Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2005 > February
February 2005
XM Satellite raises rates to match Sirius: $12.95 a month as of 4/2/05
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
XM Satellite Radio Expands Basic Service and Announces Price Changes Effective April 2; XM Offers Existing Subscribers Unique Opportunity to Lock in Current Rate for Up to Five Years
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — XM Satellite Radio, the nation’s leading provider of satellite radio with more than 3.2 million subscribers, today announced that it is expanding its basic service package, and that the monthly subscription price for XM’s basic service will increase to $12.95 beginning April 2, 2005. XM is also offering existing customers the unique opportunity to lock in the current $9.99 monthly rate with a one-year prepaid plan and deeper discounts with a two, three, four, or five-year prepaid plan until April 2.
The price change will not affect XM’s Family Plan, which allows XM subscribers to add up to four additional subscriptions for $6.99 a month per radio. Beginning April 2, XM’s expanded basic service will include the Internet service XM Radio Online, which offers more than 70 channels of XM music and talk programming (previously $3.99 per month), and the High Voltage channel, featuring the talk radio duo Opie & Anthony (previously $1.99 per month).
Friday: 680/the Fan, Air America and WSB-AM all do big promo events
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday was a big day for local talk radio, as Air America, 680/The Fan and WSB-AM all held self-celebratory events. First, part-time Atlantan Chuck D and co-hosts Rachel Maddow and Lizz Winstead entertained hundreds of Atlanta liberals at Einstein’s in Midtown for Air America. As Maddow noted, “we’re on a blue island in a sea of red.â€? While technical difficulties kept the trio off the air for a half hour, the crew found time to joke about Zell Miller, Ralph Reed and the ChoicePoint controversy (“I think in this case, I’m anti-choice. . . point,â€? Winstead cracked.) Atlantan and Air America president Jon Sinton received hearty applause when introduced. Later, he told Buzz Air America is now in 8 of the top 10 markets and the local 1690 AM tower will be moving from Memorial Drive & I-285 to Cheshire Bridge Road, providing a stronger signal for the city of Atlanta. Meanwhile, Libertarians rejoiced at the upscale Capital Grille in Buckhead as the WSB-AM Odd Couple, Neal Boortz and Clark Howard found agreement on social security reform and tax reform, bringing in Rep. John Linder for support. Sean Hannity, dubbed “Baby Jesus,â€? even called in, teasing Boortz for not finishing his book. “I’m lazy,“ Boortz cracked. â€?I’m not a motivated person.â€? Finally, 680/The Fan, the Thrashers radio station, lamented the death of the NHL season by driving a Zamboni on Holcomb Bridge Road to TJ’s Sports Bar & Grill Friday afternoon. (The Georgia State Patrol squashed an effort to drive the Zamboni on 400.) “We’re trying to make a positive out of a negative,â€? said John Kincaid, who rode the Zamboni, throwing out T-shirts and waving to curious rubberneckers.
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Melissa Summers, formerly of V-103, Kiss & Praise, leaving town
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Melissa Summers is going to be marketing coordinator for Three Angels Broadcasting Network in West Frankford, Ill, a Seventh Day Adventist network. “They broadcast around the world,” she said. She’s leaving Atlanta on March 6 after 13 years. “It’s bittersweet,” she said. “Atlanta is home.”
Melissa left Kiss at the end of 2001 because of her religious beliefs. Kiss even let her out of her noncompete. She left Praise a year ago because she felt the contract was too draconian.
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Kemi Lane stops raising money for Porsche Foxx//Steak Shapiro has a baby
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Update: After a few days, Kemi stopped raising money for Porsche. I guess Porsche didn’t want the sympathy/pity…
790/The Zone’s Steak Shapiro, of all people, had his first baby! Sophie has more hair than Steak himself probably ever had.
Update on Porsche Foxx’s house fire. Prelim says it was accidental
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ex-DJ’s house fire deemed accident
By SAEED AHMED, MIKE MORRIS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/22/05 An unattended candle may have sparked the fire that destroyed the home of former Atlanta radio personality Porsche Foxx, authorities said Monday.
The Sunday night fire gutted the second floor of the two-story house on Carriage Gate Trail in the Regency, a neighborhood of half-million-dollar homes off Campbellton Road. Part of the roof caved in, and the room where the candle was burning collapsed onto the first floor, officials said.
Investigators were sifting through the debris to determine exactly what happened, but the fire has been deemed accidental, said Fulton County fire Lt. Robin Booth.
Foxx, whose real name is Stephanie Calhoun, was home when the fire broke out about 10:40 p.m.
By the time the first engines arrived 10 minutes later, the second floor was engulfed, Booth said. It took firefighters four hours to bring the blaze under control.
Foxx and her dog escaped unhurt. She could not be reached for comment Monday evening.
The five-bedroom, 3,700-square-foot home was built five years ago and was recently valued at $473,900, according to the county tax assessor. It has been declared uninhabitable.
“Of course, it has affected us,” said neighbor James Doanes.
“It’s a small community and people know people.” He said the subdivision has 95 homes, and residents regularly gather for social activities.
Foxx, the afternoon drive time DJ on V-103 (WVEE-FM), was fired earlier this month, six weeks after DeKalb County police arrested and charged her with driving under the influence, pos- session of marijuana and driving with a suspended license.
Foxx, who has disputed the charges, will be arraigned March 15.
In its time slot, Foxx’s show regularly ranked in the top three most listened-to shows on commercial radio for all age groups.
Foxx, who had been with the station for a little more than five years, was arrested Dec. 19 after she was seen weaving from lane to lane on Bouldercrest Road near I-285.
At the time, she was carrying a license that had been suspended for a previous drunken driving incident, said DeKalb County police spokesman Dale Davis. She also was charged with driving without insurance and with an expired tag, police said.
� Staff writer Bill Montgomery and news researcher Dorothy Shea contributed to this article.
Porsche Foxx’s house burns
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can’t say Porsche Foxx has had much good luck lately:
ajc.com > Metro > Atlanta House of radio personality Foxx burns
By MIKE MORRIS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/21/05
The home of former Atlanta radio personality Porsche Foxx was heavily damaged by fire Sunday night.
The large home, on Carriage Gate Trail in the Regency, a neighborhood of half-million-dollar homes off Campbellton Road, caught fire around 11:40 p.m., according to Fulton County fire dispatchers.
Dispatch supervisor Victor Azar said firefighters had the blaze under control by 3 a.m. No injuries were reported.
It was not immediately known whether Foxx, whose real name is Stephanie Calhoun, was at home at the time the fire broke out.
Foxx was fired from V-103 FM earlier this month, some six weeks after DeKalb County police arrested and charged her with driving under the influence, possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license.
She was arrested on Dec. 19 after an officer spotted her black Nissan Pathfinder weaving from lane to lane on Bouldercrest Road near I-285.
At the time, she was carrying a license that had been suspended for a previous drunken driving incident, according to DeKalb police spokesman Dale Davis.
She was also charged with driving without insurance and with an expired tag, police said.
An arraignment on the December charges is scheduled for March 15.  ÂÂ
 Find this article at: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/0205/21foxxfire.html
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Ryan Cameron’s latest Web site posting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is at www.theryancameronmorningshow.com:
I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the great Super Bowl party on Sunday! Seeing so many faces was definitely refreshing and everyone was real cool the ratio was filled with female fans and the fellas represented fasho. We met the guarantee at the bar so we will be throwing down again next year! My email extreme team represented so you know I got yall EARLY next year! The next event is golf for the foundation on April 16th at Lake Lanier it’s gonna be great and you can link to the site from here for tickets and info! We will be having a family style dinner for people who play or don’t play but want to get away! Shout out to Dr. Collier and Dr. Douglass for taking care of me yall got yall physicals yet in the 05? It’s our future so be here for it. Boy I don’t care what nobody say you are never prepared for the prostate exam” good, googly, moogly but it feels great to know I am A OK fellas get to the Dr.! See yall at the Hawks game or maybe at the circus. My boy Big Ted has the hookups for the best seats from NBA All Star to the Pro Bowl to Dora the Explorer hit’em up and tell’em I told you to call (404-271-4127) and remember you gotta think like me when you read the site we spell Independance day like that cause that’s what’s gonna be !!! We are gonna be dancing from 2 to 6 I already told the 2 live stews that we coming on the air with a bass set maybe start off with scrub the ground! LMAO! Don’t forget to vote on what features you want on the show so we can definitely come correct. Peace out to the homies! Shout out to Ryan and Doug and Beyonce tell Akini gimme my money!   The motto for 05 “We Mak’in Deposits not Withdrawls”!!                    -Ryan
96rock’s Rhodes/Rickman shilling for Reno (the city, not Janet)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Southeast DJ’s pitch Reno to listeners
.c The Associated Press
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Disc jockeys from the Southeast, including North Carolina, are pitching Reno and Lake Tahoe to their listeners from remote broadcasts around the region.
This snow is soooo deep,''Southside” Steve Rickman told listeners of WKLS radio in Atlanta on Tuesday as he and on-air partner Tim Rhodes broadcast from the Resort at Squaw Creek.
It’s part of a $40,000 campaign by a group of tourism interests to promote northern Nevada to new markets accessible through Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
The Regional Marketing Committee hopes the broadcasts will convince listeners to hop flights to Reno on Delta Air Line’s new Atlanta route that began in December.
Radio personalities from LITE FM in Miami; WLOQ in Orlando; and WRAL in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., also were brought to town for the campaign.
The stations began their remote broadcasts Monday from the Silver Legacy in Reno. Live programs were scheduled from the Hyatt Regency at Incline Village on Wednesday; Harveys Lake Tahoe in Stateline on Thursday; and the Peppermill in Reno on Friday.
Between songs, the announcers pitch the region, interview people from ski resorts and hotels, and mention the Delta flight often.
The reason I'm here is to give away two fabulous trips to Reno-Tahoe on Delta Air Lines,'' Ray Thomas of WRAL said to listeners Tuesday.Up here at Squaw Valley we are just about 45 minutes from Reno. Here comes Fleetwood Mac.”
Ronele Klingensmith, spokeswoman for the Regional Marketing Committee, said the group’s $40,000 investment equates to about $1 million in advertising value by reaching so many people in the lucrative tourist markets.
The value of reaching listeners through No. 1 ranked LITE FM in Miami alone is more than $500,000, she said.
Will radio fans in places like North Carolina be interested in visiting Northern Nevada?
I think so,'' said Thomas during a break.It is a really family friendly place, and our radio station is family friendly.”
Other announcers agreed.
All I've heard is Vegas, Vegas, Vegas, and now I'm hearing Reno,'' said Rhodes, who proposed to his girlfriend during a broadcast from Reno on Monday.In Vegas, all you can do is gamble.”
The tour is specifically aimed at attracting skiers.
“There are a lot of ski bums in Atlanta,” Rickman said. Some people will drive to the resorts in New York or West Virginia, he added, but rarely is it worth it.
“You wont do that unless you see they got hit hard (with snow),” he said.
Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com
New night-time jock on Q100
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a “competition” among various jocks, Q100 has signed a contract with Geller, who starts Monday night, replacing Jeff Miles.
http://www.q100atl.com/onair/meetdjs/geller.asp
I found this from a Salt Lake City station he had worked, 97.1 KHYT-FM: http://www.kwlw.com/zj_booth/geller.html
This station has something called “Hot Chick Check In.” Sound familiar?
Hometown: Schenectady, NY
Birthday: 9/14/79
If I weren’t in radio I’d be: In need of some serious ego gratification
Favorite Movies: Fight Club, American Beauty, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Old School, Animal House, Van Wilder
Favorite TV Shows: The Osbournes, SNL, Sports Center, Da Ali G show, A&E’s Biography
Favorite sports teams: NY YANKEES…God bless the “Evil Empire”, Buffalo Bills, NY Rangers
Favorite Actors: Edward Norton, Johnny Depp, Kevin Spacey
Favorite Music I’m into: Blink 182, Sugar cult, Sum41, Linken Park, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, Something Corporate, AFI, Greenday, The Clash
Favorite food: Strawberries
Favorite things I like about a girl: Skater chicks, and punk rock princess’ rule. Its a bonus if they are into skinny pale radio dj’s, it just works out good for me
Turn Offs: Self Centered, uptight, money hungry women…This might just define 90% of the Female population
Favorite animal: My dog…and yes I really did name her “Rick Dees”…
Radio career: WKLI/WKBE-K100, Albany NY. WBPM-B94, Poughkeepsie, NY. WRHT/WCBZ-The HOT-FM, Greenville, NC. KQKQ-Sweet 98, OMAHA. And now 949 ZHT!!!
George Stephanopoulos hangs up on 99X
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
That dial tone 99X listeners heard Wednesday morning was ABC News corespondent George Stephanopoulos hanging up on Fred Toucher, Jimmy Baron and Leslie Fram. The Sunday morning “This Weekâ€? host has been a regular interviewee and a friend to 99X’s various morning shows for the better part of the last decade. So what caused the audio derailment Wednesday? Toucher and Baron pressed the former Clinton White House senior aide about ongoing media reports that ABC may flip-flop Stephanopoulos and veteran “Nightlineâ€? anchor Ted Koppel later this year in an effort to revitalize the long-past-its-prime late night news program and the network’s floundering Sunday morning talking heads parade. “He just told us ‘I’m not going to talk about that’ and hung up on us,â€? Baron told Buzz. “I feel terrible that the interview turned so sour. But we didn’t ask a question that George himself wouldn’t have asked on his program of someone currently in the news.â€? Baron told us that Stephanopoulos emailed him later Wednesday to say that he felt “sand-baggedâ€? by the interview. Earlier, Stephanopoulos was also unhappy when the show asked him about Clinton. So if 99X couldn’t ask about his past or his future, what was the point of talking at all?
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Age of avg. songs on various Atlanta radio stations
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While I have access to Mediabase 24/7, a tracking firm’s database, I’m goofing around with some of the numbers.
Average age of a song on per station over the past 30 days. Youngest to oldest:
The Beat 21 months (early 2003)
Hot 107.9 two years (early 2003)
Star 94: two years (early 2003)
Q100 two years (early 2003)
Buzz two years, 10 months (early 2002)
Viva three years (early 2002)
V103 3 years 6 months (mid 2001)
J93.3 four years six months (mid-2001)
Fish: four years, nine months (mid-2000)
Kicks five years (early 2000)
99X: seven years old (mid-1998)
Jazz: 11.5 years (mid 1993)
Eagle 15 years (1990)
B98.5 15 years (1990)
Dave FM 16 years (1989)
Lite 94.9 21 years (1984)
Kiss: 21 years 8 months (mid-1983)
96rock 28 years (1977)
Cool 105.7 38 years (mid-1967)
% of songs played from the past two years
Q100: 91%
Hot 91%
the Beat 90%
Star 88%
V-103 82%
Buzz 75%
Viva 75%
Kicks 60%
99X: 45%
J93.3 45%
Fish 40%
Jazz 36%
Eagle 23%
Dave FM 17%
B98.5 13% wkdays 9% wknds
Lite 9%
Kiss 6%
96rock <1%
Cool 0%
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Radio notes: Emperor Searcy; 99X vs. Barnes, Q100’s Bert Show “tacky” on cover of Atlanta mag?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hot afternoon guy Emperor Searcy confirmed with Kemi Lane that he is working at Hot 107.9 without a contract and is pondering other options. Wayne Brown, the PD, said he’s still hopeful they’ll come to a deal. He also said they are still of course seeking a morning show but gave no indication of when. “It’s a top priority of course,” he said.
The Toucher morning show Tuesday accused former 99X guy Barnes of faking an interview for the Grammy’s.
“That seems so unconscionable to me as a radio guy,” Wally said
“A lot of top 40 stations fake interviews,” Leslie said. “I think it’s weak to fake an interview.”
(Someone at Dave FM — station folks aren’t allowed to technically talk to me — told me the interview in question with Scott Weiland was real.)
Jimmy & Barnes never got along while Barnes was on the 99X morning show from 1992 to 2003.
Earlier, Jimmy said, “I’m terrified he’ll beat me up. I’m a complete puss.” He noted that there’s a Jersey Mike’s both frequent and Jimmy was paranoid he’d run into Barnes. “When I go to Jersey Mike’s, I’ll peek in to the window shade my head and stick my head in the door to see if the coast is clear.”
“If I worked there and knew this I’d say, ‘Hey Barnes!’ I’d watch you wet your pants!” Wally said.
“You never met him,” Jimmy said. “You’d be scared too.”
“I saw him. He’s a big doofus guy,” Wally said.
“He’s one of those juiced up, beefed up guys.”
“I thought he was afraid to say anything about Barnes because he was afraid he’d get beat up,” Toucher noted.
“He has threatened me more than one time on the show,” Jimmy noted.
Atlanta magazine, for its March issue out this week, has decided to place Q100’s Bert Show on the cover. The cover headline is something like “It’s tacky.. but we can’t stop listening.” The morning show Tuesday seemed hurt by the phrase “tacky.” That doesn’t seem quite right. Occasionally gimmicky, sometimes silly, but tacky isn’t what I’d call it. More later on the actual five-page story once I read it… Here’s the cover: http://www.allthehitsq100.com/bertshow/bertfeature.asp?id=4797
The morning show got the story at 10 a.m. Tuesday and said the photo was great.
“It’s an honor,” Melissa said.
“It makes you relatable to us cos we’re all tacky sometimes,” one caller/supporter said.
“Yes, there are parts of our show that is tacky,” Bert said.
A caller named Lisa said, “The reason I listen to you because you’re so not tacky. I used to listen to Z100 in New York and they are tacky.”
Melissa: “I’m the least concerned of everybody. It’s Atlanta magazine. They have the right to do whatever they want to do.”
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Bert said. “It’s an incredible honor. It’s fantastic publicity for the morning show.”
Jeff has finished reading it. “I feel better.”
Hobby: “Thanks for not printing “tacky” as big as the word “Atlanta magazine.”
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Press releases: Kicks 101.5’s Country Fair set// Tim Rhodes proposes to girlfriend live on air
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tim Rhodes, Mr. Bachelor for many moons, actually proposed to his girlfriend on air on Valentine’s Day. Awww….
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
96ROCK’S TIM RHODES ENGAGED Atlanta’s Classic Rock Station Afternoon Host Proposes Live On The Air
ATLANTA, GA: WKLS 96rock’s afternoon personality Tim Rhodes knows how to do Valentine’s Day right. Not to be shown up by his sidekick Southside Steve who sent his girlfriend jewelry, Rhodes asked his girlfriend, Kellie O’Connor to marry him live on the air.
Rhodes, who was broadcasting live from Reno Tahoe, got the urge suddenly when two girls walked by the broadcast in wedding gowns giving Rhodes the idea to call his girlfriend on the air immediately. Telling O’Connor that she touches all five of his senses, Rhodes asked her to be his bride. O’Connor wasn’t sure if she was part of an on air bit or if this was a real proposal.
Once assured that it was for real, Rhodes promised to make O’Connor the “happiest woman ever.â€? O’Connor quickly replied, “yesâ€? and they both broke down into tears.
Southside and Rhodes will be broadcasting the remainder of the week from Reno Tahoe, when he returns to Atlanta the happy couple will start planning a wedding.
PRESS RELEASE
COUNTRY FAIR 2005
TWO DAYS OF COUNTRY’S HOTTEST MUSIC
AT HIFI BUYS AMPHITHEATRE
MAY 20 & 21, 2005
TICKETS ON SALE THIS SATURDAY AT 10AM!
For immediate release For more information contact:
February 14, 2005 Christy Ullman (770) 563-8506
Atlanta’s Country Stations, KICKS 101.5 and EAGLE 106.7, announce their 8th Annual COUNTRY FAIR! For the second year in a row, HiFi Buys Amphitheatre will be the site for the two-day country music extravaganza, scheduled for May 20 and 21, 2005. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, February 19, at 10am at all ticketmaster outlets, for as little as $5.00!
The lineup for COUNTRY FAIR 2005 is bigger and better than ever with some of the hottest names in country music gracing the GMC Trucks SuperStage. Sugarland, Gary Allan, and Big & Rich are the featured acts on Friday, May 20, and Billy Ray Cyrus, Blake Shelton, LeAnn Rimes and Rascal Flatts will headline on Saturday May 21. In addition to these awesome names, Country Fair will also host some of country’s fastest rising stars and a great classic country artist during the “Pre-Concert Party� Friday and Saturday on the “AJCJobs.com Honky Tonk Stage�. T. Graham Brown will rock the house on Friday, and Shelly Fairchild, Jamie O’Neal and Craig Morgan get the party off to a great start on Saturday!
Ticket prices are an awesome value! Lawn seats will be available for $5.00, and reserved seats will be available for $10.00 (uncovered) and $25.00 (covered). At those low prices, tickets are sure to go fast, so act now and purchase your tickets early!
Kicks 101.5 and Eagle 106.7 loyal listeners will have a chance to purchase tickets early through a very special internet presale offer starting at 10am this Thursday through 5p Friday. Simply log-on to www.kicks1015.com or www.eagle1067fm.com to obtain the special password!
Tickets to the public go on sale at 10am this Saturday, February 19, at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at 404-249-6400, or via the internet at www.ticketmaster.com.
#
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Jamie Massey-found!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jamie Massey, former traffic gal for Steve & Vikki’s morning show til this past fall, is out of radio and may not come back, Tom Sullivan told me Monday morning during the “Kiss Off” competition at the Westin Star 94 was doing. (Couples had to kiss with the string of a big helium balloon between their lips—the winners held on for four hours and got a trip to Jamaica).
Massey, he said, has a vet boyfriend and spends time massaging horses in Buford, Ga. My attempts to reach her have failed. (I may have had the wrong email address and her cel phone apparently went kaput because it fell into some horse dung, Tom said.)
She had an engaging style about her and it’d be too bad if she’s no longer in radio. But maybe she got it out of system! :)
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Former V-103 sports guy Griff on Hot this morning—but it’s temporary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Griff, the standup comic, who worked with Frank Ski in 1999-2001 as his sports guy before Chuck Smith, popped in today to help out with Rashan & CJ on Hot 107.9. But Griff told me he’s NOT gunning for Ryan’s job. “I’m just hangin’,” he said. “These are my hy homegirls.” He insisted, “I’m a freelance comedian.” He said he’ll be back Monday to talk about the Grammy’s. You can catch Griff every Thursday night doing comedy at Cafe 290, across from the Punchline Comedy Club on Hilderbrand.
Slower week. Radio notes…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not too much going on this week after all the Ryan brouhaha last week. Ryan did show up at an Infinity Broadcasting luncheon yesterday for advertisers (that is V-103 and Dave FM). I wasn’t invited so I only heard about it second hand. Michelle Engel, the impossible-to-get-hold-of program director at Dave, was apparently there, too. She refuses to meet me, much less talk to me. Oh, well.
Regular Guys rumors flying around but nothing I can remotely say is concrete enough to even mention here.
And here’s a bit about Rhubarb Jones of Eagle 106.7 and his 20 years on air:
Twenty years ago, Rhubarb Jones woke up at 1 a.m. for his first morning gig at Y106 (now Eagle). “I was so excited,” he said. The country station did a corny bit in which he was supposedly on a moving truck on I-85, late for work. It wasn’t exactly great radio but Rhubarb (referencing him by his generic last name would be wrong) found a formula that outlasted his original bosses and rivals such as Moby. And to celebrate 20 consecutive years as a morning host at the same station, Atlanta’s good ol’ boy partied Friday morning at a Waffle House off Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw. “Atlanta is home,” said Rhubarb, who has been feted his week by the likes of Atlanta comic Ron White and local boy Travis Tritt. “I’ve gotten offers to go to other cities like Los Angeles but no way.” He said his success has been to keep it simple and keep it real. “I love the people and I love the music,” he said. The 53-year-old has four years left on a five-year contract and has no plans to go anywhere else anytime soon. As Rhubarb finished his show Friday morning, he cut off his mike, looked around and joked, “Nobody died!”
So which stations play more unique songs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Your iPod might have 1,000 songs on it. How many unique songs does a radio station actually carry in a given week?
I got temporary access to the databases at Mediabase 24/7, a tracking firm. Here’s what a few local stations carry in terms of different songs. Most extreme cases: Eagle is very deep for its format; the Beat is extremely shallow. Dave isn’t as deep as other adult alternative stations.
Star 94: 176 (That’s fairly tight even for a top 40 station)
Q100: 236 (about average for a top 40 station)
B98.5: 321 (well below the typical for an AC station)
Lite 94.9: 610 (that’s above average for an AC station)
Cool 105.7: 710 (That’s more than typical among oldies stations)
96rock: 469 (a little below average compared to other classic rock stations but the station also loses 4 hours a day to an all-talk morning show)
99X: 539 (that’s much deeper than is typical of alternative stations—specialty shows help)
Buzz: 231 (that’s the tightest alternative rock playlist in the country but the station plays 70 more songs per day than 99X)
Kiss 104.1: 711 (that’s higher than most urban AC stations)
Eagle 106.7: 729 (third highest in the country among all country stations!) Kicks 101.5: 473 (about average for a country hits station)
dave FM: 605(24th out of 29 among adult alternative stations so not nearly as adventurous as meets the eye)
V-103: 400 (about average for an urban station. V-103 plays 35 fewer songs per day than Hot or about 1.3 songs per hour, which reflects more advertising and talk)
Hot 107.9: 376
95.5/The Beat: 109 (the second smallest playlist in the country among rhythmic top 40s)
And who actually spins more songs on average per day: Lite or B98.5?? It’s a close call, virtually a tie. In the last week, WSB-FM spun 298 songs while Lite played 290 per day. In both cases, that’s slightly higher than average for AC stations. Since Lite does Delilah at night, it plays fewer songs in the evening than B98.5 but Lite plays more songs during the day though the differences in the day are marginal at best.
Ryan will be on “2 Live Stews” Monday 2/6 2-4 p.m.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Due to his non-compete on his Hot 107.9 contract, Ryan Cameron is not allowed to be on the radio of any competing “urban” station i.e. Jamz, V-103 (his new employer), the Beat, et. al. until July 1. But one loophole is the urban-leaning “2 Live Stews” show on sports talk 790/The Zone. So if you can actually GET 790/The Zone from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday February 7, check out Ryan gabbing with the other Ryan, Ryan Stewart and his brother Doug.
This is no coincidence. Ryan is a mentor to the fast-rising Stewart brothers and introduced them to his agent, Norm Schrutt. Now the Stewarts are repped by Norm, too. Norm, by the way, also reps Mara Davis, mid-days at Dave; Fred Toucher, morning guy at 99X; and Christopher Rude, morning man at 680/The fan. He used to rep Moby, formerly of Kicks, and Cadillac Jack, currently still at Kicks in drivetime. Norm used to be the head of ABC/Cap Cities radio here in Atlanta—Kicks & Eagle.
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Ryan’s statement on his Web site
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are Ryan’s comments from www.theryancameronmorningshow.com. He sounds downright giddy! :)
“Fans of the RCMS what’s up? God is good! I just wanted to personally thank all of you for your support during this deal! I know you may still have your mouth open so let me clear up some stuff! The RCMS had the run it was supposed to but right now think about how crunk it’s gonna be when you are stuck in traffic coming home! I got you! I can do everything I need to do to be a better father and family man cause I can now spend the quality time at home remember my brood are the age of 6, 3, and 1 and now daddy can do just about anything with the family. There is nothing and I mean nothing bad about this deal except for ego trippers which I checked along time ago. Everyone wants opportunity, growth and security at least those who are true fans of me and what I do. Now some want to speculate and hate but that’s part of life too I will see you soon! Life is great and remember sports fans A-Rod went to the Yankees to make the Yankees better and he knew they had a shortstop already by the name of Derek Jeter! So he moved to third base! I am the fiercest competitor in everything I do what’s done is done and now at my home, my original home V 103 I get to do it like I was doin it for TV! I’ll tell all in a book someday LMAO’ but until this let’s ride! C.J. and Rashan I love you! Mad Mike, Rudy and Sweetie Dee Dee let’s do this! C ya Super Bowl Sunday if you got tickets, if not you’ll be seeing me everywhere until July 4th my first day on the air! INDEPENDENCE DAY! And Beyonce go get that money and Akini man when you gonna pay me my money? Don’t make me have to crash the Cotton Club! To the ATL yo boy is gonna stay! You held me down! And I love you for that foe liiiife ! Big shout to the nupes we gotta achieve brothers!
                                       -Ryan Cameron              ÂÂ
Interesting blog about 99X
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since I’m doing a blog, I may as well note another one. Some guy named Jim recently started a site called www.99xwatch.org in which he basically critiques conservative comments made on the Toucher, Jimmy & Leslie morning show. Here’s his original item:
Why We’re Here In October of 2003, WNNX Atlanta (“99X”) debuted its new morning show: “The Don Miller Morning Show”. Leading a cast of both familiar and new personalities, Fred Toettcher aka Toucher, brought a Howard Sternesqe brand of humor that had been missing from Atlanta radio. In Early 2004, two events converged. The New Hampshire Primary, January 27th, signaled the beginning of the Presidential Campaign. The Superbowl, February 1, brought Janet Jackson’s breasts into the national spotlight causing an already conservative FCC to clamp down further on free speech. Toucher reacted by openly endorsing John Kerry and criticizing George Bush at every opportunity. Toucher’s opinions were balanced by those of admitted Right Wing Conservatives Gary “Wally”: Wallace and Christopher Callandro.
On June 17, 2004, a poorly thought out parody called Babies Can’t Wait, resulted in the firing of then Program Director Chris Williams. Things began to change. The show’s name changed and so did the show’s political composition. More time was given to the opinions of Wallace, Callandro, and conservative callers, less time was given to any progressive viewpoints.
Susquehanna Radio Corp at this moment has 33 radio stations. While 99X likes to market it self as “forward thinking,” Susquehanna, though not as visible as a Clear Channel, stood to gain a great deal from a Bush reelection, due to the consolidation friendly policies of Michael Powell and the Bush picked FCC. Leslie Fram, 99X’s program director, deservedly earned a reputation early in her tenure for breaking unsigned or independent label artists. Today, however, the vast majority of new music played on 99x comes from major record labels. 99X may like to project the image of Jack White, but its reality is closer to Jack Welsh.
Did 99X Management instruct Toucher and company to stop giving progressive opinions while turning a blind eye to any conservative ones? Was the firing of Chris Williams a sword of Damocles used to supress liberal speech? Does 99X turn a blind eye to statements that are offensive to progressives? Tune in.
Q&As with Ryan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I freely admit I missed the boat on this one. Somebody only suggested the scenerio to me 30 minutes before Ryan’s press conference. The reason I didn’t put two and two together was that I never envisioned Ryan would consider afternoons because the perception is that’s a step down. And Ryan would never consider a step down.
But this is not necessarily the case. Afternoon drivetime audiences are just as large as those in the morning, though conventional wisdom is they are not as attuned to morning jibber-jabber. That also may not be true. Look at Cindy & Ray at Star 94. They are doing just fine talking almost as much as Steve & Vikki. And look at Clark & Sean at WSB-AM and the Kimmer. All talk there! Plus, there’s the possibility of him going mornings eventually on the big station. That’s king of the hill for Ryan, no doubt.
Until July 1, Ryan will be doing sales calls, helping out younger jocks, attending V-103 events, making TV appearances (I saw him on UPN Thurs night) and showing up “2 Live Stews.” He’ll be around. He’s even got a Super Bowl party at 755 Club this Sunday.
Excerpts from the press conference and a later interview I did with him:
“(Radio One) said they couldn’t afford me and it was that they didn’t want to afford me. They just gave Tom Joyner $56 million. So it was about the fact that V-103 came to me with all the right things. Everything. They had a plan. We went to No. 1 without marketing or TV commercials. It was based on the show. That’s a struggle after awhile. The big station is exactly what it is. (V-103 PD) Tony (Brown) has sat down with me and presented how we are going to do it. A plan of attack.”
“They showed me how big the company is, how big Viacom is. MTV. BET. CBS. Nickelodeon. I believe that we need somebody can do urban music what Ryan Seacrest did with pop. He’s got a countdown show, a TV show, this and that. You have to have to be on the inside to have an opportunity like that. The skies the limit with opportunity.”
“I do want to say that people ask, ‘What’s wrong with Hot?’Mistakes were made. I learned a long time ago that the best thing to do in business is not make emotional decisions. It will always come back to haunt you. And I believe it was based on emotions.”
“When this came about. I never thought this was in the picture. But when Tony and Rick (Caffey, V-103 General Manager) came to me, they had everything together. They went to meetings in Miami and the company as a whole decided that they had gotten away with talent and too much on the bottom line.”
“I think in the past the best money was in morning drive. If morning guys can make morning money in the afternoon, there’d be nobody on the air in the mornings! Now I can do whatever I want to do! There’s no downside.”
“The offer we had to move [to Texas for syndication] was a lot of money. But we were never going to consider that once you added the money when it came to leaving my daughter (her six year daughter from a prior relationship). The money can’t replace her coming up to me and say, ‘Daddy’ as opposed to me meeting her at the airport.”
“I have so much respect for the people at Radio One. The talent, the on air staff, the management. But there comes a time in everyone’s career that you have to realize that - I’d be doing my show like this (he leans back) I was getting bored. The battle was getting tired.”
About Radio One & the contract problems: “The thing that bothered me the most was when they wouldn’t let me promote my bowling charity event on Thanksgiving. ‘You haven’t signed this contract, we won’t let you promote this event.’ Why would you do that when we’re helping people. The writing was on the wall. That’s when I started cleaning out my office… Their goal was for me to lose. ‘We’re going to teach you a lesson.’ “
For his new show, minus CJ and Rashan: “Look at it as a morning drive show in the afternoon. They are not going to take away my personality. We’re going to have the same features and entertainment and Friday song. Chris Tucker is going to come in and do a new rap. It’s about to go down in a major way on a bigger signal. Trust me.”
Ryan re-joins V-103, taking over Porsche’s spot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, all my speculation was dead wrong about Ryan Cameron:
The former morning host for Hot 107.9 said Thursday he was taking the afternoon slot at rival V-103. Cameron started his career in 1990 as an intern and later, the night jock.
At the same time, V-103 fired afternoon DJ Porsche Foxx six weeks after Dekalb County police arrested her for driving under the influence, possession of pot and a suspended license. “I can’t talk to you at this time,” Foxx said.
Cameron won’t be able to go on air until July 1 because of a non-compete clause in his Hot 107.9 contract, which expired at the end of last year.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Cameron said. “There isnothing bad about this deal — nothing.” Now that he’ll be on from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., “I can make an 8 a.m. tee time. I can still have dinner with my wife and not have to wake up at 3:45 a.m. I can drive my kids to school.”
Afternoons are not considered as prestigious as mornings, but V-103 Program Director Tony Brown promised to give Cameron a lot of leeway. “Ryan will be doing the same thing he’s been doing — big personality-driven radio regardless of the time.”
Mary Catherine Sneed, chief operating officer at Hot’s parent company Radio One, acknowledged that efforts to re-sign him went awry. “I feel very very sad,” she said. “It was the most uncomfortable negotiation I’ve ever done.”
Sneed hired Cameron at V-103 when she was there in 1991 and then lured him to Hot in 1996.
“V-103 gave me the respect I felt I deserved,” Cameron said of the negotiations. He didn’t feel Hot treated him well during the negotiations, not meeting him face to face, relying more on Blackberry emails.
Sneed said she’s not sure who is going to replace Cameron’s morning slot at Hot. (Rashan & CJ are not going to join Ryan, he said.)
“These are big shoes they’ve got to fill,” Cameron noted. “Good luck on that. But I have moved on.” Cameron’s arrival quickly fueled speculation about the future of V-103 morning man Frank Ski.
Ski was impressively classy about it. “It was a power move that strengthen’s V-103’s force in the market,” Ski said. “The bigger the station gets, the bigger I do. My thing is to keep my value up.”
Kemi Lane, an Atlanta on-line media watcher who operates the Web site www.keminications.com, believes “Ryan is going to want that morning spot eventually.”
Cameron, who made about $500,000 a year at R&B/hip-hop oriented Hot, didn’t reveal his new salary or the length of the contract. He compared his situation to that of baseball superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who joined the Yankees last year and moved to third base to accommodate existing shortstop Derek Jeter.
“People said it was about money,” Cameron said. “It was never about that. It was about opportunity. There are no brick walls at V-103.”
V-103 has been the pre-eminent station targeting African Americans in Atlanta for more than 20 years and is owned by Viacom, which also operates MTV, CBS and BET.
Even Cameron admitted this was not something he expected until it happened. While at Hot last year, Cameron got some of his best ratings in his career, beating V-103 three times in the past six Arbitron ratings quarters among 18- to 34-year-olds.
He said he rejected Hot’s first offer for a new contract in the fall and negotiations stalled.
The station asked him to relinquish his access card two weeks before his contract expired, Cameron said. He knew it was over. “It was a bitter, bitter divorce,” he said.
I’ll post a Q&A I did with Ryan today once I have time to transcribe it!
Grasping at straws. My final read on Ryan before the press conference
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have nothing solid so this is reading tea leaves here but here’s my take on things 14 hours before the press conference to announce Ryan’s future Thurs at 1 p.m.
** I think Hot & Ryan talked again but they could not come to agreement — again. I think Hot may have had some hopes of coming to an agreement, which is why the Hot sub Russ Parr said there’d be an announcement this week.
If they had a deal, why would he wait until tomorrow to announce it? What’s the point of waiting?
** So I figure he had to have an alternative offer on the table Monday that he considered and took. But whatever radio station is taking him has to get its ducks in the row before it can announce Ryan’s arrival because they have to fire somebody to get Ryan. It’s possible this morning show may not even know it’s going to be let go until 10 a.m. tomorrow.
His press conference gives that radio station enough time to usher the other show personalities out the door.
** I suspect he will stay in Atlanta in some fashion. Why? He’s holding the press conference in Atlanta. Sure, he could just be saying goodbye to his hometown so that is pure supposition.
** He might move to Dallas or Houston and syndicate in some way here in Atlanta, perhaps at Jamz. This way, another company (Service in Dallas or Univision in Houston or a syndication company) pays him the big bucks and Cox Radio, which owns Jamz, will only have to pay syndication fees or give up some ad dollars to Ryan’s syndicator.
** Or he might have signed with a syndicator and will beam his show into some market in Texas out of Atlanta and is still seeking a spot in Atlanta. Or he might have a deal already with an Atlanta station.
For folks who don’t know how syndication works—it’s pretty simple. A company such as Premiere (which reps Rush Limbaugh) solicits other stations to pick up Rush’s show. Typically a new show will offer its show for free in exchange for ad time each hour. As a show gets more popular, a station will end up having to pay for the privilege of airing said personality. Said personality then makes a LOT of money if he or she can get on tons of stations. Look at Tom Joyner.
I’ve thrown out so many scenerios the past few days, I’m sure I’ll be right in some way shape or form. Then again, nobody has ever accused me of being a great prognosticator! :) And since I can edit these entries, I can just erase this entry into oblivion tomorrow the minute I find out I was completely off the mark!
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Radio notes: Dr. Laura on XM Satellite; Royal roast; Q100 names night-time showdown winner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Taken off the air last year on WGST-AM after a decade stint in Atlanta (first on WSB-AM), America’s schoolmarm Dr. Laura Schlessinger will now be heard on XM Satellite Radio for subscribers along with G. Gordon Liddy. The fact more big names are coming on satellite says a lot about the growing populartiy of the medium.
The winner of the Q100 Night Show Showdown has been named…Geller from KZHT/Salt Lake City. The local guy Carter didn’t make it and neither did that StayPuff crew from Philly.
And here’s what I wrote about Royal Marshall’s roast on Feb. 2, which was a lot funnier than last year’s roast for Herb Emory. Marshall’s rampant Playboy ways helped:
Team Georgia, a highway safety advocacy group, gave WSB-AM’s Royal Marshall the celebrity roast treatment Wednesday night at the Buckhead JW Marriott. Surprisingly, it was funny, thanks especially to WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum and Marshall’s workplace partners-in-crime, Neal Boortz and Belinda Skelton. Marshall’s Lothario past made for easy fodder â€â€? even in front of his mom. Skelton related Marshall’s love for travel and his “accomplishmentsâ€? in terms of sampling the world’s, um, wares. Arum read off fake e-mails from folks who couldn’t make the festivities, including: “Even though you bailed out on me as my wingman, all the best.” DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones. “Don’t forget to pick up my dry cleaning.â€? â€â€? Ex-Atlantan and talk show superstar Sean Hannity. And “Ha ha ha ha!â€? â€â€? Michael Savage. That last one got some boos because WSB-AM recently axed Marshall’s much-beloved local nighttime talk show “The Royal Treatmentâ€? in favor of the syndicated conservative talker Savage. Boortz also told a story about how he once awarded Marshall tickets for two on a cruise. He was shocked when Marshall took another guy along. But Marshall had a good rationale: “You don’t take sand to the beach!â€?
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