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\/ March 14 Messages \/

This to to Al McGilvray. Only WEPM's Jay Young has had health issues as everyone in Berkeley County already knew about ( it was in the Martinsburg Journal for goodness sake ). Last I heard Chris Strovel, Rob Mario and John Partington are in great health and Strovel quit Prettyman just like Cliff Maxwell, Cindy McGuire, Tanner Miller and Selena Luther had done within the last number of years, even Gary Michaels for a brief time, they all had quit not fired but QUIT so I am not sure why on earth why you had made the "some at Prettyman Broadcasting/medical problems" remark. Just that the next time you wave the "WRNR Flag" and the awards WRNR had won around on this site and knowing Prettyman has had issues with technical problems plus their staff and the jokes Tom Tucker makes about Prettyman in the mornings ( I actually listen to him so I know )...it is something to think about. Sorry. (3/14/10)

Robb Spewak is returning to Iowa this week and we have already sold over 80 hotel rooms for his visit to people from all over the country. He will be doing our morning show with us on Thursday, and Friday along with his regular weekly show and making appearances each night. KCJJ will stream video and audio @ www.1630kcjj.com .. click on KCJJ RAW..or go to www.ustream.tv/channel/kcjj-raw/v3. (3/14/10)

According to the jock section on WPGC's website (wpgc.radio.com), Anji Corley is now "officially" on middays. For whatever reason, BT is still listed at the top, as the afternoon guy. Hmm... (3/14/10)

Dave: I was out in downtown Bethesda Friday night and ran into a radio "executive" who told me WTEM is slowly being dismantled. This person also said management has absolutely no clue how to treat their employees with professional courtesy/respect and in my opinion, that's 80% of the game. I don't think Snyder can be blamed but rather blame the people are responsible for hiring others. Shapiro should takeover 980 and bring-in new people with better character qualities. Finally, this executive had a great point, he said the sports- talk radio business is so full of "bad" people, the good ones are never hired because they're too good...meaning, miserable people hire other miserable people. (3/14/10)

RE: "FYI, any official announcements referring to the launch of KHZTV.com, WKHZ-Ocean City and WYRE-Annapolis will come directly from KHZ Corporate, stand by for news,launching SOON! Corporate" Oh, I didn't know the trailer park had internet yet. Oh wait, they do---you just have to pay the bill! (3/14/10)

So, is there any word as to whether WPGC will be pink-slipping any other staff (not on-air) from the station? PR people, sales? And BTW, what's happened to that female DJ Justine Love who used to have a late evening show??..Has she been pink-slipped as well? (3/14/10)

And the residence of a Red Zebra executive appears to be for sale. (3/14/10)

During the recent blizzards, I answered Ken Skrivseth’s post in dcrtv on 1/18/08 about The Laurel Museum looking for old audio archives from WLMD radio. After trading e-mails, Ken and I met and I contributed to the museum some of my WLMD Radio 900 – “The Talk of the Capital" memorabilia. I am in process of transferring from reel tape to CD an audio collage of the Allan Prell Show recorded in 1974 to give to the Laurel Museum. I am also recording on the CD a brief introduction with the history of WLMD radio from 1965 to 1985 that precedes the Allen Prell audio recordings. Richard Dahms (3/14/10)

RE: Big Tigger's PGC move- While I understand BT's got to get what he's worth, the bigger concern for the corporate suits is having a major market morning talent having so much input into the music. BT needs to concentrate on being an entertaining, informative, and professional show. Sometimes listening to his PM drive show, those elements seemed to be lacking. Program Directors and Music Directors as morning jocks may work in smaller markets, but in Top 30's and especially Top 10's, almost never. His complete focus should be on restoring credibility to a damaged brand, and not worrying about record geeks, focus groups, etc. Pre-PPM, it was do-able at urban stations, not now. I mean, as far as I was concerned, Donnie Simpson having on-air listening parties was completely counter productive, and you see how that ended, with a buyout...err, (forced) retirement. As far as Lil' Mo doing PM drive, she in a word...sucks. I truly believe PGC could get better #'s from a jockless PM drive show. All that screeching, with the "around the way girl" vibe, way to change listener perception suits. EZ Street truly is on easy street if Lil' Mo is his competition, and he's BEEN mailing it in! Michel Wright to Fresh 94.7? I don't know if jumping from the Titanic and being "rescued" by the Andrea Doria is in her best interests. Plus, rumor has it that PGC just lost their best salesperson, hmmm. We shall (or not), hear how this all shakes out. Stay Tuned...or don't! -Billy Sparks (3/14/10)

RE: Today's WaPo obit for Harold Kaufman...I'll bet most have forgotten that he pioneered the first call-in talk show offered by WMAL, certainly one of the earliest in this market. Probably around 1975. You can read about his amazingly diverse skills in the obit, but he did a weekly psychiatry show for WMAL. I believe it was on Sunday evenings. That was back before the AT&T deregulation and I still remember the engineering staff scurrying around to adapt the Western Electric telephone gear leased from C&P. No Telos hybrid phone systems invented yet. As a station staffer I remember Kaufman treating us to shows at his "Harold's Rogue and Jar" jazz club on N St. near DuPont Circle. (Dr. Joe Novello later did a similar program for WMAL.) - P of the AW (3/14/10)

FYI, any official announcements referring to the launch of KHZTV.com, WKHZ-Ocean City and WYRE-Annapolis will come directly from KHZ Corporate, stand by for news,launching SOON! Corporate (3/14/10)

(“It's not specifically about DC media, but I wanted to pass this along, in case you hadn't heard. keitholbermann.mlblogs.com”) Okay you Tee Baggers, you Palin Death Panel Believers, you Fox News watchers, you corporate and insurance lovers, you Cheney doctors, you Americans, you, are you satisfied now that Keith’s father has passed: pass “health care reform” now! Keith’s right: www.youtube.com (3/14/10)

Comcast happens to be correct about Reston. Remember that Virginia is NOT a State. It is a Commonwealth. Governance is not from the top down, it is from the bottom up. Reston has consistently chosen to excersize all local powers and refuses to play ball with any agreement entered to by the state or county with a private entity. Reston makes Arlington and Vienna look cooperative by comparison. No matter what agreement Comcast, or any other vendor may have with the surrounding area, Reston almost always refuses, as a matter of right and principle, to work with the same agreement. That enclave of legislative fiefdom is very feisty about reminding both citizen and business of their independence, and making you pay for it. Ask Nextel about the 'price' of being 'allowed' to have their cellular service cover Reston. I had a nasty confrontation with a little troll who claimed to be the property mgr at one Reston shopping center who informed me that the FCC has no authority there! Never mind that my client, and her tenant, had the required authorization for a 1 meter dish, hidden on the roof. This woman was determined that I was going to pay her a fee for the privilege of doing work on the premises. When I asked by what right or law did she have power to extort money from a vendor for the privilege of doing work, she rattled off some speil. So I said fine, why don't you call the police if I am trespassing. She said I will do just that,,,and went for her little FRS radio...which I pointed out is not for business use. She told me the FCC has no authority in Reston because it is a sovereign town!! So, I pulled out my phone any my old 3rd class and said, let's find out because I can call the FCC. She stormed off, did not call the cops and I finished my install. Reston, hurbris paid for by your tax dollars. (3/14/10)

Nice to see some old fasioned courtesy and sense of honor surviving in this time of backstabbing,doublecrossing and throwing under the bus of fellow businessmen. Although I cross the line with my rants sometimes I was born in an America where you respected your elders ,stood up for the National Anthem and did not trash something or someplace simply because you could. Sandwiched between the 'Free Love and Peace' and the ' Me,Me,Me' generations I have a garbled sense of ettiquette at times but usually revert to what my grandparents(not my Rockin'Rollin' parents) taught me. No I'm not the 'spineless worm' (this time anyway) and I applaud Mr McGilvray for his integrity and sense of compassion for a competitor. Thank You Sir for demonstrating the class our citizens once had in this formerly great nation. Donnie in North East,MD. (3/14/10)

Brokaw was marginal on Meet The Press this morning. He seemed very unprepared. (3/14/10)

Things not all that great at Red Zebra? 4 sales people were fired from Red Zebra Broadcasting last week and a few weeks prior, Greg Reynolds, the CFO abruptly "resigned." hmmm stay tuned. (3/14/10)

To the Comcast 'lover' in Reston--but, but, you're getting XFINITY! We in discriminating Fairfax Co. will never get that. Lucky! It should be just as craptastic as their other campaigns. (3/14/10)

It's not specifically about DC media, but I wanted to pass this along, in case you hadn't heard. keitholbermann.mlblogs.com (3/14/10)

(snip) I bet Tom Tucker & Al McGilvray over at crosstown WRNR is enjoying this. (end snip) Dear spinless worm who wrote this: No, I do "not" enjoy it when a fellow broadcaster has problems. A lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into keeping not one, but three radio stations up and running; not to mention the medical problems that some folks at Prettyman Broadcasting have suffered. I have only best wishes for my friends at Prettyman Broadcasting. Next time you have a negative comment to make, please do not take the liberty of putting my name on it. Al McGilvray (3/14/10)

Thanks for including me your list of acceptable shows Fitz (despite the fact that we're friends). Having read many lines regarding Big Tigger lately, I had a chance to meet him in the mid-90's while on an announcing crew from F.P.A.'s Channel 10 Sports. He wasn't a very nice person. As his ego seemed hurt that we wouldn't interview him during the football game we were covering. He also had a horrible odor surrounding him. Had our producer agreed to the interview, I probably would have asked one fundamental question. Are you standing on your head or are you in need of a Certs? Ciao 4 now, Rusty Gibson (3/14/10)

HITMAN AND COMPANY on the air and on the web WORLD WIDE - Weekday Mornings 7am - 10 am on the Radio 1590/KHZ Ocean City, Maryland on the radio 810/WYRE Annapolis/Baltimore on TV KHZTV.com (3/14/10)

/\ March 14 Messages /\

\/ March 13 Messages \/

When I callled Comcrap to get directions, the guy who told me I'd have to go to Manassas or Dale City to get a converter said that I should be able to get a box by mail. But, then he said, "I'm sorry. that's not an option in Reston." As for Verizon, after many bad rounds with their customer service when I had their telephone service combined with their skyrocketing rates, I'll stay away from FiOS, thank you. The only good thing I can say about Verizon is that they have the courage to take on the local political big shots which cable seems recluctant to do. (3/13/10)

Where can I get nude photos of Massa and Emmanuel? (3/13/10)

("Of course WEBR is a hodge podge of various formats and some good talk shows and some bad ones too." -Mike Fitzgerald...Who, in your opinion, would you categorize as good WEBR talk shows? And who would you categorize as bad talk shows?) Well, I listened to a few of them. I like The Midnight Mutants with Adam C. . As far as The Other Guys show goes, I haven't listened long enough to make an opinion. But then, I more prefer the music shows that WEBR has. Such as Night Train with Squire, Eclectic Hours with Paul Porzio, And Rusty Gibson's Magical History Tour as well as Doug Goffus' Goffus Rock Experience. I might also add Deb Sears with The Prog Rock Diner. Mike Fitzgerald (3/13/10)

re: Reston/Comcast...You probably could have had the converter box mailed to you. I'm pretty sure that was an option available to MoCo dwellers. Instructions should be inside the converter box. Also, Verizon/FIOS is available in Reston. It is in my cluster. And finally, the Comcast office in Rockville, MD is pretty low key too, so it's not just a Reston thing. (3/13/10)

Dave you made an interesting point in your interview back in january that its really about revenues in radio and not ratings i think that is what you said? My question is with WPGC -FM who knows what Big Tigger is asking for as far as compensation at least 1 million a year maybe 2 million who knows but with his salary and with the one hit wonder singer Lil`Mo`s salary at maybe six figures are they saving money with these line-up changes? Also can they support the pay roll? I guess they are going to keep it urban at least the next year or so anyway depending on the ratings in the demo`s 18-34 and 25-54. (3/13/10)

"But it is amazing to think that I can still fit into a WHFS 102.3 t-shirt that I got 30-ish years ago...." Separated at birth: Dave Hughes: Root Boy Slim: deaconlight.com... Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top: web.wireimage.com (3/13/10)

I’ve been living in Reston since 1982 and have lived with the various permutations of Warner Cable TV, Jones Intercable, and of course Comatosecast, otherwise known as Comcast. And, since the advent of Media General Cable, followed by Cox Cable, I’ve seen how Fairfax County continues to discriminate against Reston by seemingly regarding it as a technological red-haired bastard step-child by allowing Reston’s telecommunications consumers to have to rely on a level of service markedly deficient compared to the rest of the county. Case in point: Comcast is finally “upgrading” its Reston “system”. (How many years ago did Cox upgrade its system in Fairfax? Shows how backward Fairfax County lets Reston get, doesn’t it?) And, if all you want is “basic” cable, you’ve not needed a box on your TV until now. And, that box isn’t the inexpensive little “sidecar” that lets you use your cable-ready TV (like they do in Comcrap’s “home turf” of Philadelphia…), but a regular “converter”. To add insult to injury, when Cox did their upgrade, I remember seeing a big trailer on the road taking converters into the neighborhoods, rather than you having to go to their office to get one. However, Comcast requires you to go to their office to get your box. While they put an address on the letter telling you that you need to get a box, do you think they would provide even simple directions on how to find their Reston office? Hell no! Not even a simple map. What a bunch of losers! Who or what are they afraid of? Their customers? I was expecting to find something at least as easy to find as the Cox office I see every time I’m on Centreville Road! When I used the directions I got off Mapquest, they only showed where I needed to go on Sunrise Valley Drive. So, I called the Comcast 1-800 number hoping to get directions. I found that the only way to reach a live person on that number is to pick the “disconnect service” option. So, when I finally reached a live person, they said that I’d have to go to Manassas or Dale City as he had no record of an office in Reston to get my converters. Knowing that person had to be wrong, I called again. Person #2 gave me the same directions Mapquest gave me, but still couldn’t (wouldn’t?) tell me where the office was, except that it would be closing in 10 minutes. So, I had to go back the next afternoon. This time, I started driving around the buildings in one of those non-descript office complexes once popular in Reston. Finally, behind the last row of buildings, I see Comcast cherry-picker trucks (why they have those in Reston where probably everything is underground shows Comcast’s ignorance if not incompetence!) parked in a row. I start looking for a big sign (Like Cox has on Centreville Road.) but only find a small “Comcast Employee Entrance” sign. I start poking around a bit and find the customer service office. Thankfully, I’d arrived in time as they close at 5:30 (open until 7:00 on Tuesdays), and closed weekends. Perhaps someone who has gone to a Cox office can share with the board what their hours are? No big Comcast sign on the building (and visible from a major road) like Cox has… just a decal in the window. It’s almost as if this is intentional and they are hiding. The Comcast customer area is about the size of my child’s bedroom, and they had only two employees serving customers. (Again, if anyone who has dealt with Cox, I’d like to hear how they serve customers.) When my turn came, and I asked for directions on how to use the parental control on the converter, I was told, “Look at the TV and I’ll have show you ‘cause we’ve run out of instruction sheets.” When I asked for a channel list, her response was, “You’ll have to get that at Comcast.com ‘cause we’re out of those, too.” On top of that, I was charged a $1.00 “transaction fee” because I dealt with a Comcast office. Since you don’t have any option when it comes to getting a converter, this is nothing more than a moneymaking rip-off! You know that old saying about the first thing you see making the strongest impression? What I noticed first about the Comcast office in Reston was a sign reading “Please do not lean on the counter”. Reminded me of that scene in Joliet prison in “The Blues Brothers”! Except, here it was not funny. Please Fairfax County, in the interests of fairness, compel Comcast to treat Reston’s residents equally with what the rest of Fairfax County gets from Cox. Or, condemn the system and force Comcast to sell it to Cox at a “fire sale” price. The kindest things I can say about the Comcast office in Reston is that it’s invisible and inaccessible. And, their personnel are ignorant, incompetent, poorly supplied and equipped. (3/13/10)

I see that channel 4 has added a new guy, Aaron Gilchrist from Richmond, Va, to co-anchor with Kimberly Sutters..She seemed quite happy to have him there, which of course she HAS to do on air..However, she was quite touchy feely towards him..O.K..Kimberly..Simmer down, simmer down NOW.. (3/13/10)

".......but 1340 WEPM is all chopped up this morning spewing spurs all up and down the dial into the 160 and 80 meter Ham bands as well. They ought to have somebody take a look at that."....BUT then again does WEPM even have someone now to look at things like this? I too noticed from my house in Hedgesville, Martinsburg's WEPM's problem this morning and its a shame too. Between the technical issues and the loss of just about their entire staff in recent years, the ones who had made WEPM great I might add such as Jay Young, Chris Strovel as well as the questionable bizarre firing of award winning play-by-play announcers Rob Mario & John Partington ( even the local Martinsburg Journal questioned that logic )...well let's just say I bet Tom Tucker & Al McGilvray over at crosstown WRNR is enjoying this. (3/13/10)

To the poster who has buffering issues with streaming video from Vimeo and Veoh, you can download the video of your choice at zero cost and then watch it at your leisure on your PC. (If you have fundamental DVD authoring software, you can even create a DVD to watch on your home mega-screen TV.) Vimeo does require that you first open a (free) account, but the sign-up process doesn't take long. (3/13/10)

Hi Dave, Saw the latest info about PGC but any news about a tweak or change in format? I think 95.5 would do much better with AMP (its working in LA and NYC). TS (3/13/10)

Don't know what happened to Lite 97.5 last night, but 1340 WEPM is all chopped up this morning spewing spurs all up and down the dial into the 160 and 80 meter Ham bands as well. They ought to have somebody take a look at that. (3/13/10)

RE: [ " it'll still be called "The Scott Garceau Show. " ]..... What a surprise, NOT! I could have predicted that outcome the day that Anita Marks left 105.7 The Fan & that arrogant prick named Garceau refused to even mention her existence in this world let alone explain why she wasn't there. People in Baltimore always think of Scott Garceau as such a nice guy, but boy did he blow his cover that day. Everyone knows now Scott, you can stop pretending. This also explains why you can't get another TV job too. Say what you will about Anita Marks, but she generated controversy and more importantly ratings, not to mention some of her most controversial Ravens suggestions have turned out true. Can you say Anquan Boldin? Scott Garceau couldn't, at least not sitting next to Anita Marks. But now two-faced Garceau is all over the "great idea" now that Anita Marks is gone and he has the job all to himself. I bet it also pissed off Garceau that he was getting paid less than a woman, but God knows we'll never find that out. I honestly hope his show sinks like a fucking rock! Couldn't happen to a better guy. Finally, I have to admit, while I knew Anita Marks was not a popular figure in Baltimore, even I'm surprised how much she intimidated the so-called "jocks" in the Baltimore sports talk community and in Baltimore in general both on BaltimoreSun.com, Facebook, you name it, she was getting slammed everywhere. What were they so intimidated by? That she could kick Scott Garceau and many others' asses in football or basketball or that she made them feel like they had MUCH SMALLER DICKS than HER? :-) (3/13/10)

Some news items & tidbits missed on DCRTV from this past week's Baltimore Media Blog......... Did anyone know that Oscar winning actress Sandra Bullock went to high school in Arlington, VA and was a cheerleader on WRC 4's "It's Academic" with local icon Mac McGarry? Who knew? I didn't. There's even a pic of her as a cheerleader too at Baltimore Media Blog. I couldn't believe it myself. Baltimore Media Blog actually found the cheerleading pic!............. Letterman has beaten Leno already at the beginning of Week 2, could impact WRC 4 & WBAL 11......... Conan O'Brien to visit DC's DAR Constitution Hall on his 30 city tour June 8.......... Noon Workout yanked at MIX 106.5....... Oscar winning Mo'Nique from "Precious" is a Baltimore native, who knew?......... The CW 54 programming changes due to the ACC Tournament (I assume a similar thing is happening at CW 50?)............ The Baltimore area high school with the baseball diamond that Babe Ruth learned baseball on as a teenager is being closed by the Catholic church & the story has gotten press up to NYC & even a relative of the Babe has protested the closing in a letter to the Diocese of Baltimore............ Baltimore is awarded a Lingerie Football League team?........... Finally, this wasn't on BMG, but what the hell kinda crazy cat nip did WBAL have Sandra Shaw on Friday morning? They had a State Troopers' Chili cookoff and she was just like bouncing off the walls, nutty, goofy and by comparison making Marty Bass look like a stable minded meteorologist. And then it got more surreal. One of the State Troopers bragged that his barracks had the highest # of DUI arrests in the state of Maryland while cooking. My 1st thought was, is that really something to brag about? It either means one of 2 things, either the area you live in has the highest # of drunk drivers in the state or the state troopers at that barracks are the most aggressive at arresting borderline innocent people. I'm not sure which conclusion is worse, but it's certainly nothing to brag about. I wasn't aware that Arrest #s were an official competition now. As Dave Letterman would say, "As always, please, no wagering." (3/13/10)

These HD subchannel relays of out-of-market radio stations are exciting, but nobody knows about them. Not only that, but the radios needed to listen to these stations are virtually nonexistent in new cars (except for a few luxury models) and aftermarket add-ons are prohibitively expensive for the typical listener. Will they work? They'll only work when the FCC mandates that all radios must have HD Radio chips in them. Will this happen? Nobody knows, but until then, it just does not matter!! -Chainsman (3/13/10)

Anybody know what happened to Lite 97.5 tonight? They have been silent since around 9:30. I think the transmitter is on but no modulation. (3/13/10)

"Of course WEBR is a hodge podge of various formats and some good talk shows and some bad ones too." -Mike Fitzgerald...Who, in your opinion, would you categorize as good WEBR talk shows? And who would you categorize as bad talk shows? (3/13/10)

/\ March 13 Messages /\

Messages from March 1 to March 12 can be reached HERE.....