Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > March
March 2007
3/29: 99X starts ad campaign
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
99X, which hasn’t done a TV ad campaign in ages, started airing one last night during “Lost” on WSB-TV. It’s basically a list of acts they play with the moniker “Everything Alternative.” Among those referenced include the Killers, My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. They do reference the morning show near the end.
TV is not cheap. Cumulus, which purchased the station a year ago, is giving the station a serious push. How do you all think 99X is doing with the new morning show, which has been on for nearly six months?
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3/28: V-103’s Autoscoop syndicates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Westwood One, the big syndicator, is taking Adam Goldfein and Joyce Littel’s Autoscoop show, national. It’s heard locally on Saturday mornings on V-103 and WAOK-AM. (It was on Dave FM briefly but the station last week started an “acoustic sunrise” style morning on Saturdays on top of its existing Sunday show.) Autoscoop’s focus is on car-buying decisons. Among the markets it’s starting in include Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and San Diego.
“It’s refreshing to provide a weekend automotive show that is not just about fixing cars,” said Dennis Green, Westwood One Executive VP Affiliate Sales, in a release. “Consumers are very savvy and have a lot of choices when it comes to owning an automobile. Autoscoop will help listeners with information that they can use to make the American dream of owning a car fun again.”
Westwood One also syndicates the new Dennis Miller Show (not heard here), Imus in the Morning, Country Countdown USA, the NCAA tournament and NFL.
Anybody heard the show? It seems like a fairly narrow topic for loyal weekly listening but who knows?
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3/27: Rick & Bubba coming to WSB-AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is their old promo from the Turner South days
Rick & Bubba, the syndicated Birmingham radio hosts who were on Turner South for several years before Fox purchased that network and turned it into an all-sports network, say they are coming back to Atlanta albeit only on the weekends in repeat form.
WSB-AM, according to Rick and Bubba on the air this morning, will be airing replays highlights from 4 to 6 p.m. Sundays starting this weekend. WSB-AM’s Condace Pressley confirmed this is true although the WSB-AM schedule as of 11 p.m. Tuesday night had not changed to reflect it. (It still shows a replay of Sean Hannity.)
Rick Burgess & Bill “Bubba” Bussey are heard in about 25 markets. They air in Birmingham out of the studios of WZZK-FM, a country station owned by Cox Radio, which also owns WSB-AM. They recently signed a rich five-year contract with Cox, moving to WZZK after a seven-year stint on soft rock station WYSF-FM.
Did any of you ever watch them on Turner South or listen to them in different markets. What do you think? Do you think at some point, Cox Radio should add them to, say, B98.5 or The River?
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3/26: Dukes no longer Fan regular
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As anyone listening to the Rude Awakening on the Fan in recent months knows, Jamie Dukes is pretty much gone although he still remains on the Web site as a regular on the show. The Fan’s Genearl Manager David Dickey told me today Dukes will still contribute now and then but he’s now a full-time NFL Network employee.
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3/23: Talk with Yolanda Adams
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My colleague Shane Harrison grabbed a couple of quick minutes with gospel superstar Yolanda Adams before she started her show on Praise 97.5 Thursday morning. Here’s the link.
Celebrities with no radio background have dabbled in radio over the years. Larry Blackmon, the lead singer for Cameo, for instance, was on Kiss back in 2002. David Lee Roth had a disastrous run taking over for Howard Stern last year but that lasted literally only a couple of months. Steve Harvey had done a radio show in Los Angeles for a few years so he was ready to do syndication. So far his morning show on Grown Folks 102.5 has done very well locally in the ratings, especially considering what a weak signal he’s on. Al Sharpton is on in the afternoons on Grown Folks and many politicians have tried news/talk shows such as Bill Bennett (currently on WGKA-AM) and Oliver North. Whoopi Goldberg is on several soft rock stations nationwide but not locally. Surprisingly, “Patridge Family” alum Danny Bonaduce was a successful radio jock in Los Angeles for several years.
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3/22: V-103’s Ski on RainbowPUSH Coalition board
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jesse Jackson and Maritn Luther King III have appointed V-103 morning host Frank Ski to the RainbowPUSH coalition board of members in an announcement made this morning on the radio station.
“Over the years, Frank Ski has been a trailblazer in promoting social justice and change through his commitment to the people. We are honored he will join RainbowPUSH Coalition as a board member to continue his commitment,” said Reverend Jesse Jackson in a press release.
Here’s Frank Ski with Michael Eric Dyson, who was in town Wednesday to promote his latest book. Dyson recently left radio to pursue TV.
3/22: Eric Von Haessler’s new gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eric Von Haessler, former Regular Guys cohost, will take over as the online editor of the Sunday Paper’s Web site, which will go through a major revamp. Anticipated start date is March 26 at www.sundaypaper.com “We’re going to using him to do to a lot of video and audio daily on the Web,” said Sunday Paper editor J. Patrick Best. “The things that were part of his success on radio were selection of stories and his ability to recognize what people are interested in. He’s going to take that onto the Web.” Von Haessler, who helmed the popular “news jog” segments on the Regular Guys show from 1998 to 2006 on 96rock, has been writing a weekly column for the Sunday Paper.
Von Haessler and his former partner Larry Wachs lost their jobs last October at 96rock (now Project 9-6-1) after Wachs taped Yogi & Panda from sister station Viva 105.7 in the bathroom and put it on air. Yogi & Panda sued. Von Haessler was originally on the lawsuit but was dropped since he wasn’t involved in the stunt in the end. But he still lost his job.
“There are all these news sites, so many links,” Von Haessler said. “Our job is to go with a keen editorial eye and find interesting stuff and present it on a daily basis. We’ll also have a great deal of original content.” This includes a “newsmash” of best videos of the day and nine-minute roundtable mini-podcasts. “Porn Czar” Tim Andrews will be joining him periodically on both the site and on the podcasts. There will also be man-on-the-street comedy bits.
“I don’t want to be in radio right now,” he said. “This is my job, my friend.” It sounds a lot like what he did with his own Mad Pundit site a couple years back but this time, it’s Sunday Paper money, not his.
Wachs is still seeking a job in radio. Von Haessler decided to get out of radio for now, feeling it constrained his creativity.
3/21: Intriguing weekend show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
News/talk WGKA-AM/920 is airing an intriguing show on Saturdays at 6 p.m. called the Hub radio show.
The concept, which has aired since October:
A panel of six young professionals (ranging from late 20’s to mid 40’s), all in the Atlanta area, record every week at bars around Atlanta. A weekly “Hub Pledge” is introduced to the panel and listeners call-in during Live Talkback segments to sound off on the issues the panelists have introduced. Timed “Face-Off” debate segments feature the new pledge on the “hot seat” against another listener-chosen panelist defending his seat on the panel. The program concludes with a tabulation of the listener votes to determine who stays on the panel given their performance on the show that evening.
So far about 25 to 30 people have tried out and half have made the cut to be part of a rotating crew of talkers.
The show had been taped Mondays (and partially live on Saturdays) at Red Door Tavern and temporarily at the Bucket Shop near Lenox Square. Joel Aaron, who works at WGKA in promotions, came up with the concept and plays a Stephen Colbert-style character on the air. Aaron had done similar small-scale discussion groups for eight years at different bars.
He said the radio show draws about 3,000 listeners on Saturday evenings. If it becomes a big hit, he hopes to syndicate the concept.
If you have any questions for Joel or if you’d like to participate, email him at joel@thehubradioshow.com
3/19: Yolanda Adams coming to Praise
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yolanda Adams, the renowned gospel singer, is going to be the syndicated morning host at Praise 97.5 starting Thursday with Larry Jones. She’s been airing her show at a gospel station in Houston for the past few months.
Derek Harper, who is acting program director at Praise, said “we’ll have plenty of access to her. She’ll be in Atlanta quite often.”
Adams will take over for Sonya Hamm, who has been the morning host the past couple of years. She moves to middays while Mike Mitchell moves to afternoons. Connie Flint, who had been on in late afternoons, is on personal leave.
This move gives Praise a shot of celebrity along the lines of Steve Harvey at Grown Folks 102.5. Praise was a huge success out of the gate in 2001 and has been a top 10 performer since but has seen a few wobbles in the ratings of late.
Speaking of Harvey, he is comiing to Atlanta the week of April 17 and 20 and will do a live remote April 20 at a Home Depot off Cascade Road.
Harper also said the breakup between Radio One syndication and Michael Eric Dyson was “amicable.” He said Dyson, who recently left radio and Grown Folks 102.5, is pursuing TV opportunities. He said Radio One (which owns 102.5 and Praise) is seeking a new syndication replacement for that 10 to 1 p.m. slot that Dyson left behind. His station will take whatever syndicated product Radio One gives Grown Folks. Though Harper is frequently approached for a local show in that slot, he said that is not forthcoming in the near future.
3/19: No more Michael Eric Dyson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Erudite author and University of Pennsylvania professor Michael Eric Dyson is no longer doing a radio show and he’s off the air on Grown Folks 102.5 from 10 to 1 p.m. It doesn’t appear as if 102.5 has a permanent replacement yet. Dyson was only on for a few months and his ratings were relatively poor compared to Steve Harvey in the morning and Michael Baisden in the late afternoons.
3/19: New J93.3 morning team
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember the short-lived Gene & Julie morning team on Lite 94.9 back in 2003-05? Their gimmick: they’re actually married!
Well, J93.3, the Christian soft pop station, is going for the same gambit, hiring Jonathon Monk and Dianna Kelly, a married couple with two children. Info about them is a bit scarce on the J93.3 Web site but the pair last worked at an oldies station in Las Vegas in 2005-06. Last summer, that station changed format to Party 93.1 (pop/dance) and the pair lost their jobs. Before that, they worked on a soft rock station Star 102 in Kansas City.
They replace Mike Stiles, who was there for two years.
3/19: This American Life hits the tube
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ira Glass’ popular public radio show, heard locally Sundays on WABE-FM, is being converted to a TV show as well, debuting this Thursday on the pay cable network Showtime. I wrote a story about it in Sunday’s Arts & Books section..
It’s an interesting show and converts well visually. If you have Showtime, it’s worth a look.
3/17: New Bull mid-day jock (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
94.9/The Bull is adding a new mid-day guy named Paul Koffy. He’s at a Clear Channel country station WFUS-FM in Tampa doing afternoons.
Here’s his profile on the WFUS-FM page.
Koffy said he is moving to Atlanta soon.
The Bull is still seeking a new morning show. Lance Houston now helms late afternoons.
3/16: CJ’s life still on hold
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Crystal “CJ” Simpson is still in the Twilight Zone.
Although Fulton County Judge Wendy Shoob earlier this month ruled in her favor over a non-compete clause in her contract at Hot 107.9, the station appealed. This has left her in extended limbo.
CJ left Hot because they never offered to renew her contract, she said. So she got an offer from rival 95.5/The Beat. But Radio One tried to stop that deal by saying she was under a six-month noncompete. Her attorney Daniel Meachum successfully argued before the Fulton County judge that the noncompete was poorly written and even then, she was no longer under contract at the time of her departure at Hot Feb. 2.
But Meachum said as long as the case is pending, Cox Radio won’t give her the co-host morning job at 95.5/The Beat. He’s hoping the Court of Appeals acts quickly.
“Frankly, this is terribly meanspirited,” Meachum said. “They are keeping this woman from working. It’s not like this girl is Ryan Cameron making $600,000 a year. They’re going to spend more on legal fees than her salary. They’re not doing this in good faith.” (C.J. worked for four years on the “A” team, mostly doing work on the streets. The Beat job would be a promotion.)
Her former boss Wayne Brown at Hot 107.9 returned my call while I was at the mall. He said he couldn’t comment on why they chose to enforce the noncompete. (A lawyer friend of mine said it sounds like they are merely trying to keep from having to create a precedent by letting her out of the noncompete since the wording of her noncompete is probably the same as other employment contracts at Radio One.)
He also said he didn’t even know they had appealed the case but said that’s just procedural.
3/16: Former 99Xer Wally gets a gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gary “Wally” Wallace, the former producer for 99X’s Toucher, Leslie & Jimmy show (2003-06), will be moving to Nashville in three weeks to helm the Christian rock night show called “Total Axxess” for a Christian noncommerical syndicated network called www.wayfm.com.
Allaccess broke the news. I just spoke with Wally.
He said he simply couldn’t find a decent job in Atlanta over the past year although he wanted to stay. Since it’s a noncom Christian station, he gets no additional income for remotes or endorsements but he said he makes enough so his wife can raise his kids and he can live comfortably enough. On top of that, he has the freedom to do his own show, plus his kids can listen to it. “On paper, I should be bummed about it. But I’m really excited. It’s kind of a lifestyle thing for me,” he said.
Wayfm is on about 100 small stations nationwide but not in metro Atlanta.
Wally has had a roller coaster career. He was the wild Toucher-style DJ in Orlando, then became a goofy top 40 Disney Radio guy named Zippy, dabbled in more of the edgy stuff with Toucher on 99X and now has segued into the Christian world.
3/15: Ga. Hall of Fame radio inductees
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame today announced the 22 first inductees, all who have passed. The information is from the Web site.
Hudie Brown (1917-1981) - He was known as Cuzzin’ Al in Columbus, Ga. on WGBA and WDAK.
Buddy Carr: (1946-1985) - A top 40 favorite from Augusta.
Jim Davenport III (1930-2005) - Managed and bought WFOM.
Douglas Edwards (1917-1990) - Worked for WSB-AM before making his mark in NY.
Elmo Ellis (1918-2005) - He ran WSB-AM in its formative years and became an iconic figure.
Bobby Harper (1939-2003) - “Skinny” Bobby Harper was a controversial jock at WQXI and worked at several other Atlanta radio stations.
Pat Hughes (??-1968) - He was a key figure during WQXI’s prime years.
Bill Lowery (1924-2004) - He came up with the phrase “Quixie in Dixie” and helped establish the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Zilla Mays (??-1995) - A mainstay on WAOK-AM back in the 1950s.
Bob McKee (1926-1986) - Worked at WAKE and WAOK.
Ed Mendel (1919-1975) - He made a name for himself in Columbus with R&B, jazz and gospel.
Hank Morgan (1918-1995) - The voice of Atlanta Crackers.
William Perryman (1911-1985) - Launched WAOK-AM and its then R&B format.
Helen Farmer Popejoy (??-2007) - The first female newscaster in Macon.
Stan Richards (1932-1985) - Better known as a TV guy at WXIA, he worked the midnight shift at WAKE as “Stan the Man.”
Rod Roddy (1937-2003) - He worked mid-days for WQXI in the early 1960s but is better known as “The Price is Right” announcer.
Dr. Don Rose (1934-2005) - Better known in San Franciso, he did work a couple of years at WQXI in the 1960s.
Guy Sharpe (1929-2004) - Another guy better known for TV as a weatherman, he did start his career at WSB-AM in the 1950s. He did finish up his career at WGFS-AM.
Bob Van Camp (1917-1990) - Chief announcer, music director and morning host at WSB-AM for many years and worked the Fox Theatre organ for years.
Jerry Vandeventer (1926-2003) - He was a hotshot at WSB-AM for many years.
George Weiss (1929-1997) - Founded dominant Augusta top 40 station WBBQ-FM.
Hoyt Wimpy (1895-1982) -He founded Georgia’s third radio station WPAX-AM.
3/14: New radio stations
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How are people enjoying (or not enjoying) the four new or revised radio stations Clear Channel created in November and December.
WGST got rid of their local jocks in November, then added Randy & Spiff a couple weeks ago as their morning hosts. Dave Ramsey now has the afternoon slot.
The Bull is the country station that replaced Lite 94.9
Project 9-6-1 took over for 96rock.
El Patron is where the Buzz used to be.
It’s too early to get a read on the ratings beyond one month’s data, which isn’t enough to make any conclusions. But are people connecting with any of the stations? Are you missing the old stations more?
They’re all works in progress, for sure.
I’ve noticed the Bull has been throwing in an occasional non-country song such as Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty,” the Eagles’ “Tequila Sunrise,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” the Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water” and John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.” Texturally, does that make sense? It’s at least something interesting and different from the Eagle or Kicks.
Project has held its ground in terms of including about one cut an hour that is more classic rock than alternative rock. Among the recent plays: Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and “Whole Lotta Love,” Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” Guns ‘n Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells,” Van Halen’s “You Really Got Me” and Pink Floyd’s “The Happiest Day of Our Lives.”
3/13: Stiles leaving J93.3 morning show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mike Stiles, former producer for Steve & Vikki, is leaving the morning show at Christian pop station J93.3 at the end of this week after two years.
“I wasn’t really doing what I like to do,” Stiles said. “Was I professionally fulfilled? Not really.” J93.3 really aims for a supersafe family and his ability to riff on celebrities and goof around was limited.
Stiles will be pursuing freelance work, including syndication of his comedy characters, work on Sketchworks, a sketch comedy group, and audio monologues for AccessAtlanta.
“I’m not ruling out ever doing drive-time radio again, but as you and I both know, the industry has moved a long way from what it was when I got in it and fell in love with it,” he added in an emaill “Entertainers and creatives don’t seem to be wanted and even when they are, they don’t appear to be very highly valued.”
J93.3 is promising a new morning show next Monday but hasn’t said who, only saying they are a married couple. (No, it’s not former Lite 94.9 morning show hosts Gene & Julie…)
3/13: Kimmer to retire (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson, who was dismissed by WGST-AM after more than a decade of service in November, has decided to retire.
His agent Bob Eatman said he had received a solid job offer last week and told Peterson about it. (He wouldn’t say which station.). But Peterson Monday told Eatman he decided not to take it.
“He’s very intent on relaxing and playing golf,” said Eatman, who also represents former Regular Guy Eric Von Haessler (no radio job at the moment), former 99Xer Jimmy Baron (ditto), WSB-AM’s Clark Howard, Q100’s Bert Weiss and his co-host Jen Hobby. “He’s just ready for that.”
The Kimmer got back to me at 6 p.m. after leaving a golf course in Palm Beach, Fla., where he’s visiting his brother. He said he seriously considered the job, which he wouldn’t identify. “It would have been great. But in my heart of hearts, I don’t want to work for four or five more years. Since I’m able to retire, I’m just calling it quits.”
But he said he might get the bug again, he said, in a couple of years.
He said toward the end of his run at GST, “I was feeling kind of burned out. But I am now enjoying my semiretirement.” Financially, he said he’ll be fine.
On his Web site, www.kimmershow.com, he’s selling two of his prized custom bikes. He’s not doing it for financial reasons, he said. “I’m just downsizing,” he noted. “I have too many toys!” (He has a third bike and a Jag.)
Peterson was best known for his gregarious laugh, his trademark catchphrases (“I gotta go. You’re killing me!” and “Semper Fi!” are just two) and his unwavering patriotism. His ratings did drop off a bit in recent years, along with the rest of WGST. And in his final year, he lost most of his staff, including Wayne “No Offense” Kitchens and Pete Davis.
3/13: Q100 Bert’s wife in car accident (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the middle of the Bert Show this morning, Bert got a call that his pregnant wife Stacey got into a car accident. He left immediately.
Bert said at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Stacey in a full-sized SUV had just dropped his son Hayden from school when she was making a left turn onto Roswell Road off Northridge when a Ford Mustang T-boned her rear passenger side. He’s unsure at what speed the car was going but it flipped the SUV upside down.
A bystander pulled her out. She was mostly uninjured except for some bruises. She told him she was pregnant (28 weeks). He quickly asked for someone to call 911 and within three or four minutes, the ambulance showed up. She ended up at the North Fulton Medical Center for observation and treatment. As of 5 p.m., when Bert called, the baby appeared to be fine. The woman driving the Mustang hurt her collarbone.
Bert said he feels fortunate because it could have been a lot worse. “We caught a lucky, lucky break,” he noted Wednesday morning.
Jeff Dauler, his colleague, gave this account earlier in the day:
Just saw Stacey and Bert. While making a left and turn, her full-size SUV was hit by a Ford Mustang in the rear passenger side. The impact flipped her car onto its roof.
She crawled out with the help of passers-by, and was taken to N Fulton Med Ctr. She’s OK … a few bruises, but otherwise good. Baby seems to be OK, but she’ll be spending the night for observation and tests.
She got pretty lucky, it seems.
3/12: Ga. Radio Hall of Fame created
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WSB’s Mike Kavanagh, 790’s Sam Hale, president John Long and five other veteran Georgia radio broadcasters have decided to create a Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. They will be announcing 22 legacy (meaning, late) members on March 15. The Web site is Georgiaradiohalloffame.org.
Kavanagh said many on-air people felt like they haven’t been given proper recognition. (The Georgia Association of Broadcasters tend to focus on management.) Fellow broadcasters will be able to join the group and vote later this year for 11 more members.
3/9: HD Radio update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wal-Mart recently announced it was going to offer a $190 HD Digital Radio in most major markets, including Atlanta. Given the power of Wal-Mart, this is a major step forward in distribution for HD radio, an option the AM/FM radio companies introduced more than a year ago and continue to promote heavily.
So far, sales have been sluggish. The benefits compared to other options haven’t been compelling given the upfront cost.
HD offers second and sometimes third stations on the same signal. And the clarity is better. But you need a specific radio to reach it.
Here’s a list of HD radio stations in Atlanta. Another list is here. I’m not sure how accurate the lists are. Here’s what I can pick up on my HD radio:
WABE-FM/90.1 offers a full-time classical station at HD2 and a full-time news/talk station on HD3. (It’s the only station I can get offering a third feed.)
Dave FM offers a “deep classic hits” station on its HD2 station.
Star 94 used to offer a Jack-style station and the Zone on its HD stations but right now, they are no longer available. GM Mark Kanov said they had taken it down for a few weeks to tweak it but it should be back up soon. He said it’s going to take three years for HD Radio to have any traction and five years to have any real impact. “It’s not going to be a factor until it is a standard equipment in cars,” Kanov said.
94.9/The Bull is offering another country station it’s dubbing “new country.” (The list at hdradio.com is incorrect.)
Project 9-6-1 offers an adult alternative option on its HD2 station.
B98.5 offers a “lighter” soft rock version on its HD2 station, more akin to what Lite 94.9 used to play. (I just checked and it’s playing James Taylor’s ‘Shower the People,” followed by the Cars’ “Drive”)
99X’s HD2 station offers an adult alternative station it’s callling 99XS. It’s playing Simple Minds’ “Sanctify Yourself” as I type this, then R.E.M.’s “Crush With Eyeliner.”
Kicks 101.5 offers a southern rock/country mix on HD2.
V-103 provides a neo-soul style option at HD2.
Signals that are not offering HD2 stations (at least I can’t pick them up off my radio) include 91.9/Clark Atlanta, Praise, Q100, Grown Folks 102.5, 104.7/The Fish, Smooth Jazz 107.5, and Hot 107.9.
One of the lists says 95.5/The Beat, Kiss 104.1, Eagle 106.7 and 97.1/The River offer HD2 stations but I can’t pick them up.
3/8: Life without the Regular Guys
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nearly five months have passed since the Regular Guys were fired from 96rock and nothing has replaced them. Their crowd really have had no viable alternative on the AM/FM dial. The closest are the two sports stations on the AM dial but in terms of truly going after that younger male crowd, they don’t totally fulfill that mission.
The new 99X morning show, while pleasant enough, lacks the bite of the Regular Guys or their predecessor Fred Toucher and is trying to evoke more of that Morning X vibe circa 1998.
We still await a morning show at Project 9-6-1 and 94.9/The Bull. I get a sense the urgency is greater on the Bull because the Braves are going to start their season soon and the station needs the promotional muscle of a morning show. Meanwhile, who knows if Dave FM, seven months removed from Steve Barnes, will bother at this point to resurrect a full-fledged personality-based morning show anytime soon.
The spring Arbitron period, which starts in two weeks, is considered a crucial quarter, more so than winter or summer. (Most morning show personalities, barring personal emergency, are not allowed vacation time during the spring and fall books.). Will either Project or the Bull have anything ready by March 22? It’s looking more and more doubtful.
3/7: Internet radio in trouble
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The U.S. Copyright Office last week released new performance royalty rates for Internet radio based on number of listeners. The totals as calculated by Radio and Internet Newsletter indicate that most Internet radio stations, from Yahoo to Pandora to AOL, could disappear because the royalty rates are simply too high for the amount of revenue stations receive per listener. The rates are retroactive to last year and AOL alone would owe $20 million, far more than the revenue it receives from its streaming radio stations.
Webcasters have been largely able to up to this point pay a royalty rate based on revenue. [Radio Paradise](http://www.radioparadise.com] pays a 10 to 12 percent performance royalty based on income, which is reasonable enough to keep them going. The new system would mean they’d have to pay 125% of their total revenue.
There’s already a Web site created to address this problem.
Oddly, AM and FM radio pay no performance royalties to record labels because broadcasters decades back successfully argued that they are promotional vehicles for sales. Why this same argument can’t be made for streaming Internet radio stations is odd but it’s probably because record labels wished they could in retrospect get performance royalties from radio airplay in the first place. (Songwriters and publishers such as BMI and ASCAP still get royalties either way.)
3/6: Barnes former dog cancer ridden
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember six months ago when former Dave FM/99Xer Steve Barnes gave up his dog Stoli and got some flak for it? A reader of this blog and former Z93 employee, Shannon Williamson, saw the story and decided to adopt 10-year-old Stoli. A friend of Karen Brinker’s flew the dog to Tennessee where Shannon now lives. But Brinker just send me a note telling me they discovered Stoli had serious cancer of the bladder and will likely die soon. Sad.
3/5: Radio companies to settle payola case
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AP reports that four companies have settled in a sweeping federal payola investigation.
Four major radio broadcast companies have tentatively agreed to pay the government $12.5 million and provide 8,400 half-hour segments of free airtime for independent record labels and local artists in separate settlements aimed at curbing the persistent practice known as “payola,” sources told the Associated Press.
The four companies are Clear Channel (which locally owns WGST, Project 9-6-1, 94.9/The Bull, El Patron, Lite 96.7 and Viva 105.7), CBS Radio (which locally owns Dave FM, V-103 and WAOK-AM), Citadel Broadcasting (in the middle of buying ABC stations Kicks and Eagle) and Entercom Communications (no stations locally that I know of.)
How this would work and at what time periods they would air these indie artists is unclear.
3/3: Dave’s Top 25 of the past 25 years
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The list below proves that Dave fans like male acts (24 out of 25) and some acts who saw their best artistic days before 1982 (Clapton, Bowie, the Rolling Stones.) And there were three acts that got hometown love (REM, Widespread Panic and Black Crowes.) Local acts snubbed: Collective Soul, the B-52s and Indigo Girls.
1. U2
2. Rolling Stones
3. REM
4. Police
5. Talking Heads
6. Tom Petty
7. Bruce Springsteen
8. Dave Matthews Band
9. Nirvana
10. Coldplay
11. David Bowie
12. Eric Clapton
13. INXS
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers
15. Prince
16. Black Crowes
17. Elvis Costello
18. John Mellencamp
19. Duran Duran
20. Widespread Panic
21. Sarah McLachlan
22. Pearl Jam
23. Depeche Mode
24. Peter Gabriel
25. Van Halen
My predicted top 10 a month ago:
- U2 2. R.E.M. 3. Nirvana 4. Dave Matthews Band 5. The Police/Sting 6. Tom Petty 7. Coldplay 8. Talking Heads 9. Red Hot Chili Peppers 10. The Cure.
I did manage to get 8 out of 10 (though not exactly in the right order) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers landed at No. 14. I did pick the No. 1 correctly, which wasn’t that tough. I’m surprised the Cure didn’t even make it in the top 25. I didn’t even think of Bruce, a major omission and I didn’t think the Stones would land so high since their record charting days were already behind them by 1982. But they’d remained influential the past 25 years. And Bruce’s biggest album was in 1984.
3/2: Cindy & Ray’s former producer gets a gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jonathan Hyla, who produced Star 94’s Cindy & Ray show from 2004 to 2006, will be co-hosting an E! talk show on Sirius Satellite radio channel 107. He starts March 26. The show will air 4 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. It’s going to be a pop culture talk show with a guy Michael Yo from Y100.7 in Miami.
He’ll be sharing studio space with Star alum Ryan Seacrest in Los Angeles.
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3/1: Is CJ on her way to the Beat?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Crystal “CJ” Simpson, who spent four years at Hot 107.9 doing mostly on-air and off-air street promotion for the morning show, won a battle Thursday with her former employer which clears the way for her to work at 95.5/The Beat.
According to her attorney Daniel Meachum, Fulton County Judge Wendy Shoob Thursday deemd CJ’s six-month noncompete clause in her contract null and void partly because it was attached to a nondisclosure agreement that didn’t use the same time frame. That’s a technicality, but in Meachum’s mind, it was a poorly written contract and the nondisclosure issue wasn’t applicable to an on-air personality.
In fact, CJ’s contract wasn’t even in force when she left Feb. 2 because it ended Nov. 30, 2006. She worked at Hot for two more months under no contract at all. She said they didn’t attempt to re-sign her at all. So she hunted for another job and the Beat called.
Beat Program Director Lee Cagle offered her a job as co-morning host at 95.5/The Beat with Murph Dawg. That would have been a big step up for her.
When CJ left Hot Feb. 2, she said Hot management told her they would not stop her from improving her career elsewhere. But a few days after she left, she received a letter from Hot saying the station would try to enforce her six-month noncompete after all. Appalled, she got her attorney to fight them and won. “If I had known they were going to enforce it, I wouldn’t have resigned,” she said.
After the letter, Cox withdrew their offer to CJ, but she’s now talking again with the Beat. Cagle declined to comment Thursdsay afternoon.
Unless the Beat has found someone else, I expect CJ will be on the Beat soon
Her former boss Wayne Brown at Hot 107.9 hasn’t returned a call.
CJ said she knew this was all about business and she remains close to not only her former boss and mentor Ryan Cameron, now at V-103, but the “A” Team she left at Hot, including Akini, Beyonce, Griff and Rashan. “I love each and every one of them,” she said. “Business is business and family is family.”
During this month of waiting, the already toned CJ said she has spent three hours a day working out and she’s been spending extra time in church. Now she’s just ready to get to work.
