HOT TOPICS
Here are the most popular topics of the last 3 hours
Taylor On Radio-Info
Just some of the headlines in the latest issue of the free daily publication T-R-I - Less Is More, version 2.0
Rush gets a $100 million signing bonus to go “deep into the next decade” – and that helps Clear Channel go private.
The Rush signing is also important news for Sean Hannity.
More ex-Jacor folks land at Tribune: Roy Laughlin, Jana Gavin.
Tribune’s Lee Abrams reveals his thinking about newspapers.
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STATIC
Here's what's happening on Radio-Info.com Arbitron releases the Spring Phase II trends for Seattle - Tacoma, Denver - Boulder, Columbus, OH, Fresno, and Colorado Springs. They're available now on the Radio-Info.com Ratings page. Radio-Info welcomes the best and the brightest minds in radio, as guest columnists in our section On the Mic. The latest article is by Paragon Media's Mike Henry, and he asks, what can students teach us about doing local radio?
RI 360°
Ross on Radio
Given Ryan Seacrest's ubiquity in recent years, it was inevitable that the KIIS Los Angeles morning man/"American Top 40" host/"American Idol" host would eventually be available for a weekday shift outside Los Angeles as well. After months in the planning, and a two week delay from its first start date, the national version of "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" debuted yesterday in middays or afternoons on Hot AC and Top 40 stations including WXXL (XL106.7) Orlando, Fla., KIMN Denver, KBEE Salt Lake City, WAEB (B104) Allentown, Pa., KMYI San Diego.
"On Air" began life with the phenomenal success of its host, the strength of his celebrity address book, and the continued march toward syndication outside mornings all in its favor. To get a sense of the show on its first day, we listened to nearly four hours of Seacrest yesterday -- an hour of the local show on KIIS and then long stretches on Clear Channel Top 40s WAEB-FM (B104) Allentown, Pa., and WXXL (XL106.7) Orlando, Fla., and B98.7. And on his first day, Seacrest made a good impression, although the show also raises some questions of how it might best be used by the stations carrying it.
Sean Ross
Edison Media Research
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The Strategy Session
It’s been just over a month since the release of both well-publicized and long-awaited books on Clear Channel were released. On April 1, the official company “sanctioned” “Clear Vision, The Story of Clear Channel Communications,” by Reed Bunzel was released, followed two weeks later by Alec Foege’s “Right of the Dial: The Rise of Clear Channel and the Fall of Commercial Radio.”
In the 8 weeks since, has radio decided to read the books? If so, what are we saying about the revelations—if there are any? Is either a book a must read for those of us in in radio?
Let’s see.
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NEWS
Sunday, July 6, 2008
TOP STORYClear Channel announces its new roster of Executive and Sr. VPs of programming
 The week started off with the news that John Hogan re-upped to lead
Clear Channel for another five years. Now he follows up with a memo announcing a new
structure of programming executives. They include Executive VPs of
programming and operations (EVPO) and Executive VPs of Programming (EVPP),
as well as Senior VPs of programming (SVPO). Here's the memo from
Hogan: "This new
structure was created to ensure that the unique programming needs of
major markets, mid-major markets, and developing markets are fully and
appropriately served through a dedicated team of seasoned programming
professionals...These
programming partners will serve as resources for our 900 dynamic local
programming professionals." Here's the rundown: Tom Schurr is the EVPO, Eastern region. The SVPPs there are Clay Hunnicutt
and one to be determined. Susan Karis is the EVPO, Western region. EVPP there: Gene
Romano. Mark Kopelman is the SVPO based in Houston. SVPP: Chicago-based Darren Davis.
George Toulas is the SVPO based in Miami. SVPP: Brad Hardin. Dave Crowl is the SVPO based in Cincinnati. SVPP: Alan Sledge. Tom Thon is the SVPO based
in Columbus, Ohio. SVPP: Phil Hunt. While San Antonio-based Tom Owens continues in his role as
executive VP of content/programming development for all of Clear Channel Radio.
An FCC advisory committee asks it to investigate Arbitron's PPM - soon
 It says "the use of a measurement system that may not accurately measure audiences would be a disservice to the entire radio broadcast industry and the American public" - especially if it "may not accurately measure minority audiences." So the FCC's "Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age" is requesting an investigation of the People Meter that's currently in "live" use only in Houston and Philadelphia. The main angle is the meter's potential impact on minority broadcasters (it "may be substantial enough to wipe out all of the gains" from the agency's new diversity policies). And since electronic measurement is due in September in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York - "time is of the essence." The advisory committee wants the FCC to stay very busy this Summer, with its investigation done by August 15.
New Orleans has a new hip-hop challenger with Citadel's "Power 102.9"
The new KKND "Power 102.9" playing "Non-stop hip-hop" will feature the syndicated "Big Boy's Neighborhood" in mornings. Previously, 102.9 was the home of Urban oldies KMEZ, which flipped to Urban AC on May 20 of this year, and started simulcasting on co-owned 106.7. That was the original KKND, which dropped its country format to briefly simulcast KMEZ. But this was all to make room for the new Urban format. The FCC database says the call letters officially swapped frequencies on June 10.  Discuss It
Clear Channel reveals a new version of its "Less Is More" commercial policy
Just one month before it goes private, and as it re-sets its reporting structure, Clear Channel says it will be increasing the customization of the four-year-old LIM - "Less Is More." Stations can customize spotload and sales policies by station and daypart, in what John Hogan calls a further refinement of the original LIM. That was announced as an effort (among other things) to reduce total advertising time, and to focus on better creative and shorter spot lengths. Hogan says the new LIM is possible partly because of improved reporting systems.
Northeast Pennsylvania's "Q FM" becomes "Cool 92.1 and 100.1" playing oldies
Shamrock's AC WQFM (92.1) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton started stunting with "all Beatles, all the time" on Tuesday. At noon on July 3, it officially flipped to "Cool", playing a variety of hits from the '60s, and '70s. The format also simulcasts on sister WQFN (100.1). Take a listen to the station live at NewCoolFM.com. The Radio-Info.com Discussion boards are talking about what's next: Discuss It
Making Moves: Holiday weekend
Mike Elliott is named PD of Clear Channel's News/Talk WTVN and WYTS Columbus, OH ... WLUM "FM 102.1" Milwaukee taps Stephen Kallao as APD/afternoons, replacing Chris Calef, who's returning to school ... XHTZ "Z90.3" San Diego ups mixer D-Rock to afternoons. He replaces Bill Blast ... KRCK Palm Springs is the latest addition for Clear Channel's syndicated daily "On the Air" with Ryan Seacrest. He'll cover the 2-5 pm slot starting Monday, July 7. In other news at that station, middayer, Ariene Stroschein adds MD chores ... Carra Carriveau is the new midday lady at Bonneville's WTMX "Mix 101.9" Chicago. She was doing part-time at the station ... Former News/Talk WSB (750) Atlanta personality David Paul resurfaces at FM Talker WTKS (104.1) Orlando.
GUEST COLUMN
On The Mic
Radio-Info welcomes the industry's top thought leaders as guest columnists
I recently received an alumni newsletter from my former college radio station and was struck by how differently the students view radio compared to most of the folks running commercial radio operations. It’s not what you think. Believe it or not, the students at WUOG-FM in Athens (GA) run their radio station the old-fashioned way.
Their “Airwaves” newsletter has page titles that scream FUNDAMENTALS, and some of the related comments in each section are worth noting.
Music
“Near the beginning of the year I started referring to the WUOG Music Staff as Perpetrators of Awesome, which is exactly what they do. They’re naturals at reviewing CDs.”
Sports
“The WUOG Sports Department has grown even bigger…to over 30 people! With this influx of great talent we’ve been fortunate to expand to 6 weekly sports shows with plans for more! The Sports Department has also created their own website with a blog that gives the staff another medium to share their sports insight!”
Mike Henry
Paragon Media Strategies
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