The LPMFL

I was in Stickney yesterday participating in the Loop's Poor Man's Fantasy League draft. It's the 25th year of our league, believe it or not. When we started the league all of us worked at the Loop in various different grunt positions, and the draft was actually held in the fancy Loop conference room. One year the Loop even sprung for a hotel conference room for us.

Team owners have come and gone over the years (people like Dan McNeil, Peggy Kusinski, Cindy Gatziolis, Terry Gibson, Mike "Igor" Davis, Mike Medina, Clay Champlain, John Bell and others have been part of the league at one time), and as you might expect of the radio business, it wasn't long before none of us worked at the Loop anymore.

But we still have a great time getting together, picking our fantasy teams, and talking baseball. This year, for the first time, someone brought a camera. Thanks so much to the pizza guy for snapping this picture.

Billie Jean

30 years ago today, this was the number one song in the country...

Today's Best Illini Tweets

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




dailyherald ‏@dailyherald
Illini lose thriller to Miami http://bit.ly/ZiUyYt

Alex Quigley ‏@alexquigley
Anytime your team's season ends on a play that spurs a rule change for the following season...well, that sucks. #illini

Eric Horng ‏@EricHorngABC7
Gutsy performance by #Illini. Serious hosing by the refs at multiple points in the game.

Ethan Asofsky ‏@AsOfTheSky
#Illini head coach John Groce's thoughts on out-of-bounds call: 1) Officiating was tremendous 2) You saw the same video that I did.

IllinoisLoyalty ‏@IllinoisLoyalty
Groce obviously disagreed with the controversial call, but answered it in the classiest way possible. #Illini

Shannon Ryan ‏@sryantribune
Groce interrupted a question to Egwu about blown out of bounds call. Said he'd take all questions on the play.

Rafer Weigel ‏@RaferWeigel
Despite 63-59 loss to #Miami. #Illini should be proud of the season. Good showing. I look forward to watching program grow under @JohnGroce

Ben Finfer ‏@BenFinfer
I think #Illini fans should be happy with the season and excited about the future. Mike Thomas was 1 for 2 with his big hirings.

Dave Wischnowsky ‏@wischlist
Great effort, #Illini. A truly great effort. Very proud of you guys.

Steve Cochran ‏@CochranShow
That's a tough way to go out. Seriously. What a shame.

Green White History

One of my on-going writing projects is chronicling the history of Green White Soccer Club; a club co-founded by my father in 1956. Every month I highlight one year in Green White history. This month it's 1974.

You can read it here.

Rick Kogan Reviews "Records Truly Is My Middle Name"

In Sunday’s “Sidewalks” column in the Chicago Tribune, Rick Kogan reviewed the book “Records Truly Is My Middle Name” by John Records Landecker. The headline of the piece is: “John Landecker: One Heck of a Life”.

Among the highlights…

*Being John Landecker might have been a great deal more fun decades ago than it is today, but if you had led the raucous and substance-abusing life that Landecker lived decades ago, you might not be around today. But here is Landecker, looking fit and trim and altogether alive, and saying, “You liked the book? It’s all there, isn’t it? Some life.” The book is his remarkably candid new memoir, “Records Truly Is My Middle Name,” and its official publication date comes Thursday, the same day Landecker turns 66.

*Though there will be some readers drawn to the book for the salacious details, four wives and numerous other dalliances — and its ample number of celebrities — some of the most interesting sections of the book deal with Landecker’s childhood and his parents.

*He now has good relationships with his two daughters, actress Amy and writer Tracy, even though, he writes, “I put my children in many inappropriate situations. I exposed them to parts of life that are not for kids. … (But) I have an 8-year-old granddaughter who has never seen me drunk, and I love her to death. Whatever parental DNA I’ve got left will be passed on to her when needed.” The book is filled with many such honest reflections, terrific photos, some of Landecker’s funniest parody songs and snippets of favorite interviews. It’s peppered too by a self-effacing tone: “Maybe I’m just a guy writing a book about the times we all lived through.”

Read the whole review here.

Pre-order your copy of the book right here at Eckhartz Press.

(Photo by the Chicago Tribune’s Alex Garcia)

Cubs Art...

...in torn up beer bottle boxes and Legos.

Enjoy.

50 Years Ago Today...

...The Beatles released their first album in the U.K. They called it "Please Please Me". The lads drifted off into obscurity after that, never to be heard from again.

I'm Starting to Really Like this New Pope

Unlike the last Pope, this one really seems to be a man of the people. I heard lots of stories about his humility over the past weeks, but I think this is my all-time favorite one.

The other day he called Argentina to cancel his own newspaper delivery.

I love that!

Change Coming at the F.C.C.

Two of the F.C.C. commissioners are leaving. Two days ago Republican Commissioner McDowell announced he was a goner. Today it will be the Chairman Julius Genachowski. Details in Tom Taylor's column this morning...



"Genachowski’s replacement could be Tom Wheeler, while House and Senate Republican leaders will make their own recommendation to the White House. But getting them to agree on a single candidate could take a while, and during that period, you can forget about action on the media ownership proceeding and other major issues. That will all wait for the next Chair. How long will it take to re-stock the 8th Floor? Obama will want to move his choice as Chairman and the Republican nominee together as a package, through Senate confirmation. We could be looking at this Fall, if not later. The prediction here is that for the first time, we’ll have a female interim Chair, probably Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. She may have the gavel in her hands for many months."

Clyburn has one of the greatest first names in government history (Mignon). I will not be happy unless we get another commissioner named either Cutlet or Bouillabaisse.

RIP Herbert Streicher

Don't recognize that name?

You may have known him by his stage name: Harry Reems.

The star of Deep Throat is dead at the age of 65.

It looks even better in print

This could be a collector's item--a hard copy of Time Out Chicago. (Click on the photo to enlarge it)

Still blown away by the incredible review Robert Feder wrote about the book...

A bigger better flier

They keep sending me this stuff, so I feel it's only friendly to keep posting 'em...

Behind the Scenes with John Landecker and Rick Kogan at the Chicago Tribune

This was our first time visiting the internet hub of the Chicago Tribune, their webcasting headquarters. The television studio is right in the middle of the newsroom. (Those are real life Tribune reporters doing their job in the background). By the way, if you’ve ever wondered–newsrooms are not at all like they appear in the movies. They aren’t loud and boisterous–this one was as quiet as a library. I felt like I should have been whispering.

We were lucky enough to have John interviewed by another Chicago legend, Tribune reporter and feature columnist Rick Kogan. Rick and John got along great on the air today. Kogan also interviewed us for his upcoming Sunday column in the Tribune, “Sidewalks”. A Tribune photographer was on hand taking pictures of John and me. Look for those photos in this weekend’s newspaper.

John will be back on the air with Rick Kogan on his radio show (NPR–WBEZ) next week. Details in the Eckhartz Press calendar.

More photos at the Eckhartz Press blog.

The NBC Sports Radio Lineup

They may have only one station signed up to broadcast them, but the NBC Sports Radio lineup has been set. They launch in September.

I'm not going to judge the quality of the broacasters because I've never heard of them. That doesn't mean they aren't good. In fact, I think it's refreshing that they're giving somebody else a chance.

The only red flag I see is the afternoon show (my producing instincts are sounding a WARNING alarm). The show features two ex-quarterbacks (Donovan McNabb and Mark Malone). It's been my experience that one athlete may be able to handle the gig with the right coaching, but two is a step too far. I could be wrong, but I'll be surprised if I am.

It should be interesting to see if anyone else picks up the full 24/7 lineup.

Why does everyone hate Jay Leno?

I've been wondering this over the past few weeks. As rumors have swirled that Jay is being replaced by Jimmy Fallon, I kept thinking to myself: "Why are they doing this? The guy is #1."



Somebody else is wondering the same thing; Richard Rushfield at Buzzfeed. He wrote this today...

Four paragraphs from the bottom of Wednesday's New York Times story on the impending ouster of Jay Leno comes a very telling sentence. After nearly 800 words detailing NBC's suddenly desperate scramble to remove Leno from his Tonight Show perch and replace him with Jimmy Fallon, reporter Bill Carter points out that: "Another complicating factor has been Mr. Leno's continued success in the ratings." Such has been the tragedy of Jay Leno's career; scorned by critics, reviled by all of comedy, plotted against by executives. The host lives a lonely life, unloved by anyone except the viewers.

An excellent point. So I guess my original question in the headline of this post isn't the correct question at all. The real question should be: Why do the viewers like him?

Maybe someone should be investigating that. It would seem more helpful.

Balls of Steel

He oversaw a news outlet (News of the World) that has been proven to be a criminal organization that used bribery, phone hacking, and intimidation to destroy people's lives. An investigation has proven some of these techniques are prevelant at other outlets as well. Now the government is stepping in, appointing a regulator to oversee this out of control British press. What would you expect him to say about that? In a world where there are consequences to the boss, he might say, "Sorry--yes, you're right. We need to get this under control."

Not Rupert Murdoch.

He compared it to George Orwell's Ministry of Truth and ordered his newspapers to start attacking the Conservative British Prime Minister that his newspaper helped elect in the first place.

I'm telling you...the man is Snidely Whiplash.

YouTube Clicks

How many people are checking out YouTube these days?

A billion.

Every month.

John Landecker Book Signing

Thanks so much to Shore Magazine for really getting behind John Landecker's book signing coming on April 7th. This flier is all over their site and included in all of their e-mail newsletters. I like how it's shaped like a bookmark. (click on the image to enlarge it)

We really appreciate it...

Cubs 365

Just as a reminder, the Just One Bad Century blog still cranks out a Cubs story every day. Here is today's entry...

On this day in 1880, Bronco Billy Anderson was born. At the time of the Cubs World Series dynasty, he was a huge movie star. Chicago was also the movie capitol of the world at the time, thanks to Bronco Billy's movie studio, Essanay.

The studio was located on Argyle Street in the Uptown neighborhood. At that time there was still quite a bit of open space to film in that neighborhood, and Essanay preferred to shoot outdoors if possible. They also built an indoor studio at that location.

On the day the studio was opened in 1907, the Cubs were in the midst of a magical season, on their way to their first World Series title. The Cubs built one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history, and Essanay was doing the same on Argyle Street.

Anderson was the talent. He was a former vaudeville actor who became famous playing one of the outlaws in the 1903 mega-hit, "The Great Train Robbery".

Essanay quickly became the studio for westerns and comedy. "Bronco Billy" cranked out one western a week for 376 straight weeks. (A few were shot in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, the rest at Essanay locations in Colorado or California.)

Despite Bronco Billy's success, however, the studio really lived and died with another star that came a few years later, Charlie Chaplin. He created maybe his most famous film of all time, "The Tramp", during his Essanay era. Other Essanay Chaplin titles include "The Champion", "The Bank", and "Shanghaied." But most of Chaplin's Essanay work wasn't filmed in Chicago. The only one he shot here was "His New Job."

Essanay studios was only operating in Chicago for eleven years, but in those years, the Cubs were in the World Series three times, and began playing their games in what is now known as Wrigley Field. It was a critical era in Cubs and Chicago history.

Rick Kogan interviews John Records Landecker at the Chicago Tribune

I was very impressed by Rick Kogan's interview. He really is the best...

Father Knows Nothing

My latest Father Knows Nothing has been posted. It's about a hiding place that my boys will never find.

You can read it here.

Today's Best Tweets

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




MLB ‏@MLB 7m
No. 1 Republic: Dominicans become first unbeaten #WBC champs: http://atmlb.com/Zcpkie

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 14m
Maybe Crane should ask Tunney to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field again. #HostageResolution

Roger Simon ‏@politicoroger 16m
Letterman: "GOP report says the party is for old, stuffy white guys. John McCain heard about it and said: 'Get off of my lawn!'"

Paul M. Banks ‏@PaulMBanks 21m
from national champs to first round NIT ouster, Adolph Rupp must be turning over in his grave #ukbb #kentucky

Exavier Pope ‏@exavierpope 23m
Dear Mr. Hawk: We bow to your windy, wintry power. You can let spring weather come now. Signed, #Chicago

Nikki Knepper ‏@queenofcussin 36m
I finally understand why women jokingly say "burn it down and start over." My house is plague central. Dear God will it ever end? F.U. Flu!

NBC News ‏@NBCNews 41m
Mark Sanford advances to GOP runoff in S.C. congressional primary, Elizabeth Colbert Busch wins Democratic vote http://nbcnews.to/Xowi4j

Adam McKay ‏@GhostPanther 1h
Today is 10 yrs since US invaded Iraq. If u supported the war u at least owe it to the 1000's of dead to question why u supported.

Adam McKay ‏@GhostPanther 53m
Just lost a few hundred followers for suggesting that the ppl who supported the Iraq war question why they did so. #USA!

Lou Brutus ‏@LouBrutus 1h
If that guy loved his horse so much, why'd he sell it to a beer company in the first place?

A Hivio?

This is from Tom Taylor's NOW column this morning, and I'm not sure why, but it cracked me up...

“I’m sick and tired of radio being sick and tired,” says researcher Mark Ramsey. When Mark’s got a hunch about where things are going, he does a survey, and this one wasn’t pleasant. For the question “Radio brands create unique and compelling content,” 51% of those in a 1,000-person poll said “disagree.” Mark says “radio needs to embrace fresh and exciting consumer-facing ideas” to stay relevant, and that’s why he’s announcing a “Radio Ideas Festival” named “Hivio.” That stands for “a hive of smart people in and around radio.” The one-day in-person event (at “a secret location in San Diego”) is free, though it’s invitation-only, for 25 to 50 people.

I'm betting the secret location is a strip club or a casino.

All Access interviews John Landecker

The radio on-line trade publication All Access interviewed John Records Landecker about his book "Records Truly Is My Middle Name."

If you're interested why John wrote the book, what it was like in the 70s working on a station that covered the entire country, why creativity isn't as prevelant in radio today, how he drove thousands of teens to listen to the radio, his first radio gig, the best and worst songs he played, a surprising part of his past, and what advice he would give to young broadcasters, you should read this column.

If you have ten different questions to ask him, you should conduct your own interview.

If you're a media-type, it's possible, you know. Contact Rick Kaempfer at rick@eckhartzpress.com to set something up.

The Eckhartz Press Calendar

The Eckhartz Press website now has a calendar feature to keep track of our author's comings and goings. Right now the next few weeks are full of John Records Landecker television and radio appearances, and his first book event.

Here's the direct link to the Eckhartz Press calendar.

Be sure to subscribe to the Eckhartz Press blog for all the latest news and information, including behind the scenes photos of John Records Landecker making his media rounds.

Don Wade Health Update

I was very happy to read this and look at the pictures of Don Wade on the WLS website, apparently doing well after chemotherapy.

Here's hoping his recovery continues to go well. Chicago is rooting for him.

Chain Bookstores Lose Market Share

2012 was a very bad year for chain bookstores.

Having dealt with them on the business side, I can tell you that I'm not surprised in the slightest by this news. E-retailers now have 40% of the market and they'll soon have much much more. I think that could be a good thing...but only if amazon doesn't become the on-line equivalent of the chain bookstore.

As a consumer it may be convenient, but they are really starting to squeeze their vendors (just as the chain bookstores do), and when that happens, the markets will dry up. It's the reason we have rules against monopolies in this country.

Woman Who Inspired "The Natural" Passes Away

Her name was Ruth Ann Steinhagen, and she was 83 years old.

I had no idea she had been living in Chicago this whole time.

I've written about her, and her shooting of Eddie Waitkus previously at Just One Bad Century.

On-Air Proposal

Reshuffling the Executive Deck

Three stories in the news today...

1. Former WGN General Manager Tom Langmyer has landed in Milwaukee.

2. Former WLUP General Manager Marv Nyren has landed in Jacksonville, Florida.

3. And a new Cluster-Leader for Clear Channel in Chicago comes from St. Louis.

The State of the News Media

The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism did a study on the state of the news media in 2013. I'm afraid the findings were a little depressing. Among the findings...

*Estimates for newspaper newsroom cutbacks in 2012 put the industry down 30% since its peak in 2000 and below 40,000 full-time professional employees for the first time since 1978.

*A growing list of media outlets, such as Forbes magazine, use technology by a company called Narrative Science to produce content by way of algorithm, no human reporting necessary.

*In local TV, our special content report reveals, sports, weather and traffic now account on average for 40% of the content produced on the newscasts studied while story lengths shrink.

*This adds up to a news industry that is more undermanned and unprepared to uncover stories, dig deep into emerging ones or to question information put into its hands.

*Nearly one-third of the respondents (31%) have deserted a news outlet because it no longer provides the news and information they had grown accustomed to.

This report focuses on something that I've been talking about since I wrote $everance. There may be more media outlets, and it may seem like we're getting more and more information, but the number of people actually collecting the raw news--the reporters--is shrinking. The information gets out there faster, and is spread easier, but collecting the actual raw information--that crucial first step--is being neglected.

The saying used to be "Content is King".

If only it were so.

Love Train

40 years ago this week the number one song in the country was this one, now more closely associated with Coors Light...

Joke for a Monday Morning

Contributed by "SR"...

I was at the bar the other night and overheard three very hefty women talking at the bar.

Their accent appeared to be Scottish, so I approached and asked, "Hello, are you three lassies from Scotland?"

One of them angrily screeched, "It's Wales, Wales you bloody idiot!"

So I apologized and replied, "I am so sorry. Are you three whales from Scotland?"

And that's the last thing I remember.

Jay Leno Angers His Bosses

I've always wondered about this. According to this piece in the New York Times, Jay Leno has angered his bosses by making jokes about their terrible ratings. The one they mention particularly is this one: "The Biggest Loser isn't just a TV show anymore, it's our motto."



Pretty good joke.

Not surprised the bosses are upset about it. Media executives are not known for their thick skins.

More Phone Hacking Claims

The British Police have obtained the phone records of an insider to Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, and guess what they found?

600 new cases of phone hacking.

I've lost track of the number of charges at this point. I stopped counting the arrests made when they got past 20, and stopped counting the hacking charges at a thousand.

I'm sure they were just going rogue. No need to investigate if other publications owned by the same corporation in this country used similar techniques.

The Devil

I missed "The Bible" on the History Channel yesterday, but I've been following the controversy over the portrayal of the Devil. See any resemblance between the Devil and a prominent politician in America? Even Glenn Beck noticed it...



I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

Right?

Radio Bad Boys Settle

A few weeks ago the radio bad boy trial ended in Florida with a verdict in Bubba the Love Sponge's favor. There was talk about another lawsuit being filed regarding some shenanigans that took place during that first trial, but you'll be relieved to hear that the two parties have finally settled. Details are here.



But as the RAMP newsletter points out this morning, it's not like they are now suddenly going to make nice...

Interestingly, the settlement does not protect Schnitt from further on-air attacks from Bubba, who sounded more than eager to get back at it again, saying, "The verdict will stand... And I'll be able to light up MJ on the air." Schnitt told reporters that he was prepared for any future remarks from Bubba, as long as Clem keeps his family out of it. "I'm a public figure," Schnitt said. "You can assail me. You can attack me. You can call me a short guy, say you don't like my hair, say my show is no good. That's fair game," he said. "This has been about protecting my family. My children, primarily." Feisty right to the last, Bubba added, "I'll never take my boot off his neck, ever."

Aren't you glad you don't live in Tampa?

25 Years of Rush

This year marks Rush Limbaugh's 25th year as a syndicated talk show host.



I was looking through my archives the other day, trying to find a piece I had written about an upcoming interview subject, when I stumbed onto something else: An article I had written about Rush in a publication called Chicago Advertising & Media in 1990.

I really don't even remember writing it, but in the article I warned against the hiring of nationally syndicated voices because it would inevitably diminish local radio, and I suspected that radio stations wouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to save money.

I also wrote this: "I listened to his show for fifteen minutes and in that time he called people who care about the environment 'pot smoking hippies' and people who think women should have equal rights 'feminazis'. And they call Howard Stern and Steve Dahl shock jocks?"

In 1990 hearing that on the radio was shocking to me.

In 2013 it's the norm.

Thanks so much for your contributions to American society, Rush.

Eckhartz Press News

The Eckhartz Press blog is getting updated regularly with all the latest news about Eckhartz Press authors.

For instance, if you go there now you can see...

Behind the scenes photos of John Records Landecker on Windy City Live

Photos and commentary about Randy Richardson's recent book signing in Winnetka

and

WGN Radio's Brian Noonan's review of The Balding Handbook

Good Commercial

I thought this was very nicely done...

The Rising Cost of Tuition

Just what someone with three kids approaching college age wants to read: "Over the last 30 years, tuition has increased 1,120 percent; by comparison, even the "skyrocketing" cost of health care only rose 600 percent, and housing costs have gone up a paltry 375 percent."

I just did a Fred Sanford when I read that. I grabbed my heart, looked up at the sky, and said: "Elisabeth, I'm comin' to join ya'"

Beware The Ides of March

I always think of Chicago's very own Ides of March on March 15 (the Ides of March). Found this classic video of the band performing the song the year it came out (1970). The lead singer is Jim Peterik, who went on to write dozens of big hits for bands like Survivor, 38 Special, Night Ranger and more.

RAMP interviews JRL

The RAMP (Radio and Music Professionals) Newsletter also interviewed John Records Landecker. They published the following in this morning's edition...



John Landecker: On The Record

When your parents make the conscious decision to bestow upon you the highly significant middle name of Records, it's a good bet that your career destiny has been pre-determined. And in the case of legendary major market jock John Records Landecker, who currently works at WLS-FM/Chicago, that career is certainly an enviable one. Landecker's illustrious 40-plus-year profession includes some amazingly memorable moments, which, even more amazingly, he was able to remember! With the invaluable collaboration of his longtime producer-turned-author/publisher Rick Kaempfer, Landecker was able to finally coax these awesome stories out of his head and onto the printed (and digital) page in his forthcoming book, Records Truly Is My Middle Name.

RAMP asked Landecker how this ambitious project finally came about.

"There were three main factors at play," he told us. "1) I was out of work at the time, 2) people were urging me to do it, and 3) I realized that many of these stories were really unique and entertaining and needed to be shared." The book is packed with anecdotes about all of the famous people he's met, the stories behind his most famous bits and songs, rare photographs and additional tales from over thirty guest stars, including fellow radio legends Bob Sirott, Jonathon Brandmeier, Don Wade, Fred Winston, Joey Reynolds and others.

We also asked Landecker to share his "How I got into radio" story -- utilizing a personal connection, Landecker was able to wrangle his first radio station visit to WOIB-FM/Ann Arbor, MI. "My girlfriend's aunt was the 'Women's Editor' at the station and she arranged a meeting with the PD," Landecker says. "He was also the afternoon jock so we met in the studio." The PD handed a young Landecker some wire copy and had him practice reading it. He then announced that he had an aspiring young broadcaster in the studio and had Landecker read the copy on the air. "I guess he was suitably impressed, because he later hired me as the Saturday morning newsman. When that jock eventually left, I inherited the shift." The rest, as they say, is radio history.

Records Truly Is My Middle Name is available now for pre-order in trade paperback exclusively from Eckhartz Press. It officially ships on March 28 and will also be available on Amazon.com as an e-book.

Rick Kogan Leaving WBEZ

Robert Feder has the scoop about Chicago treasure Rick Kogan. He's taking a four week leave of absence to finish a book project. Reading between the lines, it certainly sounds like Rick wants WBEZ to get off their fannies and name a permanent host of the afternoon show. He's been doing it on an interim basis for months now.

I'd love to see Rick go back to WGN to reprise his Sunday Papers show. That show was the writer's best friend. I interviewed Rick about it for Chicago Radio Spotlight a few years ago.

By the way, Rick will be interviewing John Landecker during our big media push at the end of this month, but he'll be doing on the Chicago Tribune's new webcast.

Chris Hayes is Replacing Ed Schultz

This is a big deal in the cable news world. MSNBC is pushing out Big Ed Schultz (moving him to weekends), and moving weekend host Chris Hayes into Ed's slot.

Details are here.

Here's a little Chicago angle to this story that you might not realize. Chris is married to the daughter of former Channel 7 reporter Andy Shaw.

Twitter Doesn't Own the Hashtag

You can't copyright a letter or symbol on the keyboard. Sensing an opening, Facebook is pouncing. From this morning's Wall Street Journal...

"Facebook is working on incorporating the hashtag, one of Twitter's most iconic markers, into its service by using the symbol as a way to group conversations, said people familiar with the matter."

And I believe there's not a thing that Twitter can do about it.

As Stocks Rise, So Does Number of Millionaires

From this morning's Washington Post...



"The stock market has roared back to record-high territory — and the number of U.S. millionaires is not far behind, according to a new report. The number of U.S. households worth $1 million or more, excluding the value of their homes, surged to nearly 9 million in 2012."

Wait a minute! I haven't checked my account in awhile. Hold on for a second...let me look...let's see, carry the one, and...Um, no.

That list still does not include me.

Radio Ink's Q&A with John Records Landecker

Radio Ink is a national trade publication. The editor in chief of the publication talked to John on the phone and asked him the kind of radio questions he more than likely won't be getting in other more traditional media venues. For instance, they asked...

Many people got into radio because they used to listen to people like you and Lujack and others. Do you think that can still happen in radio today?

At what point do you think the industry changed from being about the personalities, guys like you, names that made radio so strong?

If you could give somebody some advice that cracks the mic and goes on music radio today, what would you tell them?

John's answers to those questions can be found here at Radio Ink.

The Proud Publishers...

...hold their brand new book.

JRL on Windy City Live

Scott Ginsburg Sues

My last few years at the Loop in the early 90s, the station was owned by Scott Ginsburg. I always wondered what happened to him after he cashed out.

Well, he's in the news today.

Scott Ginsburg is suing Georgetown University because they haven't named a building after him.

Some more press for "Records"

Robert Feder's column this morning...

"John Records Landecker kicks off the world tour to promote his new memoir with an appearance on ABC 7’s Windy City Live at 9am Thursday. You won’t believe the surprise they have planned for the Chicago radio legend. Reviewed here Wednesday, Records Truly Is My Middle Name is available for pre-order now at eckhartzpress.com."

Tom Taylor's column this morning...

“Records Truly Is My Middle Name” is the forthright autobiography from John R. Landecker. TimeOut Chicago says “it’s a wonder the guy didn’t just burn out. If the alcohol, cocaine and other drugs didn’t kill him, then his four wives, all the other women in his life, or the maniacal managers he worked for probably could have.” Robert Feder says “happily for all of us, Landecker is alive and well at 65, and still on the radio.” He’s doing nights at Cumulus-owned classic hits WLS-FM (94.7), “occupying the same air shift and uttering the same call letters he did when he first took Chicago by storm in 1972.”

ILLINOIS!

Dramatic last second win!



By the way, the students had a vote about whether or not to bring back the Chief. The Chief won by a margin of 4-1.

Details in the Daily Illini.

Landecker on Windy CIty Live

John Records Landecker was on Windy City Live this morning around 9:30. I was there with him to take pictures. (I'll have some more photos tomorrow)

The segment began with a very nice video intro, and then John talked to the WCL gang about his early days in the business. They talked about WLS in the 1970s, discussed the book, and then went to the phones. Who was the special surprise caller for John? None other than charming and delightful Uncle Lar.

Larry Lujack revealed his own middle name during the segment: “Frickin. Larry Frickin Lujack”

This is just the first stop of the “Records Truly Is My Middle Name” media tour, which really kicks off in earnest the last week of March. More details to come!

John Records Landecker on TV

Tomorrow morning (March 14) between 9-10am, John Records Landecker will be appearing on the Chicago television show "Windy City Live" to talk about his brand new memoir (available for pre-order now) "Records Truly Is My Middle Name".

I know what they have planned for the segment, and all I can say is it will be Must See TV.

In Chicago "Windy City Live" airs on ABC, Channel 7.

Robert Feder Reviews "Records Truly Is My Middle Name"

Wow. I just read Robert Feder's review of "Records Truly Is My Middle Name" and I'm blown away by it. Thank you so much.

After working on a project for three years like John and I did, it's very rewarding to read a review of someone who appreciates our work, especially someone we respect as much as Robert Feder.

Today's Best Tweets

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...




WBEZ ‏@WBEZ
Back in 1922, Wells Street Bridge replacement suspended “L” service for just 3 days. How’d they manage that? http://bit.ly/13TumrV

Time Out Chicago ‏@TimeOutChicago
.@RobertFeder: WGN may give morning news crew another hour to play http://tmoutchi.us/13R1wb6

The New Yorker ‏@NewYorker
Adam Gopnik: "It has never been easier to be a writer; and it has never been harder to be a professional writer" http://nyr.kr/ZFRu7k

Slate ‏@Slate
It's official: Paul Ryan's plan to balance the budget is through class war on behalf of the rich: http://slate.me/XFEGQv #plans

Deadspin ‏@Deadspin
Good news everyone, Dennis Rodman is on his way to the Vatican: http://deadsp.in/imjH8wU

Dan Pompei ‏@danpompei
Here is the story of each of the Bears' primary free agents to be as the deadline for free agency approaches: http://sulia.com/my_thoughts/6c95904e-d3fc-4ff0-b4bf-8ddcfd2fae2e/?source=twitter …

kippermcgee ‏@kippermcgee
Talk Radio Managers: The saddest thing about selling out is just how cheaply most of us do it for. ~James Frost http://ow.ly/iOcnl

Nicholas Kristof ‏@NickKristof
A photographer is forced to sell his camera to get by. Then an old Africa photo wins a prize & all changes http://nyti.ms/ZwxHps

Huffington Post ‏@HuffingtonPost
David Bowie's ex-wife is not impressed with his new album http://huff.to/13PUyDp

Katie Nelson ‏@katienelson
Artist uses bare flesh to reimagine iconic paintings. @erikjhortiz reports: http://nydn.us/ZwPEV0

Halle Berry

I don't blame Jay Leno for being distracted. Look where they had to tape her microphone. I understand they had a discussion of some kind. Can't say I heard a word of it. I was a little distracted myself.

Is Amazon Creating Used E-Books?

They applied for a patent to do exactly that.

What? Does it gall you, amazon, that the people who spent a year or more creating the e-book get to share a small percentage of your already ridiculously low prices? THAT'S TOO MUCH! Sell them used so the author gets zero cents.

I swear these guys are the devil. Has anyone ever checked them for horns?

Please explain the definition of a monopoly to me again. As publishers we have no choice but to deal with them. We can't do e-books ourselves. They own the technology. We are all sitting idly by while they crush everyone, and one day we'll wake up and say..."What happened?"

Johnny Kaempfer

15 years ago today...

Johnny Kaempfer was born.

Sheesh. 15 years.

Breitbart.com Slips

They've always been a little loosey-goosey with the truth (like those James O'Keefe videos), but this time they fell for a Daily Currant piece (an Onion-type publication) that reported Paul Krugman had to file for bankruptcy.

It could happen to anyone (I really mean that), but in this case they had just ripped the Washington Post a new one for doing the same thing. I suspect they won't respond anywhere near the way they DEMANDED the Washington Post respond when they fell for a fake Sarah Palin story.

I have a couple of issues with this whole thing. #1, it's bound to happen when you hate SO much. You just want the bad stories about your enemies to be true SO much, that you lose sight of the actual truth. And #2, maybe I'm starting to miss the whole purpose of the satire sites, but I thought satire was supposed to be funny.

Call me old school.

Is Elizabeth Hasselbeck Leaving "The View"?

That's been the rumor all week, but yesterday Barbara Walters announced they have no plans to get rid of Elisabeth.



And then US Weekly wrote a piece saying "Yuh huh. She's a goner."

Make up your own mind what you think is true.

Father Knows Nothing

This week's "Father Knows Nothing" is about my dog Ivy, and why everyone always assumes she's a boy.

You can read it here.

All Access Teases "Records Truly Is My Middle Name"

All Access is a widely respected radio trade publication, and today they mentioned our little book...

CUMULUS Classic Hits WLS-F/CHICAGO night host JOHN RECORDS LANDECKER will release a memoir, Records Is Truly My Middle Name, on MARCH 28th via ECKHARTZ PRESS.

The book, written by LANDECKER with his longtime producer RICK KAEMPFER, will feature stories from LANDECKER's illustrious radio career, which included positions at WIBG/PHILADELPHIA, WJMK/CHICAGO, and -- most notably -- nights at WLS-A/CHICAGO during that station's Top 40 heyday.

The book will feature additional stories from JONATHAN BRANDMEIER, JOEY REYNOLDS, JAN JEFFRIES, DON WADE, BOB SIROTT, JOHN GEHRON, KEVIN MATTHEWS and others.

LANDECKER will discuss the book, which can be pre-ordered here, and his career, in a 10 Questions interview on ALL ACCESS next week (3/19).

Sounds like a book worthy of pre-ordering! We'll post the interview when it's published next week.

SNL

I must admit, SNL has been really good this season. Justin Timberlake did a great job...

Obama The Stand-Up

Say what you want about the president, but he does have some good comedy writers working for him, and he can deliver a joke. Politico sums up some of the best ones from this weekend's Gridiron Dinner.

Today's Best Tweets

Here are some tweets that caught my eye today...





Nicholas Kristof ‏@NickKristof
If you're in Shanghai, look through the haze to see 2,800 dead pigs floating by in the river: http://nyti.ms/13R8ZHs

Harvard University ‏@Harvard
Throughout history, more women have died in childbirth than men have died in battle - http://hvrd.me/ZjLa40

Scott Simon ‏@nprscottsimon
Playboy begins Hebrew-language edition in Israel. Is it kosher? Does the foldout open from right to left?

MancowMuller ‏@MancowMuller
Lamborghini has unveiled a new $4 million car. "I can't wait to buy it!" said the man w/ the world's smallest junk.

Bill Moyers ‏@BillMoyers
How politicians re-engineered our economic system to favor the wealthy, in timeline form: http://ow.ly/izXd2

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS
WSJ: Without govt job cuts Rs say are good for economy, unemployment rate would be 7.1%, not 7.7%: http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/03/09/number-of-the-week-unemployment-rate-without-government-cuts/

Dina Bair ‏@DinaBairWGN
The Roman people say they would choose Cardinal O'Malley from Boston for Pope. Cardinals Conclave to vote tomrw pic.twitter.com/rUodA4hxes

HowardKurtz ‏@HowardKurtz
Story also says Matt Lauer asked Katie Couric to return to Today show, and she was interested http://thebea.st/15GPfEL via @thedailybeast

ColonelTribune ‏@ColonelTribune
Excellent news, CTA commuters. The Wells Street Bridge has reopened, and trains are on schedule http://trib.in/Wh8eTB

Josh Liss ‏@JoshLissSports
Patrick Kane scores goals 13 & 14 for the Blackhawks, who get 2 days off (no practice) after losing their 2nd straight game, 6-5 to Oilers.

Funny Notes From Little Kids

Some of these are priceless.

My favorite one is from the kid who tells his dad he wants to be just like him...but not quite as hairy.

A Proof of the Book

I stopped by the WLS studios to give John a proof of "Records Truly Is My Middle Name" on Friday evening. My ten year old son Sean took this picture with his camera, so it's a bit blurry, but I think you can see how excited John was...

A Cubs Mascot?

The Cubs are considering getting a live mascot. Sure hope Ronnie Woo Woo doesn't hear about this.

I also hope it's not a live bear. They tried that once before (in 1916) and it didn't work out so well.

Traffic Reports

You can bet this study is posted at Chicago's traffic outlets this morning. From Radio-Online...



"A four-year study of PPM data conducted by Research Director with the Canadian Traffic Network reveals that the misconception that listeners change the dial when traffic reports come on is the exact opposite. Research Director's study found that traffic reports actually garner higher listening levels compared to when traffic is not being broadcast."

If my wife is any indication, this is true. As for me, I didn't listen to traffic for the twenty years I was in radio because I was always preparing the next segment during the traffic reports. So now, even though I don't have a next segment to prepare, I really need to concentrate when traffic comes on because I have a Pavlovian response to it. It's the strangest thing.

Maybe it's just the beginning stages of dementia.