The Wires (Sep 6, 2008)

JUST IN...Oprah Winfrey won't have Sarah Palin on her show...unless it's AFTER the election. Talk about bias.

SOSD: Mandated switch to digital TV a concern for prisons.

SOSD: Crammed TV screens a strain on the brain? Multiple games, views offered all at same time.

Jay Posner: 'Hacksaw' defined, outlived his format. All the way to the end, he was, well, Hacksaw. I interviewed Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton for about 10 minutes Wednesday night, not long after he announced he was leaving XTRA Sports 1360 – and likely the San Diego market – after 21 years as a popular/aggravating/pioneering talk-show host here.

John Maffei: TUBE TALK: This 'Saw could hack it. 'Free agent' Hamilton belongs on the radio somewhere.

TV Tech: Rohde & Schwarz to Introduce ATSC-M/H Technology in December. The new mobile TV standard also will become available in the Rohde & Schwarz line of low power transmitters, which can be used as gap-fillers or in Single Frequency Networks (SFN) to enhance coverage in problem areas.

TV Tech: NAB Launches Database About Low-Power TV. On the site, consumers can enter a ZIP code and get a list of LPTV stations that may be viewable in their areas—stations which may or may not go digital in February 2009. http://www.lptvanswers.com/ is the website.

Kurt Hanson: SoundExchange's latest defense of the exceedingly-high CRB webcast royalty rate is that Internet radio operators simply aren't doing enough to monetize their streams. Webcasters, the industry insists, should be selling more advertising at higher rates, and/or charging more listeners higher subscription rates. Simple, right? But DiMA executive director Jon Potter doesn't buy it. Get the details, and Potter's comments, in today's issue of RAIN : Radio And Internet Newsletter, at http://www.kurthanson.com.

Hacksaw Gone (Sep 5, 2008)

I guess he finally got sick from hearing from the same 15 listeners every week. 15 must have been the entire audience of his radio show.

Lee Hacksaw Hamilton has been shown the exit door at Clear Channel San Diego for failing to generate ratings for a format that is basically unneeded in San Diego: another sports talk station.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Hamilton was not offered a new contract after his expired recently.

None of the "rumors" of a format change the station has generated for the press leading up to the format change in November of 2007 of AM 1360 from liberal talk to sports talk helped the cause. XTRA Sports 1360 is basically deadder than chances for a Beatles reunion. To show what a travesty XTRA Sports is, even the low-powered KURS 1040 is beating the station.

It may look like that a format change could be in the works, but when. A glut of talk shows that are basically political, sports, or brokered is all over the AM dial, and most of them stink in the ratings.

SDN will return after this unpaid message for Clear Channel San Diego:

"All Comedy Radio" - www.allcomedyradio.com - A unique and diverse format service is currently on HD-2 stations 24/7 in Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Denver, Kansas City, Memphis, New Orleans, Buffalo and others. For affiliate information for your HD-2 station contact: Al Perrotta at acrnews@mac.com

The Wires (Sep 5, 2008)

From Tom Taylor at radio-info.com: Three years into the existence of the HD Radio Alliance, it’s got these results to report: 1,758 stations in digital. 800 HD-2 stations (multicasting). 231 U.S. markets now have at least some HD activity, including 195 of the top 200

ZD Net: DoS vulnerability hits Chrome, crashes with all tabs. Dancho Danchev: While Google's Chrome team is cheering, security researchers release proof-of-concept for a denial of service vulnerability that is successfully crashing the Chrome browser with all tabs

MediaPost: AOL to Relaunch Shoutcast.

NC Times: Randy Dotinga celebrates and reviews, year by year, 10 years as a media columnist at the North County Times in San Diego

SOSD: Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, for better or worse a sports radio legend in San Diego for more than 20 years, announced at the end of his talk show Wednesday that he was leaving XTRA Sports 1360, effective immediately

Inside Music Media: I’ve often wondered why we don’t see the press exposing the radio and record industries for what they are - throwbacks to another era. I’m sure you’ll agree that when you read the consumer or trade press, you get the feeling someone did something bad to the radio and record businesses. Maybe a young, headstrong generation. Maybe technology. Possibly even a corporation such as Apple. Iconic futurists are portrayed as villains - like in Steve Jobs. One thing is for sure - the problems in the radio and record businesses are never the results of the people who run the radio and record businesses.

The Wires (Sep 4, 2008)

Radio Ink: HD Radio restrictions lifted. The decision of what to program on an HD2 or HD3 station will no longer need to be cleared by the HD Digital Radio Alliance, as members agree that after three years the time has come to give local station managers the final say. The Alliance is also lifting advertising restrictions, allowing stations to run traditional commercials as well as be branded by advertisers.

ZD Net: Google Chrome vulnerable to carpet-bombing flaw. Ryan Naraine: Google's shiny new Web browser, built on an outdated version of Safari, is vulnerable to a carpet-bombing vulnerability that could expose Windows users to malicious hacker attacks.

USA Today: M2Z is a small wireless start-up with a big goal: free broadband for the masses. Milo Medin, M2Z's chairman and co-founder and a broadband pioneer, wants the ad-supported service to ultimately be available to 95% of the USA

Hear 2.0: The slow pace of Podcasting growth

NY Daily News: Letterman bashes NBC for dropping rival Jay Leno.

Pixelation on Analog Channels? (Sep 3, 2008)

The same thing happened during 90210 last night, but the screen didn't freeze up and go blank. Women on the show are weird.

Looks like the analog signal is being converted from the digital signal of some kind in the process of broadcasting the signal to the analog cable channels. I haven't seen the pixelation on the analog terrestrial channels so I can't tell if it's the station or the cable company that's not doing a good job coverting the digital signal into analog.

Latest Shoutcast Listenership (Sep 3, 2008)

Radio Nigel: 527 out of 1960 ports.
X1FM: 49 out of 5000 ports.

If anyone has time to monitor these stations 24 hours a day for listener peaks and averages, please e-mail me the results.

Tribune Company Makes Deal With NFL Network (11am, Sep 3, 2008)

The Wires (Sep 3, 2008)

Sosd Obit-Mike Ambrose: Mike Ambrose, San Diego's iconic weather reporter with the smooth voice, died Friday morning at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. He was 69. The cause of death is unknown, said KGTV-Channel 10's managing editor, JW August.

Karla Peterson of SOSD: More of the same. There's not much new in the new season on Fox and CW.

Jerry Reed Obit: Jerry Reed, country music’s howling virtuoso and a star of stage, studio and screen, has died. Born Jerry Reed Hubbard, Mr. Reed suffered from emphysema and was in hospice care. He was 71, and he leaves an unparalleled legacy of laughter and song.

Happy Hare: One of radio’s funniest men ever, Irv Harrigan, of Charlie and Harrigan regales us. First, his convoluted history: Irv writes, “I bounced around Texas from 62 to 64 using the air name of Paul Miller (Colorado City, Tyler, Galveston, Midland, then on to KOMA in OKC and back in 65 to KLIF with Jack Woods to form Charlie & Harrigan. At that time I changed my name (or KLIF did) to Irving Harrigan. Jack and I split up after our 66-68 sojourn in Cleveland. I returned to Texas in 68 where I teamed up with Mac Hudson to form the Hudson and Harrigan show on KILT (the name Hudson and Harrigan still endures 40 years later. I should have never sold it to Kilt for $75.00, true!) + Chuck Dunaway, one of the true statesmen of the airways goes back to his KILT days + Gary Allyn waxes topical with The Fisherman and the Balloonist parable + J.R Reid checks in + Mel Hall claims this is true + Hare with a Texas story

CED Magazine: None of the existing XM or Sirius radios can handle a la carte channel selection, nor can they receive each other’s signals. XM and Sirius claimed that they could have a la carte-capable radios on the market within three months, and dual-system interoperable radios within a year. In the final decision, dual-system radios must be available within nine months. Sure.

PR Newswire: Both SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio are broadcasting 24/7 comprehensive emergency news, weather, safety, evacuation, disaster recovery and traffic reports across multiple channels - including SIRIUS Weather and Emergency channel 184 and XM Emergency Alert channel 247 - to help people across the country prepare for Hurricane Gustav

Kurt Hanson: RAIN 9/2: Broadcasters should be on "as many wireless devices as possible," says Greater Media VP BROADCASTERS VIE FOR MOBILE STREAMING EARS: Traditional broadcasters like Greater Media, CBS Radio, and Entercom are starting to chase mobile listeners — especially those using the Apple iPhone. Both CBS Radio and Entercom stream their stations to the device, with Greater Media providing a few stations and planning to expand to BlackBerry devices soon. “Radio has lost a lot of its portability gift…We need to make ourselves available on as many wireless devices as possible as a way to plant the flag and not lose any more portability function,” said Greater Media senior VP/GM Tom Bender. “[The real goal is to] service the core customers of the radio stations in new and different ways. If we don’t get across to them that we understand what their demands are and what their lifestyle is like, they’ll find somebody that does. It’s really that simple.” Read more at the link above.

ZDNet: Larry Dignan: Google's open source browser Chrome, launching as early as today, will take on Internet Explorer and apparently Firefox. Other casualties? Opera and Safari for Windows. Why is Google targeting a crowded browser market?

Jerry Does It Again (September 2, 2008)

Summer Ain't Over Yet! (Sep 1, 2008)

Summer doesn't end on Labor Day. No, that's in Boston when Summer ends.

The first few weeks of September is hotter than August, and it stays on the hot side through October. The west remains as wild as ever, and westerners are used to having a late Summer in the state of Calinevfornia.

Summer actually officially begins in San Diego when the Gay Pride parade takes place in late July.

Everybody may be saying fall is here already. B.S.! It's still summertime!

Funds Raised From Not Buying the Union-Tribune (Sep 1, 2008)

Issues not purchased: 8/1, 8/2, 8/4-8/9, 8/11-8/31: $24.75

Total savings: $65.25

Keep at it, SD-UT. This is almost enough to pay for three oil changes.

Top 5 Headlines Of The Week (Aug 25-31, 2008)

4. John McCain picks for runningmate Tina Fey, whoops, I mean Sarah Michelle Gellar, whoops, I mean Michael Palin, whoops, I mean Sarah Palin!

3. Barrack Obama picks for runningmate Dick Van Patten, whoops, I mean Joe Biden.

2. NBC Returns to Normal after the Olympics...back in sixth or seventh place!

1. Just Three Words...Shannen Doherty's Back!

Latest Shoutcast Listenership (Sep 1, 2008)

Radio Nigel: 75 out of 1960 ports.
X1FM: 23 out of 5000 ports.

If anyone has time to monitor these stations 24 hours a day for listener peaks and averages, please e-mail me the results.

D.T.'s Radio Presets (Aug 31, 2008)

FM2: 100.3, 101.1, 104.3, 90.3, 92.5, 98.9

FM3: 93.3, 94.1, 98.7, 103.7, 96.9, 89.5

AM1: 600, 800, 1090, 1360, 1700, 710

AM2: 570, 540, 1040, 1170, 760, 1070

Alyssa Milano New Show For Midseason (August 31, 2008)

"Single with Parents" stars Milano as a thirtysomething woman who juggles her family, friends and career. Annie Potts and Beau Bridges also star.

Lookalikes and Soundalikes (Aug 31, 2008)