Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Michelle Obama's First TV Interview

Last week Barack Obama emerged with his first interview (on David Letterman's new show), and this week Michelle will give her first interview too.

She'll be appearing on Ellen (Thursday).
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Tacky, Tacky, Tacky

What happens when you hire Fast Eddie/Bob Rohrmann to be your president? The state of the union becomes a commercial. This is really tacky. From the Washington Post...

President Trump is seeking to parlay his first State of the Union address on Tuesday into cash for his reelection campaign by offering supporters a chance to see their name flashed on the screen during a broadcast of the speech.

In a fundraising solicitation on Monday, Trump offered those willing to pay at least $35 the opportunity to see their name displayed during a live streaming of the address on his campaign website.

If your name is Hispanic, no promises that your donation won't trigger a visit from ICE.
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Bye Bye Chief Wahoo

The Indians have agreed to drop the Chief Wahoo logo because it is offensive to Native Americans.

You can certainly understand that. It is a bit cartoonish, and I've always been offended by it. But that's mainly because I heard the face was patterned after Ken Harrelson. Hawk is a Cub-hater, so I'm a Hawk-hater. Simple as that.

But according to this article, the Indians have been using Chief Wahoo since 1947, so obviously whoever told me it was Hawk Harrelson's face was inaccurate or playing a joke on me. (In fairness to gullible old me, the nose does resemble Hawk's)
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Monday, January 29, 2018

The Dane Placko Hot Dog

Huge day for my good pal Dane Placko. It’s his birthday and he got a hot dog named after him. I was here to see him eat the first Dane Placko. Ingredients are beer mustard, cheese curds, and corn relish.

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State of the Union Post-Game Show

A lot of the late night shows will be going live on Tuesday night so that they can report on the president's State of the Union address.

Jimmy Kimmel has booked Stormy Daniels to be on that night.

Setting the DVR.
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Another Creep Revealed


Not too surprised by this name: Scott Baio.

The accuser is his Charles in Charge castmate Nicole Eggert, who was a teenager at the time.
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Swift Groper Back in Radio

Radio is one medium that will seemingly always give out second chances. From Tom Taylor's NOW column this morning...

David Mueller, who lost his Denver morning gig and then a suit against Taylor Swift, re-enters radio. Last year Mississippi station owner Larry Fuss made a public offer to Mueller, saying he could get his foot back in the business at his new country sign-on. Now Mueller’s taking him up on it. Larry tells this NOW Newsletter that “I was roundly criticized in a Facebook group for offering him a job, but regardless of what he may or may not have done, does he really deserve to be banned from radio, for life?” Larry adds that Mueller’s had some personal losses in his family – and is confident that “He has lots of talent and will be great on Kix 92.7.” That’s Delta Radio’s newish country WMYQ Moorhead, Mississippi. After getting cut at Denver’s country KYGO/98.5 following a claim that he’d groped Taylor Swift’s butt, Mueller eventually sued her. She counter-sued and won a $1 verdict, leaving him with a lot of bills. Larry Fuss says his newest talent on “Kix” starts today as part of the “Jackson & Jonbob” morning show. Mueller was also “Jackson” at KYGO – and in Mississippi, he’ll be “Stonewall Jackson.”
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Surprise Visit at the Grammys

We watched a few minutes of the Grammy's last night. The Elton John/Miley Cyrus duet was a snooze. The other songs didn't appeal to me (although Bruno Mars is a heck of an entertainer). But this was the one moment I enjoyed the most...

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People Love Minutia Men



Here's a sampling of some of the reviews that have been left on iTunes for Minitua Men over the past month...






I could listen to Rick & Dave all day long
in iTunes by DJ Mike Zero from USA on January 27, 2018
Seriously, listening to these two guys go back and forth makes me nostalgic for my old radio days. It’s a little bit of old school and a little bit of new school. Pick a random episode and listen...you can’t go wrong!

Perfect podcast for the drive to work
in iTunes by Rob Gokee from USA on January 25, 2018
Love this show - well-produced and entertaining. I found this through the #podernfamily hashtag on Twitter - so glad I did!

A raucous blast
in iTunes by Fishbonius from USA on January 24, 2018
Great entertainment. Good sound quality. Funny stuff keeps me laughing. Good chemistry here leads to a really good time.

Awesome show
in iTunes by AwakenTheLeader from USA on January 23, 2018
Found your show today and couldn’t stop laughing. Love the sarcasm, wit, and dialogue. Must listen.

Great fun!
in iTunes by Ewinglaw from USA on January 22, 2018
A thoughful, fun, and well produced podcast. I'm hooked!

The Best Podcast about Minutia
in iTunes by Kill Things Brundlefly from USA on January 18, 2018
Hilarious and thought provoking banter, with a side of insanity.

Cubs Win!
in iTunes by Storrs315 from USA on January 15, 2018
I'll take two Merry Munchie Meals! Great show! I laughed, I cried, I chipped a nip!

I beg to differ...
in iTunes by Of Myth and Mercy from USA on January 14, 2018
Since I turned Minutia Men on yesterday, I have yet to encounter any new information I would remotely consider worthless. It's not random, varied, pointless conjecture full of info you may or may not get to use during trivia... It's actually interesting and will make you muse over topics -- and nothing too heavy or intense -- what everyone needs at least a little of.

Great Podcast
in iTunes by theudnetwork from USA on January 14, 2018
I have listened to your podcast many times and it is great and VERY ENTERTAINING!!!! I have laughed so hard that my face has turned red. Keep it up as the podcast is funny and produces great content

Good!
in iTunes by gabdrolet from Canada on January 13, 2018
Great chemistry and interesting topics!

Two cool dudes sharing things you want to know
in iTunes by TooMacabreLadies from USA on January 12, 2018
The vibe is very much like catching a beer with your buddies, and you'll find yourself randomly mulling over the minutia during the week. And the next time you're sitting cramped on a plane, you'll think "Well, at least I'm not standing." And then you’ll probably think of Dave's testicular fungus...but you'll think fondly of it. An enjoyable show!

Awesome podcast
in iTunes by TheBrothersBinge from USA on January 11, 2018
These two are hilarious! They have a great chemistry and funny banter. do yourself a favor and subscribe!

Brilliant radio show
in iTunes by That guy in the T-Rex Costume from USA on January 9, 2018
I have a special love of podcasts that are styled after talk radio shows, and I instantly got that feeling from the Minutia Men. The titular hosts of this show both have excellent radio voices and the content to back it up!

Hilariously awesome!
in iTunes by PlanetBlerdom from USA on January 9, 2018
These guys are hilariously witty, and a breath of fresh air after a long day! If you want a good laugh...press play!

Awesome!!
in iTunes by mcle123 from UK on January 7, 2018
If you're looking for an interesting, funny and engaging podcast, this is the one for you!

Five stars baby!
in iTunes by dwong23 from Canada on January 6, 2018
Extremely upset that I was tricked into learning something while listening to this clever and funny podcast. Keep up the good work my dudes!

Full of interesting information
in iTunes by Natafire from USA on December 29, 2017
Really enjoying all the random bits of information in each episode! Perfect for my commute!

Friendly, funny Talk Radio in your pocket!
in iTunes by huckersteve from USA on December 28, 2017
This podcast should serve as a benchmark for quality in how to reproduce a classic radio feel and format in a podcast. The hosts sound great, and have a matchless repoire (sp) that makes the show easy to listen to. Great workday listening for sure, and you probably won't even get yelled at by your co workers for trying to listen to yet another Conspiracy Podcast at work! Thanks for the great example, Dudes- keep em coming. -Steve at the Baked and Awake Podcast



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Saturday, January 27, 2018

This is how to win a game


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Friday, January 26, 2018

Another Creep Revealed


This time it's Las Vegas casino owner Steve Wynn.

That has to be the least surprising revelation outside of Stormy Daniels.
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Fundraiser


Our soccer club (Green White) is doing a Super Bowl squares fundraiser to raise money for a trip to a tournament in Philadelphia. If you'd like to participate (some pretty nice prizes), click here. The password is greenwhite.
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2nd Greatest Day of my Life as a Sportsfan


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Fox News is a Disgrace


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Burger King Speaks Up For Net Neutrality

This has gone viral. As of today, nearly three million views...

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The XFL

Remember the XFL? It was a short-lived football league that competed against the NFL. It was the brainchild of wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, and the league featured players like Hershell Walker, and owners like Donald Trump.

It also sucked.

I remember the Chicago team was known as the Blitz, and their quarterback at one point was the 75-year-old (slight exaggeration) Greg Landry.

Well, Vince McMahon wants to bring it back. That story was making the rounds yesterday. Here's an article about it if you're interested.
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Thursday, January 25, 2018

Minutia Men, Episode 81


EP81 – Rick and Dave discuss Agent 99, an unusual Father/son moment, the Pope telling nun jokes, the man they named the ballpark after, and Rick’s brush with Danny Bonaduce.
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Getting that Hall of Fame call

I have no problem with any of these four guys making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Love watching them receive the news...





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For Those of You Traveling Overseas

This little tidbit of information is often left out of the self congratualatory tweeting of our First Tweeter..


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Murphy Brown is Coming Back

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. CBS is bringing back Murphy Brown for 13 episodes.

I did watch Murphy Brown in the 90s because there were always good zingers I could use on the air (as drop ins--that's what we called the little audio clips we played). At first I didn't like the show, but I came around on it. By the time it went off the air it was one of my favorites.

But my honest first thought when I heard it was returning was "I guess it's true. There are no new ideas anymore." On the other hand, it wasn't until I started writing this post that I realized the timing for Murphy Brown's return might be perfect. Who better to weigh in on the current "Fake News" crisis we're experiencing? Let's unleash those razor-tongued Murphy Brown writers.

There's no shortage of targets for those incredible zingers.
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Fahey, Joel, and John Coleman

This incredible piece of video from 1971 was unearthed by FuzzyMemories...

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Will Ferrell

The former SNL man is returning to host the show this week, and Chicago has done it's part. From Robert Feder's column this morning...

Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications responded to an urgent call this week from “Saturday Night Live.” With Will Ferrell set to host this weekend’s show, producers needed to secure his original costumes as Harry Caray and the Spartan cheerleader. Both have been on display as part of the yearlong “Saturday Night Live: The Experience” exhibit at the museum. “It was all very confidential and hush-hush,” said Justin Kulovsek, the museum’s vice president of innovation. “I had to use protective gloves and wrap each item in plastic and take photos of the garments before boxing them up and sending them off to New York.” The two costumes are expected to be back on display in Chicago next week.

Looking forward to this episode. That cheerleader bit was always one of my favorites...
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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

175 years!

Hard to argue with this sentence...more than 150 young girls molested...that's just over a year in prison for each one.


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Another Retirement from Touring

Yesterday Neil Diamond retired from touring.

Today, Elton John announced that he would stop touring too. From ABC...
After almost a half of century of performing for packed audiences, Sir Elton John has announced his plans to retire from global touring.

The icon held a press conference today, which was streamed to his official website and YouTube.

"I’m not gonna be touring anymore," he said, aside from his last tour 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' that will kick off later this year in September. To be fair, he added that this global farewell tour will last a few years and will be 300 shows.

He remains one of the only rock icons I've never seen live. I guess I have to go see him when he comes to town.
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Another State Protecting Net Neutrality

Yesterday it was Montana that passed a law protecting Net Neutrality.

Today it was New York!

I still don't think it's legal because of a sneaky provision inserted into the FCC Order banning states from doing so, but it's certainly worth the shot to fight it in court.
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Garrison Keillor

At first the Garrison Keillor firing sounded a bit harsh. He claimed he accidentally touched a woman's bare back, which didn't sound like much to me. The results of the inquiry are in, however, and it was clearly more than that. From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

More about the Garrison Keillor firing – MPR now cites “unwanted sexual touching.” “Dozens of sexually inappropriate incidents over a period of years,” according to the attorney for a woman who worked for Garrison Keillor’s company. (Though not Minnesota Public Radio itself.) MPR posts an extensive statement here about what it learned from an “extended, independent fact-finding investigation” conducted by an outside firm. Keillor had stated that there was a single episode of him accidentally touching a bare back. The woman’s attorney supplied emails, written messages, “requests for sexual contact, and explicit descriptions of sexual communications and touching.” Some Minnesota Public Radio listeners and supporters questioned its judgment last Fall. Now CEO Jon McTaggart says the results of the investigation are in – and there are pieces of it that he can share, shedding light on his decision. McTaggart says “We appreciate Garrison’s many contributions to MPR, and we have gone to great lengths to be considerate of his privacy and his reputation.” The CEO says because Keillor owns many of the rights around his signature “A Prairie Home Companion” and the daily “Writer’s Almanac,” it was necessary to make a clean break in their business relationship. The hastily-chosen new name for the folksy two-hour weekly show now hosted by Chris Thile – “Live from Here.”
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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

RIP Hugh Masekela



His greatest song, and one of my favorites...


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Oscar Nominations

Here they are, hot off the press...

Best Picture
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Directing
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro, Shape of Water

Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Actress in a Leading Role
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Actress in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Actor in a Supporting Role
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Adapted Screenplay
James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist
Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green, Logan
Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game
Virgil Williams and Dee Rees, Mudbound

Original Screenplay
Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
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Montana Passes Net Neutrality Law

I thought there was a provision in the latest Net Neutrality debacle pushed by FCC Chairman Pai forbidding this, but it looks like Montana is ready to challenge the legality of that provision. They passed a Net Neutrality law, ensuring a free and open internet in Montana. It should be noted that Montana is not exactly a blue state.

I suspect there will be a legal challenge to this, but I still applaud the effort.
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Neil Diamond Retires from Touring

From this morning's RAMP newsletter...

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Neil Diamond announced his retirement from touring due to his recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. On the advice of his doctors, the third leg of Diamond's 50th Anniversary tour, set to land in Australia and New Zealand in March, has been cancelled.

In a statement posted to his website, Diamond said, "It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring. I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years. My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows."

Tomorrow, Diamond will celebrate his 77th birthday, and this Sunday, January 28, The Recording Academy will honor him with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Imus is Another Cumulus Victim

From this morning's Tom Taylor NOW column...

Don Imus to leave his current radio gig on March 29 (not his choice). NOW readers identified the precise moment – 7:22am Eastern time yesterday – when the I-Man told his audience on Cumulus talker WABC/770 and his Westwood One affiliates that Cumulus and he aren’t going to the end of 2018. He’s not thrilled about it, even though he’s 77 and still endures the punishing hours required of a morning-drive broadcaster. But he understands, says the New York Daily News - Imus explains to listeners that “They have a responsibility, as far as [the Cumulus] bankruptcy, to try to cut costs, to save money and figure out a way to make the thing work.” He’s actually confident that management can do that, and a fan of CEO Mary Berner. Cumulus predecessor Citadel hired Imus for WABC after he lost his job at MSNBC and CBS Radio’s sports “Fan” WFAN New York/660 in April 2007. That uproar was about his crack that the Rutgers women’s basketball team looking like “nappy-headed hos.” But Citadel’s Farid Suleman was a fan, and rescued his radio career. (Also his TV career, which continued on the RFD channel and, from 2009-2015, Fox Business Channel.)
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Monday, January 22, 2018

RIP John Coleman

The legendary weatherman passed away over the weekend. He was 83 years old.

Coleman was known nationally as the man who founded the Weather Channel, but in Chicago he will always be remembered for his incredible run at Channel 7 as part of the classic lineup (Fahey Flynn, Joel Daly, John Coleman and Bill Frink).

Joel Daly wrote about him quite a bit in his great memoir "The Daly News" (Eckhartz Press). Here's a photo from that book...

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Tom Weinberg

Tom Weinberg’s book signing at the Book Stall in Winnetka yesterday. A good time was had by one and all as Tom talked about his Eckhartz Press book "Chasing the Lost City"

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Will Trump Do the Pre-Superbowl Interview?

Indications are that he will not do it, ending a tradition going back to 2004.

The main reason is that NBC is airing the Super Bowl. The last NBC interview he did was with Lester Holt, and in that interview he admitted obstructing justice.
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Facebook will now ask users to rank news organizations they trust

Facebook will ask users to rank news they trust.

This sounds like a terrible idea to me. With all the Russian bots out there, once they use their forces for evil (labeling real news as fake), all this will do is damage legitimate news. To defeat fake news we need an impartial arbiter to declare it fake. Allowing the users to say what is fake or not is the opposite of what needs to be done. The users are in a bubble. That's how fake news worked in the first place.
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Doin the Cruise



Mitch Michaels recently appeared on the Brandwidth podcast (hosted by Kipper McGee and Dave Martin). You can listen to their discussion right here.

As always, Mitch is quite entertaining.
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Look what arrived in the mail

Get your own cup at weareallshitholers.com...

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Trump Affair?

If you missed Bill Maher on Friday night, you missed a great interview with Michael Wolff. In the interview he implied something. Variety wrote about it this morning...
When asked whether there is a section in Fire and Fury that he wonders that the press isn't asking about, Wolff told host Bill Maher on Friday's installment of HBO's Real Time that there is, "but I can't tell you what it is."

"There is something in the book that I was absolutely sure of, but it was so incendiary that I just didn't have the ultimate proof," he said.

Maher then pressed Wolff on what the topic of the incendiary revelation is, asking whether it is a "woman thing."

"Well, I didn't have the blue dress," Wolf responded, referring to evidence in the Monica Lewinsky scandal with former President Bill Clinton, before telling Maher that "it is" about a woman.

"It's somebody he's fucking now," Maher said.

"It is. You just have to read between the lines," Wolff said, "It's toward the end of the book." After being pressed some more by Maher to reveal details about where the suggestion of an affair is, Wolff said, "You'll know it. Now that I've told you, when you hit that paragraph, you'll say 'Bingo.'"

Looking forward to getting my copy of the book in the mail. Speculation I've seen on Twitter so far is that it might be Nikki Haley. That seems like a stretch to me, but then again, I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.
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Attention Broadcasters

During the last few government shutdowns, it was a fun joke for broadcasters to say they could get away with anything on the air because the FCC was not in the office. Not this time. From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

Most of the “non-essential” parts of the federal government closed on Friday – but not the FCC. Chairman Ajit Pai saw the potential shutdown coming and stashed away enough funds to keep his agency going for a whole week – at what sounds like full-tilt. Note that this isn’t the shutdown-contingency plan Pai shared last month, when he said they’d keep about 225 of the 1,492 staffers on the job. That’s still in abeyance and could be triggered if needed. Here’s what the FCC said Friday – “In the event of a partial government shutdown, because of available funding, the FCC plans to remain open and pay staff at least through the close of business on Friday, January 26.”
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Sunday, January 21, 2018

Aerial View

This is tremendous. When you hear a Republican saying "America thinks this" or "America thinks that", he or she is completely disregarding every single person seen here...


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Saturday, January 20, 2018

The Rally Against Trump



Washington...



New York...




Chicago...



Texas...




Oakland...



Reno...





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Friday, January 19, 2018

A Stormy Night

In Touch Magazine has the full interview with Stormy Daniels, and yes, I just spent 15 minutes of my life reading it. Here's the part about the actual act. It's really romantic...

Stormy: I had to use the bathroom and I went to the restroom, which was in the bedroom. Like I said, it was a big suite. I could describe the suite perfectly. When I came out, he was sitting on the bed and he was like, “Come here.” And I was like, “Ugh, here we go.” And we started kissing. I actually don’t even know why I did it but I do remember while we were having sex, I was like, “Please don’t try to pay me.” And then I remember thinking, “But I bet if he did, it would be a lot.”

IT: This is what you were thinking during sex?

Stormy: Yeah, isn’t that horrible? But I remember thinking, “I hope he doesn’t think I’m a hooker.” Not that I have anything against hookers. I just personally have never done it. Still, I have no idea why I did it. Honestly, I really don’t.

IT: Were you attracted to him?

Stormy: Would you be?

And here's the part that will haunt my dreams...

So anyway, the sex was nothing crazy. He wasn’t like, chain me to the bed or anything. It was one position. I can definitely describe his junk perfectly, if I ever have to.

Please don't.
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Huffington Post Stops Using Unpaid Writers

This is a huge change for the Huffington Post. They have decided to stop using unpaid contributors. Since it began, unpaid writers have made a significant contribution to the Huffington Post. (They currently have more than 100,000 of them).

They published one of my pieces about ten years ago, and didn't pay me. They wanted to publish a bunch of my Just One Bad Century stuff after that, and I said no way. Their pitch was always "but we give you great exposure!" I tried to use that exposure to pay my mortgage. Apparently the banks don't accept that as payment anymore.
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Howard Stern to Induct Bon Jovi into HOF

From this morning's RAMP newsletter...
Howard Stern will have the honor of inducting Bon Jovi into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Hall's annual ceremony on April 14 in Cleveland. That's the word from Rolling Stone, which reports that Jon Bon Jovi visited The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday morning to discuss why Howard was his top choice. "The truth is, I had hoped this day was going to come, and... initially you think about these big rock stars and the truth is, I only had one choice," Bon Jovi said to Stern. "Our careers have paralleled in a lot of ways -- whether it was the ups or the downs -- we've come through everything together and we do this at this point because we love the people we work with... and the truth is, nobody knows not only me but the members of the band as well as Howard."

Stern replied, "I'm so honored that you asked me. I'm thrilled to do it," while joking that he still wished the ceremony was happening in New York. Bon Jovi laughed and confirmed that subject of the induction being in Cleveland did come up in conversation with manager, Irving Azoff. As Bon Jovi recounted, "Irving did say to me, 'does Howard know it's in Cleveland?'"
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Cumulus drops Sox, Bulls, WKQX, and the Loop

This is a bit of a bombshell in the hallways at Cumulus today. Robert Feder reports...

Struggling to emerge from bankruptcy, Cumulus Media announced plans Thursday to drop its money-losing multiyear contracts to broadcast White Sox baseball and Bulls basketball on news/talk WLS AM 890. The company also moved to cancel its deal with Merlin Media to acquire alternative rock WKQX FM 101.1 and classic rock WLUP FM 97.9. Cumulus has been operating the two stations since 2014 under a local marketing agreement. “As part of our operational turnaround, we have been focused on taking proactive steps to address unprofitable areas of our business,” Mary Berner, president and chief executive officer of Cumulus Media, said in a statement. “We are taking this action because the economic terms of these legacy contracts guarantee that we lose money and, as such, continuing them in their current form is not in Cumulus’s best interests.” U.S. Bankruptcy Court is scheduled to rule February 1 on the company’s plan to reject the contracts. It’s not known where the White Sox and Bulls will go or who will operate 101 WKQX and The Loop after Cumulus.

Radio Ink has more information about this situation...

According to Cumulus, the company operating the stations formerly owned by Randy Michaels, WLUP-FM and WKQX-FM in Chicago have lost $8.4 Million since 2014. Cumulus says the two stations, net of LMA fees to Michaels, lost $1.5 million in 2014, $800,000 in 2015, $1.1 million in 2016 and $5.1 million in 2017. The LMA fee Cumulus was paying to Merlin was $600,000 per month.

In a Cumulus court filing Thursday, the company says “The Merlin agreements are economically detrimental to the Debtors’ estates and operating the Merlin Stations, net of the LMA Fee, has proved unprofitable for the Debtors since the LMA’s execution.” Cumulus has asked the court to nullify the agreements.

In 2017, Cumulus announced it would be purchasing the stations for approximately $50 million. That was obviously before the company decided to file for bankruptcy protection.

We asked Michaels if this would lead to him getting the stations back and his answer was “yes.”
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Thursday, January 18, 2018

Minutia Men, Episode 80


EP80 – Rick and Dave trace flatulence, unite sh**holers, admonish Jenkins, play Just One Bad Century roulette, and recount Rick’s brush with songwriter Jimmy Webb.

Listen to it here.
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Fire & Fury TV

Fire & Fury TV rights have been purchased for millions. They plan to make it into a television series.

I don't know if I can handle watching this, watching the nightly news is hard enough.

Although...I suppose it depends on the casting.

Oh, and it's going international now too...


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Why Don't People Visit Moscow in December?

Guess how many minutes of sunlight they had in Moscow in December this year.

Would you believe six?

No wonder they drink so much vodka.
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The Fake News Awards

With a government shutdown looming, and half of America reeling from confirmation that their president is a stone cold racist, the president did what anyone would do in his shoes.

He staged a Fake News Award show.

Oh, and the awards he gave out were for stories that were actually corrected by the people who initially reported them. The way it's supposed to work.

(Sigh)
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RIP Hugh Wilson

You may not know his name, but Hugh Wilson was the creator of one of the great television sitcoms of all-time, WKRP in Cincinnati. He also writer/director of films like "Police Academy", "First Wives Club", "Guarding Tess" and many more.

I didn't know this until I read it in his obit in the Hollywood Reporter this morning, but Wilson came up with the idea for WKRP when he worked as a salesman at a top 40 station in Atlanta. I'm guessing he didn't base the character of Herb Tarlek on himself...



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Stormy Daniels

To get a real glimpse into how weird our world has become, consider this.

Stormy Daniels, a porn star, confirmed that she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006--while he was married to Melania. The first lady had just given birth to their son. The reason the story hadn't come out until yesterday is that Trump paid her $130,000 in hush money. Not only is it confirmed that the current president of the U.S. cheated on his wife...there are details about the actual sex. It's in the current issue of In Touch. You can read the abbreviated on line version here, which includes this paragraph...

At one point, Stormy told In Touch, she excused herself to go to the bathroom. “When I came out, he was sitting on the bed and he was like, ‘Come here.’ And I was like, ‘Ugh, here we go.’ And we started kissing.” After having sex, Stormy said, “We hung out for a little while and he just kept saying, ‘I’m gonna call you, I’m gonna call you. I have to see you again. You’re amazing. We have to get you on The Apprentice.’”

I'm told the hard copy includes details about chasing her around in his tighty whities, that she reminded him of Ivanka, and the absolutely generic nature of the actual sex (unlike Marla Maples claims in the New York Post years ago).

And yet...this story is getting almost ZERO press.

The president cheated on his current wife with a porn star and paid hush money to keep it out of the press during the election...and it's barely registering a blip in the coverage.

That's how much this country has changed in one year. Gary Hart must be sitting in his house screaming "What the hell?"
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Reasons to Keep a Writer Around

I thought this was pretty spot on...


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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

CWA Book Awards

The CWA posted a few photos from their Book of the Year award ceremony on Saturday night. Here are the ones that captured yours truly. In the second photo (with author Richard Reeder), he and I are actually making a book deal. Details will be announced soon...

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239 pounds, my ass


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RIP JoJo White

I always hated the Celtics, but I never hated JoJo White. He was one of my favs when I was a kid. I remember my dad pointing out that White was the only non-White on the Celtics in those days. Irony.


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Installing this in Hawaii right now

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John Fisher

My old colleague at the Loop, John Fisher, has been killin' it in Seattle for many years now. He just switched to a new station there. Radio Insight has the info...
Entercom’s recently launched Soft AC “94.1 The Sound” KSWD Seattle has appointed John Fisher as its new morning host starting January 22.

Fisher returns to Entercom after previously spending over two decades as morning host on AAA “103.7 The Mountain” KMTT from 1992 until the station flipped to Rhythmic Hot AC “Hot 103.7” in 2013. He most recently spent three years in various shifts at Hubbard AC “Warm 106.9” KWRM.

John was married to the woman who gave me my first break in the big time--Sandy Stahl. (She unfortunately passed away a few years ago.)

I've always respected John. He's the real deal. When I first began my Chicago Radio Spotlight blog back in 2007, John was the first person I interviewed. You can read that here. I wish him nothing but the best.
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Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Jimmy Fallon Channels Jimmy Taylor

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Classy

Andrew McCutcheon was traded by the Pirates to the Giants yesterday. This is what he tweeted upon hearing the news...


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If Only Millennials Voted

There are now more voting-age Millennials than Baby Boomers. Here's what the last election would have looked like if only Millennial votes counted...

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Imus

Not a fan of Fox and Friends, but I'm on their side on this one. From Radio Online...

"Fox & Friends" host and multiple sclerosis survivor Janice Dean, 47, told Moneyish about having her legs called disgusting in a Facebook comment recently that threw her off balance. The Fox News senior meteorologist was asked to "please stop allowing fox to dress you in those short skirts... Your [sic] an attractive lady but your legs are distracting every time you walk on screen."

She says the Facebook incident is not the first time Dean has been publicly shamed for her body. Before joining Fox over a decade ago, she worked with syndicated talk host Don Imus as a news editor. "On a daily basis, on and off air, he would comment that I was fat" or that they should hire a personal trainer, she says. "He brought in a trainer one time on-air and said, ‘Stand up. She needs to get rid of that... her hips and her butt.' I was just so ashamed. So ashamed."

"I live with an illness that could take away [my legs] at any moment," she tells Moneyish. Dean added that if she were to face Imus today, she'd tell him that he couldn't do that to her. "I've always been conscious about what body part I'd like to change, but I'm comfortable in that I know what I'm good at. I want to say to young girls ‘it's OK to be yourself, to show who you are.'"

Imus is such a good looking man, you can see how he feels superior. His eyebrows weigh approximately the same as Janice Dean's entire body.
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That's a LOT of golfing

I love golfing. I would do it more if i could, but I'm busy. I'm a business owner, a free lance writer, and a soccer coach, so it's almost impossible to find days where I have five full hours of free time available. If all the stars align, I might get out twice this coming year, and that would make me very happy.

President Trump's schedule should make my schedule look like a piece of cake. How many times do you think he has golfed this past year? Would you believe 94 times? That's not a typo. He golfed 94 times. That's basically every three days. Retired people who live on golf courses golf less. Tiger Woods golfs less.

All presidents golf a lot. It's a stressful job, and they need to blow off steam. I get that. But before he became president, Trump tweeted 27 times bitching about Obama golfing because it infuriated him that Obama was golfing so much.

If Trump continues at his current pace, he will surpass Obama's total number of times on the golf course (over the full two terms), before the end of his first term...by about the number of times I have golfed since becoming a father.
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Monday, January 15, 2018

RIP Dolores O'Riordan

This is a shocker. The lead singer of the Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan, has passed away at the age of 46. The cause of death hasn't been released.



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MLK Day

I post this song every year on Martin Luther King Day. It was put together by a DJ in Detroit named Tom Clay after the assassinations of JFK, MLK, and RFK, and it has a timeless message...

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Willson's Advice to Jon Lester

My favorite moment from this weekend's Cubs convention...


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Is it really OK to say "Shithole" on the air?

I'd say no, but then again, I heard it many many times over the past week. Tom Taylor's NOW column looks at the issue from an FCC perspective...

Language issues are back at the FCC – from the White House to “Saturday Night Live.” SNL host Sam Rockwell blurted out the gerund version of the f-word in an opening skit and immediately covered his mouth. That may’ve happened only in the East coast live feed (and in “safe harbor” time, after 10pm). But it’ll produce complaints to the FCC. Later in that same episode, “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost intentionally used the News-Cycle Word of the Week – the “s-hole” word reportedly uttered by the President in a meeting with Congressional leaders. That could also result in FCC complaints, since Jost’s comment may not fit under the “fleeting expletive” rule. Then there were all the news executives making judgment calls about whether to use the exact eight-letter word allegedly employed by Trump. NBC News anchor Lester Holt said it, once. His evening news counterparts at ABC and CBS didn’t. The AP reports that there are viewer complaints at the FCC already about both NBC and CNN – though the easy answer about CNN is that the FCC doesn’t regulate language on cable channels. Attorney David Oxenford blogs about the history of profanity over broadcast outlets. He says in the case of newscasts, “the FCC has said repeatedly that there is no blanket rule exempting news programming from its indecency rule.” Though the agency “has recognized that the decisions made about the language in newscasts are subject to a different level of First Amendment protection than language included in an entertainment program.” But as Oxenford cautions – “there no blank check, even in news reports.”
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MLK Day

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Look Who is In the News

This morning's Robert Feder column leads with this little tidbit...

It’s only the middle of January, but courtesy of President Donald Trump, we already may know the word of the year: “Shithole,” of course. A Chicago area publisher has secured the online domain WeAreAllShitholers.com and released a line of merchandise bearing the logo he designed featuring the Statue of Liberty. (ImAShitholer.com was already taken.) “Ultimately, I’d like to create a website that highlights the contributions of immigrants from those so-called shithole countries,” said David Stern, co-founder and publisher of Eckhartz Press. “Until then, all profits from any merchandise sold on WeAreAllShitholers.com [T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, tote bags, etc.] will be donated to charities that improve the lives of people in those areas.” Added Stern: “My parents emigrated from Berlin in 1949. I imagine there wasn’t a bigger ‘shithole’ on Earth back then.”
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Fire and Fury on SNL

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Out the Door

Award winning Eckhartz Press author M.L. Collins. Her book “Out the Door” was named CWA Book of the Year Saturday night. So proud of her! Happy to be there to see her receive the award and applause!





Who is M.L?
M.L. Collins has been in love with Door County ever since spending summers in Juddville with her grandparents who moved there in the 1930s after retiring from the circus.

M.L. has worked as a free-lance writer and lectured extensively on the history of sex, fashion and culture at various institutions in Chicago including the School of the Art Institute, the University of Chicago Graham School and most recently, Columbia College.

She divides her time between the big city of Chicago and a small town on the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin where she recently fell for a sailor named Smee.

What is "Out the Door" about?
A story about a little of everything: geology, sex, politics, the environment, prairie voles, cheese curds, casinos, aphrodisiacs, sturgeon, trilobites, gulls, Hat Island, bit of mystery – and much more!

You can get your copy at Eckhartz Press.

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Another Creep Revealed?


This one doesn't sound quite as bad as the others, but it certainly appears to have crossed the line.

Comedian Aziz Ansari.
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