PoGo Products has a solution for those of us who routinely sit in our automobiles patiently waiting for a radio program to end. The Radio YourWay device ($150) is one of the few portable digital AM/FM radio recorders on the market.

This simple device not only captures radio programs for you, but it also will store and play MP3 and Windows Media audio files. It also performs as a voice recorder with its built-in microphone.

The built-in 32 megabytes of memory will hold up to 4.5 hours, although you can plug in an SD or MMC digital media card to boost the recording time to 40 hours -- depending upon the capacity of the card. The device has a Universal Serial Bus port connection to transfer MP3 and WMA files to or from the recorder, which means you can use the 32 MB of on-board memory to transfer any files between computers.

You can set it up to record in much the same way that you set up a VCR.

A Radio YourWay device with 128 megabytes of memory and an AC adapter costs $200.

San Diego Radio Wires 11-28-03!

Excerpts: In March, Cox's contract with ESPN runs out, and negotiations are under way to secure a new deal. But talks aren't going well.
Under its current deal, ESPN has raised its price to Cox 20 percent each of the last five years. Cox officials have had to pass that increase on to the customer, you and I, the people who watch Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, college football, college basketball, "SportsCenter" and various other running, jumping, chopping or dealing events on ESPN.
And while Cox believes ESPN is a valued commodity on its basic-cable package, Cox has taken a stand. It will not tolerate another contract that raises the price 20 percent a year.
Cox has been vocal about that.
In return, ESPN has gone on the offensive, painting Cox as the "Evil Empire." In one ad, ESPN's Chris Berman basically says ESPN is the only reason to subscribe to Cox.
If this war of words ---- which includes point and counterpoints on TV, radio and in newspaper ads ---- can't be worked out, it's very possible Cox will move ESPN from basic cable to a second and more-expensive tier.
Basic cable costs the average customer $40 a month. With that, viewers get about 70 stations. The next tier, which has more than 100 channels, would add $12 a month to your cable bill.
Cox customers pay $2.60 per month just for ESPN, more than the next seven networks combined. ESPN and Fox make up 32 percent of your basic cable bill.
Tuesday, ESPN e-mailed a three-paragraph press release, saying "Cox customers have choices like Dish Network which offers three ESPN networks in its basic package for $25 yet Cox claims it can't include ESPN in its $40 package. "It's about Cox's margin and not its customers."
Also: San Diego mayoral candidate Peter Q. Davis will be the guest on Jerry Gross' sports-talk show Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m. on KCBQ (1070). Davis will discuss his plans to keep the Chargers in San Diego.

For more Sports Media news, read Maffei's column.

Jay Posner - TV/Radio Sports - The San Diego Union
Enberg, Dierdorf call on Chargers.
Also: More National "Fumble" League TV Boners:
It's understandable when we can't see a good NFL game on TV because it's on at the same time as a Chargers game, such as next week when Chargers-Lions will be on here instead of Colts-Titans. But it's something else when we're denied a good matchup because Fox and XETV Channel 6 continue to shove the mediocre 49ers down our throats, as if we're some sort of Bay Area suburb.
It happened last week with 49ers-Packers instead of Panthers-Cowboys, and it's happening again at 10 a.m. Sunday. Instead of seeing one of two games involving the four first-place teams in the NFC û Eagles-Panthers or Vikings-Rams û we're stuck with 49ers-Ravens. At least KFMB Channel 8 is showing Patriots-Colts at the same time.
The MLS Cup got a "whopping" rating on KGTV. Read Posner's website to see what it really is, and to read more news and commentary on his website.

San Diego Radio Wires 11-27-03!

rronline
CC/San Diego's Future Rests On New Ownership Rules. Company says operations 'fully within the law' While the DOJ looks into the company's operations in the market for possible monopolistic activity and restraint of trade, which R&R reported Monday, the company has made it clear that it intends to do nothing until the fate of the FCC's new ownership rules is decided. The commission's new media-ownership rules specifically state that Clear Channel must either divest of some of its San Diego stations or terminate four of its joint sales agreements with the Mexican broadcasters the company has progamming and sales arrangements with. Under the new rules, JSAs are attributable in radio markets; Clear Channel operates 12 stations serving San Diego, five of which are based in Tijuana. Clear Channel VP/Government Affairs Andy Levin tells R&R, "All the FCC rules are in flux so the company is waiting until there is more certainty before making any decisions. We fully expect the DOJ will find, as it has in the past, that Clear Channel operates its business fully within the law and the inquiry will be completed promptly."

Radio Daily News
The chronicling of Chuck and Linda Buell's experience with the San Diego fires - "My husband and I had to evacuate our home in the San Diego area as the recent historical and devastating Southern California wildfires headed right toward us. When we got up that Sunday morning and took our usual first casual look outside, we were stunned to see our normally blue sky turned an eerie dusty peach color with huge plumes of dark gray and black clouds. It wasn't long before it took on a threatening reddish highlight from an out-of-control fire just over our hillside". Read more at the link above.

Glenn Erath's New CD Out Today 11-26-03!

Glenn Erath - Clean Clever Customized Corporate Comedy

Glenn Erath is a customized corporate comedian specializing in delivering highly entertaining customized comedy presentations for corporate and association groups. Glenn's talents are often employed at awards banquets, roasts, sales meetings, annual conferences and special events of all kinds. Glenn's customized corporate comedy routines include highly customized songs and jokes relevant to your organization.

In addition to providing highly customized comedy routines, Glenn frequently acts as the MC for special events and conferences. Often, Glenn both emcees and entertains at the the same event, keeping the program moving with his proven quick wit. Glenn is more than just a humorous speaker. He's an entertainer who thoroughly customizes his humor to your group's culture. If you're looking for clean clever customized entertainment, Glenn fills the bill!

For the past 19 years, Glenn Erath has been entertaining San Diego radio listeners with his news tunes and unique brand of comedy. Glenn's topical songs can be heard regularly on KOGO's Roger Hedgecock show and on "Breakfast with Bauer" on AM 1360 KPOP. In addition to his on air performances, Glenn writes and performs customized comedy routines for corporate groups around the country.

Commuters have listened to Glen Erath's unique brand of comedy on KFMB and KOGO Radio's top rated morning shows. Glenn's topical songs and comedy bits target everything from politics to sports. His recordings have sold over 40,000 copies in San Diego.

Glenn also performs customized comedy routines for over 50 corporate and association groups each year including AT&T, Allstate Insurance, Pepsi, to name a few. Glenn has performed at the Improv, the Comedy Store, on CBS and ABC affiliate television news programs, ESPN radio, and he writes, produces and voices commercials and jingles.

Glenn lives in San Diego, and is married with three kids.

Visit his website http://www.customcomedy.com/ for more information about Glenn.

San Diego Radio Wires 11-26-03!

DJ Mike Halloran hasn't been heard live on 91X in seven years, but his voice praising his old station now appears in a commercial that runs regularly on 91X.

"I used to have 91X stickers on my car back in Detroit. What a legendary station. It's still amazing." An announcer then cuts in: "We 'fess up. That's not the truth. That's an interview from five years ago. It just goes to show you can't always believe everything you hear.... If you want the real truth go to 91X.com."

Editor question: where did the interview come from?

When asked, Halloran said, "I'd love to comment, but I actually haven't heard this one. They also did this six years ago when I took over 92/5."

The promo ad is part of 91X's push to let local rock radio listeners know that Halloran's current station, FM-94/9 (owned by Jefferson-Pilot), is just as corporate as 91X (owned by Clear Channel).

Editor: Leighton is incorrect. Clear Channel does not own 91X; it has a marketing agreement to program 91X while paying the owner of 91X, XETRA Communicationes of Mexico, a leasing fee to operate the station.

"We appreciate the free advertising," said FM-94/9 general manager Darrel Goodin.

The 91X website and new slogan are a reaction to FM-94/9's year-long campaign against corporate radio (in which they claim, "It's about the music").

In the latest Arbitron ratings, FM-94/9 is in fourth place among listeners 18¡34, while 91X has slipped to tenth.

-- Ken Leighton

Steve West's Resurrection Everyday 11-26-03!

West let me know that he just got a streaming Shoutcast radio station up and running on shoutcast.com. You can check it out here:

Go to Shoutcast Here

Or Click Here to Listen

or here too direct to the box

Steve says that the stream is coming from his own computer. He is piping the music through Time Warner's Roadrunner broadband service. He also says that the upstream is OK, but not that great, and is trying to work some deals to get more bandwidth to broadcast.

In either case, all you need is an mp3 player such as Winamp, and unlike my DFSX radio station (more on that soon), you don't need an account or to log in in order to listen. It's webcasting at 48kbps, 44khz, stereo, and you need to have at least a broadband connection in order to listen. 56K modems will not work as they connect at about 40kbps most times by personal experience.

91X: Steve West

Hooked on Trivia Joke Heard 11-26-03!

Answer: Gobble Warming.

For more groaners, as well as trivia, listen to Mike Cook's Hooked on Trivia, Saturdays from 6pm-Sun 2am on KCBQ 1170 and on the web at kcbq.com

Los Angeles Radio Wires 11-26-03!

New TJ Station Clashes With Rosarito's AM 540 11-25-03!

Want to hear The Surf on AM 540? You can, but up until recently, you had to deal only with sometime co-channel interference from a nightime reception of AM 540 from Mexico City, as well as static, and low-fi mono.

Now, you can add adjacent-channel interference from a radio station originating about 50 miles east of Tijuana.

XEKTT-AM, which up until this month was broadcasting on AM 1600 from Temecula, seems to have a new frequency at AM 550, perhaps unbeknownst to the owner of the station that there already is an AM 540 broadcasting from Rosarita just 60 miles southwest of it.

I'm not sure if it's a simulcast of AM 1600 on AM 550, which seems to be coming from Tijuana since it's coming in so strong, or if AM 1600 shifted frequencies to AM 550 as well as cities, or if AM 550 is coming in from Temecula at 50,000 watts.

With two stations this close to each other, the more distant AM 540 is getting interference from AM 550 in many locations where AM 550 can be best received.

When XEKTT was on AM 1600, the power was so low that it was barely receptable from El Cajon. Now with the AM 550 station, and a power boost, its estimated that it would have to be about 20,000 watts in order to come in strong enough to interfere with AM 540 if you're in Kearny Mesa. The transmitter location is also unknown.

Another station from Tecate, XEKT, moved from 1380 to 1390 a few years ago, and boosted its power high enough to cause co-channel interference with another AM 1390 from out of Long Beach.

From the Radio-Info San Diego is talk about the AM 550 station. Reception reports are as far north as Long Beach. Someone from El Cajon pointed a radio at AM 550 and said that its strong reception was southwest. Perhaps it's coming from TJ.

All Access (registration required)
XEKTT's signal is being heard well into the LOS ANGELES area (including ALL ACCESS' MALIBU and RANCHO PALOS VERDES locations) with a daytime signal sounding stronger than K-SURF's, although it receives interference itself from Country KUZZ-A/BAKERSFIELD in evenings.

XEKTT will carry PACIFIC SPANISH NETWORK programming and is moving to 550 from 1600, which is still on the air as "LA TREMENDA"; TECATE is about 50 miles east of TIJUANA and SAN DIEGO along the BAJA CALIFORNIA NORTE-CALIFORNIA border.

More on this also on sdradio.net

Bob and Tom Renew With Premiere Radio Networks In 11-24-03!

San Diego Radio Wires 11-24-03!

Michael Howard Checks In 11-25-03!

Dave,

My apologies for not writing you sooner, as I have been busy with work, and trying to get together a demo of the "Wayback Machine" for other stations.

I do wish to thank everyone out there who stayed up late, got up early, was coming home from an overnight shift somewhere, started work, and numerous other reasons that kept you up at 6am when the "Wayback Machine" hit the airwaves on 92/1 every Saturday morning at 6. It was a gas to be able to dig deep into the Modern Rock archives to bring you music from your youth, music you never heard before, and artists you knew never existed during that time period. I enjoyed bringing you a few surprises as well, keeping you on your toes, and (hopefully) giving you a reason to tune in every week. I thank everyone for taking the time to listen to 'lil 'ol me, and for letting me be a part of your lives....if only for a little while. I am looking for a new home for the show, and, much like our favorite 'Loco, Tazy, I'm open for suggestions if ya got 'em!

Anyway, I want to thank everyone, especially Dave Tanny, for taking the time to post the playlists from the show on his website (keep up the great work, Dave!), John (my little Gremlin from who I sought advice once or twice), Bryan Jones for inspiration (and letting me realize that I could break the "rules" once or twice to keep it interesting), everyone at 92/1 who were extremely supportive (Rick, Rand, Jeremy, Brennan, and especially Mel---miss ya girl), and most of all...YOU the listener, for which this show was NOT possible without you! I'm off for now, but I promise that I will return someday. Mr. Peabody and I are off, but not forever!

Thanks Everyone....I had a blast! Hope you did, too.

Michael Howard

Host, "The Wayback Machine"

Riverside Radio Wires 11-24-03!

Los Angeles Radio Wires (11-23-2003)

KLOS/95.5 FM's Jim Ladd has a new 9 p.m. Sunday show, "Front Row," featuring live concert highlights. KSRF/540 AM and 1260 AM continues its "Twilight Zone" series on the "Drama Hour," 8 p.m. weekdays (and repeated 1 a.m.).

Thanks to Don Barrett's laradio.com Web site for alerting us to this news: "Sirius 'First Wave' Classic Alternative Channel 22 has a new jock lineup, and a number of former KROQers are included: Freddy Snakeskin from 6 a.m. to noon, followed by Richard Blade (who still voices commercials at KROQ) and Swedish Egil from 6 p.m.-midnight."