CBS Radio Fires Host, PD Over Song Parody.  WYSP-FM Philadelphia morning drive host Kidd Chris and program director John Cook were fired by CBS Radio after the fallout from a song parody sung on the air by a guest on Chris’ March 21 program.  The song, sung to the tune of Blondie’s “Call Me,” called “Schwoogies” used language with numerous racial stereotypes and pejorative terms for blacks and aired a number of times on the station before being picked up on YouTube.  CBS Radio spokesperson Karen Mateo states, “We found the song to be highly offensive and completely inappropriate for broadcast on our airwaves.  When senior management of the station learned that it had been played, they took immediate steps to prevent it from ever appearing on the station again.  At the same time, we launched an extensive internal investigation into the situation including a thorough review of the editorial controls and systems we have in place to prevent this type of content from airing. We instituted additional educational training for the station, and have taken appropriate disciplinary action, including termination of the individuals involved.”  Chris had three years remaining on his contract with the company.

Rantel Set to Return.  KABC, Los Angeles talk host Al Rantel is preparing to return to the airwaves at the Citadel talk station after four months of chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma.  Rantel hosts the 11:00 am to 11:45 am show and the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm program.

Humphries Holds Memorial Day Radiothon.  Talk Radio Network host Rusty Humphries is teaming up with Sons and Daughters In Touch (SDIT) over the Memorial Day weekend for a national radiothon to benefit SDIT and its support of the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center on the National Mall.  The SDIT National Radiothon will air nationwide May 23 through 26. SDIT — a national nonprofit organization comprised of nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their fathers in the Vietnam War — will be enlisting the support of Humphries, an SDIT member whose father, Army Capt. Gary D. Humphries, was killed on Jan. 29, 1969 in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam. For the past 18 years, Sons and Daughters In Touch has worked to locate, unite and provide support to the now-grown children of American servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War.

Mancow Featured in Chris Farley Biography.  TRN-FM nationally syndicated talk host Erich “Mancow” Muller shares his stories in the new book, The Chris Farley Show, A Biography in Three Acts, scheduled to be released this month.  The story was written by Tom Farley Jr., Chris’s older brother and Tanner Colby.  In the book, Chris Farley, the Saturday Night Live star is remembered by his family, colleagues, and friends including Mancow.  Tom Farley Jr. was a special guest on “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse” May 12 and Mancow shared many of his personal memories of Chris Farley and their time together.  He played several voicemails that Chris Farley had left for him over the years.  During the segment Mancow said, “In retrospect, I wish I would have picked up the phone, maybe I could have done something.”  Chris Farley moved back to Chicago, and took up residence in John Hancock Center, where the radio studio of Mancow was also located.  Mancow is quoted in the book, “Chris frequently popped in at the show on his way in or out of the building…the show gave Chris a stage whenever he needed one.”

Clear Channel Deal Restructured at $36 per share.  As many industry watchers had predicted, the banks, the private equity firms and Clear Channel have figured a way out of the legal morass they've been steeped in for the last month -- they renegotiated.  The new $17.9 billion deal to take the company private is for $36 per share -- down from the $39 price of the previous deal.  The six banks agreed to put the money in escrow while Clear Channel readies a shareholder vote that is expected to take place by late September.  The new drop dead deadline is December 31.   

Cumulus Go-Private Deal Terminated.  Lew Dickey’s investment group, in partnership with Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity to merge the two into a private firm, is terminating the merger agreed to last summer.  As a result, Dickey’s group will pay Cumulus a $15 million break-up fee for the deal that was to see Dickey’s group pay $1.3 billion for the company.  The parties stated the deal was being terminated because they couldn’t “agree on terms on which they could proceed with the transaction.”

Dave Ramsey a Hit in KC. Nationally syndicated talk shot host Dave Ramsey brought his spring 2008 Money Makeover Live show to Kansas City and drew some 12,000 fans. Donna Baker, market manager for Cumulus which owns local affiliate KCMO, tells TALKERS magazine, “What a fantastic weekend in Kansas City. This weekend’s events impacted our team as a reminder of just how powerful our medium of radio is. Dave Ramsey has a unique ability to connect with listeners and not only impact ratings and revenue, but change lives. Our clients repeatedly tell us that their return on investment is some of the best they have experienced.”

Paul Harvey’s Wife, Angel, Dies.  Lynn “Angel” Harvey passed away Saturday, May 3 after a yearlong battle with leukemia.  Paul Harvey and Angel were married in 1940.  She went on to help develop some of Paul Harvey’s best-known broadcast features including “The Rest of the Story.”  She was the first producer to be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.

WABC’s Bob Grant Celebrates 60 Years in Radio.  Iconic New York talk radio host Bob Grant celebrates his 60^th anniversary being on the radio on May 14.  Grant began his career at a small station in Oak Park, Illinois before moving on to WBBM, Chicago as a newsman.  Grant worked in Los Angeles which included a stint filling in for the legendary Joe Pine before moving East to work in New York at WMCA and WOR, then to Philadelphia at WWDB-FM and back to New York at WABC where he currently hosts the 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm show.

Rose City Flips KXJM-FM to Sports.  The Portland, Oregon-based broadcast company flips R&B KXJM-FM to sports at 95.5 The Game beginning May 12.  The station will be live and local in morning and afternoon drive featuring Ken Vance and Katy Brown in the morning and John Canzano in the afternoon plus Premiere Radio Networks’ Jim Rome and Fox Sports Radio programming.  The station will also carry Portland Trailblazers basketball, Seattle Seahawks football and University of Oregon sports play-by-play.  Sister news/talk KXL program director James Derby is programming the station.  He tells TALKERS magazine, “We are extremely excited to be launching 95.5 ‘The Game,’ the only all-sports FM radio station in the Western United States.  Our play-by-play and live sports talk programming will offer Portland sports fans an incredible array of options that will keep them closer to the action than ever before.”