http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/ http://www.eblah.com en http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216941573/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216941573/#num1 Satellite radio companies to pay US$19.7M

By JOHN DUNBAR
Associated Press    
July 24  

WASHINGTON (AP) — Approval of a merger of the nation’s only two satellite radio companies was imminent Thursday after the pair agreed to pay $19.7 million to settle charges they violated federal rules.
                                                                                                                    
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.’s proposed $3.9 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. has been before the Federal Communications Commission for 16 months.

The five-member commission is deadlocked at 2-2, but Republican Deborah Taylor Tate was expected to cast the deciding vote approving the deal once a consent decree outlining the enforcement action is circulated for a vote.

“This was an issue that Commissioner Tate thought was important for us to deal with prior to her supporting the merger,” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said Thursday. “I think that this was a significant issue that we can take off the table that I think will allow us to move forward soon on finishing up the merger.”

Tate had apparently sought a fine of $8 million, according to FCC officials who asked not to be named because the deal was not yet final.

Martin said the agency reached an agreement late Wednesday night where XM will pay $17.5 million and Sirius will pay $2.2 million to resolve interference complaints and violations related to land-based signal repeaters operated by the companies.
                
Martin said XM’s penalty was greater because the company’s offense was more egregious. He said that XM had operated more than 300 repeaters that were in violation of FCC rules.

“And even more significantly,” Martin said, “XM had continued to operate their repeaters without authority when they were in violation.”

The agency was free to pursue the enforcement action against the companies outside of the merger process, but Tate apparently wanted the matter settled before approval. Tate has not responded to requests for comment.

The Justice Department approved the deal in March without conditions, saying the companies don’t really compete because customers must buy equipment that is exclusive to either XM or Sirius, and subscribers rarely switch providers.

DOJ also agreed with the companies’ argument that they compete with other forms of audio entertainment, including digital radio, Internet-based radio stations and even devices like Apple Inc.’s iPod.

FCC approval faced a steeper climb because the companies were prohibited from combining under terms of their licenses. The agency struggled to come up with a way to show that allowing a satellite radio monopoly was in the public interest.

The companies voluntarily agreed to a set of conditions, including a three-year price cap and an 8 percent set-aside of “full-time audio channels” for public interest and minority programming. They will also adopt an “open radio” standard that may lead to a greater variety of features in radios and greater competition among manufacturers.

Sirius and XM also have promised to include a limited “a la carte” offering that would be available within three months of the close of the deal and allow listeners to pay only for the channels they want to receive.

The vote on the buyout will apparently be split along party lines. Democratic commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein have both voted against the merger while Martin and fellow Republican commissioner Robert McDowell have voted in favor.

Adelstein had sought further concessions from the company but withdrew his offer on Wednesday after it failed to draw support.

The two companies have a combined subscriber base of more than 18 million, according to the most recent figures. XM is based in Washington DC while Sirius is in New York City.

Under the buyout, XM shareholders will receive 4.6 shares of Sirius stock for every share of XM stock. ]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:19:33 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216911933/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216911933/#num1 Commercial Private Radio
Revenues on the Rise

July 24th, 2008

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, July 23 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission yesterday released statistical and financial summaries for 2007 that indicate continued economic growth for Canada's
commercial private radio stations.

Total revenues for Canada's AM and FM radio stations increased by 6.2% going from $1.4 billion in 2006 to $1.5 billion in 2007. When factoring in $1.159 billion in expenses, Canada's radio stations enjoyed profits of $300.2 million, an increase of 5.5% or $15.7 million before interest and taxes (PBIT). The profit margin of 19. 99% is slightly below last year's results of
20.11%, which was the third highest profit margin according to Statistics Canada in the last 40 years after the 21.14% and 20.5% margins posted in 2005 and 1971 respectively.

    These profits are directly linked to an increase in advertising revenue.
From 2006 to 2007, local advertising revenues grew by 4.8% from $1.037 billion to $1.087 billion. In turn, revenue from national time sales increased by 8.3% from $351.3 million in 2006 to $380.6 million in 2007.

    FM radio

FM radio stations clearly dominate the Canadian marketplace with revenues totalling slightly over $1.1 billion as compared to $329.4 million for AM stations. Over the past five years, revenues have consistently risen for English FM stations. In 2003, their revenues stood at $701.5 million. By 2007, they had increased to $947.5 million. In comparison, French FM stations saw
their revenues increase from $172.9 to $209 million while ethnic stations almost doubled their revenues from $9.8 to $16.1 million over the same period.

    AM radio

Revenues for English AM stations have also experienced a steady increase going from $259.8 in 2003 to $291.7 million in 2007. Ethnic stations have enjoyed slight increases during this period with their revenues now standing
at $21.8 million. However, revenues for French AM stations were down by $2.3 million in 2007 going from $18.2 to $15.9 million. This reflects an ongoing pattern of declining revenues that has plagued the French radio market over the past five
years where in 2003 revenues were at $26.1 million.
Overall, radio broadcasting continues to be a major employer in Canada. With the opening of 23 new radio stations in 2007, Canada now has 619 stations located across the country. These radio stations employ over 10,000 employees and represent total salaries of $606,952,639.

    Background

The data contained in this report were drawn from the financial statements of private commercial radio stations. Each year, the Commission publishes the financial statements for radio, conventional television, specialty, pay, pay-per-view and video-on-demand services, as well as for broadcast distribution undertakings, in order to allow interested parties to stay informed about the financial situation of the Canadian broadcasting industry.

Commercial Private Radio Statistical and Financial Summaries 2003 - 2007 http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/BrAnalysis/radio2007/Cover.htm

    The CRTC

The CRTC is an independent, public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.

For further information: Media Relations: MediaRelations
(http://support.crtc.gc.ca/CRTCSubmissionMU/forms/Mediarelations.aspx?lang=e),
(819) 997-9403, Fax: (819) 997-4245; General Inquiries: (819) 997-0313, TDD:
(819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 994-0218, Toll-free No. 1-877-249-CRTC (2782), TDD
- Toll-free No. 1-877-909-CRTC (2782), On-line services
(http://support.crtc.gc.ca/crtcsubmissionmu/forms/main.aspx?lang=e); These
documents are available in alternative format upon request.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2008/23/c6864.html

.]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:05:33 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216869917/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216869917/#num1 PROGRAMMING

LOCAL – THE DEATH OF RADIO?



July 2008 Edition

I read a shocking comment on one of those radio forums the other day, that being “local” is the death of commercial radio as we know it. That in order to compete with satellite radio, iPods, etc., radio should simply focus on the music and forget about the community.

Needless to say, I was speechless. Could this be true? Have we been doing it all wrong?

Local radio was created to entertain and inform. But according to this forum, the only thing that interests the public these days is music. Therefore, we should all just forget about the upcoming Relay For Life and spin a little more Nickelback. That should help boost the ratings, huh?

Let’s be real here. Stations that choose to move away from localization will lose out in the end. Radio is, and always will be, about the local community. People want to know what’s happening in their town. Why do you think that in most major markets the local news/talk stations are holding down the #1 spot? News/talk stations specialize in giving their listeners information about their hometown. It serves as a platform for them to interact and discuss the issues they face on a day-to-day basis. It talks about the things that they care about. It’s local.

There are a lot of elements that contribute to the success of a radio station. Does music play a large role in this? You bet it does. But people can now get their music anywhere, so we need to look at the real reasons people tend to choose to listen to radio in the first place. When a crisis occurs, where do people go? If the road is closed due to an accident, who has that information? When the local food bank is in dire straits or gas prices are on the rise, who do we turn to? It certainly isn’t an iPod.

So how do we win? We win by doing what radio does best, establishing a lasting and emotional connection with our listener. By being local. Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking: “The last thing I want to hear about is some jock blabbing on and on about the community bake sale”. Local does not necessarily mean talking about bake sales and charity car washes. Local means relating to the person that lives in your community. Finding creative ways to talk about the things that your demo cares about.

Think about what it’s like when you attend a party at a friend’s place. Do you just sit there and listen to music? Nope. You talk about the things that are happening in your community, at your work, with your family, and so on. You talk about the things that the other people at the party can relate to. You create an emotional connection.

When I travel to other cities and listen to their local radio stations, it is amazing how many make no effort to localize anything. So why would anyone that lives in this community care to listen? Stations like this force people to listen to satellite radio.

It is my belief that every radio station should reflect the community it serves. This could be done with station imaging, jock talk, news coverage, even the music you choose to play. Perhaps the best thing to do is to think of radio as a person rather than, well, radio. Be the person that people turn to in time of need, the person that always knows what’s going on and the cool places to hang out. Be the person that shares in a listener’s frustrations or celebrations, the person that we can rely on to put a smile on our face. Be real. Be plugged in. Be local.

Creating a local product takes effort. It is a never-ending job that needs to be reviewed each and every day. It takes creativity, dedication and a real passion for your community and your listener. At times, it will be exhausting and frustrating but in the end the rewards will outweigh any potential negatives.

The state of radio is not near as bleak as some people make it out to be. However, if there continues to be a group of broadcasters that push the belief that “local radio” is the end of us… then God help us all.


Rudy Parachoniak is Morning Show Host/PD/Operations Supervisor at CKQR-FM Castlegar, B.C. He may be contacted by e-mail at rudy@mountainfm.net

http://www.broadcastdialogue.com/magazine.asp

.
]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:25:17 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216859103/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216859103/#num1 Newcap and Rogers Broadcasting to swap
radio stations in Nova Scotia and Ontario


July 23rd, 2008

DARTMOUTH, N.S. — Newfoundland Capital Corp. (TSX:NCC.A) is trading a radio station in Halifax to Rogers Broadcasting (TSX:RCI.B) in exchange for a station in Sudbury, Ont., and $5 million.

Newcap said Wednesday it will exchange CFDR AM for Rogers' CIGM AM, and both have applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to have the stations converted to FM signals.

While Rogers was "disappointed" to be selling the Sudbury station, "this is a wonderful opportunity for Rogers to expand our presence in the Halifax market," radio chief executive Paul Ski said in a statement.

"We already operate News 95.7 and this new licence will complement this holding and will allow us to better serve our listeners in the market."

Newcap CEO Rob Steele also expressed his company's regret at the sale of CFDR.

"If approved by the CRTC, this transaction will improve service to the public with superior FM quality signals in both Halifax and Sudbury," Steele said.

"We have owned CFDR for over 20 years, and while we are reluctant to divest of this station, we are pleased to expand our portfolio with a second station in Sudbury, Ont."

Newcap holds 76 radio licences across Canada, while Rogers has 52 AM and FM stations, as well as television properties including Citytv and Omni stations, Rogers Sportsnet and The Shopping Channel.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLiTv2nOonKKG-JxhXjrZ0HO2v6g

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]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:25:03 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216848647/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216848647/#num1 Roots of Radio
Jepko’s Was a Gentle Voice in the Night  
With KSL as a Platform, Network Talk Show Innovator Established Nitecap Radio Network  

by Donna L. Halper
RadioWorld.com
posted 7.16.2008  

            
  Herb Jepko at KSL, probably in the mid-1960s.
       Photo courtesy Dr. Joseph Buchman  

Herb Jepko was different. He was cordial to his guests, friendly to his callers; he never raised his voice. His “Nitecaps” show had two rules: no politics and no religion were to be discussed.

His show started during the mid-1960s, when one of the most popular talkers was Joe Pyne, known for shouting at guests and insulting anyone whose opinion he disliked.

But even on shows where the host wasn’t rude, contentious issues like civil rights, feminism and the Vietnam war dominated the times. There was none of that on the Jepko show.

Some critics called the program dull. Faithful listeners disagreed and appreciated him for providing comfort and companionship.

L.A. influence

Herb Jepko didn’t expect to become a talk show host. In fact, at one point, he thought of becoming a doctor. His childhood was difficult; he was adopted as an infant by Metro and Nellie Jepko of Prescott, Ariz., but that marriage broke up and his adoptive mother left.

His father, a wounded veteran of the First World War, took ill and couldn’t take care of him, so the young Jepko ended up in a number of foster homes. In the late ’40s, his father was able to resume his care and they moved to Phoenix, where Herb graduated from high school in 1949.

Though he wanted to be a doctor, there was no money for college. The Korean War was going on, and the young man was drafted into the army.

There Jepko discovered broadcasting, becoming chief of radio-television operations for his division. He produced 18 weekly radio shows plus military training films, and was based in California.

When his service ended in 1954, he remained on the West Coast, working as assistant station manager at KVNA in Flagstaff and then as promotion director of KFI in Los Angeles.

There, Jepko was impressed with the station’s late-night announcer, Ben Hunter, who did a call-in program called the “Night Owl” show. Overnight shows were still fairly new in the 1950s, and Hunter’s style would influence some of what Herb Jepko later did on the air.

While working in L.A., he met Patsy Little Brown, the woman who became the love of his life. They married, and Patsy soon became an integral part of Herb’s radio success.

By 1961, the couple had moved to Salt Lake City, where her family lived. Jepko found on-air work at several small stations; two of the earliest were KCPX in Salt Lake City and KANN in nearby Ogden. His big break came in 1962, when 50,000 watt powerhouse KSL hired him, first for mid-days and later morning drive.

But despite holding a visible time slot on the number one station, Herb wondered about overnights.

At the time, KSL went off the air at midnight, which seemed like a waste of the station’s powerful signal. Jepko had seen how successful Hunter’s overnight show was, so he suggested an all-night show to KSL management. They were skeptical and told him to take a pay cut if he wanted to do that shift.

He was given a six-week period to prove there was an audience. He took the challenge and on Feb. 11, 1964, his show debuted overnights, as he wanted. At the time it was referred to in radio listings as “The Other Side of the Day” but within a few months, the Jepko program became “Nitecaps.” Fans began to call themselves Nitecaps.

Sincere

From the outset, it reflected Jepko’s philosophy.

Listeners could call and talk about anything, as long as it wasn’t a controversial subject. As he would often tell interviewers, he took pride in the fact that he never embarrassed or insulted a listener, nor did he give anyone an ulcer.

He cared about his listeners; even if they hadn’t called for a while he remembered their names, and he seemed genuinely interested in how they were doing. Perhaps his audience, many of whom were elderly, became for him the family he rarely had as a child.

Thanks to KSL’s strong signal, Jepko’s overnight show was heard in distant cities. Though it had no toll-free number and took no collect calls — this at a time when long-distance calls were expensive — people waited patiently to get through.

It wasn’t long before Jepko had proven his point: There really were people out there listening late at night: shut-ins, truckers, shift-workers and lots of insomniacs, all eager to talk to Jepko and other Nitecaps.

Some had a poem they wanted to read. Some tried to sing. Some shared a recipe, or talked about their grandchildren.

Perhaps that is why critics found the show frustrating. Like TV’s Seinfeld, it was “a show about nothing” — it had no central theme, no excitement, no feuding guests. Yet listening became like a religion for Nitecaps fans.

Jepko sounded like everyone’s best pal, but he also understood good radio. To make sure the conversation didn’t drag, he had a device known as “Tinkerbell,” a music box that played the theme from the movie “Never on Sunday.”

A caller got five minutes maximum; then the sound of Tinkerbell would remind the caller time was up. There were other rules too, such as being allowed to call only once every two weeks.

His vision for the show involved more than just chatting. He wanted to use it to do good for others and helping those less fortunate.

Since his listeners regarded the show as a community, he created a club for them in mid-1964. A year after the Nitecaps International Association was born, there were more than 25,000 active members.

Nitecaps also organized into local groups, or Nitestands; in addition to monthly meetings, each devoted itself to a particular charitable endeavor, like visiting the sick or reading to the blind. A 1967 article noted the existence of more than 100 Nitestands, with 27,000 members in Southern California alone.

The show had its own theme song, “We’re the Nitecaps,” a cheerful piece written by devoted fan Della Dame Edmunds.

The Nitecaps had an official magazine, “The Wick.” Its pages contained some of the same features as the show, like recipes and what various Nightstands were doing. The publication included inspirational messages from Jepko as well as photographs. In the pre-Internet era, readers anticipated pictures eagerly; members in each city wanted to see what others looked like.

Show-related merchandise was advertised in The Wick; at first, Jepko and his wife filled the orders themselves, as listeners purchased Nitecap stationery, Nitecap pins, copies of the Nitecap theme song and more. Once a year, they could attend the Nitecaps convention, part of Jepko’s mission to encourage Nitecaps to meet and become friends.

Expanding

In 1968, Jepko began syndicating the program, putting it on several radio stations in addition to KSL. The couple managed the syndication themselves, and the first affiliate was KXIV in Phoenix.

In 1966, he’d had only four phone lines, but within five years an Associated Press article was estimating that Jepko had more than 2 million listeners and needed 11 lines to handle calls from all over the country. AP reported that among his fans were such celebrities as Ronald Reagan, governor of California, and singer Pat Boone.

While critics didn’t understand the show’s appeal, Herb Jepko certainly had his finger on the pulse of Main Street.

Chuck Graham, entertainment writer for the Tucson Daily Citizen in Arizona, admitted to being fascinated by the show and its devoted fans but wondered how people could get so excited about listening to “three hours of happy conversations from wholesome people.”

Yet that seems to have been the show’s charm; it made people feel good.

In 1975, Jepko had more than 20 phone lines in the studio. He’d been picking up more stations, including big signals like WHAS in Louisville, Ky., and WBAL in Baltimore. Where the staff had once been his wife and himself, he now had 25 people working for him.

Given that profile, it was not surprising that Mutual Broadcasting System, a national radio network, became interested in putting his show on its affiliates.

Where today there are many syndicated late-night shows, in 1975 there would be one: Herb Jepko’s. “Nitecaps” went on the network on Nov. 4, 1975, and would be heard coast to coast on several hundred stations. As a result, Jepko is considered a pioneer in overnight syndicated radio talk.

19-month run

This should have been the start of something big for Jepko; unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster.

There was tension from the beginning, with Mutual executives increasingly uncomfortable about the show’s folksy and non-confrontational style.

According to Jepko, he was told to make the show more controversial and was asked to move closer to the corporate headquarters in Arlington, Va. He said no to both.

But the real problem was sales. Mutual had never broadcast an overnight show, and its sales force had no idea how to sell all-night radio, especially radio aimed at an older audience. This, at least, is how Jepko related the problem to a New York Times reporter in 1977.

In the end, there were not enough commercials to generate sufficient revenue. Mutual cancelled the show in May of that year.

It was a disappointment for Jepko and for his audience. He continued to work at KSL until August of 1979, but then his home station too cancelled the show.

Jepko tried to get back into radio but was never able to recapture his success. A group of fans in San Diego helped him get back on the air in June of 1981, broadcasting from KMJC in El Cajon, Calif., and on a few small stations. But that experiment did not last, nor did a subsequent effort in October 1982. The era of the Nitecaps was over.

As the industry changed around him, he grew increasingly more depressed, according to a 1995 account in the Salt Lake City Tribune, exacerbated by the death of his son Herb Jr. from AIDS and his own declining health (he suffered from severe arthritis).

In late March 1995, Herb Jepko died at the age of 64.

Long lonely nights

To this day, there are former Nitecaps who recall being on his show. A Web site has been put up in his memory by a friend of the Jepko family, Prof. Joseph Buchman, at http://www.nitecaps.net.

“My first job in radio was running the board for The Nitecap Radio Network from midnight to 6 a.m. on 250-watt WXVW(AM) 1450 in Jeffersonville, Ind.,” Buchman wrote on the Web site.

“I remember those long, lonely nights well; listening to Nitecaps from around the country interact with Herb, discuss the activities of their Nitestands, the latest article in The Wick, their grandchildren, recipes (often with Herb’s pal ‘The Crusher’), and opening a window to what was, truly, a radio family.”

Buchman credits Jepko for showing a path that allowed talent like Larry King, Art Bell, Phil Donahue and Ellen DeGeneres to flourish.

In June 2003, the Utah Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame gave Jepko a posthumous award, establishing a scholarship in his memory.

There may be no place on today’s radio for a kinder, gentler show like Herb Jepko’s. Based on the comments left by fans on Buchman’s Web site, plenty of folks think that’s a shame.  

]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:30:47 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216782675/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216782675/#num1 Corus announces
key senior management changes



Tuesday, July 22, 2008


TORONTO, Jul 22, 2008 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) ----Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B; NYSE: CJR) announced today a number of changes to senior management positions:

Effective September 2, 2008, John Cassaday will assume, in addition to his current role as President and CEO, operating responsibility for Corus Radio on an interim basis. This reporting structure change follows the July 16 announcement that John Hayes will step down as President, Corus Radio effective August 31, 2008. Going forward, Mario Cecchini, Chris Pandoff, Doug Rutherford and Bryan Ellis, who will become Vice Presidents for Quebec, Ontario, the West and Planning respectively, will report directly to John Cassaday. Doug Rutherford will retain direct responsibility for the Edmonton Radio cluster. All cluster General Managers across Canada will report directly to the appropriate Regional Vice President.

Effective August 5, 2008, Scott Dyer will assume the role of Chief Technology Officer for the Company, reporting to John Cassaday. Dyer will lead all of the Company's divisional and corporate technological undertakings. In this role, he will have operational and strategic responsibility for hardware, software, personnel and technical resources for Corus' core and new media/new platform businesses. He will also oversee the technological aspects of the Company's move to its new corporate headquarters and broadcast facility next year.

Effective August 5, 2008, Doug Murphy will assume the role of President, Nelvana, EVP and General Manager, Corus Kids, reporting to Paul Robertson, President, Corus Television. In this role, Murphy will oversee all of the Company's kids business globally, including YTV, Treehouse, Discovery Kids, Nelvana, KidsCo, qubo and Kids Can Press.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.

Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising and digital audio services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. The company's multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, Movie Central, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR: 16.00, -0.45, -2.73%) exchanges. Experience Corus on the web at http://www.corusent.com.

SOURCE: Corus Entertainment Inc.

SOURCE: News - Media

http://www.foxbusiness.com/sto.....t-changes/-382607212

.]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:11:15 newsviewer http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216702662/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216702662/#num1 Radio host angers parents
of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER,
AP Television Writer
Mon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET


radio talk show host Michael Savage poses with his dog Teddy
(AP File Photo/John Storey)

Radio talk show host Michael Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Wendy Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Evelyn Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Peter Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080721/ap_on_en_ot/savage_autism

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]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:57:42 voice over http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216397172/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216397172/#num1 Satellite radio saga takes unexpected turn

By JOHN DUNBAR
Associated Press
July 18
  

WASHINGTON (AP) — During his tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, Jonathan Adelstein has been a fierce critic of government policies that allow big media companies to get bigger.

So it came as a surprise when the Democratic commissioner put forth a proposal that would allow the nation’s only two satellite radio companies to merge.

Adelstein, the potential deciding vote, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he would support Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.’s $3.1 billion buyout of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. if the companies agree to a six-year price cap and make one-quarter of their satellite capacity available for public interest and minority programming, plus other conditions.

It may be that the commissioner, a seasoned political operator who spent 15 years as a Senate staffer, recognized a limited window of opportunity.

Thus far, two of the five members of the commission have voted to approve the satellite radio deal, one vote shy of a majority. All eyes have been on Republican Deborah Taylor Tate, who is expected ultimately to vote in favor of the deal, but as a friend to the broadcast industry that opposes it, has been under intense pressure to reject it.

Her reluctance to cast the deciding vote created an opportunity for Adelstein to extract further conditions from the companies.

“It’s critical that if we’re going to allow a monopoly, that we put in adequate consumer protections and make sure they’re enforced,” Adelstein told the AP on Thursday.

Adelstein is seeking stronger concessions than the companies offered voluntarily one month ago. That offer led to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s recommendation that the deal be approved. Robert McDowell, also a Republican, has voted in favor, too. Democrat Michael Copps is expected to be a “no” vote.

Commissioners are able to vote on items “on circulation,” meaning by way of computer, rather than at a public meeting. Those votes are generally not made public until all have been cast.

Following Adelstein’s offer, Martin, Tate and both companies all declined to respond to requests for comment.

XM and Sirius first announced their intent to merge in last year. The Justice Department cleared the combination in March. Martin made his recommendation for approval last month.

The companies have faced a tough challenge in gaining approval because the FCC, in creating the satellite radio industry in 1997, prohibited the only two licensees from merging. In an effort to prove the combination is in the public interest, lawyers for the companies volunteered to submit to a number of conditions, including a three-year price cap, a time frame Adelstein would like to see doubled.

They also agreed to turn over 24 channels to noncommercial and minority programming.

Adelstein is seeking 25 percent of the companies’ satellite capacity for public interest programming — 10 percent for noncommercial programming and 15 percent for minority programming. That potentially would work out to about 75 channels.

XM broadcasts more than 170 channels, Sirius over 130 channels.

The companies also offered to adopt an “open radio” standard, meant to create competition among manufacturers of satellite radios. The condition was met with skepticism because the companies subsidize the price of radios, making it unlikely that competitors will get into the business.

Adelstein is proposing that the companies be required to include a digital radio tuner in any radios they subsidize that also include regular, non-digital AM-FM service.

Adelstein also wants to set up an enforcement regime to make sure the companies adhere to the conditions, something that was not outlined in the previous voluntary offer.

Sirius and XM have promised to include an “a la carte“ offering that would be available within three months of the close of the deal. In addition, they have pledged to offer radios that are capable of receiving both XM and Sirius service within one year.

———


]]> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:06:12 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216230087/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216230087/#num1 John Hayes to step down
as President of Corus Radio

July 16, 2008

Toronto, Canada Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B; NYSE: CJR) announced today that John Hayes will step down as President of Corus Radio at the end of the Company’s fiscal year August 31, 2008. John Hayes joined Corus in 2001, and during his tenure built and led a dedicated and successful team that created and maintained one of Canada’s top performing radio operations.

“With a focus on training and development, building deep customer relationships, and working to imbed each radio station into the local fabric of a community, John spearheaded the growth of our radio division and established Corus Radio as an industry leader in terms of reach, revenues and ratings,” said John Cassaday, President and CEO, Corus Entertainment Inc. “We thank John for his tremendous contribution to Corus Entertainment. His passion for the radio business and dedication to his team will be missed.”

Added John Hayes, “Our Company’s long-term strategic plan was presented to our Board of Directors on July 8 and 9. As I worked with the team on formulating the long-term strategy for the radio division, I naturally began to think of my own future. As we discussed my commitment to remain at Corus long enough to see these plans through, it became clear to me that at this stage of my life I was not able to make that commitment. My tenure as President of Corus Radio is the longest time I have spent in any role in my career. I have cherished my seven years with the Company, but I am an entrepreneur at heart and the time is right for me to move on.”

John Hayes will remain with the Company until the end of the fiscal year to ensure that a smooth transition plan is implemented.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.

Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising and digital audio services, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. The company’s multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, Movie Central, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) exchanges. Experience Corus on the web at http://www.corusent.com.

- 30 -

For further information, please contact:

Tracy Ewing
Vice President, Communications
Corus Entertainment Inc.
416-642-3792

.]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:41:27 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216226412/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216226412/#num1 Richard Gray Appointed Vice-President
of A-Channel Ottawa and Ottawa Radio

Broadcastermagazine.com
July 16, 2008

CTVglobemedia announced today that Richard Gray, Head of News for A-Channel, has been appointed Vice-President of Ottawa Radio and A-Channel Ottawa. Gray takes over from Chris Gordon, who was appointed to President of CHUM Radio in April. Gray begins his new position on Sept. 1.

In his new role, Gray will continue in his role as Head of A-Channel News, while assuming responsibility for A-Channel Ottawa, and CHUM Radio Stations Majic 100 FM, 93.9 BOB FM, CFRA 580 AM and The Team 1200 AM. He leaves his current role as Vice-President and General Manager of A-Channel Vancouver Island, a position which he has held since April 2004.

Gray is no stranger to the Ottawa market, having worked as the Director of Information Programming at The New RO in Ottawa (now A-Channel Ottawa) where he managed program production, staff and financial operations of
CHUM Television's Parliament Hill bureau, CSN.

Since becoming the first ever national Head of News for A-Channel in August of 2007, Gray initiated a major reorganization of newsroom operations at A-Channel Barrie, rebuilt former CHUM National News operations to better serve A-Channel, and made his sixth appearance before the CRTC as part of the CTVglobemedia "Diversity of Voices" panel.

In 2007 Gray was named "Business Person of The Year" by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce for his business leadership and vision, and for serving as a positive role model and mentor.

A-Channel Barrie/Toronto, Ottawa, Victoria/Vancouver, London, Windsor and Wingham serve viewers with locally-focused programming and strong community involvement, with an emphasis on local evening news and local updates on their daily morning shows. A-Channel tells the stories residents most want to see: critically acclaimed programming, breaking news, issues that affect daily life and all of the great things happening in their hometown communities. A is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company.


http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=87078&issue=07162008

.
]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:40:12 AirWaves http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215904770/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215904770/#num1 MEDIA

As CanWest falls, Asper buys
CEO considers stock undervalued
as investors flee media sector


Grant Robertson

July 12, 2008

This winter, CanWest Global Communications Corp. rewrote the rules on stock ownership for senior managers at the company. Among the changes was a new requirement that chief executive officer Leonard Asper hold at least twice the value of his annual salary in CanWest shares on the open market.

The strategy was designed to show the markets that senior executives were committed to increasing the share price. With an annual salary of $900,000 before stock options and bonuses, the 1.1 million non-voting shares held by Mr. Asper at the time put him comfortably above that mark.

Since those November changes, however, CanWest shares have lost about two-thirds of their value in a precipitous slide that has swept through the media sector, causing the stocks of several broadcasters and publishers - from Astral Media Inc. to Torstar Corp. and Corus Entertainment Inc. - to fall sharply amid concerns about an economic slowdown.

Frustrated by the drop, Mr. Asper said yesterday he believes the company is now "significantly undervalued." And so he recently went into the market and bought another $250,000 worth of shares. In time, and with the stock hitting its lowest point since the early 1990s this week, he intends to buy more.

Doing so would make him a rarity in the sector, where retail investors are all but fleeing media stocks across the board. Few companies have been immune to the slide because of concerns the advertising market could crater in a recession, and CanWest's shares have been one of the more acute examples in recent weeks.

"I'm not sitting there on piles and piles of cash myself," Mr. Asper said in an interview after the company issued third-quarter results that showed a $28.4-million loss resulting from several one-time accounting items, including a writedown in the value of its minority stake in The Score television network. A 15-per-cent increase in revenue, and a sense among analysts that the numbers were better than expected, sent the stock up 11 per cent.

"If I'm able to buy stock I do intend to buy more," Mr. Asper said.

Several media companies seem perplexed by the market chill. Astral CEO Ian Greenberg said his company, a radio broadcaster with more than 80 stations across Canada, has seen few signs of an advertising slowdown. Investors appear to be predicting one, though, pushing that stock down nearly 40 per cent so far this year.

In the case of CanWest, which closed at $2.02 on Thursday, down from almost $10 a year ago, the concerns run deeper than the economy. Of particular concern is the company's overall debt, which is at more than $3.7-billion.

Some of that debt comes from the purchase of Alliance Atlantis Communications Corp. last year, in partnership with U.S. private equity player Goldman Sachs Group Inc. It is a deal that has been both a boon and a burden.

It has allowed CanWest to expand into specialty television - the much more attractive, stable and profitable side of the TV business - but it has left the company with little financial room to move.

Specialty TV, and the steady stream of cable subscriber revenue it delivers, is what helped build CanWest's main rival CTV into a powerhouse. When Alliance Atlantis went up for sale, CanWest faced the prospect of those assets falling into a competitor's hands.

"I think people don't appreciate, particularly in Canada, the ability through which we are going to be able to drive growth between the specialty channels and conventional television assets," he said.

Now CanWest must wear the debt associated with the deal. Though CanWest does plan to sell a small collection of British radio stations, liquidating any larger assets to pay down debt is an unlikely strategy in a downturn.

CanWest has subdivided its debt into four groups, parcelling off each bit to different parts of the company. This has allowed it to gain more breathing room, but only somewhat.

CanWest has $985-million worth of debt allocated to its CanWest Media Inc. division. That part of the company has EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $226.2-million, which equals a debt ratio of 4.36. If the earnings fall, and that ratio hits 5, the covenant will be triggered and the company must renegotiate with its banks. Analysts are watching this ratio closely.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080712.RCANWEST12/TPStory/Business

.]]> Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:19:30 voice over http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215815805/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215815805/#num1 RADIO WAVES
by Ben Fong-Torres


   CITY LIGHT: Annalisa, the midday DJ on KFOG, sounds kind of foggy herself,
her thick and dusky voice exuding cool confidence. She's conversational, a
master of one-on-one communication, and she's quick-witted, conjuring
contests on the spur of the moment and bantering with callers.
   What her voice doesn't reveal is her bravery - and that's the quality that
got her to San Francisco and to the perch she's occupied for 11 years on
one of the most popular radio stations in town.
   She came here in 1995 from Boston, where she'd been on radio since college
in the early '80s, and she arrived alone. A radio friend who'd encouraged
her to apply for work here had left. She did get work: a couple of weekend
shifts on KRQR (the Rocker), but that wasn't going to pay her rent, even
for a dump that, she says, evoked Charles Bukowski.
   In the studio at KFOG, she thinks back.
   "It was the bravest thing I've ever done, and I was surprised," she said.
"I came with five suitcases and my cat, and it was exciting."
   Today, she's established at KFOG, where she is ranked second in her time
slot among listeners age 25 to 54. She also anchors the morning show when
Dave Morey is away and handles the show with aplomb. She has a boyfriend,
and she's just bought her first home in the Bay Area.
   So who needs New England, anyway? And especially the radio sexism she
experienced there.
   She was at WAAF, a rock station out of Worcester, where she'd risen from
part-time overnight shifts to full-time mid-days. Then, in the early '90s,
new owners took over.
   "They wanted to change it from 'Nonstop Rock' to 'Untamed Radio,' and the
new program director - a woman - wanted me to say, 'Rock 'n' roll with a
hard-on,' and I wasn't going to do that. So one morning, I put all the
phones on hold, played whatever I wanted - it was the Replacements'
'Achin' to Be' - and left. You could do that, then."
   She laughs heartily.
   Annalisa - her real name is Lisa Parsiale ("Italian, you know") is in her
40s.
   "I don't want to broadcast my age," she says, cheerfully. "On the radio,
you should be ageless."
   She was a radio baby. Her father was a DJ in the Army. Her father liked
jazz; her brother, 10 years her senior, exposed her to '60s rock, and she
grew up enjoying everything from big-band swing to '80s punk rock. On a
wall in her cubicle at KFOG, which she shares with afternoon driver Big
Rick Stuart and part-time DJs, she has photos of two of her favorites:
Iggy Pop and Tom Waits.
   "I was always listening to the radio, and to Charles Laquidara," she says,
referring to a famed Boston radio figure. "I used to be a nerdy kid who
called in to stations and won stuff. In elementary school, I remember
walking around with a tape recorder and doing mock interviews."
   At Bridgewater State College, she got onto the campus station, and her
work there - playing punk rock - led to her first paying radio job, at a
nearby country station. That gig, in turn, led back to rock - at the
Worcester station she wound up blowing off - but only after gaining five
years of solid radio experience.
   The lesson she learned - and tries to pass along to younger radio
enthusiasts - is to remain open-minded.
   "If I'd said, 'No, I'm not going to work on a country station after
playing punk rock in college' ... why close those doors?"
   It was at the college station, she says, that she began calling herself
Annalisa.
   "It's actually a Johnny Rotten song," she says. "I thought it was a good,
anonymous name, and why not be anonymous on the radio?"
   Her name became an issue at the country station.
   "They said Parsiale was 'too ethnic,' " she recalls. "They wanted to call
me 'Parton,' for people to imagine, 'Hell-o!' " As in Dolly.
   They settled on Lisa Parker. When she got the part-time shift at WAAF,
which overlapped with her country DJ job, she used Annalisa, and that's
what she's been ever since.
   After leaving WAAF, she landed at a classic-rock station, which dismissed
her a few years later, when ownership changed.
   "I was literally in the unemployment office on my 30th birthday," she
says.
   She found part-time work with a couple of other stations, and did temp
work, including being a receptionist at a real estate firm. So much for
radio fame and fortune. She began to think about moving.
   "There were not a lot of radio options in Boston," she says. "I'd visited
San Francisco once or twice. I didn't know anybody, but I had a feeling
for this town."
   She began sending resumes to radio stations and got the weekend offer from
KRQR. Again, she'd need other work. She did telephone canvassing for Clean
Water Action and worked at a chain bookstore on Van Ness Avenue.
   "I was thinking I'd be at City Lights," she says. "The first time I saw
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, I thought I'd die. That whole part of San Francisco
really appealed to me. But there I was at Super Crown Books, wearing an
apron."
   But she was happy.
   "I did temp work in offices downtown," she says, "and walked up and down
the hills, just giddy."
   When she heard that the Rocker was changing formats (it would become
Alice), Annalisa didn't wait around for another hammer to fall. She'd
heard and liked KFOG on her previous visits. She made the switch and,
within a year, landed the midday shift, full time.
   Midday - usually 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., although Annalisa begins just before
11, after Morey's "10 at 10" feature - is considered the female DJs' slot.
Annalisa is diplomatic.
   "It's great fun to bounce off people," she says, referring to her times
subbing on the morning show. "I like to do interviews and get into
different topics, and that's not what a midday show is. But I like doing
this, too. My job here is pretty much to be company. If you're going to
have one nice voice in the middle of the workday, and if I can do that,
that's good."

   PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE: Jane Morrison, who served as promotions and community
affairs director at KNBR from 1952 until her retirement in 1987, writes in
response to the recent death of KNBC/KNBR morning star Doug Pledger:
   "I was amused by The Chronicle story on Pledger in which someone said Doug
did not like public contact. At KNBR, Doug did not like it when fans
looked at him through the studio window. It made him very uncomfortable.
And once I planned an ad showing him sitting on a fireplug on the sidewalk
. ... I took Doug outside, the photographer started taking pictures, and
Doug said, 'Hurry up!' and a few minutes later jumped off the fireplug and
rushed back into the station.
   "Doug was a very friendly fellow on the air ... always happily talking
with his listeners. He just hated being seen by them. Other DJs were much
like that, but not as bad. They didn't run away as Pledger did. I took six
of them out to some public gathering once to meet and shake hands with
folks, and they were all shy and kept talking to each other.
   "Don Sherwood beat Doug in the ratings, but Doug made advertisers happy
because he always got more response from listeners. Once we piled up two
long tables full of postcards for Calso Water. Only problem was, when we
asked the advertisers to come see the big pile of postcards, the agency
guy picked some postcards from the top, and they were from the mother of
the salesman."
   Thanks, Jane. That's a good reminder that, even 40 or so years ago, people
were paying for water.

   Ben Fong-Torres hosts "Backstage," 7 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays on
KFRC (106.9 FM and http://www.KFRC.com). E-mail him at pinkletters@sf
chronicle.com.
]]> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:36:45 ronrob http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215453620/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215453620/#num1 On the Radio: Dr. Laura's one-woman show comes to Riverside

by Gary Lycan
Radio columnist
Special to the Orange County Register
July 2
glycan@link.freedom.com

"Go do the right thing. Not the expedient thing."

That's one of the winning messages KFI/640 AM's Dr. Laura Schlessinger has been telling callers for years, and if one lives or dies by the ratings, Dr. Laura will outlive us all.

Locally, her noon-3 p.m. weekday rating among persons age 25-54 jumped 36 percent from last year. She beats her competitor, KABC-AM's Sean Hannity, by almost 200 percent and she also beat Rush Limbaugh (9 a.m.-noon) on KFI by 42 percent.

Catch her show and you understand why. At a youthful-looking 61, she sounds at the top of her game because, basically, while others in radio tend to talk louder and interrupt guests, she listens and when she responds, she's clear, concise and informative in a way that engages the audience.

So many other national talk hosts make you want to yell back at the radio. With Dr. Laura, you process and learn. "Everything has balance, and the balance is responsibility," she said in a phone interview.

We'll have more of the Dr. Laura story next week. But if you want to see her in person, she will present her one-woman stage show Saturday, July 12, at 8 p.m. in the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 3485 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside. Ticket info: box office noon-6 p.m. weekdays (951) 788-3944. Or go to riversidemunicipalauditorium.com or ticketmaster.com.

"The theater audience pretty much mirrors my demos. It seems to cover the gamut. I get 8-year-olds and 71-year-olds. It is usually about 45 percent men, 55 percent women," she said.

"When I do the book signings, one on one, people come and tell me their stories. I come out of there humble. I come out of the theater production higher than a kite. There is so much adrenalin," she said.

Next week: Dr. Laura covers topics A to Z.

DR.AURA IS HEARD IN SOUTHWEST BC/NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 12-3 pm ON AM 1410.
]]> Mon, 7 Jul 2008 14:00:20 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215390778/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215390778/#num1 It's game on for poker-faced bob
Bob Eubanks is still playing games.
  
Staff Reporter

TheProvince.com
Sunday, July 06, 2008


The onetime host of TV's The Newlywed Game has been a disc jockey, a concert promoter (he mortgaged his house to finance a 1964 Beatles gig at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl) and sometime actor -- but he always comes back to that game-show format of quizzing a panel of regular people.

"You always get surprises," says Eubanks, who has been touring North America with the live stage show The $250,000 Game Show Spectacular. With two shows tomorrow at Coquitlam's Red Robinson Show Theatre, it's an audience-participation mix of eight different Q&A games from the risque Newlywed-type questions to Name That Tune and The Price is Right.

"People are wonderful," says the 70-year-old host, whose original Newlywed Game made for titillating viewing back in the 1960s. "It's amazing what they'll say onstage -- it's almost like it's permission for them to tell their private secrets."

The show just played seven months at the Las Vegas Hilton, and Eubanks heads to Atlantic City later in July.

For the Vancouver shows contestants enter to get tickets to be part of the audience. Last chance to enter is at the theatre's Boulevard Casino at least an hour prior to each show. Contestants are then called up randomly from the audience to play the various games, and get a chance at prizes of up to $250,000.

"The neat thing about this show is, it's not just a prize show it's an entertainment show," says Eubanks. "It really is funny."

But no matter what anybody says onstage, Eubanks won't lose his, er, poker face: "I don't lose it ever, don't do that."

- - -

On Stage

The $250,000 Game Show Spectacular

Where: Red Robinson Show Theatre, 2080 United Blvd., Coquitlam

When: Two shows tomorrow at 4 and 7 p.m.

Tickets: Info at blvdcasino.com

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=c12f7aac-078e-4309-8e23-0ce701f3d9d3

.]]> Sun, 6 Jul 2008 20:32:58 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215377237/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215377237/#num1 Good chemistry keeps Larry and Willy going
For morning duo, it all began in Thunder Bay
. . . wherever that is
  
Staff Reporter

Sunday, July 06, 2008



CREDIT: Jason Payne, the Province
Larry (left) and Willy have kept a partnership going for more than 20 years.

Their 20 years together in Vancouver have included a small package from Peter Frampton and talk of Gene Simmons' bowling balls.

That, and a solid friendship that has become a career for Larry Hennessey and Willy Percy. The two first came to Vancouver's morning airwaves as Larry and Willy 20 years ago on rock radio station CFOX. They've spent the past five years at JACK-FM, whose management have decided to mark the double-decade mark with a friends and colleagues roast at Coquitlam's Red Robinson Theatre this Friday. The event isn't open to the public, but video clips will be posted on the station's website, jackfm.com.

The pair attribute their career longevity to the un-faked chemistry they had ever since they first met in a radio station hallway in Thunder Bay 23 years ago.

"They teamed me up with another guy first and we lasted a whopping three days, the chemistry was so bad," says Willy. "With Larry, it was just instant. It's the reason that today, if we go to a function where it's our job really to go and meet people, I guarantee you that the last two or three hours, I spend hanging out with Larry."

The 48-year-old Larry, the more rumpled of the two, started in radio at 15 in his native Labrador. Willy, 44, was doing stand-up comedy in his late teens at Vancouver's Punchlines comedy club, alongside a group that included the then-unknown Jim Carrey -- another lesson in the unpredictability of show business.

"We all thought Jim Carrey wasn't that funny," says Willy. "He was frenetic . . . but probably wasn't going to make it."

Willy came to Thunder Bay from a radio job in Powell River. After the two paired up on air in Thunder Bay, the station once sent them to do a week of music and celeb interviews in a Los Angeles restaurant. It was a speed-dating round of match-ups between radio stations and mid-level names that included Lennie and Squiggy, Wolfman Jack and guitarist Robbie Krieger of the Doors, who kept dipping his nachos into his fruity drink.

"We're in a room with Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami," says Larry.

". . . and Thunder Bay," says Willy. "Everybody who came to our table is like, 'Where the hell is Thunder Bay?'"

That's when the young Larry and Willy kept Max Weinberg waiting because they didn't realize he was Bruce Springsteen's drummer.

The pair continued their loose interviewing style while spinning records in Vancouver, as when KISS rocker Gene Simmons was unimpressed with Willy's take on the group's merchandising empire.

"They sell a KISS bowling ball," says Willy. "So I said: 'Have you thought of changing the song to, me and the boys will be bowling all night?'"

"After that he was totally pissed off -- that's not funny, man," says Larry. "But all he exists to do is to promote his projects, his energy drinks."

When comedian Norm McDonald came on the air one morning, stumbling and ill-prepared, Willy offered to call him back later to give him time for a coffee. "Norm said, 'I thought we were on the air live.' I said 'We are, but it's going so poorly we thought we'd give you another chance,'" says Willy. "We phoned him back in 15 minutes, he was great."

Then there was the time rocker Peter Frampton was set to come into the studio to play a song on the air and his publicist told the pair not to ask Frampton about his small penis. Newscaster Kerry Marshall had to tell Larry and Willy that legendary groupie Pamela des Barres had specified Frampton's dimensions in her book I'm With the Band.

"So then, five minutes later, in comes Peter with his guitar, and all we can do is look down," says Larry.

The song was beautiful, though.

Larry and Willy were part of the braintrust when the idea for JACK-FM's eclectic music mix was developed, but they had to wait out their contract at CFOX before making the jump to the new station. When the JACK format proved successful, owner Rogers Media duplicated it at seven of their other Canadian radio stations.

"This was the first one, it was great fun to have it work," says Willy.

How long can they keep this partnership going?

Larry: "How long ya got?"

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=43bd1042-a31c-4697-9c3e-42fc798c9a38

.


]]> Sun, 6 Jul 2008 16:47:17 SAM