Media Hogs of February 2002

Britney Spears!

How cute is Britney Spears? It would take six Mila Kunises, four Sarah Michelle Gellars, seven Melissa Joan Harts, 27 Julia Roberts, and two Pamela Andersons to equal the cuteness level of Britney Spears!

News Wires (Feb 23, 2002)

Jim Rome announced today that he has signed a multi-year deal with Premiere Radio Networks. The new deal calls for Rome to continue his daily three-hour syndicated radio program and allows for additional opportunities. He will continue his role as host of ``The Last Word with Jim Rome'' for Fox Sports Net through the remainder of the year.

``The decision to extend my partnership with Premiere Radio Networks was an easy one. When I arrived at Premiere back in 1996, the show had just 16 affiliates and now we're approaching 200 with an international audience. I started the job with Kraig Kitchin and Premiere and I plan on finishing it with them as well. 'The Jungle' has been a major part of my life. I have a decade's worth of sweat equity in the show and there was no way I could walk away from that,'' said Rome.

``We are as excited about Jim Rome's continued commitment and enthusiasm for the radio medium as any of his million listeners will be too. Jim's style of entertainment has come to define the genre of sports talk radio. What we will do together over the next several years will be history making in the radio medium. He is today's talent to be reckoned with,'' said Kraig Kitchin, President/COO Premiere Radio Networks.

Perhaps the most respected voice in the world of sports broadcasting, Rome is one of the leading opinion-makers of his generation. As host of the nation's premiere sports radio talk show, Rome is an important arbiter in a chorus of sports media sycophants. Known for his aggressive, informed, rapid-fire dialogue, Rome has established himself as the top choice of athletes and fans when it is time to know what is going on beyond the scoreboard.

Rome's nationally syndicated radio program, ``The Jim Rome Show,'' a.k.a. ``The Jungle,'' airs on 185 radio stations each weekday and boasts more than two million listeners. But these are no ordinary listeners; they are a legion of fans known as ``the clones'' who live and breath for Rome's ``take'' on the day's larger issues of sport. It is his departure from conventional sports commentary that has resulted in Rome's unique dialogue with his listeners.

Rome is represented by Michael Rosenfeld of Creative Artists Agency and David Feldman of Bloom, Hergott, Diemer & Cook, LLP.

Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, syndicates more than 100 radio programs and services to more than 7,800 radio affiliations and reaches over 180 million listeners weekly. Premiere is the number one radio network in the country that features the following personalities: Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Jim Rome, Rick Dees, Casey Kasem, Dr. Dean Edell, Bob (Kevoian) & Tom (Griswold), Phil Hendrie, Leeza Gibbons, Michael Reagan, Art Bell, Blair Garner, Carson Daly, Jim Cramer, Kidd Kraddick, Suze Orman, Glenn Beck and others. Premiere is based in Sherman Oaks, California, with eleven offices nationwide.

Radio & Records (includes Arbitrons)
GO>>>
Terrorist Attacks Boost Interest In Limbaugh... Premiere Radio Networks talk host Rush Limbaugh's daily program appears as strong as ever, and a new Paragon Research study shows that listeners have taken a keen interest in Limbaugh following the Sept. 11 events and their aftermath. The surge in listening is particularly strong among younger listeners. Of the 379 people queried by Paragon who said they listen to Limbaugh regularly or occasionally, a net 30% of listeners said they listen more following the terrorist attacks. Among listeners under 25 (17% of the panel), 52% said they listen more. When asked a similar question about listening amid the ongoing war on terrorism, a net 24% of the panel said they listen to Limbaugh more, with 44% of under-25s listening more. More details on the Paragon study can be found in this week's issue of R&R.

Jones Radio Networks Launches Overnight N/T Show... AmericaLive will debut March 11 in the midnight-8am ET time period and gives radio stations in all time zones breaking news, interviews and interactive talk programming. Jerry Hudson, most recently morning host at WRVA/Richmond, will co-host the program with Talk veteran Tom Clendening. The program will be produced out of JRN-Seattle's studios, and Amy Bolton will oversee Affiliate Marketing for the program.

Inside Radio:
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Radio trade publication Gavin to close at the end of the month.... The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Gavin could not survive the consolidation in the radio and record industryİs and the convention business.

The British media company that owns Gavin, the long-standing San Francisco radio trade publication, will close it at the end of the month, sources close to the magazine say.

Gavin has lost a stream of top executives in the past few months.

Gavin's owners failed in efforts to sell the company to several prospective buyers, including famed record producer Phil Ramone.

Consolidation in both the record and radio industries has hurt the company's advertising base and convention attendance.

The Gavin Report was founded in 1958 by "Lucky Lager Dance Time" disc jockey Bill Gavin as a weekly mimeographed tip sheet on new records for radio stations. Over the years, Gavin developed a reputation as an honest man in a corrupt business, "a combination of Col. Sanders and Ralph Nader," one associate said. He died at age 77 in 1985, two years after selling his trade publication to his top staffers. They sold the operation in 1992 to British media conglomerate United Business Media, which publishes PR Newswire, among dozens of other trade publications.

Kurt Hanson
GO>>>
More on the royalty streaming issue. Live 365 may have to pay back royalties of $2,000,000! Details on this and more on his website!

Radio Ink:
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(2/22/02) Radio Streamers Say New Rate May End Commercial Streaming On Internet...

"We began crunching the numbers last night, and given the new royalty rates, the softness of the ad market, and the technology costs, this just isn't a viable business," Brian Parsons, director of technology, told CBS MarketWatch.com.

Kevin Shively, director of business development for Beethoven.com, said requirements that Webcasters collect 25 pieces of information about every song played and heard is the killer. "Even with automation and database capabilities, we simply cannot do what is being asked of us," he said in a post to RadioHorizon.com, a news Website about radio. "They choose to kill the goose without seeing what it can lay for them," Shively added in an interview.

The royalty rate recommendation satisfied neither the Record Industry Association of America nor some Webcasters. The RIAA wanted it higher than the approved 0.07 to 0.14 cents per Web listener, while the Digital Media Association's Jon Potter said that was too much. He said Webcasters' revenues are small and don't justify the proposed fees. CNet estimated, as an example, that AOL Time Warner's America Online could face a monthly royalty bill of $224,000.

The Copyright Office's decision is retroactive to Oct. 28, 1998, making Webcasters liable for payments that could run into millions of dollars. "I just don't know how we could have been any more clear about how expensive and about how little-to-no money we're making in this area," Dan Halyburton, a senior vice president with Susquehanna Radio, told The New York Times. "You just may have witnessed the end of commercial streaming on the Internet."

The opinion is subject to public comment for 60 days, after which the Copyright Office will make a final decision.

Radio World:
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NAB TO HONOR æTHE FATHER OF AUTOMATIONİ... This yearİs NAB Radio Engineering Award winner is Paul C. Schafer, president of Schafer International and considered the father of radio automation.

He founded Schafer Electronics in 1953, Schafer International in 1969 and the Schafer Digital Project in 1986.

He designed and installed the first "automation system" at KGEE, Bakersfield, Calif., in the 1950s. More than 1,000 Schafer Automation systems eventually were sold to stations.

NAB and Schafer have a history. The Schafer Automation System was included in field tests conducted by the association in 1955 to show that unattended remote control for radio transmitters was a sound idea.

"As a result of the data from these testsa the FCC amended the rules in 1957 to permit the remote control of all radio transmitters," it said.

News Wires (Feb 23, 2002)

News Wires (Feb 22, 2002)

The singer, who also admitted regrets about releasing a live version of his own greatest hits album, accused the music industry of churning out "average and mediocre" bands.

"Nowadays, record companies want the quick buck from the Backstreet Boys (news - web sites ), 'N Sync, Britney Spears, S Club 7, from the Steps. They've always been around, I'm not knocking the music perhaps, but it's like packets of cereal," he told the British Broadcasting Corp.'s Newsnight program Wednesday.

"There are too many of them, too many of them are just average and mediocre. And I think it damages real people's chance, real talent, of getting airplay. It's just fodder."

John, who co-writes his own songs with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, said pop videos also were a waste of time - though the video for his new single, "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore," features Justin Timberlake of 'N Sync dressed as John of the 1970s, complete with oversized glasses, receding hairline and gaudy clothes.

"If I was king of the music business and I would do one thing - I'd close down all the video stations and say let's just have music, can we?"

The 54-year-old singer admitted he "squirmed" over the release of his recorded live version of his greatest hits, "One Night Only."

"I shouldn't have done that album in a million years and I did and I regret doing it," he said.

Electronic Media:
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CBS, UPN will both run 'Amazing Race 2'... In the first major stroke of synergy between CBS and UPN, the sister Viacom-owned networks announced they will be taking on shared broadcast windows of CBS's reality series "The Amazing Race 2" next month. Essentially taking a delayed window, UPN will offer viewers second helpings of "Amazing Race 2" from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. (ET) Fridays -- two days after CBS has the first broadcast rights from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays. Under the repurposing plan, "The Amazing Race 2" will gets its first UPN run on Friday, March 15 with back-to-back episodes (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.) after CBS's premiere of the racing-adventure series in a special 10 p.m.-to-11 p.m. Monday, March 11, telecast and its regular time slot airing on Wednesday, March 13. The addition of "AR2" to UPN's 9 p.m. Friday hour is also intended to draw viewer sampling for the network's new 8 p.m.-to-9 p.m. reality series "Under One Roof" to debut on March 22. CBS and UPN officials view the multiplexing of "Amazing Race 2" as an opportunity for both networks to grow the show's audience circulation. While CBS had made significant year-to-year gains in the adults 18 to 49 demographic for "Amazing Race's" inaugural run last fall, the Eye Network feels there is an unduplicated audience that can be served through UPN's growing hold of the younger 18 to 34 demo set.

Sets 102 Update (Feb 22, 2002)

*LISTEN TO OUR WEEKEND SALUTE TO THE GRAMMY AWARDS!

The Artists you hear on SETS 102 are up for a ton of Grammys! SETS 102's artists lead the field for the 5th year in a row in total Grammy Nominations! Beginning at 3pm Friday, February 22nd with Robert in the Late Afternoon we'll be featuring these special artists in special SETS all weekend long. Then, Wednesday February 27th from 3-7pm Robert in the Late Afternoon gets you up close and personal with some of the SETS 102 Artists up for Grammy's ... Private performances just for our listeners... that really stand out... We're proud that they chose to be involved with SETS 102... It's a special preview of the Grammy's- That's next Wednesday from 3-7pm! Check out the Grammy's that night and see how we fair!

To take a look at SETS artists up for Grammy's click on the following link.

http://www.sets102.com/grammynomin2001.htm

*WIN CONCERT TICKETS AT SETS 102 BLUES NIGHT AT FAT KATZ

Friday Night Blues, this Friday, February 22nd with Nathan Lane and the Blues Pharoahs at Fat Katz in Encinitas (one block east of El Camino Real on Encinitas Boulevard)... Madison's seen them... They smoke... The fun starts at 9pm! Madison will be on site with tickets to the Blasters & The Beat Farmers and Robben Ford and Derek Trucks Band.

For more information click on this link

http://www.sets102.com/ConcertsPage.htm

*FREE TICKETS TO BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS!

Get Free tickets to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps... While Supplies Last. Just for Loyal Listeners... It's a SETS 102 Free-4-All! Click on the following link to find out more.

http://www.sets102.com/Free4AlllPage.htm

News Wires (Feb 22, 2002)

ABC Radio/L.A.: A 'Return To Realistic Budgeting'... That's how KABC, KLOS & KSPN/Los Angeles VP/GM John Davison described the sales slowdown at his stations following the terrorist events of Sept. 11. The slowdown, he says, was further compounded by the big dot-com year seen in 2000 and the fast-paced economy of the late '90s. He added that every U.S. company is seeking 20% growth rates. But, these companies "will now have to be realistic about how we do life." Davison made the comments at a panel discussion held at American Women in Radio & Television's L.A. Radio 2002 Luncheon yesterday. Among the other topics discussed: the rapidly changing roles of GMs and the effects of consolidation on the relationship between programming and sales. "It's not a war anymore," KKBT/L.A. PD Robert Scorpio said of the latter topic.

Electronic Media:
GO>>
KTTV news van crashes in Los Angeles: A Fox-owned, KTTV, Los Angeles, news van flipped over and crashed just outside Electronic Media's Los Angeles offices Friday around noon. The truck was totaled as well as the equipment inside. Henry Chua, the engineer who operated the truck, was taken to nearby Cedars Sinai Hospital, where he is expected to be kept overnight for observations. Mr. Chua had indicated that the truck's brakes may not have been working correctly, although the station said it regularly services the trucks. KTTV General Manager Dave Boylan would not comment, except to say they are investigating the accident.

News Wires (Feb 21, 2002)

News Wires (Feb 21, 2002)

The San Diego Reader Blurt - Various journalists
Radio Swami making waves in the sleepy San Diego and Orange Outland Counties.

92.1 Playlist 2-21-02

This Week's Playlist KFSD 92.1
1835 Aston Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008
P: (760) 729-1000 F:(760) 476-9604

PD: Michael Halloran
APD: Randy DeWitt
MD: Rick Savage Current playlist: 2/20/02

TW LW Title Artist(s) Label

26 31 Sensefield Save Yourself Network
28 43 Something Corporate If You See Jordan MCA
29 27 Good Charlotte Motivation Proclamation Epic
26 26 Joey Ramone What A Wonderful World Sanctuary
29 30 Gorillaz 19/2000 Dreamworks
26 28 Hoobastank Crawling In The Dark Island Def Jam
27 27 Jimmy Eat World The Middle Dreamworks
27 28 Offspring Defy You Nitro
27 27 P.O.D. Youth Of A Nation Sony
28 26 Saves the Day Freakish Vagrant
19 22 Default Wasting My Time TVT
13 14 Trik Turner Friends and Family RCA
9 15 Abandoned Pools The Remedy Ecstasy
16 16 Sum*41 Motivation Island Def Jam
30 29 Ryan Adams New York New York Island Def Jam
29 30 Bad Religion Sorrow Epitaph
26 27 Blink-182 First Date MCA
27 26 Dashboard Confessional ScreamingaVagrant
50 26 Starsailor Good Souls Capitol
49 53 Unwritten Law Seeinİ Red Interscope
26 27 The White Stripes Hello Operator Sympathy
25 25 X-ecutioners Its Goinİ Down Columbia
16 19 A.F.I. Days Of The Phoenix Nitro
8 14 B.R.M.C Whatever Happened To My RockİnİRoll Virgin
19 16 Convoy Gone So Quick Tomorrow Hybrid
15 12 Everlast Love For Real Tommy Boy
13 18 Fenix TX Phoebe Cates MCA
12 11 Flickerstick Beautiful Epic
18 14 Incubus Nice To Know You Epic
15 15 Lit Addicted RCA
17 15 Marilyn Manson Tainted Love Maverick
13 9 Alanis Morissette Hands Clean Maverick
27 30 Nickelback Too Bad Roadrunner
16 13 Stone Temple Pilots Revolution Atlantic
51 53 Sugarcult Bouncing Off The Walls Ultimatum
31 28 Sneaker Pimps Sick Tommy Boy
23 15 Adema The Way You Like It Arista
18 20 South Too Much Too Soon Kinetic
13 18 Kid Rock Lonely Road Of Faith Atlantic
13 14 Zoo Story Star 333/Universal
19 18 Injected Faithless Island Def Jam
17 3 Tenacious D Tribute Epic
17 15 Moth I See Sound Virgin
20 21 Stereophonics Have A Nice Day Fat Cat
16 20 System Of A Down Toxicity Columbia
13 16 Tantric Mourning Maverick
15 14 Eddie Vedder Youİve Got To Hide Your Love Away V2
15 21 Staind For You Elektra
14 17 Pete Yorn Strange Condition Columbia
19 19 Mest Motherİs Prayer Maverick

ADDS

GOB I Hear You Calling Nettwerk
Coldplay Donİt Panic Capital

News Wires (Feb 21, 2002)

MORE WIRES

KRLA sheds "NewsTalk," becomes SmartTalk on Feb 18 http://www.radiodailynews.com/mkh.htm

LA's Christian radio hasn't spent much time sitting back and idling http://www.latimes.com/tcn/glendale/news/la-gn0022044feb18.story

LA Freeways: Radio reporting on freeway conditions has a lingo all its own READ

News Wires (Feb 20, 2002)

News Wires (Feb 20, 2002)

News Wires (Feb 20, 2002)

Send In The News

Winter Olympics XIX Update (Feb 19, 2002)

Messageboard Chatter: Cool 94.3 is Crappy as Ever (Feb 19, 2002)

Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever

Posted by 80s freak on 2/18/2002, 13:43:30

Why does Astor insist on having a nearly all current format on 94.3? I was hoping when I heard that Cool would be "alternative," but "appeal to adults," it would play lots of(perhaps 50%) late 70s-early 90s alternative in addition to the currents and late 90s alternative, minus any hard-edged stuff (Korn, Limp Bizkit, etc) and non-alternative pop (ie Nelly Furtado). But no, probably 80-90% of the songs on Cool are from the second half of the 90s through today, and not everything is alternative. I heard Nelly Furtado on Cool (this doesn't fit any type of "alternative" or modern rock).

I also haven't heard any flashback show yet. Does anyone know if Cool will have one?

As always, LA radio is crap. Unfortunately Cool isn't making it any better; it is just a slightly more alternative-leaning Star 98.7.

Yes, there are ways of dealing with LA's crappy radio, but no good ones. I could buy a high-performance radio so I could always listen to San Diego radio from Long Beach(it would be nice to have B94.9 and Sets 102), but both of those stations are far from perfect in terms of my tastes (B has a very skimpy playlist and Sets can play stuff from the 60s to today), so its not really worth the expense in my view. There is satellite radio, but the initial costs are fairly high and there's a monthly fee, plus satellite radio is not a guaranteed success, which means I could get stuck with a $300 receiver that does nothing.

There's also internet radio, which helps, but it seems like most of the 80s stations are either too pop-based or play only super-obscure stuff. I listen to KRCK now, which plays a lot of 80s alternative, but still doesn't play many of the songs I like. It also plays the same songs in the same order, and plays some crap like Abba's "Dancing Queen." I can tape 80s shows like the Flashback Lunch, Star 98.7 Totally 80s, and 91X Ressurection Sunday, but it is not nearly as good to listen to tapes of shows I've already listened to as an actual station.

A problem with all of these solutions is that I can't use any of them outside my house. I don't know of any personal radio that can get good reception of SD stations from Long Beach (if there is one it's probably outrageously expensive), there are no Walkman-type devices for satellite radio, I must be near a computer to listen to internet radio, and I need a VCR to listen to anything I tape off the VCR (I often need the VCR for taping since it can use 6-hour tapes and has a timer).

Re: Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever -

Posted by peter on 2/18/2002, 16:15:50 , in reply to "Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever"

For all of what you said, the same reason KROQ is almost all currents these days. Ever since Kevin W. (KROQ PD) arrived, it was his mission to make KROQ a currents only radio station. To some extent he succeeded. Remember when they eliminated the flashback lunch? If it was only up to him, there would be no more flashbacks period. It is only the listeners with much pressure did he change his mind and put it back on the air.

LA is the best market in the country for an 80's alternative flashback station but no one has enough balls to do it. That is why Star and to some extent KROQ services that void, in a very lame and commercial way.

Re: Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever -

Posted by 80s freak on 2/18/2002, 18:22:24 , in reply to "Re: Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever - "

Its one thing for KROQ to be all currents but the flashback lunch, but this means Cool should emphasize currents less, not more. Also, I would suspect that a large reason KROQ does not play older stuff is that it would be a major turn off to listeners simply because it is too soft.

Cool still plays some soft stuff, but its Lilith Fair type crap rather than late 70s, 80s, and early 90s alternative.

If Astor insists on currents, why not try a 50-50 mix of the less hard edged alternative of the later 90s and today and late 70s-early 90s alternative? This could take some listeners away from Star 98.7, while also attracting fans of 80s alternative who only tune in to the radio during KROQ's flashback lunch and Star's Totally 80s Sunday Night.

Cool's radio format, as it is, will probably take few listeners from anyone. Most KROQ listeners are not going to switch to Cool, at least as it is, and I doubt many Star listeners will either.

Re: Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever

Posted by AntennaMan on 2/18/2002, 14:10:28 , in reply to "Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever"

Buy a directional rooftop antenna from Radio Shack and point it South. Get some wire and connect it. Total Cost: About $35. Or download a lot of Mp3 files and play them.

Re: Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever

Posted by 80s freak on 2/18/2002, 16:55:30 , in reply to "Re: Cool Radio is as crappy and worthless as ever"

I already have a $100 high-performance rooftop antenna (the APS-9 from Antenna Performance Specialties, which supposedly has a front/back ratio of 23 dB). Of course I also use a Bose Wave Radio, which is not the best for selectivity or sensitivity. I can get clear reception B94.9 only about half of the time with this setup, and only rarely can I get clear reception of Sets 102. I could probably get clear reception all or nearly all of the time of these stations with a real DXing radio, but I don't feel like shelling out the cash to get these stations, since these stations are far from perfect. B94.9's playlist is skimpy and boring because there are so many songs I know I will never hear on B. Sets plays some good 80s music, but plays stuff from the 60s to today, and still does not play many of my favorite songs.

News Wires (Feb 18, 2002)

(Identifying the station as 'SmartTalk' gives us a more competitive edge in the market,ö stated Dave Armstrong, vice president/general manager of KRLA and the Salem Los Angeles cluster. (Increasingly, we see the word 'smart' used to identify products, indicating that an educated choice is being made by the consumer. We feel that this suits both KRLAİs on-air talent as well as our listeners.ö

Salem Los Angeles is a division of New Inspiration Broadcasting Inc. and is owned and operated by Salem Communications Corporation, a Christian broadcasting company with radio stations located in 34 markets. Salem's Los Angeles stations include KKLA-FM 99.5, contemporary Christian music station KFSH-FM 95.9 The Fish, conservative talk KRLA-AM 870 AM and sister station 590 AM and Internet-only station Christian Pirate Radio (CPR).

SmartTalk 870 AM KRLA can be heard worldwide via the Internet at http://www.smarttalk870.com