The cat killed my monitor (and a few other things)

Didn't have the opportunity to do an elaborate entry, as my mischeivous cat decided to climb up on top of my computer monitor and vomit in it, shorting out some circuits and pretty much ruining the whole thing. Thankfully, the place didn't go up in flames, though the smell is pretty nasty. I'll make this one short and sweet, as I hunt down a new monitor (perhaps a flat panel LCD?).

Strong numbers for Maddow on MSNBC

I was going to write a whole long thing about MSNBC, but time (and monitor) restrictions have put that on hold. Nevertheless, an update on the network's newest host, Rachel Maddow. After only a few weeks, it looks like MSNBC has a small hit on its hands.

On Tuesday night, the live airing of "The Rachel Maddow Show" was MSNBC's top-rated broadcast Tuesday night. It even unseated Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" as the network's top show that evening.

Maddow drew 1.8 million total viewers compared to Olbermann's 1.6 million. Maddow also outdrew Olbermann in the advertiser-friendly 25-54 demographic, taking 25,000 more young adults than her lead-in "Countdown."

Wednesday's numbers were also good, with Maddow eclipsing CNN's "Larry King Live" in all reported demographics. And preliminary numbers for Thursday show she barely edged Olbermann.

And the hosts of "Morning Joe" congratulated Rachel Maddow on her ratings success on Thursday morning. Joe Scarborough, who has sparred with Maddow in the past, had particularly kind words for her, saying:

TV folk are some of the craziest folk I know, as Krusty the Clown might say. But she is a good, good person. We probably don't agree on anything politically. But she's respectful of people, and it's great. File this under, one of those good people doing well."

A few more items for the weekend

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has an article about Ms. Maddow.

Speaking of Minnesota, incumbent Senator Norm Coleman must be getting desperate, as he tries to slime rival Al Franken with that Gloria Wise nonsense and wingnuts cream their pants. And none of this mudslinging is doing either any good, as it appears independent candidate and Jesse Ventura crony Dean Barkley is creeping up. Sad, really.

FAIR has a column entitled "The Myth of Pro-Obama Media Bias."

OMG!!! Social networking has overtaken porn in web searches! This is HUGH111!

Greenfield Named America's Funniest Host

AllAccess reports that WVNJ/Oakland, NJ-New York morning host Sam Greenfield was unveiled as the "Funniest Host in America" at the NAB Radio Show in Austin Thursday morning. Greenfield won a national contest sponsored by Comic Wonder and was present at the convention to accept the honor.

Greenfield formerly hosted mornings on progressive talker WWRL in New York.

Holiday soundbytes

If you've all been wondering where the rest of the previously promised end-of-the-year Top 10 lists are, they're coming. I came down with a brief yet nasty case of the flu right after Christmas and didn't feel the urge to do anything but attempt to sleep and watch TV (mostly DVDs and Benazhir Bhutto). The rest is forthcoming, most notably the Top 10 Liberal Talkers of 2007. Stay tuned.

Turning back to the present tense, there's still a little bit going on. First is good news for fans of the late KLSD in San Diego. Stacy Taylor, the former morning show host on that station, was offered a position at another Clear Channel-owned station. But when all was said and done, he opted to part ways with them and has instead taken the afternoon (4-7PM PT) shift on XEPE (1700AM) starting January 3, 2008. He'll be sandwiched in between investment shows and local and syndicated conservojocks that garner the station little in the way of ratings. Perhaps Taylor, who actually did get decent ratings on KLSD, will deliver a shot in the arm to this border blaster.

Another programming change also rings in the new year. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that WWRL in New York will be getting a new morning show co-host next Wednesday in the guise of Chicago's Coz Carson, formerly of urban talk-formatted WVON. Whether he is joining the relatively new duo of Richard Bey and Mark Riley or replacing one or both people is unknown. I guess we'll see on Wednesday January 2.

UPDATE: Looks like Riley is heading back to WLIB, where he's worked off and on over the years. Carson will pair up with Bey on WWRL's morning show, according to FishbowlNY (disregard the various errors in that posting).

The guy Bey and Riley replaced, Sam Greenfield, just got a new gig. "Mornings With Sammy" will debut on January 7 and air 7-9A ET weekdays at WVNJ (1160AM) in Oakland, NJ. The Northern New Jersey station has a decent signal that also targets areas to the north and east of New York City. The station's on-air lineup is nothing to really get excited about, unless you like infomercials. Nonetheless, a longtime New York liberal talker gets a new gig, sans the excess baggage that was Armstrong Williams.

And finally, Sirius Left host Alex Bennett is hitting the road. No, he's not leaving his radio gig. He's taking it across the country next week, covering the 2008 Iowa Caucuses and the 2008 New Hampshire primary (yes, they're coming up). Bennett and company will deliver breaking election news, get voter reaction, and analysis straight from the epicenter of the beginning of the madness that is the 2008 Presidential Election.

According to the press release, according to All Access, Bennett will take listeners "inside" two actual Iowa Caucuses, "bringing a firsthand account of the debate, discussion, and procedure by which America’s first political choices are made for the 2008 presidential campaign." Look for him there January 3-4. On January 8 and 9, Bennett will broadcast his show live from the iconic Red Arrow Diner, a focal point for many presidential candidates, in Manchester.

Speaking of the 2008 Election, I have finally thrown my support behind a candidate in the race, after holding out for quite some time. Perhaps in the next few days or so, after I sort out this year-end stuff, I'll even share it with all of you. Until then, have a happy, safe and prosperous 2008.

Morning shakeup at WWRL

"Sammy and Army" are history.

Sam Greenfield and Armstrong Williams, the morning show hosts at WWRL (1600AM) in New York, exit the station, in a programming overhaul. The two hosted their last show yesterday.

Former Air America Radio personality Mark Riley and current WWRL nighttime host Richard Bey will take over mornings effective Monday. Program director Rennie Bishop calls the move a "creative redirection."

Both Riley and Bey are New York radio veterans. Riley was a longtime personality at WLIB prior to joining Air America, from their debut in March 2004 until this past August. Bey was formerly at WABC radio until starting at WWRL in August. He has also done fill-in work at Sirius Left. And yes, he did host that talk show back in the 90s.

The "Sammy and Army" show was often controversial among Air America fans. Listeners mostly took exception to the 'conservative half' of the duo, Armstrong Williams, who was most notably caught in a scam involving some suspect dealings with the Bush administration. Williams had to fork over $34,000 to settle his case with the Department of Justice when it was discovered that he accepted $240,000 in payments from the Bush administration to tout their 'No Child Left Behind' act on his TV and radio shows. According to USA Today, Williams was hired "to promote the law... and to urge other black journalists to do the same." When the whole matter was disclosed, he lost his TV show and the White House turned its back on him. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington claimed the deal was illegal, as the federal government is forbidden from funding propaganda broadcast within the United States.

As if there weren't enough sharks left to jump

After alienating many of their listeners after firing Mike Malloy and suffering through some badly mangled PR related to their financial issues and upper management squabbles, Air America Radio might trump all of that with a new rumored move.

The Hill, by way of Wonkette, is floating a rumor that Air America is considering syndication of right-wing radio flack and former Bush Administration paid propagandist Armstrong Williams, currently toiling away with liberal co-host Sam Greenfield in morning drive at their New York City affiliate WWRL.

Air America struck a deal this summer to move its New York home from WLIB to WWRL. The source said that as part of the deal, WWRL wants the Sammy and Army show syndicated on Air America radio. Such a deal would bring in more cash to WWRL, and word is that Air America is on board. But Air American does not want to syndicate the Williams show before the elections, which would presumably rile its liberal listeners (gee, you think?).

WWRL Program Director Rennie Bishop was mum on the topic. Asked when he would comment, Bishop said, “Call me after the elections.”

Williams, recently paid $34,000 to settle his case with the Department of Justice on his controversial payments from the Bush administration for touting the No Child Left Behind law, basically because he didn't peddle enough propaganda, said, “I keep hearing the rumor it’s coming and it couldn’t come any sooner because they need a little diversity there.”

Williams’s business card has “Air America radio” already on it because of his affiliation with WWRL (oh, the irony!).

Air America spokeswoman Jaime Horn said, “We have no plans to syndicate Armstrong Williams at any time.” Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Of course, it's likely that if AAR were to, in fact, syndicate Army and Greeny (or whatever they call themselves), it would be dumped on their secondary syndication feed along with Jerry Springer and Thom Hartmann.