Randi ressurection?

A very brief and very vague rumor, but it is from one of her affiliates, KPTK in Seattle, in an email that just hit my inbox:

Our fight to bring The Randi Rhodes Show back to the Seattle airwaves continues and we are now seeing the beginning of some success in this effort. We have received word from sources in Randi's camp that The Randi Rhodes Show will return to national syndication and that it will do so fairly soon. Rest assured, as soon as Randi is doing a daily radio show again... you will hear it right here, each night, on AM1090.

With Peter B Collins deciding to leave radio, starting Monday 3/23 AM1090 will begin offering a daily rebroadcast of The Thom Hartmann Show from 6–9pm. We will keep you updated as events unfold.

Yes, and that's all I've got. I know nothing more at this point.

Nova M(assacre)?

Following recent events at Nova M Radio, more is coming out as to what is going on at the fledgling syndicator and radio station operator.

Last week, the broadcaster announced the addition of a second Phoenix-area signal to compliment KPHX. And they announced the departure of program director/afternoon host Jeff Farias. Now, it appears there's more to the story.

Along with Farias, several other staffers have been let go, including CEO John Manzo, sales director Kim Macias and webmaster Billy Foster. No official explanation has been given for any of the departures.

Rumors have been swirling about, with Nova M reportedly claiming that Farias left on his own terms, according to a statement on their website. But Farias and others close to him are claiming that they didn't jump – they were pushed. What's going on here?

A lot of the internet scuttlebutt claims that it all started with a power play showdown between Manzo and owner Sheldon Drobny. The story (not confirmed, and denied by Manzo) goes that Manzo was let go and the other three, who sided with him, departed as well. A few supporters, however, have disputed this scenario.

Farias is not publicly commenting on the situation, likely due to legal advice, but Leonard Clark, a former contributor to Farias' show, has started a website and posted a few diary entries on Daily Kos here and here in support of Farias, and to help explain his side of the story.

Replacing Manzo at Nova M is Arizona radio executive Art Mobley. No replacements have been announced for the other former staffers as of yet, though the Air America shows of Rachel Maddow and Ron Reagan are currently airing in place of Farias.

UPDATE: Some more info gleamed about KPHX's new stablemate, KNUV (1190AM). And yes, it appears that Nova M will indeed purchase the station outright, in contrast to the current LMA agreement the company has with Continental Media to lease KPHX (1480AM). This all lends to speculation that Nova M may eventually relocate altogether to 1190 once the KPHX lease runs out. Again, that's all just speculation.

UPDATE II: John Manzo emailed me, and said that he is unable to offer comment at this time, which is understandable. He also informed me that he has not been hired by Randi Rhodes, which I had reported. That has been corrected. He did ask that I remove the article. I am unable to remove the complete article at this time, since the information is already widespread around the web, including some reputable trade publications and scribes. I have, however, done some rewording of the article, in respect to Manzo. And I will consider the request to remove the article, if deemed prudent. For right now, it will stay, albeit with corrections.

In addition, there will likely be other additions to this article, as some other people connected with the matter have emailed me.

Seder vs. Maron: The comeback?

It sounds like an idea so obviously stupid-proof that it almost couldn't possibly have come from the executive office at Air America Media.

Exiled hosts Marc Maron and Sam Seder re-launched their video podcast program last Friday, and to celebrate, offered up a big announcement. The two will be posting a new show every day between now and the November 4 election, as well as from this week's Democratic National Convention in Denver. And both hosts also stated that they have also been offered a new show on Air America - working as a team.

According to Rebecca O'Malley at The Resilient Rabbit, Maron claimed that the new show, which will supposedly begin in September, will included a number of creative humor elements as well as straight political commentary. Maron may even bring back some of his classic team from his old Morning Sedition show.

So far, that is all that is known about Seder vs. Maron. No time slot has been disclosed, though the most obvious shift would be morning drive, 6-9A ET, which is currently airing previous day replays of other Air America programming.

Jacksonville gets progressive

From Carolyn Kay at Make Them Accountable, via Stephen Crockett at Democratic Talk Radio, it appears that Jacksonville, FL will be getting its very own progressive talk station.

Andy Johnson, former member of the Florida House and current host of his own afternoon talk show, has taken over WZNZ (1460AM), and will turn it into the only progressive talk station in North Florida come Monday, January 14.

So far the only schedule announcements are the addition of Ed Schultz live from noon-3P and Johnson's own show from 3-6P. Look for a heavy emphasis on local talk programming. No word on the addition of other syndicated programming, i.e. Air America, etc.

Developing...

Mitt the media mogul? Uhh.. no

The scathingly hilarious 2006 film Idiocracy takes place roughly 500 years in the future, in a society frighteningly dumbed down by moronic entertainment, crass consumerism, ignorance, bad breeding and just plain stupidity.

This infamously buried film, directed by Mike Judge, is about a mediocre Army slacker named Joe Bauers (played by Luke Wilson) who, via an experiment gone horribly wrong, is accidentally put into a 500 year hibernation and wakes up in a mess of a future where he happens to be the smartest man in the world. Imagine a world where technology is dysfunctional, people get law degrees from Costco, the top TV show is about a guy who is repeatedly kicked and socked in the groin, Starbucks has devolved into a chain of massage parlors (don't ask what a 'Full Body Latte with extra foam' is) and people get their news analysis from a magazine called "Hot Naked Chicks and World Report." Ironically, the film seems highly reflective of modern times. It is especially so in some of the conversations that take place, particularly this one, where Joe, who is trying to figure out the solution to an enduring farmland drought, tries to tell people that watering crops with sodium-rich sport drinks is, surprise, a bad idea:

Joe: "For the last time, I'm pretty sure what's killing the crops is this Brawndo (sport drink) stuff."

Secretary of State: "But Brawndo's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes."

Attorney General: "So wait a minute. What you're saying is that you want us to put water on the crops."

Joe: "Yes."

Attorney General: "Water. Like out the toilet?"

Joe: "Well, I mean, it doesn't have to be out of the toilet, but, yeah, that's the idea."

Secretary of State: "But Brawndo's got what plants crave."

Attorney General: "It's got electrolytes."

Joe: "Okay, look. The plants aren't growing, so I'm pretty sure that the Brawndo's not working. Now, I'm no botanist, but I do know that if you put water on plants, they grow."

Secretary of Energy: "Well, I've never seen no plants grow out of no toilet."

Secretary of State: "Hey, that's good. You sure you ain't the smartest guy in the world?"

Joe: "Okay, look. You wanna solve this problem. I wanna get my pardon. So why don't we just try it, okay, and not worry about what plants crave?"

Attorney General: "Brawndo's got what plants crave."

Secretary of Energy: "Yeah, it's got electrolytes."

Joe: "What are electrolytes? Do you even know?"

Secretary of State: "It's what they use to make Brawndo."

Joe: "Yeah, but why do they use them to make Brawndo?"

Secretary of Defense: "'Cause Brawndo's got electrolytes."

See what I mean?

That conversation resembles the attempts to squash hoary old urban legends, conspiracy theories and rumors that keep popping up over and over again, even after they've been disproved. We saw that with that 'ABC advertiser blacklist' thing a while back (which every once in a while makes a return appearance). And now, with the proposed buyout of media giant Clear Channel Communications by private venture capital firms Bain Capital and Thomas Lee Partners, that old 'Mitt Romney is sinking his tentacles into Clear Channel' meme has resurfaced for another go-round. For some reason, the blogosphere is going apeshit over this once again.

I said it a year ago, and I'll say it again. It ain't true.

Here's what I wrote last December:

Mitt Romney is buying Clear Channel in a fiendish plot for world domination

On November 17, after months of speculation, the Mays family, which controls Clear Channel Communications, announced the sale of the largest radio station operator in the country. The buyers consisted of two private equity firms, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital. Many were skeptical of the sale, particularly since Bain Capital was founded by Republican politician Willard 'Mitt' Romney. Many thought that Clear Channel would become even more of a right-wing company, controlled by a guy yearning to be George W. Bush's replacement in the White House. Well, you can all take a deep breath, since Romney is no longer involved with Bain Capital, having cashed out of the firm in 2001. Therefore, Mitt Romney will have no say in the new Clear Channel Communications.

There is a positive in all of this, since the sale will negate a grandfather clause that enabled them to swallow up so many stations. As a result, Clear Channel is currently divesting of most stations outside of the top 100 markets where they own broadcast properties, and is also divesting of stations in larger markets to get to the maximum allowed. And in some cases, the company is taking a significant loss on a few properties, including Fargo, ND.

So you see, Mitt Romney is no more taking control of Clear Channel than the Thomas Lee mentioned is actually the drummer for Motley Crue. Ain't happenin' folks. Mitt's got his own mitts full at the moment with his mediocre presidential campaign puttering along.

Let me say it again. Mitt Romney is not buying Clear Channel. And plants crave neither electrolytes nor Gatorade.

Nobody's business but the Turks

NOTE: See update below

Fans of Air America Radio's The Young Turks have been asking the question over the past week, "What happened to The Young Turks?"

Since their most recent show on December 12, many have been asking what the story is. In light of the dismissal of Kent Jones, Rachel Maddow's sidekick, last week, some have been wondering what is going on at Air America. Did Cenk Uygur and company succumb to the corporate axe as well? The rumors and conspiracy theories have been flying at their site and places such as Daily Kos.

Granted, only three on-air days is not enough to cause a panic. But the absence from the airwaves was unannounced. And there was some speculation that the show has been suspended due to content. Did Uyger get heat for allegedly sipping from a beer bottle on-air? Did his scathing criticism of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic-controlled Congress last week ruffle the wrong feathers? This is all mere speculation, and many are likely jumping to conclusions.

After one conspiracy theory after another was bandied about on the Turks' website, Uygur broke the silence this past weekend. Sort of:

Guys, we clearly hear you. It's not like we're not checking our own website (I've read everything you guys have written and been amused and impressed by some of the speculation). And I completely understand and more than empathize with your frustration about the lack of news on the show.

Would we tell you exactly what's going on if we could? Of cooouuursssee!!!!

Let me put down two rumors real quick though. This has nothing to do with content or a suspension.

Finally (for now), we will definitely do a show on Monday. Check back into the website to see when and where. Again, We're totally sorry about the confusion and the lack of information.

We just a need little patience and faith that we're looking out for you and that we can't wait to do more shows as soon as possible. Thanks and we love you.

A fill-in host was on the air in place of The Young Turks this morning. But Uygur claimed that he will do an online show via the Turks' website this afternoon (3PM ET) to explain all.

Given all the staff turnover that has taken place since Air America's debut almost four years ago, it is no surprise that devoted fans fear the Turks are the next to go. Did they cross the line? Are Pelosi, et al 'sacred cows' who should not be blasted as vigorously as Uygur did? Uygur was certainly not the first to bash Democrats on the network.

Was that a real beer he sipped from in honor of Prohibition Repeal Day? I used to do that gimmick when I worked in radio. It's an old trick. Tell everyone you're cracking open a cold one. They didn't have to know I was opening a can of Diet Pepsi. That's the beauty of 'theatre of the mind.' Even if it was a real brewski, it was only a sip, and since Uygur is not personally responsible for operating any radio station, aside from doing a syndicated show, the FCC would not be able to do anything anyways.

Or is ll it just technical difficulties due to the process of feeding a show from the West Coast to the Air America studios in New York? Sounds most plausible to me.

Nonetheless,, Uygur will explain all this afternoon, and you can find an update here.

But not much is really known thus far, aside from what Air America and Uygur and company know. Cue up They Might Be Giants.

UPDATE: Apparently, The Young Turks and Air America will be parting ways come January 15. Uygur said that the show will be going a "new direction" and the parting is amicable. The "new direction" will likely be web-based, and will possibly include "new partners" like Brave New Films. No replacement has been named as of yet. Here's a link to the recorded show.

From the "This is how rumors get started" department

Updated 12/10

I thought this one was worth passing along. It's a highly unsubstantiated rumor, so take it for what it's worth.

The rumor comes via R.S. Janes at BartBlog (a.k.a. Bartcop). It claims that MSNBC may have found that host they've been looking for. And it ain't Rosie O'Donnell. This rumor claims that MSNBC regular and Air America Radio host Rachel Maddow may get the nod. Here's more:

Finally, a note under the door says Air America Radio’s Rachel Maddow will be offered the hour following Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, but only with a ‘funny’ co-host, as it appears increasingly unlikely that The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart or Bill Maher and others will step in for the kind of unimpressive money and short-term contract that are on the table. Rumor is the cable channel’s execs are impressed with Maddow, but she’s not perceived as ‘funny’ enough by herself for the uptempo news/comedy format they’re seeking. Paul F. Tompkins and Joel McHale, that guy Keith has on who hosts E!s “The Soup,” have been mentioned as co-hosts, as well as Rachel’s AAR colleague Randi Rhodes, although Randi is seen by some as too partisan and combative. If this goes through, the prime-time weekday line up for MSNBC would then be “Hardball”; “Countdown with Keith Olbermann”; the as-yet-unnamed Rachel Maddow show, and “Live with Dan Abrams.” Expect a press release in January.

Again, this is just a rumor, and one that hasn't hit the big media gossip sites yet, so do with it what you wish.

UPDATE: TVNewser says a test pilot for a potential new show has been taped, featuring Maddow and MSNBC prime time VP Bill Wolff.

Rumormongering is fun

Here's an interesting rumor, courtesy of the ol' tip line. It involves a new progressive talk station that will possibly start up the format by next week.

I can't say too much about it, since this is an unconfirmed rumor, but I most certainly can tease the hell out of all of you about it. While I can't name names or divulge identities, I can drop a few hints:

1. It is in a market that once had a progressive talk station. The replacement format on that station has not lived up to expectations, and currently does not even show up in the ratings book.

2. Air America will be on the new station. So will Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller. Bill Press has said that he will be there. They will even carry Democracy Now. The station will also air some sports programming.

3. The new station has a domain name reserved for their website, which should launch soon. And no, I cannot divulge the URL yet. In due time.

4. The station will likely launch as early as next Monday or Tuesday.

5. It is bigger than a breadbox.

And that's about all I can say about it. I was asked to be discreet about it, so I am. But I will have more about it later, and possibly sooner than that.

In the meantime, this is off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush.

UPDATE: Well, since everyone else and their mother are starting to hop on board, I'll spill the beans. The station is WVKO (1580AM) in Columbus, OH, a situation I posted a rumor about a few months back. Progress Ohio put something up about it. The station would replace the old WTPG, which flipped to an anemic general talk format that as of late has taken a dive in the ratings. The new format will hopefully debut as soon as Monday.

WCPT doubles the power

As rumored earlier this week, WCPT in Chicago will be giving its listeners an early Christmas gift as they move from the current 850AM down to the more powerful 820AM frequency. The move will take place November 26.

General manager Harvey Wells, in an email sent out to listeners today, claimed that "while that might be three small steps on the radio dial, it’s going to be one giant leap for Progressives all over Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin and Northwest Indiana."

The new 820AM dial position literally doubles their broadcasting power, increasing from the 2500 watts of 850AM to 5000 watts at 820AM, which currently carries the WAIT call letters. Instead of the current transmitter location of suburban Crystal Lake, IL, WCPT will broadcast directly from the city of Chicago. Upon the move, WCPT will cover a lot more ground, including the entire Chicago market all the way north to Milwaukee, WI and south to Springfield. Station management hopes that the new signal will enable the relatively successful progressive talk format to be more on par with other Chicago talk stations. Even with signal limitations, WCPT has beaten several talk rivals on much stronger signals.

What will not change is the station's daytime-only status. Both 820AM and 850AM are licensed as daytime-only, and 820AM has to sign off a little after sunset to protect WBAP in Dallas, per FCC rules. The station at one time did broadcast at night, but its signal was drowned out terribly by WBAP. The 820AM signal, however, does have the benefit of being allowed to stay on the air slightly longer than 850AM.

Even given its daytimer status, 820AM has had its share of success in the past, most recently in the 1990s as the original location of the successful sports talker WSCR (since moved to 670AM).

The move takes place as Newsweb, the owner of the two signals, two other brokered AM stations and adult hits Nine-FM, informed WAIT's current inhabitant, Relevant Radio, that they would not renew the lease on the signal. Relavant Radio recently picked up another local signal in the market.

The WCPT call letters will also make the move down the dial, with 850AM becoming WAIT.

Rumors, soundbytes and whatnot

Seems like forever since I actually wrote about liberal talk radio. As news was a bit slow in that department, and with so many other things going on, I got a little sidetracked.

So, after a week devoted to a 1938 radio drama, the pending Hollywood writers strike, Don Imus' semi-triumphant return and a Clear Channel/Bruce Springsteen boycott story that wasn't, it's time once again to return to what we do best. So, here goes.

First up is WCPT (850AM) in Chicago. And this one is not even up to rumor class yet. So far it's mere speculation, but Robert Feder of the Sun-Times is pondering it, so I will too. Anyway, WCPT is still chugging along and doing quite well, thank you. They are owned by Newsweb Corporation, headed by Fred Eyechaner, a well-known activist and fundraiser for the Democratic Party. The company also owns several other small stations in the area, including four FM outlets, three of which air an eclectic format called "Nine FM." They also own several AM stations, all but WCPT are leased out to Starboard Broadcasting, which runs a Catholic-oriented religious format called "Relevant Radio." Relevant Radio recently picked up another Chicago outlet, WNTD (which some of you may remember as the original Air America Radio affiliate in the Windy City for about a minute or two).

Well, the new signal came at just the right time for Starboard, as Newsweb informed them that they would not renew the lease on one of their stations, WAIT (820AM). The frequency will be vacated on November 25. Evidently, they're taking it back for their own purposes. Does this point to a possible move of their relatively successful progressive talk format to the much-stronger 820AM? An early Christmas gift, perhaps? At a robust 5000 watts, the 820AM signal does pack twice the punch of 850AM, with a centrally-located signal that covers the entire Chicago market and other nearby areas such as northwest Indiana (as far out as South Bend), Joliet, Rockford, Bloomington and even up into Wisconsin, as far north as Milwaukee. The 820AM frequency has had some success in years past, particularly when they were the original home of sports talker WSCR back in the 90s.

The hitch? While WAIT does have a much stronger signal, like 850 it's still a daytimer. While WCPT shuts down after dark for KOA in Denver, WAIT shuts down at sunset for the strong signal of WBAP in Dallas. That's part of the peculiar nature of AM radio and FCC regulations. Newsweb has been trying to get FCC approval for a 1500 watt nighttime signal for a while now, but so far have been rebuffed. Still, that daytime signal looks quite nice, and would allow WCPT to cover the entire market and then some. Milwaukee could actually get that progressive talk station they've wanted for so long.

Again, don't even think of quoting me on this, as if it were gospel or anything. I need to make this clear. It is still officially unclear what will become of WAIT, and if anyone does know, they aren't saying anything. But it sure looks like they have plans for it, and WCPT's progressive talk format, which has been doing decent in local ratings considering how weak their current signal is, must obviously be a consideration. It's either that or leasing it out to another entity, ala Relevant Radio. This situation merits keeping an eye on, and if I hear anything else about it, I'll let you know. Again, this is not even a rumor yet.

In other WCPT news, belated congrats and best of luck to Scott Foval, a blogger and writer who took matters into his own hands a few months back and is currently employed as a sales rep for WCPT and Nine FM. So if you're in the Chicagoland area, own a business and want to reach out to like-minded folks, let him or anyone else there know.

Elsewhere, I've been working on yet another entry about KLSD (1360AM) in San Diego. Yes, they're still doing progressive talk, in what has become perhaps the most drawn-out format flip in radio history. Rumors began to swirl back in August about a possible flip to sports. Station personnel even acknowledged it. And the most recent rumors pointed to a flip date of November 1. Well, it's November 2 now, and nothing's changed. This could be due to the chaos of last week's devastating wildfires, which seems to have upset many things around the area. Now the flip is rumored to be November 15. Adding fuel to the fire is morning host Stacy Taylor moonlighting on sister station KOGO (600AM) weeknights from 6-7PM. Whether this fits into his future plans is unknown at this time.

For the past couple weeks, I've had parts of a future KLSD entry in the can, but the fires of last week, the other events of this week and uncertainty about the fate of the station has kept it under wraps. In it, I'll fill you all in on the latest in regard to that HD Radio signal they've threatened to dump the programming on, plus a profile of other area stations, some that could possibly pick up the deposed format. I'll probably put it up over the weekend. I tend to keep many fragments of entries stashed away (ScribeFire for Firefox is a wonderful thing!) for future use, and in this case, I'll actually try to unleash it.

Finally, the fine folks at KUDO in Anchorage, AK have dropped a line to inform me of their revamped website, and what appears to be a revamped on-air lineup that consists of three local shows. Filling out the roster is the standard syndicated fare, including Stephanie Miller, Ed Shultz, Air America and "Democracy Now." And they've even added a webstream, too, so we can all get some of that 'northern exposure.' I'll add their local shows to the listings on the left, once I figure out the difference between Alaska time and Eastern time. Of course, with Daylight Savings Time coming to a close this weekend, and some states not recognizing it, such as Arizona, I'll also have to figure out what KPHX and other stations plan to do with their lineups.

Be patient, and set your clocks back an hour Saturday night.

Radio Nowhere?

You may or may not know that Bruce Springsteen has a new album out, one in which he reunites with his E Street Band. The new release is called Magic, and it is currently the #1 selling album in the country. Since its release on October 2, it has sold more than 500,000 copies. In this day and age, that's pretty good. In addition, critics are raving about it. Rolling Stone gave it a rare 5-star rating, and even Pitchfork Media kinda sorta liked it, and they hate everything.

Twenty years ago, something of this magnitude from The Boss would have been all over the radio. You wouldn't be able to escape it. But that was twenty years ago.

Welcome to 2007.

Believe it or not, many so-called 'rock' radio stations are not playing the new Springsteen album. At least that's what FOX Noise is trying to tell us. Sure, it wouldn't be surprising. The over-compartmentalized radio industry, for some really stupid reason, does not know what to do with aging rockers. And in shades of 2003, they're also claiming that radio monolith Clear Channel Communications has put the kibbosh on the album, and it's lead-off single "Radio Nowhere," a scathing attack on you-know-what, due to Springsteen's often outspoken views on politics and society. Of course, the alleged memo claims, stations could continue to play the shit out of "Born to Run."

Is it because of Springsteen's left-leaning political stances? Is is because his latest single is about how much radio sucks these days? Or is it because he's older than dirt? Whatever the reason, it certainly hasn't stopped him from selling albums. Or concert tickets.

Some stations are indeed playing it. According to Radio and Records' airplay charts, the song is currently #3 on Adult Alternative-formatted stations, and #22 on rock formats. You'd think that at least a few stations are playing it.

But something doesn't smell right. And something even tells me not to trust anything coming from FOX Nuisance. And I'm not one to jump to conclusions either. I'd rather take my time and be accurate. What I found is that Clear Channel did not send out a memo, or at least that's what they're saying:

MYTH: Clear Channel Radio directed its stations not to play music from Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic” CD.

FACT: Although Clear Channel owns only 8% of the radio stations in the U.S., in the first days after the CD's release, airplay of music from the disc on Clear Channel Radio stations represented a full 21% of the total radio airplay in the U.S., including airplay from satellite radio. That's according to airplay stats from Mediabse (sic). Further, Clear Channel Radio stations played music from the CD more than twice as much as the nearest radio broadcaster, which came in at less than 10% of total U.S. airplay.

Gotta love Clear Channel for having their very own debunking page. They also claim that they did not boycott Madonna and Rage Against The Machine due to their political comments, and that it was Cumulus that banned the Dixie Chicks, not them. They also claim to have not banned Tom Petty's The Last DJ, which was essentially a vicious tirade against the radio and music industries, and John Lennon's Imagine.

Now, claims such as the ones purported by FAUX News deserve to be investigated. Actually, anything reported by them deserves looking into, but I've said that many times before. And if Clear Channel was going to blackball Springsteen for his politics, they're 35 years too late. Everybody knows what Springsteen's about. Or didn't they ever listen to Nebraska?

So, I decided to see if there was any truth to this, and decided to take a look at the radio trade sites and see for myself. Of the 'active rock' and 'mainstream rock' stations that Clear Channel owns, none are reporting any airplay of Springsteen's new album. Then again, these stations are oriented more toward current hard-rock, so you'll be more likely to hear the latest from Korn or Megadeth. The lone exception is WDVE in Pittsburgh, which is actually playing "Radio Nowhere." It is currently #3 on the station's playlist.

To make things even more confusing, there is another rock format designed for the older folks. It's primarily called Adult Album Alternative, or 'Triple A' or just 'AAA.' This is one of the only radio formats still around that are friendly to older musical artists. Clear Channel owns four stations airing this format - KBCO in Denver, KTCZ in Minneapolis, KZPS in Dallas and KPTL in Des Moines. All four are playing the new Springsteen album, and some are even playing a few other cuts in addition to "Radio Nowhere."

So, what about Clear Channel's classic rock stations? Ah hah! One would think that a format that plays the death out of Born in the USA would be ideal for the latest offering from The Boss, right? Wrong. Seems they'd rather remind us how young our favorite rockers used to be, rather than how old they are now. Some of the rumors about the alleged Springsteen memo claim it was directed at these very stations. Maybe they did get the memo, because it looks like those stations aren't touching it, save for maybe WAXQ in New York. Then again, most classic rock stations resemble the movie Children of Men, where they live in a world where nothing has been born for 18 years or so. For many of these stations, the last album ever released was U2's The Joshua Tree in 1987. Heaven forbid they even acknowledge this century! Now you're just asking too damn much.

Just for a comparison, I did search of some of their classic rock stations and and their playlists to see if they were playing any other new offerings from other high-profile classic rock staples, to see if they were indeed singling out Springsteen. In the past few months, John Mellencamp, Paul McCartney, John Fogerty and The Eagles have released notable new product. Of all these releases, only Fogerty's new one is getting airplay on classic rock radio, albeit on only one Clear Channel outlet, WNRQ in Nashville. I should also mention that WNRQ did do perhaps one of the strangest segues in rock radio history this morning, when the went from Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" into Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." Ouch!

So, this little bit o' research showed me that Springsteen doesn't seem to be ostracized by The Monolith due to his stances. It's likely due to his age. In fact, any new product from any artist over the age of 50 is being avoided like leprosy! On friggin' classic rock stations! On radio stations that would rather play the same REO Speedwagon and Foghat hits over and over again! Blasphemy!

Now, it would be a different story if these guys were putting out shit, like Styx currently does. Or were washed-up bands that likely don't even have any original members left. But we're talking about artists who have put out very strong recent product that has gotten a lot of press. McCartney, unhappy at the way his label has been marketing his newer stuff, left EMI after almost 45 years to sign with a label owned by Starbucks, and over the past decade has put out perhaps the strongest, most consistent stuff in his entire solo career. With little airplay, his new album has sold over half a million copies. Yesterday, the Eagles released their first studio album in 28 years. Fogerty made peace with Fantasy Records, got back the rights to his Creedence Clearwater Revival hits after 35 years and has gotten rave reviews for his newest release. He's actually happy now.

Yet you likely won't be hearing any of that stuff on your local classic rock outlet, owned or not owned by Clear Channel. Hey, they didn't play the latest offerings from Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones either. And that's a shame.

It's gotten so dire that these guys, in search of any kind of airplay, have resorted to alternative venues. McCartney licensed a song for a Lexus commercial a couple years ago and is angling for airplay at the local Starbucks. Mellencamp also licensed his latest hit single, in this case to sell Chevys. Dylan is doing a radio show for Sirius Satellite Radio. The Eagles took matters into their own hands and released their new album on their own through Wal-Mart.

Meanwhile, commercial rock stations are torturing us with crap like Nickleback, a band that basically releases the same song over and over again.

And they wonder why we don't listen to radio as much anymore.

So, what about this memo business? I'm guessing that it isn't what it seems. If Clear Channel were to banish every left-leaning musical act from their stations, all that would be left is country (though minus the Chicks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and now Merle Haggard(!!!)) and talk radio. So that's a losing proposition there. Sounds to me like yet another FOX Noise gossip trying to stir up shitstorms.

Clear Channel deserves to be raked over fiery hot coals in hell for many things, and they certainly do for not giving The Boss the airplay he so rightfully deserves. And for dumbing down their crappy radio programming for the many listeners who are much smarter than they assume.

What the @#$&% is going on at KLSD?

It's been a month already since rumors started to surround the fate of San Diego's KLSD (1360AM) . Speculation has pointed at a format flip, most likely to sports.

The rumors were rather vague at first, but station staff and management ran with it. The station's website has been a virtual clearing house of information, pictures and video of rallies geared toward saving the station. KLSD even links to an outside petition to save the current progressive talk format. Morning host Stacy Taylor has also enjoyed considerable freedom in discussing the issue over the air.

A month later, the tension has only increased. Rumors started heating up more in the past week. Scott Tempesta, a.k.a. Scooter, the on-air sidekick for Taylor's morning show and host of his own weekend show, was dismissed from the station late last week. More speculation has also arisen claiming that the station will flip to sports after all, with dates such as October 1 and October 15 bandied about.

So, what the hell is going on in San Diego?

Program director Cliff Albert went on Taylor's show yesterday, answering questions from listeners and stating the company line in regard to happenings at the station. Albert claims no decision has been made, but a verdict will disclosed by the end of this week. He said he would not discuss why Tempesta was fired, due to confidentiality reasons. Albert also discussed the station's signal limitations, which is due to FCC and various other reasons. A substantial signal increase has been applied for and is in the works, but it needs approval from both the FCC and the Mexican government. In addition, real estate would need to be obtained to construct a new tower.

There was also discussion about ways of bringing in new revenue. Albert cited KKGN in San Francisco, which recently changed their on-air moniker to "Green 960" in what he claimed was a naming rights deal with a local company (likely the Green Building Exchange) as a way of boosting revenues. The underlying sentiment in the discussion is that KLSD management wants to bring in more money, which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, they don't appear to know how to do it, and I don't think a sports format will help matters.

My theory? The decision has likely already been made. Again, that's just my theory, so don't take it as gospel.

Let's be real here. A program director for a high-profile station in the 17th ranked market, a station owned by Clear Channel, is not indecisive. They know the ultimate fate of KLSD already. It all reeks of a big tease, or the cushioning of a rather big blow to a large group of listeners.

What that fate is, nobody outside of the glass and concrete bunker that houses the station knows what's going on. Some say it's going to be an all-out flip to sports. Some say it will be a talk/sports hybrid, keeping some of KLSD's shows and adding more sports. Albert is even teasing an alternative besides progressive talk or sports. And there's been talk about "keeping the progressive talk format alive in San Diego," which could mean a shallow gesture such as turning an HD Radio subchannel in to a feed of Air America or whatever. Too bad customers are having a hard time actually trying to buy an HD Radio and make it work. Who knows? Maybe they'll just turn the damned signal off.

But this is known. KLSD is profitable. Reportedly, they have made or exceeded their budgetary goals. Demographics for the format are very desirable, with a highly educated and prosperous listener base. Granted, many advertisers shy away from political talk, due to fear of blowback from customers who may object to a particular station's stance. Yes, this does happen with conservative talk as well. Advertisers are often scared of polarizing formats, and many right-wing business owners won't advertise on progressive talk, due to their shallow lines of reasoning.

So, the next time I write about this, will KLSD be kaput, or will it get a new lease on life? I'm sure somebody knows already. Unfortunately, all I know is that somebody indeed knows something.

Is KLSD flipping anyway?

Aldous Tyler at NonStop Radio claims that KLSD (1360AM) in San Diego, which for the past few weeks has been the subject of rumors regarding a pending flip, will likely drop its moderately successful progressive talk format for sports, despite the strong show of support by listeners.

From his email:

At Monday, August 27th's rally, Program Director Cliff Albert confirmed that AM 1360 KLSD was being scheduled to flip from Progressive Talk. Today, news has come down that this flip is imminent, possibly as soon as Friday! Progressives and Liberals of San Diego aren't taking this lying down.

The rally was attended by hundreds of loyal listeners as well as Bree Walker and Jon Elliot, with Stacy Taylor broadcasting live from within the rally itself!

GET INVOLVED!

Make the fight more effective by going to www.NonStopRadio.com now! There you can:

* Print out listener pledge sheets and sponsor pledge sheets for KLSD
* Join the SaveKLSD Yahoo Group
* Sign the petition to save KLSD
* Download the PDF flier for the Save KLSD Movement
* Fight back against negative media coverage
* Listen to the broadcast of Stacy Taylor's show from the rally, and watch a short documentary of it, and much more!

We need YOUR help today if we will stand any chance of saving San Diego's only Progressive Talk outlet! Visit www.NonStopRadio.com right away!

Yours in the Cause,
Aldous Tyler,
NonStop Radio

UPDATE: There will be yet another rally for KLSD, this one scheduled for Friday morning (September 14) at 7:30AM local time. The location will be Clear Channel's San Diego offices. For more information, see NonStopRadio.

Concerned listeners can also sign a petition.

Don't be cruel

Jon Elliott claimed on his show last night, which originates from the studios of KLSD in San Diego, that things are looking up for that station, which has been rumored to be considering a flip to a sports format. Evidently, Monday's rally must have been effective.

In the midst of all this and other format flips on their progressive talk stations, Clear Channel Communications itself has taken a lot of heat, some deserved and some not. Many see this as some sort of conspiracy to remove the format from the nation's airwaves, and point to the political lean of the Mays family, founders of the company.

But it's never that simple. Over time, I've found that in the radio industry, politics often takes a backseat to pure commerce. Meaning, they don't really care what's on the air, so long as it pads the bottom line and takes next to no overhead to keep it running. How else to explain Entercom Communications, the fourth largest radio group in the United States? Now here's a major radio station owner that, ironically, actually donates heavily to Democrats. In a simplistic form of thinking, one would think progressive talk would be a slam dunk for some of their struggling AM stations. So, how have they been doing thus far in this regard? The first Entercom station to pick up the format was WROC in Rochester, NY. After three years, the station is doing modestly, given its AM dial position and rather weak signal. From there, Entercom stations in New Orleans, Sacramento, Buffalo and Memphis picked up the format.

Flash forward to 2007. WROC has been climbing in the ratings. WWKB in Buffalo occasionally does well, in spite of how badly neglected the station is. And progressive talk has been dropped in New Orleans and Sacramento. The format seems to be badly neglected in Buffalo. And now, rumors are swirling in Memphis, where it looks like WSMB (680AM) may soon flip to sports. At least that's the rumor coming out of there, as salespeople are allegedly breaking this news to their clients.

Needless to say, this doesn't sound surprising. WSMB (formerly WWTQ until they grabbed the current call letters from their defunct New Orleans progressive talker) is blessed with an amazing signal (10,000 watts day at a very low spot on the dial), rare for a progressive talk station. But they had to go and screw it all up by doing a rather half-assed job of programming and promoting it. Until today, I didn't even realize that they have rolled out a new website for the station. For a long time, it was the same old tired WWTQ site that prominently featured relics of the past such as Jerry Springer, Al Franken and Janeane Garafalo. Not very up-to-date, is it? And that's another thing. While progressive talk stations around the country have experienced some sort of success with a mix of shows from various syndicators, and even some local programming, WSMB couldn't even be bothered to program their computers to flip a satellite switch! That's right - they carry the straight Air America Radio feed. Meaning no Stephanie, no Big Eddie, no local talk. Nothing that can help a station boost their numbers and draw potential advertisers. To be fair, though, they did carry a local morning show at one time, but it was universally hated by everyone.

Keep in mind that, like at Clear Channel, format decisions for stations are made mostly at the local level. One look at the vast differences of the various stations easily prove that. WROC has been pretty aggressive, have a fairly good mix of programming, and are currently getting the best ratings the weak AM signal could possibly hope to get. Meaning that the people there are at least doing something. Not sure the same could be said about their other progressive talk stations, certainly not WSMB.

Granted, the station did add some other programming. But that programming consisted of St. Louis Cardinals games and University of Tennessee sports. It's true that locally-oriented sports programming does pull in the bucks. Even high school football on the radio can rake in a ton of loot. So when this stuff pops up on progressive talk stations, I often give it a pass. Hey, if this stuff is good enough for conservotalk stations (and many of them have sports contracts that often contribute the bulk of station revenues), then it's good enough for the liberal talk outlets.

Given the amount of neglect that progressive talk has gotten on this signal, and the increased emphasis on sports programming, it should be no surprise that liberal talk will likely soon be leaving the Memphis airwaves. And no, it's not because nobody wants to listen to it, as this ignorant pinhead seems to think. I chalk this one up to neglect. The progressive talk format is only as strong as the stations that carry it. And when it's viewed as merely cheap, latchkey programming, well, how well is that going to turn out? Weak promotion (except for a billboard or two a long time ago and some bumper stickers), poor ad sales efforts, uninspiring programming choices, and perhaps the ugliest logo in the radio industry. What aggravates me is that WSMB had so much potential, even in a market like Memphis. This station has been badly neglected.

Yes, Entercom really screwed the pooch on this one. Let's hope they know how to do sports.

UPDATE: And it looks like it's been confirmed. According to AllAccess, Entercom Memphis announced this afternoon that WSMB will become FOX Sports 680 on Saturday evening (9/1), immediately following the Cardinals/Reds game. They will carry the FOX Sports feed most of the time, save for the 11A-2P shift weekdays, Saturday mornings and whenever they run local play by play.

Meanwhile, over in DC...

It was an ambitious project, but one that obviously faced an uphill climb.

Yesterday, The Washington Post and Bonneville International, owner of the three radio stations that make up "Washington Post Radio" (WTWP-FM 107.7FM, WTWP 1500AM, WTWT 820AM and a translator at 104.3FM) announced they were going their separate ways, terminating a partnership set up to create an "NPR on caffeine" all-news and talk format on the already over-saturated local airwaves. They are also the flagship station for Washington Nationals baseball.

So, out goes WTWP, in comes WWWT, or "3WT" and a new format consisting of inexpensive bartered talk shows. Stuff like Neal Boortz, Bill O'Reilly (recently dumped from WJFK), Glen Beck, Phil Hendrie and Stephanie Miller. The station's slogan will be "Left, Right, and Whatever We Want." Tony Kornheiser's show, when actually on, will be a holdover from WTWP. The changes commence September 20.

Whoa, wait - Stephanie Miller? Um, isn't she already on liberal talker WWRC (1260AM)? Actually, yes. So, what does this mean for WWRC, the lowly-rated, weak signalled progressive talker? Is WYD/Jones MediaAmerica looking to move her to a station people can actually pick up? Or is Clear Channel shopping for a replacement format for 1260AM (as if anything else has a chance of getting ratings on this frequency)?

So, what's the deal with WWRC? One would think liberal talk would be a slam dunk hit in the nation's capitol, which consistently votes for Democrats in ridiculously high numbers. Well, it's not that simple. Never is. First off, the Washington, DC metro area is heavily packed with news and talk stations. Clearly out in front ratings-wise is public radio outlet WAMU. Bonneville's all-news station, WTOP (103.5FM and 103.9FM), is also often found near the top of the heap. The 50,000 watt conservotalker WMAL is a bit further down. Reformed Free FM shock jock station WJFK-FM is next, and Pacifica's WPFW is not far behind that (yes, a Pacifica outlet is one of the top talk stations in town). Then there's WTWP.

And then there's the rest. WTNT is WWRC's low-rated conservotalk sister station. WWRC usually shows up in the lower rungs of the ratings charts from time to time. Then there are the real bottom-feeders, stations that don't show up in the ratings at all. These include wonky Federal News Radio (WFED), urban talker WOL, talk/standards hybrid WMET, and non-commercial C-Span feeder WCSP. In addition, there's two all-sports stations (one simulcasts on three signals) that get crappy ratings. Not to mention many talk-oriented morning shows on FM music stations.

Now, that's a lot of talk! Especially in a market that's predominantly African-American. Of the top five stations in the market, four carry urban contemporary formats. Needless to say, there are way too many talk stations, in a market that doesn't much care for them. One would think hip-hop would be an easier sell.

Considering that news/talk is a slow-growth format that demands a long-term commitment, Washington Post Radio had a steep uphill climb ahead of it. Any talk station, whether it be all-news, sports talk, liberal talk and yes, even conservotalk, need a long, long time to establish themselves. Music formats such as rock or country can often explode right out of the gate. Not so with talk. In addition, a live and local format, such as the one being done by WTWP, is insanely expensive and has high amounts of overhead, including many, many staffers. Piped-in syndicated talk formats, though, are very cheap, since it's all bartered programming.

So, back to the Stephanie Miller/WWRC connection. Miller has been confirmed for the new 3WT. Likely, her show will be delayed to the evening hours, as opposed to her live WWRC slot. What does this all mean for WWRC? They carry the other two Jones progressive talk shows, Bill Press and Ed Schultz. The rest is filled with Air America Radio programming. And then there's those business talk shows. Yes, business talk. And it's slapped up on the station in the sloppiest of fashions, as brokered infomercials often clutter the weekday schedule at random times, often in prime drive time slots. Well, no wonder why their ratings suck!

In addition, many have complained about the station's rather weak signal, licensed for 5000 watts but probably putting out the equivalent of far less. The station barely gets out of the metro area. Various formats over the past few decades have been tried, everything from elevator music to business talk to sports. All have failed. A far cry from 1963, when they were the first station in America to play "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

So again, what is the fate of WWRC? Did they swing some sort of deal to carry Miller along with 3WT? Is she being replaced with Lionel? Who knows? Is Clear Channel going to pull the plug? What else are they going to put on that graveyard signal? Progressive talk is probably their best shot at any success. They're already doing sports on another signal.

But Stephanie Miller? On a Bonneville station? Aren't they that Mormon outfit out of Salt Lake City? Bonneville International, is in fact owned by the LDS Church (aka the Mormons). They are a secular broadcaster that owns roughly 30 or so stations across the country. They are also known for rather staid, plain and safe formats. Stuff like adult contemporary, country, sports and oldies. In other words, bland, non-offensive radio, save for one or two conservotalk stations. How safe? Last year, they sold hard-rockin' WLUP in Chicago, with most speculating that it was partly because the station's long-time format didn't jibe with the laid-back Mormon lifestyle.

Stephanie Miller on a Mormon station? Should be interesting. Especially when she rips into Mitt Romney.

KLSD rally draws hundreds of listeners

Yesterday's early morning rally outside of Clear Channel's San Diego complex was deemed by many to be a success, as a crowd of roughly 500 people showed up to fight for their favorite station.

In addition, almost 1,200 people have signed a petition calling on Clear Channel to keep KLSD’s progressive talk format. Clear Channel executives have also been deluged with thousands of e-mails, virtually all in favor of keeping the format, rumored to be replaced, on the San Diego airwaves. Program director Cliff Albert, just returning from a vacation, came home to 847 emails in his inbox, all supportive of the format.

Morning host Stacy Taylor greeted the protesters on-air (audio here, here and here), and also played host to others, such as Air America Radio/KLSD host Jon Elliott, KTLK's Bree Walker, local politicians and others. The promotions department of the station itself even set up a tent in the parking lot. Albert himself even addressed the crowd, trying to explain what was happening.

“Clear Channel has no agenda to shut down progressive voices,” Albert said at the rally. Albert was the one who brought the format to KLSD in 2004 and even chose the call letters, both of which he said he is proud of. According to station insiders, consideration of a format change is motivated solely by fallen ratings in the recent Arbitron book and concerns over advertising dollars. No decision has been made about the fate of the station.

Other station insiders disagree, as at least one has claimed that its three year old progressive talk format has always met or exceeded its revenue goals. Ratings, save for the last fluke book, have been about as good as can be expected for a small AM station in a heavily radioed market. Taylor claimed on his show last Friday that a recent market survey showed that KLSD's listeners are more affluent than any other station in town.

So, who's behind all these rumors anyways? And where did they come from? That seems to be the million dollar question, and nobody's providing any answers. Taylor, who has devoted a large amount of time to KLSD's fate on the air, claims that many people in the building are supportive of the format, including office personnel, promotions, people at sister stations and even the sales department.

A domain name, xtrasports1360.com, was reserved by a station employee, Mike Costa, who appears as a sideline reporter and sports commentator on sister station KOGO's play-by-play coverage. This is likely where the rumors started. Granted, a domain name can be registered for as little as the amount of a pack of cigarettes. The name also makes no sense, as the "Xtra Sports" moniker, utilized when the format was carried on XETRA (690AM) is no longer used by Clear Channel in Southern California. Why revive it, especially since XETRA (no longer run by Clear Channel) still exists, albeit under a Spanish language news format?

Some fingers are pointing at the building's upper management. The general manager of KLSD and sister station KOGO is reportedly rather conservative, and dislikes KLSD's format. The general sales manager is a bottom-line guy who likes selling sports formats.

And, of course, many fingers are pointing east, to San Antonio, Clear Channel's corporate home. All involved in the situation deny that any directive has been sent from head office to ditch progressive talk. And with Clear Channel struggling to gain government approval of their proposed effort to sell the company to Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners and go private, it is highly unlikely the company would do anything to attract more controversy to their programming practices. In recent format flips from progressive talks, there are no signs whatsoever that the directive came from San Antonio. Those decisions seem to have been made at the local or regional level (Clear Channel's corporate structure is very, very complicated).

So, the bottom line is this: Who is making the decision to axe KLSD? Is the flip going to happen (everyone involved claims that no final decision has been made)? And finally, will the grassroots effort work? So far, things are looking somewhat positive. The outcry so far has rivaled or even exceeded the backlash that WXXM in Madison received when they tried to install a sports talk format. And we all remember what eventually happened there.

So for now, concerned listeners can sign the petition to save the format, visit saveklsd.com, NonStopRadio.com or their Yahoo! group. And most of all, support the station's many advertisers, who are really the voice that station management listens to. After all, money talks.

KLSD has more about the rally, including photos and even video on their website. Also read the excellent article at Brad Blog.

Listeners rally to save KLSD

The big rumor this past week has been about KLSD in San Diego. Several sources, including this here very blog, reported earlier this week that Clear Channel was about to flip KLSD to another format, most likely sports. The outcry and avalanche of emails evidently led the station to make a statement, which they did via a big red banner on the front page of their website:

RUMORS ON AIR AMERICA YES, there are rumours flying about KLSD changing format. And while various options are under consideration, we also want the progressive voice to remain heard in San Diego. Stay tuned and we will keep you informed. Thanks for listening and supporting KLSD.

Continuing on a second page, they add:

The Rumor Mill is Churning...

Send us an email at support@1360klsd.com to voice your thoughts and opinions.

KLSD thanks all of our listeners for your recent concern and support regarding rumors circulating about a possible format change with AM 1360. While various options are under consideration, we want the Progressive voice to remain heard loud and clear in San Diego. Please feel free to send us an email at support@1360klsd.com and express your thoughts and opinions. Thank you for listening and supporting your local Progressive Talk Station.

SDRadio.net says it's a done deal, but that Clear Channel is looking for a way to keep the progressive talk programming on in the San Diego market. The format flip would likely occur at the beginning of the SDSU Aztecs football season, which kicks off September 8. But again, this is one person's word, so it is what it is.

In addition, the station recently applied with the FCC to move the transmitter to Santee, CA and increase the power to a highly directional 50,000 watts day and night signal. This likely won't expand the listening area, but it should clear up the signal within the market.

With the rumored format change of KLSD, the station's faithful listeners have quickly jumped to persuade station management to keep the station as it is. One person has already purchased the domain name saveklsd.com and a rally is planned for Monday August 27, outside Clear Channel's San Diego complex. A Yahoo! Group has also been set up.

So, if Clear Channel is indeed giving KLSD's progressive talk format the boot, where will it go? Station management is still gauging interest in the format, and have half-heartedly claimed that they want the format to remain in San Diego. But where will it show up? KOGO, home to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura and local talker Roger Hedgecock is the only other AM station that they own. FM is likely not an option.

Only a few years ago, Clear Channel controlled nearly half the signals in the market, since they owned the 'programming rights' to several stations (i.e. the ones that start with an 'X') across the border in Tijuana and Rosarito (the Mexican government does not allow straight physical ownership of their broadcast properties by foreign entities, but license holders in border towns often lease their stations to American interests). The FCC forced them to pare down when they started considering the Mexican stations to be included in the legal limit for market ownership, so Clear Channel sold their leases to other parties, some of whom, such as Finest City Broadcasting, are still closely aligned with Clear Channel. They could be trying to swing a deal with a company leasing one of these signals to keep the format going.

Could progressive talk wind up on a Mexican station? It's not without precedent. XEPE (1700AM) in Tijuana recently flipped to a talk format that carries a mix of local hosts, business talk and conservatives such as Dennis Miller, Michael Reagan, Neal Boortz and Lars Larson. So there's nothing subversive about American political talk on one of those 'X' stations. Who knows? XEPE could even flip to progressive talk, if they're desperate enough to get ratings. As they say, anything can happen in radio.

Another possibility for Clear Channel to 'keep' the progressive talk format going would be via an HD Radio subchannel on one of their FM stations, in essence offering a straight feed of Air America Radio. It's not without precedent, as KYTI in Sheridan, WY does this. But seeing as HD Radio is not very widespread in the marketplace as of yet (there's hardly any equipment available to listen!) and listenership currently is equivalent to the number of people listening to FM radio in 1953, a move such as this could be seen as a slap in the face to the station's listeners. Besides, I doubt Air America or any other syndicator would go for it.

Seeing as KLSD has gotten, for the most part, pretty good ratings in its three year life, no doubt there could be an interested party that could pick up the programming. After all, when's the last time XEPE, XESURF, KCEO or KFSD showed up in the ratings books?

Speaking of ratings, while this is often not a factor in selling a sports format, does Clear Channel really expect any kind of success with yet another sports station in the market? The company fizzled with the format on the powerful signal of XETRA (690 AM) until a few years ago. Since then, a smaller company has succeeded with the AM/FM simulcast of XEPRS (1090 AM) and XHBCE (105.7FM), a.k.a. "XX Sports Radio." XESPN (800AM) carries the straight ESPN feed. So, what's left for a sports-formatted 1360AM? In order to take on XX Sports, they've got to be locally-oriented. But that costs a ton of money, and takes a long time to establish. Likely, they'll pipe in their Los Angeles station, KLAC (570AM), as they have already reserved the domain name xtrasports1360.com (though KLAC no longer uses the "Xtra Sports" moniker). But this approach didn't work when they tried it several years ago on 690AM. And KLAC already gets crummy ratings in its home market. And if they opt to merely simulcast the KLAC feed, they would have to work around Jim Rome and FOX Sports Radio, since XX Sports already has the San Diego rights to those.

Another possibility is that this could all be a ruse. Clear Channel is vaguely acknowledging rumors about a change in format for KLSD. The "Xtra Sports" domain makes little sense, as the name is no longer being used by the company. What we do know is that KLSD, coming off some pretty impressive ratings books (as high as over a 2.0 share, impressive at least for a small AM station), though they dropped all the way down to 0.9 share overall in the Spring Arbitron book in what could be considered a fluke. They even put up a 'pledge to listen' page on their site, in order to gauge interest in the station. A pretty sizable list of dedicated listeners would be pretty nice to show advertisers, don'tcha think?

So, is KLSD a goner? Who knows? Nothing is confirmed, and Clear Channel has been very vague about a future shift in direction. In the meantime, San Diego listeners can show their support in the following ways:

KLSD email support: support@1360klsd.com
Non-Stop Radio
Save KLSD Yahoo Group

Dropping KLSD?

Haven't we been here before?

Well, its been a while since the last rumor post here, since I'm always a bit wary of these, and have been burned a few times as well. Nonetheless, here's a new one to chew on. And it concerns one of the biggest success stories in the liberal talk format. And hopefully, by getting this out in the open, perhaps some light will be shed on this whole speculation.

Industry trade news site AllAccess is forwarding this little tidbit from San Diego, via sdradio.net's Chris Carmichael, who noticed that Clear Channel's Mike Costa, a local sports radio gadfly, has registered the domain xtrasports1360.com as of August 8th. The '1360' part of that is also the frequency for radio station KLSD.

Costa is currently employed by Clear Channel, and will do sideline reporting for sister station KOGO's coverage of San Diego State Aztecs football this Fall. Previously, he's done time at virtually every sports station that has ever existed in San Diego.

Carmichael is teasing a potential flip on Radio Info, going so far as to hint at new call letters, KXTR. Only problem is, a check of the FCC call sign database shows that the KXTR calls reside on an Entercom-owned AM station in Kansas City.

So far, this all sounds like merely a rumor. David Tanny at San Diego Radio News is a bit skeptical, given that the two other sports stations in town aren't really setting the world on fire. Meanwhile KLSD has been doing well with liberal talk, getting the best ratings the signal's gotten with various other past formats, though they took an unusual drastic slide in the most recent ratings report, dropping from 2.2 to 0.9 overall. With such a slide, which seems like a fluke to me, no doubt will there be rumors flying.

Save for the most recent book, KLSD has done well with the format, getting its best ratings since the 80s. The station has also helped to spawn local talent, such as Air America Radio's Jon Elliott and frequent fill-in Stacy Taylor.

So, does San Diego, or Souther California really need yet another sports talk station? Sure, XEPRS does well with its mostly local approach, while XESPN (airing, obviously, the ESPN feed) and two stations from L.A. that are listenable in the market - Clear Channel-owned KLAC (XTRA Sports 570, which 1360 would likely copy) and KSPN, another ESPN outlet. Of course, both of those stations get lousy ratings in their home market.

Clear Channel has tried sports in San Diego in the past. In fact, they did the L.A./San Diego combo before, with XETRA (690AM) and the former KXTA (now KTLK). Both stations did rather poorly in the ratings, even with XETRA's monster signal that reaches all the way up to Los Angeles. They dropped the San Diego part when they were forced to end their marketing agreement with XETRA, and moved the Los Angeles sports format to KLAC. Following that move, XEPRS picked up Jim Rome and FOX Sports Radio from Clear Channel's syndication arm, Premiere Radio Networks.

Reach KLSD's Cliff Albert here.

Rumor: Air America adding 6-7 new affiliates

Geez, it's been so long since I did one of these types of posts that I damn near forgot how.

All kidding aside, the hot rumor in liberal talk appears to be the rumored pending arrival of new stations to the format. Last night on his show, Jon Elliott claimed that his employer, Air America Radio is adding 6-7 new affiliates in the next few weeks.

Now, we don't know where these stations are located, but Elliott did throw us a bone, claiming that one would be in Atlantic City, NJ. As far as affiliate possibilities go, the most logical station would seem to be WTAA (1490AM), which is owned by Access.1 Communications (owner of Air America's New York affiliate WWRL). Currently, this little 400 watt wonder is simulcasting the oldies sounds of its sister FM station, WTKU ("Kool 98.3"). Sure, 400 watts ain't much, but local AM stations in the Atlantic City market are pretty weak. They don't have to cover much ground, and they blast half their signal out into the ocean anyway. Incidentally, the WTAA call sign was just picked up in the last week or so.

As for the other rumored markets, nothing is known. One that could be the subject of speculation (namely my own) could be WVKO (1580AM) in Columbus, OH, which is close to returning to the air, after building a new broadcast transmission facility. Obviously, the station needs a format (their preference is brokered programming, but that stuff doesn't happen overnight), and the owner knows that local interest is there for progressive talk, after the format was dropped by WTPG in December. Again, this isn't even close to rumor status, just mere speculation on my part. So keep that in mind before you all go around spreading this stuff.

There's no word on what any of these stations will run outside of Air America programming, if anything, whether it be local shows or stuff from other syndicators.

Nonetheless, keep checking back here for more info. And if anyone reading this owns or works for one of the aforementioned rumored stations (and I know you're reading this), drop me a line and fill me in.