Current Mailbag - Mailbag Archive Index - DCRTV Front Page - Support DCRTV DCRTV Mailbag - April 13 to April 19, 2009 Latest messages listed first..... \/ April 19 Messages \/ Dave: Methinks you have missed the boat in your anti comics rant. The original reason to put comics in the newspaper was to attract readers who: 1. wanted more than just news; 2. were young and the comics section was the only thing they had an interest in ('hook 'em when they're kids'). That is still the most satisfying section of the paper for me. Lose the comics, they lose my subscription (yes, I subscribe to the paper, you young whipper-snapper! Now where did I put my dentures?). Bob K. (4/19/09) Dave, how soon we forget. There was one comic that would get me to buy a newspaper, even on a slow news day. The Far Side. Paul Harris on the old 105.9 WCXR would give his "Far Side Factor" every morning, rating it from 1 to 10. If he said 10, you knew you had to stop to buy the paper. Like the original HFS, another great institution we will not see again. Robert in Elkridge (4/19/09) Any information on CBS shortwave stations, years ago?? rob (4/19/09) Hey Larry, sign me up for one of those weekend shows on 1500 AM! Three years PM drive on America's original Music of Your Life station WMAS-AM Springfield MA; four years CHR morning drive on Cousin Brucie-owned WHMP-FM Northampton MA. I got all eras covered! -ap (4/19/09) The decision to drop WTMD from the 105.5 relay was the owners who offered it to WTMD to start with. One reason cited was picking up WTMD's signal to relay was somewhat unreliable and subject interference. Which was true. When WAMU wanted to try an analog relay for their Bluegrass the power was raised to 250W and flipped to WAMU HD2. I also think the AAA eclectic format or lack of format works best on non commercial radio. The big problem with WRNR is that every time I tune in I hear a block of annoying commercials and tune out. If you are a serious music listener and like info about the music and artists you hear you don't want to listen to 20 to 30 minutes of commercials every hour. Bob Fairfax (4/19/09) Dave's response: By the way, the reception of WTMD on 89.7 here in Northern Virginia, which was never very good to begin with, has gotten even worse. There's now a religious station in the Dumfries/Stafford area that clobbers what little signal WTMD has in my area..... The answer to your rant is that newspaper publishers include features that sell newspapers. Skipper (4/19/09) Someone commented earlier on the clueless reporters that are showing up on the local news. I didn't even know that channel 5 had a Sunday evening newscast but some bimbo, reporting on the Middletown murder-suicide, just pronounced the name of the town wrong three times. How could you possible mispronounce MiddleTOWN? (4/19/09) Here is a timeline for AAA radio prospects in DC over the past three years. While WRNR has not tried to extend or relay their signal into DC, WTMD did, almost serendipitously at 105.5 and that ended as unceremoniously as it began. WNRN gave up totally on the idea of an LPFM in Northern Virginia Chance became good for The Current being broadcast in DC when Minnesota public radio came very close to buying WGTS, but Jesus was ressurected, and kept the Takoma park station WARW became WTGB and faked it, sucked, then quit WYPR decided to use their power increase as a hard-on and for the first time that I can rememberan NPR member station bragged about " pushing 10 watt WMUC off the air". WMUC responded with an ineffective WMUC alumni yahoo newsgroup, and the webmaster for the wmuc.org responds to a question as to whether WMUC will do anything about improving their signal in an obnoxious rather defeatist, smarmy way to ( paraphrasing) to pray for more wattage and it'll be easier to drag a camel through the eye of a needle than increase wattage and went on to say that since the 70's when the FM dial filled up in the DC area, it's been impossible for a power increase, or to get a new frequency in the DC area. However, starting tomorrow, Mega is debuting a disco LPFM station at 88.7 FM, and 105.5 still relays the WAMU's hick music, and LPFM opportunities happen all the time without anyone who has a desire to put real AAA on in DC, trying (4/19/09) Dave's response: That's all the message I got. I did not cut it..... Dave, regarding your rant, I think it was put rather well in the oped column today. We like the comics because in addition to the news, we like to be entertained. Why should the paper be all about the bad news going on in the world? Why shouldnt we have a section that let's us relax and be entertained for a few minutes? Besides, I would bet that most kids get their start reading the paper by reading the comics. (4/19/09) Dave - Let me toss a few more names into the mix for your proposed AM 1500 format. Besides Ed Walker, Paul Anthony, Bob Duckman and Johnny Dark...how about Johnny Holliday, George Michael and/or Ron Riley on the weekends? All in the area and all pretty danged good Top 40 jocks. Maybe even Ken Merson from Baltimore? Or Don Geronimo once his non-compete runs out? Yeah, yeah, it ain't gonna happen...but a format of American standards plus big band plus pre-disco Top 40 and a little jazz too? 740 in Toronto has a very eclectic mix of music, too. Sure would put some life in the ol' AM band - - - - - Larry in Luray (4/19/09) The only Comic worth reading was Calvin and Hobbes, it was the only reason I would get the paper years ago. (4/19/09) Re: "And the guys on the MOM show seem oblivious to her sadness and suffering. IMHO, she needs extensive therapy, and most of all, she needs a friend. I hope she gets through this phase in her life." Anonymous mailbag type...when have you met with Beth Ann or spoken with her? Or are you an armchair psychiatrist who thinks he can figure out her life by listening to her on a radio show? Do you honestly believe everything you hear on WJFK from 3-7 PM weekdays, or what you see on a webcam, is a reflection of everything that happens off the air? Do you know anything about her life outside of the station? No, of course, you don't. I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting and spending time with Beth Ann in a one-on-one non-work/personal situation. She's a great, talented lady and I'm sure she's adjusting to whatever life brings her just fine. I do not know her well, but I know she's a strong person who can handle her life just fine. Sadness? Suffering? Therapy? Where are you getting this crap, by watching Dr. Phil? If she recognizes who I am from this, she's always welcome to reach out to me if "she needs a friend", as you put it, but...she doesn't need over-active listeners trying to psychoanalyze her. (4/19/09) The WP has a fascinating strategy for its future – it will give you a crappier product and charge you more for that product. Full speed ahead! Sincerely, TMU. (4/19/09) ("Yes, I am aware of WCTN, but they seem to be incapable of playing anything but real "downer" songs") Really? Sinatra - "High Hopes" followed by Perry Como "Papa Loves Mambo" and Mathis "Wonderful, Wonderful" put me into a terrible "downer" mood on the way to church this morning. (4/19/09) Sorry to keep beating a dead horse, but regarding "plant" phone calls, I listened last Thursday to the King of Plant Calls. And right before the 4:00 pm break, he got not one - but two calls - from giggling college girls who hate their liberal professors and them and their girlfriends/sorority sisters have joined the revolution and went teabagging the day before. I guess the fastest growing group in America is "College Chicks for Hannity". It is sad he thinks his audience buys this. Even sadder if they do. Mark in Annandale (4/19/09) If you follow baseball, you may have noticed that this season, the Wash Post's baseball coverage has shrunk to a single page, even on Sundays (aside from the "Nats" coverage -- the O's are lucky to get a few paragraphs of AP copy and a box score). The box scores have been "downsized", the game descriptions are minimalistic, the standings have shrunk to tiny, hard-to-read type, and stats are nowhere to be found (let me guess, "available online"). The extra features that used to run on Sundays are long gone. Guess it's the "economy" -- new catch-all excuse for anything & everything. Yet somehow the Post found the resources and space to start a "new monthly feature" in the Style & Arts section, called "Street Style" -- which, as the Post has it, "scours the city's sidewalks to capture fashion-forward looks on film." In other words, two pages of photos of "cool" chicks & dudes (cooler than you dorks!), accompanied by inane drivel describing these fashionable individuals and their highly-evolved fashion sense. Maybe the Post thinks that baseball fans look like a bunch of dorks, so they only get a single page of coverage. - Mark D., Arlington (4/19/09) Just got off the phone with Red Godfrey at the resplendent WJSV studios atop the Earle Theatre. He was so tickled you'd posted his photo in the mailbag that all he could say was: DCMemories.com (mp3 file) (4/19/09) Could Channel 9 get any shittier to watch? A top 10 market and the rookie anchors they hire. They non-renew Jen Ryan and look at the hack in her place this weekend. I feel I'm watching the news in Scranton. 9 u suck!! (4/19/09) Re: " Apparently you belong with the other troglodite males who don't understand women and their actions ..." //// It's troglodyte, and the word could apply to either sex. (4/19/09) Current 70-cents or so to the approximately 25-cents Golf ChannelComcast are idoits, NFL has a much bigger fan base than the those two channels and a few other sports channels combined. Comcast has their own channels are their own cable systems charging four times the amount to themselves. Cox does the same thing. (4/19/09) /\ April 19 Messages /\ \/ April 18 Messages \/ Dear Dave: Well, the mystery of WAGE continues. This afternoon I tuned in the station again and was able to listen to a couple of innings of the Nationals/Marlins game, so I'm thinking that there was some earlier engineering issue with the transmitter. Later, about 6:00 while running errands, I tune in again and...static. Makes me wonder what gives over there. For Larry in Luray, last Sunday I caught the final few minutes of the Nats pre-game show and heard Charlie Slowes acknowledge the fact that while there is no outlet for Nats fans on this side of the Potomac, there are some plans in the works to address that issue. He couldn't give any details since they are still being worked out, so I guess the best thing to do is stay tuned. Keep up the good work on the site Dave! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (4/18/09) Here's Arthur Godfrey at the WJSV studios atop the Earle Theater in DC, with his Western Union clock, circa 1939. This photo is on the audio cassette collection of the famous September 21, 1939 complete broadcast day recordings. You can listen or download the mp3 sound files of that programming here www.archive.org (4/18/09) All this talk about why WHFS and their old format should come back to the DC airwaves, makes me want to ask this. What exactly is the track record of a station who had dumped their old format for something else only to "come back again" later? Sueccess? Lackluster results? I know in the case with Richmond's WLEE ( their main top 40 station way back when ), when WLEE popped up on 96.5 in the mid 90s..it didn't exactly set the Richmond market on fire. I guess by that point few in Richmond really could had cared less about WLEE. However down in Norfolk, when WGH had their top forty format on 97.3, even though "97 Star WGH" in the late 80's it didn't last very long ,I believe it was still a success even though most of their target audience of that time I am sure did not remember the old AM 13 WGH "..in Old Virginia" not to mention the competition between WGH-FM and Z104 ( the one in Hampton Roads of course ) did keep both stations and the market on their toes for awhile. I believe it was due to some legal issue ( a jock from WGH and another from Z104 suing each other ) that killed WGH's CHR format. Meanwhile Buffalo's 1520 I have heard from many is a great example of "..you can't go home again" when they tried to bring back the old WKBW some years back, though as I recall the ratings from their "KB is back" oldies format was actually not bad-post WKBW of course. Anyway it would be interesting to see what would happen if the old WHFS would come back. Another question....WJFK...for some reason I was thinking about their brief time as a CHR station back in the 80s..WBMW B106. Why was the plug pulled on that format? Who were the jocks? All I can remember was someone named "Marty with the Party". And didn't some jocks at B106 get into a tiff with Don & Mike who was at WAVA at the time? I do remember B106's bumper stickers and every once in awhile I would still see one even though B106 didn't last very long. (4/18/09) Well, PAUL - you of course ignored the obvious and didn't pay real attention to my missive about Beth Ann. What she did has absolutely nothing to do with being "browbeaten", I never said that, nor would any "normal" person have perceived that with my message. Apparently you belong with the other troglodite males who don't understand women and their actions and motivations. What I said was Beth Ann has issues that she needs to address, and the top of the list is her acceptance of the daily verbal abuse levied by Mike and Robb, and her apparent need to do "without" what others would perceive to be "necessities" in life (a nice, comfortable home, a loving family, a supportive friend network), and her constant interjections that "I'm fine, I'm happy, I don't need anything else in my life to be happy". As for me getting fresh air, all I can say is follow your own advice, and of course, " Please bite me very much". (4/18/09) WHOA to the poster about BA McBride being ''depressed and sad.'' Ease away from the computer AND the radio. The woman is a professional and I'm sure she knew what she was getting into before she did it. I don't think BA was brow beaten into doing something she honestly didn't want to do. You, however, may need to spend a little less time paying attention to every word spoken and every image seen and a lot more time outside getting some fresh air. Paul (4/18/09) isnt just adorable how Andy and Steve try to talk hockey now that it's playoff time? I think it's so cute! Especially when they take calls and say "We dont want to hear about a goalie change." very nice. very nice. (4/18/09) So on Friday poor put-upon Beth Ann McBride, who values her feminine features so much that she has paid thousands to have them physically augmented, reluctantly agrees to go along with Mike O'Meara's crAaAaAzy radio stunt of having her head shaved. Except half-way in, to squeeze in hack-a-riffic filler interview number 3,451,904, he breaks away for a moment while BA's stylist -- gasp -- keeps cutting. Apparently the prior 15 minutes of snipping sounds weren't enough in Mike's judgment, so when he concludes the interview he goes apeshit at Beth Ann for being unable to humiliate herself properly -- then banishes her for the rest of the show, denying her even the small satisfaction of entertaining the audience with her misery. Nice way to totally screw up a weeklong promotion, amateurs. Clusterfuck, thy name is The Mike O'Meara Show. (4/18/09) From watching the video on WJFK.com of BethAnn McBride having her head shaved, her eyes are the saddest I've ever seen on anyone. She appears severely depressed to me, not to mention her self-esteem seems to be non-existent. It just isn't normal for a woman to shave her head unless they are full of self-hatred (a la Britney Spears). And from the conversations she's had on the show with Mike and Robb recently, her childhood basically sucked and she doesn't appear close with her family members. And on top of that, her beloved dog recently died which knocked her for a loop. She readily accepts daily verbal abuse from Mike and Robb, and even though she attempts to downplay her sad lifestyle (renting a motel room instead of an apartment?) by accentuating the positives, I'm not buying it. And the guys on the MOM show seem oblivious to her sadness and suffering. IMHO, she needs extensive therapy, and most of all, she needs a friend. I hope she gets through this phase in her life. (4/18/09) Is it any wonder NBC is down 25%. Most Americans that have the ability to think for themselves are capable of understanding the media bias that NBC has continues to spew forth. This translates to viewership declines. Growing up in the DC market in the 60s, NBC/WRC was, without a doubt, my favorite source for news and entertainment. The old WRC-AM with Al Ross, Mac McGarry, the Joy Boys, etc are remembered with fond memories. I watched all of the Mercury/Gemini coverage on NBC. Frank McGee and his colleagues were the best. Why has that network gone to hell? Keith Overbite, Rachel Madcow, and others of their ilk are a total disgrace to the honest and unbiased reporting of news. Huntley, Brinkley, McGee, Vanocer (in the future) must be spinning at a trillion rpm about now. George, Stephens City, VA (4/18/09) Dave, I gotta agree with ya about putting a cool nostalgic format on 1500. Bet it would do better than 40th! From Maine to Florida...too bad those of us anywhere farther west than Manassas wouldn't be able to hear it at night due to their directional signal. And all the signal flipping Bonneville did only served to eliminate from 107.7 my only source of Nationals radio broadcasts in this part of the Valley...other than my XM, of course. Unless I'm mistaken, the Nats have no affiliates between Martinsburg and Charlottesville off to the west and southwest of DC. Oh well, lousy team + lousy promotion = miniscule radio network, which is too bad because Charlie Slowes and Dave Jaegler are actually pretty decent - - - - - Larry in Luray (4/18/09) Dave's response: The new "Good Old 1500 WGDL" would be Bonneville's east coast "after-dark flagship." Imagine a weekday evening "big band" show hosted by Ed Walker, and a weekend evening jazz show hosted by Paul Anthony. Bob Duckman could host a morning drive show with American popular standards. Johnny Dark could do a Saturday morning 1950/60s oldies and doo-wop show. It would be soooooo cool. Bonneville could even slip in some of that LDS programming from 4 AM to 6 AM - and we wouldn't even mind..... BTWS, Mr. GERONIMO perhaps you might give Ms. McBride a call and see if she's ok. She looks ok sans the hair but still seems like an extreme stunt or is she playing the Joan of Arc card on the 1 year anniversary of MOM show? (4/18/09) Layy King. Speaking of John Waters, saw an interview a couple months back in which he talked about living in San Francisco. Shirley, Mr. Waters hasn't abandoned Baltymore has he? I would've a thought he'd be the last person to leave Baltimore. After Mary Bass of course. And CAL, although could he be moving to Beverly Hills one day like Sugar Ray did. I still can't figure out the scheduling of WETA tv over the air digital channels. Didn't they let go of a number of folks recently? Seems like 26.1 and 26.4 pretty much run the same programming about 85% of the day so why have both? And the "Create" channel 26.2 seems to be hour after hour after hour after hour of effing cooking shows! This Old House is hardly on, along with gardening shows, and I still miss the D.C. native Roy Underhill's Woodwright Shop show. And on the WETA kids channel, what no time for Mr. Rogers anymore you jerky schedule makers. Along with no programs from another D.C. native Bill Nye the former Science Guy! I do enjoy the Curtis Sliwa radio show on WMAL but the expansion to 3 hours seems to show a lack of staff to do prep work. I find much of the content of the 1st hour repeated almost verbatim in the 2nd hour. I find Alan Colmes radio show embarrassingly bad. I also find Monica Crowley's show quite boring. Hey and no Bill Bennett on in the mornings. Shows how long it's been since I listened to 570 am in the mornings. Boo Mancow! Bill Bennett was better than hitting the snozz alarm. What will tv news departments do for story idears if newspapers disappear? And speaking of disappearing went to toothless fairfax Borders recently looks like they're reducing the music and dvd section to almost nothing. Sale price now 50%. And they seem to be clsoe to shuttering the coffee shop. many of the slackers I've seen there for years seemed to have abandoned the place. So everything will be going to this here internet. But what's this cornficker thing and what's the true security of using the internet. I hope BA doesn't cut her hair off, sounds like the act of a very depressed person. I'd be d9mn depressed to working the MOM show. I say she should have put on Pilgrim suit and gone outside the station and waved at oncoming traffic. Is Don Geronimo's hero Eric Cartman? (4/18/09) To the best of my recollection, WRC-AM used Favag synchronized clocks through the end of NBC's ownership in the early 1980s. I don't remember seeing any older clocks around the 4001 Nebraska Ave. complex which dates to 1957. I once did see an original electro-mechanical device that generated the famous NBC chimes. It had been brought over from NBC's old facility at the Trans-Lux building. One of the coolest radio station clocks I've ever seen was at St. Augustine's original radio station, WFOY, in Florida. It was next door to the historic Fountain of Youth site, before the station owner sold the riverfront property to developers and moved inland. Here's the last known photo of their clock, on the wall, at the old site. www.floridadude.com (4/18/09) WDMV-AM may want to come back on the air for a day or two and play a couple of records or something. According to FCC law, a station can be off the air for 30 days without any authority from the Commission, but needs to send them notification of its off-air status by the tenth day of being dark. In surfing the FCC site, I've seen no such notification. And bubbling on the back burner is that pesky little law that says if WDMV stays off the air for 12 months, it can wave bye-bye to its license. Specifics are found in FCC rule 73.1740. (4/18/09) This method may help the person who can't clear the codes from his car radio. If they do not clear when you turn the radio off (or the car off), just disconnect a cable of the car's battery for a minute, then hook it back up. (4/18/09) Dave's response: Yeah, when that happens to me - like a dead battery - I end up having to go back to the VW dealer for them to "reinitialize" the now-silent radio. A royal pain in the ass..... I tune in regularly to CHWO, AM740 in Toronto. My favorite night is Sunday, when they play big band music. Seeing the post about the station, I wondered if there are other good "secrets" receivable on the AM dial around here. Here's what I have on my radio buttons: 640 WWJZ Mount Holly NJ (Radio Disney)/ 740 CHWO Toronto, ON (oldies/big band/OTR)/ 810 WYRE Annapolis, MD ("forty years of top 40")/ 1430 WNAV Annapolis, MD (oldies sometimes)/ 1530 WCTR Chestertown, MD (oldies)/ 1590 WFBR Glen Burnie, MD (oldies and brokered). Yes, I am aware of WCTN, but they seem to be incapable of playing anything but real "downer" songs. Mostly I'm tuned into WYRE during the day and CHWO at night. ~~CA in BC (4/18/09) Dear Dave: Anyone know what's going with WAGE? I tuned in last night to listen to the Nationals/Marlins game but got nothing but static. The situation was the same this morning. I know its not my radios, and I live only a few miles from their transmitter. Probably just a technical issue but this is unusual for this station. Again, Dave, a great site! Sincerely, Joe Kasell (4/18/09) There is a community of clock collectors who keep the old self winding clocks alive. A friend of mine has at least 6 of them. Here’s a site that supports them and produces a device that will make them synchronize just like in the old days. www.kenscloclclinic.com.. Eric (4/18/09) it's kathArine weymouth (4/18/09) Thanks to Larry in Luray for posting the update on Canada's big AM station on 740KHz that we can hear in the DC-MD-VA area. I've been looking for something new to put in the car radio button ever since I deleted 1500 when they quit doing news around here. 740 for many years was known as CBL Toronto, and it went off the air about 10 years ago as part of the quasi-government radio network transition to local FM channels. Nice to again have a good strong signal to listen to. Clearly, there are some in the commercial radio industry who feel there's plenty of life and revenue left in the Good Old AM band. And they seem to be targeting people in a demographic who actually know the band is there. (4/18/09) Dave's response: Look, Federal News Radio ranks 40th. It doesn't "need" to be on a 50,000-watt "monster" like 1500. It would do just as "well" back on lower-powered 1050. Then, Bonneville could put a way cool nostalgic music format on 1500, which reaches from Maine to Florida at night. Folks in NYC, Philly, and Boston - where Bonneville doesn't have a radio presence - could listen after dark. Would be cheap, with satellite/automation much of the time. Might even beat WMAL for AM band listeners in the DC area..... Regarding the posts on the (lack of) grassroots nature of the Tea Party protests. I agree that Fox News (among others) promoted their occurrence. We can argue about the degree of ownership and advocacy they actually articulated, but I suspect that will be in the eye of the beholder. It's also important to note that other liberal media outlets (as most are) actively derided the protest before, during and after, which is certainly unusual and yet another notable example of bias. The Boston Globe - hometown paper of the original Tea Party - didn't cover even it at all until the day of, and their coverage was entirely AP. On the claims of the Tea Parties not being grassroots....well, what is grass roots, anyway? The G20 and Iraq protests over the last 8 years are HARDLY grassroots either. They are funded by extremely wealthy groups (MoveOn, etc.) and individuals (Soros, etc.), and involve the transportation of people across country and around the globe. They utilize professional organizers and aggitators and in some noted cases involve the payment of people to show up. There are a whole host of people making livings off of liberal protest activities. And is it grassroots when university protests are organized by professors as part of furthering their liberal agenda? As for the comparing the turnout of Tea Parties with the Vietnam war protests, come on....the protests your referring to took years to build up. When Kennedy first got us involved, no one cared. Bob in Forest Hill (4/18/09) Dave, WTOP did respond to me RDS issue. ----- Hi Robert, You've found a problem that had been plaguing us for weeks a few months ago. We had a new RDS box installed at our 107.7 transmitter site, and the vendor thought he was being helpful by programming an "auto-find" feature into the unit. What ended up happening was that radios were switching between 107.7 and 103.5 without the listener's knowledge, and since there was a time delay between the two signals (since fixed), it was driving listeners crazy. We have since resolved the problem, but it seems that the errant RDS codes are "stuck" in your car radio. (I just checked the RDS unit to make sure the codes were not reactivated.) Is there a button to disable RDS on your radio? If you turn RDS off and back on again, it should clear the codes out of your radio, and all should be normal again. If this is not the case, or if you can't turn RDS off, let me know and we'll try something else. I hope this helps. (4/18/09) I was sitting in front of my music cabinet last evening - containing a striking amount of media in LP, CD, reel and, yes, 78 rpm formats - and ran my fingers across my vinyl copies of the Woodstock and Woodstock II albums. I had to stop and think: 10 years from now, which will I still be enthusiastically listening to? These albums, or recordings made from the teabag concerts? I don't care who showed up, for what reason, or what they did. A decade from now, Americans will still be talking about Woodstock. No one will be talking about tea parties; musically, politically or anything-ly. (4/18/09) To follow up on the earlier posts regarding the reported "grassroots-i-ness" of the tea parties, here are some numbers for you to wrap your head around: In the week leading up to April 15, Fox News aired more than one hundred and five prime-time commercials promoting the upcoming tea party protests. During all five of their prime-time shows, the "fair and balanced" network aggressively encouraged viewers to show up and get involved with tea party protests. Fox News repeatedly ran chyron heralding a number of the events as 'FNC Tax Day Tea Parties'. On April 15, stars of four of the network's five prime-time shows either emceed or broadcast live from center-stage at tea parties nationwide. Now, ask yourself: does that level of Media promotion really qualify as "grassroots"? (4/18/09) RE: [It's a fashionable conceit to think the Republican Party is as dead as Jacob Marley, and that the "Tea Parties" were astroturf done by Fox News. However, consider that the parties were only proposed about two months ago and that they were well-attended in all 50 states.] The parties were well attended in about a dozen locations. beyond that, I'd hardly call crowds below 500 a success. Atlanta was the largest, at about 12K, but that event also happened to be hawked 5o times a day for the eight days prior on FoxNoise. plus throughout Hannity's daily radio broadcast. It had a three-act concert, celebrity appearances, and life coverage hosted by right-wing rock star Sean Hannity. National Cable sponsorship hardly counts as "grass roots" pal. Jon Stuart summed up the Faux Nooze whipping up the Tea-Baggers best in a two sentences. Stuart said, "I think you people are confusing tyranny with LOSING. It's only been eight weeks, folks - you've got a year and ten months to go until the next election - you need to PACE your rage!" (4/18/09) Heard this promo last night on AM 740 out of Toronto - "Where else can you hear Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison, Diana Krall and Paul Simon...all in the same half-hour?" www.am740.ca... Pssst - it's our secret little station, DCRTVers - - - - - Larry in Luray (4/18/09) I think its time for that awesome picture of Pat Murphy at WMOD from the early 70's, to show these newbie's what a real broadcaster looks like! Ahhhh, that was the day. If only radio was that much fun today! It wouldn't draw the low-class, lip-droolers, knuckle-draggers, that infest the business today! Long live Pat Murphy! Anyone know where you can find old airchecks of him? I used to listen to him on my way to work at the Pentagon every morning. Nothing on radio today, comes even close! Robert W. Smith - Arlington (4/18/09) Sorry to hear of the untimely death of Mike Handley. Although I did not work with him the comments and demo tape here present a stellar talent. He was perhaps the best voiceover talent in the DC area when he resided here. I recall him doing a PSA reminding drivers to keep dogs out of locked cars in hot weather-"Hot enough to fry an egg? Also hot enough to fry a dog's brain." Condolences to his friends and family. He will be missed.-Tom Soul (4/18/09) If you ever wondered about the innards of the Western Union Studio Clocks that used to be found in radio stations, this link www.geocities.com give all the details you'd ever want about 'em. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, there's an enlargable photo. I remember seeing these at the old AM 730 WPIK) studios in Alexandria, in the 60s. I also used to visit the old WRC Radio studios on Nebraska Avenue, but I don't think they used these same clocks. (4/18/09) " Well attended??? It's sad (and quite revealing) what the Teabaggers view as a good turnout." -- Yes, because the movement is NOT a Fox News project, despite what the poster said. I have been reading about them long before Fox News picked up the story. I wasn't there; I had to work. Holding them on April 15 was a mistake. Did you check the figures out nationwide? They weren't as good as hoped, but for a new movement, not so bad. The main thrust of the Tea Parties is not Washington, anyway. It's the other states. They expect mockery in Washington, which I note is a very blue area. So is the language of the Tea Party opponents. -- GAB in the Airless Cubicle (4/18/09) /\ April 18 Messages /\ \/ April 17 Messages \/ (regarding a previous post) "It's a fashionable conceit to think the Republican Party is as dead as Jacob Marley, and that the "Tea Parties" were astroturf done by Fox News. However, consider that the parties were only proposed about two months ago and that they were well-attended in all 50 states." Well attended??? It's sad (and quite revealing) what the Teabaggers view as a good turnout. Their numbers are hardly noticable compared with the antiwar marches in the late 1960s, that drew several hundred thousand - more than a few times. The Teabaggers' supposed grassroots outrage is really only just a small patch of Fox News orchestrated artificial turf. www.time.com (4/17/09) As any listener who lives or travels outside the city knows: The first 2 weeks of April is usually when farmers start fertilizing thier fields for spring planting.HENCE the timing and moniker of 94.7 Fresh FM. One of the suits must have a country cousin who is most likely the original source of the epiphany but lets not blame a suit for being a suit. Some of the best corporate ideas have been good fertilizer. Some I say. Some were much worse. (4/17/09) i heard an ad on 94.7 "Fresh" FM today, and their PD says they are different because of the music they play...........WHAT?????????????? you have to be fucking kidding me! its the same shit we already hear on 107.3, 99.5, 97.1, and 92.5! i am surprised they dont take a shot at 107.3 in their ads. 92.5 obviously doesnt count since it doesnt reach the DC area. MAN i hope 94.7 bombs and adopts a Jack format, if classic rock wont work. When will Cerphe join WJFK nights for the nightly rock block? i am really hoping for that one. 94.7, however, has just lost a very loyal listner. I really wish 94.7 was the way it was just before it switched to the Globe, when it was "the capital of classic rock"....thats the 94.7 that should be on right now. travis (4/17/09) It's a fashionable conceit to think the Republican Party is as dead as Jacob Marley, and that the "Tea Parties" were astroturf done by Fox News. However, consider that the parties were only proposed about two months ago and that they were well-attended in all 50 states. The D.C. crowd might have been small, but this area is very Democratic-leaning and the organizers made a mistake setting April 15 as a day of protest. -- There is still a conservative movement in this country. There's also a populist movement in this country that the Tea Parties represented. These are the people who will not vote GOP out of party loyalty. They want smaller government and less taxation. They also didn't have the experience with the media that the two main parties do. -- It will be interesting to see if this movement grows. I suspect it will not as "Tea Parties." I do suspect that the resentment of Washington is out there in the country and a broadcaster who correctly grabs the zeitgeist of these people will have a successful national audience. -- GAB in the Airless Cubicle (4/17/09) The NBC DC Plant offers a host of possibilities for AU. One might be converting the place to a BBQ joint. This was hinted at in the early years of SNL when Chevy Chase on "Weekend Update" announced that NBC was giving up television altogether and would become the National Bar-B-Que Network, launching a chain of BBQ stands nationwide. (4/17/09) RTV is still operational. WJLA 7.3 has preempted RTV programming the last two Thursday nights though for D.C. Armor telecasts. Everett W. (4/17/09) If AU buys that big Nebraska Avenue complex.... It takes it off the DC tax rolls. Universities do not have to pay real estate taxes to the District like NBC does now. Could be a big tax dodge. About half the land in the District is off the tax rolls because it is federal property, universities, parkland, churches, outfits like the Red Cross and various nonprofits. BIG problem for DC..... For AU, it would be a performing asset in their endowment....probabably a better return than they currently made or stocks o bonds...and it secures property almost difectly across the street from their existing campus for future expansion....makes great sense but screws DC taxpayers (4/17/09) With regards to the WHUT digital TV signal. When I tune to 32.1 over the air my set tells me "no signal" But a check of the signal meter shows a strong signal. From this I assume the RF carrier is there but there in no digital information on the carrier to decode. The analog signal is fine. Bob Fairfax (4/17/09) Dave this is a copy of an email I just sent to WTOP's engineering department. Has anybody else had this problem? Bob Fairfax.............. I have a Kenwood RDS radio in my car. I have two buttons set for WTOP. One on 103.5 and one on 107.7. I have not used the 107.7 preset for quite sometime. Last weekend I used the 107.7 preset when I was south on 95. Since then when I use the 103.5 preset my radio goes to 107.7. I tried manually tuning to 103.5 and resetting the preset to 103.5. The radio stays on 103.5 until I push another preset for another station and then push the 103.5 to go back to 103.5 it redirects my radio to 107.7. I have tried clearing out all the presets and then reseting them but this does not solve the problem. The only way I can go to 103.5 is to manually tune there. If I manually tune to 103.5 the radio will stay there until I turn it off. When I turn it back on it goes to 107.7 even though it was on 103.5 when I turned it off. This does not happen with any other Station. Is there something in the RDS information that is telling the radio to go to 107.7? (4/17/09) How the hell does Frank Herzog get into movies? He must have something on someone. I heard that he had a part in National Treasure 2, his part was so damn stupid, it messed up then scence anyways. He wasn't needed to do that part. They could have used ANYBODY to screw it up the way the scence was written. (4/17/09) OK..So Anita Marks is like the bad, outspoken niece and Scott is the uncle that has to rein her in? Hmmmm..Why is that turning me on? Paul (4/17/09) Alright, Already, enough PORN on a radio site. It’s not nice to be spewing such suggestions about fine folks like Divine..LOL (4/17/09) Dave, I wasn't aware you were in Porno films. I have a new one I am writing now if you'd like to audition for it when it's done. Oh, by the way, do you think Mike O'Meara would be interested in coming to work with me? I need someone to replace 'Devine.' If not, any suggestions of yours would be appreciated ;-) --- Sincerely, John Waters (4/17/09) Dave's response: Gee, Mr. Waters, I'd be honored to star in a movie of yours. One condition though - Rhea Feiken must be in the film, too. And, yes, O'Meara would be a perfect "New Divine"..... What’s the deal with Retro TV now? Is it gone for good this time? (4/17/09) Dave's response: Just checked and it's "Quincy" at 2:37 PM via 7's subchannel..... Regarding the mini-rant from the guy in Delmarva who lost the TV Guide Channel. I have read that the TV Guide Channel (which I don’t believe is associated with the magazine of the same name anymore) is considering eliminating the scrolling listings entirely throughout the country. (4/17/09) To the poster wondering about a political correctness exemption for the station at 87.7 remember that 87.7 is not really FM---it is TV channel 6. (4/17/09) OK here we go again. Yes the original jocks are long gone from HFS. No it no longer transmits from Bethesda or Grasonville. Yes Jake Einstien sold it...twice. Did the Free Form format die? No it did not. It was slowly phased out by corporate decision after corporate decision. Little changes over time eroded,not evolved,what made HFS what it was. Am I to believe that there are not people with musical taste and knowledge in the world now? People who can make a decision without the full legal team,a manager,several assistants and a tech crew standing behind them pulling the strings? Sorry I know that to be bullshit because there are people who want the format,and station, BACK!!! THAT fact is enough to make a leap in logic to the fact that there ARE fully functional humans that are absolutlely capable of putting in a CD that a suit didn't stick in thier face and they can even speak a bit on the music without a teleprompter!!!!! There IS a demand for the TYPE of station WHFS was so DO NOT attempt to tell us it's not possible. The only reason it doesn't happen has nothing to do with the passage of time and everything to do with the flat out refusal by CBS execs please a music loving audience. But BY ALL MEANS keep doing EVERYTHING but the RIGHT thing,it just reinforces what we've known all along about corporations.....which is why we loved the station that dared to be different.WHFS was an embodiment of a state of mind,not just a bunch of equipment. (4/17/09) Now that John Madden has retired, I wonder if he'll get tapped by Hollywood for the lead in the "John Candy Story." Inquiring minds want to know…Mike in Frederick and the Dashboard DX Society (Manny, Moe and Jack) with WAY too much time on their hands. Pray for sunspots! (4/17/09) RE: [To Jeff "the racist" in Bowie Whatever. Jim Clarke] Um, Jimbo? Three quick questions, pal: 1.) Considering the topic of your diatribe yesterday, can you explain to us exactly what your missive today has to do with local radio or television? 2.) Racist? Moi? You got any examples? 3.) Not to be nit-pickey, but shouldn't there be some form of punctuation between the "Bowie" and the "Whatever"? - Jeff in (What a joy it is to get fools like this so flustered) Bowie. (4/17/09) Dave - Great article in PRESS BOX.....I heard a caller yesterday just before he hung-up tell Anita to "get back in the kitchen", I almost died laughing. She is nothing more than a "life sized" bobble head. Scott is a total pro and he deserves better than what he has as a co-host. That's my view from the PRESS BOX Hitman Ocean City, Md. (4/17/09) To Jeff "the racist" in Bowie Whatever. Jim Clarke (4/17/09) Former male porn star? You don't say! Dammit Dave, You mean to tell us that if you had the foresight to exploit that that portion of your resume better, we could have seen DCRTV seated in the front row of Bush administration White House press conferences? Then again, Karl Rove looks like he could be a "Bear"...you two would have definitely conflicted. Nevermind. I'll just break out the brain bleach and the scrubber now. (4/17/09) Dave's response: Karl Rove is the complete opposite of sexy. Along with Rush Limbaugh and Roger Ailes. Yuckola! Now, Glenn Beck is a different story. That "GB" letter pairing he uses on his Fox show sends a subliminal sexual message, fer sure..... that chat question from Wapo.com - That was mine. I had sent it to a couple different chats, but I think Paul was the only one to use it. In hindsight, I like that someone answered "Johnny Holiday" as he is probably the closest to a person like Harry kalas or Vin Scully. Of course, if you're not a Terps fan.... -- Mark Coale, Odessa Steps Magazine (4/17/09) Dave, you were in porn? I am shocked.....ok, did you do any acting with the late Marilyn Chamber? Or did you do the "other kind of porn?" Either way, I would love to have some titles, there is a sale going on at my favorite movie site, and I would like to stock up. Thanks. (4/17/09) Dave's response: A couple of military bondage titles in the early 1980s that are no longer in print. You know, the standard plot. Young hunky US soldier captured, stripped, and "tortured" by a Commie Soviet dominatrix interrogator (right)..... /\ April 17 Messages /\ \/ April 16 Messages \/ All this talk about bringing back the old WHFS or making it free form with the original djs is old media. The heyday of WHFS was over 20 years ago. It's over. Way over. It's like saying bring back MTV with Martha Quinn and Mark Goodman. Yawn. Sidenote: former VJ Adam Curry got it a long time ago and still gets it. He is often referred to as the Podfather and has been successfully online and podcasting since late 80s-early 90s. For a radio board to be discussing that the future is to bring back the old HFS shows how out of touch the business is. Face it, you are old if you can even recall the original jock lineup. The future of radio will be a youthful feel. I don't mean in age, but lifestyle. Social networking, free form, interactivity with the web, podcasting, feeling like they are in control. Let the listeners create. So why isn't it being done? Because radio companies and most employees are lazy and won't invest the little (yes, little) that is needed. They want a computer to pick the music, a computer to spit out Arb numbers, and hire some research company to tell them what their audience thinks. They do as little work as possible Going jockless is what killed local radio. Personalities should rule the airwaves and provide cred for stations, but radio chose to stop developing personalities and delegated them to liner readers. Jocks stopped planning out their show. Show prep became celebrity birthdays, concert calendars, and even now, firing up wikipedia seconds before they crack the mike. KCRW in Los Angeles is a great example of reinventing themselves. Yes, they are NPR, but their music and presentation really are forward. Their morning jock, Jason Bentley, is in the clubs most nights spinning tunes, networking with fans, going to showcases, etc. In touch. Want to hear a great radio show? Check out Absolutely Mindy on Kids Place Live on Satellite. (Channel 116). It's for kids, but she gets it! Each show is planned out with a theme. She interacts, has in-studio guests, she's silly, funny, involved. She really gets it. I am not saying stations should be her, but her presentation to her audience is so spot on. She knows exactly who she is talking too (not just kids, but their parents, too). Same goes for Michael Baisden. Ironically, both are national shows, so imagine what a station could do with a real local vibe! 94.7 Fresh is an embarrassment and the perfect example of how out of touch and lazy radio is. (4/16/09) OK, its now a fact: they don't have a clue at Fresh 94.7. Tonite the PD comes on in a station promo, asking the public for ideas (tell me what you want to hear on this station). In 1983, it was a cool idea ("Tell Us What You Want in a Radio Station!"). Today, it's just as quaint as "WXXX takes over another station in the market (a gas station)". Come on, CBS! If you're going to take the covers off a new radio station, don't wait two weeks then ask the public what you're doing wrong. You're CBS, f'chrissakes! With ABC out of the picture, you should know better than anybody! (4/16/09) Dave, as a frequent visitor to DCRTV, I believe that you are already very effective and fair in your moderation of the mailbag. When things occasionally head out of bounds here, you gently remind posters who is in charge, and repeat the limited rules you have set for acceptable behavior. I think it is highly presumptuous for ANY reader to believe they should have the power to dictate what can and cannot be posted here by threatening DCRTV with loss of support if you don't acquiesce to their demands. Jim Clarke, I have to thank you though. Your rant encouraged me to finally sit down and do something I should have done long ago - write a check to Dave Hughes. Dave, I sincerely hope it can help to make up for any loss in revenue DCRTV may realize should Jim Clarke carry out his threats of departure. I encourage others to follow suit. One more thing Mr. Clarke - may I remind you that there happens to be a slider bar to the right of your screen that allows you to scan up and down the page. If you see something you do not like, don't read it...use the bar to move past it. Whatever you do, quit threatening to hold your monetary support over Dave's head. Setting an ultimatum to govern the behavior of the DCRTV moderator is petty and selfish. Your threat fails to recognize the countless days of hard work Dave Hughes puts into this endeavor 24-7-365. Keep up the great work, Dave...You have my support, and my check is on the way. You'll know it is mine - It's the one with the memo line is signed - Jeff in (You really need to get over yourself, Jim Clarke) Bowie (4/16/09) Dave's response: God bless you! Honestly, I absolutely love doing this website. Every single day of the past 12 years has been an absolute blast. I can't tell you how many cool radio and TV people I've gotten to "know" while being "your friendly webmaster." I still wake up at 4 AM and look forward to checking my DCRTV-related e-mail. When that stops, I'll give it up and go back to my original career as a male porn star..... I guess the Nationals just aren't good enough for MASN to hire decent announcers for their games. Mindless Rob Dibble just said Elvis fought in World War II. Weird, since Elvis was only five years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. (4/16/09) Dave's response: Elvis went into the Army at the same time my dad did - in the late 1950s..... If you want to FIGHT BIG BROTHER, The Baltimore Sun suggests this website in today's Sun... www.mdscamera.com (4/16/09) Is WHUT no longer broadcasting over the air? Have not been able to pick up the station in my squalid toothless fairfax apartment for about a month now and use to come in strong! Any plans for Channel 5 or channel 20 or channel 9 to add any digital over the air sub channels? I'd get basic cable but hell things is tight these days. Why does channel 7 morning news progrum keep saying they have weather and traffic every 10 minutes when they have it on a hell of a lot more than that? I sure wish Lisa Baden wouldn't use the phrase "String of Pearls". Watch it! Hey, how about this, Johnny Holiday and Lisa Baden teaming up in a dinner theater production of "Oklahoma". Could be a benefit for DCRTV. Is WAMU pissed at the new Spanish station at 87.7fm but won't say anything cause of political correctness? I thought the low end of the FM spectrum was reserved for public or religious broadcasting. Making an exception for 87.7 fm cause of political correctness? Is Maureen Bunyan on vacation again? Is channel 7 trying to push, now shove her out the door? Ain't one of the biggest weaknesses of the O'Meara show them gosh darn boring interviews? Who's idear was it to have the obligatory two boring interviews per show O'Meara or management? Can't O'Meara think of something else to fill up the time? Whoops. And True Oldies can be led to glory by Steve Alan? Huh? Man they have such a small playlist! I can hear the same song in the afternoon and then again later in the evening. Hi, I'm Layy King and youse got my thoughts. Come on Geronimo pick it up, what you eat for breakfuss this morn? Us Twitterers needs to know. (4/16/09) Dave's response: Just checked and 32's still pumping out a nice strong over-the-air analog signal here in Reston. Oh, that Spanish "radio" station at 87.7 will be going dance music soon, as we reported. And, it's Steve "Allan"..... Towson University student radio can be found here www.xtsr.org (4/16/09) I think the problem with COMCAST is they don't require a DIGITAL BOX for BASIC CABLE, not just for the LIFELINE service. Or at least they didn't in most areas. Someone correct if I'm wrong or that has changed recently in some counties. That means if you have basic cable and no box, you keep watching the TV Guide Channel and seeing all these channels that you don't get but pay for. And Comcast could easily make all these channels QAM channels with no problem and that would solve this issue for anyone with brand new TVs or Coupon converters in most cases. But COMCAST WON'T do that because they want people to PAY MORE for Digital Cable and have access to spend more money on all of the IN DEMAND pay per view stuff! So there is a DUAL PURPOSE for deleting the analog channels, one is the needed bandwidth, which is understandable, the other is clearly MARKETING PURPOSES! I think that's the main gripe from people venting about COMCAST, as well as VERIZON. But at least VERIZON is consistent in requiring the digital box from the very start as with DISH and DIRECTV. The way Comcast is selling Basic Cable is, under Maryland law, almost the equivalent of a sleazy BAIT and SWITCH scam. And this practice is going to come back to bite Comcast in the ass soon. I know TONS of people just foaming at the mouth waiting for FIOS, even though they'll still need a converter box. Why? It's very simple... they feel like they're being screwed over by Comcast for this reason and a variety of other reasons. How many companies can you name that have raised their rates or prices during the worst recession in our lifetimes? Ummm, not many, but COMCAST is ONE of them. (4/16/09) Stephen Yasko.....why not ask your on-air STUDENTS for help with your list. Oh, that's right, you don't put students on the air, even though you're Towson University's station. There is no excuse for that. (4/16/09) How to fix CBS DC: Well, WPGC can go rhythmic Top 40 and gain ground against WIHT instead of being in a identity crisis with being either a urban hits or a rhythmic outlet. Bring back WHFS as a free form progressive rock outlet on 99.1 where it was before it got caught up in the network shuffle and went mainstream alternative. Also, try to get back the old HFS airstaff of old days and give them and the listeners the music direction. 99.1 would be a great boost and unlike what was of The Globe, the airplay list won't be playing The Allman Brothers alongside Beck. Keep WJFK as guy talk.....Move the Junkies down to 7PM after Mike is done....Bring Don in for the morning show and keep Big O and Dukes. When talk is not being done live....go to jockless alternative and call it DC's HOME FOR LIVE AND LOCAL TALK....106.7 WJFK. 94.7 has been rotten apple for years and Fresh won't change it with their status as it is even if jocks come to it's "rescue". I would bring in a jockless "JACK" outlet and just leave 94.7 to being Jack FM. Jack got the ratings in Charm City.....more than what can be said for 94.7 in recent years. Dan (4/16/09) Just got RCN (we're in Maryland) a few weeks ago because they had the best price for bundled service. Had heard great things about RCN from a neighbor. We had Comcast before and it went down EVERY thunderstorm or minor rain event. Of course, customer service was also a nightmare. Now, we get a postcard from RCN that our bill (the first one) will go up 7 dollars a month to help with "updating" their network. Anyone else have this experience? Also, high speed internet is sloooooooooooooooooooooow. (4/16/09) Jim Clark.....THANK YOU! I'm sure that there are many, many more of us who share your opinion about DCRTV. It started as a website for broadcasting and broadcasters but has, over the past few years, turned into a free-for-all, anything-goes site. Just look at the smarmy, snide comment made by Dave (it's my site...wah...wah...wah...don't like it leave...I don't need your donation....I'll do what I want) Hughes: (Post: Ummmm what does Best Buy or now-gone Circuit City and twincities newspapers have to do with local media in Balto/Wash? Seems to me that posting and article didn't belong on your site. End Post) (Dave's response: DCRTV covers local radio and TV. And you can buy radios and TVs at local Best Buy outlets. Get it?) With that logic we could discuss area car dealers. After all they sell cars with RADIOS in them. GET IT (4/16/09) Dave's response: Chill, dude..... Ok, ok, [we] have spoken and were content in laying low but you can't make this kind of shit up if your tried. So Beth Ann, how are you going to save your job? I know, replies McBride, I'll shave my head. Ya, ya, that's it! WACKY! Hey Mike, you know what would make great radio? The second after B.A. shaves her head, FIRE HER underperforming ass! (4/16/09) Rearranging deck chairs at the Post? Universal Desk? Cue up "Nearer My God to Thee" (4/16/09) Here's a link to the demo of Mike Handley - 2:40 duration, .wmv format, sadly, highly compressed therefore poor quality - www.wqmrwgaymemories.com... Bill from the Midwest (4/16/09) Our esteemed moderator wrote on 4/15 "Comcast can only offer 25-30 HD channels because it still carries 65-70 bandwidth-hogging analog standard-def channels on most of its systems." I'm not fully versed on digital cable QAM systems but as I understand it they use up to 870 MHz of bandwidth, enough to provide 135 analog channels. But, Comcast is only running about 62 analog channels, less than half the available bandwidth. The rest of the bandwidth is used for the digital channels (SD and HD) and data for Internet and telephony. The digital SD channels include digital versions of the existing analog channels plus other channels. One analog channel provides enough room for two QAM HD channels or seven (or more) QAM SD channels. So, if Comcast kills analog they would gain 124 HD channels or 434 SD channels. (And, there would still be nothing worth watching!) So, how many more HD channels do you want? As for Comcast's digital audio, they don't do much better with it than with analog audio. The levels vary channel to channel. WUSA's audio is distorted. FX and WJLA keep triggering some kind of digital audio leveler that knocks the level down then slowly returns it to normal. When WETA's main channel was first moved to digital-only, it had a digital buzz modulating the audio which made the channel unuseable until it was fixed. (4/16/09) To the poster who keeps ranting about Comcast not providing QAM channels: All of the digital channels are QAM. However, the cable company codes each channel's data stream as to whether it is "in the clear" or "scrambled". If you connect a QAM tuner to Comcast cable, you will only see digital versions of the off-air channels plus a couple of others because they are "in the clear". All of the other digital channels, even if they were part of the analog service and could be received on a cable-ready set, are "scrambled" and require either a Comcast-provided cable box or a "CableCard"-capable tuner that can be programmed to allow you to watch those channels. That way, Comcast keeps tight control of what you can watch depending upon what tier you are paying for. It may be that, these days, those who order the most stripped-down "lifeline" service of off-airs and local-originations have to have a Comcast-provided digital cable box that is programmed to receive only those channels. If Comcast were to transmit such digital channels as Fox News, Discovery, or Comedy Central "in the clear" then a person with any old QAM tuner could receive them, thus getting more service than the "lifeline" they were paying for. There are those who have been agitating for "pay per channel" to only see what they want, rather than the traditional "bundles" that cable companies have offered over the years. The only way to provide such slice-and-dice services is via a programmable-by-the-provider cable box or CableCard. (4/16/09) Hey gang, We’re compiling a list of the 897 Greatest Artists of All Time and we need your help. Just click on the link and vote for your 15 favorite/greatest/most influential bands, singers, duos, trios of all time. You decide who makes the list! Vote fast, the countdown starts next month! Rosemary Clooney? Kelly Clarkson? The Beatles? George Jones? Stan Getz? The Decemberists? Janis Joplin? Elton John? The Birds? It’s all over the map and all up to you!!!! www.surveygizmo.com... Stephen Yasko, General Manager, WTMD 89.7 (4/16/09) I wrote earlier about Mike Walters documentary, "Breaking News, Breaking Dawn," which screens at the upcoming FilmFest DC. This week's CP cover story on the festival is not yet online, but the print edition is out, and film critic Tricia Olszewski gives the doc a very mixed review, calling it "inherently gripping" but critizing Walter's "tendency to overembellish." Check it out. Christian (4/16/09) Well dave here in Sussex county delaware Mediacom has decided that due to "advances in technology and changes in customers viewing habits Mediacom will no longer carry the T.V.guide channel. T.V. guide programming listings will continue to be available using........ Their interactive website. What the fuck does that mean exactly?? The T.V. guide channel is just that. A Guide to let you know whats on T.V. So let me guess?? When I want to see whats on I should go to my computer and look up shit and then go back to the T.V. and surf accordingly. Who in the world decides these kind of things???? Are these ASSHOLES owned by SUCKCAST??? Directv here I come. A.M.F. From Delmarva..... (4/16/09) Gracing the airwaves as such nostalgic stations as the great WLPL, WKTK and other the band Facedancer has lost its singer. Carey Kress, has after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer lost his battle. More on the bands history and happenings at www.facedancer.com (4/16/09) For those calling for the firing of one Beth Ann McBride, a note. Look at the sign next to the keyboard you're using...the public library asks you not to use its computers for E-mail programs. Thank you for your cooperation! (4/16/09) John Madden retires - Multiple sources on Google News... NY Daily News Link: www.nydailynews.com... Doug in Bel Air, MD (4/16/09) Dave, I thought this was a website for broadcasting and broadcasters, not a forum for political reverse racism. I don't care who or what others think of the "Tea-Parties, this is not forum the forum for that. If I read one more political, racist rant, you'll never get another donation from me and I will encourage others to follow suit. Come on Dave, you're much better than to let these racists ruin this great site. Jim Clarke (4/16/09) Here's a file picture of Mike Handley. (4/16/09) Well my goodness, Silvie seems have gone from an expert on everything to an expert on spelling. Oh, that's right ... she's still in mourning, that explains her agitation (along with something else which can't be mentioned again because it's been double-posted and she'll get po'd at DCRTV Dave again). Poor Chris ... RIP. (4/16/09) Hundreds showed up yesterday at Lafayette Park? Hundreds? WOW. Hammiy and Faux News did their job in getting boots on the ground! Wow, with all the hype on WMAL and Faux News, "hundreds" was all they could cull? A few years ago, Michael Graham had "hundreds" show up to protest at the wrong building for God's sake! Perhaps the right wing radio disciples numbers are falling due to all the crap they spew. This crap can be heard locally on WMAL. Let Freedom Ring, Proud to Be an American, where AT LEAST I know I am free. You are a Great American! (4/16/09) RANT: I have one word for those defending Comcast including Dave Hughes: QAM. That magic word means I'm not defending the Analog band on cable. Obviously, Comcast is going to have to make the digital switch too and there's going to be some pain involved. But, there is just no excuse why Comcast can't move analog channels to the QAM band where every HDTV set currently sold can still pick up the channel without a cable box unencrypted. What's the big deal? Why is this not being done? Why is it not the law of the land in fact? Face it, nobody likes having to lose the use of their brand new widescreen HDTV's remote and special features for that clunky Comcast remote nor does anyone want it in the kitchen next to the stove or atop the fridge or in a spare bedroom that no one is hardly ever in. Since you can't buy analog TV's anymore, this is the perfect solution. It's still a digital channel and saves frequency space, but at least you don't need a cable box in every darn room. There's also no excuse why VERIZON shouldn't be doing the same thing since they have even more bandwidth to play with than Comcast since the fiber goes right to your door (Comcast only uses fiber optics for main lines as far as I know). This is a situation where the FCC really needs to step up to the plate and make policy before the final Digital Switch because even with the delay, it's still going to be a nightmare for both cable and over the air viewers because nothing really has fundamentally changed other than the availability of more coupons that few are going to even use or know what to do with or have much use for. Confusion abounds still among the public. By the way, apparently complaining on DCRTV.com has advantages as Comcast overnight added all the WETA sub-channels back to the QAM band in the 8-# range (your mileage may vary), so WETA has magically returned in multiplex form for now. Now if only Comcast told you where to find those channels, that's the next trick. And if only basic cable customers could get AMC, Country Music TV, G4, STYLE, and all the other disappeared analog channels back the same way via QAM. What's most aggravating though, is that Comcast's TV GUIDE Channel is literally wrong by like 10-15 channels now and they just don't care. Comcast doesn't require a digital converter technically for Basic Cable, so there's just no excuse for lying to customers 24/7. (4/16/09) RE: [This article about today's big Tea Party flop in DC, says it all. What a colossal fuck-up! If these anti-tax Teabaggers can't even properly plan and prepare for their stupid demonstration] I laughed like a hyena when I saw that these buffoons were thwarted in their demonstration by lack of the simple knowledge that in order to do ANYTHING in a public space in D.C., you gotta get a PERMIT! You know what the ultimate irony about this is? All they seemed to need to avoid their mess was one good COMMUNITY ORGANIZER! Perusing the photos of the event in the WaPo and WaTimes, I was amazed in the vast array of shapes and sizes that "crazy" comes in today. Looking at the faces seen in the crowd of nearly DOZENS that oozed out from under their rocks to slink through Lafayette Park, all I can say is the viewing audience of FoxNews, and the listening audience of WMAL really creeps me out....I'm talking one powerful case of the heebie-jeebies! Funny though...what struck me most about this "crowd" (if the sorry turnout actually reached the number to technically be considered a "crowd", that is) is that in the case of the pathological hatred of President Obama, the "crazy" oddly seems to be limited to a just one color. Hmmmm. Interesting. (4/16/09) Best Buy is also taking a page from Circuit City’s book by opening up a new store in Fairfax (Fair City Mall to be exact). Circuit City went under only a couple of months after opening up in Tower’s old digs. I wonder how long Best Buy will be around… (4/16/09) More about Mike Handley - parts of an email I received from Iceland in July, 2006 - "Bob Chandler and I were really good friends but we got on each other's nerves to the point that I offered to quit as long as we could remain friends. He smiled and took me right up on it! We stayed the best of friends thru the years and I gave the eulogy at his funeral, along with all the pallbearer stuff. Chandler never thought highly of my work but I really did his.... also stayed best friends with Connie B. Gay. I gave the eulogy at his funeral, too, and... (served as a) pallbearer. I went on to have a quite successful 22-year career as a narrator and TV spokesman, flying from market to market and based in DC and LA....Anyway, today I run a translation shop but still do a respectable amount of narration work for old clients in the States (thanks to MP3), plus new ones here in Europe. I'll send you a separate promo mailer that I spam all over Europe." I believe I have a video/sound demo of Mike's and will post it to the WQMR/WGAYMemories.org site if I find it. Bill Halvorsen from the Midwest Somewhere (4/16/09) Freudian Slip? Anderson Cooper: "It's hard to talk when you're teabagging" www.youtube.com (4/16/09) Re: Clear Channel news release. I think the announcement is posturing and positioning ahead of delivering maybe a dozen nationwide formats to nearly every market. For example the CHR format would have Ryan Seacrest and Elvis Duran in every market. Since this will be the true realization of McRadio, CC is putting on a big show of local service and commitment to try to get ahead of it. When they say "the plan includes the launch of new programming and makes programming and on-air talent that’s proven to be most popular with audiences, available more broadly to local program directors in all markets for all day parts", this is a code phrase for nationwide shows either live or via imported breaks inserted into the automation. From a programming standpoint, nearly every market will be "neutron radio", eliminating employees while leaving facilities intact. (4/16/09) Dave's response: Clear Channel has five FM music radioers in Washington. None of them are bad. But none are particularly great, either. They're all rather generic for their format. And they do reasonably well in the ratings and bill quite nicely. That is Clear Channel. At least it's not a mess like Citadel or CBS is here in the DC market. Oh well..... Maybe it's me, but there might have been just a little too much "teabagging" in cable news today - even from Bill O'Reilly... www.youtube.com (4/16/09) /\ April 16 Messages /\ \/ April 15 Messages \/ I was listening to a CD I made of some bits that Grease did at DC101 last year, including a "Fudgeman" bit dealing with a "Boston Teabagging Party". Wonder if any of those people showed up at the DC event. (4/15/09) Ummmm what does Best Buy or now-gone Circuit City and twincities newspapers have to do with local media in Balto/Wash? Seems to me that posting and article didn't belong on your site. (4/15/09) Dave's response: DCRTV covers local radio and TV. And you can buy radios and TVs at local Best Buy outlets. Get it? Once again, it's Laura I-N-G-R-A-H-A-M and not I-N-G-R-A-M. Geez Louise folks, can y'all check the correct spelling already!? Silvie (4/15/09) Mike Handley also worked at then-beautiful music WEZR in the mid-70s after WGAY. Mike always let you know exactly what he thought and where you stood. sean hall (4/15/09) Let me see if I got this... Clear Channel is going to launch "a new level of commitment to local community affairs that will define a new, higher minimum level of service." Including: charitable partnerships, public service announcements, local public-affairs programming, local advisory boards, and "24/7 access to station management for local officials." S'cuse me, Lowrey, but isn't that the essence of radio since it first hit the air? Is CC just now finding out maybe it's NOT only a vehicle to sell toothpaste as it once declared? Why did it take more than a decade for the obvious to become, well, OBVIOUS? (4/15/09) I don't understand the Geronimo haters, their arguments make no sense to me. How is it Don's fault if WJFK and, more specifically, his former partners fail to survive the modern economic crunch which is obviously the reason for the impending station flip? Who's to say that a Don Geronimo headed WJFK would be successful, taking out the tragic passing of his past wife which one could argue drove him into his more defensive, introverted self? We can't change history and we have to live with what we have; Don left the "Don and Mike Show", but he didn't forget his calling in life. Mike O'Meara chose to continue on with the show, sans Don, and it's simply not as good. The market, namely the new rating system and a steep decline in interest in WJFK by advertisers, will kill WJFK, not Don Geronimo. I can't wait for the first podcast to be uploaded and I'm excited to see if this will evolve into something more. It shouldn't do anything, listener-wise, to the MOM show as its not a direct competitor; if you decide to listen to the podcast instead of listening to MOM live, then it's your own choice as the podcast is "on-demand" (and you obviously went through more effort obtain the podcast than to simply turn on the radio and tune it to 106.7). As much as I would like to say otherwise, I don't really care what happens to the MOM show; if you do, don't complain on this message board, get off your ass and campaign for them. Spreading the word is the only way you (and yes, I mean you reading this right now and contemplating the string of dribble you're going to hastily type and send in response to this, without bothering to realize that none of it makes a thimble's worth of sense) will save your beloved niche market station. Addressing blame only makes you look resentful that the real talent left, and all you got was a mediocre shell of a drive-time show. There should be a post underneath mine directed at the "ass" and "bad guy", "a.k.a Don Geronimo", Michael Sorce. I would like to respond to some of his (or her) points. I indirectly covered why this isn't a "bad time" in the above paragraph, but to recap, Don is simply doing what he does best and doesn't pose any competition to his past colleges. If any blame is to be addressed, blame CBS. I'm sure that Don had approached them well before now and it's been CBS that has been dragging its feet. I don't see how you can claim that Don wants to be Adam Corolla; he is doing a show that initially will only be heard by devoted fans / devoted haters that follow him on twitter and/or this site. I don't foresee CBS doing any promotion for the podcasts, and Don simply doesn't have the following that the nationally known Corolla does. Don is simply returning to what he loves, but at the pace and level that he can handle. He doesn't want to be responsible for a daily show that supports various families (I believe that Don stuck around until he was sure that his friends would have jobs after he retired, but not much longer.). You all want him to return to the high paced rigor of a job when all he wants is a hobby. Who are we to tell him how to live his life? If you don't like it, don't subscribe to him! (4/15/09) What a perfect week for me to see VERIZON trucks and huge fiber optic cable rolls blanketing my neighborhood as Comcast yanks 4 analog channels from my cable system this week (10 in a couple years while still pretending they're there all still there falsely), has all kinds of technical problems, including FOX 45 and CW 54, WETA disappears, yet I STILL have like 3 channels each of duplicate programming from 2, 11, 13, 45, 54, & 67 on my QUAM-capable HDTV set! Bandwidth problem they say? Who do they think they're fooling at Comcast? Not me, thank you. The FIOS shit is about to hit the FAN in Baltimore County for sure and none too soon. YAY! :-) (4/15/09) Dave's response: Verizon wired my Reston neighborhood last summer. But they went right past my "multi-unit dwelling" condo complex, which is still served exclusively by Comcast..... Circuit City redux? As many as 8,000 Best Buy senior sales associates are effectively being demoted to regular sales positions that could eventually pay half the hourly rate as the old jobs. The retailer is also consolidating some assistant store manager positions, which could eliminate about 1,000 salaried jobs. Novel idea there Best Buy. Demote your sales force leaders and cut their pay in half. That ought to work. It was a winner for Circuit City. See: www.twincities.com (4/15/09) How come Limbaugh Look Alike “Mr. Ed” Schultz gets a show on PMSNBC, Rachael Madcow gets one, even Thuck Codd is getting a show, but not longtime MSNBC celebrity Craig Crawford did not get one? How come? (4/15/09) HuffPost is right. CC is in the tank for TeaBaggers. See link below to WASH-FM site! www.huffingtonpost.com... www.washfm.com... Regards, Concerned DC listener (4/15/09) Just saw your article on the FP about DC Market billing. is that a mis-print? WTOP at $52M and the next closest station at $24M????? doesn't look right. if it is, WOW! (4/15/09) Dave's response: Not a misprint..... Well now we know why Obama has shut down attempts by liberal elites to impose the Fairness Doctrine. In his first 100 days,,,he has consistently refused to answer questions about topics that he did not want to discuss, even when at press events. Under his admin thus far, the Veterans Affairs and FCC agencies have shut out reporters. I guess he is afraid that the Fairness Doctrine would be applied to his adminstration and that would prevent the sort of behavior we are seeing now. Go O'!! (4/15/09) I too received something in the mail from Comcast regarding changes in their digital channel lineup. I haven't switched to Comcast's digital yet and wonder if and when I will. I am curious as to when, or if FIOS is ever going to be available in D.C...Anyone know? (4/15/09) Dave's response: If you live in a wealthy area of northwest DC, one with single family homes, you won't have too long to wait. Anywhere else, especially in a condo or apartment building, you'll probably have to wait a lot longer..... Comeon GERONIMO!!! Just come back to WJFK and join Mike. Turn WJFK into a powerhouse once more!! Reach out to the Junkies and Big O and Dukes and really show some station unity. The WJFK live events would be HUUUUGE if we had the Junks, BigO&Dukes, and Don and Mike. Patriot Center maybe??? (4/15/09) Family members inform me that former DC area freelance announcer Mike Handley died in Sacramento, CA this past Friday of undisclosed causes. Mike would have been in his early to mid 60's, and had spent recent years in Iceland. Besides freelancing, Mike worked at beautiful music WGAY several years starting in 1969. Jim Bohannon (4/15/09) Open Letter to Mike Sorce, aka Don Geronimo. For those of us in the national know, your Podcast announcement today is not new. Bad timing aside, It's just another asshole self-serving move on your part. See ass, you said you were going away and now as the MOM Show and WJFK ship is listing on the brink of sinking, you emerge thinking you're going to be the next Adam Carolla podcast king. Check yourself Mike, you're not Adam Carolla and your podcast download numbers will never match his. Secondly, since you are still under CBS contract, why didn't you do the right thing and help your fellow loyal colleagues out and throw out the radio lifesaver and say, take the morning spot as has been indicated by those like Dave Hughes? Thanks for nothing pal. Once again, bad timing from a bad guy - you! (4/15/09) The USS WJFK-FM lies 60ft under the Patomac and they still can afford to pay big bucks to hosts of failing radio shows. 106.7 is a poor signal so CBS should JACK it. Then WJFK would be a cheap cash cow without the huge salaries of the Flunkies & Mike O'Meara. Not even Don's return would save WJFK because WJFK was always very niche. Hot talk without Howard Stern rates just like Oldies, Smooth Jazz, and Alt Rock, yet even then probably not as good as those. WJFK just manages to survive even with being terrible due to the politics of the "buddy system" at CBS. (4/15/09) With all the changes coming in programming to Clear Channel, two morning shows are gone in Washington, DC. First, WMZQ will lose their morning show due to performance. And, CC is committed to Lex And Terry. Expect to hear them shortly on DC-101. They drink the CC Kool-Aid while Elliott is still not considered a company guy behind the scenes. Good bye Elliott. It was a nice 10 year run. -- Brett (4/15/09) This article about today's big Tea Party flop in DC, says it all. www.washingtonpost.com... What a colossal fuck-up! If these anti-tax Teabaggers can't even properly plan and prepare for their stupid demonstration, does anybody believe they'd be able to revamp the U.S. Tax System? I'll bet that if you ask 'em, not one in a hundred could actually state the exact dollar amount they pay each year in taxes. (4/15/09) I can't help but notice how many Comcast-related emails have been printed lately, about HD or lack of it from WETA or MPT, complaints about Ch 54 on 45 non-HD, all kinds of troubles. I used to be skeptical of getting cable TV but finally got Verizon FiOS in January. Here in the Olney Metropolitan Area we get WETA-HD, MPT-HD, everything crystal clear, never a miss or dropout; when BBC America shows letterboxed programs (not on HD) we can zoom them on the TV and they look practically as good as HD; we get niche things like the Pentagon Channel to see AFN Europe News and the "Grill Sergeants", and now we have, unbelieveably, the YES network; yes (pun intended), it is hard to believe but we now get the New York Yankees sports network in HD. And it's always easy to find MASN 2, it's always on FiOS Channel 1. It's too bad that MASN can't have two simultaneous HD feeds. I noticed that one night recently, the Nats were in HD, the Orio les were not, but the replay of the Orioles game on regular MASN was shown in HD. So if the bandwidth were there, both teams could have every game in HD. One final thing: for the next two weeks I will be in London and Oxford, and will get to enjoy a place where (among other things) AM radio stations sound clearer with a better sound frequency range than most American FM stations.I am also going to see a BBC 4 program taping at Broadcasting House, and I have a tour of the TV Centre in White City lined up also. I'm still waiting to see if I get a free ticket to an ITV TV show taping. No visit with the Queen planned though: She's busy changing the dishes back after Passover ;-) -- Carl in Olney (4/15/09) ("So FOX says a couple of dozen bleary-eyed, snaggle-toothed screamers teabagging each other in Lafayette Park "represent America's conservative core." Meanwhile I'm a "socialist" because I went to my job today and think America needs to pay off the massive debts Bush created? Whacky world, ain't it?") To the writer of this unsigned note. Did you forget about the Obama administration could very well bring $9.3 trillion deficit, 4 times the amount of the Bush administration? Obama raising taxes to everyone to pay off his mess. Imagine what inflation is heading too? Is Obama wacky, OH YEA he is!!! Oh BTW Dave, I noticed that person did not sign their note to you? I thought you were big on this by previous comments you have made? Scott in Alexandria (4/15/09) Re. Clear Channel news release. It really is going to be like McDonalds- same format menu in every market. And there will be "local advisory boards" and slick corporate positioning to give the impression the stations really are hometown and local- just like Applebees and Walmart... And you will have just as much earning and advancement potential at your local Clear Channel station as you do at a fast food place. And the food tastes great, aren't you proud of it? (4/15/09) So FOX says a couple of dozen bleary-eyed, snaggle-toothed screamers teabagging each other in Lafayette Park "represent America's conservative core." Meanwhile I'm a "socialist" because I went to my job today and think America needs to pay off the massive debts Bush created? Whacky world, ain't it? (4/15/09) Just two quick points - - One, Hal Deutsch was a great GM, and Bruce Holberg was a great programmer. It all worked because Hal respected his PD. That was rare then, and nonresistant now. Two, it's great to see that Pete and Brenda are still having fun, They are both beautiful people, but I think Pete's drawing was air-brushed. Ed Graham (4/15/09) For as long as there has been a Nation, there have been tax protestors (see Whiskey Rebellion, etc.). For as long as there has been a Congress, there have been “earmarks” and special interest funding using taxpayer monies. Where is all this different that it has always been? Have fun protesting, but me thinks thee doth protest too much. (4/15/09) I THOUGHT the ''breaking news'' was that Laura Ingram was BEING T-bagged in Lafeyette Park. Damn. Paul (4/15/09) I am an all-analog Comcast TV hold-out in Maryland, so I share the same disgust over a steadily disappearing channel selection. Comcast is obviously steadily counting down to the day when analog service will be dropped altogether. However, if the Baltimore mailbagger already has at least one Comcast Digital Starter box on a TV in his home, Comcast (effective today, April 15th) will now provide up to 2 additional digital adapters and up to 3 remotes for the other sets in his home at no additional charge. Those extra adapters aren't exactly full featured. They don't have "PPV", "VOD", Premium Channels (i.e. HBO) or the interactive program guide, but they will give him the full range of Digital Starter channels. (If he needs more than 2 extra digital converters, Comcast will bill him $1.99 for each unit beyond two.) (4/15/09) Dave's response: Look. Verizon's Fios can offer 100+ HD channels because its cable service is 100 percent digital. Meanwhile, Comcast can only offer 25-30 HD channels because it still carries 65-70 bandwidth-hogging analog standard-def channels on most of its systems. The only way Comcast can compete with Verizon is to dump analog - totally. Plus, you get better quality picture and audio with digital, even with standard-def. I can't wait for Comcast to go all-digital. Even if you have to pay a few bucks extra per month for a box, it'll be worth it..... Geronimo says PODCASTS ARE COMING! - Sweet GEEZUS (4/15/09) FOX BREAKING NEWS ALERT: Numerous "In Your Face" Nuts observed at Lafayette Square "Tea Bag" gathering. (4/15/09) (Dave's response: Enjoy your "tea baggin'" party.....) that's the best you could come up with? an MSNBC talking point? at least our protests will have more protesters than media members. (4/15/09) RE: "It was a great station and probably would have continued to be, even longer if Bruce Holberg hadn't departed for Chicago.. There were a few PD's that followed him, Ray Quinn being one of them, and the music started to change with more emphasis on current songs. And with FM getting stronger, like most AM music stations, they couldn't compete." -- Just wanted to make an adjustment in the WCBM-AM timeline: In late 1977, WCBM-AM Metromedia Baltimore Program Director Bruce Holberg was dispatched to program co-owned WIP-AM Philadelphia and later became GM of co-owned WMMR-FM before finally taking on similar duties at co-owned WDHF/WMET Chicago. Bruce returned to Philadelphia for a long and successful run as Vice-President and General Manager of WUSL-FM (Power 99) and WFIL-AM Philadelphia. Ray Quinn (now a Clear Channel Market Manager in Birmingham, Alabama) came in from WAMS-AM Wilmington, Delaware succeeded Bruce. Two years later, Ben Hill (later the longtime Vice-President and General Manager for WPGC Washington) took over the reigns of WCBM-AM’s programming department before being transferred to then co-owned KJR-AM Seattle. Dave Arlington (now at WASH-FM) became Program Director following Ben’s exit and held that position until WCBM-AM’s full transition into its news and talk era. I owe my Baltimore Radio career to both Bruce Holberg - who took a chance on an unknown commodity in 1974 - and Vice-President and General Manager Harold K. Deutsch - who gave Bruce and me his professional and personal blessings. WCBM-AM’s former Music Director Dexter Beane and I will be joining Bruce Holberg and others to say farewell to our beloved friend and colleague at his memorial service in East Hampton this Saturday. Ken Merson/Merson Person Voice Tracks/68 WCBM Baltimore Alumnus 1974 – 1982. (4/15/09) The original issue was not if Hammity uses plant calls, it is becoming more and more obvious he does. The original issue was the quality of the plants has gone down. There is no question Hammity’s calls are scripted by Hammity. Did anyone hear Mark Simone subbing for Levin last week tell Geraldo Rivera “the great thing about talk radio is the listeners drive the content, not the host.” Rivera said “I’ve done talk radio and that is just not the case.” Now, can anyone at WMAL address the issue that Hammity uses plants to set an agenda? (4/15/09) This explanation appeared under the story about WBFF’s problem with House & 24 at weblogs.baltimoresun.com. (4/15/09) From the fronty page of RNC.ORG click TAKE ACTION then go to CALL TALK RADIO. Or just go to www.gop.com... You can even indicate the talk shows you want to call! Cool! . It would take an average person about 20 seconds or less to find the link, ThePenIsMightier. It is sad you were quick to accuse without spending 20 seconds to find the truth first. Mark in Annandale (4/15/09) Music choice and low viewership sounds like an oxy- moron. While I never "watched" any of those channels I did like having Arena rock on all day as I worked at my place of business and my customers seemed to like it as well. I guess they should really change their name to MUSIC you have no CHOICE. We will do what we want. I realize that although it's included in my FIOS package it's getting to be the norm these days that "they" seem to be able to do whatever they want. So long Arena Rock. you've now been replaced with some other Bullshit channel that already has 3 other versions out there. A.M.F from Delmarva (4/15/09) This is the judge. In the interest of transparency and accountability, it has been pointed out to me that I got the sex wrong in my critique of Ms. Parker's piece. The judge is GUILTY! OF INACCURACY. The judge stands by his/her overall critique, however (along with his/her comment that the child sure was adorable). My thanks and appreciation to "Joe Blow" for writing. I told Mr. Blow that Ms. Parker is actually a very good reporter. (4/15/09) Of COURSE Hannity uses plant callers, as does virtually every other call-in show on planet earth. Are you guys seriously debating this? Do you also think all of the letters to "Ask Marilyn" and "Dear Abby" are for real too? Grow up already. These programs aren't serious policy debates, they're tacky huckster showbiz. If you're dumb enough to think the softballs being thrown to the hosts are being delivered by Joe Public, rather than by some PA in the next room, you're just dumb enough to listen to talk radio. (4/15/09) Quicky note to WCTN - Love the music, babe... but give a look and a listen to these guys in Texas. www.kzqx.com... They're an LPFM doing it right: tight balance of imaging, PSAs, music and pre-recorded talent. Very pleasant listening. (4/15/09) Jeff in Bowie - you may get a lot of flack for even suggesting that Hammity and the rest get plant callers or callers with an itemized agenda. Some suspect that even the "democrat idiots" who call are on script. The right wing people will go berzerk should you even suggest that any part of talk radio is "planted". This is despite the fact that there is a link to sign up and call talk radio hosts you can find on the front page of the Republican National Committee website at RNC.ORG .So sign up, get your script. Call your fave radio personality and be a great American. Mark in Annandale (4/15/09) "Did you know you can sign up on the RNC website to be a talk radio plant and promote the GOP? " No, I didn't. Why don't you post the link? Oh, you made it up? Okayyyy.... --- ThePenIsMightier (4/15/09) merry liberal christmas everyone. i hope the real taxpayers in this country (the top 10%) were forced to provide you with lots of government cheese. (4/15/09) Dave's response: Enjoy your "tea baggin'" party..... What the fuck does the Wash Biz Journal mean when they say the joke's on YOU? The Post is in deep trouble and they're examining every option to survive - just like every other newspaper. The New York Times was forced to take out a second mortgage on its spiffy new HQ on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, borrow money from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim at 14%; Meantime, News Corp. buys Dow Jones for $5.6 billion last year, then this year writes down $3 billion of it. But the Post isn't considering any radical moves of its own? No, no, no. The joke's on readers of the Washington Business Journal. DCRTV is ahead of the curve in reporting the radical moves that are coming to the Post. The timing was just a bit off, that's all. (4/15/09) Dave, just read your News Court piece on Beth Parker and was thinking the exact same thing when I saw her report last night..Yeah, reporters get a free pass providing them access to these in demand events, but hey, I must admit that I was quite annoyed at the fact that she was trying to make this a news story vs. what it was really about: her and her daughter at the White House Egg Roll. (4/15/09) Dave's response: I edit "News Court," but I do not write it. I am NOT the judge..... Geronimo's Twitter says something cryptic...what does it all mean? (4/15/09) Dave's response: JFK is in desperate need of "something" to bolster its ratings and ad revenue. And Geronimo is still "under contract" to CBS for another year. Sooooo, how about CBS springing for a luxury apartment in Fair Lakes or Reston Town Center for Don and getting him to do the morning show on JFK from Monday to Thursday. And then off to OC for extended weekends. Put the (salary-trimmed) Junks in evenings to do a sports (!) show, and keep Mike in afternoons, with BO&D in middays. Robb could move to mornings to produce and co-host with Don, with BA and Buzz staying with Mike in afternoons. There - a nice, well-rounded sked. Add some promotion and it might just work..... I just picked up my April 10-16 edition of the Washington Business Journal, and Dave and DCRTV are featured in an article right on page one. It's funny that the WaPo, not known for giving DCRTV the time of day, would spend their time concocting a prank instead of figuring out how to keep their ship from sinking. Nice press Dave! Marc in Fairfax (4/15/09) Dave's response: A PDF of the article is here. Don't forget to rotate counterclockwise..... RE: [Hannity's use of Plant callers] You know, I thought this guy was a little fixated, but listening to Hannity you actually can detect a clear pattern. Prior to each hard break at the top and bottom of the hour, Hannity almost always finishes the segment with a "Hannitized convert" phone call. It is always someone who opens by describing them self as a "Life-long Democrat" or a "liberal" or an "Obama Supporter". The caller is nearly always a female voice, or the caller self-identifies as an "African American", or both. The caller always repeats some form of the same message: "I voted for Obama because I wanted change, but now I see I should have listened to you, Sean." In one iteration or another, they always express being "fed up" with the direction the Country is now going, and they end the call with an statement that they now see things Sean's way. For the most part, the conversations do sound concocted, if not scripted. It seems a little too formulaic to be random. Listen to Hannity at :22 and :52 and judge for yourself. - Jeff in Bowie (4/15/09) WETA is GONE FROM BALTIMORE CABLE TV SETS! I did a scan on my HDTV set this morning and noticed that Comcast removed not only WETA and Cartoon Network on analog, but at least 2 other analog channels (still not sure which ones), and once again I pay the same price for cable, yet I get like now I think 10 channels less than other people paying the same price going back to last year, and Comcast raised rates too! Yesterday, there were 67 analog channels, today 63. Comcast still lists all these removed analog channels going back over 1 year on their TV Guide channel as if nothing even happened, as if they're still there. Do they think we're stupid lemmings? It's like a Bait and Switch. Why is this not illegal? And the worst part is WETA was not added as a digital QAM channel either, so basically a substantial part of the Baltimore market has lost WETA. Am I the only person who does not have digital cable boxes throughout my entire house? I think not. I hope WETA complains. Oh, I noticed WHUT was unaffected by this. Why does the FCC not force cable companies like Comcast to put these removed analogs on the QAM band? This is so anti-consumer it's not funny. I think I'm ordering Verizon FIOS. I'll still need tons of cable boxes and equipment that I don't technically need or want, but at least I won't feel like I've been dicked up the ass every single month and lied to about it the next day. (4/15/09) Dave's response: Comcast went to WETA and said, "Look, we'll continue to carry you in the Baltimore area but only in the digital mode. In exchange for taking your basic cable channel digital, we'll add your digital HD signal and your three digital standard-def subchannels." Go spend a few bucks a month to rent a box and you'll have four different WETAs to watch. How cool is that!..... To the poster that questioned Hannity's use of Plant callers; HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You honestly believe Hannity doesn't use plant callers and provides them the script? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Did you know you can sign up on the RNC website to be a talk radio plant and promote the GOP? Believing Hannity doesn't use plant callers is so rich. It is like believing Mark Levin's "founding fathers references," or anything Michael Graham says! They call it "entertainment," and not "news." For one, I don't think an interview with Dick Morris is entertainment, but I guess others do. (4/15/09) Regarding the recent news about WJFK's ratings (and I am a fan of the station and would like to see the current format continue), how important is 12+ ? How does anyone know what 12 year olds listen to? No one under 21 can buy alcohol, and most advertisers seem to target people who are old enough to have depression, anxiety, tax, credit, or mortgage problems, in other words, what Tommy The MatchMaker Curtis would call "the money demographic". Also, 12+ includes the old people who, Gladys Kravitz and Lewis Jelly notwithstanding, are not JFK's target audience. Is it possible that 12+ ratings are only significant because that's the only information that came over the Unabomber transom? The Mike O'Meara Show at least seems to be able to populate its 9 minute breaks with paid ads. Of course the rates are another kettle of king crab entirely, but 12+ seems meaningless. And I still wish metaphorical lupus on Katherine Weymouth for the prom night dumpster baby she delivers every day on the comics pages of the once-proud Washington Post. --- ThePenIsMightier (4/15/09) Dave's response: The 12+ is merely a "beauty content," but it is an accurate overall gauge of a station's general popularity. Even though a station like JFK may seem to run a lot of spots, what are they charging for them? Looking at the latest ad revenue data, 106.7 billed about $25M in 2004 and about $15M last year - that's something like a 40 percent drop. And those last-year numbers included half a year that wasn't in recession when the station had pretty good "diary" radio ratings, not those horrid PPM numbers, and four months of Geronimo doing the afternoon show. How much lower will JFK go rev-wise this year? CBS hasn't flipped JFK to something else because CBS hasn't got a fucking clue what else to do with JFK. Sports talk on TEM is pretty much bombing in the ratings, and flipping 106.7 to something else (a la alt rock) would pretty much put it in direct competition with another station with a much better signal (a la DC101). CBS can't sell JFK because, in this tight credit market, no one's buying. The station's only salvation is convincing Geronimo to return, maybe to do mornings. He has been Twittering about a big announcement involving his career and he is still under contract to CBS. Hmmm..... At the end of last year, Hammity had focus groups listen to his program. All came back with Hammity is "too hard," and Hammity doesn't give enough "real everyday examples" time to his show. Hammity then hired "Radio ER" www.theradioer.com (a company that will not disclose, or denies, its client list) to have female actresses phone in anything Hammity wants to help his show (in this case, Hammity apparently decided, mothers with political frustrations over Obama's policies). My point was, it appears Hammity most likely dropped the professional actors employed by "Radio ER" for his own sycophants. I am sorry you drank the his Kool-Aid, and don't understand Hammity's agenda.. (4/15/09) (quote) How do you let a station with minimal on air talent, no sales staff, no programming support and no designated sales managers bend you over like that? (end quote) Compelling question. You may as well ask the same about Fresh 94.7. Assuming this isn't a stunt and the station is staying with the format as-is, I can't help but wonder what they expect to accomplish themselves with "minimal on-air talent" and "no programming support". Once upon a time, when a station changed formats, they came out with both guns a'blazin', top air talent hosting meet-n-greets at nightclubs, buscards, TV spots and and $100,000 to give away. The curiosity spike stayed intact beyond the initial book. Now a couple of plain vanilla TV spots and internal promotion ragging on WASH FM is all it takes today, huh? That and the expectation that everyone is Twittering? Way to self-promote, you guys. Time for me to get out of radio now and take that job as a junior chemist with the water company. (4/15/09) I was not familiar with Libby, who worked at WXCY and passed away. But reading the heartfelt notes of Joyce Conroy and others, sounds like she was truly a terrific person. And Joyce..keep up the great work on the Saturday oldies program, I hope someday the program will be available for downloads to MP3 players and Ipods. Burt in Denton (4/15/09) Dave, tell The Judge that, yes, News4 spent more time on the new WH dog today and not on the President's economic speech. -Silvie- (4/15/09) /\ April 15 Messages /\ \/ April 14 Messages \/ Oh Hecks Yeah!!!!! I am soo excited about getting a Raver Party Electronica/Techno Music Station Pulse whatever in the DC Area!!!! I dig that kind of music!!!! Betsie (4/14/09) If I'm not mistaken I just saw Katie Couric in the audience at "Idol" on FOX, ironic when the camera panned to her and then away from her and to Seacrest, Seacrest said that "it's serious news" referring to a contestants performance and the judges reaction (4/14/09) Sorry FOX 45 defender, the # of people in this mailbag that have complained about Sinclair for their technical problems far outweighs your personal problems with me. WNUV 54.1 is out of sync every single night in primetime when they switch to HD and run CW programming (at least via Comcast). IT'S A FACT. OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED TOO so it's not just me. Others have also complained about FOX 45's HD signal, although I've not seen those problems myself, although it's easy to imagine they're true too. Obviously, Sinclair engineers have no clue what they are doing or are understaffed or underfunded or maybe the problem is on COMCAST's end, I dunno. Take your pick as to who's to blame, but it's true nonetheless. -- Joe in Essex (4/14/09) Glad to see "Pulse 87.7" coming to town. The audio signal of that "LPTV" gets out quite nicely, at least on the in-dash mudmeister in my CTS. I wish 'em well. This increasingly duller market needs something like this to shake it up! I hope they promote the hell out of it and pulls some decent numbers. Unsigned Corporate Suit (4/14/09) It absolutely puzzles me to no end why CC continues to make WBIG the "red headed stepchild" of that cluster. While they continue to cut costs which led to the demise of the entire WBIG sales staff in the latest cut backs, one has to wonder what they could possibly be thinking executing this master plan of theirs. WBIG has one of the strongest signals in washington, virtually no designated sales staff and minimal programming support yet it STILL manages to tie with WWDC in the latest PPM numbers while crushing WMZQ and (surprisingly) maintains quite decent billing (coming within a few hundred thousand dollars of the clusters "winning" stations). Could someone please explain to me why CC doesn't see the obvious potential of this station and actually DO something with it!? Afterall, "King" Elliot did place 10th on WWDC, (BEHIND WBIG!) and his salary alone is far more than the combined salaries of the personalities and whats left of the staff over at WBIG. Whats the deal and who is sleeping behind the wheel over there? If I were managing or selling one of the other stations in that cluster I would be downright embarassed. How do you let a station with minimal on air talent, no sales staff, no programming support and no designated sales managers bend you over like that? sheesh! (4/14/09) I am the "Fox45 defender". I had no idea I was dealing with Joe in Essex. There is no reasoning with him. I withdraw. Sorry to everyone who was subjected to that. (4/14/09) WJFK came in 22nd in the latest PPM Arbs? A spokeman from CBS radio says they like the rabid male listeners. Maybe the fact that they are rabid is the problem, Rabies is usually a fatal disease. (4/14/09) WOW! I am shocked at the passing of Libby Cole. I met here while sitting in at WXCY. Dave Hovell let me come in and "soak" things up when I was starting in the biz. This was back when WXCY was crammed in half the space they have now at the Revolution Street complex in Havre de Grace...they had that old 12 (I think) channel rotary pot board....Libby taught me how to pull cds and carts in order--and how to do it WHILE doing a talk break....lol. I thought her style was great for mid-days at WXCY. When she left, JP Richards (I think that was his airname) took the mid-day helm. That was back when Rico was doing mornings. Anyway, I tend to think that Libby touched my life and helped my career, as I was young and a sponge--soaking up the fun of the biz....Steve Mann (4/14/09) TO the FOX45 defender....... Let's get the facts straight....... The WNUV CW 54 HD channel ALWAYS SKIPS & STUTTERS during primetime in HD, so if SINCLAIR REALLY has 5 people in the control room at all times, why can't they fix that? I'm sure WMAR wouldn't mind stealing the FOX network from Sinclair, but that ain't gonna happen for one reason... Sinclair is the largest owner of small-town FOX network stations in the country! So, they basically OWN FOX, not the other way around. If that wasn't the case, FOX-owned WUTB 24 would be Baltimore's FOX affiliate! And this screw up is no surprise to me. The Sinclair people are complete tech idiots. WNUV hasn't had a stable HD signal for like FIVE MONTHS NOW on COMAST!!! HAha! Explain THAT ONE FOR ME! Thanks, I thought so, now go back to your office at the Sinclair HQ in Hunt Valley and stew on that! (4/14/09) Re: "MM Asks Wallace To "Rebuke" Fox News" Dave, are you really sinking to posting obvious, contrived propaganda as news on your site? It would appear you are. I know you have a pathological and more-often-than-you-realize unfounded hatred toward Rupert, FoxNews and NewsCorp, but this is surprising, even for you. I don't recall the posting of Media Research Center's critiques of the equally or even more over the top MSNBC.... I think DCRTV has become a political site with some media news...used to be the other way around. I know, I know...it's your site and you'll blah whatever you want to. Bob in Forest Hill (4/14/09) Dave's response: Hey, I just report. You decide..... At 4:37 p.m. today, the "Breaking News" logo came on the NBC4 at 4 news, so I stepped away from my usual cooking & cleaning the kitchen duties to see what the hell was going on. Jim Handly proceeded to tell us that Bo, the Portuguese water dog, was on his way to the White House to meet the First Family, and that the station would carry a "live feed" when that moment occurs. Unless the dog owes back taxes, who cares? -Silvie- (4/14/09) Dave's response: DCRTV has heard from the News Court judge on this one. The judge, who wasn't watching, wanted to know whether Channel 4 spent more time on the dog - or on the president's economic speech given today at Georgetown University. The speech touched upon some very important issues - among them the thought, perhaps never before expressed by an American President, that the citzenry, through its desire for "instant gratification" and greed, has contributed to our economic mess - not just the boobs on "Wall Street." The judge ventured the guess that Channel 4 - pandering to this desire - went with the dog. The judge added, sarcastically: "Serious issues in serious times have no place in local TV news"..... RE: WCBM Memories...It was a great station and probably would have continued to be, even longer if Bruce Holberg hadn't departed for Chicago.. There were a few PD's that followed him, Ray Quinn being one of them, and the music started to change with more emphasis on current songs. And with FM getting stronger, like most AM music stations, they couldn't compete. (4/14/09) "Call me old-fashioned, but I enjoy MO’M and his “crazy clan”!" While I’m at it; give Rob a break! He’s living a dream. Too bad most of us can’t say the same." Puleese. You listen to Mickey and enjoy the "silliness" from baby huey...for now. But, I would like an afternoon drive time show host that doesn't prattle on about how his favorite tic-tac is the green one. A "crazy clan" would be VAST IMPROVEMENT! (4/14/09) Actually Dave Whale Excrement came in 22 and JFK 23rd. WJZW [Imus 21st], 21) WFRE, 22) WHALE EXCREMENT 23) WJFK [Junks 14th, O'Meara 21st]... (4/14/09) OK, I listened to the Robbay segment on his son. I'm very sorry for what he went through on his son's leukemia; no parent (and child) should have to deal with that. Lousy radio, through. They're bringing the DOCTOR in for the next segment? This is NOT, repeat NOT, what we listen to WJFK for. This like when Mike decides that he's going to burn a segment taking phone calls on politics. Tedious. Hellooooo, Sports Reporters. Sincerely, TMU (4/14/09) Dam my e mails down, they are going to charge me more for NFL coverage, my audio quality sucks, and they have taken away most of the stations I like. Oh Wait! I don't have Comcast (Scamcast) any more. I have FIOS it was just a horrible nightmare. (4/14/09) Call me old-fashioned, but I enjoy MO’M and his “crazy clan”! Who gives a shit anyway? That’s what the buttons on the front of your radio are for. Change the channel! Let MOM do his thing, collect his paycheck, drink himself into an advanced state of chronic alcoholism and interview whoever the hell BA books. If you asshats were as smart as you think you are you’d be in the business making the kind of $$$’s MO’M brings down. While I’m at it; give Rob a break! He’s living a dream. Too bad most of us can’t say the same. (4/14/09) To the "flabbergasted" poster: Fox45 DOES have a news hotline. It's 410 467-xxxx. It's very much used, too. There are five people in master control at any given time, I can assure you that they were both aware of the problem and were trying feverishly to fix it. I know your post was a complete rip job, but at least try to get your facts straight. (4/14/09) I listened to Don & Mike for 20 of the 22 years they were together on the radio. The phoners with McLean Stevenson reporting from his vacation in Miami Beach were some of the finest radio you’d ever want to hear. Still have my “World of Don & Mike” CD-ROM, too. That being said, I couldn’t tell you what Mike is up to these days. I tried to give TMOS a go—I really did. I wanted to like it, but it’s just amateurish and unlistenable. And while TMU definitely needs to get a hobby, he’s right on in his assessment of B.A. McBride. She’s simply better suited to the tired formats that pass for radio entertainment in the Piedmont-Triad (N.C.) region. So sad. (4/14/09) Mailbag... "And then could it be that the recent and multiple posts to this mailbag for MOM Listener Intervention come from the suggestions of one or more MOM staffers through a connection to this Nor Cal CBS affiliate?" I wrote the first of those emails and I'm not a MOM staffer. Oh well, a conspiracy theorist's hopes dashed once more. BTW.. Oswald was a patsy! Patsy!....you just keep focusing on those photos of the grassy knoll, grassy knoll...grassy knoll ..ahhhhh that grassy knoll :-P (4/14/09) I am totally flabbergasted by the fact that nobody is concerned about what happened at FOX 45 last night. Here is a perfect example of a company that has cut it's staff so thin, automated just about everything, that at 8:48pm last night just as House was beginning to figure out what the hell was wrong with a patient... It switchs to the CW Network. Video, with the audio out of phase, only leaving the stereo portion of the backing soundtrack. The CW on FOX 45 and WNUV 54. We tried calling the station but the front desk was closed. Further examination showed there is NO WAY TO GET A HOLD OF ANYONE! There isn't even a "News Line" or "Tip Line"! Sinclair Broadcasting should have their license yanked. At the very least FOX should explore other possible stations in the market. I'm sure Channel 2 could use some ratings... WBAL TV too! FOX brings highly rated shows, NFL Football, ML Baseball and Nascar. At 9:28pm last night, someone finally got to the station to fix the problem. NO ONE AT FOX 45 WATCHES THEIR OWN STATION! I'm just going to watch the Fox shows I like on Fox.com a day later. Better quailty, no CW interuptions. Okay, I'm threw venting - Now go back to your WCBM memories... yawn... (4/14/09) And then could it be that the recent and multiple posts to this mailbag for MOM Listener Intervention come from the suggestions of one or more MOM staffers through a connection to this Nor Cal CBS affiliate? (4/14/09) OK, on the MO'M show, we will be treated to a navel-contemplation special, as Robbay's son has apparently had some medical issues, and the fun lovin' crazies will discuss those medical issues. Boy, this should be dull. Really dull. Bone-chilling dull. I'm glad his son is OK. That doesn't make it interesting radio. I sometimes wonder if they sit around brain-storming ideas for the show, and somebody shouts, "Eureka! I'm got the dullest idea EVER!" Sincerely, TMU (4/14/09) MOM Show Anniversary thoughts to ponder. Could it be that in the past few weeks, one or more MOM show passionate staffer[s] reached out to their connections at a large and loyal Northern California affilliate to voice their displeasure for the lack of inaction that the show host is unwilling to take to make the show a top ten ratings & advertising success? (4/14/09) I am not sure what Mike O'Meara is doing on the radio. Someone please tell me. With each show, he is unprepared, disorganized, completely-content, and surrounded by syccofants. In other words, fat, dumb and happy. And, Rob couldn't gush more over the jolly fat man, could he? All of this completely explains why O'Meara is in the (ratings) position he's in. The MO'M show is crashing and burning with it's overflow of fake laughter, cuddly ass kissing, and smarmy well wishes for anyone famous, infamous or otherwise who grants Mickey the slightest little bit of phone time...The worst part is that the captain doesn't have a clue what to do to right his sinking ship. I"VE AN IDEA....A lot more show prep and a lot, lot less "heeeheeeheeehaahaahaaa, my shoes are untied! See Rob" would be a start. --Charlie (4/14/09) Is it me, or is Wilbon getting more 'uppity'? especially on PTI. I watch him on PTI sometimes and I really get that vibe from him... Thankfully Korny is there and I think he sense that and eggs Wilbon on (which I like...yeah Tony) (4/14/09) Dave and friends on the Mailbag: It has been a while since I posted. So sad to hear the news of Libby Cole's passing. Thanks Trish for letting us know. Libby also worked at WAMD and was morning host at WXCY for several years. I enjoyed listening to Trish, Brenda and Libby along with PLB's lovely wife Renee on WPOC. Libby had such a fun personality and I can remember spending some time with her and husband Hugh when they resided in White Marsh. Libby was another broadcaster who took the time to lend encouragement to yours truly when she was new to the business. I learned from Tom that she was having difficulty with health issues. Trish said it beautifully. Libby loved the listeners and had so much fun on the air and in person. I had the honor of being with her at a station event for WXCY and she knew how to make everyone feel welcome. Will miss this sweet soul. Blessings. Joyce Conroy (WHFC) (4/14/09) To the "Hammity" poster: for someone that obviously has disdain for Hannity, Rush and Levin, why do you spend SO much time listening? You spend so much time listening that you mark the time to the minute when something happens. Media Matters perhaps? Also do you have a basis of fact for saying the caller was a plant (not Chris)? Are you the same person accusing Levin of giving Palin answers during his interview? How about facts rather than your baseless accusations. Maybe the lady's an average person, just listens, called in and was nervous thinking the second largest radio audience was listening. For Rush, HaNNity and Levin's sake I hope you have a PPM (4/14/09) No changes so far on Comcast's Baltimore county system regarding WETA, the analog is still there on 26. Although, its shocking to me that no one has filed a class action lawsuit against Comcast yet for all the channels listed on their TV GUIDE channel that are no longer really there.... 8, 20, 27, etc... Comcast advertises programming on AMC and other channels that have long since been GONE from the system unless you have a cable box. Shouldn't the FCC make them put those channels at least on a digital QAM channel so HDTV set owners can at least get them? Nope, Comcast does neither. They just want to force customers into their IN DEMAND capable boxes to sell more PPV shit. Shouldn't that be illegal? At the very least it's deceptive advertising, if not outright fraud that people paying the same amount of money for basic cable get different numbers of channels. (4/14/09) From out in the Valley, while they were adding all of the MPT digiplex to the closer in Comcast systems, they have added the rest of the WVPT-51 suite out here. However, they also took out the analog version of WVPT from channel 12, now it’s only on digital. Otherwise they did a lot of the same things, moving the Cartoon Network to digital (despite its place on 54) and taking all the sports channel to the 700s. Looks like they added NBATV and NHL Network, albeit to the sports package. Charles in Winchester (4/14/09) WFED AM 1500 #34 in ratings on a 50,000 watt blowtorch! Too funny! What a waste. And with the Nats not winning a single game yet, I wouldn't expect those ratings to head north any time soon. Can you imagine who would be dumb enough to advertise during a Nats game? You'd have to have your head examined! Bonneville must be proud. HAha! (4/14/09) Pretty sad when Mike O ties with a Country station in Frederick that also beats WJFK in overall numbers. (4/14/09) Dave's response: WJFK ranked 35th, age 12+, on weekends. That is simply and utterly pathetic for a major-market FMer. The CBS station needs to dump the weekend infomercials and reruns and put some sort of hardish alt rock on the weekends and overnights and get young guys listening to the station during its non-talk hours. If I was running JFK, I'd put the O'Meara show from 6 AM to 10 AM, Big O and Dukes doing talk segments with alt rock from 10 AM to 3 PM, the Sports (!) Junkies from 3 PM to 7 PM. Get Cerphe to do a music show from 7 PM to 10 PM. "Loveline" from 10 PM to midnight. And alt rock all night, and all weekend. I'd also start a 24/7 alt rock channel for JFK's HD2 and via a website stream. Kinda like what 94.7's doing right now on its HD2..... I was around back then and I don't remember Dave Humphrey being at "at the helm" of WCBM's News/Talk 68 as one mailbagger states. He was no more "at the helm" than Bill Vanko is today at BAL. "The Hump" was one of about 40 employees. Certainly wouldn't blame him for the failure of the news/talk format. He was a morning drive news anchor with additional duties associated with the Colts' broadcasts. And I would not call his job description "over embellished." It was what it was. (4/14/09) I saw the posting regarding Stacy Drake from WLTF Radio in Martinsburg. I noticed too that Stacy was missing, and couldn’t find anything on the website. So I wrote the GM and asked “Where is Stacy Drake?” I received a response that said only “He is no longer with the company.” That was it…no explanation…..nuttin! Needless to say, I changed radio stations! JWB (4/14/09) During my two years as the PA Announcer for the Washington Nationals I met very few "nice" people. One of them was Harry Kalas. Besides being a legend, he was one hell of a nice guy. I miss very little about working for the Nationals but one thing I did miss was catching a smoke with Harry when the Phillies were in town. He always encouraged me when other that I worked with would tear me down. What a broadcast staff they have now at that big station in the sky. I know they're already asking Harry to voice Heaven's version of "You Make the Call" . God Bless Harry Kalas "The Voice". Jim Clarke, Harry's Friend (4/14/09) Me and I am sure all of my fellow homosexuals are very excited about Pulse 87 coming to town. I was a big fan of XM 81 BPM, until not too long ago. They've kept the BPM name after the merger, but switched up the playlist completely and made a bunch of other utterly retarded changes. I thought about giving them a call to cancel my subscription and sure as hell will do it now after reading the news...at this point any of the following would be smarter than giving my $13.60 to XM every month: flushing it down the toilet, buying 7 gallons of gas, investing it in KMart. So hello Pulse 87, buh bye XM, CDs...you are gonna have to last me till the Haaaaaaay WDCN will hit (i know, i know its low power, but still) the airwaves with all its fabulous glory. I hope the glowsticks are free. (4/14/09) Dave's response: Finally, a local radio station that will play the Pet Shop Boys! Check out their new single's video below. Enjoy it, Bryan Nehman..... How stupid is MASN to have Nationals promos with highlights that have giant "AIG" ads in the background? (4/14/09) * * * YAWN * * * [ S t r e t c h ] Ho hum…….Uncle--I mean, Radio Earl finally woke up around 10:30 this morning. Have a nice nappy, unc? Ready for some breakfast now? Nephew KOF (4/14/09) I encourage everyone who is angry at Mark Levin about the old Reuters article to do what I did. Call Paul Duckworth - the Ops Manager at Where Many Are Lying(WMAL) and say what I said. "Hey Paul, 'painting with a broad brush stroke', as you call it, is one thing. Out right lying is another". After I left several messages on the outrageous things Chris Plant had said, Plant disapeared. Of course I can not take credit for his disapearing, but maybe Duckworth was sick of my voice mails. Mark in Annandale (4/14/09) On the Eastern Shore, 'Mike (Michael Popovec a.k.a Mike Bradley) and Jacki' in the afternoon on Great Scott Broadcasting's Hot A/C outlet 101.7 & 95-3 The B" will be having one of the members of Discover Channel's 'Deadliest Catch' program, Josh Harris, on today in the 5pm hr EST. You can tune into the interview at www.musicontheb.com (4/14/09) WTOP reportedly is one of the country's---the country's---most profitable news stations, and one of the D.C. area's most profitable stations, and, more importantly, it is a radio station that actually makes a profit, and, according to some reports, actually makes a healthy profit. So why does a radio station that is actually making money fire two of its most productive and valuable staffers? That makes no sense, is heartless, and, simply, is awful business. Everyone in the D.C. radio, television and broadasting circles knows that WTOP just recently fired two solid, intelligent, hard-working radio veterans who did much to help, improve and make WTOP work, day in and day out. So why fire these two veterans? There was literally no reason to fire these people--especially if your station is making money. By the way, many local folks could easily think of about three others who could be easily dumped at WTOP, if the station insists on firing its staffers while it's making money. Those names will remain nameless, but everyone knows there's much better targets at the station than the two hard-working veterans who were recently fired. Really, local radio suits: Get a grip. And stop firing people. It just makes you look like morons--and heartless, stupid morons at that. (4/14/09) Memo to Sean Hammity; As you know, everyday inside the last 30 minutes of your show, you have a “plant” call in (ussually a woman), to tell you how scared she is about what Obama is doing to this country. Yesterday, the plant caller went on at 5:48 PM. I am sure you noticed how unprepared she was. It was quite obvious she was reading from a script-racing through it with no voice inflextions or natural pauses in her speech. What happened? Are you trying to save money by not hiring real actresses that know how to not sound like they are reading a recipe ingrident’s list? If you are going to continue using fake callers daily to hopefully make your show more appealing to women while driving your message that Obama is a socialist, I need to strongly suggest you go back to the service that provided you professional actresses for these calls. If you continue to use hacks like the one yesterday, your daily ruse will become apparhent to all of your listeners, including the ones that buy all the get rich quick and get out of debt CD sets that keep you in business. I understand you were most likely trying to save money, but the presentation yesterday displayed clearly this daily segment is going downhill fast, and to get it believable again, you need to hire professionals who know how to present anger and being frightened at the same time. Thank you, and I hope you can get back to being a great American. (4/14/09) On FOX5 this morning, LeAnn Rimes shut Gurvir down big time when Gurvir kept pressing LeAnn to talk about an alleged extra-marital affair that's been in the media for awhile. LeAnn said she wasn't going to discuss it, Gurvir came back asking about the pictures out there suggesting otherwise and LeAnn again said she wasn't going to discuss it..Gurvir should know how it feels regarding "tabloid journalism" during her and Tom's dating days..So, I'm assuming the "powers that be" are pushing the anchors to ask certain questions and to make sure they get answers..Same with that segment they do for American Idol where Allyson Seymour will talk about how a certain contestant didn't do well and needs to be eliminated..Then, the next day when that person is indeed eliminated and she interviews that person, she goes on and on about how they loved their singing..Talk about being a hypocrite.. (4/14/09) At some point during the last Presidential Campaign Cycle, and I'm sure it was from some "Empty-Suit", consultant-type on the political side, it was decided that "Pork" and "Pork Barrel Projects" would now be referred to as "Earmarks". That's all well and good, but exactly where did it say that EVERY media outlet must sign-on? It's PORK, plain and simple. Just wonderin' on a rainy day. (4/14/09) “While it was happening, the President clearly had no idea whatsoever what he was doing!” Oh dear! Another President Clueless story! Look, the problem here is that the press and the pundits think (?) they have a right to know everything the President is thinking or doing to address Issue X at every moment in the development of a “breaking news” story. I don't think so. What happened to the pirate bastards is precisely what I thought would happen – " Admiral, if you have a kill shot and a chance to resolve this, do it.” The fact that Rush and the press corps weren't in on the instructions means nothing. Bushy had his moment in the sun and he too made his choices. I'll bet he didn't advertise either. Moe the Union Guy. (4/14/09) Right now, the broadcast signal is the least of the Nats worries. The team HAS been mismanaged by ownership and was hamstrung from the start by MLB. But let's not be melodramatic. The Nats aren't going any where. (4/14/09) Systemax, the suitor for CircuitCity.com's intellectual property, is also the corporation behind TigerDirect.com en.wikipedia.org... Besides running CompUSA.com, they've also opened a handful of brick and mortar locations around the US. (4/14/09) True prospective on WCBM: The real reason News/Talk 68 failed was because of the 1984 departure of the Baltimore Colts. When the Colts left, WCBM lost it's franchise, its advertising cash-cow. Gone with the Colts was the significant revenue associated with Colts broadcasting during and affter the NFL season. News/Talk 68 was created when "the Great Hits of All Time" format was fading. It wasn't the music...maybe it was the personalities. Regardless, it was all a great run for everyone involved. While one poster cited "bruised egos," perhaps I reading between the lines and I think all of you are saying something similar: "pride in the product." The entire WCBM staff contributed mightily to what was the best darn radio station Baltimore has ever experienced. Lets leave it at that. All you guys and gals were great! (4/14/09) The Comcast channel switch has not gone without problems. Most of the changes went OK, but at least on my 2 HD boxes in Arlington new channels 221 (FX-HD), 222 (Fox News-HD) and 246 (Speed-HD) are shown as “not authorized.” Plus, the 888 telephone number you are instructed to call is not a valid number to reach Comcast. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone (when I got the correct number) with customer service and they had no idea what is going on. The rep asked if he could call me back. I said ‘yes,” which means I’m unlikely to hear from them. (4/14/09) Dave's response: Being "not authorized" to watch Fox "News"! How cool is that! Hey, at least you'll be getting the three Fox-owned nets in HD. No such luck for we Comcasters here in Reston..... "Without FM, PG & Southern Maryland can't listen to the Nats." Dave in Waldorf, you must have a crappy radio. When WTOP was on 1500, it hads great numbers in PG, Charles and Calvert and even half-decent numbers in St. Marys. Where in PG can you not pick up either 1500 or 1050 (daytime)? WTOP engineers say you are wrong. I'll bet my money on Dave Garner, not Dave in Waldorf any day. (4/14/09) The time reference "EWT" referred to Eastern War Time zone, according to the Greenwich website. It was the same -4 hours from GMT that daylight savings time represents in the eastern U.S., and it was prompted by the War Department's need for consistent timekeeping (regardless of calendar) along the Atlantic coast because of German U-boat attacks. (4/14/09) "aaron" asked why, in 1945, Danny Kaye's show was advertised as starting at 8:30 EWT, while in 1949, "Duffy's Tavern" started at 9:30 EST. During World War II, it was decided that there should be no changing from Standard to Daylight to Standard time so as to avoid confusion. Therefore, the United States adopted country-wide year-round Daylight time until the end of the war. Because it was a departure from normal Daylight and Standard times, it was labelled "War Time" so that everyone knew it was different. The time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific) were maintained. "EWT", "Eastern War Time", was still in use in 1945 when Danny Kaye's show was advertised. By 1949, the war was over and the networks went back to advertising in Standard or Daylight time as appropriate. Keep in mind that the abbreviation "EST" does not refer to just any Eastern time; it is short for "Eastern Standard Time". EST is always Greenwich Mean Time minus 5 hours. "EDT", Eastern Daylight Time, which we are currently observing (and use most of the year), is Greenwich Mean Time minus 4 hours. These are absolutes that, apparently, are no longer taught, as so many people refer to times in their zones as "Standard Time" when they are on Daylight. A display advertisement on DCRTV is doubly wrong: it invites you to listen to "The Capitol Hill Blues" at "Saturday 12noon est." and "Sundays 6pm est." Either they mean that you should listen at Noon and 6 p.m. EDT or, if they really mean Eastern Standard Time, then tune in ar 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. Also, "est." is the abbreviation for "estimated". Maybe they mean you should tune in around noon or 6 because they don't know exactly when the show might start. (4/14/09) On Comcast cable in Howard County, the interruption of analog channel 15, normally WBFF 45 Fox, by a feed from WNUV 54 CW, began at 8:46 p.m. and continued past 9:19 p.m. So, those on analog service didn't see the end of "House" or the beginning of "24". If it was Sinclair's fault then they should rerun the shows in their entireties. If it was Comcast's fault, then tough luck. Speaking of Comcast, their "channel changes" website said that WETA 26 and Cartoon Network 65 would become digital only on Wednesday, April 15. Instead, they changed them sometime between early Monday and early Tuesday mornings. Less channels for the same price! What a deal! (4/14/09) Dave's response: I'm pretty sure that WBFF/WNUV supplies a landline signal of 45/54 to Comcast, which then sends it to its Baltimore systems via a fiber link. So, the problem could have been on WBFF/WNUV's end or with Comcast. Anybody know the cause? Comcast was making an overall systems upgrade last night and early this morning. Maybe someone put the right plug in the wrong hole, or vice versa..... So now every jock, news and sports personality of WCBM during the 70s and 80s has been mentioned. Hopefully no one has been left out. How about the one-time chief engineer Sam Houston? The counter-counterpoint poster appears to be real bitter about something -- perhaps a lack of recognition. Maybe the poster is not as important as they consider themselves to be. This bickering about who was responsible for the success of the station leds me to believe there are lingering bad feelings among the then-WCBM staff. The recent poster unnecessarily attacks some of the people who worked there. They mention the Baltimore Sun article which quotes Shilling and Humphrey. Could it be that they were the only two 68/WCBMers who were contacted by the reporter who wrote the story and the others who were not contacted feel left out? Shilling and Humphrey didn't write the obit. Unfortunately, we all seem to have forgotten this is a time of mourning for Harold Deutsch -- not a publicity forum for disgruntled former WCBM employees whose egos seems to have taken a hit. No one person can claim they were responsible for the station's success -- but if there is one person who led the way it was Harold Deutsch. (4/14/09) Regarding the Reuters piece both Rush and Mark Levin used to project Bush's past caution as Obama's current "inaction" slamming; it was shameful, dishonest, and disgraceful. WMAL has now successfully placed themselves as "pure propaganda bullshi+" What is next, pulling out old Reagan soundbites about the USSR and saying he is speaking about Obama? I wouldn't put it past Mark Levin or Rush. Now, to the Loudoni woman, You said "Two yooz were arrested;" to take from one of the great movie soundbites and adjust accordingly, "What's a yooz?" (4/14/09) When I got off work yesterday, I turned on my XM car radio to hear the Nats-Phillies game. I was surprised to hear the Philadelphia broadcast. Was much later when I learned about the death of Harry Kalas. R.I.P. Harry. Ordinarily, XM broadcasts the home team feed. Thank goodness it does pay to have satellite radio! The Nationals have nothing going for them so far. Even the regular radio feed at 1500 or 1050AM. Ever heard of FM radio? It evolved after Marconi. Without FM, PG & Southern Maryland can't listen to the Nats. How can you draw when you can't hear them play OR WIN?? Bottom line.....this keeps up..... the Nationals will go away much quicker than the Senators did. What they need is top to bottom restructure, maybe new ownership. At the very least, some kind of broadcast signal. Dave in Waldorf (4/14/09) Hey Aaron, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: North American Eastern War Time Zone The North American Eastern War Time Zone (abbreviated EWT) was a geographic region that kept time by subtracting four hours from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) resulting in GMT-4. It was used in place of Eastern Standard Time during World War II from February 9, 1942 until September 30, 1945. It was equivalent to year round Eastern Daylight Time. (4/14/09) EWT = Eastern War Time. The military didn't want to mess around with all the "it's now daylight savings time... oops, now it's standard time" ridiculousness, so clocks were set at GMT -4 hours for the duration. ... And as for what they all is playin' on the electric radios, if they would play ALL the songs that charted, that would be a good thing. The tiny subset that we get is burnout city, man. ~~CA in BC (4/14/09) Happy one year anniversary to everyone at The Mike O'Meara Show! Mike, Robb, Buzz, Joe and Beth Ann!! Hopefully the first of many more to come! (4/14/09) (From DCRTV's Classified Ads:) I am Gloria S. Diggs of Charlotte, North Carolina. I recently lost my job in radio and have worked in radio for a numerous amount of years as a Sales Manager, Sales Assistant, Receptionist and fill in DJ. I hope that this email will find you in good spirits. I am just sitting here on this evening using someone else computer so that I can get started back on the right track and career. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! I am a very hard working 43 year old-single parent of years, just trying to do the right thing and it seems as if everytime things began to go right for me, my life begins to slow down and I know that it's my time and my season is now over for suffering. GOD has blessed me to go through, now it's time for me to get through. I googled a site for talk radio hosts because that's where GOD and the Prophet said I should be this year. I have always wanted to have a talk show called "Testimonies" for those persons that have gone through, still going through, but will get through. I know that someone - somewhere will be able to assist me in this dyre need of my season coming up, someone gave Oprah a chance and I need someone to help me get where I need to be, I don't have to have my own show as of yet, but the bible speaks - to speak it into existence. I now would like to take this opportunity to share with you that I have been in this struggle long enough and it's time to get out! I am a great person of GOD and I yearn for greatness in my life. I have going around to several churches in the area giving my own testimony and have blessed thousands and I wish that you can guide me and show me and help me become a Talk Show Host. I have sat in, filled in, and commentated gospel shows the media/radio industry for about 10 years now it's my time to bless the nation with encouraging words. Please help! Please! I cry out to you on today, that please make or just help make my dream come true and I guarantee you that I will do the rest. Please email me or contact me at 704.492.8899 or 980.721.7313. Thank you for taking out the time to read such long note but that is the seriousness in my heart and I have been acheing im ny heart for some years now and the pain is sometimes unbearable. I would even be willing to relocate tomorrow, if that what it takes. Be blessed and look forward to speaking with you soon. (4/14/09) The 04/13/09’s mailbag poster who took issue with Jack Edwards’ recent posting failed to double-check the facts in an attempt to re-write WCBM’s 70’s-decade history. “COUNTERPOINT: While Jack Edwards makes some interesting comments about Bruce Holberg, he fails to mention most, if not all of the WCBM personalities/jocks/news were at the station BEFORE Hal Deutsch hired Holberg.” COUNTER-COUNTERPOINT: WCBM’s late VP and GM Harold K. Deutsch and PD Bruce Holberg formulated the path of success WCBM followed beginning in 1974 upon Holberg’s arrival. Music programs hosted by the late Lee Case, Joe Knight, the late Larry Walton and Cleo Brooks as well as Bill Tanton’s sports talk program and Alan Christian’s nightly talkfest were all in place upon Mr.Holberg’s arrival. Following Christian’s 1974 defection to WBAL and John Stupak’s short-lived nightly talk show replacement, Mr. Holberg went against conventional wisdom by placing longtime WCAO personality Jack Edwards – who had already replaced Cleo Brooks (by then “Don” Brooks at WWIN) on overnights in 1975 – into the 7:00 – midnight slot. Edwards’ show was an out-of-the gate success because of his passion for the music, carte blanche song choices and Mr. Holberg and Mr. Deutsch’s wisdom to let him do his own thing. To Holberg’s credit and with Deutsch’s approval, Ken Merson, Dave Arlington and “Elliott” in the Afternoon were plugged in to freshen up WCBM’s music personality image during that period. That adds up to four fulltime on-air staffers brought in by Holberg. 2) “COUNTERPOINT: Edwards says incorrectly "let me make one thing perfectly clear: one, and only one person put it together and kept it together. That person was BRUCE HOLBERG. We had a great team,like a family and Bruce made it ALL happen." Well Jack, your memory fails you! While Holberg was indeed an excellent programmer, he only managed an excellent group of broadcasters who were at WCBM before his arrival. And Jack, when you mention the names of the 68 Radio Plaza greats -- how can you forget the news director Bob (Smoke) Shilling, Tommy Davis, Phil Wood, Vicky Cox, Dave Humphrey and John Kuchno. How about Ellenbeth Levitt? Most of the people I just mentioned were on the news/sports staff, but they too had an integral part in making WCBM what it was...and none of them were hired by Holberg. I could go on but I think I've made my point...it wasn't Holberg who "made it all happen," it was the people of WCBM who were LED by Harold Deutsch. He was the glue and as Bob Shilling said in the Sunpaper, he was the "spark, the catalyst." COUNTER-COUNTERPOINT: Bruce Holberg did not hire the WCBM news personel; that was Mr. Shilling’s domain. However, Holberg did strike a balance between WCBM’s successful music format and the station’s commitment to News and Sports especially when it came to the Colts flagship network broadcasts. Isn’t it interesting that the poster takes Mr. Edwards to task for not mentioning every newsperson WCBM ever employed when said poster failed to include several key players (Ted Beinert, Leonard Roberts and Chuck Jackson quickly come to mind). Conversely, the poster failed to mention any of WCBM’s air personalities. Having read Mr. Deutsch’s obituary in Saturday’s Baltimore Sun, which heavily quotes both Mr. Shilling and Mr. Humphrey, many readers may have been somewhat confused about who had actually passed away – Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Shilling or Mr. Humphrey. It touted the News and Sports aspects of WCBM and Mr. Humphrey’s seemingly over embellished contributions. Strange that not a single word appeared to acknowledge the on-air personalities, PD’s, MD’s, engineers et al from WCBM’s insanely popular “Greatest Hits of All Time” music era. When the music ended for WCBM in 1982, News/Talk 68 helmed by Mr. Shilling and Mr. Humphrey limped along in the ratings until Metromedia chose to pull the plug and let that format expire. (4/14/09) Question for the radio historians in the group... I have an old PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) ad from a Life magazine, copyright 1945. At the bottom of the ad is a smaller ad for the Danny Kaye show, and it says it's at 8:30 EWT. Another ad (Blatz, from 1949) lists "Duffy's Tavern" at 9:30 EST, so I'm guessing EWT was some sort of time zone or other chronological designation that, for some reason, wasn't being used by 1949. Can anyone point me to what that means? Thanks! aaron (4/14/09) If'ns ya likes the rock and/or roll music and if'ns ya listen to the electric radio then all y'alls gonna hear is the "hit tunes." If it didn't chart, they won't play it. Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. Dancing Queen. Ground Control To Major Tom. Wild Thing ... You Make My Heart Sing. What Goes Up Must Come Down .. Spinning Wheels Gotta Go Round. Three minute radio gems that remain a rock radio and movie soundtrack staple. (4/14/09) /\ April 14 Messages /\ \/ April 13 Messages \/ Re: the post about HD radio possibilities and the statement, "It has become difficult to hear hit music recorded prior to 1980 on the radio." IT IS?! What universe am I living in? I am so effin' sick to death of "hit" music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. There are too many songs that have never stopped being played for well over 30, 40, or even 50 years. GIVE IT A REST ALREADY! I turned on the radio today for some music while I was working--got "Indian Reservation" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. BLEH. Changed the station, got "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" for the 137-millionth time. Changed the station again: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals. OH GAWD, I wanted to rip my ears off. I decided silence was good so, HD subchannel or not, I didn't hear anybody's commercials. If we can't have some depth of catalog with the freakin' moldy oldies, how about something DIFFERENT -- like something recorded _recently_ that might appeal to the over the age limit crowd? Surely it must be possible to be mature without being stuck in the same old, tired, worn out, smells-like-death rut.~~CA in BC (4/13/09) Hey Dave, It's 9:17PM and "24" is still not on...What's the deal FOX???? (4/13/09) At 8:55pm WBFF Comcast Basic Cable Feed is broadcast WNUV with no sound while the digital feed of WBFF is broadcasting the regularly scheduled Fox programming WIERD!! (4/13/09) Hello Loudon County Times!!!!!!!!!! You're guilty.......guilty of being HAWT!!! If you gotta do shameless promotion, why not use some Breastvertising? Or is it the ultimate news tease? Either way I think we have a star in the making, or at least a place for English speaking Newsbunnies form Univision or Telemundo to land on their feet. I ask you, is that so wrong? "I've got 2 things in common with Albert Einstein; we both think we're done for without any honey bees and...we don't see any need to comb our hair." Bud Selig is the worst man in the history of Earth. And this is a planet that had Stalin and Hitler We all had that older female relative that never got married and had a girlfriend that she took bus trips with. Ron Bennington (4/13/09) well, i gave 106.9 the eagle a fair listen this weekend when they came to mind, after i spent the week being very pissed about 94.7. signal sucks from WWEG where i live (bristow, va), so i spent a long time adjusting the antenna to get a listenable signal. MAN these guys are awesome! they are wayyyyy better than WBIG! it sounds alot like classic rock the globe did, to. THANK GOD for the eagle, thats all i can say. As for 94.7, all i can say about them is that their ads lied about the "no top 40 repetition" and "no WASH-ed up old slow songs"....that seems to be all what they are playing to me. sayonara, 94.7! Travis (4/13/09) Marilyn Chambers: Ok, I'll say it: She choked on a footlong and will be DEEPLY missed. *Hiding now* (4/13/09) (“Will this be the week Mike OMeara begins to adopt his loyal listener intervention suggestions? We can only hope!”) Rob’s been a “loyal listener” before he was even an intern for D&M, so is he the one calling for “intervention suggestions” for Beth Bigger B’s McBride in the DCRTV mailbag? Is Rob the secret e-mailer trashing BM or is it straight from the Source? Inquiring minds want to know….LEAVE BETH MCBRIDE ALONE! RIGHT NOW! (4/13/09) RIP Marilyn Chambers www.google.com, former Ivory Snow girl and legendary porn performer. Another show biz great, dead before her time... (4/13/09) All this stuff about BA McBride? Could the poor performance of the MOM show possibly have anything to do with a disordered alcoholic who's badly let himself go? (4/13/09) Dave's response: Who, Mike? Ah Dave, your McBride support be damned comment is disappointing but predictable. If there isn't major changes, you will have your wish as you won't be able to listen because the show will be cancelled! So, now let's play a game. You, me and all your readers. It's called the Dave Hughes Top Ten Ways to Save the MOM Show. I'll go first. FIRE MCBRIDE! The ratings numbers speak for themself. Your turn Dave! (4/13/09) Dave's response: 2) No more MO'M reruns. Have Big O and Dukes fill in when Mike's away on his fat farm or in rehab..... So, uh, I was rooting around the Loudini County Times newspaper website looking for scandalously low-cut tops, and I am sorry to have to report that the paper anchorwoman has amended her wardrobe to maintain forum & decorum. Here, from the Loudini archives, is the closest I could find to a prospective malfunction. Get them before they drop. (4/13/09) Beth in the Breezeway - What this world needs is a good two-dollar room and a good two-dollar broom…..D. van Vliet (4/13/09) Best use of Orioles and Nationals bumper stickers: On the back of an SUV parked close to where I work is a large Orioles script "O" immediately followed by a Nats' curly "W". KOF (4/13/09) Re: Jack Luskin petitioning the FCC about WCBM Radio 68. As I recall (I was only 13 at the time, but as a future radio guy who later went to work at WCBM, I always remembered it), one of the talk show hosts Gene Burns did a segment called "Tell It Like It Is." Burns traveled somewhere in the middle east during those stressful days after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, then came back and "told it like it was," or at least his view of how it was. Jack Luskin, as a prominent Jewish businessman with significant advertising dollars, didn't care much for Mr. Burns' view and filed an ultimately unsuccessful complaint with the FCC. By the way, Jack Luskin advertised his stores on another presumably more friendly show -- The Jewish Hour -- (with Rabbi Jacob Max who regularly repeated Luskin's slogan, "Jack you know will save you dough.")... Bob Anbinder (4/13/09) Dana Perino (former Bush WH Press Secretary)... Is Dana back being an airline stewardess? (she had the looks & brains for it -lol) (4/13/09) The Ride with McBride. We can picture B.A. McBride in a sexy maids outlet, deliverer of phone books, real estate agent, & hair salon receptionist. What she will never be is a successful radio show producer. CBS Management, do what OMeara is unwilling to do. FIRE MCBRIDE TODAY. She'll land on her feet ok... as a tour guide, car rental porter, telemarketing specialist, bed pan cleaner. (4/13/09) Dave's response: I will no longer listen to MO'M if BA is gone. So there..... Armchair broadcasting historians will have a field day with this rich online resource, "Radio's Online Library": www.davidgleason.com... For instance, there's a mention from the Broadcasting magazine of September 7, 1970 concerning Jack Luskin petitioning the FCC about a personal attck on him over WCBM Radio 68. Anybody remember that incident? (4/13/09) Last week, NY Times writer David Pogue reviewed the progress (or lack of it) of HD-Radio. Today's edition of "Taylor on Radio-Info" offers some interesting observations from Allen Shaw, President/CEO of Centennial Broadcasting, on the topic: “FM radio succeeded because it started out by serving the very old (Beautiful Music) and very young (Album Rock) radio listeners with alternative programming that these two extreme demographics could not get on the AM band. Radio broadcasters have a similar opportunity today. With respect to music programming, there is currently little or no music on the terrestrial radio for listeners over 55 years old. It has become difficult to hear hit music recorded prior to 1980 on the radio. It is also true that there is little or no music programmed to listeners under 25. This is due to radio's fixation with 25-54 target demographics. When radio broadcasters make the investment in their HD channels to provide innovative alternative programming, and promote that programming, consumers will begin to purchase HD radio receivers and HD will begin to attract audience and advertisers. It will take a lot of money and a lot of time, but as in the development of FM, it may be worth it if terrestrial radio wants to better compete with satellite radio, internet radio and the iPod. Unfortunately, terrestrial radio is suffering very difficult economic times now, so that investment may have to wait.” (4/13/09) Dave's response: The problem with HD Radio is that the digital subchannels simply take listeners away from a station's main signal - and the advertisers who pay to be on that main analog signal. People like me listening to non-commercial erockster on DC101's HD2, aren't listening to the commercials on DC101's main rock signal..... Dave, that www.peteandbrendainthemorning.com show is a joke, right? When I get into the car, I want to GET AWAY FROM MY FUCKING WIFE, not get involved with another couple's life? Thanks. KeninGlenBurnie (4/13/09) Beth Ann McBride cleaned my room at the Breezeway. Paul (4/13/09) Dave's response: BA, a maid's outfit, a cheap motel, and a mirror. Hmmm..... Ok, 94.7 'Fresh' has been on for, what, a week now? And the verdict wasn't too complicated to reach in that time: It's just another dull, lifeless AC station. "Stale" is more accurate. G'bye, CBS---you screwed the pooch yet again. (4/13/09) Rush Limbaugh was right! While it was happening, the President clearly had no idea whatsoever what he was doing!!! As if anyone else needs another reason to get jacked up over the President's limp response to the Somali Pirate issue, here it is: (Quoting Reuters from WEDNESDAY!) – The President has been briefed about increasing attacks by Somali pirates off east Africa, and the White House said today the United States is consulting with other U.N. Security Council members on ways to combat the threat. Calling it "a very complicated issue," the White House press secretary gave no hint of what, if any, action the United States might take following the hijacking earlier this week. "The president has been briefed about it, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the crew is of paramount importance in preventing or dealing with issues of piracy." When asked whether any unilateral or concerted response was planned for dealing with the problem, the Press Secretary responded "We're working with other members of the Security Council, right now, to see if there are actions that we can do to more effectively fight against piracy and prevent it." The press secretary said a key prob lem is that modern-day piracy is "much more dangerous, and they have a lot more weapons." -- Oh, dear me…it seems that I accidentally omitted an important detail from the above Reuters report...you see, it was dated Wednesday, November 19, 2008. If anyone needs a reminder, the President back then was a fella named George W. Bush, and the Press Secretary was Dana Perino. www.reuters.com (4/13/09) "Two Loudoun County weekly’s have taken on video daily updates. The Loudoun Independent and the Leesburg Today are posting daily video updates on their websites...." And, as one would expect when low-budget weekly newspapers try to play Television Newscasters, the results are pretty terrible. The loudouni.com vids are actually pretty funny: the chick who reads them sits stone-faced in front of a blank wall reading stiff and poorly written crime reports...in scandalously low-cut tops. Hey, if the news won't sell, maybe your boobs will, right? (4/13/09) Dave, I was so happy to see Pete and Brenda as new advertisers. Two of my favorite people on the planet! Brenda and I share a strong history. We were roomates for a while, and had a very cool situation at one time on WPOC. There were three females on the station - back-to-back: Brenda, myself and Libby Cole. I just learned that our trio is down to two...Libby passed away last month in Delaware. Devastating news for those affected by her abundant energy and serious light. She could make even the coldest hearts melt. All three of us had the best times together! Thank God a few of us had the blessing to know Libby. Brenda carries that joy with her - she is a true professional and a great friend. And Pete Michaels - as anyone who knows can attest - is an absolute trip! Take that any way you want! They're a fabulous team! It's good to see their names on DCRTV. Trish Hennessey (4/13/09) Do you plan to subject yourself to the News Court as well? Or are you above the “law”? You know what they say about people in glass houses… -Brian (4/13/09) Dave's response: If "News Court" finds me guilty and Ann Coulter leads me away in handcuffs, so be it. Yeah, baby..... WTOP bashers: I get it. You love to hate the Yankees. Best t-shirt I ever saw replying to Yankee-bashers said "THE YANKEES" in large letters, then down underneath in small letters "Do the math." (4/13/09) COUNTERPOINT: While Jack Edwards makes some interesting comments about Bruce Holberg, he fails to mention most, if not all of the WCBM personalities/jocks/news were at the station BEFORE Hal Deutsch hired Holberg. Edwards says incorrectly "let me make one thing perfectly clear: one, and only one person put it together and kept it togther. That person was BRUCE HOLBERG. We had a great team,like a family and Bruce made it ALL happen." Well Jack, your memory fails you! While Holberg was indeed an excellent programmer, he only managed an excellent group of broadcasters who were at WCBM before his arrival. And Jack, when you mention the names of the 68 Radio Plaza greats -- how can you forget the news director Bob (Smoke) Shilling, Tommy Davis, Phil Wood, Vicky Cox, Dave Humphrey and John Kuchno. How about Ellenbeth Levitt? Most of the people I just mentioned were on the news/sports staff, but they too had an integral part in making WCBM what it was...and none of them were hired by Holberg. I could go on but I think I've made my point...it wasn't Holberg who "made it all happen," it was the people of WCBM who were LED by Harold Deutsch. He was the glue and as Bob Shilling said in the Sunpaper, he was the "spark, the catalyst." (4/13/09) Bet you can’t make it through this list without laughing at least once: blog.wfmu.org "Ten Things I Hate About NPR" (4/13/09) Ahhhh, WTOP....gotta think something's wrong with a town where this is the only 24-hour news station. Perfect example of their never-ending lack of ability: in a single weather report on Saturday they said the clouds would move out "by noon," "sometime between 2 and 4" and "hopefully, after midnight." Moments later their lame-O internet reporter was all breathless over "a really neat web site" that had posted "some really great pictures" of a pony. I guess their copy of the Post showed up late and they had to write their own stories for a few hours. (4/13/09) So I am following this media controversy at Veterans Affairs. It's possible the people at the agency were just stupid. Last year the media covered the kick-off of an outreach effort to make sure U.S.veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan knew of the resources the V-A offered them. The agency hired a phone bank and had lists to work. The head of the V-A would make the first phone call that the media would "cover" in his office, only we found out there was no effort to let us hear the OTHER side of the call. Me and a couple other reporters questioned this, saying to the effect 'how do we know it's not a bogus call?' Well after some hemming and hawing on their part that it couldn't be done that way because of "privacy" issues, we said, welp, we can't cover it then, and I told my crew to start packing up and the others were ready to do the same. All of a sudden a speakerphone materialized, the call was made, and at the top of the call the head of the V-A asked the soldier whether it was okay that the media listened in. Of course he said fine, and coverage took place. The V-A's publicity department could really have spared their boss some embarrassment, then, as again right now with the WAMU reporter. Stupid moves. (4/13/09) So, what nationally syndicated DC radio show finds their executive producer living, by choice, out of a motel room? That's right folks, Beth Ann "one foot out the door" McBride of the MOM Show. Will this be the week Mike OMeara begins to adopt his loyal listener intervention suggestions? We can only hope! (4/13/09) Dave's response: Geez. I hope CBS is putting BA up in a nice place, not a dive like the Boulevard, Breezeway, or the Anchorage..... ‘Scuse me if I’m a bit confused but…If WTOP was in 6th place for revenue in 2008 why did they have to fire the latest round of people? TOP is a cash cow and yet they were feeling the effects of a down economy?? I realize news is an expensive format to program but seriously… 6th in the country and they needed layoffs due to financial issues? It sounds like Bonneville just wanted to cut the bottom line and used the economy as an excuse. That’s just tired and sad—and indicative of how little regard radio has for its loyal employees. (4/13/09) Pete Michaels of Pete and Brenda was the Night Wolf on WMAR-FM when it was doing Hot Hits. I’ve never heard anyone else sound quite like that. It just goes to show there’s more than one way to sound like a wolf and act like a wolf. I contributed an aircheck of the Night Wolf to www.reelradio.com, but it hasn’t been posted yet. I also found it amazing that when WMAR-FM flipped to AC, Mr. Michaels was able to sound like a human being! Roddy Freeman (4/13/09) So Uncle Earl--I mean Radio Earl lasted a grand total of, what, 4 days? 1520 AM's been silent again since Saturday. That's OK; Earl's just plumb tuckered and needs plenty of rest every now and then. Sleep tight, unc!---------------------- KOF (4/13/09) RE: [This drama did not end well because of any leadership from Obama. None what so ever...Obama did the smart thing any child does when in trouble, shut your mouth, hope no one sees you peeing in your pants and let the adults handle it. The adults in this case were the DOD. Um, wrong. As Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of the Fifth Fleet (to clarify it for you WMAL listeners, he's the dude who was in charge of the rescue operation), explained, "Our authorities came directly from the President," Adm. Gortney said. "And the number one authority for incidents if we were going to respond was if the captain's life was in immediate danger. And that is the situation in which our sailors acted." So let's recap your 'bagger theorem: under your asinine assumptions, not only is the President of the United States a liar, but the Commander of the Fifth Fleet must be in on the lie too. Yes, the SEALS did a phenomenal job and deserve accolades for bring ing this situation to resolution with minimal loss of life, but they took action under the supervision of their military leadership who were responding to the direct orders of their Commander-in-Chief, who is President Obama. Message to the management at WMAL: We know you are smart enough to understand that his foolishness is the natural conclusion when your radio audience is listening to on-air personalities who clearly love their political affiliation more than they love their country. You need to stop this foolishness. (4/13/09) The Washington Times and Examiner ran the same two AP articles (“Obama Heads to Church for Easter Sunday” by Phillip Eliott and “Obama Still has Hundreds of Important Jobs to Fill” by Nancy Benac) on the same pages (A3 and 15) of their papers on Sunday. (4/13/09) I am so glad you pointed out the fact that a News Director at a major market station told his reporter to hand over his equipment and run. It lets you know right away that WAMU's News Director is an idiot and a coward. This is supposed to be a Radio station licensed to a University and they have both a Program and News Director that don't know the law as it pertains to journalist in this country. No sane news director would advise his reporter to hand over equipment. When I think about all the journalists that have gone to jail or for that matter in some other countries, been killed to protect their right to report the facts of a story, then I am appalled by the decisions of these amateurs in charge of WAMU. Even the general manager is a nut case who, after being a Television reporter in Detroit, couldn't take the lead in this case, and stop her News Director from making a quite asinine decision and totally misleading a young reporter. They are all three a bunch of bozos, and American University should be ashamed to have these clowns running their station and misleading young people who come through their doors to gain knowledge on becoming a broadcast journalist. If your News Director, Program Director and General Manager, who used to be a television reporter, don't know the rights of their reporters, then who at WAMU does know? Just curious....Jimbo (4/13/09) RE: [Oh Jeff, Jeff, Jeff... let me explain to you what it all means: 1) The operation was a success and now he’ll say he ordered it. 2) Had it failed, he would have denied any participation or authorization, letting the chain of command in the Navy fall on the sword. That’s how things like this work.] This patient presents a classical representation of "Hysterical Obama Derangement Syndrome". Thank you WMAL for creating whole legions of factually-challenged "lubrul"-hating Limbaugh-Hannity-Levin spouting zombies! Just what America needed!= (4/13/09) How about an entry for confusing press releases? Washington Capitals playoff games will air on radio in Baltimore though good luck trying to figure out which station. Though co-owned, WCBM & Fox 1370 are different sticks. Everett W. capitals.nhl.com (4/13/09) Dave's response: That's three different "sticks." WVIE has separate day and night transmitter sites. One of just a handful of AMers in the whole country..... Buy Mark Levin's book, tyranny, Tea Party, Tyranny, over his head, Tea Party, tyranny, Illegal immigration, Obama is an Arab American, Tyranny, Obama's birth certificate is fake, Tyranny, Tea Party, You are a great American, Groups "like ACORN" are getting stimulus money, Tyranny, buy Mark Levin's book, Obama decimating the military, tyranny, Illegal immigration, Socialist, Marxist, Tyranny, Socialist, Tea Party, Ann Coulter, Obama bowed, Tyranny, Michelle touched the Queen, Tyranny, Liberals are ruining this country, Buy Ann Coulter's book, in over his head, Tyranny, Obama is a closet Muslim, Tyranny, Illegal immigration,Socialist, Over his head. Tyranny, Tea Party, illegal immigration, Tyranny, over his head, Tea Party, tyranny, Obama is an Arab American, Tyranny, Obama's birth certificate is fake, Tyranny, Tea Party, You are a great American, Groups "like ACORN" are getting stimulus money, buy Mark Levin's book, tyranny, buy Mark Levin's book, Obama decimating the military, tyranny, Socialist, Marxist, Tyranny, Socialist, Tea Party, Illegal immigration, Ann Coulter, Obama bowed, Tyranny, Michelle touched the Queen, buy Mark Levin's book, Tyranny, Liberals are ruining this country, Buy Ann Coulter's book, in over his head, Tyranny, Obama is a closet Muslim, Tyranny, Socialist, Over his head. I am glad I got all that off my chest. signed WMAL listener. P.S. Bring back Michael Graham, and Jane Norris. (4/13/09) Gee - After months and months of telling us how GREAT the DTV transition was going to be (HA) Sunday (4/12) see Channel 11 (Baltimore) running announcement listing all the Maryland communities that will be outside the Channel 11 digital signal area (virtually all of Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland) and suggesting residents may want to contact the FCC. Kind'a late for that isn't it ? Carl, Pasadena (4/13/09) COMCAST ACCIDENTLY AIRS GIRLS GONE WILD INFOMERCIAL INSTEAD OF POPE'S GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE IN PHILLY! Too funny. The best part is Comcast claims only ONE person called to complain, yeah right. They probably turned the phones off immediately and started hanging up on people like they usually do until they can fix a glitch! HAha! Gotta love it. More in today's Baltimore Sun via the AP... www.baltimoresun.com (4/13/09) No Retirement For C-SPAN's Brian Lamb: Like 7-UP being the "uncola" Lamb continues to be the direct opposite of the chattering class that inhabits the vast majority of political television: his greatest asset is not knowing his opinion. With Lamb, one does not know what he's thinking about the person he is interviewing or the topic under discussion, a blessed relief from the windbags who call themselves "journalists" (ahem, Chris "Spitball" Matthews, Keith "The Smirk" Olbermann, and Larry "I Knew Sandy Kaufax" King, listen up). And with Lamb, one is able to concentrate on the person being interviewed: he is a master of sticking with matter-of-fact rather than the confrontation and hysteria of faux interviewers looking only for sensationalism (i.e. ratings, ratings, ratings). It is always a pleasure to watch him regardless of the interview or topic: Kudoos to C-SPAN and congratulations to Brian Lamb for all his many years of service already and for years to come. (4/13/09) Jack Edwards, Ken Merson and everyone else got it right about Harold Deutsch: he was probably the best general manager in Baltimore radio during his reign at WCBM-680. One reason was his sensitivity to the balance among programming, selling time and marketing of a radio station. Hal was also one of the most likable individuals among the dozens of executives and staffers with whom I worked during almost 40 years in the business. I know of one instance in the mid-1970's when a young WCBM worker accepted a job in another city with a station that had a less-than-sterling ethical reputation. Mr. Deutsch introduced the short-timer to his former colleagues at Capital Cities in Manhattan and arranged a meeting in Washington for the departing worker with a key Metromedia executive with connections to the FCC and Congress (the station that hired the youngster was in hot water with the Commission). The staffer left WCBM anyway but never forgot Harold Deutsch's efforts. Mr. Deutsch also had the foresight to bring in Bruce Holberg, a brilliant young programmer who cared about strategy, tactics and correct execution of great ideas, including the use of music, news, sports and personalities to appeal to baby boomers and their older siblings. The approach gradually shaved the most-lucrative demographics from WCAO-600 and painted WBAL-1090 into a geriatric corner, from which it would not emerge for a decade or so and then only after the ascent of WCBM and WASH-97.1 alum Jeff Beauchamp to power on Television Hill. Speaking of TV, over-the-air digital television is actually a boon to some oldtimers who were bypassed by cable in small towns and rural areas and never took down outdoor antennas. HDTV picture quality is superb with over-the-air reception, rivaled only by FIOS which will probably never be offered in many small towns. We receive 40 over-the-air digital channels at our location 10 miles south of the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, using a 30-year-old VHF/UHF antenna and a 25-year-old preamplifier, with about 20 feet of 1979-vintage twinlead between the antenna and preamp, followed by 100 feet of RG-59 cable from the amp to the power supply. The number of channels picked up would be higher if not for a 200-foot ridge that blocks out signals from Hagerstown's sub-market. I do not work for a television station, trade association nor equipment distributor. Many of the current reception problems reported are related as much to the characteristics of underpowered UHF propagation as they are to quirks of the digital system approved for the US. I look forward to seeing what if any improvement appears when several regional channels move their ATSC operations from U to V in June. Your mileage may vary. (4/13/09) I just saw the WKYS pictures on DCRTV Plus. I noticed there was a personality named John Wesley. Was he the same John Wesley that was later on the old V-103? Ed Jones, Bel Air MD (4/13/09) "None what so ever. Obama kept quiet because he was smart enough to realize he is in way way way over his head as President. For more on that, see the Univ. of Arizona decision." Uh, it's Arizona State University, located in Tempe, not the U. of Arizona, based in Tucson, that's currently in the midst of the Obama degree controversy. But then again, when have facts ever mattered to right-wing punks? -- Vincent in Triangle (4/13/09) Dave's response: Gotta keep posts media-oriented..... Oh Jeff, Jeff, Jeff... let me explain to you what it all means: 1) The operation was a success and now he’ll say he ordered it. 2) Had it failed, he would have denied any participation or authorization, letting the chain of command in the Navy fall on the sword. That’s how things like this work. Also, I like how the most recent request came Friday evening and he approved it Saturday morning. I guess this is in line with what he said about "wanting to wait a few days to think about things and look at public reaction and poll results before speaking". (4/13/09) /\ April 13 Messages /\ Jump to the Mailbag Archive Index.....