One giant leap day

In honor of leap day, the most famous leap of all time...

Media Notebook (February 28, 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


Suitors Lining Up to Woo Jay Leno
(NY Times) Bill Carter writes: "The Jay Leno chase is on. Four years ago, NBC made the comedian the lame-duck host of “The Tonight Show,” announcing with fanfare that he would be succeeded by Conan O’Brien in 2009. Today, Mr. Leno is still the champion of late-night ratings, with no apparent desire to do anything else but continue on top. “What I do,” he has said on several occasions to colleagues, “is tell jokes at 11:30 at night.” And so, nearly two years before he can officially be courted, suitors including two networks, ABC and Fox, and at least one television studio, Sony Pictures Television, are beginning to circle, doing everything they legally can to make sure Mr. Leno knows that they will make it possible for him to continue doing just that. Senior executives at ABC and Fox said that their networks had discreetly gotten the message to Mr. Leno that they were waiting eagerly for the time when they would be able to make official overtures. NBC Universal, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed its intention to retain Mr. Leno with a still-undisclosed plan for a new program."


NY Times Columnists Not Allowed to Endorse Candidates
(NY Observer) Unlike the board that puts together The Times’ endorsements, they can say whatever they want. They can even court an R rating. They cannot, however, endorse a candidate. “I came here in 1995 and Howell Raines told me about it,” said Gail Collins, the former editorial director, who is now herself a columnist. “His thought, as I understood it, was that it would confuse people. Columnists could hint, and could make it clear, but we couldn’t explicitly say it.” The logic goes like this: If Gail Collins endorses Barack Obama, then a reader might confuse it for the New York Times newspaper endorsing Barack Obama...“It certainly is challenging,” said David Brooks. “It’s like a two-year process of deliberation without reading the verdict.” They all agreed that the non-endorsing rule forces them to write about this election with a little more texture—more showing and less telling, perhaps.


CLICK HERE



European Union fines Microsoft $1.3 billion
(Associated Press) he European Union fined Microsoft Corp. a record $1.3 billion Wednesday for the amount it charges rivals for software information. EU regulators said the company charged "unreasonable prices" until last October to software developers who wanted to make products compatible with the Windows desktop operating system. The fine is the largest ever for a single company and brings to just under $2.5 billion the amount the EU has demanded Microsoft pay in a long-running antitrust dispute.


Here We Go Again: CBS Looking To Buy It's Way to Growth
(Wall Street Journal) It's happening again. Instead of working on fixing their current product (or selling it--sell it, please, before you destroy the medium), CBS is going to expand to try to temporarily become a "growth" business again. Short term stock gain at the expense of long-term health. Melissa Marr writes: "CBS Corp., reporting a 15% decline in fourth-quarter net income, signaled a new acquisition push as it seeks fresh sources of growth to offset a slowdown in its more mature broadcast television and radio businesses. CBS generated significant cash but little growth in its earnings, fanning ongoing concerns about the long-term prospects of its traditional businesses. TV and radio were both weak, with radio's operating income plunging 22%, as the sale of stations and softer ad sales took a toll."





CLICK HERE





Prolific TV writer dies
(USA TODAY) Richard Baer, a prolific television writer who contributed to the hit sitcoms Bewitched,That Girl and The Munsters, has died. He was 79. Baer died Friday at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., from complications that followed a heart attack he suffered last month, according to his son, Matthew. Baer's career began in the 1950s and spanned three decades. His first credit was for NBC's The Life of Riley in 1953. He wrote for some two dozen shows, ranging from a single episode of Have Gun — Will Travel to 34 for Hennesey. He received an Emmy nomination for one episode of the show, which starred Jackie Cooper as a Navy medical officer. His final TV script was an episode of the 1980s sitcom, Who's the Boss?


SNL has highest ratings in two years
(Hollywood Reporter) The post-strike return of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" scored the show's highest overnight rating in two years. Hosted by former "SNL" cast member/head writer Tina Fey and featuring Carrie Underwood as the musical guest, the show delivered a 6.1 rating/15 share in metered-market households -- the highest average since a Feb. 4, 2006 episode hosted by Steve Martin. That's also up 36% from the show's pre-strike average this season. During the show, Mike Huckabee spoofed his ongoing quest for the Republican primary nomination. Appearing on the "Weekend Update" segment, he was asked why he stayed in the race despite the "mathematical impossibility" of winning. "I'm not a math guy, I'm more of a miracle guy," Huckabee said. "So at this point I'm gonna focus on the miracle part. But if that miracle doesn't happen, let me assure the American people that Mike Huckabee does not overstay his welcome. When it's time to go, I'll know. I'll exit out with class and grace." Huckabee then ignored repeated cues to leave the Update news desk.


Jimmy Kimmel's answer song to "I'm F***** Matt Damon"



The NY Times/John McCain Story Scandal
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "Last week, when the Times quoted unnamed former associates of John McCain as saying they believed, in 1999, that he had an extramarital relationship with Washington lobbyist Vicki Iseman, a huge controversy erupted. This time, though, it was the Times that was harshly criticized. To be sure, the piece included significant details about whether the Arizona senator had done legislative favors for Iseman's clients. And unlike the tabloid Star, which paid Flowers a six-figure sum, the Times has won dozens of Pulitzers for aggressive journalism. But with McCain and Iseman both denying an inappropriate relationship, a rough consensus is emerging among journalists that the Times story was fatally flawed.Leave aside the uninformed charges that the story was politically timed. Forget for a moment that the key sources were granted anonymity. What, in the end, did the paper have? "Disillusioned" former McCain aides who say they were worried that their boss appeared too close to a lobbyist and tried to shoo her away."


CLICK HERE



Mike North talking contract with the Score
(Chicago Tribune) Teddy Greenstein writes: " The other day Mike North and his WSCR-AM 670 morning crew batted around names such as Keith Van Horn, Cliff Robinson and Bryant 'Big Country' Reeves. They all are NBA legends, because they parlayed modest talent into hilarious sums of money. 'Remember Cliff Robinson? Get me how much he made in his career!' North barked. 'How about Keith Van Horn? He made $112 million? That is unbelievable!' Equally unbelievable to some in Chicago sports radio is that North, whose contract expires at the end of July, would return to the Score for anything close to the $1.5 million a year he currently commands."


What happened to 60 minutes report in Alabama?
(Huffington Post) Larissa Alexandrovna writes: "As 60 Minutes was putting its show together, the White House put pressure on CBS -- the parent company -- to kill the show. Over the last few days, as word got out that the 60 Minutes show would air Sunday, Karl Rove's associates began planting defamatory stories about journalists working on this story and attacking the whistle-blower who came forward, Dana Jill Simpson. If you recall, Ms. Simpson testified, under oath, to Congress about Karl Rove's involvement in politicizing the DOJ. What you may not know, however, is that her house mysteriously caught fire and she was run off the road in the weeks leading up to her testimony. What you may also not know is that Governor Siegelman's house was broken into twice during his trial as was his attorney's office. Sunday, the attacks on Simpson and journalists increased with a series of emails from the Alabama GOP. During the 60 Minutes broadcast and ONLY during the Don Siegelman portion -- the screen went black for Huntsville residents and Mobile residents."
Here's the Video that Alabama didn't see
Karl Rove responds: It's a lie.


FCC targets indecency on mobile devices
(Radio Ink) FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate says the FCC is looking into how its indecency regulations could extend to the increasing availability of audio and video content delivered to mobile devices. In a recent speech delivered at the Association of National Advertisers Advertising Law and Business Affairs Conference, Tate said, "As we enter the age of content delivery over mobile devices, there is a whole new set of questions to address regarding how to provide ratings, how to block objectionable content, and whether the FCC has a role to play in this arena. I truly believe there is a new market for 'walled gardens' -- just as parents want safe places for their children to play out in the neighborhood, they want safe places for their children to play in the online world."





CLICK HERE






Bill O'Reilly apologizes to Michelle Obama
(Fox News) In case you missed it Friday night, Bill O'Reilly has apologized for using the word "lynching" in discussing Michelle Obama's comments about America. You can judge for yourself whether or not this apology is sufficient. Click on the headline link to see the video.




An Interview with WIND's John Calhoun
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This weekend I spoke with WIND's production director John Calhoun about his distinguished 30-year Chicago radio career which included stops at WEFM, WPNT, WJMK, and WGN. Coming this weekend: Fresh-FM's Lisa Greene.

Suburban Man: More Kid Videos

I thought this one was priceless. Thanks to "K" for alerting me to it...




The best Japanese version of "Hey Jude" ever. Thanks to "N" for sending it to me.




A Three-Year Old Explains Star Wars. Thanks to "J" for turning me on to this.

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 "R"




Why did the chicken cross the road?

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens!

GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American !!

NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

PAT ROBERTSON:
Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough !!

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ........ reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. Also... define 'chicken'?

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY :
Where's my gun?





Stories you might have missed




1. VIDEO: SNL's take on Hillary vs. Obama

2. Florida Marlins looking for a few fat men

3. Angry German puts out cigarette with fire extinguisher

4. Dog steals truck

5. VIDEO: The Once a Year Period


(UPDATE: SNL yanked both of those videos from YouTube this morning. I think it's a big mistake, but what do I know about promoting television shows? If they offered the clips on their own website, it would be different. Check out what they offer instead: SNL page on NBC website)



Video of the week:



I love this one: Misunderstood CCR lyrics







Picture of the week: Contributed by "G"
















Reader Response




Regarding Just One Bad Century

"I love your merchandise! You guys are going to sell a ton of it."
--J

"That onesie goes over the line. I'll be happy to show you my teeth...if the dentist gets them back to me in time."
--R





330 days until we get a new president.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: John Calhoun

John Calhoun is the production director of WIND-AM 560 & WYLL-AM 1160, and he is celebrating his 30th year in Chicago radio this year.







COMPLETE RADIO-OGRAPHY

WIND-AM 560 & WYLL-AM 1160
Production Director
2006 – Present

WGN-AM 720
Voice-Over Talent/Commercial Producer
1999 – 2006

WJMK-FM 104.3
Part-Time Air Personality
1993 – 2005
Music Director
1995 – 1996
Account Executive
1993 – 1994

WPNT-FM 100.3
Morning Air Personality
1990 – 1992

ABC Radio Networks/Satellite Music Network
StarStation (AC Format on 250 stations)
12N- 4PM CST, National Radio Personality
1981 – 1990

WEFM-FM 99.5
Middays
Production Director
Late Nights 10PM – 2AM
1978 – 1981

KBEQ-FM
Kansas City, MO
Top-40/CHR
Morning Drive
1977 – 1978

KOMA-AM
Oklahoma City, OK
Top-40/CHR
Middays
Nights
1975 – 1977

KLWW-AM
Cedar Rapids, IA
Top-40/CHR
Nights
1973 - 1975


Rick: I've always said that the Chicago radio community is like a small club, but talking to you about this interview made me realize that radio in general is like that.

John: It's true. I was looking at some of the other radio people you’ve covered. In 1974, Bart Shore and I worked together at KLWW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bart Shore saved my life one time. Bart’s weekend shift was 12 AM to 6AM on Sunday. My weekend shift was 6AM – 12 Noon. Part of that was airing pre-recorded church programs. One Sunday morning, after Bart (photo) had left the station, I looked out the back door to check on my brand-new car. Well, the locked, door slipped out of my hand and closed. My car and station keys were inside the radio station. In sheer panic, I ran as fast as I could to the Country Kitchen restaurant about a half mile away. In my mind I was trying to come up with a valid excuse for calling the Program Director from a restaurant, when I was supposed to be at the radio station. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to. Bart was there, just finishing breakfast. Needless to say, he was very surprised to see me. He drove me back to the station and I was able to get the next church program on, right on time. There was no dead air and no explaining to the PD was necessary.

Rick: And you worked with Karen Hand in Oklahoma City too, didn't you?

John: Yes. It was probably a year or two later that I was working at KOMA in Oklahoma City. Karen Hand was there at the same time.

Rick: But you weren't "John Calhoun" in Oklahoma, right?

John: I used the name “Machine Gun Walker” at KOMA. I actually purchased a replica of a Thompson sub-machine gun to use as a prop for appearances and photos. Although it was only a replica and not capable of firing bullets, the gun was very realistic looking. Shortly after purchasing it, I had it lying on the front seat of my car. An Oklahoma City detective, in an unmarked car spotted it. Pulled me over, he shoved his very real gun in my ribs and made me do some explaining. After what seemed like hours, two other cops finally determined that the gun was not real, and I didn’t pose any real danger to the public at large.

3 years later, I had landed in Chicago at WEFM. Late one afternoon, a photographer was taking some publicity shots of me with the Tommy gun. We were in a Chicago alley (named “Calhoun Place”). Well, sure enough, the Chicago Police showed up. The photographer and I explained what we were doing. The cops were very cool about it. They just said that we should call them in advance, the next time we wanted to take some pictures. No strangers to real gangsters and Tommy guns, these were Chicago cops. They knew I wasn’t going to be shooting anybody.

Rick: Let's talk about WEFM. That was always on my presets back in the late 70s and early 80s when you were there.

John: WEFM came on in the spring of 78. I had been in Kansas City doing mornings, and my wife and I decided that we wouldn't move again unless I got a job in her hometown (Chicago) or mine (the Twin Cities). I came to Chicago to interview with Dick Bartley who was the PD at WBBM-FM. They were a soft-rock station at the time. WEFM had just started up too, so while I was in town I dropped off another tape there, and they hired me instead. It was kind of a strange way of getting in the door there.

Rick: How would you describe that station today to people who never heard it?

John: WEFM was owned by General Cinemas, the company that owned all of those movie theatres. They had a bunch of stations out east, but we were their only Chicago outlet. It was a top 40 station at the time, going directly against WLS and WMET. Shortly after we started up, WMET went into an album rock thing.

Rick: And you were the night guy?

John: I did a bunch of shifts at WEFM. I was hired to do 10 pm-2 am, but then it became nights 7-midnight, and then they made the mid-day guy and production director. We had three different PDs during the three years I was there. The PD that hired me was shown the door shortly after I arrived, and Kevin Metheny took his place. He left not too long after that and went to MTV. His replacement was Bill Gamble who had been General Cinema's production director in Philly, I believe. And Gamble was the last PD there because in 1981, the format changed and we all got canned.

Rick: I can't remember what format they went to next.

John: I'm not sure what they called it on the air, but it was known as "Shulke 2", after the guy who created it, I guess. Everything was done by reel-to-reel tape. It mixed all kinds of different formats, and it was pretty wretched. I'm not surprised that didn't last. That frequency eventually became US-99.

Rick: And from there you segued to the Satellite Music Network. You did the early afternoon slot there for a decade, which was a national show on 250 stations. Where those studios located?

John: Studios were in Mokena, and our uplink site was in Frankfort. We were the pioneers in satellite broadcasting. I started at 8-Mid, and went to the noon to four. We were in all 50 states and the Virgin Islands.

Rick: But not Chicago, right?

John: We had affiliates in Elgin, Crystal Lake, and Crown Point.

Rick: A lot of well known Chicago personalities came through those doors at SMN.

John: The biggest Chicago name was King Bee Ron Britain. He was a pleasure to work with, a dear man. It used to frustrate me sometimes because he'd run things by me, asking me if something was good enough for the air or not, and I'd say you're Ron Britain, why are you asking me? He was the exact opposite of the egotistical blowhard stereotype of the big radio star, and one of the greatest talents I've ever met. He went on to do afternoons at WJMK after working with us.


Another personality people would know was one of your previous interview subjects, Dean Richards. He was the last PD based out of Chicago. (In 1990 SMN moved to Dallas.) Dean was a fun PD to work for. Unlike some of his predecessors, he wasn’t quite as restrictive. He actually encouraged creativity. Of course, our paths would cross again about ten years later at WGN.



Rick: Probably your highest profile gig locally was hosting the morning show at WPNT when it was "The Point." After doing nights and afternoons, I imagine that morning show routine was tough to adapt too.

John: I hadn't done morning in years, and my body clock was out of synch, that's for sure. Not only that, but from a creative standpoint, I really wasn't allowed to contribute. After SMN, it was a big change. At WPNT it was shut up, play the music, hit the call letters.

Rick: Was that during the era when they ran that commercial of the guy sitting at the control board with a piece of tape over his mouth?

John: That came a little later, but I was still there.

Rick: That commercial offended me, and I wasn't even working at that station. I imagine you jocks weren't too thrilled with it.

John: As you might imagine. That was a very weird time. We had three or four consultant firms working with us, and when you got a memo, you had to look at who was sending it, and decide whether or not to listen to it.

Rick: After leaving the Point, you had a twelve year stint at Oldies 104.3, WJMK.

John: After PNT, I actually wanted to get out of the business altogether. I started doing automotive sales for awhile, but then I heard about an opening in the sales department at WJMK, and that's how I got in the door there. After awhile I asked the program director (Kevin Robinson) if I could go back on the air, and he made me the weekend and fill-in guy. I really enjoyed my time there. It was a good fit for me. I got to work with some real legends like Dick Biondi, John Landecker, and Fred Winson, and I was having fun on the air again.

Rick: I got a chance to work with you several times when you filled in for John Landecker. If I remember correctly, you were filling in for John the day your daughter was born.

John: That's true. I had to leave to go to the hospital. I think the operations manager of our sister station, WJJD, Gary Price finished the show that day.

Rick: How old is your daughter now?

John: She'll be a freshman in high school in the fall.

Rick: Yikes. After the Landecker show was fired, you held down the morning fort for awhile. What was that experience like?

John: I knew I was only the morning guy on an interim basis after John was cut loose. Ken Cocker and I switched off a week at a time. I would do a week, and then he would do a week, and we did that for a few months, I think. They hired a guy out of Boston named Paul Perry to be the permanent replacement for John.

Rick: And permanent turned out to be a year or so. You were still there when they abruptly changed the format to Jack-FM. Tell me about that day.

John: I had started doing production work at WGN, and was working at both stations at the same time. Dean Richards called me around 1999 to help out with production over there, and I was having fun working there with Dean and Todd Manley, who had been my traffic reporter using the name Roger Wilco when I was on WPNT.

Anyway, Bob Lawson, the APD at WJMK, called me at WGN and told me that I was still going to be coming in to WJMK that weekend, but, by the way, things were going to be a little different. Instead of being on the air, you're just going to be running the board. I was somewhat flabbergasted, but not totally surprised. They had gone to the Jack format in LA a few months before that and Greg Brown had said to me: "Look out, we could be next." He was right.

Rick: For the last few years you've been doing mainly commercial production—first at WGN, and now at WIND 560 AM. I did a tour of the studios over there not too long ago, and it kind of had an unusual vibe. There aren't many people working over there.

John: I guess I've never thought of it that way. Compared to WGN that's certainly true. The sales staff is smaller and we do have a lot of syndicated shows, but it never really struck me that way. It is definitely quieter. It's friendly. It's actually kind of nice because you don't feel like a cog in giant wheel like you feel at some properties. Plus it's a suburban location and there's free parking.

Rick: How is what you're doing now different than what you were doing at WGN?

John: I'm the head of the department here and wasn't at WGN. Our clients do their own commercials more here, and I produce the spots for them. It's basically the same otherwise. If I don't voice it or produce it, I put it in the system.

Rick: You are what I would call "a classic announcer." You have those classic announcer pipes and the smooth announcer delivery, which used to be a standard approach in the business. That's become a pretty rare commodity these days. Why do you think that is?

John: When I got in the biz everybody on the air had a radio voice, but that started changing in the late 70s. Bob Sirott (photo) is the first one I can remember that didn't have that classic kind of voice, the pipes as you called it, and it was a ground breaking thing at the time. He's obviously done pretty well since. I think programmers and consultants got it in their head that people wanted disc jockeys to sound more slice of life or real. It became more about what you had to say instead of how you said it, which I suppose is the way it should be. Of course, if you get someone who has the radio voice and the great content, that is still ideal.

Rick: Thanks for doing this, and congratulations on your 30th anniversary in Chicago radio.

John: (whistles) Oh boy. Don't forget, I was 12 when I started. Chicago is my home now. I've been here longer anywhere else. My kids were all born here, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

Happy Washington's Birthday

In honor of Washington, here's a video...

Media Notebook (February 21, 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


NBC Reprimands Employee Who Used Osama Picture In Place of Obama
(Associated Press) NBC News said Tuesday it has reprimanded the employee responsible for mistakenly flashing a picture of Osama bin Laden on MSNBC as Chris Matthews talked about Barack Obama. 'This mistake was inexcusable,' MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines said. It happened during the opening of "Hardball" Monday evening. Matthews was previewing a story on the controversy over Obama's use of another politician's words, and a picture of bin Laden briefly flashed on the screen beside him with the headline "Words About Words." The Obama campaign immediately called NBC to complain, and Matthews apologized on the air a few minutes later.


Huffington Post enters top tier
(NY Observer) John Koblin writes: "In the spring of 2005, when asked about Arianna Huffington’s plan to launch a news-aggregating blog to compete with the Drudge Report, Matthew Drudge did not seem too impressed. 'I don’t think that need is there,' he told The Observer. 'I think I fill that need.' And while he allowed that Ms. Huffington had 'tons of charm and humor,' he questioned whether she and her coterie of boldface names had the stamina to compete. 'This isn’t a dinner party, darling,' he said. 'This is the beast! This is the Internet beast, which is all-consuming, as anyone knows who works in this business.' It took a while, and surely the brighter prospects on the left side of the aisle have changed things since Mr. Drudge was acting as the steam vent for a country fed up with the Clinton White House. But, nearly three years into its existence, Huffingtonpost.com is getting there, with unique visitors logging on at three times the rate they did just six months ago."


CLICK HERE



High Court Ponders Review of FCC Profanity Decision
(Radio Online) The FCC will learn on Friday, February 29 whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court will review a lower court's decision that the Commission failed to justify its indecency regulations. A ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals said the agency's profanity findings against Fox and others were "arbitrary and capricious." A vote of at least four justices is required to ensure the high court's review.


FCC sets comments date for Localism rulemaking
(Radio Ink) The FCC's Report on Broadcast Localism and notice of proposed rulemaking on rules changes to enhance broadcast localism and diversity appeared in the Federal Register on February 13, opening a 30-day window for public comments. Comments are due at the FCC on March 14, and reply comments are due April 14. The FCC adopted the report and NPRM at its open meeting on December 18 and released the full report and notice on January 24. The commission is looking for comment on whether it should return to its pre-1987 requirement that a station's main studio be within its community of license, and, on the programming side, on whether the FCC should take steps to address voicetracking, including possibly limiting voicetracking or requiring that it be disclosed. It's also asking for input on whether stations should be required to provide information on how much local music they play and how they compile their playlists.


Today is deadline for paying FCC fine for NYPD Blue episode
(Broadcasting & Cable) The Federal Communications Commission gave about 40 ABC affiliates until today to pay their fine -- $27,500 apiece -- for airing a bare behind in an episode of NYPD Blue, but it canceled the fines for about one-dozen stations initially cited. In the process, the FCC reaffirmed its commitment to indecency regulation, saying that the "broadcast media continue to have a uniquely pervasive presence” in American life and remain "uniquely accessible to children." The FCC late Tuesday issued its forfeiture order, rejecting an appeal from the majority of affiliates but canceling the fines for Northeast Kansas Broadcast Service's KTKA-TV; KFBB for KFBB-TV; Louisiana Television Broadcasting for WBRZ-TV; WXOW-WQOW Television for WXOW-TV; KMBC Hearst-Argyle Television for KMBC-TV; KHBS Hearst-Argyle Television for KHOG-TV; and Forum Communications for WDAY-TV.





CLICK HERE





Will Oscar Show Grab Big Ratings?
(Variety) Rick Kissell writes: "Over the years, the Academy Awards telecast has proved to be a durable ratings performer -- second only to the Super Bowl among annual events. Last year's kudocast, in which Martin Scorsese's The Departed was crowned best pic, averaged 40.17 million viewers, up from the previous year (38.94 million), in which Crash was the big winner. The 2007 Oscarcast was the 2006-07 TV season's most-watched entertainment telecast, outdrawing even the highest-rated episodes of American Idol. But a ceremony whose top nominees will be No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood is a far cry from the 1998 Oscarcast, when the Titanic phenomenon reeled in more than 55 million TV viewers."


The Clinton's Beef with the Media
(Washington Post) Eugene Robinson writes: "Are the news media being beastly to Hillary Clinton? Are political reporters and commentators -- as Bill Clinton suggested but didn't quite come out and say in a radio interview Tuesday -- basically in the tank for Barack Obama? 'The political press has avowedly played a role in this election. I've never seen this before,' the former president said. 'They've been active participants in this election. . . . But I don't want to talk about the press. I want to talk about the people. That's what's wrong with this election, people trying to take this election away from the people.' Somewhere in there, if I'm not mistaken, he acknowledged that journalists are people, too, so I guess I should be thankful for that. And I should note that throughout the interview with Washington's WMAL, Bill Clinton was back in loose-cannon mode."


Mad Money, Bad Blood
(Columbia Journalism Review) Dean Starkman writes: "Last summer, Barron’s published a tough story on Jim Cramer, concluding that the manic and popular star of CNBC’s Mad Money program did not, for all his bluster to the contrary, beat the broader market with his stock picks. While the story didn’t make much of a splash at the time, it sparked a quiet but surprisingly fierce feud between the two business-news organizations, one that seems out of proportion to the story that caused it. Within days of publication, for instance, CNBC officials told Barron’s reporters who had appeared as on-air guests for years that their presence was no longer desired. Ed Finn, Barron’s editor and president, says no one told him so, but he believes CNBC banished his reporters from on-air appearances in response to the disputed August 20 piece, “Shorting Cramer” by senior editor Bill Alpert."


CLICK HERE



Montel employee gets fired for having a brain aneurysm
(New York Magazine) Last March, Erin Primmer, 35, had been a producer on The Montel Williams Show for two years. She was making $110K a year and was generally healthy until all of a sudden, on March 29, 2007, smack in the middle of Montel's show on "Survivor Stories: Ripped From the Headlines," she had a brain aneurysm, collapsed on the floor, and was rushed to the hospital. Fortunately for Erin, it wasn't the kind of brain aneurysm that kills you — but it was the kind of brain aneurysm that kills your career. According to the lawsuit she is filing against CBS, when Erin returned to work, she was told that her contract wouldn't be renewed, that they needed someone physically “at the top of their game,” and “capable of handling the pressure” and that the next year was going to be “worse.” It was in fact worse: Montel's show was canceled two weeks ago. And a good thing, too, because Erin's lawyers are saying she was improperly dismissed, and their PR firm, Rubenstein and Associates, are out for blood.

NAB wants National-Only rule for satellite radio
(Radio Ink) Saying a combined XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio may well have "different needs and incentives for the use of terrestrial repeaters" than they do as separate companies -- including "a heightened desire to offer locally oriented programming, including local advertising" -- the NAB is asking the FCC to adopt final repeater rules that block the satcasters from offering local content on their repeater networks.
(Rick's note: Remember, the same guys that want to stop satellite radio from claiming their local turf is helping satellite radio by accepting their advertising. Do you think they'll ever figure out that short-term greediness is causing all of their problems?)




CLICK HERE






Anderson Cooper asks Sanjay Gupta: "What do steroids do to a man's bits and pieces?"
(Huffington Post) The full video is at the link.



An Interview with Ken Sumka
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This past weekend on Chicago Radio Spotlight I spoke with WXRT's Ken Sumka. Ken talks about WXRT's impending move to new digs, plus his job as the airborne traffic reporter for WBBM-AM. Coming this weekend? WIND's John Calhoun.

Suburban Man: The Worst Part

By Rick Kaempfer




When other men find out I’m a stay at home dad, I usually see a certain look in their eyes. It’s not exactly pity, but it’s a close relative. I can see the wheels spinning in their heads, wondering how they would do in the same situation. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, I usually get the same question.

“What’s the worst part?” they ask.

I have a stock answer to that question, and it always surprises them.

“Crafts.”

They think I’m joking. They don’t understand the magnitude of the problem, but it’s something I face every single day. I don’t care if it sounds benign and harmless. It’s the bane of my existence. I hate crafts.

I mean it. I really, really, really hate crafts.

If you’re the parent of young children, you know what I’m talking about. You have to do crafts all the time. It starts during the first “mom and tot” class at the park district. As soon as you walk in the door, the teacher hands you (not the kid) some construction paper, crayons, scissors, and three cotton balls.

“Today we’re making snowmen!”

It gets more and more involved as they get older.

I have three boys. In pre-school we created a lifetime supply of paper ghosts, goblins, thanksgiving turkeys, snowmen and snowflakes. In Kindergarten we made countless leaves, Indians, Valentine hearts, shamrocks, and mother’s day cards; not to mention many, many more snowmen and snowflakes.

When did it stop? It hasn’t.

First grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade. Crafts, crafts, crafts, crafts. Is it time for the science fair? Great! Load up on supplies and start cutting, drawing, painting, pasting and creating. Get some markers, paint brushes, construction paper, cardboard, scissors, glue, silly putty, Play-doh and yarn.

“Dad,” my oldest son said. “This year let’s make an exploding volcano for the science fair.”

“Oh don’t worry, pal,” I said. “I can almost guarantee you an exploding volcano.”

Religious Education is no escape from crafts, either. Every year at Easter time, you can bet we’ll be making a cross.

“Shouldn’t we be allowed to resurrect last year’s cross?” I asked.

The teacher’s incredulous glare let me know it wasn’t an option.

“What?” I said. “It’s thematically appropriate.”

If it’s a new day, it’s a new craft. Here’s a big blob of clay and some shellac. Make a duck. Here’s a pinecone and a jar of peanut butter. Make a lure for squirrels. Here’s a stick, a leaf, a blade of grass, a jar of Elmer’s glue and a tongue depressor. Make Benjamin Franklin discovering electricity.

“Make it yourself,” I think to myself. “I’ll happily pay $20.”

Oh…how…I…hate…crafts.

(Exhale)

There, I feel better. Sometimes you just need to vent.

Now if you’ll kindly excuse me, I’m looking for a shoe box, a carrot, three jelly beans, a baggie full of mini M&Ms and a quarter. My son and I have to make a diorama of George Washington crossing the Delaware.




This also appeared on my blog at NWI Parent, "Father Knows Nothing." If you haven't yet checked out "Father Knows Nothing," Click here to check it out.

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 "S", in honor of this past weekend's Valentine's Day


How to say 'I love you' in 25 languages.

English
I Love You

Spanish
Te Amo

French
Je T'aime

German
lch Liebe Dich

Japanese
Ai Shite Imasu

Italian
Ti Amo

Chinese
Wo Ai Ni

Swedish
Jag Alskar

Alabama
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
Tennessee
Mississippi
Louisiana
Virginia
West Virginia
Kentucky
Parts of Florida
Nice Ass, Get in the truck


Stories you might have missed

1. Blow up doll stands in for groom
(Ladies, I know what you're thinking...the perfect man.)

2. First Submarine Car to be unveiled
(Yawn. These people have obviously never seen a James Bond movie.)

3. NBC apologizes for Jane Fonda using the "C" word on the Today Show.
(The bleeped clip is available at this link. I found the unbleeped version on YouTube too, but it didn't feel right to post it here.)

4. Johnny Knoxville nearly loses his balls in stunt mishap
(This was bound to happen sooner or later...)

5. Something fishy in NY: In 80 districts Obama got zero votes
(How many votes did Pat Buchanan get?)




Video of the week:



"Yes We Can"


BONUS VIDEO: John McCain's Answer Video





Picture of the week: Contributed by "L". Happy President's Day from the Washington Monument.

















Reader Response

Regarding "Just One Bad Century"

"Hi. I just ran across your website while messing around on youtube. I am a 56 year old Cub fan who went to his first game in 1957.Cubs vs Cards,Glen Hobbie vs Vinegar Bend Myzel. Cubs won that day. Ernie even homered. I'd like to leave you with two memories if I may but before I do, all the best to you on your website.

Firstly, not enough respect is shown to the late,great announcer,Jack Quinlan. Jack along with Lou Boudreau made a horrible team, the Cubs of the 50s and early 60s interesting. I learned how to keep score listening to Jack. If a rookie came up for the first time, Jack would spell out the rookie's name so you would know how to pronounce it. I remember hearing, S-t-a-r-g-e-l-l the first time Willie played against the Cubs.Of course there was the infamous pantihose commercial that Jack and Lou laughed their way through. I used to turn off the tv and listen to the radio call. Jack Quinlan in my opinion, was far superior to Jack Brickhouse.

This is a true story. Opening Day 1982. The first Opening Day for the Tribune owned Cubs. It was cold and it snowed a couple of days before. The ground crew went out the day before with shovels and worked late cleaning up the field. I was waiting in line to use the men's room. Because it was just before Easter, this guy in front of me was dressed as Bugs Bunny. Not to be upstaged, because of the cold temperatures another guy was dressed as Santa Claus. I guess both of these guys were fully krauesened (sorry for mispelling,Old Style guys) Any way, I guess Bugs really had to "go" so he did, right in the coat pocket of Santa's coat. Needless to say a fight broke out with the fans cheering on the combatants.What great theatre, the ushers and the off duty police in the yellow windbreakers carted them of to Town Hall Station.

Any way all the best."
--H

Rick responds: Thanks for the great stories. I will be featuring some Jack Quinlan audio in March.


Regarding "Chicago Radio Spotlight"

"Thanks for "chicago radio spotlight." I've learned lots about local radio
personalities since you've been doing it. While I enjoyed many of your interviews, I particularly enjoyed the one with Scott Childers and am looking forward to his forthcoming book. There have been books about WLS before, the one by Stew Salowitz comes to mind, but I've often thought it would be great if someone could write a history or collection of interviews about WCFL in its heyday as a rock and roll radio station. Again, many thanks for writing these stories."
--J

Regarding Suburban Man: "I got a little verklempt."

"I just read your piece about not being able to hear your father's voice anymore. It never works when I try either. It has to flow. It has to be a situation that just brings them to the surface and suddenly you hear them. Plain as if they just said something to you. Maybe you just need to put yourself in some situations or places where you were a son, not a father. Then again, a lot of what they did to us comes out in how we treat the next generation. There's a Greek saying that roughly translates to 'your eyes should be 4,' meaning be vigilant. It was always said to my sister before she went down to Rush Street and New Town. OR the "gin mills" as my father always said."
--C




Happy President's Day! Only 337 days until we get a new one.

Chicago Radio Spotlight: Ken Sumka

Ken Sumka is the afternoon airborne reporter for WBBM-Newsradio 780 and a weekend/overnight jock at WXRT (93.1 FM).




COMPLETE RADIO-OGRAPHY

1984-1988: WGHS 88.5 FM "The Castle That Rocks" Glenbard West HS. Glen Ellyn, IL Sadly they shut it down circa 1989. I was a disc jockey all four years and Music Director in 1986 (A helluva year for great music)

1988-1993: KRUI 89.7 FM Iowa City The Student-run FM station of the University of Iowa. I was a jock, news anchor, did some play-by-play for Iowa Baseball, Administrative Director circa 1990. On 11/1/91, a gunman opened fire at serveral buildings on campus, killing five, severely maiming one and killing himself. Our news staff (including me) happened to be on duty and we ended up covering the tragedy for worldwide media outlets, including CNN, BBC, Reuters, AP, UPI and also WBBM-AM, WLS-AM and WGN-AM in Chicago.

Summer 1991: Interned at WYSY-FM, Aurora, IL (Y108: "Doin' it in the burbs") in the Production Department

Fall 1991-1993: KQCR-FM "Q103" Cedar Rapids, IA Weekend and overnight jock Hot A/C. Used airname Kenny Summers. Played Paula Abdul and Michael Bolton.

January 1993-January 1994: WCBR-FM 92.7, Arlington Heights, IL "The Bear" Afternoon Drive (1:30-6PM) Hired and fired on the same day, one year apart.

January 1994-Present: WXRT-FM, Chicago, IL Weekends and overnights. Sunday-Tuesday: Overnights, Saturday 7PM-11PM.

May 1998-September, 2001--March 2003-Present: Shadow Broadcast Services, Chicago, IL Started out as fill-in then full-time afternoon airborne reporter for WMAQ-AM from 1998 until MAQ became The Score, then was full-time Afternoon Reporter for WBBM-AM from then until 9/11/01, when airborne operation ceased for awhile. During this time, I also did fill-in work in the chopper for WGN TV and radio, WMAQ-TV and WBBM TV and Radio. I also was an in-studio traffic reporter/editor at Shadow for WGN, WBBM, WGCI, WAIT and a News Anchor for WMRO. Then in March of 2003, I came back to Shadow as full-time afternoon airborne reporter again for WBBM-AM.


Rick: The big news this week is that WXRT will be moving from their long-time home at 4949 W. Belmont. As someone who has worked there since 1994, you must have some feelings on the subject. How did you react when you heard the news?

Ken: My first reaction--other than surprise that Michael Damsky was gone--was, "now I'm going to have to pay for parking". We have a really nice, secure lot at 4949 and it's free. And there's a vibe at that building that comes from being away from downtown. There are some unknowns that cause a little worry-like what sort of consolidation might happen with us sharing a space and personnel at NBC Tower. There's always some fear with change and the first thing you think about are the negatives, but I'm sure there are going to be some positive things to come out of it as well. I bet the view's terrific.

Rick: I know you worked at a great little suburban station (The Bear) before you started at XRT. How did you get your foot in the door at WXRT? They have on-air job openings about once a decade, don't they?


Ken: The Bear was a cool place to work, I still keep in touch with a lot of those people. (Photo: Ken with Chris Mars at WCBR) That seems about right though, once a decade at XRT a job becomes available. I was friendly with Marc Alghini, who back then was a record rep for Mute Records and he had amazing Cubs season tickets and he'd take a few of us WCBR jocks out to games. I knew that his wife at the time (Angela Strachan) was a weekend/overnight jock at XRT, so when Marc told me he was being transferred to New York, I asked him if he and his wife could put in a good word for me. They did, Norm called me and the rest is history. Things came full-circle two years ago when Marc returned to the Chicago area and is now a jock at XRT and produces Lin's show and also produces a lot of our remote broadcasts.

Rick: I don't know if other jocks (of a certain age) will admit this, but as a former jock with no current ties to any station, I think I can. WXRT is like a dream destination for music jocks. Having been beaten down by liner cards and tight music lists, we think that it must be different at XRT. Are we right, or does the reality not quite live up to the ideal, especially in this post 1996 corporate owned world?

Ken: I don't know of another commercial station in the country (in market #3 no less!) where the jocks actually pick their own music as they go. We do. When I get to the station to do my shift, it's pretty much a blank slate music-wise. WXRT shaped what I listened to musically, so it's cool to be able to play a small part in introducing someone else to music as well. I've had opportunities to go elsewhere and make more dough but it would've been at the expense of the freedom to choose my music. It also would mean not working with some of the most talented and knowledgeable people in the business. Working at XRT is like going to graduate school for radio and popular music, I figure that at 14 years, I already have the Masters Degree and I'm working on my PhD now. That said, I bet even A-Rod probably has some complaints about his job, so it's not perfect everyday.

Rick: I'm guessing you're a music lover. Let me ask you this. What are some of the songs on your iPod that might surprise your WXRT listeners? Any guilty pleasures?

Ken: Oh jeez, where to begin? I'm a drummer, so I grew up with Rush, so I have all their stuff from about 1976-1986. The David Lee Roth-era Van Halen were huge in my youth, so the self-titled debut through 1984 are all represented, I paid a ton of money for tickets to the Arpil 3rd Van Halen show at Allstate Arena and I cannot wait for that show. I'm a sucker for a good pop song too, so you would also find Madonna, (Early) Michael Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, stuff like that. I also really dug Britney's single last year "Gimme More", too bad she couldn't hold it together long enough to promote the album, it got good reviews, it could've been the comeback she needed. I've also been throwing a lot of classical/orchestral music onto my iPod lately and the other day the "Summer" movement from Vivaldi's Four Seasons came on and I cranked it.

Rick: In addition to being a music jock, you've been working at Shadow for many years as an airborne reporter. I talked to Bart Shore a few weeks ago and he sent me some incredible pictures from his time in the copter, but I'm guessing that it isn't always so serene up there. Do you ever worry for your safety?

Ken: Oddly enough, the time it will take to answer this question represents the cumulative time I've feared for my life while airborne. I've been through some pretty heavy duty crap with regards to weather and wind but I was never worried for my life, I don't get airsick, I just get headaches. One of our pilots overshot the runway at Hobart Airport and we ended up in some trees at the end of the runway but nobody got hurt and the plane was fine. I've also been up in the chopper on a day when winds were gusting at 45-50 mph, which was a drag. I've been flying for decade, so it takes a lot to scare me.

Rick: How did you get involved on the airborne side of the business?

Ken: I was covering the XRT Rock-n-Roll Fireworks and we were using the Shadow Airplane. As a courtesy, I called Rick Sirovatka afterwards to thank him for letting us use the plane. We got to talking and the subject of working as an airborne reporter came up. I am quite familiar with pretty much the whole Chicagoland area and that coupled with my broadcast experience and love of aviation made it a perfect fit. I trained in the plane for a hour and was doing live reports on WMAQ that afternoon.

Rick: Take me through the typical afternoon at BBM. Once you get up in the air who is making the calls for where to go and what to look for, and do you generally have a regular route?

Ken: We take off at 3:30PM out of DuPage Airport in a Cessna 172. As soon as we're airborne, I call the editor's desk via two-way radio and see what's happening. If it's just standard stuff, we follow a normal route which is primarily the tollways and N/W Indiana. However, when all the Ryan construction was going on, our editors didn't have the traffic flow data they normally get from pavement sensors, so the Dan Ryan became a part of our regular route during that project. In the afternoon we also have two other choppers in the air, so we all coordinate with each other so we don't double up on coverage. And since Kris Habermehl does TV and radio, sometimes he might pass off the radio stuff to me if he gets busy and vice versa, sometimes I'm the first one on a scene and I'll cover it until he can get there with a camera, especially if it's something more visual (for TV), like a fire or a nasty accident. It's funny because of the nature of my job being at the airport and not at Shadow HQ downtown, there are people with whom I work everyday that I've never met face-to-face.

Rick: I know you're a local boy (Glen Ellyn). Who were some of your radio heroes growing up?

Ken: I was a big Larry Lujack fan early on, especially Animal Stories. I also listened to a lot of WGN, Cubs games and Wally Phillips and Bob Collins. Then it was Steve Dahl (and Garry), I still like Steve, he's still great, Garry too. I met Steve once and he said he knew me from my work at XRT and said I did a great job, that meant a lot to me. I was hoping that brief Steve/Garry reunion a few years ago was going to be permanent but at least they are on better terms now, it was sad when they weren't speaking to each other.

On the rock radio side, I used to listen to The Loop and WMET, so I liked Stroud, Skafish and those guys. I was heartbroken when WMET went off the air, so my uncle turned me on to WXRT and I was hooked. Then, all the old XRT jocks became my heroes, I wanted to be one of them someday. (Photo: Ken with Johnny Mars, Marty Lennartz, and Lin Brehmer.) The joke and reality is, all those people are still at XRT, so I work with all my old heroes, then my old favorite at the Loop, Bobby Skafish came aboard for awhile. I am proud to call all of them friends and colleagues.

Rick: Talk about finally breaking into your home town radio market. I know you started out at The Bear, which was an alternative rock station at the time, after you did a hot A/C show in Iowa. What was that experience like?

Ken: Doing Hot A/C was fun but definitely not what I wanted to do for a living. I know and respect people who can do any format because they love radio first and music is secondary but that's not me. The Bear was an amazing opportunity for me, I was doing afternoon drive in (Suburban) Chicago at age 22. I learned a lot. I did interviews every day, one day it was an author, the next a comedian and the next a musician or band, sometimes more than one in a day. Some amazing interview subjects too: Frank Black, Chris Mars (former Replacements drummer), Widespread Panic played an hour of live material three feet in front of me and didn't want to leave. I also interviewed The Straight Dope's Cecil Adams and Studs Terkel. Good times. Then I got fired at the Bear on a Friday and that Monday I had an interview with Norm at WXRT and was employed at my dream station. It felt good to pick up my last paycheck at The Bear wearing an XRT shirt. WXRT has been great. I've fielded countless calls on the request line from old acquaintances and classmates, which is great. That's why I use my real name, it's great to re-connect with people. I do miss the interviews though, that's probably the one regret I have about working overnights, no in-studio guests (Photo: Ken with Cheap Trick).


Rick: If you could chart your dream career course, where do you go from here?

Ken: Well, we all know about the dearth of full-time openings at XRT but that would be the ideal, to have a full-time, prime time shift at XRT. Or on the Shadow side if something managerial came up, that would be a great road to explore. If there was a radio-related role for me that didn't involve putting 100 miles a day on my car and gave me more time to spend with my family, that would be the dream career course.