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San Diego Radio Wires 10-4-03!

From the radio-info.com San Diego forum:

Subject: Jerry G. Bishop Back In The Windy City!

Posted by: 955wdhf

Well, It looks like CC's 1360 KPOP afternoon guy Jerry G. Bishop, will be heard again on the new CC's latest radio property in the Windy City of Chicago. The new RealOldies station. (http://www.realoldies1690.com/) I don't think that their website is quite complete. But check it out,and say what you think. Anyway, if you log on. Click on Schedules. And go down to Saturday 8pm-12am, and Sunday 6pm-12am. There he is. Now let me say that when Jerry was on WCFL in Chicago. He wasn't playing a lot of the music that they are promoting on their website. Belive Me!! I know that 1360 plays a lot of Adult Standards music, which might be cool with Jerry. But with the rest of the Jocks, and music. (and I hope this station streams)I think it will not be a good fit. I'm hoping that I won't be listening to another KLAC(CC Station)in LA. These Jocks are talented, and I would like this station and Jocks to sound or at least close to,the way they sound back in WCFL/WLS days.

San Diego City Beat
When 91XÆs ratings significantly eroded over the last few months (Clear Channel association and 94/9Æs popularity have been cited as reasons), many predicted that changes were on the horizon. That change happened last week. Program director Bryan Schock has switched jobs with 101KGBÆs Jim Richards, who is also Clear ChannelÆs regional vice president for programming. The classic rock format isnÆt new for Schock, who worked as a DJ on KGB from 1985 to 1990 before returning to 91X, where he started his career back in 1982 during the stationÆs salad days. Will Richards be the shot in the arm that 91X seems to need right now? Specifically, someone whoÆs more in touch with the cutting edge and willing to take at least semi-calculated risks to make the station seem as ôalternativeö as it once was?

John Maffei - North County Times TV/Sports
Time to Rush in the football people

Because of a conflict with its annual "Salute to Teachers," Channel 4 farmed Saturday's 7 p.m. Brigham Young-San Diego State football game out to News Channel 15. That game is also on ESPN pay per view.

Note: those are Maffei's opinions in this piece: With baseball season over, Ted Leitner's show on The Mighty 1090 has expanded to three hours, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. That's fine, but it cuts John Kentera-John Fricke to two hours. Perhaps officials at The Mighty 1090 should push everyone back an hour, give Kentera-Fricke three hours and consider knocking an hour or more off the disaster that is the night show.

The Sockers kick off the MISL season Saturday with a game on ESPN 800. (fine, but where do the baseball games go?)

ME LIKE HOCKEY (thanks to the Arrogant Worms for the rallying cry): The NHL season begins Wednesday with ESPN's 5 p.m. coverage of the Stars-Mighty Ducks game. ESPN will air 20 NHL games this season with ESPN2 carrying 50. On seven dates, ESPN2 will allow viewers to log on and choose the game they wish to see.¦ ABC will have five Saturday NHL games, beginning in January (is that all?) Fox Sports Net is the Southern California home of the Kings for 65 games, while FSN 2 is the home of the Ducks for 40 games. Mighty Ducks games can be heard on The Mighty 1090, while the Kings are on KSPN (710).

Jay Posner - TV/Radio Sports - The San Diego Union
ESPN got just what it sought from Limbaugh... Also... KGTV Channel 10 has hired KGB-FM's Cookie "Chainsaw" Randolph to do a commentary each Monday on the 11 p.m. news. "It's whatever I want to talk about," the talented Randolph said. "I plan on being inventive and a little silly, but obviously within the boundaries of the TV audience."

FCC to Hit Road to Hear About Local Radio, TV 10-03-03!

From Reuters and Yahoo:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell said on Wednesday that the agency will soon hit the road to take the nation's pulse on how radio and television stations are doing on presenting local issues to the public.

Powell, who has been criticized over recently relaxing ownership limits for television and radio stations, had promised the agency would review concerns expressed during the ownership debate that localism in the media was shrinking.

"It is meant to listen to those concerns and those positive stories and be able to have that be a portion of the record as the commission goes through these things," Powell told reporters at a briefing.

The first hearing could be held as early as this month. They will be held around the country and will likely coincide with the broadcast license renewal process for television and radio stations, Powell said.

Stations must get their licenses renewed every eight years and this often can become a battle over the programs they run.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said in July he wanted to hold public meetings on the license renewals.

"Such hearings would provide the American people with the opportunity to tell us how well they think license holders are doing in meeting their public interest responsibilities to serve their local communities and whether they think these licenses should be renewed," Copps said in a statement.

The new rules sparked outcries from consumer groups, political organizations and lawmakers who argued that further consolidation in the industry would make it more difficult for varying viewpoints to be heard and reduce local reporting.

A federal appeals court has put the new regulations on hold pending judicial review. Efforts are under way in Congress to roll back the rules but at this stage, the only one under imminent threat is the national television cap.

From insideradio.com:

Two major indecency fines from the FCC hit Infinity and Clear Channel... Opie & Anthony's sex-in-St. Pat's stunt gets Infinity a $357,500 fine -- partly due to "the involvement of many Infinity employees and managers in planning the marketing event" for Sam Adams beer. The FCC also cited the previous history of Opie & Anthony. Clear Channel's WWDC-FM, Washington gets nailed for a fine of $55,000 for morning show broadcasts from May 2002.

Different Frequencies 10-02-03!

  • EXTERNAL: From Alternet: Different Frequencies...By Brooke Shelby Biggs, The Nation... Clear Channel is destroying radio. At least, that's the popular mantra these days. Radio consolidation û which shifted into high gear with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and has been fostered by a pro-big-media majority at the Federal Communications Commission û has resulted in the Wal-Martification of radio. Across the nation, stations are being gobbled up by huge chains like Clear Channel, which then monocrop their playlists. It's the same fifty mindless cookie-cutter songs played in an endless, soul-numbing loop, the same conservative talk shows, even the same deejays doing the same shows for simultaneous broadcast in a half-dozen markets nationwide. Jockeys are losing their jobs as the big chains consolidate and centralize their work forces. There, in the distance, is the faint swan song of independent radio. Abandon all hope, ye who flip thy radio dial. Read more about it.

    More excerpts:

    ...there are beacons of hope: Dozens of independent and small-network stations are regularly whipping the Clear Channel rivals in their markets such as 94/9 in San Diego beating longtime alternative rock 91X run by Clear Chanel. If quirky, original, community-oriented music radio is dead, how do these tenacious little outfits keep beating Clear Channel and its ilk at their own game? And what can small-time stations and local radio networks learn from their examples?

    Part of what separates these scrappy stations from the competition is a bet they're making that the big consolidators' fundamental philosophy û that Americans only want to hear familiar music that doesn't challenge them û is wrong and can't last. Ultimately, the bet goes, the listening public will tire of being underestimated and will seek out alternatives.

    KPIG, near Santa Cruz, Calif., is one station already reaping the rewards of Clear Channel exhaustion. By its own admission, KPIG has one of the weakest signals in its market. Yet it consistently ranks in the top five against all formats in all demographics in its market, and first in the 25-54 demographic and in the Triple-A (adult album alternative) format. It has owned the ratings charts there for six years. What makes KPIG unique is that in an age of format consultants and universal playlists, live deejays at KPIG still pull records off the shelves and play practically whatever occurs to them, whenever they feel like it. They even answer the phone. This is old-school rock radio. "You scan the dial and you know when it's the PIG. You may not know the song, or even the artist. You know it's us because you've never heard it before and it's good," says program director Laura Hopper. "That's our strength. There is no one else like us out there."

    WOXY near Cincinnati is an anachronism, inasmuch as it's quite literally a mom-and-pop operation in one of the biggest radio markets in the country. Doug and Linda Balogh have owned this indy modern-rock station since 1981. Doug Balogh says there are good reasons they have managed not only to stay alive but to thrive and even innovate in this era of bully megabroadcasters: They provide a real alternative in an increasingly uniform field of competitors.

    For music lovers, the crown jewel of public radio is WNCW in Spindale, North Carolina, where in a single set you may hear Flatt and Scruggs followed by Jimi Hendrix followed by Edith Piaf followed by Omara Portuondo. Eclectic doesn't begin to describe it. The programmers at WNCW seemed like cultural geniuses two years ago, when the sleeper hit "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" spawned a smash, Grammy-winning soundtrack packed full of the same roots music û primarily Americana and bluegrass û that had been WNCW's staple for years. "We've been 'O Brother' forever," laughs recent program director Mark Keefe. "To us, Doc Watson is a cultural icon. Maybe to someone somewhere else, he's just some guy in the emergency room."

    But WNCW is a rarity in public radio. Even on the left end of the dial, homogenization is a problem. Most public stations hew to three basic formats, or a combination thereof: news-talk (dominated in the extreme by National Public Radio programming), jazz and classical (such as those in San Diego). And while in the news-talk segment NPR provides unquestionably more objective fare than programs offered by Clear Channel's Premier Radio Networks (which licenses Rush Limbaugh and Laura Schlessinger's shows, among others), it is also guilty of perpetuating the same type of uniformity that critics chastise Clear Channel for. So some who flee the sameness of corporate radio for public stations find themselves in a different kind of sameness. In some significant markets û namely New York (WFUV), Philadelphia (WXPN), Los Angeles (KCRW) and Louisville (WFPK) û program directors haved jettisoned most if not all of their NPR and jazz/classical programming for post-baby-boomer eclectic music programming and locally produced news.

    There are indications of a changing tide in Congress. The FCC vote in June may have served as a kind of final straw. The struggle to persuade Michael Powell's commission to retain existing restrictions on ownership brought together an impressive û if unlikely û cast of media populists, from the National Organization for Women to the National Rifle Association. That caught the attention of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. On July 23, the House voted overwhelmingly against Powell's effort to increase the number of television stations a single media company may own. But even if the Senate follows the House's lead, that action would address only one aspect of consolidation. (There are, however, some radio initiatives in early legislative stages.)

    Read more about the story at Alternet. Thanks to Kurthanson.com for the alert.

    Hedgecock: "We Are Officially Screwed!" 10-02-03!

    From the Roger Hedgecock Show Flashfax...

    CAR TAX KICKS IN TODAY!! (shut up and write the check. D.T.'s is $312!!!!)

    THE DUF AINÆT HAPPY!! HeÆs getting word that the peasants are getting uppity about coughing up three times more for car fees. Some of the unwashed arenÆt even whispering their disgruntlement anymoreàthey are actually going to on talk radio programmes to bitch loudly. Word we get is that heÆs about to assign ôMini-Meö Steve Peace to put an end to the public outcry.

    HE AINÆT SEEN NOTHING YET!! One of the great relishes of this recall, beyond the dis-employment of Gray Davis, will be the firing of a whole host of very expensive public employees. You gotta figure that firing Peace and his wife (she serves on some kinda trash committee and knocks down 117-thousand a year) will save us like 300-thousandàand thatÆs before we get to the several thousand commissions and committees and advisory boards and Indian gaming oversight bodies.

    BACK TO CAR TAXàred letter day today. We are all officially screwed. And as the tax happens our effort to get unscrewed revs up. Tomorrow (Thursday October 2nd) ROGER takes his radio show outside the KOGO radio studios at 9660 Granite Ridge Drive to resume his ôDrive By Petition Signing,ö to abolish the Car Tax. Boss sets up shop in the driveway. Easy as pie to swing on by, make your mark and get on your way. 3pm until 6pm. Glenn Erath may drop by to amuse us. Can we still find somebody to feed us on this late notice? Regardlessàdrive by, sign and help us STOP THE CAR TAX.

    AND AS AN ADDED BONUSàbe still your heartàROGER also has stacks of petitions to repeal the illegal driverÆs license bill. ItÆs a two-fer. A double drive by, which is actually illegal in some states.

    NOTE PLEASE that we are experiencing a shortage of petitions..particularly for the Car Tax campaign. ROGER has gone thru two boxes of those petitions in about a week or so and the campaign office in Sacto has run dry too. So ROGER is working to get a giant supply printed locally. WeÆve contacted some printer friends. WeÆll produce the petitions our ownselves if need be.

    And this leads us to an item of chatà.Stop The Car Tax was the centerpiece of Tom McClintockÆs initial bid to be governor in the recall. He is the author of the constitutional amendment to abolish the tax. We note that as he spends more time trying to stay in a race he is about to lose, that he appears to have lost his enthusiasm for the Car Tax effort. Tom, we need you back. Save those junked TV dollars on your failed campaign and letÆs undo this Car Tax. Print some petitions. Please!!

    NEED INFO ABOUT CAR TAX AND LICENSES FOR ILLEGALS? Click onto ROGERÆS home page. WeÆve put two new pages up that link you to places where you can learn more, sign on to get a petition(s) mailed to you and like that.

    OH, AND BEFORE WE LEAVE the topic of illegal drivers licensesàillegals are already getting drivers licenses. We have in our currently nicotine stained fingers a photocopy (from extremely good sources) of a valid California drivers license, issued to one Rogelio Sanchez, hometown Acapulca, Guerrero, Mexicoàtemporary illegal residence: 204 Norte Manata Ln, Los Angeles. An employee of some 3 years of MikeÆs Construction. Senor Sanchez also held (he got busted poor soul) a valid picture I.D. from the State of California Department of Corrections because his construction work had to do with prisons. Senor Sanchez has been in the USA illegally since 1994. He is being sent to his hometown in Mexico.

    Radio Mutterings 10-02-03!

    Why is the ESPN Radio feed on XM channel 140 15 seconds slower than the ESPN Radio feed on XESPN 800? Does it take that long for the signals to go 46,000 miles from the ESPN studios to the XM subscribers?

    Speaking of ESPN 800, the signal fades from my house at night from only 30 miles north of the Mexican border. Didn't they raise the nighttime power at all?

    Why can't San Diego have a radio station that's like the wild classic rock 500 CD collection of that mystery KCDX 103.1 out of Arizona?

    Why is Tom McClintock continuing to trail the other two candidates? Could it possibly be that he stated he's for marriages only between men and women (whatever the definition of men and women are)? Roger Hedgecock likes Tom, but is voting for Arnold. Is Arnold for same sex marriages?

    Is it necessary for radio stations to air liquor ads during the time most of the minors are listening to the radio? Even the so-called boomer stations have substantial amounts of minors listening to their stations at any given time.

    Anyone care about these Gubernatorial debates? Why is it called a Gubernatorial election? Are we electing anyone named "Goober" from Mayberry? Why isn't it called the Governortial election?

    Is it necessary for 94/9 to keep touting "it's the music" when they are not bold enough themselves to play songs that are not on their playlist? Same songs everyday. Just listen to 94/9 during Halloran's shift 2-3 days a week and you get all of the songs that they play in a week's time. We could use more of the "Dog Dare" feature like about once every 15 minutes!

    Why did 92/1 drop Paul Oakenfold's electronica show on late Saturday nights? Will it move to 91X or Channel 933?

    What do you think of "Sex Advice with Heidi Fleiss" on 92.1?

    Will Pirate 96.9 put up boosters to fight the interference from Mexicali's 96.9?

    San Diego Radio Wires 10-2-03!

    Reader Blurt
    "FM 94/9 is the station I listen to. Their chief slogan is 'It's about the music,' yet they won't take an ad from an independent record company." Singer/songwriter Woody Woodham says FM 94/9 wouldn't allow him to purchase a 60-second commercial that played a song he wrote and asked listeners to download his song for free. "The song is 'Doing Business With a Gun.' It's about the violence in our society." Read more about it in Blurt.

    North County Times - Randy Dotinga
    Oh, the things I know (about radio)... If you work as a radio columnist for a long time, you might learn a thing or two about broadcasting. And if you're like me, you'll forget it all immediately. Well, almost all. Here are a few answers to common questions about the national and local radio scene, drawing on what I've learned during the past several years.

    Radio Droppings 10-01-03!

    91X At Store That Plays 94/9?

    Monday, Hillary the afternoon deejay at 91X was seen at a 7/11 in Kearny Mesa. I went over and greeted her (gave her my card and magnet) and got to try a Sobe something whatever that was. I'm clueless about these newfangled drinks. She was nice about it.

    After that, I went inside the 7/11 to get a caffiene-free diet Coke and a burrito, and heard inside the store alternative music...but it was from 91X's competetor, 94/9!

    Wonder if Hillary knew what station the store she was at was really tuned in to.

    Wayback Machine goes to five hours

    Mike Howard, host of the 6-8am portion of the KFSD 92.1 Wayback Machine, has this update:

    "Our PD Rand DeWitt has me teaming up with Dread Scott for this show. I'm on from 6-8 am, and Dread is on from 8-11."

    Heard on an Unnamed Radio Station Tuesday:

    One ad about heart attacks.

    Then another ad I can't recall.

    And THEN, an ad about a fast food place touting a heart-attack level third-pound cheeseburger.

    Shouldn't the ads that were played first and third been played in reverse order with the third being played immediately before the first? The ad about heart attacks should make people think more carefully about the ad about artery-clogging triple cheeseburgers.

    Pirate Radio 96.9 Adds Stereo 9-30-03!

    FRSD Pirate Radio is now broadcasting in stereo. It is estimated that their transmitter is located north of Downtown San Diego. It's causing reception problems or is getting limited exposure by a radio station in Mexicali also on 96.9.

    The Wires (Sep 2003)

  • From insideradio.com: Warning: As many as 500 potential new FMs are coming -- non-coms in the commercial band. Forecast: Battles ahead between some of the active religious non-com operators and the secular non-coms. The FCC opens a window for non-commercial operators to file a "reservation showing" for future stations in the 92.1 to 107.9 band.
  • Spam: This Time It's Personal - Spam ruined his domain, bringing on a hail of bounced e-mail and nasty messages. Dissatisfied with his ISP's response, Andy Markley launched his own investigation and bagged a spammer. By Michelle Delio.
  • P2P Networks Want to Play Nice Several peer-to-peer networks announce a file-sharers' code of conduct and invite record companies to negotiate a payment plan. The RIAA, which has settled with about a quarter of the individuals it sued earlier in September, is not impressed.
  • Ghost Radio: Who's behind Arizona's nonstop oddball rock time capsule? - by Jimmy Magahern, Published September 18, 2003 (thanks to Mark Zegan/Smooth Jazz 98.1 for the alert.)
  • It's been a long time coming, but dance station KKDL/106.7 FM is finally gonna get some DJs + "I have no hard feelings," Gary Reynolds said from his home. "My background isn't in country, so it made sense. I had a good run at ABC (KMEO/The Twister), and we left on the best possible terms" + more (read Robert Philpot)
  • The move toward CD-quality car radios is gaining momentum with Kenwood Corp.'s delivery of the first HD Radio tuner and Philips Semiconductors' announcement that it is ready to roll out a new chip that could help cut the cost of entry into the fledgling market. The separate rollouts of the chip and tuner-a black box that plugs into an existing car radio-follow on the heels of Texas Instruments Inc.'s introduction of an HD Radio chip earlier this month. Analysts believe the introductions could be a sign that automakers are preparing to launch the HD Radio technology in their 2005 vehicles, which debut less than a year from now. HD Radio technology sends digital signals over current radio spectrum (read EE Times)
  • Roger Hedgecock has just finished subbing for Rush Limbaugh -- heady stuff for a conservative radio talk-show host -- but now he's turning back to the business at hand: Firing up listeners for the Oct. 7 recall election. "I'm going to take abuse today," says San Diego's KOGO-AM radio host, who told his audience the day before that he's backing Arnold Schwarzenegger, a declaration he knows will infuriate devoted Tom McClintock listeners. "Big-time abuse." Even the guy with the mike, it seems, can have one of those days (read Sac Bee)
  • If you've noticed the marketing push for satellite radio, you've seen edgy ads by XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio with a 20-something sensibility featuring playful dogs and not-so-subtle references to Generation X. So why are oldsters the ones buying and having the units installed? "I'd say eight out of 10 people who buy the units are 50-plus," said Mike Deutsch, a mobile electronics sales representative at Sound Advice on Atlantic Boulevard in Jacksonville (read MSNBC)
  • Kurt Hanson 9/29: A bill intended to reform the copyright arbitration process known as CARP has passed the House Judiciary Committee, and will next go to the full House of Representatives for a vote. H.R. 1417, the "Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act," addresses criticism that the current CARP system is unnecessarily expensive, that arbitrators often lack the necessary expertise to render fair decisions, and that CARP decisions tend to be inconsistent and unpredictable. It was this system that produced the widely-panned Internet webcast royalty determination in February of 2002. Read more in today's issue of "RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter," is now available under Sep 29. Also: Clear Channel, following the leads of ESPN and Fox Sports, will open a Sports Radio KFAN-themed restaurant in the Minneapolis area this December. No word if Clear Channel is planning to open a sports bar with the theme of XTRA in So Cal.
  • RIAA Goes After the Wrong Gal The music biz withdraws a lawsuit against a 66-year-old sculptor who claims never to have even downloaded file-trading software. Some say similar cases may emerge, given the difficulties of tying IP addresses to particular individuals.
  • (read Essential Information) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should deny renewal of broadcast licenses for 63 radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications, a San Antonio, Texas, communications company, a public interest group urged today. Essential Information, a Washington, DC-based public interest group that provides information to the public on important topics neglected by the mass media and policymakers, urged in a complaint to the FCC that Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio conglomerate, be denied license renewal for 63 stations it operates. The 63 stations are located in Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland; their licenses will automatically be renewed on October 1, 2003 unless the FCC denies renewal.
  • (read Reuters) Sen. John McCain has blocked further Senate action on a bill to prevent federal regulators from implementing a new rule that would allow television networks to grow bigger, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Committee chairman put a hold on the $38.4 billion spending bill that would fund several agencies and the Federal Communications Commission for next year but bar it from enforcing its new national television audience cap
  • Low Power FM radio activists make a plea for stations in our cities ù Will the Chairman tune in? The Prometheus Radio Project, an organization that advocates for Low Power Radio Stations, welcomed tidings of a new ælocalism initiativeÆ from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). But despite small concessions Chairmain Powell made to Low Power Radio on Wednesday, Prometheus intends to pursue the lawsuit it filed last week with the Media Access Project against the FCCÆs new ownership rules (read Free Press)
  • Nearing a Tax-Free Internet - Two months before a temporary ban expires, the House of Representatives passes a bill to permanently nix taxes on Internet access and traffic. Now it's up to the Senate.
  • Anna On Video! - Check out exclusive online video of Anna Kournikova like you've never seen her before. This video follows Anna as she demonstrates her natural ability in front of the camera during the shoot for her 2003 calendar in Mexico. This footage is sure to be an ace! (yes, we know it's an ad, but what a babe!)
  • Senator Takes a Swing at RIAA - A new bill in Congress mandates more privacy protections for Internet users in response to the recording industry's avalanche of subpoenas. The Brownback bill also calls on companies to label products like copy-protected CDs. By Katie Dean.
  • The Revolution Will Be Televised = What happens when digital video recorders give viewers control of the TV schedule, the content and the ads? The whole world is watching. By Frank Rose from Wired magazine.
  • Garage Doors Raise DMCA Questions - The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is being used in an unusual legal battle between competing makers of garage door openers. Digital rights activists say the case exposes the law's unintended consequences. By Katie Dean.
  • RIAA Tactics Under Scrutiny - Is forcing an Internet service provider to turn over the names of suspected music pirates constitutional? An appeals court is challenging the RIAA to demonstrate that it is.
  • Senate Votes to Block Media Rules - Fearing a wave of mega-mergers that could silence alternative views and homogenize the 'marketplace of ideas,' lawmakers move to undo recent changes to FCC media-ownership regulations. The White House threatens a veto.
  • Read NY Times - The Senate approved a resolution today to repeal all of the new regulations that would make it easier for the nation's largest media companies to grow bigger. By a vote of 55 to 40, the Republican-controlled Senate defied the White House and issued a stinging political rebuke of Michael K. Powell, the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and architect of the rules
  • William Safire - How are a majority of Americans, standing with a bipartisan majority of both houses of Congress, going to stop the Federal Communications Commission from making the biggest mistake in its existence? A handful of media giants want to further concentrate their power by gobbling up more local TV and radio stations, beyond the 35-percent-of-penetration limit. The F.C.C. chairman has called arguments for local diversity "garbage" and this week branded the proposed Senate resolution disapproving of his anything-goes ruling as "bordering on the absurd." The Senate answered this arrogance yesterday by voting, 55 to 40, for Senator Byron Dorgan's resolution to disapprove the F.C.C.'s green light for power-grabbing. Though a House majority would agree, the G.O.P. leadership there declared the Senate bill "dead on arrival" and will block a vote. Therefore, the Senate's expression becomes a dramatic gesture, but not law
  • Reuters AP The Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday defied Bush administration opposition and voted to rescind new regulations allowing large media companies to grow even bigger. The Senate approved, 55-40, a resolution that would roll back the Federal Communications Commission rules allowing television networks to own more local stations and permitting conglomerates to own a newspaper, television stations and radio outlets in a single market (read Reuters) (read AP)
  • Peach Buzz Think Debbie Gibson circa 1988 or the Spice Girls circa 1997. Then you'll grasp the scene at Perimeter Mall's Goldfish restaurant Monday evening with tween angel Hilary Duff, known by many as TV's "Lizzie McGuire." Instead of its usual hip-and-happenin' singles scene, the tony seafood restaurant hosted screaming girls toting digital and disposable cameras, a linebacker-size bodyguard, two sour-looking record execs, a bewildered Q100 radio staff and the grinning 15-year-old Duff herself. "I had no idea how big she was until we started promoting this," marveled Bert Weiss, Q100 morning show host
  • Read Wash Post In a last-ditch attempt to stem the overwhelming tide of public support for TuesdayÆs (Sept. 16) Senate floor vote to overturn the FCCÆs new media ownership rules, TV industry giants and their supporters now contend ôfree TVö will collapse without the consolidation of networks and independent stations and cross-ownership of TV stations and newspapers. Yet that claim is directly contradicted by a mountain of evidence before the FCC, illustrating the industryÆs desperate attempt to enforce rules that threaten diversity, independence and local control of the nationÆs media
  • Also Read Common Dreams
  • Read NY Times As the recording industry pursues its lawsuits against those it says are digital music pirates, SBC Communications has emerged as the only major Internet service provider that has so far refused to identify computer users whom the industry suspects of copyright infringement (read NY Times)
  • read Bill Machrone Streaming radio is a mess. It holds the promise of delivering unique sounds and voices from all over the world to your desktopùthe perfect antidote to Clear Channel's homogenization of American musical tastes. But the nascent industry is fettered by goofy legislation, incomprehensible royalty fees orchestrated by the music industry and enforced by the Library of Congress, inconstant advertisers, intrusive streaming technologies, and poor sound quality
  • The Republican-led Senate defied a White House veto threat on Thursday by moving closer to approving a measure to reverse the administration's drive to allow media conglomerates to grow even bigger. Senate debate opened with backers confident that next week they would win passage of the resolution to rescind recently relaxed media ownership limits. They also said they thought their counterparts in the U.S. House of Representatives would follow despite opposition by Republican leaders there.
  • (read Reuters)
  • (read NY Times)
  • ZDNet: - As my regular readers know, I'm a big music fan. In addition to my sizable CD collection, I have plenty of MP3s. But the legal issues surrounding file sharing and the music industry have pushed me away from that source of music. I'll spare you my opinions on the subject, but suffice it to say I'd rather find other methods of getting new music than rolling the dice on paying a big fine. Lucky for me there's another good source of online music: Internet radio stations (read Jason Parker ZDnet)
  • Merger Mania en Espanol! The government will allow Univision Communications Inc., the nation's largest Spanish-language media conglomerate, to expand its reach in the Hispanic community by purchasing Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. for $3.5 billion, Federal Communications Commission officials said Monday. The FCC's three Republican commissioners support the merger, while the two Democrats oppose it, said two agency officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. An official announcement of the FCC vote had been expected late Monday but was delayed for unknown reasons (read AP)
  • Kurt Hanson Universal Music Group announced late yesterday that they will slash wholesale prices on CDs by 25%, which should bring the retail price point for many discs below $10. As we've discussed in RAIN, the fact that many CDs cost more than DVDs is absurd. We believe that UMG's move is a step towards reason! Read excerpts from the L.A. Times's coverage now in "RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter," at http://www.kurthanson.com. Also in today's RAIN: Forrester Research predicts that CD sales will continue to decline, even as record industry revenues rebound. (D.T.: that's because the five big stupid record labels are marketing mostly to teenagers who would rather download than to market to us oldsters who would rather buy the CDs in the first place. Can't the f--king RIAA and the s--thead record CEOs get anything right!?! Oldsters have $$$$$ to spend on CDs. Teenagers don't.)
  • read Rocky Mountain News KBCO-FM was one of dozens of Clear Channel stations that stopped the "streaming" broadcasts, in part because of a new law requiring broadcasters to pay musicians for any songs played over the Internet. A partnership was formed between tiny Liquid Compass and Clear Channel Communications, the giant, Texas-based parent of Clear Channel Radio. Today, Liquid Compass is one of three tech outfits teaming with Clear Channel to give listeners the ability to hear Clear Channel stations via the Internet (read Rocky Mountain News)
  • read Daniel Hallford - Rocky Moutain Collegian Is the satellite radio idea catching on? When choosing between 20 minutes of commercials per hour on your FM dial, or a subscription fee to remove those ads on the satellite dial, Sirius and XM both make a strong case for radio listeners to switch to their service. Sirius and XM have been facing the skepticism of anyone who likes to listen to free radio, and don't see the need to pay for something they are already getting for free. And yet, XM and Sirius satellite radio services have many techies and music enthusiasts pointing to the sky and exclaiming "to the future!" XM has pulled an impressive team of programmers from FM radio stations around the nation in an effort to give subscribers some bang for their buck (read Daniel Hallford - Rocky Moutain Collegian)
  • read BusinessWeek If you're a music lover or information junkie, this (satellite radio) is one great product to have in your car. FM radio may have a few blues channels here and there, but an all-reggae station for hard-core fans? Forget it. It would never sell enough advertising to stay in business. Still, plenty of listeners seem to be willing to shell out $10 a month for XM -- usually in new cars but also available in aftermarket car stereos, home receivers, and boom boxes -- to listen to specialized music and news channels on a satellite radio that's a lot like a cable or satellite TV. As Sirius rolls out its services to more new cars and retail stores, XM could be pressured to lower prices, say analysts. Plus, MP3 players are becoming more popular. And since they allow listeners to keep many CDs on file, such listening could be a substitute for satellite radio (read BusinessWeek)
  • Was Computer Search Illegal? (DAT's Entertainment Wednesday) The recording industry violated a New York woman's constitutional rights by searching her computer for illegal music, the woman's lawyers say. The RIAA's (aka Adolf Hitler's NAZI music party) lawyers disagree, setting the stage for a lot of lawyers to make a lot of money.
  • Court Blocks FCC Media Regs (Business Wednesday) U.S. federal court judges grant a stay order that prevents the new Federal Communications Commission media ownership rules from taking effect. The ruling marks the latest skirmish in the battle over media market reforms.
  • Romanian Blaster Suspect Arrested (Technology Wednesday) Police arrest a 24-year-old Romanian man suspected of releasing Blaster.F, a relatively tame variant of the Blaster Internet worm.
  • Read Reuters A U.S. federal court on Wednesday blocked controversial new Federal Communications Commission media ownership rules pending a full judicial review in a major blow to large media companies. In a loss for the Republican-led FCC, the three-judge panel of the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia granted a stay order that prevented the new rules from taking effect as scheduled on Thursday
  • Blaster Suspect a Typical Teen? (Technology Tuesday) While some local residents say the Minnesota teen charged with unleashing a variant of the Blaster Internet worm is 'just a kid' who is likely innocent, others believe it was a deliberate act.
  • (read David Folkenflik-Baltimore Sun) Steve "Phlash" Phelps and Kurt Gilchrist are winging their way through the continental 48 states in just 14 days, making stops throughout in a customized Cadillac SUV as they broadcast songs from the '60s and '70s on XM Satellite radio. Yesterday was Day 2, and they pulled up mid-afternoon in Owings Mills, at a Tweeter electronics store where XM-compatible equipment can be found ... The Consumer Electronics Association released a study in early August that found that car buyers were a "captive audience primed for many of the benefits satellite radio has to offer." The trade association, which counts XM and Sirius as members, found 49 percent of car buyers surveyed said they would be willing to pay extra for satellite radio service

    List of the 2003 DTV Award Winners (Sep 2003)

    On Monday Night, the day after the so-called Emmy awards, the DTV Awards were handed out to the winners of TV programs that deserved recognition, but were foolishly ignored by the Emmys, Golden Globes, and other so-worthy awards organizations.

    Note that this applies to shows that I have watched on free broadcast TV for the 2002-03 season.

    Worst TV Series (Reality Series): All American Girl - what an All American flop

    Worst TV Series (Drama): Gilmore Girls - definitely 100 percent chick flick.

    Worst TV Series (Comedy): Oliver Beane

    Most Overrated TV Series (any genre) American Idol

    Worst TV Trend: Reality series going amok

    Worst TV Network: UPN (PAX isn't considered a network anymore as of 2003)

    Worst cable network: any home shopping channel

    Worst cable television provider: Cox Communications

    Worst trend in cable television: Moving highly desired cable channels to higher-priced digital tier. Cable boxes cost money to rent. Who wants to pay for them anymore?

    TV Show That Should Have Been Renewed: Futurama

    Most Beautiful Woman on TV: Jennifer Aniston, "Friends"

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a TV Series: Dan Castellanta, "The Simpsons"

    Outstanding Lead Actress in a TV Series (comedy or drama): Alyssa Milano, "Charmed"

    Outstanding TV Series: The Simpsons

    TBS Adds Western Feed (9-29-2003)

    Beginning today, fans of the non-stop comedy block will have to readjust their VCRs three hours ahead.

    TBS, the cable network that once started out as a UHF TV station on a satellite as WTBS (became WTCG for a short spell), and morphed into a cable network a few years ago, is launching a Western feed of its TBS network feed for viewers in the Western coast.

    This means that Dawson's Creek, which aired during breakfast time here, will air from 10am-noon instead. Satellite viewers can still get the eastern feed of TBS.

    The non-stop comedy block begins at 1pm instead of 10am with a triple shot of The Cosby Show, followed at 2:30 by two from The Fresh Prince, then two from Steve Harvey, then two from Drew Carey, then two from Home Improvement, two from Seinfeld, and finally, one from Friends at 7:30.

    The TBS evening movies begin at 8pm Western (5pm if you're still using the eastern feed).

    Check the TBS website for more times by Googling it.

    San Diego Radio Wires (9-29-2003)

    John Maffei - North County Times TV/Sports
    San Diegans missing out without FSN 2
    Note to Fox by D.T.: until the San Diego cable operators are allowed by Major League Baseball to carry the games of the Los Angeles Dodgers (for FSN2) and the Anaheim Angels (for FSN), they're not going to carry FSN 2 until Fox gives the cable operators a break on the carriage price (for the digital tiers) due to the MLB territorial restrictions. Either that, or create FSN San Diego, combining the programming of the two FSNs, without the sports subject to blackout in San Diego. The cable operators are not going to waste money on what will be a "swiss cheese" channel, with the cable operator having to delete so many events that the price doesn't justify the remaining result.

    Excerpt: Fox Sports Net wouldn't allow a San Diego station to carry a featured SDSU at UCLA game on FSN2 because, well, they aren't inclined to give away their product. Too bad for Fox's arrogance on San Diego. Don't they understand the importance of free broadcast television? Without it, there would have been no cable channels.

    Major League Baseball protects the geographic TV regions of its teams, meaning the Dodgers games on FSN 2 can't be shown in San Diego where the Padres play 142 games on Cox's Channel 4 and are protected. That means a summer without significant programming on FSN 2 in San Diego.

    Adelphia cable in North County carries the channel, though Maffei doesn't indicate whether the cable system up there has to black out so many events on FSN2.

    For full distribution of FSN2 in San Diego to happen, Fox and MLB has to make some concessions in order to make it viable for the local cablers to carry it in the first place.

    In the last two years, The Tennis Channel, The Football Network, SpeedVision, The Golf Channel, and the College Sports Television have emerged. But only The Golf Channel and SpeedVision are available on basic or expanded cable in San Diego, and it figures to stay that way because there just isn't enough room on the cable tiers (including digital) for it to happen. Most won't carry the new NFL network (which won't carry actual NFL games) when it launches in November.

    Also:

    The Mighty 1090 will carry the NHL's Mighty Ducks with 690/1150 picking up when there are conflicts. KSPN (710) has renewed its contract and will carry L.A. Kings games through the 2005-06 season. The Sockers will move their radio broadcasts to ESPN 800 this season.


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