The Wires (Oct 18, 2008)

ZDNet: System Explorer is a system analyzing tool that lets you take a sneak peek at everything that's going on in your system, including active processes, installed drivers, startup applications and more. You can end any active process or delete items from the startup menu

Michiguide: God Help Satellite Radio. Just ask Mel -- The reason I like satellite radio is that it provides programming that is no longer available on regular terrestrial or free over-the-air radio. Since the almighty dollar controls all forms of media more so than ever before, it is no longer economically feasible to program for or appeal to an audience over the age of 55. That leaves me out and a lot of other people too. Regardless what you may have read about this being a "merger" between Sirius and XM, believe me when I tell you that it is much more reminiscent of a (hostile) take over. XM has been over-taken by Sirius

"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

Jay Posner: TV/Radio Sports: If Fox had its druthers: Sox-Phillies.

John Maffei: TV/Radio Sports: Bus stop: Ironman Madden will miss first telecast in nearly three decades

The Wires (Oct 17, 2008)

Randy Dotinga: The assumption is that the average rock listener doesn't want to have his or her music interrupted by too much chatter about the songs or the people who sing them. But now KPRI is tinkering with this belief. The station's hosts are broadcasting more special programs and even airing snippets of interviews with musicians during weekday evening hours. The idea, said station co-owner and disc jockey Robert Hughes, is to reach out to listeners by being "experimental, looser, more relaxed.

Washington Post: Sirius XM Radio laid off at least 50 workers, including on- and off-air talent at channels with formats ranging from oldies to modern rock, according to employees and a source with direct knowledge of the cutbacks - So instead of separate '60s channels on XM and Sirius, for instance, an identical '60s channel will be heard on both.

Mel Phillips: On his way to announcing that the FCC will propose allowing mobile unlicensed devices to operate in the white spaces between DTV channels, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin dropped a bombshell. Martin said this about the FCC’s role in the PPM controversy, “We are considering what we should end up doing.” What’s to consider? The FCC has no legal authority to either investigate nor rule on Arbitron’s PPM service. While also declaring that “it is not clear if we have the legal authority” to do so, he left the door open, didn’t he???

Inside Music Media: You can say a lot of things about the Mays boys of San Antonio, Texas but when it comes to timing, they are A#1. They still have a piece of the devalued Lee & Bain acquisition, but don't worry about them. They assembled their group in swift steps of acquisition right after 1996 and bought Jacor and AMFM to add to their smaller assets to build an 1,100 station behemoth. Even though Randy Michaels did the heavy lifting when he came aboard, the Mayses profited. And they got out earlier this year saddling those poor suckers at Lee and Bain with all their debt.

FMQB: WaPo: Potential Loss Of XM Big Blow To D.C. Layoffs continue at XM, with 50 employees reportedly exiting Wednesday.

Seen on a Bumper Sticker (Oct 16, 2008)

The Wires (Oct 16, 2008)

WSJ: FCC TECHS GREEN-LIGHT PLAN FOR FREE, NATIONWIDE WIRELESS SERVICE. In a report, FCC engineers say they have found no technical reason not to move forward on a proposed plan for a nationwide, free wireless Internet service. The FCC plans to auction spectrum to a bidder who agrees to offer free, national Internet access, and could begin hearing bids by early next year. T-Mobile, which uses spectrum adjacent to the bands in question, had argued against the proposal, suggesting the new service’s signals would interfere with the company’s 3G wireless network

Inside Music Media: The FCC helped take the free wireless web a step closer to reality this past week when it approved an engineering report that dismisses concerns that the concept will interfere with other carriers. The Commission can now auction off the airwaves to any bidder who agrees to offer the service nationally. T-Mobile is up in arms because the spectrum for this free web service is adjacent to theirs.

The Wires (Oct 15, 2008)

Inside Music Media: The record industry used to be show business. But it became more business than show when it, too, was driven by some of the less savory rules of the free market. Do you think it will take another twenty years for historians to look back on the record business and easily identify what led to its decline? I'll bet they won't conclude that the Internet did the labels in. Or the demise of music radio.

Mel Phillips: Radio seems to be living in a Seinfeld episode. This morning’s New York Post reports some radio groups in deep stuff while a Maryland media economist says radio will have better ratings during this downturn. What’s really going on in this Alernative Universe? Companies that shouldn’t be buying any green bananas include the Tribune Company, Univision Communications and Clear Channel Communications. The Trib is carrying a debt load of more than $12.5 billion, Univision’s debt exceeds $10 billion and Clear Channel owes $8 billion. A mere $30 billion in total. They’re almost eligible for a government buyout. Excuse me - a buy-in.

Happy Belated Columbus Day (Oct 14, 2008)

The Wires (Oct 14, 2008)

Radio-Info: Tom Taylor. CBS lays off more than 20 people at L.A. all-newsers KNX and KFWB. Don Barrett’s LARadio.com says the toll is more than 20, and a weekend poster on the L.A. board of Radio-Info.com hears that 12 folks at KNX (1070) and 14 at KFWB (980) are gone. Gary Lycan at the Orange County Register says the KFWB presences in Orange County and Long Beach are effectively ended, with the layoffs of Lori Kelman and Jennifer Bauman in Orange County and Sharon Katchen (at the station since 1986) in Long Beach. Also reportedly gone at KFWB: anchors Larry Carroll and John Darin, plus reporters Chris Sedens, Lonnie Lardner, Dirk Morgan, Michael Forest and Christine Villacorte. Last month, KFWB also lost its GM, Andy Ludlum. There are supposedly also cutbacks in sales at KFWB. While KNX may’ve lost production pro Gerry Mulvaney, along with journalists Vicky Cox, Michael Linder and Laura Ornest (that’s from Lycan’s column). CBS recently hired L.A. veteran Roy Laughlin as its market manager, and Roy changed the supervisory lineup by installing Bob Moore as the sole station manager for the entire cluster and Dan Weiner as Senior VP/Director of Sales. Presumably these changes all had Roy's blessing, though nobody’s happy to swing the axe that heavily.

Wall Strett Journal: FCC TECHS GREEN-LIGHT PLAN FOR FREE, NATIONWIDE WIRELESS SERVICE. In a report, FCC engineers say they have found no technical reason not to move forward on a proposed plan for a nationwide, free wireless Internet service. The FCC plans to auction spectrum to a bidder who agrees to offer free, national Internet access, and could begin hearing bids by early next year. T-Mobile, which uses spectrum adjacent to the bands in question, had argued against the proposal, suggesting the new service’s signals would interfere with the company’s 3G wireless network.

Billboard: Bush Signs Controversial Anti-Piracy Law. U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law on Monday a controversial bill that would stiffen penalties for movie and music piracy at the federal level. The law creates an intellectual property czar who will report directly to the president on how to better protect copyrights both domestically and internationally. The Justice Department had argued that the creation of this position would undermine its authority. The law also toughens criminal laws against piracy and counterfeiting, although critics have argued that the measure goes too far and risks punishing people who have not infringed. The Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Picture Association of America backed the bill, as did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Top 5 Headlines Of The Week (Oct 6-12, 2008)

4. No Number 4. Author Busy Watching Football and Baseball All Week!

3. Tony and Kris Did No Radio Last Week. Will They Return?

2. Tom Leykis Posts A Big List Of Words You Cannot Say On The Radio on His Myspace Page. It's a Load of Laughs.

1. Chargers Beat New England 30.3 On Sunday Night!