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91X Fire Aid 2003 (Nov 1, 2003)

91X Radio wants to lend a hand to those impacted in San Diego by this weekÆs tragic events! Join us for a live broadcast this Saturday (Nov. 1st) from 10am to 4pm at Westfield Shoppingtown Parkway (Parkway Plaza) on Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon.

Our bucket brigade will be out there taking your monetary donations as you drive by. All of the funds will go to the Salvation Army and STAY HERE IN SAN DIEGO to help those in need in our community. Plus, our friends at Westfield Shoppingtown will match your donations dollar for dollar up to $20,000.

If you can't make it out to Westfield Parkway to join 91X, donations will also be accepted at the same times Saturday at Westfield Shoppingtown: Mission Valley, North County and Plaza Bonita (note: all of the Clear Channel radio stations are sponsoring this event).

*All checks can be made to: The Salvation Army. Put ôFire Aid San Diegoö in memo line.

Clear Channel Fire Aid Update (11-1-2003)

Over $300,000 was raised Saturday at Fire Aid held by the Salvation Army in association with Clear Channel's dozen radio stations at several Westfield Shoppingtown malls scattered all over the county. All money collected stays in San Diego for the direct benefit of fire victims.

Clear Channel's San Diego stations also held fundraisers at four Westfield Shoppingtown sites throughout the region, as Clear Channel Radio donated $10,000 while Westfield provided $20,000 in matching funds.

San Diego Radio Wires (10-31-2003)

All Access (registration required)
Great news! JEFFERSON-PILOT Alternative KBZT (FM 94/9)/SAN DIEGO is now streaming audio at www.fm949sandiego.com. Give them a listen. You will be hooked!

CLEAR CHANNEL Hot AC KFMB (STAR 100.7)/SAN DIEGO and local 8 TV conducted a fund drive for the area fire victims this morning at the SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA with donations totally at the 10a sign-off $1,273,318! And to further their support STAR 100.7 will be doing a special JINGLE BALL MONDAY DECEMBER 1st for the fire victims as well. STAR has bought 1,500 tickets for JEWEL's upcoming concert at COPLEY SYMPHONY HALL and will be giving them away to anyone who makes a minimal $100 donation to support THE SAN DIEGO FIRE VICTIMS RELIEF FUND. Also, STAR 100.7 will be hosting their annual JINGLE BALL on DECEMBER 4th & 5th with THURSDAY'S line up featuring JEWEL, THE BANGLES, and SEAL. FRIDAY nights show will feature SARAH MCLACHLAN, JASON MRAZ, BARENAKID LADIES, HOWIE DAY, and KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND.

KFMB Stations Partner with American Red Cross For Donations (Oct 31, 2003)

WILL YOU BE THERE?

Star 100.7 and Jeff and Jer are partnering with the American Red Cross and Local 8 to raise money to help the many families that lost so much during the fires here in San Diego County.

We are asking our listeners and viewers to BE THERE for our friends and neighbors by coming to the San Diego Sports Arena on Friday morning, October 31, between 5AM and 10AM. We will be accepting monetary donations (cash and check only) and all funds raised will go directly toward helping the families affected by the fire right here in San Diego County.

If you would like to help, please BE THERE on Friday morning and give whatever you can.

Also: "Race For The Cure" has been cancelled. Visit histar.com for details.

Los Angeles Radio Wires (10-31-2003)

All Access (registration required)
ABC/LOS ANGELES' Talk KABC-A, Classic Rock KLOS, Sports KSPN-A, and KABC-TV launched a fundraising effort, "Operation Lend-A-Hand: Wildfire Relief Fund Drive" on MONDAY which to date has totaled $ 741,205.00. The funds have resulted from a RED CROSS fundraiser held all day yesterday at STAPLES CENTER and the on-air campaign that continues on all the above-mentioned stations. All monies collected will help provide for immediate needs and recovery assistance for victims of the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA wildfires. The fundraising effort to support the victims of the wildfires continues. Persons interested in contributing can make their check payable to: The American Red Cross, Southern California Fire Relief Fund. Mail to: Operation Lend A Hand: Fire Relief Fund, PO Box 790, LOS ANGELES, CA 90016.

INFINITY News KNX-A/LOS ANGELES announces that ORSON WELLES' dramatization of "The War of the Worlds" tonight will mark the final installment of the "Drama Hour." The station will utilize the block of time for continuous news coverage. "Drama Hour" has been running since 1982.

The Wires (Oct 2003)

  • Chuck Buell reports from the San Diego fires area: "Had to evacuate as the fire approached. Stayed overnight away from home. Tried to get to the house, but was turned back due to the flames and smoke. Tried again later to no avail ..."
  • Kurt Hanson: It's certain that television and the Internet play a greater role in influencing popular music tastes than ever before. Broadcast radio once had an almost complete monopoly in exposing new music, but it'd be difficult to argue that that is still true. And given the increased spot load, ever-tightening playlists, consolidation, and voice-tracked DJs, how vital is radio these days? An article in MSNBC concludes that radio is still the most visible method to regularly hear new music for free, and thus is still an important method of exposure for new artists. It's just no longer the only game in town.
  • Boob Tubes Going Digital By 2007 A U.S. appeals court upholds FCC requirements that TV manufacturers install high-quality digital broadcast signals in new sets starting July 2004. Under the new rules, the lagging transition to digital TV will be completed by July 2007.
  • John Rook: The deregulation of broadcasting unleashed a feeding frenzy of large companies that would be impossible for us to survive. We fought off the challenge of companies owned by multi millionaires, even billionaires. Disney, Mays, Sillerman, Wilson, all were household names in broadcasting. We were threatened, told we had no choice but to sell out, but still declined, instead taking steps to add three more FMÆs to our Spokane package. I should have recognized our new competitors, Clear Channel, Citadel and Triathlon broadcasting would take even illegal actions to limit their competition. Combining their dirty tricks and sharing the expense of litigation, they forced me out of business, with the help of the United States Department of Justice
  • MusicBiz has learned that Clear Channel has sent out a memo to all radio general managers under the heading, "Urgent-Legislative Action Alert." According to sources inside Clear Channel, the memo, sent from Andy Levin, SVP/Governmental Affairs, urges the GMs to oppose an amendment by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that would force radio companies to divest stations (read MusicBiz)
  • Newsday: Encouraging subscription numbers this week from two companies, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc, have bolstered prospects that satellite radio has a strong enough foothold to exist alongside its broadcast cousins and "isn't going anywhere anytime soon," analysts said yesterday. By the end of the year, the combined number of subscribers for both services should reach about 1.5 million (read Newsday)
  • Two-Day DVDs a Slow Sale Disposable DVDs have been available for over a month, and a survey of stores finds the product is not flying off the shelves. Plus, environmentalists are keeping up their efforts to stop the sale of a product they call wasteful. By Katie Dean.
  • Microsoft Gives Glimpse of New OS Microsoft's Bill Gates opens up about Longhorn, the next version of Windows, to developers at a company conference. In his preview of the new operating system, Gates promises Longhorn will be Microsoft's largest software launch this decade.
  • Read Biz Journal: Covington, Ky.-based Clear Channel Radio and NBC Television are promoting the 2003 Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas
  • Kurt Hanson 10/28/03: XM Satellite Radio has announced that it has hit the 1 million subscriber mark, on its way to a projected 1.2 million customers by year's end. The company, in announcing the milestone, says it reached the plateau in less time than cable television, online subscription services, local radio, television, satellite TV, CD players, MP3 players and digital video recorders. According to analysts, the company will need to have 2 million paying subscribers before it breaks even. Also today -- Dell today introduces its hard drive portable MP3 player, the Dell DJ, and announces a partnership with Musicmatch's Downloads service.
  • NPR Exhibit A for National Public Radio's story on anger management -- the famous Casey Kasem tape. The heavily-bleeped underground studio tape of Casey blowing up years ago during an AT40 session probably surprised drivetime listeners to NPR's "All Things Considered." They've even posted it on NPR.org along with other "celebrity outbursts."
  • John Rook: Adding to my concerns for Clear Channel, in a recent interview Mr. (John) Hogan challenged the question about a lack of listener choices in radio today. I was stunned when he claimed the radio listener of today has more than double the format choices than were available before radioÆs deregulation. I listen to radio a great deal and for the life of me I could not imagine what new radio programming I was missing. According to Mr. Hogan, radio added almost 50 new formats in five or six years. In all the previous years of radioÆs history, programmers had only created 35 ôor soö formats, he stated. But since then, programmers have worked overtime to develop more than double the choices for listeners to ômore than 80 ... So we are prompted to ask, please Mr. Hogan - WhereÆs the beef ?
  • St. Petersburg Times DirecTV, the largest provider of digital satellite television in the country, has sued more than 15,000 people nationwide in the past year for alleged piracy of its products and programming. So far, four Citrus County residents have found themselves caught in the litigation ambush. If judges side with the California-based company, these individuals could face up to $10,000 for each violation of federal and state laws. The damages jump to $100,000 if DirecTV lawyers can prove an individual sold the products instead of just possessing them for personal use.
  • Digital TV Ain't Gonna Be Free - The folks at the Federal Communications Commission will likely adopt rules in coming weeks that will allow programmers to attach a code to digital broadcasts that will bar consumers from sending copies of popular shows over the Internet.
  • Internet Radio Royalties Affirmed An appeals court agrees with the U.S. Copyright Office, which compels radio stations to pay royalties to recording companies when music is streamed over the Internet.
  • Read Retuers: Radio stations must pay copyright fees to the artists and record labels whose songs they play over the Internet, a U.S. appeals court has ruled in a decision released Monday. The decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia upholds rulings by a lower court and the U.S. Copyright Office that radio stations must pay such royalties
  • Microsoft Lassos Music Customers A Windows XP feature forces consumers to use Internet Explorer to purchase music online, even if they specify that they prefer a competitor's browser. The feature also steers users to a Microsoft-owned website. The DOJ and 19 attorneys general are not amused.
  • RIAA Croons a New Warning Tune The recording industry group says from now on it will send out warning letters to suspected music-file traders before taking them to court, allowing them to negotiate a settlement. Those who do not respond within 10 days will be sued.
  • Windows: More Flawed Than Ever In particularly embarrassing disclosures, Microsoft warns consumers about four critical new flaws in Windows. The company acknowledged problems in its software-publisher authentication technology and in its help and support system.
  • Data Faster Than Speeding Bullet CERN and Caltech set a new world speed record for sending data across the Internet, doubling the previous fastest transfer. The transmission between the two scientific research centers is 20,000 times faster than typical home broadband. Wow! Imagine radio stations broadcasting on the Internet at true CD quality using 1440kbps/44khz stereo transmission or faster!
  • Wash Tech: The federal government is preparing for the first time to require that personal computers and other consumer electronics devices contain technology to help block Internet piracy of digital entertainment. A rule being considered by the Federal Communications Commission is one of a series of proposals pushed by the entertainment industry to help thwart copying and online trading of movies and television shows that increasingly are being broadcast in digital form with high-quality picture and sound
  • Fan to RIAA: It Ain't Me, Babe A California man says the recording industry is suing the wrong person for copyright infringement. He doesn't use Kazaa and he's never heard of the Latin songs he's accused of sharing. By Katie Dean.
  • Gary Coleman - All Comedy Radio, the new Hollywood-based radio network announced today the signing of former California gubernatorial candidate Gary Coleman to the newly created position of political analyst. Mr. Coleman, who finished number 8 out of 135 ballot candidates in the recent California recall election, will begin his on-air commentaries this Friday. He will be featured multiple times per day on the newly launched 24/7 all comedy radio network, with affiliates coast to coast (read)
  • Read KBCI-TV and...
  • Read CNN - According to FCC, "f-ck" can be used as adjective, but not as a verb. When U2 singer Bono said "this is really f-cking brilliant" at the Golden Globes while accepting an award, Parents Television Council complained, and lost. Future Implications: you are allowed to say "f-ck" on tv and on radio and not be censored, thus allowing the radio and tv audience to hear the word. This is permitted, as long as the context doesn't deal with the verb "to f-ck".
  • (read Chuck Dunaway's The Way I Remember It) In days gone by, radio was one big universe, and we were all connected within it. I felt that if I were stranded in any city in America, I'd simply go to a radio station, introduce myself, and I'd be welcomed. That illustrates how I felt about my radio brothers: if someone in radio came to my front door, I'd welcome them in. Is that brotherhood still in existence?
  • (read the Register Herald) The stereo in his car gives him not only local AM and FM stations, but XM stations carrying every kind of music from big band hits of the 1940s to progressive country. Bluegrass, newgrass, folk music, love songs, Broadway tunes, Christian music, alternative, soul, gospel, jazz, dance, Spanish, Latin, reggae, classical, children's, music from almost every era and several news and talk stations come through his car speakers "crystal clear." "As long as the antenna has a clear line of sight to the sky, I can pick it up anywhere," he said, adding he appreciates having access to breaking national news any time he's in his car. As manager of Elite Sound and Image at Showtime Music in Crossroads Mall, Bonds had one of the first satellite radios in the area. Now he says the latest in satellite radio technology seems to be catching on among local residents
  • Read Salon Big Media companies keep getting bigger -- with more and more power over our lives. This week's deal between General Electric (GE) and Vivendi means that GE'S NBC, which helped elect Arnold Schwarzenegger governor of California, has just picked up not only Universal Studios, but the USA, Trio and Sci-fi cable channels to go with CNBC and MSNBC, all part now of a $43 billion empire. The flimflam-ery goes on. In 33 other cities, stations that are supposed to be competitors have found clever ways to undermine the existing rules, mergers and takeovers, for example.
  • Shift-Key Case Rouses DMCA Foes (DAT's Entertainment 2:00 a.m. PDT) A student finds he can disable copy protection on CDs by pressing the Shift key. The company that makes the software threatens to sue for revealing the fact. Critics say this is exactly why the Digital Millennium Copyright Act should be rewritten. By Katie Dean.
  • Open Access? Not Anytime Soon (Business Wednesday) An appeals court decision still has a way to go before cable companies have to abide by it and open their pipes to competing ISPs. Regulatory maneuvering and further appeals are possible. By Staci D. Kramer.
  • Cheap Channel Not Kind to Michaels A few weeks back, Tom Owens heard the future of Clear ChannelÆs radio division and it wasnÆt pretty. Ratings arenÆt important. The ghost of the Æ70s Detroit automotive industry has returned in a corporate radio disguise. John Hogan is the CEO of Clear Channel radio and OwensÆ capo. His job is to reverse the divisionÆs revenue performance while eliminating internal corporate featherbedding. HeÆs spent the past year trying to unravel the mess left by his predecessor, Randy Michaels. Hogan is replacing RandyÆs ôgood olÆ boysö with those he believes are more competent managers. Owens is one of the few ôboysö still on the dole from RandyÆs rule. Clear ChannelÆs revenue losses occurred even after the company lightened their load by a few thousand employees to lower operating costs, or as Hogan puts it, ôefficiencies.ö Michaels was relieved of duty by Clear ChannelÆs corporate office when it was learned that, among other things, he charged $447,100 to the company for ôconsulting and transportation.ö Michaels didnÆt expect the bean counters to scrutinize, but they did and discovered that money was spent on a private plane, leased from a company Michaels owns. From one pocket to another (read John Gorman - Free Times)
  • The Federal Communications Commission's Localism Task Force announced a schedule of six public hearings it will hold to solicit input from consumers, industry, civic organizations and others regarding broadcast localism. Each hearing will be chaired by one or more Commissioners (read)
  • The salesman who is selling Frank a new car says: "This car radio has the very latest feature. It is entirely voice-activated. You simply tell it what you want to listen to, and the station changes. It's a great safety feature, because you never have to take your hands off the wheel to touch the dials." With his new car and new car radio, Frank is driving down the highway. He says, "Classical," and, in an instant, on comes an FM station playing Beethoven. Next, Frank says, "Country and western," and the songs of Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn fill the car. Just then, a guy in a fancy sports car runs a stop sign and cuts Frank off, almost forcing him off the road. "Moron," mutters Frank at the offending driver -- and the radio station switches to Rush Limbaugh (read Mark Shields)
  • Press 'Shift' and Copy Away MediaMax CD3 is supposed to prevent the copying of music CDs onto computers. That it does, but as one grad student discovered it's also easily disabled. Music industry execs say they're unconcerned.
  • Charter: Hands Off Song Swappers Broadband service provider Charter Communications sues the Recording Industry Association of America to block it from getting names of about 150 of Charter's customers suspected of file trading.
  • Vintage PCs Evoke Sweet Memories Organizers promise this weekend's Vintage Computer Festival will be the biggest and best yet. Attractions include a Commodore 64 supercomputer and a talk by an archaelogist on the drive to collect dinosaur hardware. By Leander Kahney.
  • Music Label Cashes in by Sharing Magnatune is trying to turn the music industry on its ear by encouraging file sharing and giving artists a large chunk of the proceeds. It seems to be working. By Chris Ulbrich.
  • National media watchdog groups, flush with their success in stalling consolidation-friendly media ownership rules, are contemplating trying to block some TV and radio stations across the country from renewing their broadcast licenses. And a new initiative by Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps to conduct a series of hearings across the country could play into their plans. Copps said the meetings will give citizens a forum to express opinions on whether broadcasters are serving the public interest, as required, and therefore deserve to have their licenses renewed (read ABC 15)
  • This is Why Top 40 Sucks: The American Billboard singles chart top 10 is made up exclusively of tunes from black artists for the first time. Nine of the ten are rappers, plus one track by R&B singer Beyonce and reggae star Sean Paul. Mike Anthony, DJ and presenter from the BBC's black music station 1Xtra said he was not surprised it had happened. "It was just a matter of time," he told BBC Radio Five Live (read BBC)
  • The Dove Flies The Coop! I wonder what happened to my favorite easy listening station, Duv, WDUV? Used to enjoy beautiful music, perhaps Arthur Fiedler's Boston Pops -- fine singers like Ann Murray, Patti Page, Kate Smith, Dean Martin, etc. All I get now is unknowns, screaming the high notes -- no melody whatsoever. Used to be my lullaby station (read the Radio Babe) (SDN Note: another "Dove" station ran on 93.3 in San Diego from Nov 1995 to Mar 1996 while new owners Jacor Communications were building a future set in the old 91X/690 building for what is now Channel 933 (now at Granite Ridge).
  • Microsoft Sued for Weak Security (Business Thursday) A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles claims the company's software is vulnerable to viruses and its complex security warnings aid crackers rather than the general public. The suit alleges unfair competition and violation of two consumer rights laws.
  • Read Suntimes: Although Clear Channel Communications' new station will boast a killer lineup of on-air talent, the real stars of WRLL-AM (1690) will be Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra + Melba Lara, assistant news director and local host of "All Things Considered" at Wisconsin Public Radio, has been hired as weekend news anchor and correspondent at WBEZ-FM (91.5) (read Feder of Chicago)
  • Students Toil as Spyware Hunters (IT/IS Important 2:00 a.m. PDT) A pair of high school seniors team up to track down the creators behind Xupiter, a particularly agressive spyware invading thousands of computers. They are donating many hours of their time to help bring them to court. By Michelle Delio.
  • Michele Miller To put it bluntly, commercial radio stinks - BIG time. That is, of course, unless you actually enjoy being force-fed canned music from radio stations such as the Clear Channel breed, whose sales pitch might as well be, "We play the same songs over and over and over again, all the time!" It's kind of like the psychological rock music torture technique our guys used back in 1989 when they wanted to oust Manuel Noriega from the Vatican embassy in Panama City. Listening to these stations now, you could set your watch to them. "Mmmm, they're playing Billy Joel's Scenes >From an Italian Restaurant, must be around noon." Sure, they throw a shock jock or perky TV news personality into the mix for entertainment. But I'd just as soon skip the raunchy talk, the diet aid ads and the same old songs (read Michele Miller)
  • Comedy Radio To Launch in Canada...Monday Oct 20, 2003, CFHA Comedy Radio 103.5 will officially launch a new era in broadcast history in Saint John as it takes to the airwaves with a format never tried before in radio. "Round the clock comedy is something that has never been tried anywhere in Canada as far as we can tell" says Tom Gamblin, owner and President of CFHA Comedy Radio 103.5 in Saint John (no website yet).
  • John Rook says... "Uphold the FCCÆs own rules and deny Clear Channel license renewals" says John Rook (read)
  • Reuters: Broadcaster XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. on Wednesday said it added some 237,000 subscribers in the third quarter and remains on track to meet its goal of 1.2 million customers this year
  • Rappers in Disharmony on P2P - At a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, rappers Chuck D and LL Cool J offer different points of view on the song-swapping issue. One wants his rights protected, the other sees an opportunity. By Katie Dean. Let's hope this doesn't turn into a gunfight.

    National Radio Wires (10-31-2003)

    All Access (registration required)
    As the acres, the personal property and lives lost to SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA's wildfires mount, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We've read stories about burned transmitters and downed towers, but they pale in comparison to the story of Oldies KQOL (KOOL 93.1)/LAS VEGAS morning man JIM ZIPPO, his elderly parents and a brother living in fire ravaged LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA. A native of LAKE ARROWHEAD, ZIPPO captained KQOL's massive drive to gather supplies for CALIFORNIA's fire victims. As the fires raged out of control, ZIPPO lost contact with his elderly parents in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ZIPPO traveled with KQOL's tractor-trailer to deliver the 27 tons of supplies gathered to KOCL (KOOL 95.7)/SAN DIEGO. After delivering the needed supplies, THURSDAY (10/30), ZIPPO opens the USA TODAY to find a photo of his LAKE ARROWHEAD childhood home burning to the ground and still no word on the whereabouts of his parents. ZIPPO is searching evacuation centers in SAN BERNADINO COUNTY for his parents, FRANKLIN and CHARLOTTE POLLIT. His brother, MARC POLLIT, who was missing has now been accounted for. If you have any information that may help ZIPPO find his parents and his brother, please call DAVE HIMMEL at KQOL at (702) 892-0727 ext. 137 or email him at davidhimmel@clearchannel.com.

    Same hosts, different week: RUSH LIMBAUGH's fill=ins for next week include repeat performances by KOGO-A/SAN DIEGO's ROGER HEDGECOCK (MONDAY and WEDNESDAY), WISN-A/MILWAUKEE's MARK BELLING, KFBK-A/SACRAMENTO's TOM SULLIVAN, and Dr. WALTER WILLIAMS.

    rronline
    KCJZ/San Antonio Snaps, Crackles And Goes Pop... At 9am CT this morning, the Cox-owned Dance-leaning CHR/Rhythmic station known as "106.7 Jamz" flipped to CHR/Pop with the new moniker "Z106-7" and the slogan "San Antonio's new No. 1 hit music station." PD Doug Bennett remains at the station's helm.

    RIAA Sues 80 More Alleged Infringers... The defendants were among a group of 204 individuals that this month received letters from the RIAA informing them that they were about to be sued for alleged infringement of label copyrights via peer-to-peer networks. The RIAA says the remaining 124 people in the group accepted its offer to negotiate settlements. "The fact that the overwhelming majority of those who received the notification letter contacted us and were eager to resolve the claims is another clear signal that the music community's education and enforcement campaign is getting the message out," RIAA President Cary Sherman said. In September the RIAA filed suit against 261 people over online infringement. That first group received no warning letters, but many of them have settled with the RIAA; Sherman has said elsewhere that the settlement amounts are averaging about $3,000. He also said today that close to 1,000 people who had not been contacted by the RIAA have asked for amnesty under the label organization's "Clean Slate" program, under which the RIAA agrees not to sue people who sign an affidavit admitting infringement and agree to destroy all their illegally obtained music.

    National Radio Wires (10-30-2003)

    All Access (registration required)
    CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WHTZ (Z100)/NEW YORK CITY has officially unveiled the awe-inspiring lineup to their JINGLE BALL 2003, which is set melt listener souls on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11th at the world famous MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. The show, which will be guest-hosted by J. LO, JESSICA SIMPSON, and NICK LACHEY, will feature performances by BEYONCE, MATCHBOX TWENTY, SEAN PAUL, 3 DOORS DOWN, JAY-Z, MICHELLE BRANCH, JASON MRAZ, KELLY CLARKSON, SIMPLE PLAN, and HILARY DUFF. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow (10/30) at 5p, but only to "ZVIPS." The general public is going to have to wait! (Star 100.7 runs its annual "Jingle Ball" every year; wonder if Clear Channel plans to sue Midwest TV over the use of the name of "Jingle Ball" since CC is using it most everywhere for its stations)

    Los Angeles Radio Wires (10-30-2003)

    Richard Wagoner
    Santa Clarita has something to celebrate: the relaunch of the area's only local radio station was to have taken place on Wednesday. Carl and Jeri Goldman, who are husband and wife, recently repurchased the station they sold to Clear Channel Communications back in 1998. Clear Channel had dropped all local programming about 18 months ago, and the former owners had been pleading with CC to bring at least some of it back. That pleading led to a deal in May in which the Goldmans would repurchase the station and assume control. So as of Wednesday, Clarita Valley listeners should have been able to tune into KHTS (Home Town Station) on 1220 AM and hear local news, talk shows, and music. Friday night high school football games are on tap, as are special promotions and awards for local student of the month ... exactly what small-town local radio station should provide. Of course much of that is what big-city local radio used to provide as well ... (they can do that? people can buy radio stations back from Clear Channel?)

    New to the collection of airchecks at Uncle Ricky's Top-40 Radio Repository -- www.reelradio.com -- is a wonderful recording of the Real Don Steele from Ten-Q on July 5, 1977. This one is over an hour and is unscoped, which means it includes the commercials, all the songs, and of course Steele with his unmatched style. Think radio plays a variety of songs today? The variety of songs and artists on Ten-Q was amazing. With a wide-open playlist and personalities like Steele, no wonder Ten-Q was so hot at the time. Nothing, and I mean nothing comes close in the modern era of overly-researched corporate radio. Check it out today.

    Infinity/L.A. Launches Fire Relief Fund... The company's seven Los Angeles stations have teamed with KCBS-TV & KCAL-TV/L.A. and co-owned KFRG/Riverside in asking listeners and viewers to help raise money for Southern Californians affected by the wildfires that have ravaged thousands of acres of land in Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The stations are asking those able to make a donation to contact the American Red Cross-Southern California Fire Disaster Relief Fund. "It's easy for people in the media to think of this in terms of a story, but it's an experience that all of us are going through, from having to choose between this picture and that or making sure the cats are accounted for, to breathing under this eerie, orange sky," Infinity Radio/L.A. VP/AM Programming David G. Hall said. "We've been all about disseminating information and stories of tragedy and triumph over the last week, but that's not enough. So we want to do what we can, as a group of radio stations, to help people as directly and effectively as possible." Donations can be made online at www.KNX1070.com or by sending a check payable to the American Red Cross-Southern California Fire Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 1070, Hollywood, CA 90028.

    San Diego Radio Wires (10-30-2003)

    rronline
    K-Love Transmitter, Christian Talker Off The Air In SoCal Fires... Christian AC network K-Love's KLVJ/Julian, CA transmitter is off the air due to fire-related power failure. The network's headquarters in Rocklin, CA confirmed that the station went dark late on Tuesday; as of yesterday afternoon, no one had been able to reach the tower site to see if any damage had been done to equipment. Christian Talk KECR/El Cajon, CA also went dark Tuesday afternoon and remains off the air; its tower location and equipment facility have been destroyed. No timetable is in place yet for getting KECR back on the air with temporary equipment.

    San Diego Radio Wires (10-30-2003)

  • EXTERNAL: Union-Tribune: San Diego County residents will never know which local TV news station was watched the most Sunday when a series of wildfires erupted across the county. Six of seven stations û six English, one Spanish û provided continuous live coverage of the fires Sunday. KUSI/Channel 51 was the only one to do so all day Monday. Karen Gyimesi, of Nielsen Media Research in New York, said no ratings data could be measured in the San Diego TV market Sunday and Monday because of electrical power outages, fire damage, or for other circumstances affecting many of the 400 homes in the market equipped with Nielsen meters (read Preston Turegano)

    Randy Dotinga
    Hot time on the radio dial... By: RANDY DOTINGA - North County Times... Drama and trauma dominated the San Diego radio airwaves this week as broadcasters provided the only source of news to thousands of listeners while coping with their own worries. Consider the extraordinary goings-on at the region's biggest radio company on Sunday. The huge brush fires brought an "all-hands-on-deck" order from the top bosses at Clear Channel, and a gaggle of morning show hosts, news reporters and assorted support staff converged on the company's headquarters in the San Diego neighborhood of Kearny Mesa to provide coverage. But it wasn't too long before another order came from above: Everybody out! With the exception of the staff of news station KOGO, the entire headquarters was evacuated as flames appeared across Interstate 15, potentially threatening the building jokingly known as "world domination headquarters." Luckily for listeners, KOGO showed that it's the only game in town when it comes to breaking news. Its competition, as usual, was weak. KFMB-AM, which dumped most of its news staff a few years ago, relied heavily on coverage from its sister station, Channel 8, although it did take phone calls late into the night. KPBS-FM, which has limited staff on the weekend, eventually kicked in its fire coverage but switched to its nighttime classical music at 9 p.m. Sunday, providing listeners with another reason to ignore it when news is actually happening. KOGO and its crack staff of reporters and anchors, including the ultrafast-talking LaDonna Harvey, didn't have time to talk about their stomachs. The station did its job well, providing commercial-free coverage 24 hours a day and taking calls from worried listeners. It helped that several KOGO staffers live ---- or have lived ---- in East County, giving them geographical expertise that you can't get from a Thomas Guide. Monday's news brought more fire threats ---- KOGO talk-show host Stacy Taylor stayed home to keep an eye on his house in Descanso ---- and the first round of on-air finger-pointing. KOGO's Roger Hedgecock led the way, bemoaning the lack of air support during the fires, which he partly blames on private firefighting contractors and the confusion over the use of Qualcomm Stadium as an evacuation center. Leave it to Hedgecock to get hot before the ashes have cooled. Read more about it at Randy Dotinga's column in the North County Times.

    North County Times - Ann Zivotsky
    Stations out in full force to cover fire... Sunday was a very expensive day for the local news stations, but San Diegans benefited by being kept informed on all the breaking news. Kudos to KNSD/Channel 39 for being on the air first with fire coverage. A bad head cold and the time change conspired to wake me at 4 a.m. Sunday, so I caught Artie Ojeda's first reports on the spreading fire. KNSD was able to break into the nationally televised "Today" broadcast to give regular updates before it launched its daylong coverage. By midmorning, all of the local stations were committed to covering the fire. Kudos also to KGTV/Channel 10 for scheduling a fund-raising event for the victims of the fire during this past week's "Monday Night Football." Much money is sure to be raised for the victims, but KGTV responded the fastest. Read more about it at her website.

    Reader Blurt
    "Al has decided to...take the corporate job." That's the spin from FM-94/9 program director Garret Michaels on the news that the host of his local music show, Al Guerra, is leaving to return to Clear Channel. Guerra's last show at FM-94/9 was October 19. He is expected to debut as host of Loudspeaker, the long-running locals-only show on 91X, this Sunday. Guerra said he agreed to come to 91X and host Loudspeaker on the condition that 91X give it a better slot. New 91X program director Jim Richards agreed with Guerra, and Loudspeaker now airs 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays. Read more at Blurt.

    San Diego City Beat
    Fires Impact Local Musicians Like every other aspect of life in San Diego this week, the world of local music has not been left unscathed. A number of local practice spaces, including Clairemont MesaÆs Universal Sound, String Masters in Poway and both Superior Sound locations (Kearny Mesa and El Cajon) were or are dangerously close to the flames. Read more about it at San Diego City Beat.

    Also...

    Local radio show shakeup... Al Guerra has left FM 94/9 to co-host 91XÆs Loudspeaker alongside current host Tim Pyles. This means longtime co-host Jason Riggs will be leaving the local music show. The station has also announced that it will finally address the main complaint about Loudspeakerùthat it airs Mondays at midnight (technically Tuesday morn), a horrible time slot that many viewed as a diss to local music. Starting Nov. 2, the show will move to Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m. The time switch seems to be an effort to beat GuerraÆs old station to the punch, since Local 94/9 airs Sundays from 8 to 10 p.m. Anya Marina will take over Local 94/9 in GuerraÆs absence, and Guerra says that his move has absolutely nothing to do with ill will regarding 94/9. Credit for this massive shift in local music radio coverage should be thrown the way of little alternative station that could, Premium Radio 92/1. TheyÆve long aired Go Loco on Sundays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. With all three shows running either simultaneously or consecutively, it means that local alternative musicùwhich two years ago was relegated to one crappy, two-hour time slot on 91Xùwill dominate the San Diego airwaves on Sundays.

    San Diego Fires Website 10-28-03!

    http://www.sandiegoprints.com/sdfires.htm

    XM Satellite Radio Reaches 1 Million Subs (10-28-03)!

    XM Satellite radio announced this morning they have surpassed the 1 million subscriber plateau. The XM press release pointed out they have hit that number in less than 2 years of operation. "With more than one million subscribers, XM has firmly established a new mass-market entertainment medium for consumers nationwide," said Hugh Panero, XM's President and CEO. "XM's success is particularly evident when compared to other media, from the inception of radio to today's latest technology." Consumers have adopted XM Satellite Radio faster than local radio, television, satellite TV, CD players, MP3 players, or digital video recorders. As a mass medium, XM has reached one million subscribers in less time than cable television or online subscription services -- two of the nation's most successful subscriber businesses.

    "XM's success has been driven by several factors. We offer 101 channels of critically-acclaimed, live programming, coast-to-coast coverage, and superior sound. We have succeeded in bringing down the cost of equipment quickly, and we have unprecedented distribution through retailers and automotive dealerships nationwide. Plus, the positive word-of-mouth about XMhas spread at an extraordinary rate. XM is well-prepared for the traditionally strong holiday selling season," Panero said.XM will celebrate its one-millionth subscriber with a gala celebration on November 4 at its national broadcast headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    2003 Radio Music Awards Winners (10-28-03)!

    Artist of the Year/Country Radio: Tim McGraw
    Artist of the Year/Hip Hop Radio: 50 Cent
    Artist of the Year/Modern Adult Contemporary Radio: John Mayer
    Artist of the Year/Top 40 Radio: Justin Timberlake
    Song of the Year/Modern Adult Contemporary Radio: "Complicated" Avril Lavigne
    Best Driving Song: "Shake Ya Tailfeather" Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
    Best Hook Up Song: "Intuition" Jewel

    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received the Legend Award. Stevie Nicks presented the award to the group in front of thousands of cheering fans at the Aladdin hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The group performed two songs, "I'm Crying" and "Runnin' Down a Dream." Petty thanked radio stations for taking a chance on an "unknown band."

    Beyonce opened the show with her sultry single, "Baby Boy," which the diva belted out surrounded by a ring of fire.

    The two-hour show broadcast live on NBC also honored Michael Jackson, who took home the Humanitarian Award.

    Casey Kasem received the Radio Icon Award.

    The show was hosted by Brooke Burns (news) of NBC's "Dog Eat Dog" and "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.

    The nominees in each category were based on radio's top-playing songs. Radio program and music directors nationwide voted on the winners.

    Select 2003 Radio Megablast Winners (10-28-03)!

    All Access (registration required)
    The 2003 RADIO MEGABLAST AWARDS were presented Monday at a special Industry Awards Party that took place before the RADIO MUSIC AWARDS in LAS VEGAS.

    TOP 40 Station of the Year: WHTZ/NEW YORK
    Top 40 Air Personality of the Year: JO JO WRIGHT, KIIS/LOS ANGELES
    TOP 40/RHYTHMIC Station of the Year: WKTU/NEW YORK
    TOP 40/RHYTHMIC Air Personality of the Year: BIG BOY, KPWR/L.A.
    URBAN Radio Station of the Year: WGCI/CHICAGO
    URBAN Radio Air Personality of the Year: TOM JOYNER, ABC RADIO
    COUNTRY Radio Station of the Year: WSIX/NASHVILLE
    ROCK/ALTERNATIVE Radio Station of the Year: KROQ/L.A.
    ROCK/ALTERNATIVE PD of the Year: KEVIN WEATHERLY, KROQ/L.A.
    HOT AC Air Personality of the Year: RYAN SEACREST, KYSR/L.A.
    Radio Trade Publication: ALL ACCESS (ha-ha!)

    San Diego County Fire Coverage on Radio and TV (10-28-03)!

    KOGO simulcasted its signal on all CC's owned or LMA'd stations until 6am Monday morning with continuous updates coming from San Diego's only commercial news radio organization.

    Phillip Gore posted on the San Diego radio-info board that "as of 11:30am - All FM Clear Channel Stations were forced to evacuate the World Domination Headquarters and take up running KOGO on all the stations. I was one of those who had to leave this morning - only those in the KOGO newscenter and Jeff Dailey at airwatch remained in the buliding. My prayers and wishes go out to all that are involved in this fire both personal and professional"

    KFMB-AM, which was relying on its TV channel 8 for news, was running on low power after night fell on Sunday due to possible transmitter troubles caused by the fire.

    Sunday night, XPRS 1090 was relaying news from KUSI 51, but there was a 15 second delay for some reason I can't point out.

    The audio for NBC 7/39 was heard on KYXY and KPLN. KSWB-TV also relyed on NBC 7's feed, but it was due to evacuation when its TV studio staff, on Engineer Road not far from where the fire reached just north of Claremont Mesa Blvd, was force to evacuate for a few hours.

    KFMB 8 pre-empted its Sunday Morning show, then went back to NFL coverage, then broke back with full coverage with the NFL games shown on a 1/4-size screen while the bulletins were seen. KFMB-TV 8 bailed out at 7pm and ran the entire CBS prime time slate; the other three network affilliates, and KSWB, stayed with live coverage of the fire, as well as independent KUSI.

    KFI bumped off Rush and Dr. Laura for fire coverage for the Los Angeles area.

    Pirate Radio 96.9 Leaving The Air (10-28-03)!

    http://www.pirate969.org/
    Yes, the word on the street is true. We'll be going off the air for a little while. No, the feds didn't catch us. No, we didn't sell the station and move to the South Pacific. What did happen? Well, read about it over here. Don't worry though folks, this outage is under control, and we're slated to be back on the air no later than January 1, 2004.

    For our many listeners out there, don't freak out. We'll be back.

    For our federal agents and federal agent pawns out there, don't rest just yet. We'll be back.

    What's going on? Well, for matters beyond on control, we're not going to be able to broadcast from our present location. Our last day on the air from this location will be October 31st, at around mid day.

    What happened? Well, the house we were using is getting sold, and while the new owners think it's "neat", it's not nearly "neat enough" to spend any energy on, and certainly not enough to risk getting hassled by the FCC. This is how these things go. If you talk to any station like ours, the number one problem is a location to operate from. Everything else from there is workable, but minus a physical location, things can and tend to get very difficult. In this case we decided that rather than risk beating up our gear, breaking anything, or in any otherway jeapordizing the station, we'd rather just make a clean break, and come back stronger than we left.

    FRSD 96.9FM has existed as two guys with backpacks on a mountain, an antenna on a boat that would shake back and forth with the swells, an old Dodge Van on Mt. Soledad, and for nearly a year now, a fixed location in a house.

    When we leave, we will take with us all of our operating equipment, and most importantly the more than two dozen members that have tried as hard as possible to bring you the best content they could. Our web stream will still remain online, but none of our shows will run, except for Democracy Now and Free Speech Radio News. All other shows are cancelled until we return on the FM dial.

    We will be off the air for a couple months; we expect to return around the new year (January 1, 2004). During this time we'll be working on getting more grants, creating more fliers, doing more outreach, having a little personal time for our lives that have been put on hold a bit, and preparing the new space.

    New space? That's right, we have a fairly good spot ready to go already. We can't elaborate on it for obvious reasons, and it's only mentioned to underscore that we'll be back, and it's only a matter of a two months, max. There will be rumors about us getting raided, that the "feds" got us, and god only knows what else. They're the standard output of the rumor mill, so don't put too much stock in them. When ever anything happens, this website will always be able to let you know what's up.

    So don't worry folks; pirates are hard to kill. :-)

    TJ Lindeman Checks In (10-28-03)!

    As posted on the San Diego radio-info board...

    Hey there it's TJ Formerly of Z90 San Diego.

    I started my stinch in radio at Z-90 in the "Dance Days" and must say that I really grew in experience and knowledge of the "Radio Business".

    I started out being the low man on the totem pole as the Morning show producer. Back in 1993 that was "the low man on the totem pole". I worked hard and worked my way up the ladder. Some people would say I kissed everyone's butt to get to the top of the ladder, but those statements are untrue. I made a commitment and learned to love my station and to work hard to get what I wanted.

    I wanted to be the Promotion Director so I worked hard to be able to make my goal of becoming the Promotion Director, I continued working hard, not just focusing on one aspect of my job but continued to strive to learn all the programming aspects of myt job as well.

    I opened my big mouth a few times on allaccess and sealed my doom with Clear Channel. Unfortunately when Clear Channel took over in May of last year I wasn't even given the opportunity to stay and help because I had been promoted to Music Director and I was close to Lisa Karsting who still to this day is my good friend and because of something I had posted on all access 3 years earlier.

    It sucks to be hard working and not even get acknowledge for the hard work that you had done, or even be given the opportunity to stay with Z90. I loved the entire staff at the old Z-90 and I know that even though I was a manager, I would have respected the new managers in their decisions.

    I know now not to bad mouth people in the industry, however I also know that If I was a manager in a higher position and with a station that is doing very well in the ratings, I would keep the current staff instead of letting them go.

    I am currently in Columbus, Ohio working as a marketing associate for an apartment complex. I will be resurfacing in radio starting the first week of January and am very excited about it. I miss everyone in San Diego every day. My best wishes go out to the original Z90 Crew.... Lisa Karsting, Dale Soliven, Billy Blast, Mia, Eric D, Brandi, Shawn B, Tre, Alain, and the entire rest of the crew at 1690 Frontage Road. Keep your heads up guys, it will get better. God is watching over all of us and he will get us all through this.

    Some Memories will never be forgotten....... 

    Super Jams
The World's Largest Sticker Stop
LL Cool J flying into Sports Arena in Helicopter
TJ Running away from media at DJ Quik concert in 
  Pacific Beach
Z90 Crashing the N'Sync concert with the fly over banner
  and fans at Coors
Z-90 busses driving in circles around the 4th and B
Z-90 theme song when 933 came to town "Bow Down"
    I miss you guys so much. I love you all.. I can be reached at 614-207-5767 or via e-mail at lindemanhome@wideopenwest.com.

    Los Angeles Radio Wires (10-28-03)!

    Gary Lycan - Orange County Register
    Riki Rachtman, whose reputation as a bad boy seems to follow him wherever he goes, says he is returning to local radio Nov. 8, on KCBS "Arrow 93." "I've had great conversations with (VP/Programming) Kevin Weatherly, and he said he wants me on his radio station," Rachtman said in a recent interview. "I know people will be expecting me to play heavy metal or punk rock. But there's no station in town playing that kind of music, and the truth is, I love the classic-rock format on Arrow," he said (read Gary Lycan-OC Register)

    Zap2it.com
    Even as a wee lad, Young Ryan Seacrest knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be Casey Kasem and Rick Dees," Seacrest recalls of his Atlanta youth. "I used to sit and pretend I was literally those two guys in my bedroom and make up cassette tapes, playing records. What's ironic is that I used to play Paula Abdul records. I was listening to 'Rush, Rush' and 'Straight Up' and pretending I was introing them on the countdown." (read Zap2It)


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