Media Notebook (May 1)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer





Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK


Media Conglomerates Look to Make More Deals
(The Hollywood Reporter) George Szalai writes: "It's the economy, stupid! As media and entertainment conglomerate earnings season kicks into high gear this week, Wall Street will look for signs of how the sluggish U.S. economy has affected sector biggies in the first quarter and guidance on how consumer and advertising spending will play out as the year unfolds. Deal talk also will be a hot topic during earnings calls as Time Warner and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. have been looking at plays for Yahoo; Murdoch has closed in on a deal for Tribune's Newsday; and Viacom has unveiled its surprising joint venture with MGM and Lionsgate for a premium TV offering."


Has Arianna Huffington been banned from NBC and MSNBC?
(New York Post) Keith J. Kelly writes: "Arianna Huffington claims that she was banished from NBC News shows because her new book, 'Right is Wrong,' blasted 'Meet the Press' anchor Tim Russert. Her new book, which is slated to hit later this week carries the sub title, 'How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution and Made Us All Less Safe.' Huffington dubs him 'EZ Pass' Russert because she claims his softball questions give the Washington elite a free wave-through when they appear on his shows. While he may ask a tough opening question, he usually lets his guests dance away from the jabs, she claims. Sources said that Huffington was at a dinner in the home of Barbara Walters on Tuesday night when she heard that word had come down from on high that she no longer appear on NBC or MSNBC, where talk show hosts Keith Olbermann, Joe Scarborough and Dan Abrams were all interested in booking her."
(Rick's note: Still think there is a liberal media?)

The man who goes through the videotape for the Daily Show
(Washington Post) Paul Farhi writes: "Adam Chodikoff, 37, doesn't perform on the show or write the gags that pepper Stewart's take on the day's news. But as the show's chief researcher and video wiz, he's the vital link in the program's comedic ecosystem. Chodikoff's job is to dig through the vast quarry of TV news footage to find the nuggets that form the program's pointed, often eye-opening 'reporting.' In a manner of speaking, he's an investigative humorist. At its best, Chodikoff's work goes beyond satire and into the realm of cold truth-telling. The show has particularly made doublespeak about the Iraq war a continuing theme in a running segment called "Mess O'Potamia." After Vice President Cheney told ABC News last month that "you can't be blown off course" by negative opinion polls about the war, Chodikoff found the perfect counterpoint: Cheney, in a clip from December 2005, justifying the White House's Iraq policy by citing . . . an opinion poll."



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The National Association of Broadcasters strain credulity
(TV Week) Broadcasters are warning the Federal Communications Commission against requiring additional local broadcast content or more evidence of local public service during license renewal. Responding to suggestions from consumer groups and some legislators that local content and “public interest” are casualties in media mergers and proposals from the FCC to do more, the broadcasters say there is little evidence of problems under the existing rules, and additional ones are unnecessary and ill-advised... “Burdensome and intrusive regulation cannot be justified by unquantified and unproven suggestions that not all broadcasters are providing some appropriate level of service.” The NAB also argued that serving the best needs of the local community doesn’t necessarily mean doing so with local content.
(Rick's note: My favorite comment: "Local content isn't needed to serve the local community." I'm just happy the NAB has finally taken my suggestion and hired real comedy writers.)


FCC's Martin under fire in committee probe
(Radio Online) FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin might be called to defend his leadership of the agency, according to a report in The Washington Post. A memo obtained by the newspaper from the Commerce and Energy Committee's staff to chairman Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI) says "that the FCC process appears broken and most of the blame appears to rest with Chairman Martin." Reportedly, Martin has been criticized by the FCC's own staff members for carrying an agenda that included loosening of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban and a proposed a la carte pricing for cable TV. He's also been accused of suppressing agency studies that didn't support his agenda.


WLS Boss Quits after making cutbacks
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "Still reeling from budget cuts, massive layoffs and disappointing ratings, news/talk WLS-AM (890) lost its top boss Tuesday. In an unexpected move, John Gallagher resigned after more than three years as president and general manager of the Citadel Broadcasting station. No reason was cited, but sources close to Gallagher said he had been feeling increasing frustration since Citadel took over the station last year from Walt Disney Co.'s ABC Radio. On orders from Citadel last February, he eliminated more than a dozen jobs and virtually gutted the news department."





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Hollywood taking sides in Net Neutrality Debate
(LA Times) Jim Puzzanghera writes: "Net neutrality is a complicated issue with a wonky name. But as Congress and the Federal Communications Commission consider banning discriminatory practices on the Internet, the entertainment industry is starting to take notice -- and sides. Major movie studios and record labels are concerned that net neutrality could eliminate a potential tool for fighting online piracy. Meanwhile, independent artists want to ensure that they can disseminate their work freely."



Craig Ferguson to Newsers: "You Cranky, Magnificent Bastards"
(TV Newser) It may have been George W. Bush's final White House Correspondents' Association dinner as president, but Craig Ferguson stole the show. 3,000 people packed the ballroom at the Washington Hilton last night for the annual dinner, where Hollywood met Washington, with a stopover in Glasgow. Unlike some past entertainers, the crowd warmed to Ferguson's performance. The Scottish-born comic took the requisite shots: Vice President Cheney "is already moving out of his residence. It takes longer than you think to pack up an entire dungeon;" about the "feud" between Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann: "What I see is sexual tension;" and at The New York Times who stayed away from this year's dinner: "They felt that this event undercuts the credibility of the press. It's funny, you see, I thought that Jayson Blair and Judy Miller took care of that...Shut the hell up, New York Times, you sanctimonious whining jerks!" Ferguson ended poignantly. Rolling up his speech and jamming it in his breast pocket, he spoke of the pride of becoming a U.S. citizen in February and what he loves most about Americans. "Please, never, ever, ever agree with each other. Never stop arguing, never stop fighting. You cranky, magnificent bastards."


Senate votes to overturn FCC on media ownership
(Bloomberg) Todd Shields writes: "A U.S. Senate committee voted to reverse a federal rule that lets media companies including Tribune Co. and News Corp. own a broadcast station and daily newspaper in the 20 largest markets. The Federal Communications Commission's Republican majority voted in December to allow such combinations. The Senate Commerce Committee voted today to nullify the action. The measure needs approval of both houses of the Democratic- controlled Congress and President George W. Bush's signature. His administration has said the measure faces a veto. The sponsor, Senator Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, told reporters the resolution had enough support to pass the Senate and likely the House. It won the committee's support on a unanimous voice vote with members of both parties present."



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Jimmy Fallon headed for Late Night
(Variety) Josef Adalian writes: "NBC will officially name Jimmy Fallon as Conan O'Brien's 'Late Night' replacement within the next few weeks, if not sooner, Peacock insiders said Thursday. Net had been planning to introduce Fallon to advertisers at its NBC Universal 'experience,' the May 12 theme park-like presentation at 30 Rock in New York that's taking the place of NBC's traditional upfront. Net is also expected to reveal details of O'Brien's transition from 'Late Night' to host of 'The Tonight Show.'"



TV Crew members still feeling effects of Writer's Strike
(LA Times) Richard Verrier writes: "The writers strike ended two months ago. But many in Hollywood remain on the brink. Some are at risk of losing their homes. Some can't afford groceries. Others have filed for bankruptcy. Still others struggle to work enough hours to hold on to their health insurance. Across Los Angeles, many crew members who work behind the scenes and on the sets of television shows and movies are still quaking from the temblor of the 100-day writers strike that shut down scripted TV production."


Bill Clinton "woefully unprepared for 21st century media"
(Broadcasting & Cable) As NBC News political director Chuck Todd sees it, none has gotten burned by this new-media phenomenon quite like former President Bill Clinton. “It’s fascinating: Nobody’s been a bigger victim of the so-called YouTube moments than Bill Clinton,” Todd said. “I think Bill Clinton was woefully unprepared for 21st Century media.” Although Clinton caught a glimpse of the digital future when he was president and a little-known Internet gadfly named Matt Drudge broke the Monica Lewinsky story, he was never subjected to the kind of unblinking scrutiny of today’s media environment. When Clinton was running for president, Todd said, he and his fellow candidates could misspeak -- and even willfully obfuscate -- with relative impunity. “It was like a Jedi mind trick with him,” he added. “It would take a few days for the media to catch up [and] by then he had moved on.”





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RIP: Big Ron O'Brien
(Classic Rock FM) Dan Kelley writes: "I was saddened to learn tonight that Ron O'Brien has passed. I remember him so well from his days at WCFL/Chicago back in the 70s - and later at KFI/Los Angeles (which boomed into Santa Fe when I lived there; and in CQUAM stereo too!). Big Ron was part of an era of Chicago radio of all-star talent. Ron was a fantastic jock who never failed to deliver. Great pipes and energy, tight, yet relaxed and comfortable - combined with great personality. A radio natural."


An interview with Cindy Gatziolis
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with former WLUP and WMAQ promotional guru, Cindy Gatziolis. Cindy is now the director of the Mayor's office of special events, but she still has many fond memories from her radio career, and great stories about the likes of Larry Lujack, Steve & Garry, and Johnny B. Coming this weekend, an interview with former WLS News Director Steve Scott.

Suburban Man: That tone of voice

By Rick Kaempfer





It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard.

You know the tone of voice. The tone of voice that infers “You’re a Moron” without even saying it. It’s the tone of voice that leaves children whimpering.

When I hear it coming out of another parent’s mouth, I cringe. I’m not judging them–I feel for them. I know they don’t want to do it. I know because I’ve done it myself, and every time I hear it coming out of my own mouth, I wish that I could somehow turn the clock back fifteen seconds.

It happens to all of us. We tell a child to do something over and over and over again, but if they still don’t do it…

We warn a child over and over and over again not to do something, but when they still do it…

When they make the same mistakes time and time again, we can’t help it.

It’s almost impossible to avoid that tone of voice when we’re exasperated. But that tone says so much more than the actual words we’re screaming. That tone says “Why am I wasting my breath on you.” It says “How did I get stuck with such a moron?” It says “I’m embarrassed to be associated with you.”

We’re lashing out because we feel that we’re failing as parents. Yes, we’re mad at them too, but we’re really mad at ourselves because we’re obviously not getting through to them.

That’s why I made it my New Years resolution this year to eliminate it from my repertoire forever. I’ve caught myself a few times already…and taken a step back…and taken a deep breath…and even walked away…and wow has that been hard, but I’m putting that tone of voice behind glass and stamping “In Case of Emergency Only” on it.

Like when they keep wandering out in front of oncoming traffic.

In that case, by all means, I’ll be breaking that glass.

Monday Musings

Every Monday stop by for jokes, links to stories you might have missed, amusing photos and video, and more. Contributions and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Click on the "Email Me" link on the right to contribute.




Joke of the Week: Contributed by "O"


Hillary Clinton goes to her doctor for a physical, and learns that she's pregnant.

She is furious... Here she's in the middle of her first run for president, and this has happened to her!

She calls home, gets Bill on the phone and immediately starts screaming;

"How could you have let this happen? With all that's going on right now, you get me pregnant! How could you? I can't believe this! I just found out I am five weeks pregnant and it is all your fault! Your fault! Well, what have you got to say?

There is nothing but dead silence on the phone.

She screams again, "Did you hear me?"

Finally she hears Bill's very, very quiet voice. In a barely audible whisper, he says, "Who is this?"




Stories you might have missed


1. Florida moves to ban fake testicles on vehicles
(I really don't think they've got the balls to do it.)

2. Gary Coleman in Divorce Court
(It will be televised on May 1st and 2nd. Gary will playing himself in this episode.)

3. Humans almost died out 70,000 years ago
(But how is that possible? The world is only 5000 years old. Right, Mike Hukabee?)

4. Penis theft hits Congo
(One of the penis bandits was overheard saying..."Is it twue what they about you people? Oh, it's twue. It's twue. It's twue. It's twue.")

5. Colin Firth's penis is photographed in public bathroom by the guy next to him
(For those of you dreaming for the trappings of fame)



Video of the week: Contributed by "B". "Sweet Home Alabama" performed by the Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Choir.





Picture of the week: Contributed by my dog-loving friend "H"















Reader Response

Regarding Suburban Man: "Norm Crosby Lives"

"I remember when I was 10 or 11 and one day I was in the car with my mom and my uncle. I said, “Mom, you’ve got a talligator!” (Instead of tailgater? I honestly thought that term had something to do with alligators!) She and my uncle burst into laughter and I was so embarrassed! You’re definitely saving Johnny from much similar embarrassment, entertaining as it may be!"
--J

"Our family’s favorite misquote came from my daughter. She was messing around, and one of us bellowed, “BEHAVE!!!” —-to which she replied, “I AM being have (rhymes with “save”)!!!! Guess you had to be there…"
--M

Regarding "Just One Bad Century"

"Hey Rick, here’s my story…My mom’s boss at the time, Randy, took me to the first home game after the Cubs won the division in Pittsburgh in 1984. I was 11 years old, and all I can remember is absolute PANDEMONIUM! I remember standing in the upper deck as the Cubs took the field to the sound of Van Halen’s “JUMP” and vividly recall Wayne Messmer proclaiming “Ladies and Gentlemen, your 1984 Eastern Division Champion CHICAGO CUBS!!!” It was so awesome.

We went to Murphy’s before the game. I guess they figured since the kid was with a few adults, they’d let me in. Anyhow, we’re sitting around the table, me sipping my Pepsi amidst the Old Style. Randy leans into me and says, “Hey Scottie, you see that older guy sitting over there? – look down, the guy with the wooden leg?” “Yea” I said. “I see him”. Randy continued: “I want you to go over to him and say, “Hello Mr. Veeck, can I have your autograph please?”

So I did, and Bill Veeck cheerfully signed my ticket. What a thrill knowing years later that he was the man who planted the ivy, who wore the straw hat in the right field bleachers, who’s idea it was for the exploding scoreboard at Comiskey Park. At the age of 11, I met a Chicago sports legend. It was an awesome day – a Cubs Division Championship, a day out at the ball game with the ‘fellas’, and an autograph from Bill Veeck."
--S




267 days until we get a new president.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Cindy Gatziolis

Cindy Gatziolis is the Director of PR/Marketing for the City of Chicago, Mayor’s Office of Special Events, but before she started there, she worked in Chicago radio for more than twenty years.



Radio-ography

Summer Internship 1978 WLS-AM 89

Research Assistant/Programming Assistant/Producer Larry Lujack Show May 1979-May 1984 WLS-AM 89

Freelance writer (included writing comic health minute for Fred Winston) May 1984-May 1985

Creative Services (wrote approximately 1500 live read commercials and 50 promos) May 1985-June 1989 WGN-AM 720

Promotion Coordinator/Director of Promotion and Marketing June 1989 – June 1996 WLUP AM/The LOOP FM/ WMVP-AM 1000

Promotion and Marketing Director March 1997-January 2000 WMAQ 670


Rick: People who follow the business know you primarily from your days as a promotional guru, but you also started out as a producer for the Larry Lujack show at WLS. Talk about those days with Larry, and tell us a few things about him that we might not know.

Cindy: It’s no secret that I love and adore the charming and delightful Larry Lujack. I had listened to him as a kid and my mother was from Idaho so my siblings remember him from his gig there. Then when I was 16,my parents and I, along with my same age cousin and his family, were visiting a lovely Idaho resort area, McCall. Suddenly I see my radio idol and even held the door open for him and Jude, but I was dumbstruck. I couldn’t speak.

Flash forward: It’s my first day as an intern and they put me in the jock lounge where, shortly after 10am, comes the man himself. I think I was calling him Mr. Lujack until he told me that if I did that one more time, he’d break my face. I love him.

He’s extremely thrifty…like buying several pairs of Levi’s at the Bon Marche in Boise because of the great price…only he gained weight and couldn’t fit into them. But he’s also generous. When the producing thing didn’t really work out for me and I chose to leave (Hard to go to bed at 11 or 12 and get up at 3:45am) he insisted on paying me for 2 months more and telling everyone (including Steve & Garry on the air) that I was working from home now because I had other projects.

Rick: You also had a stint at WGN during the Wally Phillips era. People of a certain age don't understand just how huge he was in Chicago. How would you describe Wally's impact on Chicago radio?

Cindy: I grew up in a Wally household. My mother was addicted to him. I do believe my father may have been jealous of Wally (photo). I was reminded as I heard tributes (by Steve Dahl of all people) that Wally was a prankster and bad boy.

Just look at the numbers. One-half of all people listening to the radio were listening to him. That’s a pre-cable, pre-internet, pre-video games (even Pong) world, and some of it before we had UHF channels, so radio was big entertainment.

In my early radio days, when the book would come in, you just wouldn’t pay attention to Wally’s number because it was a given you wouldn’t get anywhere near it. My first June at WLS as an employee was 1979 and we had a big celebration because the 12+ rating was 7.9. Wally’s number alone was twice that.

As much as Chicago listeners felt he was their best friend, he was terribly subdued off the air. In four years at WGN, I barely had more than a handful of interactions.

Rick: We got to know each other at the Loop, during that heady time of the late 80s and early 90s. You were the promotion director of that station at a time when just about every big name was there--Brandmeier, Matthews, Dahl & Meier, Danny Bonaduce, Chet Coppock, and all those great FM jocks like Skafish, Stroud, et all. How did you manage to juggle all of those shows, all of which demanded promotion and attention, at the same time?

Cindy: It was a challenge to say the least to please all the people all the time. YES! Luckily I didn’t have to work alone. Between Larry Wert, a myriad of program directors, my excellent staff and the hard-working, seldom-appreciated producers, we managed to make things work. I do recall one day that was nearly 24 hours, waking up at 3am to be at Dahl & Meier remote, working on all sorts of details for the Brandmeier 10 year anniversary show during the day, resting a couple hours and going to a Danny Bonaduce event that went until about 2am. (Photo: Cindy with Buzz Kilman)

What made it possible for me to do the job without going insane, is that I believed in those shows, and that goes for all of them…the FM jocks like Skafish and Stroud, and Wendy Snyder who maybe didn’t have the light shining on them as often. There will never be a more perfect job for me than that one and I truly loved all those people. I still try to follow, listen, read etc about all of them. I was a very lucky radio person.

Rick: OK, the most unfair question of all-time. Who was your favorite one to deal with and why?

Cindy: You’re killing me here. Would you ask Scorsese his favorite film? My father used to say no matter what finger you cut they all bleed the same. (This was in response to his daughters saying he favored his son – which he did.)

I will say this…Brandmeier (photo) and Dahl & Meier probably made things the hardest to do, however they had such clear visions of what they wanted for their shows, that I learned a lot from them and it made meeting their demands feel extremely satisfying.

For example: JB created the idea of Danny and Donny Osmond having a boxing match somewhere in mid-December (you know the month that has Christmas and New Year’s?) That event went off without a hitch in mid-January. I don’t think there’s a drug around that could give me the high I felt that day.

Rick: Some of the promotions that the Loop did in those days are still legendary. Which specific promotions do you look back on today with the most pride?

Cindy: Well I guess my previous answer covers one of them. David Letterman made a joke about the boxing match. I don’t think it gets much better than that.

Another event of which I’m most proud is that I was part of the first live radio broadcast in New Comiskey Park. I presume I’ll be long gone when that place is torn down but when they do the special on-line section of whatever passes for a newspaper then, I want the Steve & Garry Show to be part of the trivia about that ballpark. (Photo: Cindy with Ozzie Guillen and Les Grobstein)

Of course I couldn’t leave out the broadcast of the next year when I was able to secure Carlton Fisk for an interview. Not only am I in love with him, but Steve is too.

Rick: After leaving the Loop, you worked with WMAQ during its final years as a news/talk station. Describe what that was like when you knew the format's days were numbered.

Cindy: I feel bad because I got out before those dark final days. I think we all were seeing the handwriting on the wall. I’ll never forgive Mel Karmizan for that one. He treated that station poorly because I think he was planning to use us for spare parts. That’s what you get when you have carpetbaggers for owners. He never saw the value of two news stations in town. Plus he could never see how different our format was than WBBM.

(Photo: NBC Tower, home to WMAQ during the final years)

There were a lot of great people associated with that station. Columbine is a very dark day in our history, but I was able to watch a newsroom really cook that day. We Must Ask Questions. They couldn’t even hang on to the damn call letters.

WMAQ surprised me. I have a journalism degree, but my radio experience up until then had been mostly entertainment so I thought I’d feel kind of odd….but I really miss everybody, and my office that used to be the smoking room and my giant promotion staff that was comprised of me.

Rick: Of course now you're working with Mayor's Office of Special Events--which means that you're heading into your busy season. I'll give you a free shot here...what are some of the big events we can expect to hit Chicago this summer?

Cindy: As always Taste of Chicago, June 27-July 6 is the big mack daddy. We’ve got some great acts that we’ve already announced…Stevie Wonder, Plain White Ts, Chaka Kahn.

We have big milestones too – 25th Annual Blues Festival, 50th Air & Water, 20th Viva Latin Music Festival and 30th Chicago Jazz Festival so there’s lots planned there including B.B. King for the final night of Blues, June 8.

And we’ve moved the Chicago Country Music Festival to its own date and location – October 11 & 12 /Soldier Field Parkland.

Each major event has a URL that includes its name and .us but you can get to them all from www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents

Rick: You're also a die-hard White Sox fan. What was that like for you--working for the city and helping to plan the parade--for your favorite team after they won the World Series?

Cindy: Going from the private sector to City Hall has been an adjustment for me that even after seven years, I believe I’m still making. That being said, I believe I was brought to that job by some other power to be part of that celebration. I like to think that my voice was an active one in planning because I begged that it be a parade and not like the Bulls rallies.

(Photo: White Sox celebration at Chicago River)

Needless to say I was thrilled when the Sox won that last World Series game, but I knew I had a lot of work to do so my real celebration would be on hold. We had put a few plans in place, but an awful lot changed last minute. Personal note to Jim Wiser (producer of WGN’s Spike O’Dell Show) I apologize for giving the wrong info out on the air; when I left the Hall the night of the last game, that was the plan.

The one day of planning that we had saw me leave City Hall shortly before midnight and I was back by 7am on the day of the parade. Media was everywhere and a few of them just wouldn’t stay away from the areas from where they were restricted. Crowds were massive. But every ounce of being tired, irritated, nervous that it wouldn’t go right, went away as the motorcade turned on to LaSalle and the confetti started to fall. I nearly lost it. It was exactly as I always imagined it would be and thought for sure I’d never see.

I do wish it for you Cubs fans; just not while I’m at City Hall.

The best came months later as I would hear countless interviews with the players where they would mention telling people about the great parade. You know, if we made them giddy, that’s something.

Rick: Where will the Sox finish in the standings this year?

Cindy: I never like to predict things like that. I’d rather make fun of those who are wrong. I do kind of admire the faith Cubs fans have that they are always going to go the World Series. Sox fans try to prepare for the worst and then are pleasantly surprised (although I didn’t prepare for last season.)

I always had a vision in 2005 – I saw the locker celebration all season. Weird, huh? SO for this year, let’s just leave it at I’ve had a vibe, but all I’ll predict is that I think we’re better than all the pre-season prognosticators have said.

Friday Bonus

VIDEO: Your favorite rock stars perform kids songs.

This is pretty funny.

Media Notebook (April 24, 2008)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer





Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK


Murdoch moves to buy Newsday for $580 million
(NY Times) Perez-Pena and Arango write: "His $580 million bid for Newsday and his urgency in remaking The Journal worry his competitors and cause angst in many newsrooms, including his own. And both moves are vintage Rupert Murdoch, a man who operates his sprawling News Corporation like an old-style media mogul, making big bets on old and new media — bankrolling the new Fox Business Network, aggressively pursuing a deal for Yahoo, and buying Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Journal, for far more than analysts thought it was worth. And that was just in the last year. His first love, however, remains newspapers. The purchase of Newsday from the Tribune Company would put Mr. Murdoch in control of 3 of the nation’s 10 largest-circulation papers (the others being The Journal and The New York Post). Owning Newsday, which is based on Long Island, would also open an eastern front in the long-running battle for New York tabloid supremacy and, by combining some operations, could allow News Corporation to end decades of heavy losses by The Post."


FCC Chief says no need for new internet regulation
(Associated Press) Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said Tuesday there's no need for new regulation of the Internet, saying his agency has all the authority it needs to prevent discrimination by Internet service providers. 'I do not believe any additional regulations are needed at this time,' Martin said at a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, noting recent enforcement actions by the commission. The FCC has conducted two hearings on 'network management' following admissions by Comcast Corp. that it sometimes delayed file-sharing traffic for subscribers as a way to keep Web traffic flowing.


Fox reporter rewrites Nixon history with new book
(NY Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "Next month, Doubleday will publish James Rosen’s first book—a revisionist history of Richard Nixon’s downfall, called The Strongman: John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate...Mr. Rosen said Strongman will be the first major biography of John Mitchell, the late U.S. attorney general, who played a pivotal role in the “rise, reign and ruin” of Richard Nixon. In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, Mr. Mitchell was convicted on a number of charges stemming from his role in the botched break-in and surveillance operation. The nation’s top law enforcement official eventually spent 19 months in prison."



CLICK HERE



You won't get fined for saying "Frak"
(Ad Age) Brian Steinberg writes: "In an episode that aired April 10, NBC's '30 Rock' featured segments of a mock reality show known as 'MILF Island.' The first word is a sexualized acronym used to describe a fetching older woman. Meanwhile, CW has been running a promotion for teen drama 'Gossip Girl' that uses the text-message phrase 'OMFG' -- an acronym for something one might write, text or e-mail if one were quite surprised, felt the need to acknowledge a higher deity and wanted to use an offensive word for emphasis. Looking for another example? Let's journey across space and time, where characters on Sci-Fi Channel's 'Battlestar Galactica' regularly use the word 'frak,' which Mark Stern, the outlet's exec VP-original programming, freely acknowledges is a substitute for a term that could be more offensive. 'Well, it obviously means fuck. I don't think I'm giving any family secrets out,' he said. 'I think we've already done 'clusterfrak' and 'motherfrakers' and pretty much every iteration of the word.'"


Family Guy writers sue Fox
(Hollywood Reporter) Seth MacFarlane and 15 other "Family Guy" scribes, including Alex Borstein, sued 20th Century Fox TV April 10 in Santa Monica, claiming breach of contract and deceit. The writers claim Fox has violated the WGA contract for not paying them for 12 minutes of additional footage they wrote for the 2005 DVD "Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story." They also claim Fox failed to give them proper on-screen writing credit for the project. A Fox TV spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.





CLICK HERE





Tony Snow joins CNN
(Huffington Post) Tony Snow is joining CNN as a conservative commentator, the network announced today. Snow, who spent 10 years at Fox News, left his job as White House Press Secretary in September, saying he needed to make more money to support his family.

MySpace Poisons News Corp. as Investors Shun Murdoch
(Bloomberg) Gillian Wee writes: "Rupert Murdoch's effort to turn his $580 million MySpace purchase into an advertising powerhouse has turned News Corp. into a toxic stock...Fox Interactive Media -- including MySpace, the biggest social- networking site -- said it would miss its 2008 goal of $1 billion in revenue, or 3 percent of News Corp.'s projected sales. Murdoch, 77, is pouring resources into MySpace to expand into South Korea and India, add music downloads and target users with promotions. As a result, Fox Interactive's costs will jump 46 percent this year, almost as much as revenue, risking long- term profit growth, Nathanson said in an April 14 report."



Murdoch starts all-out newspaper war against NY Times
(Newsweek) Johnnie L. Roberts writes: "With a redesigned Wall Street Journal, mogul Rupert Murdoch is launching an old-fashioned newspaper war against The New York Times. Not since William Randolph Hearst took on Joseph Pulitzer have we seen such a fight."


Senator urges FCC to block XM/Sirius merger
(Reuters) A senior Democratic senator urged U.S. communications regulators on Friday to block Sirius Satellite Radio's purchase of rival XM Satellite Radio, saying the deal would lead to higher prices to customers. Sen. Byron Dorgan, a high-ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, wrote to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission saying the agency should not follow the "illogical" decision of the Justice Department, which last month granted the deal antitrust approval. "This merger is contrary to the public interest. I hope that the FCC will stand up for competition in the public interest and deny this merger," Dorgan, of North Dakota, said in the letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.



CLICK HERE



Britain's Financial Times endorses Obama
(Reuters) Britain’s Financial Times newspaper, which has bigger paid circulation in the United States than its home country, weighed into the bitter Democratic nominating contest– offering its endorsement to Sen. Barack Obama. The backing of the financial newspaper in Monday’s edition comes just a day before voters in Pennsylvania go to the polls, a state that could offer some salvation for his opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has been clinging to a narrow lead in the state but trails in the delegate count. The FT points to Obama’s well-run campaign and cross-party appeal for putting him over the top of his rival. It also cites Clinton’s unpopularity and questions her campaign strategy, arguing it has been re-tooled several times.


Did Bob Dylan really win a Pulitzer?
(Marketwatch) Jon Friedman writes: "Traditionally, you've had to work for a daily newspaper or wire service to win the most coveted award in journalism. Now we know it also helps a lot if your name happens to be Bob Dylan. Earlier this month, the Shakespeare of folk and rock-and-roll music was awarded an honorary Pulitzer for his 'profound impact on popular music and American culture,' according to the accompanying press release. Pulitzer administrator Sig Gissler said the distinction 'reflects the efforts of the Pulitzer board to broaden the scope of the music prize.' The gesture tells us a lot more about the empty state of the Pulitzer -- and of journalism -- than it does about Dylan, 66, who has been earning accolades throughout his 46-year career. While the judges honored a rock star, they couldn't bring themselves to hand out an award in the category of editorial writing."






CLICK HERE






Lawmakers send letter to FCC to try to stop localism
(Radio Online) A letter, signed by over 120 lawmakers, was sent to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin Tuesday (4-15) asking the Commission to reconsider its current localism proceeding. In the letter, released by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the lawmakers accuse the Commission of trying to "turn back the clock on decades of deregulatory progress by imposing a series of new and burdensome regulations."
(Rick's note: I added the emphasis on the word "progress" because it's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Who are these lawmakers working for? Certainly not their constituents, who are universally opposed to this "deregulatory progress." Certainly not their local media companies, because they don't exist. There are exactly six people opposed to this localism...the six guys who run the major media companies. They're opposed because they want to keep cutting and cutting and cutting, and don't feel it's fair to have to live up to their obligations as broadcasters, which they agreed to when they bought these properties. Not because they aren't making profit--they are--20, 30, and 40% at nearly every individual media property. It's just not a "growth industry" anymore and Wall Street doesn't approve. If you don't like your obligations, fine, get out of the business. It comes with the territory, just as it has since 1934. As for these 120 lawmakers...shame on you.)


An interview with Steve Downes
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with long-time WDRV morning man Steve Downes about his long and storied career in rock radio, including his stint as Rockline host, his current gig at the Drive, and his side job as the voice of one of the most popular video game characters in the world. Coming this weekend: Former WLUP and WMAQ promotional guru, Cindy Gatziolis.

Suburban Man: Norm Crosby Lives!

By Rick Kaempfer









Yes, I know. The real Norm Crosby is technically still alive.

It’s just that anyone under 40 years old probably has no idea who he is. Crosby was famous for his malaprops…supposedly unintentional fractured English. In fact, it was his whole act. When he talked about his doctor, he called him the “famous sturgeon.” When he talked about Vietnam, he talked about burning his “Diner’s card.”

Get it? (Hey, what do you want? It was the 50s and 60s. Our comedy was a little kinder and gentler then.)

Norm Crosby may not realize it, but in my house, we have someone who pays tribute to him nearly every day. He just doesn’t know he’s doing it.

It’s my middle son Johnny.

For some reason, the little nuances in our lexicon have escaped him. I never used to correct him because I thought it was so funny, but now that he’s 10, I’ve decided the other kids might start noticing–so I better step in.

I’ll miss the Norm Crosby of the Midwest. Just this week, he uttered the following phrases…

*When we tied a game of Tic Tac Toe, he called it a “catscan.”

*When he thought up something on the spot, it was “just off the top of my back.”

*He called his favorite ice cream a “chocolate declare.”

*His older brother gave him a bunch of clothes that he had just outgrown. Johnny was excited, even though the clothes were “hand-me-capped.”

*When we were playing cards, he asked me to help him deal because he’s not a very good “shoveler.”

Those are just from this week. I’m sure there will be more, and I’ll dutifully report them as they arise.

I have to admit though, I’m really going to miss it. I keep telling myself that taking this little charming element of his personality away from him won’t change who he is.

Johnny will always remain “cute as a bucket.”



This originally appeared in my blog for NWI Parent Magazine, Father Knows Nothing

Monday Musings

Every Monday stop by for jokes, links to stories you might have missed, amusing photos and video, and more. Contributions and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Click on the "Email Me" link on the right to contribute.



Joke of the Week: Contributed by "B"

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning ... uphill BOTH ways...yadda, yadda, yadda.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!

And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet . If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ' d usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network cartoons either! You could only get on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-bastards!

And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a fringing fire...imagine that!

If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled.

You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The over 30 Crowd




Stories you might have missed

1. Rudy Huxtable is playing a hooker
(Sign #7538 that we're not getting any younger.)


2. Finally, an appropriate place for Ann Coulter book signing
(Hint: It's her potty and she'll spout if she wants to)

3. Marty Brenneman: Chicago's Public Enemy #1
(Even a Hall of Famer can step over the line.)

4. Japanese baseball team gives up 66 runs in two innings
(The pitcher...and this is no joke...threw 250 pitches before his coach threw in the towel.)

5. Meteor hits Kokomo
(Don't worry--it was Kokomo, Indiana. The surviving Beach Boys were unharmed.)




Video of the week: Have times changed since the '60s? Watch this Folgers commercial from that era and you tell me.










Picture of the week: Contributed by "P" with this comment. "I knew the German Pope would make some changes."

















Reader Response





Regarding Suburban Man: "Confession Time". I got lots of responses. Here are a few of my favorites...

"You are either brave, or a glutton for punishment. Hilarious column! The Huggy Bear response from one of your readers made me laugh so hard that tears ran down my face.

As long as we're confessing shit......

I tell people that this was my first album:













But it was actually this one:













No lie. I wouldn't lie to a fellow Child of the 70's, especially one brave enough to lay it all out there like that.

I also owned the Grease soundtrack in all it's double album glory as well as Saturday Night Fever. I actually have them both on CD, now (for nostalgia's sake, of course. Cough.) Were you also one of those Children of the 70's who was issued Frampton Comes Alive once they hit puberty?

I tell people that my first live concert was REO Speedwagon, the Tuna Tour, circa 1979. Truth be told, that was my second live concert. My first one was actually Andy Gibb at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1977. Stop laughing.

I had a Starsky and Hutch t-shirt in sixth grade. It was an adult XL and came down past my knees, so I wore it as a nightgown. I was going to marry Starsky. Didn't quite work out for some reason. I also had posters of the Sweathogs on my bedroom wall. Once I entered junior high, I went from TV idols to music idols. Enter the aforementioned Gibb and his brothers."
--A

****

"First album? Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits. (I did have “I Think I Love You” on a 45, though.) Second album? Seals & Crofts.

TV theme song? I had the 45 of the theme from The Rockford Files, and played it on endless repeat.

First concert? I was a late bloomer, so my first concert was the Eagles (The Long Run Tour), WITH SPECIAL GUEST, CHRISTOPHER CROSS (Ride Like the Wind, baby!) at Alpine Valley, circa 1980.

And forget Grease and Saturday Night Fever….when it comes to John Travolta, I was into the URBAN COWBOY soundtrack all the way!

Most scandalous song? A tie between Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night,” and Exile’s “I Want to Kiss You All Over.” Seems pretty tame these days."
--M

****

"Regarding your request for others to share...OK -- I will bite....

I owned the Partridge Family Album as well as the Grease Soundtrack...I could probably find these somewhere in my house if I looked hard.

Disco Demolition? Nope, I was worse. I actually liked Disco and used to go "disco dancing". I still have some songs on my iPod.

Now I not only still listen to Ted Nugent (including "Wango Tango" which by the way, a trainer at my health club has as his ring-tone when he gets a text message so there are others who still like the song) but I go and see him whenever he is in the Chicago area. I went to the House of Blues in August to see him, was right up front and caught an autographed guitar pick he threw out. I brought it home, gave it a place of honor in my jewelry box (to keep it away from my 8 y/o daughter who thought it would make a good addition to her room). My husband is convinced I am certifiable. It isn't bad enough this 40-something Mom of a 5 and 8 year old goes to see Ted Nugent but I bring home guitar picks and am just a little too excited about it."
--J

****

"I think you should change your disclaimer to people born after 1985, because I was born in 1980 and almost all of the pop culture references flew past me! But other than that, this is a hilarious post. That prom photo is priceless!"
--P

****

"What I love most about that prom photo is that your hair helmet is bigger than your date's!"
--J

Rick responds: With hair, I was 6'3". Without it, 5'10".


Regarding "Just One Bad Century" (radio interviews)

"Rick, I've been listening to you on with John Landecker every Saturday morning and it's a pleasure to hear you back on the radio--especially with John. You can tell that the two of you are buddies, and it's really entertaining."
--N






274 days until we get a new president.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Steve Downes

Steve Downes is the morning man at WDRV-Chicago, and the voice of Master Chief in the X-box video game series "Halo"




RADIO-OGRAPHY

Started in Dayton Ohio in 1969.
First big gig: PD/Afternoons at WYDD Pittsburgh in `74
K-WEST, L.A. in 78
Eve. drive at KLOS, L.A. from 81-91,
PD/ afternoons at K-ROCK in Fort Meyers in '92
PD at 95-YNF in Tampa 93-'95.
Afternoons at KLSX, L.A., and host of Rockline.
2 years doing mornings at KTYD in Santa Barbara
Mornings at The LOOP starting in '97
Mornings at The DRIVE since '01



Rick: I think you came to the attention of Chicagoans through your work with national specials like "The Superstar Concert Series," and of course Rockline. When you were hosting Rockline in the 90s nearly all the rock and roll greats did that show. What are some of the highlights from your perspective?

Steve: So Many. Probably the biggest thrills we're hosting the first national radio interviews of the reunited Eagles, and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Rick: Everyone likes to hear about the highlights, but as a former radio producer, I also like to hear the nightmare stories. Who were some of the guests you had on Rockline that either a) were a pain in the butt b) were like talking to a brick wall, or c) made no sense at all?

Steve: The biggest fear was being skewered by Howard Stern live and nationwide, when we had him on ROCKLINE after the publication of his first book. (Didn't happen. He was very cool, and very entertaining). The vast majority of artists were very cool. The ones that weren't were usually too buzzed to know what was going on. Scott Wieland was barely conscious for 85 of the 90 minutes we were on the air, until at the very end, he spontaneously broke in to a killer version of "Give Peace a Chance" .

The one I'll never forget is the night Slash (photo) was in the studio. During one of the breaks, my producer informed me that our first call out of the break would be from Paul Stanley of KISS, to plug his appearance on the show, the following week. Off mic (supposedly) Slash proceeded to tell me how much he disliked Paul, questioned his sexual orientation, and various other derogatory comments. What we did not know, was that the producer had accidently put Paul's call in to the studio, and he was listening to our entire conversation! Stanley made mention of that when we put him on the air live and nationwide!!. Slash, who by now was pretty stoned, literally fell off his chair! I was watching my career flash before my eyes (complete with THE END credits). To his credit, Paul could not have been cooler about the episode and laughed the whole thing off. Very classy guy.

Rick: You've been with the Drive since it signed on the air. Did you feel like you were taking a risk when you signed on to this unknown format?

Steve: I was doing mornings at The LOOP at the time, and I was concerned about coming over to a brand new station and an untried format. It had taken me 3 years to get a toe hold in this market and I was hesitant to leave The LOOP which was doing well at the time. But after lengthy conversations with Greg Solk, it began to make sense that this was where my future was in Chicago radio. I had (and have) a strong belief in Greg's vision, and it really seemed like a logical move to make. And at the end of the day, I liked the format!

Rick: Anyone who listens to your show knows that you have an incredible reservoir of musical knowledge--and that obviously comes from so many years in the rock radio business. But there is also a passion for the music that comes through when you talk about it. What artist or artists were are THE ones for you...the ones that got you into this in the first place?

Steve: Obviously Elvis, The Beatles and Stones were the artists who changed my life. I think when the progressive scene started to rev up in the late 60's, and I began to hear artists like The Doors, The Airplane, Jethro Tull, and Led Zeppelin being played on stations like WCOL-FM in Columbus, and WEBN in Cincinnati was when I really started to see a career in this. And if I couldn't make a living playing this music (I played guitar and drums in bands, through high school and college), then playing this music on the radio was the next best thing. And the laid back style of free form radio was something I could definitely see myself doing.

Rick: In addition to hosting the morning show on the Drive, you also have a couple of syndicated shows, including "The Classics," which airs on Sunday nights here in Chicago. But I wanted to ask you about your other syndicated feature..."The Wine Experience." How did that feature come about?

Steve: The Wine Experience is a daily one minute feature on wine "without the snooty attitude." It runs on most major markets throughout the country although sadly, not in Chicago. It's written and produced by Ken Ohr, a very dear friend of mine, and wine aficionado. You can hear the shows and find out all kinds of great things about wine at www.wineexperience.com. Next to music and golf, wine is my favorite hobby!

Rick: I bet this is the first interview you've done in a long time that didn't start with a question about the voice you do for the Halo video game series for X-box. For people who don't know, you're the voice of Master Chief Petty Officer John 117. It must be odd; there are obviously thousands of radio fans who listen to you every day, but there are millions of fans of the video game. What has that experience been like for you?

Steve: This is probably the first interview I've done in the last FIVE YEARS that did not start with questions regarding HALO. It is a bit of a double life between Master Chief (photo) and the morning show, because the two don't really intersect. Being the voice of Master Chief has been and continues to be a blast. The fan base is enormous, and I hear from people all over the world.

Rick: You've been a voice actor for many years now. What are some of the major advertising campaigns that people may have heard here in Chicago?

Steve: Things are kind of quiet now, but I just finished a 3 year run as the voice of Carnival Cruise Lines. I've had major campaigns with Quizno's, Maytag, Chesapeake Energy, Yamaha motorcycles and The IL lottery, among others. I also narrate a number of shows that air on The Discovery Ch. during "Shark Week"

Rick: So, of all these jobs you've had, which is your favorite?

Steve: The one I'm doing right now!