Tag: "Todd Starnes"

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Glenn Ordway to Exit WEEI, Boston.  Addressing the story of his departure that leaked to Boston.com’s Chad Finn, longtime personality — and one of the original architects of the sports talk station – Glenn Ordway announced on Wednesday he is leaving the station because management wants to make changes.  The original story from Finn reports Boston native and current KIRO, Seattle sports talk personality Mike Salk will join Michael Holley on the PM drive show.  That has not been confirmed, although WEEI vice president of programming and operations Jason Wolfe says in a subsequent press release that the station will announce Holley’s new co-host soon.  In discussing his departure on the air – a very cool thing for WEEI management to allow him to do, in the opinion of TALKERS editors — Ordway said, in part, “I have great admiration for that brand on the wall.  I was part of the beginning of it…I’ve been meeting [programmer] Jason Wolfe…It’s obvious we are not getting the ratings on this show that are necessary…I didn’t do a good enough job recently and the company decided to make a change…The ratings are the issue.  In the Spring they were through the roof but they haven’t been good enough recently… I’m not gonna lie [and say I’m happy about it]…They have a right to make that decision.   You wanna say I got fired?  Say I got fired…I am so lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest people in the business – some of them went to other places and are the reason I’m having this conversation right now (laughed).  I’ve been here 27 years going back to their deal with the Celtics.”  Wolfe says Ordway will finish out the week on the program.  He says of his time with Ordway, “Glenn and I have been together since day one.  He is an icon in this business and he helped build WEEI into arguably the most successful sports station in history.  I am so thankful to have been able to work alongside Glenn for the past 20-plus years and I hope that all Boston sports fans realize how important his contributions have been to this station, to the market and to this industry.  He’s a true professional and that was clearer than ever in his comments today (2/13).”

Talk Radio Network and Fox News Channel Star Andrea Tantaros Gets “Love” from the New York Observer.  The paper calls Andrea Tantaros “Fox’s new ‘It’ girl” in a piece that highlights her rise as one of the ensemble members of the very popular “The Five” program on FNC as well as her new gig as host of her own radio talk show syndicated by Talk Radio Network.  Writer Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke writes of Tantaros, “And although she is solidly conservative, she represents a departure from the old Fox News mold of firebrand yellers and bubbly blondes.  Ms. Tantaros lives in Manhattan, talks with equal enthusiasm about reality shows and budget hearings, and is laughingly sarcastic rather than loudly belligerent when decrying a liberal viewpoint. And she will occasionally depart from the party line. She is, in short, the perfect standard-bearer for Fox’s recent subtle shift to a less-divisive model of conservative news.”  Tantaros’ talk radio program on TRN filled the gap left by the departure of Laura Ingraham from the network and CEO Mark Masters says the accolades being given to Tantaros don’t surprise him and are indicative of why he is so high on her show.  “This is why the Andrea Tantaros show is the most successful nationally syndicated launch in our history.”

EAS LESSON:  Protect Your Station from Hackers.  By now, you have obviously heard that there was an EAS hack at a TV station the other day.  It is the buzz of the industry. An alert went out about a zombie attack.  Now, before anyone goes off about EAS, it should be noted that the CAP feed was not affected.  This appears to be strictly a case of computer network security. And before we go deeper, it should be stated that when something like this happens, it is only natural that it becomes a news story.  And news stories require actualities.  If something goes awry with EAS, please keep in mind that it is okay to play the actual audio message that went out (although not advisable) – but it CANNOT contain the EAS data bursts or the two-tone alert signal.  It is illegal to transmit those outside of an actual EAS activation or test, per FCC regulation 47 CFR 11.45.  Back to the hack.  It appears that someone hacked into the computer network of the TV station where the zombie alert originated.  More disturbing, the hacker logged into the EAS encoder/decoder, planted an audio file, and sent the test.  Consider the implications of this if the hacker had originated a National Emergency code.  Any station monitoring the TV station would have had their air seized because of the nature of the alert – and, besides disconnecting the equipment, could not do anything about it.  You do not have the option to abort a National Emergency.  Noted radio engineer Tom Ray, president of Tom Ray Consulting, – who joins TALKERS today (2/14) as technical editor – offers his educated take on the “Zombie Hack” and offers counsel on how to protect your station from similar breaches in computer security.  Read Tom Ray’s article here.

KLBJ-AM, Austin’s Barbara McCarley Dies in Auto Crash.  The KLBJ-AM news staffer was driving in a station vehicle when her car was involved in a three-car crash in which her vehicle was hit head on.  Forty-eight year old Barbara McCarley had been with KLBJ-AM for the past 14 years.  She was a wife and mother of two.  Upon learning of her death, Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan stated, “It saddens me to tell you that we’ve lost a dear member of the Emmis family today.  We just received word from Scott Gilmore that long-time Emmis Austin news associate and reporter Barbara McCarley passed away this morning after being involved in a tragic car accident yesterday.  Barbara has been a valuable member of our Austin radio team for over 14 years.  As Scott said to his team this morning, ‘Barbara was well loved by her co-workers and we will all miss her bright personality terribly.’  Please keep Barbara’s husband, Robert, and her two children, John and Katherine, in your thoughts and prayers.  This will be a very difficult time for them, her friends, and her Emmis family in Austin.”

Do You Sound “CompuServe” to Smartphone Users?  Radio consultant and TALKERS columnist Holland Cooke says that in his travels he hears radio stations all across the country talk about their websites and digital activities in archaic 1990s terms.  He advises that promos for your station’s website should end, not begin, by plugging the site.  He points out that many stations still discuss their website as if simply having a website is a big deal.  Most importantly, he explains that people are way too busy with increasingly shortened attention spans to go to a website to peruse it for its own sake.  You MUST give them a specific reason to go there every time you mention it.  Find out more about placing your station’s website in a 2013 context by reading Holland Cooke’s article here.

TALKERS TV Spotlights Localism.  Today (2/14) TALKERS TV debuts a brief interview conducted by Michael Harrison with KSCO, Santa Cruz, California PD and morning host Rosemary Chalmers who discusses the benefits of local talk radio broadcasting from her dual perspective as a programmer and a talent.  Chalmers has been with the station for a long time – 15 years on the air, 22 as a programmer – and has strong ties to the community.  She says the local factor is at the heart of what makes KSCO very special.  See the video in the TALKERS TV box in the upper right column of this page.

Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes Added to WWIQ, Philadelphia.  The daily feature will air at 7:55 am on the “Philly’s Morning News” program hosted by Al Gardner and Lionel.  Todd Starnes’ Fox News Radio-syndicated commentary is already heard on some 250-plus stations around the country.  He says of his addition to Merlin Media’s WWIQ, “I am so excited to be a part of such a fantastic radio station.  ‘IQ 106.9 FM’ is a perfect home for my commentaries and I look forward to sharing real American stories with our new friends in Philadelphia.”

Larry Wert to Oversee WGN, Chicago as President of Local Broadcasting.  Tribune Company announces the NBC TV executive with tons of Chicago media experience will assume the role of president of local broadcasting, putting him in charge of Tribune’s 23 local TV properties as well as its lone radio station – WGN, Chicago.  He’ll report to Tribune CEO Peter Liguori.  Wert served as president and GM for WLUP-FM and AM 1000 beginning in 1989 when they were Evergreen properties.  He was president of the merged Evergreen and Chancellor companies and moved on to the president/GM role at WMAQ-TV “NBC5” in 1998.  Since September of 2011 he has been EVP of station initiatives for NBC.  Liguori says of Wert, “Larry’s talent, creativity, and broad television, digital and radio experience make him the ideal person to lead our local broadcasting and radio businesses.  Larry is also a skilled manager of people, an innovative programmer, and understands the important role our local TV news operations play in the communities we serve.”

Longtime Boston Talk Personality Paul Benzaquin Dies at 90.  The native of Quincy, Massachusetts, one-time Boston Globe and Boston Herald reporter and Boston radio personality passed away on February 13 at age 90.  The Patriot-Ledger notes that Paul Benzaquin made his radio debut on WEEI in 1960 and in 1963 began doing talk radio.  In addition to working at WEEI, Benzaquin hosted radio programs on WBZ, WHDH and WITS in Boston.  He also penned a best-selling book about the 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in the city that took the lives of 492 people.

COOL JOB OPPORTUNITY.  Newsmax Media is looking for a Content Manager, Traffic Coordinator Online TV.  Newsmax Media, a national news organization, is seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, and highly organized individual with experience in broadcast, cable or online TV with the gathering, managing, scheduling, and archiving of content for the new position of Content Manager and Traffic Coordinator.  Responsibilities include: Gather, develop, and manage content for organization’s web TV channel presence (requires working with content management software); Coordinate programming projects across departments; Track incoming programming/advertisements and ensure complete production functionality; Working with a cross-departmental team, including maintaining and developing the master content calendar for all TV channel properties; Review potential content to determine if it meets company standards;  Work cooperatively with key team members, clients, and vendors.  Minimum Qualifications:  Candidate must have a minimum of 3 years working as a content manager/traffic coordinator at the network or major online/broadcast outlet level; Exceptional communication and organizational skills with a strong attention to detail; Advanced knowledge of HTML and experience utilizing the latest content management/traffic systems; Ability to efficiently manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment; Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Digital Media or related field a Plus, Not Required.  Salary Range: TBA, Location NY or FL.  Please submit resume to Ted Goldenberg at tedg@newsmax.com

ANOTHER COOL JOB OPPORTUNITY:  “Help wanted, news/talk, Texas, owner-not insane!”  TALKERS columnist and radio consultant Holland Cooke shares this with our readers.  “My client is a proud indie, hell-bent-on doing big-city radio in a comfortably small market.”  Immediate opening – PD with PD and news experience and demonstrated production and people skills. Sales savvy would make you extra-attractive. You will have an on-air presence to-be-determined.
Yes, we will build-this-job-description-around the right person. No beginners, no calls. Send resume, references, aircheck, and links to web content you’ve created to helpwanted@hollandcooke.com. Send audio files to that address via free YouSendIt.com, or send a DropBox link. Tick-tock.  My client is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Obama State of the Union Aftermath, Christopher Dorner Case, Marco Rubio Water Flap, Jack Lew Hearings and European Horsemeat Scandal Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (2/13).  The discussion and dissection of President Obama’s state of the union speech; the controversy surrounding the Christopher Dorner pursuit; the Marco Rubio water-drinking flap; the Jack Lew treasury secretary confirmation hearings; and the European horsemeat scandal were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.