TV Wires (Mar 16, 2002)

"Hey Laaadeee!" France's favorite comedian, Jerry Lewis, turns 76 today. Anyone got a tymphany for him?

Electronic Media:
GO>>
'March Madness' takes grip on CBS! CBS Sports' coverage of the first round of the 2002 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Thursday (noon to 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 12:45 a.m., ET) earned an overall 5.0 household rating/11 share in Nielsen Media Research's metered markets

Radio Business Report:
GO>>>
PAX TV ON THE SELLING BLOCK? Paxson stock jumps amid rumors of buyout! RBR Executive Editor Jack Messmer, in New York covering the Kagan Seminar reports rumors that Paxson Communications may have found a buyer. The company's stock soared 3/14, amid speculation that a suitor is close to a takeover bid. See the website for further information.

Introducing John McKimson (March 16, 2002)

I work as an assistant editor and webmaster of davesfunstuff.com among other things, including making sure that the links and other pages are working properly, as well as suggest some topics for this website and I may have a few "What's My Beefs" of my own to talk about such as the one thing that really bothers me the most (hint: it occurred Thursday).

If you have any radio articles, just send them in and I'll edit them as I go along.

We're Blowing Out the Magic Mountain Coupons

You must send them here: David Tanny, PO Box 19569, San Diego, CA 92159-0569! No other address is eligible to receive the stickers, so if you misspell anything, it goes somewhere else.

Radio Wires (Mar 16, 2002)

"Hey Laaadeee!" France's favorite comedian, Jerry Lewis, turns 76 today. Anyone got a tymphany for him?

New Radio Star:
GO>>>
JOHN SYKES NAMED CHAIRMAN/CEO OF INFINITY RADIO..LARRY WILSON LEAVES CITADEL (March 15, 2002 5:56pm) Mel Karmizin named former VH1/CMT President John Sykes to the top position at Infinity radio today. Both video networks are part of Infinity owned Viacom. Sykes will report directly to Karmizin. Dan Mason remains as President of Infinity and will report to Sykes while Wally Kelly, President/CEO of Viacom Outdoor will report directly to Karmizin. Sykes takes over the post that was basically held by formerly held by Farid Suleman. Suleman left Infinity for Citadel and the CEO job there. Larry Wilson, one of the founders of Citadel had been Chairman/CEO and retained the Chairman title after Sulman joined. Meanwhile, yesterday Wilson reportedly sent out a company wide notice that he was leaving completely for personal reasons. Back at VH1, MTV/VH1 head Judy McGrath will take over Sykes duties at both VH1 and CMT as MTV Networks Chairman and CEO Tom Freston promotes McGrath to the new position of President, MTV Networks Music Group.

Radio Wires (Mar 15, 2002)

Radio & Records (includes Arbitrons)
GO>>>
Salon: RIAA Pondering Tougher Payola Rules From FCC... An article by Eric Boehlert yesterday delves into the world of independent record promoters by claiming that labels are readying "an offensive of their own" by asking the government to draw up strict guidelines that would essentially put indies out of business. In fact, Salon says the RIAA - working on behalf of the major record labels - may soon ask the FCC for stricter rules regarding payola. While label sources tell the publication they're unsure what a new system would resemble, they state they do not want to continue with the current setup. The story won't die down anytime soon, either: Two national TV news operations are said to be preparing primetime stories about independent record promotion to radio.

Many News Wires
A certain New York radio station flips to outdated hip hop and R&B format... When you really get right down to it, hip hop and slow R&B are no longer in vogue, yet a certain big radio conglomerate thinks otherwise as it launches a format with unhip acts such as Ja Rule, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Usher, Alicia Keys and Ginuwine, none of which produced any memorable songs in the past five years while this year's Grammy awards featuring the above acts as nominees suffered its lowest ratings ever in Nielsen's and in quality. Is this one of the biblical signs of the armegeddon? Uneducated corporate radio suits and programmers such as Steve Smith just can't get anything right!

New Radio Star:
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NARM CONVENTION ENDS... PRESIDENT HOROVITZ ATTACKS RIAA POSITION ON MUSIC COPYRIGHT ISSUES... There's another long time, record company organization other than the RIAA. It's called NARM..National Association of Retail Merchandisers. NARM is made up of record stores, distributors, rack jobbers, one stops and anyone that has to do with selling a physical "record" (better known as a CD or "product" these days) across a counter. NARM holds a convention every year and they've just finished up the event in San Francisco. About 1800 people attended, down from 2100 last year, and surprisingly the event was not only up beat, but it sounded very little like their manufacturer counterpart, the RIAA. Executive VP Jim Donio told New Radio Star that while some retailers have gone out of business, others were flourishing, explaining they have found "niche markets and provided special customer service" that consumers could not get on line. And he said the future of record store shopping was good, explaining that the "shopping..social experience" was not going away...more on this story here... http://newradiostar.com/NEWS/NARM0313.htm

Kurt Hanson
GO>>>
In one of the first major reactions to the recent Library of Congress CARP ruling, top-rated Internet-only Webcaster MediAmazing has quietly switched to a subscription-only model and has eliminated all free streams. Since last weekend, MediAmazing listeners who hit the "Play" button have been met with a screen asking for $3.95/month (or $35.55/year) to listen to a commercial-free stream. Read Hanson's site for more on that.

Media Week:
GO>>>
FCC Protects Cable Internet Lines... Federal regulators on Thursday exempted cable Internet companies from laws that force telecommunications providers to open their lines to competition.

The Federal Communications Commission, in a 3-1 vote, said the decision was necessary to spark more investment in high-speed Internet services.

The decision would "promote our goal of fostering a minimal regulatory environment that promotes investment and innovation in this competitive market," Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy said.

Radio Wires (Mar 14, 2002)

Los Angeles Times: http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-TV-X!ArticleDetail-53367,00.html
Clear Channel Drawing Static...Radio: No. 1 broadcaster disputes critics who say it conceals stations to evade FCC ownership caps... How many radio stations does Clear Channel Communications Inc. really own? Some advertisers and competing broadcasters have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission, alleging that the media giant has evaded federal law and misled regulators by taking control of radio stations above the ownership limit in various markets by warehousing them in front companies. "The problem is that you have a company that's been told not to own radio stations in certain markets and has decided it's going to control those radio stations anyway," said Arthur Belendiuk, a Washington communications attorney who filed the petitions opposing Clear Channel's proposed purchases of two stations. Read more about it at their website Clear Channel, the nation's biggest broadcaster, claims ownership of "approximately" 1,225 stations and said it fully complies with federal law, which forbids owning more than eight stations in a particular market. "The FCC has reviewed every one of our transactions and we've abided by the rules," said Clear Channel spokeswoman Pam Taylor. "We just happen to be really good at maximizing flexibility under the rules that are in place." However, FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell in a letter last month said the agency was "considering carefully" the issues raised by opponents of Clear Channel's planned acquisition of an Ohio station. Powell added that the FCC had initiated proceedings to examine the effects of the consolidation that has swept the radio industry in the last six years. The San Antonio-based chain said it has entered various deals to control sales or programming at about 75 stations beyond the ones it already owns. Under local marketing agreements, Clear Channel can take over another station's programming, and with joint sales agreements, it sells the station's advertising time. In most cases under these arrangement, Clear Channel pays a fee to the station's owner and seeks to sell enough advertising to cover its costs and still earn a profit. Small radio chains that struck such deals with Clear Channel say they operate independently of the conglomerate. The chains say they have merely turned the FCC limits into a business opportunity by buying stations the conglomerate could not, then auctioning back the advertising operations as allowed by the agency. Much of Clear Channel's involvement with such marketing and joint sales deals flows through San Antonio lawyer Van H. Archer III, who has stakes in companies that own 15 radio stations, several in markets where Clear Channel is legally barred from owning any more. All 15 of the stations have sold back their advertising rights to Clear Channel, Archer said. Archer also has ties to Clear Channel. He incorporated Clear Channel's charitable arm, the Clear Channel Communications Foundation, in 1999. In addition, Clear Channel put up $2 million in the mid-1990s to guarantee a NationsBank loan provided to a firm called Mercury Broadcasting Inc., according to regulatory filings. Texas state records show Archer is 100% owner of Mercury Broadcasting. In an interview, Archer said his arrangements with Clear Channel had "no impropriety." He said the financing for his companies comes from other sources and added that any Clear Channel loan guarantee "definitely does not ring a bell." He said an accounting executive at Clear Channel had asked him to incorporate the conglomerate's nonprofit foundation. Archer said his stations entered the advertising agreements with Clear Channel because it is "a company that's been around for a long time, and they're going to be around for a long time." "They're reputable people," he said, "and I don't have to worry about them not paying the [advertising] fees." Harry Martin, an attorney for Archer's firms, said: "My clients have put their own money in. These are far from being front companies." The industry long has been rife with rumors that broadcasters have concealed stations to sidestep federal ownership caps, which until the mid-1990s forbade a company to own more than four stations in a market and 40 nationally. But the new allegations are focused on radio's biggest player at a time when media companies are bracing for a new round of consolidation. Clear Channel, once a modest broadcasting chain, expanded dramatically after the 1996 deregulation of the radio industry. The company vaulted to the top of the business in a series of massive acquisitions, and today it owns about 10% of the nation's radio stations. Regulators approved some of the acquisitions on the condition that Clear Channel sell certain stations to prevent it from accumulating unfair power over programming or advertising rates in some cities. As part of Clear Channel's $24-billion merger with AMFM Inc., for example, the company agreed to divest 110 stations. But critics say Clear Channel appears to control the obscure companies buying some of the divested stations. In other cases, Clear Channel is overstepping the bounds of the traditional joint sales agreement, which would allow it to sell air time for another station, by taking full control of the station's management, according to the petitions filed with the FCC. As part of the AMFM deal in 2000, Clear Channel agreed to divest KBRQ-FM in Waco, Texas. The station, along with at least five others, was sold to Chase Radio, a small Texas-based firm of which Archer is 49% owner. In November, Chase Radio asked the FCC to approve a plan to sell the station back to Clear Channel. A petition filed by Belendiuk in January alleges that Clear Channel already runs Chase Radio's stations. According to the document, Clear Channel filed an employment report disclosing that it had employees working at KBRQ. Moreover, Clear Channel's Web site said the executive overseeing its Waco stations also managed KBRQ. Clear Channel also filed engineering documents on behalf of the station, the petition states. Martin, an attorney for Chase Radio, said the company withdrew its request to sell the station before Belendiuk filed his petition. He said Chase had concluded that federal regulators would probably reject the deal on the grounds that Clear Channel would have too much of the Waco advertising market. Martin also disputed the allegations in Belendiuk's petition. Martin said Chase Radio previously entered a local marketing agreement and handed control of some operations over to Clear Channel but didn't have to disclose it initially because the station's signal was redirected so it wouldn't overlap with Clear Channel's stations nearby. He said the engineering report was filed as a Clear Channel document by mistake. The FCC has yet to rule on another sale opposed by Belendiuk. In November, he petitioned the FCC to deny a request by Clear Channel to buy WKKJ-FM in Chillicothe, Ohio. The station once belonged to Jacor Communications, which agreed to sell WKKJ and other stations to secure approval for its acquisition of a rival. So Jacor sold WKKJ to Secret Communications II, a small firm owned by Frank E. Wood, Jacor's former president. In August 1999, Secret entered into a time-brokerage agreement handing control of programming and advertising to Concord Media Group Inc. But Belendiuk's petition alleges that Concord is a front company run by Clear Channel. Concord's president is Mark Jorgenson, a radio broker who has negotiated station sales for Clear Channel. As in the case of the Waco station, the petition cites Clear Channel regulatory filings as evidence that it controls Concord stations. Concord Media said it entered a joint sales agreement with Clear Channel in June 1999, and that agreement was not disclosed in other FCC filings, Concord said, because such information was not required. Concord said Belendiuk unfairly criticizes the company for doing business in markets where Clear Channel has a heavy concentration of stations. "It would very difficult to purchase a station where Clear Channel does not have a presence," Concord Media said in legal filing. Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a consumer advocacy law firm, said the questions surrounding Clear Channel's relationships with small companies such as Chase underscore deregulation's flaws. The 1996 telecommunications overhaul "was supposed to end these evasions by making the broadcaster limits high enough to satisfy all but the greediest," Schwartzman said. "The greediest have kept at it."

Radio Wires (Mar 13, 2002)

Viacom divisions to simultaneously cut their programming for prize giveaway... MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1 will cut into their regular programming at 8pm March 26th for a live two-minute promo-cum-prize giveaway hyping paramount Pictures "Clockstoppers". All 13 networks have begun the promotional teasers for the grand prize, which includes a grand-prize trip or $10,000 in cash. Viacom will funnel the two-minute promotional piece to 180 Infinity radio station and seven different web sites.

79% of men 18+ listen to radio each day according to Interep's latest study... "About Men/Demographic, Spending and Media Profiles show men 18-34 are 25% more likely to be heavy radio users than the average adult. That's compared to 22% more likely to be heavy magazine readers and 12% more likely to be heavy Internet users. Men 18-34 consume 157 minutes of radio each day verses 126 minutes of TV. Men 35-44 consume 166 minutes of radio per day compared to 112 minutes of TV. Radio still remains the primary medium option for advertising to men. Male consumers in key ad demos tend to be higher users of radio ages 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. Men 18+ listen to 21 hours and 45 seconds of radio each week.

Radio Business Report:
GO>>>
Clear Channel, Infinity, Entercom, Salem, Susquehanna challenge CARP recommendations (3/12)... Less than a month after the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel, (CARP) set the rate recommendations for streaming media performance royalties (RBR 2/25, p.2), five major groups along with The National Religious Broadcasters Music License Committee filed a petition (3/11) asking the U.S. Copyright Office to reject or reduce those rates. Clear Channel, Infinity, Entercom, Salem and Susquehanna wrote the appeal, claiming CARP erred when it set the rate of .07 cents per song for radio rebroadcasts and .14 cents per song for Internet-only webcasters, plus a 9% ephemeral license fee. The rates were "arbitrary, confiscatory and unreasonable; reflect a mistaken view of the governing legal standard; result from a constricted notion of the nature and kinds of evidence that are probative in arriving at reasonable fees; fail to find support in the record...[and] will drive broadcasters and webcasters from the Internet," the letter read. The groups asked the US Copyright office librarian to void the decision (the librarian oversees the nation's copyright royalty payments) and suggested a different set of rates/terms: "Viewing the issue most conservatively, the rate to which 'most' willing buyers and willing sellers would agree for radio broadcast simulcasting should fall somewhere close to, and most likely below, the unadjusted musical works benchmark of .02 cents."

Radio Horizon:
GO>>>
Morpheus Shutdown Shows Plug Can Be Pulled On Peer-To-Peer (SonicNet) If you've tried to download a song using Morpheus lately, you probably know that the most popular file-swapping software doesn't work. Although an operable preview of a new version was made available Saturday, the shuttering of Morpheus on February 26 shattered the commonly held belief that file sharing without the use of a central server couldn't be stopped. Software like Morpheus, Kazaa and Grokster was thought to be shielded from the kind of plug-pulling that brought down Napster in July. Unlike Napster - which cataloged its available files on a central server that, if disabled, rendered the program impotent - these applications operate on a peer-to-peer system, meaning users trade files directly, without a server between them. Even executives at StreamCast Networks, the distributors of Morpheus, believed a blackout was impossible, according to a company spokesperson. The evidence, however, suggests otherwise. Whether it's a backdoor to the application or a remote bug embedded in the code, somewhere or somehow, there seems to be a way to flip the off switch on peer-to-peer applications too. A federal judge just might insist the switch be thrown on Morpheus, Kazaa and Grokster, since all are being sued by the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America for copyright infringement, the same charge that brought Napster to a halt. On Monday, the case went before U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson, who scheduled a trial date for September 30. The defense's position is that their products, like VCRs or photocopiers, have other, legal applications and therefore, the copyright holders should look to prosecute users and not the software itself. Since February 26, people attempting to run Morpheus software - which has been downloaded more than 51 million times, according to CNET Networks - were confronted with a pop-up message that instructed them to upgrade the application. However, no upgrade was available on the StreamCast Networks Web site. Instead there was a message from StreamCast/Morpheus CEO Steve Griffin, who said the software and its users were under attack. The reason for the shutdown isn't completely clear. Theories ranging from competitor sabotage to StreamCast's inability to pay licensing fees to for the FastTrack peer-to-peer software employed by Morpheus. The crippling of its competitor wasn't lost on Kazaa, which posted a note on its Web site a day after the shutdown: "Morpheus users, come on over to our place ... you'll feel quite at home." Two days later, new Kazaa software made converting from Morpheus as simple as clicking a mouse. The program interface was similar, replacing Morpheus' blue color scheme with Kazaa's lime-green one. StreamCast's company line says the lockout resulted from a licensing disagreement with Sharman Networks, which offered an upgrade of its FastTrack software to Grokster and Kazaa, but for reasons unknown left Morpheus out of the loop, their spokesperson said. Denied access to FastTrack, the preview of the new Morpheus uses Gnutella technology - another, albeit less popular, peer-to-peer system. When Morpheus, Grokster and Kazaa all operated on FastTrack, users could share files across the platforms. Now that Morpheus uses the Gnutella system, like the file-swapping applications LimeWire and BearShare, its pool of available songs has shrunk. Although temporarily shaken and perhaps knocked down a peg, Morpheus isn't showing signs of rolling over yet. CEO Griffin recently announced plans for something of pay-per-play service, in which audio and video files are "wrapped" in code that requires users to execute a task, which could mean anything from paying a fee to viewing an ad, before opening the file. The new service is expected to launch in the next four weeks, a spokesperson said.

L.A.R.P. Radio Birthday (Mar 14, 2002)

 Rick Dees: 1950 (is 52 in 2002,  53 in 2003)
    Radio Disc Jock, Comedian, Novelty Singer, Songwriter, TV Talk Show
    Host, b. in Jacksonville, FL; RN:Rigdon Osmond Dees III; ...& His Cast
    of Idiots (Disco Duck) Solid Gold, KIIS Los Angeles, Into the Night;
    some say b. 1951

Also see the Demented Datebook, and Holiday Almanac there.

Partridge Beats Brady (Mar 14, 2002)

Vanilla Ice was mercifully iced by Todd Bridges. Bonaduce pounded Barry in bunches. Then Tonya pounded Paula.

Airing Wednesday night, the Fox TV special "Celebrity Boxing" (more aptly described as "When Has-Beens Go Bad") provided an answer to the question, What should you do with the formerly famous?

Of course! Let them beat each other up.

At least some of the fighters saw stars in the ring, even if viewers didn't. The matchups, taped last week at a Los Angeles TV station, were billed as official three-round contests. (Although the studio audience heard two conflicting rulings from the judges for each contest, so the official outcome wouldn't get out before airtime.)

Ring announcer Michael Buffer got things started with his trademark "Let's get ready to rumblllllllllle!"

"Let's Get Ready To Rumble" is a registered trademark of Michael Buffer. All Rights Reserved.

"Brady Bunch" alum Barry Williams squared off against wiry Danny Bonaduce, late of "The Partridge Family." After getting knocked down repeatedly, the paunchy former Greg Brady threw in the towel in Round 2.

"I wasn't hurt," insisted Williams. "I was dazed."

Then the mostly forgotten rapper Vanilla Ice, who is now (little) known as Rob Van Winkle, battled Todd Bridges, who played Willis in the 1980s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." After Van Winkle got more than a rapping through three full rounds, Bridges won the match in a decision as he literally ripped Van Winkle in the ring!

Then came the dangerous divas: a rough-looking Tonya Harding and grinning Paula Jones (a last-minute replacement for "Long Island Lolita" Amy Fisher, whose parole board forced her to withdraw).

Jones became a household name after claiming Bill Clinton made an unwelcome sexual advance on her in 1991. In 1994, figure-skating champ Harding was involved in a bungled plot to disable rival Nancy Kerrigan. She later pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was banned for life by the U.S. Figure Skating Association.

But that doesn't mean she can't box. After the first round, during which Jones was competitive, Harding walloped her rival in the second round. The fight was stopped in the third.

"She did well," Harding said afterward. "It wasn't a cat fight."

Replied Jones, who maybe couldn't have been a contender, "I gave it my best shot."

Wasn't First Time Danny Bonaduce Fought in a Grudge Match (January 17, 1994)

Stolen from http://www.tvo.org/tvo/offthehook/FOFdonny.html

Radio Wires (Mar 14, 2002)

Radio Wires (Mar 14, 2002)

KSON's 14th Annual St. Jude Radiothon (Mar 14, 2002)

To date, you have helped to raise over $5 million and we encourage you to once again be a part of this great event!

You can help KSON and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital fight the deadly diseases that afflict children here in San Diego by becoming a Partner In Hope. There are two ways you can do this.

Beginning Thursday, you can call 619-588-1122 anytime during the Radiothon hours.

If you get the time, stop by Parkway Plaza on Thursday or Friday and say hi.

As always, thank you for all your help and for proving that Country Cares for St. Jude Kids!

News Wires (Mar 13, 2002)

Visit their website at http://www.ZENtertainment.com/

Copyright and Credit: All Contents Copyright 1995-2001 ZENtertainment. All Rights Reserved. ZENtertainment is a Trademark of Sean Jordan. Excerpts Used with Permission by the List Owner. These twice-weekly reports run about 40-50,000 bytes long covering TV, Movies, Books, and others. GO>>

Reality TV "Hits" a New Low With CELEBRITY BOXING
-
The hour-long CELEBRITY BOXING special airing this Wednesday 
night at 9, on FOX, will feature legitimate matches between 
Tonya Hardling & Paula Jones, Danny Bonaduce & Barry Williams, 
and Todd Bridges & Vanilla Ice.


CHEERS Reunion on Upcoming FRASIER
-
CHEERS stars John Ratzenberger, Rhea Perlman, and George 
Wendt will guest star on the April 30th episode of FRASIER.
The episode will have Frasier returning to Boston to 
convince mailman Cliff not to retire and move away, 
much to the dismay of Carla and Norm.


E! Acquires SNL Rights
-
E! has acquired the multiyear rights to all 625 episodes 
of NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and will begin airing 
episodes from the current season this fall.
SNL is also expected to keep airing on COMEDY CENTRAL 
until at least the end of 2003.
In related news, LORD OF THE RINGS star Sir Ian McKellen 
will host SNL this weekend, with musical guest Kylie Minogue.
http://www.eonline.com


Falwell Launches LIBERTY Channel
-
Dr. Jerry Falwell, who last made headlines after accusing 
feminists, gays, and lesbians for bringing on the 9/11 
attack on America, has launched The LIBERTY Channel, 
a national educational cable TV network full of 
family-friendly programming for evangelical conservatives.
Available on cable and satellite, LIBERTY's programming 
includes shows hosted by Falwell, Larry Klayman (Judicial 
Watch), and syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams, as 
well as preaching past and present from the THOMAS ROAD 
BAPTIST CHURCH in Virginia.
http://www.thelibertychannel.org


FOX May Launch Latenight Talkshow
-
According to The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, FOX is 
considering launching a latenight talkshow.
The network may go with a new face for the show, 
but they've also recently met with Tom Green, 
D.L. Hughley, and Orlando Jones about the gig.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com


New MUPPETS Series in the Works at FOX
-
JIM HENSON TV has teamed up with TEAM TODD (Austin 
Powers, Memento) and FOX Broadcasting to develop 
a new MUPPETS series.
While still in the early stages of development, 
the new show will feature a new take on the Muppet 
series, and will feature a number of new characters 
alongside Kermit and Miss Piggy and co..
In related news, PALISADES will release its first 
series of MUPPET SHOW action figures this May.
http://www.palisadestoys.com


CARTOON Network Announces New Orders & Acquisitions
-
The CARTOON Network recently announced several major 
programming initiatives for the coming year, including 
new series and over 100 new episodes of original programming.
Highlights include:
- 26 new episodes of JUSTICE LEAGE & SAMURAI JACK
- 13 new episodes of GRIM & EVIL, AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE, SEALAB 
2021, and THE BRAK SHOW
- 20 new episodes of HARVEY BIRDMAN - ATTORNEY-AT-LAW and THE 
POWERPUFF GIRLS
- 13 episodes of canceled WB series MISSION HILL and THE OBLONGS
- A JOHNNY BRAVO Valentine's Day special for 2003
- 54 new DRAGON BALL Z episodes, starting in September
- 38 new DRAGONBALL episodes this year
- 54 episodes of HAMTARO, starting in July
- New series WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ROBOT JONES? and CODENAME: KIDS 
NEXT DOOR
- A Saturday night action edition of ADULT SWIM featuring anime 
series YU YU HAKUSHO, GUNDAM 0083, and PILOT CANDIDATE
http://cartoonnetwork.com


ZEN QUICK HITS:
- ABC has canceled THE CHAIR
- This week's SURVIVOR airs on CBS Wednesday night
- WOLF LAKE will premiere on UPN on April 3rd
- HBO will air an 8-episode season of BASEBALL WIVES

Clear Channel San Diego News Blackout? (Mar 13, 2002)

"I thought you were going to cover more radio news about San Diego radio, and you're covering less, you lazy bum!" says one reader. "What about the one-year anniversary of the high school shooting or radio coverage of the David Westmore case? You sure have gotten out of touch" says another e-mailer.

Funny enough, upon tracing of the e-mails with dummy e-mail names, the whois website on the Internet determined that these "complaints" were coming from people using Clear Channel e-mail accounts. There they go again.

Well, Clear Channel, let's talk about the difference between using news for public service vs. using news for a strictly commercial purpose. It seems to me that with all these publicity stunts Clear Channel San Diego has been doing, you would think that they really care about the folks in the San Diego Outland. Well, I've got news for you, folks. How many plugs for the Clear Channel stations have you seen during the local TV news (another corrupted operation, especially KGTV's so-called "leadership" slogan) coverage of these "public service" stunts? Is Clear Channel really doing these things just to get free plugs for their radio properties I don't need to name here?

C'mon, now. What's the point of exploting a dead little girl in last week's so-called Danielle van Dam virgil if you're not going to get some cheap plugs to the public's eyes and ears about your "Death Star" properties? This is radio news simply going beyond what is tasteful and turning the story about a dead kidnapped little girl into a virgil that is strictly commercial. Isn't it enough for radio news to just report the facts on the airwaves on the news outlets without turning a tragedy into a public outing for their listeners?

This is why I refuse to give Clear Channel any plugs on my website about their self-promoting stunts that serve no purpose other than to direct the ill-informed Outlanders in San Diego towards free plugs for their sorry excuse of their radio station lineup.

Speaking of not caring about the San Diego Outland, just scan the radio dial among their 11 properties in the San Diego Outland area. Do you hear diversity? No. What do you hear? Radio stations programmed strictly by the factor of period piece. Radio stations leaning mostly towards soft music. Radio stations leaning too conservative in playlists for music and viewpoints in talk. Radio stations that program different versions of the same genre spread out over 2-3 stations. Radio stations that offer basically nothing of interest to the intelligent San Diego Outland music fan.

Clear Channel is really missing out on opportunities to make people want to listen to their stations. Their new "My" and "Cool" brands are dull and bland; those morons there just can't get anything right!

Where's the diversity, Clear Channel? And I'm not talking about different versions of adult contemporary or rock or oldies. Where's the diversity? I just don't hear it!

Radio Wires (Mar 13, 2002)

Inside Radio:
GO>>>
Westwood One signs O'Reilly... Bill O'Reilly's "The Radio Factor" will launch May 7th and will be carried on ABC's KABC-AM, Los Angeles up against Rush Limbaugh in that market. The other major affiliate is WOR-AM, New York where O'Reilly will air from 3pm-5pm displacing The Bob Grant Show. The national list of affiliates will be announced shortly. Grant will stay with the station in another time period. Westwood One will re-feed O'Reilly during the day giving affiliates options. Westwood One's signing of Bill O'Reilly was first reported in Inside Radio Daily Fax November 28, 2001 in spite of denials. The edgy O'Reilly brings another level of aggressiveness to Westwood One - an affiliate of Viacom - which has been growing exponentially under its CEO Joel Hollander.

Media Week:
GO>>>
KIIS-FM Leads Billings List... Despite a 6.4 percent drop in revenue, KIIS-FM, Clear Channel's flagship "Kiss" brand in Los Angeles, was the top billing radio station for the second consecutive year, according to BIA Financial Network, which last week released its list of the top billers in 2001. The Top 40 station leader had an estimated $61.3 million revenue, giving it a $5 million lead over the second-highest biller, WLTW-FM in New York, also owned by Clear Channel. Collectively, the Top 10-billing stations, five from New York and five from Los Angeles, billed 12.5 percent less than in 2000. Clear Channel, the largest radio group, dominated this year's rankers with five of the top 10 billers. Two Clear Channel stations are newcomers to the list. KYSR-FM, a Modern Adult Contemporary station in Los Angeles, is No. 7, up from 19th in 2000. Adult Contemporary KOST-FM in Los Angeles moved up to 10th from 17th. Rounding out Clear Channel's five is WHTZ-FM in New York with $41.3 million revenue, for ninth place. Infinity Broadcasting, a division of Viacom, had four in the top 10, led by Sports/Talk WFAN-AM in New York, the third largest biller with $51.3 million revenue. Edged out for the No. 2 spot by WLTW, WFAN was in second place last year, following a five year run in the No. 1 spot between 1995 and 1999. All-News WINS-AM moved up from fifth to fourth in rank with $49.7 million, followed by Modern Rock KROQ-FM in Los Angeles in fifth place, and the Howard Stern flagship WXRK-FM in New York, in sixth. For the first time, Emmis Communications had a station in the top 10. KPWR-FM in Los Angeles was the eighth biggest biller, with $42.4 million revenue. The showing also marks the the first time an Urban formatted station has made the top 10 ranks. Falling out of the top 10 in 2001 was ABC Radio's News/Talk KGO-AM in San Francisco, which was the No. 8 biller in 2000.

Radio Business Report:
GO>>>
KPFK-FM LA gets enough donations for transmitter fix (3/12)... From the LA Times 3/12: "Despite the refusal of a couple of on-air personalities to participate in its fund-raising drive, KPFK-FM reported receiving unprecedented donations-$914,000-from listeners for its "Save Our Signal" campaign. Though KPFK has what officials there say is the capacity to reach more listeners than almost any station in the country, it is now able to operate at only 30% of capacity. With the new funding, officials say they can repair a faulty transmitter and begin broadcasting at full strength, possibly by this summer. RBR observation: KPFK is also hoping to overcome reception problems from a co-channel Mexican FM-XLNC, a Tijuana-based Classical station. The station is petitioning the FCC's help in lobbying the Mexican government in reducing that station's power or to change frequencies.

L.A., CA
GO>>>
3/12.5/02 - "Gary Franklin debuts new talk show" says www.laradio.com/, but I don't see anything about it at Gary's site at www.garyfranklin.com/. I gave up reading his site as it appears he doesn't have much to say that interests me - but nice pictures.

3/12.4/02 - "Clear Channel debuts as the second most listened to webcast network. Based on Arbitron's February Webcast Ratings. Live365 continues to maintain its number spot for the sixth consecutive month. ChainCast Networks/StreamAudio came in at #3. United One Kingdom-based Jazz FM UK joins Arbitron's February Channel Ratings and ranked #2. Virgin UK holds steady at #1. Classical Station KING-FM ranked #3. Clear Channel Worldwide placed 19 of its properties within Arbitron's top 75 channels in February." This from www.insideradio.com/, and it may contain mistakes.

3/12.2/02 - "Clear Channel Drawing Static. Radio: No. 1 broadcaster disputes critics who say it conceals stations to evade FCC ownership caps." See LAT's www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-TV-X!ArticleDetail-53367,00.html.

3/12.1/02 - "KPFK to Use Donations to Fix [faulty] Transmitter." At LAT's www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-TV-X!ArticleDetail-53341,00.html. Also at http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Calendar-X!ArticleDetail-53353,00.html.

Radio Wires (Mar 12, 2002)

News Wires (Mar 12, 2002)

David Letterman News... David Letterman to Stay With CBS... David Letterman, realizing that working for a sinking mouse network isn't worth losing Koppell on ABC for, decided to stick with CBS on Monday, spurning a multimillion-dollar offer to jump to ABC.

The talk show host made the announcement directly to his fans at the taping of his first show back from a week's vacation on the Caribbean island of St. Barts.

After an opening monologue where he joked about the network courtship, Letterman sat down at his desk, told a story about when he came to CBS in 1993, and announced he was staying put.

"I've never been in a situation like this in my life (and) the whole thing has made me dizzy," Letterman said.

The "Late Show" host's contract with CBS expires in August. The new contract is for up to five years, and Letterman, 54, said he hoped to finish his career at CBS.

Letterman issued a strong endorsement for Koppel on Monday's "Late Show."

"Because of his contributions and the kind of guy he is and what he has done for this country and the world of broadcasting, he - at the very least - deserves the right to determine his own professional future," Letterman said.

ABC and CBS dangled similar financial offers, deals that would pay Letterman about $31 million a year. The networks were touting the promotional muscle of their parent companies, Viacom for CBS and Disney for ABC.

CBS has reportedly promised Letterman greater promotion on other Viacom-owned networks, including MTV and VH1.

"We are thrilled that CBS will continue to be the home of David Letterman," CBS President Leslie Moonves said in a statement. "Without question, he is one of the great talents of our time."

Before his announcement, Letterman also joked about a former network home.

"This is how strange my life has been the last week," he said. "Earlier today, I got a call from NBC offering me the `Tonight' show."

That joke had a certain edge to it: NBC's decision to name Jay Leno host of the "Tonight" show in 1993 led to Letterman jumping to CBS. Leno has maintained a healthy lead over Letterman in the ratings the past five years and Letterman yearns to overcome him.

Letterman also said that at CBS, "all of a sudden they can't kiss up to me enough. I finally got a get-well card from my bypass surgery two years ago."

The decision puts to rest more than a week of uncertainty over whether Letterman, U.S. television's No. 2 late-night host behind rival Jay Leno at NBC, would stake his career to a third network in less than a decade, thus displacing ABC News veteran Ted Koppel and his 22-year-old program "Nightline."

But Koppel made clear his own bitterness over the Disney-owned network's bid to bring Letterman on board at his expense. "Intentionally or not, collateral damage has been done," Koppel said in his own statement.

ABC, struggling in the ratings, made an aggressive play for Letterman after the gap-toothed comedian failed to clinch a renewal deal with CBS back in January. ABC saw Letterman as a chance to draw a younger audience that advertisers covet.

"In today's competitive environment, it is incumbent upon us to explore all programming options," ABC President Alex Wallau said in a statement defending its pursuit of Letterman.

But the gambit ruffled feathers at ABC News, which first learned of it in newspaper reports quoting unnamed network executives as saying "Nightline" had lost its relevance.

A number of veteran broadcast journalists lamented publicly that the episode was the latest sign that news and information have taken a back seat to entertainment programming.

Word that he would remain at CBS came during the taping of his show Monday night, his first after returning from a weeklong vacation during which rumors and media reports swirled around his future.

"I have decided to stay here at CBS," he said to applause, then added, "I know it sounds pretty good to you folks, but there goes the vacation to Disney World."

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources last week said CBS had agreed to bump Letterman's annual salary from about $30 million to $31.5 million a year and to continue paying an additional $40 million annually to license rights to the show from Worldwide Pants.

The network actually gets about $11 million of that back in production costs and rent for the Ed Sullivan Theater, the CBS-owned stage where the "Late Show" is taped.

The renewal allows Letterman to remain at the network for up to five years but permits him to opt out of his contract sooner if he cares to, said Rob Burnett, the top executive at "Late Show" producers Worldwide Pants Inc.

As part of the deal, CBS President Leslie Moonves promised that the network's parent company, Viacom Inc., would more aggressively promote Letterman's show "across all of the Viacom properties," which include the Infinity Broadcasting radio network and the MTV and VH1 cable networks, Burnett said.

In the end, however, Letterman decided he was most comfortable staying put.

TV Barn:
GO>>

Dave's Remarks from TVBarn.com...

WHAT DAVE SAID: TV Barn has been furnished with David Letterman's remarks, made on the "Late Show" telecast taped this afternoon in New York:

You folks came on a good night - I'm still here.

I woke up this morning and had to check New York Times to see where I was working today.

This is a very interesting time right in the middle of a very tricky contract negotiation. CBS all of a sudden they can't kiss up to me enough -- it's crazy. I finally got a get-well card for my bypass surgery - two years ago - crazy.

I figured out what I'm going to do. I'm going to get a face-lift then I'm going to FOX News. That is exactly what I am going to do.

Can you believe there are two networks fighting over this crap - crazy, ain't it?

This is how strange my life has been last week and a half - earlier today I got a call from NBC offering me the Tonight Show.

I recognize that what I am going to talk about is ridiculous when you consider what happened on this day six months ago when New York and Washington DC were attacked. Compared to that this is all trivial, pointless and downright silly.

Paul and I came over in 1993. We'd been fired from NBC. CBS was nothing. Who ever watched CBS - nobody. From 11:30-on, the rest of the night there was nothing but Gunsmoke all night long. So we had nothing to do and this beautiful theatre used to be a K- Mart and we were able to build something. We made it our own and we've had a lot of wonderful things happen.

We have had some highlights. A couple of months ago - my contract is going to be finished in August -- I get a call from the boys. They say we have to negotiate. I say fine -- negotiate. 9 years - it's like a family. There's been good times and we've had fistfights. I'm not speaking figuratively, I'm speaking literally -- I actually punched some executives.

I'm getting confused, we get a call from another network and apparently the guy had been drinking. He says come on over, come on over, and I'm thinking he is nuts. This is not like Everybody Loves Raymond - we do alright but... Turns out it's ABC and they are serious and they wanted you too Paul. The more I talked the more I realize they are serious and they have all the damn money in the world. I get a call from Regis saying he would be available for sex. Isn't that odd? And then it got crazier and crazier and it was...when I drop dead there won't be this much press.

I just need to say a word about Ted Koppel. He has been on this show 3 or 4 times and to me he has always been a gentleman, a great guest and very funny, really funny. He might be actually too funny for a newsman. Back in '79 he began on Nightline, started out doing nightly reports on American hostages in '79 I had my first job running errands for Jim Nabors. The point is Ted -- what he has done and his contributions to American culture -- speak for themselves. He is one of a very small group that represents the highest echelon of broadcast achievement, without question. I've never been in a situation like this in my life the whole thing has made me dizzy. The one thing I know for a fact: Ted Koppel, at the very least -- because of his contributions and the kind of guy he is and what he has done for this country and the world of broadcasting - he, at very least deserves the right to determine his own professional future. Absolutely no less than that. So what I have decided to do, I've decided to -- and this has not been a very easy decision for me -- I have decided to stay here at CBS and I'd like to thank... [APPLAUSE] I know it sounds pretty good to you folks, but there goes the vacation to Disney World.

I was talking to Al earlier in the make-up room and he says "I was talking to the crew and most of them would like you to stay." Most. Most of them would like you to stay.

The morons running this network think there won't be fistfights, by god there will be fistfights and that's too bad. It's my hope - I would like to finish my career - a week from Tuesday - at CBS.

I just want to say a word about the folks at ABC. I would rather ride naked on the subway than go through what these people had to go through with the last couple of weeks. To me they were gracious and generous and very very patient. Whatever you decide to do at 11:30, I wish you the very best. And my personal hope is that it will continue to be occupied by Ted Koppel and Nightline for as long as that guy would like to have that job - that is just the way it ought to be.

'Sally Jessy Raphael' Show Canceled... Sally Jessy Raphael's daytime talk show, the longest-running of its genre, has been canceled after nearly two decades on the air. Her show had sunk to ninth in the ratings among talk shows, after being third only to Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Springer three years ago. Studios USA Domestic Television, which distributes "The Sally Jessy Raphael Show" to some 190 U.S. television stations, said it will pull the plug when the current season ends this spring. Raphael, a 59-year-old former disc jockey, began the show as a local St. Louis program in 1983, and went national the next year. She was known for her distinctive red glasses. Relationship issues were her forte. Another prominent talk show host, Rosie O'Donnell, is walking away from her show in a few months. The genre has been suffering because cable TV offers many more viewing choices.

Radio Wires (Mar 12, 2002)

KLOS 95.5 Concert Update...

More concert announcements for David...

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Jethro Tull
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at the Greek Theatre, Sunday, June 2nd.

(Tickets go on sale Sunday, March 17th at 10:00am at all Ticketmaster
outlets.)

Stay tuned to 95.5 KLOS for your chance to win tickets!

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Bonnie Raitt
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at the Wiltern Theatre, Tuesday, June 11th.

(Tickets go on sale Sunday, March 17th at 11:00am at all Ticketmaster
outlets.)

Tune in to Jim Ladd from 6p-10p M-F for your chance to win tickets!

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Keep Rockin!

95.5 KLOS
www.955klos.com


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Visit the KLOS Concert Page for info on upcoming concerts in the
Southland:
http://ims-go.com/go.asp?URL=93&UID=2242848
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