Excerpts:

From Computerworld: "At first glance, it might not make sense for profit-making businesses to give away, rather than charge for, wireless Internet access. But a growing number of hotels and restaurants have found that it pays to offer free Wi-Fi Internet access. This perk attracts customers and provides a real bottom-line payback for a relatively small capital investment, according to free-Wi-Fi pioneers...

"Free Wi-Fi is an alternative to paid services offered by companies such as Starbucks Corp., which, in partnership with T-Mobile USA, currently offers Wi-Fi service at rates ranging from $9.99 per day to $29.99 per month in 2,300 of its coffee shops...

"John Wooley, chairman, CEO and president of restaurant chain Schlotzsky's Inc. in Austin, isn't so shy in sharing details of what he calls the 'strong ROI' from the company's free Wi-Fi service... Wooley says he figures that the free Wi-Fi results in an additional 15,000 visits per restaurant per year by customers who spend an average of $7 per visit.

"Customer service and satisfaction at a relatively low capital cost means that free Wi-Fi will continue to proliferate at the expense of the paid model, according to Schlotzsky's Wooley. 'I think pay Wi-Fi is going to go away,' he says. Panera's Shaich agrees, saying hotel and restaurant customers will eventually come to expect free Wi-Fi access."

Read this entire story from Computerworld online here.

Why D.T. Never Donates in the Name of Radio Stations 11-7-03!

Until these San Diego radio stations shape up and do radio music right, my money is not going towards inflating the egos of these radio organizations who just like to brag about how much money they raised from the listeners.

I understand the need for our 2,000 now homeless families in San Diego county to get back to their lives as soon as possible, but exploiting me and thousands of other gullible radio listeners to fund their ego-driven promotion drives in the guise of fund raising for charities is wrong, when their parent organizations such as Infinity, Clear Channel, Midwest Television, and others are hoarding their own money in lieu of paying their workers a reasonable salary and in lieu of hiring educated music programmers who understand diversity and the real reason we listen to radio is to listen to music that puts us in a good mood, not music that makes us want to go postal.

So radio stations, let the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and other charities get the glory of raising money for the needy victims of the worst fire in the history of San Diego county and letting them earn their right to brag about how much money they really raised, and leave your egos and the exploitation your radio listeners out of it.

Until radio starts serving this 43 year old male, my money is not going towards them for the purpose that is strictly commercial (unless I get paid, of course; I'm cheaper than Clear Channel).

San Diego Radio Wires 11-6-03!

excerpts:

On Sunday morning October 26, KFSD-FM (92/1) played the Strokes' current hit "12:51" four times between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. It wasn't a mistake. It was for money. DeWitt says the song was played each time as a "commercial." He says three nights a week (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) 92/1 allows record companies to pay for airplay from midnight to 6 a.m. Because 92/1 announces the arrangement, it is legal. If the station didn't announce it, it would be illegal. According to DeWitt, it is a commercial because of the disclaimer before and after the song is played: "That was '12:51' by the Strokes, presented by RCA Records." Airplay for singles by Alien Ant Farm and Cold were also "sponsored." "Anybody who wants to buy time can buy time," said DeWitt. "If somebody wanted us to play three minutes of polka music, we'd do it."

Last Wednesday, Ugly Bob held a meeting at the Golden Hill Recreation Center explaining to 25 members of his all-volunteer staff why the station went off the air last Friday, after a year of transmission. "If you talk to any station like ours, the number-one problem is a location to operate from." He said the home that houses the station's one-room studio has been sold, and the new owners aren't hip to the idea of dealing with unhappy agents from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). "We do have a new place, and we will be back by January 1."

Meanwhile, you can still listen to FRSD on the Internet for a few hours a day or perhaps a few days a week at their website http://www.pirate969.org/. They broadcasted on 96.9, a frequency not assigned legally for San Diego radio. The formats they cover include punk, rap, Americana, and other genres and some contain strong language not permitted to be broadcast from 6am until 10pm.

Bob says a rooftop antenna and a 92-watt transmitter smaller than a shoebox allows them to cover most of the area from the harbor to Mission Valley to I-15.

At the meeting Bob also lashed out at Clear Channel. "In Florida, Clear Channel gave FCC [specially equipped] vans to help bust pirate stations." (FRSD may have been the real alternative station that knocked 91X down by half over the past year.)

Read more at Blurt.

Randy Dotinga
Fire is Personal in Radio Newsrooms.

excerpts:

Broadcasters like to brag their "news hits home." When the wildfires swept the county last week, several radio personalities found that their homes were hitting the news.

Jimmy Valentine, talk-show host Roger Hedgecock's crusty producer on KOGO, lost his house to the flames in the East County town of Alpine. Not too far away, KOGO talker Stacy Taylor spent last week without power and no generator to keep his home studio running.

Outside of Valentine, no one in radio had it tougher than the KOGO newsroom. George Rodriguez, a longtime news desk managing editor and frequent on-air reporter, died on Oct. 26, the night of the worst fire destruction. He was 51 and suffered from a rare blood disorder. In all, KOGO stayed on the air with continuous fire news for more than 130 hours, from about 5 a.m. Oct. 26 until 10 p.m. Oct. 31. It was a stunning week of work --- and a scary one too. Read more at Dotina's website.

San Diego City Beat
KCR's Wire Come Back to Life.

excerpts:

Since the days when Iron Butterfly was still making albums, KCRùSan Diego State UniversityÆs radio stationùstood as a pillar of the local music scene and helped bring left-of-the-dial music to the cityÆs underground. More than a few local music luminaries (RFTCÆs John Reis, for one) have done time as jocks, and playing live in the KCR studio was once a rite-of-passage for local and visiting bands.

You might be able to pick it up passing the campus on I-8, as long as thereÆs a full solar eclipse and youÆre wearing a titanium-foil cap. The station also broadcasts on outmoded cable radio, and few people outside KCR radio jocks know that if you split your cable wire and run an adapter into an FM antenna, you can get secret radio stations.

KCR added more listeners by streming its signal over the Internet, but once the threat of back royalty fees loomed for KCR to pay to continue streaming, they pulled the station's stream off the Internet.

Now, that streaming legislation has been settled. KCR must pay $500 in annual royalties, but the fees arenÆt retroactively assessed as the feds had wanted. The station has hired a whole new staff of DJs (including a news team) and will relaunch its webstream as soon as the proper equipment arrives, which should be very soon.

KCR will also be available on both Time-Warner Digital and Cox Cableùchannel 956 on each serviceùstarting Nov. 20.

Nationwide Radio Wires 11-5-03!

Los Angeles Radio Wires 11-4-03!

Meanwhile, ABC/Los Angeles's radio and television group raised more than $413,000 for victims of the Southern California wildfires, and a daylong "drive-thru" fundraiser held in a Staples Center parking lot saw donations that also included clothing and toys.

All Access (registration required)
INFINITY Talk KNX-A/LOS ANGELES drops its long-running KNX DRAMA HOUR old-time radio series after nearly 22 years. The series regularly drew high ratings but very old demographics, and the station's new management has indicated that it wants the station to do news around the clock, using the wildfires last week as an example (the fire coverage preempted the dramas for a few days).

CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 KIIS/LOS ANGELES has announced the line-up for their annual holiday concert, "THE KIIS FM JINGLE BALL," which is set to beat the crap out of listeners at THE STAPLES CENTER on DECEMBER 5th. Scheduled to perform live are BRITNEY SPEARS, BEYONCE, SEAN PAUL, KELLY CLARKSON, SIMPLE PLAN, HILARY DUFF, FABOLOUS, THALIA and BLAQUE. Plus, MISS JENNIFER LOPEZ will act as the event's special guest host! Tickets for the JINGLE BALL go on sale this SATURDAY (11/8).

Comedy Awards Nominees List (11-4-03)!

Nominees were determined by viewers who logged-on to comedycentral.com to cast their votes. Not all categories will be announced on-air.

Nominees include:

FUNNIEST MOVIE
"A Mighty Wind"
"Anger Management"
"Bruce Almighty"
"Old School"

FUNNIEST MOVIE ACTOR
Jim Carrey û "Bruce Almighty"
Johnny Depp û "Pirates Of The Caribbean"
Will Ferrell û "Old School" 
Vince Vaughn û "Old School"

FUNNIEST MOVIE ACTRESS
Jennifer Aniston û "Bruce Almighty"
Alyson Hannigan "American Wedding"
Queen Latifah û "Bringing Down The House"
Reese Witherspoon û "Legally Blonde 2" / "Sweet Home Alabama"

FUNNIEST ANIMATED VOICE
Tim Curry û Nigel in "Wild Thornberrys The Movie"
Ellen DeGeneres û Dory in "Finding Nemo"
Jon Lovitz û Tom Baltezor in "Eight Crazy Nights"
Adam Sandler û in "Eight Crazy Nights"

FUNNIEST FEMALE CHARACTER - (SUPPORTING ACTRESS)
Christina Applegate û "View From the Top"
Kathy Bates û "About Schmidt"
Juliette Lewis û "Old School"
The Women from "A Mighty Wind"

FUNNIEST TALK/VARIETY SERIES
"Chappelle's Show"
"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
"Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
"Saturday Night Live"

FUNNIEST TV ACTOR
Sean Hayes û "Will & Grace"
Ashton Kutcher û "That `70s Show"
Matthew Perry û "Friends"
Andy Richter û "Andy Richter Controls the Universe"

FUNNIEST TV ACTRESS
Rachel Dratch û "Saturday Night Live"
Jane Kaczmarek û "Malcolm in the Middle"
Megan Mullally û "Will & Grace"
Wanda Sykes û "Wanda at Large"

FUNNIEST WIFE
Patricia Heaton û "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Jane Kaczmarek û "Malcolm in the Middle"
Sharon Osbourne û "The Osbournes"
Marge Simpson û "The Simpsons"

FUNNIEST MALE CHARACTER (SUPPORTING ACTOR)
Seth Green û "The Italian Job"
Eugene Levy û "Bringing Down The House" / "American Pie"
The Men from "A Mighty Wind"
Seann William Scott û "American Wedding"

FUNNIEST NEW GUY
Ali G û "Da Ali G Show"
Cast of "RENO 911!"
Dom Jolly û "Trigger Happy"
The Fab Five 5 û "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"

FUNNIEST NEW SERIES
"Andy Richter Controls The Universe"
"Chappelle's Show"
"RENO 911!"
"Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn"

FUNNIEST SMART ASS
Eric Cartman û "South Park"
John C. McGinley û "Scrubs"
Jon Stewart û "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

FUNNIEST NEUROTIC CHARACTER
Larry David û "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Andy Dick û "Less Than Perfect"
Brad Garrett û "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Tony Shalhoub û "Monk"

FUNNIEST CURMUDGEON
Lewis Black û "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
Larry David û "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Homer Simpson û "The Simpsons"
Kurtwood Smith û "That `70s Show"

FUNNIEST ANIMATED TV SERIES
"Futurama"
"The Simpsons"
"South Park"
"Spongebob Squarepants"

FUNNIEST LIVE ACTION TV SERIES
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Malcolm in the Middle"
"Scrubs"
"That 70's Show"

FUNNIEST TV SPECIAL
"The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of Denis Leary"
"Michael Jackson: Living with Michael Jackson"
MTV Movie Awards
"Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied"

FUNNIEST PERSON OF THE YEAR
"Baghdad Bob" (Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Iraqi Minister of Information)
Jim Carrey
Adam Sandler
Jon Stewart

Dave's TV Static: Where Have All The Big Boys Gone? (11-4-03)

Then at 9pm, a choice between One Tree Hill, Rock Me Baby/Girlfriends, Frasier, and According to Jim/Less Than Perfect.

Nothing much for males to watch, but on cable, there's ESPN, ESPN2, FSN, Game Show Network, Comedy Central, Sci Fi Network, FX, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Spike TV, and an untold hundred movie channels available on cable.

We could say that the television divide has gotten specialized: with the affluent males seeking to pay money so they can watch the sports and action channels, while the mostly poor and female settle for the free 3 and 15/16 broadcast networks without cable.

It seems that broadcast television has gotten so chick-laden, so effiminate, compared to just ten years ago, that the males, especially the younger 18-24 demo, have left the 3 and 15/16 broadcast networks in droves to cable, video games, hip hop music, Internet, and DVD rentals. So you can say it only makes sense for the dinosaur broadcasters to appeal to the females instead.

While the male audience for the broadcaters aged 18-34 dipped about 10 percent compared to last year (except for sports programming), cable TV has grabbed them and embraced the demographic and adding more kinds of programming aimed at them. Cable is taking off where the broadcasters left behind: programs for guys that guys can actually watch without feeling like a girly man.

If you want to feel like a girly man, just tune into any rerun from "Friends (Fiends)" and "Will and (dis)Grace" on the WB netlet affilliate and see how unmasculine the story lines are played out. Where are the testerone male idols on these shows? There are more snowballs in hell compared to this.

The latest offering for cable is Casino and Gaming Television, set to launch next year with fantasy-sports and tournament programming. Though the net is still in the early stages of development, media buyers said it might be an attractive venue, considering the poker phenomenon this summer that drove men to The World Series of Poker on ESPN and Travel Channel's World Poker Tour.

This season, an average of 1.5 million fewer young men are watching primetime network programming, according to Nielsen Media Research, a finding that perplexes buyers who aren't certain whether the demo is just tuning out or the ratings methodology needs tweaking [Adweek, Oct. 20].

Cable, however, seems to be holding its own so far, and a few networks have managed to grow their young male audiences. ESPN, ESPN2, Comedy Central, Spike, the Sci Fi Channel, BET, Discovery and The History Channel have registered slight viewer increases. And FX, Cartoon Network and, surprisingly, Bravo have posted significant gains. According to Horizon Media's analysis of Nielsen Media Research, FX is up 83 percent in the demo this season, Cartoon Network is up 47 percent, and Bravo is up 136 percent, likely buoyed by Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

In a focus group study of male viewers 18-34, Frank Luntz of The Luntz Research Cos. found that "an overwhelming 72 percent favor programs on cable or satellite above the broadcast networks."

"These guys are the loosest TV viewers," said Ray Dundas, svp/ group director, national broadcast for Interpublic Group's Initiative Media. "They're picky and looking for the next edgy, water-cooler program." Of any poker-themed offerings on Casino and Gaming Television, he added, "I think I would turn to it."

ESPN and MTV used to be the primary go-to networks for advertisers looking to reach young males, but now there are venues such as Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, FX's The Shield and Comedy Central's The Man Show, noted Lisa Donahue, evp/media director for Publicis Groupe's Starcom in Chicago. "You have to cherry-pick the programming, but there are more options," she said.

"Nowadays you can watch the NBA four nights a week," said Bruce Lefkowitz, evp of ad sales for FX. "Sometimes you go looking for something else."

At Comedy Central, evp of sales Hank Close agreed there is a significant market for male-targeted programming. "A very high percentage of the male audience tunes into sports, but there is something else that young men are looking for," he said. "This is more than a trend."

Nielsen's numbers show that viewership are down 8 percent to 12 percent among males 18-34 this fall, greatly accelerating a long-term but gradual trend of the past few years. At first, networks tried to challenge Nielsen's sampling methods.

The problems with broadcasters that are trying to appeal to males are twofold: First, there aren't many programs on the air that appeal to young men. Second, those young men have other things they'd rather do, such as play video and computer games and watch DVDs.

If you'll recall, one widely heralded trend of the new fall season was the increase in shows starring female heroes, in the model of ABC's "Alias," a spy thriller that has always received more buzz than actual viewership. "Karen Sisco" was added to the mix, along with "Tru Calling" and "Joan of Arcadia."

Network programmers have for the past several years aimed their efforts increasingly at female viewers û witness the predominance of female heroes in made-for-TV movies. Now, they may have gone too far.

"Television prime time's focus on females has accelerated the long-term decline in male viewers," said John Rash, senior vice president and director of broadcast negotiations at the Campbell Mithun ad agency in Minneapolis.

"The networks are trying to protect their base, which is generally female viewers. They have been somewhat successful in that, but there's very little in network TV that specifically captivates younger male viewers." With more young men playing computer games or watching "Junk yard Wars," it's the general-interest networks that are losing.

The men in the younger half of that group, the 18-to-24-year-olds, are abandoning the networks at an even faster pace. This is the age group that grew up with the Internet, video games, DVDs, and sports, most of which are not found on the free broadcast networks at all, and this age bracket should be a red flag to the broadcasters that as more of these males are eschewing television, there will be less older males in the future as TV watchers. Households with a computer and not a television set in a bachelor's pad may become commonplace as the years go by.

Court Upholds FCC Digital TV Ruling (11-4-03)

The makers of television sets, video cassette recorders, and digital versatile disc players tried to block the Federal Communications Commission rule, saying it would make sets more expensive and is unnecessary because cable and satellite viewers don't need the tuners. I would have to disagree because as cable and satellite broadcasters make digital broadcasting more commonplace, the DVRs, VCRs, and TV sets all need to be able to receive all of the free broadcasting signals in order to maximize a broadcater's potential viewing audience.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the FCC, which said the requirement was needed because the industry was not moving quickly enough to make tuners available.

The tuners, either inside a TV or in a separate box used with the TV, will be needed to receive broadcasts over the airwaves after the nation switches from analog to digital signals. Congress has set a goal of December 2006 for the switchover.

The FCC wants to ensure that anyone who buys a TV can take it home, plug it in and receive local stations without subscribing to a cable service or buying an extra tuner box for digital signals.

The first phase of the tuner requirement begins next year, when half of all TV sets 36 inches or larger are required to have the tuners. By July 1, 2007, all TVs 13 inches or larger, and all VCRs and DVD players, must meet the new standard.

Unlike traditional analog television, digital TV signals use the language of computers, allowing for sharper pictures and potential features such as Internet access, video games and multiple programs on one channel. Digital signals can be sent with satellites, by cable or as over-the-air broadcasts.

High-definition television, or HDTV, is another possible feature of digital television. Sets designed for HDTV signals offer more lifelike pictures and sound. The sets cost from about $800 to many thousands of dollars, but prices are dropping.

David's Finally a Daddy (11-3-03)!

Letterman, however, is his last name.

David Letterman's girlfriend, Regina Lasko, delivered a baby boy late Monday night. He weighed in at 9 pounds, 11 inches and is 21 inches long, Letterman announced on his show Tuesday night.

"I could never imagine ever being a part of something that turned out this beautiful," Letterman said, according to a transcript from "Late Show," which is taped earlier in the day.

Letterman, 56, said the baby, his first child, is named after his father, Harry Joseph Letterman, who died at 57.

"So God bless dad and God bless Harry," Letterman said.

The talk show host joked: "I don't know, maybe I shouldn't have done this. First thing I took him home and dangled him over the balcony," a reference to pop star Michael Jackson briefly dangling one of his children over a balcony.

Bandleader Paul Shaffer had filled in for Letterman as host of the "Late Show" Monday night when Lasko went into labor. Tom Keaney, spokesman for Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, said he didn't know where the baby was born.

The show Tuesday night included a Top Ten list of reason's why Letterman was excited to be a father. The No. 1 reason: There is now tangible evidence that I have had sex.

The Emmy-award winning talk-show host said his 9-pound, 11-ounce baby boy had been named after his own father, who died at the age of 57, adding: "God bless dad and God bless Harry."

The comedian also worked the birth of his son into one of his trademark routines, the nightly Top Ten List, by marking off the top ten "Reasons I'm Excited to be a Father."

Those reasons included "There is now tangible evidence I have sex" and "Two words: Swedish nanny."