News Notes – May 2009
ew in the radio industry were expecting good news regarding revenue and the first quarter reports by the business’s publicly traded companies bear out the negative numbers analysts projected. CBS Radio’s Q1 revenue dropped 29%. Clear Channel Radio declined 23%. Salem Communications’ radio revenue fell 12%. Citadel is reporting a 23% decline in Q1 revenue. Cumulus Media reports revenue down 24%. Cox Radio reports a 23% decline for Q1. Entercom’s net revenue for the first quarter was down 21%. Saga Communications radio revenue was down slightly more than 17% for the first quarter. Regent reports a 12% drop in Q1 revenue and Radio One sinks 24%. While these are brutal numbers by anyone’s estimation and companies have taken the drastic steps of cutting jobs, salaries and benefits, some executives say they are seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel. This comes mostly in the form of projections that show falling revenue numbers may be getting smaller. Of course, only time will tell…..Many industry watchers agree that the best chance for radio’s future is to concentrate on developing online revenue. BIA Advisory Services recently announced radio and television grabbed 7.3% of the $11 billion in 
local online advertising spent in 2008. BIA’s Mark Fratrik says, “We see a compounded annual growth rate of 18.6% for online broadcasting advertising over the 2008 – 2013 period. Given the challenges facing broadcasting, it’s even more important for broadcasters to continue to step-up their mobile and internet offerings.”…..Westwood One announces it has completed the refinancing of its outstanding long-term debt and the recapitalization of its equity. The company’s previous lenders refinanced and exchanged all of their outstanding indebtedness (approximately $241 million in principal amount) for $25 million in cash, shares of 8.0% Series B Convertible Preferred Stock representing approximately 25% of Westwood One’s equity and $117.5 million aggregate principal amount of new senior secured notes that will mature July 15, 2012. As a result, the Gores Group, LLC owns almost 75% of WW1’s equity. Westwood One also obtains new credit through Wells Fargo Foothill, LLC in the form of a $20 million subordinated unsecured term loan and a $15 million senior unsecured revolving line of credit to finance working capital and other general corporate purposes. The subordinated term loan and revolving line of credit are guaranteed by certain Gores funds. WW1 reports a first quarter revenue decline of 
19.4%…..Former Citadel CEO and part owner Larry Wilson gets back into radio. Eight years ago Wilson sold Citadel to Forstmann Little for $2.1 billion. There’d been speculation among industry watchers that Wilson was planning a radio comeback and apparently it’s happening. Wilson forms Alpha Broadcasting and agrees to a deal with Rose City Radio to purchase talk KXL and sports KXTG-FM, Portland for $11 million. Wilson says he has no plans to change the stations’ formats…..Nationally syndicated talk star Dave Ramsey’s 
nationwide multimedia event, “Town Hall for Hope,” was held in Oklahoma City on April 23 and Ramsey estimates more than 1 million people viewed or heard the program. The one-hour program consisted of Ramsey talking with the audience about the economy, how it got to this point and where to go from here. Ramsey fielded questions via various methods including social networking sites. The video program was delivered to more than 6,000 locations via webcast and was seen on the Fox Business Network…..Ending a high-profile standoff, Clear Channel and Arbitron agree to terms on a three-year deal to supply ratings to the company in 105 of the non-PPM markets. Clear Channel saves a lot of money with the deal. It had been paying $60 million per year for the diary markets and that number is down to $69 million over the course of the three-year deal. Some markets will do without Arbitron ratings including: Sioux City, Iowa; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Sarasota, Florida; Lima, Ohio; Parkersburg, West Virginia; Jackson, Mississippi; and Williamsport, Pennsylvania. CC is going with Nielsen’s sticker diary in 18 small and 
medium markets and says it intends to work with Nielsen more in the future but doesn’t get specific…..Talk Radio Network star Michael Savage is considering suing Great Britain after the conservative talk host was banned from entering the country due to his strong opinions. He and 15 others –– none media personalities –– have been on a “no entry” list since October as announced by UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. She recently told the BBC, “This is someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country.” Along with Savage on the list are American pastor Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley and former KKK grand wizard Stephen Donald Black. A number of militant Muslim extremists are also on the list. Savage says her statements could 
endanger his safety…..NAB president/CEO David Rehr resigns from the post he’s held for the past three years since he replaced Eddie Fritts. COO/CFO Janet McGregor will take over the position in the interim while a permanent successor is sought. Don’t expect the NAB to explain (honestly) why Rehr is leaving but inside chatter is that, among other things, Rehr’s Republican background is making him unpopular with the new Democratic majority in Congress…..Broadcasters hoping the challenges to the FCC’s 30-year-old no-exceptions policy of keeping curse words off the air between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm are disappointed as the United States Supreme Court overturns a recent ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court ruled the FCC’s fining Fox TV for fleeting expletives was arbitrary and capricious but the Supreme Court reversed that. The Supreme Court did not rule on whether the FCC’s policy on 
indecency is unconstitutional. That, it ruled, was something for a federal appeals court to decide…..Late night talk institution Jim Bohannon and Westwood One work out a new multi-year contract to keep him on the network (and in America’s ears!) for years to come. In addition to his late night show, Bohannon also hosts “America in the Morning.” EVP Bart Tessler tells TALKERS magazine, “Two shows, 600 affiliates, but only one Jimbo. We’re proud that the quintessential talk show host and militant moderate will 
continue to engage his very loyal audience from night ‘till morning.”…..The independently syndicated Allen Hunt show adds more affiliates as it approaches the 100 affiliate mark. Recently added were: KTLK-FM, Minneapolis; WSC-FM Charleston, South Carolina; WSKY-FM, Gainesville, Florida; KKAR, Omaha; WHLO, Akron/Canton; KNZZ, Grand Junction, Colorado; KGLN, Glenwood Springs, Colorado; WBIC, Royston, Georgia; WKZO, Kalamazoo, Michigan; WTAQ, Green Bay; WZAN, Portland; KZRG, Joplin, Missouri; WSGW, Saginaw; 
and WCHV-AM/FM, Charlottesville, Virginia…..Premiere Radio Networks and Fox News Channel talk star Glenn Beck gets a new deal with publisher Simon & Schuster for three new books –– the first of which is his soon-to-be-released America’s March to Socialism. Under the terms of the new deal, Beck gets a share of the profits from the books. That deal is unusual for all but the biggest authors, however it does allow the publisher to offer a smaller advance…..WABC, New York and Citadel Media talk host Mark Levin’s latest book, Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, has reached its 18th pressing, meaning there are a million copies in print. Levin’s book was number one on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks…..Premiere Radio Networks talk superstar Rush Limbaugh is named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential list…..Randi Rhodes is the latest talk talent to join the Premiere Radio Networks stable. 
The progressive talk host, who left WJNO, West Palm Beach several years ago to join fledgling lib-talk network Air America, then left there to work with startup (and now defunct) Nova M, began being syndicated by Premiere May 11. Her show is Washington, DC-based and she debuted on Clear Channel-owned progressive talk outlets KTLK, Los Angeles; KKGN, San Francisco; and KPOJ, Portland…..Citadel Media’s Curtis Sliwa adds a local 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm hour for home base WABC, New York. Sliwa’s nationally syndicated show airs 10:00 pm to 1:00 am ET…..Cumulus expands its Atlanta-based “Regular Guys” morning show to Dallas classic rock KDBN-FM. “Regular Guys” Larry Wachs and Eric Von Haessler are based at rock WNNX-FM and previously worked at Clear Channel’s talk outlet WGST, Atlanta…..A number of FM music outlets are flipping to news/talk. This is something you read about in TALKERS magazine recently (TRN president of programming Phil Boyce wrote a column about it in the April 2009 edition of TALKERS magazine). Here are some of the stations to flip recently: Wilks Broadcasting drops smooth jazz for talk at KJZN-FM, Fresno using TRN programming including Mancow, Jerry Doyle, Michael Savage, Phil Hendrie and Rusty Humphries among others; Chattanooga move-in WHJK-FM changes calls to WPLZ-FM and flips from the “Jack” format (owner Brewer Broadcasting will flip another FM –– WALV –– to sports in June); in Mobile, Bigler Broadcasting’s WAVH-FM flips from “Jack” to talk using some TRN programming; KZTK-FM, Tyler, Texas is planning a flip from music to talk; and Clear Channel’s WRTR-FM, Tuscaloosa drops rock to simulcast with AM sister talk outlet WACT. Fisher also announces it 
enters into a deal with South Sound Broadcasting to simulcast KOMO, Seattle on its 97.7 frequency…..At press time, WTKK-FM, Boston afternoon drive talk host Jay Severin was still suspended from the Greater Media station after the company decided Severin’s comments about Mexicans and swine flu were inappropriate. Severin allegedly referred to illegal aliens from Mexico as “leeches,” “criminaliens” and asserted that Mexicans crossing the border bring disease with them including the swine flu. Severin and his lawyer met with Greater Media officials but the company is saying Severin remains on suspension while his lawyer says he’s confident the situation will be worked out soon and Severin will be back on the air…..The 
WTKS-FM, Orlando career of midday talk host Shannon Burke is over after he was involved in the shooting of his wife and dog. Burke is being charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and cruelty to animals after discharging a gun that hit his dog and grazed his wife’s head. Burke initially told police he became upset with the dog and was waving a gun he didn’t know was loaded when it went off. The station dismissed Burke two business days after the incident. No permanent replacement for Burke has been 
announced…..Former WJFK-FM, Washington, DC personality Don Geronimo’s plans to distribute a regular podcast through CBS Radio won’t happen. Geronimo left the station last year while still under contract basically saying he was burned out. Recently, though, he and CBS made plans to deliver a podcast but CBS intended to put the same rules on his podcast that apply to over-the-air broadcasts and that was a deal breaker for Geronimo. Since CBS Radio still has the rights to his work through October of 2010, it’s not likely he’ll appear on the airwaves anywhere until then…..Progressive talk host Jon Elliott exits Air America Media to handle afternoon drive at XEPE, San Diego. Elliott tells TALKERS magazine the show is available for stations that carried his Air America program…..Non-commercial enterprises aren’t immune to the economy as we learned in December when National Public Radio cut 7% of its workforce. Now, NPR announces it’s cutting another 13 full-time positions and is asking workers to accept a five-day furlough. And like some of its for-profit brethren, NPR is also ending the matching of funds to employee retirement plans for this year. It also will not give merit raises next fiscal year…..Greater Media syndicated morning team Bob & Sheri adds affiliates WTLT-FM, Naples, Florida and WERZ-FM, Portsmouth, 
New Hampshire. The duo emanate from Hot AC/talk hybrid WLNK-FM, Charlotte and are heard on 60 affiliates nationwide…..Fox News Radio hires Sabrina Sabbagh as a Los Angeles-based entertainment reporter. Sabbagh comes from KVVU-FM, Las Vegas where she served as an entertainment reporter…..John Batchelor returns to WABC, New York taking over the Sunday evening show. Batchelor has served at the station both as a solo act and with former partner Paul Alexander…..Tribune’s WGN, Chicago makes changes to its weekend schedule. It adds former WLS mid-morning talk host Jerry Agar for three shifts: Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Saturday 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Also added to the schedule are Shawn Wesson for Saturday 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Sunday 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Simon Badinter who’s handling Sunday 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm…..WGN, Chicago midday talk host Garry Meier is conducting a drive to collect 41,160 signatures on a petition to deliver to Chicago Cubs management to persuade it to erect a bronze statue of cubs legend Ron Santo outside Wrigley Field. Santo 
and partner Pat Hughes are the voices of Cubs baseball on WGN. Oh, the 41,160 number means one signature for each seat at Wrigley…..Long-running KROQ-FM, Los Angeles morning show duo Kevin & Bean are picked up for national syndication by Westwood One. WW1 SVP entertainment Max Krasny tells TALKERS magazine, “The Kevin & Bean show is one of the strongest and engaging programs on radio. We are thrilled to partner with KROQ and bring the Kevin & Bean show to listeners across America. This program will be a tremendous value for our affiliates, advertisers and listeners across the country.”…..Air America Media brings radio industry veteran Stuart Greenblatt aboard as vice president of affiliate sales. Greenblatt recently served in the same capacity for Westwood One…..Steve Harrison is named VP, director of sports sales and marketing for Westwood One’s network division…..
TALKERS magazine sends get well wishes to KKZN, Denver talk host Jay Marvin as he battles multiple health issues that began after having his gall bladder removed in February. Marvin’s wife Mary tells Denver’s Westword after the gall bladder surgery, Jay’s failure to recover quickly led doctors to discover liver problems and a mass near his spinal column, the cause of which they are still uncertain. Mary Marvin says Jay is in a lot of pain but he is thankful for the well-wishes he’s been getting through his producer at 
KKZN…..Chris Markowski’s “Watchdog on Wall Street” show picks up four new affiliates: WGUL, Tampa; WLSS, Sarasota, Florida; WPLZ-FM, Chattanooga; and KZTK-FM, Tyler, Texas…..For the first time since its inception, Sirius XM is reporting lower subscriber numbers. That simply makes sense in this economy that people would cut discretionary spending and satellite radio falls into that category. The company’s net loss for Q1 was a mere $63 million. That’s better than the same quarter a year ago when the net loss was $233 million…..National Public Radio’s Michelle Norris is named recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists’ “Journalist of the Year” award. Norris is co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.”…..WFED, Washington talk host Francis Rose recently organized “Match Game 1500” –– a mirror of the old 1970s game show –– to pit two listener contestants against Federal News Radio anchors and reporters. Federal News Radio donated $250 to the winner’s charity and $100 to the runner-up’s charity…..In the age of niche broadcasting, one talk show host is finding success in the field of mental health. John Aberle, a military veteran who suffers from bipolar disorder, recently expanded his weekly program to a daily show on WCHE in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In the past year, Aberle has interviewed “60 Minutes” star Mike Wallace, Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s brother David and musician Gary Wright…..WTKK-FM, Boston adds “The Prime Time Car Hour” program to its weekend lineup. The Sunday evening program is hosted by regional car dealership owner David Rosenberg…..Popular Los Angeles restaurant show host Merrill Shindler takes his program to KABC, Los Angeles for Sunday evenings. Shindler previously hosted the “Dining Out” program on crosstown KLSX-FM…..Walpole, Massachusetts high school student Sam Obar celebrates his one-year anniversary on the radio at WDIS, Walpole (Boston market). Obar is 15 years old and does his weekly show live Saturday afternoons at 4:00 pm. Over the course of the past year he has interviewed Congressman Barney Frank and numerous other Massachusetts lawmakers…..Clear Channel Hartford programmer Pete Salant –– who was in charge of sports WPOP, Hartford and talk WELI, New Haven –– exits the company…..WGN, Chicago and longtime news director Wes Bleed part company after 25 years together…..Morning drive news anchor Chevy Smith exits Federated Media’s WOWO, Fort Wayne after 11 years at the station…..WSPD, Toledo director of news operations Carrie Wilson exits her role at the station. Her husband, WSPD program director and talk host Brian Wilson remains with the station…..TALKERS magazine sends condolences to the family and friends of KQV, Pittsburgh program director Erik Selby who passed away on April 27 after suffering a brain aneurysm. Selby was 43….Talk host Thom Hartmann on the passing of his mother Jean Hartmann. Hartmann tells us donations may be made in her name to the community for abused children he and his wife Louise started in 1978. Visit www.salemchildrensvillage.org for more information…..E-mail your news and photos to: info@talkers.com.
ew in the radio industry were expecting good news regarding revenue and the first quarter reports by the business’s publicly traded companies bear out the negative numbers analysts projected. CBS Radio’s Q1 revenue dropped 29%. Clear Channel Radio declined 23%. Salem Communications’ radio revenue fell 12%. Citadel is reporting a 23% decline in Q1 revenue. Cumulus Media reports revenue down 24%. Cox Radio reports a 23% decline for Q1. Entercom’s net revenue for the first quarter was down 21%. Saga Communications radio revenue was down slightly more than 17% for the first quarter. Regent reports a 12% drop in Q1 revenue and Radio One sinks 24%. While these are brutal numbers by anyone’s estimation and companies have taken the drastic steps of cutting jobs, salaries and benefits, some executives say they are seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel. This comes mostly in the form of projections that show falling revenue numbers may be getting smaller. Of course, only time will tell…..Many industry watchers agree that the best chance for radio’s future is to concentrate on developing online revenue. BIA Advisory Services recently announced radio and television grabbed 7.3% of the $11 billion in local online advertising spent in 2008. BIA’s Mark Fratrik says, “We see a compounded annual growth rate of 18.6% for online broadcasting advertising over the 2008 – 2013 period. Given the challenges facing broadcasting, it’s even more important for broadcasters to continue to step-up their mobile and internet offerings.”…..Westwood One announces it has completed the refinancing of its outstanding long-term debt and the recapitalization of its equity. The company’s previous lenders refinanced and exchanged all of their outstanding indebtedness (approximately $241 million in principal amount) for $25 million in cash, shares of 8.0% Series B Convertible Preferred Stock representing approximately 25% of Westwood One’s equity and $117.5 million aggregate principal amount of new senior secured notes that will mature July 15, 2012. As a result, the Gores Group, LLC owns almost 75% of WW1’s equity. Westwood One also obtains new credit through Wells Fargo Foothill, LLC in the form of a $20 million subordinated unsecured term loan and a $15 million senior unsecured revolving line of credit to finance working capital and other general corporate purposes. The subordinated term loan and revolving line of credit are guaranteed by certain Gores funds. WW1 reports a first quarter revenue decline of 19.4%…..Former Citadel CEO and part owner Larry Wilson gets back into radio. Eight years ago Wilson sold Citadel to Forstmann Little for $2.1 billion. There’d been speculation among industry watchers that Wilson was planning a radio comeback and apparently it’s happening. Wilson forms Alpha Broadcasting and agrees to a deal with Rose City Radio to purchase talk KXL and sports KXTG-FM, Portland for $11 million. Wilson says he has no plans to change the stations’ formats…..Nationally syndicated talk star Dave Ramsey’s nationwide multimedia event, “Town Hall for Hope,” was held in Oklahoma City on April 23 and Ramsey estimates more than 1 million people viewed or heard the program. The one-hour program consisted of Ramsey talking with the audience about the economy, how it got to this point and where to go from here. Ramsey fielded questions via various methods including social networking sites. The video program was delivered to more than 6,000 locations via webcast and was seen on the Fox Business Network…..Ending a high-profile standoff, Clear Channel and Arbitron agree to terms on a three-year deal to supply ratings to the company in 105 of the non-PPM markets. Clear Channel saves a lot of money with the deal. It had been paying $60 million per year for the diary markets and that number is down to $69 million over the course of the three-year deal. Some markets will do without Arbitron ratings including: Sioux City, Iowa; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Sarasota, Florida; Lima, Ohio; Parkersburg, West Virginia; Jackson, Mississippi; and Williamsport, Pennsylvania. CC is going with Nielsen’s sticker diary in 18 small and medium markets and says it intends to work with Nielsen more in the future but doesn’t get specific…..Talk Radio Network star Michael Savage is considering suing Great Britain after the conservative talk host was banned from entering the country due to his strong opinions. He and 15 others –– none media personalities –– have been on a “no entry” list since October as announced by UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. She recently told the BBC, “This is someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country.” Along with Savage on the list are American pastor Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley and former KKK grand wizard Stephen Donald Black. A number of militant Muslim extremists are also on the list. Savage says her statements could endanger his safety…..NAB president/CEO David Rehr resigns from the post he’s held for the past three years since he replaced Eddie Fritts. COO/CFO Janet McGregor will take over the position in the interim while a permanent successor is sought. Don’t expect the NAB to explain (honestly) why Rehr is leaving but inside chatter is that, among other things, Rehr’s Republican background is making him unpopular with the new Democratic majority in Congress…..Broadcasters hoping the challenges to the FCC’s 30-year-old no-exceptions policy of keeping curse words off the air between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm are disappointed as the United States Supreme Court overturns a recent ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court ruled the FCC’s fining Fox TV for fleeting expletives was arbitrary and capricious but the Supreme Court reversed that. The Supreme Court did not rule on whether the FCC’s policy on indecency is unconstitutional. That, it ruled, was something for a federal appeals court to decide…..Late night talk institution Jim Bohannon and Westwood One work out a new multi-year contract to keep him on the network (and in America’s ears!) for years to come. In addition to his late night show, Bohannon also hosts “America in the Morning.” EVP Bart Tessler tells TALKERS magazine, “Two shows, 600 affiliates, but only one Jimbo. We’re proud that the quintessential talk show host and militant moderate will continue to engage his very loyal audience from night ‘till morning.”…..The independently syndicated Allen Hunt show adds more affiliates as it approaches the 100 affiliate mark. Recently added were: KTLK-FM, Minneapolis; WSC-FM Charleston, South Carolina; WSKY-FM, Gainesville, Florida; KKAR, Omaha; WHLO, Akron/Canton; KNZZ, Grand Junction, Colorado; KGLN, Glenwood Springs, Colorado; WBIC, Royston, Georgia; WKZO, Kalamazoo, Michigan; WTAQ, Green Bay; WZAN, Portland; KZRG, Joplin, Missouri; WSGW, Saginaw; and WCHV-AM/FM, Charlottesville, Virginia…..Premiere Radio Networks and Fox News Channel talk star Glenn Beck gets a new deal with publisher Simon & Schuster for three new books –– the first of which is his soon-to-be-released America’s March to Socialism. Under the terms of the new deal, Beck gets a share of the profits from the books. That deal is unusual for all but the biggest authors, however it does allow the publisher to offer a smaller advance…..WABC, New York and Citadel Media talk host Mark Levin’s latest book, Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, has reached its 18th pressing, meaning there are a million copies in print. Levin’s book was number one on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks…..Premiere Radio Networks talk superstar Rush Limbaugh is named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential list…..Randi Rhodes is the latest talk talent to join the Premiere Radio Networks stable. The progressive talk host, who left WJNO, West Palm Beach several years ago to join fledgling lib-talk network Air America, then left there to work with startup (and now defunct) Nova M, began being syndicated by Premiere May 11. Her show is Washington, DC-based and she debuted on Clear Channel-owned progressive talk outlets KTLK, Los Angeles; KKGN, San Francisco; and KPOJ, Portland…..Citadel Media’s Curtis Sliwa adds a local 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm hour for home base WABC, New York. Sliwa’s nationally syndicated show airs 10:00 pm to 1:00 am ET…..Cumulus expands its Atlanta-based “Regular Guys” morning show to Dallas classic rock KDBN-FM. “Regular Guys” Larry Wachs and Eric Von Haessler are based at rock WNNX-FM and previously worked at Clear Channel’s talk outlet WGST, Atlanta…..A number of FM music outlets are flipping to news/talk. This is something you read about in TALKERS magazine recently (TRN president of programming Phil Boyce wrote a column about it in the April 2009 edition of TALKERS magazine). Here are some of the stations to flip recently: Wilks Broadcasting drops smooth jazz for talk at KJZN-FM, Fresno using TRN programming including Mancow, Jerry Doyle, Michael Savage, Phil Hendrie and Rusty Humphries among others; Chattanooga move-in WHJK-FM changes calls to WPLZ-FM and flips from the “Jack” format (owner Brewer Broadcasting will flip another FM –– WALV –– to sports in June); in Mobile, Bigler Broadcasting’s WAVH-FM flips from “Jack” to talk using some TRN programming; KZTK-FM, Tyler, Texas is planning a flip from music to talk; and Clear Channel’s WRTR-FM, Tuscaloosa drops rock to simulcast with AM sister talk outlet WACT. Fisher also announces it enters into a deal with South Sound Broadcasting to simulcast KOMO, Seattle on its 97.7 frequency…..At press time, WTKK-FM, Boston afternoon drive talk host Jay Severin was still suspended from the Greater Media station after the company decided Severin’s comments about Mexicans and swine flu were inappropriate. Severin allegedly referred to illegal aliens from Mexico as “leeches,” “criminaliens” and asserted that Mexicans crossing the border bring disease with them including the swine flu. Severin and his lawyer met with Greater Media officials but the company is saying Severin remains on suspension while his lawyer says he’s confident the situation will be worked out soon and Severin will be back on the air…..The WTKS-FM, Orlando career of midday talk host Shannon Burke is over after he was involved in the shooting of his wife and dog. Burke is being charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and cruelty to animals after discharging a gun that hit his dog and grazed his wife’s head. Burke initially told police he became upset with the dog and was waving a gun he didn’t know was loaded when it went off. The station dismissed Burke two business days after the incident. No permanent replacement for Burke has been announced…..Former WJFK-FM, Washington, DC personality Don Geronimo’s plans to distribute a regular podcast through CBS Radio won’t happen. Geronimo left the station last year while still under contract basically saying he was burned out. Recently, though, he and CBS made plans to deliver a podcast but CBS intended to put the same rules on his podcast that apply to over-the-air broadcasts and that was a deal breaker for Geronimo. Since CBS Radio still has the rights to his work through October of 2010, it’s not likely he’ll appear on the airwaves anywhere until then…..Progressive talk host Jon Elliott exits Air America Media to handle afternoon drive at XEPE, San Diego. Elliott tells TALKERS magazine the show is available for stations that carried his Air America program…..Non-commercial enterprises aren’t immune to the economy as we learned in December when National Public Radio cut 7% of its workforce. Now, NPR announces it’s cutting another 13 full-time positions and is asking workers to accept a five-day furlough. And like some of its for-profit brethren, NPR is also ending the matching of funds to employee retirement plans for this year. It also will not give merit raises next fiscal year…..Greater Media syndicated morning team Bob & Sheri adds affiliates WTLT-FM, Naples, Florida and WERZ-FM, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The duo emanate from Hot AC/talk hybrid WLNK-FM, Charlotte and are heard on 60 affiliates nationwide…..Fox News Radio hires Sabrina Sabbagh as a Los Angeles-based entertainment reporter. Sabbagh comes from KVVU-FM, Las Vegas where she served as an entertainment reporter…..John Batchelor returns to WABC, New York taking over the Sunday evening show. Batchelor has served at the station both as a solo act and with former partner Paul Alexander…..Tribune’s WGN, Chicago makes changes to its weekend schedule. It adds former WLS mid-morning talk host Jerry Agar for three shifts: Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Saturday 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Also added to the schedule are Shawn Wesson for Saturday 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Sunday 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Simon Badinter who’s handling Sunday 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm…..WGN, Chicago midday talk host Garry Meier is conducting a drive to collect 41,160 signatures on a petition to deliver to Chicago Cubs management to persuade it to erect a bronze statue of cubs legend Ron Santo outside Wrigley Field. Santo and partner Pat Hughes are the voices of Cubs baseball on WGN. Oh, the 41,160 number means one signature for each seat at Wrigley…..Long-running KROQ-FM, Los Angeles morning show duo Kevin & Bean are picked up for national syndication by Westwood One. WW1 SVP entertainment Max Krasny tells TALKERS magazine, “The Kevin & Bean show is one of the strongest and engaging programs on radio. We are thrilled to partner with KROQ and bring the Kevin & Bean show to listeners across America. This program will be a tremendous value for our affiliates, advertisers and listeners across the country.”…..Air America Media brings radio industry veteran Stuart Greenblatt aboard as vice president of affiliate sales. Greenblatt recently served in the same capacity for Westwood One…..Steve Harrison is named VP, director of sports sales and marketing for Westwood One’s network division…..TALKERS magazine sends get well wishes to KKZN, Denver talk host Jay Marvin as he battles multiple health issues that began after having his gall bladder removed in February. Marvin’s wife Mary tells Denver’s Westword after the gall bladder surgery, Jay’s failure to recover quickly led doctors to discover liver problems and a mass near his spinal column, the cause of which they are still uncertain. Mary Marvin says Jay is in a lot of pain but he is thankful for the well-wishes he’s been getting through his producer at KKZN…..Chris Markowski’s “Watchdog on Wall Street” show picks up four new affiliates: WGUL, Tampa; WLSS, Sarasota, Florida; WPLZ-FM, Chattanooga; and KZTK-FM, Tyler, Texas…..For the first time since its inception, Sirius XM is reporting lower subscriber numbers. That simply makes sense in this economy that people would cut discretionary spending and satellite radio falls into that category. The company’s net loss for Q1 was a mere $63 million. That’s better than the same quarter a year ago when the net loss was $233 million…..National Public Radio’s Michelle Norris is named recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists’ “Journalist of the Year” award. Norris is co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.”…..WFED, Washington talk host Francis Rose recently organized “Match Game 1500” –– a mirror of the old 1970s game show –– to pit two listener contestants against Federal News Radio anchors and reporters. Federal News Radio donated $250 to the winner’s charity and $100 to the runner-up’s charity…..In the age of niche broadcasting, one talk show host is finding success in the field of mental health. John Aberle, a military veteran who suffers from bipolar disorder, recently expanded his weekly program to a daily show on WCHE in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In the past year, Aberle has interviewed “60 Minutes” star Mike Wallace, Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s brother David and musician Gary Wright…..WTKK-FM, Boston adds “The Prime Time Car Hour” program to its weekend lineup. The Sunday evening program is hosted by regional car dealership owner David Rosenberg…..Popular Los Angeles restaurant show host Merrill Shindler takes his program to KABC, Los Angeles for Sunday evenings. Shindler previously hosted the “Dining Out” program on crosstown KLSX-FM…..Walpole, Massachusetts high school student Sam Obar celebrates his one-year anniversary on the radio at WDIS, Walpole (Boston market). Obar is 15 years old and does his weekly show live Saturday afternoons at 4:00 pm. Over the course of the past year he has interviewed Congressman Barney Frank and numerous other Massachusetts lawmakers…..Clear Channel Hartford programmer Pete Salant –– who was in charge of sports WPOP, Hartford and talk WELI, New Haven –– exits the company…..WGN, Chicago and longtime news director Wes Bleed part company after 25 years together…..Morning drive news anchor Chevy Smith exits Federated Media’s WOWO, Fort Wayne after 11 years at the station…..WSPD, Toledo director of news operations Carrie Wilson exits her role at the station. Her husband, WSPD program director and talk host Brian Wilson remains with the station…..TALKERS magazine sends condolences to the family and friends of KQV, Pittsburgh program director Erik Selby who passed away on April 27 after suffering a brain aneurysm. Selby was 43….Talk host Thom Hartmann on the passing of his mother Jean Hartmann. Hartmann tells us donations may be made in her name to the community for abused children he and his wife Louise started in 1978. Visit www.salemchildrensvillage.org for more information…..E-mail your news and photos to: info@talkers.com.
