. Sun-Times has no debt except for an unresolved tax liability and has about $120 million in cash. 'We cannot predict what the market will be over the next 12 months. But we’re ready for the worst,' he told shareholders. 'We have the cash to weather the worst storms over the next two to three years.'”

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Jim Smith
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with famed music programmer "Jukebox Jimmy" Jim Smith. We had a long conversation about the way he picked music for WLS in the 1970s heyday, as well as his stints at BBM-FM and WJMK. This weekend I'll be speaking with B-96 night jock Julian.

June 17, 2008

2008-06-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

How can you replace a Tim Russert?
(New York Times) Carter and Steinberg write: "The sudden death of Tim Russert has left the management of NBC News, for the moment at least, at a loss to contemplate how to replace him. Mr. Russert was not only the moderator of “Meet the Press,” television’s most successful political talk show, he was also the chief of NBC’s Washington bureau, responsible for the hiring of staff members and directing its operations. More significantly, he was NBC’s public face on politics, appearing regularly on the network’s full range of programs, including the “Today” show, NBC’s “Nightly News,” and on its cable news channel MSNBC.”

Is Keith Olbermann changing TV News?
(New Yorker) Peter J. Boyer writes: "Capus and Griffin insist that Olbermann’s broadcast is like an opinion section in a newspaper, suitable to what they call MSNBC’s “cable sensibility.” Olbermann differs. He begins each “Countdown” with the Beethoven theme from NBC’s “Huntley-Brinkley Report,” and concludes with Murrow’s signature sign-off, “Good night, and good luck.” He maintains that “Countdown” is very much part of that continuum. “It is a newscast with commentary and analysis, the way most really good newscasts used to be,” he says. “Dosages of the various components vary in a greater degree than we’re used to, or maybe were even done in the heyday of this kind of thing. But if you listen to those daily Murrow newscasts in the forties on the radio, Murrow would do the news, two and a half, three minutes, take a break, and then do a two- or three-minute commentary.” It could be argued that Murrow’s work in wartime London—he would report on the Battle of Britain, and also advocate against continued American neutrality in the war—is hardly the same thing as telling the President to “shut the hell up,’’ or posing the question regarding Bush (as Olbermann did): “Pathological Presidential Liar or an Idiot-in-Chief?”

Lanny Davis signs with Fox
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "Fox News's newest contributor, to be announced today, may surprise the liberal crowd: former Clinton White House lawyer Lanny Davis. 'Fox has always treated me with respect and given me a chance to express my point of view,' Davis says of the network that the Democratic candidates refused to grant a debate out of concern that it favors Republicans. He will be a frequent guest, along with such Fox stalwarts as Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich. A relentless surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Davis says, he felt 'ganged up on' during appearances on the other cable channels. He says that Clinton was 'demonized' by MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, and that CNN's primary-night panels were tilted toward the Obama side. 'Does Fox have a conservative slant on some of their programs? Yes,' Davis says. 'They're giving me a chance to provide a counterpoint, and that's all I can ask.'"

CLICK HERE

Tribune plans safety net for TV stations
(TV Week) Pursell and Lafayette write: "The Tribune Co., which owns 23 television stations, is beefing up its library of programming, providing the company flexibility either to launch a new national broadcast network or invigorate the slate of its rebranded WGN America channel. The contingency plans are being spurred in part by concern about the future of the company’s 15 CW affiliates, multiple people at Tribune said. The CW, which went live in 2006, has stumbled in the ratings. Should it not be able to return to the air for the 2009-2010 season, Tribune doesn’t want its CW outlets to have to scramble for programming."

Obama's Media Agenda
(Broadcasting & Cable) John Eggerton writes: "Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has a profound appreciation of the media’s great possibilities. That’s at least part of what earned him the presumptive Democratic nomination for president. The great battle to get the nomination -- a bruising 13-month struggle against valiant New York Sen. Hillary Clinton -- has ended. The war, against Republican nominee and Arizona Sen. John McCain, has only begun. And if Obama’s “Yes We Can” mantra leads to “Yes We Did” in a November election victory, he will be setting the tone for communications policy from the bulliest of all media pulpits. And he likely would have a solidly Democratic Congress behind him. With that in mind, we asked the senator to weigh in on media’s great challenges, issues and limits and go on the record with B&C about his communications agenda."

F.C.C. Chief backs XM/Sirius merger
(AP via NY Times) I'm surprised it took this long..."The proposed merger of the nation's two satellite radio broadcasters, bogged down in the regulatory process for over a year, has cleared a major hurdle with Federal Communications Commission chief recommending approval of the $5 billion deal. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin made his recommendation Sunday in exchange for a number of concessions, including turning 24 channels over to noncommercial and minority programming. That sets the stage for a final vote that could occur any time after Martin's recommendation is circulated among his fellow commissioners."

CLICK HERE

The Weather Channel moves closer to deal with NBC
(Associated Press) An investor group led by NBC Universal moved closer to buying The Weather Channel Friday after Time Warner Inc. dropped out of the bidding. NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co., said late Friday that it had entered exclusive negotiations to buy The Weather Channel from its owner, Landmark Communications Inc. NBC is working on the bid together with the private equity investment firms The Blackstone Group and Bain Capital.

Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Jim Smith
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with famed music programmer "Jukebox Jimmy" Jim Smith. We had a long conversation about the way he picked music for WLS in the 1970s heyday, as well as his stints at BBM-FM and WJMK.

June 12, 2008

2008-06-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer

Viacom starts distributing "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" on hulu.com
(Mediaweek) Mike Shields writes: "Viacom has struck its first deal with Hulu to distribute content from its family of cable networks, specifically Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report--as the company continues to steer clear of delivering any of its top series to YouTube, the reigning leader in the online video category. As of Tuesday (June 10) Hulu began featuring full length episodes of both Colbert and The Daily Show, bringing two of the more popular series among the Web savvy, clip-sharing generation to the increasingly robust video site, itself a joint venture between News Corp. and NBC Universal. The move represents both another stamp of approval for Hulu’s professionally-produced, long form video model by a major traditional TV producer, as well as another blow to Google’s YouTube."

Spielberg's $1 billion dream
(Hollywood Reporter) Carl DiOrio writes: "Steven Spielberg aims to raise more than $1 billion in third-party financing to reinvent DreamWorks as a separate company that once again owns the movies it makes. As for distribution, Spielberg wants to bolt his roost at Paramount for Universal, which wants to land Spielberg and DreamWorks after losing out to Paramount in that quest a couple years ago. But on recommendation from his advisers, Spielberg has allowed a bidding war to begin among studios for the rights to distribute future DreamWorks movies. The chief suitors other than Paramount: Universal, Disney and Fox."

HBO joins forces with Funnyordie
(Variety) Cynthia Littleton writes: "HBO is getting into bed with Will Ferrell's FunnyorDie.com Internet vid venture. Pay cabler has bought a small equity stake in the 2-year-old comedy website and has commissioned 10 half-hours of programming from Funny or Die as part of the deal. The wide-ranging pact also envisions the two sides partnering on a host of future projects, from the live comedy tours that Funny or Die is developing to a possible Funny or Die-branded programming block on one of HBO's offshoot channels. For now, the website is focused on recruiting a veteran producer to help Ferrell and his Funny or Die partners -- Adam McKay, Chris Henchy and Judd Apatow -- shepherd the initial order of 10 half-hours."

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60 months in Bagdad
(NY Observer) Gilette, Haber, and Koblin write: "'It’s the oft-stated phrase that truth is the first casualty of war,' said Michael Ware, CNN’s Baghdad correspondent, on the telephone from Iraq. 'In this war, as in every other conflict, everybody lies to you. Your government is lying to you. The Iraqi government is lying. The insurgents are lying. The militias are lying. The U.S. military is lying. Even the civilians lie. Or in the best case, there’s confusion and exaggeration. The truth is the most elusive thing in war, particularly in an insurgency.' Sixty-two months into the war, this is the language of the American journalist in Iraq... As the American press corps gets older, wearier—and simultaneously younger and more untested as the veterans leave—there are truths that some of the reporters of Baghdad have learned about the war in Iraq. Chief among them is that even if you grab hold of a part of the truth, it has a way of becoming false. Second: If you manage to find a true story, don’t depend on anyone back home wanting to hear it."

The Internet Rumor Machine versus Obama
(LA Times) Rumors have always traveled fast, but when it comes to politics, the whispering campaigns and defamatory leaflets of yesteryear don't hold a candle to the button that beats them all. "Forward": the marvelous technology that allows truths and untruths alike to be propagated widely, instantly, and at no cost to the sender. Thanks to Forward-thinking citizens, the online rumors are flying in this campaign like no campaign season before. Dozens and even hundreds of different e-mail chain letters -- most targeting Sen. Barack Obama -- are being circulated in the Internet's muggy back channels, where context suffers and falsehoods flourish. Add in the parts of the political blogosphere that survive on speculation and unsourced hearsay, and you have a petri dish capable of growing such vivid rumors that the best of them actually make it into the mouths of the Washington press corps -- without so much as a factoid to back them up. At Snopes.com, the urban legends clearinghouse run by a couple in the San Fernando Valley, Barack Obama's page has 18 entries, only one of which Snopes determined to be true. Of the rest, Snopes rated 11 false, four partly true and two undetermined.

Sean Hannity, Citadel and Clear Channel have agreed to a three-way deal.
(Radio-Info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "But don’t expect any press conferences until at least next week – it’s an agreement in principle and now goes to the legal types and the folks who resolve questions like who sells what and who handles what. But this is what I’m hearing: Citadel and Clear Channel will jointly own the Hannity show. (Citadel’s ABC Radio Networks owns it now.) Sean will get a significant signing bonus. The negotiating was done at the top levels of the various companies and they finished it over the weekend. And I’m told that everybody’s happy with the result. Now – could things go sideways or get delayed? Sure. It’s an agreement in principle and doesn’t exist as a signed contract yet."

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Actor drops $10 million lawsuit against Corolla
(Radio Online) An actor who filed a $10.5 million negligence suit against syndicated radio host Adam Corolla, late night talk host Jimmy Kimmel, "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville claiming he was tricked into putting his penis in a mousetrap during Coralla's show has dropped the suit. Perry Caravello filed the suit in May, 2007, after the event was captured on video without Corolla's permission and surfaced on the Internet. The trio was sued by Caravello, who claimed that Knoxville promised to pay him to promote the DVD release of the 2003 TV movie "Windy City Heat" on Carolla's show if he agreed to place his genitals in a mousetrap. Caravello also claimed he was humiliated when clips of the incident appeared on the web. The suit was dropped last week and it's unclear whether the suit was being dropped due to a settlement or for some other reason.

Sam Brownback holding up XM/Sirius merger
(Mel Phillips) Mel writes: "On May 27th the Consumer Coalition for Competition in Satellite Radio (C3SR) sent a letter to the FCC in opposition to the Sirius-XM merger. Understand this: 1) The coalition’s name speaks for their agenda regarding satellite radio (and) 2) C3SR is funded by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Enter senior senator from Kansas, Sam Brownback who still believes Toto resides in his state. He also believes that Congress may have been misled in its prior hearings on the merger. Brownback claims that Mel Karmazin wasn’t being candid about the companies’ effort to make and market “interoperable” receivers or radios that can receive both Sirius and XM signals. Brownback now wants redacted portions of the May 27th letter made public."

Chicago Radio Spotlight Update
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with Java Joel Murphy, the former Kiss-FM night time jock about his time in Chicago--his controversial interview with Justin Timberlake, and his even more controversial racial remark that led to his firing. Coming this weekend: famed music programmer "Jukebox Jimmy" Jim Smith.