Letter to SDN: SDOBA Speaks (Mar 6, 2006)

Dear David:

This is William H. Billingsworth, chairman of the SDOBA.

I have read your website Friday and took a read at the comments of a radio host named Tom Leykis who has told his listeners from coast to coast that San Diego radio sucks.

Well, I have spoken to our lawyers in La Jollyer about this matter to see if there is a basis for a lawsuit against Mr. Leykis for allegedly slandering our broadcast community. Our lawyers have told us that upon further examination, there is no basis for a lawsuit for a very simple reason: because we San Diego radio broadcasters do suck.

As a matter of fact, we suck out loud. Many folks have thought that we sucked for years and now our lawyers have confirmed it in writing for us.

We had a staff meeting about this and all of the members of the executive board agree with our lawyers 100 percent on this sucking business. Leykis is absolutely right. We suck from here to Hesperia and back!

We, the San Diego Outland radio broadcasters, suck in the daytime, we suck at night, we suck at twilight, heck, we even suck during solar eclipses.

We suck on the Internet, we suck on HD Radio. If they ever put us on XM or Sirius satellite, we'll suck there too.

So in closing, if there is sucking that needs to be done, San Diego Outland radio broadcasters will do it!

Cordially yours,

William H. Billingsworth
Chairman of the SDOBA.

The Readers Strike Back: CBS Radio, Leykis, and KGB (Mar 6, 2006)

From Matt: re: CBS vs. Stern

You know, is there anyone who thinks this would be happening if Stern's replacement, David Lee Roth, was getting ratings, please raise your hand? CBS radio is suing Howard Stern because, as Eminem might rap, "it feel so empty without him." CBS Radio announced that it has filed suit against Howard Stern, his company One Twelve, Inc., his agent Don Buchwald, his agent's firm Don Buchwald Associates, Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. The lawsuit is for compensatory and punitive damages for multiple breaches of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment, and misappropriation of CBS Radio's broadcast time. It further seeks damages from Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. for unfair competition and tortuous interference with Stern's CBS contract. It is indeed a sad, pitiful and vindictive move on the part of Les Moonves, and the CBS troglodyte lawyers who march to the beat of a maniacal tyrant.

If anything, this is going to increase sales of Sirius Radio units and will therefore thrust Stern back into the limelight. He doesn't even have to respond to the frivolousness of this lawsuit. He'll make comments about it on his show along with his band of merry pranksters, freaks and busty porno stars, but in the end, this is the best thing that could happen to Stern. According to the financial reports, Sirius losses are up, but revenues and subscriber growth are soaring http://internetweek.cmp.com/internetbusiness/180204171. With any luck, and the new limelight now being thrown onto Stern will only provide more fuel to his fire. As to be expected, a new enemy has arisen in the form of CBS and Moonves. BTW, this is exactly what Stern needed, someone to rant about. He is at his best when railing against the entities that put him in place and now have a monster on the box.

While it is debatable whether this will ever make it to trial, even former Stern opponents are backing him. Jack Thompson, the Florida attorney/decency crusader who claims it was he that got Stern kicked off of Clear Channel Radio in Florida has come in on the side of Stern. http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=180703

"Put another way, a pimp is more culpable than his prostitute. CBS pimped Howard Stern for two decades for all he was worth to them, and now they're shocked to find he is a prostitute who has sold his wares to the highest bidder? Please."

It's astounding when you hear something like this and for the most part, I hope that it gets thrown out and Stern counter sues for defamation of character and wins. It would be fittingly just for the "King of all Media" who is beset by weasels on all sides to take them to the woodshed.

From Kevin: Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw have been out of material for years and they're still getting listeners. Are San Diegans that comfortably numb from listening to this idea of morning radio? Something's wrong with our public school system. Our teachers in the junior high schools aren't teaching our kids anything better for them to listen to. And Dave is complaining about a show that's not even opposite them? Wait until Adam Carolla starts getting beefy ratings, then we'd like to hear what Dave says about that.

From Jared: KGB is toast. It's what people without ipods and satellite radio and who like adult rock and roll are choosing to listen to; given a choice, they won't listen to KGB, pure and simple. Leykis making San Diego radio the nationwide laughingstock of America is what was needed for a long time. Let's hope that bad radio will keep people from considering moving to San Diego considering how vintage the programming ideas sound compared to cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York, and Seattle. If bad radio makes people decide to move away, then our housing prices will finally come crashing down and we'll begin to see sub $500 apartment rentals once again. And San Diego likes to tease and bloat about how great the weather is. Okay. But San Diego is still America's Behindest City as long as people can't afford homes and local radio programs like it's 1986. They have nothing on the other cities, though the weather in Chicago in the winter sucks donkeys.

From Rob (from Los Angeles): Yeah! That was one of the best hours in radio in a long time. Too bad it had to take somebody from Los Angeles to tell it like it is: San Diego radio sucks. I'm glad I just visit my friend in San Diego and we talk and hear what the stations are like down there. 91X with new MD Marco is doing alright, but they got to play some electronica rock and dump the sleepy slow love ballads that is simply not alternative rock. San Diegans like to pick on the Dodgers and all that is Los Angeles. It's about time Los Angeles struck back at San Diego when San Diego is basically nothing more than a bush-league city trying to bully the other cities that are actually finer to live in than San Diego.

From Brian: I read what Chris wrote on the other San Diego radio news blog website. I disagree with his assessment that it was a low-point for Tom. This was the funniest hour on radio period with Tom making fun of KGB by playing Taps and saying that KGB is going down like a sunset forever. Chris has some good points, but Leykis has taken me for one away from my ipod for four hours a day and does what Dave Rickards and Mikey fail to do: make me laugh. This is what we needed in radio for years and I'm glad Free-FM replaced that boring KGB-wannabe Planet. If somebody gets a blow torch in San Diego playing today's rock and roll for grownups (not the KIOZ or 94.9 noise) up and running, then KGB is going belly-up.

From Andy: Blow up KGB, Dave!

Editor: Here you go!

Gotta love them 'shrooms!

Last 20 Referrers (as of 8pm, Mar 3, 2006)

 Last 20 Referrers	Unique Visitors
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:32:56  	  http://blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:34:09  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:35:37  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:36:20  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:42:46  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:44:32  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:45:27  	  http://blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:46:11  	  http://blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:48:48  	  http://blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:48:53  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:51:08  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:54:44  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 18:56:09  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:02:18  	  http://www.sandiegoradionews.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:07:29  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:10:29  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:11:03  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:12:01  	  http://www.blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:14:43  	  http://blowmeuptom.com/  
  03 Mar, Fri, 19:16:32  	  http://sandiegoradionews.com/0100.htm  

Eight is Enough for 70's Show and Charmed (Mar 4, 2006)

The last two of the non-animated prime-time series that D.T. watches, "That 70's Show" and "Charmed", are closing up shop after this season.

In the case of "Charmed", the spell is broken as the witches, portrayed by Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs, won't be making the move when what's left of the WB and UPN netlets combine forces to become the CW network, a stupid name for a broadcast netlet.

With those two ending their series runs, that will leave Tanny with only the animated prime-time network series, "The Simpsons", "King of the Hill" (if that gets renewed), "American Dad", and "Family Guy", that he watches.

The final episode of "Charmed" will air on May 21, TV Guide said.

The Wires (Mar 4, 2006)

SIRIUS: CBS LAWSUIT HAS NO MERIT...Sirius Satellite Radio says the lawsuit filed earlier this week by CBS Radio has no merit.

CBS RADIO SUES STERN, AGENT, SIRIUS...CBS Radio filed suit against Howard Stern, Sirius Satellite Radio, Stern's company One Twelve, Inc, his agent Don Buchwald and his agent's firm Don Buchwald & Associates, Inc. The 43-page complaint, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, is for compensatory and punitive damages for multiple breaches of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment, and misappropriation of CBS Radio's broadcast time, according to the broadcaster.

CBS ASSETS WORTH LESS..."Traditional broadcasting assets are worth less than they were a few years ago." That's one financial analyst, speaking to the N.Y. Post, in reaction to financial numbers from CBS that lowered the value of its broadcasting assets to reflect slower advertising growth.

Red Herring As radio providers like XM and Sirius battle for control of car dashboards, new digital radio standards are likely to increase competition and confuse consumers, a study released Thursday said. North Americans will soon have the choice among XM, Sirius, and HD Radio receivers, said Frank Viquez, director of transportation research at ABI Research, which conducted the study (read more - Red Herring).

NAB Attacks XM/WCS Deal...NAB is concerned that XM will use the WCS spectrum for localized content.