Sunday, April 29, 2007 by SDRadio.

Blasts From the Past” Spin Your Way This SUNDAY!

David Leonard writes: “This will be a premier event for the year as the Press Club honors radio professionals. Mark Larson and Cliff Albert had other commitments and the Masters of Ceremonies will now be Cookie ‘Chainsaw’ Randolph and Jeff Prescott. ‘Shotgun Tom’ Kelly will be introducing Jack Vincent among the honorees. Others that will be attending the event will include Art Way, Gary Allyn, Neil Ross, and Sharon Howard who will accept an award for Don Howard. I will be on hand to present and sign my book Aircheck, The Story of Top 40 Radio in San Diego, which can also be signed by the numerous radio people in attendance who are covered in the book.
CDs of KCBQ and KGB air checks will be available,as will Shotgun Tom’s “Great Radio Stations of the Past” CD, plus the finest food and award winning wines. That is May 6 from 2 to 5 PM. Hope to see you there.

David Leonard

The ratings are sure to be huge when the greats of San Diego radio history get together for one big show on Sunday, May 6, at 2 p.m. at San Diego State University for the next edition of San Diego Press Club “Salutes.”

Confirmed as honorees are “Happy Hare” Harry Martin, Jack Woods and Paul Menard (aka “Charlie & Harrigan”), Jerry G. Bishop, Reid Carroll, and Ernie Meyers. Others are expected to join the roster. Bill Gordon, San Diego’s first talk show host, will join the celebration from Cleveland.

One of the honorees falls into the posthumous category. The legendary Perry Allen died at his home in Carlsbad on January 31. Friends of Allen will be on hand to reminisce about his wild and wacky contributions to the airwaves for several generations of delighted listeners.

Cliff Albert and Mark Larson of KOGO-AM Radio have agreed to act as masters of ceremonies - a job not for the faint of heart when these radio veterans take the mike on stage!

Dozens of current radio personalities who’ve followed in the footsteps of the honorees are also expected to be on hand. Better bring your autograph book and camera with you.

World class chef Bernard Guillas of the Marine Room is calling upon his colleagues from San Diego’s finest restaurants to put on a gastronomic show of their own with dozens of culinary “hot hits” to go along with the radio theme

If we’ve missed seeking out your favorite San Diego radio star from the past, let us know! Email your thoughts to sdpressclub@cox.net

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Sunday, April 29, 2007 by SDRadio.

Coming very soon: HDRadio on the AM band at night. The FCC has granted full time use of the “In Band, On Channel” digital radio broadcast after sunset on the AM band — and that will essentially kill long-distance AM listening at night.

No more picking up WOAI, KOA, and KOKC at night. Those 50,000 watt stations could have their signals jammed by stations close by on the dial. The promise of HDRadio plays best on the FM band, and on AM, a HDRadio signal of AM is iffy.

Where I live, I can listen to KNX-AM 1070 with HDRadio. Sure, it’s impressive, but “Traffic on the Six” is still … a traffic report on the LA mess. While driving, going near a power line or under a bridge, KNX looses the HD portion of the signal. Likewise, KOGO, San Diego’s only HDRadio AM offering, sounds great — however, a talk show on KOGO remains a talk show on KOGO-HD. KTIE in San Bernardino was a catch at 590 AM. No more, from my Oceanside home. I can “hear” the AM hash of KOGO’s 600 HD broadcast. Likewise at 610, the hash from KOGO is there. This authorized spill over is essentially legalized jamming.

At night, the reception will be worse. KSL in Salt Lake fills the western United States at 1160. What about 1150 and 1170 stations? What if a night time listener to Salt Lake City gets bumped if 1170 KCBQ moves to HDRadio? The FCC will take your complaint and just file it. San Diego county is way outside of the day broadcast range of KSL.

One of the joys I found with my trusty GE Supertuner radio is to pick up stations far from home in Dodge City. (This was in a time when clear channel meant no other station on the same frequency.) Growing up in southwest Kansas, I could nearly capture all of Chicago’s 50,000 watt stations: WBBM, WGN, WMAQ, and the grand master of American Top Forty: 89WLS. Between 1520 KOMA, 15KSTP, and 63KHOW, I was hittin’ the dial hearing what the top songs in Chicago, Oklahoma City, the Twin Cities, and Denver. Each station remains legendary to this day.

The magic of DXing, for me, was in the summer. Baseball. Baseball on the radio. KMOX was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals. I was “there” most nights listening to the play-by-play action — and hoping the skywave held up during an imporant game decision play! (Nothing worse on a pop up fly ball to right field with bases loaded and ….. thirty seconds of waiting for KMOX to come back!) Likewise, while the Cubs played day games in Chicago, when away, WGN had night time baseball. Somenights I could even fetch WCCO from the Twin Cities and listen in.

As technology moves forward, it’s going to be hard to leave behind the distant sampling of cities. HDRadio has its critics; mine is probably unique. I’ll miss the crackle and skywave of the AM band, a distant catch — a random DX card from the station — and waiting for the pop fly to be a base clearing grand slam.

Stay Digitally Tuned

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Saturday, April 28, 2007 by SDRadio.

Free FM Cancels Gen.Y.U.

Free FM’s evening talk show was pulled earlier this week. Here is what John Fiske writes:
“To our friends, family, and listeners, Last Thursday, April 19, 2007, Kris, Brent, and John of Generation Y University met with 103.7 FreeFM station management to inform them that John’s involvement in the show, which airs successfully five nights a week from 7-10pm, would be reduced to only one or two nights a week so that John could spend more time with his bride at home.
The following Monday, April 23, 2007, Kris and Brent hosted the show without skipping a beat. For all three hours on both Monday and Tuesday, Kris and Brent discussed serious political and social issues, blew out the phones lines, engaged San Diego in substantive and compelling content, and nobody in San Diego even noticed any change in the show. In fact, one caller thought that Brent was John. Yesterday, Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 103.7 FreeFM station management met with Brent and Kris and cancelled the show.

It now becomes clear to us that the station is not as concerned with our cause as we are. When we started our show, over a year-and-a-half ago, we set out to provide a content-based, substantive program for young listeners from a young persons perspective. Along the way, we met great success. We received much press for our efforts- many newspaper and magazine articles, the show was listed as one of 50 People to Watch in San Diego (San Diego Magazine), and we were involved with not one but two national documentaries about young Americans (Judy Woodruff and MacNeil/Lehrer Productions), among other things. Additionally, San Diego responded to the show with vigor and excitement. Listeners would call our show in surprisingly large numbers, both engaging in intelligent conversation and thanking us for our willingness to break a stereotype that young people aren’t interested in important issues.

Although we thank the station for giving us the initial platform, we are greatly disappointed in their decision to abandon the greater cause… even before the ratings had a chance to come out. We have no grand delusions about our impact on media in trying to provide substantive content for young people. We wanted to offer to our peers something other than MTV or US Weekly. We now see why this type of effort hasn’t been executed succesfully in the past. There’s no room for content and substantive shows for young people in mainstream media.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT AND INTEREST IN OUR SHOW! WE WOULD HAVE HAD NOTHING WITHOUT YOU! Truly, three 23 year old nobodies from Rancho Pensaquitos had a great run!

John Fiske

Stay Tuned

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Saturday, April 21, 2007 by SDRadio.

Are you seeing white space on the right side of the web browser? There was an issue in the blog content management system of WordPress.org in the style sheets. The internet hosting company has upgraded the blog — and users of previous versions of MS Internet Explorer (like version 6 or 5.5) will see white space on the right side. The post will appear below the navigation bar.

If you can, use FireFox or upgrade to version 7.0. Firefox is easier to use …. and the preferred browser on my desktop.

Thank you, and see YOU on the radio.

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Monday, April 16, 2007 by SDRadio.

Star 94.7‘ Little Tommy Sablan writes on Sunday: “I spoke with Laura yesterday! I miss her just like you do! Laura wants to be the one that tells you herself where she is, so please understand and respect that. All I want to say is that I have a brand new respect for her especially after last night. What Laura is doing most people fail, but she is not. She will be back soon, most likely in one more month. I know the rumors are flying around your home and office to where she might be and all I can say is this: I love Laura and I am so proud of her and you will too.

“It’s kind of funny as I THINK OF LAURA (hey wasn’t that a song)…..I’ve seen her almost everyday of my life for 14-15 years or so. There were times in the morning where we wouldn’t say a word to eachother except on the air and there’s times when she could feel that I was in a bad mood and she would come over to my side and say “okay, what’s wrong?” You really don’t ever realize what you have until it’s gone. Laura on her own needed to take some time off and from that first day off which coincidentally was my first day of dieting and exercising, I bonded with her in a huge way.

“I can’t wait for Laura to come back. When she does, I will be the one that says “ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the show my friend Laura Cain”….

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Monday, April 16, 2007 by SDRadio.

Welcome to SDRadio for Monday, April 16

The world-famous GelderHead Thought Of The Day: The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%. - Andrew Carnegie.

Imus Fall Out: The wheels are spinning. The spin zone is moving so fast that Bill O’Reilly can’t see it. Welcome to the cleansing of the airwaves, part two.
I’m not defending what Don Imus said; nor do I concur what Bernard McGuirk countered nearly two weeks ago. However, the main push behind the I-man’s dismissal promise to “cleanse the airwaves.” “‘It is our feeling that this is only the beginning. We must have a broad discussion on what is permitted and not permitted in terms of the airwaves.”

Locally, activists have called for 760 KFMB Rick Roberts, AM 600 KOGORoger Hedgecock and Mark Larson be be “expunged” from the radio. Could they? Anything is possible as the focus turns to conservative radio on the airwaves. This could be interesting times for the broadcasters as last week’s action by a major company was called off, in part, by advertisers. As last Friday’s report indicated, now local station operators and owners will have to tread lightly while “walking on green egg shells.”

Stay Tuned.

Laura Cain is expected to be back at the Jeff and Jer Showgram on Star 94.1 today.

Laura has been off air the past few weeks and as indicated in her on-line blog at the station’s web site, she is expected to tell all.

Welcome back Laura … you were missed.

KiFM is hitting the Gaslamp the end of May.
Smooth Jazz 98.1 is bringing some of the biggest stars in Smooth Jazz together for the 32nd Anniversary Smooth Jazz 98.1 Gaslamp Festival. The festival takes place Saturday, May 26 and tickets are on sale.

Appearing on the main stages - Rick Braun, Norman Brown, Peabo Bryson, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot, Euge Groove, Jeff Lorber, Marion Meadows, Oli Silk, Ryan Shaw, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Peter White.

The station’s web site has more details and where to get tickets.

Magic 92.5’s Sherry Knight and Xavier The X-Man join Jagger and Kristi this weekend at Carlsbad for the annual MS Walk A Thon. See the Magic 92.5 web site for more info …. Benjamin Dover was live and local on KOGO yesterday. The consumer activist is based in the Texas Metroplex ….. KPRI LIVE TRACKS VOLUME 4 is the fourth archival from the station that features lives tracks that were mostly recorded in San Diego, or at the KPRI studios. Artist James Blunt recorded a special take for the station as the artist said the first offering made at KPRI “wasn’t good enough.” See the KPRI FM web site for more details. …. While the remarks of Imus and Bernie about the Rutgers women were indefensible, they were more unthinking and stupid than vicious and malicious. But malice is the right word to describe the howls for their show to be canceled and them to be driven from the airwaves – by phonies who endlessly prattle about the First Amendment. ~ Pat Buchanan on the current mess of the airwaves.

Thank you for making SDRadio part of your internet travels. See YOU on the radio today and here later in the broadcast week.

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Thursday, April 12, 2007 by SDRadio.

Walking on Green Egg Shells

Update: Don Imus was fired from his CBS radio job at WFAN. He did meet with the Rutgers Women’s basketball team as promised.

The unfortunate comments by radio’s Don Imus eight days ago is still on the front page. Today’s edition of the “Los Angeles Times” covers the story citing one thing. Advertisers are pulling from the show, and the financial impact was enough for General Electric’s MSNBC to drop the I-man.

The simulcast of the radio show was the most watched program on the third-place “news” channel. The show frequently tied CNN’s morning program. How ironic is that: a radio show was the most watched program …..

With outcries of “Fire him!” to CBS, the noose gets tighter around the neck of a man who has spent the last forty years behind the microphone. If CBS drops him, this won’t be the first time he’s been fired, and most likely, it won’t be the last. Don Imus helped shape shock-talk and morning drive radio in Southern California before landing in the Big Apple. His mark will be felt for years.

Now CBS has to wonder if continued walking on Green Egg Shells is worth it. No one outside of the company can call for his dismissal, however when CBS board members start saying that in public to be fired, it’s time to look where to hang your hat, pardoner.

Imus on the radio may be coming to an end on the national run; and that’s unfortunate. But that doesn’t’ excuse the silly-bit (and the worse retort) heard on his show. Politics aside, if the I-man said it about an elected official, “Hey, that’s funny!” To make the comments directed at a very successful Rutgers women’s basketball team, a disaster.

From the corporate level, they’ll treat this with the respect it is due and make amends to those involved. Imus plans to meet with the women’s basketball team to apologize in person. CBS will look at it from another angle. Can they take another financial strike against their radio division? The I-man brought in $50 million to WFAN and to the company through syndication to 70-stations. Here’s where walking on “Green Egg Shells” comes into play. Drop him, and take a hit on the financial line short term. Keep him, and advertisers will return, albeit slowly. In due time, those ad dollars would flow return to the radio show. Imus’ book of guests would come back too. (Carl Ripken Jr. dropped his appearance this week.)

CBS has to wonder if dropping the Don Imus show makes sense in the short term or long term. Stock price, profit margin, and ad revenue make the Walking On Green Egg Shells very critical for the media company that has several missteps lately. That’s where the company will make the decision, not on the unfortunate quip from last week. It’s their decision, and one they have about a week to make. Imus said on air that he may be at the end of his radio run, as he hosts a radio-thon to raise money for a charity. His scheduled departure from the syndicated radio show is effective on Monday, for two weeks.

Crossing the financial line may cost CBS more in the long run, they’ll walk carefully on the green egg shells

Stay digitally tuned.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 by SDRadio.

Larry Shannon of Radio Daily News comments on the latest:
“All of the questions about the future of Don Imus may not be answered today. But, one question can be answered. Its the question about the “bitch” and “ho” lyrics on radio that keeps coming up. Don’t ask Rev. Al Sharpton or Rev. Jesse Jackson to take those songs off the air. It is not within their power or authority other than to suggest and insist.

And don’t ask the rap singers to change their lyrics. They should have their freedom of speech, no matter how crude or vulgar those lyrics may be. The answer will be found with and within the power, approval and authority of the radio station owners.

Just as so many radio stations pulled all of the songs by the Dixie Chicks over their political statements, today, within an hour, each radio station owner could remove any and every song that contains “bitch” or “ho” from their playlists by sending an e-mail or making a phone call to the program director of each of their radio stations. It is within their power. The first reaction will be, “Well, that’s different!” But is it? It is about responsibility and accountability. Will the station owners make the call or send the e-mail? We’ll wait … (larryshannon@radiodailynews.com)

Visit Radio Daily News.

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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 by SDRadio.

Welcome to SDRadio for Tuesday, April 10, 2007. The world-famous GelderHead Thought Of The Day: The key to achievement lies in being a How thinker, not an If thinker. ~Unknown

Jeff Gelder, though provoker, KyXy host, and voice over talent writes: “Here is a pic of me and “Mr Voice,” Don LaFontaine who does the movie trailers that begin with “In a world….” I met him last week at the VOICE 2007 conference in Las Vegas which was amazing. He also is the guy in the Geico commercials and was the announcer for the Academy Awards show.” Thanks Jeff!

For years, Roger Hedgecock has held elected officials feet to the fire and taken concerns direct to Washington, D.C., and Sacremento. This year, Roger is spearheading a major push and roasting elected officials. Jimmy Valentine writes: “Just off the phone with folks from Wake Up America - San Diego and the
folks from FAIR ( Federation for American Immigration Reform ). It now “appears that we have more than 500 citizen lobbyists (from 38 states) signed up to come to DC with Roger April 21 - 26th. This in addition to 35 radio talk show hosts. The numbers will grow as we get closer to our departure date.

“Word that congress will begin working on immigration bills after the Easter recess has prompted more of us to action. Unless we go to DC and make known the wishes of America, the lawmakers will hatch a bill that serves THEM and not America.

“There is still confusion (or reluctance to realize) about what we’re all about. Which is really strange. Some folks think this is a talk radio deal and that radio listeners coming to DC is just a sidebar to the radio event. IT AIN’T. Never has been.

Roger launched Hold Their Feet To the Fire in 1995, not to take his radio
show to DC, but to take his show and HIS LISTENERS to DC to do the work of citizenship. Roger wanted to energize his radio audience to action. He would support and even lead that action but the focus was and remains on Americans confronting their lawmakers…Americans whose special interest is America. Roger’s goal is to empower Radio Nation. The talk show hosts are already empowered. Our goal is to unleash the power of the electorate as it has become energized by talk radio.”

The list of radio hosts can be found at Informed Voter’s list of shows..

Radio Jenius: what A.J. is at Channel 933. Part of the line up for Your Show 8 includes Ludacris, Fergie, Ciara, Hilary Duff, Robin Thicke, and Paula DeAnda who will perform in Chula Vista on May 11.

“Don’t miss out on the biggest Channel 933 Your Show ever! Tickets go on-sale Saturday, April 14th through Ticketmaster. But… If you are a Channel 933 VIP, you get to purchase your tickets early…before they go on-sale to the public. There will be a pre-sale for Channel 933 VIP Members only starting Thursday, April 12th at 10am and will continue until Friday, April 13th at 10pm.” See the new Channel 933 web site for more info.

Have you bought your HDRadio yet? What are you waiting on? Apparently most of the nation is in a “wait and see” mode as well. First and second generation radio receivers continue to be $150 and up, and then there is the reception. (as previously written about here). In the mode of “If we build it they will come” radio is essentially fragementing its own market. FM stations can split their signal three ways. Radio World reports that Florida Public Radio is trying out a subscription mode on some multicast stations (ending the ‘It’s FREE’ claim). The market swell, while being pimped by many stations in the market — and some not even offering the new standard — is still nine months away before consumers can walk in and buy an inexpensive radio. It goes back to “When was the last time you bought a radio? You generally buy items that include radios — like a car, an alarm clock, or an inexpensive MP3 player. Stay Tuned.

Radio legend and cranky, Don Imus has been suspended for two weeks starting next Monday. His radio show is also picked up by MSNBC. The I-Man touched off a firestorm last week with comments about women’s basketball. On Monday, Imus appeared on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s Radio One syndicated show. Rev. Sharpton called on CBS to fire the 40-year broadcaster over the remarks, which Sharpton labeled “racist and diabolical.”
“What I did was repugnant, repulsive and horrible,” said Imus. “Here are these young women at the pinnacle of their life, and I ruined it.”

Imus told Sharpton he didn’t agree that he should be fired over the incident. Rev. Sharpton was “surprised” that Imus took the time to visit his show, however, Imus’ apology did not seem to move the talk show host. “I’m not going to call you a racist or bigot,” Rev. Sharpton said. “You may be a nice guy, but you should still be fired. He crossed the line, and there must be a penalty to show that we are regulating racist and diabolical statements. I am not putting on Mr. Imus anything that I have not put on my own people. We want to send the message — enough is enough,” Rev. Sharpeton said on his radio show.

A video of the Imus and Rev. Sharpeton on-air meeting can be view at WCBS TV 2.

Last week, Jeff and Jer hosted their “Thank You” celebration in San Diego. Little Tommy Sablan writes: “I had a great time at the thank you party and listeners last night seemed more like family. I don’t think the Jeff and Jer showgram has listeners, we have friends and family. Complete strangers that came up to us, felt like family. Our listeners are the absolute best in the country.
Tommy was on a weight goal and surpassed a monthly goal. “I lost 33 pounds. Jeff and Jer decided not to reveal when I surpassed the 20, because there would be no suspense at the party, but in just one full month, I lost 33 pounds and I have another 20-30 to go.”

Thanks Tommy.

Also, the latest hand written diary from Laura Cain was posted and is also presented at the end of today’s column. Laura is expected to return next week.

Thank you for making SDRadio part of your internet travels. See YOU on the radio today and here later in the broadcast week!

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Monday, April 9, 2007 by SDRadio.

Thank you for stopping by …. SDRadio returns tomorrow Full Industrial Strength.

See YOU on the radio today and here tomorrow at about 8 a.m.

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Wednesday, April 4, 2007 by SDRadio.

Joyous Easter, see YOU on the radio!

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Monday, April 2, 2007 by SDRadio.

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