The Wires (Jan 24, 2009)

Tom Taylor of radio-info.com: Chicago notes that Kovas has taken WKKD (1580) off the air. This was the late Frank Kovas’ project for years before he passed away, to buy up and downgrade/upgrade several Midwestern stations at the top of the AM dial to create one strong Chicago-area AM. That effort continues with surviving WKKD, currently licensed to Aurora, IL but with a construction permit for Silvis. Now Kovas Communications tells the FCC “The licensee cannot presently continue operation of the station due to the current economic environment” – though it’s “hopeful it will be able to return to the air in the near future.” The Chicago board is talking about it.

Britney Spears’ “If You Seek Amy” is the target of an indecency threat by the Parents Television Council. This is the song title I mentioned last week (it spells out a four-letter word). Rolling Stone reports it’s been downloaded 107,000 times, but the Parents Television Council isn’t happy about that or the radio play. They’re threatening to file indecency complaints at the FCC against stations who dare to play it. Jive/Zomba Records is editing the hook so it’s “If You See [not ‘Seek’] Amy.” That hasn’t satisfied the pressure group.

ZD Net: Recuva is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer, including files emptied from the Recycle bin, deleted files from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players, and files lost by bugs, crashes and viruses. License: Free. OS: Windows

TV Tech: Senators Reach DTV Delay Compromise. The deal includes assurances to address converter-box program, public-safety concerns.

TV Tech: 6.5 Million Homes Still Not DTV-Ready. But in the last month, 1.3 million have made the move

Radio World: Sirius XM to Raise Multiple Subscription and Online Prices. Change takes effect March 11

Radio World: Clear Channel Job Cuts Take Effect. 1,800 employees lose positions; we can expect more voice-tracked programming, WSJ reports

TV Tech: FCC Reports Decline in Cable Subscribers. The Report notes that almost all consumers are able to obtain programming through over-the-air broadcast television, a cable service, and at least two DBS providers.

Ibiquity: We recently got back from the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and there was both challenging and encouraging news for AM/FM broadcasters. One thing was clear: AM/FM’s competition is increasing. In my view, this trend will not stop and likely intensify (read more - Bob Struble - iBiquity)

Inside Music Media: There's a new Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch -- it's not Mark Wahlberg. It's Mark Mays and the private equity firm of Lee Capital Partners and Bain Media. Forget the Obama inauguration. Closing Gitmo pales in comparison. By now you've heard the real "breaking news". Marky Mark is taking a bullet for his employees -- a 40% pay cut (read more - Jerry Del Colliano - Inside Music Media)

Hear 2.0: The history of radio is quite clear on the matter: Content created the radio industry. Content created the demand for radios. Content separated the winners from the losers. And what do I mean by content? - It seems to me that somewhere along the way radio forgot the clear relationship between risk and reward, between a dollar invested and two dollars earned. Along that way, we realized that the airwaves were ours and ours alone.

Mel Phillips: Radio is collapsing all around us. That’s terrestrial radio. Internet radio is another story and there are those among us who believe that Internet radio will lead to a boom that “may just be the savior the radio medium needs in 2009.” Consulting company Deloitte is one of those believers.

John Gorman: Did you know that on the same day that Clear Channel culled 1,500 radio employees, Bose, the high-end radio manufacturer, laid off 1,000? The reason? No one’s buying radios anymore.

Obsolete Items in Your Lifetime (Jan 23, 2009)

Here's a few that are obsolete or just no longer in the mainstream.

Cablegrams, Drive-in Movies, Typewriters, Vinyl discs, Walkie Talkies, Cassettes, Answering Machines, Analog TV, Paper Checks, Record Stores, Camera film and cameras that use film, Fax Machines, monochrome monitors, Newspapers, floppy discs (both 5 1/4 inch and 3 1/2 inch versions as well as 8 inch versions), Hollerith cards, dial-up Internet access, Laser disc players, computer tape drives, Betamax machines, Iomega Zip drives (just donated a unit and discs to Goodwill), rotary phones, land lines, slide rules. VHS machines, family farms, reel-to-reel tapes, 8-track tapes, Quadraphonic sounds, HD radio, corded phones, black and white TV sets.

What do you think should be added?

Biggest Morons of 2008 (Jan 23, 2009)

5. Tipton and Pacific Honda

4. Spaff

3. The RIAA

2. Michael Savage

1. Ryan Seacrest

Academy Awards Nominations Announced (Jan 23, 2009)

Spellcheck? (Jan 23, 2009)

(The Official BUT UNAUTHORIZED Organ Of Mayor Jimmy Valentine)

editor: Organ???

The Wires (Jan 23, 2009)

Price hike for Sirius XM users. Sirius XM Radio will start charging subscribers $3 a month to listen online. The satcaster tells customers it will waive the charges if they buy a lifetime subscription or sign-up for a long-term contract extension. Under its agreement with the FCC, the standard monthly charge will remain unchanged.

KLOS' Rita Wilde exits. Longtime KLOS, Los Angeles programmer Rita Wilde is leaving the Citadel classic rock station. Wilde says “I have dedicated 25 years of my life to KLOS and I have absolutely no regrets about my devotion to the radio station." No successor has been named.

L.A. Times: California Comptroller to Suspend Welfare Payments. The state will suspend tax refunds, welfare checks, student grants and other payments owed to Californians starting Feb. 1, Controller John Chiang announced Friday.

ZD Net: Microsoft to cut 5,000 jobs. Mary Jo Foley: On the heels of lower-than-expected second quarter earnings, Microsoft will eliminate up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, including 1,400 jobs today.

Special Audio Solutions: Lost your radio job? Dust yourself off and get digital, free. 50 Radio Professionals Can Now Go Back to Work - According to Spacial Audio Solutions CEO, Bryan Payne: "It was an easy decision. Internet radio offers a bright horizon for talented people in radio sales, management, and programming. Spacial is glad to be in a position to help radio veterans move to digital." Spacial is giving 50 radio vets the software and hosting services required to continue their careers, online, producing quality radio stations.

Inside Music Media: The Clear Channel firings are over and what we're hearing is that another 500 or so positions will be eliminated as the private equity firms of Lee Capital Partners and Bain Media have their way with the radio industry - Tuesday was a tough day for anyone who loves radio and its people. I received hundreds of emails -- many of them touching -- about the disrespectful way the dynamic duo of Lee & Bain and Mark Mays has handled the firings. Reports that even loyal respected veterans were given the bad word the way everyone else got it and told not to return to their desks. I mean, was that really necessary? Is that the way to discharge a dedicated worker?

Complete List Of Those Downsized By Clear Channel

Didja Hear? (Jan 23, 2009)

Radio Was Better Back Then (Jan 23, 2009)

I listened to a January 1979 episode of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem rerun on XM channel 7 the other day and I saw how much top 40 of today has declined in quality compared to back then. Even the era where disco and mellow adult pop ruled the charts is better than what passes for hit music today.

Seems that Channel 933 doesn't want listeners over the age of 35, and their playlist shows.

Nowadays, radio has Internet streaming devices, satellite radio, mp3 files, CDs, video games, Music Choice, and podcasts competing against commercial radio, and commercial radio isn't doing anything to compete against them except to consolidate, eradicate, automate, and agitate.

A letter from Bill Hergonson published in the SD Reader last week shed some light on the history of radio and what radio was like back then. Back in 1979, the music playing on KGB was called progressive rock. Today, the same songs played 30 years later are called classic rock. Where's the innovative spirit that KGB had back then?

Here's what I like for the readers to do. Send me links to your favorite radio stations that you listen to on the Internet, regardless of whether it's a broadcast station or just online only and I'll publish them in a future column here, as well as on my main website San Diego Radio News, located at sandiegoradionews.com